The showdown between US Olympic teammates LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony quickly turned into more of a smackdown as the Cleveland Cavaliers beat the Denver Nuggets 105-88 in the NBA on Friday.
In sweeping the Nuggets for the first time in his career, James had 33 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists in leading a Cavaliers offense that seemingly couldn’t miss. James was 13-of-20 from the floor.
The ease of the victory over the Northwest Division leaders was a riposte to criticism that Cleveland’s record — now 22-4 — was due in large part to an easy schedule so far.
PHOTO: AP
CELTICS 126, BULLS 108
In Boston, the home team moved within one win of a franchise-record winning streak, beating Chicago to make it 17 victories in a row.
PHOTO: AP
Ray Allen scored 27 points and Kendrick Perkins scored a career-high 25 on 12-for-15 shooting for the Celtics, who will go for a record-equaling 18th win when they face New York today.
The 1971-1972 Los Angeles Lakers set an NBA-record with 33 consecutive wins.
Boston’s 126-point total was its highest this season.
HEAT 89, LAKERS 87
In Miami, Dwyane Wade scored 35 points as Miami held Los Angeles to its lowest points total this season.
Kobe Bryant scored to draw the Lakers within 88-86 with 41.7 seconds left.
But the Heat blocked potentially game-tying shots on the next Lakers’ possession, and after Bryant’s 15-foot shot rimmed out as time expired, Miami could celebrate snapping a three-game slide.
The Lakers’ previous low this season was 93 points.
JAZZ 120, PISTONS 114, OT
In Auburn Hills, Michigan, Deron Williams scored 29 points to give Utah its seventh straight win over Detroit.
Mehmet Okur, who finished with 26 points and 12 rebounds, is 8-1 against Detroit since leaving after winning the 2004 NBA title.
NETS 121, MAVERICKS 97
In East Rutherford, New Jersey, Devin Harris dominated the team that traded him, scoring 41 points as New Jersey beat Dallas.
Harris added 13 assists in thoroughly outplaying Jason Kidd, who spent six-and-a-half years in New Jersey before the Nets dealt him to Dallas last February for a package highlighted by Harris, who had his second 40-point game during a breakout season.
It was Harris’ eighth 30-point game, all this season.
ROCKETS 107, KINGS 96
In Houston, Yao Ming scored 11 of his 30 points in the fourth quarter to guide Houston over Sacramento.
Luis Scola had his seventh double-double of the season, matching a season high with 23 points and 10 rebounds for the Rockets, who’ve won six straight at home.
BUCKS 105, KNICKS 81
In New York, Milwaukee made it three wins this season over New York.
Michael Redd scored 21 points for the Bucks, including 12 in a decisive 25-7 run that spanned the two halves and set up the win.
HAWKS 115, WARRIORS 99
In Atlanta, Golden State fell to its fifth straight loss, beaten by Atlanta.
Flip Murray scored 14 of his 20 points in the fourth quarter for the Hawks, who took control early in the final period after an even match over the first three.
The Warriors fell to 3-13 on the road, despite holding slim leads at halftime and after three quarters.
BOBCATS 112, GRIZZLIES 83
In Memphis, Tennessee, Charlotte set a franchise record with 66 percent shooting to cruise past Memphis.
Boris Diaw had a season-high 26 points and 10 rebounds for the Bobcats.
CLIPPERS 117, PACERS 109, 2OT
In Indianapolis, Zach Randolph had 34 points and 16 rebounds to help Los Angeles finally see off an undermanned Indiana.
Indiana was without four of its usual starters because of illness and injury.
76ERS 109, WIZARDS 103
In Washington, Philadelphia overcame the absence of injured Elton Brand to beat Washington.
The 76ers improved to 3-0 under interim coach Tony DiLeo, while the Wizards dropped to 3-10 under their interim coach Ed Tapscott.
THUNDER 91, RAPTORS 83
In Oklahoma City, the home team finally snapped an 11-game home losing streak by defeating Toronto.
Kevin Durant scored 24 points and rookie Russell Westbrook added another 19 points for the Thunder.
Toronto erased a nine-point fourth-quarter deficit before the Thunder snatched back the lead and the young core players avoided the late mistakes that have dogged them all season to pick up their third win.
Revelations of positive doping tests for nearly two dozen Chinese swimmers that went unpunished sparked an intense flurry of accusations and legal threats between the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) and the head of the US drug-fighting organization, who has long been one of WADA’s fiercest critics. WADA on Saturday said it was turning to legal counsel to address a statement released by US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) CEO Travis Tygart, who said WADA and anti-doping authorities in China swept positive tests “under the carpet by failing to fairly and evenly follow the global rules that apply to everyone else in the world.” The
Taiwanese judoka Yang Yung-wei on Saturday won silver in the men’s under-60kg category at the Asian Judo Championships in Hong Kong. Nicknamed the “judo heartthrob” in Taiwan, the Olympic silver-medalist missed out on his first Asian Championships gold when he lost to Japanese judoka Taiki Nakamura in the finals. Yang defeated three opponents on Saturday to reach the final after receiving a bye through the round of 32. He first topped Laotian Soukphaxay Sithisane in the round of 16 with two seoi nage (over-the-shoulder throws), then ousted Indian Vijay Kumar Yadav in the quarter-finals with his signature ude hishigi sankaku gatame (triangular armlock). He
Rafael Nadal on Wednesday said the upcoming French Open would be the moment to “give everything and die” on the court after his comeback from injury in Barcelona was curtailed by Alex de Minaur. The 22-time Grand Slam title winner, back playing this week after three months on the sidelines, battled well, but eventually crumbled 7-5, 6-1 against the world No. 11 from Australia in the second round. Nadal, 37, who missed virtually all of last season, is hoping to compete at the French Open next month where he is the record 14-time champion. The Spaniard said the clash with De Minaur was
RALLY: It was only the second time the Taiwanese has partnered with Kudermetova, and the match seemed tight until they won seven points in a row to take the last set 10-2 Taiwan’s Chan Hao-ching and Russia’s Veronika Kudermetova on Sunday won the Porsche Tennis Grand Prix women’s doubles final in Stuttgart, Germany. The pair defeated Norway’s Ulrikke Eikeri and Estonia’s Ingrid Neel 4-6, 6-3, 10-2 in a tightly contested match at the WTA 500 tournament. Chan and Kudermetova fell 4-6 in the first set after having their serve broken three times, although they played increasingly well. They fought back in the second set and managed to break their opponents’ serve in the eighth game to triumph 6-3. In the tiebreaker, Chan and Kudermetova took a 3-0 lead before their opponents clawed back two points, but