Joe Johnson scored 36 points to lift the Atlanta Hawks to a second win over a depleted Boston Celtics in four days with a 102-96 triumph on Monday.
Johnson led a comeback effort with 12 points in the fourth when the Hawks finally nudged ahead after trailing for most of the contest, including a 14 point deficit in the third quarter.
Atlanta guard Jamal Crawford added 17 off the bench, including the game’s final six points, breaking a 96-96 tie at 2:14 to play with two free throws and then adding a lay-up and late jumper to pull away from a subdued Celtics.
PHOTO: AFP
Rajon Rondo recorded 26 points and seven assists and Paul Pierce put up 19 and eight rebounds for the Celtics (26-10), who lost to the Hawks for the third time this season — they fell 93-85 to Atlanta (24-13) on Friday.
Boston shot 55 percent from the field including 10-for-20 in three-pointers, but were plagued by 16 turnovers and failed to convert any big plays in the final moments.
The Celtics were again without defensive leader Kevin Garnett, missing his sixth straight game with a knee injury.
Offseason acquisition Rasheed Wallace, who had been starting in place of Garnett, also skipped the contest because of a sore left foot.
Without two key players, Boston’s cause was also hampered by the ejection of coach Doc Rivers for arguing a call midway through the third quarter.
“It was just a terrible situation whether it was justified or not,” said Boston veteran Ray Allen, who had 16 points.
Atlanta pulled within one game of the Orlando Magic for the Southeast Division lead.
■NUGGETS V T’WOLVES
REUTERS, DENVER
Carmelo Anthony marked his return from a two-week injury layoff with 24 points to spark the Denver Nuggets to a 105-94 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The NBA’s leading scorer played 34 minutes in his first appearance since missing five games because of a knee injury suffered on Dec. 28.
Anthony showed little sign of rust, making two straight three-pointers in the fourth quarter to help seal the victory.
Chauncey Billups added 18 points and 10 assists for the Nuggets (24-14), who stretched an eight-point halftime lead to an 85-70 advantage by the end of the third.
Minnesota (8-31) had defeated Denver (24-14) in their last meeting on Nov. 29 but could not repeat the feat despite 25 points from Corey Brewer as well as 22 and 15 boards from Al Jefferson.
The Timberwolves defeated the Nuggets on Nov. 29 when they ended Denver’s 17-game home winning streak.
■CAVALIERS V WARRIORS
AP, OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA
LeBron James had 37 points, 11 assists and eight rebounds as Cleveland ran its winning streak against Golden State to four games with a 117-114 victory.
Shaquille O’Neal added 13 points and six rebounds and three Cleveland reserves scored in double digits in the Cavs’ fourth straight win at Oracle Arena.
After a victory at Portland on Sunday, the Cavaliers won playing on consecutive nights for the sixth time in 11 tries this season but had to hold off a late rally by the Warriors. Monta Ellis had 30 points, five assists and five steals, but missed 11 straight shots during a stretch spanning the second and third quarters.
In other NBA action, it was:
• 76ers 96, Hornets 92
• Pacers 105, Raptors 101
• Bulls 120, Pistons 87
• Thunder 106, Knicks 88
• Jazz 118, Heat 89
• Suns 105, Bucks 101
Bologna on Thursday advanced past Empoli to reach their first Coppa Italia final in more than half a century. Thijs Dallinga’s 87th-minute header earned Bologna a 2-1 win and his side advanced 5-1 on aggregate. Giovanni Fabbian opened the scoring for Bologna with a header seven minutes in. Then Viktor Kovalenko equalized for Empoli in the 30th minute by turning in a rebound to finish off a counterattack. Bologna won the first leg 3-0. In the May 14 final in Rome, Bologna are to face AC Milan, who eliminated city rivals Inter 4-1 on aggregate following a 3-0 win on Wednesday. Bologna last reached the
If the Wild finally break through and win their first playoff series in a decade, Minnesota’s top line likely will be the reason. They were all over the Golden Knights through the first two games of their NHL Western Conference quarter-finals series, which was 1-1 going back to Minnesota for Game 3 today. The Wild tied the series with a 5-2 win on Tuesday. Matt Boldy had three goals and an assist in the first two games, while Kirill Kaprizov produced two goals and three assists. Joel Eriksson Ek, who centers the line, has yet to get on the scoresheet. “I think the biggest
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From a commemorative jersey to a stadium in his name, Argentine soccer organizers are planning a slew of tributes to their late “Captain” Pope Francis, eulogized as the ultimate team player. Tributes to the Argentine pontiff, a lifelong lover of the game, who died on Monday at the age of 88, have been peppered with soccer metaphors in his homeland. “Francisco. What a player,” the Argentine Football Federation (AFA) said, describing the first pope from Latin America and the southern hemisphere as a generational talent who “never hogged the ball” and who showed the world “the importance of having an Argentine captain,
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