In helping guide the Celtics to a 4-0 week, Pierce averaged a team-high 22.0 points to go along with 6.3 assists and 5.8 rebounds. In Boston’s 91-89 home win over New York Friday, Pierce scored a game-high 30 points to go along with seven rebounds and five assists.

Parker averaged team highs in points (22.3 ppg), assists (8.0 apg) and steals (1.5 spg), as the Spurs went 4-0. Parker scored a season-high 42 points and added nine assists Saturday in a 107-96 win over the NBA’s top team, the Oklahoma City Thunder. In the process, Parker passed Avery Johnson as the franchise’s all-time leader in assists.

The incident occurred with 8:41 remaining in the fourth quarter of the Lakers’ 96-87 loss to the Utah Jazz at EnergySolutions Arena in Salt Lake City on Feb. 4.

Brown will serve his suspension Monday when the Lakers play the Philadelphia 76ers at Wells Fargo Center.

The incident, which has been upgraded by the league office to a Flagrant Foul Two on Love, occurred with 8:34 remaining in the third quarter of the Timberwolves’ 100-91 win over the Rockets at Target Center in Minneapolis on Feb. 4.

Love has issued a statement saying”I want to publicly apologise to Luis Scola and the Houston Rockets,” Love said. “My intention is to never hurt another player on the basketball court. I’ve always had the utmost respect for the game of basketball and all of my opponents. I also apologise to my coaches, teammates and our fans for the consequences of my actions.”

Love will serve his suspension Tuesday, Feb. 7 when the Timberwolves play the Sacramento Kings at Target Center and Wednesday, Feb. 8 when Minnesota plays the Memphis Grizzlies at FedEx Forum.

James paced the Eastern Conference in scoring (29.0 ppg) in leading the Heat to a 4-0 week. James eclipsed the 30-point plateau three times and averaged 7.5 rebounds, 6.0 assists and 1.0 steals. Miami upended Chicago 97-93 on Jan. 29 to close the week behind James’ 35 points, 11 rebounds and five steals.

Westbrook led the Thunder to a 3-0 week, including wins over the Pistons and Hornets. Westbrook averaged 22.0 points, 7.3 assists, 4.0 rebounds and 3.3 steals. Oklahoma City’s 120-109 victory over the Golden State Warriors on Jan. 27 was keyed by Westbrook’s 28 points, 11 assists, seven steals and six rebounds.

But for how long?

Though the Blazers owe a good deal of their success to Nate McMillan’s newfound directive to push the tempo, one has to wonder how long this team can keep running, especially given the recent troubling trend of mismanaged minutes. Three of their past four games have been blowout wins, including a 109-71 drubbing of Phoenix. Despite the margins of victory, the starters still played too many minutes. In their 101-89 victory over Sacramento, a game that was as good as over mid-way through the third quarter, Wallace, Matthews, Crawford, and Felton all played over 30 minutes, with Wallace the leader at 35.  If this were a normal season, with normal amounts of time, this wouldn’t be a big deal. Portland is still a relatively young team, and could recover in the few days before the next game. This season, however, is anything but normal, and a coach needs to take advantage of every opportunity he gets to rest his starters.

What’s happening to the Blazers is a microcosm of a league-wide issue. Managing minutes is an art form that coaches master over a span of years. Gregg Poppovich is Leonardo DaVinci in this aspect. Unfortunately, this shortened season demands that minutes be properly managed, and coaches of younger teams who otherwise wouldn’t worry about resting their starters now find themselves in a crash course on minutes management, the luxury of years no longer afforded them. The playoffs aren’t that far away, and while defense and experience are certainly crucial to post-season success, don’t be surprised if rest plays just as large of a role.

Twitter: @JordanSWhite

“We are pleased to have signed Kevin to a contract extension,” said Timberwolves President of Basketball Operations David Kahn. “Kevin has improved every year that he’s been in the league, to the point where he’s now one of the top players in the NBA. In Kevin, we have a core player that we can build around as we continue to improve our team.”

“I’m excited to be staying with the Timberwolves and playing in front of our fans. They have been great to me and my teammates during my years here and I thank them for their support,” Love said. “I like the direction our team is going, and I feel that big things are ahead of us. I look forward to being a part of this team as we continue to develop and grow.”

Love was named the NBA’s Most Improved Player last season after averaging 20.2 points and a league-leading 15.2 rebounds per game. He became the first NBA player since Moses Malone in 1982-83 to average 20+ points and 15+ rebounds. This season, Love is averaging 24.9 points and 13.9 rebounds. Love leads the NBA with 16 double-doubles and also ranks fourth in scoring, second in rebounding, second in free throws made (122) and first in minutes per game (39.4).

Love was selected with the 5th overall pick of the 2008 NBA Draft out of UCLA by the Memphis Grizzlies and traded to the Wolves later that night. He averaged 11.1 points and 9.1 rebounds during his rookie season in 2008-09. In 2009-10, the 6-10 forward upped those averages to 14.4 points and 11.0 rebounds. Last season, Love recorded 64 point/rebound double-doubles, including a franchise record 53 consecutive double-doubles. For his career, the 23-year-old is averaging 15.8 ppg and 11.9 rpg.

“We felt the team had become unresponsive and we will look to Randy to provide a different voice and a change in philosophy moving forward,” said Grunfeld. “We have been transparent in how we would evaluate our team this season and we were disappointed in the lack of development of our players at this point in our rebuilding plan.”

Saunders compiled a record of 51-130 (.392) during his two-plus seasons with the Wizards. He was originally hired on April 22, 2009 as the 22nd head coach in franchise history.

“We have struggled as a team at times this season, but we have also seen a great deal of potential from our young players and glimpses of what we can accomplish together as a team,” said Wittman. “The coaching staff will look to build on that by utilizing the length, athleticism and versatility of our roster to improve our defense and create more opportunities in the open court.”

Wittman begins his third stint as a head coach after leading both the Minnesota Timberwolves (2006-07 to 2008-09) and Cleveland Cavaliers (1999-2000 to 2000-01). He has compiled a 100-207 (.326) career record as head coach and has served as the Wizards’ lead assistant since the 2009-10 season. Wittman began his coaching career as an assistant with Indiana before stops as an assistant coach in Dallas and Orlando. Originally drafted by the Washington Bullets with the 22nd overall pick in the 1983 NBA Draft, Wittman played nine NBA seasons for Atlanta, Sacramento and Indiana before retiring in 1992 with a career average of 7.4 points per game while shooting .501 from the field in 543 games.

“We thank Flip for the effort, professionalism and hard work he brought to the team during his tenure,” said Grunfeld. “He will be an asset to the right team and we wish him the best.”

Assistant coaches Don Zierden, Sam Cassell, Ryan Saunders and Gene Banks will remain with the team.

The Magic set franchise lows for points and field goals (16).

Boston was minus starters Ray Allen, Rajon Rondo and three bench players, drastically reducing its roster.

Bass and Pierce carried the offense and Boston got some strong play from a cast of down-the-bench reserves. The Celtics snapped a streak of six straight losses against teams with winning records.

Dwight Howard led the Magic with 18 points and 14 rebounds. He needs eight points to surpass Nick Anderson as the Magic’s all-time leading scorer.

Kevin Garnett added 14 points and 10 rebounds for Boston.

MAVERICKS 93, SUNS 87

DALLAS (AP) — Shawn Marion scored a season-high 29 points and short-handed Dallas stretched its home winning streak to seven games with a victory over Phoenix.

Marion, who entered with five 3-pointers all season, went 4 of 6 from behind the arc and 11 for 20 from the field.

Top scorer Dirk Nowitzki and key reserve Vince Carter remain out for the defending NBA champion Mavericks (11-7), who returned home from a 2-2 road trip.

Grant Hill scored a season-high 19 points for Phoenix and Marcin Gortat had 19 points and 17 rebounds, his eighth consecutive double-double. Shannon Brown added 14 points for the Suns, who have lost six of eight.

Phoenix has dropped its last nine games at Dallas.

Ian Mahinmi had 17 points and nine rebounds for the Mavericks.

BULLS 110, NETS 95

CHICAGO (AP) — Derrick Rose and Richard Hamilton each scored 22 points to lead banged-up Chicago to an easy victory over New Jersey.

Hamilton set season highs in points and assists (10). Rose added eight assists and hung with Deron Williams after missing four games with a sprained left big toe.

Joakim Noah chipped in with 16 points and 10 rebounds for the Bulls, who cruised to their fourth straight win even though they’re hardly a picture of health at the moment.

Rose seemed hobbled at times but was able to stick with one of the game’s best point guards, hours after he said the injury could be an issue the rest of the season.

Noah came up big, too, after missing a game with a sprained left ankle. Carlos Boozer had 14 points and nine rebounds, and Ronnie Brewer (11 points) filled in nicely with Luol Deng sidelined by a sprained left wrist.

Williams had 16 points and 10 assists for New Jersey. Jordan Farmar scored 22, but the Nets were overwhelmed playing their third game in three nights.

76ERS 103, WIZARDS 83

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Elton Brand had 17 points and nine rebounds, and Jrue Holiday also scored 17 to lead Philadelphia over Washington.

Jodie Meeks added 15 points and Andre Iguodala had 11 assists. The Sixers led by 30 in the first half and easily cruised to their third win of the season against the hapless Wizards.

Jordan Crawford led the Wizards (2-15) with 17 points. They lost their third straight game and remained the NBA’s only winless road team at 0-7.

Playing without starting center Spencer Hawes (left Achilles strain) and forward Nik Vucevic (quadriceps strain), the Sixers improved to 8-1 at home.

THUNDER 99, PISTONS 79

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — Russell Westbrook and reserve James Harden each scored 24 points, Kevin Durant added 20 and Oklahoma City beat Detroit for its fourth straight blowout win at home.

The Thunder built a 30-point lead midway through the second quarter and Detroit got no closer than 17 after the opening period.

Oklahoma City’s starters had sat out all of the fourth quarter in the previous three games at Chesapeake Energy Arena and that streak was only stopped because Serge Ibaka replaced an injured Nick Collison with the rest of the backups.

Collison sprained his left ankle and didn’t play after halftime.

Rookie guard Brandon Knight led Detroit with 13 points. Rodney Stuckey and Greg Monroe added 12 apiece.

SPURS 104, HORNETS 102

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Tim Duncan scored a season-high 28 points, including a running hook in the lane with 1.4 seconds left, and San Antonio sent New Orleans to its eighth straight loss.

Tony Parker added 20 points and a career-high 17 assists for the Spurs, who snapped a two-game skid. Richard Jefferson had 14 points and Tiago Splitter 12.

The Hornets inbounded the ball to Carl Landry for a desperation 3-pointer that could have won it as time expired, but the shot fell short, leaving New Orleans with its 14th loss in 15 games.

Jarrett Jack led the Hornets with 26 points and nine assists. Trevor Ariza tied a season high with 18 points and Landry also scored 18.

ROCKETS 107, TIMBERWOLVES 92

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Kevin Martin scored 31 points and Houston won its seventh straight game, beating Minnesota in coach Kevin McHale’s first game back at Target Center since he was fired by the Timberwolves in 2009.

Kyle Lowry had 16 points, 10 assists and 10 rebounds and Samuel Dalembert grabbed 15 rebounds for the Rockets, who put the game away with a 19-1 run bridging the third and fourth quarters.

Kevin Love had 39 points and 12 rebounds for the Timberwolves, who committed 10 turnovers in the fourth quarter in coach Rick Adelman’s first game against the team he coached the past four seasons.

Ricky Rubio had 12 assists for Minnesota, but the rookie scored just six points on 2-for-10 shooting and turned the ball over five times.

The Rockets entered 0-5 on the road against Western Conference foes.

HAWKS 97, BUCKS 92

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Joe Johnson scored 14 of his season-high 28 points in the fourth quarter, rallying Atlanta past Milwaukee.

Josh Smith had 19 points and 13 rebounds, and Jeff Teague added 15 points for the Hawks in the opener of a five-game road trip.

Brandon Jennings had 21 points and 11 assists to lead Milwaukee, and Mike Dunleavy added 17 points. But the Bucks had no answer for Johnson in the fourth.

Johnson, who came in averaging 18.6 points, was 10 of 22 from the floor and 8 for 8 from the line. He had five rebounds and two steals.

Zaza Pachulia grabbed a season-high 14 rebounds for Atlanta.

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MIAMI (AP) — Brandon Jennings scored 23 points, Ersan Ilyasova added 16 and the Milwaukee Bucks held Miami to 37 percent shooting in a 91-82 victory over the Heat on Sunday night.

It was the second straight road win for Milwaukee, which started the season 0-8 away from home. Andrew Bogut scored 13 points for the Bucks, and Shaun Livingston and Stephen Jackson each had 10.

LeBron James finished with 28 points and 13 rebounds for Miami, which had won three straight. Chris Bosh scored 23 points for the Heat.

Milwaukee turned 22 Miami turnovers into 22 points and the Heat tied an NBA season-low with nine assists, one shy of matching the franchise record. It was the first time Miami lost this season in seven games without Dwyane Wade, out again with a sprained right ankle.

PACERS 98, LAKERS 96

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Roy Hibbert scored eight of his 18 points in the fourth quarter playing with a broken nose to help Indiana beat Los Angeles.

Kobe Bryant scored 33 points for the Lakers, but missed what would have been a tying 3-pointer from 30 feet from the top of the key with 3.5 seconds to play.

The Lakers, coming off road losses to Miami and Orlando, failed to reach 100 points for the 11th straight game — their longest streak since a 12-game stretch in 2003-04.

Hibbert, the Pacers’ second-leading scorer, left the court with the broken nose after fouling Bryant with 6:46 left in the first quarter. Hibbert reported back in with 5:12 left in the second quarter after a trainer stuffed cotton up his nose, but had difficulty keeping it in at times. He also had eight rebounds.

CELTICS 100, WIZARDS 94

WASHINGTON (AP) — Paul Pierce had season highs with 34 points and 10 assists and tied his season best with eight rebounds to lead Boston past Washington.

The Celtics won for the second time in three games despite playing most of the game without a pair of starting guards. Point guard Rajon Rondo was out for the second straight game with a sprained right wrist, and Boston lost starting guard Ray Allen as well when he jammed his left ankle in the first half.

Pierce stepped in and made up for their absence, going 10 for 15 from the floor and 12 of 15 from the line. He also had a season-high three steals.

John Wall had 27 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists for the Wizards.

CLIPPERS 103, RAPTORS 91

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Mo Williams scored Los Angeles’ first 17 points of the fourth quarter and finished with 26 points, and the Clippers sent Toronto to its eighth straight loss.

Blake Griffin had 18 points and nine rebounds, DeAndre Jordan added 16 points and 16 rebounds, and Chauncey Billups had 14 assists for the Clippers, playing their fifth straight game without point guard Chris Paul because of a left hamstring strain.

Leandro Barbosa scored 19 points for the Raptors.

NETS 97, BOBCATS 87

NEWARK N.J. (AP) — Deron Williams had 19 points, nine rebounds and 10 assists to lead New Jersey past Charlotte.

MarShon Brooks added 20 points for the Nets, and Anthony Morrow had 19. Rookie Kemba Walker led the Bobcats with 16 points, six rebounds and four assists.

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