Nets top Knicks, tie series
Joe Johnson made the go-ahead jumper with 22 seconds left and scored 25 points, leading the Brooklyn Nets to an 88-85 over the New York Knicks Monday and a split of the four-game series between the city rivals.
Deron Williams added 14 points and 12 assists for the Nets, who cut the Knicks’ Atlantic Division lead to one game. Brook Lopez had 14 points and 11 rebounds, and Kris Humphries came off the bench for 11 points and 13 boards.
Houston 100, Charlotte 94: James Harden scored 29 points and hit all 10 of his free throws in the fourth quarter as the Houston Rockets rallied to snap a seven-game losing streak, beating the Charlotte Bobcats 100-94.
Atlanta 104, Minnesota 96: Al Horford scored a season-high 28 points, Jannero Pargo had 16 and the Atlanta Hawks snapped a two-game slide with a 104-96 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Charlotte 114, Sacramento 105: Ryan Anderson scored 27 points and the New Orleans Hornets survived a second half without Anthony Davis in a 114-105 victory over Sacramento.
Indiana 82, Memphis 81: George Hill scored 13 points, including a clinching free throw with 1.4 seconds remaining to give the Indiana Pacers an 82-81 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies in the annual Martin Luther King Day game.
Verajoa out for season: Cavaliers center Anderson Varejao will miss the rest of the season after developing a blood clot in his lower right lung.
Varejao, who underwent surgery on a torn leg muscle on Jan. 10, remains hospitalized at The Cleveland Clinic. The Cavs said he was admitted last Thursday and will likely remain there for several more days as he receives treatment.
Sacramento sale nearly complete: The only thing stopping the Sacramento Kings from a sale and move to Seattle is approval by NBA owners.
The Maloof family has agreed to sell the Kings to a Seattle group led by investor Chris Hansen, the league confirmed in a statement Monday morning. The deal is still pending a vote by the NBA Board of Governors.
A person familiar with the decision said that Hansen’s group will buy 65 percent of the franchise for $525 million, move the team to Seattle and restore the SuperSonics name. The Maloofs will have no stake in the team.