Kobe's Big Encore...Mavs End Pistons' Streak

UNDATED (AP) Two nights after he scored 65, Kobe Bryant followed up with 50 points in the LA Lakers' 109-102 win over Minnesota. That's the Timberwolves' tenth straight road loss. <br/><br/>Bryant

Monday, March 19th 2007, 8:15 am

By: News On 6

UNDATED (AP) Two nights after he scored 65, Kobe Bryant followed up with 50 points in the LA Lakers' 109-102 win over Minnesota. That's the Timberwolves' tenth straight road loss.

Bryant is the first Lakers player in 44 seasons with consecutive games of 50 or more points. Elgin Baylor did it three straight games back in 1962.

In the rest of the N-B-A:

-- Dirk Nowitzki scored 28 points to help the Dallas Mavericks end the Detroit Pistons' five-game winning streak, 92-88.

Detroit was coming off its first 5-0 West Coast trip in 15 years, but played without All-Star point guard Chauncey Billups, who sustained a groin injury in Friday's win at Phoenix.

-- Hedo Turkoglu scored 11 of his 20 points in the 1st quarter and the Orlando Magic ended the Miami Heat's nine-game winning streak, 97-83. Dwight Howard added 17 points and 11 rebounds for the Orlando, which has won just six of its last 18 games.

-- The New York Knicks managed to end a two-game skid by putting together a huge 3rd quarter in a 92-74 win over Toronto. Stephon Marbury contributed 14 of his 21 points while the Knicks were outscoring the Raptors 35-13 in the 3rd quarter.

-- Jason Kidd had 23 points and 13 assists to lead the New Jersey Nets to a 101-95 win over the LA Clippers. Kidd sealed the deal with 4-free throws in the final 18 1/2 seconds.

-- Houston was 50 points better than Philadelphia, 124-74. Yao Ming had 24 points and 10-boards for the Rockets.

-- Rashard Lewis had 27 points and 12 rebounds and the Seattle SuperSonics snapped a five-game losing streak with a 95-77 win over Portland.