Associated Press
Associated Press
OAKLAND, Calif. — Maybe these new-look Golden State Warriors are winners after all.
Jarrett Jack had 30 points and 10 assists, David Lee added 25 points and 22 rebounds and the short-sleeve-wearing Warriors rallied past the San Antonio Spurs 107-101 in overtime Friday night to snap a staggering 16-game losing streak in the series.
“We’re not going anywhere,” Warriors coach Mark Jackson said. “We will not go anywhere. So get used to seeing these beautiful yellow jerseys.”
The tight-fitted uniforms with pinstriped shorts became the talk of Twitter and also sparked chatter in the stands. Even point guard Stephen Curry said some Spurs laughed at the Warriors when they took off their practice shirts — only to sport similar yellow-sleeved uniforms underneath.
It was certainly a fashion statement, but not nearly as dramatic as the statement made by the Warriors with their play.
Curry finished with 18 points and six assists to carry Golden State from 13 points down in the fourth quarter. The game featured 20 lead changes, 17 ties and countless late highlights.
Golden State had dropped six in a row until winning against Phoenix on Wednesday. The Warriors, also playing without center Andrew Bogut, hadn’t won against San Antonio since another overtime game at home — all the way back on Jan. 7, 2008.
“Had it been that long?” Curry asked. “Dang. Good win.”
Danny Green scored 20 points and Tim Duncan had 19 points and 18 rebounds for the NBA-leading Spurs, who had won five straight and 16 of 17 overall. San Antonio fell to 6-2 on its rodeo trip, which ends Sunday at Phoenix.
“I think we got a little bit stubborn at different periods of the game and didn’t move the ball really well,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. “But they did a great job defensively and that’s what allowed them to have an opportunity to win the basketball game. They did a really fine job in that regard.”
The Spurs seemed to take control between the third and fourth quarters, breaking away from a tie game with 13 straight points behind Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker. Both finished with 18 points, but both disappeared late.
The teams traded baskets for the final 6 minutes of regulation and most of overtime.
Lee’s driving layup put the Warriors ahead 90-89 with a little more than a minute to play in the fourth. That lead lasted only a few seconds, with Green banking a floater off the glass.
Curry came out of a timeout slashing through the lane and tossed a midair pass out to Jack through a crowd of defenders. Jack swished the 3-pointer with 7.3 seconds to play, pumping his right hand and flexing his muscles around midcourt after giving Golden State a 93-91 lead.
The rest of his celebration would have to wait.
Duncan took the inbounds pass on the other end from Ginobili, who knifed through the lane for a quick give-and-go and a tying layup. Jack missed a desperation shot, sending the game to overtime.
The energy remained rampant in the extra period, and so did the highlights. Curry’s long bounce pass just skipped past Ginobili and into the hands of Jack, whose reverse layup gave Golden State a 100-98 lead.
Jack followed with another long jumper, freezing Parker off the dribble to put the Warriors ahead by four with 56.5 seconds left. Green hit a 3-pointer before Parker missed a potential go-ahead layup. Lee grabbed the rebound and tossed the ball to Curry, whose two free throws put the Warriors ahead 104-101.
Duncan’s errant pass was stolen on the next possession to seal San Antonio’s loss. Jack hit a trio of free throws, and the Warriors finally came out on top against the Spurs.
Jack became the first NBA reserve to finish with at least 30 points and 10 assists since Lakers great Magic Johnson on Feb. 16, 1996, according to the Warriors. The Sixth Man of the Year contender only cared about the result, with Golden State outshooting San Antonio 41.5 to 38.9 percent and winning the rebounding battle 48 to 40.
“By far our best defensive effort in a really, really long time,” Jack said.
And it came without Bogut, who is out indefinitely with back spasms. The 7-foot center has missed 43 of 55 games this season, most recovering from surgery on his left ankle.
The Warriors still put to rest a staggering 16 straight losses against San Antonio.
The first half played out in less mesmerizing fashion than the uniforms, with San Antonio setting its typical plodding pace. Both teams took seven-point leads during the first half, and each struggled to create separation.
“They were packing in everybody in the paint. They did a good job tonight,” said Parker, who shot 7 of 18 from the floor.
The intensity finally picked up late in the third quarter when the home team delighted the crowd announced at 19,596 — Golden State’s 16th straight sellout — with some daring and dazzling efforts, starting with Curry’s bank shot after getting knocked down by Duncan to begin a three-point play.
Ginobili twisted his way through the lane for a layup and a jumper as the Spurs scored 13 straight, including the first 12 points of the fourth. They went ahead 80-67 on Green’s 3-pointer with 8:55 to play.
Golden State answered with its own 13-0 run capped by a 3-pointer from Curry, whose swish came mere feet in front of jubilant owner Joe Lacob sitting courtside. Both waived to the fans roaring to their feet, setting the stage for the frantic finish.
LAKERS 111, TRAIL BLAZERS 107
LOS ANGELES — Kobe Bryant scored 40 points and Dwight Howard had 19 points and 16 rebounds as Los Angeles capped a trying week with a gritty victory over slumping Portland.
Hours after longtime Lakers owner Jerry Buss was buried, and a day after a moving memorial service punctuated by eulogies from Bryant and other franchise greats, the team got back to basketball with a much-needed victory at Staples Center.
Bryant scored 11 points in the final 5½ minutes and the Lakers won for the seventh time in 10 games. They remained ninth in the Western Conference playoff race, 3½ games behind Houston for the final spot with 26 remaining. Portland trails Los Angeles by 1½ games.
Antawn Jamison had 16 points off the bench, helping to hand Portland its season-worst seventh straight loss. The Trail Blazers have lost five straight road games and 10 of their last 11 away from the Rose Garden.
J.J. Hickson had 22 points and 11 rebounds for Portland, and Nicolas Batum also scored 22.
ROCKETS 106, NETS 96
NEW YORK — James Harden and Carlos Delfino each scored 22 points, and Houston tied its longest winning streak against any opponent by beating the Nets for the 13th straight time.
Houston blew most of a 15-point lead in the fourth quarter before Delfino hit a big 3-pointer with 1:54 left. He later made another jumper before Harden followed with a 3 to put it away.
Delfino made six 3-pointers. Harden, coming off a career-high 46-point game Wednesday against Oklahoma City, made four 3s and finished 7 of 14 from the field.
Brook Lopez scored 27 points for the Nets, who played without starting guard Joe Johnson for the first time this season because of plantar fasciitis in his left foot. Deron Williams added 15 points and 13 assists, but shot 5 of 17 as Brooklyn had its four-game winning streak snapped.
The Rockets haven’t lost to the Nets since March 13, 2006, in Houston. The Rockets also won 13 straight against the Sonics-Thunder franchise (2007-09) and Minnesota (2007-11).
Brooklyn missed a chance to tie New York for first place in the Atlantic Division.
BULLS 105, BOBCATS 75
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Taj Gibson scored 17 points on 8-of-11 shooting and Chicago routed Michael Jordan’s Charlotte Bobcats.
With Jordan looking on from the end of the Charlotte bench, the Bulls jumped out to a 38-19 lead midway through the second quarter and never looked back. Jordan, the Bobcats’ owner and former Bulls star, left his seat with about 3 minutes left in the first half and didn’t return.
The Bulls had failed to score 100 points in their previous six games and were held to 67 by Miami on Thursday night, but found their groove against the NBA-worst Bobcats.
Carlos Boozer had 10 points and 10 rebounds as eight Bulls finished in double figures.
Luol Deng added 14 points, Nate Robinson, Marco Belinelli and Richard Hamilton all had 12, and Joakim Noah finished with 10 points, eight rebounds and eight assists.
Kemba Walker had 27 points to lead Charlotte, which shot 33 percent from the field. It was the 10th time this season the Bobcats lost by 20 or more points.
RAPTORS 100, KNICKS 98
TORONTO — Rudy Gay scored a season-high 32 points, DeMar DeRozan had 18 and Toronto handed New York its season-worst fourth straight loss.
Kyle Lowry scored 15 points, Amir Johnson 12 and John Lucas 10 as the Raptors won for the sixth time in seven games.
Carmelo Anthony had 32 points and J.R. Smith added 19 for the Knicks, winless since beating Minnesota on Feb. 8.
Amare Stoudemire scored 14 points and Raymond Felton added 10 for New York, which rallied from a nine-point deficit in the fourth quarter to take the lead with 6:11 left.
Lowry hit a driving hook shot to put Toronto up 97-95 with 28 seconds remaining, and Gay added three free throws to clinch it.
THUNDER 127, TIMBERWOLVES 111
OKLAHOMA CITY — Russell Westbrook scored 37 points, Kevin Durant added 27 and Oklahoma City snapped a three-game losing streak by beating Minnesota.
The Thunder avoided losing four in a row for the first time since April 2009, near the end of their first season in Oklahoma City, but made little progress in getting their defense back in order.
They had allowed 113.7 points per game during the losing streak and were just a basket better against Minnesota, instead relying on an offense that regained the NBA lead in scoring average.
Alexey Shved led Minnesota with 17 points, and Andrei Kirilenko and Dante Cunningham had 15 points apiece. The Timberwolves shot 53 percent in the first half but couldn’t keep up that pace and wound up hitting on 43 percent after halftime.
Oklahoma City hit all 22 of its free throws.
PACERS 114, PISTONS 82
INDIANAPOLIS — David West scored 18 points, George Hill had 15 and the surging Indiana Pacers beat Detroit.
Indiana has won three straight and eight of 10, including a 98-79 victory against Detroit on Jan. 30.
This one was a runaway.
The Pacers grabbed control with a 14-4 run at the start of the second quarter. Orlando Johnson had 11 points in the run, making back-to-back 3-pointers to help Indiana to a 48-23 lead.
Will Bynum scored 17 points for the stumbling Pistons, who have split their last four games.
CELTICS 113, SUNS 88
PHOENIX — Jeff Green scored 31 points in his first start of the season as short-handed Boston routed Phoenix.
Chris Wilcox had 13 points off the bench, and Avery Bradley and Jason Terry scored 13 each for the Celtics, who moved two games ahead of Milwaukee for seventh place in the Eastern Conference.
Green started in place of 36-year-old Kevin Garnett, given a rest with Boston playing its third game in four nights. Green responded by going 11 of 14 from the floor and setting his season high for points.
Jordan Crawford, acquired from Washington on Thursday, made his Celtics debut and scored 10 points off the bench as Boston improved to 9-3 without injured guard Rajon Rondo.
Goran Dragic had 18 points and 10 assists for the Suns, who have lost six of seven.
WIZARDS 119, NUGGETS 113
WASHINGTON — Emeka Okafor had 17 points and 13 rebounds, and Washington put on one of its best offensive shows of the season against Denver.
The Wizards put seven players in double figures while taking down another contending team. They never trailed but had an 18-point fourth-quarter lead cut to two in the final minute. Bradley Beal had 17 points and a career-high 12 boards, Trevor Ariza scored 16 points and Martell Webster had 15.
Ty Lawson had 27 points and 12 assists, Wilson Chandler added 22 points and Andre Miller scored a season-high 19 for the Nuggets, who have lost four straight on the road. They also have the dubious distinction of getting swept by the Wizards this season, having lost at home to Washington on Jan. 18.
HAWKS 122, KINGS 108
ATLANTA — Al Horford led Atlanta’s balanced scoring with 24 points and the Hawks overcame a slow start to beat Sacramento.
Jeff Teague had 20 points and 12 assists, Josh Smith added 18 points and DeShawn Stevenson had 17 for Atlanta, which had six players in double figures.
Isaiah Thomas scored 30 points to lead the Kings, who have lost four straight and eight of 10. DeMarcus Cousins had 26 points and 13 rebounds.
Tyreke Evans chipped in 15 points but no other Sacramento player scored in double figures. The Kings, who led by 13 in the opening period, have lost seven straight on the road and are 5-24 away from Sacramento.
GRIZZLIES 88, MAGIC 82
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Marc Gasol had 19 points and 13 rebounds, Zach Randolph added 16 points and 14 boards, and Memphis beat short-handed Orlando for its sixth straight victory.
Mike Conley finished with 14 points and seven assists for the Grizzlies.
Aaron Afflalo had 20 points, six rebounds and seven assists for Orlando. Mo Harkless scored 19, and Andrew Nicholson added 14 points. E’Twaun Moore scored 12 points and handed out seven assists as the Magic dropped their fourth straight and 16th in their last 17.
The Magic had only seven players available because of injuries and trades from Thursday.
MAVERICKS 104, HORNETS 100
NEW ORLEANS — Vince Carter capped a 22-point performance with a 3-pointer that gave Dallas the lead with 6.5 seconds left, and the Mavericks held on to beat New Orleans for their third straight victory.
Dirk Nowitzki scored 25 points for the Mavericks, while Elton Brand added 13 and Darren Collison 11, including a pair of key free throws in the final seconds.
Eric Gordon scored 23 for the Hornets, who have lost three straight. Anthony Davis added 10 points and 11 rebounds, but left in the third quarter with a sprained right knee.
Jason Smith added a season-high 22 points for New Orleans and Ryan Anderson had 20, including a 3 that gave the Hornets a 100-96 lead with 55.5 seconds left. Mike James then hit a clutch 3 from the corner to get Dallas within one.