• Nenad Krstic scored a season-high 25 points and New Jersey held former UConn star Ray Allen without a field goal for three quarters as the Nets defeated the Seattle Tuesday night.

Vince Carter and Richard Jefferson added 19 points for New Jersey, which snapped a two-game losing streak. Scott Padgett scored a season-high 13 points off the bench for the Nets.

Rashard Lewis had 29 points for Seattle, which was playing its fifth game of a six-game road trip that concludes Wednesday night in Boston. The SuperSonics lost the first three games by a total of 93 points before winning at Toronto Sunday.

Trailing 79-70 to begin the fourth quarter, Seattle closed to 87-86 on a fadeaway by Allen, who entered the game tied for 10th in the NBA in scoring at 23.7 points per game. But the Nets pushed the score back to 99-90, aided by six points from Carter and a steal and layup by Jason Kidd, who finished with 10 points on 3-for-13 shooting.

Carter was held without a field goal until late in the second quarter but came alive in the third quarter and had five points — including a windmill dunk — in a 19-6 New Jersey run that gave the Nets a 67-54 lead with 6:16 left.

Seattle clawed its way back largely on the outside shooting of Lewis. The 6-foot-10 forward scored the Sonics' final nine points of the quarter on two 3-pointers and three free throws that came after a questionable foul call on Padgett with 7 seconds left in the quarter.

While the Nets starters misfired early, New Jersey's bench kept them in the game. Padgett entered the game near the end of the first quarter and immediately hit a 3-pointer, then added eight more points in the second quarter to lead the Nets with 11 at halftime.

Carter, meanwhile, had as many personal fouls as points — two — until late in the second quarter, when he scored on a running jump shot and layup during a mini-run that helped the Nets close a 37-30 deficit and pull even at 41-41.

James, who helped recruit Hughes as a free agent during the offseason, scored just two points in the first quarter but followed with 14 in the second, 14 in the third and seven in the fourth before leaving with 2:32 left.

Hughes was only 6-of-18 from the field, but he added eight assists and made two 3-pointers and scored 12 points in the final 5:03 to thwart a Wizards rally. Donyell Marshall added 16 points and Zydrunas Ilgauskas 12 for the Cavs.

Manu Ginobili also scored 24 points on 9-of-13 shooting for the Spurs, who have beaten the Hawks eight straight times at home and 11 of 12 overall.

Al Harrington led the Hawks with 23 points and nine rebounds. He scored Atlanta's first 14 points and shot 10-for-15 in the first quarter to help the Hawks build a 31-18 lead. The Spurs struggled to find the basket and turned the ball over five times in the first.

• Allen Iverson scored 34 points and added 12 assists, Chris Webber had 28 points and 16 rebounds and Philadelphia won its fifth straight game.

Since losing their first three games, the streaking Sixers have been perfect. They won all four games on their longest homestand of the year and get the downtrodden Raptors again Wednesday night in Toronto.

Iverson and Webber again led the way for the Atlantic Division-leading Sixers and the dynamic duo broke the game open in the first quarter. Webber made all six baskets and scored 14 points, Iverson went 5-for-6 for 13 points and the Sixers shot 77 percent overall as they raced to a 19-point lead.

Villanueva closed the gap to single digits when he hit a 3-pointer from the corner, Chris Bosh converted a three-point play and Jalen Rose sank a free throw that pulled the Raptors to 84-78.

Villanueva again kept Toronto within striking distance with another 3 from the top of the arc late in the fourth that made it 89-82. The first-round pick had his second straight outstanding game, following a 26-point, 12-rebound game against Seattle with 27 points and 13 boards.

Howard and Charlotte's Emeka Okafor were the top two picks in the 2004 draft, and Orlando's No. 1 choice looked like the better selection on this night.

Okafor got into early foul trouble and had just eight points — all in the fourth quarter — and six rebounds. He entered the game averaging 13 points and nine rebounds.

Keith Bogans led Charlotte with a season-high 18 points off the bench, while Sean May added 15 points and 10 rebounds. No Bobcats starter scored in double figures.

May's performance made Orlando's 2005 draft look pretty bad. The Magic considered taking the North Carolina standout, but opted instead for Spain's Fran Vazquez, who stunned the team by deciding to stay in Europe.

• Dwyane Wade scored Miami's final eight points in the fourth quarter, and James Posey and Gary Payton each hit a key 3-pointer in overtime to help the Heat rally past New Orleans.

Wade finished with 25 points and 10 assists, but it was his play down the stretch during regulation that gave the Heat a chance to win their third straight game without center Shaquille O'Neal. The Heat were playing their sixth straight game without O'Neal, out with a sprained right ankle.

McGrady, who went 13-for-13 at the free-throw line, grabbed eight rebounds and had 13 points in the fourth quarter. He hit a long jumper over Trenton Hassell with 2:35 remaining to put Houston up for good, 85-84, after trailing most of the night.

• Dirk Nowitzki scored 11 of his season-high 35 points in the fourth quarter and DeSagana Diop blocked a layup attempt by Carmelo Anthony with 2.9 seconds left, helping Dallas overcome a 19-point deficit.

Diop set career highs with 16 rebounds and six blocks and Marquise Daniels had a season-high 17 points, providing the energy boost Dallas needed to open a four-game homestand with a victory.

• Jamal Crawford scored 20 points and the New York Knicks held Utah scoreless for almost 9 1/2 minutes in the third quarter while pulling ahead for their second straight win.

The Knicks set a team record for fewest points allowed and won for only the second time under new coach Larry Brown. Although New York played the night before in a 105-95 win at Sacramento, it was the Jazz who looked weary while shooting 27-for-75 — the worst percentage in team history (29.3).

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