Sacramento at Indiana (7:30 p.m. EST). The Kings visit the Pacers in a matchup of the league's top two teams.

STARS

Thursday

_ Tim Duncan, Spurs, scored 22 points and grabbed 10 rebounds to lead San Antonio to a 106-86 victory over Minnesota.

_ Chauncey Billups, Pistons, had 20 points and eight assists to lead Detroit past New Jersey 89-71.

_ Vladimir Radmanovic and Ray Allen, SuperSonics, each scored 19 points as Seattle held off Memphis 97-94.

THAT 70'S SHOW

Detroit gave another fine defensive effort in its 89-71 victory over New Jersey Thursday night. The Pistons nearly held their sixth straight opponent under 70 points, but the Nets got a tip-in with 1.1 seconds remaining to surpass 70.

IN RESERVE

Tim Duncan, who missed nine of San Antonio's past 10 games with a left knee injury, returned to the Spurs on Thursday night. In his first career appearance as a reserve, Duncan had 22 points and 10 rebounds as San Antonio won 106-86 over Minnesota. Duncan started each of his previous 506 NBA games.

STRONG IN DEFEAT

Kevin Garnett had 28 points and 12 rebounds as Minnesota fell to San Antonio 106-86 on Thursday night. The loss trimmed the Timberwolves' lead in the Midwest Division to 1{ games over the Spurs. ... The Grizzlies' Pau Gasol had 21 points and 15 rebounds, but Memphis lost 97-94 to Seattle for only its second loss in the last 13 home games.

SIGNED

Houston signed power forward Charles Oakley to a 10-day contract Thursday. The 40-year-old Oakley, an 18-year NBA veteran, hasn't played since last season in Washington with former Bulls teammate Michael Jordan. The addition of Oakley gives Rockets coach Jeff Van Gundy another player from his New York Knicks days, joining point guard Mark Jackson, who signed with the Rockets in January.

FINED

Memphis guard Bonzi Wells and New Orleans center Jamaal Magloire were fined $5,000 apiece by the NBA on Thursday for throwing a basketball into the stands. Wells tossed the ball into the stands during the third quarter of the Grizzlies' 82-79 win over Philadelphia in Memphis on Tuesday. That night, Magloire did the same thing in the third period of Miami's 96-83 home win over the Hornets.

SPEAKING

``Maybe you're not always, at the end of the game, thinking rationally. But at the same time, you still have your pride.'' _ New Jersey coach Lawrence Frank on the Nets' tactics to avoid being Detroit's sixth straight opponent held under 70 points. The Nets, who lost 98-71 on Thursday night, intentionally fouled the Pistons with 13.6 seconds remaining to get one more offensive possession and got a tip-in with 1.1 seconds remaining.