NBA Wrap: Clippers Lose Nine Straight

Updated 5:20 AM EST, Fri, Jan 9, 2009

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Tony Parker scored 19 points as San Antonio beat the skidding Los Angeles Clippers 106-84 on Thursday, giving the Spurs their ninth win in the past 10 NBA games despite getting only eight points from Tim Duncan.

The Clippers have lost nine straight.

The Spurs, winners of three consecutive games, have a 1½-game lead over second-place New Orleans in the Southwest Division.

Roger Mason added 18 points for the Spurs. Michael Finley had 15 and Manu Ginobili 13 off the bench. Matt Bonner scored 11.

Though Duncan fell short of double figures in points and rebounds (four), he led the Spurs with nine assists.

The Clippers got 21 points each from Eric Gordon and Al Thornton.\

Mavericks 99, Knicks 94

At Dallas, Josh Howard scored 19 points, Jason Kidd added 16 and Dallas overcame a subpar game from Dirk Nowitzki to beat New York.

The Mavericks have beaten the Knicks nine straight times in Dallas dating to December 1999.

Nowitzki, the NBA's fourth-leading scorer, was 3-of-13 from the floor and scored 10 points, just two more than his season low.

Knicks center Eddy Curry, who missed the first 33 games with a knee injury, played for the first time this season. He made his only shot attempt in 2½ minutes of action and grabbed two rebounds.

Chris Duhon hit his first nine shots and scored 24 points, and Wilson Chandler added 20 for the Knicks, who have lost two in a row since beating defending champion Boston on Sunday.

New York's David Lee had 13 points and 15 rebounds — his seventh consecutive double-double.

Kidd's jumper gave the Mavericks the lead for good, 87-86 with 5:45 left. The Knicks shot 25 percent in the fourth quarter. Over the last 2:18, they missed all six of their shots.