NBA Scores And More: Lou Williams Saves 76ers In 96-92 Win Over Bobcats

The Philadelphia 76ers had this one in the bag, but let the Charlotte Bobcats get back into it with a torrid stretch in the fourth quarter. Charlotte actually took a 96-93 lead with 7.7 seconds left in regulation, but that was before Lou Williams, one of the most underrated clutch players in the league, made a big play. (Fast forward to the 1:40 mark.

Williams, of course, can thank D.J. Augustin for his typically horrendous perimeter defense there. The 76ers ran a classic play where the point guard fades into the corner, and Augustin should have recognized it. Then, to make matters worse, he bit on a really simple pump-fake, flying into the first row of the stands. Williams is good, but most NBA players can hit a wide open three like that.

Philly then rallied in the overtime, getting a vintage (i.e., 2009) Andre Iguodala step-back jumper to take the lead for good with 37 seconds left. Iguodala got Kwame Brown switched onto him, shook him with a hesitation dribble and drained the jumper. Charlotte gave the ball to Brown on the ensuing possession for some reason and he threw it away. That was all she wrote.

Washington Wizards 108, Utah Jazz 101: The NBA is a funny league, but it's not that funny. The Wizards have been competitive at home, and the Jazz often struggle with athletic front lines. It's not entirely conceivable that Washington could have walked away with a win in this one.

What's more surprising is how it happened. Andray Blatche gave the kind of effort that's been missing from him all season, scoring 21 points, grabbing 11 rebounds, blocking four shots and shutting Paul Millsap down on the other end. Nick Young made heady plays, finishing with 25 points, and John Wall shrugged off injury concerns to score 19 points and drop 15 assists. JaVale McGee only had seven points, but he changed the game defensively and did this offensively.

Bullets Forever noted the job Young did to combat the physical defense of Raja Bell.

New Orleans Hornets 85, Toronto Raptors 81: A weird game ended in weird fashion. The Raptors led most of the way, but the Hornets rallied to pull even midway through the fourth. Then, a series of odd calls commenced. First, Amir Johnson looked to score a layup while drawing a blocking foul, but the score was wiped away and Johnson was only given credit for one free throw. Then, Emeka Okafor was stripped, and though it looked like it went off his knee, the Hornets retained possession. Later, DeMar Derozan looked like he got a clean block on David West, but Amir Johnson was called for a foul trying to box West out. Finally, Johnson was hacked on a game-tying layup attempt, but no foul was called.

In the end, the Hornets didn't play well, but did just enough to win. West made a couple big plays down the stretch, and neither Andrea Bargnani or DeRozan could match. At the Hive writes that the Hornets used their typical "defense, a little scoring" formula to pull out the win.

Atlanta Hawks 100, Sacramento Kings 98: The Kings had this one, so of course they found a way to blow it. After tying the game at 98 with a driving layup, Tyreke Evans nicked Joe Johnson on the arm, surrendering two free throws with 0.6 seconds left. Paul Westphal then insisted on rookie DeMarcus Cousins throwing the ball inbounds, which ended poorly when Cousins badly whiffed on a backdoor lob attempt. Game. Set. Match.

Chicago Bulls 96, Memphis Grizzlies 84: The Bulls keep winning, even as they keep losing players. I guess you have that luxury when you have Derrick Rose healthy. Rose dropped a triple double (22 points, 12 assists, 10 rebounds) like it was no big deal, and Luol Deng scored 28 to supplement a stifling Bulls defense. Rudy Gay decided to make this all-star video before the game, and promptly went out and shot 1-10. Nice job, Rudy.

Houston Rockets 93, Milwaukee Bucks 84: The Rockets weren't shooting straight in this game, but luckily, the Milwaukee Bucks never shoot straight. Corey Maggette was the lone exception tonight, but once again, Milwaukee couldn't score consistently as a team. That's a recipe for defeat.

Kevin Martin continued his unnoticed scoring surge, dropping 36 points on 23 shots in a game where scoring was very much at a premium. When is he going to get recognized as one of the top shooting guards in basketball? It boggles my mind how this hasn't happened yet.

Detroit Pistons 103, Dallas Mavericks 89: Dirk Nowitzki returned to the lineup and was outstanding, dropping 32 points on 17 shots. Alas, his teammates didn't show, especially defensively, where the absence of Tyson Chandler was felt most. Detroit scored at will, and Dallas couldn't get its offense together in its sixth straight loss. It's hard to believe that this is the same team that was on top of the West earlier in the year.

Golden State Warriors 109, New Jersey Nets 100: The Warriors continue their solid recently play, and the Nets continue to be the worst team in basketball. Harsh, but true. And yet, this is the same team that is selling the farm to try to acquire Carmelo Anthony. No, I don't get it either.

Portland Trail Blazers 113, Minnesota Timberwolves 102: The Blazers were a bit wobbly with the lead late, but for the most part, they dominated this game. They held Kevin Love mostly in check (well, as much in check as someone who gets 22 and 17 can be), using their length to frustrate him at times. LaMarcus Aldridge completely dominated Love on both ends, scoring 37 himself in addition to bothering him on defense. Aldridge has really picked it up since Brandon Roy's surgery, which makes you wonder whether Roy stifled his game.