Kyle Lowry scored 22 points, including a pair of clinching free-throws with 9.8 seconds left, to help the Toronto Raptors hand the Oklahoma City Thunder their first home loss this season with a 104-98 victory on Sunday night.
The Raptors outscored Oklahoma City 6-0 in the game’s final 1 minute, 25 seconds — all from the free-throw line — to end the Thunder’s nine-game winning streak.
Oklahoma City had been 13-0 at home, the NBA’s longest unbeaten stretch to open a season since the Cavaliers won their first 23 home games in the 2007-2008 season.
Amir Johnson had 17 points and 13 assists for Toronto, who won their fourth straight road game to post the franchise’s longest such streak since 2002, while it was Oklahoma City’s first loss since falling to Portland on Dec. 4.
Russell Westbrook scored 27 points and Kevin Durant added 24 for the Thunder, who missed their final four shots.
CLIPPERS 120, TIMBERWOLVES 116, OT
In Los Angeles, Jared Dudley made a go-ahead three-pointer with 38 seconds remaining in overtime, while Chris Paul made five free-throws in the final 19 seconds to lead Los Angeles over Minnesota.
Blake Griffin had 32 points and 10 rebounds and was an uncharacteristic 10 for 11 from the free-throw line before fouling out with 4:08 left in overtime.
The defending Pacific Division champions extended their winning streak to a season-best five games, while beating the Timberwolves for the eighth straight time, their longest streak against any opponent.
Jamal Crawford had 22 points for Los Angeles, while Paul finished with 19 points and 13 assists.
Kevin Love had a season-high 45 points and tied a season-best 19 rebounds, while Nikola Pekovic had a career-high 34 points and 14 boards for the Timberwolves, who were back at the Staples Center after their loss to the Lakers on Friday.
PACERS 106, CELTICS 79
In Indianapolis, Indiana, Paul George scored 24 points and Lance Stephenson recorded his third triple-double of the season, as the Pacers routed Boston.
Stephenson had 12 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists in Indiana’s (22-5) second straight win, which maintained their grip on the Eastern Conference’s best record.
He is the only player in the league with more than one triple-double this season.
Avery Bradley scored 13 points for Boston, while Courtney Lee and Jeff Green each had 11 in coach Brad Stevens’ return to his hometown, but there was no magic on the night for the Celtics, who lost their third in a row.
Doping fears prevented former US Open champion Emma Raducanu from treating insect bites on the eve of the Australian Open, she said, with players increasingly wary about ingesting contaminated substances. The British player was speaking in the wake of high-profile doping cases involving Iga Swiatak and Jannik Sinner. “I would say all of us are probably quite sensitive to what we take on board, what we use,” the 22-year-old said, recalling an incident on Friday. “I got really badly bitten by, I don’t know what, like ants, mosquitoes, something. I’m allergic, I guess,” she added. The bites “flared up and swelled up really a
The NHL postponed the Los Angeles Kings’ home game against the Calgary Flames on Wednesday with several massive wildfires burning across the greater Los Angeles area. The Kings and Flames were scheduled to play on Wednesday night at the Kings’ downtown arena. The NBA’s Los Angeles Lakers were scheduled to host the Charlotte Hornets in the same arena last night. “Our hearts are with our entire Los Angeles community,” the Kings said in a statement. “We appreciate the hard working first responders who are diligently working to contain the fire and protect our community. We appreciate the league’s support in keeping our
TWO IN A WEEK: Despite an undefeated start to the year playing alongside Jiang Xinyu of China, Wu Fang-hsien is to play the Australian Open with a Russian partner Taiwan’s Wu Fang-hsien yesterday triumphed at the Hobart International, winning the women’s doubles title at the US$275,094 outdoor hard-court tournament, while McCartney Kessler lifted the trophy in the women’s singles. Fourth-ranked Wu and partner Jiang Xinyu of China took 1 hour, 15 minutes to defeat Romania’s Monica Niculescu and Fanny Stollar of Hungary, 6-1, 7-6 (8/6) at the Hobart International Tennis Centre, their second title in a week. Wu and Jiang on Sunday won the women’s doubles title at the ASB Classic in Auckland, beating Serbia’s Aleksandra Krunic and Sabrina Santamaria of the US. Their winning ways continued in Australia as they stretched
EL CLASSICO: La Liga champions Real Madrid would face Barcelona in the Super Cup final tomorrow. Barça secured their final spot after a 2-0 win over Bilbao on Wednesday Real Madrid would chase a record-equaling 14th Spanish Super Cup title in the final against Barcelona after second-half goals by Jude Bellingham and Rodrygo helped them to a 3-0 win over Mallorca in the semi-finals on Thursday. England midfielder Bellingham broke the deadlock after the hour mark with a low shot into the middle of the goal before Mallorca defender Martin Valjent’s own goal doubled the lead in stoppage time followed by a Rodrygo strike from close range. Spanish champions Real are to play Barcelona for the trophy tomorrow after goals by Gavi and Lamine Yamal earned Barça a 2-0 win over
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