SPORTS N STUFF

Houston guard Aubrey Coleman issued an apology Sunday after stepping on the face of Arizona player Chase Budinger during a game the previous day.

Coleman, a junior and the team’s second-leading scorer, was ejected after stepping on Budinger’s face following a charge call with 9:51 left in the second half. Arizona rallied for a 96-90 win in overtime.

“I want to apologize to Chase Budinger for what happened Saturday night. I never meant to step on him,” Coleman said in a statement issued by the school. “I have never been in an incident like this before, and I have nothing but respect for him as a great player.

“I love the game too much to do something like that intentionally. I want to say I am sorry from the bottom of my heart,” Coleman said. “I know that God knows what is in my heart, but I am hopeful that Chase will understand and forgive.”

Houston coach Tom Penders said he regretted the incident but does not believe Coleman intentionally stepped on Budinger.

At Morgantown, W Va.

No. 4 PITTSBURGH 79, WEST VIRGINIA 67

PITTSBURGH (18-1)

Biggs 1-3 2-2 4, Young 9-14 4-4 22, Blair 6-12 4-8 16, Fields 4-7 5-5 13, Dixon 4-8 0-0 11, G.Brown 2-5 0-1 4, Gibbs 1-2 0-0 3, Tiesi 0-0 0-0 0, Wanamaker 1-1 0-0 2, Frye 0-1 0-0 0, Robinson 2-2 0-0 4, McGhee 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 30-56 15-20 79.

WEST VIRGINIA (14-5)

Butler 6-13 7-9 21, Ebanks 4-7 1-1 9, Smith 1-4 0-2 3, Ruoff 5-11 4-4 16, Bryant 4-12 4-4 12, Thoroughman 0-0 0-0 0, Jones 3-5 0-0 6, Thomas 0-0 0-0 0, Flowers 0-4 0-0 0, Proby 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 23-56 16-20 67.

Halftime-Pittsburgh 39-37. 3-Point Goals-Pittsburgh 4-13 (Dixon 3-5, Gibbs 1-2, Fields 0-1, Frye 0-1, Young 0-2, G.Brown 0-2), West Virginia 5-19 (Butler 2-5, Ruoff 2-7, Smith 1-2, Ebanks 0-1, Bryant 0-4). Fouled Out-None. Rebounds-Pittsburgh 31 (Blair 11), West Virginia 34 (Butler 6). Assists-Pittsburgh 18 (Fields, Wanamaker 5), West Virginia 15 (Bryant 6). Total Fouls-Pittsburgh 16, West Virginia 12. A-14,329.

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At Columbus, Ohio

No. 7 MICHIGAN STATE 78, OHIO STATE 67

MICHIGAN STATE (16-3)

Morgan 1-4 2-4 4, Roe 2-4 0-0 4, Suton 6-9 0-0 13, Summers 8-13 4-4 26, Lucious 0-3 0-0 0, Ibok 0-0 0-0 0, Lucas 6-13 7-9 20, Allen 1-4 0-0 2, Walton 3-6 1-2 7, Thornton 0-0 0-0 0, Gray 1-1 0-0 2. Totals 28-57 14-19 78.

OHIO STATE (13-5)

Lauderdale 1-3 0-0 2, Simmons 3-5 0-0 8, Turner 6-8 6-8 19, Diebler 3-6 3-3 12, Buford 4-9 0-0 11, Hill 1-2 0-0 3, Mullens 5-9 2-5 12. Totals 23-42 11-16 67.

Halftime-Ohio State 31-26. 3-Point Goals-Michigan State 8-21 (Summers 6-9, Suton 1-1, Lucas 1-5, Allen 0-3, Lucious 0-3), Ohio State 10-20 (Diebler 3-6, Buford 3-7, Simmons 2-4, Hill 1-1, Turner 1-2). Fouled Out-None. Rebounds-Michigan State 35 (Suton 9), Ohio State 19 (Turner 6). Assists-Michigan State 15 (Morgan 4), Ohio State 12 (Buford, Turner 3). Total Fouls-Michigan State 16, Ohio State 17. Technical-Ohio State bench. A-18,767.

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At Syracuse, N.Y.

No. 9 LOUISVILLE 67, No. 8 SYRACUSE 57

LOUISVILLE (15-3)

Williams 7-14 0-0 15, Clark 6-17 2-3 16, Samuels 2-6 2-2 6, Sosa 4-11 2-2 13, Smith 2-8 0-0 5, Knowles 1-5 0-0 3, Scott 0-1 0-0 0, Swopshire 0-0 0-0 0, Jennings 4-6 1-4 9, McGee 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 26-69 7-11 67.

SYRACUSE (17-4)

Jackson 1-4 1-2 3, Harris 2-7 2-2 6, Onuaku 5-6 1-3 11, Rautins 1-7 0-0 3, Flynn 3-12 6-6 12, Devendorf 5-13 7-9 20, Joseph 1-2 0-2 2. Totals 18-51 17-24 57.

Halftime-Louisville 38-33. 3-Point Goals-Louisville 8-31 (Sosa 3-7, Clark 2-6, Knowles 1-5, Williams 1-5, Smith 1-6, McGee 0-1, Scott 0-1), Syracuse 4-16 (Devendorf 3-8, Rautins 1-6, Flynn 0-2). Fouled Out-None. Rebounds-Louisville 44 (Clark 13), Syracuse 37 (Jackson, Onuaku 9). Assists-Louisville 18 (Clark 5), Syracuse 11 (Flynn 4). Total Fouls-Louisville 18, Syracuse 12. A-25,721.

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At Clemson, S.C.

No. 10 CLEMSON 73, GEORGIA TECH 59

GEORGIA TECH (9-10)

Clinch 2-10 1-1 6, Shumpert 2-6 3-4 9, Miller 0-6 0-0 0, Lawal 6-8 2-5 14, Peacock 5-11 0-0 10, Cage 0-0 0-0 0, Foreman 1-2 0-0 2, Sheehan 1-1 2-2 4, Storrs 1-3 0-0 2, Aminu 5-10 2-2 12. Totals 23-57 10-14 59.

CLEMSON (17-2)

Rivers 2-7 1-4 6, Stitt 0-5 6-6 6, Oglesby 5-15 3-4 18, Sykes 5-9 0-1 10, Booker 2-7 7-10 11, Potter 2-4 2-2 8, Smith 0-2 2-2 2, Young 1-3 0-0 2, Grant 4-4 2-2 10. Totals 21-56 23-31 73.

Halftime-Clemson 37-34. 3-Point Goals-Georgia Tech 3-14 (Shumpert 2-3, Clinch 1-5, Peacock 0-1, Foreman 0-1, Storrs 0-2, Miller 0-2), Clemson 8-23 (Oglesby 5-13, Potter 2-3, Rivers 1-2, Young 0-1, Booker 0-1, Stitt 0-3). Fouled Out-None. Rebounds-Georgia Tech 36 (Lawal 10), Clemson 40 (Booker 11). Assists-Georgia Tech 11 (Shumpert 5), Clemson 13 (Stitt 5). Total Fouls-Georgia Tech 24, Clemson 19. A-8,000.

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At Newark, N.J.

SETON HALL 65, No. 12 GEORGETOWN 60

GEORGETOWN (12-6)

Summers 1-8 9-11 12, Monroe 6-7 5-7 17, Wright 2-10 7-7 11, Freeman 1-9 2-2 4, Sapp 3-8 0-0 8, Mescheriakov 1-2 0-0 2, Clark 0-1 0-0 0, Vaughn 2-2 0-0 4, Wattad 1-5 0-0 2. Totals 17-52 23-27 60.

SETON HALL (10-9)

Mitchell 8-12 4-6 20, Garcia 2-5 1-1 5, Harvey 3-6 1-2 7, Hazell 5-21 13-17 23, Gause 3-7 0-0 6, Theodore 2-3 0-0 4, Davis 0-0 0-0 0, Cajuste 0-0 0-0 0, Walters 0-0 0-1 0. Totals 23-54 19-27 65.

Halftime-Georgetown 27-26. 3-Point Goals-Georgetown 3-22 (Sapp 2-5, Summers 1-6, Mescheriakov 0-1, Clark 0-1, Wattad 0-3, Wright 0-3, Freeman 0-3), Seton Hall 0-13 (Gause 0-1, Theodore 0-1, Mitchell 0-1, Hazell 0-10). Fouled Out-Davis, Garcia. Rebounds-Georgetown 40 (Sapp 9), Seton Hall 30 (Hazell, Mitchell 7). Assists-Georgetown 10 (Sapp 4), Seton Hall 14 (Gause 5). Total Fouls-Georgetown 22, Seton Hall 20. Technicals-Sapp, Garcia. A-9,800.

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At Bloomington, Ind.

No. 21 MINNESOTA 67, INDIANA 63

MINNESOTA (17-3)

Johnson 7-16 4-5 18, Iverson 0-0 0-0 0, Sampson III 6-9 1-1 13, Nolen 1-2 3-6 5, Westbrook 4-7 3-3 12, Carter 1-4 1-2 3, Busch 0-1 0-0 0, Joseph 1-4 0-0 3, Bostick 0-1 0-0 0, Hoffarber 1-3 0-3 3, Abu-Shamala 4-8 1-2 10. Totals 25-55 13-22 67.

INDIANA (5-13)

Pritchard 4-8 2-4 10, Taber 2-4 0-0 4, Jones III 2-8 2-4 7, Williams 0-7 2-2 2, Dumes 5-11 5-6 19, Roth 1-2 0-0 3, Moore 1-1 0-2 2, Finkelmeier 0-0 0-0 0, Lewis 1-1 0-2 2, Story 6-9 0-1 14, Jobe 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 22-51 11-21 63.

Halftime-Minnesota 31-30. 3-Point Goals-Minnesota 4-16 (Westbrook 1-3, Hoffarber 1-3, Joseph 1-3, Abu-Shamala 1-5, Bostick 0-1, Johnson 0-1), Indiana 8-15 (Dumes 4-6, Story 2-3, Jones III 1-2, Roth 1-2, Williams 0-2). Fouled Out-Jones III. Rebounds-Minnesota 34 (Sampson III 8), Indiana 35 (Taber, Williams 6). Assists-Minnesota 13 (Nolen 6), Indiana 10 (Dumes, Jones III, Taber 2). Total Fouls-Minnesota 17, Indiana 24. A-16,539.

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At Nashville, Tenn.

No. 24 FLORIDA 94, VANDERBILT 69

FLORIDA (17-3)

Werner 3-8 0-0 6, Tyus 3-7 3-3 9, Parsons 10-11 0-0 27, Hodge 4-6 0-0 10, Calathes 6-11 0-0 15, Vargas 0-1 0-0 0, Shipman 1-3 0-0 2, McClanahan 0-0 0-0 0, Walker 5-8 4-5 17, Chaney 0-0 0-0 0, Kadji 3-6 2-2 8. Totals 35-61 9-10 94.

VANDERBILT (12-7)

Tchiengang 3-5 0-0 7, Taylor 3-11 4-6 10, Ogilvy 1-5 2-2 4, Beal 5-9 0-2 13, Tinsley 2-5 2-2 8, Hinkle 1-5 1-2 3, Ezeli 3-4 0-2 6, Goulbourne 2-3 0-0 4, McClellan 0-1 0-0 0, Graham 0-1 0-0 0, Drake 6-10 2-2 14, Duffy 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 26-60 11-18 69.

Halftime-Florida 56-37. 3-Point Goals-Florida 15-25 (Parsons 7-8, Calathes 3-5, Walker 3-5, Hodge 2-4, Shipman 0-1, Werner 0-2), Vanderbilt 6-22 (Beal 3-6, Tinsley 2-4, Tchiengang 1-2, Graham 0-1, Goulbourne 0-1, Taylor 0-2, Drake 0-3, Hinkle 0-3). Fouled Out-None. Rebounds-Florida 32 (Parsons 8), Vanderbilt 31 (Taylor 9). Assists-Florida 19 (Walker 6), Vanderbilt 8 (Beal 4). Total Fouls-Florida 15, Vanderbilt 12. A-13,993.

(12) LOUISVILLE 67, (8) SYRACUSE 57

SYRACUSE, New York Earl Clark and Louisville continued their recent hot stretch with an unprecedented win in the Carrier Dome.

Clark scored five pivotal late points and finished with 16, leading 12th-ranked Louisville to a 67-57 victory over No. 8 Syracuse.

It was the seventh consecutive win for the Cardinals (15-3, 6-0 Big East), who remained tied with Marquette atop the conference standings.

Louisville has beaten four ranked teams, including then-No. 1 Pittsburgh, over its seven-game winning streak. But Sundays victory was historic for the Cardinals, who had lost their first three trips to the raucous Carrier Dome.

Syracuse (17-4, 5-3) appeared primed to extend its home dominance against Louisville when Eric Devendorf sank a 3-pointer to give the Orange a 55-54 lead with just under three minutes remaining.

But Clark responded on the ensuing possession, grabbing an offensive rebound before draining a shot from beyond the arc to give Louisville the lead for good at 57-55.

After hauling in a defensive rebound and getting fouled 30 seconds later, Clark calmly made two free throws to give the Cardinals some breathing room at 59-55.

Terrence Williams scored 15 points and grabbed 10 rebounds while Edgar Sosa chipped in 13 points for Louisville, which limited Syracuse to just 35 percent (18-of-51) shooting.

Devendorf scored 20 points to pace Syracuse, which concluded a string of four straight games against ranked teams. The Orange went 1-3 in that span.

SETON HALL 65, (14) GEORGETOWN 60

SOUTH ORANGE, New Jersey Perhaps some of the success of Seton Halls 1989 Final Four team rubbed off on the current squad.

Jeremy Hazell scored 23 points despite missing all 10 of his 3-point attempts as the Pirates earned their first Big East Conference win of the season with a 65-60 upset of 14th-ranked Georgetown.

The victory came on the same day Seton Hall honored its Final Four club of 20 years ago. At halftime, P.J. Carlesimo, the coach of the 1989 team, addressed the crowd at the Prudential Center.

Hazell finished just 5-of-20 from the field, but was 13-of-17 from the free-throw line, including two clinching free throws that made it 65-60 with nine seconds remaining.

Robert Mitchell added 20 points for the Pirates (10-9, 1-6 Big East), who prevailed despite missing all 13 of their 3-point attempts.

The loss extended Georgetowns slide to three games, as the Hoyas could not overcome their own continued poor marksmanship.

Freshman Greg Monroe scored 17 points for the Hoyas (12-6, 3-4), who finished just 3-of-22 from 3-point range, including three misses in the final minute.

Sundays dismal shooting came on the heels of a 2-for-16 effort from beyond the arc in Thursdays 75-58 loss at West Virginia.

(4) PITTSBURGH 79, WEST VIRGINIA 67

MORGANTOWN, West Virginia Sam Young scored 22 points as fourth-ranked Pittsburgh used a second-half run to claim a 79-67 victory over West Virginia in a Big East contest.

DeJuan Blair had 16 points and 11 rebounds and Levance Fields scored 13 and handed out five assists for the Panthers (18-1, 6-1 Big East), who recorded their second straight win following a 69-63 loss at Louisville on January 17.

Although the matchup with the Mountaineers was expected to be a tough one, the Panthers ended up winning for the fifth time in the last six games of this series.

West Virginia (14-5, 3-3) did hold a 45-43 edge after DaSean Butler hit his second 3-pointer of the second half with 16:34 remaining.

Pittsburgh responded with a 16-5 run, pulling ahead 59-50 on Brad Wanamakers offensive rebound and layup off a missed fast-break layup by Fields with 11:01 left.

Young had six points during the run and finished 9-of-14 from the field en route to his second straight 22-point effort.

The Panthers led by as many as 16 points in improving to 3-1 in conference road games.

Butler finished with 21 points for the Mountaineers, who had a three-game winning streak snapped.

(7) MICHIGAN ST 78, OHIO ST 67

COLUMBUS, Ohio Durrell Summers poured in 26 points on 8-of-13 shooting to lead seventh-ranked Michigan State to a 78-67 victory over Ohio State.

Kalin Lucas scored all 20 of his points in the second half and Goran Suton chipped in 13 and nine rebounds for the Spartans (16-3, 6-1 Big Ten), who bounced back from an embarrassing home loss against Northwestern on Wednesday.

Summers carried Michigan State in the first half, scoring 16 points on 5-of-8 shooting while the rest of the team managed 10 on 5-of-19. Lucas took over after the break, giving the Spartans their first tie of the second half with a free throw at 12:57 and scoring 13 points in the final 10 minutes to help the team run away.

Evan Turner scored 19 points on 6-of-8 shooting to lead the Buckeyes (13-5, 3-4), who shot 55 percent but managed only 42 field-goal attempts.

(9) CLEMSON 73, GEORGIA TECH 59

CLEMSON, South Carolina Terrence Oglesby scored 18 points and Trevor Booker had 11 and 11 rebounds as ninth-ranked Clemson bounced back with a 73-59 victory over Georgia Tech

Raymond Sykes and Jerai Grant each added 10 points for the Tigers (17-2, 3-2 ACC), who were coming off consecutive losses to Wake Forest and North Carolina following a 16-0 start.

After leading by three points at the break, Clemson opened the second half with a 19-4 run to take a 56-38 bulge with 11:47 to play. Oglesby connected on a pair of 3-pointers during the run. Georgia Tech never got closer than 13 the rest of the way.

Gani Lawal had 14 points and 10 rebounds to pace the Yellow Jackets (9-10, 0-6), who have lost eight of their past 10 and remain the lone winless team in the conference.

(20) MINNESOTA 67, INDIANA 63

BLOOMINGTON, Indiana Damian Johnson scored 18 points as 20th-ranked Minnesota held off upset-minded Indiana, 67-63, to snap a two-game slide.

Consecutive layups by Johnson and Ralph Sampson staked the Golden Gophers (17-3, 5-3 Big Ten) to a 64-59 lead with 1:54 remaining.

Indiana (5-13, 0-5) had a chance to tie in the final seconds, but Devon Dumas, who paced the Hoosiers with 19 points, missed a 3-pointer off the front of the rim with three seconds remaining.

Minnesotas Paul Carter grabbed the rebound and made a free throw with 2.3 seconds left to clinch the victory.

The Hoosiers, who suffered their ninth straight loss, got a boost from a six-point swing in the final minute of the first half as Minnesotas Blake Hoffarber missed all three free throws after getting fouled while attempting a 3-pointer.

Verdell Jones then drilled a 3-pointer from just beyond midcourt at the buzzer, pulling the Hoosiers within 31-30 at the half. Indiana coach Tom Crean high-fived fans at Assembly Hall as he jogged off the court.

Minnesota started with a quick burst following the intermission, opening a 38-32 lead on Al Nolens steal and breakaway dunk just 59 seconds into the second half.

But the Golden Gophers couldnt shake the freshmen-laden Hoosiers, who trailed by no more than seven points throughout the second half.

Atlanta Hawks center Al Horford and forward Marvin Williams were held out of Monday’s game against the Toronto Raptors because of injuries.

Backup point guard Acie Law also left in the second quarter with a bruised quadriceps.

Horford missed his fifth straight game with a bone bruise in his right knee. He didn’t accompany the team on its three-game road trip to the West Coast that ended with a loss at Golden State on Friday night.

Williams was taken to a hospital after suffering a concussion in the loss to the Warriors. He was fouled hard by Golden State’s Ronny Turiaf and then hit his head on the court.

Williams said he was still experiencing headaches Monday after returning to Atlanta on Saturday.

“It was the scariest moment I’ve had in basketball,” Williams said. “I was really scared.”

Hawks coach Mike Woodson said Horford still has some swelling in his knee.

“I don’t know when he’s going to be better,” Woodson said.

Woodson said Zaza Pachulia and Maurice Evans would start for Horford and Williams, respectively.

ATLANTA 87, TORONTO 84

ATLANTA Joe Johnson scored 28 points and Mike Bibby added 23 as the Atlanta Hawks posted a thrilling 87-84 victory over the Toronto Raptors.

Josh Smith finished with 22 points and 14 rebounds for the Hawks, who erased a nine-point halftime deficit.

Atlanta took an 85-84 lead when Bibby sank a pair of free throws with 54 seconds remaining. Johnson drilled a fadeaway jumper with 12 seconds left to provide the final margin.

Chris Bosh had 22 points and 14 rebounds for Toronto, which made just 2-of-18 shots from 3-point range.

BOSTON 104, PHOENIX 87

BOSTON Rajon Rondo led a balanced attack with 23 points while Ray Allen added 20 as the Boston Celtics embarrassed the Phoenix Suns, 104-87, at TD Banknorth Garden.

Kevin Garnett added 16 points for the Celtics, who won their fifth straight and improved to 34-9 overall and 21-2 on their home court.

Shaquille ONeal had 16 points and 11 rebounds for the Suns, who did not share the Super Bowl karma of their neighbors in the desert – the Arizona Cardinals – on this night.

The Celtics wasted no time taking complete control of the game in the opening 90 seconds, scoring the first three baskets of the game to take a 6-0 lead.

Steve Nash hit a running bank shot with 8:34 remaining in the first to draw the Suns within four, 11-7. That would be as close as the visitors would get the rest of the night.

DALLAS 95, PHILADELPHIA 93

PHILADELPHIA Dirk Nowitzki drilled a fadeaway 20-footer at the buzzer, lifting the Dallas Mavericks to a 95-93 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers.

Nowitzki scored 24 points and Jason Kidd was 6-of-8 from 3-point range en route to 22 for Dallas, which squandered a 12-point lead in the final two minutes.

Andre Iguodala scored 18 points for Philadelphia, which had its seven-game winning streak snapped. The Sixers fell to 9-7 without star forward Elton Brand.

NEW YORK 102, CHICAGO 98

NEW YORK Quentin Richardson scored 24 points, leading the New York Knicks to a 102-98 victory over the Chicago Bulls.

Chris Duhon scored 12 of his 19 points in the fourth quarter and gave New York the lead for good by making a layup with 31 seconds remaining.

Luol Deng had 20 points and 10 rebounds for Chicago, which enjoyed a 58-41 advantage on the boards.

HOUSTON 115, DENVER 113

HOUSTON Kenyon Martin missed two free throws with 2.6 seconds left, allowing the Houston Rockets to hold on for a 115-113 victory over the Denver Nuggets.

Yao Ming scored 31 points and Rafer Alston had 18 and 11 assists for the Rockets, who have won five of their last six games.

Trailing by two in the waning seconds, Denver went to Martin, who was fouled from behind by Brent Barry as his point-blank layup spun out. He then missed the first free throw long before intentionally missing the second, which caromed to Yao as time expired.

J.R. Smith pulled the Nuggets within one, 114-113, with a deep 3-pointer with 1:05 left. After some empty possessions, Aaron Brooks went 1-of-2 from the line for Houston with six ticks remaining to provide the final margin.

Smith scored 24 points and Nene added 23 and 12 rebounds for the Nuggets, who have lost two straight.

SAN ANTONIO 86, CHARLOTTE 84

CHARLOTTE, North Carolina Tim Duncan had 17 points, nine rebounds, six assists and a key block late to help the San Antonio Spurs to an 86-84 victory over the Charlotte Bobcats.

Tony Parker had 13 points and eight assists for the Spurs, who have won eight of their nine meetings with Charlotte.

Raja Bell poured in a season-high 25 points for the Bobcats, who had a chance to tie it late. Raymond Felton drove the lane but had his floater was swatted by Duncan.

Boris Diaw grabbed the loose ball and launched an uncontested 3-pointer that was short at the buzzer.

GOLDEN STATE 119, WASHINGTON 98

OAKLAND, California Jamal Crawford had 28 points and eight assists and Stephen Jackson added 26 for the Golden State Warriors, who cruised to an easy 119-98 win over the lowly Washington Wizards.

Golden State is in the midst of a season-long, seven-game homestand, having won three of its last four games. The Warriors have won two straight for the first time since December 8-10.

The Warriors took their largest lead of the game at 15 points after a 3-pointer from the baseline by Kelenna Azubuike with 6:13 left.

Anthony Morrows 3-pointer with 3:30 left made it an 18-point advantage and many happy fans headed for the exits with the outcome of the game decided.

NEW ORLEANS 103, INDIANA 100

NEW ORLEANS Chris Paul drilled a 3-pointer as time expired, lifting the New Orleans Hornets to a dramatic 103-100 victory over the Indiana Pacers.

Paul collected 27 points and nine assists and Peja Stojakovic added 26 points for the Hornets, who responded to Danny Grangers game-tying shot from the arc just seconds before.

Granger tied the game at 100-100 with 2.5 ticks left, when he took a dribble hand-off from Jarrett Jack and nailed a 3-pointer with Rasual Butlers hand in his face.

After a timeout, Paul quickly dribbled to the right wing and uncorked a fadeaway 3-pointer, which was open thanks to Indianas notoriously lackadaisical defense.

Granger scored 30 points for the Pacers, who had their brief two-game winning streak snapped with another close loss. Three of Indianas last four defeats have come back three points or less.

MINNESOTA 94, LA CLIPPERS 86

LOS ANGELES Al Jefferson had 20 points and 17 rebounds as the Minnesota Timberwolves stayed red hot with a 94-86 victory over the shorthanded Los Angeles Clippers.

Craig Smith added 20 points and eight rebounds for the Timberwolves, who have won seven of eight and nine of their last 12 games.

Rookie Eric Gordon recorded 25 points for Los Angeles, which has lost 13 of 14 and had just nine healthy players available.

DETROIT 87, MEMPHIS 79

MEMPHIS, Tennessee Allen Iverson scored 27 points to lead the Detroit Pistons to a 87-79 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies.

Rodney Stuckey and Richard Hamilton scored 14 points apiece for the Pistons, who snapped a five-game losing streak.

The Grizzlies managed just 10 points in the fourth quarter on 4-of-20 shooting to surrender a 69-67 edge after three. The contest was tied at 77-77 with 4:22 left before Detroit used a 10-2 run to put away the game.

Rookie O.J. Mayo and Rudy Gay led Memphis with 15 points apiece.

PORTLAND 102, MILWAUKEE 85

PORTLAND, Oregon Another day, another home victory for the Portland Trail Blazers.

On the strength of big games by Marcus Aldridge and Greg Oden, the Blazers improved to 15-4 at home, defeating the Milwaukee Bucks, 102-85.

Aldridge, who scored the games opening field goal, went 9-of-14 from the field and finished with 24 points. Oden had the best game of his rookie season, scoring a career-high 24 points while bringing in 15 rebounds.

Portland pulled away in the fourth quarter, extending their lead to 75-65 on the strength of consecutive scoring drives from Oden.

Travis Outlaw added 17 points and rookie Rudy Fernandez had 13 for the Blazers.

LA LAKERS 105, CLEVELAND 88

LOS ANGELES Kobe Bryant had 20 points and 12 assists, outdueling LeBron James and leading the Los Angeles Lakers to a 105-88 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Pau Gasol scored 22 points and grabbed 12 rebounds for the Lakers, who snapped a two-game losing streak.

Los Angeles turned a one-point halftime deficit into a 75-66 lead after three quarters. The Lakers pushed the advantage up to 91-73 before the Cavaliers closed within seven on a James tip-in with 3:32 left.

Derek Fisher hit a jumper to snap the Cleveland run and Trevor Ariza put the game away with eight straight points as Los Angeles shot 52 percent (44-of-84).

James, who guarded Bryant for most of the night in a titillating matchup between the leagues top two stars, had 23 points and nine rebounds – but shot 9-of-25 from the floor and committed six turnovers.

Portland’s Rudy Fernandez beat out two fellow rookies Monday in an online vote and will round out the field for the slam dunk contest at All-Star weekend.

Fernandez received 251,868 of the more than 500,00 votes cast on nba.com, finishing ahead of Oklahoma City’s Russell Westbrook (147,279) and Milwaukee’s Joe Alexander (114,963). The native of Spain, who won a silver medal in the Beijing Olympics, will become the first international player to appear in the contest.

Defending champion Dwight Howard of Orlando, 2006 winner Nate Robinson of New York and Memphis forward Rudy Gay already were chosen for the field. This is the first time a vote was used to select a competitor.

All four participants will begin appearing in online videos previewing dunks that they might try in the contest, which is sponsored by Sprite.

The dunk contest will take place during All-Star Saturday in Phoenix on Feb. 14.

Clay Bennett was lauded as a civic hero when he brought Oklahoma City its first major-league sports franchise.

The NBA’s arrival in town was something to celebrate, the unveiling of the Thunder nickname a long-awaited event that packed the lobby of a downtown building with anxious fans.

“That was only the beginning,” Bennett, the Thunder chairman, said Monday. “Little did I know.”

After six months in Oklahoma City, the infrastructure for the Thunder is still being built. The wins have been slow to come. But there are signs of progress.

Oklahoma City is coming off its most impressive stretch yet, playing .500 basketball over the past 10 games to go from league laughingstock to mere mediocrity. No longer is the franchise a shoo-in to have the worst record in the league – and, along with it, the best odds to emerge from the draft lottery with the No. 1 pick.

The Thunder, once on pace for the worst record in NBA history, have pulled even with the Washington Wizards with a league-worst eight wins and are within striking distance of moving out of last place in the Western Conference. That distinction could be on the line Friday night when the Thunder visit the Los Angeles Clippers, who are 9-31.

“Every day, we’re heading in a better direction,” Bennett said after announcing that a health care company would sponsor the team’s temporary practice facility and a new $25 million training center due to be finished before the 2010-11 season.

“We’re working hard to get a little better every day at everything we do.”

Kevin Durant has led the way by averaging 25.9 points and 8.1 rebounds over the last 10 games, but there’s much more to the recent turnaround than the reigning Rookie of the Year.

Oklahoma City, which had been next-to-last in the NBA in scoring, has averaged 102.2 points during its .500 stretch and has been shooting better from the field and the free-throw line and averaging 2 1/2 more rebounds per game.

Assistant Ron Adams, whose Dec. 31 hiring coincided with the first win in Oklahoma City’s 5-5 stretch, has been credited with bringing new defensive principles that have helped put a dent in opponents’ shooting percentages. Perhaps more importantly, foes are averaging nearly five less rebounds.

While players realize there’s progress being made, they also don’t want to “let the past come and haunt us again,” second-year forward Jeff Green said.

“We have a lot – a lot, a lot, a lot – to learn,” Green said. “We can still get better. We’re not all the way there yet.”

The results are clear on the scoreboard. Instead of getting blown out early, the Thunder have at least been competitive in most games lately.

“Early in the season, there were wins we should have got and we didn’t,” Durant said. “We’re just learning how to close them out now. I wish we would have learned that earlier in the season, but right now is the perfect time for us to get better.

“We’ve been doing that this whole year, and now we’re starting to see what we’ve been working on.”

Interim coach Scott Brooks, who took over when P.J. Carlesimo was fired after a 1-13 start, believes his team is “still learning how to win” but has improved because of an unwillingness to quit despite a hopeless 3-29 start. After the team returned from a recent overtime loss at New Jersey at 3 a.m., he decided not to hold practice later that day.

When he showed up hours later, there were nine players at the practice gym.

“I needed a day off. I’m like, `Get out of here,”‘ Brooks said.

“We have a team full of that. They’re young guys that want to get better,” he added. “They’re thirsty, they’re hungry, they want to enjoy this league, but they enjoy it by working hard.”

It’s that dedication that keeps Bennett feeling positive about his team, along with remarkable fan support that has the Thunder ranking 12th in the league with average attendance of 18,617, following back-to-back sellouts this week.

Bennett said the fans he encounters tell him they take great pride in the city’s first pro franchise, even if it is struggling.

“The commitment from our sponsors is great, we’re hearing a lot of good things from our season ticket-holders and the team is playing better,” Bennett said. “I feel like we are beginning to be our own team on our own ground.”

But Bennett, who was part of the San Antonio Spurs’ ownership group before their run of NBA titles, isn’t about to believe the Thunder have it all figured out.

“It’s like the old saying, ‘The more you know, the more you don’t know.’ I know nothing,” he said. “All I know is to show up and work hard and try to do the right thing and put good people together. I feel good about how we’re making progress.”

Oakland Raiders owner Al Davis took time out from choosing a head coach Saturday to promote assistant coach John Fassel to special teams coordinator.

Fassel, the son of former New York Giants coach Jim Fassel, joined the Raiders two years ago. He essentially shared responsibility for Oakland’s standout special teams last season with Brian Schneider, who agreed Wednesday to join Pete Carroll in the same job at Southern California.

Davis still is debating whether to keep interim coach Tom Cable, who went 4-8 and won his final two games after Davis fired Lane Kiffin on Sept. 30. Raiders senior executive John Herrera said Saturday that Davis is “considering talking to one or two more guys,” and should decide whether to pursue those interviews soon.

Only three of Davis’ candidates for the top job are known, including Cable. Davis interviewed Giants offensive coordinator Kevin Gilbride on Thursday, and Green Bay Packers assistant head coach Winston Moss also has spoken to the club.

Fassel’s previous contract recently expired along with the deals of nearly every assistant on Cable’s staff, but a large portion of Oakland’s assistants has stayed on the job anyway, Herrera said. A handful of key coaches have moved on, including offensive coordinator Greg Knapp (Seattle), defensive coordinator Rob Ryan (Cleveland) and running backs coach Tom Rathman (San Francisco).

Don Martindale, the Raiders’ linebackers coach for the past five seasons, spoke with Davis on Saturday about becoming Oakland’s defensive coordinator. Martindale has been pursued by Denver and Cleveland to join their new coaching staffs.

The Raiders have lost at least 11 games in each of the past six seasons, but Cable believes Oakland’s strong finish portends better results in 2009. Oakland also has the seventh overall pick in the upcoming draft.

New Orleans Saints linebacker Jonathan Vilma was arrested in Miami for reckless driving and resisting arrest, according to Miami police.

Miami Dade County Jail spokeswoman Janelle Hall said Vilma was arrested Friday afternoon and released later that night on $6,500 bail.

A call to a team spokesman was not immediately returned.

“Clearly he’s upset about being arrested and plans to fight it,” Vilma’s agent, Mitch Frankel, told The Associated Press. “There was no alcohol, drugs or firearms involved. Jonathan plans to vigorously fight it.”

Frankel added that Vilma was on his way to pick up someone at the airport and didn’t know why he was stopped for an “alleged traffic violation.”

Vilma will be a free agent this winter, but has said he would prefer to stay in New Orleans. He played every defensive snap and led the team in tackles in his first season with New Orleans after spending his first four years with the New York Jets. The Saints have said they intend to re-sign him.

The St Louis Rams and Steve Spagnuolo agreed Saturday on a four-year contract to make the New York Giants’ defensive coordinator their coach.

The team said in a release that Spagnuolo would be introduced at a news conference at 11 a.m. CST Monday.

“We considered some very qualified and outstanding candidates for this position, but we kept coming back to Steve Spagnuolo,” general manager Billy Devaney said in a statement.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch was the first to report the hiring and said Spagnuolo would be paid just under $12 million.

Spagnuolo replaces Jim Haslett and takes over a team that finished 2-14. Haslett went 2-10 as interim coach after his promotion from defensive coordinator when Scott Linehan was fired following an 0-4 start.

“Billy did a spectacular job of presenting some fabulous candidates,” owner Chip Rosenbloom said in a statement. “We’re very excited that Steve will be our head coach and are looking forward to an exciting season.”

Spagnuolo was the architect of the Giants’ sack-happy defense that thwarted New England’s run to a perfect season in last year’s Super Bowl upset. Devaney was impressed with Spagnuolo’s no-nonsense demeanor during an interview in Los Angeles on Thursday.

“There’s just a toughness about him,” Devaney said. “He represented what we were looking for when this process began.”

“Having a guy who’s got swagger makes a difference,” Rams linebacker Will Witherspoon added. “A guy who can really get guys motivated is going to be a big key.”

Spagnuolo was one of five finalists for the job, along with Haslett, Dallas offensive coordinator Jason Garrett and defensive coordinators Rex Ryan of Baltimore and Leslie Frazier of Minnesota. Garrett flew into St. Louis on Friday night, prompting speculation he would be the new coach. But he was only here for another interview and perhaps as a backup option in case Spagnuolo was hired elsewhere.

“It wasn’t a make or break deal,” Devaney said. “Jason was a very strong candidate.”

The 49-year-old Spagnuolo took over as defensive coordinator in New York in 2007. A year before, New York ranked 25th in total defense. Under Spagnuolo in 2007, the Giants ranked seventh, led the league with 53 sacks and made the playoffs.

“I’m very happy for Steve,” coach Tom Coughlin said. “We’ve been very, very aggressive on defense and we’ve been able to have two very successful years back to back.”

Last season, they upset favored Dallas and Green Bay to reach the Super Bowl against New England with the Patriots seeking to become the first 19-0 team. But Spagnuolo’s defense harassed Tom Brady all day, sacking him a season-high five times and holding down New England’s potent offense in a 17-14 upset win.

“Of course being a defensive guy you’d like to have a defensive guy in charge,” Witherspoon said. “No matter what, they want to make every game close. They want to make every situation a win-win situation.”

Despite New York’s loss to Philadelphia in the NFC divisional round this season, many considered this an even greater coaching job by Spagnuolo after seven-time Pro Bowler Michael Strahan retired last summer and fellow Pro Bowl defensive end Osi Umenyiora was lost in the preseason with a major knee injury.

New York ranked fifth in the league in total defense, giving up 294 yards per game. That’s a far cry better than the Rams, who ranked 28th, giving up 465 yards per game.

The day after the Giants were knocked out of the playoffs, New York defensive end Justin Tuck described Spagnuolo as “one of those coaches where he can kind of yell at the star player and get away with it because everybody loves him that much.”

“I wouldn’t say he’s a player’s coach, but he knows what it takes to motivate his players,” cornerback Corey Webster said. “He gets us to work hard, but we have fun doing that and enjoy it, so it makes us want to work even harder.”

Spagnuolo interviewed for several other head coaching vacancies each of the past two seasons. He was a strong contender last season for the top job in Washington before deciding to stay with the Giants.

He faces a big challenge in the Rams, who won their first two games after Haslett took over, then lost their final 10.

St. Louis is 5-27 over the past two seasons, hasn’t had a winning season since 2003 and hasn’t made the playoffs since the 2004 season. The offense was even worse than the defense last season, tying for 30th in scoring offense, averaging just 14.5 points per game.

On the plus side, St. Louis will have the second pick in the draft for the second straight season. The Rams have a top-tier running back in Steven Jackson and some promising young players, including defensive end Chris Long, the No. 2 overall pick in 2008, and second-round draft pick Donnie Avery, a speedy receiver.

Spagnuolo, a Massachusetts native, was a wide receiver at Springfield (Mass.) College. He got his first taste of the NFL as a player personnel intern with Washington in 1983.

After several other stops at the college and pro levels, Spagnuolo was hired as the Frankfurt Galaxy’s defensive coordinator in 1998. He was hired the following year by Philadelphia and worked his way up from defensive assistant to coordinator.