NBA: Jazz blow out Lakers for split of two-game set

With frontline players Rudy Gobert, Derrick Favors and Mike Conley Jr. back in the lineup, the Utah Jazz made quick work of the host Los Angeles Lakers in the second straight matchup between the teams, prevailing 111-97 on Monday.

The Lakers won the opener of the two-game set 127-115 in overtime on Saturday. With the Jazz having earned a home win over the Indiana Pacers on Friday, Utah coach Quin Snyder chose to rest three of his regulars for the first matchup against the Lakers. High-scoring Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell missed both games, though.

The Jazz never trailed Monday, seizing control early and leading by as many as 25 points in the second half, showing why they are the leaders of the Western Conference.

With the return of Gobert, a two-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year, the Jazz controlled things inside, finishing with a 52-36 advantage on points in the paint and a 42-32 rebounding edge.

Jordan Clarkson led the Jazz with 22 points off the bench. Joe Ingles finished with 21 points. Bojan Bogdanovic totaled 19 points, and Gobert finished with 14 points and 10 rebounds.

Conley posted 14 points and 10 assists while teammate Royce O'Neale added 13 points and nine rebounds. All five starters finished in double figures for Utah.

Talen Horton-Tucker topped the Lakers with a career-high 24 points. Kyle Kuzma totaled 17 points, and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Dennis Schroder added 15 points apiece.

Los Angeles did receive some good news on the injury front regarding sidelined stars LeBron James and Anthony Davis. Coach Frank Vogel said James has progressed to the point where he's doing light work on the court after being out since March 20 with an sprain injury.

Vogel said Davis (calf) is getting closer to returning but needs to work on his conditioning. Davis has been cleared for full-contact practices and could return by the end of this month if things continue to go well during his ramp-up.

After the loss, Los Angeles heads out for a four-game road trip starting against the Dallas Mavericks on Thursday. The Jazz head to Houston to take on the Rockets on Wednesday.

-reuters-

Grizzlies snap Clippers' 5-game winning streak

Grizzlies 90, Clippers 87

Mike Conley scored 18 points and recorded a game-winning steal in the final seconds, and the Memphis Grizzlies edged the Los Angeles Clippers.

Chris Paul scored 30 points and handed out 10 assists to lead the Clippers, who had a five-game winning streak snapped.

Los Angeles (37-20) had an opportunity to take the lead on two occasions, but Conley, who also had seven assists, stripped Paul of the ball with 1.9 seconds left as Memphis (41-14) won for the 12th time in 14 games.

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Heat 119, 76ers 108

The Miami Heat got 29 points from Luol Deng to beat the Philadelphia 76ers.

Goran Dragic, playing just his second game with the Heat, had 23 points and 10 assists as Miami (24-31) posted a season high in points. Philadelphia (12-44) scored more than 100 for just the third time in 33 games.

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Celtics 115, Suns 110

Isaiah Thomas burned his former team with six of his 21 points in the final 1:37 as the Boston Celtics held on to beat the Phoenix Suns.

Thomas was traded from Phoenix to Boston (21-33) four days ago at the deadline.

The Suns (29-28) had won their last three since trading away five players.

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Nets 110, Nuggets 82

Deron Williams had 16 points and 12 assists, center Brooks Lopez scored 19 points and pulled down nine rebounds and the Brooklyn Nets beat the slumping Denver Nuggets.

The 28-point win is Brooklyn's (23-31) largest margin of victory since beating Oklahoma City by 31 on Nov. 3.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Conley scores 20 as unbeaten Grizzlies reach 6-0

Mike Conley finished with 20 points and five assists as the Memphis Grizzlies defeated the short-handed Oklahoma City Thunder 91-89 Friday to post their franchise record sixth straight win to start the season.

Courtney Lee scored 17 points and Zach Randolph had 16 points and seven boards for the Grizzlies, who started their NBA existence in Vancouver before moving to Memphis in 2001.

"I am happy with what we are doing but we know we have a long way to go," Conley said. "We know this is only six games. We are still striving to be great."

The Grizzlies had lost three straight and seven of the last 10 games in Oklahoma City heading into Friday's contest.

Reggie Jackson scored a game-high 22 points for the injury-depleted Thunder who are without superstars Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook. Durant has a foot injury and Westbrook is out with a hand injury.

Jeremy Lamb had a solid season debut with 17 points while Steven Adams finished with 13 points and 11 rebounds in front of a crowd of 18,203 at the Chesapeake Energy Arena.

In a rematch of last season's first round playoff series that the Thunder won in seven games, Memphis led for the entire game until late in the fourth.

"We tried to play our game," Conley said. "They tried to force us to make outside shots and we told our guys 'You have to make them if we are going to win.'"

The Grizzlies led 22-19 after one quarter and led by as many as nine in the second, taking a 49-40 lead into halftime.

Memphis couldn't shake the pesky Thunder as it took a 66-62 lead into the fourth.

Lamb nailed a three pointer with just over four minutes to go in the fourth to tie it 81-81. Thunder guard Jackson hit a jump shot that was sandwiched between a pair of Memphis three pointers to stretch the Grizzlies lead to four points.

The Thunder took their only lead of the game with 53 seconds remaining on back-to-back threes by Serge Ibaka and Jackson.

But on the next Memphis possession, Conley responded with a three-pointer for a 90-89 lead.

After an empty possession from each team, Oklahoma City was whistled for a five-second turnover on the inbounds. But Lee made just one-of-two free throws with just three seconds on the clock.

Ibaka then fired long on the potential game-winning three-pointer at the buzzer.

"This team is very good. We want to play every game like it is the 82nd game going into the playoffs," Conley said.

The Grizzlies' next game is a visit to Milwaukee where they will try to win their fifth straight road game.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Grizzlies, Clippers beat conference rivals

Grizzlies 108, Warriors 90

The Memphis Grizzlies returned to their dominating post play and beat the Golden State Warriors 108-90.

Power forward Zach Randolph led the way with 23 points and 11 rebounds as all five Grizzlies starters and former NBA Sixth Man of the Year Mike Miller scored in double-figures.

Point guard Mike Conley scored 20 with six assists, center Marc Gasol scored 18, Miller had 15, shooting guard Tony Allen had 12, and small forward Tayshaun Prince 10.

The Warriors (4-3) have not defeated the Grizzlies (3-3) in three years.

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Clippers 107, Rockets 94




After closing the third quarter with a tip-in at the buzzer and opening the fourth with a three-point play, Los Angeles Clippers guard Jamal Crawford drilled a pair of three-pointers down the stretch of a 107-94 win over the Houston Rockets.

Crawford finished with 16 points off the bench to lift the Clippers (4-3) and complement strong efforts from power forward Blake Griffin (22 points) and point guard Chris Paul (14 points and 13 assists).


Forward Chandler Parsons led the Rockets (4-3) with 23 points and eight rebounds while center Dwight Howard added 21 points and eight boards.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com