Rivers Sounds Off as Losses Mount

The Utah Jazz keep winning at home and the Orlando Magic keep losing -- everywhere.

The Jazz overcame its poorest shooting performance of the season and extended Orlando’s losing streak to 10 with a 90-88 victory Monday night at Salt Lake City.

“These are the kind of games you’d rather not be involved with because of all the things you hear other people saying about what’s going on with their team,” Jazz Coach Jerry Sloan said.

The Magic hasn’t won since opening night. After the game, Coach Doc Rivers addressed speculation that he could be fired early in his fifth season with the Magic, which has reached the playoffs the last three years.

“I read or I hear what is being written in Orlando and I guess I should feel pressure in that way, but management has stuck behind me,” Rivers said. “Obviously, I’m not happy with 1-10. We’re a better basketball team than that, but I will say this: Do you judge me on three years of overachievement or 10 games of underachievement?”

The Magic had chances down the stretch to tie the score or even win the game but couldn’t come through. The improved to 5-0 at home.

Andrei Kirilenko had 25 points and 10 rebounds for the Jazz.

Tracy McGrady finished with 29 points to lead the Magic but had only three points in the last quarter on four shots. McGrady missed a three-point shot at the buzzer that would have ended the Magic’s losing streak.

Dallas 105, Portland 98 -- Dirk Nowitzki had 20 points and eight rebounds and Steve Nash produced his first career triple-double with 14 points, 12 assists and a career-high 10 rebounds as the Mavericks used an 8-0 third-quarter run to take control at Dallas.

Rasheed Wallace had 31 points and eight rebounds, and Zach Randolph had 26 points, 19 rebounds and six assists, but it wasn’t enough to keep Portland from falling to 0-4 on the road.

Houston 74, Philadelphia 66 -- Cuttino Mobley scored 19 points, and the Rockets never trailed after late in the first quarter at Philadelphia.

The Rockets, who won for the seventh time in nine games and haven’t lost two in a row this season, led by as many as 15 points in the fourth quarter. Houston had suffered a double-overtime loss Sunday in Toronto.

The Rockets shot only 33%, but the 76ers were even worse at 32%. Philadelphia even missed all nine of its three-point attempts.

Bothered by a right knee injury, Allen Iverson made only four of 15 shots and scored 15 points for the 76ers, who tied for their second-lowest point total since the introduction of the shot clock in 1954-55. The 76ers scored 66 points two other times, in 1995 and 1955.

New York 89, Boston 86 -- Michael Doleac scored the Knicks’ last four points and grabbed eight of his nine rebounds while playing all of the fourth quarter in a victory at New York.

Doleac, subbing for ineffective center Dikembe Mutombo, made the Knicks’ last shot from the field with 1:55 left, and his two free throws with 5.4 seconds left provided the final margin. Paul Pierce missed an off-balance three-pointer on Boston’s last possession.

Allan Houston led the Knicks with 26 points. Vin Baker had 20 points for Boston.

Washington 106, Atlanta 97 -- Jarvis Hayes keyed a game-ending 30-19 run with a go-ahead three-pointer, and the Wizards ended a four-game losing streak by defeating the Hawks at Atlanta.

Larry Hughes led the Wizards with 26 points. Jason Terry had 25 points for Atlanta.