Adams applies icing to OKC’s winning cake
Kiwi centre Steven Adams came up big for the Thunder, scoring the final four points to help Oklahoma City beat the New Orleans Pelicans 109-104 yesterday.
Dennis Schroder scored 25 points, including 12 in the fourth quarter, and had seven assists.
Abdel Nader scored 19 points and Danilo Gallinari had 17 for Oklahoma City (7-11), who had been 1-4 in their previous five games.
Adams added 14 points and 12 rebounds for the Thunder, along with two assists and two blocks.
Brandon Ingram scored 26 points and had eight rebounds to lead New Orleans (6-13), who lost their fourth straight. JJ Redick added 16 points for the Pelicans but missed two three-point attempts in the final 10 seconds. New Orleans had seven players score in double digits.
New Orleans went ahead 104-103 with 2:49 left on Ingram’s layup, but the Thunder scored the next six points. Chris Paul sank a short jumper with 1:24 to go, then Adams knocked home a rebound with 53.8 seconds left and put it away with an authoritative dunk with 15.1 seconds on the clock.
Ingram scored 12 points in the first quarter, zero in the second, 10 in the third and four in the fourth.
He has not scored fewer than 21 points over his last nine games, dating back to the last time these teams met, a 115-104 Thunder victory on November 2.
After losing their first seven games that were decided by five points or less, the Thunder have now won two in a row.
Paul entered averaging 16.2 points per game, but had just seven, on 3-of-9 shooting, including the basket that gave the Thunder the lead for good with 1:24 to go. It was the fourth time this season Paul scored in single digits.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had just two points at halftime and ended up with 10, his lowest output of the season.
Adams scored 10 points in the game’s opening 2:16, then was blanked until his clutch buckets in the final minute.
The Pelicans return home tomorrow to take on Oklahoma City again, completing a homeand-home set.
Meanwhile, LaMarcus Aldridge and Derrick White poured in 17 points apiece and six San Antonio players scored in double figures as the Spurs shocked the visiting Los Angeles Clippers 107-97.
The Spurs, who had lost 10 of their previous 11 games, turned back the clock for two periods, playing some of their best basketball of the season in breaking out from a tied game at halftime to an 87-71 lead a minute and a half into the fourth quarter.
The Clippers, who had their seven-game winning streak snapped, faltered on defence in the second half and never got back to within eight points after the Spurs’ surge.
DeMar DeRozan added 15 points and Patty Mills hit for 13, Bryn Forbes scored 12 and Trey Lyles 10 for San Antonio.
Former Spurs star Kawhi Leonard, in his second game back in San Antonio after being traded to Toronto prior to last season and signing with the Clippers in the most recent off-season, led all scorers with 19 points.
JaMychal Green added 16 points off the bench, with Montrezl Harrell scoring 12 and Patrick Beverley contributing 10 points for the Clippers.