The Denver Nuggets welcomed coach George Karl back to the bench after cancer treatment with a 97-87 win over the Washington Wizards on Tuesday.
With Karl resuming his duties after a four-game absence due to treatment for neck and throat cancer, Carmelo Anthony scored 29 points and grabbed 12 rebounds as the Nuggets (46-22) won their seventh game in eight.
“He told us before the game he wasn’t going to do too much,” Anthony told reporters. “It’s just good to have him on the sidelines with us. Even though he can’t say much the message is getting to us.”
Denver held a slender two-point lead heading into the fourth quarter, but outscored their opponents 32-24 the rest of the way, reserve J.R. Smith bagging 13 of his 17 in the last 12 minutes.
Washington forward Andray Blatche had 23 points and eight rebounds but hurt his ankle in the fourth quarter and had to leave the game.
The Wizards held a 45-39 lead at halftime before fading and losing their ninth game in a row.
The win moved Denver into sole possession of second place in the Western Conference, four games behind the Los Angeles Lakers.
“[Karl] before the game, wins are the best treatment for him,” said Nuggets forward Joey Graham said. “Hopefully we can keep this team rolling and win a championship for him and he’ll be completely healed. That’s the plan.”
CAVALIERS 113, PISTONS 101
At Auburn Hills, Michigan, LeBron James had 29 points, 12 rebounds and 12 assists in his fourth triple-double of the season, lifting the Cleveland Cavaliers to victory over the Detroit Pistons on Tuesday night.
Cleveland has won four in a row and lost only one of its last 11 games, improving to an NBA-best 53-15 win-loss record.
Richard Hamilton had 24 points and was one of six Pistons who scored in double figures.
SPURS 88, HEAT 76
At Miami, Manu Ginobili scored 22 points, George Hill had 16 and surging San Antonio wasted most of a 25-point, third-quarter lead before beating Miami.
Richard Jefferson added 15 points and Tim Duncan had 12 points and 11 rebounds for the Spurs.
Dwyane Wade scored 28 points for Miami, which lost for the first time in its last seven home games. Jermaine O’Neal added 13 points and Udonis Haslem finished with 10 points and 12 rebounds for the Heat, who missed a chance to move past Charlotte for the No. 6 spot in the East race. Charlotte lost at Indiana.
In other games it was:
• Lakers 106, Kings 99
• Suns 152, Timberwolves 114
• Pacers 99, Bobcats 94
• Hawks 108, Nets 84
• Grizzlies 104, Bulls 97
Memphis Grizzlies forward Brandon Clarke, 29, has died, the NBA team said in a statement on Tuesday, while the family of Jason Collins, the first openly gay man to play in a major US pro sports league, announced the former Grizzlies and Brooklyn Nets player had died after a battle with brain cancer. “We are heartbroken by the tragic loss of Brandon Clarke,” the Grizzlies said in a statement posted on social media. “Brandon was an outstanding teammate and an even better person whose impact on the organization and the greater Memphis community will not be forgotten.” The statement did not provide
Mathys Tel was hero and villain as Tottenham drew 1-1 at home to Leeds United on Monday — a result that leaves their English Premier League future hanging in the balance. The Frenchman broke the deadlock early in the second half to ease the tension at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, but then gave away a penalty with a reckless attempted clearance. In the dying minutes, Spurs were grateful to Antonin Kinsky, who produced an astonishing save to deny the visitors a win. Tottenham are now two points clear of 18th-placed West Ham United with just two games left this season. The
‘DONE IT ALL’: LeBron James is now out of contract with the Lakers and would head into the off season as a free agent with uncertainty swirling around his future LeBron James on Monday said he would take time to consider his future after the Los Angeles Lakers were swept out of the NBA playoffs by the Oklahoma City Thunder in what could turn out to be the final game of his career. James, 41, delivered a typically defiant performance with 24 points and 12 rebounds, but it was not enough to prevent the Lakers from falling 115-110 as the Thunder completed a 4-0 sweep in the Western Conference semi-finals series. The four-time NBA champion is now out of contract with the Lakers and would head into the off season
Houston Astros right-hander Teng Kai-wei, the only active Taiwanese pitcher in MLB, on Sunday suffered his third loss of the season, throwing a season-high 63 pitches in his second start of the year. Teng allowed three earned runs over three innings on five hits in the Astros’ 5-0 road loss to the Cincinnati Reds. He struck out one, walked one, and hit one batter among the 15 hitters he faced, raising his earned run average to 3.12. It was the Astros’ second attempt to use the 27-year-old Taiwanese as a starter, after he had established himself as a reliable bullpen
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