Russell Westbrook scored 34 points as the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the San Antonio Spurs 114-106 on Thursday in a rematch of last season’s Western Conference Finals.
The Thunder earned their sixth straight regular-season victory over the defending NBA champions in the first meeting between the teams since San Antonio topped Oklahoma City in six games on the way to a fifth title.
The Thunder was without reigning MVP Kevin Durant, and the Spurs were missing Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard, but there was still plenty of firepower.
Serge Ibaka had 21 points, including going three-for-four on three-pointers for Oklahoma City (14-16). Steven Adams added 16 points and 15 rebounds to offset San Antonio center Tiago Splitter matching his season-high with 14 points.
Matt Bonner had 17 points to lead seven players in double figures for San Antonio (18-12), who have lost five of six. Tim Duncan had 15 points, six rebounds and five assists.
CLIPPERS 100, WARRIORS 86
In Los Angeles, Jamal Crawford scored 12 of his 24 points in the fourth quarter, while Chris Paul added 22 points as Los Angeles handed NBA-leading Golden State their second Staples Center loss in three days.
The Warriors held the Clippers to four-for-24 shooting in the first quarter and 39.1 percent for the game, two nights after the Lakers shot 51.7 percent without Kobe Bryant to beat them 115-105. That loss ended a streak of 27 straight games by the Warriors in which they held opponents under 50 percent.
The Clippers, beginning a nine-game homestand after back-to-back losses to San Antonio and Atlanta, have not dropped three in a row since March 29 to April 1 last year. Blake Griffin missed his first eight shots and was five-for-16 overall with 18 points and 15 rebounds. DeAndre Jordan had 14 points and 12 boards.
Klay Thompson scored 15 points and Stephen Curry 14 for Golden State, who have lost three of five following a 23-3 start that included a franchise-record 16-game winning streak.
BULLS 113, LAKERS 93
In Chicago, Illinois, Pau Gasol had 23 points and 13 rebounds against his former team as Chicago beat Los Angeles, with Lakers star Kobe Bryant resting his sore body.
Jimmy Butler added 21 points, and Derrick Rose had 20 points and six assists to help the Bulls win their season-high fifth straight.
With Bryant missing his second straight game, the Lakers were unable to pull off another upset. They stunned Golden State on Tuesday night, but came up short against the Central division leaders.
Gasol, a two-time champion in six-plus seasons with the Lakers, was nine of 14 from the field in his first game against Los Angeles since joining the Bulls in the summer.
Wesley Johnson led Los Angeles with 19 points.
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
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