Page 15 - aruba-today-Sept 2 2020

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sports Wednesday 2 september 2020
Paul has 28, helps Thunder force Game 7 against the Rockets

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

Lightning reach East finals for 4th time in 6 years

By FRED GOODALL many you score, but it's ago, when they won the
AP Sports Writer what you keep out of the President's Trophy only to
Blake Coleman, Barclay net," Cooper said Monday be swept by the Colum-
Goodrow, Zach Bogosian. night after Victor Hed- bus Blue Jackets in the first
Tampa Bay coach Jon man's goal with just under round of the playoffs.
Cooper calls them guys six minutes remaining on "Anybody who's been part
who have a little bit of the clock in the second of playoffs (knows) the
dirt under their fingernails. overtime gave the Light- game is a grind. You need
And that tough trio of late- ning a 3-2 victory and those type of guys who
season acquisitions is part ended their second-round can do that, and we found
of the reason the Lightning playoff series against the them," Cooper added. "It's
are back in the Eastern Boston Bruins in five games. clearly really helped us."
Conference finals of the Hedman, reigning league Vasilevskiy, who won the
Stanley Cup playoffs for MVP Nikita Kucherov, Vezi- Vezina Trophy as the NHL's
the fourth time in six years. na Trophy finalist Andrei top goalie in 2019 and is Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman (77) cele-
NHL veterans Pat Maroon Vasilevskiy and forwards a finalist again this year, brates his winning goal against the Boston Bruins with team-
and Kevin Shattenkirk were Ondrej Palat, Brayden stopped 147 of 157 shots mates Ondrej Palat (18), Patrick Maroon (14) and Alex Killorn
brought in, too, to help Point, Tyler Johnson, Alex against the Bruins, who (17) during the second overtime period of NHL Stanley Cup
Eastern Conference playoff hockey game action in Toronto,
transform the league's Killorn and Yanni Gourde had the league's best re- Monday, Aug. 31, 2020.
highest-scoring team into are highly skilled players cord during the regular Associated Press
a resilient bunch that real- on a talent-laden roster. season. Offensively, the
izes playing stingy defense Maroon, Shattenkirk, Cole- team has gotten timely "There's no doubt we've Wednesday night after
is more important than man, Goodrow and Bo- scoring up and down the gotten contributions from missing three games due
lighting up the scoreboard gosian have made the roster, including from Pal- everybody," said defen- to injury.
in the postseason. Lightning much tougher to at, who has five goals in seman Ryan McDonagh, "We're a hungry team,"
"Often times it's not how play against than a year the past four games. who returned to the lineup Hedman added.q