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Diaranson 2 september 2020

Paul has 28, helps Thunder force Game 7 against the Rockets

By BRIAN MAHONEY shooting.
AP Basketball Writer But the Thunder shook that
LAKE BUENA VISTA, off, just as they did a 2-0 defi-
Fla. (AP) — Chris Paul and cit in the series.
the Thunder had their backs Westbrook scored five
to the bubble wall, a tougher straight points to open the
spot than usual when facing third and the Rockets would
elimination. get the lead as high as nine in
This time meant lots of pack- the period.
ing, getting ready for a poten- \But Gallinari kept it from
tial return home after a long getting any worse and then
time away. Lu Dort, a dreadful 3 for
They weren't interested in 16 overall and 0 for 9 from
their trip — or their season 3-point range in Game 5, had
— ending. "We're not ready a layup and two 3s for an 8-0
to go yet," Paul said. run that ended the quarter
He made sure they wouldn't. and sent Oklahoma City to
Paul gave the Thunder at least the fourth with a 77-75 lead.
one more game at Disney, Oklahoma City extended it
scoring 15 of his 28 points in to eight, but Houston wiped
the fourth quarter for a 104- that out with an 18-4 run that
100 victory over the Houston provided a 98-92 lead.
Rockets on Monday night in Paul answered with con-
Game 6 of a Western Confer- secutive 3-pointers to knot it
ence first-round series. again, and he later unknotted
Paul made two free throws Oklahoma City Thunder's Chris Paul (3) goes up for a shot between Houston Rockets' James it for good.
with 13.1 seconds left and the Harden (13) and Robert Covington (33) during the second half of an NBA first-round playoff Most of the first half was
game tied at 100, and Danilo basketball game, Monday, Aug. 31, 2020, in Lake Buena Vista, Fla. played within a margin of just
Gallinari added two more Associated Press a few points either way.
after a turnover by Russell The Thunder continued to
Westbrook to finish it off. a game that was close all the points. But they combined for 12 of misfire, hitting just 41.7%
Game 7 will be Wednesday way — neither team led by "We expect him to make those the Rockets' 22 turnovers, overall and going only 3 for
night, with the winner ad- double digits — the Thunder shots, especially at the end of saying Houston has lost the 15 on 3-pointers.
vancing to face the top-seed- bounced back from a blow- the game," Gallinari said. close games more than Okla- But they defended well and
ed Los Angeles Lakers. James out in Game 5. Gallinari added 25 points. homa City won them. the Rockets didn't crack 30
Harden said the Rockets' And nobody handles close Harden had 32 points, eight "It's kind of been on us, to points until more than 4
mindset won't change. games better than Paul, who rebounds and seven assists be completely honest," West- 1/2 minutes into the second
"To go win," he said. "It's sim- led the NBA with 150 points for the Rockets, while Robert brook said. quarter.
ple." in clutch situations, defined Covington had 18 and West- Houston got its most domi- Harden scored six straight
It gives the West two Game as the last five minutes of brook 17 in his second game nant playoff victory in Game points late in the half and Eric
7s, with Denver and Utah set a game in which the point back from a right quadriceps 5, winning 114-80 after hold- Gordon hit a 3-pointer at the
to play theirs on Tuesday. In differential is five or fewer strain. ing Oklahoma City to 31.5% buzzer for a 51-48 lead.q

Lightning reach East finals for 4th time in 6 years

By FRED GOODALL in the second overtime gave Vasilevskiy, who won the
AP Sports Writer the Lightning a 3-2 victory Vezina Trophy as the NHL’s
Blake Coleman, Barclay and ended their second- top goalie in 2019 and is a fi-
Goodrow, Zach Bogosian. round playoff series against nalist again this year, stopped
Tampa Bay coach Jon Coo- the Boston Bruins in five 147 of 157 shots against the
per calls them guys who games. Bruins, who had the league’s
have a little bit of dirt under Hedman, reigning league best record during the regu-
their fingernails. MVP Nikita Kucherov, lar season.
And that tough trio of late- Vezina Trophy finalist An- Offensively, the team has
season acquisitions is part drei Vasilevskiy and for- gotten timely scoring up
of the reason the Lightning wards Ondrej Palat, Brayden and down the roster, includ-
are back in the Eastern Con- Point, Tyler Johnson, Alex ing from Palat, who has five
ference finals of the Stanley Killorn and Yanni Gourde goals in the past four games.
Cup playoffs for the fourth are highly skilled players on “There’s no doubt we’ve
time in six years. a talent-laden roster. gotten contributions from
NHL veterans Pat Ma- Maroon, Shattenkirk, Cole- everybody,” said defense-
roon and Kevin Shattenkirk man, Goodrow and Bogo- man Ryan McDonagh,
were brought in, too, to sian have made the Light- who returned to the lineup
help transform the league’s ning much tougher to play Wednesday night after miss- Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman (77) cele-
highest-scoring team into against than a year ago, when ing three games due to in- brates his winning goal against the Boston Bruins with team-
a resilient bunch that real- they won the President’s jury. mates Ondrej Palat (18), Patrick Maroon (14) and Alex Killorn
izes playing stingy defense is Trophy only to be swept by “We’re a hungry team,” (17) during the second overtime period of NHL Stanley Cup
more important than light- the Columbus Blue Jack- Hedman added. Eastern Conference playoff hockey game action in Toronto,
ing up the scoreboard in the ets in the first round of the And, Maroon said, one that Monday, Aug. 31, 2020.
postseason. playoffs. has grown since last year’s Associated Press
“Often times it’s not how “Anybody who’s been part of first-round exit.
many you score, but it’s playoffs (knows) the game is “Honestly, I just think it’s last season. self — as a team and indi-
what you keep out of the a grind. You need those type committing themselves to “From talking to players vidual — have success, good
net,” Cooper said Monday of guys who can do that, playing the right way every from the past years, they results are going to happen,”
night after Victor Hedman’s and we found them,” Coo- single night,” said Maroon, didn’t recognize that if you Maroon added.
goal with just under six min- per added. “It’s clearly really who helped the St. Louis play the right way and do the “We’re all committed, play-
utes remaining on the clock helped us.” Blues win the Stanley Cup little things that make your- ing smart with the puck.”q