Raptors coach breaks record for most losses

TORONTO: Lenny Wilkens tied the NBA record for most career coaching losses, suffering his 1,106th defeat on Tuesday as Richard Hamilton scored 20 points and Ben Wallace had 20 rebounds to lead the Detroit Pistons past the Toronto Raptors 92-85.

Wilkens, already the most successful coach in league history with 1,291 victories, tied Bill Fitch’s record. Wilkens is in his 30th year as an NBA coach, whereas Fitch coached for 25 seasons. Chauncey Billups scored 15 points, including six free throws in the final minute to help Detroit win their fifth straight match over Toronto. Former Raptor Corliss Williamson added 19 points off the bench. In Indianapolis, Peja Stojakovic scored 26 points and Chris Webber added 22 points and 14 rebounds as Sacramento beat Indiana. The Kings trailed by 13 points early, staged a comeback in the third quarter and then exchanged the lead with Indiana eight times in the fourth quarter.

Webber sealed the win for Sacramento with six straight points, including a tip-in that made it 88-86, in the final 2:44. Jermaine O’Neal led the Pacers with 24 points and Ron Artest had 23. The Pacers had their regular starting five — Reggie and Brad Miller, O’Neal, Artest and Jamaal Tinsley — together for the first time since March 8. In Los Angeles, Karl Malone scored 25 points and Matt Harpring had 17 as Utah beat Los Angeles to spoil Elton Brand’s return. Brand, the Clippers’ leading scorer and rebounder, returned to action after missing 18 matches with a stress fracture above his right ankle. Brand, who helped the Clippers end a 26-match winless streak against the Jazz in Utah earlier this season, finished with 12 points and 13 rebounds in 31 minutes. John Stockton had 12 points and 10 assists, helping lead the Jazz to their seventh win in eight matches and 21st in their last 24 meetings with the Clippers.   Utah are sixth in the Western Conference playoff race, one and a half matches behind Minnesota and a full match ahead of the seventh-place Lakers.