Tuesday, December 18, 2012



By Ubaid Awan

KARACHI, Pakistan (TheSportsNEXT) December 18, 2012: A total of 51 Pakistani cricketers will be up for grabs on Thursday when players auction for the second edition of the Bangladesh Premier League will be held in Dhaka.


Apart from 51 Pakistani cricketers, 81 other international cricketers will also be center of attraction in the players auction.

The cricketers have been distributed in four categories, namely Golden Category, "A" Category, "B" Category and "C" Category.

As per the details, former Pakistan skipper Shahid Khan Afridi, explosive opening batsman Imran Nazir and Twenty20 specialist off-spinner Saeed Ajmal have been graded in the Golden Category for the BPL Players Auction.

Fast bowler Umar Gul, all-rounder Abdul Razzaq, left-arm pacer Wahab Riaz, fast bowler Mohammad Sami, wicketkeeper-batsman Kamran Akmal and his brother Umar Akmal have been placed in Category A for the BPL Players Auction.

Other Pakistani cricketers including Khurram Manzoor, Shahzaib Hasan, Umar Amin, Asad Ali, Zulfiqar Babar, Awais Zia, Azeem Ghumman, and Fawad Alam have been grouped in Category B for the BPL Players Auction.

Category C is also over-populated with Pakistani cricketers including Haris Sohail, Sharjeel Khan, Babar Azam, Shahid Yousaf, Anwar Ali, Asad Shafiq, Hammad Azam, Rao Iftikhar, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Bilawal Bhatti, Khalid Latif, Junaid Zia, and Mansoor Amjad.

Interestingly enough, top Twenty20 Pakistani players including Ahmed Shahzad, Muhammad Hafeez, Nasir Jamshed, Shoaib Malik, and Misbah-ul-Haq, are not part of the BPL Players Auction.




By Sheriff Michaels

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa (TheSportsNEXT) December 18, 2012: South African skipper for Twenty20 Internationals, AB de Villiers has ruled himself out of the upcoming three-match Twenty20 International series starting December 21 at Durban.


The aggressive South African cricketer has cited exhausting past few months as the reason for him to take rest and get ready for the Test series against New Zealand in January, 2013.

AB de Villiers’ decision to take rest in T20Is has opened an avenue of opportunity for the Cape Cobras skipper Justin Ontong who has been asked to fill into his shoes in the team.

Talking about his decision, AB de Villiers said, “It's been an exhausting few months and I feel that I need some extra rest before the Test series. It's for this reason that I have put in the request and I'm grateful to the team management for supporting this decision."

It is important to mention here that the South African cricket authorities had already reduced workload on de Villiers by relieving him from captaincy responsibilities in the squad announced on December 13, 2012 and gave him the role to do the job as a wicketkeeper-batsman. In his absence the young Quinton de Kock will do the job behind the wickets.

South African squad for New Zealand T20Is has Faf du Plessis (captain), Farhaan Behardien, Henry Davids, Quinton de Kock (WK), Justin Ontong, Rory Kleinveldt, Richard Levi, David Miller, Morne Morkel, Chris Morris, Wayne Parnell, Robin Peterson, Aaron Phangiso, Dale Steyn, and Lonwabo Tsotsobe.



By Nadene Smith

HOBART, Australia (TheSportsNEXT) December 18, 2012: The International Cricket Council (ICC) on Tuesday cleared Australian fast bowler Peter Siddle of ball tampering charges raised by Sri Lankan cricket team after the home side won the first Test by 137 runs at Bellerive Oval.


Chris Broad of the Emirates Elite Panel of ICC Match Referees issued the following statement after the media reported incidents of ball tampering during the first Test.

"The umpires frequently inspect the ball during play, and did so again after they had reviewed the video footage in question on Sunday. They found no evidence to suggest that the condition of the ball had been changed.

"During the tea interval on that day, I spoke with Australia coach Mickey Arthur and told him that the umpires will continue to inspect the cricket ball regularly, and monitor the actions of all players.

"I subsequently informed the Sri Lanka team management of my discussions with the Australia coach.

"In the opinion of the umpires, there was no evidence to suggest that the condition of the ball was changed, or that the video or photographic evidence would support a charge under the Code of Conduct, so they will not be laying any charges relating to these incidents."



By Nadene Smith

HOBART, Australia (TheSportsNEXT) December 18, 2012: A brilliant bowling performance by fast bowlers Peter Siddle and Mitchell Starc led Australia to 137 runs victory in the first of the three Test matches against Sri Lanka at Bellerive Oval in Hobart on Tuesday.


Sri Lankan batsmen showed great fight on the final day as they almost batted out the day but some classy bowling right at the end by Mitchell Starc, who found the ball to move both ways, dismantled the resolve showed by the visitors and in the end they were bowled out for 255 runs in their second innings.

Kumar Sangakkara and Thilan Samaraweera stood rock-solid during their innings before both of them falling to Peter Siddle who didn’t find much respite from the pitch in the opening session but got the ball to swing both ways in the afternoon session and this was the time when he looked the most impressive.

Sri Lankan skipper Mahela Jayawardene, who is playing his final series as captain, failed to score runs in both the innings but there was no dearth of runs from his opposite number Michael Clarke who was retired hurt but not before scoring 57 brilliant runs from just 46 balls.

The game was poised for a draw until tea session as Sri Lanka were able to still have six wickets in hand but Mitchell Starc went berserk in the final session and helped his side win the Test match with some gutsy show of swing and fast bowling.

Peter Siddle was declared Man of the Match for taking nine wickets in the match.

The next two Tests of the three-match series will be played in Melbourne on Boxing Day and in Sydney on January 3.

Brief Scores:
Australia 450 for 5 declared and 278 all out
Sri Lanka 336 all out and 255 all out



By Nadene Smith

HOBART, Australia (TheSportsNEXT) December 18, 2012: After losing skipper Michael Clarke to a hamstring injury during Hobart Test, the Australia selectors have included left-hand top-order batsman Usman Khawaja in the squad for the Boxing Day Test against Sri Lanka.


The selectors have also included Tasmanian bowler Jackson Bird in the squad for injured Ben Hilfenhaus and there are healthy chances that the pacer may make his Test debut at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

The two players have made it to the 13-player squad but while Jackson Bird almost has the chance to get selected for the Melbourne Test, Usman Khawaja may still have to sit out because Michael Clarke is working extensively to regain his fitness for the second Test.

Michael Clarke told reporters, “It's not too bad. I've got a bit of time leading up to the Boxing Day Test, I'll be having plenty of treatment but I'll be confident I'll be right for Boxing Day. I'm always going to be positive because I know I'm in great hands with Alex [Kountouris], I know how good a physio he is, I know how good my physio is in Sydney over the next few days. They'll communicate and I'm really confident with eight days turnaround, I'll be giving myself every opportunity to be right. Mickey and the selectors will give me as much time as required leading into the game. My preparation will be a bit different in the lead up to this Test match but I've done a fair bit of batting so I'm confident if I can do everything in my power, I'll be right for Boxing Day. It's a strain, to what level I don't know, the scans were pretty positive and I'm in really good hands."

Talking about inclusion of Usman Khawaja in the squad, selector John Inverarity said, “Usman turns 26 today, just one week younger than Jackson Bird, and he has been in good form this season. He has played especially well on occasions when conditions for batting have been very difficult. If Michael is not able to take his place in the side then Shane Watson will captain the team. Shane acquitted himself well when he deputised for Michael in the ODI series in the Caribbean earlier this year in March."

The 13-man Australian squad for Melbourne Test includes David Warner, Ed Cowan, Phillip Hughes, Shane Watson, Michael Clarke (captain), Michael Hussey, Usman Khawaja, Matthew Wade (wk), Mitchell Johnson, Peter Siddle, Mitchell Starc, Jackson Bird, and Nathan Lyon.

Monday, December 17, 2012

Jonathan Trott and Ian Bell save the day for England on final day



By Ashley Williams

LONDON, England (TheSportsNEXT) December 17, 2012: England have done it, and they have done it in great fashion as they played out the whole fifth day in Nagpur against Indian spinners on a spinners-friendly pitch which for some unknown reasons stopped helping spinners.


The Nagpur Test ended in a draw but victories in Mumbai and Kolkata after losing in Ahmedabad made sure England won the series by 2-1 to break the 28-year drought of winning a Test series on Indian soil.

When both skippers called it stumps on final day of the Nagpur Test, England had scored 352 for four in their second innings with Ian Bell (116*) and Joe Root (20*) at the crease.

Jonathan Trott and Ian Bell were the last England players to shine on Indian soil and they came good exactly when their country needed them the most to fire as the two batsmen constructed the biggest partnership of the whole Test series, i.e. 208 runs.

Jonathan Trott scored 143 runs from 310 balls in an innings that lasted for 405 minutes as the stylish batsman hit 18 boundaries to save the day for England who needed to survive Indian spinners to keep their 2-1 advantage in the series.

Trott was equally matched in performance by Ian Bell who resurrected his Test career and silenced his critics by scoring his first Test century in sub-continent as he remained unbeaten at 116 runs from 306 balls hitting 16 boundaries and a six during 403 minutes long innings.

England skipper Alastair Cook was declared Man of the Series for his mammoth stockpile of runs while James Anderson was named Man of the Match for his heroics with the reverse swinging cherry.

Sunday, December 16, 2012




By Adrian Meredith

MELBOURNE, Australia (TheSportsNEXT) December 16, 2012: There has been a lot of talk, especially amongst Australian fans, that Shane Watson isn't good enough to make the team, or they want him to bat at 7 or 8 - or lower.


So I'd like to look at just how good Shane Watson is, and why I rate him as Australia's best ever all-rounder.

Firstly, let's look at his statistics:

Test batting avg 36.92 bowling avg 29.20 ODI batting avg 41.48 SR 88.27 bowling avg 28.83 econ 4.80 T20 batting avg 30.62 SR 148.48 bowling avg 20.42 econ 7.19 FC batting avg 44.11 bowling avg 27.69

That equates to +7.72 in tests, +12.65 in ODIs, +10.20 in T20s, +16.42 in FC.

The first test of the quality all-rounder is that they have a higher batting average than bowling average. Shane Watson *easily* accomplishes this. The second test is that they bowl regularly - Watson has bowled in 90% of innings that he has played in, across all formats (which is why someone like Michael Clarke, who bowls less than 10% of the time, cannot be considered an all-rounder). The third test is that they take wickets regularly - Watson has 3 5 wicket innings in 36 test matches. The fourth test is that they score big runs regularly - Watson has scored 2 test centuries and 18 half centuries across 36 matches and 66 innings.

There is no question that, as it stands, Watson has performed better in T20s and ODIs than in tests. +12.65 in ODIs and +10.20 in T20s are a lot better than +7.72 in tests. Not to mention that his batting strike rate of 88.27 in ODIs and an amazing 148.48 in T20s are very impressive. But +7.72 is still pretty good. And his first class record, of +16.42, suggests that he can improve. +16.42 is up there with the best in the world.

Watson is also ranked amongst the best all-rounders in the world. In tests, Jacques Kallis is the indisputed number 1, but in ODIs and T20s Watson is either 1st or 2nd, sometimes behind Bangladesh's best ever player, Shakib al Hasan. And there is no shame in being behind Shakib!

Watson has won matches with the bat and won matches with the ball.

Now, let's compare with other great all-rounders in Australian cricket.

In the past 30 years, or in my living memory and the living memory of most people reading this, the following players have been tried in Australia as all-rounders:

Andrew Symonds - Did okay in ODIs and was good at times in T20s but really struggled in tests and was unable to take regular wickets. He rarely bowled, and when he did it was mainly just to support the regular bowlers. Not really an all-rounder but more a batsman who bowled a bit.

Greg Matthews - Was meant to be a bowler who could bat a bit but ended up with a test batting average of just over 40 and, unfortunately, his bowling average was about the same. Was carried most of the time and not particularly useful.

Steve Waugh - Believe it or not, Waugh started off as an all-rounder. He didn't bat particularly well and while his bowling was useful it wasn't great. He turned it around and ended up with a great batting average - largely because he stopped bowling. Injuries led to him often being unable to bowl. Not truly an all-rounder because he didn't bowl often enough.

Mark Waugh - Bowled a bit more often than Steve Waugh but mostly it was just to ease the workload of the regular bowlers. Didn't do enough to be considered a true all rounder - rather he was a batsman who bowled a bit.

Simon O'Donnell - Most well known for surviving cancer, and for tonking it, he wasn't a particularly good bowler and was a mediocre batsman, albeit one who could smash it a mile.

Now, going back a bit further, Australia did have proper all-rounders, so let's compare Watson to them as well:

Richie Benaud - Similar style to Andrew Symonds in that he batted and bowled and also bowled both pace and spin - though Symonds went one further by also being able to bowl both left and right handed. He is incorrectly recorded in the stats books as a spinner only - yet was well known to bowl part of an over pace and part of the over spin. His canny tactics (including changing bowling action) led to great results for the team but personally he averaged just 24 with the bat and 28 with the ball, or -4 overall! - far worse than Watson!

Alan Davison - Played at the same time as Benaud, some 50 years ago, who ended up with pretty good returns, though he wasn't really much of a batsman. He ended up with an average of 24 with the bat and just 20 with the ball, or +4 overall, superior to Benaud, but few regard him as superior to Benaud. He never scored a test century and never won Australia a game with his bat.

And then there is the one true contender to Watson's title as the greatest ever all-rounder in Australia:

Keith Miller - Averaged 36 with the bat and 22 with the ball, +14, ahead of Watson's +7, and he was +26 in FC cricket (48 and 22). He formed an opening bowling team in 55 tests, taking 3 wickets per test, and also batted at number 4. A true fast bowler, unlike Watson he didn't break down.

So why do I consider Watson to be superior to Miller?

It is easy to say that Watson is better than the others. But Miller is a tough one. But perhaps this is the thing - Miller didn't play all that often, just 55 tests, and hence didn't suffer the kinds of injuries that Watson did. He also didn't bowl all that often.

Look, maybe Miller is superior, but Watson single handedly won Australia 4 matches in a row in the recent World T20 and all but took them to the title.

If I just consider tests, sure, Miller is ahead. I'd like to think that Watson will improve. I think that Watson should finish with a test batting average of 50, or at least mid 40s, and a test bowling average of around 27 or 28 (i.e. about what it is now). But what sets Watson ahead is his ability in ODIs and T20s, where he has been amazing.

Even considering this, Watson is still a long way behind the two greatest of all time, Sobers and Kallis. He is even behind at least 3 of the 4 great all-rounders of the 1980s, in Hadlee, Imran Khan and Botham - though he may be ahead of Kapil Dev.

I can say without hesitation that Watson is the best all-rounder for over 50 years. At worst, he is the 2nd best of all time for Australia, behind Keith Miller. But I'd like to think that, considering ODIs and T20s, he is actually ahead.



By Nadene Smith

HOBART, Australia (TheSportsNEXT) December 16, 2012: Australia seized advantage in first Test match against Sri Lanka in Hobart on Sunday as they took their lead to 141 runs with all of their wickets still in hand.


Sri Lanka were bowled out for 336 runs in their first innings, thanks to brilliant century by opening batsman and former skipper Tillakaratne Dilshan.

After taking 114 runs first innings lead, Australia reached 27 without loss in their second innings at stumps on day three.



By Abhishek Manroa

NAGPUR, India (TheSportsNEXT) December 16, 2012: England battled it hard to set their sights on Test series victory against India on fourth day of the final Test match in Indian city of Nagpur on Sunday.


At close on day four, England reached 161 for three in their second innings and are now leading the home side by 165 runs.

Earlier, India declared their first innings at 326 for nine. India must win the match to square the series.



By Raleigh McPherson

LOS ANGELES, United States (TheSportsNEXT) December 16, 2012: British boxer Amir Khan heralded his winning return in the world of professional boxing on Sunday.


Amir Khan forced Carlos Molina of United States into retirement in 10th round of the 12-round bout for the Light Welterweight title in American city of Los Angeles to keep his professional boxing career alive.

The victory resulted in WBC silver super lightweight title for Amir Khan.

Khan is now 27-3 with 18 early wins and two stoppage defeats.



Thursday, December 13, 2012




By Abhishek Manroa

BENGALURU, India (TheSportsNEXT) December 13, 2012: Indian blind cricketers kept their nerves to keep Pakistan 29 runs short of the target and win the Blind World Twenty20 2012 title in Bengaluru on Thursday.



Pakistan who didn’t lost a single match in the tournament going into final were flying high with their batting might but this time Indian batsmen stole the limelight before their bowlers and fielders did enough to keep the Men in Green at bay. Enroute to Final, Pakistan defeated teams like England, Australia, India, Sri Lanka, South Africa, West Indies and Bangladesh.

Batting first, Indian blind cricket team scored 258 from their 20 overs with Chetan Patel top-scoring with 98 runs. For Pakistan, Mohammad Jamil, Mohammad Akram, and Idrees Salim all took two wickets apiece.

In reply, Pakistan cricket blind cricket team could only manage 229 for nine thus falling 29 runs short of the target and the Blind World Twenty20 2012 title.




By Jamie Pearce

HOBART, Australia (TheSportsNEXT) December 13, 2012: The National Selection Panel (at the Cricket Australia (CA) decided on Thursday to rest fast bowler Mitchell Johnson for the first Test match against Sri Lanka starting from Friday at the Bellerive Oval in Hobart.



Although, the Australian selectors picked up three seamers for the Hobart Test where experts are anticipating a lively wicket, Mitchell Johnson failed to find his name in the final list of players for the first Test.

Australian team consists of Michael Clarke (captain), David Warner, Ed Cowan, Phil Hughes, Shane Watson, Mike Hussey, Matthew Wade, Peter Siddle, Mitchell Starc, Ben Hilfenhaus, and Nathan Lyon.

Aussie skipper Michael Clarke announced the team here according to which Ben Hilfenhaus, Peter Siddle, and Mitchell Starc will constitute a strong Australian fast bowling attack while offspinner Nathan Lyon will support them with the change of pace as per the requirements.

Mitchell Johnson, who has also won ICC Cricketer of the Year Award in 2009, joined the national side after a long time in the Perth Test against South Africa which the home team lost by 309 runs but the left-armer is still part of the plans as he was retained as 12th man for the Hobart Test.

Talking at a news conference here, Michael Clarke said of Johnson’s exclusion, "Obviously a tough selection getting 12 down to 11, especially with the way that Mitchell bowled in Perth, but this is the team we've selected for this test match. At the end of the day you've got to do what's best for the Australian team, you have to pick the best 11 players to help you win the test match. It's a nice problem to have when you've got 12 players that really want to play and have performed well, but unfortunately someone has to miss. Mitchell will be fine, he'll have to work hard and wait for another opportunity and try to grab it with both hands."

Both Ben Hilfenhaus and Peter Siddle were not part of the Australian playing eleven in the Perth Test while Mitchell Starc made his Test debut against the world’s number one Test side where he captured six wickets for 154 runs.

Clarke spoke high of the 22-year-old left-arm pacer. He said, “For me, I'm not looking at the Ashes at all. The reason that Starc is there is because he's been next in line in the queue for a while. He's performed really well in the shorter form of the game for Australia. He got one test in Perth and got six-for and 70-odd with the bat so that's not a bad start as well."

While Australia will be without services of their former legendary skipper Ricky Ponting who announced his Test retirement after Perth Test, Sri Lankans are also going through a transition phase as their skipper Mahela Jayawardene has announced to give up captaincy after the current Australia tour.

Sri Lanka have never defeated Australia in a Test match in Australia but the home side did lose to New Zealand when the last time they played in Hobart.

The three-match Test series will also have matches in Melbourne from December 26 and in Sydney from January 3, 2013.

Wednesday, December 12, 2012




By Luther Jefferson

WASHINGTON, United States (TheSportsNEXT) December 13, 2012: The top NBA franchises witnessed mixed fortunes on Wednesday night as reigning champions Miami Heat were stunned in front of their home crowd by Golden State Warriors while former champions Dallas Mavericks were outdid by Boston Celtics in double overtime.



Chicago Bulls, Los Angeles Clippers, Oklahoma City Thunder, Atlanta Hawks, Brooklyn Nets, Indiana Pacers, Houston Rockets, Minnesota Timberwolves, Milwaukee Bucks, and Phoenix Suns also ended up as victors in the other games on Wednesday night.

Following are the final scores from the 13 NBA 2012-13 games played Wednesday night.

1-Golden State Warriors defeated Miami Heat by 97-95
2-Boston Celtics defeated Dallas Mavericks by 117-115 (2OT)
3-Chicago Bulls defeated Philadelphia 76ers by 96-89
4-Los Angeles Clippers defeated Charlotte Bobcats by 100-94
5-Oklahoma City Thunder defeated New Orleans Hornets by 92-88
6-Atlanta Hawks defeated Orlando Magic by 86-80
7-Brooklyn Nets defeated Toronto Raptors by 94-88
8-Indiana Pacers defeated Cleveland Cavaliers by 96-81
9-Houston Rockets defeated Washington Wizards by 99-93
10-Minnesota Timberwolves defeated Denver Nuggets by 108-105
11-Milwaukee Bucks defeated Sacramento Kings by 98-85
12-Phoenix Suns defeated Memphis Grizzlies by 82-80
13-Utah Jazz defeated San Antonio Spurs by 99-96


Golden State Warriors vs Miami Heat
In Miami, Draymond Green finished off a late rally Wednesday with a layup in the final second that gave Golden State a 97-95 win over Miami.

The surprising Warriors won their fifth straight and handed Miami only its second home loss of the season.

Miami took a 95-91 lead on a jump shot by Dwyane Wade with 3:51 to play and the Heat did not score another point.

Stephen Curry brought the Warriors within two by hitting a jumper with 2:35 to go and David Lee tied it with a pair of free throws 39 seconds later.

Shane Battier had a chance to put Miami in front with 15 seconds to go, but his 3-point attempt misfired. Green then came through with a layup that went through the basket with nine-tenths of a second showing on the clock.

The Warriors have won 12 of their last 15 games and improved to 9-4 on the road.

Klay Thompson led Golden State with 27 points, Lee finished with 22 and 13 rebounds and Jarrett Jack added a season-best 20 points.

LeBron James had 31 points for Miami, but the Heat lost for the third time in five games.


Boston Celtics vs Dallas Mavericks
In Boston, Paul Pierce and Courtney Lee combined for six free throws late in the second overtime Wednesday, sending Boston to a marathon117-115 win over Dallas.

Boston could not put the game away after opening a 15-point lead in the third period and although the Celtics never trailed, they did not clinch it until Lee hit two foul shots with 4.1 seconds left for a five-point advantage.

O.J. Mayo scored the final point of regulation from the free throw line with 52 seconds left and his layup with 11 seconds to go in the first overtime again created a tie.

The game took almost 3 1/2 hours to play and included 192 field goal attempts. Dallas hit 51 percent of its shots, but the Mavericks were thwarted by 27 turnovers that included 16 steals from the Celtics.

Dallas had a three-game winning streak snapped.

Pierce scored 34 points, but he missed 14 of his 25 shots from the field. Kevin Garnett and Rajon Rondo both had 16 for Boston.

The Mavericks put seven players in double figures and Mayo led the way with 24 points. Darren Collision had 20, but the last of his seven turnovers prevented Dallas from getting off a potential game-tying 3-pointer in the closing seconds of the second overtime.


Chicago Bulls vs Philadelphia 76ers
In Philadelphia, Joakim Noah helped ignite a 22-9 run that closed out the game Wednesday and brought Chicago a 96-89 win over Philadelphia.

The Bulls won for the fourth time in five games and needed a late surge to do it after falling behind by as many as 10 points in the third period.

Noah scored 21 points, hitting 7-of-10 from the field and all seven of his attempts from the foul line. Luol Deng added 19 points and 12 rebounds for the Bulls while Marco Belinelli had 16 points.

Jrue Holiday delivered 26 points and nine assists for the 76ers. Evan Turner contributed 16 points and eight rebounds.

Philadelphia made only 2-of-14 from the 3-point arc and reached the free throw line a mere 11 times while making just five.


Los Angeles Clippers vs Charlotte Bobcats
In Charlotte, Matt Barnes came off the bench to become one of three Los Angeles players with 19 points Wednesday in the Clippers' 100-94 triumph over Charlotte.

Los Angeles won its eighth straight game and the Clippers dealt the Bobcats their ninth consecutive loss. The Bobcats' slump has come after they climbed two games over .500 during their first 12 outings of the season.

Barnes hit 8-of-13 from the field to provide a spark in an otherwise poor shooting night for the Clippers. They hit just 43 percent of their field goal efforts, but maintained a narrow lead throughout the second half.

Blake Griffin and Chris Paul also scored 19 points for Los Angeles while Eric Bledsoe added 13 and eight rebounds.

Charlotte got 19 points and eight rebounds from Byron Mullens. Jamal Crawford, who had delivered double-digit points in 28 straight games for the Bobcats, went 2-of-12 from the field and scored just nine.

Oklahoma City Thunder vs New Orleans Hornets
In Oklahoma City, Kevin Durant keyed a hot second-half shooting effort Wednesday that rallied Oklahoma City to a 92-88 victory over New Orleans.

The Thunder won their ninth straight, their longest such streak in three seasons, but had to hold on at the end to down the Hornets.

Greivis Vasquez missed a 3-point try for New Orleans in the final seconds would have put the Hornets in front by one and two free throws by Oklahoma City's Thabo Sefolosha put the game away.

Durant scored 35 points and Oklahoma City hit 57 percent of its shots in the second half. New Orleans led by a dozen points late in the third period, but the Thunder took the lead for good on a 3-pointer by Kevin Martin with 6:21 to play.

Martin scored 17 points off the bench and Russell Westbrook added 14 while hitting just 4-of-14 from the field.

The Hornets, who have lost five in a row, were led by 16 points from Brian Roberts and 14 from Ryan Anderson.


Atlanta Hawks vs Orlando Magic
In Orlando, Al Horford ran his streak of consecutive double-doubles to seven Wednesday while leading Atlanta to an 86-80 decision over Orlando.

The Hawks won for the 10th time in 12 games, building a 12-point lead heading into the fourth quarter and then holding on against a team that was meeting a division opponent for only the second time this year.

Horford scored 13 points and grabbed 13 rebounds while Josh Smith produced 16 points, 11 boards and five blocks. It was Atlanta's eighth straight victory over the Magic.

Arron Afflalo scored 16 points to pace Orlando, which has dropped three out of four. J.J. Redick added 13 for the Magic.

Orlando's only other game against a Southeast Division foe this season was also against Atlanta. The Hawks won that one by nine on Nov. 19.


Brooklyn Nets vs Toronto Raptors
In Toronto, C.J. Watson hit all four of his 3-point tries Wednesday and scored 16 points in the second half to rally Brooklyn Nets to a 94-88 win over Toronto Raptors.

Watson did not score a single point in the opening half, during which the Nets fell behind by eight, but he led a third-period surge that allowed Brooklyn to snap a five-game losing streak.

Joe Johnson paced Brooklyn in scoring with 23 points while Andray Blatche had 14 points and nine rebounds. The Nets took 18 more free throws than did Toronto and made 16 more than the Raptors.

Toronto was playing shorthanded with injuries to starters Andrea Bargnani (elbow) and Kyle Lowry (triceps).

Ed Davis scored 24 points and claimed 12 rebounds for Toronto, which was outscored 31-19 in the third period.


Indiana Pacers vs Cleveland Cavaliers
In Indianapolis, Paul George continued his recent hot streak Wednesday and Indiana allowed only 23 second-half points in storming past Cleveland 96-81.

The Cavaliers were trying to back up their surprising win over the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday and they inched in front by six at halftime against the Pacers.

Indiana then outscored Cleveland by 16 in the third period and rolled on from there to end a two-game skid.

After being held scoreless by Golden State on Dec. 1, George has averaged 24.4 points over his last five outings. That streak included a career-high 34 points against Chicago on Dec. 4.

He produced 27 points Wednesday and grabbed seven rebounds to lead the Pacers, who trailed Cleveland 58-52 at the break. Indiana then dominated the second half 44-23.

David West added 18 points for the Pacers, grabbed nine rebounds and handed out seven assists.

C.J. Miles, who scored 28 points against Los Angeles on Tuesday, had 28 again for the Cavaliers. Miles went 6-of-9 from 3-point range.

Cleveland has lost six out of seven.


Houston Rockets vs Washington Wizards
In Houston, James Harden shook off an ankle sprain Wednesday to score 31 points that pushed Houston to a 99-93 triumph over Washington.

The Rockets ended a three-game losing streak, the most recent of those setbacks having come with Harden out of action with his ankle injury.

He returned from a one-game absence to hit 10-of-20 shots from the field and all nine of his attempts from the foul line.

Houston led by as many as 10 points in the third period, but had to hold off the Wizards down the stretch. A 3-pointer by Chandler Parsons with 1:15 to play put the Rockets back in front by nine.

Parsons scored 11 of his 18 points in the fourth period. Houston guard Jeremy Lin, who produced a 38-point effort that equaled a career best in his previous outing against San Antonio, settled for 10 points on Wednesday.

Washington had gone 3-3 in his last six games after starting the season with an 0-12 mark. Bradley Beal paced the Wizards with 20 points.


Minnesota Timberwolves vs Denver Nuggets
In Minneapolis, J.J. Barea and Dante Cunningham teamed for three foul shots in the final 14 seconds Wednesday and Minnesota survived a last-second miss to down Denver 108-105.

The Timberwolves fought off the Nuggets after leading by as many as 14 in the fourth period. It was the fourth win in five games for Minnesota while the Nuggets' struggles continued with their sixth loss in nine outings.

Barea gave Minnesota a five-point cushion by making two free throws with 14 seconds left, but Corey Brewer hit a 3-pointer for the Nuggets with 7.8 seconds remaining.

Cunningham was then fouled, but he could make just 1-of-2 with 5.4 seconds to play. That gave Ty Lawson a chance to tie it with a 3-pointer, but he could not convert as time expired.

Nikola Pekovic scored 22 points and had 11 rebounds for the Timberwolves, who made 16 more free throws than did the Nuggets. Andrei Kirilenko contributed 18 points and Barea produced 17 to go with eight assists and five rebounds.

Minnesota star Kevin Love, who was quoted Wednesday as saying he was disappointed by the front office's inability to improve the team, made just 3-of-17 shots from the field and scored eight points.

Denver got 26 points and 14 rebounds from Kenneth Faried and 24 points from Danilo Gallinari.


Milwaukee Bucks vs Sacramento Kings
In Milwaukee, Monta Ellis flirted with a triple-double Wednesday in carrying Milwaukee to its third straight victory, a 98-85 decision over Sacramento.

The Bucks pulled away in the fourth quarter after leading by six heading into the final 12 minutes.

Ellis had 17 points, 11 assists and eight rebounds. His night was highlighted by a 43-foot desperation shot that went in as time expired in the opening period.

Brandon Jennings produced 19 points for the Bucks. Milwaukee won despite making only 40 percent of its shots from the field. The Bucks had eight fewer turnovers than did Sacramento and 10 more rebounds.

Luc Mbah a Moute pitched in 17 points for Milwaukee and Ersan Ilyasova had 16.

Sacramento lost its second straight after winning three in a row. The Kings were led by 17 points by Tyreke Evans.

The Kings played without center DeMarcus Cousins, who was serving a one-game suspension.


Phoenix Suns vs Memphis Grizzlies
In Phoenix, Goran Dragic rolled in a short shot off his fingertips with a half second remaining Wednesday, giving Phoenix an 82-80 victory over Memphis.

The Suns ended a seven-game losing streak in a dramatic contest that saw both teams struggle to score down the stretch.

Memphis tied it at 76-76 with 5:43 to play and the clubs combined to miss eight of their next 11 shots.

Rudy Gay missed a jumper with 8 seconds left that would have given Memphis the lead and that led to Dragic's layup

Memphis lost its second in a row after winning 14 of its first 17 contests this season.

Shannon Brown and Jared Dudley scored 15 points each to lead the Suns, who had not won since a 13-point decision over Cleveland on Nov. 27. Five of the seven straight losses had come on the road and this was the second encounter in a five-game homestand.

Gay had 21 points and 11 rebounds for the Grizzlies. Zach Randolph added 18 points and 10 boards.



Utah Jazz vs San Antonio Spurs
In Salt Lake City, Mo Williams hit a 3-point shot with a second remaining Wednesday that gave Utah a 99-96 victory over San Antonio.

The Spurs let a six-point lead slip away over the final 3:30 and saw their five-game winning streak come to an end.

San Antonio lost for only the fifth time this season and dropped to 11-3 on the road. Utah, which has the Western Conference's best home record at 9-1, captured its fourth straight.

Danny Green put the Spurs in front at 96-94 by hitting a jumper with 1:27 to play and Utah then scored the game's final five points.

Tim Duncan missed a shot for San Antonio with 54 seconds left that would have given the Spurs a four-point advantage and Paul Millsap then tied it on a jumper with 40 seconds remaining.

Tony Parker missed an attempt for the Spurs and Williams put up a 3-point attempt with 9 seconds left that failed to go. Millsap, however, grabbed the offensive rebound and Utah called a time out to set up a potential game-winning shot.

That attempt was made by Williams, whose shot from beyond the arc gave him eight points for the game.

Millsap made 10-of-15 from the field and led the Jazz with 24 points. Al Jefferson added 21 and Gordon Hayward had 19.

Both Duncan and Parker produced 22 San Antonio points.