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

Harden scores 49, carrying battered Rockets by Wolves

James Harden recorded his fifth 40-plus point scoring effort during the Houston Rockets' seven-game winning streak, posting 49 in a 125-105 victory over the host Minnesota Timberwolves on Saturday.

Hamstrung by a roster depleted by injuries, Harden took a career-high 41 shot attempts. He finished 8 of 22 on 3-pointers and added five rebounds and six assists over 39 minutes.

A trio of guards provided Harden support offensively. Ben McLemore followed his 21-point performance Friday against Indiana with 20 points, including a pair of free throws with 1:29 left in the third quarter that gave the Rockets their first double-digit lead at 89-79.

Austin Rivers and Chris Clemons scored 19 points apiece for the Rockets, who also received a career-best 16 rebounds from center Isaiah Hartenstein. Houston shot 19 of 49 on 3-pointers.

The Timberwolves led by as many as 11 points in the first half but struggled to contain Harden. They also missed the production of their second-leading scorer, forward Andrew Wiggins, who missed his second consecutive game (personal reasons).

Karl-Anthony Towns paired 27 points with 15 rebounds to pace the Timberwolves, while Jake Layman scored 21 on 9-of-14 shooting. Robert Covington chipped in 17 points, while rookie Jarrett Culver added 13 points, all in the first half.

With the Rockets missing their second- (Russell Westbrook), third- (Clint Capela), fourth- (Danuel House Jr.) and fifth-leading scorers (Eric Gordon), Harden asserted himself offensively from the opening tip, hoisting 17 first-quarter shots to keep Houston afloat. Harden started the game 1 for 6 from the floor but went 6 of 11 down the stretch and tallied 18 points in the period, as the Rockets shot 6 of 12 from behind the arc and eked out a 31-30 advantage.

Clemons teamed with Harden to score all 13 points in a 13-3 Houston run that erased most of the Timberwolves' 21-10 lead. Clemons, an undrafted rookie out of Campbell, matched his career high of 16 points by the intermission. 

With Harden producing 30 points by the break, that duo was able to offset Towns' 18 points and the combined 24 points from Culver and Layman to lead 64-62.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

NBA: Hayward explodes for 30 as Celtics beat T-wolves

Gordon Hayward enjoyed his best game of the season, scoring 30 points while also adding nine rebounds and eight assists to lead the visiting Boston Celtics to a 118-109 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves in Minneapolis on Saturday night.

The Celtics extended their modest win streak to three games, getting the last two on consecutive nights.

The T-wolves saw their season-best win streak snapped at four games.

In the first quarter, the Celtics crawled back from an early seven-point deficit to lead 29-26 through the end of the opening frame on the strength of strong ball movement.

The second quarter saw the Celtics expand that lead to 57-48 by halftime, built largely with nine 3-pointers to the T-wolves' four triples. Hayward (14 points) and Kyrie Irving (12) were already in double figures for the Celtics at the break, while Derrick Rose responded with 12 for Minnesota.

A high-scoring 3rd quarter saw the Timberwolves shave only two points from the halftime deficit. Boston relied heavily on an inside-out game between Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins.

Trailing 89-81 early in the final frame, the T-wolves ripped off an 8-0 run to tie the game with less than nine minutes remaining before Boston responded with its own 9-0 run. The Celtics never looked back.

For the Celtics, in addition to Heyward they got big performances from Jayson Tatum, who scored 19 points and added nine rebounds. Irving also chipped in with 21 points and nine assists.

Jaylen Brown missed his third straight game for the Celtics because of a nagging back injury, resulting in Marcus Smart's third start of the season.

The Timberwolves were led by Towns, who posted 20 points and nine rebounds. Robert Covington added 17 points, 10 rebounds and four steals in a spirited effort for the losing side. Rose scored 26 off the bench.

Up next for Boston is a four-day gap before the Celtics visit the New York Knicks on Thursday. Minnesota's next contest is the third game of their current 4-game homestand as they host the Houston Rockets on Monday.

--Field Level Media

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Towns' double-double leads Wolves over Bulls

Karl-Anthony Towns scored 35 points and pulled down 22 rebounds for his 10th double-double of the season, and the Minnesota Timberwolves pulled away for a 111-96 win over the Chicago Bulls on Saturday night at Minneapolis.

Derrick Rose added 22 points on 9-for-13 shooting off the bench to help knock off his former team. Jeff Teague finished with 18 points for Minnesota, which has won back-to-back contests to climb two games within .500.

Zach LaVine scored 28 points to lead Chicago, which fell short for the sixth time in the past seven games. Jabari Parker had a season-high 27 points, and Justin Holiday registered his second consecutive double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds.

Minnesota outscored Chicago 62-46 during the second half to win its fourth straight game at home against the Bulls. Each of the Timberwolves' last three home wins over the Bulls have come by double digits.

Timberwolves coach Tom Thibodeau improved to 4-1 against the Bulls, with whom he began his head coaching career.

Towns scored at least 30 points and pulled down at least 20 rebounds for the third time in his career. The 23-year-old fell just four points shy of his season high of 39, which he notched Nov. 9 against the Sacramento Kings.

The Timberwolves opened the fourth quarter on a 12-2 run to seize command. Towns totaled eight points during the scoring binge, including a jump shot and six free throws. Dario Saric started the run with a slam dunk off a feed from Tyus Jones.

Chicago led 50-49 at halftime. Wendell Carter Jr. and Towns traded baskets in the final minute.

Minnesota held close despite a woeful first half from Andrew Wiggins and Robert Covington, who combined to shoot 0 for 20 from the field. The Bulls also struggled to find their rhythm but leaned on Parker and LaVine, who combined to score 30 points on 17 shots before the break.

Parker scored 20-plus points for the third straight game, which marks his best streak since signing with his hometown Bulls this summer.

The game marked the first of two regular-season meetings between the teams. The series will conclude in Chicago on Dec. 26.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Harris, Millsap lead Nuggets past T-wolves

Jamal Murray scored 18 points, including two free throws with 6.8 seconds left, and the Denver Nuggets beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 103-101 in Minneapolis on Wednesday night.

Paul Millsap scored 12 of his game-high 25 points during a decisive third quarter and Gary Harris had 18 points for Denver.

Karl-Anthony Towns had 22 points and seven rebounds, and Derrick Rose had 20 points off the bench for Minnesota.

Denver led by 13 early in the fourth quarter when its offense went cold and Minnesota got hot. Rose hit four free throws, Dario Saric had a three-point play and then Rose hit a 3-pointer from the top of the circle in a 12-0 run that cut the Nuggets' lead to 89-88.

Harris and Rose traded 3-pointers, and then Harris hit a layup to give Denver a 94-91 lead. After both teams missed, Nikola Jokic hit a 3-pointer to put the Nuggets up 97-91 with 3:07 left.

The Timberwolves got within two on a steal and dunk, but Harris hit a layup and Millsap a runner to make it 101-95.

Minnesota scored four straight but had to foul Murray, who drained two free throws to clinch it.

The Nuggets trailed 56-50 at halftime but caught fire on both ends of the floor in the third quarter. Denver hit 14-of-24 shots and had six steals to take the lead for good.

Harris scored his only points of the third to get things rolling and Millsap had a bucket, split two free throws and then hit a step-back jumper to give the Nuggets a 57-56 lead.

After Andrew Wiggins hit a 3-pointer for the Timberwolves, Murray hit one from behind the arc and Millsap scored seven straight Denver points to put the Nuggets ahead 67-65.

Millsap's 3-pointer started a 16-2 Nuggets run that gave them an 80-67 lead with 1:56 left in the period. Millsap left the game early in the run to get stitches above his left eye and returned midway through the fourth quarter.

Denver outscored Minnesota 35-18 in the third to lead 85-74.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Gasol-led Grizzlies dispatch Timberwolves

Marc Gasol scored 26 points, grabbed 13 rebounds and made four 3-point shots to lead the Memphis Grizzlies to a 100-87 road win on Sunday against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Mike Conley added 18 points and nine assists for the Grizzlies, who now have won five of six. The Timberwolves had won three straight since trading Jimmy Butler to the Philadelphia 76ers.

The Grizzlies broke open the game in the third quarter by outscoring the Timberwolves, 28-19. Through three quarters, Memphis had forced 16 Minnesota turnovers and the Timberwolves concluded with 20 miscues.

Derrick Rose kept the Timberwolves in the game, scoring 18 off the bench. Rose was 6 of 11 from the field, including 2-for-4 from long range. Newly acquired Dario Saric also gave Minnesota a lift off the bench, scoring 14 points.

The Grizzlies shot 42.7 percent from the field. Minnesota shot 39.2.

A telling sign that Sunday just wasn't the Timberwolves' day -- with time running out late in the fourth, Garrett Temple threw up a 3-point attempt from 30 feet and hit nothing but net to give Memphis a 96-83 lead.

Another sign -- Gasol sank a corner 3 midway through the third to give the Grizzlies a double-digit lead at 66-54. Minnesota had not won a game where it trailed by double digits all season, and still hasn't.

Shelvin Mack's 3-point jumper made it 69-54 as the Grizzlies defense smothered the Minnesota offense.

The Timberwolves cut the deficit to eight midway through the fourth and when Covington forced the ball off Conley's knee, it appeared Minnesota would have a chance to creep even closer.

But a missed call allowed the Grizzlies to keep the ball and Gasol made a 3 making the score 81-69.

Saric answered to cut the lead to 10 but Gasol could not be stopped. Memphis' big man sank another 3 and it seemed Memphis had an answer every time Minnesota tried to claw back.

Memphis dictated the pace from the get-go but trailed 20-17 after the first quarter. The Grizzlies outscored the Timberwolves 30-23 in the second period and took a 47-43 lead into halftime.

Minnesota shot just 35 percent (14 of 40) in the first half while the Grizzlies were just a little better at 39.1 percent (18-for-46).

The two teams combined to turn the ball over 19 times in the first half.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Towns, Wiggins lead Timberwolves past Pelicans

The newest Timberwolves made their debut but it was holdovers Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins who led host Minnesota to a 107-100 victory against the New Orleans Pelicans on Wednesday night.

Towns had 25 points and 16 rebounds and Wiggins scored 23 points and they were supported by the principal players in the Jimmy Butler trade as Robert Covington scored 13 and Dario Saric came off the bench to score nine. 

Jeff Teague had 14 points and 14 assists, Josh Okogie scored 11 and Taj Gibson 10.

E'Twaun Moore led the Pelicans by scoring 31 points two nights after he had 30 in his team's third straight victory, a 126-110 win at Toronto. 

Anthony Davis had 29 points and 11 rebounds, Nikola Mirotic had 16 points and 10 rebounds and Jrue Holiday had 14 points and 10 assists.

Minnesota, which swept the four-game series against New Orleans last season led by four after three quarters and build the lead to 11 early in the fourth.

Davis scored five points and Holiday's basket completed an 8-0 run that gave New Orleans its only lead of the game at 96-94, but the Pelicans scored just four points in the final four and a half minutes.

Wiggins' 3-pointer put Minnesota back on top and he added a free throw, Covington made a layup and Towns a free throw to increase the lead to 101-96 with three minutes left.

After a basket by Mirotic, Gibson made a free throw and Wiggins had a three-point play to give the Wolves a 105-98 lead.

Minnesota held a 67-54 halftime lead and built the margin to 15 early in the third quarter before New Orleans made a push.

Mirotic made a 3-pointer that cut the lead to 75-59 before the Wolves rebuilt the margin to 10.

Moore and Davis scored five points each as New Orleans got within two before Saric made two free throws to give Minnesota an 85-81 lead after three quarters.

Towns had 15 points as the Wolves took a 38-28 lead after the first period.

They extended the lead to 67-54 at halftime as Towns finished the half with 20 points and 10 rebounds.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Harden hits heights as Rockets soar over Timberwolves

LOS ANGELES -- James Harden scored 36 points as the Houston Rockets moved to the brink of a Western Conference first round playoff series victory with a 119-100 rout of the Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday.

Harden underscored his status as front-runner for the NBA's Most Valuable Player award after leading a stunning third quarter performance that saw the Rockets explode for an astonishing 50 points.

That devastating burst of scoring -- a franchise record -- included 22 points from Harden as the Rockets transformed what had been a one-point contest at half-time into a comfortable victory.

"We hit the switch that we've been trying to hit since the beginning of the playoffs, at both ends of the court," a satisfied Harden said afterwards.

"It's pretty scary what we're capable of when we're locked in defensively like that and when we get rolling offensively."

The win gave Houston a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven series, giving the Western Conference leaders a chance to book their place in the second round of the playoffs with a victory at home in game five on Wednesday.

The smart money will be on Houston to wrap up the series quickly after Monday's demolition job at Minnesota's Target Center arena.

"It was a great (third) quarter for us," Harden said. "It gave us the belief. Now we go back to the crib and try to finish it off."

While Harden's virtuoso third quarter performance ultimately decided the contest, the Rockets will also take heart from an offensive display that saw five players finish with double-digit points tallies.

Point guard Chris Paul weighed in with 25 points -- including 15 in the lop-sided third quarter -- while Eric Gordon had 18 and Trevor Ariza 15.

Center Clint Capela finished with 14 points, and also pulled down 17 rebounds during his 31 minutes on court.

The Timberwolves' scoring was led by Karl-Anthony Towns with 22 points, while Jimmy Butler (19) and Derrick Rose (17) also made significant contributions.

Minnesota had looked capable of snaring a series-leveling victory after a close first half, in which the Rockets took a 50-49 lead at the break.

But Houston's scorching 50-point third quarter saw the Rockets head into the fourth quarter with a 100-69 lead.

While Minnesota closed the gap as Houston eased up, the Rockets never looked like surrendering the initiative, keeping the Timberwolves at arm's length as they closed out the win.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

NBA: Warriors lose Thompson to fractured right thumb

SAN FRANCISCO - Golden State Warriors star guard Klay Thompson has suffered a fractured right thumb and will be re-evaluated next week after missing four games, the reigning NBA champions said Wednesday.

Thompson suffered the injury, originally diagnosed as a sprain, in Sunday's 109-103 loss at Minnesota. He will be re-evaluated next Tuesday.

The long-range sharpshooter averages 19.7 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.7 assists a game, shooting 48.9 percent from the court and 44.2 percent from 3-point range.

Thompson, whose only missed game this season came January 10 against the Los Angeles Clippers, is among the NBA's top five in 3-point shooting accuracy and 3-pointers made with 206.

The news comes a day after the Warriors learned they will be without two-time NBA Most Valuable Player Stephen Curry for at least another week with a sore right ankle that has kept hime out since last Thursday.

Also set to miss Wednesday's home game against the Los Angeles Lakers was forward Draymond Green with a sore right shoulder.

Thompson and Curry will miss the Lakers' contest, a Friday home game against Sacramento and a game Saturday at Phoenix. Curry will be re-evaluated before Monday's game at San Antonio.

At 51-16, the Warriors are two games behind Houston (53-14) in the fight for the best record in the NBA and the Western Conference and one game ahead of overall third-place Toronto (50-17), the Eastern Conference leader.

js/nr

source: news.abs-cbn.com

NBA: Celtics down Wolves, seal playoff berth

Kyrie Irving had 23 points, eight assists and seven rebounds, and Al Horford added 20 points, eight rebounds and six assists to lead the Boston Celtics to a 117-109 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Thursday night at Target Center in Minneapolis.

The Celtics clinched a playoff berth with the win.


Nemanja Bjelica had 30 points and 12 rebounds and Taj Gibson added 18 points to lead the Timberwolves, who lost their third consecutive game and fell for the fourth time in six games.

Boston won its second game in a row and prevailed for the sixth time in seven games by using a balanced offensive attack that had six players score in double figures. Marcus Morris had 17 points off the bench and Jaylen Brown added 14 for the Celtics, who survived a scare when Brown walked off the court on his own accord after sustaining a bad fall while trying to dunk in the third quarter.

Brown reportedly later was taken to a hospital.

The Celtics shot 49.4 percent from the field and 34.4 percent from 3-point range while picking up 28 assists.

Terry Rozier added 13 points off the bench for Boston, whose reserves outscored Minnesota's 42-20. No. 3 pick Jayson Tatum had 12 points and five rebounds for the Celtics.

Minnesota had six players in double figures, but Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins combined for just 28 points on 11-of-33 shooting. Wiggins went 6 of 21 from the field and had four turnovers to go along with 13 points, seven rebounds and four assists. Towns added 15 points and 11 rebounds.

Jamal Crawford had 15 points and four assists off the bench for the Timberwolves, and Jeff Teague had 13 points, eight assists and five rebounds.

Boston led 60-46 at halftime after using a 14-4 run midway through the second quarter to take a double-digit lead.

The Celtics capped off a three-game road trip with a 2-1 record, making them 5-1 in their past six road games.

Boston returns home to face the Indiana Pacers on Sunday night while the Timberwolves cap off a rough two-game stretch with a Sunday afternoon tilt against the Golden State Warriors.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Westbrook's 19th triple-double not enough for Thunder

LOS ANGELES - Oklahoma City star Russell Westbrook's 19th triple-double of the season wasn't enough on Friday as the Thunder fell 96-86 to the Minnesota Timberwolves in Minneapolis.

Westbrook, the NBA's leading scorer and top candidate for Most Valuable Player honors as the season approaches the halfway stage, scored 21 points with 11 rebounds and 12 assists in 36 minutes on the court.

His 19 triple-doubles already this season are the most in one campaign in almost 50 years, since Wilt Chamberlain posted 31 in the 1967-68 season.

He moved past Los Angeles Lakers legend Magic Johnson, who notched 18 triple-doubles in the 1981-82 season and inched closer to Oscar Robertson's single-season record of 41 set in 1961-62.

With 56 career triple-doubles Westbrook is closing in on Larry Bird (59) for fifth on the all-time list.

But on Friday, he also had 10 of the Thunder's 19 turnovers, which led to 33 points for Minnesota.

Karl-Anthony Towns notched his 10th straight double-double with 29 points and 17 rebounds and Minnesota's Spanish guard Ricky Rubio added 14 points and 14 assists.

Andrew Wiggins added 10 points for the Timberwolves, who won their third straight.

The Timberwolves led by as many as nine in the fourth quarter but were down by five at halftime.

But they rallied in the third quarter, and pushed their advantage to as many as 14 points early in the fourth period.

Oklahoma City narrowed the gap to 92-83 on Westbrook's steal and dunk with 1:46 remaining, but Wiggins and Towns scored the next four points.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Atlanta's Hardaway, Portland's McCollum win with career highs

LOS ANGELES -- Tim Hardaway and CJ McCollum both enjoyed career nights Sunday as the Atlanta Hawks surprised the first-place San Antonio Spurs while McCollum carried the Portland Trail Blazers to a come-from-behind victory.

McCollum scored a career-high 43 points as the Trail Blazers rallied past Minnesota 95-89 and Hardaway tallied 29 points, matching his all-time best total, to push the Hawks over the Spurs 114-112 in overtime.

McCollum, who reached his previous best of 37 points twice, shot 16-of-25 from the field to set a career high for field goals.

"Obviously, C.J. had an outstanding game," Portland coach Terry Stotts said.

Averaging 27.1 points in his last eight contests, this was McCollum's fourth consecutive game scoring over 20 points in place of Damian Lillard, who injured his ankle on December 23. McCollum has scored 30 points in seven games this season.

Minnesota guard Kris Dunn came off the bench to play 21 minutes and spent a good portion of it trying to stop McCollum.

"He can shoot the ball," Dunn said. "The three, the midrange, he can drive it to the basket.

"When somebody can do all of those things, you've just got to try and find a couple of things to take away from him. He got it going today so it was kind of hard."

Canadian Andrew Wiggins led Minnesota with 24 points while the young Timberwolves trio of Wiggins, Karl-Anthony Towns and Zach LaVine combined for 48 points after getting 73 together on Friday against Milwaukee.

Towns finished with 11 points and 12 rebounds for his fourth double-double in a row and 24th of the season.

Portland quickly rallied from a 12-point half-time deficit with a 14-2 run to tie the game at 51-51 on a McCollum's jumper. McCollum scored 16 points in the third and the Trail Blazers took a 69-64 lead into the fourth

Portland never trailed in the final quarter and led by as many as eight points in the closing 12 minutes.

LaVine's three pointer with 54 seconds to go allowed Minnesota to get within four at 91-87 but McCollum hit a jumper 20 seconds later and the Blazers finished the game at the charity stripe.

Minnesota coach Tom Thibodeau described the third quarter as "just a total breakdown."

"The thing that is concerning is the big halftime leads that we don't protect and we don't come out with the urgency and the understanding of playing a whole 48 minutes and how important that is and how hard you have to play," he said.

In Atlanta, Hardaway scored the go-ahead free throw in overtime as the Hawks snapped an 11-game losing streak to San Antonio in front of a crowd of 18,000.

San Antonio had a chance to level the game at the buzzer but Kawhi Leonard's layup rolled around the rim and spun out.

Hardaway scored 21 points in the second half and scored the first eight points in overtime. He made the first of two free throws with 10 seconds left in overtime to put Atlanta ahead for good.

"Once you make one and then make another one, everything seems to come," Hardaway said. "We came out today and played with a lot of pride."

Atlanta's Paul Millsap scored a season-high 32 points, including 14 in a row in the third and fourth quarters, to keep the Hawks within reach. Millsap added 13 rebounds and three assists.

Elsewhere, Myles Turner recorded his fifth double-double of the season with 23 points and 12 rebounds to lead the Indiana Pacers to a 117-104 victory over the Orlando Magic.

Turner has scored in double figures in 14 consecutive games with six 20-plus-point performances during that span.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Clippers drop Timberwolves, spoil Rubio return

LOS ANGELES -- Blake Griffin scored 20 points and pulled down 11 rebounds on Saturday in a 119-105 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves in Minneapolis that spoiled the return of guard Ricky Rubio.

Point guard Chris Paul had 19 points and eight assists for the Clippers. J.J. Redick added 18 points and Luc Mbah a Moute contributed a season-high 15 as half a dozen players scored in double figures for the Clippers, who improved to a league-best 9-1.

"That was good," Clippers coach Doc Rivers said of his team's quick start a night after their hard-fought victory over the Thunder in Oklahoma City. The Clippers made 15 of their first 22 shots and led 34-21 after the first quarter.

"I thought our starters came out and performed great. The defensive energy was great," Rivers said. "Luc -- there's nobody in the league right now (who is) a better defensive player than Luc."

He was especially pleased with how the Cameroonian forward teamed defensively with DeAndre Jordan, saying that with both of them on the floor "it makes our defense special."

Karl-Anthony Towns scored 24 points for Minnesota who welcomed Spanish guard Rubio back after he missed five games with a sprained right elbow.

Rubio produced seven points with six assists and six rebounds but the Timberwolves never led after the first quarter.

Griffin surpassed 9,000 career points in the game, the 420th of his NBA career.

Griffin became the fastest player to reach 9,000 points, 4,000 rebounds and 1,500 assists since Larry Bird accomplished the feat in 398 matches.

"He's a great scorer," Rivers said. "But he's such an unselfish scorer it makes our team better."

The Timberwolves face another Los Angeles test on Sunday when they host the Lakers, who powered past the Pelicans in New Orleans, 126-99, on Saturday.

Jordan Clarkson scored 23 points, D'Angelo Russell added 22 and Lou Williams contributed 21 as the Lakers won for the fifth time in six games.

Spurs shoot down Rockets

In Houston, scoring bursts from Kawhi Leonard and Manu Ginobili helped the Spurs to a 106-100 victory over the Rockets, who were playing just their second home game of the season after opening with seven of eight on the road.

Spurs forward LaMarcus Aldridge notched a double-double of 16 points and 10 rebounds, point guard Tony Parker added 16 points and center Pau Gasol contributed 15.

Leonard started strong en route to 20 points total, keying an 18-4 scoring run in the first quarter that rattled the Rockets.

Ginobili finished with 12 points, eight of them in a vital third-quarter stretch after the Rockets had trimmed a 15-point deficit to 69-63 and the Spurs withstood James Harden's triple-double of 25 points, 11 rebounds and 13 assists.

The Boston Celtics handed the Indiana Pacers their first home defeat of the season, 105-99 in Indianapolis.

Isaiah Thomas made just four of 13 shots from the field, but he came through when the Celtics really needed him, scoring 12 of his 23 points in the final five minutes.

"This is what the game is all about -- the fourth quarter," Celtics guard Avery Bradley said. "Isaiah did a lot for our team tonight, even though he was not shooting well. He created shots for other players and helped out by just penetrating and collapsing the defense."

The Pacers were without star Paul George, who sprained his left ankle in an overtime loss at Philadelphia on Friday.

"It was frustrating, especially at home against a good team," George said of having to watch the Pacers' home win streak end from the sideline. "I just thought we were real stagnant on offense."

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

NBA: Warriors bounce back, Celtics down Magic

Warriors 109, Timberwolves 104

Although it was a close one, the Golden State Warriors still have no concept of a losing streak this season.

Draymond Green scored 24 points as Golden State rallied from three points down in the final six minutes, beating the Minnesota Timberwolves 109-104 Monday and avoiding their first back-to-back losses of the season.

-----------------------------------------

Celtics 107, Magic 96

The scoring of Isaiah Thomas, Kelly Olynyk, Avery Bradley and Evan Turner drove the Boston Celtics to their second win in 24 hours, a 107-96 victory over the Orlando Magic on Monday night.

After ending a four-game losing streak with a win at Philadelphia on Sunday, the Celtics handed the Magic their 11th consecutive regular-season loss at TD Garden, their 12th in a row counting playoffs.

-----------------------------------------

Pistons 92, Bucks 91

Andre Drummond's tip-in during the final second gave the Detroit Pistons a 92-91 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks on Monday at The Palace.

Drummond's putback of a missed Kentavious Caldwell-Pope jumper gave the Pistons (37-34) their third consecutive victory. Milwaukee's Jerryd Bayless missed two free throws prior to Drummond's game-winner.



Wizards 117, Bucks 102

Bradley Beal is getting healthy at the right time, John Wall is heating up and the Washington Wizards look dangerous heading into the final weeks of the regular season.

Beal scored 25 points, and Wall added 27 points and 14 assists, leading the Wizards to a 117-102 win over the Atlanta Hawks on Monday in a battle of surging Eastern Conference squads at Philips Arena.

-----------------------------------------

Bulls 109, Kings 102

Derrick Rose scored 18 points and Taj Gibson and Doug McDermott each scored 16 as the Chicago Bulls beat the Sacramento Kings 109-102 on Monday night at the United Center.

The Bulls used a 10-0 run to take a 100-95 lead with 2:39 remaining en route to their third straight victory as Chicago fights for an Eastern Conference playoff berth.

-----------------------------------------

Pacers 91, Sixers 75

Paul George led a balanced attack with 15 points, and the Indiana Pacers pulled away from the Philadelphia 76ers 91-75 on Monday night in Bankers Life Fieldhouse.

All five Indiana starters reached double figures, including 13 points from Monta Ellis, 12 from George Hill, Ian Mahinmi had 12 points and 10 rebounds and Myles Turner scored 10.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Heat crush T-Wolves; Nets beat Bucks

Heat 103, Timberwolves 82

Dwayne Wade threw an alley-oop pass off the backboard to Lebron James as part of a 17-6 run to close the third quarter in the Miami Heat's 103-82 win at Target Center.

It snapped the Heat's two-game losing streak, while handing the Wolves' a second straight loss.

James flirted with a triple-double with 21 points, 14 rebounds and eight assists.

Kevin Martin led the Wolves with 19 points.

- - -

Nets 90, Bucks 82


Brook Lopez scored a season-high 32 points and pulled down seven rebounds as the Brooklyn Nets avoided a share of the Eastern Conference cellar with a 90-82 win over the Milwaukee Bucks.

Joe Johnson finished with 15 points, knocking down a pair of three-pointers, while Andray Blatche added 11 points and grabbed eight rebounds off the Brooklyn bench.

Guard O.J. Mayo led the Bucks with 22 points.

source: www.abs-cbnnews

Timberwolves limits OKC's Durant to 13 points

Playing team defense and getting scoring up and down the lineup, the Minnesota Timberwolves beat up Oklahoma City 100-81 at Target Center.

Kevin Love, who scored 31 points on Wednesday, had 24 points and 12 rebounds against the Thunder. Point guard Ricky Rubio (14 points, 10 assists) also had a double-double, as did center Nikola Pekovic (15 points, 10 rebounds).

The Wolves built a 20-point halftime lead and then used an 11-3 run to end the third quarter to push the lead to 28 entering the fourth quarter.

Minnesota's defense was more impressive as Corey Brewer led a team effort against Kevin Durant, who was held to 13 points.

It was the fewest points he has scored in a regular-season game since December 31, 2011, against Phoenix.

He was four of 11 with four turnovers before sitting out the fourth quarter.

Clippers 110, Kings 101

Chris Paul had 24 points and 10 assists, and Blake Griffin added 18 points and 16 assists, as the Los Angeles Clippers held off a furious rally for a 110-101 victory over the Sacramento Kings.

The Clippers, playing for the second straight night and third time in four nights, were able to win their second consecutive despite blowing a 15-point third-quarter lead.

Paul's 27-footer for a three-pointer vaulted Los Angeles ahead to stay after the Kings erased a 66-51 deficit and inched in front 92-90 with 6:43 to go in the final quarter. He then hit two free throws on his next possession.

Jamal Crawford finished with 18 points for the Clippers and made three three-pointers, moving past Tim Hardaway into 15th place on the NBA's all-time list.

Isaiah Thomas single-handedly kept the Kings (1-1) in the game, scoring 29 points on nine-for-13 shooting and making all three of his three-pointers.

DeMarcus Cousins finished with 24 points and 10 rebounds for Sacramento, his second double-double in as many contests.

Suns 87, Jazz 84

Eric Bledsoe landed 17 of his 18 points in the fourth quarter and drilled the winning three-pointer from 25 feet with 0.7 of a second left as the Phoenix Suns shook off the loss of Goran Dragic and scored a 87-84 win over the Utah Jazz.

Miles Plumlee posted his second consecutive double-double with 13 points and 13 rebounds.

The Suns improved to 2-0 for the 11th time in team history but the first time since the 2009-10 season. All previous 10 Phoenix teams that started the season 2-0 made the playoffs.

The Suns lost Dragic to a right facial contusion when he collided with Tucker late in the first half. He tried to play in the third quarter but lasted just three minutes as facial swelling continued.

Enes Kanter had 20 points and 12 rebounds and Gordon Hayward added 18 points, but Bledsoe, who was none of six from the field and none of three from three-point range after three quarters, drilled the winner.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com