Chris Paul scored 31 points, including a game-winning layup with 8.8 seconds left, lifting the Clippers to a 100-98 victory over the Thunder in Oklahoma City on Wednesday that kept Los Angeles in position for home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs.
Paul, who scored 11 in the final period, got past Thunder defensive specialist Thabo Sefolosha and squeezed the ball onto the rim past the league's leading shot blocker, Serge Ibaka, to put the Clippers ahead.
Kevin Durant missed a three-pointer that could have won it, hitting the back rim on a shot over Clippers center DeAndre Jordan from the left wing.
It was Durant's three-pointer with 32 seconds left that tied it 98-98. Paul then drained the shot clock before coming up with the decisive basket - the ball rattling around the rim before falling through.
Grizzlies 104, Suns 93:
Rudy Gay scored a season-high 32 points as host Memphis won its fourth straight by outscoring Phoenix 17-6 after the Suns had tied the game 87-87 with 6:27 left. ... Phoenix fell into 10th place with the loss.
Lakers 98, Spurs 84:
Andrew Bynum had 16 points and 30 rebounds, the most in an NBA game this season, and Los Angeles didn't need Kobe Bryant to blow out host San Antonio. ... Metta World Peace scored 26 points for the Lakers, who played their third straight game without the injured Bryant. ... Bryant is sitting out to heal his sore left shin.
Nuggets 113, Timberwolves 107:
Ty Lawson, who hit four free throws in the final 17.6 seconds to preserve the win, finished with 24 points for host Denver. ... Minnesota played most of the game without All-Star forward Kevin Love, who left the game in the first quarter with a mild concussion sustained when Denver's JaVale McGee caught him with an inadvertent elbow to the head.
76ers 93, Raptors 75:
Thaddeus Young scored 17 points and Nikola Vucevic had 12 for visiting Philadelphia, which avenged a 21-point home loss to Toronto on April 4.
Pacers 104, Cavaliers 98:
Danny Granger scored 23 points, five in overtime, and George Hill made a dagger three-pointer in the extra session for visiting Indiana.
Knicks 111, Bucks 107:
J.R. Smith hit a three-pointer for the lead with 1:04 left, and Carmelo Anthony had 32 points and 10 rebounds for visiting New York, which took a two-game lead on Milwaukee for the No. 8 East seed. ... Monta Ellis had 35 points for Milwaukee.
Jazz 103, Rockets 91:
Gordan Hayward scored a season-high 29 points to lead visiting Utah.
Hornets 105, Kings 96:
Jason Smith scored 22 points, hitting 10 of 12 shots, for host New Orleans, and former Warrior Marco Belinelli added 21 points.
Celtics 88, Hawks 86:
Paul Pierce overcame a miserable shooting game with a key jumper in overtime for host Boston.
This article appeared on page B - 6 of the San Francisco Chronicle
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30/09/2008 - 0 Comments
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