Kevin Durant scored 32 points and Devin Booker added 25 on Wednesday, which was enough for the Phoenix Suns, who nearly blew a 23-point lead in the second half of their 123-115 victory over the Golden State Warriors.
The Suns slogged through a technical-filled game that nearly ended in a turnover-filled nightmare, but in the end was their fifth straight win.
The Suns had an 83-60 lead midway through the third quarter, but the Warriors cut the advantage to 118-115 with 19 seconds left after Durant was called for a technical foul.
Photo: AFP
Booker made a pair of free throws with 12.4 seconds left to thwart the rally.
“We have to do better,” Booker said. “Simple as that. We have to take care of the ball, no turnovers, get stops. When that game’s at 10, 15 points in the fourth, don’t give any team hope, don’t gave any team confidence.”
Durant and Booker combined to go 28 for 29 on free throws. The Suns were 44 of 52 as a team.
Photo: AFP
The Warriors have lost seven of their past eight games, falling to 7-9 for the season.
“Foul, foul, foul, foul,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. “Can’t win in the NBA if you’re constantly trying to attack a set defense after free throws and you’re basically giving up 44 points.”
Golden State point guard Chris Paul was ejected by referee Scott Foster in his return to the desert after receiving two technicals late in the second quarter for arguing.
Photo: AP
He finished with six points and six assists.
“I didn’t think Chris deserved to be ejected,” Kerr said. “The first tech? Absolutely, but I thought the second one was unnecessary. Everybody gets frustrated out there, but that’s up to the official.”
Paul and Foster have a long, acrimonious history, with the point guard complaining about Foster’s officiating for nearly a decade.
Paul said that the issue involves his son.
“It’s personal,” Paul said. “We had a situation some years ago and it’s personal. The league knows, everybody knows. There’s been a meeting and all that. It’s just a situation with my son. I’m OK with a ref saying whatever — just don’t use a tech to get your point across.”
“I’ve got to do a better job of making sure I’m staying on the floor for my teammates, but that’s that,” he said.
Paul declined to provide additional details of the situation with his son, although he said it happened when he was with the Los Angeles Clippers, who he played for from 2011 to 2017.
In San Antonio, Texas, Spurs coach Gregg Popovich staged an impromptu mid-game intervention as disgruntled fans targeted former player Kawhi Leonard during their home game against the Los Angeles Clippers.
Clippers ace Leonard, who made an acrimonious departure from San Antonio in 2018, was subjected to loud booing as he lined up to take free throws near the end of the second quarter.
The heckling drew the ire of San Antonio’s famously gruff veteran coach Popovich, who grabbed a courtside microphone to address the home fans directly.
“Excuse me for a second, please stop all the booing, let these guys play, and show a little class,” Popovich barked. “It’s not who we are. Knock off the booing.”
“You don’t poke the bear,” Popovich said after the game. “Anybody who knows anything about sports knows you don’t poke the bear. That’s my answer.”
Leonard later brushed off the catcalls, saying it was to be expected.
“If I don’t have a Spurs jersey on they’re probably gonna boo me for the rest of my career,” he told reporters after the game. “It is what it is. They’re one of the best fanbases in the league and they’re competitive, and when I step on this basketball court I can hear that.”
The Clippers won 109-102.
Additional reporting by AFP
Elsewhere on Wednesday, it was:
‧ Hawks 147, Nets 145 (OT)
‧ Thunder 116, Bulls 102
‧ Hornets 117, Wizards 114
‧ Magic 124, Nuggets 119
‧ Celtics 119, Bucks 116
‧ Cavaliers 96, Heat 129
‧ Pacers 131, Raptors 132
‧ Rockets 111, Grizzlies 91
‧ Timberwolves 112, 76ers 99
‧ Pelicans 117, Kings 112
‧ Trail Blazers 121, Jazz 105
‧ Lakers 101, Mavericks 104
Manchester City have reached do-or-die territory in the UEFA Champions League earlier than expected ahead of what Pep Guardiola has described as a “final” against Club Brugge today. City have disproved the suggestion a new format to Europe’s top club competition would remove any jeopardy for the top clubs as Guardiola stares down the barrel of failing to make the Champions League knockout stages for the first time in his career. The English champions have endured a torrid season both in their English Premier League title defense and on the continent. A run of one win in 13 games, which included Champions League
Oklahoma City star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander on Sunday poured in 35 points as the Thunder grabbed a bounce-back 118-108 victory in Portland to push their NBA-best record to 37-8. The Thunder, surprised by the short-handed Dallas Mavericks on Thursday, fended off a late surge from the Trail Blazers to snap their four-game winning streak. Jalen Williams scored 24 points and Isaiah Joe added 16 off the bench. Center Isaiah Hartenstein, back after a five-game absence with a calf injury, added 14 points, 11 rebounds, six assists and a big block. The Western Conference leaders were under pressure late as Portland, trailing by 15 heading
The Golden State Warriors on Wednesday withstood Oklahoma City star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s 52-point outburst to beat the Western Conference leading Thunder 116-109. Andrew Wiggins scored 27 points and Warriors superstar Stephen Curry scored 17 of his 21 points in the second half as Golden State erased a double-digit deficit and pulled away late for the victory. “We just stayed solid,” said Curry, who entered the contest mired in a shooting slump and had just four points on one basket in the first half. “Just all-around effort.” The Thunder, fueled by 31 first-half points from Gilgeous-Alexander, led by as many as 14 in the
Ousmane Dembele on Wednesday scored a hat-trick as Paris Saint-Germain romped to a 4-1 win at VfB Stuttgart and qualified for the UEFA Champions League knockout stages. PSG were at risk of elimination after a disappointing league stage, with three losses and a draw, but were utterly dominant against an outclassed Stuttgart side as they confirmed their place in the playoffs. With six minutes gone, Bradley Barcola headed PSG in front after Desire Doue stood a cross up at the back post following a corner. Stuttgart probed for an equalizer, but PSG hit on the counterattack, Dembele tapping a Barcola pass into an
RSS