Tracy McGrady(L) of the Houston Rockets drives the ball against Bruce Bowen of the spurs during their NBA basketball game on Sunday. (Photo: sina.com.cn)

In Oakland, California, Monta Ellis scored 30 points and Kelenna Azubuike hit two clutch shots down the stretch to beat the Dallas Mavericks 114-104 and help the Golden State Warriors create a three-way tie for seventh place in the ultracompetitive Western Conference.

With nine games remaining, Dallas, Golden State and Denver are all even at 45-28. If the season ended today, the Warriors would be on the outside looking in at the playoffs because they have lost two of three to both the Nuggets and Mavericks. But if Golden State manages to beat Denver and Dallas in their final meetings, the Mavericks would be the odd team out in a three-way tie.

Josh Howard scored 36 to lead Dallas in his third straight 30-point game since Nowitzki went down with the injury.

In Boston, Kevin Garnett scored twice before Miami made a basket, and the Boston Celtics held the Heat to an NBA-record low 17 field goals, coasting to an 88-62 victory Sunday.

The matchup of the NBA's best team and its worst was even more lopsided than anticipated. Boston was up 27-4 after 10 minutes and Celtics coach Doc Rivers started subbing for his starters just 7:10 into the game. Boston's reserves finished the first quarter, handled most of the second and all of the fourth as no starter played more than 25 minutes.

Leon Powe had 17 points and 13 rebounds for Boston, and Garnett finished with 12 points, five assists and eight rebounds in 21 minutes.

In Los Angeles, Kobe Bryant scored six of his 26 points in overtime, and the Los Angeles Lakers downed the Washington Wizards to snap a two-game losing skid 126-120.

Sasha Vujacic scored 20 points, Luke Walton added 19, Vladimir Radmanovic 18 and Lamar Odom had 10 points and 13 rebounds as the Lakers notched their 50th victory for the 29th time in franchise history.

(Agencies via China Daily April 1, 2008)