INDIANAPOLIS: Danny Granger (right) scored 32 points and led Indiana back from a 15-point fourth-quarter deficit, and Troy Murphy tipped in a missed shot at the buzzer to complete the Indiana Pacers' improbable 118-117 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday.

The Lakers (14-2) came into the game with seven straight wins, the league's best record and reigning MVP Kobe Bryant. But even another terrific night from Bryant, who scored 28 points and had seven rebounds, wasn't enough to fend off the pesky Pacers.

The Pacers, who had won only once since Nov 21, fought back from the 101-86 deficit with an incredible defensive performance.

Murphy finished with 16 points and 17 rebounds, and T.J. Ford added 17 points as all five Indiana starters scored at least 16 points.


l IN East Rutherford (New Jersey), Caron Butler had 22 points and 10 assists, and DeShawn Stevenson added 21 to lead Washington to a 108-88 win over New Jersey for their first road win of the season and their first win over an Eastern Conference opponent after 11 straight losses.

The loss snapped a three-game winning streak for the Nets (9-8), who won all three contests on the road. The Nets were led by Devin Harris, who had 18 points, but only three after halftime, and Vince Carter, who had 16 points. Keyon Dooling added 14 off the bench for the Nets.

After a closely contested first half, the Wizards blew the game open, outscoring New Jersey 35-12 in the third period.



l IN New York, Brandon Roy scored 23 points, and Portland dominated the fourth quarter to beat New York for their fifth straight victory.

Rudy Fernandez made a pair of 3-pointers early in the final period and scored 18 for the Trail Blazers, who shut down the Knicks' high-powered offence for the first seven-plus minutes of the fourth and improved to 13-6, their best start after 19 games since the 1999-00 club was 15-4.

The Blazers shook off a dismal offensive night from rookie Greg Oden, who botched two dunks in the first five minutes and finished with two points, matching Kwame Brown for the lowest-scoring effort by a No 1 overall pick in his Madison Square Garden debut in 40 years.

Oden played only 19 minutes because Joel Przybilla was dominant in the paint, grabbing 14 rebounds.

Chris Duhon scored a season-high 23 points and added 13 assists for the Knicks.

RESULTS: Indiana 118 LA Lakers 117, Washington 108 New Jersey 88, Portland 104 NY Knicks 97, Philadelphia 103 Chicago 95, Dallas 100 LA Clippers 98, Detroit 89 San Antonio 77, Denver 132 Toronto 93, Utah 99 Sacramento 94. -- AP