Advertisement

NBA: Damian Lillard’s three-pointer in overtime lifts Trail Blazers over Warriors

Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard, center, celebrates with teammates after scoring a three-point basket against the Golden State Warriors during overtime.
(Jeff Chiu / Associated Press)
Share

Damian Lillard hit a go-ahead 3-pointer with 6.3 seconds left in overtime and scored 21 points in his final regular-season game at home in Oakland, sending the Portland Trail Blazers past the Golden State Warriors 110-109 in a wild one Thursday night.

Kevin Durant missed a 13-footer off the front rim as the final buzzer sounded but finished with his second triple-double of the season: 26 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds.

Jusuf Nurkic had 27 points and 12 rebounds for the Blazers.

Durant hit a tying 3-pointer with 19 seconds left in regulation following a driving one-handed dunk the previous possession but the Warriors couldn’t overcome a comedy of errors in losing a second straight at home. They took a 127-101 beating from the Lakers on Christmas night.

Advertisement

Seth Curry largely outplayed big brother and Golden State star Stephen down the stretch, scoring 11 straight points. In fact, their sister, Sydel posted on Twitter: “Wouldn’t have been mad at all at a Seth game winner.”

Lillard shot 7 for 20 with friends and family cheering him in the Blazers’ final scheduled trip to Oracle Arena before the Warriors move to San Francisco next season.

at Rockets 127, Celtics 113: James Harden had 45 points and six assists, Clint Capela added 24 points and 18 rebounds, and the Houston Rockets beat the Boston Celtics 127-113 on Thursday night for their eighth win in nine games.

Harden, who was playing on a bruised left calf, had 17 points in the first quarter and finished 11 of 26 from the field, including 9 of 18 on 3-pointers. Eric Gordon scored 20 points for Houston, which shot 48 percent while improving to a season-high four games above .500. Houston finished 18 of 45 on 3-pointers.

Harden has scored at least 30 points in eight straight games, the longest such streak since Russell Westbrook had eight straight 30-point games in November 2016. Harden has scored at least 35 points in six straight games, the longest streak since Carmelo Anthony had six straight in April 2013.

Kyrie Irving had 23 points and 11 assists, Marcus Morris added 19 points before being ejected midway through the fourth quarter, and Jaylen Brown had 18 points off the bench for Boston, which shot 47 percent but was outrebounded 54-38.

Advertisement

at Bucks 112, Knicks 96: Giannis Antetokounmpo had 31 points and 14 rebounds, Khris Middleton added 25 points and Milwaukee beat New York for its sixth win in seven games.

The Bucks swept the home-and-home series, having won at New York 109-95 on Christmas.

Luke Kornet, making his first start of the season in place of Enes Kanter, tied a career high with 23 points, and Noah Vonleh added 15 points and 13 rebounds for the Knicks. New York, playing without leading scorer Tim Hardaway Jr. because of an illness, lost its sixth straight. Kanter was ejected with 9:56 left in the fourth quarter after being assessed two technical fouls. Antetokounmpo drove to the basket and was knocked down by Kanter, although no foul was called. The two got into a brief altercation as Antetokounmpo ran back up the court. Each player was called for a technical, then Kanter was called for a second.

76ers 114, at Jazz 97: JJ Redick scored 24 points and Joel Embiid had 23 points, 15 rebounds and five blocks to help the Philadelphia 76ers cruise past the Utah Jazz on Thursday night.

Ben Simmons, who was selected over Utah’s Donovan Mitchell as Rookie of the Year last season, had his fifth triple-double of the season with 13 points, 14 rebounds and 12 assists.

Mitchell scored 23 points, Dante Exum added a season-high 20 and Rudy Gobert had 17 points and 15 rebounds for the Jazz.

Advertisement