Fisher's buzzer-beater snatches win for Lakers

LOS ANGELES (AP):

Derek Fisher hit a lay-up at the buzzer to give the Los Angeles Lakers an 87-86 victory over the Clippers after the two-time defending NBA champions trailed for most of the second half.

Kobe Bryant scored 24 points, Shannon Brown added 16 and Pau Gasol had 10 points and 10 rebounds for the Lakers who ended a three-game road losing streak, as the visiting team in their own building.

Eric Gordon scored 24 points and Blake Griffin had 16 points and 11 rebounds for the Clippers, who blew a 12-point lead in the third quarter.

The Clippers were denied their sixth win of the season, when Fisher, the wily clutch shooter of so many NBA finals, found his way into the paint for the winning basket in the first meeting of the season between the Staples Center co-tenants.

Celtics 105, Nuggets 89

BOSTON (AP):

Ray Allen scored 28 points Wednesday night, as the Boston Celtics took advantage of an injury to Carmelo Anthony and won their eighth straight game, beating the Denver Nuggets 105-89.

The loss left Nuggets coach George Karl stuck on 999 wins. His next chance to reach 1,000 comes Friday at Toronto.

Kevin Garnett had 17 points and nine rebounds, and Rajon Rondo added 13 assists for Boston. Paul Pierce scored 17 and Glen 'Big Baby' Davis, who had been ill during the week, scored 16 points.

Reserve guard Ty Lawson scored 24 for Denver, and Arron Afflalo added 16 points. Gary Forbes, who started in place of Anthony, had five points and zero rebounds in 19 minutes.

Anthony, the No. 10 scorer in the NBA this season at 22.8 points per game, was scratched just before tip-off because of inflammation in his right knee. It's the third time in 11 home games this season that the Celtics have dodged an opponent's star; Oklahoma City's Kevin Durant and Washington's John Wall also sat out in Boston.

Heat 111, Jazz 98

SALT LAKE CITY (AP):

LeBron James scored 33 points, Dwyane Wade added 28 and the surging Heat outscored Utah by 14 in the fourth quarter.

The victory extended Miami's winning streak to six, and avenged a 116-114 overtime loss to Utah at home on November 9. The Heat improved to 15-8, while Utah fell to 16-7.

Al Jefferson scored 25 points and all five Jazz starters were in double figures by the start of the fourth. But it wasn't enough, as the Heat pulled away with a 12-3 run to start the quarter.

Miami led by as many as 12, but the Heat found themselves trailing 78-77 entering the fourth, after the Jazz mounted yet another rally. Last month, they came back from a 22-point deficit to beat the Heat.

In that game, Paul Millsap scored a career-high 46 for Utah. This time, he got going late and finished with 18 points on 9-of-12 shooting. Deron Williams had 21 for Utah but only four in the first half.

Knicks 113, Raptors 110

NEW YORK (AP):

Raymond Felton's tiebreaking 3-pointer bounced on the rim five times and finally went in with 2.7 seconds left, giving New York a victory over Toronto that extended its winning streak to six.

Amare Stoudemire pushed his 30-point streak to six games in sensational fashion, scoring 18 of his 34 points in the fourth quarter and grabbing 14 rebounds. His jumper gave New York a 110-107 lead with 57 seconds remaining and sparked "MVP!" chants at Madison Square Garden.

But after Andrea Bargnani tied it with a 3, Felton launched his 3 that also hit the backboard once after Stoudemire couldn't get free. The point guard finished with 28 points and 11 assists, scoring 20 in the first half to carry the Knicks before Stoudemire got rolling.

Bargnani had a career-high 41 points, but wasn't close on a desperation 3 just before the buzzer in the Raptors' third straight loss.

Danilo Gallinari scored 20 for the Knicks, who have won 11 of 12 and improved to 14-9, their best mark since finishing the 2000-01 season 48-34. Their six-game winning streak is their longest since also winning six straight in January 2006.

Other results: Bulls 88, Cavaliers 83; Bucks 97, Pacers 95; Thunder 111, Timberwolves 103; Hornets 93, Pistons 74; Spurs 111, Warriors 94; Grizzlies 104, Suns 98, OT; Kings 116, Wizards 91.