PORTLAND, Oregon – The Portland TrailBlazers crept within a game of the NBA Northwest Division lead and knocked Orlando off the top of the Southeast with a 102-87 win over the Magic on Friday.
Portland won despite missing Brandon Roy with a sore right hamstring, partly thanks to Orlando star Dwight Howard having an off night, making just four of seven attempts from the field.
Martell Webster had 24 points and nine rebounds, and LaMarcus Aldridge added 14 points and 14 rebounds for Portland, which edged within a game of Denver.
Rashard Lewis and Jameer Nelson each had 15 points to lead the Magic, who fell a half game behind Atlanta in the Southeast.
In Atlanta, Jamal Crawford hit a long 3-pointer at the buzzer to cap an Atlanta comeback in the final seconds, giving the Hawks a 102-101 win over Phoenix that moved them atop the Southeast.
The home team trailed 100-96 with 10 seconds left, but squeezed two more possessions out of the clock, and the Suns missed a couple of chances to put the Hawks away.
Crawford was first to a rebound from a free throw, and his putback made it 100-99.
After Amare Stoudemire sank one free throw for Phoenix, then a timeout, Mike Bibby inbounded the ball to Crawford, who put up a 28-foot winner.
In Los Angeles, Kobe Bryant scored 30 points as the Lakers re-established its supremacy over their city rival Clippers with an emphatic 126-86 victory.
Pau Gasol returned from a six-game injury absence with 20 points and six rebounds as the Lakers recorded their biggest win over the Clippers moved to L.A. in 1984.
Eric Gordon and Craig Smith scored 17 points apiece for the Clippers.
In Dallas, Dirk Nowitzki scored 32 points to lead Dallas past Oklahoma City,99-98.
Jason Terry added 21 for the Mavericks, who have beaten the Thunder franchise nine straight times in Dallas dating to 2004.
Nowitzki and Terry scored 16 of the final 18 points for the Mavericks.
Kevin Durant scored 30 points on 6 of 18 shooting and grabbed a season-high 13 rebounds for the Thunder.
In Houston, Dwyane Wade scored 37 points, his second consecutive big game since spraining his wrist, as Miami beat Houston, 115-106.
Rafer Alston had 17 points on 7-of-10 shooting against his former team as the Heat snapped Houston’s eight-game home winning streak.
Wade hit 15 of 24 shots and dished out eight assists.
In Charlotte, North Carolina, Boris Diaw had 26 points and 11 rebounds as Charlotte notched a franchise-record sixth straight home win by defeating San Antonio, 92-76.
Gerald Wallace added 21 points and some acrobatic blocks as the Bobcats took control with a dominant defensive stand that bridged the third and fourth quarters. The Spurs went more than 9 minutes without a field goal, and the Bobcats’ 19-2 run put them ahead 70-57 and secured their sixth win in seven games overall. (AP)