The Oklahoma City Thunder secured a spot in the NBA playoffs on Sunday with a testing 99-90 win over division rivals Portland.
The Thunder went on a decisive 17-8 run over the final 6:18 of the fourth quarter, led by Russell Westbrook, who scored 11 of his 28 points in the blitz.
“Both teams really played as hard as they can play,” Thunder coach Scott Brooks said, “fighting through every possession.”
They also came up with a key defensive stand in the last minute when Kendrick Perkins blocked a shot by Gerald Wallace and Serge Ibaka blocked Andre Miller to preserve a four-point lead. Westbrook completed the sequence with a lay-up to stretch the advantage to six.
Kevin Durant struggled in the second half, going 0-for-8 from the field, but scored 21 points for the Thunder and had five blocked shots. Ibaka added 18 points.
“There was a time a few years back that if Kevin goes 0-for-8, there’s a good chance that we don’t win this game,” Brooks said. “Guys have to step up. There’s always going to be a different guy.”
Portland were unable to capitalize on Wallace’s sizzling 40-point performance, with LaMarcus Aldridge the only other Trail Blazer to reach double digits with 20 points.
“It wasn’t enough,” Wallace said. “I’d rather take the win than take the points.”
GRIZZLIES 111, SPURS 104
In Memphis, Tennessee, the Grizzlies strengthened their grip on a playoff spot with a win over the San Antonio Spurs in what could be a precursor to a possible postseason matchup.
Tony Allen and Zach Randolph had 23 points apiece for Memphis, who currently hold the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference. If the Grizzlies earn the No. 8 seed, they will likely face the NBA-leading Spurs in the opening round of the playoffs.
LAKERS 102, HORNETS 84
In Los Angeles, the Lakers inched closer to the top of the overall NBA standings with a comfortable win over New Orleans.
Kobe Bryant scored 30 points, while Pau Gasol had 23 points and 16 rebounds as the Lakers made it 15 wins from 16 games.
The two-time defending NBA champions jumped to an 18-point lead in the first half and weathered the Hornets’ fourth-quarter rally to sweep the four-game season series with a possible first-round playoff opponent.
Carl Landry had a season-high 24 points and 10 rebounds in New Orleans’ second game without injured scoring leader David West.
HEAT 125, ROCKETS 119
Three Miami players reached 30 points and 10 rebounds as the Heat downed Houston in Miami.
LeBron James had 33 points and 10 rebounds, Chris Bosh added 31 points and 12 rebounds, while Dwyane Wade shook off a bruised tailbone to finish with 30 points and 11 boards as Miami made it eight wins in nine games.
It was the first time since February 1961 that three teammates reached the 30-point, 10-rebound double in regulation time in the same game. On that occasion, Oscar Robertson, Jack Twyman and Wayne Embry — Hall of Famers all — did it for the Cincinnati Royals in a loss to the Philadelphia Warriors.
Kevin Martin scored 29 points for the Rockets, who suffered their first defeat in six games.
MAVERICKS 91, SUNS 83
In Phoenix, Arizona, Dallas pulled out a victory over the Suns that may have dropped the curtains on the Suns’ hopes for a playoff berth.
Phoenix led most of the ugly game and it was tied at 83 with 1:37 to play. Jason Kidd sank a three-pointer from long range with 1:11 to go to make it 86-83 to the Mavericks. Channing Frye, scoreless and 0-for-4 shooting, inexplicably forced a three-point airball at the other end and Kidd responded with another three that put Dallas ahead 89-83 with 44 seconds to go.
Marcin Gortat had 20 points and 15 rebounds for Phoenix.
Dallas won their fourth straight and improved to 12-1 against the Pacific Division. Phoenix dropped to 36-36, four games behind Memphis for the eighth and final playoff spot in the West with 10 games to play.
Also on Sunday, it was:
‧ Celtics 85, Timberwolves 82
‧ Kings 114, 76ers 111, OT
‧ Hawks 99, Cavaliers 83
‧ Warriors 114, Wizards 104
A sumo star was born in Japan on Sunday when 24-year-old Takerufuji became the first wrestler in 110 years to win a top-division tournament on his debut, triumphing at the 15-day Spring Grand Sumo Tournament in Osaka despite injuring his ankle on the penultimate day. Takerufuji, whose injury had left him in a wheelchair outside the ring, shoved out the higher-ranked Gonoyama at the Edion Arena Osaka to the delight of the crowd, giving him an unassailable record of 13 wins and two losses to claim the Emperor’s Cup. “I did it just through willpower. I didn’t really know what was going
The US’ Ilia Malinin on Saturday produced six scintillating quadruple jumps, including a quadruple Axel, in the men’s free skate to capture his first figure skating world title. The 19-year-old nicknamed the “Quad god,” who is the only skater to land a quadruple Axel in competition, dazzled with an array of breathtakingly executed jumps starting with his quad Axel and including a quadruple Lutz in combination with a triple flip and a quadruple toe loop in combination with a triple toe. He added an unexpected triple-triple combination at the end to earn a world-record 227.79 in the free program for a championship
Shohei Ohtani’s interpreter is being criminally investigated by the IRS, and the attorney for his alleged bookmaker said Thursday that the ex-Los Angeles Dodgers employee placed bets on international soccer — but not baseball. The IRS confirmed Thursday that interpreter Ippei Mizuhara and Mathew Bowyer, the alleged illegal bookmaker, are under criminal investigation through the agency’s Los Angeles Field Office. IRS Criminal Investigation spokesperson Scott Villiard said he could not provide additional details. Mizuhara, 39, was fired by the Dodgers on Wednesday following reports from the Los Angeles Times and ESPN about his alleged ties to an illegal bookmaker and debts well
MLB on Friday announced a formal investigation into the scandal swirling around Shohei Ohtani and his former interpreter amid charges that the Los Angeles Dodgers superstar was the victim of “massive theft.” The Dodgers on Wednesday fired Ippei Mizuhara, Ohtani’s long-time interpreter and close friend, after Ohtani’s representatives alleged that the Japanese two-way star had been the victim of theft, which was reported to involve millions of dollars and link Mizuhara to a suspected illegal bookmaker in California. “Major League Baseball has been gathering information since we learned about the allegations involving Shohei Ohtani and Ippei Mizuhara from the news media,” MLB