NBA roundup: Knicks lose to Pacers in interim coach’s debut
Julius Randle missed a game-tying free-throw attempt with one-tenth of a second remaining, and Indiana handed host New York its ninth straight loss in the debut of Knicks’ interim coach Mike Miller.
A day after David Fizdale was fired, the Knicks had numerous chances to get their first win, but they went cold down the stretch, missing 13 of their final 14 shots. The Pacers went scoreless for the final 5:17 and missed their final seven shots.
The Knicks’ last miss was when Myles Turner blocked Mitchell Robinson at the rim with two seconds left. Randle grabbed the rebound and was fouled by Aaron Holiday. Randle made the first free throw, but his second free-throw attempt was long, and the game ended with New York dropping to 4-19.
T.J. Warren scored 25 points for the Pacers, who won for the eighth time in 10 games. Domantas Sabonis collected 19 points and 15 rebounds for his eighth straight double-double. Marcus Morris scored 25 points for the Knicks. Randle contributed 16 points and 12 rebounds.
Houston Rockets 115 - Phoenix Suns 109
James Harden single-handedly outscored Phoenix 17-10 over a key stretch of the fourth quarter, sending host Houston to its 12th straight win over its Western Conference rival.
Harden lost his personal duel with Devin Booker, one that featured a technical foul on each, 35-34 but came through down the stretch for the Rockets, who rallied from an early 11-point deficit and later blew a pair of 13-point leads before outlasting the guests.
Russell Westbrook contributed 24 points, a gamehigh 14 rebounds and 11 assists for the Rockets, while Clint Capela added 12 points and 10 rebounds. Ricky Rubio (10 points, game-high 13 assists) and Dario Saric (13 points, 12 rebounds) registered double-doubles for the Suns.
Dallas Mavericks 130 - New Orleans Pelicans 84 Luka Doncic scored 26 points as Dallas stayed hot while New Orleans remained cold in the Mavericks’ 130-84 victory.
Boban Marjanovic added 15 points and 16 rebounds, Tim Hardaway Jr. and Jalen Brunson scored 14 points each, Kristaps Porzingis had 13 and Seth Curry 11 as Dallas won for the 10th time in 11 games and New Orleans lost its eighth consecutive game.
Doncic had nine assists and six rebounds and played just 26 minutes in the lopsided game. JJ Redick led the reeling Pelicans with 15 points, Jrue Holiday and Brandon Ingram scored 14 each and rookie Jaxson Hayes had 11.
Philadelphia 76ers 141 - Cleveland Cavaliers 94 Ben Simmons scored 26 of his career-high 34 points in the first half as Philadelphia remained undefeated at home in 11 games by trouncing Cleveland, which lost for the sixth straight time and the 12th in 13 games.
Simmons made 12 of 14 shots from the floor, and Trey Burke and Mike Scott each chipped in 21 points for the 76ers, who beat the Cavaliers for the third time this season. Scott scored 16 of his points in the first half while playing in place of All-Star center Joel Embiid, who reported discomfort in his hip following Philadelphia’s 119-13 loss to the Washington Wizards on Thursday.
Darius Garland finished with a team-high 17 points, Tristan Thompson added 12, and Kevin Love returned from a one-game absence due to illness to finish with six points for Cleveland.
Utah Jazz 126 — Memphis Grizzlies 112
Donovan Mitchell scored 22 points, and Utah notched a season-best 32 assists en route to victory over Memphis in Salt Lake City.
Guyana’s national men’s basketball team clinched the three-match Goodwill International Series against Grenada 2-0, defeating the visitors on Saturday at the Cliff Anderson Sports Hall, Homestretch Avenue.
The locals clinched the second match 97-75. Rising star Terron Welch was the main scorer for Guyana with 28 points. The next best scorer with 16 points was Ray Victor. For Grenada, Jonathan Williams and James Andrew scored 26 and 15 points respectively.
Grenada took a marginal lead at the end of the first quarter at 25-24. However, that was the closest the score would be for the remainder of the evening as Guyana seized control at the end of the second quarter. The Guyanese recorded 30 points in the second period while reducing Grenada to 13 points to enter the halftime interval firmly in control at 54-38.
Guyana extended their advantage in the third quarter, netting 19 points while restricting the Grenadians to a meager five points to head into the final quarter at 73-43. With the match effectively over, Grenada outscored Guyana 32-24 in the final quarter.
Up to press time, the final match in the series was underway at the same venue. The other members of Guyana’s playing roster are Akeem Crandon, Yonnick Tappin, Timothy
Thompson, Dominic Vicente, Shaine Webster, Nikkoloi Smith, Marlon Chesney, Jamal Gilkes and Michael Turner. Meanwhile the members of the management team are Head Coach Junior Hercules, Assistant Coach and Manager Dennis Clarke and Physiotherapist Akeem Frazer.