Anthony Parker scored a season-high 26 points and Chris Bosh added 23 points and 10 rebounds as the Toronto Raptors overcame a 39-point performance by Orlando’s Dwight Howard to beat the Magic 108-102 on Sunday.
Parker was 13-of-16 from the field and came within one point of his career high. The Raptors also got 18 points from Andrea Bargnani, 12 from Roko Ukic and 11 from Will Solomon.
Howard matched his career high in both points and field goals, but it wasn’t enough for Orlando, which had won 17 of 20 coming in.
LAKERS 100, TRAIL BLAZERS 86
At Los Angeles, Kobe Bryant scored 26 points and Pau Gasol added 19 as the Los Angeles Lakers beat Portland for their sixth consecutive victory and 15th straight at home.
LaMarcus Aldridge led Portland with 22 points and 11 rebounds, as all five starters scored in double figures. But the Blazers shot only 39 percent overall.
Facing the Trail Blazers for the first time since their season-opening 96-76 win — Portland’s lowest point total ever against the Lakers — the defending Western Conference champions pulled away with a 15-3 run that increased their four-point lead to 75-59 with 2:12 left in the third quarter.
KNICKS 100, CELTICS 88
At New York, Wilson Chandler scored a career-high 31 points and New York snapped an eight-game losing streak against sputtering Boston.
Al Harrington added 30 for the Knicks, who hadn’t beaten Boston at Madison Square Garden since March 23, 2005, dropping the last six meetings.
Paul Pierce scored 31 points for the Celtics, who lost for the fourth time in six games after a 27-2 start. Ray Allen added 16, but Garnett, who seemed to hurt his right leg late in the third quarter, had only six points on 1-of-6 shooting with nine rebounds.
WIZARDS 80, CAVALIERS 77
At Washington, LeBron James was called for traveling while driving for the potential tying basket with 2.3 seconds left as his Cleveland Cavaliers lost to the Eastern Conference-worst Washington.
James finished with 30 points, 10 assists and six rebounds. But nobody else on the Cavaliers scored more than 13, and they were held to their lowest point total this season.
In other games it was:
• Pistons 88, Clippers 87
• Grizzlies 102, Mavericks 82
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
One of Malaysia’s top soccer clubs has pulled out of today’s season-opening Charity Shield after a spate of assaults, including an acid attack, on players in the country. It leaves the kickoff of Malaysia’s season this weekend under a cloud following the unprecedented acts of violence against players, which have left the country shocked and angry. Authorities said they have imposed tighter security, but Selangor said that they would not play in the showpiece curtain-raiser against Malaysian Super League champions Johor Darul Ta’zim (JDT) citing “a series of criminal incidents and recent threats.” Selangor and Malaysia winger Faisal Halim is in intensive care