Pistons, 0 for 15 in the 4th, Still Defeat Jazz

Unable to make a shot from the field in the fourth quarter, the Detroit Pistons relied on tough defense and six free throws to beat the Utah Jazz.

Richard Hamilton scored 15 points, and the Pistons overcame 0-for-15 shooting in the fourth quarter to beat the Jazz, 64-62, Sunday at Auburn Hills, Mich.

“It’s a miracle,” Piston Coach Larry Brown said. “We didn’t get anything accomplished against their zone, but we luck out and win the game.”

The futility wasn’t limited to the Pistons, however. It was the lowest-scoring game for each franchise, and the teams combined for an NBA-record 18 points in the final period, beating the 19 points by Miami and Toronto in the fourth quarter on Feb. 2, 2004.

“That’s as ugly as it can get, but our defense held on long enough to win the game,” said Detroit’s Chauncey Billups, who scored only one point in the second half.

Brown announced after the game that he would have surgery today and miss an undetermined amount of time. Brown’s procedure is related to the hip surgery that caused him to miss six games in November.

Phoenix 106, Denver 101 -- Steve Nash took over the game in the last seven minutes at Denver, scoring 10 of his 25 points over that span to help the Suns end Denver’s eight-game winning streak. Nash also had 11 assists as the Suns won for the fifth time in six games.

Nugget star Carmelo Anthony scored only nine points and spent the final minutes on the bench.

Toronto 128, Philadelphia 110 -- Donyell Marshall tied Kobe Bryant’s NBA record with 12 three-point baskets, and the Raptors finished with a league-record 21 at Toronto.

Marshall was 12 for 19 from three-point range and finished with a career-high 38 points. The Raptors, 21 for 34 from three-point range, broke the previous NBA mark of 19 three-point baskets set by Atlanta on Dec. 17, 1996.

Houston 111, Sacramento 96 -- Tracy McGrady scored 22 points and David Wesley had 21 at Sacramento to help the Rockets win their fourth game in a row against a top Western Conference team. Houston’s last four wins have come against four of the best five teams in the Western Conference -- Dallas, Seattle, Phoenix and Sacramento.

Dallas 102, Minnesota 93 -- Jason Terry scored 12 of his 22 points in the fourth quarter for the Mavericks at Minneapolis.

Cleveland 98, Indiana 86 -- LeBron James scored 35 points, Zydrunas Ilgauskas had 16, and the Cavaliers looked sharp at Cleveland in their first game in four days.

Seattle 90, New York 80 -- Rashard Lewis put Seattle ahead for good on a three-point basket with 2:41 left, and the SuperSonics ended the Knicks’ seven-game home winning streak.

Boston 105, Washington 101 -- Ricky Davis converted a three-point play with 21.1 seconds left, and the Celtics overcame a 10-point deficit at Boston for their seventh win in eight games since trading for Antoine Walker.

New Jersey 98, Orlando 82 -- Vince Carter scored 33 points and Jacque Vaughn had 22 to lead the Nets at Orlando, Fla.