Page 20 - ARUBA TODAY

A20 SPORTS
Friday 5 april 2019
Harden, Paul lead Rockets to rout of Clippers

By The Associated Press teams whose seasons will
LOS ANGELES (AP) — end without a playoff ap-
James Harden scored 31 pearance. JaKarr Samp-
points, Chris Paul added son added 18 points for the
29 points, and the Houston Bulls.
Rockets routed the Los An- Thomas Bryant scored 20
geles Clippers 135-103 on points and grabbed 12 re-
Wednesday night in a po- bounds for Washington.
tential playoff preview. Bobby Portis had 20 points
Clint Capela had 24 points and 10 rebounds, and
and 15 rebounds to help Bradley Beal added 19
the Rockets win their fourth points. The Wizards played
in a row. They showed little their first game since Ernie
fatigue in cruising past the Grunfeld was fired as team
NBA’s hottest team while president after 16 seasons
playing their last back-to- on Tuesday.
back of the season. PACERS 108, PISTONS 89
The Rockets currently own DETROIT (AP) — Thaddeus
the third seed in the West- Young scored 21 points,
ern Conference and the and the Indiana Pacers
Clippers are sixth, which took advantage of Blake
would pair them in the first Griffin’s absence, beating
round. the Pistons.
Paul stunned the crowd Houston Rockets’ Chris Paul, bottom, reaches for a loose ball in front of Los Angeles Clippers’ Griffin missed a third straight
by hitting a deep 3-pointer Tyrone Wallace during the first half of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, April 3, 2019, in Los game for the Pistons, who
that beat the buzzer to end Angeles. are in the middle of a tight
the third, in which the Rock- Associated Press race for the final playoff
ets outscored the Clippers The Hornets trailed by five from a one-game absence 11 rebounds and dished spots in the Eastern Confer-
34-20. in the middle of the fourth with back tightness and fin- out nine of Denver’s sea- ence. The star forward has
Rookie Shai Gilgeous-Alex- when Walker’s 3 ignited a ished with 16 points. son-high 41 assists as the been dealing with left knee
ander led the Clippers with 14-6 run that put Charlotte Philadelphia, which missed Nuggets routed the Spurs in soreness.
20 points and Danilo Gal- in front for good. He hit a 16 of 38 free throws, got 30 a game in which San Anto- Detroit came into the night
linari added 16. They had pair of driving layups and a points from J.J. Redick and nio coach Gregg Popovich in sixth place in the East,
won an NBA-best 13 of 15 second 3 during the deci- 21 from Tobias Harris. After was ejected after just 63 but just 1 ½ games ahead
coming in, but lost for the sive spurt. 27 lead changes and 13 seconds. of ninth-place Orlando. The
first time in three meetings Frank Kaminsky added 21 ties in the first three quar- Jamal Murray added 14 Magic gained ground with
with Houston this season. points and rookie Devonte ters, the Sixers never led in points and 11 assists for a a win over New York on
JAZZ 118, SUNS 97 Graham scored a career- the fourth. Nuggets team that’s cur- Wednesday.
PHOENIX (AP) — Donovan high 13 points for the Hor- TIMBERWOLVES 110, MAV- rently holding down the No. The Pacers snapped a 10-
Mitchell scored 29 points, nets (36-42), who, with ERICKS 108 2 seed in the West with four game losing streak on the
leading the playoff-bound four games to play, sit 2½ DALLAS (AP) — Karl-An- games remaining. road, and they won for just
Utah Jazz past the Suns. games behind Orlando thony Towns had 28 points An irate Popovich was the third time in their last 10
Phoenix lost star guard (39-40) for the final playoff and 13 rebounds, Andrew given two quick techni- games. Bojan Bogdanovic
Devin Booker with 4:28 left spot in the Eastern Confer- Wiggins hit the go-ahead cals and was sent to the and Myles Turner scored
in the first quarter when he ence. bucket in the final minute locker room at 10:57 of the 17 points apiece, and
landed awkwardly on his Julius Randle had 34 and the Minnesota Tim- opening quarter. The last Domantas Sabonis added
left ankle while jumping points and 11 rebounds for berwolves turned back a time a coach was ejected 15 points and 13 rebounds.
to receive a pass. Booker New Orleans, which has fourth-quarter rally by the within the first 2 minutes of Andre Drummond had 28
sprained his left ankle and dropped five of six games. Mavericks. a game was Washington’s points and 19 rebounds for
left the game with eight HAWKS 130, 76ERS 122 Dallas rookie sensation Luka Flip Saunders on January the Pistons, and Wayne El-
points. ATLANTA (AP) — Trae Young Doncic scored 27 points, 2, 2012, at Boston, accord- lington scored 24 points.
Joe Ingles scored 15 of his had 33 points and 12 as- but passed up a potential ing to research by the Elias CELTICS 112, HEAT 102
27 points in the second sists, John Collins added winning 3-pointer on an- Sports Bureau. Saunders MIAMI (AP) — Gordon Hay-
quarter, and Rudy Gobert 25 points, and the Hawks other cold night from long was ejected 1:46 into that ward scored 25 points, Ky-
had 17 points, 13 rebounds handed the playoff-bound range. Jalen Brunson took game. rie Irving added 23 and the
and five blocked shots for Philadelphia 76ers their sec- the pass and missed from LaMarcus Aldridge and Boston Celtics pulled away
the Jazz, who remained in ond straight loss. 3 at the buzzer on a shot Lonnie Walker IV each had in the final minutes to beat
fifth place in the Western The Sixers began the night that would have required 16 points for the Spurs, who the Heat.
Conference and have won needing one victory and a replay to see if the fellow slipped into the eighth spot Al Horford scored 21 and
11 of 12. a loss by Boston to secure rookie got it off in time. with the loss. Jayson Tatum scored nine
Richaun Holmes’ 16 points the No. 3 seed in the East- Dirk Nowitzki, who has just BULLS 115, WIZARDS 114 of his 16 points in the fourth
and nine rebounds led the ern Conference, but they two home games remain- WASHINGTON (AP) — Walt quarter for the Celtics, who
Suns, who have lost seven have dropped four of six, a ing in what is expected to Lemon Jr. scored a career- went on a 10-2 run over
of eight. stretch that began with a be the 40-year-old’s final high 24 points, including a decisive three-minute
HORNETS 115, PELICANS 109 last-second setback at At- season, scored nine points. two free throws with 1.8 late stretch. That little burst
NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Kem- lanta 10 days ago. The Mavericks were com- seconds to play, to help turned a two-point lead
ba Walker scored 21 of Coming off a lackluster loss ing off their first two-game the Chicago Bulls snap a into a 10-point edge, and
his 32 points in the fourth at Dallas two nights ago, winning streak since early five-game losing streak. Boston finished off its sec-
quarter, and the Charlotte the Sixers were without star February. Lemon, in just his third ond win over Miami in a
Hornets kept alive their slim center Joel Embiid for the NUGGETS 113, SPURS 85 game with Chicago, was three-night span — dealing
playoff hopes with a victory third straight game. For- DENVER (AP) — Nikola Jokic one of seven Bulls in double the Heat’s playoff hopes a
over the Pelicans. ward Jimmy Butler returned scored 20 points, grabbed figures in the matchup of serious blow.q