NBA: Clippers re-sign star Kawhi Leonard

Kawhi Leonard is sticking with the Los Angeles Clippers, the NBA club announcing Thursday they had re-signed their star forward.

The Clippers didn't release terms of the deal, but ESPN reported that Leonard inked a four-year, $176.3 million max deal that includes a player option in the fourth year.

Leonard had declined his player option for $36 million in the upcoming season to become a free agent.

"Kawhi is a transcendent player and a relentless worker who improves himself every day," Clippers president of basketball operations Lawrence Frank said in a statement.

"We share many of the same goals, which include a long-term relationship. This agreement marks another important moment for our franchise and our fans, as we strive to create a championship-caliber organization, where players find the success and fulfillment they seek. We’re eager to continue building with Kawhi."

Last season, was Leonard's second with the Clippers. He played in 52 games, averaging 24.8 points, 6.5 rebounds, and a career-high 5.2 assists while shooting 51.2 percent from the field and 88.5 percent from the free-throw line.

But Leonard missed the final eight games of the Clippers' playoff campaign after injuring his right knee against the Utah Jazz.

He had surgery to repair torn ligaments in July and will likely be sidelined when the 2021-22 season begins.

"For now, we will do whatever we can to support him in his recovery from injury," Frank said. "We look forward to seeing him back where he wants to be, on the court with his teammates."

Agence France-Presse

Kawhi Leonard hits winner, Raptors beat Trail Blazers

TORONTO — One day after the Toronto Raptors practiced “game-winning shots,” Kawhi Leonard made one against the Portland Trail Blazers.

Leonard scored the go-ahead basket with three seconds remaining and the Raptors held on to beat the Trail Blazers 119-117 Friday night.

Toronto won it when Leonard used a screen by Kyle Lowry to drive against Portland’s Damian Lillard, then rose over his smaller opponent for the decisive basket.

“We just practiced that exact scenario yesterday,” Raptors coach Nick Nurse said. “It was great. Kyle sets a screen and we try to get the smaller guy so (Leonard) can just vault up over him and shoot.”

Toronto had run the same play moments earlier, with Lowry making a layup. When the play was called again, Leonard was more interested in keeping the ball himself.

“I was looking to get baseline,” Leonard said. “That first time I had seen I could be a little bit more aggressive and that’s what I did the second time down.”

Leonard scored 38 points and Lowry had 19 points and 10 assists as the Raptors won for the ninth time in 10 games. Toronto is an NBA-best 11-4 in games decided by three points or fewer.

“Just staying composed and understanding that situations aren’t always going to be perfect,” Lowry said.

Marc Gasol scored 19 points and Pascal Siakam had 16 for Toronto, which has won four straight home meetings with Portland and seven of the past eight overall.

C.J. McCollum scored 35 points and matched a career best by making seven 3-pointers, but it wasn’t enough to extend Portland’s season-best five-game winning streak.

Lillard scored 24 points and Jake Layman had 13 as the Trail Blazers suffered their first lost after winning four straight to begin a seven-game trip.


“Obviously it’s disappointing to lose but I like the way we competed,” Portland coach Terry Stotts said.

Ahead 93-84 to begin the fourth, the Raptors missed nine consecutive field goal attempts, allowing Portland to close to within one, 95-94, on a 3-pointer by Lillard at 6:47.

Leonard ended Toronto’s drought with a layup, but the Raptors couldn’t hold the lead, and Lillard tied it 103-all with another 3 at 3:27.

Lillard made another tying 3 with 13 seconds left, but Leonard won it with his baseline jumper.

“The ball hit every part of the rim,” Lillard said. “That took time off. If it had gone straight in, it almost would have been better.”

By the time Portland inbounded the ball, there was barely enough time for a full-court heave.

The Raptors connected on 11 of 17 shots in the first quarter and led 31-24 after one.

Leonard scored 10 points in the second and Toronto led 61-54 at halftime.

McCollum scored 14 points in the third but the Raptors responded with five 3-pointers, taking a 93-84 lead into the fourth.

“They had an answer every time,” Lillard said.


TIP-INS

Trail Blazers: Slowed by foul trouble, C Jusuf Nurkic did not attempt a shot in five first-half minutes. … Portland is 18-5 against Eastern Conference opponents. … The Trail Blazers are 0-15 on the road when trailing through three quarters.

Raptors: Toronto had nine assists on 11 made baskets in the first. … The Raptors made their final six shots of the game. … Lowry has had at least 10 assists in three straight games.

MAKING HIS MARC

Gasol’s 19 points were his most with Toronto. He also had six assists and eight rebounds.

“He was really good tonight,” Nurse said. “It looked like all of a sudden the rust was gone.”

LONG DIVISION

Portland lost for the first time in nine games against Atlantic Division opponents. Toronto, which is 9-0 against the Pacific Division, is the only NBA team with an unbeaten record against a single division.

BORDER BLUES

Portland center Enes Kanter did not travel to Toronto with the team. An outspoken critic of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Kanter’s Turkish passport was revoked in 2017, and Turkish prosecutors have accused Kanter of membership in a terror organization. While playing for the Knicks earlier this season, Kanter did not accompany the team for a game in London because he feared he could be killed over his opposition to Erdogan.


UP NEXT

Trail Blazers: Visit Charlotte on Sunday.

Raptors: Visit Detroit on Sunday.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Kyle Lowry has big half amid trade rumors as Raptors hold off 76ers

PHILADELPHIA — Kyle Lowry doesn’t want to play for any team but Toronto.

A detour through his hometown is always welcome, though.

Lowry had a big first half amid reports that Toronto has offered him in a trade, Kawhi Leonard finished with 24 points, and the Raptors held off the Philadelphia 76ers 119-107 on Tuesday night in a matchup between two of the Eastern Conference’s top teams.

Lowry, a Philadelphia native and former Villanova star, had 17 points in the first half and finished with 20. He seemed unfazed by a report from Sports Illustrated that Toronto had offered him to Memphis as part of a trade package for Mike Conley and Marc Gasol.

“I personally want to be in Toronto,” Lowry said. “I’ve never asked for a trade. My goal is to try to win a championship here, and that’s what I want to do.”

Serge Ibaka also had 20 points to help the Raptors overcome the Joel Embiid-led Sixers. Embiid had 37 points and 13 rebounds for his league-leading 44th double-double, while Ben Simmons scored 20 points and Jimmy Butler had 18.

With the Sixers trailing by 18 early in the fourth quarter, Embiid ripped off 12 points in a three-minute stretch to slice Toronto’s lead to 108-101 with 6:59 left and get the home crowd on its feet for the first time all night. But the Raptors (39-16) never let the Sixers (34-20) get closer than seven.

“Offensively, defensively, they were just better than us,” Embiid said. “But I’m proud of our effort in the second half.”

After erupting for 40 points in the first quarter behind 11-for-11 shooting from the free-throw line, the Raptors built a 21-point advantage midway through the second quarter. Lowry, who missed Toronto’s last game due to back soreness, fueled the run with three 3-pointers in a two-minute stretch.

“He was awesome,” Raptors coach Nick Nurse said. “You know, that’s Kyle in a super-focused game. He took his 3s, he took his deep ones, he took some drives. Whenever you see him pull that little slam-on-the-brakes, spin-to-the-left fadeaway, you know he’s in the game right.”

Lowry added another 3, which bounced all around the rim before dropping in, four minutes before halftime to help Toronto take a 72-55 lead into the break — the Raptors’ best offensive first half of the season.

“I love playing at home,” Lowry said. “My mom’s in the building. It’s different.”

TOO MANY MINUTES?

The Sixers were without two starters as Wilson Chandler (quad) missed his second straight game while JJ Redick was a late scratch due to nausea.

That led to the team’s Big 3 of Embiid (42 minutes), Simmons (44 minutes) and Butler (39 minutes) all playing more than coach Brett Brown would have liked.

“We got two days off before we played and I just felt like it was our only chance to win,” Brown said. “But it is not an ideal volume of minutes that I played them.”

DEFENSE COMES FIRST

While the Raptors had a big offensive performance, they were mostly proud of the work they put in on the defensive end. That includes forcing Simmons into six turnovers.

“He’s a great player, very good at getting to the basket and finding his teammates,” Leonard said. “I just tried my best to get in the passing lane and stick to our game plan.”

TIP-INS

Raptors: Toronto is now 17-11 on the road this season, the third best mark in the league. The Raptors’ next two games will also be away from home. … Toronto won the season series with Philadelphia, 3-1, with the Sixers’ only win coming on Dec. 22 when the Raptors were missing Leonard and Ibaka, their top two scorers. 



76ers: Tuesday’s game marked the start of a four-game homestand after a 2-2 road swing out West. … Some of the biggest cheers of the night came in the pregame when Sixers great Allen Iverson rang the team’s ceremonial bell at midcourt. … This was Embiid’s NBA-leading 22nd game this season with at least 30 points and 10 rebounds.

UP NEXT

Raptors: At the Atlanta Hawks on Thursday night.

76ers: Host the Denver Nuggets on Friday night.

source: sports.inquirer.net

NBA-best Raptors hand Clippers worst loss of season

LOS ANGELES — Kyle Lowry was in a funk right along with his Toronto Raptors. He had a combined 15 points in his last five games while the team had lost three of four.

Adding to their woes, leading scorer Kawhi Leonard was out with a bruised right hip against the surprising Clippers.


“It was just time for me to step up and play,” Lowry said.

Serge Ibaka had 25 points and nine rebounds, Lowry added 21 points while making four of the Raptors’ 14 3-pointers, and Toronto cruised past Los Angeles 123-99 on Tuesday night.

“We didn’t slow it down,” Lowry said.

Toronto shot 52 percent from the floor, had 34 assists and outscored the Clippers 28-4 in fast-break points.

“This was a game everybody thought would be very difficult for us to win,” coach Nick Nurse said, “but we kind of lined up all these things and were very focused.”

Fred VanVleet kept the ball moving in place of Leonard with a career-high 14 assists.

“Whether Kawhi played or not, I think he was going to have a healthy game,” VanVleet said of Lowry. “When he’s playing like that, we’re going to be a tough team to beat.”

The Clippers endured their biggest loss of the season against the NBA’s best team (22-7).

“From the start you could see the Raptors pushing the pace at us the entire game,” Clippers coach Doc Rivers said, “and we really never caught up to it.”

With leading scorer Tobias Harris held to 10 points — he averages 21.4 — the Clippers were led by a pair of reserves.

Boban Marjanovic had 18 points and Tyrone Wallace added 15. Their fourth loss in six games dropped them into a tie for second with the Lakers at 17-10 in the Pacific Division.

“We just gave in to their offensive pressure,” Rivers said.

The Raptors extended their lead in the third quarter, using an early 10-0 run followed by five consecutive 3-pointers to go into the fourth ahead 103-74. Lowry hit three of the 3s and Delon Wright had two.

“When he let go he knew it was going in,” Nurse said of Lowry.

Ibaka had back-to-back monster dunks before the 3-point onslaught began, drawing cheers on Canada Night at Staples Center.

Both teams played their reserves in the fourth, but the Clippers were too far behind to make a serious dent.

TIP-INS

Raptors: Nurse plans to coach at Golden State on Wednesday before returning to Carroll, Iowa, where his 94-year-old mother died Monday. “He said before the game she would have kicked his butt if he wasn’t here,” Lowry said. “That just shows the toughness in his family.” … They improved to 6-0 vs. the West. … After their current four-game trip, the Raptors won’t travel beyond the Central time zone for the rest of the season. … Wright got stitches above his right eye. … G Norman Powell missed his 18th straight game with a left shoulder injury.

Clippers: G Lou Williams sat out with a sore left hamstring that he sustained on Monday at Phoenix. … With the team trailing by 29, longtime fan Billy Crystal had seen enough and departed before the fourth quarter began. … They lost at home for just the third time in 12 games. … They’ve lost four of six overall. … They were beaten at home by the Raptors for the first time since Nov. 22, 2015.

UP NEXT

Raptors: At Golden State on Wednesday in the second game of a back-to-back. They are 5-0 on the second night this season.

Clippers: At San Antonio on Thursday. They beat the Spurs by five points last month.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Another big game for Kawhii Leonard as Raptors turn back 76ers

TORONTO — Kawhi Leonard insisted he doesn’t try to do anything extra in big games. His numbers suggest otherwise.

Leonard had 36 points, Jonas Valanciunas scored 18 of his season-high 26 in the fourth quarter and the Toronto Raptors beat Philadelphia 113-102 on Wednesday night, handing the 76ers their 13th consecutive loss in Canada.


Serge Ibaka added 18 points as the Raptors bounced back from Monday’s loss to Denver to win for the ninth time in 10 games. Toronto, with the best record in the NBA at 21-5, improved to 11-3 at home.

Leonard shot 13 for 24, finishing one point shy of his season high, and set a season best by making five of six attempts from 3-point territory. The rest of the Raptors struggled from long range, combining to shoot 3 for 23.

Leonard’s season high of 37 points came last Thursday in an overtime victory against two-time defending champion Golden State. Leonard has led Toronto in scoring in four straight games.

“He’s an immense talent, he really is,” coach Nick Nurse said. “And when the stakes go up a little bit, he’s going to play his hand a little harder.”

Leonard, who set a season best with five steals, said he doesn’t let the opponent or circumstances dictate his effort.

“I try to perform every night,” he explained. “If you try to turn it on against the good teams, it’s really hard to do that. You’ve got to do it on a nightly basis.”

Leonard has never lost in 12 career meetings with the 76ers, including two victories this season.

“That’s what you’re going to get out of big-time players,” Philadelphia’s Jimmy Butler said. “He had a great game.”

Butler scored a season-high 38 points and added 10 rebounds. Joel Embiid had 10 points and 12 rebounds for Philadelphia, whose last win in Toronto was 93-83 on Nov. 10, 2012.



“Jimmy showed why he’s an All-Star,” 76ers coach Brett Brown said. “He came in and gave us some tremendous things.”

The day before, Brown suggested the game would be a “barometer” for the 76ers. Afterward, he said his team’s 21 turnovers and 22 second-chance points allowed underscored the gap between the Sixers and Raptors.

“We leave disappointed,” Brown said. “We also leave, we feel, a little bit smarter about what it’s going to take to beat the best team right now in the NBA.”

Toronto’s 17 offensive rebounds were a season high.

“We gave ourselves a chance to win with our effort but the execution just wasn’t there,” 76ers guard JJ Redick said.

Redick scored 25 points and Ben Simmons had eight points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds for the 76ers, who had their four-game winning streak snapped.

The Raptors held a 78-77 lead after three quarters, and Philadelphia’s T.J. McConnell tied it 81-all with a hook shot at 11:07. Valanciunas scored a pair of baskets as Toronto’s reserves replied with a 9-0 run, opening a 90-81 advantage at 9:07.

“Our bench did an unbelievable job,” Toronto guard Kyle Lowry said. “Tonight was one of those games where they just had it clicking.”

TIP-INS

76ers: Embiid’s double-double was his league-best 24th. … The 76ers committed 11 turnovers in the second quarter. Toronto scored 27 points off Philadelphia’s 21 total turnovers. … Butler was called for a technical foul in the third quarter and Embiid got one in the fourth.

Raptors: Lowry shot 0 for 5 in the first half and missed his first six attempts from 3-point range. … Leonard led Toronto with nine rebounds. … The Raptors outscored the 76ers 62-42 in the paint and 41-18 off the bench. … Toronto has won 20 of the past 22 meetings with Philadelphia. … G Malachi Richardson (illness) was inactive.

500 CLUB

Leonard has 522 points in his first 20 games with Toronto, more than any other player in franchise history. He’s the fourth active player to score 500 or more in his first 20 games with his current team. The others are Kevin Durant (Golden State), James Harden (Houston) and LeBron James (Los Angeles Lakers).

CAN’T HANDLE IT

Simmons had seven turnovers, giving him 18 in two games against Toronto this season.

STAR-STUDDED

The game drew several celebrities who attended Tuesday’s gala for Giants of Africa, the charity of Raptors president Masai Ujiri. That group included former Raptors All-Star Chris Bosh, former Blue Jays slugger Joe Carter, soccer player Didier Drogba, and comedian Chris Tucker.

UP NEXT

76ers: Visit Detroit on Friday night.

Raptors: Visit Brooklyn on Friday night.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Paul, Rockets roll past Spurs for 12th straight win

HOUSTON — Chris Paul had 28 points, eight assists and seven steals to lead the Houston Rockets to their 12th straight victory, a 124-109 win over the San Antonio Spurs on Friday night.

Paul became the first player in NBA history to post 28 points, eight assists and seven steals in a game against the Spurs. In the past 10 years, that stat line has been achieved just 10 times — Paul has done it six of those times. The Rockets are unbeaten when he plays this season.

Paul’s dazzling performance came on a night James Harden had one of his worst 3-point shooting nights of the season, making 6 of 18 from the field, including 2 of 11 from 3. Harden had 28 points, seven rebounds and six assists, scoring half his points on 14-of-16 shooting from the free-throw line.

The Rockets are on the fourth-longest win streak in franchise history and the longest since a franchise-best 22 straight in the 2007-08 season.

All Rockets starters and reserve Eric Gordon had scored in double figures by the end of the third quarter. Clint Capela had 18 points and 10 rebounds, Gordon scored 14 points, Ryan Anderson had 12, and Trevor Ariza added 11.

The Rockets beat the Spurs for just the third time in their last 12 meetings.

LaMarcus Aldridge led the Spurs with 16 points. Joffrey Lauvergne had 14, Patty Mills had 13 and Davis Bertans scored 12, all off the bench for San Antonio.

The Rockets jumped to a 31-16 lead at the end of the first quarter and led 60-43 at the half. The Rockets entered the fourth quarter with a 92-72 lead.

Kawhi Leonard played in his second game back after making his season debut on Tuesday night in Dallas after missing the first 27 games of the season with a right quadriceps injury. Leonard, who has been recovering from a quadriceps condition that causes pain and weakness in the knee, started and had 12 points in 17 minutes, all in the first half.

Before the game, Spurs coach Gregg Popovich hinted before the game that Leonard and Tony Parker were unlikely to play Saturday night in Dallas in the second half of San Antonio’s back-to-back.

TIP-INS

Spurs: SF Kyle Anderson missed his sixth straight game with a sprained left MCL, but he is progressing well and could return after San Antonio’s back-to-back in Houston and Dallas, possibly as early as Monday when the Spurs host the Clippers. … Danny Green started and played through left groin tightness, scoring two points in 19 minutes.

Rockets: Houston played its first game without Luc Mbah a Moute, who suffered a dislocated right shoulder on Wednesday night against Charlotte. Mbah a Moute could be out 2-3 weeks with the injury. … The Rockets improved to 19-1 when leading after the third quarter, winning by double digits for the 17th time in 27 games.

UP NEXT

Spurs: Host Dallas on Saturday night.

Rockets: Host Milwaukee on Saturday night.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Leonard scores 31 as Spurs thrash slumping Lakers

Kawhi Leonard poured in 31 points in just three quarters as the San Antonio Spurs dominated in every facet of play Thursday with a emphatic 134-94 blowout of the Los Angeles Lakers.

San Antonio’s 134 points were a season high, as were the 72 points scored by the Spurs in the first half and the overall margin of victory of 40 points.

Pau Gasol added 22 points for San Antonio, while LaMarcus Aldridge and Tony Parker added 13 each, all in just three quarters of the lopsided game.


The Spurs also got 12 points from Jonathan Simmons and 10 from Dejounte Murray and a game-high 12 rebounds from Dewayne Dedmon.

San Antonio was in a bad mood heading into Thursday’s home game after losing by three points to the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday.

The Spurs took out their frustrations on a meek Laker team as four of San Antonio’s starters finished in double figures at AT&T Center.

“I respect the way the Spurs played tonight — granted we didn’t put up a ton of fight — but it’s beautiful to see championship teams and the way they came out after one loss,” Lakers coach Luke Walton said.

“How (that loss) made them play and how sharp they were — there’s a lot to learn from being in this game, from watching them. I didn’t think we showed up to meet the challenge.”

All 13 players who took the floor for San Antonio scored, and the Spurs (31-8) outshot Los Angeles 60 percent to 41 percent.

“You always want to handle a loss by bouncing back the next night,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said.

The lowly Lakers dropped to 15-28 on the season. They were once the “Showtime” darlings of the NBA but have been on a steady downward spiral ever since the passing of club owner and team architect Jerry Buss in 2013.

The Lakers were led Thursday by Julius Randle’s 22 points, but the rest of Los Angeles’ starters managed just 20 total points.

In New York, Tyreke Evans scored 14 of his season-high 29 points in the fourth quarter and the New Orleans Pelicans overcame the absence of Anthony Davis with a 104-95 victory over the Brooklyn Nets.

Evans made 10 of 15 shots in a season-high 27 minutes. He missed the first 26 games of the season while recovering from knee surgery.

Season-high total

It was the first time he scored more than 25 points since January 10 against the Los Angeles Clippers.

Davis missed his second game of the season because of a left hip injury.

The Pelicans received little help from centers Omer Asik and Donatas Motiejunas, who combined for one point on zero-of-seven shooting.

Elsewhere, Klay Thompson and Andre Iguodala connected on a pair of three-pointers apiece during a long-range shooting exhibition that powered the Golden State Warriors to a 127-107 win over the Detroit Pistons.

Riding double-figure scoring from four starters, the Pistons were down 68-65 in the fourth minute of the third period before the Warriors stepped up their play to earn a season-series sweep.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Spurs keep winning, Heat lose but clinch playoff spot

Kawhi Leonard had a career-high 33 points, while LaMarcus Aldrige had 31 points and 15 rebounds as the San Antonio Spurs beat the Toronto Raptors 102-95 Saturday (Sunday Manila time) for their franchise-record 64th victory.

San Antonio never trailed and topped its 63-win season in 2005-06. The Spurs also extended their NBA-record home winning streak to start a season to 39 games.

The Spurs closed it out at the free-throw line, capturing their 48th straight home victory dating to March 2015.

Norman Powell had 17 points, Jonas Valanciunas and Cory Joseph added 16 points and Patrick Patterson had 12 points for the Raptors.

In Portland, C.J. McCollum had 24 points and made all six of his 3-point attempts to help the Trail Blazers beat Miami 110-93 for their seventh straight home win.

Despite the loss, the Heat still clinched a playoff spot after the Chicago Bulls lost to Detroit earlier in the evening. However, having come into the game tied for the third seed in the East, Miami dropped to sixth with the loss.

The Blazers made 10 3-pointers to break a franchise record for 3-pointers in a season with 808. They are in sixth place in the Western Conference and have not clinched a playoff spot yet.

Damian Lillard did not play in the fourth quarter and finished with 18 points for the Blazers. Gerald Henderson came off the bench to score 17 points.

Hassan Whiteside led the Heat with 21 points and 13 assists.

In Chicago, Reggie Jackson scored 22 points and Tobias Harris added 21 as Detroit overcame Jimmy Butler’s first career triple-double to beat the Bulls 94-90.

Marcus Morris had 16 points and Andre Drummond had 11 points and 11 rebounds for the Pistons, who remain on track for a playoff spot.

Butler had 28 points and career highs of 17 rebounds and 12 assists. Pau Gasol had 16 points and 14 rebounds.

Detroit is a half-game ahead of Indiana for seventh in the Eastern Conference and 2 1/2 games up on ninth-place Chicago.

C.J. Miles scored 25 points, including a go-ahead 3-pointer with 3:39 left as Indiana rallied to beat short-handed Philadelphia, 115-102.

Paul George added 20 points, eight rebounds and seven assists for Indiana, the eighth seed in the NBA’s Eastern Conference. Rodney Stuckey scored 17 points.

Isaiah Canaan had 24 points for Philadelphia (9-68), which needs one victory in its remaining five games to avoid matching the 1972-73 Sixers for the worst full-season record in NBA history.

Rudy Gay had 25 points and nine rebounds and Seth Curry scored 17 points to help Sacramento beat Denver 115-106 to sweep the three-game season series.

Darren Collison had 14 points and eight assists and Willie Cauley-Stein and Ben McLemore scored 14 points each for Sacramento, which played without DeMarcus Cousins and Rajon Rondo.

Gary Harris led Denver with 19 points and Emmanuel Mudiay and Joffrey Lauvergne had 15 apiece.

source: sports.inquirer.net

NBA: Spurs stretch home win streak with Warriors up next

LOS ANGELES—Kawhi Leonard and LaMarcus Aldridge each scored 22 points and the San Antonio Spurs beat Portland 118-110 Thursday, boosting their home record this season to 34-0 and stretching their overall NBA home win streak to 43 games.

French guard Tony Parker added 18 points and 16 assists, his most since 2012, while Australia’s Patty Mills came off the bench to contribute 17 points in the triumph, which improved the Spurs to 58-10 this season.

Not since falling to the Cleveland Cavaliers on March 12 of last year have the Spurs been defeated in San Antonio.

But that streak will receive a major test Saturday when the Spurs host the defending NBA champion Golden State Warriors, the first of three meetings between the Western Conference powerhouses over the final month of the season.

The Warriors have lost 32 games in a row in San Antonio. Golden State has not beaten the Spurs in San Antonio since February 14, 1997, when Warriors star Stephen Curry was eight years old.

The Spurs’ streak is the third-longest in NBA history behind a 44-game Chicago run in 1995-96 and the ongoing streak of Golden State, which has won 50 home games in a row over two seasons.

San Antonio’s 34-0 home start is the second best home run to open an NBA season, trailing only the 37 in a row by Chicago in 1995-96.

Golden State, which is 61-6 and chasing Chicago’s 1995-96 team’s 72-10 mark for the all-time best season in NBA history, could move past both those home marks this season but have not yet played enough home games.

The Spurs led 56-54 at half-time then scored the first 10 points of the third quarter and surged ahead by as much as 19 in the period. Leonard scored 11 points in the third quarter to spark the run and San Antonio never looked back to the finish.

Hornets get rare Miami win



At Miami, Kemba Walker had 21 points, seven assists and seven rebounds as the Charlotte Hornets rallied from a 15-point deficit to beat the host Heat 109-106. Al Jefferson added 21 points and 10 rebounds as the Hornets broke a 12-game losing streak in games at Miami.

Britain’s Luol Deng led the Heat with 22 points and nine rebounds, but left the game with a bloody mouth after colliding in the final seconds with Jeremy Lin, who made four late free throws to secure victory for the Hornets.

Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan each scored 28 points to lift the Toronto Raptors over host Indiana 101-94 in overtime. The Raptors improved to 46-21, while the Pacers fell to 1-7 in overtime games and slid to 36-32 overall.

John Wall had 16 points, 14 assists and 13 rebounds — his seventh career NBA “triple-double” — while Marcus Thornton scored 18 points to spark the Washington Wizards past host Philadelphia 99-94. The Wizards improved to 33-35, 1 1/2 games behind Chicago for the last Eastern Conference playoff berth.

At Chicago, Doug McDermott came off the Bulls bench to score 25 points and lead the hosts over Brooklyn 118-102. Jimmy Butler scored 22 points and passed out seven assists for the Bulls.

Tim Hardaway produced 21 points in his first Atlanta start to lead eight double-figure scorers for the Hawks in a 116-98 victory over visiting Denver.

At Milwaukee, Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 15 points and added 11 assists, six rebounds and three blocks as the Milwaukee Bucks beat Memphis 96-86, handing the Grizzlies their fourth loss in a row.

Trey Lyles came off the bench to score 17 points and lead a balanced scoring attack that powered Utah over Phoenix 103-69.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Spurs celebrate 5th NBA championship

SAN ANTONIO — The San Antonio Spurs celebrated their fifth title in franchise history by climbing onto barges that floated down the river walk followed by a triumphant rally at the Alamodome arena.

The National Basketball Association champions were greeted by about 100,000 people on the river walk parade and about 75,000 at the downtown Alamodome on Wednesday.

The celebration began at the Arneson River Theater and moved through the River Center extension before finally concluding at the Convent Street Bridge. Players and coaches then addressed fans inside the Alamodome during a special ceremony.

“It is soaking in, but I’m still going to live it up for about the whole summer,” said Kawhi Leonard, who was named MVP of the NBA finals. “I’ve been trying to live the moment. It’s been hard to sleep. Thought I would get some sleep after we won the finals, but I’m still celebrating.”

Some fans began lining up outside the Alamodome in 90 degree Fahrenheit heat five hours before the celebrations began.

The Spurs completed their five game demolition of the Miami Heat with a 104-87 win Sunday night in San Antonio.

They have five championships since 1999 and Tim Duncan has been part of all of those.

Asked if he would be back for an 18th season, Duncan declined to answer on Wednesday.

Duncan has a $10 million player option for next season.

“It’s been too long. Seven years since the last one,” Duncan said of the 2007 championship. “Toward the end of my career, it’s been sweet. It’s a great team, a great bunch of guys, a lot of fun.”

Once inside the Alamodome, Australian point guard Patty Mills introduced coaches and players. Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker received standing ovations after being introduced to the crowd.

“What I think we enjoyed the most is that we’re all friends before we’re teammates,” Mills said.

Duncan thanked former Spur and Hall of Famer David Robinson, who sat in the crowd wearing a championship T-shirt. The two played for San Antonio from 1997-2003.

“I give a lot of credit to David,” Duncan said.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Spurs exact revenge, claim fifth NBA crown

MANILA, Philippines—Revenge was sweet and it was served cold.

With the air-conditioning running fine, and the San Antonio Spurs firing on all cylinders, the 2014 National Basketball Association Finals challengers exacted revenge against the defending champions Miami Heat 104-87 at the AT&T Center Monday.

Kawhi Leonard bagged the 2014 Bill Russell NBA Finals MVP trophy and paced the Spurs with 22 points and 10 boards.

San Antonio lit up in the second quarter after an arctic first period erasing a 16-point lead courtesy of a stop-and-pop three from Leonard that put the Spurs up, 37-35.

Manu Ginobili went on a personal 9-2 run with a step-back three capping the scoring spectacle to put the boards at 45-37.

LeBron James, who bagged the previous two Finals MVP, led all scorers with 31 points, and adding 10 rebounds and six assists while 2006 Finals MVP Dwyane Wade had 11.

Tim Duncan, a three-time Finals MVP, finished off with 14 points and eight boards


Ginobili came off the bench scorching the Heat with 19 points.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Spurs clobber Heat in Miami for 2-1 lead in NBA Finals

MANILA, Philippines—The San Antonio Spurs outclassed the Miami Heat, 111-92, at the reigning champions’ home court to gain a 2-1 advantage in the 2014 NBA finals.

The Spurs waxed hot in the first half with brilliant 75.8 percent shooting from the field and led the Heat by as many as 25 points.

Kawhi Leonard finished with 29 points off-the-bench on 10-of-13 shooting. Danny Green and Tony Parker added 15 points each.

Sparked by Dwyane Wade, Miami trimmed the deficit down to seven, 74-81, in the third period, but San Antonio found ways to keep the Heat at bay the rest of the way.

It was the Heat’s first loss at home in the entire 2014 NBA playoffs.

Game 4 of the best-of-seven series is on Friday (Manila time), still at the American Airlines Arena in Miami.

source: sports.inquirer.net