The Celtics lost their third straight game, all of which have come on the road, Wednesday night against the Suns.

- Cleveland 106, Atlanta 101

Team FIC Differential: Cavaliers +20.7, Hawks -20.7

The Cleveland Cavaliers (26-8) used a strong fourth quarter to beat the Atlanta Hawks (21-10) on Wednesday night. LeBron James starred with 48 points, 10 rebounds and six assists on his birthday, Anderson Varejao posted 14 points and nine boards and Maurice Williams added 14 points, 10 dimes and five rebounds. Cleveland attempted 23 more foul shots than Atlanta and turned the ball over just eight times. Joe Johnson led with 35 points, Al Horford tallied 10 points and seven rebounds and Mike Bibby contributed 20 points and six assists in the loss.

Game FIC Scores

LeBron James, Cleveland ? 38.5

Joe Johnson, Atlanta ? 20.8

Maurice Williams, Cleveland ? 17.1

Mike Bibby, Atlanta ? 13.1

- Memphis 121, Indiana 110

Team FIC Differential: Grizzlies +18.6, Pacers -18.6

The Memphis Grizzlies (15-16) got closer to .500 with an emphatic win over the Indiana Pacers (9-22) at Conseco Fieldhouse. Rudy Gay had 31 points and nine rebounds, Zach Randolph tallied 28 points and 13 boards and Marc Gasol put up 21 points and ten rebounds. Memphis shot 50% and attempted 13 more free throws than Indiana. Luther Head led with 30 points and seven rebounds, Roy Hibbert posted 25 points and 13 boards and Earl Watson stuffed the stat sheet with eight points, 10 rebounds and six assists for the struggling Pacers.

Game FIC Scores

Rudy Gay, Memphis ? 25.1

Roy Hibbert, Indiana ? 19.3

Luther Head, Indiana ? 18.0

Zach Randolph, Memphis ? 17.6

- Orlando 117, Milwaukee 92

Team FIC Differential: Magic +48.9, Bucks -48.9

Vince Carter recovered from an elbow to the head and led the Orlando Magic (23-8) over the Milwaukee Bucks (12-18). Carter scored 25 points on 10-for-16 shooting, Dwight Howard posted 17 points and 10 rebounds and Jason Williams totaled 16 points and seven assists. Orlando drilled 55% of their shots and Milwaukee took just nine trips to the foul line. Brandon Jennings had a team-high 20 points, Andrew Bogut tallied 15 points and 10 rebounds and Ersan Ilyasova chipped in 13 points and seven boards.

Game FIC Scores

Jason Williams, Orlando ? 17.3

Dwight Howard, Orlando ? 16.8

Andrew Bogut, Milwaukee ? 11.6

Brandon Jennings, Milwaukee ? 10.4

- Toronto 107, Charlotte 103

Team FIC Differential: Raptors +24.6, Bobcats -24.6

The Toronto Raptors (16-17) beat the Charlotte Bobcats (12-18) in a very close contest on Wednesday night. Chris Bosh starred with 33 points and 13 rebounds, Andrea Bargnani scored 28 points and Marco Belinelli recorded 13 points and four boards off the bench. Charlotte shot 54% from the field, but they also turned the ball over 23 times. Stephen Jackson led with 30 points and five assists, Gerald Wallace posted 15 points and 16 rebounds and Raymond Felton helped with 23 points, seven boards and four dimes.

Game FIC Scores

Chris Bosh, Toronto ? 29.1

Raymond Felton, Charlotte ? 18.1

Gerald Wallace, Charlotte ? 14.6

Andrea Bargnani, Toronto ? 11.8

- New Jersey 104, New York 95

Team FIC Differential: Nets +8.1, Knicks -8.1

The New Jersey Nets (3-29) got just their third win off the season against the New York Knicks (12-20) at the Izod Center. Yi Jianlian had 22 points and six rebounds, Brook Lopez posted 21 points and 14 boards and Devin Harris excelled with 17 points, eight assists and seven rebounds. New Jersey shot 51% and had just 10 turnovers. David Lee starred with 24 points, 15 rebounds and eight assists, Al Harrington tallied 25 points and nine boards and Wilson Chandler added 15 points and seven rebounds for the Knicks.

Game FIC Scores

David Lee, New York ? 28.0

Brook Lopez, New Jersey ? 26.5

Wilson Chandler, New York ? 16.5

Yi Jianlian, New Jersey ? 15.0

- New Orleans 95, Miami 91

Team FIC Differential: Hornets +2.6, Heat -2.6

The Miami Heat (16-13) charged back in the fourth quarter, but the New Orleans Hornets (14-16) held on for a win at home. David West had 21 points and 10 rebounds, Emeka Okafor tallied 15 points and 14 boards and Chris Paul contributed 18 points, nine assists and five rebounds. The two clubs had very similar statistics, but New Orleans edged Miami slightly in shooting percentage and rebounds. Dwyane Wade had 22 points and six assists, Jermaine O?Neal posted 12 points and nine rebounds and Quentin Richardson put up 14 points and eight boards.

Game FIC Scores

Chris Paul, New Orleans ? 20.6

Emeka Okafor, New Orleans ? 18.0

Dwyane Wade, Miami ? 12.2

Quentin Richardson, Miami ? 11.0

- Utah 107, Minnesota 103

Team FIC Differential: Jazz +8. Timberwolves -8

The Utah Jazz (18-13) outlasted the Minnesota Timberwolves (7-26) at the Target Center. Deron Williams starred with 21 points, 12 assists and six rebounds, Carlos Boozer posted 16 points and 12 boards and Ronnie Brewer scored 20 points on 10-for-14 shooting. Minnesota shot 52%, but had more turnovers and fewer rebounds than Utah. Al Jefferson led with 21 points and nine rebounds, Wayne Ellington tallied 13 points and four boards and Kevin Love stuffed the stat sheet with 17 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists in the loss.

Game FIC Scores

Kevin Love, Minnesota ? 23.4

Al Jefferson, Minnesota ? 22.4

Deron Williams, Utah ? 20.8

Carlos Boozer, Utah ? 15.0

- Phoenix 116, Boston 98

Team FIC Differential: Suns +32.5, Celtics -32.5

The Phoenix Suns (21-12) built an early lead and never looked back against the Boston Celtics (23-8) on Wednesday evening. Amare Stoudemire had 26 points and seven rebounds, Channing Frye tallied 26 points and 10 boards and Steve Nash totaled 11 points and eight assists. Phoenix shot 50% and outrebounded Boston by four. Eddie House scored a team-high 19 points, Rajon Rondo posted 13 points and eight assists and Kendrick Perkins recorded 13 points and seven rebounds.

Game FIC Scores

Channing Frye, Phoenix ? 24.3

Amare Stoudemire, Phoenix ? 18.3

Tony Allen, Boston ? 12.3

Eddie House, Boston ? 10.0

- Portland 103, L.A. Clippers 99

Team FIC Differential: Trail Blazers +5.3, Clippers -5.3

The Portland Trail Blazers (21-13) lost LaMarcus Aldridge to an ankle sprain but they still have enough to down the Los Angeles Clippers (13-18). Brandon Roy starred with 25 points, seven rebounds and six assists, Juwan Howard posted 10 points and nine boards and Jerryd Bayless chipped in 14 points and eight dimes. Portland hit 50% of their shots and outrebounded Los Angeles by seven. Chris Kaman had 25 points and nine rebounds, Eric Gordon tallied 24 points and six assists and Baron Davis added 12 points, 11 dimes and five boards.

Game FIC Scores

Eric Gordon, Los Angeles ? 18.4

Chris Kaman, Los Angeles ? 18.3

Brandon Roy, Portland ? 17.9

Juwan Howard, Portland ? 13.5

- Philadelphia 116, Sacramento 106

Team FIC Differential: 76ers +13.9, Kings -13.9

The Philadelphia 76ers (9-22) pulled away from the Sacramento Kings (14-17) in the fourth quarter to record a rare road win. Lou Williams led with 22 points, Allen Iverson tallied 20 points and five rebounds and Andre Iguodala added 19 points, nine assists and seven boards. Philadelphia shot 52% and attempted nine more foul shots than Sacramento. Omri Casspi had 21 points and nine rebounds, Jason Thompson posted 15 points and 11 boards and Donte Greene totaled 21 points and seven rebounds.

Game FIC Scores

Andre Iguodala, Philadelphia ? 24.5

Jason Thompson, Sacramento ? 19.1

Omri Casspi, Sacramento ? 17.5

Lou Williams, Philadelphia ? 17.0

? RealGM calculates the Floor Impact Counter using the following formula: (Points + .75 Defensive Rebounds + Offensive Rebounds + Steals + Assists + Blocks - .75 Field Goal Attempts - .375 Free Throw Attempts - Turnovers - .5 Personal Fouls)

( )'s indicate a negative FIC score.

It is also used to rank players and to determine their ?Reina Value.? Click here to view the player rankings with the Reina Value for the current season

The Timberwolves traded guard Jason Hart to the Suns on Tuesday in exchange for Alando Tucker, a second-round pick and cash.

Minnesota was in talks with New Orleans about acquiring Devin Brown, but talks fell through even though general manager David Kahn had gone as far as to prepare a statement regarding the trade.

"Jason has been the consummate professional during his time with us, but it was a rare opportunity to add a proven player with 3-point shooting capabilities that will help our offense," Kahn said in the prepared statement, which mistakenly found its way onto the internet. "Devin should be a nice addition to our team defensively, as well. He has a reputation as a tough kid and hard-nosed defender."

The Suns, who also are looking to save money, waived Hart.

Suns guard Jason Richardson is winning in Phoenix, but his old team, the Warriors, are struggling.

"It's crazy what's going on over there," Richardson said in a telephone interview with the San Jose Mercury News. "They really went from being great to going back to the same ol' Warriors."

Richardson, who spent his first six NBA seasons in Golden State, was traded by the Warriors on draft day 2007.

He was a part of the 2007 playoff team that shocked the top-seeded Mavericks in the first round of the postseason.

"That's the crazy part," said Richardson. "We didn't get the chance. That team together, in two months (after acquiring Jackson and Al Harrington in January 2007), made history. It would've been scary had that team been together a whole year and had a training camp together.

"I kind of feel bad for the fans. They had a playoff experience. They had a good team. They had so much potential. Now, it's almost back to my first three or four years there."

Friday's Christmas Day action was highlighted by drama in Los Angeles and a comeback victory in Portland.

- Miami 93, New York 87

Team FIC Differential: Heat +13.7, Knicks -13.7

The Miami Heat (15-12) withstood a late run by the New York Knicks (11-18) to win at Madison Square Garden. Dwyane Wade starred with 30 points, nine rebounds and five assists, Jermaine O?Neal posted 11 points and eight boards and Udonis Haslem added 12 points and six rebounds. Miami attempted nine more foul shots and New York turned the ball over 17 times. Danilo Gallinari had 26 points and eight rebounds, David Lee tallied 19 points and 16 boards and Al Harrington contributed 12 points and seven rebounds.

Game FIC Scores

Dwyane Wade, Miami ? 22.2

Danilo Gallinari, New York ? 16.1

David Lee, New York ? 15.5

Jermaine O?Neal, Miami ? 11.6

- Boston 86, Orlando 77

Team FIC Differential: Celtics +24.8, Magic -24.8

The Boston Celtics (23-5) limited the Orlando Magic (22-8) to just eight points in the second quarter on Friday afternoon. Ray Allen had 18 points and six rebounds, Rasheed Wallace tallied 11 points and eight boards and Rajon Rondo stuffed the stat sheet with 17 points, 13 rebounds and eight assists. Boston outrebounded Orlando by five and the Magic hit just 33% of their shot attempts. Vince Carter had 27 points and five rebounds, Rashard Lewis scored 19 points on 5-for-14 shooting and Dwight Howard grabbed 20 rebounds.

Game FIC Scores

Vince Carter, Orlando ? 14.9

Rasheed Wallace, Boston ? 12.0

Dwight Howard, Orlando ? 12.0

Rajon Rondo, Boston ? 11.6

- Cleveland 102, L.A. Lakers 87

Team FIC Differential: Cavaliers +32.4, Lakers -32.4

The Cleveland Cavaliers (23-8) put the Los Angeles Lakers (23-5) away in the third quarter at the Staples Center. Maurice Williams led with 28 points, seven assists and six rebounds, LeBron James posted 26 points and nine dimes and Shaquille O?Neal totaled 11 points and six boards. Cleveland hit 54% of their shots and held Los Angeles to just 36% from the floor. Kobe Bryant had 35 points, nine rebounds and eight assists, Ron Artest tallied 13 points and seven boards and Pau Gasol chipped in 11 points and six rebounds in the loss.

Game FIC Scores

Maurice Williams, Cleveland ? 23.2

Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles ? 18.5

LeBron James, Cleveland ? 14.1

Lamar Odom, Los Angeles ? 11.0

- Phoenix 124, L.A. Clippers 93

Team FIC Differential: Suns +49.8, Clippers -49.8

The Phoenix Suns (19-11) outscored the Los Angeles Clippers (12-17) in each of the game?s four quarters on Friday for an easy win. Amare Stoudemire had 26 points and nine rebounds, Steve Nash tallied 14 points and eight assists and Jason Richardson totaled 18 points and eight boards. Phoenix shot 53% from the field and attempted ten more foul shots than Los Angeles. Rasual Butler led with 22 points and seven rebounds, Chris Kaman posted 19 points and 10 boards and Baron Davis added 11 points and eight assists for the Clippers.

Game FIC Scores

Amare Stoudemire, Phoenix ? 24.6

Rasual Butler, Los Angeles ? 19.3

Jason Richardson, Phoenix ? 14.5

Chris Kaman, Los Angeles ? 12.8

- Portland 107, Denver 96

Team FIC Differential: Trail Blazers +22.1, Nuggets -22.1

The Portland Trail Blazers (20-12) outscored the Denver Nuggets (20-10) by 13 points in the fourth quarter to record a win at the Rose Garden. Brandon Roy starred with 41 points and six rebounds, LaMarcus Aldridge posted 10 points and 13 boards and Andre Miller contributed 14 points and eight assists. Portland hit 52% of their shots, while holding Denver to 5-for-15 from three-point land. Carmelo Anthony had 23 points and nine rebounds, Kenyon Martin tallied 12 points and 14 boards and J.R. Smith scored 20 points on 9-for-23 shooting.

Game FIC Scores

Brandon Roy, Portland ? 25.8

Carmelo Anthony, Denver ? 19.8

Kenyon Martin, Denver ? 17.2

LaMarcus Aldridge, Portland ? 14..5

? RealGM calculates the Floor Impact Counter using the following formula: (Points + .75 Defensive Rebounds + Offensive Rebounds + Steals + Assists + Blocks - .75 Field Goal Attempts - .375 Free Throw Attempts - Turnovers - .5 Personal Fouls)

( )'s indicate a negative FIC score.

It is also used to rank players and to determine their ?Reina Value.? Click here to view the player rankings with the Reina Value for the current season

Charles Barkley will host the first "Saturday Night Live" of 2010, Jan. 9, the show announced over the weekend.

The last time he hosted was 1993, when the musical guest was Nirvana.

Suns guard Leandro Barbosa is hoping to return in this Friday's game against the Clippers.

Barbosa has been out since Nov. 15 against Toronto.

"It was pretty good," Barbosa said. "It's still sore. It still locked the inside of my ankle. That's impressive for me, because I really rolled the outside. The pain's on the inside."

He was expected to take part in Sunday's practice and fully participate by Wednesday.

"It's getting better," Barbosa said. "I feel it when I want to stretch my calf. I think Christmas will be a good time to come back."

Suns forward Amare Stoudemire can become a free agent after the season, but his status hasn't been a distraction.

Phoenix has won more games than expected, which has helped quell speculation about his future.

"It's been great, because it keeps us focused on what we're doing on the basketball court and ultimately winning basketball games," Stoudemire said. "There are no distractions right now. We've got to keep it that way."

The Suns can also extend Stoudemire's contract if he doesn't exercise his option for next season.

"He's matured so much over the summer," coach Alvin Gentry said. "He and I have had a lot of conversations. I've had to learn how to text.

"Everybody forgets he's 27 years old. He's made a good leap. He's a hell of a teammate now. He was always a good teammate. The responsibility and leadership he's tried to put together has been good. He understands he needs to concentrate on playing and having a good year, and then all of that stuff will work itself out."

Portland dealt Phoenix their 17th consecutive loss on TNT Thursday night.

- Miami 104, Orlando 86

Team FIC Differential: Heat +40.5, Magic -40.5

The Miami Heat (13-11) let up in the fourth quarter but still dealt the Orlando Magic (19-7) a lopsided loss on Thursday night. Dwyane Wade had 25 points and seven assists, Michael Beasley posted 22 points and eight rebounds and Dorell Wright added 11 points and eight boards off the bench. Miami hit 51% of their shot attempts and turned the ball over just nine times. Dwight Howard led with 17 points and 14 rebounds, J.J. Redick tallied 13 points and five boards and Vince Carter scored 10 points on 4-for-10 shooting.

Game FIC Scores

Dwyane Wade, Miami ? 21.5

Michael Beasley, Miami ? 14.8

Dwight Howard, Orlando ? 13.9

J.J Redick, Orlando ? 12.4

- Chicago 98, New York 89

Team FIC Differential: Bulls +18.5, Knicks -18.5

The Chicago Bulls (9-15) outscored the New York Knicks (8-17) by 12 points in the fourth quarter to record a comeback win at the United Center. Luol Deng starred with 24 points, 13 rebounds and five assists, Taj Gibson tallied 12 points and 10 boards and Derrick Rose contributed 18 points, six assists and four rebounds. Chicago outrebounded New York by 12 and held the road team to 36% shooting. Chris Duhon had 18 points and seven assists, David Lee posted 13 points and eight rebounds and Danilo Gallinari scored 18 points on 6-for-17 shooting.

Game FIC Scores

Luol Deng, Chicago ? 22.4

Chris Duhon, New York ? 16.0

John Salmons, Chicago ? 13.4

Wilson Chandler, New York ? 10.8

- Portland 105, Phoenix 102

Team FIC Differential: Trail Blazers +8.1, Suns -8.1

The Portland Trail Blazers (16-11) stormed back in the fourth quarter to send the Phoenix Suns (17-9) to yet another loss on TNT. Brandon Roy had 27 points and eight rebounds, LaMarcus Aldridge posted 15 points and seven boards and Jerryd Bayless exploded with 29 points on 9-for-15 shooting. Portland attempted 13 more free throws than Phoenix and went 10-for-20 from three-point land. Amare Stoudemire led with 27 points and 11 rebounds, Steve Nash tallied 16 points, 13 assists and five boards and Grant Hill chipped in 20 points in the loss.

Game FIC Scores

Steve Nash, Phoenix ? 23.0

Brandon Roy, Portland ? 17.6

Jerryd Bayless, Portland ? 16.5

Amare Stoudemire, Phoenix ? 14.9

? RealGM calculates the Floor Impact Counter using the following formula: (Points + .75 Defensive Rebounds + Offensive Rebounds + Steals + Assists + Blocks - .75 Field Goal Attempts - .375 Free Throw Attempts - Turnovers - .5 Personal Fouls)

( )'s indicate a negative FIC score.

It is also used to rank players and to determine their ?Reina Value.? Click here to view the player rankings with the Reina Value for the current season

The Phoenix Suns 105-102 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers on Thursday night was their 17th consecutive defeat when playing on TNT.

The Trail Blazers took the game from the Suns behind hot fourth quarters from Jerryd Bayless - who had a career high 29 points - and Brandon Roy.  Steve Nash missed a shot at the buzzer that would have forced overtime.

Phoenix could not break the streak, despite leading 81-70 after three quarters.

The last time the Suns won on TNT was March 13, 2008 when they beat Golden State 123-115.

Suns guard Goran Dragic scored a career-high 18 points against the Spurs on Tuesday night.

Dragic went 7-for-9 from the field, including 4-for-5 from three-point range.

"Steve [Nash] and Amare [Stoudemire] did what they do. They played well. Dragic kind of shocked us a little bit," San Antonio's Tim Duncan said after Phoenix won 116-104.

Dragic admitted after the game that he has been working with a Serbian coach to improve his shot.

"My coach from Serbia has been in town for the last four days, and we worked a lot on my shot," Dragic said. "Before when I shot, my arch was not so high. Today it felt great. The arch was higher."