Wallace joins elite company

Pistons standout reaches milestone in blocks, steals

? Ben Wallace downplayed his latest feat until he was handed a piece of paper showing the small group he joined.

Wallace became the fifth player in NBA history to have 100 blocks and 100 steals in five straight seasons, and six Detroit Pistons scored in double figures in a 103-94 victory over the Orlando Magic on Wednesday night.

He joined Hakeem Olajuwon, Julius Erving, Sam Lacey and David Robinson as the only players to have 100 blocks and 100 steals in five consecutive seasons, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

“That’s a nice list to be a part of,” said Wallace, who finished with nine points, 13 rebounds, two steals and no blocks. “It’s good to have my name even mentioned with those guys.”

The Pistons have won eight in a row, matching a season high. Rookie Jameer Nelson scored a season-high 30 points for the Magic, who have lost five straight and 16 of 20 — but still have a slim chance of making the playoffs.

Orlando will be in the postseason if it closes the regular season with four wins and Philadelphia loses its last five and New Jersey beats the 76ers and loses its three other games. Or, the Magic can back into the playoffs if they finish in a three-way tie with the Nets and Philadelphia.

“We’re not even thinking about the playoffs right now,” Nelson said. “We’ve got to find a way to just win another game somewhere.”

Jazz 93, Spurs 91

Salt Lake City — Mehmet Okur put back a rebound with 2.4 seconds remaining and Utah spoiled Tim Duncan’s return. Manu Ginobili scored 21 points, but missed a baseline jumper that could have forced overtime. Duncan finished with 17 points and seven rebounds after missing 12 games because of a sprained ankle. He played just three minutes in the fourth quarter and didn’t appear to be hurting when he stood up off the bench.

Orlando's Dwight Howard, left, and Detroit's Rasheed Wallace battle for a rebound. The Pistons defeated the Magic, 103-94, Wednesday night in Auburn Hills, Mich.

Nuggets 116, Hornets 102

Denver — Carmelo Anthony scored 19 points to lead seven Denver players in double figures, and the Nuggets extended their winning streak to a season-high nine games.

Pacers 90, Nets 86

Indianapolis — Reggie Miller is in postseason form. Now Indiana hopes to reward him with one more long playoff run. Miller scored seven of his 22 points in a late 22-second flurry to help the Pacers rally from a six-point deficit and beat New Jersey, clinching Indiana’s eighth straight playoff berth. Indiana has won eight of its last nine games.

Wizards 93, Bulls 82

Washington — The Washington Wizards are returning to the playoffs for the first time since 1997, clinching their spot moments after their victory over Chicago. The win came just before New Jersey lost to Indiana, giving the Wizards the combination they needed.

Celtics 111, Bucks 108

Milwaukee — Paul Pierce scored 32 points, including the game-winning basket with 19 seconds left, and Boston beat Milwaukee. Antoine Walker and Ricky Davis each had 17 points for the Celtics, who increased their lead in the Atlantic Division over Philadelphia to 31/2 games with four to play.

Rockets 100, Grizzlies 92

Houston — Yao Ming scored 28 points and Tracy McGrady had 23 points, eight rebounds and eight assists to lead Houston to its fourth straight win.

Mavericks 95, Sonics 90

Seattle — Dirk Nowitzki scored 31 points to lead Dallas to its fifth straight victory. It was Seattle’s sixth straight loss and kept the SuperSonics from clinching the Northwest Division title.

Timberwolves 116, Warriors 100

Minneapolis — Kevin Garnett posted his first triple-double of a disappointing season, finishing with 21 points, 15 rebounds and 11 assists to lead Minnesota over Golden State. It was his 17th career triple-double, the first since a 20-point, 22-rebound, 10-assist night against Denver in the first round of the playoffs last April.

Bobcats 105, Hawks 84

Charlotte, N.C. — Emeka Okafor had 17 points and 11 rebounds to lead Charlotte over Atlanta and guarantee the expansion Bobcats of not finishing with the worst record in the NBA.