NBA roundup: Jazz topple 76ers for eighth straight win

Jordan Clarkson helped the Utah Jazz overcome big nights by Ben Simmons and Tobias Harris while leading the NBA’s hottest team to a 134-123 win over the Philadelphia 76ers in Salt Lake City on Monday night.

Clarkson came off the bench to score a team-high 40 points, two shy of his career-high and the most with the Jazz, to lift Utah to its eighth straight win and the 19th victory in 20 games in a matchup of the teams with the best records in the West and East.

Playing without Joel Embiid, a late scratch because of back tightness, the Sixers managed to make a competitive contest thanks to a near-triple-double effort by Simmons (42 points, 12 assists, nine rebounds) along with 36 points and 10 rebounds from Harris.

Harris scored five points in a row late in the fourth to cut the Jazz lead, once as big as 16 points, down to 113109. But Donovan Mitchell made a driving score and then Clarkson hit three free throws and drained a 3-pointer during an 8-2 run for Utah.

Brooklyn Nets 136 — Sacramento Kings 125

Kyrie Irving established season bests of 40 points and nine 3-pointers and Brooklyn set a franchise record with 27 treys en route to a victory over host Sacramento.

James Harden made six 3-pointers while recording 29 points, 14 assists and 13 rebounds as Brooklyn prevailed despite the absence of Kevin Durant (hamstring). The Nets, who attempted 47 treys, shot 57.4 percent from behind the arc and 57.3 percent overall.

Hassan Whiteside accumulated season bests of 26 points and 16 rebounds for the Kings, who lost their fourth consecutive contest. Cory Joseph added a seasonbest 22 points and Buddy Hield made six 3-pointers while scoring 21 points.

Golden State Warriors 129 — Cleveland Cavaliers 98

Stephen Curry had 36 points in 30 minutes and Draymond Green tied his career-high with 16 assists, lifting Golden State to a victory over Cleveland in San Francisco.

In a matchup of the NBA finalists for four years in a row from 2015-18, Curry shot 13-for-19 from the field and 7-for-11 on 3-pointers en route to his game-high point total.

It was his 10th straight game with at least 27 points on 50 percent or better shooting as he became the first guard since Michael Jordan (1995-96) with at least 25 points and 50 percent shooting in 10 straight games.

Chicago Bulls 120 — Indiana Pacers 112

Zach LaVine continued to be prolific and clutch as he scored a game-high 30 points to lead Chicago to an overtime victory over Indiana in Indianapolis.

LaVine scored 12 of the Bulls’ final 15 in regulation and both Garrett Temple and Coby White scored clutch buckets in the extra period to help Chicago secure its first road win over the Pacers since March 29, 2016.

LaVine recorded his 12th 30-point game of the season and eclipsed the 20-point mark for the 13th consecutive game.

Washington Wizards 131 — Houston Rockets 119

Bradley Beal scored 37 points as Washington spoiled John Wall’s return to the nation’s capital with a victory over Houston.

Beal made 14 of 24 shots from the field and Davis Bertans sank five 3-pointers to highlight his 18-point performance for the Wizards, who posted consecutive wins for just the second time this season.

Russell Westbrook, who was acquired in the December deal that sent Wall to Houston, recorded a triple-double while playing in both games of a back-toback set for the first time this season. Westbrook had 16 points — albeit on 8 of 22 shooting from the floor — to go along with 15 assists and 13 rebounds.

New York Knicks 123 — Atlanta Hawks 112

Julius Randle delivered a stellar performance with a season-high 44 points, nine rebounds and five assists as host New York recorded a victory over slumping Atlanta.

Randle helped the Knicks match a season high with their third straight win and fifth in seven games. Randle shot 14 of 22 from the field and hit a career-high seven 3pointers as the Knicks shot 50.6 percent and hit a seasonhigh 17 3-pointers.

Trae Young scored 23 points but shot 6 of 19 from the field as the Hawks lost their fourth straight. John Collins added 19, Danilo Gallinari and Cam Reddish totaled 16 points apiece.

Los Angeles Clippers 125 — Miami Heat 118

Playing without Kawhi Leonard, Patrick Beverley and Paul George, Los Angeles got a game-high 32 points from Marcus Morris Sr. and held off visiting Miami.

Ivica Zubac added 22 off the bench for the Clippers, who went 15-of-32 from long distance against the Heat. Morris did his part in keeping them on pace when he scored 26 in the first half, including 6-of-7 from beyond the arc.

Bam Adebayo scored 27 points and added a game-high 12 rebounds for the Heat. Jimmy Butler recorded a tripledouble with a team-high 30 points, 10 assists and 10 rebounds for the Heat. Tyler Herro came off the bench to score 27 points.

The organisers of the Speaker’s T20 Cup are inviting first-division clubs from across the country to participate in the upcoming competition.

This is according to a release from the Guyana Cricket Board yesterday.

“The Speaker of the National Assembly in collaboration with the Guyana Cricket Board and the Everest Cricket Club hereby extend the opportunity for first division Clubs in Guyana to express their interest in participating in a Nationwide T/20 Cricket Championship,” the release stated.

The release noted that the tournament will be managed by the GCB and played under T20 rules.

It added that the proposed structure will see 24 teams divided across four zones and clubs will draw for each zone.

“Each first-division club must be willing and able to pay the entrance fee and manage the logistics related to their involvement in the competition. Uniforms will be provided. The entrance fee and draft numbered fixtures with dates shall be pre-determined and communicated subsequent to the receipt of expression of interest from the indicated first division clubs,” the release stated.

“A club(s) that enter the competition and withdraws from the same shall forfeit their entrance fees. Clubs that fail to show for a match shall be fined a pre-determined fee and be investigated for match fixing by an assigned committee of the GCB,” the release highlighted.

“First division clubs for this National T/20 Cricket Competition, shall be a club with generally considered domestic first division size ground and one (a club) that is currently playing or have recently played first division cricket within their Association/Committee or County and/or such team that may be considered as a CGI Franchise, County team or Association/Committee team which can validate the use of a home ground for the duration of the tournament.”

The tournament will bowl off next month with the final set for May 5. The competition is expected to have a first prize payout of one million dollars while second prize will pocket $500,000. Third and fourth place will cart off with $200,000 and $100,000 respectively. The Most Valuable Player of the tournament will be awarded one million dollars of a motor car, depending on sponsorship.

All expressions of Interest must be on the club’s letter head and addressed to Chairperson of Speakers T/20 Championship and sent by email to: admin@guyanacricketboard.org

The closing of Expression of Interest shall be 9:00 hours or 9 AM (Guyana time as calibrated by the admin computer time) on Monday 22 February 2021.