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: 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: 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: George, Leonard send Clippers past Suns

Paul George scored 24 points and Kawhi Leonard added 20, guiding the Los Angeles Clippers to a 120-99 victory over the visiting Phoenix Suns on Tuesday night.

Lou Williams, who returned from a two-game absence due to a sore calf, had 20 points and eight assists for the Clippers, who are 14-1 at home and winners of five of their last seven contests. Williams converted 5 of 7 3-pointers and made 7 of 13 shots from the floor.

Los Angeles reserve Montrezl Harrell finished with 15 points, while Ivica Zubac had 12 points.

Kelly Oubre Jr. had 19 points for the Suns, who lost their fourth consecutive contest. Deandre Ayton, who returned from his 25-game suspension for testing positive for a diuretic, finished with 18 points and 12 rebounds, seven of those on the offensive end. Frank Kaminsky chipped in 12 points and nine boards.

The Suns played without guard Devin Booker, their leading scorer at 25 points per game. Booker missed his third straight contest with a right forearm contusion.

The Clippers blew the game open in the third quarter. They used a 13-4 burst capped by a 3-pointer by Leonard with 2:16 left in the third to seize an 81-62 advantage. Leonard scored 12 in the quarter as Los Angeles outscored Phoenix, 36-25, to take a 90-69 lead heading into the fourth.

Phoenix got no closer than 15 the rest of the way.

The Clippers held a 54-44 edge at the break. Both teams struggled offensively in the first half, with the Clippers hitting 38.8 percent of their shots to 40 percent for the Suns. Overall, the Clippers outshot the Suns 50.6 percent to 40.2 percent. Los Angeles was 14 of 32 on 3-pointers (43.8 percent) to 10 of 35 (28.6 percent) for Phoenix.

George had three of the Clippers' 14 steals.

Clippers reserve forward JaMychal Green sat out his fifth consecutive game with a tailbone contusion.

Phoenix also was without guard Tyler Johnson, who missed his second contest in a row with an illness.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

NBA: George, Leonard combine for 88 in Clippers' win over Wolves

Paul George scored 46 points and Kawhi Leonard added 42 as the visiting Los Angeles Clippers showed off their star power Friday and held on for a 124-117 victory Friday over the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Leonard and George became the first duo in Clippers history to each score at least 40 points in a game.

Montrezl Harrell added 18 points off the bench as the Clippers won despite playing without a true point guard. 

Patrick Beverley sat out after leaving Wednesday's game at Toronto with a concussion, while Lou Williams also was sidelined with a sore right calf.

Despite the lack of a playmaker the Clippers delivered 16 assists to 17 for the Timberwolves. George had seven of those assists for the Clippers, who won their fourth consecutive game, all on the road.

The Timberwolves went to work with their own scoring duo as Karl-Anthony Towns scored 39 points and Andrew Wiggins added 34. Towns added 12 rebounds and stayed in the game despite an injury to his left knee with 1:42 remaining.

The Timberwolves lost their seventh consecutive game overall and their seventh consecutive home game.

The Clippers led 33-29 after one quarter and extended the advantage to 65-58 at halftime by shooting 47.7 percent from the field and forcing Minnesota into 10 turnovers.

The Clippers outscored the Wolves 37-23 in the third quarter to take a 102-81 lead, leading by as many as 27 in the period. But Minnesota refused to go away, going on a 25-9 run to open the fourth quarter and cutting the deficit to four points twice in the final 1:04.

The Clippers managed to close out the victory as George shot 17 of 31 from the field and 6 of 15 from 3-point range. Leonard went 10 of 24 overall and 3 of 3 from distance, while making all 19 of his free throws.

Rodney McGruder scored four points for Los Angeles in his first game since Nov. 27 after sitting out with a hamstring injury. Terance Mann added three assists in 17 minutes while making his fourth start of the season.

Jeff Teague scored 22 points and Robert Covington added 10 as the Wolves were 38 of 85 (44.7 percent) from the field, but just 10 of 41 (24.4 percent) from 3-point range.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

NBA: Clippers manhandle Mavs for 6th straight win

Kawhi Leonard scored 28 points, and Paul George added 17 of his 26 points in the first quarter as the Los Angeles Clippers extended their winning streak to six games with a 114-99 victory over the host Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday.

George and Leonard were playing together in a road game for the first time, and they were on the court as teammates for just the fourth time overall.

Luka Doncic had 22 points and eight rebounds, and Kristaps Porzingis added 15 points and 10 boards for the Mavericks, who saw their five-game winning streak come to an end. Dallas lost a home game for the first time since Nov. 8.

The Clippers' defense, led by guard Patrick Beverley, clamped down on Doncic, who entered averaging 30.6 points per game, third best in the NBA. The Mavericks were also the second-best scoring team in the NBA at 119.1 points per game.

George shot 5 of 9 from the field and 4 of 6 from 3-point range in the first quarter. The Clippers went 7 of 11 (63.6 percent) from beyond the arc in the opening 12 minutes but hit just 39.3 percent from the field overall during the quarter.

The fast start helped the Clippers to a 62-46 halftime lead, with the Mavericks shooting just 31.4 percent from the field in the opening two quarters. They finished at 38 percent in the game while the Clippers converted 42.3 percent.

Doncic had 15 first-half points but was just 2 of 9 from the field and 0 of 5 from 3-point range, though he did go 11 of 11 from the free-throw line.

Seth Curry finished the night with 13 points for Dallas, and J.J. Barea added 12 points in just his third game of the season.

The Clippers built their advantage to as many as 22 in the third quarter when they shot 54.5 percent from the field, and they led 93-77 at the start of the fourth.

Lou Williams had 21 off the Los Angeles bench, and Montrezl Harrell added 12 as the Clippers won at Dallas for the first time since November 2016.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

NBA: Kawhi Leonard, Paul George to sign with Clippers

The Los Angeles Clippers pulled off two major acquisitions late Friday night, as ESPN and The Athletic reported that free agent forward Kawhi Leonard will sign with the team, which also acquired forward Paul George in a trade with the Oklahoma City Thunder.

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski tweeted that Leonard received a four-year, $142 million maximum contract.

In order to acquire George, the Clippers will send guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and forward Danilo Gallinari to Oklahoma City. The Thunder also will receive four unprotected first-round draft picks, one protected first-round pick and two draft-pick swaps, according to the ESPN report.

Leonard, who led the Toronto Raptors to their first NBA championship after he was acquired in a trade from the San Antonio Spurs last July, reportedly selected the Clippers over the Raptors and Los Angeles Lakers.

Leonard, a 28-year-old Southern California native, averaged 26.6 points and 7.3 rebounds over 60 regular-season games with the Raptors in 2018-19. He then improved on that over 24 playoff games averaging 30.5 points with 9.1 rebounds.

In the NBA Finals, Leonard scored 28.5 points per game with 9.8 rebounds as Toronto defeated the Golden State Warriors in six games.

The three-time All-Star, who was drafted 15th overall by the Indiana Pacers in 2011, has averaged 17.7 points and 6.3 rebounds over 467 games (440 starts) with the San Antonio Spurs and the Raptors.

George, a 29-year-old who makes his offseason home in the Los Angeles area, averaged 28 points per game with 8.2 rebounds for the Thunder last season. In nine NBA seasons, George has averaged 19.8 points and 6.4 rebounds in 604 games (556 starts) with the Indiana Pacers and Oklahoma City.

The six-time All-Star played just six games in the 2014-15 season because of a serious leg injury. He reportedly requested a trade from the Thunder after Leonard had reached his deal with the Clippers, the ESPN report indicated.

Gilgeous-Alexander, who turns 21 next week, was the No. 11 overall pick in the 2018 draft. As a rookie for the Clippers last season, he averaged 10.8 points and 3.3 assists.

Gallinari, 30, put up career bests of 19.8 points and 6.1 rebounds for the Clippers last season.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

NBA: Thunder's George undergoes second shoulder surgery

MVP finalist Paul George of the Oklahoma City Thunder underwent left shoulder surgery on Tuesday to repair a small tear in his labrum, the team announced.

The surgery comes five weeks after George underwent right shoulder surgery to repair a partially torn tendon.

George had a sore right shoulder down the stretch of the season after injuring it against the Denver Nuggets on Feb. 26, causing him to miss three games.

He aggravated the ailment against the Houston Rockets on April 9 and sat out the regular-season finale before returning for the beginning of the postseason.

When the team announced on May 7 that George had undergone surgery on the right shoulder, it said the 29-year-old also would undergo surgery on his left shoulder and that his status would be determined before the start of the regular season.

George, who is also a finalist for Defensive Player of the Year, established career-best averages of 28 points, 8.2 rebounds and 2.2 steals while sinking a career-high 292 3-pointers in 77 games this season. He also matched his career high of 4.1 assists per game.

Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks and James Harden of the Rockets are the other MVP finalists.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

NBA: Westbrook seals triple-double average as Thunder top Pistons

Paul George scored 30 points and Russell Westbrook sealed his third consecutive season averaging a triple-double as the host Oklahoma City Thunder posted a 123-110 win over the Detroit Pistons on Friday.

The game was critical to both teams' playoff positioning, and it was the Thunder who came out ahead, winning for the second consecutive game and the fourth time in seven games.

The Thunder (46-33) remain in seventh place in the Western Conference, a half-game ahead of the San Antonio Spurs, who also won Friday.

The Pistons (39-40) lost for the third consecutive game and for the sixth time in their past eight. Detroit fell into a tie for seventh in the Eastern Conference with the Brooklyn Nets, just a game ahead of the ninth-place Miami Heat.

George was 4 of 7 from behind the 3-point arc.

Westbrook finished with 19 points, eight rebounds and 15 assists a game after recording the second-ever 20-20-20 game in league history. Jerami Grant also scored 19 for Oklahoma City.

The Thunder won despite a monster game from Blake Griffin, who had missed the previous three contests due to knee soreness.

Griffin finished with 45 points, making a career-high nine 3-pointers in his home state. He was 9 of 14 from behind the 3-point arc.

Griffin scored 31 of his points in the first half.

It took just four Thunder possessions for Westbrook to pick up three assists and seal his triple-double season average. Westbrook is the only player to accomplish the feat in back-to-back seasons.

Westbrook will also finish as the league's leader in assists for the third consecutive season.

In the second quarter, Westbrook was called for a flagrant foul on Zaza Pachulia after the Detroit center received a pass under the basket.

Westbrook swatted hard and connected with Pachulia's head as the latter went up for a shot. Pachulia remained on the ground for several moments.

It was not the first run-in between the two.

Last season when Pachulia was a member of the Golden State Warriors, Westbrook accused Pachulia of deliberately trying to hurt him after Pachulia fell on top of Westbrook.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

NBA: Thunder’s George hits last-second shot to beat Jazz in 2 OTs

Paul George scored 45 points, including a floater with less than a second left in the second overtime, to lift the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 148-147 win over the visiting Utah Jazz on Friday night.

With Russell Westbrook having fouled out in the first overtime, George had to put the game on his shoulders and he came up big, grabbing a rebound off Joe Ingles' missed shot with 10 seconds left and keeping the ball until he drove into the lane before releasing the high floater that went cleanly through the net.


The win was the Thunder's 12th in 14 games while Utah lost for the second consecutive game.

Westbrook's NBA record streak of 11 consecutive triple-doubles came to an end officially in overtime when he was called for his sixth foul on a charge with 1:09 remaining. Westbrook finished with 43 points, 15 rebounds and 8 assists.

Though Westbrook fell short of another triple-double, he was 15 of 29 from the field and hit a season-high 6 3-pointers.

Donovan Mitchell led Utah with 38 points, going 14 of 35 from the field.

Utah led by 10 in the fourth quarter before the Thunder turned up the pressure defensively and used it to get back in the game.

Oklahoma City outscored Utah 11-0 off turnovers in the fourth quarter.

George tied it with a 3-pointer with 1:24 remaining and the teams traded baskets for the rest of regulation.

Ricky Rubio's 3-pointer gave the Jazz the lead again with 31.5 seconds remaining.

Without a timeout, the Thunder pushed the ball up the court as Westbrook dished to Jerami Grant underneath the basket for the layup as he was fouled. 

Grant made the free throw to tie the score again, then blocked a shot at the other end to give Oklahoma City a chance to win in regulation but Westbrook's pull-up missed the mark and the game went to overtime.

Utah outrebounded Oklahoma City 60-43 with Rudy Gobert adding 26 points and 16 rebounds.

The win clinched the season series for the Thunder, who have won the first three meetings with the Jazz this season.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

NBA: George, Westbrook propel Thunder past Blazers

Paul George had a 47-point triple-double, and Russell Westbrook set an NBA record for consecutive triple-doubles as the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the visiting Portland Trail Blazers 120-111 on Monday night.

George's 3-pointer with 3:52 to play came on the 10th assist by Westbrook, who clinched his 10th consecutive triple-double. Westbrook finished with 21 points, 14 rebounds and 11 assists.

Going into the game, Westbrook and Wilt Chamberlain were the only players in NBA history with nine consecutive triple-doubles. Chamberlain set the mark in 1968.

However, it was George who drew "MVP" chants as the game wound down, as he contributed 12 rebounds and 10 assists to go along with his point tally. George has scored 92 points over the last two games.

It was George's third career triple-double and his first since 2014. He capped off the triple-double in the final minute with a pass to Westbrook for a 3-pointer, the last of treys for Oklahoma City.

The win was the fourth consecutive and 11th in 12 games for the Thunder. It also clinched the season series for Oklahoma City, which is 3-0 with one meeting left.

The Trail Blazers took their third loss in four games.

Damian Lillard led Portland with 31 points, making 8 of 12 from the field in the second half as the Trail Blazers cut what was a 20-point deficit down to as little as five.

Oklahoma City was short-handed, playing without starting forward Jerami Grant and backup point guard Dennis Schroder. Grant missed the game after sustaining a right ankle sprain late in the Thunder's win at Houston on Saturday. Schroder missed the game due to a personal issue.

The players who took over the majority of the missing regulars' minutes had a big impact early.

Raymond Felton, playing in Schroder's role and appearing in a game for the first time since Dec. 30, scored 15 first-half points on 6-of-7 shooting. Felton had not scored more than 12 points all season. He missed all three of his second-half shots and did not score after the break.

Deonte Burton, a rookie getting added playing time off the bench with Grant out, scored a season-high 18 points. His previous best was 11 points, and he hadn't scored a point since Dec. 3.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

NBA: George's 45 tops Harden's 42 as Thunder eke out win

Paul George outgunned James Harden in a matchup of MVP candidates, and the Oklahoma City Thunder erased a 26-point deficit to escape with a 117-112 win over the host Houston Rockets on Saturday.

George finished with a game-high 45 points plus 11 rebounds, torching the Houston defense with six 3-pointers plus 15-for-18 free throws.

George's four free throws inside the final four seconds sealed the win after Russell Westbrook slipped through the defense to convert a layup and give the Thunder the lead for good at 113-112 with 26.9 seconds left.

Westbrook matched an NBA record set by Wilt Chamberlain with his ninth consecutive triple-double: 21 points, 12 rebounds, and 11 assists. The Thunder posted a 53-39 edge on the glass.

Harden totaled 42 points, his 29th consecutive game with at least 30, but he missed a contested 3-pointer after Westbrook pushed the Thunder ahead.

Chris Paul nearly posted a triple-double (18 points, 10 rebounds, nine assists) in his strongest performance since his return from a hamstring injury.

The Thunder matched the Rockets' 42-point second quarter with a 42-point third period, keyed by 7-for-12 3-point shooting. After committing just two turnovers in the first half, the Rockets had six in the third quarter and collapsed with 1-for-9 shooting from behind the arc.

Still, the Rockets led 86-79 before Thunder guard Dennis Schroder closed the frame with 11 consecutive points to pull Oklahoma City even at 90-all entering the fourth. Less than three minutes into the final frame, the Thunder led 98-92, and the Rockets were left scrambling.

Two runs sparked the Rockets' run to their 26-point lead in the first half.

Westbrook pulled the Thunder even with a midrange bank shot at the 1:47 mark of the first quarter before Houston bridged the opening two frames with an 11-0 burst that featured treys from Iman Shumpert, making his Rockets debut, Gerald Green, and Austin Rivers.

When Paul capped that rally with a midrange jumper, the Rockets led 36-25, and Oklahoma City struggled to build momentum against its lackadaisical ball security and the Rockets' perimeter shooting.

Houston had pushed its lead to 58-42 despite a mini-surge from Westbrook before landing what appeared to be a devastating blow: a 10-0 run that included 3-pointers from Paul and Harden plus three Harden free throws after Paul converted a technical assessed against George for protesting a call.

The Rockets were 12 of 24 from deep late in the first half before missing five consecutive 3-pointers, leave the door ajar for a comeback.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

NBA: Westbrook's 8th straight triple-double lifts Thunder

Paul George scored 27 points, and Russell Westbrook recorded his eighth consecutive triple-double as the host Oklahoma City Thunder overwhelmed the Memphis Grizzlies in the second half en route to a 117-95 win.

The win was the Thunder's ninth in 10 games and their fifth consecutive at home.

Memphis, playing with a short bench, had its two-game winning streak snapped.

Westbrook had 15 points, 15 assists and 13 rebounds to keep the triple-double streak alive. He clinched the triple-double with 4:30 remaining in the third quarter when he made a put-back shot.

He became just the second player in NBA history with eight consecutive triple-doubles. Wilt Chamberlain holds the NBA record with nine consecutive triple-doubles in 1968.

Memphis had just nine players dressed for the game after trading four players earlier in the day, including longtime standout Marc Gasol, who had played all of his 11 NBA seasons in Memphis before being dealt to the Toronto Raptors.

The Grizzlies also had entertained trade talks concerning Mike Conley, another Memphis staple, but Conley stayed put through the trade deadline. Conley struggled against the Thunder, though, scoring 15 points but making just 4 of 15 shots from the floor.

Jaren Jackson Jr. led the Grizzlies with 27 points.

Memphis had success early, building a nine-point lead early in the second quarter thanks to a zone defense that forced Oklahoma City to rely heavily on the outside shot.

The Thunder hit enough 3-pointers to stay in the game, briefly possessing their own nine-point lead in the second quarter before the Grizzlies took a two-point lead into the break.

Of Oklahoma City's 40 first-half shots, 28 came from behind the 3-point arc. The Thunder finished 17 of 44 on 3-point attempts, with George going 6 of 13.

The Thunder quickly took control in the third quarter, outscoring Memphis 32-19 in the period to start to put the game away.

A big part of that was the Thunder's ability to score on the inside. After struggling in the paint in the first half -- thanks in part to center Steven Adams being limited to six minutes with foul trouble -- Oklahoma City got to the rim regularly after the break.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

NBA: George, Westbrook rally Thunder past Magic

Paul George scored 39 points, and Russell Westbrook's triple-double streak continued as the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the Orlando Magic 132-122 at home Tuesday night.

The Thunder took control of the game with a 36-point third quarter, then held on late to win for the eighth time in the last nine games.

Orlando's two-game winning streak was snapped, and the Magic have lost eight of their last 11 games.

Orlando led by 12 early in the third quarter, but from there the Thunder outscored the Magic 31-13 over the final nine minutes of the quarter and led 111-97 three minutes into the fourth.

The Magic didn't go away quietly, though, cutting the lead to as little as five with less than five minutes remaining, but couldn't get any closer.

Westbrook finished with 16 points, 15 rebounds and 16 assists, clinching his seventh consecutive triple-double by the end of the third quarter.

It's the third such streak in Westbrook's career. Only Oscar Robertson and Michael Jordan have had at least seven consecutive triple-doubles. 

Robertson holds the NBA record with nine consecutive triple-doubles.

It was the sixth time in the last seven games that George has scored 36 or more points. Oklahoma City had seven players score in double figures for the second time this season.

Backup point guard Dennis Schroder had 20 points while Jerami Grant had 19 points and 11 rebounds.

The Thunder shot 50 percent (46 of 92) from the floor and hit 13 3-pointers, including six from George.

Terrence Ross had 26 points off the bench to lead Orlando while Evan Fournier added 25. Aaron Gordon had 18 points and 10 assists.

Before the game, the Magic announced rookie center Mohamed Bamba would miss significant time with a stress fracture in his left tibia. Bamba will not undergo surgery as the team hopes he'll respond to rest, treatment and rehabilitation.

Bamba did not travel with the team to Oklahoma City and missed his second consecutive game. He's averaging 6.2 points, 5.0 rebounds and 1.36 blocks, fourth in the NBA among rookies.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

NBA: George lights up Heat for 43 on 10 treys as Thunder roll

Paul George scored a game-high 43 points, Russell Westbrook posted his 18th triple-double, and the Oklahoma City Thunder continued their offensive surge in a 118-102 rout of host Miami Heat on Friday.

George (26 points) and reserve guard Dennis Schroder (24) combined for 50 in the first two quarters as the Heat allowed their second-most points in a half, narrowly outscoring the sharp-shooting duo by just three.

George connected on a career-high 10 3-pointers, and Schroder scored 28 in 29 minutes off the bench for the Thunder, who won their seventh consecutive overall and sixth straight against Miami.

Westbrook notched 14 points, 14 assists and 12 rebounds in his fifth triple-double in a row, and Steven Adams had 13 points.

Miami's Kelly Olynyk tallied 21 points and Josh Richardson had 18. Hassan Whiteside had 12 points and 16 rebounds for the Heat, who lost their second straight overall and have dropped four of the last six.

Oklahoma City averaged a franchise-record 120.6 points per game in January and the offensive juggernaut was on full display from the opening tip in the first meeting between the two teams.

In a fast-paced first quarter, the Thunder raced out on a 12-2 run less than five minutes into the game behind the versatile scoring of George and Adams as the club led 18-11.

The Thunder led 31-24 behind 16 points from George as the six-time All-Star made 6 of 8 field goals, including 3-for-3 from beyond the arc.

Schroder came off the bench to replace Westbrook in the second quarter and immediately became as big of a nuisance to the Heat as George. The backup scored seven points as the Thunder built a 17-point lead by scoring 12 unanswered points early in the quarter.

Schroder followed up George's 16-point first quarter with 24 of his own in the second -- his career high for any single period -- as Oklahoma City shot 58.3 percent from the floor, led by as many as 23 and held a 72-53 halftime edge.

Miami cut the deficit to 15 early in the second half after a layup by Whiteside, but Patrick Patterson's 3-pointer gave the Thunder a 94-74 lead after three, and they cruised in the final quarter with reserves on the floor.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

NBA: George's 36 lead Thunder past Bucks

Paul George scored 36 points to lead the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 118-112 home win over the visiting Milwaukee Bucks on Sunday.

The Thunder led by as many as 19 in the second half but the Bucks cut the lead to seven with nine consecutive points -- all on 3-pointers -- late in the third quarter before briefly cutting the lead to six.

But then George, who scored 21 points in the first half, sank a 3-pointer in the final minute to help cool off Milwaukee's run. Dennis Schroder followed with another long 3-pointer to give the Thunder a double-digit lead going into the fourth.

George hit a season-high eight 3-pointers as Oklahoma City hit 16 from behind the arc.

The Thunder have won five consecutive games, sweeping their three-game homestand that also included wins over New Orleans and Portland.

Russell Westbrook had a triple-double in all three games of the homestand, finishing with 13 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists. Six Thunder players scored in double figures.

Oklahoma City was just 14 of 25 from the free-throw line.

The loss snapped a six-game winning streak for Milwaukee, which was playing the first of five consecutive games away from home.

Oklahoma City's Steven Adams was knocked out of the game with a right ankle sprain near the end of the first quarter. Adams went to the locker room but returned with just less than three minutes remaining before half.

After halftime, with Oklahoma City's defense struggling as Milwaukee adjusted, Adams helped keep the Thunder ahead, scoring 10 points in the first four-plus minutes of the third quarter.

The Thunder made life miserable for Giannis Antetokounmpo early, as the All-Star missed all six of his first-half field goals, scoring just three points before intermission, all at the free-throw line.

But Antetokounmpo scored 24 second-half points to lead Milwaukee with 27. Khris Middleton added 22. Antetokounmpo also had 18 rebounds.

The Bucks jumped out to a big lead early, scoring the game's initial eight points over the first two-plus minutes. From there, though, the Thunder outscored Milwaukee 31-17 over the last 9:27 of the quarter to take control.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

George pumps in 37 as Thunder top Lakers

Paul George scored 37 points to lead the visiting Oklahoma City Thunder to a 107-100 win against the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday.

George, who picked up three fouls in first 3:12 of first quarter, scored 20 points in the second half.

Russell Westbrook finished with 14 points, 16 rebounds and 10 assists for his NBA-leading 11th triple-double, but he shot 3-for-20 from the floor. Westbrook, who shot 38.6 percent in December, missed his first seven field-goal attempts.

Steven Adams had 14 points and 15 rebounds, eight on the offensive end, and Jerami Grant scored 13 for the Thunder, who have won three of four.

Lakers reserve Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, who came in averaging 9.8 points, scored 18 of his 25 points in the first half. He scored a season-high 26 in a 121-114 win on Sunday against the Sacramento Kings.

Caldwell-Pope started the second half after Lakers second-leading scorer Kyle Kuzma (18.7 points per game) sustained a lower-back contusion in the second quarter. Kuzma did not return.

The Lakers were already playing their fourth game without LeBron James, who leads the team in scoring, rebounding and assists. James sustained a groin injury in a Christmas night game against the Golden State Warriors.

Los Angeles' Brandon Ingram had 17 points and a season-high 11 rebounds. JaVale McGee scored 15 points, and Josh Hart had 13 points and a career-high 15 rebounds for the Lakers, who have dropped three of four.

The Lakers led by four to start the fourth quarter, but an 11-0 run sparked by the Thunder reserves and a 6:21 stretch without a field goal by Los Angeles helped Oklahoma City take its biggest lead to that point, 91-85, with 6:31 remaining.

The Lakers got as close as two with 4:36 left but couldn't pull any closer as the Thunder followed with a 12-3 run.

Neither team led by more than six points through the first three quarters.

The Thunder missed their final nine field-goal attempts of the third quarter to allow the Lakers to take a 82-78 lead into the fourth.

The next seven opponents for Lakers, starting with a visit from the New York Knicks on Friday, have a record of under .500. The Thunder play at Portland on Friday.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

George, Westbrook help Thunder roll past Bulls

Paul George scored 24 points to lead the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 121-96 win over the visiting Chicago Bulls on Monday night.

George scored 16 points in the final 4:47 of the second quarter as the Thunder closed the quarter on a 23-7 run to seize control of the game.

It looked like Oklahoma City had done that earlier, when a 21-3 run in the first quarter brought it from down five to up 13 before Chicago fought its way back in.

Russell Westbrook had 13 points, 16 rebounds and 11 assists for his 111th career triple-double as the Thunder won for the second consecutive game. Steven Adams added 19 and Dennis Schroder 18.

George scored only one point in the second half.

Westbrook capped off the triple-double with his 10th assist with 6:33 remaining as he bounced a pass to Hamidou Diallo in the lane and Diallo finished with a reverse layup as he was fouled by Chandler Hutchison.

Westbrook also added five steals. The Thunder have forced 49 turnovers in the last two games after Chicago gave the ball up 23 times Monday.

Lauri Markkanen led the Bulls with 16 points and a season-high 15 rebounds. Bobby Portis added 16 points as well.

The Bulls were without leading scorer Zach LaVine for the second consecutive game.

Late in the third quarter, a skirmish broke out as Chicago's Cameron Payne was being called for a foul on Terrance Ferguson.

Nearby, Westbrook and Kris Dunn traded pushes, leading to an altercation between the teams that brought Bulls coach Jim Boylen over in front of the Thunder bench and led to Robin Lopez being restrained in the front row between the bench and the scorer's table after he got tangled up with Jerami Grant.

After a review, Westbrook and Grant were assessed technicals for the Thunder while Lopez and Dunn were given technicals for Chicago.

Lopez was ejected less than three minutes later after picking up another technical foul.

The Bulls, who were coming off a win over San Antonio, have yet to win back-to-back games this season.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

George's hot hand lifts Thunder over Clippers

Paul George had yet another big game, scoring 33 points as the Oklahoma City Thunder snapped a two-game losing streak with a 110-104 win over the visiting Los Angeles Clippers on Saturday.

George has scored 30 or more points in four of his last six games and is shooting 57 percent from the floor over the last four games after going 11 of 19 from the field Saturday.

Though the Thunder led for much of the night, never trailing after the midpoint of the second quarter, the Clippers stayed in the game with strong outside shooting.

Los Angeles hit 13 3-pointers, including four by Danilo Gallinari, who led the Clippers with 28 points.

Two other Clippers -- Tobias Harris (22) and Montrezl Harrell (21) - were their other top scorers.

Oklahoma City led by 17 points after three quarters but the Clippers cut the deficit to six with a little more than a minute to go.

The Thunder grabbed control of the game on the defensive end, forcing the Clippers into a season-high 26 turnovers. The mark was also a season high for an Oklahoma City opponent. The Thunder turned those turnovers into 22 points, while the Clippers forced just 11 Oklahoma City turnovers, turning them into 10 points.

Oklahoma City also dominated in the paint, outscoring the Clippers 54-30, though the margin was even bigger until Los Angeles' closing run.

The Thunder built its 11-point first-half lead without much scoring help from star point guard Russell Westbrook.

Westbrook missed his first seven shots, not connecting from the floor until 2:07 remained in the first half. But Oklahoma City was able to build a lead thanks to the play of George.

Westbrook made a big impact in the second half, though his struggles from the floor remained. He finished with 13 points, 12 assists, nine rebounds and six steals.

Jerami Grant added 18 points for the Thunder while Steven Adams added 16.

The Clippers have lost five of their last six games after winning 10 of the previous 12 games before that.

Oklahoma City is now 3-1 on the back end of back-to-back games.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Thunder's Westbrook a triple threat in win over Cavs

Russell Westbrook had his 107th career triple-double, leading the Oklahoma City Thunder to a 100-83 victory over the visiting Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday night.

Westbrook had 23 points, 19 rebounds and 15 assists. Jerami Grant added 21 points -- one off a career high -- for the Thunder while Paul George added 18.

Westbrook had the triple-double wrapped up in the third quarter. The career feat tied Jason Kidd for third in NBA history in the category behind Oscar Robertson (181) and Magic Johnson (138).

Oklahoma City locked in on defense in the third quarter, holding Cleveland to just 15 points while taking command.

The Thunder took control with a 13-0 run midway through the third quarter as Oklahoma City led by 11 at the end of the quarter. George had six of the Thunder's points during the stretch.

Grant added four blocks, part of the Thunder's season-high 11.

Oklahoma City struggled from behind the 3-point line, shooting just 22.2 percent from beyond the arc (6 of 22).

The Thunder have won 13 of their last 16 games.

Cleveland was just 4 of 9 from the free-throw line, its fewest made free throws since 2005.

The Cavs were without guard Kyle Korver, who has reportedly been traded to the Utah Jazz for guard Alec Burks and a pair of future second-round picks.

Without Korver, Cleveland used just eight players in the game.

Jordan Clarkson led the Cavaliers with 25 points off the bench, going 10 of 22 from the field and making four 3-pointers. Rookie point guard Collin Sexton scored 21.

Clarkson helped the Cavaliers jump out to a double-digit lead early with 18 first-half points. He appeared to have 20, but at halftime a shot he hit with just over a minute left in the half was reviewed and it was determined to have left Clarkson's hands after the shot clock expired.

Cleveland led by as much as 11 in the first half before the Thunder closed the half with a 20-9 run to tie the score at 47-47 by halftime.

source: news.abs-cbn.com