ATLANTA – Joe Johnson scored 30 points and the Atlanta Hawks beat New Orleans 89-79 on Monday night, ending the Hornets’ season-best seven-game winning streak.

Johnson had only 12 points in back-to-back games and was held under 20 points in four straight before re-emerging against the Hornets. He had 10 points in the third quarter and helped the Hawks protect the lead in the final period.

Johnson’s 30 points are his most since a season-high 41 against Chicago on Dec. 27.

Chris Paul had 24 points and 10 assists, and David West added 16 points and 20 rebounds for New Orleans.

Wizards 110, Timberwolves 99

MINNEAPOLIS – Caron Butler had 27 points, 10 rebounds and six assists to lead the Washington Wizards over the Minnesota Timberwolves in a matchup of teams that had lost 14 straight combined.

Antawn Jamison added 26 points for the Wizards, who had lost five in a row and seven of their last eight.

Kevin Love had 16 points and 11 rebounds and Ryan Gomes scored 18 for the Timberwolves, who have lost 10 in a row and 15 of their last 16.

And the news may only be getting worse. Guard Randy Foye had to be carried to the locker room in the fourth quarter with a sprained right ankle. He went up to grab a high lob pass from Mike Miller, but crumpled to the court in pain.

Pistons 98, Magic 94

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. – Richard Hamilton scored 29 points and had a career-high 14 assists as the Detroit Pistons beat the Orlando Magic.

Detroit, already without Allen Iverson (back) for the sixth straight game, lost Rasheed Wallace to a calf injury late in the first quarter. Antonio McDyess, though, added 13 points and 18 rebounds to help the Pistons finish off a 3-0 season sweep of the Magic – a team they could face in the first round of the playoffs.

Dwight Howard had 27 points and 14 rebounds for Orlando, which has lost 19 of its last 24 regular-season meetings with the Pistons, and been eliminated by Detroit in each of the last two postseasons.

Copy the Story Link