Jerebko shines in Warriors win, Bryant lifts Wizards

LOS ANGELES: Jonas Jerebko was an unlikely catalyst as the two-time defending NBA champions Golden State held off the Dallas Mavericks 120-116 in Oakland, California, on Saturday.

On a team that features the superstar quartet of Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green, it was Sweden’s Jerebko receiving a massive ovation as he departed in the fourth quarter having scored 23 points in 21 minutes with three assists and six rebounds.

Durant led the Warriors with 29 points, 12 rebounds and eight assists, but Jerebko’s relentless energy was crucial to the Warriors victory.

Jerebko scored nine points in the fourth quarter — contributing a tip-in, a dunk and a threepointer as the Warriors powered to a 111-96 lead.

The victory saw the Warriors, who have struggled to find the same dominance they displayed in their past two championship seasons, improve to 22-11, just a shade off the Western Conference lead shared at 21-10 by the Denver Nuggets and Oklahoma City Thunder.

Denver had a one-game lead heading into the day, but suffered their biggest defeat of the season in a 132-111 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers.

Danilo Gallinari and Tobias Harris scored 21 points apiece for the Clippers, who snapped the Nuggets’ four-game winning streak.

It came down to the wire in Salt Lake City, where Paul George scored 43 points to lead the Thunder in a 107-106 victory over the Utah Jazz.

Bradley Beal’s first career triple-double and an historic night for centre Thomas Bryant propelled the Washington Wizards to a 149-146 victory over the Phoenix Suns in a triple-overtime thriller.

Beal’s 40 points included 10 in the third overtime. He added 15 assists and 11 rebounds for his first triple-double — reaching double digits in three key statistical categories.

Elsewhere, the Philadelphia 76ers wore down injury-depleted Toronto, beating the leagueleading Raptors 126-101.

The Raptors arrived in Philadelphia minus three of their top players in all-star Kawhi Leonard, Serge Ibaka and Jonas Valanciunas, and the Sixers took full advantage.

The Houston Rockets held off the San Antonio Spurs 108-101 with the help of 39 points from reigning NBA Most Valuable Player James Harden.