Gasol on form as Lakers squeeze past Suns 115-110

Source: Agencies  |   2008-12-11  |     ONLINE EDITION

PAU Gasol piled on 28 points as the Los Angeles Lakers squeezed past the Phoenix Suns 115-110 in NBA action yesterday.

Kobe Bryant had seven of his 18 points in the last 6-1/2 minutes, enabling the home team to hang on a avoid consecutive defeats following the loss to Sacramento on Tuesday.

The Suns played without Raja Bell, Boris Diaw and rookie Sean Singletary, traded to Charlotte earlier in the day for Jason Richardson, Jared Dudley and a draft pick.

Phoenix also was without former Lakers star Shaquille O'Neal, whose 92-year-old great-grandmother died this week.

Cavaliers 101, 76ers 93

In Philadelphia, LeBron James scored 29 points and Mo Williams added a season-high 27 as Cleveland cruised to their 10th consecutive victory, beating Philadelphia.

Anderson Varejao added 15 points, and Ben Wallace had 10 rebounds for the Central Division-leading Cavaliers, who improved to 19-3 and 7-3 on the road. They are one win shy of tying the franchise record of 11 straight wins set during the 1988-89 season.

Andre Iguodala scored a season-high 27 points for the 76ers.

Spurs 95, Hawks 89

At San Antonio, Manu Ginobili scored 27 points in a return to his sixth-man role to help San Antonio extend its winning streak to four games.

Tim Duncan, playing in his 1,000th NBA game in the regular season and playoffs, added 19 points and 11 rebounds. Joe Johnson led Atlanta with 29 points.

Knicks 121, Nets 109

At East Rutherford, New Jersey, Al Harrington scored a season-high 39 points, fellow New Jersey high school star Tim Thomas also had his best game of the season as New York rallied to beat the Nets.

Harrington was a point short of his career high, while Thomas scored a season-high 26. Acquired in separate deals on the same day last month, Harrington and Thomas were too athletic for the Nets' forwards, helping New York storm back from a poor start.