Jokic, Grant lead Nuggets to win over Wizards

DENVER — Gary Harris isn’t putting up big scoring numbers. It’s the guard’s defense that has spearheaded the Denver Nuggets’ rise to the top of the Western Conference.

After another shutdown night, Harris’ teammates are campaigning for him to be on the NBA’s all-defensive team.


“We’re not joking around with first team,” Jamal Murray said. “He’s been showing it. Not just one game, not just two games, but all season long.”

Harris held Washington guard Bradley Beal to a season-low 14 points, Nikola Jokic had a season-high 20 rebounds and Jerami Grant added a season-best 20 points to lead the Nuggets to a 117-104 win over the Wizards on Tuesday night.

Jokic finished one rebound shy of his career best and scored eight points in Denver’s sixth straight win.


Will Barton had 17 points, eight rebounds and eight assists, Murray added 16 points and Mason Plumlee scored 15 for the Nuggets, who are 10-1 in November and ended a three-game home losing streak against Washington.

Beal, the Wizards’ leading scorer averaging 29.6 points, failed to score 20 points for the first time this season and was held to 6-for-15 shooting. He was 2 of 10 from behind the 3-point line.

“Anytime you can manage the best player on the other team, you start with that,” Plumlee said. “Brad Beal’s a heck of a player and he didn’t get 20, 30 points.”

It is a familiar theme when the Nuggets face an elite guard. Houston’s James Harden scored just 27 points, 10 below his season average, and Devin Booker had just 12 when Phoenix was in Denver on Sunday night.

“That’s all Gary,” Grant said. “He’s locking everybody up this year. He’s shutting everyone down.”

Denver held one of the NBA’s prolific offenses to its second-fewest point total of the season. Washington entered the game averaging 119.1 points and had failed to score at least 100 points just once in 15 games. It needed 35 in the fourth to reach 100 this time.


Jordan McRae had 21 points and Moritz Wagner and Davis Bertans each finished with 14.

The Nuggets grabbed control in the second quarter, opening a 17-point lead after Washington led 27-26 early in the period. Grant had 15 points in the second and 16 in the half as Denver took a 64-47 lead into the break.


“They did a good job all night just trying to get downhill,” McRae said. “I think we have to do a better job of helping each other going up in the paint, just knowing everybody has everybody’s back.”

The Nuggets pushed the lead to 20 points in the third quarter and after Washington closed within 14 midway through the fourth quarter, Barton converted a rare 4-point play to make it 107-89.

Those were the only four points of the fourth for Barton, who was the only Denver starter to play in the quarter.

Denver shot 52.2 percent and had 70 points in the paint.

“We gave them no resistance. There was no physicality,” Wizards coach Scotty Brooks said. “When you don’t give any resistance to a great team, they’re going to get 70 points in the paint.”

TIP-INS

Wizards: Guard Isaiah Thomas received warm applause from the crowd when he was announced as a starter. He played 12 games with the Nuggets last season. … Washington was 1 of 16 from the 3-point line in the first half and finished 10 of 40 from behind the arc.

Nuggets: Their last home win against the Wizards was March 12, 2016. Denver outscored Washington by 24 in the fourth quarter to win by 16. … The Nuggets weren’t called for a foul in the first quarter. They picked up six in the first 2:46 of the second quarter. … Malik Beasley scored 11 points off the bench on his 23rd birthday.


UP NEXT

Wizards: At Phoenix on Wednesday night.

Nuggets: At Sacramento on Saturday.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Wall, Beal lead Wizards to 117-109 victory over Magic

WASHINGTON — John Wall had 25 points and 10 assists, Bradley Beal added 21 points and the Washington Wizards won consecutive games for the first time this season, beating the Orlando Magic 117-109 on Monday night.

Jeff Green added 18 points off the bench on 6-of-7 shooting for Washington, which lost at Orlando on Friday night to fall to 2-9 before winning at Miami.

The Wizards made 24 free throws on 33 attempts, 22 more than the Magic earned, and out-rebounded the visitors 41-34.

Terrence Ross scored 21 points off the bench to lead Orlando, which saw a two-game winning streak snapped.

Aaron Gordon had 18 points and 10 rebounds a night after he was scratched with a sprained ankle, and Nikola Vucevic had 17 points and 11 rebounds.

Green made his first six field-goal attempts, including two during a decisive 14-4 Washington run. His fourth 3-pointer of the night, from the right wing off Wall’s feed, gave the Wizards a 99-94 lead. He followed that with an alley-oop dunk, also on Wall’s assist, to push the lead to five again.

From there, Wall hit a pair of contested fadeaways and then a pair of free throws to make 108-98 with 4:00 left, Washington’s largest lead of the night.

The Magic pulled only as close as five points down the stretch.

FIT TO BE TIED

Orlando and Washington were tied at the end of each of the first three quarters. It was knotted at 30 after the first, 55 at halftime and 83 after the third.

TIP-INS


Magic: Failed to win three straight for the first time since Feb. 5-8 last season and three straight on the road for the first time since on Oct. 31-Nov. 10, 2017. … A night after his injury scratch, Gordon led all Orlando players in minutes.

Wizards: Waived G Chasson Randle before the game. … Did not commit a turnover until Austin Rivers’ errant pass with 10:41 left in the second quarter.

UP NEXT

Magic: Host Philadelphia on Wednesday night.

Wizards: Host Cleveland on Wednesday night in the second game of a five-game homestand.

source: sports.inquirer.net

With no Leonard, Lowry lifts Raptors over Wizards

WASHINGTON (AP) — Taking over with Kawhi Leonard getting a night off, Kyle Lowry delivered 28 points and 12 assists Saturday night to help the Toronto Raptors improve to 3-0 with a 117-113 victory over the Washington Wizards.

The Raptors rested Leonard on the second half of a back-to-back and third game in four days to open the season.


Washington finished the game without ejected coach Scott Brooks. Bradley Beal scored 32 points, going 6 for 11 on 3s, and John Wall added 25 points and six assists for the Wizards, who are 0-2, with both games at home.

Beal broke Washington’s franchise record for most 3-pointers in a career, surpassing Gilbert Arenas’ previous mark of 868 by making his 869th with a little more than 4½ minutes left in the game. Less than a minute later, he made another 3, cutting Washington’s deficit to 106-101, then skipping down the court.

Moments after that, Beal was called for charging, and at the other end, Lowry sank a 3-pointer while falling into the lap of a front-row spectator. That put Toronto back ahead 109-101 with 3 minutes remaining.

Two more baskets by Lowry followed, and Fred VanVleet added a jumper that made it 115-11 with 14.6 seconds to go.

Brooks was sent to the locker room after a contentious sequence with about seven minutes to go.

Moments after Beal argued a call while on defense, he got incensed when he thought Toronto should have been whistled for a foul when Wall tumbled to the court on a drive to the basket. There was no call, though — except a technical foul on Beal.

Then Wall and Brooks got into it with the officials, resulting in Brooks’ ejection. Lowry made two free throws to boost the Raptors’ edge to 102-89.

This was a rematch from the opening round of the Eastern Conference playoffs last season, when the Raptors were seeded No. 1 and eliminated the No. 8 Wizards in six games.

While Washington largely relies on the same core of players, it so far has not been able to suit up its most significant offseason acquisition, center Dwight Howard, who missed all of training camp and the preseason and has sat out the team’s first two games with a sore backside. Ian Mahinmi started at center and did not exactly distinguish himself, shooting 0 for 3 and accumulating more personal fouls (four) than points (two).

The Raptors, meanwhile, were without Leonard, who helped Toronto start 2-0 by averaging 27.5 points and 11 rebounds in his first two games with the club after arriving in a trade with the San Antonio Spurs. But he only played in nine games for San Antonio in 2017-18, missing most because of a quadriceps injury, and so coach Nick Nurse said it was best for his team’s top player to rest during Toronto’s third contest in four nights to open this season.

OG Anunoby started in place of Leonard and contributed 12 points — all in the first half.

TIP-INS

Raptors: Never trailed by more than five points. … Now 15-4 against the Wizards over the last five years. … Toronto has six pairs of back-to-backs this season, one fewer than a year ago, when it went 9-5 in those games.

Wizards: After not taking a single 3-point shot in Game 1 despite being under orders to let it fly from beyond the arc this season, Otto Porter Jr. hoisted three attempts in the first four minutes Saturday. He went 0 for 3 on those, but wound up 2 for 7 on 3s. … Brooks said he didn’t speak to his team at all about having lost its playoff series against Toronto last season. “I have not mentioned it one time to the guys,” Brooks said. “What does it really mean? I don’t know.”


Raptors: Host Charlotte on Monday.

Wizards: At Portland on Monday, opening a five-game road trip against Western Conference teams.

source: sports.inquirer.net

NBA: LeBron jaw-dropper, Irving’s grit spark Cavs thriller win

WASHINGTON, United States — LeBron James sank an astonishing 3-pointer to force overtime and Kyrie Irving sparkled late as the Cleveland Cavaliers outlasted Washington 140-135 on Monday in an epic NBA thriller.

A game featuring playoff-level intensity from tip-off to last shot saw the defending champions rally in overtime after James had fouled out while the Wizards, who saw their 17-game home win streak snapped, served notice they will be a formidable foe when the playoffs arrive.

“It was an instant classic — a great basketball game by two really good teams,” Wizards coach Scott Brooks said.

On the same night the New York Daily News reported unnamed sources saying James was pushing for the Cavs to trade Kevin Love to New York for former Olympic teammate Carmelo Anthony, Love scored 39 points and grabbed 12 rebounds, making major plays late to doom the Wizards.

“Thirty-nine and 12? We’re going to trade him tonight,” Cavaliers coach Tyronn Lue told reporters with a grin after the game before adding, “He’s not going anywhere.”

James said of the report: “That’s trash.”

With the Wizards leading 118-117 and 12 seconds remaining, James drove the length of the court but missed a layup, setting up two John Wall free throws for a 3-point Washington lead with 3.4 seconds remaining.

“It was a point-blank layup and I missed it,” James said. “I was blessed to (get) in position where I could make up for it.”

Love hurled a long pass to James along the right sideline and the four-time NBA Most Valuable Player banked in a shock fadeaway 3-pointer over Washington’s Bradley Beal to deadlock the game at 120-120.

“LeBron made a heck of a shot that he would probably make one out of a million times,” Wall said.

James, who also made three consecutive 3-pointers for Cleveland late in regulation, fouled out seconds into overtime trying to defend a shot by Beal, who scored a game-high 41 points, the last of them on a 3-pointer that put Washington ahead 133-131.

Irving answered with a baseline jumper and a 3-pointer to put the Cavaliers ahead to stay. Marcin Gortat pulled the Wizards within 136-135 but Irving and Love each hit two late free throws to seal the victory, snapping a seven-game Wizards win streak, their longest in 12 years.

“(We won) by executing at a high level,” Irving said. “I’m glad we pulled it out — great win. Motivating.”

James scored 32 points and passed out a career-best 17 assists, Irving scored 11 of his 23 points in overtime and Tristan Thompson added 22 points and 12 rebounds for the Cavaliers.

“I think they respect us. That’s the most important thing,” Wall added. “Throughout the game LeBron said, ‘You all are playing some hell of a basketball right now.'”

There was bad news in the triumph for Cleveland. Starting guard Iman Shumpert, filling in for injured J.R. Smith, suffered a left ankle sprain and missed most of the contest.

The Cavaliers improved to 35-15, best in the Eastern Conference, while Washington fell to fourth in the East at 30-21 — positions that would set up a possible second-round playoff meeting between them.

“We’re definitely going to see them down the line,” Beal said.

Miami’s win streak hits 11

Goran Dragic scored 33 points, including a career-high seven 3-pointers on his first seven shots from beyond the arc, and Miami’s win streak reached 11 games with a 115-113 victory at Minnesota.

DeMar DeRozan returned after missing seven games with a sprained ankle and scored 31 points to lead Toronto over the visiting Los Angeles Clippers 118-109.

Marcus Morris had 19 points and Andre Drummond added 16 points and 17 rebounds in Detroit’s 113-96 home win over Philadelphia.

Paul George scored 21 points and Indiana Pacers beat visiting Oklahoma City 93-90. NBA scoring leader Russell Westbrook had 27 points, 18 rebounds and nine assists.

Cold Spurs fall at Memphis

The San Antonio Spurs missed 23 of their first 25 shots in the fourth quarter in an 89-74 loss at Memphis, setting season lows for points and assists with 11.

Anthony Davis scored a game-high 34 points and Jrue Holiday added 30 as New Orleans ripped visiting Phoenix 111-106.

Will Barton scored a season-high 31 points and grabbed eight rebounds to lift host Denver over Dallas 110-87.

Utah’s Gordon Hayward scored 30 points and the Jazz won 120-95 at Atlanta while the Los Angeles Lakers snapped a 12-game road losing streak with a 121-107 victory at New York. CBB

source: sports.inquirer.net