Chris Paul scored 30 points and added 12 assists to power the New Orleans Hornets past defending National Basketball Association champion San Antonio 102-84 on Monday.
Serbia’s Peja Stojakovic scored 25 points, sinking 5-of-7 from 3-point range, and David West added 10 points for the Hornets, who took a two games to none lead in the best-of-seven Western Conference second-round playoff series.
“Our guys were a little more aggressive as far as what we were going to take away from them,” Hornets coach Byron Scott said. “They made some slight adjustments. We had to adjust to those. But our guys pretty much carried out our game plan all night long.”
PHOTO: AFP
The Spurs, led by 18 points and eight rebounds from Tim Duncan, dropped the first two games of a playoff series for the first time since the 2001 Western Conference final, when the Los Angeles Lakers swept them on the way to a title.
The series shifts to San Antonio for games tomorrow and Sunday, but the Spurs, bidding for their fifth NBA title in 10 seasons, have been outplayed and outhustled twice by the younger Hornets, who won game one 101-82 on Saturday.
“The goal is to get to four games and they are a lot closer than we are,” Duncan said. “The important thing is to go home and get the first one. We can worry about the other things after that.”
The Hornets won for the 17th time in their past 18 home playoff games, including a perfect 8-for-8 in the playoffs at home.
On the eve of his 23rd birthday, flamboyant playmaker Paul attacked the Spurs’ defense and passed off to his teammates when shut off from the basket while hitting 11-of-20 from the field when the opportunities came.
“My teammates and my coach told me to be aggressive. I knew when I got into the lane I had to shoot the ball,” Paul said. “I’m just trying to lead my team in the playoffs. It’s just my third year. I have got a long way to go.”
Pistons 100, Magic 93
Chauncey Billups scored 28 points, three coming on a disputed shot at the end of the third quarter, and Detroit got past Orlando at Auburn Hills, Michigan, for a 2-0 lead in the second-round series.
Billups officially made a 3-pointer with 0.5 seconds left in the third, ending a play that started with 5.1 seconds and seemed to take a fraction of a second longer using replays the officials didn’t use during a 5-minute delay.
Rasheed Wallace and Tayshaun Prince scored 17 points apiece, and Prince added 10 rebounds and five assists.
Game 3 in the best-of-seven series is tonight in Orlando.
OUT AGAINST INDONESIA: Taiwan reached the semi-finals at the tournament for the first time by defeating Denmark, with Chou Tien-chen beating Viktor Axelsen Taiwan yesterday crashed out of the Thomas Cup team competition in Chengdu, China, but achieved their best result at the top-tier badminton event by reaching the semi-finals. Indonesia were too good in the semis, winning 3-0 to advance to today’s final against China, who eliminated Malaysia 3-1. In the opening singles of the men’s team clash at the Hi-Tech Zone Sports Center Gymnasium 2, Anthony Ginting defeated Taiwan’s Chou Tien-chen 21-18, 21-19 in 51 minutes, which put a huge hole in Taiwan’s aspirations to perhaps even make the final. In the men’s doubles, Fajar Alfian and Muhammad Ardianto downed Lee Yang and Wang
NO DOUBT: Spurs star Wembanyama was unanimously selected as NBA Rookie of the Year, winning all 99 votes to become the first Frenchman to capture the honor The Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday night produced a dominant defensive display to seize a commanding 2-0 lead in their best-of-seven playoff series against the Denver Nuggets with a 106-80 road victory. The third-seeded Timberwolves harassed Denver relentlessly to claim a second straight win over the NBA champions as the series heads back to Minneapolis for Game 3 on Friday. Karl-Anthony Towns and Anthony Edwards scored 27 points apiece, but the star of the show was Minnesota’s suffocating defensive effort, which knocked Denver out of their stride almost from the tip-off. The Timberwolves finished with 11 steals and 12 blocks, in sharp contrast to
Top-ranked Iga Swiatek on Saturday came through “the most intense and crazy final” she has ever contested to avenge her loss to Aryna Sabalenka in last year’s Madrid Open final with a grueling three hour, 11 minute victory in the Spanish capital. Coming back from 1-3 down in the decider and saving three match points in total, Swiatek claimed a 7-5, 4-6, 7-6 (9/7) victory to secure the Madrid Open trophy for the first time. “Well, who is going to say now that women’s tennis is boring, right?” Swiatek said. Swiatek, who picked up the 20th title of her career, and ninth at
Playing soccer and competing for trophies is the best way that many transplanted Hong Kongers and Macanese have found to stay in touch, and to interact with Taiwanese society, said officials at the Taiwan-Hong Kong-Macau Football Friendship Cup, which was held on April 13. Twelve clubs, mostly of players and coaches originally from Hong Kong and Macau, took part in the tournament in New Taipei City. The event is sponsored by the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) and the Taiwan-Hong Kong Economic and Cultural Co-operation Council. Participating teams were from the wider Taipei area, Hsinchu, Taichung, Kaohsiung and other areas. They divided into two