Floyd Wins in Return

It looked like old times, with Coach Tim Floyd pacing the sidelines at the United Center. This time, however, he left a winner.

The New Orleans Hornets gave Floyd a victory in his first trip back to Chicago, beating the Bulls, 97-91, Saturday night.

“I’m really not being numb,� said Floyd, booed when his name was announced. “We should win this game. We have more veterans, more experience. More than anything, it was a relief because we lost [Friday] night and we really needed a win.�

Darrell Armstrong scored a season-high 23 points to lead five Hornets in double figures.

“It was big to come back here tonight to win and also to win it for Tim,� said Armstrong, who made a three-point basket to spark a 13-2 run late in the fourth quarter that decided the game.

“I definitely wanted to get him a win tonight.�

Jamal Crawford scored 23 of his 28 points in the fourth quarter, but it wasn’t enough to keep Chicago from its ninth loss in 10 games.

Floyd had faced the Bulls twice before, losing in an exhibition game and then again last month. Both of those games were in New Orleans, though, making this Floyd’s first trip back to Chicago since he resigned Dec. 24, 2001, with a 49-190 record.

Dallas 110, Orlando 97 -- The Magic lost its 19th straight game as the Mavericks won easily behind Antoine Walker’s 24 points and 16 rebounds at Dallas.

The single-season NBA record for consecutive losses is 23 by the Vancouver Grizzlies in 1995-96 and the Denver Nuggets in 1997-98. The overall record is 24 by the Cleveland Cavaliers at the end of 1981-82 and the start of the following season. Orlando’s next four games are against Phoenix, Washington, New Jersey and Atlanta.

Tracy McGrady led Orlando with 27 points but made only nine of 24 shots.

Houston 86, Detroit 80 -- Yao Ming grabbed a career-high 20 rebounds and scored 22 points to lead five Rockets in double figures at Houston.

Houston led by as many as 19 points in the third period before Detroit pulled within six, but the Pistons could get no closer.

Mehmet Okur led Detroit with 21 points off the bench.

New Jersey 99, Phoenix 88 -- Kenyon Martin had 21 points and 12 rebounds, helping the Nets win consecutive home games for the first time this season

The Nets withstood a 14-0 Phoenix run at the start of the fourth quarter that pulled the Suns within one point in a game played before a sparse crowd for a second straight night because of a snowstorm. The attendance was announced as 14,639 but was probably closer to 5,000.

Shawn Marion paced the Suns with 25 points and 17 rebounds.

San Antonio 86, Miami 70 -- Tim Duncan beat the halftime buzzer with his second three-pointer of the season, finishing with 21 points and 19 rebounds in the Spurs’ victory at Miami.

Lamar Odom had 17 points to lead Miami.

Washington 114, Milwaukee 109 -- Larry Hughes scored a season-high 36 points, including the first eight in overtime, to help the Wizards end a nine-game losing streak at Milwaukee.

Kwame Brown came off the bench for the first time this season and scored 18, including a tip-in that tied the game at 98 and forced overtime. Michael Redd had 28 points for Milwaukee.

Golden State 104, New York 92 -- Brian Cardinal had 19 points and a career-high eight rebounds, leading seven Warriors in doubles figures in a victory at Oakland

Allan Houston didn’t dress for the Knicks, who lost their fourth straight despite 19 points from Keith Van Horn.

Cleveland 95, Atlanta 85 -- Jason Kapono, the Cavaliers’ less-hyped rookie, scored 16 points and Darius Miles added 15 at Cleveland as the Cavaliers ended an eight-game losing streak.

Kapono sparked Cleveland’s reserves to a 44-10 scoring advantage over the counterparts.

The Cavaliers withstood a season-high, 43-point effort from Atlanta’s Shareef Abdur-Rahim.