NEW ORLEANS: Reserve Devin Brown stepped up when he was needed by New Orleans yesterday, hitting a season-high 18 points to help the Hornets to a 94-81 win over the Denver Nuggets in NBA action.
Brown got additional court time after a first-half injury and made it count with 6-of-7 shooting, lifting New Orleans to within a game of Southwest Division leader San Antonio.
In Houston, Andre Iguodala hit a baseline jump shot with 36 seconds left to seal Philadelphia' Celtics' comeback from a late 14-point deficit to beat Houston Rockets 95-93.
Iguodala finished with 20 points for the 76ers.
In Boston, Eddie House scored 28 points on a career-high eight three-pointers as Boston Celtics beat Sacramento Kings 119-100 and won its ninth in a row.
Rajon Rondo had 24 points and nine assists for the Celtics, who went on a 25-9 run to start the second quarter, turning a two-point deficit into a 14-point lead.
In Portland, Oregon, LaMarcus Aldridge led Portland TrailBlazers with 25 points and nine rebounds as Portland downed Charlotte Bobcats 88-74.
Brandon Roy added 17 points for the Blazers, and Greg Oden had 14 points and 14 rebounds.
Personal
In New York, Nate Robinson scored 20 of his 24 points in the final 10 minutes, guiding New York Knicks over Atlanta Hawks 112-104.
Robinson had a personal 8-0 run to put New York up 96-85 with just over six minutes left.
In Minneapolis, Rasheed Wallace tied a season high with 25 points and had 10 rebounds, lifting Detroit Pistons over Minnesota Timberwolves 98-89.
In Dallas, the home team Mavericks responded to its 24-point loss to Boston on Sunday by overwhelming Golden State Warriors 117-93.
In Indianapolis, T J Ford matched his career high with 34 points as Indiana Pacers held off Milwaukee Bucks 107-99.
Jarrett Jack added 14 points for the Pacers in a meeting of the Central Division rivals.
In East Rutherford, New Jersey, Toronto Raptors edged New Jersey Nets 107-106, notching a third straight win for the first time since the start of the season.
In Miami, Dwyane Wade had 14 points, nine rebounds and nine assists before sitting out the entire fourth quarter as Miami Heat cruised past Washington Wizards 93-71.
In Los Angeles, Chicago Bulls snapped a five-game losing streak with a comfortable win over Los Angeles Clippers 95-75.
Luol Deng had 23 points and nine rebounds for the Bulls, while rookie Derrick Rose added 21 points and six assists.
In Oklahoma City, the home team blew a 10-point lead late in regulation time but recovered to down Memphis Grizzlies 114-102 in overtime.