Utah Jazz center Greg Ostertag (00) stretches to try to block a layup by Houston Rockets forward Walt Williams. (AP photo) | ZOOM |

        SALT LAKE CITY — Karl Malone had 30 points and 10 rebounds as Utah beat Houston, extending its home winning streak over the Rockets to 10 games.

        Malone scored six points in a late 11-2 run as Utah won for the seventh time in eight games. John Stockton added 19 points for the Jazz.

        Steve Francis scored 27 points for Houston before being ejected early in the third quarter. Cuttino Mobley added 19 points for the Rockets.

        Nuggets 96, Cavaliers 91

        DENVER — Raef LaFrentz had 29 points, 10 rebounds and key defensive steal, and Nick Van Exel added 26 points and 11 assists as Denver snapped a five-game losing streak with a victory over Cleveland.

        Lamond Murray scored 17 points, and Andre Miller had 15 points for the Cavaliers, who lost their fourth straight and eighth in 11 games.

        Grizzlies 102, Suns 96

        PHOENIX — Rookie Pau Gasol scored a career-high 31 points and blocked five shots and Memphis scored the last 13 points to hand Phoenix its fifth straight loss.

        Stromile Swift added 16 points and 10 rebounds for the Grizzlies, who beat the Suns for only the second time in 18 tries and only the second time ever at America West Arena.

        On Stephon Marbury “bobblehead” night, Marbury was 5-for-20 from the field with 13 points, and Penny Hardaway was 4-for-14 for 12 points.

        Shawn Marion had 24 points and a season-high 17 rebounds for the Suns.

        Jason Williams scored 16, while Shane Battier and Tony Massenburg added 15 apiece for the Grizzlies, who have won three of their last five road games.

        Rodney Rogers scored 16 for Phoenix.

        Mavericks 111, Knicks 89

        DALLAS — Dirk Nowitzki had 29 points and 13 rebounds and Steve Nash added 14 points and 11 assists, leading Dallas to a victory over New York.

        Nash assisted on or scored Dallas' first 25 points, giving the Mavericks an early nine-point lead as they avenged a loss at Madison Square Garden a week before that ended their 10-game winning streak.

        Kurt Thomas, a Dallas native and former Maverick, scored a season-high 21 points and Othella Harrington had 17 as the Knicks lost their fourth straight. Latrell Sprewell, who had 10 points, hit two free throws, giving him 34 in a row and tying Kiki Vandeweghe's team record set in 1990-91.

        Dallas' Tim Hardaway had 13 points and five assists, and Wang Zhizhi tied seasons highs with 10 points and 10 rebounds.

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