The host San Antonio Spurs lost Tim Duncan to an ankle sprain, putting a dampener on its 111-96 victory over the Golden State Warriors in the NBA yesterday.

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said Duncan would be out "a while" but didn't have a timetable.

The injury looked potentially serious as Duncan lay on his side, clutching his foot with both hands, for more than a minute. The 34-year-old All-Star steadied himself with the help of trainers while limping off the court.

Manu Ginobili scored 28 points for San Antonio while Tony Parker added 17 points and 15 assists.

Ekpe Udoh led Golden State with 15 points. It was Udoh's foot that Duncan appeared to be trying to avoid while landing awkwardly after hitting a short jumper in the first quarter.

Celtics 96, Knicks 86

In New York, Boston scored the final 10 points for a spirited victory over New York.

The Celtics showed the Knicks they will be tough to beat next month if this was a preview of a first-round playoff series.

Boston's Kevin Garnett had 24 points and 11 rebound while Rajon Rondo added 13 points and 12 rebounds.

Carmelo Anthony scored 22 points for the Knicks, but neither he nor Amare Stoudemire had a field goal in the fourth quarter.

Boston (50-19) matched its victory total from last season and remained tied with Chicago for the best record in the Eastern Conference.

Grizzlies 103, Jazz 85

In Memphis, the hosts downed Utah to maintain their hold on the final Western Conference playoff spot.

Zach Randolph scored 19 points and grabbed 13 rebounds to lead seven Memphis players in double figures. Darrell Arthur scored 14 points on 7-of-11 shooting from the field.

Paul Millsap led Utah with 15 points.

Bulls 132, Kings 92

In Chicago, Derrick Rose and Kyle Korver scored 18 points apiece as Chicago routed Sacramento.

The win gave the Bulls their first 50-win season since 1997-98 and allowed Chicago to remain tied with Boston atop the Eastern Conference.

Carlos Boozer scored 16 points in his return to the Bulls' lineup after missing five games with a sprained ankle. He joined a balanced Bulls attack that had eight players scoring in double figures in a game that was not close after the first period.

Marcus Thornton led the Kings with 25 points.

Nuggets 123, Raptors 90

In Denver, the hosts' smothering defense forced 23 turnovers, helping Denver smash Toronto.

Ty Lawson scored 23 points for the Nuggets, who raced out to a 29-point lead in the second quarter and never looked back, beating the Raptors for the seventh straight time at home.

Denver was without guards Raymond Felton (left ankle) and Arron Afflalo (left hamstring), but hardly missed a beat. The Nuggets had seven players score in double figures as they improved to 10-4 since the deal that sent Carmelo Anthony to the New York Knicks.

Andrea Bargnani had 20 points for the Raptors.

Magic 97, Cavaliers 86

In Cleveland, Dwight Howard scored 28 points, grabbed 18 rebounds and was too much for Cleveland's front line to handle in leading Orlando to a win over the Cavaliers.

The Magic built a 15-point lead in the first quarter and were up by 26 late in the third. Cleveland pulled within 92-83 with 3:15 remaining, but Hedo Turkoglu's 3-pointer put Orlando back in control.

Orlando swept all four games against Cleveland, winning the season series for the first time since 2002-03. The teams were heated rivals just a year ago when LeBron James was still with the Cavs, but they're now at opposite ends of the NBA spectrum.

J.J. Hickson scored 18 for Cleveland, which has dropped three straight.

Pacers 102, Nets 98

In Newark, New Jersey, Indiana opened a two-game lead in the race for the final playoff berth in the Eastern Conference by beating New Jersey.

Roy Hibbert scored 24 points and Danny Granger had 17 of his 20 in the second half for the Pacers.