- Nets 96, Magic 95: Vince Carter won this game with two clutch free throws at the end, but it was former Magic Darrell Armstrong who provided the biggest of several sparks off the bench. He had 13 points on 6-of-7 shooting and a critical hand on defense during Orlando's last possession. The Nets outscored the Magic, 31-18, in the fourth quarter and have now won five of six games. If they keep this up, they could be a factor in the Eastern Conference. They have looked a lot better over the past two or three weeks.
- Kings 107, Knicks 97 Guess who hasn't looked better over the last two or three weeks. Give up? The Knicks! Five straight losses have followed up their increasingly inexplicable rout of the Cavaliers on Dec. 19. This game looked like it was close, but cutting the gap in garbage time doesn't count for much. Sacramento isn't made up of world-beaters either. Friday brings a road trip to face the NBA champion Spurs. Fun.
- Flames 4, Rangers 3: Henrik Lundqvist won't be the last goalie to be seeing Flames forward Jarome Iginla in his sleep. The Rangers goaltender -- playing in the building in which he was drafted -- allowed the NHL's third-leading goal scorer two strikes, including Calgary's all-important third goal six minutes into the third period. That made it 3-1, and a deficit that was too large to overcome.
- Devils 3, Panthers 2: Jamie Langenbrunner and Noah Clarke scored in the first period for the red-hot Devils. They love their new digs at the Prudential Center in Newark, where they've won nine of 10. As well as they've been playing, the Devils hadn't scored a goal in the first period in eight games. That ended Wednesday.
Photograph of the Nets' Vince Carter driving past Adonal Foyle of the Orlando Magic by John Raoux/AP
