Tuesday's NBA Capsules

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) - Paul Pierce scored 20 points, Ray Allen had 12 in the third quarter and the Boston Celtics avenged a disappointing loss to Cleveland two days earlier by barely holding off the Cavaliers 93-90 on Tuesday night.

The Celtics, who blew an 11-point lead at home Sunday in the final four minutes and lost by one, led by 22 late in the third quarter.

However, the Cavs rallied again behind rookie Kyrie Irving and got within two on his twisting layup with 1:18 left. But Kevin Garnett dropped in a short jumper that bounced high off the rim and Pierce made two free throws with 2.6 seconds left as the Celtics avoided further embarrassment.

Irving scored 21 points and Anderson Varejao added 20 and 20 rebounds for Cleveland.

KNICKS 113, PISTONS 86

NEW YORK (AP) - Carmelo Anthony scored 25 points in his return to the lineup, Landry Fields added 16 of his 18 in a flawless first half, and the New York Knicks snapped a three-game losing streak with a victory over the Detroit Pistons.

Tyson Chandler had 17 points and Amare Stoudemire 15 for the Knicks, whose slumbering offense awoke in just their second victory in 11 games. They shot 60 percent from the field - amazingly the first time they bettered 50 percent all season - and fell just a point short of matching their highest-scoring effort.

Anthony had missed two straight games because of injuries to his ankle, wrist and thumb.

Jonas Jerebko scored 15 points and Greg Monroe had 13 points and 12 rebounds for the Pistons, who lost their sixth straight.

PACERS 106, NETS 99

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) - Paul George scored a career-high 24 points to lead the Indiana Pacers past the New Jersey Nets.

Danny Granger had 21 points and seven rebounds and Roy Hibbert had 18 points and 14 rebounds for the Pacers, who went on a 12-0 run midway through the third quarter and eventually led by as much as 18 in the fourth.

George, who shot 8 of 11 in this one, scored 21 points to lead the Pacers to a 108-94 win against the Nets on Jan. 2.

Deron Williams scored 34 points for the Nets, who have lost two straight overall and nine straight against the Pacers. The Nets turned the ball over three times and missed three shots in the Pacers' big run and shot just 40 percent overall in the third.

HAWKS 100, RAPTORS 77

TORONTO (AP) - Joe Johnson needed just three quarters to match his season high with 30 points, Tracy McGrady scored 15 against his former team and the Atlanta Hawks recorded their sixth consecutive victory over the Toronto Raptors.

Atlanta's leading scorer, Johnson has averaged 30 points in his past four games against Toronto.

Jeff Teague, Marvin Williams and Zaza Pachulia each scored 10 points as the Hawks won their third straight.

Jerryd Bayless scored 14 points for the Raptors, who lost their third in a row at home game. Toronto has gone 5-9 in playing a league-high 14 road games, but is just 2-6 at home.

GRIZZLIES 100, NUGGETS 97, OT

DENVER (AP) - O.J. Mayo scored 18 points, including a go-ahead 3-pointer with 35 seconds left in overtime, as the Memphis Grizzlies snapped a four-game losing streak with a victory over the Denver Nuggets.

Mayo's basket gave Memphis a 98-97 lead, and two free throws by Mike Conley with 8 seconds left gave Memphis the final margin. Rudy Fernandez's potential tying 3-point attempt in the closing seconds for Denver bounced off the rim, sending the Nuggets to their second straight loss.

Rudy Gay and Marc Gasol both overcame poor shooting nights to lead Memphis with 20 points apiece, each also grabbing 13 boards as the Grizzlies outrebounded the Nuggets 48-42.

Al Harrington led Denver with 23 points, 21 after halftime, and 10 rebounds.

LAKERS 106, BOBCATS 73

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Kobe Bryant scored 24 points, Andrew Bynum added 20, and the Los Angeles Lakers beat slumping Charlotte, extending their home record to 11-2 and sending the Bobcats to their ninth consecutive defeat and 19th of the season.

Bynum had 11 rebounds, while Pau Gasol had 10 points and Andrew Goudelock keyed a big night for the bench with 12 points in the Lakers' last home game before beginning their annual Grammy trip on Friday at Denver. The Lakers' reserves outscored the Bobcats 48-30.

It was the Lakers' biggest victory against the Bobcats, who had beaten Los Angeles in eight of their previous 11 meetings.

Gerald Henderson scored 14 points in his return after a two-game absence because of a lower back contusion for the Bobcats, who fell to 1-11 on the road and 3-19 overall.

WARRIORS 93, KINGS 90

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) - Brandon Rush scored 15 of his 20 points in the fourth quarter to spark a late rally, and the Golden State Warriors spoiled former coach Keith Smart's return with a victory over the Sacramento Kings.

Rush finished 4 for 5 from 3-point range and highlighted a 9-0 run to start the final period that carried new Warriors coach Mark Jackson past his predecessor. Jackson also sat stars Stephen Curry and Monta Ellis for almost the entire fourth quarter, riding his bench with an unconventional move.

Tyreke Evans had 22 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists and DeMarcus Cousins added 21 points and 14 rebounds in Sacramento's fifth straight loss. The Kings (6-15) are in last place in the Pacific Division, just behind Golden State (7-12).