Pistons Get a Victory; Nuggets, Karl Closer

As ugly as it was, the Detroit Pistons won a game they desperately needed.

Ben Wallace had 14 points and 12 rebounds, and reserve Antonio McDyess scored 13 to help Detroit end a season-high four-game losing streak with an 87-70 victory over the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday night at Auburn Hills, Mich.

“This was important,” said Chauncey Billups, who tied a season high with 10 assists. “We needed to end this slide and get the bad taste out of our mouths.”

The Nuggets’ Carmelo Anthony scored a season-low five points on two-for-13 shooting.

The Nuggets dropped their third in a row and are 4-10 since hiring interim Coach Michael Cooper, who might soon be replaced by George Karl. Denver fired Jeff Bzdelik on Dec. 28.

Karl, out of the NBA for nearly two years, was expected to work out the final details of the contract this morning and an announcement could come today, a team source said.

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Miami 111, Toronto 96 -- Shaquille O’Neal had 33 points and 18 rebounds to help the Heat end the Raptors’ five-game home winning streak.

Former Heat point guard Rafer Alston had a career-high 29 points, and Chris Bosh added a career-high 27 for the Raptors.

In other news, Miami signed forward Qyntel Woods, who was released Friday by Portland.

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Cleveland 114, Memphis 111 -- LeBron James scored 27 points with a career-high 15 assists and nine rebounds, finishing in pain on a sprained left ankle in a victory at Cleveland.

The Grizzlies, playing without forward Pau Gasol (foot) and forward James Posey (heel), were led by Mike Miller’s season-high 28 points.

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Washington 117, Philadelphia 107 -- Gilbert Arenas had 33 points, overcoming a career night from Allen Iverson’s replacement at Washington, to help the Wizards win their fourth in a row.

Willie Green, Iverson’s fill-in, scored 32 points and kept a game with 11 ties and 16 lead changes close for 3 1/2 quarters.

Iverson has a strained rotator cuff.

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Minnesota 104, Atlanta 87 -- Latrell Sprewell scored a season-high 32 points, including 22 in the third quarter, to help the host Timberwolves to their fourth consecutive victory.

Minnesota was without Coach Flip Saunders (flu), but regained Sam Cassell, who had four points and eight assists after sitting out 10 games because of a hamstring injury.

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Houston 82, New Orleans 77 -- Tracy McGrady scored 10 of his 33 points to help the Rockets overcome a 10-point fourth-quarter deficit in a victory at New Orleans. Dan Dickau led New Orleans with 23 points and a career-high 10 assists.

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Phoenix 121, Milwaukee 115 -- Shawn Marion scored 24 points, Amare Stoudemire had 23 and Steve Nash had 21 to lead the Suns at Milwaukee. Nash had 17 assists. Michael Redd had 27 points for the Bucks.

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Utah 109, Seattle 100 -- Raul Lopez had 20 points and a career-high 11 assists at Salt Lake City to keep the Jazz from being swept by the SuperSonics for the first time in 22 years. Ray Allen led Seattle with 27 points.

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Dallas 95, Portland 88 -- Dirk Nowitzki had 24 points and 15 rebounds to help the Mavericks hold on after leading by 15 points at Portland, Ore. Damon Stoudamire had 22 points for the Trail Blazers, who got to within 89-88 with 1:38 left before failing to score again.

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New Jersey 113, Golden State 99 -- Brian Scalabrine had a career-high 29 points and 10 rebounds in a rare start at Oakland to help send the Warriors to their 12th loss in 13 games. Jason Richardson had 31 points for the Warriors.