Lee hailed as Player of the Week
LOS ANGELES— The Golden State Warriors aim to heap more misery on
LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers today
when they meet in a marquee NBA holiday
matchup.
The rematch of the last three NBA Finals highlights the league's Martin Luther King Jr. Day slate.
"We just want to kick each other's ass," Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. "There's no sort of love lost. That's how it should be. We should be trying to beat each other."
Golden State star Stephen Curry echoed that sentiment.
"Obviously, with our history with Cleveland, you want to get a win," he said. "You want to send a message."
The Warriors are 16-9 against the Cavs in this rivalry dating to the 2015 Finals. Golden State won the title that year, fell to the Cavs the following season and regained the summit in 2017.
"Lakers-Boston was the dominant rivalry. Our rivalry with Cleveland is the analogy of the modern NBA," Kerr said. "It's the same thing. You got superstars all over the floor. You've had three Finals meetings. You have so many games and so many people watching. It's definitely a special feeling in the building when both teams are t But Cleveland's recent form doesn't suggest they'll be turning the tables in the increasingly lopsided rivalry.
The Cavaliers have lost three straight, seven of their last nine and eight of their last 11. They wasted a 22-point lead in a loss to Indiana on Friday.
They have played Golden State on the last two Martin Luther King Jr.
NEW YORK — Anthony Davis scored a season-high 48 points and grabbed 17 rebounds, leading the New Orleans Pelicans back from 19 points down late in the third quarter to a 123-118 overtime victory over the New York Knicks on Sunday.
Jrue Holiday added 31 points, and DeMarcus Cousins had 15 holidays and lost those games by a combined 69 points.
Cavs coach Tyronn Lue admitted his players need to be up for the challenge.
"If not, it'll be embarrassing," Lue said. This will be the Warriors' first game against a Cavs lineup with Isaiah Thomas, acquired by Cleveland before the season but sidelined by injury, playing point guard.
"It's going to be fun," Warriors sharpshooter Klay Thompson said. "I want to see what they're like at full strength."
The Warriors can afford to be confident. They've won seven of eight games in January, including the first two games of their current five-game road trip, and lead the league with a record of 35-9.
James said the Cavs need to focus not on their recent disappointing results but on the Warriors.
"You could win a hundred straight games and face the Warriors and there are still challenges," he said. points, 16 rebounds, seven steals and five assists and for the Pelicans. They were down 16 after one, even further back late in the third and still down nine with 4 1/2 minutes left in regulation. But they kept coming and Holiday had three baskets and a couple free throws in OT to help them finish it off.
Kristaps Porzingis and Tim Hardaway Jr. each scored 25 points for the Knicks, who lost their third straight and 10th in their last 12 games. Jarrett
Paul Lee got off to an explosive start in 2018 after steering Magnolia to back-to-back wins in the ongoing PBA Philippine Cup.
Lee captured his first PBA Press Corps Player of the Week award after averaging 17.0 points, 4.0 assists, 2.0 rebounds and 1.5 blocks this year, leading Magnolia past KIA Picanto and NLEX, respectively.
The Hotshots opened the brand new year by hammering hapless KIA Picanto, 124-77, last Wednesday with Lee catching fire behind his strong third-quarter offensive.
The six-foot Lee, with his left knee injury now a thing of the past after undergoing surgery in the offseason, banged all 13 of his points in the third quarter as Magnolia turned the tables against KIA, which took a two-point edge at halftime.
The 28-year-old “Angas ng Tondo” also made his presence felt in other departments, adding four assists and three blocks.
Four days later, the sweet-shooting Lee upped his offense, firing 21 points, spiked by four triples in the Hotshots’ domination of the Road Warriors.
Although NLEX rookie Kiefer Ravena won his personal duel against Lee with a PBA career-high 31 points, the former University of the East star made the biggest baskets in the second half as Magnolia improved to 3-1.
Lee scored 12 points in the third canto, a stretch that saw Magnolia assert its dominance, before holding off NLEX’s fourth-quarter stand.—
SPORTS5
Jack had a season-high 22 points, and Enes Kanter finished with 18 points and 10 rebounds.
HEAT 97, BUCKS 79
Goran Dragic scored 11 of his 25 points in the fourth quarter, and Miami ran its winning streak to seven games.
Josh Richardson scored 16 points, and Hassan Whiteside added 15 points and 10 rebounds. The Heat trailed 43-41 at the half, then took control with a 41-21 run in the first 16 minutes of the second half.