Tiago Splitter had 21 points and 10 rebounds as the San Antonio Spurs ended the Oklahoma City Thunder’s five-game winning streak with a 105-93 victory on Monday night.
Kawhi Leonard scored 17 points, Danny Green had 16 and Tim Duncan finished with 13 as San Antonio (49-15) rebounded from their second-worst home loss ever to maintain the Western Conference’s top record. Manu Ginobili had 12 points and Boris Diaw added 11 as the Spurs’ reserves outscored their counterparts 34-16.
Kevin Durant had 26 points, while Russell Westbrook added 25 for Oklahoma City (47-17), who lost their sixth straight in San Antonio. Serge Ibaka was the only other player in double figures, adding 13 points and 16 rebounds.
Photo: EPA
San Antonio’s defense was the difference, turning an evenly matched battle into their third victory in four games without Tony Parker. The All-Star point guard is going to miss another three weeks with a sprained left ankle.
WARRIORS 92, KNICKS 63
In Oakland, California, Stephen Curry scored 26 points, while David Lee had 21 as Golden State routed New York for their most lopsided win of the season.
Almost two weeks after his 54-point masterpiece at Madison Square Garden, Curry shared the spotlight with his co-captain in front of a sellout crowd announced at 19,596. He was four-for-seven from three-point range, and Lee finished with 10 rebounds and eight assists after helping the Warriors go ahead by 27 points in the third quarter.
Carmelo Anthony had 14 points and 10 rebounds after missing New York’s previous three games because of nagging right knee.
NUGGETS 108, SUNS 93
In Phoenix, Arizona, Kosta Koufos scored a career high 22 points on 10-of-11 shooting, mostly from point-blank range, as Denver ran their winning streak to nine games.
Corey Brewer added 20 points and Ty Lawson 19 as the Nuggets matched their longest winning streak of the season.
Denver dominated points in the paint 74-32, including an assortment of soaring dunks.
Wesley Johnson scored 18 and Marcus Morris 16 for the Suns. Hamed Haddadi scored a career-high 13 for Phoenix.
76ERS 106, NETS 97
In Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Spencer Hawes had 24 points and 10 rebounds, while Jrue Holiday added 15 points and 11 assists, as Philadelphia snapped a five-game losing streak.
Hawes also had seven assists. Thaddeus Young had 16 points and 10 rebounds in coach Doug Collins’ 100th victory with the team.
Deron Williams had 27 points and 13 assists for the Nets, who had won three in a row.
Philadelphia grabbed control in the second quarter and never trailed in the second half. It was a rare feel-good win for a team that had high expectations before center Andrew Bynum was lost indefinitely with knee injuries.
Evan Turner also scored 16 points for the Sixers, and Dorell Wright had 10.
JAZZ 103, PISTONS 90
In Salt Lake City, Utah, Mo Williams scored 20 points and Al Jefferson had 16, helping Utah stop a four-game slide.
Reserves Marvin Williams and Enes Kanter added 14 points apiece for the Jazz (33-31), who moved into a tie with the idle Los Angeles Lakers for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference. Utah had dropped seven of eight overall.
Rodney Stuckey, Greg Monroe and Jonas Jerebko each had 15 points for the Pistons (23-43), who lost their sixth straight game.
Detroit point guard Brandon Knight sprained his left ankle in the first quarter and did not return. His leg buckled after he was fouled by Jazz guard Randy Foye on a drive to the basket.
It has been a rough couple of days for Knight, who was on the receiving end of a monster dunk by DeAndre Jordan in Detroit’s 129-97 loss against the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday night.
A seven-year-old horse had to be euthanized on Friday after breaking its back on the final fence of a Grand National steeplechase race that it won despite sustaining the serious injury. It follows the death of four horses at the Cheltenham Festival last month — including one after the prestigious Gold Cup. Gold Dancer was competing in the Mildmay Novices’ Chase during Ladies Day at Aintree’s Grand National Festival. The horse managed to cross the finish line approximately four lengths ahead of runner-up Regent’s Stroll. “The winner of our second race of the day, Gold Dancer, was pulled up after
Hans Niemann declares he would become a “stone cold killer” in a Netflix documentary released on Tuesday about his feud with five-time classical world champion Magnus Carlsen, a pledge that injects new edge into the lingering fallout from the cheating scandal that shook elite chess. “I’m gonna be a stone cold killer the rest of my life,” the US’ Niemann says in the film. “I’m going to become the best player in the world, and no one is going to believe that now, but this clip will play over and over again in 10 years — just wait.” “I just
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