NBA: Doncic, Irving carry Mavs past Clippers to advance to second round

DALLAS (AP) — Luka Doncic had 28 points and 13 assists, Kyrie Irving scored 28 of his 30 points in a second-half surge and the Dallas Mavericks advanced to the second round of the playoffs with a 114-101 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday night.

Doncic pushed through another rough shooting night with his ailing right knee to do what the Slovenian superstar couldn't three years earlier — close out the Clippers in Dallas in Game 6 of a first-round series.

The fifth-seeded Mavericks beat the Clippers for the first time in three first-round tries over the past five seasons and will open the Western Conference semifinals at the top seed, Oklahoma City, on Tuesday night.

Paul George had 18 points and 11 rebounds for the Clippers, who won the first two times they played without Kawhi Leonard in the series but didn't have enough scoring punch in the last two he was sidelined by right knee inflammation.

James Harden had 16 points and 13 assists but was just 5 of 16 from the field and missed all six of his 3-pointers as LA was eliminated in the first round for the second consecutive season.

Irving, Doncic's co-star added at the trade deadline last year for the kind of playoff run the Mavs hope they just started, gave Dallas its biggest lead with a flashy four-point play when he hit a leaning 3-pointer as he was bumped by P.J. Tucker, and made the free throw for a 106-82 lead.

The Clippers answered with an 11-2 run to get within 13 but never seriously threatened a big comeback in the final minutes.

The Mavs broke a 52-52 halftime tie by outscoring the Clippers 35-20 in the third quarter — the same quarter that fueled the Game 5 win in Los Angeles for a chance to clinch — and pushed the lead to 20 early in the fourth.

Doncic, who also has dealt with illness in addition to a sore knee, started 0 of 7 from 3-point range to drop below 25% for the series but made his first try of the second half to start the third-quarter surge.

The NBA scoring champion was 9 of 26 from the field and just 1 of 10 from 3 while going 9 of 11 on free throws. Irving was 10 of 13 from the field after halftime.

Norman Powell scored 20 for the Clippers, and Ivica Zubac had 17 points and 11 rebounds.

P.J. Washington scored 14 points with some big 3-pointers for the Mavs, going 4 of 8 from deep, and Daniel Gafford had 13 points with several emphatic buckets down low.

Dallas' Maxi Kleber didn't return after spraining his right shoulder when he took a hard fall on a blocking foul against Amir Coffey on a drive in the first minute of the second quarter.

Kleber, whose 3-point shooting was a boost for Dallas in the series, returned to shoot free throws, making one of two before leaving at the next dead ball.

-Associated Press-

NBA: Haliburton hits winner as Pacers hold off Bucks in overtime, Mavs thump Clippers

LOS ANGELES -- Tyrese Haliburton drove for the game-winning basket as the Indiana Pacers held off a late Milwaukee charge to beat the Bucks 121-118 in overtime on Friday and take a 2-1 lead in their NBA Eastern Conference playoff series.

The Dallas Mavericks also won at home, cruising to a 101-90 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers for a 2-1 lead in their best-of-seven Western Conference set.

But a return to Phoenix provided no respite for Kevin Durant and the Suns, who were one defeat away from elimination after falling 126-109 to the Minnesota Timberwolves.

In Indianapolis, Haliburton delivered a triple-double of 18 points, 10 rebounds and 16 assists to help the Pacers withstand a 42-point performance from Milwaukee forward Khris Middleton, who drilled a three-pointer to tie it with 2.3 seconds left in regulation and made another trey to knot it at 118-118 with eight seconds left in overtime.

With 1.6 seconds remaining in overtime, Haliburton took an inbound pass and split the Bucks' defense as he drove for a one-handed floater.

Fouled on the play, he made the free throw to cap the scoring. Middleton, playing through a sprained right ankle, was unable to work another three-point miracle as time expired.

"I just knew I was shooting it no matter what," Haliburton said.

"And I finally made a shot, added the Pacers star, who connected on just eight of his 22 attempts from the field. "I couldn't buy a bucket today, so I'm glad that one went in."

The Pacers escaped with the win in a game they led by 19 points in the first quarter and by 17 in the third.

With two-time NBA Most Valuable Player Giannis Antetokounmpo still sidelined by a calf injury, the Bucks couldn't match Indiana's early pace.

An early injury scare saw Damian Lillard limp off with a sore knee briefly in the first quarter. He returned to score 19 of his 28 points in the second half before aggravating an Achilles tendon injury in late in regulation.

The Bucks took the lead for the first time on Lillard's three-pointer early in the fourth quarter, the lead changing hands six times in the fourth as they battled to overtime.

"Every possession is so valuable," Haliburton said. "You've got to dig in. The game's never over."

Myles Turner scored 29 points for the Pacers, who will try to stretch their lead when they host game four on Sunday.

In Phoenix, Anthony Edwards scored 36 points to lead a comprehensive Timberwolves team effort that included 19 points and 14 rebounds from Rudy Gobert and 18 points and 13 rebounds from Karl-Anthony Towns.

Six players scored in double figures for the Timberwolves.

Bradley Beal led the Suns with 28 points. Durant scored 25 and Devin Booker added 23, but had no answer when the Timberwolves broke open a six-point game with a third-quarter scoring surge.

The Timberwolves have a 3-0 series lead for the first time in franchise history.

They'll try on Sunday to close out the Suns, and even though both teams are well aware that no NBA team has rallied from 0-3 down to win a series, Edwards said the Timberwolves would take nothing for granted.

"We can't look past the next game," he said.

- Dallas dominate -

In Dallas, NBA scoring leader Luka Doncic limped out early but returned to score 22 points with 10 rebounds and nine assists to lead the Mavericks in a testy clash with the Clippers.

Los Angeles' Russell Westbrook and P.J. Washington of Dallas were both ejected after a shoving match that started with Westbrook's hard foul on Doncic.

Westbrook received a double technical while Washington had a second tech to go with one he'd picked up after a verbal exchange with Terance Mann.

The Mavs were up by 16 points when the players were tossed midway through the fourth quarter.

The Clippers had sliced an 18-point deficit to six late in the third quarter, but Kyrie Irving, who had just two points until the final two minutes of the third period, scored 19 the rest of the way to help Dallas rebuild their lead.

"It's the will of the champion," Irving said of staying the course until his shots started falling. "Two points really doesn't matter -- all I care about is winning games."

James Harden and Norman Powell both scored 21 for the Clippers, but Harden had just seven points in the second half and the Mavs held Clippers star Paul George to seven points and Kawhi Leonard to nine.

In Friday's last game, Kevin Durant and the Phoenix Suns hosted the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Suns trying to avoid falling into an 0-3 hole after the Timberwolves won the first two games of their Western Conference series in Minneapolis.

No NBA team has rallied from an 0-3 deficit to win a playoff series.

Agence France-Presse

NBA: Booker shines as Suns sink Clippers, Celtics dominant

Devin Booker led a second-half rally as the Phoenix Suns came from behind to defeat the Los Angeles Clippers, 123-109, and level their Western Conference playoff series 1-1 on Tuesday.

Booker scored 18 points in the third quarter before finishing with a 38-point haul to complete a battling comeback by Phoenix, who had trailed by 13 in the second quarter against the Kawhi Leonard-inspired Clippers.

The Clippers stunned Phoenix at home in Game 1 on Sunday and appeared to be well on their way to taking a commanding 2-0 series lead after surging into a 49-36 lead with just over five minutes remaining in the second quarter.

But Kevin Durant, veteran Chris Paul and Booker sparked into life for Phoenix in the closing minutes of the first half to erase the Clippers lead, and Booker drained a 27-foot three-pointer on the stroke of half-time to make it a tie game at 59-59 at the break.

Booker then took over with a flurry of scoring in the third quarter to fire Phoenix into a 92-87 lead heading into the final quarter.

Durant finished with 25 points while Paul chipped in with 16 to help see Phoenix home as the series heads to Los Angeles for game three on Thursday.

"We wanted to protect home court in game two, we got one, and now we're off to LA," Booker said afterwards.

"It's the playoffs, it's win at all costs -- doesn't matter what happened these past two games. You've got to move on to the next one -- it's a new assignment for us."

Leonard led the scoring for the Clippers with 31 points, eight rebounds and seven assists while Russell Westbrook had 28 points.

In other playoff action, Jayson Tatum starred as the Boston Celtics took a 2-0 series lead over the Atlanta Hawks, while Darius Garland delivered a 32-point gem in Cleveland's series-leveling rout of the New York Knicks.

Tatum finished with 29 points as the second-seeded Celtics overcame a slow start to dominate the seventh-seeded Hawks for a 119-106 victory at Boston's TD Garden.

"Playoffs are all about adjustments, trying to move on from game to game, seeing what you can do better -- and I think we played better," Tatum said.

"We want to be peaking at this time of year. Everybody's healthy, playing the right way, playing really well -- but we've got another level we can go to hopefully."

Atlanta jumped out to a 22-11 lead in the first quarter before Boston's offense clicked to give the Celtics a 28-25 lead heading into the second quarter.

Once in front, the Celtics never relinquished the advantage, opening up a 61-49 half-time lead and extending that to 20 points midway through the third quarter as Boston's defense shut down Atlanta's scoring.

Atlanta rallied to get within eight points of the Celtics in the fourth quarter, but Boston never looked like squandering their lead down the stretch and pulled away convincingly to ensure they will take a 2-0 advantage into game three in Atlanta on Friday.

Tatum finished with 29 points including five three-pointers, while Derrick White provided offensive support with 26 points and Jaylen Brown added 18 points.

Dejounte Murray led Atlanta's scorers with 29 points while Trae Young finished with 24.

"They won, we lost -- we've just got to be better," Atlanta playmaker Young said.

Elsewhere in the Eastern Conference on Tuesday, the Cleveland Cavaliers roared back into their best-of-seven series with the Knicks to score a 107-90 win.

Beaten 101-97 in game one on Saturday, the Cavaliers bounced back in spectacular fashion to score a blowout victory.

Cleveland opened up a 25-22 first-quarter lead and never looked back, outscoring Cleveland 34-17 in the second quarter to take a decisive grip on the contest.

New York failed to get within 15 points of the Cavs throughout the second half, as Cleveland powered on to lead by as many as 29 midway through the fourth quarter.

Cleveland point guard Garland produced a sparkling display with 32 points -- 26 of them in a devastating first-half scoring burst.

Caris LeVert added 24 off the bench while Donovan Mitchell added 17 points with 13 assists.

The Knicks offense failed to fire, with the team's 90-point total their second lowest tally of the season.

Julius Randle finished with 22 points while Jalen Brunson added 20.

Game 3 of the series takes place at Madison Square Garden in New York on Friday.

Agence France-Presse

NBA: Clippers' Paul George to miss 2-3 weeks with knee sprain

LOS ANGELES - Los Angeles Clippers swingman Paul George will miss the next two to three weeks of the NBA season with a sprained right knee, the club announced on Wednesday.

The injury, suffered in Tuesday's 101-100 loss to Oklahoma City, means the 32-year-old US playmaker will miss at least seven games and could be sidelined for the remainder of the regular season.

George is averaging 23.8 points, 6.1 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 1.5 steals a game for the Clippers this season.

The eight-time NBA All-Star fell to the court in pain after being fouled by Canadian guard Luguentz Dort of the Thunder and was helped to the locker room.

George, in his 13th NBA campaign, was a member of the 2016 US gold medal team at the Rio Olympics.

Losing George for the final stretch run of the season could be a major setback for the Clippers' playoff hopes.

The Clippers rank fifth in the Western Conference at 38-35 but are only two games ahead of 10th-place Utah in the fight for post-season positions.

Agence France-Presse

NBA: Surging Clippers send Rockets to 10th straight loss

Ivica Zubac recorded his 18th double-double on the season while Marcus Morris Sr. and Reggie Jackson combined for 35 points as the Los Angeles Clippers completed a three-game season series sweep of the Houston Rockets with a 113-100 road victory Tuesday.

Zubac paired 22 points with 12 rebounds to lead the Clippers to their sixth win in seven games -- with the past two of them coming against Houston.

Jackson had 17 points, six assists and five rebounds while Morris chipped in 18 points while shooting 4 of 6 from 3-point range. The Clippers moved two games over .500 for the first time since Dec. 22.

The Rockets absorbed their 10th consecutive loss. Jalen Green scored 20 points, Christian Wood tallied 17 points and eight rebounds and Jae'Sean Tate posted 12 points and nine rebounds.

The Clippers seized control with a 40-point third quarter, a period during which they shot 58.3 percent while converting seven of their nine 3-point attempts. The deciding run, a 16-4 burst midway through the period, featured three Jackson 3-pointers plus two dunks from Zubac, who also added an assist.

The Clippers secured their first double-digit lead at 73-63 with the blitz and pulled away behind Zubac, who produced the defining moment of the period. He contested a shot by Alperen Sengun (13 points, nine rebounds) on the defensive end before beating Sengun down the court and finishing a dunk through a Sengun foul.

Zubac, who had 10 points and seven boards in the third, completed the three-point play as the Clippers extended their lead to 83-70 at the 2:01 mark.

Morris and Jackson scored nine points each in the third quarter to support Zubac. When the Rockets went the opening 3:05 of the fourth without scoring, their deficit swelled to 96-75.

Houston enjoyed promising moments prior to the collapse. Wood posted 12 points, three rebounds and two blocks in a forceful opening quarter, enabling the Rockets to rally from a six-point deficit to take a short-lived lead. Houston found an extended rhythm in the second, erasing a 34-29 deficit with an 18-6 run keyed by 3-pointers from Sengun, Tate, Dennis Schroder and Garrison Mathews.

However, Schroder was slowed by an ankle injury after the Rockets claimed a 47-40 lead, and while he remained in the game, the Clippers closed the half with a 9-3 burst and grabbed the momentum.

-reuters-

NBA: Bucks roll over Clippers, win second straight out West

Giannis Antetokounmpo finished with 28 points, 10 rebounds and five assists and Jrue Holiday added 27 points with 13 assists as the visiting Milwaukee Bucks used a third-quarter burst to earn a 137-113 victory Sunday over the new-look Los Angeles Clippers.

Bobby Portis added 24 points with 11 rebounds as the Bucks won their second straight game to open a four-stop Western Conference road trip. An NBA Finals rematch against the Phoenix Suns looms Thursday.

Norman Powell scored 28 points in his Clippers debut and Marcus Morris Sr. added 20 as Los Angeles lost for the third time in its last five games. 

Robert Covington, who also was making his Clippers debut, added 13 points. Powell and Covington were acquired in a trade Friday from the Portland Trail Blazers.

The Clippers started fast, taking a 32-28 lead after one quarter. Both Powell and Covington made their team debut late in the first quarter and each hit the first shot they attempted, both 3-pointers.

The Bucks moved in front in the second quarter, outscoring the Clippers 32-19 to take a 60-51 lead at the break. Antetokounmpo scored 17 points in the first half.

A 21-8 run to open the third quarter put Milwaukee in control. The Bucks took their first double-digit lead at 63-53 on a Khris Middleton 3-pointer less than two minutes into the second half. 

They led by 20 for the first time at 76-56 on a Pat Connaughton 3-pointer two minutes later.

The Clippers used an 11-2 run in the fourth quarter to pull within single digits at 101-92 with 9:12 remaining before Milwaukee answered with a 9-2 run to take a 110-94 lead with 6:50 remaining.

Connaughton had 18 points for the Bucks, while Middleton added 17. Ivica Zubac, Reggie Jackson and Amir Coffey all had 10 points for Los Angeles.

After going 4-4 on a mammoth eight-game road trip, the Clippers split a pair of games at home and now head out on a three-game trip that starts Tuesday at Memphis.

-reuters-

NBA: Fred VanVleet puts up 31 points, as Raptors top Clippers

Fred VanVleet scored 31 points and dished out 9 assists as the host Toronto Raptors defeated the undermanned Los Angeles Clippers 116-108 Friday night.

Pascal Siakam added 25 points and matched his career best with 19 rebounds for the Raptors, who had lost their 2 previous games.

The Raptors had most of their players back from health and safety protocol, a list that had reached 10 last weekend.

OG Anunoby had 26 points and Gary Trent Jr. scored 10 for Toronto.

Marcus Morris Sr. scored 20 points for the Clippers, who have lost 3 of their past 4. Terance Mann added 18 points and 11 rebounds, Reggie Jackson scored 17, Amir Coffey had 15 and Luke Kennard scored 13.

The Raptors led by as many as 15 points during the 1st quarter, but the Clippers took a 5-point lead into the 4th.

The Raptors cut the deficit to 1 point on Anunoby's running dunk with 9:19 to play in the contest, and his 3-pointer gave Toronto a 2-point lead 32 seconds later.

The game was tied at 101 after Morris hit a jumper with 4:34 remaining.

Toronto led by 4 with 1:34 remaining after Chris Boucher sank 2 free throws and Siakam dunked. Mann answered with a 3-pointer, but VanVleet made a layup and then a 3-pointer to increase the lead to 6 with 25.2 seconds to go.

Toronto led 32-29 after the 1st quarter on the strength of an 18-0 run in an arena that was empty because of COVID-19 restrictions.

The Clippers scored the first 5 points of the 2nd quarter. Toronto pulled out to a 5-point lead, but Jackson's 3-pointer capped a 13-2 run to complete the 1st-half scoring and give the Clippers a 62-56 lead.

VanVleet scored 6 straight points, including a layup that tied the game with 3:41 to play in the 3rd quarter. The Clippers responded with an 8-1 run, and they led 87-82 after 3 quarters.

Los Angeles' Brandon Boston Jr., Ivica Zubac and coach Tyronn Lue (COVID-19 protocol) missed the game. Brian Shaw coached the Clippers.

Scottie Barnes (knee tendinitis) was out for Toronto.

There was a video tribute to the Clippers' Serge Ibaka, a former Raptor, during the first quarter.

-reuters-

NBA: Thunder stun Clippers on buzzer-beating 3-pointer

Luguentz Dort scored 29 and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander hit a game-winning 3-pointer at the buzzer to give the host Oklahoma City Thunder a 104-103 win over the Los Angeles Clippers on Saturday.

In Wednesday's home loss to New Orleans, Gilgeous-Alexander hit a 3-pointer to tie the game in the closing seconds before the Pelicans' Devonte' Graham hit a desperation shot to end the game.

This time, Gilgeous-Alexander didn't leave any time.

The Clippers' Justise Winslow gave the Thunder an opening, missing a pair of free throws with 7.8 seconds to play and Los Angeles up two.

Gilgeous-Alexander grabbed the rebound, the Thunder called their final timeout to advance the ball up the court, and Gilgeous-Alexander finished it off with the 3-pointer to give the Thunder their first home win since Nov. 17.

The win was just the fourth in 17 games for Oklahoma City. The Clippers have lost two consecutive games.

The Thunder led for much of the game but Los Angeles turned up the heat defensively to take the lead in the fourth, forcing eight turnovers in the fourth.

That included one in the final minute, after the Thunder's Dort picked the ball away from Reggie Jackson and went barreling toward the basket with a chance to put Oklahoma City back up front.

But Dort lost the ball as he went up toward the basket, and Nicolas Batum took a feed from Jackson and drilled a 3-pointer at the other end to extend the lead to four with 33.8 seconds to play.

Instead of calling his final timeout with 17 seconds left after Jackson's 3-pointer, Thunder coach Mark Daigneault elected to let his team try to score quickly. Gilgeous-Alexander delivered with a driving layup, which ultimately helped set up his heroics to end the game.

Luke Kennard led the Clippers with a season-high 27 points, tying a career-high with seven 3-pointers. Terance Mann added 18 and Jackson 16.

Dort, who missed Wednesday's game with a left ankle injury, returned to go 12 of 19 from the floor. Gilgeous-Alexander added 18. Josh Giddey had 18 rebounds and 10 assists to go with eight points.

-reuters-

NBA: Curry propels Warriors to win over Clippers

LOS ANGELES -- Stephen Curry came alive late as the Golden State Warriors shook off a sloppy start to beat the Los Angeles Clippers 105-90 and post their seventh straight NBA victory.

With both teams turning the ball over and missing shots it was close at halftime, the Warriors leading 44-42 on the Clippers' home floor.

Golden State extended that lead with an 11-2 scoring burst to open the third quarter, and never trailed in the second half, posting their 42nd straight game with at least 100 points scored.

It looked like that streak might end, but Curry scored 13 points in the final frame as the Warriors pushed the lead to as many as 21 points after seeing it dwindle to just two late in the third period.

Jordan Poole scored 17 points, including three in less than two minutes late in the third as the Warriors withstood a 30-point performance from Los Angeles star Paul George.

Curry, incensed at not getting a foul call as he drove for a layup with 9:11 left in the fourth, received a technical foul for yelling at a referee.

The moment appeared to galvanize the Warriors superstar, who finished by shooting 53.8% from the field while handing out six assists and pulling down five rebounds.

"It was kind of a B.S. T (technical foul)," Curry said, adding: "You have those moments and decisions of where you're going to put your energy at, and obviously I thought I got fouled so I wanted to let the emotions out and then you let it go and then you just play basketball.

"For me individually and for our team, I think we fueled off of that and just worried about putting the ball in the basket and that's when the avalanche started."

Curry also came up with six of the Warriors' 19 steals as 24 turnovers proved costly to the Clippers.

By the time Curry checked out of the game plenty of fans in the Staples Center crowd were cheering him.

Curry's 28.6 points per game lead the league this season, and with seven three-pointers on the day he has reached 100 three-pointers with just 19 games under his belt in the campaign.

The Warriors, whose 18-2 record leads the league, face a marquee matchup on Tuesday against western Conference challengers Phoenix, who have won 16 straight on the way to a 17-3 record.

Agence France-Presse

NBA: Grizzlies pull away for victory over Clippers

Ja Morant compiled 28 points, five rebounds and five assists and Brandon Clarke keyed a fourth-quarter run that powered the Memphis Grizzlies to a 120-108 defeat of the visiting Los Angeles Clippers on Thursday.

Clarke scored 10 of his 14 points off the bench in the fourth quarter, including eight straight Memphis points during a 15-2 run in the early period that blew the game open.

The Grizzlies pushed the lead to as many as 23 points in the final period. Los Angeles could cut the deficit to no fewer than 12 points.

Four of the five Grizzlies starters scored in double figures. In addition to Morant, Dillon Brooks and Jaren Jackson Jr. both finished with 18 points, and Desmond Bane added 16.

Clarke's effort led a 38-point night from the Memphis reserves.

Los Angeles got 42 points from its bench, led by 15 and 11 from Luke Kennard and Isaiah Hartenstein.

Paul George led all Los Angeles players with 23 points, Reggie Jackson added 18 points with five assists, and Ivica Zubac had 13 points and seven rebounds.

Memphis dominated Los Angeles in the paint, outscoring the Clippers on the interior ,74-36.

The Grizzlies' inside attack translated to a 54.2 percent field-goal rate. Memphis went 11 of 26 (42.3 percent) from 3-point range, keyed by Jackson's 3-of-7 shooting. Los Angeles hit 46.7 percent from the floor, 41 percent from long distance.

Memphis began to gain separation in the third quarter when, holding a one-possession lead, Morant scored 10 points in a stretch lasting about three minutes. The Grizzlies extended their advantage to nine points by the end of the third quarter, setting the stage for their game-changing, fourth-quarter run.

The Grizzlies have won back-to-back games for the first time since Nov. 1-3. They dropped three straight before blowing out the Houston Rockets 136-102 on Monday.

After winning seven straight games, the Clippers have dropped two of their past three.

-reuters-

NBA: Late push gets Paul George, Clippers past Thunder

The Los Angeles Clippers overcame another tough shooting night, coming from behind to defeat the visiting Oklahoma City Thunder 99-94 on Monday night.

The Clippers trailed by as many as 15 points in the first half but surged ahead of the youthful Thunder in the game's final 2 1/2 minutes.

Paul George scored 27 of his game-high 32 points in the second half. George also finished with nine rebounds and seven assists. Reggie Jackson netted 15 points, Nicolas Batum and Luke Kennard posted 14 apiece and Terance Mann added 10 points.

Guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who began the night averaging 22 points, tops on the Thunder, posted a team-high 28 points on 11-of-23 shooting from the field. Rookie Josh Giddey recorded 15 points and seven assists, Darius Bazley contributed 15 points and Aleksej Pokusevski added nine points off the bench.

The Clippers improved to 2-4 on the year, while Oklahoma State dropped to 1-6 and remained winless in four road games.

The Clippers trailed 83-77 with just over seven minutes remaining, but they made one last run, tying the game at 91-all on a Kennard 3-pointer from the wing with 1:39 left.

After Bazley made one of two free throws, George came down and drained a midrange jumper to give Los Angeles a 93-92 lead. Bazley turned it over on the other end, and Jackson hit a driving lay-in to give the Clippers a 95-92 lead that they would not relinquish.

One of the worst shooting teams in the NBA to start the year, the Clippers struggled to put the ball in the basket. Los Angeles shot 38 percent from the field and 35.7 percent from the 3-point arc.

L.A.'s offensive struggles were evident early, as the Clippers shot just 22.2 percent from the field in the opening quarter. Because of their shooting woes, the Clippers trailed 23-14 at the end of the period. Bazley paced Oklahoma City with eight points in the opening quarter.

The Thunder's lead ballooned to 31-16 with just over nine minutes left in the second quarter, but the Clippers trimmed the deficit to 44-40 by halftime.

The Clippers cut Oklahoma City's edge to two points midway through the third quarter but trailed 74-66 at the end of the third quarter.

-reuters-

NBA: Suns hold on to take 3-1 series lead over Clippers

Devin Booker scored 25 points before fouling out and Deandre Ayton added 19 points with 22 rebounds as the Phoenix Suns moved one game from their first NBA Finals appearance in 28 years by holding on for an 84-80 victory Saturday over the host Los Angeles Clippers.

Chris Paul, in his second game back from COVID-19 protocol, had 18 points and seven assists as the Suns took a 3-1 lead in the Western Conference finals. Paul made five free throws in the final seven seconds to seal the victory.

The Suns now have three chances to earn their spot in the Finals, with their first opportunity coming in Game 5 on Monday at Phoenix.

Paul George had 23 points and 16 rebounds for the Clippers, but shot 5 of 20 from the field and 1 of 9 from 3-point range, while Reggie Jackson scored 20 points.

Los Angeles shot just 32.5 percent from the field as it played without Kawhi Leonard for the sixth consecutive playoff game because of a knee injury.

Trailing 50-36 at the half, the Clippers got back in the game by outscoring the Suns 30-19 in the third quarter. Los Angeles then had multiple chances to take the lead in the fourth quarter, but both teams went through a nearly four-minute scoreless stretch to keep the Suns ahead at 71-70.

Neither team shot well from the field in the fourth quarter, with the Suns shooting 21.1 percent to 15.8 percent for the Clippers. With the Clippers in need of somebody to lean on while playing without Leonard, George was just 1 of 7 from the field in the final period.

Terance Mann got the Clippers within 79-76 on a layup with 58.5 seconds to play, shortly after Booker fouled out after a charge on the offensive end. Two free throws from Paul with 7.0 seconds remaining gave the Suns an 81-78 lead.

After an exchange of free throws, George made one for the Clippers with 3.2 seconds left to get Los Angeles within 82-80. He missed the second intentionally, but the Suns got the rebound and Paul made two foul shots to put the game away.

The Clippers finished just 5 of 31 (16.1 percent) from 3-point range in the game, while the Suns were 4 of 20 (20 percent). Phoenix shot 36 percent overall.

Mikal Bridges had 13 rebounds for the Suns, while Ivica Zubac had 13 points and 14 rebounds for the Clippers. Mann had 12 for Los Angeles.

-reuters-

NBA: Deandre Ayton's last-second dunk lifts Suns over Clippers

Deandre Ayton made a go-ahead alley-oop dunk off an inbound pass with 0.7 seconds remaining as the Phoenix Suns earned a 104-103 victory over the visiting Los Angeles Clippers on Tuesday to take a 2-0 lead in the Western Conference finals.

Cameron Payne scored a career-high 29 points for the Suns, and Ayton contributed 24 points and 14 rebounds. Devin Booker scored 20 points, playing after getting his nose bloodied late in the third quarter and receiving stitches.

The Suns increased their playoff winning streak to nine games.

Payne stepped up to make 12 of 24 shots from the field and had nine assists with no turnovers. 

He was starting at point guard for the second consecutive game with Chris Paul in health and safety protocol after he reportedly tested positive for COVID-19.

Paul George scored 26 points and Reggie Jackson added 19 for the Clippers, who fell behind 2-0 in their third consecutive series. 

They rallied to defeat the Dallas Mavericks in the first round and came back against the top-seeded Utah Jazz in the conference semifinals.

George missed a pair of free throws with 8.2 seconds remaining that gave the Suns a chance to win the game.

The Clippers were playing their fourth consecutive playoff game without forward Kawhi Leonard, who is out due to a sprained right knee.

Game 3 is set for Thursday night in Los Angeles, where the Clippers have won their past four after losing their first three home contests to Dallas.

The teams traded the lead multiple times in the final minute. The Clippers took a 101-100 advantage with 30.9 seconds remaining on a layup by George that came after Ivica Zubac blocked Payne's layup attempt. Zubac had 14 points and 11 rebounds for the Clippers.

Booker put the Suns back in front 102-101 on a contested jump shot from the elbow of the key with 27 seconds remaining, but George answered with an 18-foot jump shot for a 103-102 lead with 22.2 seconds left.

After Patrick Beverley forced Booker into a turnover with 9.3 seconds remaining, George could have given the Clippers a three-point advantage, but he missed two free throws. He was 5 of 10 from the line in the game.

Mikal Bridges missed a 3-point attempt with 3.3 seconds remaining that would have given the Suns the lead, but the Clippers tipped the ball out of bounds with under a second left. 

Jae Crowder then lobbed the inbound pass toward the rim, with Ayton slamming down the game-winning basket.

Los Angeles could not get off another shot before the final horn sounded.

-reuters-

NBA: Behind Terance Mann's 39, Clippers oust Jazz in Game 6

Terance Mann scored a career-high 39 points and the Los Angeles Clippers stormed back for a 131-119 win over the visiting Utah Jazz to clinch a 4-2 series victory Friday and advance to the Western Conference finals for the first time in franchise history.

The fourth-seeded Clippers, who trailed by 25 points in the third quarter, will face the second-seeded Phoenix Suns for the right to go to the NBA Finals. Game 1 is scheduled for Sunday afternoon in Phoenix.

Los Angeles dropped the first two games of the series before closing out with four straight wins to advance to the conference finals. The Clippers moved on despite playing the past two games without star forward Kawhi Leonard, who has a sprained right knee.

Mann hit 15 of 21 shots from the floor, including 7 of 10 from 3-point range. He had never scored more than 25 points in a regular-season game, and his previous postseason high was 13.

Paul George scored 28 points for Los Angeles while Reggie Jackson added 27 points and 10 assists. Nicolas Batum contributed 16 points on 6-for-9 shooting, and Patrick Beverley had 12 points.

Donovan Mitchell scored 39 points, dished out nine assists and grabbed nine rebounds for the Jazz. Despite playing with a sore right ankle, he made 12 of 27 shots from the field, including 9 of 15 from beyond the arc.

Utah's Royce O'Neal put up 21 points and 10 rebounds, and Jordan Clarkson also scored 21. Bojan Bogdanovic scored 14 points, and Rudy Gobert had 12 points and 10 boards.

The Jazz led 94-91 entering the fourth quarter. The Clippers trailed by 22 points at halftime but rallied with a 41-22 advantage in the third quarter.

Mann scored 20 points in the third to fuel the Clippers' comeback. He averaged seven points per game during his second regular season out of Florida State, from where the Clippers drafted him No. 48 overall in 2019.

Utah led 72-50 at the half after Bogdanovic drilled a 3-pointer with 29.9 seconds to go.

Mitchell hit a 3-pointer to increase Utah's lead to 25 points on the first possession of the second half. George responded with a cutting dunk less than 30 seconds later, starting an 11-0 run that sparked the Clippers' comeback.

-reuters-

NBA: Kawhi Leonard pours in 31 as Clippers clobber Rockets

Kawhi Leonard scored 31 points and dished out eight assists Friday as the Los Angeles Clippers earned their fourth victory in a row, a 126-109 decision over the visiting Houston Rockets.

Reggie Jackson finished with 26 points, Nicolas Batum added 17 and Terance Mann totaled 16 points and nine rebounds for Los Angeles. Clippers forward Paul George didn't play as the team gave him a rest following consecutive 30-plus-point outings, and Rajon Rondo (adductor soreness) also sat out.

Houston had six players in double figures, led by Christian Wood with 23 points. 

Jae'Sean Tate finished with 18 points, Sterling Brown added 15, Kevin Porter Jr. totaled 14 points and 13 assists, Kenyon Martin Jr. added 14 points and Kelly Olynyk contributed 13 points and 11 rebounds.

The Rockets, who lost for the sixth time in seven games, rested John Wall ahead of a Saturday game against the Golden State Warriors in San Francisco. Wall has a lingering left Achilles injury.

The Clippers trailed by 10 points after the first quarter as the Rockets came out with energy.

However, Los Angeles outscored Houston 41-10 in the second quarter to take a 21-point lead into halftime, and the Clippers never fell behind again.

The 10 points were the fewest the Clippers have given up in a quarter this season and the fewest Houston has scored in a second quarter this year.

The Rockets cut Los Angeles' advantage to five points on D.J. Augustin's 3-pointer with 7:07 left in the game. 

The Clippers responded by scoring the next eight points to push their lead back to double digits, and they held off the Rockets the rest of the way.

The Clippers had to adjust the starting lineup with the team announcing that Patrick Beverley sustained a fractured left hand that required surgery. 

Beverley, who will be out at least three weeks, was hurt chasing down a rebound in the fourth quarter of L.A.'s win over the Phoenix Suns on Thursday.

With Beverley unavailable, Jackson returned to the starting lineup at point guard, and he finished 6 of 9 from 3-point range.

-reuters-

NBA: Luka Doncic nets 42 as Mavs split games with Clippers

Luka Doncic scored 42 points, his fourth game with at least 40 this season, as the Dallas Mavericks earned a 105-89 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday to earn a split of a two-game set between the teams at Dallas.

Tim Hardaway Jr. had 15 points as the Mavericks won two days after a 109-99 defeat to the Clippers. The Mavericks, who were eliminated in the first round of last season's playoffs by the Clippers, won the season series 2-1 between the teams.

Doncic added nine assists and shot 16 of 28 from the field, while Kristaps Porzingis had 11 points and 13 rebounds.

Paul George scored 28 points and Kawhi Leonard added 20 as the Clippers lost for the fifth time in their last seven games and went 1-2 on a quick road trip to New Orleans and Dallas.

Los Angeles was without Serge Ibaka (back) for the second consecutive game, while head coach Tyronn Lue went with a starting lineup that included Ivica Zubac and Marcus Morris Sr. in back-to-back contests.

The Mavericks held the Clippers to 42 percent shooting from the field, one game after Los Angeles made half of their 86 field-goal attempts. The Clippers shot just 28.1 percent from 3-point range, while Dallas shot 44.1 percent from distance.

The Mavericks led 77-63 late in the third quarter after consecutive baskets by Porzingis. Two 3-pointers by George in the final 32 seconds of the third got the Clippers within 77-71.

The Mavericks pushed their lead back to double digits early in the fourth quarter and cruised home from there.

Zubac had 14 points with seven rebounds for the Clippers, while Morris had 11 points and seven rebounds. Nicolas Batum had just three points in his second game coming off the bench.

Josh Richardson had 14 points and Maxi Kleber had 12 for the Mavericks.

Dallas played without Dorian Finney-Smith, who was out after the birth of his child. Dwight Powell played three minutes in his return after missing Monday's game because of a non-COVID related illness.

-reurers-

NBA: Warriors rally to stun Clippers behind Stephen Curry’s 38

Stephen Curry scored 38 points and the Golden State Warriors used a 34-6 flurry bridging the third and fourth quarters to stun the visiting Los Angeles Clippers 115-105 on Friday night in San Francisco.

In the rematch of a Clippers win on Wednesday night, the Warriors used 20 3-pointers -- including nine by Curry -- to prevent a two-game sweep.

Paul George had a team-high 25 points and Kawhi Leonard 24 for Los Angeles, which had won its first three games at the 2-year-old Chase Center, including a pair of blowouts last season.

The Warriors trailed by 14 at halftime and 85-63 late in the third period before a 3-pointer by Curry at the 3:04 mark of the quarter turned the tide.

Curry capped a 19-point quarter with a 29-footer in the final seconds to get Golden State within 87-81. 

When Damion Lee, Eric Paschall and Kent Bazemore added 3s of their own early in the fourth period, suddenly Golden State had taken a 97-91 lead.

Los Angeles never led again but did forge a 97-all tie on back-to-back 3-pointers by Luke Kennard and Serge Ibaka, the latter with 7:09 to play.

But Brad Wanamaker countered with a pair of 3-pointers for the Warriors and Andrew Wiggins hit a key hoop after the Clippers had rallied within a point one last time, sending Golden State to its third win in its last four games.

Held to a season-low 13 points in Wednesday's loss, Curry hit 13 of his 24 shots and nine of his 14 3-point attempts in the third 30-point effort in his last four games.

Curry also found time for a game-high 11 assists.

Wiggins finished with 16 points and Paschall 12 off the bench for the Warriors, who shot 20-for-41 on 3-pointers and outscored the Clippers 60-42 from beyond the arc.

Ibaka had 19 points and Nicolas Batum 10 for the Clippers, who hurt themselves with 18 turnovers.

Ibaka was the game's leading rebounder with seven.

The Clippers took charge immediately, using 8-for-15 shooting on 3-pointers to build a 65-51 halftime lead. George hit all four of the 3-pointers he attempted en route to 17 points.

George's second 3-pointer capped a 24-7, game-opening run. Batum also had a 3-pointer in the fast start.

-reuters-

NBA: Veteran center Joakim Noah likely to retire -- report

Veteran center Joakim Noah is expected to retire after the Los Angeles Clippers decided to waive him, ESPN reported on Tuesday night.

Noah's agent, Bill Duffy, told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski that the 35-year-old big man is "likely headed toward retirement."

The 6-foot-11 center appeared in 672 games (512 starts) across 13 seasons with the Chicago Bulls, New York Knicks, Memphis Grizzlies and Clippers. He averaged 8.8 points and 9.0 rebounds per game to go along with 1.3 blocks per game.

Noah was a two-time All-Star and a three-time selection to the NBA's All-Defensive Team. He was the league's defensive player of the year in the 2013-14 season.

The Bulls drafted Noah in the first round (No. 9 overall) out of Florida in 2007. 

He helped the Bulls reach the playoffs seven times in his nine seasons in Chicago, where he also became deeply involved in charitable efforts through his Noah's Arc Foundation.

-reuters-

James’ layup late lifts Lakers past Clippers, 103-101

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers showed some rust.

They knocked it off with time to spare.

Anthony Davis scored 34 points, James had the go-ahead basket with 12.8 seconds left and the Lakers moved closer to clinching the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference playoffs by topping the Los Angeles Clippers 103-101 on Thursday night in the second game of the NBA’s re-opening doubleheader.

James had 16 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists to help the Lakers move 6 1/2 games ahead of the Clippers in the West with seven games remaining. Kyle Kuzma added 16 points.

“It felt like a real game to me, two teams battling. ... Can’t complain for the first game,” Davis said.

Paul George had 30 points and Kawhi Leonard scored 28 for the Clippers, who had an 11-point lead midway through the third in a game with deep ebbs and flows. The Clippers got that lead after a 26-5 run; the Lakers immediately rebutted with a 36-14 run to reclaim control.

And it still came down to the final moments.

George’s 3-pointer with 1:50 left cut the Lakers’ lead to 99-98. James muscled his way to a layup on the next possession, and then George hit another 3 to tie the game at 101 with 29 seconds remaining.

James followed his own miss down the lane for the go-ahead basket, then was brilliant on the last defensive possession — forcing the ball out of Leonard’s hands and covering George as his 3-point try at the buzzer misfired.

“We can’t have self-inflicted wounds and I thought we had too many of them,” said Clippers coach Doc Rivers, whose team — which remains short-handed with Lou Williams still in quarantine and Montrezl Harrell tending to a family matter — gave up 29 points off turnovers.

Thursday marked the NBA’s first game action in 141 days, the league getting back to work after the coronavirus pandemic forced a shutdown.

During the pandemic, a renewed discussion about racial injustice happened in this country — the conversation that surrounds this NBA restart. The courts have “Black Lives Matter” on them, and the Lakers and Clippers knelt together during the national anthem in a silent protest to demand equality. New Orleans and Utah did the same in the night’s opener.

James — who is going to win his first assist title — had five in the first quarter to get teammates going, and then his first basket of the restart came on a dunk early in the second quarter to put the Lakers up 37-24.

But for a stretch that basically spanned a full quarter, spanning the second and third periods, the Lakers couldn’t make a shot. They went 1 for 10 to end the half, then 0 for 9 to start the third and the Clippers took advantage.

They turned a 50-40 deficit into a 66-55 edge in the third. And then it was the Lakers’ turn to rally, slicing the Clippers’ lead to 77-76 going into the fourth.

“It was a good game,” Leonard said. “Still had fun out there. It was great to be back on the floor.”

TIP-INS

Clippers: The Clippers had won 11 of their last 12 games in the state of Florida. In both of those losses, Dion Waiters played for the winning side — the first being a game in Miami. ... Leonard was charged with two offensive fouls in the first quarter, the first time in his career that happened.

Lakers: The Lakers got to the 50-win mark for the 33rd time in franchise history, and this is the 12th time that James has helped a team get to that many wins in his 17 seasons. ... James’ 3-pointer with 8:30 left extended his NBA record of consecutive regular-season games with at least 10 points to 989.

CELEB ROW

NBA players are permitted to attend games in the bubble as fans — with their seats 6 feet apart to satisfy social distancing rules. Among those who attended: Portland’s Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum, San Antonio’s DeMar DeRozan and Toronto’s Kyle Lowry.

UP NEXT

Clippers: New Orleans on Saturday.

Lakers: Toronto on Saturday.

Associated Press

NBA: Leonard, Clippers pummel Grizzlies

Kawhi Leonard had 25 points and eight rebounds to help the Los Angeles Clippers crush the visiting Memphis Grizzlies, 124-97, on Monday night.

Leonard, who rested in the fourth quarter, connected on 10 of 17 shots from the floor in 25 minutes. Montrezl Harrell contributed 22 points, while JaMychal Green and Marcus Morris chipped in 13 points apiece.

Clippers forward Paul George, who missed Saturday's loss to the Sacramento Kings with a strained hamstring, returned but managed just seven points on 3-for-11 shooting in 21 minutes.

Patrick Beverley, who sat out the previous five games with a groin injury, finished with six points in 19 minutes. But the guard's defense set the tone early for the Clippers, who snapped a three-game losing streak.

Rookie point guard Ja Morant led the Grizzlies with 16 points, but Memphis' four other starters combined to produce only 15 points.

Josh Jackson came off the bench to score 14 points, and Gorgui Dieng added 14 points, 10 rebounds and four blocks for the Grizzlies. No other Memphis player reached double figures in scoring. 

Dillon Brooks, who entered the contest averaging 15.4 points per game, scored just four points and missed six of seven shots -- including all three of his 3-point attempts -- while playing 25 minutes.

The Grizzlies lost their third in a row after winning eight of 10 before the All-Star break.

The Clippers, who led by as many 37 points, jumped on the Grizzlies early and rolled to a 40-14 lead after one quarter. Leonard equaled the Grizzlies by scoring 14 points in the quarter. Eight Memphis turnovers, to just two for Los Angeles, also didn't help the Grizzlies.

The Clippers maintained their advantage in the second quarter, taking a 66-37 lead at the break.

Memphis cut the deficit to 22 in the third quarter but got no closer the rest of the way.

The Clippers outshot the Grizzlies 50 percent to 41.6 percent.

Memphis played without power forward and second-leading scorer Jaren Jackson Jr., who is out at least two weeks with a sprained left knee.

source: news.abs-cbn.com