MONDAY, MARCH 31, 2014 SPORTS 76ers snap losing streak PHILADELPHIA: The Philadelphia also the NFL’s Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Howard and Pat Beverley. scored 15 points each, Patty Mills 76ers broke their NBA record-equal- who dropped 26 straight from Sept. It wasn’t all good for Los Angeles. added 13 and Tim Duncan had 12 ing, 26-game losing streak, routing 12, 1976-Dec. 4, 1977. Blake Griffin left in the first quarter points and eight rebounds. San the Detroit Pistons 123-98 on Henry Sims added 16 points for with back spasms and didn’t return, Antonio (57-16) extended its lead to Saturday to avoid establishing the the Sixers, who hadn’t won before and Glen Davis missed the second 31/2 games over Oklahoma City (53- longest losing streak in US major pro their home crowd since beating half for disciplinary reasons after 19) for the league’s best record. sports history. Michael Carter- Charlotte on Jan. 15. Fans were into it throwing a temper tantrum in the Reserve guard Brian Roberts had Williams and Thaddeus Young each from the start and grew louder second quarter. 18 points to lead New Orleans (32- scored 21 points for the 76ers, who throughout, standing and cheering James Harden led the Rockets 41), which had its five-game winning won for the first time in exactly two for the final 45 seconds. Greg Monroe with 32 points, and Chandler Parsons streak snapped. Austin Rivers added months and did it with surprising had 20 points and 10 rebounds for had 28. DeAndre Jordan added 20 16 points, Tyreke Evans had 11 points ease, leading by as much as 32 the Pistons, who lost for the 11th points with 12 rebounds for the and Al-Farouq Aminu had eight points. They also ended an 18-game time in 13 games. Clippers, who are third in the Western points and 10 rebounds. home losing streak, which was one Conference. New Orleans was without shy of another NBA record. CLIPPERS 118, ROCKETS 107 Anthony Davis, its leading scorer and Beaten badly a number of times Chris Paul had 30 points and 12 SPURS 96, PELICANS 80 rebounder. Davis is day to day after MEMPHIS: Dayton forward Kendall Pollard (22) shoots against Florida center during their skid, the 76ers got to assists, Jamal Crawford added 22 Marco Belinelli scored 18 points injuring his left ankle 4 minutes into Patric Young (4) during the second half in a regional final game at the NCAA experience life on the other side, points as Los Angeles clinched its and San Antonio never trailed after the Pelicans’ victory over Utah on college basketball tournament. —AP ringing up a season-high 70 points in franchise-record third straight playoff its opening possession to extend its Friday night. the first half. appearance by stopping Houston’s winning streak to 17 games with the Florida first in Final Four Their 26 straight losses equaled five game winning streak. Houston win over New Orleans. WIZARDS 101, HAWKS 97 the 2010-11 Cleveland Cavaliers and was without injured starters Dwight Kawhi Leonard and Manu Ginobili John Wall scored 25 points, Drew MEMPHIS: First yet again this season, the Florida Florida gave Dayton a “big-time feeling.” Gooden had 16 as Washington Gators want more. Much more. Try a national “It’s always hard to lose the last game of the inched closer to its first playoff spot championship. Scottie Wilbekin scored 23 points season, but in the back of my mind, I’m not sure since 2008 with a win over free- and Florida became the first team to advance to a team in the nation captured more people’s falling Atlanta. the Final Four with a 62-52 win Saturday night hearts than these guys did, and they did it the Washington entered the game over the 11th-seeded Dayton Flyers in the South right way,” Miller said. The Flyers hit one more needing a win and a loss by the New Region final. The Gators reached their fifth Final field goal than Florida (19-18), but the Gators York Knicks on Sunday to make the Four after losing at this point in each of the past outrebounded them 37-26. They also had a playoffs. Wall scored 13 points in the three NCAA tournaments. This time, they came in massive edge at the free throw line (21 of 28) to last 7:16 of the third quarter and the as the country’s top-ranked team and the overall (6 of 8). Wizards finally escaped the pesky No. 1 seed. Florida finished the first half on a 15-1 run to Hawks, who have lost six straight and Florida won its 30th straight game and take the lead for good, going up 38-24. The 20 of 26. improved to 36-2, topping the 35 wins by the Flyers opened the second half with two quick 3s Jeff Teague scored 19 points and 2007 national championship squad. to pull within eight, only to watch the Gators Paul Millsap 17 for Atlanta. “I couldn’t be prouder and happier,” Florida push their lead to 17 with 11:35 left on a layup Washington followed up a 13-point coach Billy Donovan said after being drenched by Young. win over Eastern Conference leader with water in the Gators’ locker room. The Flyers kept coming but couldn’t get clos- Indiana on Friday with a win over the “In a lot of ways, outside the Michigan game, er than eight in the second half, the last at 58-50. Hawks, who lead the Knicks by 11/2 we were close to being in three out of four Final The Gators went cold down the stretch, once games for the final playoff berth in Fours right now, and that says a lot about these missing five shots on one possession with five the East. guys. But I think those experiences maybe helped offensive rebounds. Dayton missed chances to us be a better team this year than maybe we cut the lead as Oliver missed a 3-pointer with MAVERICKS 103, KINGS 100 would have if we’d have gotten to a couple of 2:07 left, then Scoochie Smith threw it away try- Dirk Nowitzki scored 19 points ones earlier.” ing to pass out to Matt Kavanaugh. and Dallas avoided a potentially seri- Patric Young scored 12 points, and Michael Miller said Pierre was completely exhausted ous blow to its playoff hopes by rally- Frazier II added 10 for Florida. The Gators will play late. “You can’t go to a guy eight times in a row ing in the fourth quarter to beat either UConn or Michigan State in Arlington, and expect him to score every time, but he gave Sacramento. Texas, in the national semifinal. us a fighting chance,” Miller said. The Mavericks blew a 17-point The celebration was a bit muted because a Then Wilbekin ended the Gators’ scoring lead and trailed by five in the fourth regional title isn’t the Gators’ end goal. “There’s drought at 4:39 with a pair of free throws, and quarter before recovering for their more hunger within us, within this whole team he hit four of six at the line to finish the game. 20th straight regular-season win at to keep going,” Young said. Dayton took over the FedExForum so thor- home against Sacramento, the Dyshawn Pierre led the Flyers with 18 points, oughly that the Gators were booed when they longest against any opponent in including the final 11 for Dayton (26-11). Devin came out for warm-ups and pre-game introduc- HOUSTON: Darren Collison No. 2 of the Los Angeles Clippers blocks a shot by Jeremy Lin No. 7 of franchise history. Oliver added 12 points. tions. Miller tried to use his deep bench, using the Houston Rockets during the game at the Toyota Center. —AFP Dallas (44-30) is in a virtual tie Dayton came in trying to become only the 11 Flyers at least 5 minutes trying to wear out with Memphis (43-29) for eighth fourth 11 seed to advance to the Final Four. The the Gators with sheer numbers. Donovan nearly place in the Western Conference, a Flyers had upset Ohio State and Syracuse in matched Dayton by going 10 deep himself. NBA results/standings half-game behind Phoenix. The reaching their first regional final since 1984. They The Gators went cold for nearly 6 minutes Mavericks have eight games left and missed their second Final Four and first since between a dunk by Casey Prather with 11:55 finish the regular season at the 1967 as Florida held them to their lowest scoring left in the half and a baseline drive by Frazier Philadelphia 123, Detroit 98; Dallas 103, Sacramento 100; LA Clippers 118, Houston 107; Washington 101, Grizzlies. Rudy Gay scored 30 for the game this season. with 6:00 to go. The Flyers scored eight straight Atlanta 97; Miami 88, Milwaukee 67; San Antonio 96, New Orleans 80. Kings. Monta Ellis had 17 points and Coach Archie Miller complimented the when Smith’s 3 gave them their first lead of the six assists, and Sam Dalembert added Gators, saying that just being on the floor with game at 21-19 with 6:58 remaining. —AP Eastern Conference Western Conference 15 as Dallas avoided a second loss to Atlantic Division Northwest Division a West also-ran on a franchise-record W L PCT GB Oklahoma City 53 19 .736 - eight-game home stand that ends Toronto 41 31 .569 - Portland 47 27 .635 7 Tuesday night against Golden State.