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.
SIBLING RIVALRY: Marc Marquez was locked in a duel with his little brother, falling behind at one point before recovering for his first season-opening victory since 2014 Six-time world champion Marc Marquez yesterday won the MotoGP season-opening Thailand Grand Prix to complete a dominant debut weekend at his new Ducati Lenovo Team, having also romped to Saturday’s sprint. The Spanish great took the 26-lap grand prix by 1.732 seconds for his 63rd MotoGP victory from younger brother Alex Marquez, who is still seeking a first checkered flag, with Francesco Bagnaia third to complete an all-Ducati podium. It completed a perfect weekend for Marc Marquez, who took pole position, the sprint victory and the grand prix win for a maximum 37 points to open the 22-leg 2025 campaign. He led from
AC Milan’s slender hopes of reaching next season’s UEFA Champions League took another hit on Thursday with a 2-1 defeat at Bologna which left them eight points from Serie A’s top four. Sergio Conceicao’s team sit eighth, some way behind fourth-placed Juventus after losing an entertaining contest at the Stadio Renato Dall’Ara, a match which was rescheduled from October last year due to torrential rain and flooding. Swathes of the Emilia-Romagna region in northern Italy, much of which is fertile agricultural land, had been left under water following a massive autumn downpour. Dan Ndoye prodded home the decisive goal in the 82nd minute
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Former Australian motorcycle gang member-turned-golfer Ryan Peake, who served a lengthy jail term for assault, yesterday produced a “life-changing” maiden win to qualify for The Open Championship. Peake held his nerve for a one-stroke victory at the New Zealand Open, earning him a berth at the major in Portrush, Northern Ireland, in July, pending clearance to travel as a convicted criminal. The 31-year-old from Perth celebrated animatedly and was showered with champagne by friends on the 18th green of the Millbrook Resort course near Queenstown after a redemption story rarely seen in the refined sport of golf. Peake held back tears as he
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