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SPORTS Monday 10 February 2020
Celtics edge Thunder 112-

111 for 7th straight win

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — 8:19 remaining, gave Bos- Gordon Hayward's layup.
With most of their lead ton the lead for good. But Smart stripped Gil-
gone, the Boston Celtics Danilo Gallinari and Gil- geous-Alexander before
needed someone to make geous-Alexander each he had a chance to take
a stop in the final seconds. had 24 points for the Thun- what would have been a
As usual, Marcus Smart took der, while point guards game-tying 3-pointer.
it upon himself. Chris Paul and Dennis "It took a lot of grit," Ta-
Smart o stole the ball from Schroder finished with 22 tum said. "They are a really
Oklahoma City's Shai Gil- apiece. Oklahoma City good team. They are tough
geous-Alexander with 5.8 had its four-game winning and they compete, so we
seconds le,fhelping the streak snapped. just had to match their in-
Celtics hold on for a 112- "I thought our guys re- tensity."
111 victory over the Thun- ally, really competed and Paul hit a 3-pointer at the
der on Sundayry. played," Thunder coach final buzzer, but Smart's de-
"I didn't even want to Billy Donovan said. "We fense was enough to clinch
give them an attempt to weren't able to finish well the win.
even get a shot up and a enough in some crucial sit- "I saw an opportunity to
chance to tie the game uations." make a play, and I made
or come close to it," Smart Oklahoma City led 61-52 at it," Smart said.
said. halftime but Tatum heat- TIP-INS
Kemba Walker scored 27 ed up in the third quarter. Celtics: Brown and Dan-
points and Jayson Tatum His 3-pointer made it 70-68 iel Theis both were ques-
had 26 for the Celtics, who with 7:38 left in the period. tionable before tipoff with Boston Celtics Kemba Walker (8) shoots over Oklahoma City
won their seventh straight. "I thought they were the right ankle sprains, but Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) in the second half
of an NBA basketball game, Sunday, Feb. 9, 2020, in Oklahoma
"Good, tough teams," Celt- aggressor in the last 14 min- both started and played at City.
ics coach Brad Stevens utes of the first half," Ste- least 30 minutes. … Tatum Associated Press
said. "A lot of smart basket- vens said. "And then we scored 12 points on 5-of-7
ball and then we almost were great out of the gate shooting in the third quar- games. … Terrance Fergu- the second quarter.
gave it away at the end. in the second and then it ter. … Smart picked up a son played 26:18 in his third CAPITALIZING
But, you know, up to that went back and forth." technical foul because he game back from an eight- The Celtics forced only
point I think we played re- Boston led 109-101 after stayed on the court after game absence for person- 10 Thunder turnovers, but
ally hard and really well." Walker made his second the halftime buzzer arguing al reasons. He didn't score. they were able to score 21
Jaylen Brown finished with straight 3-pointer, but Okla- with officials. … Darius Bazley didn't play points off of those. Boston
17 points for the Celtics, homa City battled back Thunder: Gilgeous-Alex- after halftime because a also excelled in fast-break
who made 16 3-pointers. and had a chance to tie ander didn't record a right knee sprain. He injured situations, scoring 12 points
One of them, by Smart with after Schroder blocked block for the first time in 10 his knee on a layup late in on 5-of-6 shooting.q
Morant posts 1st triple-double as Grizzlies drop Wizards

By IAN QUILLEN F/C Jordan Bell and C Gor-
Associated Press gui Dieng were available,
WASHINGTON (AP) — Ja but did not play. Memphis
Morant had 27 points, 10 picked up Bell from Hous-
assists and 10 rebounds for ton and Dieng from Minne-
his first career triple-double sota at the trade deadline.
to help the Memphis Griz- Wizards: Traded from the
zlies overcome poor 3-point Los Angeles Clippers Thurs-
shooting in a 106-99 victory day, G Jerome Robinson's
over the Washington Wiz- first points since came on
ards on Sunday night. a buzzer-beating 3-pointer
Morant scored 10 of his that gave Washington its
points in the fourth quarter largest lead 30-18 at the
for Memphis, which closed end of the first quarter. ...
the game on a 22-8 run af- Hachimura's double-dou-
ter trailing for most of the ble was the third of his ca-
second half. Kyle Anderson reer.
added 16 points and Jaren WAITERS WAIVED
Jackson Jr. had 14 for the Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant (12) and Washington Wizards forward Rui Hachimura (8) battle The Grizzlies waived G
Grizzlies, who won despite for the ball during the first half of an NBA basketball game, Sunday, Feb. 9, 2020, in Washington. Dion Waiters on Sunday,
Associated Press
shooting 5 of 32 from be- three days after acquiring
yond the arc. Jonas Valan- Wizards' third loss in their last 93 with 5:33 remaining be- make it 102-95. him from Miami Heat in a
ciunas had 18 rebounds. 10 games at home. Moritz fore hitting two free throws Morant's 3 from the right three-team trade also in-
Bradley Beal scored 26 Wagner had 19 points off to give Memphis its first lead elbow with made it 105-96 volving Minnesota. Waiters
points for Washington, the bench, while Davis of the half 26 seconds later. with 44 seconds remaining, had been suspended three
which led by as many as 12 Bertans added 15. Morant Clarke's 3-pointer on his sending much of the Wash- times by the Heat this sea-
points early but shot 4 of 26 was the instigator through- only attempt behind the ington crowd to the exits. son, including a 10-game
in the fourth quarter. out the Grizzlies' late run. arc stretched the lead to TIP-INS ban following a drug-re-
Rui Hachimura had 12 He found Anderson under- five before Morant found Grizzlies: Missed their first lated incident on a team
points and 11 assists in the neath for a layup to tie it at Anderson inside again to seven 3-point attempts. ... plane. q