Kevin Love had 31 points and 17 rebounds for Minnesota, spoiling Steve Nash’s return for languishing Los Angeles and leading the Timberwolves to a 109-99 victory on Tuesday that left the Lakers with their seventh straight defeat.
Kevin Martin scored 14 of his season-high-tying 32 points in the opening 10 minutes to help the Timberwolves start strong and the NBA’s highest-scoring first-quarter team surged to a 25-point lead midway through the second period.
Nash had been sidelined since Nov. 10 last year because of nerve problems in his back. The soon-to-be-40-year-old two-time NBA Most Valuable Player had seven points and nine assists in 25 minutes, about 10 more than he was supposed to play.
Photo: Brad Rempel-USA Today
Steve Blake also returned, coming back from a torn ligament in his right elbow that had shelved him since Dec. 10 last year. He ruptured his eardrum during the game, but kept playing on another night of bad luck and bad defense for the fallen franchise. Blake was scoreless in 31 minutes.
Jodie Meeks (sprained right ankle, first quarter) and backup Jordan Hill (headache and neck strain, first quarter) went down for the Lakers, who have been without star Kobe Bryant for most of the season.
Pau Gasol sat out with a strained right groin and could be out until after the All-Star break.
BULLS 101, SUNS 92
In Phoenix, Arizona, Carlos Boozer had 19 points and 12 rebounds as the Bulls snapped the Suns’ five-game winning streak.
The Bulls shot 45 percent from the field and had five players score in double figures, bouncing back from an ugly 99-70 loss at Sacramento on Monday.
The Bulls shot 28 percent and were out-rebounded 53-30 against the Kings. One night later, it was a completely different story.
Jimmy Butler and D.J. Augustin had 18 points apiece for the Bulls, who won for the fifth straight time in Phoenix.
Joakim Noah, who was ejected in the third quarter of the loss at Sacramento, had 14 points and 14 rebounds.
Goran Dragic led Phoenix with 24 points. Channing Frye had 18.
PACERS 89, HAWKS 85
In Atlanta, Georgia, David West scored 22 points and Paul George added 18, helping NBA-leading Indiana get the win.
The Pacers snapped a 12-game regular-season losing streak in Atlanta, while improving the NBA’s best record to 38-10.
Atlanta failed to place a starter in double figures. They had won two straight and five of seven.
Jeff Teague and Kyle Korver had nine points apiece for the Hawks, but All-Star forward Paul Millsap went two for 11 from the field and finished with seven points.
Teague made a three-pointer to give Atlanta a 41-35 lead with 1 minute, 6 seconds left in the second quarter, but the Hawks were outscored 38-16 in the next 17 minutes.
Cartier Martin’s three-pointer cut Indiana’s lead to 86-84 with 14.9 seconds left. C.J. Watson and Danny Granger then combined for three free throws to help the Pacers hold on for the win.
BOBCATS 91, WARRIORS 75
In Oakland, California, Al Jefferson had 30 points and 13 rebounds, while Gerald Henderson added 17 points and eight rebounds for Charlotte in Kemba Walker’s much-anticipated return.
Walker finished with seven points, seven assists and six rebounds after missing the previous seven games with a sprained left ankle. He played 33 minutes.
The Bobcats went ahead by 18 points late in the third quarter and 22 midway through the fourth.
Charlotte, who shot 47.4 percent, held the Warriors to a season-low 31.2 percent shooting.
Stephen Curry had 17 points and 11 assists, while Klay Thompson scored 12 and Andrew Bogut grabbed 15 rebounds for the Warriors, who have been held below 38 percent shooting in three of their past four games.
The Bobcats closed out their road trip 3-1 and swept the season against the Warriors.
MARRED FINAL: As most of Senegalese players walked off the pitch after a controversial decision, some supporters threw objects and attempted to get onto the pitch Senegal on Sunday won the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) as Pape Gueye’s extra-time winner sunk hosts Morocco 1-0 after a chaotic final that saw the eventual champions storm off the pitch late in the game. Brahim Diaz could have won the trophy for Morocco with a controversial spot-kick in the 24th minute of added time at the end of normal time as ugly scenes broke out in the stands. However, Senegal goalkeeper Edouard Mendy easily saved the weak attempted “Panenka” chip by the Real Madrid winger, who was clearly distracted by the long delay that followed the penalty award.
James Harden on Friday scored 31 points and came up big in overtime to help the Los Angeles Clippers erase a double-digit deficit on the way to a 121-117 NBA victory over the Toronto Raptors. Harden scored 16 points in the fourth quarter and overtime as the Clippers pushed their wining steak to five games despite the absence of star Kawhi Leonard with a sprained right ankle. The Clippers trailed by 11 entering the fourth quarter, but Harden drilled a pair of free-throws with 1:24 left in regulation to tie it and after misses from both teams, they went to
Tobias Harris on Monday scored 25 points as the Detroit Pistons held off the Boston Celtics to score a 104-103 victory in their top-of-the-table Eastern Conference showdown. Harris was one of four Detroit players to finish in double figures, with Jalen Duren adding 18 points and point guard Cade Cunningham scoring 16 points with 14 assists. The win sees Detroit extend their lead at the top of the Eastern Conference to 31-10, 5.5 games ahead of second-placed Boston, who fell to 26-16 with the defeat. Jaylen Brown led the Celtics scoring with 32 points and almost snatched victory in the
Qatar’s Nasser al-Attiyah on Saturday secured his sixth Dakar Rally car title in Saudi Arabia with Luciano Benavides scraping home by two seconds to claim the motorbike title. “We’ve worked very hard since last year. I might not be showing much emotion yet, but it’s there, deep down. We are so happy to win,” al-Attiyah said at the finish. Al-Attiyah, at the wheel of a Dacia, only had to avoid a final day slip-up to top the podium after bringing his career tally of stage wins to 50 on Friday. The 55-year-old, who took clay pigeon shooting bronze at the
RSS