Paul Pierce carried the Celtics all game while the rest of the Big Three struggled. So when it came time for the winning shot, of course Pierce would take it. That's what the New York Knicks seemed to think, anyway. Instead, Pierce swung it to a wide-open Kevin Garnett, whose jumper beat the overtime buzzer to give Boston a 107-105 victory Sunday.

A halftime change of footwear helped Vince Carter find his shooting stroke. Carter scored 24 points, Dwight Howard had 17 points and 12 rebounds and the Orlando Magic won their fifth straight game, 104-96 over the Toronto Raptors on Sunday. Carter finished 9 for 24 from the field after going 2 for 11 in the first half.

The Hornets' two rookies left the New Orleans Arena with bright-colored, glittery suitcases specially selected for them by veterans, Darren Collison's with a "Little Mermaid" theme and Marcus Thornton's emblazoned with Tinkerbell's smiling visage. "It keeps us grounded, I'll tell you that much," Collison said.

There's one thing -- other than LeBron James, of course -- that the Cleveland Cavaliers can always count on when things get tough. In a pinch, they turn to their defense. "That's where we make our mark at," James said. "On the defensive end. We just lock down." James scored 32 points, Mo Williams added 18 and the Cavaliers clamped down defensively in the fourth quarter for...

Martell Webster took full advantage of his return to the Portland Trail Blazers' starting lineup. Webster had a season-high 21 points and 13 rebounds and keyed a third quarter rally with three consecutive 3-pointers in the Trail Blazers' 106-78 victory over the free-falling Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday night.

Andrei Kirilenko and the Utah Jazz outlasted the Detroit Pistons for their fourth straight victory. Kirilenko scored six of his 22 points in overtime and the Jazz beat the Pistons 100-97 on Saturday night. Carlos Boozer scored 18 of his 22 points in the second half and overtime to help the Jazz escape a back-and-forth game that produced 17 lead changes and saw no lead larger than five points after...

J.R. Smith finished off the Chicago Bulls. Smith, Denver's streak-shooting sixth man, scored 12 of his 19 points in the final period and the Nuggets pulled away for a 112-93 victory Saturday night. Carmelo Anthony had 30 points, and Chauncey Billups added 21, helping keep Denver in the game and setting the stage for Smith's fourth-quarter spree.

It took a half, then Brandon Jennings showed the Memphis Grizzlies why he is among the best of this year's rookie class. Jennings, who leads first-year players in scoring and assists, scored 24 of his 26 points after halftime, and the Milwaukee Bucks beat the Grizzlies 103-98 on Saturday night for their third straight victory.

Ten days and four games later, the San Antonio Spurs won for what Tim Duncan said felt like the first time in a year and a half. The Washington Wizards lost another, and after getting blown out for the second time in two nights, the frustration is starting to show. Tony Parker scored 17 points and the Spurs stopped a three-game losing streak with a 106-84 win over the Wizards on Saturday night.