Wizards hurt Bobcats' playoff hopes

Andray Blatche had 25 points and 17 rebounds, Jordan Crawford 23 points and the Wizards made it two straight road wins while putting a dent in Charlotte's postseason hopes with a 97-91 victory over the Bobcats last night.

Charlotte's loss and the Knicks' win over the Cavaliers put the Knicks in the playoffs for the first time since 2004.

Matt Carroll scored 17 of his 26 points in the fourth quarter for the Bobcats, who remained two games behind the Pacers for the eighth and final Eastern Conference playoff spot. Indiana lost to the Hornets, 108-96.

Charlotte couldn't overcome Stephen Jackson's absence and Washington's 50-39 edge on the boards.

Spurs 114, Suns 97: George Hill scored 29 points as the host Spurs stopped a six-game losing streak, the longest of Tim Duncan's 14-season career.

San Antonio (58-19), which had squandered a once-comfortable lead atop the Western Conference, extended its lead to 2 1/2 games over the Lakers.

Nuggets 95, Lakers 90: Former Knick Danilo Gallinari scored 22 points, Kenyon Martin scored six of his 18 points in the final 3:24, and Denver hung on for its sixth straight victory.

Kobe Bryant scored 28 points for the host Lakers, whose nine-game winning streak ended. Los Angeles has six games left to try to overtake the Spurs and earn home-court advantage throughout the playoffs.

Shaq injured in return. Celtics center Shaquille O'Neal limped off the court 51/2 minutes into his first game back after missing 27 games with a right Achilles tendon. After Boston's 101-90 win over the visiting Pistons, the Celtics said O'Neal had a strained right calf muscle. It's not clear how long the injury will sideline the 39-year-old former MVP and four-time NBA champion.-- AP