Joe Johnson scored 22 points and the Brooklyn Nets halted a three-game losing streak with a 95-92 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers in a battle of slumping Atlantic Division clubs from the Barclays Center. Johnson made good on 3-of-5 attempts from three-point range to pace a balanced Brooklyn scoring attack. Deron Williams added 16 points and both Gerald Wallace and Brook Lopez finished with 14 for the Nets, who briefly broke open a tie game with a 14-6 run over a five-minute stretch in the fourth quarter and held on down the stretch. Jrue Holiday, playing for the second time since returning from a four-game absence due to a sprained left foot, amassed 24 points and nine assists for Philadelphia. Thaddeus Young put up 18 points and 10 rebounds in the setback, the Sixers' sixth in their last seven outings.
Final Score: New York 94, Minnesota 91
New York, NY (Sports Network) - Carmelo Anthony scored 19 of his 33 points in the fourth quarter, including the go-ahead basket with 1:13 remaining and the New York Knicks held on for a 94-91 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves at Madison Square Garden. Anthony added seven rebounds and made 10-of-11 from the free-throw line, including several huge ones down the stretch, while J.R. Smith contributed 19 points and seven assists for the Knicks, who have won two of their last three and will tangle with the Lakers in Los Angeles on Christmas Day. Tyson Chandler netted 16 points to go with nine rebounds, while Raymond Felton donated 15 points in the victory. Nikola Pekovic scored a team- high 21 points and ripped down 17 rebounds, while Alexey Shved added 18 and five rebounds for the Timberwolves, who played without Kevin Love due to an eye injury. Luke Ridnour netted 14 points, while J.J. Barea and Dante Cunningham gave 12 points apiece in the setback.
Final Score: Utah 97, Orlando 93
Orlando, FL (Sports Network) - Jamaal Tinsley, starting in place of an injured Mo Williams, hit a go-ahead 3-pointer late in the fourth quarter as the Utah Jazz came back and beat the Orlando Magic, 97-93, at Amway Center. Tinsley finished with 11 points and four assists and was one of six Jazz players scoring in double figures. Paul Millsap led the way with 18 points, while Gordon Hayward added 17 on 7-of-10 shooting. The Jazz, who trailed by as many as 16, split their four-game road trip despite Williams sitting Sunday due to an injury to his right thumb, which will keep him out indefinitely. Arron Afflalo paced the Magic with 20 points, but shot just 3- of-12 from the field following a 13-point opening quarter. Nikola Vucevic totaled 16 points and 16 rebounds, while J.J. Redick and Jameer Nelson each netted 14 points in the loss, Orlando's second straight since losing Glen Davis to a shoulder injury.
Final Score: San Antonio 129, Dallas 91
San Antonio, TX (Sports Network) - Danny Green led a San Antonio three-point barrage by tying a career-high with seven triples en route to a career-best 25 points in the Spurs' 129-91 thrashing of the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday. 13 different players scored for a Spurs team that shot an incredible 66.7 percent (20-of-30) from beyond the arc in spoiling the return of Mavs' superstar Dirk Nowitzki, who missed the first 27 games of the season for Dallas due to a knee injury. Tony Parker poured in 18 points and Tim Duncan tallied 15 points, five rebounds, four assists and two blocks in the Spurs' second consecutive victory. Kawhi Leonard contributed 17 points and five steals. In his return, Nowitzki came off the bench and finished with eight points and six rebounds in just over 20 minutes of play. Darren Collison led all scorers for Dallas with 15 points in the club's third straight loss.
