Eric Gordon scored 16 of his 24 points in the third quarter, as the New Orleans Pelicans had little trouble beating the Miami Heat 105-91 on Saturday despite losing Anthony Davis and Ryan Anderson to injuries.
Omer Asik scored 15 points and Tyreke Evans added 13 to help the Pelicans snap a four-game slide.
Mario Chalmers scored 20 points for Miami, who were playing for the first time since learning that All-Star forward Chris Bosh would miss the remainder of the season with blood clots in one of his lungs.
Dwyane Wade scored 19 points and Hassan Whiteside finished with 11 points and 16 rebounds for the Heat, who kept the No. 7 spot in the Eastern Conference standings.
Goran Dragic, making his Miami debut after being acquired in a trade from Phoenix, had 12 points.
Davis departed with 3 minutes, 7 seconds left in the first quarter, moments after he attempted a shot and made contact with Miami’s Hassan Whiteside. Anderson was ruled out shortly before half-time after spraining his right knee jostling for a rebound.
THUNDER 110, HORNETS 103
In Charlotte, North Carolina, Russell Westbrook had 33 points and 10 assists, as Oklahoma City beat Charlotte for their fifth straight victory.
With Kevin Durant sidelined with soreness in his right foot, Westbrook was 12 of 27 from the field, and shot nine of nine from the foul line, stretching his streak of consecutive free throws to 43.
Serge Ibaka had 16 points and 12 rebounds, and Enes Kanter had 10 points and 13 rebounds in his first game with the Thunder. Al Jefferson had 20 points and 12 rebounds, and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist had a season-high 20 points for Charlotte.
CLIPPERS 126, KINGS 99
In Los Angeles, California, J.J. Redick scored 24 points, hitting four three-pointers and all eight of his free throws, and Los Angeles routed Sacramento for their fourth straight victory.
Austin Rivers had a career-high 28 points and fellow reserve Jamal Crawford added 23 to help the Clippers improve to 4-1 without injured All-Star Blake Griffin. DeAndre Jordan had 11 points and 15 rebounds.
DeMarcus Cousins scored 21 points for the Kings. Coach George Karl was tagged with his first loss after winning his debut against Boston on Friday last week.
In others games it was:
‧ Rockets 98, Raptors 76
‧ Bulls 112, Suns 107
US track and field athletes have about four dozen pieces to choose from when assembling their uniforms at the Olympics. The one grabbing the most attention is a high-cut leotard that barely covers the bikini line and has triggered debate between those who think it is sexist and others who say they do not need the Internet to make sure they have good uniforms. Among those critical or laughing at the uniforms included Paralympian Femita Ayanbeku, sprinter Britton Wilson and even athletes from other countries such as Britain’s Abigail Irozuru, who wrote on social media: “Was ANY female athlete consulted in
Four-time NBA all-star DeMarcus Cousins arrived in Taiwan with his family early yesterday to finish his renewed contract with the Taiwan Beer Leopards in the T1 League. Cousins initially played a four-game contract with the Leopards in January. On March 18, the Taoyuan-based team announced that Cousins had renewed his contract. “Hi what’s up Leopard fans, I’m back. I’m excited to be back and can’t wait to join the team,” Cousins said in a video posted on the Leopard’s Facebook page. “Most of all, can’t wait to see you guys, the fans, next weekend. So make sure you come out and support the Beer
Former US Masters champion Zach Johnson was left embarrassed after a foul-mouthed response to ironic cheers from spectators after a triple bogey at Augusta National on Friday. Johnson, the 2007 Masters winner, missed the cut after his three-over-par round of 75 left him on seven-over 151 for 36 holes, his six on the par-three 12th playing a big role in his downfall. Television footage showed Johnson reacting to sarcastic cheers and applause when he tapped in for the triple bogey by yelling: “Oh fuck off.” Such a response would be considered bad form in any golf tournament, but is particularly out of keeping
The sacred flame for the Paris Olympics was lit yesterday in Olympia, Greece, the birthplace of the ancient Games, in a ceremony inspired by antiquity and marked by messages of hope amid multiple global crises. “In ancient times, the Olympic Games brought together the Greek city states, even — and in particular — during times of war and conflict,” International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach said. “Today, the Olympic Games are the only event that brings the entire world together in peaceful competition. Then as now, the Olympic athletes are sending this powerful message — yes, it is possible to compete fiercely