Lakers down undermanned Clippers

The Los Angeles Lakers took advantage of the Los Angeles Clippers' injury woes as they claimed a 111-102 victory over their neighbors in the final game of the NBA's 2016 Christmas Day schedule.

With Chris Paul and Blake Griffin out due to various injuries, the Lakers were able to snap an 11-game losing streak against the Clippers and improve to 12-22 in the season. The win also ended their four-game slide.

All five starters scored in double digits for the Lakers, with Nick Young and Timofey Mozgov each tallying 19 points. Luol Deng had a double-double of 13 points and 12 rebounds, while Julius Randle flashed his all-around game with 13 points, seven boards, and eight assists.

After trailing by three points, 55-58, at the half, the Lakers used an 11-0 run to open the third quarter to seize control of the game. They wound up outscoring the Clippers, 34-16, in the frame to take an 89-74 lead heading into the final quarter.

The Clippers opened the fourth frame with 11 unanswered points of their own to come to within four, 85-89, with nine minutes left to play, but free throws by Deng and Lou Williams, as well as lay-up by Jordan Clarkson afforded the Lakers some breathing room.

The Lakers restored a double-digit lead when Williams got inside the paint for a lay-up with 3:40 left to make it 103-92, and the Lakers cruised from there.

JJ Redick led the Clippers with 22 points, making four of his seven triples, but had to sit out the final frame due to a sore left hamstring. Jamal Crawford also had 22 points off the bench, while DeAndre Jordan had seven points, 10 rebounds, and six assists.

The Clippers now have a 27-5 win-loss record.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

LeBron, Love lead NBA's Cavaliers over Celtics

LeBron James scored 24 points and grabbed seven rebounds while Kevin Love added 20 points and eight rebounds as the NBA's Cleveland Cavaliers ripped host Boston 89-77.

Russian center Timofey Mozgov added nine points and 10 rebounds while Iman Shumpert came off the bench to score 10 points before suffering a groin injury as the Cavaliers won their third game in a row and improved the best record in the Eastern Conference to 16-7.

Avery Bradley scored 17 points to top the Celtics, who led 46-40 at half-time but shot only 26 percent in the second half and managed only 31 points after half-time in a physical contest.

"It's fun to have that type of competition," James said.

"We had to take the fight to them and we were ready for it. We love physical games. We can play any type of game. We knew it was going to be physical and we answered the call."

The Celtics, who slid to seventh in the East at 14-11, fell behind during a 12-0 Cavaliers run in the third quarter that included a spectacular reverse slam dunk by James and smothering defensive work.

"That's one of our staples we stress every single day -- defending at a high level and trying to move the ball offensively," James said.

"In the first half, we allowed them to get to some of their spots. Wasn't as aggressive, but we still played very well.

"But in the second half, we just locked down and then we started moving the ball. We just kind of kept them off base."

With Kyrie Irving on the verge of returning from an injury that has kept him out since June's NBA Finals, the Cavaliers could be on the brink of finding their top form and surging ahead of a close pack of rivals.
"We just want to continue to get better no matter who is in the lineup," James said.

"We have to continue to push our game, to push our envelope and if we continue to do that we will be successful."

Shumpert's injury gave Cavs coach Dave Blatt some worries.

"A little bit concerned," Blatt said. "I have no idea what the extent, is but given what our recent history is, I'm concerned."


- Nuggets win at Minnesota -

At Minneapolis, Kenneth Faried had 19 points and 10 rebounds while reserve guard Randy Foye added 19 points off the bench as the Denver Nuggets defeated Minnesota 112-100.

Danilo Gallinari and Will Barton each had 14 points for the Nuggets, who shot 56.2 percent from the floor and 55.6 percent from 3-point range.

Andrew Wiggins led Minnesota with 23 points on 9-of-17 shooting while Zach LaVine added 20 points and five assists off the bench and rookie Karl-Anthony Towns had 18 points.

The Nuggets (11-14) have won five of their past six games after suffering an eight-game losing streak.

Denver guard Emmanuel Mudiay, from the Democratic Republic of Congo, did not play because of a right ankle sprain.

The 19-year-old, who played last season in China, could return Friday in Utah.

At Sacramento, DeMarcus Cousins had 26 points and 12 rebounds to power the host Kings over Houston 107-97.

Israeli Omri Casspi added 19 points while Rudy Gay had 17 points and 13 rebounds for Sacramento, which improved to 10-15. James Harden had a game-high 33 points in a losing cause.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Mozgov plays vital Finals role for injury-hit Cavs

CLEVELAND -- Russian center Timofey Mozgov, who wasn't even with the Cleveland Cavaliers when the NBA season began, suddenly finds himself a crucial player in the team's quest for a championship.

The 7-foot-1 (2.16m) giant is the first Russian to play in the NBA Finals and has proven a key asset for the injury-hit Cavaliers, who are level at 1-1 with Golden State in the best-of-seven series entering Tuesday's game three at Cleveland, where the Cavs have won 26 of their past 28 starts.

Mozgov is averaging 16.5 points and nine rebounds for the Cavaliers, who used his size advantage on Australian centre Andrew Bogut of the Warriors to run their offensive plays to him when superstar LeBron James took a brief rest in game two's 95-93 Cleveland win.

Mozgov, obtained in a deal with Denver after Brazilian big man Anderson Varejao tore an Achilles tendon in December, provides secondary scoring support for a Cleveland team that lost forward Kevin Love to a separated shoulder in the first round and star guard Kyrie Irving to a fractured left kneecap in the finals opener.

But beyond that, his interior defensive work foils many chances for Golden State, his rebounding eases some of the pressure on the boards upon James and rebound specialist Tristan Thompson and his positioning away from the ball helps teammates get better scoring opportunities.

"Moz played great (and) he played extremely well the in first game too," Cavaliers coach Dave Blatt said after game two.

Mozgov, who helped a Blatt-coached Russian team win Olympic bronze at London in 2012, is benched at times as well when the Cavaliers need to match the speed and quickness the Warriors can bring.

"We play the lineup we need to play to match up properly with them and at the same time not lose an advantage at the other end," Blatt said.

In game one, only Irving, James and Mozgov scored after half-time and the Cavaliers were within a last-second shot of victory.

"Every game is different. Every game you have different scoring options and you play to your strengths," Mozgov said. "I'm ready when they need me."

Bogut has managed only three points a game in the finals, displaying the skills that pushed the Cavaliers to send two top draft picks to Denver to obtain him for this title push. In return, Mozgov averaged 10.6 points and 6.9 rebounds in 45 regular season games.

"He's a solid big man in this league," Bogut said. "He's just finding an opportunity to play. He wasn't even getting floor time in Denver, which is a huge headscratcher, but he's a tough player. He fits a perfect role for them.

"I think their needle changed once they made that trade. Once they got him, they got a rim presence and a big guy that can bang."

Mozgov likes the physical matchup with Bogut as well.

"He's a good guy," Mozgov says of Bogut. "We both like to push each other."

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

LeBron powers Cavs over Warriors to level Finals

OAKLAND -- LeBron James scored 39 points, grabbed 16 rebounds and dished out 11 assists in one of his greatest performances, sparking Cleveland over Golden State 95-93 in over-time Sunday to level the NBA Finals.

The four-time NBA Most Valuable Player played 50 minutes in the dramatic triumph, which was not decided until Iman Shumpert stole the ball from Steph Curry to deny the Warriors a shot at the final buzzer.

"Total team effort," James said. "(It took) everything. I tried to give it to my teammates and they gave it back to me."

The Cavaliers evened the best-of-seven championship series at 1-1 with games three and four on Tuesday and Thursday in Cleveland.

Russian center Timofey Mozgov had 17 points and 11 rebounds for Cleveland and Tristan Thompson added 14 rebounds for the Cavaliers, who also did a superb job of shutting down Curry.

Cleveland got two clutch go-ahead free throws from Matthew Dellavedova with 10 seconds remaining in over-time as the Australian started in place of Kyrie Irving, who suffered a fractured left kneecap in a 108-100 game one over-time loss.

"Very emotional win right there," said James. "We have got a long way to go. If we defend as good as we did tonight, we've got a good chance against anybody."

Klay Thompson led Golden State with a playoff career high 34 points while Curry, the NBA Most Valuable Player, had 19 points on 5-of-23 shooting, the 3-point ace hitting only 2-of-15 from beyond the arc.

It was a key victory for the Cavaliers, as teams that fall behind 2-0 in the NBA Finals have lost 28 of 31 times. And it come in an arena where Golden State, which won an NBA-best 67 games this season, had lost only three times in 50 prior starts in the regular season and playoffs.

The Cavaliers are trying to bring the city of Cleveland its first major sports champion since the 1964 Browns won the NFL crown while the Warriors seek their first title in 40 years.

In the prior eight playoff series in which James had been on the losing side in game one, his team bounced back to win game two. This was the ninth.

"These situations only make us stronger," Cavaliers coach Dave Blatt said. "I thought they played their hearts out."

Curry endured his worst shooting game of the season but drove to the hoop for a game-tying layup at 87-87 with 7.2 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter. James tried for a winning layup in the dying seconds but missed, as did Tristan Thompson's tip-in attempt, forcing over-time.

Iman Shumpert hit a 3-pointer and James added two free throws to give Cleveland a 92-87 over-time advantage, but Draymond Green hit back-to-back baskets to pull Golden State within one.

After five failed possessions, Curry lured Smith into fouling him and Curry made both free throws with 29.5 seconds remaining to put the Warriors ahead 93-92, their first lead after half-time.

Green blocked a James layup attempt but the ball went out of bounds. Cleveland's James Jones missed a 3-pointer but Dellavedova rebounded and was fouled, then hit two tension-packed free throws to put the Cavaliers ahead 94-93.

Curry missed a go-ahead jump shot and James grabbed the rebound and was fouled. James hit a free throw and Shumpert denied Golden State a final shot.

"We have got to do a better job of creating that pace," Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. "We've got to give our guys better looks."

After Thompson's 3-pointer to open the fourth quarter pulled Golden State level at 62-62, the Cavaliers went on a 21-10 run to seize command.

James scored eight points in the span, including two 3-pointers, while Dellavedova added seven points and Smith six, each of them hitting a 3-pointer, as the Cavaliers matched their biggest lead at 83-72 with 3:13 remaining.

The Warriors answered with a 13-4 run, Curry scoring five points and Harrison Barnes making a dunk and free throw off a Smith foul to lift Golden State within 87-85 with 83 seconds to play, setting up the late drama.

Golden State, the NBA 3-point leaders, went only 4-of-17 from beyond the arc in the first half but only trailed 47-45 at half-time.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

LeBron, Cavs hold off Celtics in Game 2

Cavaliers 99, Celtics 91

LeBron James and Kyrie Irving combined to score all 24 fourth-quarter points as Cleveland survived a scare from Boston to take a 2-0 lead in their opening-round series.

James scored 15 of his 30 points in the fourth and Irving added nine of his 26 points in the same quarter. James also had nine rebounds and seven assists, while Irving had five rebounds and six assists.

Center Timofey Mozgov scored 16 points and grabbed seven rebounds and forward Kevin Love had 13 points and six rebounds while battling foul trouble.

Boston guard Isaiah Thomas, who finished second this week in Sixth Man of the Year balloting, finished with 22 points, including 10-of-10 shooting at the free-throw line on a night the Celtics' bench out-scored the Cavs 51-7.

Game 3 is in Boston on Thursday.

*****

Wizards 117, Raptors 106

Bradley Beal scored a game-high 28 points and grabbed five rebounds as Washington took a 2-0 series lead with a comfortable win over Toronto at Air Canada Center.

Wizards point guard John Wall added 26 points while setting a franchise playoff record with 17 assists. Center Marcin Gortat had 16 points and eight rebounds, while forward Otter Porter added 15 points and eight rebounds off the bench.

The Raptors, who got 20 points apiece from Lou Williams and DeMar DeRozan, face a tough road. Only three teams in NBA history have won a best-of-seven series after falling behind 0-2 at home.

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com