NBA: Brilliant Embiid leads Sixers comeback, Denver fall again

LOS ANGELES -- Joel Embiid scored 39 points and drained a superb game-winning jump shot with less than two seconds remaining as the Philadelphia 76ers completed a dramatic 120-119 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers on Friday.

The Sixers looked to be heading for defeat after trailing by 21 points in the second quarter, and were down by 13 with less than six minutes remaining in the final period.

But Embiid and James Harden spearheaded a late rally to haul the Sixers back into contention, shutting down the Portland offense while stitching together a run to make it a one-point game with 38 seconds remaining.

And with the clock ticking down, Embiid spun away from the Blazers' Jusuf Nurkic to drain a fadeaway jumper to put the Sixers ahead 120-119, the first time Philadelphia had led during the game.

"I knew I had to get a bucket," Embiid said afterward of his game-winning play. 

"We'd fought the whole game, come back after being down by 20 to make it a one-point game –- you've got to make those plays. 

"But my teammates and my coach trust me to do my job."

Embiid's 39-points came on 13-of-20 shooting and was the latest in a series of dazzling performances by the Cameroonian star. 

Since the start of March, Embiid has averaged nearly 37 points a game, with tallies of 39, 39, 42, 31 and 35 over his last five appearances.

Embiid had scoring support from James Harden with 19 points, while Tyrese Maxey and De'Anthony Melton had 13 each. 

Georges Niang added 12 points off the bench for the Sixers, who trailed 71-56 after a sluggish first half.

- Stuck 'in mud' -

"We just couldn't get going," Sixers coach Doc Rivers said. "We looked like we were in mud in the first half, at both ends. 

"That's a hell of a win for us because we didn't have a lot –- and you could see it. But we just hung in there long enough, and we found a way.”

It was the third time this season that the Sixers, who are third in the Eastern Conference with a 44-22 record, have come back from being down by 20 points to win.

"We don't quit, and we don't give up," Harden said afterward. 

"Obviously you don't want to be down 20, but we try to find ways to stay in the game to give ourselves a chance and that's what we did tonight."

Portland meanwhile was left to reflect on a victory that slipped away at the end after a superb shooting performance from Anfernee Simons, who finished with 34 points on 13-of-22 shooting, including eight three-pointers. 

Jerami Grant added 24 points and Damian Lillard had 22.

Elsewhere Friday, the Western Conference-leading Denver Nuggets suffered a second straight defeat in a 128-120 loss to the San Antonio Spurs in Texas.

The Nuggets, who were beaten 117-96 by lowly Chicago on Wednesday, looked to have put that defeat behind them after outscoring the Spurs 38-26 in the first quarter.

But San Antonio roared back with a 42-point second quarter and outscored Denver 60-53 in the second half to seal a surprise win. 

Keldon Johnson led the Spurs scorers with 23 points, with six other San Antonio players finishing in double figures.

Denver's reigning NBA Most Valuable Player Nikola Jokic recorded a 37-point triple-double -- his 26th of the season.

Despite the loss, Denver remains firmly on pace for top seeding in the Western Conference playoffs, leading second-placed Sacramento by six games with a 46-21 record.

In Miami, Jimmy Butler led a fourth-quarter rally to help the Heat claim a 119-115 win over Cleveland despite a 42-point showing from the Cavaliers' Donovan Mitchell.

Miami outscored the Cavs 37-26 in the final frame, with Butler scoring 12 points as part of a 33-point display to get the Heat over the line. 

Elsewhere Friday, Brooklyn downed the Minnesota Timberwolves 124-123 in overtime while the Atlanta Hawks claimed a 114-107 road win over the Washington Wizards.

Agence France-Presse

NBA: Trae Young pours in 46 as Hawks handle Blazers

Trae Young scored 46 points and helped the Atlanta Hawks come back from a 15-point, third-quarter deficit for a 122-113 win over the visiting Portland Trail Blazers on Monday.

The Hawks (34-34) climbed back to the .500 mark for the first time since mid-December.

Young, who had 47 points against the Indiana Pacers on Sunday, sank five 3-pointers on Monday and shot 11-for-11 at the line. He had 12 assists and six rebounds as the Hawks won their third straight game.

The Trail Blazers were up 73-58 early in the third quarter before Atlanta went on a 25-4 run. Young scored 21 in the period and the Hawks led 89-84 going into the fourth quarter.

The Hawks led by as many as 11 in the final period, but Portland cut the deficit to 113-111 with 1:48 left on a basket by Keon Johnson.

De'Andre Hunter hit a 3-pointer to give the Hawks a five-point lead, then blocked a shot at the other end that led to a Portland 24-second violation. Hunter followed with a driving layup, and the Trail Blazers never got closer than five points again.

Hunter scored 20 points, Kevin Huerter had 14 and Onyeka Okongwu contributed 12 for Atlanta.

Portland's Josh Hart scored 31 points, with 25 of those coming in the first half as the Trail Blazers took a 67-58 lead into the break. Hart, who scored a career-high 44 on Saturday against the Washington Wizards, made 4 of 5 3-point attempts before halftime at Atlanta but went 0 of 2 from long distance in the second half.

Trendon Watford added 22 points and nine rebounds, Brandon Williams scored 20 points and Drew Eubanks amassed 16 points and 10 boards for the Portland.

The Hawks led by as many as seven points in the first quarter, but the Trail Blazers closed the quarter by scoring seven straight points and a 34-29 lead.

Atlanta's John Collins (sore right foot and sprained right ring finger) missed his second game in a row, and Danilo Gallinari sat out due to right Achilles soreness.

-reuters

NBA: Nurkic, Trail Blazers power past Celtics

Jusuf Nurkic had 29 points and 17 rebounds as the visiting Portland Trail Blazers held the Boston Celtics without a field goal for the final 7:19 of the game in a 109-105 victory Friday night.

Robert Covington hit a 3-pointer to give Portland a 103-102 lead with 32 seconds left before Jayson Tatum made 2 foul shots 6 seconds later to put Boston ahead.

Nurkic's hook shot gave the Blazers the lead with 13 seconds left, and he sealed the victory with 2 free throws with 0.8 seconds left.

CJ McCollum contributed 24 points, Anfernee Simons added 21, and Ben McLemore had 12 for Portland, which avenged a 145-117 loss to the Celtics on December 4.

Tatum scored 27 to pace Boston, which lost its 2nd straight and fell 1 game under .500 at 23-24. Jaylen Brown scored 22 points, Grant Williams added 13 and Romeo Langford had 12.

Boston took its biggest lead of the game at 100-89 with 7:19 to play after Langford and Payton Pritchard hit consecutive 3-pointers and Williams scored on a layup.

Portland answered with 11 straight points and tied the game at 100 on Nassir Little's dunk with 1:37 remaining.

Brown made 2 foul shots with 41.5 seconds left to break a Celtics' scoring drought that lasted nearly 7 minutes.

Portland made 6 of its first 8 3-point attempts and took a 30-25 lead into the 2nd quarter. The Blazers extended their lead to 15 before Boston responded with a 22-5 run.

Brown drilled a 3-pointer just before the buzzer to give the Celtics a 58-54 advantage at the half.

Robert Williams III returned following a 2-game absence and had 5 points and 10 rebounds for Boston, which shot 11 of 37 (29.7 percent) from 3-point range.

Tatum was 0-for-6 from 3-point range and has missed his last 20 shots from beyond the arc.

Boston played its sixth straight game without forward Marcus Smart, who is working on his conditioning following a stint in the health and safety protocol.

-reuters

NBA: Trail Blazers hand Rockets 10th straight loss

Damian Lillard scored 20 points, Nassir Little chipped in a double-double off the bench and the Portland Trail Blazers earned their first road win with a 104-92 victory over the Houston Rockets on Friday.

Lillard drilled a pair of third-quarter 3-pointers that helped the Trail Blazers reclaim control after the Rockets cut what was a 14-point deficit to 65-60 on a Jae'Sean Tate basket at the 5:32 mark of the period.

Lillard capped a brief spurt that featured a Robert Covington 3 and two Jusuf Nurkic free throws. A Little dunk put Portland ahead by 17, its largest lead of the night.

Lillard added six rebounds and seven assists to pace a balanced attack for Portland. C.J. McCollum added 17 points, eight rebounds and five assists while Little (13 points, 14 boards) led the bench brigade. The Trail Blazers received 42 points from their reserves.

The Rockets dropped their 10th consecutive game and were undone by their poor shooting. Houston finished 34 for 85 from the floor and missed 25 of 32 3-pointers. 

The Rockets went more than seven minutes without a field goal during one stretch in the second quarter and completed that period shooting 6 of 23 from the floor while missing all six of their 3-pointers.

Tate finished with 14 points and six rebounds despite picking up three quick fouls in the first quarter. Kevin Porter Jr. tallied 18 points, five rebounds and five assists while Christian Wood grabbed 15 rebounds to go along with eight points. Eric Gordon scored 11 off the bench.

Portland seized control with a 26-8 run that bridged the opening two periods, including a 13-2 push that capped the first quarter. Little had seven points and an assist during the closing surge and McCollum beat the buzzer to give the Trail Blazers a 30-27 lead entering the second.

A Lillard 3 pushed the Portland lead to 43-33 before the Trail Blazers went more than three minutes without a field goal. But the Rockets endured an even longer drought and, despite a Wood putback just prior to the first-half buzzer, Houston trailed 55-45 at the intermission.

The Trail Blazers had been 0-6 on the road this season.

-reuters 

Steph or Seth Curry? Coin flip to decide who mom, dad represent

Dell Curry was standing near the loading dock at the Pepsi Center in Denver when Trail Blazers guard CJ McCollum approached, gave him a big hug and asked, “Which shirt are you wearing?” for the Western Conference final.

“Got to flip a coin,” Curry responded.


Literally.

With sons Stephen and Seth Curry becoming the first siblings to face each other in an NBA conference final, it’s a dilemma most any parent would love.

Dell and his wife, Sonya, decided wearing a split jersey with the Warriors and Blazers would be “too easy.” Instead, they’ll flip a coin before each game in the best-of-seven series to determine which team they’ll represent.

Stephen Curry can’t imagine how this might feel for his folks.

“I just know watching Seth play I get nervous watching him like on TV and stuff,” Stephen said after practice Monday. “For them, it’s family and parents who supported us all the way through the ranks.”

The parents’ routine will go something like this: If Sonya flips heads, she will wear Blazers attire to support Seth, while Dell wears Stephen’s Warriors colors. If the coin lands on tails, she’ll dress in Warriors clothing while Dell dons Blazers gear.

The next game Dell gets to flip the coin, and so on — until the series is decided.

So who gets to flip the coin for Game 1 on Tuesday night?

“Well, we have to flip to see who flips first,” Dell said with a laugh. “There’s going to be a lot of coin flipping going on.”


And a lot of traveling.

Dell and Sonya Curry plan to attend every game, sitting with Stephen’s wife Ayesha at Warriors home games and with Seth’s fiancée Callie Rogers when the Blazers host.

“They’re like the Royal Family of the NBA,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said Monday. “It’s incredible. There they are, Steph and Seth, both having all this success. As parents, they must be having the time of their lives. Actually I know they are because I’ve talked to them about it. What a beautiful scene. I’m sure it will be conflicting for them this next couple of weeks but what a great story.”

Dell, who played 16 seasons in the NBA and is currently a TV analyst for the Charlotte Hornets, said the entire situation is just a bit unnerving for him.

“I normally don’t get nervous for games when either one of them play,” he said. “But I got a little nervous knowing how they’re going to play against each other.”

As hard as this will be on the parents, Dell knows it will be even more difficult for his sons.

“It’s going to be tough to put everything aside and battle each other because as siblings they want each other to do well,” Dell said. “They watch each other’s games and cheer for each other.”

Earlier this year, the Curry boys competed against each other in the 3-point shootout at the All-Star Game in their hometown of Charlotte, with 31-year-old Steph getting the best of his younger brother.

Seth, 28, said it’s hard to believe they’ll now meet in the playoffs.

“So many years I’ve watched Steph play in the Western Conference final, the NBA Finals, being in the crowd,” Seth Curry said. “It’s going to be fun to be out there on the court, competing, to get to that final. It’s a dream come true for us, but our families are going to have a lot of fun as well.” 



Steph Curry has been to the NBA Finals four times, winning three with the Warriors. This is his brother’s first playoff run.

“It would be great for Seth to get a (championship) ring, but we can’t root for one son over the other,” 54-year-old Dell Curry said. “We’re just going to let it play out and have fun watching them both play.”

Big brother is proud.

“He’s had a very interesting journey to get to where he’s at, dealing with some significant injuries and surgeries as well where he missed two entire years basically coming out of college and this past year,” Stephen said. “For him to just grind and understand that he belongs on this level, it’s just we’re going to take a different path. His confidence in himself never wavered.”

Dell said it’s been fun, and exhausting.

The Currys have been jetting around the country for the last month on commercial flights, back and forth between Oakland, Portland, Los Angeles, Denver and Houston to see their sons play. They’ve attended 21 of their sons’ combined 24 playoff games, only missing two Blazers’ first-round games in Oklahoma City and one second-round game in Denver.

Sometimes, Dell and Sonya wake up in a hotel unsure of what city they’re in.

“Everybody says to us, ‘You guys have to be tired,'” Dell said. “I’m like, ‘Well, we’ll probably sleep for a week when it’s over.'”

source: sports.inquirer.net

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

Last-place Grizzlies stun Blazers

MEMPHIS, Tenn. — With a 10-day contract to make an impression, MarShon Brooks got off to a very nice start.

Brooks scored 14 of his 21 points in the fourth quarter in his first game with Memphis, helping the last-place Grizzlies beat the Portland Trail Blazers 108-103 on Wednesday night.

Brooks made each of his four 3-point attempts in the final period in his first NBA appearance since April 16, 2014, with the Lakers. He signed a 10-day contract with Memphis on Tuesday.

“You don’t really have time to get comfortable on a 10-day. You just don’t,” Brooks said. “Thank God I made shots. That helps.”

Brooks, who averaged 36.6 points for the Jiangsu Dragons of the Chinese Basketball Association this year, was 7 for 12 from the field.

Dillon Brooks had 18 points for the Grizzlies (21-54), who trailed 93-86 with 7 minutes left. Chandler Parsons finished with 15 in Memphis’ second straight win.

CJ McCollum led Portland (46-29) with 42 points, and Wade Baldwin IV added 15 points on 5-for-6 shooting.

The Trail Blazers went 3 for 8 at the line in the final 7 minutes. A handful of turnovers in the fourth only made matters worse.

“In the fourth quarter, you have to make free throws,” Portland coach Terry Stotts said. “You can’t miss free throws, and you have to guard better. You can’t give up 32 points in the fourth quarter and have turnovers and missed free throws. Not going to win many games like that.”

Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard, who had 41 points in Tuesday’s win over New Orleans, was not with the team after the birth of his son.

TIP-INS

Trail Blazers: Played their third game in four days. … Shabazz Napier started his eighth game of the season in place of Lillard. … Portland had won seven in a row on the road. … The Blazers have scored at least 100 points in 18 straight games. … McCollum’s 42 points were his second-highest of the season. He scored 50 on Jan. 31 against Chicago.


Grizzlies: Had not won consecutive games since a three-game winning streak from Jan. 15-19. … Jarell Martin had a career-high 14 rebounds. … Of Memphis’ 21 victories this season, 11 have come against teams currently in playoff spots.

PLAYOFF WATCH

The Trail Blazers hold a two-game lead over fourth-place Oklahoma City in the Western Conference standings.

DRAFT WATCH

The Grizzlies moved into a tie with Atlanta for the second-worst record in the NBA. The Hawks lost Wednesday night to Minnesota. Both still have a better record than the Phoenix Suns.

LAST WORD

“He’s a bucket-getter.” — Memphis interim coach J.B. Bickerstaff on MarShon Brooks.

UP NEXT

Trail Blazers: Host the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday

Grizzlies: Play the Jazz in Utah on Friday.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Warriors advance with rout of Trail Blazers

LOS ANGELES—The Golden State Warriors punched their ticket to the second round of the NBA playoffs in emphatic style on Monday (Tuesday, Manila), with a 128-103 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers.

Stephen Curry scored 37 points with eight assists and seven rebounds before sitting out the fourth quarter as the Warriors wrapped up a four-game sweep of the best-of-seven Western Conference first-round series.

The Warriors’ 45 first-quarter points tied the NBA record for the most points scored in the opening period of a playoff game.

Kevin Durant, sidelined the past two games with a left calf injury, scored 10 points in 20 minutes on the floor.

In the next round the Warriors will face either the Los Angeles Clippers or Utah Jazz, whose series was knotted at two games apiece.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Clippers Big 3 dominate Blazers

LOS ANGELES – Chris Paul had 28 points and 11 assists as one of three Clippers with a double-double, leading Los Angeles to a 115-95 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers in the opener of their first-round playoff series Sunday (Monday Manila time).

Blake Griffin had 19 points and 12 rebounds, DeAndre Jordan added 18 points and 12 rebounds and J.J. Redick had 17 points. The Clippers are 6-0 with Griffin in the lineup since he returned from a 45-game absence two weeks ago.

Damian Lillard led the Blazers with 21 points, while backcourt mate CJ McCollum was held to nine points. They combined to average 45.9 points this season, third-highest by any duo in the NBA. Against the Clippers, they shot a combined 10 of 28.

Game 2 is Wednesday night at Staples Center.

Led by Paul and Griffin, the Clippers were their flashy Lob City selves – dunking, scoring in transition and diving after loose balls. The Blazers never got untracked while shooting under 40 percent for much of the game. Their only lead was by one point in the second quarter of the first postseason meeting between the teams.

The Clippers shot 54 percent, owned a 48-34 edge in the paint, and outscored Portland 30-13 over both halves to lead 65-48 in the third.

Griffin slammed down two dunks over Mason Plumlee early in the quarter, the second on a two-handed jam with Plumlee hanging off Griffin’s right side that drew a foul.

Midway through the second quarter, Paul scored 12 of the Clippers’ last 15 points to give them a 50-42 lead at the break. Their defense held Portland to seven points over the final 5:50 of the quarter.

Griffin dominated in the first quarter during a 16-7 run that gave the Clippers an eight-point lead, their largest of the first half. He scored eight points, dunking one-handed after knocking down Lillard and getting fouled hard by Plumlee on his way to the basket.

There was a mass exodus with the Clippers leading by 18 with 3:14 left in the game.

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

NBA: Grizzlies’ Gasol to miss rest of season after foot op

WASHINGTON, United States — Memphis Grizzlies center Marc Gasol has had surgery on his broken right foot and will miss the rest of the NBA season, the team said on Tuesday.

The Grizzlies said Spain’s Gasol had surgery on Saturday. The towering center exited early from a February 8 defeat to the Portland Trail Blazers, but had complained of pain in the days before that.

An MRI scan then confirmed a fracture in his right foot.

Gasol played in 52 games this season and finished his campaign with averages of 16.6 points, 7.0 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.35 blocks in 34.4 minutes per game.

“Marc remains a cornerstone of our franchise and we are pleased to hear that the surgery went according to plan,” Grizzlies General Manager Chris Wallace said.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Thompson, Curry tow Warriors to 128-108 win over Blazers

PORTLAND, Ore. — Klay Thompson scored 36 points, making seven 3-pointers, and the Golden State Warriors beat the Portland Trail Blazers 128-108 on Friday night for their fifth straight victory.

Reigning league MVP Stephen Curry added 26 points and nine assists in three quarters for the Warriors (34-2), who led by as many as 25 points and made 18 3-pointers. Draymond Green finished with 11 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists for his eighth triple-double of the season.

Curry started despite continued soreness from a bruised left shin that kept him out of a pair of games late last month. He aggravated the injury again when he crashed into Roy Hibbert on Tuesday night and sat out the fourth quarter of Golden State’s 109-98 victory at the Los Angeles Lakers.

Damian Lillard had a season-high 40 points and 10 assists for Portland, which dropped its third straight.

The Warriors remained unbeaten since a 114-91 defeat at Dallas on Dec. 30.

Portland was coming off a 109-98 loss at home to the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday. The loss was notable because starter CJ McCollum was mistakenly left off the active roster turned in before the game and was forced to sit out.

The Warriors jumped out to a 12-2 lead at the start while Portland missed its first nine shots from the field. There was a brief tense moment when Curry collided with Noah Vonleh and came up gingerly.

Green’s fast-break dunk put the Warriors up 24-9 and Thompson had five 3-pointers and 19 points in the opening quarter as Golden State led 38-21.

The Warriors led 74-52 at the break, but Portland opened the third quarter with a 12-4 to cut the margin to 78-65. The threat was short-lived and Golden State stretched the lead to 90-67 after Brandon Rush’s 3-pointer.

It was Thompson’s third straight game with 30 or more points. Rush had a season-high 20 points.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Blazers burn up Heat 99-83 to close on NBA lead

PORTLAND, Oregon — Portland used a big third quarter to beat Miami 99-83 on Thursday, pushing the Trail Blazers closer to the top of the NBA standings.

In the day’s other games, Charlotte won at Toronto while Houston predictably defeated New York, sending the hapless Knicks to their 14th successive loss.

Portland’s LaMarcus Aldridge had 24 points and 12 rebounds, including 10 points in the third, when the Blazers outscored the Heat 33-16 to take control of the game.

Wesley Matthews had 18 points for Portland, which moved a yawning 11 games clear in the Northwest Division and closed within 1-1/2 games of league leader Golden State.

Dwyane Wade led Miami with 23 points.

Charlotte’s Gerald Henderson scored a season-high 31 points and Kemba Walker added 29 to lead the Hornets past Toronto 103-95.

Walker made a jumper from just inside the 3-point line with 19.6 seconds to give the Hornets a six-point lead, all but securing their fourth straight win.

Kyle Lowry’s 24 points, seven assists and seven rebounds led the Raptors, who were coming off a six-game trip.

New York’s 120-96 home defeat by Houston stretched the Knicks’ losing streak to 14; their worst ever within a single season.

The Rockets beat New York for the 11th straight time and handed the Knicks their 24th loss in 25 games.

James Harden had 25 points and nine assists in just three quarters, with the Rockets already up by 24 points at the last break.

Trevor Ariza added 18 points for the Rockets.

Rookie Travis Wear scored a season-high 21 points for New York, which is closing in on its worst-ever losing streak of 20, which straddled the 1984-85 and 1985-86 seasons.

source: sports.inquirer.net