USA - Ming, Mc Grady, the dynamic duo

TORONTO (NBA) - China's Yao Ming and Tracy McGrady proved to be the dynamic duo for the Houston Rockets in a 114-100 win over the Toronto Raptors.

McGrady scored 24 points and Yao added 23 with 12 rebounds as the Rockets won for the fifth time in six games with a 114-100 triumph over the Toronto Raptors (36-30), who have a six-game lead over the New Jersey Nets (30-36) in the Atlantic Division race.

Houston (41-25) moved within 2 1/2 games of the Utah Jazz (43-22) for fourth place in the Western Conference.

After the Raptors got within 62-53 at the half, Yao scored six straight points for the Rockets midway through the third quarter and McGrady had Houston's last nine of the period to widen the margin to 87-72.

German superstar Dirk Nowitzki scored 19 of his 30 points in the fourth quarter and grabbed 12 rebounds and Josh Howard added 30 and eight as the Dallas Mavericks snapped their first two-game losing streak of the season with a 106-101 victory over the lowly Boston Celtics.

With the win, the Mavericks now are 3 1/2 games ahead of the Suns (50-14).

Nowitzki took over down the stretch, making all five of his field goal attempts in the fourth quarter, including a fadeaway jumper that made it 104-99 with five seconds left and secured the victory.

Paul Pierce scored 29 points and Al Jefferson added 20 and 10 rebounds for the Celtics, who shot 46 percent (36-of-78).

Kobe Bryant scored a league-high 65 points as the Los Angeles Lakers put an end to their seven-game losing streak with a 116-111 overtime triumph over the Portland Trail Blazers.

Bryant shot 23-of-39, including 8-of-12 from 3-pointer range, to post his second-highest career total, and also had seven rebounds and three steals.

With the win, Los Angeles (34-32) moved one-half game in front of idle Denver (32-31) for sixth place in the Western Conference standings.

Bryant broke a 108-108 tie in OT with an incredible fadeaway 3-pointer with two Portland defenders in his face from the right corner and Maurice Evans added two free throws for a five-point lead with 28 seconds remaining.

Martell Webster drained a shot from the arc to bring the Trail Blazers within 113-111 10 seconds later, but Bryant and Evans made key foul shots to seal the win.

Zach Randolph scored 31 points and rookie LaMarcus Aldridge had 16 and 10 rebounds for the Blazers, who held a 46-36 advantage in points in the paint.
Reserve Tim Thomas scored 24 points and Elton Brand added 19 and 10 rebounds as the Clippers posted a 102-93 victory over the Charlotte Bobcats, ending
a six-game road losing streak.

Corey Maggette and Cuttino Mobley each had 14 points for Los Angeles (30-35), which moves one-half game ahead of Golden State (30-36) for the eighth place in the Western Conference.

Thomas shot 9-of-12 from the field, including 5-of-8 from 3-point range, as the Clippers also ended a five-game losing streak.

Brand scored 13 of his points in the third quarter when Los Angeles changed a 53-53 halftime score into a 13-point advantage at 79-66 entering the final period.

Kyle Korver scored nine points, including two key late baskets in the fourth quarter, to lift the Philadelphia 76ers to an 89-88 triumph over the slumping Utah Jazz.

Andre Iguodala had 23 points, nine rebounds and four steals and Samuel Dalembert scored 17 for the Sixers.

Korver hit a long jumper from the corner as the 76ers regained an 87-86 edge at the 1:07 mark.

Utah had one last chance to win it in regulation, but Deron Williams misfired from the arc.

Shaquille O'Neal scored 23 points and Eddie Jones added 19 as the Miami Heat posted a 103-97 victory over the Sacramento Kings, extending their winning streak to nine games.

Jason Williams also had 19 points and James Posey added 16 and 11 rebounds for Miami (36-29), which moved into a virtual tie with idle Washington (35-28) for first place in the Southeast Division.

O'Neal connected on 8-of-16 from the floor and had 13 at halftime for the Heat, who held a 56-45 lead entering the third quarter.

Jones and Williams combined to shoot 10-of-16 from the arc for Miami, which extended its home winning streak to 14.

The streak matches the second longest in franchise history - from March 3 to November 9, 2004.

The Heat shot 55 percent (36-of-66) and are now 10-2 without superstar Dwyane Wade, who is out at least another month with a dislocated shoulder.

Elsewhere, the Golden State Warriors beat Minnesota Timberwolves 106-86, Detroit Pistons easily saw off the Phoenix Suns 105-83 while New Orleans
Hornets edged the New York Knicks 92-90.

FIBA