The only thing wrapped up for LeBron James' birthday was James himself.

A year after receiving a Hummer for his 18th birthday, James had a bummer of a night as he turned 19. Artest locked him up in the second half as the Indiana Pacers defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers 92-89 on Tuesday night.

``The guy is tough, but I think anybody can be stopped if you turn up your defense,'' said Artest, whose in-your-face defense against James down the stretch helped the Pacers become the first team in the league with 23 wins.

Artest scored 18 points, none bigger than his 3 with 54.6 seconds left, and Jermaine O'Neal had 21.

Elsewhere, New York routed Miami 102-73, Dallas defeated Milwaukee 101-92, Seattle topped Memphis 105-99, Minnesota beat Chicago 98-93, Toronto downed Denver 81-74 and Atlanta defeated Washington 83-73.

James finished with 22 points, 10 rebounds and four assists in 38 minutes but couldn't shake free in the fourth quarter. Cavs coach Paul Silas felt his talented rookie was intimidated.

``Artest is going to test anyone. He's grabbing and holding, and they're letting him get away with it,'' Silas said. ``But LeBron has got to push him off, stand up to him and get in his face, and say, `If you do it again, we're going to war.' LeBron is not there yet.''

James, who came in averaging 27.8 points in his last 10 games, was just 3-for-12 from the field after a 6-for-8 first quarter. He missed all four of his 3-pointers.

The Cavaliers lost their third straight to Indiana this season in part because of 18 turnovers and 10 missed free throws _ six in the fourth quarter. The Pacers have beaten the Cavaliers 11 straight times at Gund Arena and eight in a row overall.

``I love playing physical. But this is one team we can't get over the hump on,'' James said.

Knicks 102, Heat 73

At New York, Keith Van Horn had a steal and buzzer-beating dunk to cap a dominant first quarter, and the Knicks cruised the rest of the way.

New York won its fourth in a row, all the victories coming in convincing fashion. The last three victories have all been by at least 20 points, the first time New York has done that since November, 1997.

Van Horn scored 22 points, shooting 10-for-16 from the field in breaking 20 for the fifth time in six games. Shandon Anderson came off the bench to add 21.

Before the game, the Knicks acquired point guard Moochie Norris and center John Amaechi from Houston for forward Clarence Weatherspoon.

Lamar Odom led Miami with 19 points.

Mavericks 101, Bucks 92

At Dallas, Antoine Walker had 22 points and 14 rebounds, and Dirk Nowitzki made two key fourth-quarter 3-pointers to help Dallas withstand a late rally.

Steve Nash added 14 points and 12 assists, Antawn Jamison came off the bench to score 17, and Nowitzki had 20 points and 11 rebounds to help Dallas to its third straight win. The Mavericks improved to 14-2 at home.

Michael Redd led the Bucks with 25 points.

SuperSonics 105, Grizzlies 99

At Memphis, Rashard Lewis scored 33 points and Ray Allen had nine in the final three minutes.

Lewis and Allen scored Seattle's final 15 points as the SuperSonics pulled away late. Allen finished with 22 points, playing in his fourth game of the season after right ankle surgery.

The Grizzlies have lost seven straight, matching their longest losing streak under second-year coach Hubie Brown.

Timberwolves 98, Bulls 93

At Minneapolis, Kevin Garnett had 28 points and 15 rebounds to lead Minnesota to its eighth victory in nine games.

Latrell Sprewell had 27 points _ 20 in the first half _ and Sam Cassell had 21 points and nine assists for Minnesota, which beat the Bulls for the 10th straight time.

The Timberwolves held on despite blowing a 20-point first-half lead and missing nine free throws in the fourth quarter, including four straight by Garnett in the final two minutes.

Raptors 81, Nuggets 74

At Denver, Alvin Williams and Jalen Rose each had 17 points, and Williams hit four free throws in the last two minutes as Toronto snapped the Nuggets' three-game winning streak.

Carmelo Anthony had 19 points and seven rebounds for the Nuggets, who lost for only the fourth time at home.

Hawks 83, Wizards 73

At Washington, Shareef Abdur-Rahim had 25 points and 16 rebounds to help Atlanta end a nine-game road losing streak.

Stephen Jackson scored 16 points, Jason Terry added 13 and Dion Glover 10 for the Hawks, who hadn't won on the road since beating Milwaukee on Nov. 18.

Larry Hughes had 24 points for the Wizards, who have lost five in a row.

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) The Ron Artest vs. Rick Carlisle saga grew more bizarre Monday, with Artest missing the morning shootaround, meeting with team officials and then coming up with a mysterious injury.

Artest surprised the Pacers by saying he would sit out Monday night's game against the Memphis Grizzlies because of a sore back. But 30 minutes before tipoff, Pacers officials announced Artest would play.

The developments came two nights after Artest was benched for the second half of a loss to New Jersey for what Carlisle called ``conduct detrimental to winning.''

Artest called the team Monday morning and said he had overslept. As punishment for missing the shootaround, Al Harrington started in Artest's place.

Artest was summoned to a meeting with team president Larry Bird and CEO Donnie Walsh that Carlisle termed ``productive, upbeat, honest and forthright.''

``I view this as an isolated incident,'' Carlisle said. ``It's over with. It's in the past, it's been talked about and we're moving on.''

Artest was more noncommittal.

``I don't like being benched or anything like that, but he's got a way he wants to run the offense and run the team,'' Artest said. ``It doesn't mean I'm not going to shoot. I might be on the bench again.''

Bird and Walsh declined interview requests.

Artest checked into the game with 4:56 remaining in the first quarter.

Artest and Carlisle have disagreed about the coach's offensive system, which calls for set plays on most trips down the floor. Their differences came to a head against the Nets, when Artest took three 3-pointers out of the flow of the offense in the first quarter.

Artest also gave a lackluster defensive effort and argued with Carlisle at halftime, prompting the coach to bench him for the second half.

``I wasn't playing how he wanted me to play,'' Artest said. ``I didn't play well for about three minutes and it kind of blew up. You just deal with it.''

Artest said he would ``never'' change the way he plays, but he also seemed willing to work with Carlisle.

``Coach (isn't) compromising,'' Artest said. ``Coach is going to run the offense how he wants to run it.''

Carlisle ripped the team Pacers after the loss to the Nets, saying Artest ``compromised what the game is all about.''

He tried to contact Artest on Sunday, calling him on the phone and even stopping by his house and knocking on his door, but Artest was not home.

The recent troubles have been the first for Artest this season after he was suspended for 12 games and fined $155,000 last year. His mature, well-rounded play has been one of the main reasons the Pacers have spent the entire season in first place in the East.

But things started to sour after a blowout loss to Minnesota on Dec. 20, when Artest called Carlisle's offense ``boring.'' His criticisms continued after losses to Milwaukee and the Nets, and Artest suggested he may be a better fit on a different team.

On Monday, however, Artest made it clear he wants to remain in Indiana.

``We're going to make it work here, definitely,'' Artest said. ``We're trying to make big things happen this year.''

Carlisle supported Artest, saying he wasn't on the trading block.

``I think Ron's here for the year,'' Carlisle said. ``He's too valuable of a player. He's an essential part of this system and much of it is built around his abilities on both ends of the floor.''

The distraction comes at a time when the Pacers are struggling to get wins. After starting the season 14-2, they're 7-8 and have lost two in a row for the first time.

``You're going to have some tough times,'' Carlisle said. ``I don't mind, because getting through tough times is what makes a good team a better team.

``The wrong kinds of distractions generally aren't good, but they're going to have to be overcome with any team at some point. I'd just as soon deal with it now, rather than later.''

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) Indiana Pacers forward Ron Artest missed the team's morning shootaround for Monday night's game against the Memphis Grizzlies because he overslept, two nights after being benched for his conduct during a loss to New Jersey.

Artest, benched for the second half of Saturday night's loss to New Jersey for what coach Rick Carlisle called ``conduct detrimental to winning,'' called the team Monday morning to tell them he would be late, Carlisle said.

Carlisle said he has scheduled a meeting with Artest for Monday afternoon to talk about the player's behavior.

When asked if missing the shootaround will affect his playing time against the Grizzlies, Carlisle replied, ``I would have to say yes, but we'll find out. We have to talk to him to reach a resolution. Does that mean he's not going to play at all? Not necessarily.''

Carlisle ripped Artest and the team after a lackluster performance for most of the game against the Nets, saying Artest ``compromised what the game is all about.''

Carlisle said he tried to contact Artest on Sunday, calling him on the phone and even stopping by his house and knocking on his door, but Artest was not home.

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) Trouble is starting to swirl around the Indiana Pacers, and Ron Artest is right in the middle of it.

The Pacers started the season 14-2, but Saturday night's loss to New Jersey dropped them to 7-8 in their last 15 games. That prompted coach Rick Carlisle to criticize Artest and the team, saying customers ``got gypped'' by the performance.

Artest was benched the entire second half against the Nets after an uninspired first half and a halftime argument with Carlisle.

Carlisle cited Artest for ``conduct detrimental to winning.'' It was the first sign of dissent from Artest this season after he was suspended for 12 games and fined $155,000 last year.

Artest has been frustrated with Carlisle's structured offense, which calls for set plays on most trips down the floor.

Carlisle was ejected in the third quarter for arguing with the officials and delivered a stern message to Artest and the team after the game.

``We've got some guys here who just don't get it,'' Carlisle said. ``If nothing else, if we don't win a game, it's my job more than anything to make sure that they get it. And they're going to.''

Otherwise, he said, players will stay on the bench.

The Pacers were off Sunday and unavailable for comment. A message left at team president Larry Bird's office was not immediately returned.

Among the reasons for Artest's benching was his shot selection. He took three 3-pointers in the first quarter out of the flow of the offense, a move strongly discouraged in Carlisle's scheme.

One of the league's top defenders, he also gave up back-to-back dunks to Kenyon Martin and several times allowed Richard Jefferson a clear path to the basket.

When the Pacers came out for the second half, Artest walked on the floor but was told to sit. He remained on the bench, cheering his teammates, the rest of the game.

Artest's strong, mature play has been one reason the Pacers have spent the entire season in first place in the Eastern. Now he doesn't understand what all the fuss is about.

``He thought something was wrong with me,'' Artest said. ``There's nothing wrong with me. I took three bad shots. Everybody's not going to be perfect all the time. I don't see a problem.''

But Carlisle and other players do.

Players embraced Carlisle's offense as the wins piled up early, but doubt has started to creep in.

``The more we run sets, the more teams are scouting and pre-rotating and making it tough for us to score,'' forward Al Harrington said. ``But I think at the end of the day, we're going to have to start playing (Carlisle's way).''

Jermaine O'Neal refused to comment on Artest directly.

``It's not about the X's and O's,'' O'Neal said. ``It doesn't matter who's coaching, there's players out there not playing. Everybody has to be playing, be effective in some type. Everybody has to perform at a high level for us to win.''

Carlisle talked about sacrificing personal goals for the good of the team.

``We're a team that, quite frankly, doesn't understand what the word sacrifice means because winning isn't easy,'' he said. ``You've got to want it bad.''

Before Saturday night's game, Artest stayed in a private part of the locker room with rap music blasting. He looked uninterested for most of his 13 minutes on the floor.

Artest's actions do not reflect Carlisle's standing with the rest of the team, Harrington said.

``We respect coach,'' he said. ``We respect everything he's done. We know he has had success in winning. We believe in his system, but at the same time, we believe in our abilities, that we can make good basketball plays without a set being called every time.''

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- Rick Carlisle ripped Ron Artest and the Indiana Pacers following a loss to the New Jersey Nets, calling them an immature team who stole money from the paying customers Saturday night.

"We're young and we're immature as hell," Carlisle said after he was ejected during the Pacers' 82-75 loss to the Nets. "And we don't understand what we've got sitting right here in our hands. We're unwilling to reach out and grab it."

Jason Kidd had 16 points, 14 assists and 10 rebounds for his NBA-leading sixth triple-double of the season and second in a row, but Carlisle was more disappointed with his team's lack of effort and leadership.

Artest played uninspired in the first half and argued with Carlisle on the bench and in the locker room, prompting Carlisle to bench him for the entire second half.

"Ron Artest did not play in the second half for conduct detrimental to winning," Carlisle said. "Part of it occurred on the court, part of it occurred at halftime.

"As a coach, there's times where you've got to make a stand and there's times when the soul of the team is more important than one guy's particular agenda," Carlisle said.

"I've lived here too long, I know how these people in this state and this city feel about this game, and to watch one guy ... compromise what the game's all about is gut-wrenching and unacceptable," he said. "I will not accept it."

Artest fired back, criticizing Carlisle's offensive system.

"He calls all the plays. It's not easy to play in a set every time," Artest said. "I feel like I can play. If they don't want me to play here, I can go play somewhere else."

It was the first big problem Artest has presented this season after being suspended for a total of 12 games and fined $155,000 last season.

Indiana used a 13-0 run to pull within three in the fourth quarter, but the Nets never let the Pacers tie it.

"Eighteen-thousand, three-hundred forty-five people came in here tonight to see the team play the right way from start to finish, and they got gypped. They got their money stolen tonight. Nothing makes me more ashamed than that," Carlisle said.

Kenyon Martin added 23 points and 13 rebounds for the surging Nets, who won for the ninth time in 11 games.

Kidd had 24 points, 12 assists and 11 rebounds in Friday night's win over Detroit.

According to the Elias Sports Bureau, this was the third time Kidd had triple-doubles on consecutive nights. He also did it Dec. 17-18, 1999, and Jan. 12-13, 1996.

Nets coach Byron Scott said the win showed that that New Jersey is still the team to beat in the Eastern Conference.

It was a much different mood in the Pacers' locker room after Indiana dropped its second game in a row for the first time this season.

Miller and O'Neal also drew technical fouls for arguing.

"I was hired to bring this team to a championship level," said Carlisle, who is in his first year as coach of the Pacers. "I'm here to tell everybody right now, it can't happen unless 12 guys in uniform, three guys on the injured list, four coaches are doing things the right way."

The Nets led 75-59 with under six minutes to play before the Pacers closed the gap to three points on Al Harrington's layup.

The sellout crowd erupted when Reggie Miller hit a 3-pointer with 1:01 to play that made it 77-75. But Richard Jefferson responded with a jumper and Kidd added three free throws and a timely steal from Miller to seal the win.

"I'm proud of our guys who played in the second half and hung in there," Carlisle said.

Jefferson added 20 points and six rebounds for New Jersey.

Harrington led Indiana with 22 points, and Jermaine O'Neal and Austin Croshere each had 13 points and 11 rebounds.

"I'm disappointed also with the leadership of the team," Carlisle said. "It's one thing for me to make a stand, but the guys in the locker room have to make a stand as well. No one guy is bigger than this team. No one guy is bigger than this franchise."

Game notes
Miller recently passed Charles Barkley for 14th on the NBA's all-time scoring list. Before the game, Barkley delivered a tearful, tongue-in-cheek congratulatory message on the arena's big screen. "Reggie, congratulations for passing me, I'm glad you are finally getting the respect you deserve and I love you," he said. ... O'Neal received a technical foul with 9:04 to play in the first quarter for arguing an offensive foul call. ... Nets F Aaron Williams missed his fifth straight game with a pulled groin.

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) Indiana Pacers coach Rick Carlisle was ejected in the third quarter of Saturday night's game against the New Jersey Nets.

Carlisle became infuriated when referee Scott Wall called Jermaine O'Neal for a foul on Nets point guard Jason Kidd with 3:54 to play in the third quarter.

Carlisle crossed the halfcourt line and berated Wall with profanity as Austin Croshere restrained him, prompting the official to issue two quick technical fouls.

Several Pacers argued with all three officials throughout the game. O'Neal drew a technical foul in the first quarter.

New Jersey at Indiana (8 p.m. EST) Two of the top teams in the Eastern Conference meet when Jason Kidd and the Nets visit Ron Artest and the Pacers.

STARS

Friday

_Jason Kidd, Nets, had 24 points, 12 assists, and 11 rebounds for his league-leading fifth triple-double of the season in New Jersey's 82-79 win over Detroit.

_Carmelo Anthony, Nuggets, scored a career-high 37 points in Denver's 95-94 win over Houston

_Eddie Jones, Heat, had 22 points and 8 assists in Miami's 92-84 win over the Washington Wizards.

_Paul Pierce, Celtics, had 27 points, 11 assists, and seven rebounds in a 104-102 win over Phoenix.

_Jamal Crawford, Bulls, scored 30 points in Chicago's 87-80 win over Cleveland.

_Keith Van Horn, Knicks, had 28 points and 13 rebounds in New York's 98-94 win over Memphis.

BEATING THE BEST

The three game winning-streak that bumped Milwaukee over the .500 mark has come against the top three teams in the Eastern Conference: Indiana, New Jersey, and Detroit. The Bucks defeated the Pacers 101-96 on Friday night.

PUTTING ON THE CLAMPS

Golden State snapped a 15-game losing streak against Sacramento with a 98-91 victory over the Kings on Friday night. The game also marked the first time in 16 games that an opponent had held the Kings under 100 points.

STRONG IN DEFEAT

Indiana's Jermaine O'Neal had 27 points and 11 rebounds in a 101-96 loss to Milwaukee on Friday night. ... Orlando's Tracy McGrady had 24 points and eight rebounds in a 98-83 loss to San Antonio. ... Toronto's Jalen Rose had 18 points and eight assists in a 97-94 overtime loss to Utah. ... Minnesota's Kevin Garnett had 27 points, 10 rebounds, and nine assists in a 101-92 loss to Portland.

GOLDEN

With a 95-94 win over the Houston Rockets on Friday night, Denver has won 10 of its last 12 at home. Rookie Carmelo Anthony led the Nuggets with a career-high 37 points against the Rockets.

SPEAKING

``I'm not trying to fill up the stat sheet. I'm just trying to make the play that presents itself.'' _ New Jersey's Jason Kidd, who notched his league-leading fifth triple-double of the season with a 24-point, 12-assist, 11-rebound performance in an 82-79 win over the Detroit Pistons on Friday night.

___

``It's hard when your team is playing as hard as the other team and you don't get the same consideration when it comes to the whistle being blown.'' _ Pacers coach Rick Carlisle on the 24-17 foul disparity between the Bucks and the Pacers in Milwaukee's 101-96 victory Friday night.

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) Indiana Pacers coach Rick Carlisle was describing his offense recently, when he said this:

``Jermaine O'Neal and Ron and Al are our three horses,'' he said. ``Those guys are going to score.''

Someone missing?

How about Reggie Miller, the one player who has defined the Pacers for 17 seasons.

The 38-year old sharp shooter has taken a reduced role in the offense as the Pacers (20-8) have climbed to the top of the Eastern Conference, but coaches and teammates say he's as responsible as anyone for the team's success.

``What Reggie's done so far this year is really remarkable, particularly given his number of years, his age and given the fact he's coming off a major injury,'' Carlisle said. ``It's the kind of thing you don't see very often.''

Miller is averaging 9.4 points in 29 minutes this season, shooting 41 percent from 3-point range.

He is coming off a right ankle injury that required surgery and was one of the biggest reasons for his struggles last season, especially in the playoffs.

One of the game's great clutch shooters, Miller floundered in the playoffs last season, averaging just 9.2 points on 28 percent shooting.

``It was clear to me last year that he was not 100 percent healthy,'' said Carlisle, who coached the Detroit Pistons last season. ``Knowing Reggie the way I do, he was not right.''

This year, Miller has been more active on the floor after a summer of rehabilitation on the ankle. Carlisle has limited his minutes in hopes of keeping him fresh for a playoff run.

With the offense centered on O'Neal, Ron Artest and Al Harrington, Miller is often relegated to the role of decoy.

``My main focus isn't to score 20 points a game as it has been in years past,'' Miller said. ``We have other guys to do that. It's moreso to take pressure off our inside presence in Al and Jermaine.''

He does that by doing what he's done so well for so long _ shoot the 3. Miller might be a few years older and a few steps slower than the player who produced one of the most memorable playoff performances ever _ when he scored eight points in 8.9 seconds to beat the New York Knicks in Game 1 of the 1995 Eastern Conference semifinals _ but the old man can still knock down the 3.

Despite a shooting slump over the last three games, Miller's 44 3-pointers are tied for 15th in the NBA. That forces opposing teams to extend their defense and takes pressure off O'Neal inside.

``Even when Reggie Miller's not shooting the ball much, not making shots, he still has an unmistakable impact on the game because you must guard him closely,'' Carlisle said.

The rest of the team is directly benefiting. O'Neal is averaging 20.3 points a game and Harrington has emerged as one of the top sixth men in the NBA.

``It's been great for me as I've progressed that he's willing to put the ball in my hands and say, 'You carry us,''' O'Neal said. ``He's been doing that for so many years.''

Carlisle approached Miller about 15 games ago, worried that the former All Star would become disenchanted and feel cast aside.

Instead of demanding the ball, however, Miller deferred to his younger teammates.

``What he's doing, really, is helping set this team up for the future,'' Carlisle said. ``And very few veteran players of his magnitude, in the history of the game, have been willing to make this type of concession in the latter part of their careers.''

He doesn't concede every night. Playing in his beloved Madison Square Garden, Miller scored 31 in a win over the Knicks on Nov. 15. He just passed Charles Barkley for 14th on the all-time scoring list with 23,759 points and is by far the league's leader in career 3-pointers made with 2,374.

Miller says he's just following the natural progression from rookie to star to role player.

``The times I am on the floor, I'm trying to be more of a complete player,'' Miller said.

His teammates have taken notice.

``In no way has he given any less to the game,'' Austin Croshere said. ``A lot of his teammates looked at it as a passing of the torch, and he's done it very unselfishly.''

Miller signed a two-year contract extension in August that allows him to end his career where it started _ in Indiana.

``I think the Hall of Fame is imminent for him,'' Carlisle said. ``Aside from the fact that the sight of Reggie Miller lacing up a 3-point shot is one of the classic images we've ever had in this game, Reggie Miller the person is going to make it easy for those guys to vote for.''

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) Indiana Pacers forward Al Harrington left Friday night's game against the Atlanta Hawks in the second quarter with a bruised right cheekbone.

Harrington was taken for precautionary X-rays after colliding with Hawks guard Stephen Jackson under the basket shortly before halftime.

Team spokesman David Benner said Harrington would not return.

Harrington clutched his face and fell to the floor after hitting Jackson while trying to block his shot.

Harrington, the Pacers third-leading scorer with 13.5 points a game, had nine points on 4-of-4 shooting and three assists against the Hawks.

WASHINGTON (AP) Sam Cassell scored 25 points, Kevin Garnett had 23 points and 16 rebounds and Minnesota made 17 of its first 22 shots in a 110-91 victory Friday night over the Washington Wizards.

It was the fourth straight road victory for Minnesota, which got 21 points from Latrell Sprewell and 16 from Gary Trent. The Timberwolves have beaten Washington five straight times.

Larry Hughes led the Wizards with 16 and Christian Laettner added 14. Washington has dropped three straight and seven of eight.

Washington got within 84-81 on Laettner's basket early in the fourth quarter before the Timberwolves pulled away with a 14-2 run.

Nuggets 86, 76ers 77

PHILADELPHIA (AP) Andre Miller had 23 points and Marcus Camby had 16 points and 17 rebounds. Each of Denver's starters scored in double figures as the vastly-improved Nuggets snapped a two-game losing skid.

Kenny Thomas had 19 points and 12 rebounds and Eric Snow had 14 points and 11 assists for the Sixers, who had won three straight.

Allen Iverson, back after missing one game with a knee injury, missed 16 of 22 shots and finished with 18 points. Glenn Robinson, who had missed the last 15 games with a sprained left ankle, had six points.

The Nuggets (14-8) are off to their best start since the 1989-90 season.

Celtics 114, Raptors 111

BOSTON (AP) Paul Pierce had 33 points and 11 rebounds, leading the Celtics to their fourth straight win and snapping Toronto's five-game winning streak.

Vince Carter, who scored 35, missed a 3-pointer at the buzzer that would have tied it. The loss was the Raptors' first since their six-player trade with Chicago. Toronto surrendered 100 points for the first time in 23 games.

The Celtics, who didn't crack the century mark until the 15th game of the season, have now scored 100 or better in their last five games.

Pacers 103, Hawks 92

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) Fred Jones took over after Al Harrington left with an injury, scoring a career-high 18 points.

Harrington had a strong first half before leaving with a bruised right cheekbone, scoring nine points on 4-of-4 shooting with three assists as the Pacers built a 52-35 lead.

The Hawks rallied in the third quarter behind Shareef Abdur-Rahim, who scored 10 of his 19 points in the quarter, but Jones had 13 points in the fourth as the Pacers were able to increase the lead with Jermaine O'Neal in foul trouble and Harrington out with the injury.

Jason Terry had 18 points, five rebounds and four assists for the Hawks, who lost their sixth straight road game.

Heat 91, Grizzlies 88

MIAMI (AP) Lamar Odom scored a season-high 29 points and the Miami Heat held off a rally to prevent the Grizzlies from setting a franchise record for consecutive wins.

Odom also had 14 rebounds, Dwyane Wade scored 14 and Brian Grant had 11 points and 13 rebounds for Miami, which has won six of eight home games. Rafer Alston added 11 points and a season-high seven assists.

Pau Gasol scored 19 points and Earl Watson 16 for Memphis, which trailed by 16 at halftime and by nine after three quarters. The Grizzlies, trying to win a franchise-record seventh consecutive game and move five games above .500 for first time in team history, led just once the entire game despite putting five players in double figures.

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