Spurs complete wild comeback vs. Suns
REUTERS – Keldon Johnson stole the ball from Kevin Durant and scored on a breakaway dunk with 1.2 seconds to play as the visiting San Antonio Spurs scored the final six points to beat the Phoenix Suns 115-114 on Tuesday in the first contest of a two-game set between the teams over a three-day span.
The Suns led by 18 points at halftime and by 13 heading into the fourth quarter. San Antonio did not relent, with a jumper by rookie phenom Victor Wembanyama cutting its deficit to 114-111 with 49 seconds left.
Johnson led the Spurs with 27 points while Wembanyama and Devin Vassell each added 18. Zach Collins scored 14 points and Tre Jones had 10 as San Antonio won for the first time on the road.
Durant’s 26 points paced the Suns. Eric Gordon scored 20, and Grayson Allen added 19. Jusuf Nurkic finished with 12 points and 12 rebounds.
Knicks 109
Cavaliers 91
Julius Randle posted a double-double for visiting New York, which pulled away in the second half to defeat short-handed Cleveland in the opener of a home-and-home set.
Randle had 19 points and 10 rebounds for the Knicks, who outscored the Cavaliers 51-39 in the second half. The two teams are slated to play again Wednesday night in New York. Jalen Brunson also scored 19 points, and RJ Barrett scored 16 points.
Donovan Mitchell scored a game-high 26 points for the Cavaliers, who played without Darius Garland, Caris LeVert and Jarrett Allen. Garland and LeVert were out due to hamstring injuries and Allen missed the game because of an ankle injury.
Clippers 118
Magic 102
Paul George overcame a poor start to record 27 points, seven rebounds and seven assists to help Los Angeles post a victory over visiting Orlando.
George missed all six of his first-quarter shots and was 2-for-10 before halftime. However, he made four 3-pointers and scored 14 points in the third quarter as Los Angeles gained control. Russell Westbrook scored 16 points in a period that saw the Clippers outscore the Magic 41-21.
Paolo Banchero notched 15 points and four steals, Franz Wagner added 14 points and eight rebounds and Moritz Wagner had 13 points for Orlando, which lost its second straight game.