The Los Angeles Lakers opened a season-high six-game trip Friday night with a rare win in Denver, where the Nuggets were bleary-eyed and, in Danilo Gallinari’s case, blurry-eyed. Lakers coach Mike Brown was simply red-faced after a non-call in the waning seconds gave Denver one last shot at the victory.

Boston stayed close enough until the New York Knicks failed again. This time, it was because of the Celtics’ defense. Paul Pierce scored 30 points and Ray Allen had nine of his 14 in the final quarter to lift the Celtics to a 91-89 win over the struggling Knicks on Friday night. Hanging close until they finally caught New York midway into the final quarter, Celtics coach Doc Rivers kept telling…

Paul George and the Indiana Pacers are getting more and more confident. They should be with the way they’re playing — especially on the road. George hit seven 3-pointers and finished with a career-high 30 points as the Pacers won in Dallas for the first time in eight years, beating the defending NBA champions 98-87 Friday night.

The Memphis Grizzlies know the team they are chasing to reach the top of the Western Conference. Kevin Durant and the Oklahoma City Thunder keep finding ways to stay one step ahead. Durant scored 36 points and hit the tiebreaking 3-pointer in the final minute to lift the Thunder to a 101-94 victory against Memphis on Friday night in a rematch of their epic Western Conference semifinals series.

Brandon Knight learned a harsh lesson earlier in the week when he was shut out in a game at Milwaukee. “I just remember not coming with a lot of energy, not lifting my teammates up,” Knight said. “Me, as a rookie, that’s something I’ve got to be able to do each and every game, no matter who we’re playing against.” In a rematch with the Bucks on Friday night, Knight…

The Minnesota Timberwolves almost never won away from home last season. Now, they don’t seem eager to go back there. Luke Ridnour made the tiebreaking 3-pointer with 1:23 left, Nikola Pekovic scored a career-high 27 points, and the Timberwolves beat the New Jersey Nets 108-105 on Friday night to surpass last season’s road victory total.

Predicting which Orlando Magic team shows up from night to night has been a daily guessing game. A recent season-high four-game losing streak was plagued with turnovers, inconsistent play on defense and stale offense. Since then, the Magic have dug out of the muck, earning their second straight victory, 102-94 over the Cleveland Cavaliers Friday night.

With LeBron James running the show, Miami ran the Sixers out of their building. Dwyane Wade scored 26 points, and James had 19 points and 12 rebounds to lift the Miami Heat to a 99-79 win over the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday night. Needing a jumpstart in the fourth, James shifted to point guard, sparking a dominant late run that put away the pesky Sixers.

With LeBron James running the show, Miami ran the Sixers out of their building. Dwyane Wade scored 26 points, and James had 19 points and 12 rebounds to lift the Miami Heat to a 99-79 win over the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday night. Needing a jumpstart in the fourth, James shifted to point guard, sparking a dominant late run that put away the pesky Sixers.

Kevin Martin scored 16 points, Kyle Lowry had eight rebounds and nine assists and the Houston Rockets beat the Phoenix Suns 99-81 on Friday night. Chase Budinger added 12 points and 10 rebounds for the Rockets, who got another strong effort from their reserves to beat the Suns for only the second time in the last nine meetings.

Kevin Martin scored 16 points, Kyle Lowry had eight rebounds and nine assists and the Houston Rockets beat the Phoenix Suns 99-81 on Friday night. Chase Budinger added 12 points and 10 rebounds for the Rockets, who got another strong effort from their reserves to beat the Suns for only the second time in the last nine meetings.

Luke Ridnour made the tiebreaking 3-pointer with 1:23 left, Nikola Pekovic scored a career-high 27 points, and the Minnesota Timberwolves beat the New Jersey Nets 108-105 on Friday night. The Timberwolves overcame a career-high 42 points from Anthony Morrow, whose eight 3-pointers in 11 attempts were the most in the NBA this season.

Rookie Brandon Knight scored a season-high 26 points, holding his own against Milwaukee’s Brandon Jennings and helping the Detroit Pistons snap a seven-game losing streak with an 88-80 victory over the Bucks on Friday night. Knight, who was outscored 21-0 by Jennings in a loss at Milwaukee on Monday, helped the Pistons build a 15-point lead in the third quarter.

Dwight Howard scored 19 points, had 16 rebounds and blocked eight shots as the Orlando Magic outlasted the Cleveland Cavaliers 102-94 on Friday night. Jason Richardson also added 19 points in his first action in two games after resting a sore knee. Hedo Turkoglu added 18 points and Ryan Anderson chipped in 17.

Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban and coach Rick Carlisle were fined by the NBA on Friday for their actions after becoming upset with the officiating during a game earlier in the week. Cuban was handed a $75,000 penalty for his critical remarks about the officiating following a 95-86 home loss to Oklahoma City on Wednesday night.

Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban and coach Rick Carlisle were fined by the NBA on Friday for their actions after becoming upset with the officiating during a game earlier in the week. Cuban was handed a $75,000 penalty for his critical remarks about the officiating following a 95-86 home loss to Oklahoma City on Wednesday night.

Boston Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo returned to the lineup for Friday night’s game against the New York Knicks after missing the previous eight games with a right wrist injury. Rondo was given a loud ovation when his name was announced in pregame introductions. The Celtics went 6-2 in his absence.

Boston Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo returned to the lineup for Friday night’s game against the New York Knicks after missing the previous eight games with a right wrist injury. Rondo was given a loud ovation when his name was announced in pregame introductions. The Celtics went 6-2 in his absence.

The bad old days are becoming a distant memory for the high-flying Los Angeles Clippers. They lead the Pacific Division, have landed Chris Paul and Blake Griffin as starters on the All-Star team and in the process have stolen, at least for the moment, the spotlight from the Lakers. “It’s a new beginning around here,” Chauncey Billups said about a franchise that hasn’t had a…

The Trail Blazers say center Greg Oden underwent an arthroscopic procedure Friday to “remove debris” from his right knee, his fourth surgery since Portland selected him with the No. 1 pick in the 2007 draft. The often-injured 7-footer had microfracture surgery on the same knee before the start of his rookie season, forcing him to postpone his NBA debut for a year.

The Trail Blazers say center Greg Oden underwent an arthroscopic procedure Friday to “remove debris” from his right knee, his fourth surgery since Portland selected him with the No. 1 pick in the 2007 draft. The often-injured 7-footer had microfracture surgery on the same knee before the start of his rookie season, forcing him to postpone his NBA debut for a year.

The New Orleans Hornets have decided to reactivate 7-foot center Chris Kaman, who had been excused from team activities since last week while the club sought to trade him, according to a person familiar with the decision. The person spoke to The Associated Press on Friday on condition of anonymity because the decision had not been announced.

The New Orleans Hornets have decided to reactivate 7-foot center Chris Kaman, who had been excused from team activities since last week while the club sought to trade him, according to a person familiar with the decision. The person spoke to The Associated Press on Friday on condition of anonymity because the decision had not been announced.

Orlando forward Glen Davis has been suspended for two games by the Magic for conduct detrimental to the team. Davis will miss Friday’s home game against Cleveland and Saturday’s game at Indiana. Orlando coach Stan Van Gundy acknowledged before Friday night’s game that some sort of verbal incident took place during the team’s walkthrough Friday morning, but denied anything physical…

The Los Angeles Clippers and free agent Kenyon Martin have agreed to a one-year deal, returning the veteran forward to the NBA after a brief stint in China. Martin’s agent, Andy Miller, confirmed Friday that the sides reached agreement. The deal, believed to be worth the mini mid-level exception of $2.5 million, is expected to be finalized as soon as Martin passes a physical.

The Los Angeles Clippers and free agent Kenyon Martin have agreed to a one-year deal, returning the veteran forward to the NBA after a brief stint in China. Martin’s agent, Andy Miller, confirmed Friday that the sides reached agreement. The deal, believed to be worth the mini mid-level exception of $2.5 million, is expected to be finalized as soon as Martin passes a physical.

From Kobe Bryant to Chris Paul, Blake Griffin to Andrew Bynum, the NBA All-Star game is shaping up as an L.A. story. Two Lakers and two Clippers were voted as starters Thursday for the game, the first time in 15 years that two pairs of teammates have been voted to start for one conference. “It’s pretty cool,” Griffin said.

Tim Duncan may not make the All-Star game for the first time in 12 years, or even give the San Antonio Spurs much scoring on most nights. But even in back-to-backs, he can still resemble his old self. Duncan scored 19 points, Tony Parker had had 18 and the Spurs ran away from the New Orleans Hornets in the fourth quarter to win their third in a row, 93-81 on Thursday night.

Dwyane Wade is back in the starting lineup for the Miami Heat against the Golden State Warriors after missing the last three games with a bruised left foot. Wade worked out before Tuesday night’s game and appeared to moving fine. He hurt his foot at Charlotte on Dec. 28 and has not played since a loss at Atlanta on Jan.

Jamal Crawford says that when he was growing up in Seattle he used to sneak into the SuperSonics’ facilities. There, he’d scrimmage a bit with guard Nate McMillan, who would give the 16-year-old tips on his jumper. “He knows my game better than anybody else,” Crawford said. Crawford, a free agent who played last season in Atlanta, now plays for McMillan.