The Warriors pushed the Los Angeles Lakers to the brink Tuesday. But then Kobe Bryant woke up. The Lakers' star guard, after being blanked for the first 11 minutes of the fourth quarter, knocked down two clutch baskets and a pair of free throws to stave off the Warriors' upset bid. Bryant's game-high 30 points helped the Lakers beat Golden State 104-101. “The guy is an incredible basketball player, in the discussion with anybody that has every played,” Warriors coach Mark Jackson said. “That's exactly why he gets paid the big bucks.” The Warriors are 3-7 since trading guard Monta Ellis. But Tuesday's game was another example of the grit and fight Golden State has shown since the trade. Five of those losses were by single digits, including four decided by five points or fewer. Golden State currently has the ninth-worst record in the NBA. But Jackson said he was proud of his guys after Tuesday's display of resilience. Perhaps nobody embodies that more than small forward Dominic McGuire. He played 29 minutes off the bench Tuesday. He finished with four points, seven rebounds, five assists and three blocks. On defense, he defended Pau Gasol, the Lakers' 7-foot, 250-pound power forward. On offense, he played point forward. Thunder 109, Blazers 95: Oklahoma City Thunder maintained their dominance of the Western conference with a convincing 109-95 road win over the Portland Trail Blazers Tuesday. Russell Westbrook scored a game-high 32 points and eight rebounds, while Kevin Durant added 25 in the Thunder's fourth straight win. Spurs 107, Suns 100: Tony Parker scored eight points in a 10-0 run early in the fourth quarter, helping San Antonio win its fifth straight and eighth in nine games with a victory over Phoenix. Tim Duncan scored 17 of his 26 points in the first half and grabbed 11 rebounds for the Spurs, winners of 12 of their last 14 road games. Parker scored half of his 24 in the fourth quarter. Mavericks 90, Rockets 81: Jason Terry scored seven consecutive points in a minute to start a game-turning run for Dallas, finishing with 12 points and four assists in a win over Houston. Dirk Nowitzki had 21 points despite shooting 5 of 17, Rodrigue Beaubois had 14 points and Brandan Wright added 13. 76ers 103, Cavaliers 85: Jodie Meeks scored a career-high 31 points and Jrue Holiday had 19 to lead Philadelphia over Cleveland. Anthony Parker scored 14 points and Kyrie Irving had 12 for the Cavaliers. Bucks 108, Hawks 101: Monta Ellis scored 33 points, including 17 in the fourth quarter, and had eight assists to lead Milwaukee to a win over Atlanta. Grizzlies 93, Timberwolves 86: Rudy Gay scored 21 points, and Dante Cunningham added season highs of 13 points and 14 rebounds to lead Memphis over Minnesota.
