Shorn of its franchise-record winning streak, a drained Boston Celtics team gave up a 14-point lead to lose to the struggling Golden State Warriors 99-89 on Friday.
A day after their 19-game streak was ended by the Los Angeles Lakers, the Celtics lost to more modest California opposition.
Stephen Jackson scored eight straight points during the fourth-quarter to finish with 28 as the Warriors stormed over the top of the defending champions.
PHOTO: AP
It was Boston’s first back-to-back losses this season.
HORNETS 88, ROCKETS 79
In New Orleans, Chris Paul had 26 points and 10 assists to lead New Orleans to a start-to-finish win over Houston. David West added 23 points for New Orleans while Yao Ming was Houston’s best with 19 points and 12 rebounds.
JAZZ 97, MAVERICKS 88
In Salt Lake City, an undermanned Utah was still too strong for Dallas.
Rookie Kosta Koufos scored a career-high 18 points and Deron Williams added 17 points and 13 assists for the Jazz who won despite missing Carlos Boozer, Paul Millsap and Mehmet Okur — their top three scorers and rebounders.
A weary Mavericks team saw their three-game winning streak ended.
NUGGETS 105, 76ERS 101
In Denver, Kenyon Martin sank the go-ahead dunk with nine seconds left to lift Denver over Philadelphia.
The 76ers got called for traveling on the next possession and the Nuggets added three points from the free-throw line to seal Philly’s third straight loss.
HEAT 90, BULLS 77
In Miami, Dwyane Wade scored 28 points to lead Miami over Chicago.
Daequan Cook hit a trio of threes in the fourth quarter as Miami pulled away to win a fourth straight. The Heat has now already eclipsed last season’s meager win total.
BOBCATS 95, NETS 87
In East Rutherford, New Jersey, Raymond Felton scored 22 points to top Charlotte’s win over New Jersey.
Emeka Okafor added 21 for the new-look Bobcats, who held on after seeing a 15-point third-quarter lead dwindle to two points in the waning minutes.
GRIZZLIES 108, PACERS 105
In Memphis, Tennessee, O.J. Mayo hit two key free throws with a second left as Memphis overcame an early 17-point deficit to beat Indiana. Memphis took the lead with seven unanswered points late in the game and then held on.
PISTONS 90, THUNDER 88
In Auburn Hills, Michigan, Allen Iverson’s off-balance running shot with 0.2 seconds left gave Detroit victory over Oklahoma City.
After Iverson’s shot, the Thunder’s Jeff Green nearly tipped in a halfcourt alley-oop, but the ball bounced twice off the rim before falling harmlessly away.
RAPTORS 107, KINGS 101
In Sacramento, California, Toronto ended a 10-game losing streak in Sacramento.
Jermaine O’Neal scored 36 points in his highest-scoring game in two seasons as the Raptors won at the Kings for the first time since 1997.
TIMBERWOLVES 120, KNICKS 107
In New York, Minnesota snapped a 13-game losing streak and won for the first time under replacement coach Kevin McHale.
The Timberwolves got a season-best 23 points from Rashad McCants and rode some sizzling 3-point shooting to win for the first time in December. They had dropped their first eight games under McHale.
China yesterday celebrated one of its best Olympic performances, while some supporters declared China the true winners, if medals won by Hong Kong and self-ruled Taiwan were included. “We are number one out of sovereign countries,” read one comment with more than 1,300 likes on Sina Weibo. Many similar posts included images of an adjusted medal table with medals won by Hong Kong and Taiwan added to the Chinese total. Since Taiwan’s Olympic debut in 1956, its athletes have competed as “Formosa,” “Taiwan,” “the Republic of China,” and since 1984 as “Chinese Taipei.” Hong Kong competes separately from China. Team China racked up 40 gold
Carlos Alcaraz on Thursday was halted by rain on the brink of victory, while defending women’s champion Coco Gauff crashed out in her first match at the ATP-WTA Cincinnati Open and Taiwanese there and in Colombia also exited. Spaniard Alcaraz, the reigning Wimbledon and French Open champion, led France’s Gael Monfils 6-4, 6-6 (1/3) when rain halted play at the last major tuneup for the US Open, which is to start on Aug. 26. Top seed Alcaraz, who lost to Novak Djokovic in last year’s Cincinnati final, took a silver medal at the Paris Olympics, also dropping that final to Djokovic. Alcaraz is
Canada’s B-Boy Phil Wizard on Saturday won the inaugural Olympic men’s breaking gold in Paris, and said he hoped it “opens doors to people” involved in the high-energy dance sport. Phil Wizard, whose real name is Philip Kim, beat France’s B-Boy Dany Dann in the final amid the opulent grandeur of the Place de La Concorde, with B-Boy Victor of the US taking bronze. Breaking, better known as breakdancing, is making its first and possibly last appearance at the Olympics, having been left off the program for Los Angeles 2028. Phil Wizard said breaking is “an underappreciated sport” and he hopes its Olympic
Taiwan on Friday beat Australia 11-0 at the Little League World Series in South Williamsport, Pennsylvania. Taiwan are represented at the tournament by Taoyuan’s Gueishan Elementary School, who won the Asia-Pacific regional tournament to earn the trip to the US. Australia are represented by the Hills Red team from Sydney. Taiwan advanced to a game tomorrow against Santa Clara, representing Cuba, who won 4-1 against the Czech Republic’s Brno, the Europe-Africa regional qualifiers. Australian starter Sayre Howick had a tough time controlling his pitches at Volunteer Stadium, one of which allowed Taiwan to open their account. They scored six in the inning and