James Harden scored 41 points, including eight in overtime, to lead the Houston Rockets to a 115-111 win over the Denver Nuggets, after Arron Afflalo tied the game on a buzzer-beating three-pointer at the end of regulation.
Patrick Beverley sealed Houston’s seventh win in eight games by hitting four straight free throws in the final 17.8 seconds. Harden had a big game at the line, too, hitting 18 of 21.
Dwight Howard scored 24 points and grabbed 16 rebounds, despite a strained right knee that had him questionable for the game.
Photo: AFP
Wilson Chandler scored 23 points and Ty Lawson dished out 16 assists for the struggling Nuggets, who have dropped seven of eight.
RAPTORS 105, NETS 89
Kyle Lowry scored 20 points and had 12 assists, while Jonas Valanciunas added 16 points and 10 rebounds as the Toronto Raptors used a big fourth quarter to beat the Brooklyn Nets.
Amir Johnson and Patrick Patterson each scored 13 in the first meeting between the teams since Brooklyn’s one-point win in Game 7 of the first round of the playoffs last May.
Patterson and Lou Williams each scored eight points in the fourth as Toronto outscored the Nets 29-16, taking advantage of six Brooklyn turnovers.
Mason Plumlee had a career-high 23 points for the Nets, who made only five of 13 field-goal attempts and five of 13 free throws in the fourth.
Toronto, who lead the Eastern Conference at 20-6, reached 20 wins before Christmas for the first time in their 20-year history.
MAVERICKS 117, PISTONS 106
Chandler Parsons scored a season-high 32 points and Monta Ellis added 25 as the Dallas Mavericks beat the Detroit Pistons.
Parsons fell two points short of a career high as he helped the Mavericks win a second road game in two nights.
Dirk Nowitzki contributed 18 points and 10 rebounds, including seven points to help stem a late Detroit rally.
Andre Drummond had 19 points and 24 rebounds, but could not help the Pistons end an 11-game losing streak at home. Detroit’s last win at the Palace came on Nov. 7 against Milwaukee.
JAZZ 105, HEAT 87
Gordon Hayward scored 29 points, Enes Kanter added 18 and the Utah Jazz overcame Dwyane Wade’s 42 points to beat the Miami Heat.
Alec Burks scored 12, Derrick Favors added 11 and Dante Exum had 10 for Utah, who won for just the second time in their past 14 games.
Those two wins have come against last year’s NBA finalists, the San Antonio Spurs and now the Heat — who are simply reeling at home.
Wade shot 12 of 19 for Miami, who have lost seven of their past eight home games and dropped four straight on their floor for the first time since 2011. The Heat trailed by 17 in the first quarter and never recovered.
In other games, it was:
‧ Suns 111, Hornets 106
‧ Celtics 109, Magic 92
‧ Trail Blazers 104, Bucks 97
‧ Clippers 102, Pacers 100
American rugby sevens star Ilona Maher is to join 15-a-side club Bristol next month in a bid to play in next year’s Women’s Rugby World Cup, the English club announced on Monday. Maher, 28, helped the US to a bronze medal at this summer’s Olympic Games in Paris and is the seven-a-side sport’s most popular player on social media. “This is a huge coup to be able to bring Ilona Maher to Bristol Bears on a short-term deal,” Bristol head coach Dave Ward said. “She is one of the biggest names in women’s sport, let alone rugby, and we believe she will
US skier Mikaela Shiffrin said she sustained an abrasion on her left hip and that something “stabbed” her when she crashed during her second run of an Audi FIS Ski World Cup giant slalom race on Saturday, doing a flip and sliding into the protective fencing. Shiffrin stayed down on the edge of the course for quite some time as the ski patrol attended to her. She was taken off the hill on a sled and waved to the cheering crowd before going to a clinic for evaluation. “Not really too much cause for concern at this point, I just
CLASH OF MANAGERS: Brighton’s Fabian Hurzeler and Russell Martin of Southampton accused each other of disrespect, while both were booked Southampton on Friday were denied a priceless victory by a controversial decision as they drew with hosts Brighton & Hove Albion 1-1 in the Premier League. Kaoru Mitoma spectacularly headed Brighton into a first-half lead and Flynn Downes hammered home an equalizer an hour in. Minutes later teammate Cameron Archer converted a cross from Saints substitute Ryan Fraser. A video assistant referee check of more than four minutes eventually decided that Archer was onside, but then penalized Adam Armstrong, who was offside, but did not touch the ball, for interfering with goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen. “I find it hard to accept,” Southampton manager Russell Martin
HISTORIC VICTORY: Botafogo are the last of the four big Rio clubs to win the Copa Libertadores and they earned a spot in next year’s FIFA Club World Cup Botafogo on Saturday overcame playing with 10 men to win their first Copa Libertadores title after beating fellow Brazilian side Atletico Mineiro 3-1 in the final at Estadio Monumental. After just 30 seconds, midfielder Gregore, one of Botafogo’s best players, hit the head of Fausto Vera with his foot and was given a straight red card. “It was so hard to have one less so early in a final. It was an unfortunate move,” Botafogo defender Alexander Barboza said. “But Gregore deserves this title as much as we do. We made history and that won’t ever be erased.” Winger Luiz
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