NBA: LeBron has triple-double as Lakers dump Nets

LeBron James totaled 27 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists as the Los Angeles Lakers pulled away in the fourth quarter for a 128-113 victory over the struggling Brooklyn Nets Thursday night in New York.

James posted his 91st career triple-double and 10th this season as the Lakers won for the 12th time in 14 games in front of a crowd that featured former President Bill Clinton and many Los Angeles fans. 

James exited to a standing ovation from many fans after checking out for good with 4:42 remaining and the Lakers up 23.

James shot 11 of 19 from the floor as the Lakers shot 50 percent overall and hit a season-high 19 3-pointers.

James ended the game at 33,626 points, 17 behind Kobe Bryant for third on the all-time scoring list. His first chance at passing Bryant will be Saturday in Philadelphia.

Anthony Davis added 16 points and 11 rebounds to help the Lakers to a 52-41 rebounding margin. Kyle Kuzma also added 16 as the Lakers got 55 points from their bench.

Dwight Howard also posted a double-double with 14 points and 12 rebounds while Danny Green hit four 3-pointers and contributed 14 points.

Kyrie Irving scored 20 points but it was not enough as the Nets dropped their fifth straight game and fell to 2-12 in their last 14 games. 

Taurean Prince added 18 while Caris LeVert contributed 16 as the Nets shot 44 percent and lost despite hitting 21 3-pointers.

The Lakers settled for a 38-35 lead after shooting 58.3 percent in the first quarter and allowing the Nets to end the period on a 13-6 run over the final 2:33. 

The Lakers took the lead for good shortly after James returned in the second quarter, held a 75-70 lead by halftime and took an 88-75 lead after Green sank three 3-pointers in the first 3:58 of the third.

The Nets were within 95-94 on a 3-pointer by Irving with 50 seconds left but Davis and Rajon Rondo hit 3-pointers before Jared Dudley's buzzer-beating 3-pointer pushed the lead to 104-94 lead entering the fourth. 

Los Angeles then finished off the win by starting the final quarter with a 17-2 blitz and took a 121-96 lead on a jumper by James with 5:32 remaining.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Thurman returns to beat Lopez, retain WBA welterweight title

NEW YORK -- Keith Thurman returned from a near two-year layoff to retain his World Boxing Association welterweight world title with a 12-round majority decision over Josesito Lopez on Saturday.

America's Thurman, showing no sign of rust, knocked down Lopez with a massive left hook to the chin in the second as he controlled the early rounds.

He weathered a storm in the middle rounds, with Lopez unleashing a fierce barrage in the seventh that had the champion in trouble.

Thurman was deemed the winner by two judges by scores off 115-111 and 117-109 with the third seeing it a 113-113 draw.

"The champ is back!" said Thurman, who was forced to surrender his World Boxing Council belt as he was idled by injury but retained his WBA "super" world title, one rung above the "regular" WBA belt held by Manny Pacquiao.

Thurman, who improved to 29-0 with 22 wins inside the distance, said he'd be ready to take on the Filipino ring icon before the year is out.

"Maybe Brooklyn, maybe Vegas, wherever Manny Pacquiao wants it," Thurman said. "I'd even fight him in the Philippines if I have to."

Thurman was fighting for the first time since edging Danny Garcia by split decision in March of 2017 to unify two 147-pound titles.

The next month he had surgery to remove calcium deposits from his right elbow, and as he was readying to return to the ring he suffered a left hand injury in March of 2018 that forced him to take more time off.

Nevertheless, he quickly took control against Lopez, moving well against the aggressive challenger and landing solid punches.

But Lopez had him on the run in the seventh, connecting with a huge left hook to Thurman's jaw and backing up the champion.

"He had me buzzed, he had me shaken up," Thurman admitted. "I was trying to stay on the outside. I just was a little off in my prediction of his long arms and the way that he was lunging in, willing to really swing and commit for the knockout. He was coming for me."

- 'World title performance' -

After another solid performance from Lopez in the eighth, Thurman regained control and said he'll only get better from here.

"I told everybody, you're not going to see the best Keith "One-time" Thurman after 22 months, but you will see a world title performance."

On the undercard, Polish-born, Brooklyn-based heavyweight Adam Kownacki remained unbeaten with a spectacular second-round technical knockout of former world title challenger Gerald Washington.

Kownacki improved to 19-0 with 15 wins inside the distance. He sent Washington to the canvas with a massive right hand in the second round. Washington beat the count, but the referee called the halt moments later -- at 1:09 of the second round -- as he failed to put up any defense under a barrage from Kownacki.

In a World Boxing Association featherweight eliminator, Mongolia's unbeaten Tugstsogt Nyambayar improved to 11-0 with nine knockouts with a unanimous 12-round decision over Claudio Marrero.

Nyambayar won by scores of 114-113, 115-112 and 116-111 as Marrero, who had a point deducted for a low blow, fell to 23-3 with 17 wins inside the distance.

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Birthday boy Crabbe scores 41 to lead Nets past Bulls

Allen Crabbe celebrated his 26th birthday by scoring a career-high 41 points as the Brooklyn Nets beat the Chicago Bulls 114-105 Monday night in their final home game of the season at Barclays Center.

Crabbe helped the Nets win three straight for the first time this season by hitting 12 of 15 field goals and 8 of 11 3-point attempts. He scored 29 points in the first half, the most in a half by any Net since Joe Johnson also totaled 29 in the second half against the Philadelphia 76ers on Dec. 16, 2013.

Crabbe posted his team-leading 16th game with at least 20 points and surpassed his previous career best of 34 set Feb. 7 at Detroit. He also joined Vince Carter (2008-09) as the second player in franchise history to hit at least five 3-pointers in three straight games.

D'Angelo Russell added 21 points and 11 assists while Spencer Dinwiddie contributed 20 for Brooklyn, which swept the season series for the first time since 2004-05. The Nets shot 50 percent, made 42.9 percent (18 of 42) of 3-pointers and collected 32 assists, marking the first time they registered at least 30 assists in three straight games since the 2005-06 season.

Sean Kilpatrick, who began the season with Brooklyn, led the Bulls with 16 points. He faced the Nets for the fifth time this season after spending time with the Milwaukee Bucks and Los Angeles Clippers.

Cameron Payne added 15 and Bobby Portis contributed 14 as Chicago lost for the 10th time in 13 games.

Crabbe scored 17 of Brooklyn's 19 points and reached 20 points by the end of the first quarter as the Nets took a 29-26 lead. Crabbe hit five of Brooklyn's six 3-pointers in the opening 12 minutes and reached 29 points as Brooklyn took a 62-55 halftime lead.

Crabbe then hit his sixth 3-pointer with 58 seconds left and topped 30 points by hitting a 3-pointer for a 67-58 lead with 9:08 remaining in the third. He matched his career high by converting a layup with 6:24 remaining for a 74-67 lead and then surpassed it with his eighth 3-pointer nearly two minutes later.

Brooklyn was up 96-90 when Crabbe returned again, and he finished off his big night by hitting a pair of free throws with 68 seconds left to ice the game.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

NBA: LeBron's monster game leads Cavs to rally over Nets

LeBron James totaled 37 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists as the Cleveland Cavaliers made the plays down the stretch and recorded a 121-114 victory over the Brooklyn Nets Sunday at Barclays Center.

James recorded his 45th double-double of the season and 427th career 30-point game as Cleveland won its fifth straight. He shot 14 of 19 from the field and scored seven points in the fourth when the Cavaliers outscored the Nets, 34-25.

James also surpassed 2,000 points for the 10th time in his career but the first time since 2013-14 when he was the Miami Heat. He joined Karl Malone and Michael Jordan as the third player with 10 seasons of at least 2,000 points.

Kevin Love added 20 points and 15 rebounds for his 29th double-double of the season as Cleveland shot 50.6 percent (44 of 87) and made 42.9 percent (12 of 28) from 3-point range.

Jordan Clarkson added 18, George Hill chipped in 17 and Rodney Hood contributed 16 as Cleveland beat the Nets for the 13th time in the last 16 meetings.

Joe Harris scored a career-high 30 points, but the Nets lost for the 14th time when holding a lead or being tied going into the fourth. DeMarre Carroll added 18 as the Nets lost their third straight.

James totaled 22 points by halftime, but the Nets capped the first half with a 10-5 run and held a 62-60 lead after James connected with Hill for a corner 3-pointer just before the buzzer.

The Nets took a 78-69 lead on a 3-pointer by Allen Crabbe with 7:04 remaining in the third. Cleveland countered by scoring the next 10 points to make it a one-point game on a hoop by Hill with 4:29 left. Cleveland was unable to regain the lead and the Nets held an 89-87 advantage going into the fourth.

James returned with 6:17 remaining with the Nets up, 100-99, and following a Hill layup, he threw down a two-handed dunk for a 103-100 lead with 5:40 left. A little over a minute later Hill and James connected for another dunk to push Cleveland's lead to 107-100.

After a Harris 3-pointer made it 111-105, Hood hit a 3-pointer for a nine-point lead with 2:37 left. A layup by Rondae Hollis-Jefferson made it 116-111 with 61 seconds left but James hit a long 3-pointer from the right side over Carroll with 39.7 seconds left for a 119-111 edge.

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Pacers send Nets to seventh straight loss

Victor Oladipo scored 25 points as the Indiana Pacers defeated the Brooklyn Nets 108-103 Wednesday night at Barclays Center in New York.

Oladipo shot 9-of-24 from the floor but made enough plays to help Indiana win for the 14th time in the last 20 games. He pushed the Pacers ahead 101-97 by converting a layup with 50.5 seconds remaining, and the Nets never came closer.

Cory Joseph added 15 and 11 rebounds while former Net Bojan Bogdanovic contributed 14 as Indiana beat Brooklyn for the seventh straight time, in a game that featured 29 lead changes and 17 ties.

Thaddeus Young, who also used to play for Brooklyn, added 13, as did Al Jefferson. Myles Turner totaled 11 points and 14 rebounds, helping Indiana to a 52-44 edge on the glass.

Allen Crabbe scored 24 points for the Nets, who dropped their season-high seventh straight game and lost for the 11th time in 12 games since Jan. 21. DeMarre Carroll added 21 while D'Angelo Russell contributed 18 as Brooklyn shot 42.2 percent and missed nine consecutive shots from the field in the final four minutes before a 3 with 25 seconds left.

A tight first half featured 12 ties and 20 lead changes as neither team held more than a four-point lead. The half ended with Bogdanovic hitting a 3-pointer with 2.1 seconds left for a 54-54 deadlock.

Oladipo was 3-for-9 in the first half but scored nine straight points to give Indiana a 67-61 lead with 6:07 remaining in the third. The lead grew to 71-63 on a dunk by Young two minutes later but the Nets scored the next eight points and forged a 71-71 tie on Carroll's 3-pointer with 2:12 remaining.

After Oladipo missed a 3-pointer, Russell drove through the lane for a 73-71 lead with 1:36 left. Following another Oladipo miss, Harris hit a 3-pointer from the top of the key with 1:03 left and another Carroll 3-pointer with 31.1 seconds left capped a 16-2 run and gave Brooklyn a 79-73 lead heading into the fourth.

The Nets held a 95-93 lead on Crabbe's 3-pointer with 4:09 left before going cold.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

NBA: Drummond dominates in Pistons' rout of Nets

Andre Drummond recorded the 16th 20-20 game of his career with 22 points and 20 rebounds, as the Detroit Pistons cruised to a 114-80 victory over the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday.

Drummond also contributed five assists and two blocked shots. Tobias Harris scored 22 points on 10-for-14 shooting from the field.

"Definitely a milestone night for me to have those type of numbers," Drummond told a broadcast crew during his postgame interview. "Just went out there and played hard. That was really it."

Dwight Buycks scored a career-high 17 points and rookie Luke Kennard and Avery Bradley added 13 points apiece for the Pistons (22-18), who snapped a five-game road losing streak.

"In the previous games we played on the road, we allowed them to get us first, come out early and set a tone," Drummond said. "I think we did a good job of really setting the tone early in that first quarter, really establishing ourselves, and kind of just rolling the rest of the way through."


Allen Crabbe paced the Nets (15-26) with 20 points. Rondae Hollis-Jefferson tossed in 15 points and Caris LeVert added 12 off the bench for Brooklyn.

The Pistons shot 51.6 percent from the field (48 of 93), while the Nets were held to 36.5 percent shooting (27 of 74).

Harris got Detroit off to a good start with 14 first-quarter points. The Pistons took control for good late in that frame, once Pistons coach Stan Van Gundy went to his bench. A Kennard basket started a 29-7 run to put the Pistons on top 53-31 with 5:19 left in the half. Buycks supplied eight points during the outburst.

From there, the game was never in doubt. Detroit led, 63-41, at halftime with Drummond already piling up 18 points and 13 rebounds.

Bradley's bucket with three minutes remaining in the third quarter pushed the lead to 30, 85-55. It moved to a 40-point spread at 104-64 with 8:20 left on a Kennard steal and dunk.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

NBA: Raptors outlast Nets in overtime after blowing lead

DeMar DeRozan scored 35 points and converted the tiebreaking 3-point play with 26.1 seconds left in overtime as the Toronto Raptors blew a 10-point lead late in the fourth quarter and outlasted the Brooklyn Nets for a 114-113 victory Monday at Barclays Center in New York.

DeRozan missed a 23-foot jumper as time expired in regulation and his first four of his first five shots of overtime. The shooting guard capped a 14-of-30 performance with a 13-footer with 89 seconds left and then made the game-winning 3-point play.

After DeRozan scored his final points, Brooklyn guard Spencer Dinwiddie missed a layup in the final seconds.

Jonas Valanciunas added 21 points and 13 rebounds for the Raptors (28-10) who won for the 11th time in 13 games and beat the Nets for the 10th straight time.

Point guard Kyle Lowry added 18 points and 11 assists for his 13th double-double but also was helped back to the locker room after taking a hard fall with about a minute left in overtime.


Dinwiddie scored 21 of his career-high 31 points after the third quarter for the Nets (15-25), who shot 39 percent and committed 16 turnovers. Dinwiddie also scored 10 points in the final 4:40 of regulation as the Nets overcame a 10-point deficit.

Allen Crabbe added 20 points and hit four 3-pointers while Rondae Hollis-Jefferson posted a double-double with 14 points and a season-best 17 rebounds. Rookie Jarrett Allen added 14 points for Brooklyn, which played without DeMarre Carroll (right knee).

Valanciunas' basket with 4:40 remaining gave the Raptors a 10-point lead, but Dinwiddie hit a 3-pointer with 40.3 seconds left to make it 107-105, and the Nets tied the game on Crabbe's drive with nine seconds to play.

The game reached overtime when DeRozan missed a 23-footer at the buzzer.

The Nets took a 111-107 lead in the opening minute of the extra period on a dunk by Dinwiddie and a layup by Hollis-Jefferson before DeRozan scored the final five points for Toronto.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

NBA: Curry scores 39 to power Durant-less Warriors over Nets

NEW YORK -- Stephen Curry scored a season-high 39 points, grabbed 11 rebounds and passed out seven assists before fouling out Sunday as the defending NBA champion Golden State Warriors won, 118-111, at Brooklyn.

A day after rallying from a 24-point deficit to beat Philadelphia, the Warriors surged ahead by as many as 28 points early in the second half before the Nets battled back and Curry was out for the last three minutes.

"It was a good learning experience for him," Warriors coach Steve Kerr said of Curry. "I thought, obviously, he was brilliant in terms of his scoring and shot-making. I thought his second half, he got a little wild.

"We had to withstand their run, and luckily we did with good execution in the last few minutes after Steph Curry went out."

The Warriors improved to 13-4, matching Houston for the best record in the Western Conference with their ninth victory in 10 games, despite the absence of star forward Kevin Durant with a left ankle sprain.


Curry said trying to be aggressive with Durant out led to his 11th career fouling out in the NBA.

"You'd love to have those plays back, but I loved the aggressiveness I had on those possessions," Curry said. "You don't like to foul out, but it was kind of how I tried to bring that intensity the whole game."

Golden State's Klay Thompson had 23 points and 10 rebounds and sank a 3-pointer in his 71st consecutive game while Allan Crabbe had 25 points to lead the Nets (6-10), who suffered their eighth loss in 11 games.

Injuries

Durant and Washington guard John Wall were sidelined Sunday with injuries.

Durant, who suffered a sprained left ankle in the Warriors' 124-116 victory Saturday at Philadelphia, is averaging 24.9 points, 7.0 rebounds and 4.9 assists in 15 games.

His absence comes three days before Golden State plays at Oklahoma City against Durant's former club.

Wall, averaging 19.9 points and 9.3 assists a game, was benched with a swollen left knee. A fluid buildup has been lingering for about a week.

In other games, DeMar DeRozan scored 33 points, grabbed eight rebounds and added six assists to spark the Toronto Raptors over visiting Washington, 100-91.

C.J. Miles added 12 points for the Raptors (11-5), who stretched their win streak to four games, while Bradley Beal led Washington (9-7) with 27 points.

Wall also missed the Wizards' visit to Toronto two weeks ago.

Triple double for Ball

Los Angeles Lakers guard Lonzo Ball managed his second career triple double with 11 points, 11 assists and an NBA rookie season-best 16 rebounds as the hosts downed Denver, 127-109. Lakers reserve Julius Randle led seven double-digit scorers on each team with 24 points.

Bojan Bogdanovic scored 26 points and Myles Turner added 25 as the Indiana Pacers ended their six-game Miami losing streak by downing the host Heat, 120-95. The Pacers made 60 percent of shots from the floor in their most lopsided victory of the season.

Andre Drummond delivered 20 points and 16 rebounds while Avery Bradley and Tobias Harris each added 18 points to lead the Detroit Pistons to a 100-97 triumph at Minnesota, while T.J. Warren scored 27 points to lead the Phoenix Suns over visiting Chicago, 113-105.

Philadelphia 76ers guard Markelle Fultz, the top pick in this year's NBA Draft, will miss at least two more weeks with a shoulder injury, the 76ers said.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Frampton wins slugfest over Santa Cruz to claim WBA title

NEW YORK -- Carl Frampton defeated Mexico's Leo Santa Cruz by a majority decision Saturday to claim the WBA featherweight crown and become the first boxer from Northern Ireland to win titles in two divisions.

The challenger Frampton improved to 23-0 with 14 knockouts as he had to overcome a height and weight disadvantage in one of the few times in his career he has moved up to fight at 126 pounds.

"It is a dream come true," said Frampton, who was born in Belfast. "I had a dream of winning a world title and I won it.

"I won it with my heart, not with my head. I got my hand raised."

The 29-year-old Frampton controlled the fight between the two undefeated boxers in the early rounds, landing a punishing left hook in the second round that sent the champ backpedaling across the ring.

He then held on for the win as Santa Cruz gained steam in the middle rounds before the two closed it out by exchanging heavy blows in the middle of the ring as the final bell rang.

One judge scored it even, 114-114, while the other two gave it to Frampton 117-111 and 116-112.

Frampton previously held the IBF and WBA super-bantamweight titles.

Frampton punctuated his impressive early round performance by staggering the champion in the second round with a left hook. His short counter shot slammed into the right side of Santa Cruz's head, sending the Mexican stumbling backwards into the ropes with 45 seconds left in the round.

Frampton then padded his lead by winning the next three rounds before Santa Cruz turned it on in the sixth, which proved to be one of his best rounds of the fight as he landed some solid combination punches.

But Santa Cruz's inability to score enough points in the early going caught up to him as Frampton did not tire in the later rounds.

- 'Get him in rematch' -

"He has a difficult style, but we know his style and will get him in the rematch," Santa Cruz said.

Santa Cruz had considered pulling out of the fight a few months ago because his father and trainer, Jose Santa Cruz, is battling bone cancer.

But dad was at his son's side on Saturday night as the trainer continues to wage the fight of his life against the disease.

Leo Santa Cruz (32-1-1, 18 knockouts) suffered the first defeat of his career, losing the belt he won also by a majority decision when he beat Abner Mares last August. He defended it five months ago when he stopped Kiko Martinez in five rounds.

Frampton won the 126 pound title despite giving away two inches in height and four inches in reach to Santa Cruz.

He is now 5-0 in title fights and 8-0 in fights above 122 pounds.

The crowd of 9,062 at the Barclays Center arena included four-time major championship winning golfer Rory McIlroy.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Wilder retains WBC title with Szpilka knockout

American heavyweight world champion Deontay Wilder defended his WBC title with a knockout of Artur Szpilka at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York on Saturday.

More drama followed the contest when WBA and WBO Heavyweight champion Tyson Fury climbed into the ring and said he wanted to fight Wilder in a unification bout.

Szpilka, who was bidding to become Poland's first world heavyweight champion, made it a close battle before absorbing a tough right hand to the chin with 2:24 left in the ninth round.

Szpilka (20-2) was unconscious for a few moments before recovering following the bout.

Wilder (36-0) displayed his power yet again and has now knocked out 35 opponents in 36 fights.

"He was definitely a crafty guy," Wilder told reporters. "I haven't competed against a southpaw in three years. He was a tough competitor, but you're fighting for a world title. It's not supposed to be easy. I'm surprised it took that long, but we had 12 rounds and they all can't be pretty."

Wilder is the first American heavyweight champion in nearly a decade.

In an earlier showdown, Charles Martin won the IBF Heavyweight World Championship after Vyacheslav Glazkov suffered a reported torn right ACL injury in the third round and had to retire from the match.

Martin (23-0-1) becomes the second current American heavyweight titlist.

Glazkov (21-1-1), a previously unbeaten Ukrainian, slipped early in the third and never recovered. He fell to the canvas later after throwing a punch.

"I still wanted to fight," Martin said. "We trained for 12 rounds and we were going to get stronger as the rounds went on. I'm sorry for him. It's unfortunate he couldn't continue the fight."

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Curry sparks Warriors past Nets for win No. 22

The Golden State Warriors improved to 22-0 on Sunday with a 114-98 victory over the Brooklyn Nets, with guard Stephen Curry scoring 11 of his 28 points in the final 2:10 of the third quarter.

The Warriors opened the game with a 25-8 lead and held a 15-point lead with 1:49 remaining in the first half, but Curry went on his scoring spree after Golden State faced a trio of five-point deficits.

His timely spree featured a mix of aggressive moves and effective perimeter play.

"It's pretty purposeful just trying to see if I can get some room and figure out a way to impact the game," Curry said.


"Things started to click. We were down three at the time or something like that, so we just needed a little life. We like to close quarters out strong, and we were obviously able to do that, get a nice lead and not look back from there."

A minute after Shane Larkin's three-pointer gave the Nets a 75-70 lead, Curry hit a driving bank shot for a 76-76 deadlock.

On the next possession, Curry gave the Warriors the lead for good with an uncontested three-pointer.

He finished the quarter by finding center Festus Ezeli for an alley-oop dunk before converting a three-point play and knocking down a three-pointer with 1.9 seconds left for an 87-80 edge.

"It's a show," Golden State reserve forward Marreese Speights said of Curry's performances. "We're just like fans on the bench enjoying the show every time he gets going."

"When he needed to, he stepped up and put the dagger in us. He's a great player," said Brooklyn coach Lionel Hollins.

The Warriors did not look back, seizing control early in the fourth due to their reserves.

Curry and backcourt mate Klay Thompson sat for the first six minutes as the Warriors took a 106-89 lead, getting their first 19 points of the quarter from the second unit.

Curry and Thompson returned but neither player was needed on the second night of a back-to-back.

While Curry helped the Warriors finish off the win, Thompson got it started. He scored 12 of his 21 points when Golden State appeared on its way to a runaway in the opening quarter. Forward Draymond Green finished with 22 points, nine rebounds and seven assists.

"We got stops and got out and ran," Green said. "Once we run, it's tough to stop us, and 30 (Curry) was 30 (Curry)."

Ezeli scored 12 points and guard Leandro Barbosa contributed eight of his 11 early in the fourth.

Golden State shot 51 percent and made 14 of 33 3-pointers while getting a standing ovation from most of the fans at Barclays Center after the final buzzer. The Warriors posted their 26th consecutive regular-season victory dating to April 9 and 12th road win of the season.

The Nets (5-15) started the Sunday game as a duplicate of Friday's ugly loss to the New York Knicks. After falling behind 17 in the opening quarter, Brooklyn scored the final 12 points of the first half, getting within 57-54 on a three-pointer by forward Joe Johnson in the final seconds.

Forward Thaddeus Young led the Nets with 25 points, with two of his baskets giving the Nets leads of 66-61 and 68-63 a few minutes before Curry's flurry.

Center Brook Lopez added 18 three weeks after missing the game-winner in regulation of Brooklyn's eight-point overtime loss at Golden State.

"We've got to calm the flame down," Young said. "Once he starts to get going, starts to get in his rhythm, it's hard to stop the whole team. They're a good team. They wouldn't be 22-0 if they weren't a good team." (Editing by Peter Rutherford)

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Hawks soar over Nets to seal series victory

Paul Millsap collected 25 points, nine rebounds and six assists as the Atlanta Hawks closed out their first round playoff series against the Brooklyn Nets with a 111-87 road victory in Game Six on Friday.

Kyle Korver had his best postseason game from behind the arc by hitting six three-pointers while scoring 20 points for Atlanta, who advanced past the first round for the first time since 2011 with a 4-2 victory in the best-of-seven series.

DeMarre Carroll finished with 20 points and point guard Jeff Teague set a playoff career-best with 13 assists.

The Hawks will host the Washington Wizards in Game One of the Eastern Conference semi-finals on Sunday.

Brook Lopez scored 19 points for the Nets, who were two wins away from becoming the sixth eighth seed to win a first-round series and the second team with a losing regular-season record (38-44) to win a postseason series.

The Nets had won Games Three and Four at home to make things interesting against top-seeded Atlanta but were unable to match the Hawks in the final two contests.

After falling behind early, the Hawks led for the final 45:31 and left little doubt about the outcome, outscoring Brooklyn 41-21 in the third quarter to blow the game wide open. (Editing by John O'Brien)

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

WATCH: Minnesota's Lavine wows in Slam Dunk Contest

MANILA, Philippines – Minnesota Timberwolves rookie Zach LaVine used the Slam Dunk Contest as his personal coming-out party as he wowed the Barclays Center crowd with four spectacular jams Saturday at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn (Sunday in Manila).

The 19-year-old LaVine, who played one season in UCLA before being picked 13th overall by Minnesota in the 2014 Draft, made a statement with his very first dunk.

Dunking last in the four-player field, LaVine donned a replica of Michael Jordan's Space Jam jersey, then completed an off-the-bounce, between-the-legs reverse dunk that brought the crowd to its feet. The sensational slam got all 10s from the judges.

For his second dunk, the high-flying LaVine needed only one try to complete another off-the-bounce slam dunk, this time bringing the ball behind his back before throwing it down to get another 50.

He easily advanced to the final, where he faced off against Orlando Magic's Victor Oladipo, who earlier wowed the crowd with a"540" reverse dunk.

Oladipo tried to dunk over teammate Elfrid Payton for his first dunk of the championship round, but could not complete the jam in three tries and settled for a score of 31.

LaVine, for his part, got some help from teammate Andrew Wiggins, the top pick in the 2014 Draft. LaVine grabbed the ball from Wiggins' hand and threw down another between-the-legs slam dunk in effortless fashion.

Oladipo proceeded to miss two dunks before settling for an impressive behind-the-backboard slam, for which he received a score of 41.

LaVine then put a capper to his show with another impressive throwdown, as he caught the ball off a pass that his teammate threw off the side of the basket stanchion, and put it between his legs for the slam as the crowd went crazy.

The judges gave LaVine a 49 for the dunk.

The other competitors, Mason Plumlee and Giannis Antetokounmpo, were eliminated after each throwing down a pair of underwhelming dunks in the first round.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

'King' James to play Monday before Prince William

NEW YORK -- Prince William and his pregnant wife Kate will attend their first NBA game Monday during a three-day US visit when LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers visit the Brooklyn Nets.

The four-time NBA Most Valuable Player nicknamed "King James" said it would be a "huge honor" to play before the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge when he leads the Cavaliers in search of their seventh win in a row at the Barclays Center.

"You read about people like them only in books growing up," James said. "To hear that they're coming to town to see me play and they want to see me do what I do best, it's a huge honor."

The NBA said Sunday the royal couple will attend the game as part of a new partnership between the league and the Royal Foundation, a project linking the league's NBA Cares program with the foundation's United for Wildlife and Coach Core programs.

The projects will unite NBA players and England's royalty to stress global wildlife conservation, develop a new generation of conservation leaders and boost the sport of basketball.

"I think it's great different people from different parts of the world want to come see great stars like LeBron and want to see the great game of basketball here in the United States," Cavaliers coach David Blatt said.

"That's a blessing for all of us."

New York Knicks star Carmelo Anthony will take part in a Coach Core graduation event to develop new basketball coaches when his team visits London to play the Milwaukee Bucks on January 14 in a regular-season matchup.

United for Wildlife efforts, led by Prince William, will receive a boost from NBA stars as Spanish Olympian Serge Ibaka of the Oklahoma City Thunder, retired African NBA legend Dikembe Mutombo and two-time NBA All-Star Al Horford of Atlanta.

They join a lineup of conversation boosters that includes English football icon David Beckham, Scottish tennis star Andy Murray, Formula One star Lewis Hamilton and retired Chinese NBA star Yao Ming.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Nets beat Raptors to extend series lead, 2-1

Forward Joe Johnson scored 21 of his 29 points in the second half and the Brooklyn Nets opened a 2-1 series lead over the Toronto Raptors by holding on for a 102-98 victory at Barclays Center in Game Three of the Eastern Conference quarter-finals.

Johnson continued his strong showing in this series by shooting 11-of-17, taking him to 26-of-43 in this series with 67 points.

Toronto was within 97-93 after guard DeMar DeRozan made two free throws with 43.9 seconds remaining and after point guard Deron Williams missed a pair with 40.7 seconds left, DeRozan split the defense for a layup, drew a sixth foul on center Kevin Garnett and hit the foul shot with 34.3 seconds remaining, cutting the deficit to 97-96.

With 20.4 seconds remaining, guard Shaun Livingston split a pair at the line and it was 98-96. Reserve forward Patrick Patterson had a chance for the tie but missed both free throws with 19 seconds remaining and the Nets gained possession after Johnson tapped out the rebound.

The Nets sealed the win by getting two free throws by forward Paul Pierce and Johnson sandwiched around a put-back layup by forward Amir Johnson.

Williams added 22 points and handed out eight assists while forward Pierce spearheaded the third quarter by contributing eight of his 18.

DeRozan led the Raptors with 30 points.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com