Nate Robinson scored 34 points as the Chicago Bulls wiped out a 14-point deficit late in regulation to beat the Brooklyn Nets 142-134 in triple overtime on Saturday to take a 3-1 lead in their playoff series.
The Bulls were trailing 109-95 with less than 4 minutes to go in the fourth quarter when Robinson put the Bulls on his back and carried them to the victory.
He scored all but five of his points after the third quarter, including the first 12 in a 14-0 run that wiped out the deficit. Then, with two seconds left in the first overtime, he banked in a go-ahead jumper over Deron Williams.
Photo: Reuters
Joe Johnson answered with one of his own to send it into a second overtime, tied at 121-121.
The Bulls had a chance to win in the closing seconds of the next extra session, but Joakim Noah was blocked and the game went to a third overtime.
The Bulls finally pulled away after Williams (32 points) drove for a layup to pull Brooklyn to 133-130 — the only points for him after regulation — with three minutes left.
Luol Deng answered with a basket to make it a five-point game and Nazr Mohammed came up with two baskets in the final 32 seconds to help preserve the win.
He scored on a jump hook, then grabbed the rebound and scored with 19 seconds left after Carlos Boozer made a free throw and missed the second, making it 140-134.
The Bulls will try to wrap up the best-of-seven series in Brooklyn today.
THUNDER 104, ROCKETS 101
In Houston, Texas, Kevin Durant scored 41 points in his first game without injured All-Star Russell Westbrook as Oklahoma City fought off Houston’s late rally to take a 3-0 lead in their best-of-seven playoff series.
Durant scored 27 points in the first half as the Thunder led by 26 points, before a big third-quarter rally by the Rockets put them within striking distance.
Houston regained the lead with about four minutes left and was up with less than a minute remaining, but Durant hit a three-pointer seconds later to put Oklahoma City on top 100-99.
A turnover by James Harden gave the Thunder the ball back and Derek Fisher made two free throws to push the lead to three. Harden made a layup, but Reggie Jackson hit two more free throws after that.
Houston had a last chance, but Carlos Delfino’s three-point effort fell short.
Harden scored 30 points to lead the Rockets in the first playoff game in Houston since 2009.
Game 4 is today in Houston.
GRIZZLIES 104, CLIPPERS 83
In Memphis,Tennessee, Marc Gasol had 24 points and 13 rebounds as Memphis beat Los Angeles to even their first-round playoff series at 2-2.
Zach Randolph finished with 24 points and nine rebounds as the Grizzlies won their second straight to ensure another stop in Memphis for Game 6. Mike Conley had 15 points and 13 assists, while Tayshaun Prince scored 15 in his best game of the series.
Chris Paul and Blake Griffin had 19 points apiece for the Clippers, while Griffin also grabbed 10 rebounds.
Los Angeles’ reserves outscored their counterparts again, 43-16, but DeAndre Jordan was the only other starter to score for Los Angeles and he had two points.
Chauncey Billups and Caron Butler went a combined none for 10 from the floor in being shut out.
Game 5 is tomorrow in Los Angeles.
HAWKS 90, PACERS 69
In Atlanta, Georgia, Al Horford had 26 points and 16 rebounds as Atlanta turned things around dramatically in their playoff series against Indiana, blowing out the Pacers in Game 3.
Playing with much more urgency than they did in two double-digit losses in Indianapolis, the Hawks raced to a 54-30 halftime lead and narrowed the best-of-seven series to 2-1.
Game 4 is today in Atlanta, where the Hawks have won 12 straight over the Pacers dating back to 2006.
The Hawks changed up their lineup — inserting Johan Petro at center and bringing three-point specialist Kyle Korver off the bench — after getting manhandled on the road. With more favorable matchups and a lot more energy, Atlanta suddenly made a series of it.
Indiana, who looked so dominant at home, were a totally different team after heading south.
David West led the Pacers with 18 points, while Paul George, who averaged 25 points in the first two games, was held to 16 on four-of-11 shooting. The Pacers connected on a dismal 27 percent (22 of 81) from the field.
Shohei Ohtani and his wife arrived in South Korea with his Los Angeles Dodgers teammates yesterday ahead of their season-opening games with the San Diego Padres next week. Ohtani, wearing a black training suit and a cap backwards, was the first Dodgers player who showed up at the arrival gate of Incheon International Airport, west of Seoul. His wife, Mamiko Tanaka, walked several steps behind him. As a crowd of fans, many wearing Dodgers jerseys, shouted his name and cheered slogans, Ohtani briefly waved his hand, but did not say anything before he entered a limousine bus with his wife. Fans held placards
Taiwan’s Tai Tzu-ying yesterday advanced to the quarter-finals at the All England Open, beating Kim Ga-eun of South Korea 21-17, 21-15. With the win, Tai earned a semi-final against China’s He Bingjiao, who beat Michelle Li of Canada 21-9, 21-9. Defending champion An Se-young defeated India’s P.V. Sindhu 21-19, 21-11. An on Wednesday cruised into the second round, unlike last year’s men’s winner, Li Shifeng, who suffered a shock defeat. South Korea’s An, the world No. 1, overcame Taiwan’s Hsu Wen-chi 21-17, 21-16 to set up the match against Sindhu. In other women’s singles matches, Taiwan’s Sung Shuo-yun lost 21-18, 24-22 against Carolina Marin of
EYEING TOP SPOT: A victory in today’s final against Storm Hunter and Katerina Siniakova would return 38-year-old Hsieh Su-wei to the world No. 1 ranking Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei and Elise Mertens on Thursday secured a spot in the women’s doubles finals at the BNP Paribas Open after dispatching Nicole Melichar-Martinez of the US and Australia’s Ellen Perez 6-2, 7-6 (7/5) at Indian Wells. Hsieh and her Belgian partner Mertens, who won the Australian Open in late January, coasted through the first set after breaking their opponents’ serve twice, but found the going tougher in the second. Both pairs could only muster one break point over 12 games, neither of which were converted, leaving the set to be decided by a tiebreaker. Hsieh and Mertens took a 6-3 lead,
DOUBLES PAYBACK: Hsieh Su-wei and Elise Martens avenged their defeat in the quarters at the Qatar TotalEnergies Open against Demi Schuurs and Luisa Stefani Taiwan’s Hsieh Su-wei on Wednesday advanced to the semi-finals of the women’s doubles at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, California. Hsieh and partner Elise Mertens of Belgium dispatched Demi Schuurs and Luisa Stefani 6-1, 6-4 to set up a clash against Nicole Melichar-Martinez of the US and Australia’s Ellen Perez for a spot in the final of the WTA 1000 tournament. Hsieh and Martens made a blistering start to their rematch after they lost to Schuurs and Stefani in the quarter-finals at the Qatar TotalEnergies Open last month, winning three games without reply at the start of the first set