USA - Wade shines on return and Super Manu for Spurs

NEW YORK (NBA) - Dwyane Wade and Manu Ginobili, two players who starred at the 2006 FIBA World Championship in Japan, spurred their teams on to much needed victories in the NBA on Sunday.

Team USA captain Wade returned from a injury for the Miami Heat and scored 33 points in a 93-90 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers while Argentinian guard Ginobili poured in a season-high 34 points to lead the San Antonio Spurs to a 110-96 triumph over the Memphis Grizzlies.

For both the Heat and the Spurs, the wins brought an end to losing streaks.

Miami had lost their previous five games - clashes Wade missed due to a wrist injury, while the Spurs were winless in three.

Wade’s return was key to the outcome in Portland.

Four of his points were scored on amazing drives to the basket, one an acrobatic move that saw him soar underneath the hoop and put the ball up and in off the glass and the other a ferocious dunk.

After scoring 25 points in the first half, the Team USA captain appeared to tire after the intermission.

He had just one field goal in the second half until the game was on the line, then responded with his team's final six points as the Heat beat the Blazers for the fourth straight time.

Wade hit his first five shots from the field and scored 13 first-quarter points.

"The first half was nice for me," Wade said. "In the second half, I could tell that I was off for 10 days, I will tell you that.

“It felt good to get back and help give my team-mates some confidence, which we have been lacking a little bit."

Portland carried a 77-69 lead into the final quarter, but managed just 13 points in the final 12 minutes.

Jason Kapono scored 10 points in the fourth, including two big three-pointers to finally give the Heat the lead.

Zach Randolph scored after each Kapono three-pointer to regain the lead from the Blazers, but Heat center Alonzo Mourning hit a hook shot in the lane and Wade dunked for a 89-86 lead with 1:16 left.

Wade, who finished nine of 17 from the field, then nailed four free throws in the final 23 seconds to wrap up the victory for Miami.

Manu the moment

Ginobili was equally important to the Spurs.

The 6ft 6in Argentinian, voted to the all-tournament team in Japan, was 10 of 15 from the field and six of eight from three-point range.

He outscored the Grizzlies, 9-3, over the final 2:47 of the second quarter to push a 48-42 advantage to a 57-45 bulge at half-time.

Spain star Pau Gasol, whose emotional exit from the World Championship in Japan with a broken foot in the semi-final win against Argentina was the enduring image of the tournament, netted 24 points for the Grizzlies.

Wish Grant-ed for Orlando

In Orlando, Grant Hill scored 21 points and Dwight Howard added 18 and grabbed 12 rebounds to lead the Magic to an 87-79 triumph over the Boston Celtics.

Tony Allen poured in 21 points on seven of 14 shooting for the Celtics, who shot a dismal 32% (23 for 73), including four of 18 from three-point range.

Suns set on Warriors

Shawn Marion, another Team USA star, scored 24 points and Brazilian international Leandro Barbosa and James Jones added 26 and 25, respectively, as the Phoenix Suns posted a 128-105 victory over the Golden State Warriors.

Steve Nash had 14 points and dished out 10 assists and Amare Stoudemire added 10 points and grabbed 11 rebounds for Phoenix, who entered the contest leading the league with an average of 110.3 points.

Marion shot 11 of 19 from the field and hauled in a season-high 17 rebounds for the Suns, who outscored the Warriors by nine points in both the second and third quarters to break the game open.

Barbosa, who has been red-hot of late, scored 13 points in the second period for Phoenix, who entered the quarter trailing, 30-29, but recovered to register their sixth straight game.

Special K leads Wolves

Kevin Garnett scored 26 points and grabbed 13 rebounds as the Minnesota Timberwolves posted a 103-99 overtime victory over the Houston Rockets.

Mark Blount had 21 points and 10 rebounds and Trenton Hassell added 14 and six for Minnesota, who have won four straight games, the last three after regulation.

Raptors show ’em whose Bosh

In Toronto, Chris Bosh scored 24 points and grabbed 15 rebounds to pace the Raptors to a 116-111 triumph over the red-hot Washington Wizards.

Superstar guard Gilbert Arenas scored 33 points but shot just seven of 19 for the Wizards, who lost for just the fifth time in their last 19 games.

Caron Butler scored 24 points and Antawn Jamison added 17 and 14 rebounds for Washington, who lost for just the third time in their last 11 meetings with Toronto.

Surprising Lakers dump Dallas

In Los Angeles, Kobe Bryant scored 26 points but seldom-used reserve Sasha Vujacic stole the spotlight, scoring a career-high 16 points, including a deciding three-pointer that helped the Lakers end the Dallas Mavericks' 13-game winning streak with a 101-98 victory.

Bidding for a club record-tying 14th straight win that began with a victory over the Lakers on December 13, Dallas squandered a nine-point fourth-quarter lead, allowing Los Angeles coach Phil Jackson to reach a milestone by winning his 900th career game.

Slovenian Vujacic drilled his fourth three-pointer of the game from the left wing to put Los Angeles on top for good, 100-98.

German superstar Dirk Nowitzki scored 29 points and Josh Howard had 20 for the Mavericks, who were attempting to match the franchise-high 14-game win streak established in 2002-03.

Jackson became the ninth coach to win 900 games and trails Dick Motta by 35 victories and Red Auerbach by 38.

By PA Sport