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 the extra session.
Photo: AP
Harden made four free-throws to open overtime as the Clippers pulled away, scoring eight of their 12 points in the decisive extra frame.
Scottie Barnes scored 24 points to lead seven Raptors players to score in double figures.
With their 12th victory in 14 games the Clippers have climbed into 10th place in the NBA Western Conference, thrusting themselves into the post-season picture after a disastrous start to the season.
Evan Mobley threw down the game-winning dunk with 4.8 seconds left to play as the Cleveland Cavaliers edged the 76ers 117-115 in Philadelphia.
Three days after they were blown out by the Cavs, the 76ers were unable to turn the tables despite leading by as many as 11 points with 8:47 left to play.
Cleveland forward Jaylon Tyson, making a rare start with Darius Garland and Sam Merrill sidelined by injury, led all scorers with a career-high 39 points and fed Mobley for the game-winner.
Mobley scored 15 and Donovan Mitchell scored 13 points with nine rebounds and 12 assists.
Joel Embiid led the 76ers with 33 points. Tyrese Maxey added 22, but missed a half-court desperation heave at the buzzer.
In Brooklyn, the Nets squandered a 20-point fourth quarter lead before clawing out a 112-109 victory over Chicago that snapped their five-game losing streak.
The Bulls, trailing 92-72 with 11:20 remaining, had taken a 109-108 lead on Tre Jones’s fastbreak layup with 11.4 seconds to go.
Michael Porter Jr responded with a layup that put the Nets back on top, and Noah Clowney sank a pair of free throws to seal the victory.
Porter led the Nets with 26 points, and Clowney chipped in 23 points and 11 rebounds. Center Nikola Vucevic led the Bulls with 19 points.
“This is how a losing team becomes a winning team, learning how to win games like this,” Porter said. “We’re growing, we’re getting better, so it’s great.”
Manchester United on Tuesday confirmed Michael Carrick as interim manager until the end of the season, tasking him with leading the Red Devils back into the UEFA Champions League. “Having the responsibility to lead Manchester United is an honor,” said Carrick, 44, who won 12 major trophies in his 12-year playing career at United. The former midfielder previously had an unbeaten three-game stint as caretaker boss at Old Trafford in 2021. Carrick then took on his first permanent managerial role at second-tier Middlesbrough in October 2022 and was sacked in June last year after the club finished 10th in the
Dallas Mavericks rookie Cooper Flagg on Wednesday was ruled out for the second half of their 118-109 loss to the Denver Nuggets after the No. 1 pick sprained his left ankle in the first half. Flagg was called for a foul while defending against Peyton Watson and turned the ankle as he fell to the floor with 6 minutes, 1 second left in the second quarter. Flagg limped to the bench and continued to the locker room, but returned for the final 2 minutes, 35 seconds before the break. The 19-year-old did not come out for the second half before the announcement that
Yassine Bounou on Wednesday saved two penalties, while Youssef en-Nesyri netted the decisive spot-kick as hosts Morocco secured a 4-2 shoot-out victory over Nigeria following a 0-0 draw in a tense Africa Cup of Nations semi-final in Rabat. Morocco, seeking their first continental title in 50 years, are to face 2021 winners Senegal in Sunday’s decider in Rabat, while Nigeria take on Egypt in the third-place playoff tomorrow. The 120 minutes before the shoot-out had few clear-cut chances for either side, but it was Morocco who created more opportunities, although they were denied by some fine saves from Nigeria goalkeeper Stanley Nwabali. Nigeria
Reigning NBA Most Valuable Player Shai Gilgeous-Alexander on Sunday sparked defending champions Oklahoma City to victory, while Anthony Edwards led Minnesota’s last-minute fightback to beat San Antonio. Gilgeous-Alexander scored 29 points while adding eight assists and five rebounds in the Thunder’s 124-112 home victory over Miami, improving the NBA’s best record to 33-7 after outscoring the Heat 70-53 in the second half. “We locked in defensively. We were finally able to get some stops,” Thunder guard Aaron Wiggins said. “We were able to get out in transition a little bit, get going offensively and find the flow.” Jalen Williams scored 18 points, while
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