Bryant, O'Neal on song for Lakers

Kobe Bryant scored 32 points as the Los Angeles Lakers crushed the Atlanta Hawks 127-93 on Tuesday for their most lopsided road win of the season.

Twenty six of All-Star Bryant's points came in the first half while Shaquille O'Neal added 23 points on 10-of-13 shooting.

The NBA champion Lakers lost six of their previous nine games but took advantage of an Atlanta team which possesses the worst defensive record in the league.

Bryant and O'Neal sat out the fourth quarter with the Lakers ahead 102-69 and the Hawks trailed by as much as 40 points in the final session.

Atlanta's Shareef Abdur-Rahim had 21 points and Nazr Mohammed 15 as the Hawks suffered their sixth defeat in seven home games.

In New York, Charlie Ward poured it on as the Knicks triumphed 78-71 over the Philadelphia 76ers.

Ward scored 11 of his season-high 14 points in the final period and also helped hold Allen Iverson to a season-low 15 points.

The Knicks's journeyman point guard went into the game averaging 4.4 points on 31 percent shooting but in the final quarter he outscored Iverson 11-0.

Iverson had his worst game of the season, making just 6-of-25 shots, and attempted only six free throws, all in the second half.

"I didn't play well at all," Iverson said. "I couldn't throw a rock in the ocean. I was just frustrated out there."

The Knicks extended their winning streak to a season-high four games.

WOLVES SHUT DOWN

In Cleveland, the Cavaliers shut down All-Star Kevin Garnett and the Minnesota Timberwolves to seize a 114-81 win.

The Cavs used various zone defense on the bewildered Wolves. Garnett was limited to 14 points and Minnesota to 33 percent shooting.

The win ended Cleveland's second-longest losing streak in team history. Wesley Person scored 27 points and Andre Miller had 17 and 12 assists for the Cavs.

In Washington, the Detroit Pistons sealed their first three-game winning streak in over a month with a tight 89-86 victory over the Wizards.

Michael Jordan, who had 32 points in all, pulled the Wizards even at 76-76 at one point in the final quarter.

Pistons guard Jerry Stackhouse scored 24 points and grabbed a decisive rebound in the dying seconds. He was backed up by Chucky Atkins with 20 points.

In Milwaukee, Sam Cassell and Ray Allen led the way as a non-stop offensive attack by the Bucks inspired a 109-90 win over the Boston Celtics.

Cassell had 20 points, nine assists and six rebounds while Allen added 19 points, nine rebounds and eight assists and Anthony Mason grabbed 11 rebounds.

All-Star starter Antoine Walker had 25 points and eight rebounds for the Celtics. Team mate and fellow All-Star Paul Pierce was held to 5-of-16 shots and 16 points.

BRAND LEADER

In Dallas, Elton Brand collected 23 points and 10 rebounds as the Los Angeles Clippers posted their most impressive road win of the season, a 117-100 victory over the Mavericks.

Brand leads the Clippers in scoring and rebounding and is second in the Western Conference behind San Antonio's Tim Duncan with 31 double-doubles.

All-Stars Dirk Nowitzki and Steve Nash paced Dallas with 22 points apiece. But Nash was held scoreless in the fourth quarter when the Mavs shot just 29 percent (7-of-24).

In Houston, Moochie Norris hit another late three-pointer in regulation and Steve Francis scored six of his 33 points in overtime as the Rockets rallied for a 100-96 triumph over the Golden State Warriors.

Norris has hit a couple of game-winning baskets already this season and Francis has said he feels comfortable kicking the ball out to the fourth-year guard late in the game. On Tuesday, Norris's lone three-pointer knotted it at 86-86.

Erick Dampier opened overtime with a basket for Golden State but Kenny Thomas had baskets 24 seconds apart to give Houston a 90-88 lead.

Thomas finished with 23 points and Cuttino Mobley added 13 for the Rockets, who posted back-to-back wins for the first time since recording three in a row from November 4-8.

In San Antonio, neither the Hornets nor the Spurs could buy a bucket but Charlotte were slightly more opportunistic as they handed the home team their third straight loss at the Alamodome, 78-73.

Reserve Bryce Drew had 15 points and Elden Campbell added 13 and 10 rebounds for Charlotte, which shot 36 percent (29-of-80).

Tim Duncan collected 29 points and 21 rebounds for San Antonio, which had not lost three in a row at home since a four-game skid at the end of the 1996-97 season, the team's last before Duncan joined as a rookie.

JONES JOY

In Denver, Eddie Jones scored a season-high 37 points, including the go-ahead basket in overtime, as the Miami Heat defeated the Nuggets 100-94 for their eighth win in 10 games.

Raef LaFrentz's sixth three-pointer of the contest gave Denver a 92-91 lead with 2:20 left in the extra session. But Jones scored on a thunderous baseline dunk, was fouled and sank the free throw to put Miami ahead for good.

Miami were without center Alonzo Mourning, who was named to the Eastern Conference All-Star team earlier on Tuesday but missed his second straight contest because of flu.

LaFrentz had 30 points and Nick Van Exel 15 and seven assists to lead Denver, which lost for the ninth time in 12 games.

In Phoenix, Shawn Marion may have been outscored by Ron Artest but his final shot proved to be the difference as the Suns claimed a narrow 91-90 win over the lowly Chicago Bulls.

Matched up against Artest for most of the contest, Marion scored 24 points and hit a 20-foot jumper that clinched victory.

Marion's shot came with 1:10 remaining and extended Phoenix's lead to 91-88. Artest, who finished with 26 points, made two free throws with 55.8 seconds left but the Bulls failed to capitalize on two missed shots by Rodney Rogers.

In Seattle, Dale Davis had 20 points and 14 rebounds and Rasheed Wallace added 16 and 13 to lead the Portland Trail Blazers to their fourth straight win, 92-86 over the SuperSonics.

Bonzi Wells contributed 19 points for the Trail Blazers, who have won 10 of their last 12 since the top eight players in their rotation have been healthy.

Gary Payton scored 13 of his 27 points in the fourth quarter, Desmond Mason chipped in 14 and Rashard Lewis 13, but Seattle lost for just the second time in its last six contests.