JOSH Richardson scored 24 points off the bench and Keldon Johnson blocked the potential game-winning shot in the final seconds as the San Antonio Spurs held on for a wild 112-111 victory over the visiting Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday (Tuesday in Manila).
The Spurs led by 16 points at intermission and by 92-78 after three quarters, but Cleveland clawed back to within 110-106 on two free throws by Jarrett Allen with 3:04 to play. A basket by Devin Vassell was answered by a pair of foul shots by Darius Garland with 1:38 left.
Donovan Mitchell’s putback layup with 53 seconds remaining brought Cleveland to within two points, and a free throw by Evan Mobley with 37.9 seconds left made it 112-111. After Tre Jones missed a reverse layup with 12.6 seconds left, the Cavaliers had a chance to win, but Mitchell’s layup with 6.7 seconds to go was blocked by Johnson.
Garland then missed a 3-pointer with 0.6 seconds remaining, and Vassell stole the rebound from Mitchell to secure the win. Mitchell’s 28 points led all scorers while Caris LeVert added 23 off the bench.
In other games, it was the Heat 87, Pacers 82; Blazers 113, Wolves 112; Clippers 113, Celtics 93; Nets 112, Wizards 100; Grizzlies 128, Hawks 103; and Mavs 121, Thunder 114.
Heat 87, Pacers 82
Jimmy Butler scored seven of his 20 points during a pivotal fourth quarter run to lead Miami to a defeat of Indiana in Indianapolis.
Bam Adebayo joined Butler as Miami’s only other scorer in double figures. He finished with 22 points, 15 of which came in the first half. Adebayo also grabbed 12 of his game-high 17 rebounds before intermission.
Buddy Hield, who scored a team-high 19 points, made a 3-pointer in the final minute to pull Indiana to within four points, but the host Pacers could come no closer after Butler’s decisive flurry. Andrew Nembhard scored 18 points for the Pacers. Myles Turner recorded a double-double of 15 points and 13 rebounds.
Blazers 133, Wolves 112
Damian Lillard matched his career high of 11 3-pointers and scored 38 points in three quarters of action to lead Portland to an easy wire-to-wire victory over visiting Minnesota.
Lillard missed just six of his 17 3-point attempts to reach his franchise-record total of 11 for the third time. Jerami Grant added 24 points and Jusuf Nurkic had 14 points and 16 rebounds. Shaedon Sharpe had 14 points and Anfernee Simons added 12 for the Trail Blazers.
D’Angelo Russell recorded 23 points and eight assists for the Timberwolves, who are 1-2 on their five-game road trip. Anthony Edwards and Jaylen Nowell scored 17 points apiece and Rudy Gobert contributed 16 points and 20 rebounds for Minnesota.
