Los Angeles - The Detroit Pistons are the NBA's latest streak busters. Allen Iverson scored 23 points, Rasheed Wallace had 21 with 15 rebounds, and the Pistons rallied to cool off the red-hot Cleveland Cavaliers' eight-game winning streak, 96-89 on Wednesday night.
After handing the Kobe Bryant-led LA Lakers their first loss of the season, 106-95 out west on the night of November 14, the Pistons returned home and claimed their second scalp by sending the LeBron James-led Cavaliers to their first defeat since the start of the month.
"It's not like we set out and said, 'Oh, these are the NBA's hottest teams.' We are just trying to make ourselves better," Wallace said. "We really don't care about what the other teams are doing at that moment. We just want to make ourselves better for June."
LeBron James and Mo Williams netted 25 points apiece for Cleveland (9-3) which was outscored 58-40 in the second half.
"They really turned it up in the second half, and it caught us off guard," James said. "'Sheed hit those long threes and AI did a great job of getting to the hole."
Trailing by as much as 13 in the third quarter, Iverson's jumper knotted the game at 76-apiece before Wallace buried back-to-back three-pointers to trigger a game-turning 19-6 run.
Iverson added a three-point play, and Wallace capped the surge with a long jumper, opening up a 95-82 cushion with 2:36 left.
"I was just taking what the defence was giving me," Wallace said.
The Cavs went on an 8-0 run behind two three-pointers by Williams and a pair of free throws by James to pull within 96-90 with 21 ticks to go. But it was too little, too late.
Elsewhere:
Dallas Mavericks 96, Houston Rockets 86
Jason Terry scored 31 points while German wunderkind Dirk Nowitzki had 24 with 12 rebounds as the visiting Mavericks beat the Yao Ming- less Rockets for their third straight victory.
The Mavericks were without their second leading scorer Josh Howard (ankle) while the Rockets' All-Star centre Yao sat out with a sore left foot.
Sore-kneed Tracy McGrady and Rafer Alston topped Houston (7-5) with 16 points apiece
Denver Nuggets 91, San Antonio Spurs 81
Chauncey Billups scored 22 points and Carmelo Anthony added 21, leading the visiting Nuggets to their fourth consecutive victory.
George Hill scored 20 points for the Spurs (5-6), who had won their previous three games.
Toronto Raptors 101, Miami Heat 95
Italy's Andrea Bargnani scored 25 points and Jermaine O'Neal had 16 with 17 rebounds as the Raptors beat the host Heat despite Dwayne Wade's 40-point, 11-assist, five-block effort.
Atlanta Hawks 91, Washington Wizards 87
Mike Bibby scored 25 points, Marvin Williams had 21 with 14 rebounds, and the go-ahead jumper with 26 seconds left as the visiting Hawks snapped a four-game slide.
Caron Butler led Washington (1-8) with 32 points.
Utah Jazz 105, Milwaukee Bucks 94
CJ Miles scored 25 points, and Carlos Boozer had 20 with 11 rebounds before leaving late in the game with a strained left quadriceps tendon as the Jazz improved to 6-0 at home.
Richard Jefferson led the Bucks (5-8) with 25 points, while Australian Andrew Bogut finished with 16 and 20 boards.
Sacramento Kings 105, New Orleans Hornets 96
John Salmons scored 29 points and Bobby Jackson added all of his eight in the final 5:10, helping the visiting Kings break a three- game slide.
David West led the Hornets (5-5) with 22 points while Chris Paul had 20 and 15 assists.
Minnesota Timberwolves 102, Philadelphia 76ers 96
Al Jefferson scored 25 points, Mike Miller hit a huge three- pointer with 30 seconds left, and the Timberwolves ended an eight- game losing streak with their first win since October 30 opening night.
Andre Miller scored 20 points and Elton Brand added 19 with 13 rebounds for Philadelphia (5-6) which was riding a three-game winning streak.
LA Clippers 108, Oklahoma City 88
Chris Kaman had 25 points with 14 rebounds, and Cuttino Mobley scored 12 of his 23 in a decisive third-quarter as the visiting Clippers (2-9) beat the Thunder (1-11) in a battle of bottom-feeders.
Portland Trail Blazers 116, Chicago Bulls 74
Brandon Roy scored 20 points while Greg Oden had 11 points, 10 rebounds in his Portland home-debut as the Trail Blazers blitzed the visiting Bulls.
Oden was the top pick in the 2007 draft, but the seven-foot (2.13- metre) centre underwent knee surgery and missed his entire rookie season.
