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A20 SPORTS
Wednesday 20 March 2019

Nuggets clinch playoff spot with win over Celtics

By The Associated Press beat Indiana without start- ous two games.
BOSTON (AP) — Nikola ing guard CJ McCollum. HEAT 116, THUNDER 107
Jokic had 21 points and 13 Jusuf Nurkic added 18 OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) —
rebounds and the Denver points and 11 rebounds for Goran Dragic had 26 points
Nuggets rallied in the fourth the Trail Blazers, who led by and 11 assists, Dwyane
quarter to beat the Boston as many as 21. Portland has Wade added 25 points and
Celtics 114-105 on Monday won four of five and is hold- Miami took advantage
night. ing onto fourth place in the of Russell Westbrook’s ab-
Will Barton added 20 points Western Conference. sence to beat Oklahoma
for the Nuggets, who Myles Turner had 28 points City.
clinched a playoff spot for and 10 rebounds for the Kelly Olynyk added 18
the first time since 2012- Pacers, who missed out on points and nine rebounds
13. They have won four clinching a playoff spot in for Miami, which entered
straight. the East. Indiana (44-27) has the game in eighth place
Kyrie Irving led the Celtics lost six straight on the road. in the Eastern Conference.
with 30 points. Al Horford The Blazers (43-27) won their The Heat snapped a six-
finished with 20 points, six 10th in a row against the game losing streak against
rebounds and six assists. Pacers in Portland. Portland Oklahoma City, which
Both teams came into the was playing its first game has lost nine of its past 13
night trying to improve their minus McCollum, who in- games to fall to sixth in the
playoff position. jured his left knee in Satur- Western Conference.
The Nuggets tipped off day’s loss at San Antonio. Paul George scored 31
their four-game road trip McCollum, who is averag- points with nine rebounds
just a game behind West- ing 21.3 points per game, and Jerami Grant had 27
ern Conference-leading has a popliteus strain and points and 10 rebounds
Golden State in the stand- will be re-examined in a for Oklahoma City. Dennis
ings. The Celtics came in week, the team said. It isn’t Schroder, who started in
fifth in the East, a game known whether he’ll be Westbrook’s place, scored
back of fourth-place Indi- back before the end of the 20 points. Steven Adams
ana and two behind Phila- Dallas Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki (41) takes a shot during regular season. had 10 points and 12 re-
the first half of an NBA basketball game against the New Orleans
delphia, whom they visit on Pelicans in Dallas on Monday, March 18, 2019. Nowitzki became JAZZ 116, WIZARDS 95 bounds but was limited by
Wednesday. the NBA’s sixth-leading scorer Monday night with another of his WASHINGTON (AP) — Rudy foul trouble to 25 minutes.
PELICANS 129, MAVERICKS signature long-range jumpers. Gobert had 14 points and RAPTORS 128, KNICKS 92
125, OT Associated Press 14 rebounds, Donovan TORONTO (AP) — Jeremy
DALLAS (AP) — Dirk Nowitzki from the top of the key. the game having won two Mitchell scored 19 and Lin scored 20 points, Fred
passed Wilt Chamberlain Entering the game needing straight. The Warriors have Utah won its fourth straight VanVleet had 13 points
for sixth place on the NBA’s four points to pass Cham- dropped into a tie with by beating Washington. and 12 assists, and Toronto
career scoring list, but Elfrid berlain, Nowitzki started for Denver for first place in the Gobert, the reigning West- beat New York.
Payton had his fifth straight the ninth time this season. West with matching 47-22 ern Conference Player of The victory came at a cost
triple-double to help New He made his first two shots records. the Week, was perfect from to the Raptors, who saw
Orleans beat Dallas. to end the suspense with a There were nine ties in the the field (6 of 6) for Utah, guard Kyle Lowry leave in
Payton finished with 19 sellout crowd on its feet. intense matchup between which started the night sev- the third quarter after suf-
points, 11 assists and 10 re- SPURS 111, WARRIORS 105 the West’s best and the enth in the West, one-half fering an injured right ankle.
bounds. Dallas rookie Luka SAN ANTONIO (AP) — De- league’s hottest team. game behind San Antonio. Lowry, who had 15 points
Doncic had a triple-double Mar DeRozan had 26 points The Warriors had to rally Jae Crowder had 18 points and eight assists in 26 min-
of his own with 29 points, 13 and nine rebounds, La- in the second half after a while Joe Ingles had 16 utes, was back in the lineup
boards and 10 assists. Marcus Aldridge added sluggish start. points as the Jazz began after missing the previous
Julius Randle scored 11 23 points and 13 rebounds Curry and Klay Thompson a four-game trip by de- two games because of a
of his 30 points in the final and San Antonio beat opened the game a com- feating Washington for the sore left ankle.
3:29 of regulation, helping Golden State for its ninth bined 0 for 11, but the War- sixth straight time. Kyle Ko- New York rookie center
the Pelicans rally to force straight win. riors’ defense allowed them rver added 10 points off Mitchell Robinson collided
overtime. Nowitzki moved San Antonio won its 11th to tie the game at 25 when the bench, and Ricky Ru- with Lowry while chasing
past Chamberlain (31,419 straight at home and Curry threw in a 61-footer bio had eight points and a loose ball at 5:15 of the
points) on one of his sig- moved into fifth in the West- to close the first quarter. 10 assists. Jabari Parker led third, falling onto Lowry’s
nature long-range jumpers ern Conference at 42-29 Thompson finished with 14 Washington with 19 points legs and taking the All-Star
with 8:35 remaining in the following Oklahoma City’s points. and Bradley Beal added point guard down from
first quarter. The 40-year- loss to Miami. TRAIL BLAZERS 106, PACERS 15 on just 4-of-12 shooting behind. Lowry slapped the
old German took a feed Stephen Curry had 25 points 98 as the Wizards wrapped up floor in pain and frustration
from Doncic and backed after a slow start and Kevin PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — Da- a five-game homestand before being helped to
down Kenrich Williams be- Durant added 24 for Gold- mian Lillard had 30 points at 3-2. Beal had scored 40 his feet and limping to the
fore turning and launching en State, which entered and 15 assists as Portland points in each of the previ- locker room.q