KD brings joy to Golden State
LEADS CURRY-LESS WARRIORS VS CAVS ON X’MAS DAY
OAKLAND, California – LeBron James drove to the basket in the waning seconds and Kevin Durant swatted away any chance Cleveland had at a Christmas Day comeback.
Durant pumped his fist again and again, emphatically shook his head and pounded his chest in delight. It looked a lot like the dominant Durant from the NBA Finals six months ago.
Klay Thompson hit a go-ahead 3-pointer with 1:33 left, Durant delivered on both ends of the floor, and the Golden State Warriors beat the Cavaliers 99-92 on Monday in a festive holiday rematch of the past three Finals.
“There’s just so much joy in the arena today because it’s Christmas and we all feed off of that,” Durant said.
Durant’s block against a driving James with 24.5 seconds left went out of bounds off James, who said he thought he was fouled on the play. Durant finished with 25 points, seven rebounds and five blocked shots.
“He’s one of the leaders in shot blocks a game and obviously he had five tonight, so he’s been doing a heck of a job of first of all taking the individual matchup and protecting the rim, too,” James said.
In Boston, Bradley Beal scored 25 points, John Wall had 21 points and 14 assists, and the Washington Wizards beat the Celtics, 111-103, in the latter’s first Christmas Day home game in franchise history.
“For us to get a win, that was big time,” Wall said. “Playing against a great team, one of the hottest teams in the league. They’ve been in a slump lately, but it’s a team that we know we might have to battle later on, and to get a win it was great.”
Otto Porter Jr. added 20 points and Kelly Oubre Jr. finished with 16, helping Washington take the first meeting between the teams since Boston’s Game 7 victory at home in the second round of the playoffs last spring.
Boston lost for the third time in four games. Kyrie Irving and Jayson Tatum each scored 20 points for the Celtics, and Terry Rozier had 16.
The Celtics are 11-8 since opening the season 16-2.
In Oklahoma, Russell Westbrook had 31 points and 11 assists to help the Thunder stay hot with a 112-107 win over the Houston Rockets.
Paul George scored 24 points and Carmelo Anthony added 20 for the Thunder, who won their fifth straight game and their 11th in their past 14. Oklahoma City shot 54.4 percent from the field against the Rockets, who entered the day with the best record in
the Western Conference.
“Every night, teams guard us differently,” Westbrook said. “Once we figure that out and see how teams are guarding us – find ways to make the game easier for (George and Anthony), and that’s my job.”
James Harden led the Rockets with 29 points, but he made just seven of 18 field goals. The league’s leading scorer was coming off back-to-back 51-point games.
subdued In other New results, York, 105-98, Philadelphia while the Minnesota Timberwolves devoured the Los Angeles Lakers, 121-104.
Back in Oakland, Kevin Love had 31 points and a season-best 18 rebounds, while James contributed 20 points, six rebounds and six assists in a rivalry missing one key piece: Warriors star Stephen Curry, who missed his eighth straight game with a sprained right ankle.
points Thompson and Draymond scored 24 Green had a triple-double with 12 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists. It was Golden State’s 12th win in 13 games after its 11-game winning streak was snapped by Denver on Saturday night. Warriors rookie Jordan Bell traveled with 2:13 left and James tied it. Bell made up for that mistake with a key offensive rebound and pass to Thompson for his fourth 3.