Kenyon Martin leads the way for New Jersey with 22 points.
By The Associated Press

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. – The New Jersey Nets didn’t quit on their lame duck coach. Instead, they gave Byron Scott one of their best defensive efforts of the season.

With speculation about Scott’s job security rife following a 47-point loss at Memphis, the two-time defending Eastern Conference champions improved to .500 for the first time since Nov. 11 with an 87-74 victory Wednesday night over the Utah Jazz.

Kenyon Martin had 22 points and 11 rebounds and Jason Kidd had 19 points, eight assists and eight rebounds. The Nets (12-12) held Utah to just nine points in the first quarter, forced 21 turnovers and kept the Jazz behind by double digits throughout the second half.

The finishing touches were applied by Kidd, who reportedly screamed at Scott in the locker room during a stormy postgame meeting following the debacle in Memphis. The Kidd vs. Scott story stayed alive for three days as the Nets did not play, and all eyes were on the team’s effort level to see whether they’d give Scott their best.

Pistons 77, Bulls 73

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. – Richard Hamilton scored eight of his 20 points in the fourth quarter Wednesday night to help the Detroit Pistons end a four-game losing streak with a 77-73 victory over the short-handed Chicago Bulls.

The win was Larry Brown’s 1,300th as a coach – 894 in the NBA, 229 in the ABA and 177 in college.

The Bulls had just nine available players. Eddy Curry and Corie Blount weren’t in uniform because of knee injuries, and Eddie Robinson sat out with an ankle problem.

The Bulls led 70-69 with 3:46 to play, but went scoreless for the next 2:22 as Detroit grabbed a 73-70 lead. The advantage could have been bigger, but Chauncey Billups, an 89 percent free-throw shooter, missed two from the line with 2:20 to go.

Jerome Williams broke the Chicago slump with a jumper, and a Pistons miss gave the Bulls the chance to take the lead.

76ers 87, Heat 76

PHILADELPHIA – Aaron McKie scored 20 points and Glenn Robinson had 19 in the Philadelphia 76ers’ 87-76 victory over the Miami Heat on Wednesday night.

The Sixers, playing without Allen Iverson, snapped a two-game losing streak. Iverson, averaging 28.9 points, has missed three of the last four games with a swollen right knee, an injury that could keep him sidelined even longer.

Dwyane Wade scored 22 points and Eddie Jones added 20 for the Heat, who had a four-game winning streak snapped. The Heat, who started 0-7, had the longest winning streak in the Eastern Conference, but their momentum stalled on the road where they are only 2-12.

McKie, who entered second in the NBA in 3-point accuracy, sank three straight 3-pointers early in the third to help turn a six-point halftime deficit into a one-point lead. He finished 7-for-12 from the floor, including 4-for-5 from 3-point range, and added six assists.

Magic 94, Pacers 90

INDIANAPOLIS – Rod Strickland’s jump shot with 14.4 seconds left lifted the Orlando Magic to a 94-90 win over the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday night.

Al Harrington missed a wide-open jumper from the left wing with seven seconds remaining that would have given Indiana the lead.

Keith Bogans grabbed the loose ball, was fouled and made one free throw. Drew Gooden slipped into the lane to get the rebound of Bogans’ missed second free throw and was fouled. He made two free throws with 4.6 seconds left to ice the game.

Tracy McGrady scored 21 points and had 11 assists to lead five Orlando players in double figures.

Jermaine O’Neal had 24 points, 17 rebounds and five blocks for the Pacers, but did most of his damage in the first half, while Indiana struggled offensively.

Rockets 89, Cavaliers 85

CLEVELAND – Steve Francis was already sick and tired. He didn’t even want to think abut how he would have felt if the Houston Rockets had lost again.

Francis and Cuttino Mobley scored 18 points apiece and each made big 3-pointers down the stretch as Houston rallied for an 89-85 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday night.

Francis, fighting a cold the past few days, scored 11 points in the fourth quarter and the Rockets used a late 12-0 spurt to end a three-game losing streak.

“We’ve all felt every loss we’ve had in the last three games,” said Francis, who added nine assists in 45 minutes. “We showed more spirit and will as far as guys not wanting to lose.”

Warriors 98, Hawks 85

ATLANTA – Mike Dunleavy made five of Golden State’s season-high 10 3 pointers, scored 25 points, and grabbed 14 rebounds in the Warriors’ 98-85 victory Wednesday night over the Atlanta Hawks.

Jason Richardson added 22 points for the Warriors, who were 10-for-21 on 3-pointers and outscored the Hawks 30-0 from 3-point range.

Atlanta was 0-for-5 from behind the arc.

Golden State has won consecutive road wins for the first time this season.

The Hawks have lost five straight and 11 of 13. As the team has plummeted to the bottom of the Central Division, signs of discord have surfaced.

Atlanta coach Terry Stotts benched starters Jason Terry and Theo Ratliff for the start of both halves after they were late for a pregame walkthrough.

Spurs 73, Raptors 70

SAN ANTONIO – Tony Parker made a free throw with 7.9 seconds left to preserve San Antonio’s 73-70 victory over the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday night that stretched the Spurs’ winning streak to eight.

Parker had 13 points, and Tim Duncan had 30 points and 13 rebounds in helping the Spurs improve to 10-1 against Eastern Conference teams.

Rasho Nesterovic grabbed 10 rebounds.

Before their current streak, the Spurs were 9-10 and at the bottom of the Midwest division. Now they are in first place, a half-game ahead of Dallas.

Donyell Marshall shot a 3-point attempt with a second left, but the ball rolled off the rim.

The Raptors, who lost their fourth straight, were led by Marshall’s 19 points and 14 rebounds. He was 3-for-6 from behind the 3-point arc. Jalen Rose had 14 points, Alivin Williams had 10, and Vince Carter, bothered by a sore Achilles’ tendon, had 16.

Chris Bosh added 12 rebounds.

Toronto, last in the NBA by scoring only 85.1 points per game, could only muster 10 points in the fourth.

Both teams struggled in the fourth quarter as San Antonio scored only 12 points on 3 of 18 shooting.

Down by 15 points in the third quarter, the Raptors made a comeback and took a 60-57 lead on a three-point play by Lonny Baxter. It was the last time the Raptors were ahead.

Duncan’s layup put the Spurs up for good 61-60 at the end of the third.

Malik Rose, on the bench during the Spurs’ winning streak, entered the game midway through the third quarter. He had been out with a strained tendon in his right ankle, and gave the Spurs a spark getting two points and two rebounds in 10 minutes.

The Raptors also struggled in the second quarter, scoring nine points on 4 of 16 shooting.

The Spurs, which has held an opponent to 10 points or fewer in a quarter for four straight games, ended the first half on an 11-3 run. San Antonio was aided by seven points from Duncan, which gave the Spurs a 41-28 halftime lead.

Notes: Raptors center Mengke Bateer, a member of the Spurs championship team last season, received his ring before the game. … Toronto is 5-4 after acquiring Rose, Marshall, and Lonny Baxter on Dec. 1. …The Raptors were hurt when Jalen Rose was called for an offensive foul. Angry about the call, he flopped on the floor and was given a technical foul by referee Michael Smith. … Later, a hard foul by Bruce Bowen on Vince Carter caused the players to face off and get double technicals.

AP-ES-12-17-03 2337EST