The Basketball Diaries

Chicago Bulls 113 Indiana Pacers 107

On Tuesday the Bulls were supposed to have a day off, but instead they chose to hold practice since newcomers Drew Gooden and Larry Hughes hadn't had a chance to practice with the team since coming over from Cleveland. It made a bit of a difference. Hughes scored 29 points, while Gooden had 10 points and 15 rebounds as the Bulls got their first win since shipping Ben Wallace to Cleveland Hughes and Gooden joined the team. "Our chemistry is starting to come together a little bit," Chicago coach Jim Boylan said. "There's a lot of things that go into changing a team ... but at the end of the day, it's basketball and they do what they do out there."

Boston Celtics 92 Cleveland Cavaliers 87

Well, the Cavs traded for Ben Wallace and Wally Sczerbiak because they thought it would give them a better chance against the Celtics and Pistons in the East. Their first chance to prove it came on Wednesday night, and if early returns are to be believed, the trade did nothing for them. Kevin Garnett had 18 points and 11 rebounds, and Ray Allen had 22 points to lead the Celtics. LeBron scored 24 points for the Cavs, but did so on 7/24 shooting from the field. "When you have an off-shooting night like this, it's tough to pull a game out," said James. "Especially against the best team in the league." I like to call it The Ben Wallace Effect.

New Orleans Hornets 120 Phoenix Suns 103

If I'm a Hornets fan, I'm hoping my team gets a first round matchup with the Suns in the playoffs. The Hornets and Suns faced each other for the fourth time this season on Wednesday night, and for the fourth time this season the Hornets sent the Suns home with a loss. Chris Paul had 25 points and 15 assists to help shake New Orleans out of a three-game losing streak. "We match up with them pretty well," said Hornets forward David West, who scored 27 points. "C.P. and our guards have an advantage over their guards with their speed and ability to get up and down the floor. ... It just happens that Phoenix is one of those teams that we feel confident against." The Suns are now 2-3 since trading for Shaq.

Elsewhere...

• Hawks 123 Kings 117
• Sixers 101 Magic 89
• Raptors 107 TWolves 85
• Knicks 113 Bobcats 89
• Jazz 103 Pistons 95
• Nuggets 138 Sonics 96
• Blazers 82 Clippers 80