Jokic outduels LeBron as Nuggets reach NBA Finals for first time

LOS ANGELES  -- Nikola Jokic outdueled LeBron James as the Denver Nuggets completed a 4-0 Western Conference championship sweep over the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday to reach the NBA Finals for the first time in franchise history.

Two-time NBA Most Valuable Player Jokic bagged a 30-point triple-double as the Nuggets overturned a 15-point half-time deficit for a 113-111 victory that sent the Lakers crashing out and left James reportedly contemplating a shock retirement from basketball.

James had looked to be single-handedly keeping the Lakers' season alive after scoring 31 points in a magnificent first-half display that left the 17-time NBA champions leading 73-58 at half-time.

But Jokic led a resurgent Nuggets offense in the third quarter, scoring 13 points as the Western Conference top seeds outscored the Lakers 36-16 to turn the contest on its head.

A dramatic fourth-quarter finale saw Jokic put Denver 113-111 ahead with a typically barnstorming driving layup through heavy traffic with 51.7sec remaining.

With four seconds left, James had one last chance to tie it up and force overtime, but his attempted driving floater was blocked by Denver's Aaron Gordon to leave the Nuggets celebrating a famous win.

A dejected James left the court immediately following the loss as his latest bid for a fifth NBA title ended in disappointment.

James later spoke cryptically about his future in a post-game press conference, while an ESPN report said he was contemplating retirement.

"Just for me personally, going forward with the game of basketball, I've got a lot to think about," James said.

Denver -- one of 11 teams in the league who have never won the NBA championship -- will face either the Miami Heat or Boston Celtics in the finals.

Miami lead Boston 3-0 and can clinch their place in the finals with a victory at home on Tuesday.

"We don't give up," Jokic told ESPN. "I've been saying this for five years -- when we were bad or when we were good -- we don't give up. And that's what happened today.

"They jumped on us the first half, they were better, more aggressive, scoring easily and didn't miss, basically.

"But in the second half we turned the page and everybody stepped up. It was a collective effort, it's not just one guy."

Jokic finished with 30 points, 14 rebounds and 13 assists, while Jamal Murray added 25 points. All of Denver's starters finished with double-digit points tallies, reflecting the team's depth and balance.

The Nuggets will head into the finals brimming with confidence that they can end their near-half-century wait for a maiden NBA crown.

James, meanwhile, described Denver as the best team he has faced since joining Los Angeles five years ago.

"They have scoring. They have shooting. They have play-making. They have smarts. They have length. They have depth," James said.

"And one thing about their team, when you have a guy like Jokic, who is as big as he is but also as cerebral as he is, you can't really make many mistakes versus a guy like that."

- 'Self-inflicted wounds' -

James finished with 40 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists for the Lakers in a heroic attempt to keep the series alive.

"He had an amazing game," Jokic said. "We couldn’t stop him in the first half... he's still one of the best to ever play this game."

But the Lakers' supporting cast once again failed to step up when it mattered, with a series of missed baskets in the fourth quarter allowing the Nuggets to hold on to their slender advantage to clinch victory.

Lakers head coach Darvin Ham said his team had paid the price for not making enough shots, praising Denver's ruthlessness down the stretch.

"I just think, again, the phrase for me is 'self-inflicted wounds'. You can't have those," Ham said of the Lakers' performance.

"The sign of a great team is if you make any mistake, they're going to make you pay for it. And they did just that."

Ham, who was appointed last year with a brief to rebuild the Lakers after a dismal failure to reach the playoffs, insisted that the NBA giants were on the right path.

"This is year one," Ham said. "Losing sucks, but I think we can do something special here."

Agence France-Presse

NBA: Strong defensive effort guides Clippers past Suns in Game 3

Paul George scored a game-high 27 points, Patrick Beverley harassed Devin Booker into a second consecutive subpar performance and the Los Angeles Clippers worked their Game 3 magic once again Thursday night in a 106-92 victory over the visiting Phoenix Suns in the Western Conference finals.

The Clippers got back into the best-of-seven series with a win after two opening defeats in Phoenix. Game 4 is scheduled for Saturday night, also in Los Angeles.

Reggie Jackson chipped in with 23 points for Los Angeles while Ivica Zubac outplayed Deandre Ayton with a 15-point, 16-rebound performance.

Booker shot just 5-for-21 en route to 15 points for second-seeded Phoenix. Chris Paul, making his series debut after being released from COVID protocol, struggled to 15 of his own on 5-for-19 shooting. They combined to sink just 3 of 14 3-point attempts.

Paul, who managed a game-high 12 assists in 39 minutes, hadn't played since Game 4 of the Western semifinals against the Denver Nuggets on June 13.

The Clippers, who became the first team in NBA history to erase 2-0 deficits in each of their first two playoff series, trailed this time 48-46 at halftime before dominating the second half.

Down 55-50 in the second minute of the third period, the Clippers got three consecutive hoops from Terance Mann to grab a lead they never relinquished en route to finishing the quarter on a 30-14 run.

George's buzzer-beating, half-court shot capped the surge that produced an 80-69 lead, after which the Suns got no closer than six.

George complemented his 27 points with 15 rebounds and a team-high eight assists. He helped the Clippers bounce back from a last-second defeat in Game 2 of the series with a defensive effort that limited the Suns to 38.9 percent shooting from the floor.

Mann finished with 12 points in the win.

Ayton had 18 points and a team-high nine rebounds for Phoenix, which lost key reserve Cameron Payne to an ankle injury in the second period. Mikal Bridges added 13 points and Cameron Johnson 12 in the defeat.

With Paul returning from his long absence, the Suns seemed comfortable slowing the pace and getting into a defensive struggle in the first half. However, Paul and Booker each shot just 2-for-10 in the half.

The Clippers again were without star forward Kawhi Leonard, who has a sprained right knee. He has missed the team's past five games.

-Field Level Media-

Warriors power past Rockets, set up NBA Finals showdown with Cavs

Behind another extraordinary third quarter from Stephen Curry, the Golden State Warriors erased a 15-point deficit and claimed Game 7 of the Western Conference finals with a 101-92 victory over the Houston Rockets on Monday at Toyota Center in Houston.

Curry scored 14 of his 27 points in the third period as the Warriors secured their fourth consecutive berth in the NBA Finals.

"This is a situation we've never been in before ... to win a Game 7 on the road, keep our composure for the whole series," Curry said postgame on TNT.

The championship series begins on Thursday in Oakland, Calif., with the Cleveland Cavaliers representing the Eastern Conference.

The same two teams met in the previous three Finals, with Golden State winning the title in 2015 and 2017 and Cleveland emerging as the champ in 2016.

Golden State, after trailing by 11 points at the intermission, outscored the Rockets 33-15 in the third period. The Warriors posted a plus-68 scoring in the third quarters for the series.

The Rockets fashioned their halftime lead on effort, both defensively and on the glass, but when their offense collapsed in the third quarter, their verve dissipated.

Houston shot 24 percent (6 of 25) in the third and while missing all 14 of its 3-point attempts. Curry, meanwhile, finished 5 of 6 from the floor while draining 4 of 5 from beyond the arc as the Warriors shot their way to the lead.

The Rockets missed 27 consecutive 3-point attempts -- an NBA playoff record -- before P.J. Tucker drilled a corner trey with 6:28 left that cut the deficit to 10 points.

Houston went 7 of 44 from deep, 15.9 percent, while Golden State made 16 of 39 3-point attempts, 41 percent.

Kevin Durant totaled 34 points, five rebounds, and five assists for the Warriors, and Klay Thompson chipped in 19 points despite early foul trouble. Curry also produced nine boards, 10 assists and four steals.

James Harden posted 32 points, six rebounds, six assists and four steals for the Rockets, who again were without guard Chris Paul (right hamstring strain).

Harden opened the game 4 of 5 from the floor but finished 12 of 29. Eric Gordon scored 23 points for Houston but shot 2 of 12 from 3-point range, slightly better than Harden's 2 of 13.

While Clint Capela (20 points, nine rebounds) and Tucker (14 points, 12 rebounds) delivered on the interior, the Rockets were undone by their ineffective perimeter options.

Trevor Ariza finished 0 of 12, including 0 of 9 on 3-point tries, while Gerald Green made just 1 of 7 shots.

Harden, who gave the Rockets a 48-33 lead with a transition dunk at the 4:54 mark of the second quarter, fed Capela for an alley-oop layup for a 61-55 lead with 5:38 left in the third.

The Warriors followed with a 17-2 run that included five 3-pointers, four from Curry, whose finger-roll with 3:29 left in the period was the lone basket from inside the arc during the decisive run.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

NBA: Warriors rout Rockets to force Game 7

Klay Thompson and Stephen Curry combined for seven 3-pointers in the third quarter Sunday night, rallying the Golden State Warriors from a 10-point halftime deficit to a 115-86 runaway in Game 6 of the Western Conference finals in Oakland, California.

The teams will get a travel day Sunday before meeting one final time in Houston on Monday night, with the Game 7 winner advancing to the NBA Finals to face either the Boston Celtics or Cleveland Cavaliers, who play their Game 7 in Boston on Sunday.

Riding a two-game winning streak but without injured point guard Chris Paul, the Rockets shocked the defending champs with an early burst of four consecutive 3-pointers to help produce a 39-22 lead after one quarter.

But the Warriors crept within 61-51 at halftime, then used powerful 3-point shooting of their own to pass Houston before the end of the third quarter and pull away early in the fourth.

After combining for 3-for-13 shooting on threes in the first half, Thompson (4-for-5) and Curry (3-for-4) bombed in seven of nine from beyond the arc in the third quarter, during which the Warriors outscored the Rockets, 33-16, to take a lead they never relinquished.

Golden State outscored Houston, 31-9, in the final 12 minutes.

Thompson saved 21 of his game-high 35 points for the second half and Curry chipped in with 16 of his 29, helping Golden State go up by as many as 30 en route to the series-tying win.

James Harden had a team-high 32 points for the Rockets, including 15 in the first quarter, during which Houston connected on eight of 12 from 3-point range to account for a majority of its 39-point total.

The Rockets shot 11-for-22 on threes in the first half, but then just 4-for-17 the rest of the way.

The Warriors, meanwhile, rebounded from a 4-for-18 first half from long distance with a 12-for-20 finish.

Kevin Durant contributed 23 points for the Warriors, who haven't been in a Game 7 since the 2016 NBA Finals against Cleveland, a game the Cavaliers won to deny Golden State back-to-back titles.

Draymond Green had a team-high 10 rebounds and nine assists for Golden State, which shot 49.4 percent overall from the field.

Harden, who shot 4-for-12 on threes, finished with seven rebounds and a team-high nine assists for the Rockets, who committed 21 turnovers.

Eric Gordon, starting in place of Paul, had 19 points, Trevor Ariza 14 and Gerald Green 11 for the Rockets, who shot 40.3 percent from the field.

Houston's Clint Capela led all rebounders in the game with 15.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

NBA: Rockets PG Paul to miss Game 6 with hamstring strain

The Houston Rockets announced Friday that point guard Chris Paul will miss Game 6 of the Western Conference finals on Saturday with a strained right hamstring.

Paul is scheduled to be re-evaluated when the team returns to Houston. The only question now is if the Rockets will return home as Western Conference champs, or with a Game 7 against Golden State on deck.

On Friday, James Harden said he and Paul stayed together and "just talking and chopping it up, laughing and talking about life. We're not here to be down and moping around and sad. We'll be good."

Head coach Mike D'Antoni said Eric Gordon would be called upon to fill more of a playmaking role with Paul out.

Paul left in the final 30 seconds of the Rockets' 98-94 victory in Houston on Thursday night and received treatment on the hamstring after the game.

Paul was in good spirits on Friday, laughing and smiling as he entered the team's shootaround.

According to The Undefeated's Marc J. Spears, Paul said "I will be all right" as he left the arena. When he was asked about his readiness for Game 6, Paul reportedly said, "Oh, yeah."

A source told ESPN on Friday that the status of Paul's hamstring was "not good."

The Rockets lead the best-of-seven series with the Warriors 3-2. Paul, a nine-time All-Star, has never been to an NBA Finals in his 13 seasons.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Spurs rout Thunder to take 2-0 series lead

The San Antonio Spurs put the Oklahoma City Thunder to the sword with a spectacular exhibition of shooting in the second half to tighten their grip on the Western Conference finals with a 112-77 win in Game Two on Wednesday.

With All-Star point guard Tony Parker scoring a team-high 22 points and Danny Green pouring in a dazzling array of seven three-pointers, the Spurs sizzled on their home court to take a commanding 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series.

Veteran forward Tim Duncan contributed 14 points and 12 rebounds while Manu Ginobili and Boris Diaw tallied 11 points apiece off the bench as San Antonio had five players in double-figures.

The Spurs, aiming for a return to the NBA Finals, outshot their opponents by 50 percent to 39 from the field.

"In the second quarter, we moved the ball much better, got to our shooters," Duncan, a 14-time All-Star who has won four NBA championship titles with the Spurs, told reporters.

"Danny was obviously hot tonight and TP (Parker) was great just attacking, going straight by people."

Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook led the Thunder with 15 points each but, for the second straight game, they sorely missed the shot-blocking skills of forward Serge Ibaka, who is out for the rest of the playoffs with a calf injury.

League MVP Durant and dynamic guard Westbrook, Oklahoma City's one-two knockout punch, were restricted to a combined 13-for-40 from the field, and Duncan was delighted.

"Work, work for everything," Duncan said of San Antonio's strategy against the usually high-scoring duo. "Keep them off the free throw line, make their shots as tough as possible.

"Those guys are great scorers, we know that, but we want to make them work for everything they get."

MORE PHYSICAL

The Thunder, adopting a more physical approach than in Monday's Game One which they lost 122-105, made a fast start and withstood a sizzling 12-2 run by the Spurs to lead 26-24 after the first quarter.

However, San Antonio then turned on the style to take control as Green poured in three three-pointers and Ginobili added one of his own from beyond the arc to put the home team 58-44 up at halftime.

Roared on by increasingly vocal fans, the Spurs pulled further ahead with a stunning display of shooting from the field, a driving layup by Kawhi Leonard giving them a 29-point advantage before they ended the third quarter leading 91-62.

There was no way back from there for Oklahoma City as the San Antonio bench players maintained control.

"I hope our locker doesn't feel good," Thunder coach Scott Brooks said. "You shouldn't feel good. We got our butts kicked, but we have a good opportunity to come back and win Game Three."

The series shifts to Oklahoma City where Game Three will be played on Sunday.

Two years ago, the Spurs took a commanding 2-0 lead in the Western Conference finals before losing to the Thunder in six games, and that remains a bitter memory for Duncan and his team mates.

"We will remind everybody of that situation," said Duncan. "We go into Oklahoma for that first game with the focus that we will need to win two games there."

(Reporting by Mark Lamport-Stokes in Los Angeles; Editing by Ian Ransom/Patrick Johnston)

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com

Spurs silence Thunder with Game One win

San Antonio Spurs made the most of home court advantage as they delivered a superb offensive display to beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 122-105 on Monday in Game One of the Western Conference finals.

Though the Spurs had lost all four of their regular season games to the Thunder, they lived up to their status as the top seeds in the conference and dominated in the paint to take a 1-0 lead in the best-of-seven series.

All-Star forward Tim Duncan scored a team-high 27 points and Manu Ginobili weighed in with 18 off the bench as San Antonio had five players in double-figures. The Spurs outshot their opponents by 57 percent to 46 from the field.

"It was a great team win," All-Star guard Tony Parker, who contributed 14 points and 12 assists for San Antonio, told reporters. "Everybody played well. Defense was pretty good so hopefully we can keep it going."

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich was delighted with the form shown by Parker, who left last week's second-round clincher over the Portland Trail Blazers early in the second quarter due to a strained left hamstring.

"I think he feels pretty good, a little winded probably but he didn't seem to have a problem with his leg tonight," said Popovich. "I thought he executed offensively really well to start the game."

Kevin Durant led Oklahoma City with 28 points and Russell Westbrook put up 25 and seven assists but the Thunder trailed for most of the game, a couple of narrow leads late in the third quarter representing their brief high points.

Kawhi Leonard and Danny Green tallied 16 points apiece for the Spurs.

MISSING IBAKA

Oklahoma City's defense sorely missed the shot-blocking skills of forward Serge Ibaka, who is likely to miss the rest of the playoffs because of a calf injury suffered during last week's series-clinching win over the Los Angeles Clippers.

Asked how much the Spurs had benefited from the absence of Ibaka, Parker replied: "It helps a little bit. I thought our ball movement was great. We've just got to keep on doing that."

Roared on by their vocal home fans at AT&T Center, the Spurs made an explosive start by racing 20-9 ahead on a Duncan bank shot before the Thunder hit back and cut the lead to 30-27 after the first quarter.

San Antonio again pulled away as their shooters spread the floor and dominated the paint, a twisting jump shot from Parker putting them 60-48 up before they went into halftime leading 67-59.

Again the Thunder stormed back, a Westbrook jump shot giving them their first lead of the night at 76-75 with five minutes left in the third, but the Spurs regained control on a 12-2 run to enter the fourth 89-82 ahead.

San Antonio continued to dominate, a Green three-pointer giving them a 93-82 advantage before Ginobili poured in two shots from beyond the arc late on to tighten his team's grip on the game.

Parker was happy with how San Antonio's defense had coped with the Thunder's one-two knockout punch of league MVP Durant and dynamic guard Westbrook.

"We are not going to stop them, we are just trying to contain them," said Parker. "We're trying on every shot to make it hard on them. So far, it's working but we know they are going to come back hard for Game Two."

Game Two will be played in San Antonio on Wednesday before the series shifts to Oklahoma City.

(Reporting by Mark Lamport-Stokes in Los Angeles; Editing by Sudipto Ganguly)

source: www.abs-cbnnews.com