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A20 SPORTS
Tuesday 20 March 2018
Trail Blazers soar to 13th straight victory, top Clippers

By The Associated Press wolves for the Rockets' 26th
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Dami- win in 28 games.
an Lillard scored 23 points The West's top team led by
and CJ McCollum added as many as 25 before the
21 to lead the Portland Trail Timberwolves, holding on
Blazers to their 13th straight for dear life in a tightening
victory, 122-109 over the playoff race, pulled within
Los Angeles Clippers on five in the fourth. The loss
Sunday night. dropped the Wolves into
Portland's dynamic guard the eighth playoff spot af-
duo led five Blazers play- ter they started the day in a
ers in double-figures, with three-way tie for fifth. Hard-
Maurice Harkless scoring en had 11 points in the final
21 points, Jusuf Nurkic 17 6:34, including a 3-pointer
along with 12 rebounds with 58 seconds left that ef-
and Al-Farouq Aminu add- fectively secured the win.
ing 16 points. Lou Williams Jeff Teague led Minneso-
led the Clippers with 30 ta with 23 points, Andrew
points. Montrezl Harrell had Wiggins had 21, and Karl-
24 points and DeAndre Jor- Anthony Towns and Jamal
dan had 16 rebounds for Crawford each added 20.
Los Angeles, which lost its The Wolves got a burst of
third straight and fell two energy after a fourth-quar-
games back of the final ter scuffle between Gorgui
playoff spot in the Western Dieng, Paul and Gerald
Conference. Green. Green was ejected
The Clippers have 13 for coming to Paul's de-
games remaining. fense after a frustrated Di-
THUNDER 132, RAPTORS 125 eng pushed him down af-
TORONTO (AP) — Russell ter a foul.
Westbrook had 37 points, PELICANS 108, CELTICS 89
14 assists and 13 rebounds NEW ORLEANS (AP) — An-
for his fifth straight triple- thony Davis had 34 points
double, Steven Adams and 11 rebounds, and the
scored 25 points and the New Orleans Pelicans beat
Oklahoma City Thunder the banged-up Boston
snapped the Toronto Rap- Celtics.
tors' 11-game winning Second-year pro Cheick
streak. Paul George scored Diallo had a season-high
22 points and Carmelo An- 17 points and Nikola Mirotic
thony had 15 as the Thun- added 16 for New Orleans,
der extended their winning which was desperate to
streak to six. win after dropping four of
DeMar DeRozan scored its previous five while in the
24 points and Kyle Lowry thick of the Western Con-
fouled out with 22 points Portland Trail Blazers guard Shabazz Napier (6) passes behind the back of Los Angeles Clippers ference playoff race.
and 10 assists as the Eastern forward Tobias Harris (34) during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Sunday, March 18, Davis capped his night by
Conference-leading Rap- 2018, in Los Angeles. The Trail Blazers won 122-109. hitting a baseline fallaway
tors suffered just their sixth Associated Press as he was fouled by Abdel
Nader to make it 106-85
Shiffrin's $738,000 tops skiing home loss of the season. with 3:35 to go.
Toronto is 29-6 at Air Cana-
The shot brought the crowd
da Centre, the best home to its feet as Davis stumbled
World Cup prize money list record in the NBA. toward the sideline, where
DeRozan, Serge Ibaka and he exchanged high-fives
Raptors coach Dwane with several fans before
Casey were all ejected in walking to the foul line to
ARE, Sweden (AP) — Mikae- 670,000 francs ($703,000). the final minute for com- hit his foul shot. The play
la Shiffrin topped the skiing With 11 runner-up finishes plaining to the officials. capped a 22-6, fourth-
World Cup prize money list and a single win, Henrik DeRozan was incensed af- quarter run to blow open
after winning 12 races in Kristoffersen of Norway ter not getting a call on his what had been a tight
the season and retained earned 345,000 francs drive with 30 seconds left, game for most of the first
her women's overall title. ($362,000) to place third. and picked up two techni- three quarters.
The International Ski Fed- Lindsey Vonn of the Unit- cals in the following 22 sec- Jayson Tatum scored 23 for
eration says the American ed States earned 264,000 onds. Boston, which has lost three
star earned almost 703,000 francs ($277,000), including ROCKETS 129, TIMBER- of four and was playing its
Swiss francs ($738,000). five first-place prizes. She United States's Mikaela Shiffrin WOLVES 120 third straight game with-
holds the women's World Cup
Men's overall champion was fifth behind Wendy overall trophy, at the alpine MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — James out either All-Star guard
Marcel Hirscher of Austria, Holdener of Switzerland, ski World Cup finals in Are, Harden had 34 points and Kyrie Irving (sore left knee)
who won 13 World Cup who earned prize money Sweden, Sunday, March 18, 12 assists, and Houston held or guard Marcus Smart
races, was second with of almost 274,000 francs 2018. off a fourth-quarter rally to (sprained right thumb).
prize earnings of almost ($287,000).q Associated Press beat the Minnesota Timber- q