WASHINGTON -- Led, as usual, by All-Star forwards Caron Butler and Antawn Jamison, and with a boost from rookie JaVale McGee, the Washington Wizards avoided the first 0-6 start in franchise history by beating the Utah Jazz 95-87 on Wednesday night.
With their teammates hopping on the sideline to cheer baskets down the stretch as though this were a playoff game, Butler and Jamison scored 15 consecutive points during part of the fourth quarter. The spurt was capped by Jamison's 3-pointer that put Washington ahead 84-82 with two minutes left.
Butler finished with 27 points and nine rebounds, while Jamison had 21 points and eight rebounds. They combined for 20 points in the final period.
First-round draft pick McGee, a 7-footer who left Nevada after his sophomore season, set personal NBA bests with 13 points, 11 rebounds and three blocks.
Carlos Boozer led Northwest Division-leading Utah with 20 points. In his second game of the season, Jazz point guard Deron Williams had eight points, seven assists and six rebounds.
Without All-Star point guard Gilbert Arenas -- no one seems to know when he'll be back from the latest operation on his left knee -- and center Brendan Haywood -- recovering from wrist surgery -- the Wizards were 0-5 for the second season in a row. Full story
Pacers 98, Nets 87
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- T.J. Ford had 18 points, nine assists and eight rebounds, and the banged-up Indiana Pacers won their third straight game with a victory over the New Jersey Nets.
Marquis Daniels and Jeff Foster added 16 points apiece as the Pacers beat the Nets for the second time in three games.
Vince Carter scored 28 points and Jarvis Hayes added 15 for the Nets, who lost their third straight game with point guard Devin Harris sidelined with a sprained ankle. New Jersey turned the ball over 18 times, leading to 25 points for Indiana.
The Pacers played without injured starters Mike Dunleavy (knee), Troy Murphy (flu) and Danny Granger (quad), but only trailed once in the early minutes. Dunleavy has missed every game this season.
Bucks 82, Spurs 78
MILWAUKEE -- Richard Jefferson scored 16 of his 19 points in the second half, Andrew Bogut grabbed 17 rebounds and the Milwaukee Bucks held on after a big run to beat Tim Duncan and the San Antonio Spurs.
The Bucks, without Michael Redd for the fifth consecutive game because of a sprained right ankle, used a 21-2 run straddling the third and fourth quarters to take control in a game that featured two struggling offenses without some of their biggest stars.
But Duncan, who had 24 points, scored 14 of the Spurs' 19 points in the fourth quarter in a rally that fell just short when he missed a 5-footer that would have tied it with five seconds to play.
San Antonio, missing Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili to injuries, is off to its worst start since going 2-13 in 1996-97.
Sixers 106, Raptors 96
TORONTO -- Elton Brand scored a season-high 25 points, Andre Miller and Andre Iguodala each had 18, and the Philadelphia 76ers snapped a three-game losing streak by beating the Toronto Raptors.
Willie Green scored 17 points and Marreese Speights had 12 for the 76ers, who won for the first time in four road games this season.
Brand, who had scored just 31 total points in Philadelphia's past three games, eclipsed his previous high of 24, set in an Oct. 31 victory over New York.
Chris Bosh had 30 points and 12 rebounds, but Toronto still lost for the fourth time in five games after starting the season 3-0. Jermaine O'Neal added 19 points and 11 rebounds, and reserve Andrea Bargnani scored 15 for the Raptors.
Kings 103, Clippers 98
LOS ANGELES -- Beno Udrih had a career-high 30 points and seven assists, and the short-handed Sacramento Kings never trailed in beating the Los Angeles Clippers for their fourth victory in five games.
Brad Miller added 16 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists, rookie Jason Thompson had 16 points and 11 rebounds, and John Salmons scored 13 for the Kings (4-5), who started the season with four straight losses on the road, losing by an average of 20 points. They followed that with three wins in four home games before beating the Clippers.
Al Thornton led the Clippers (1-7) with 20 points. Ricky Davis scored 12 of his 16 in the fourth quarter, Marcus Camby added 13 points and Baron Davis had 12 points and 11 assists, but shot 4-for-15.
Sacramento played its second game without Kevin Martin, who is out at least a week after spraining his left ankle in a victory over Golden State on Sunday. Martin leads the Kings with 22.4 points per game.
