PHILADELPHIA (AP) Allen Iverson scored a season-high 50 points, leading the Philadelphia 76ers to a 98-86 victory over the Atlanta Hawks on Saturday night.

Kenny Thomas had 13 rebounds and reserve John Salmons added 13 points for Philadelphia, which leads the Atlantic Division despite a 9-9 record.

Jason Terry had 20 points and Shareef Abdur-Rahim had 17 for the Hawks, who are off to a 6-12 start.

It was the ninth time, including playoffs, that Iverson has scored 50 or more points in his eight seasons. He had 55 in a playoff victory over New Orleans last April.

Iverson was coming off a season-low 12-point performance in which he missed 15 of 19 shots in a loss to Indiana on Friday night.

Knicks 79, Hornets 74

NEW YORK (AP) Allan Houston scored 18 points, and Dikembe Mutombo added 13 points, 12 rebounds and five blocks to help New York beat New Orleans.

Mutombo got the Knicks started with 11 points and seven rebounds in the first half, and Houston scored 13 during a sluggish second half for both teams.

David Wesley's 16 points led the Hornets, who committed six of their 16 turnovers in the fourth quarter and shot just 32 percent from the field. Baron Davis had 13 points and 10 assists.

Pistons 80, Wizards 69

WASHINGTON (AP) Richard Hamilton scored 25 points and Chauncey Billups added 22 to lead Detroit to its eighth win in nine games against Washington.

Detroit's win overshadowed a solid game by Brendan Haywood, who led the Wizards with a career-high 23 points and season-high 11 rebounds.

Moments after Jarvis Hayes tied the game at 65 with a dunk with 6:57 remaining, Washington coach Eddie Jordan drew a technical for charging onto the court as Hamilton was making a layup.

Hamilton made the free throw for a 68-65 lead with 6:37 left and the Pistons never trailed again.

Heat 78, Raptors 66

MIAMI (AP) Rookie Dwyane Wade scored 16 points to lead Miami over short-handed Toronto, which played without starters Antonio Davis and Jerome Williams.

Davis and Williams are part of a six-player trade that will send Jalen Rose to the Raptors, Bulls general manager John Paxson said Saturday night. The deal is pending league approval Monday.

Rookie forward Chris Jeffries, also involved with the trade, did not dress for the Raptors.

Toronto, which has yet to reach 90 points in regulation this season, was held below 70 points for the fifth time.

Grizzlies 122, Cavaliers 115, 2OT

CLEVELAND (AP) Pau Gasol scored a career-high 37 points and Memphis Grizzlies completed its second-biggest comeback with a double-overtime win over Cleveland.

Shane Battier added 22 points and a career-high 12 rebounds for the Grizzlies, who trailed by 24 in the first half and 16 going into the fourth quarter.

Memphis' comeback was its biggest since overcoming a 25-point deficit to beat Portland on March 25, 2002.

Cavs rookie LeBron James had his best game as a pro _ 33 points, 16 rebounds and seven assists _ but had two costly turnovers late in the first overtime period that helped Memphis rally.

Mike Miller added 20 points and a career-high 13 assists for the Grizzlies, who clawed back by scoring the first 18 points of the fourth quarter.

Mavericks 92, Timberwolves 88

DALLAS (AP) Michael Finley scored 25 points and rookie Josh Howard provided a much-needed spark in the second half, carrying Dallas past Minnesota in a matchup of teams playing their fourth game in five nights.

Missing Dirk Nowitzki (sprained ankle) and Danny Fortson (suspended), Dallas needed fresh legs to remain undefeated at home. Howard came through, scoring seven points during a 22-4 run that turned a 12-point deficit into a six-point lead early in the fourth quarter.

Kevin Garnett _ who had 28 points and 20 rebounds _ single-handedly kept the Timberwolves close, scoring eight of their last nine, including a jumper that tied it at 81 with 3:46 left.

He also had a 3-pointer and two free throws in the final 27 seconds that prevented the Mavericks from sealing the victory.

After Steve Nash made a pair of foul shots with 2 seconds left, Minnesota's last chance ended when Sam Cassell fumbled an inbounds pass. When time expired, Cassell punted the ball high over the court, landing in the seats.

Bucks 100, Celtics 94

MILWAUKEE (AP) Joe Smith made two free throws with 11 seconds left and Toni Kukoc scored nine fourth-quarter points to lead Milwaukee past Boston in the second game of a home-and-home series between the teams.

Milwaukee blew a 15-point second-quarter lead, fell behind by 12 in the third quarter and rallied to become the first team to score 100 points against the Celtics this season.

Michael Redd had 23 points, Desmond Mason had a season-high 22 points and Smith had 16 points and 11 rebounds for Milwaukee.

Mike James had a career-high 23 points and Paul Pierce scored 21 for the Celtics, which beat the Bucks 106-96 Friday night in Boston.

SuperSonics 95, Rockets 88

SEATTLE (AP) Rashard Lewis scored 27 points in his return from a one-game absence and rookie Luke Ridnour had eight of his 11 points in the fourth quarter for Seattle.

Lewis, who shot 9-of-18 from the floor, missed Friday night's loss at Utah because of a death in his family.

Antonio Daniels made his first start of the season, scoring 13 points, while Ronald Murray came off the bench for 12 and Brent Barry added 10. The Sonics had lost three of four at home.

Steve Francis led the Rockets with 28 points, but he scored only four in the fourth quarter _ all from the foul line.

Nuggets 98, Clippers 86

LOS ANGELES (AP) Vashon Lenard scored a season-high 26 points and Denver never trailed in handing the Los Angeles Clippers their sixth straight loss.

Point guard Andre Miller had 19 points and seven assists in his return to Staples Center, where he spent an unproductive and unhappy season with the Clippers before joining Denver as a free agent when Los Angeles declined to match the Nuggets' six-year, $51 million offer sheet.

Corey Maggette had 22 points and eight rebounds for the Clippers, who were 29-for-83 from the field and have failed to shoot 50 percent or better this season.

Spurs 91, Warriors 89

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) Nick Van Exel scored 16 of his 29 points in the fourth quarter to help Golden State beat San Antonio.

Van Exel, playing a backup role because of a sore left knee, either tied the score or gave the Warriors the lead with five of his seven fourth-quarter baskets, including a long 3 with 20 seconds left that proved to be the winner.

Tim Duncan, who missed a wide-opener 20-footer in the final second, led the defending NBA champion Spurs with 27 points and 15 rebounds. Tony Parker added 19 points, and Rasho Nestorovic had 14 points and 11 rebounds.

PHILADELPHIA (AP) Philadelphia 76ers star Allen Iverson was fined $10,000 by the NBA on Saturday for making an obscene gesture toward fans during a loss in Milwaukee earlier in the week.

Iverson made the gesture in the 76ers' 95-91 loss to the Bucks on Monday. He scored 50 points Saturday night to lead the Sixers over the Atlanta Hawks 98-86.

``I made a mistake and I deserve it,'' Iverson said of the fine.

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) Philadelphia 76ers forward Derrick Coleman did not play Friday night against Indiana because of a left knee strain.

Coleman missed six games with the same injury earlier in the season, then returned for two games. He scored nine points and had five rebounds in Wednesday's win over Detroit.

"Glenn Robinson, who spent the first eight seasons of his career with the Bucks, made the trip to Milwaukee but was placed on the injured list after he arrived. Robinson, who already had missed the previous seven games with a high left ankle sprain, was replaced on the active roster by Greg Buckner. Robinson will have to miss a minimum of five additional games, beginning with last night."

"(Greg) Buckner said he has been told he could be activated in time for (Philadelphia's) Tuesday night's game in Milwaukee."

Rusty Hardin, who is Eddie Griffin's Houston-based attorney, doesn't expect his client to be back with the Rockets until after January 1st.

"I'm sure he will play, but that depends on how he feels and how the Rockets feel," Hardin said. "Right now, we're not thinking about that. Eddie realizes the last thing to be concerned about is basketball. He wants to get his life in order."

Washington Wizards guard Gilbert Arenas found little consolation yesterday when the NBA announced that Philadelphia 76ers center Samuel Dalembert was administered a stage one flagrant foul (no fine) for elbowing Arenas in the mouth in the fourth quarter of Tuesday's 112-105 loss to Philadelphia. No infraction was called during the game, leaving Arenas bleeding, swollen and highly agitated.

"Gilbert Arenas's lip was bloodied, his temper a few degrees below boiling. His counterpart, the 76ers' Allen Iverson, was cool and clutch. And despite the Washington guard's gaudy stat line -- season-high 36 points, 10 assists, 7 rebounds -- Iverson trumped him, not only by scoring 40, but by making every free throw Philadelphia needed in a gritty, hard-fought 112-105 win last night before 17,841 at MCI Center."

WASHINGTON (AP) Allen Iverson had a season-high 40 points Tuesday night, winning a scoring duel with Gilbert Arenas and leading Philadelphia to a 112-105 victory over Washington.

Arenas scored a season-high 36 points in a game featuring two of the most exciting guards in the Eastern Conference.

Iverson had more than his share of misses _ 12-for-29 from the field _ but he never stopped shooting, and made 14 of 18 free throws. The 76ers went 24-for-26 from the line in the second half.

Arenas was 11-for-24 from the field, but was just 3-of-11 in the second half and fouled out in the final seconds.

The 76ers played without starters Glenn Robinson (sprained ankle) and Kenny Thomas (bruised back), and Derrick Coleman didn't play the second half because of the strained left knee.

Celtics 78, Pacers 76

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) Vin Baker hit a fallaway jumper in the lane with 20 seconds left to lift Boston past Indiana.

Paul Pierce led the Celtics with 19 points, nine assists and six rebounds, and Baker had 12 points and four rebounds.

Jermaine O'Neal had 25 points and 11 rebounds for Indiana. The Pacers lost for the first time in six games to drop to 6-2.

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Ron Artest controlled his temper after losing a tooth following a hard collision with Derrick Coleman, and then coolly sank a pair a free throws.

One of the NBA's most excitable players is behaving himself these days, and the Indiana Pacers are reaping the benefits.

``Tonight is an indication of the new and improved Ron,'' teammate Reggie Miller said.

Artest scored 30 points and had 10 rebounds to lead the Pacers to their fifth straight win, an 85-74 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday night.

``I'm just having fun,'' Artest said.

Artest led the league in flagrant-foul points last season and missed 12 games because of suspensions. This year, Artest has had no flagrants or technicals called on him _ so far.

``A couple of things were blown out of proportion,'' Artest said. ``I'm just here to play basketball.''

In other games, it was: Detroit 98, New Jersey 84; Atlanta 91, Seattle 81; Boston 91, Sacramento 82; and Toronto 89, Denver 76.

The Pacers are 4-0 in road games this season, their best start in the NBA. The 1971-72 Pacers started that ABA season 7-0 away from home.

Late in the fourth, Artest drove down the baseline from the left side with his left arm fully extended when Coleman collided with him under the basket.

Artest crashed to the floor, holding his face and was down for a few minutes. He lost a tooth and had a swollen lip but instead of retaliating against Coleman, Artest made two free throws for a 71-66 lead.

``I think last year's Ron would have probably took out a couple of fans in the front row,'' Miller said.

Later, he hit another 3-pointer for an 80-70 lead and the Pacers cruised from there.

Jermaine O'Neal added 23 points and 10 rebounds for the Pacers, whose 13-point first-quarter lead turned into a five-point deficit entering the fourth quarter.

But Artest and O'Neal led the Pacers on an 18-4 run.

Allen Iverson scored 37 points for the Sixers on 15-for-30 shooting, but had little offensive help.

``Once we got the lead, we kind of relaxed a little bit,'' Iverson said. ``We didn't keep fighting. We didn't try to finish the game.''