Crabbe Nets 41 on b-day
Allen Crabbe scored 20 of his career-high 41 points in the first quarter and the host Nets beat the Bulls, 114-105, Monday night for their first three-game winning streak this season. Crabbe celebrated his 26th birthday by going 8 of 11 from deep.
THUNDER, SPURS CLINCH
Paul George scored 27 points, Russell Westbrook got his 25th triple-double of the season and the visiting Thunder clinched a playoff spot with a 115-93 win over the Heat. Westbrook had 23 points, 18 rebounds and 13 assists.
l Rudy Gay scored 18 points as the host Spurs rallied late to beat the Kings, 98-85, and clinch their 21st straight playoff appearance.
BOGAERTS GOES ON DL
Red Sox shortstop Xander Bogaerts went on the 10-day DL with a cracked bone in his ankle.
SMITH’S 4 HITS LEAD RAYS
Mallex Smith notched four hits as the visiting Rays stopped an eight-game losing streak by beating the White Sox, 5-4.
l Pinch-hitter Nick Williams hit a tiebreaking homer in the eighth to lift the host Phillies toa 6-5 victory over the Reds.
l Max Scherzer (2-1) stole the first base of his career and allowed two singles in his fifth shutout as the Nats ended a five-game skid with a 2-0 win over the Braves.
l Pitcher Clayton Richard homered into the second deck at Coors Field and the Padres weathered Carlos Gonzalez’s disputed home run to beat the Rockies, 7-6.
l Albert Pujols hit his 616th career homer as the Angels (8-3) won at Texas, 8-3. Shohei Ohtani, who was chosen AL Player of the Week, didn’t play a day after striking out 12 in seven scoreless innings against Oakland.
l Justin Verlander (2-0) struck out nine over seven innings as the visiting Astros beat the Twins, 2-0.
l Jakob Junis (2-0) carried a no-hit bid into the seventh as the host Royals routed Seattle, 10-0.
l Steve Pearce homered in a third successive game as the Blue Jays beat the Orioles, 7-1, before 7,915 fans, the lowest paid crowd in Camden Yards history.
l Corey Kluber (1-1) struck out 13, pitching two-hit ball for eight innings and leading the host Indians past the Tigers, 2-0.