MONDAY, MARCH 3, 2014 SPORTS Heat stop Magic spell MIAMI: LeBron James’ switch to a did not make his debut with the PACERS 102, CELTICS 97 game for Brooklyn since being clear mask didn’t hinder his shooting Clippers because of a technicality on Paul George scored 10 of Indiana’s obtained in a Feb. 19 trade with eye, and he had 20 points Saturday the team’s active list. last 12 points and the Pacers beat Sacramento, came off the bench to to help the Miami Heat earn their Tyreke Evans had 22 points and Boston two days after beating anoth- make 8 of 13 from the field to help the seventh consecutive victory by beat- nine rebounds for New Orleans. But er of the NBA’s worst teams. Nets finish their seven-game road trip ing the Orlando Magic 112-98. At the Anthony Davis picked up three fouls The team with the best record in 4-3. A win over Chicago at home on NBA’s request, James dispensed with in his first 7 minutes on the court and the NBA had trouble with the Celtics, Monday and the Nets (28-29) will get the black mask he wore Thursday finished with eight points three who have the fourth-worst record in back to .500 for the first time since when playing for the first time since nights after spraining his left shoul- the East. On Thursday night, the they were 2-2 on Nov. 5. he broke his nose. He missed only der in a loss against Dallas. Pacers won 101-96 over the Andray Blatche had 19 points and four shots, grabbed nine rebounds Milwaukee Bucks, who have the 13 rebounds for Brooklyn, including and had seven assists. Dwyane Wade ROCKETS 118, PISTONS 110 league’s worst record. eight points and 10 rebounds in the scored 24 points and Chris Bosh 20 Terrence Jones had 22 points and George led the Pacers with 25 fourth quarter. Khris Middleton and for the Heat, who shot 58 percent. 10 rebounds, and Houston opened a points, Evan Turner added 17 and Ramon Sessions scored 16 points Eleven players scored for the Heat, big early lead and beat Detroit for its Lance Stephenson scored 15. Indiana apiece for Milwaukee. and their bench totaled 39 points. third win in four games. won its fourth straight game and The newer mask seemed to both- Jones finished 10 of 15 from the eighth in its last 11. Jeff Green had 27 GRIZZLIES 110, CAVALIERS 96 er James more than the black one floor as Houston shot 50 percent for points and Kris Humphries scored 18 Zach Randolph had 23 points and did, and he frequently took it off the game, including 61 percent in as the Celtics lost for the sixth time in 14 rebounds, and Memphis used a big when the clock was stopped. But the first half. Houston scored 41 seven games. second half to defeat Cleveland. ACAPULCO: Bulgaria’s Grigor Dimitrov returns the ball to South Africa’s Kevin while it was a nuisance, it didn’t hin- points in the first quarter and fin- Randolph had 17 points in the second Anderson during the Mexican Tennis Open in Acapulco. —AP der his performance. Tobias Harris led ished 11 of 33 from behind the arc. NETS 107, BUCKS 98 half to help Memphis outscore Orlando with 20 points and Nikola James Harden added 20 points Marcus Thornton scored 12 of his Cleveland 56-31 and rally from an ear- Vucevic added 18. and 12 assists, Patrick Beverley had 25 points in the fourth quarter to lead ly 15-point deficit to win its fifth 19 points and Dwight Howard Brooklyn over Milwaukee and within a straight at home. Mike Conley and Dimitrov wins CLIPPERS 108, PELICANS 76 chipped in 17 points and eight game of .500. Marc Gasol scored 22 each for the Chris Paul had 21 points and eight rebounds. Brooklyn’s Kevin Garnett missed Grizzlies. Conley added seven assists assists, Blake Griffin added 20 points Rodney Stuckey had 23 points on the game with back spasms but and Gasol had six. before both All-Stars sat out the 10-of-17 shooting off the bench, and wasn’t needed as the Nets never Courtney Lee finished with 19 in Acapulco fourth quarter of Los Angeles’ rout of Josh Smith added 21 points for the trailed in the second half against the points and Tony Allen had 16 on 7-of- New Orleans. Pistons, who dropped their fourth NBA’s worst team. 10 shooting. Kyrie Irving led the Nine-year veteran Danny Granger straight and seventh in eight games. Thornton, playing in his third Cavaliers with 28 points on 11-of-19 ACAPULCO: Bulgaria’s Grigor Dimitrov told reporters, referring to his semi-final shooting, while Tristan Thompson was edged out South Africa’s Kevin Anderson win that finished after 2:30 a.m. on 8 of 10 for 18 points. Spencer Hawes 7-6 (7-1) 3-6 7-6 (7-5) in a three-hour Saturday. had 13 points and Luol Deng 11. slugfest to claim his second career title “Body is holding up for now. It will be with victory in the Acapulco International great to get some rest, maybe tomorrow.” It TRAIL BLAZERS 102, NUGGETS 96 final yesterday. The 22-year-old, who won was a second heartbreaking loss in as Robin Lopez scored 18 points, the Stockholm Open in October for his first many weeks for Anderson, who lost to LaMarcus Aldridge returned from an title victory, claimed the first-set in a Marin Cilic in the Delray Beach Open final injury to add 16, and Portland beat tiebreak but Anderson broke in the second last Sunday. Denver to sweep the series for the first game of the next and comfortably held “Right now it’s really disappointing... to time in 15 years. Nicolas Batum had a serve to level the match at one set apiece. come so close. It was possibly a match career-high 16 rebounds for Portland, Anderson carried the momentum into where I felt I was going to get it,” Anderson which has won its last five games. the third with another early break but told reporters. “I’m going to have to move Kenneth Faried, Randy Foye and handed back the initiative with a double on, need to take positives and take belief. Evan Fournier scored 16 points apiece, fault on break point in the eighth game of “I know it’s difficult but it’s not an easy but Denver lost its fifth straight. Faried the deciding set. sport. You have got two options - either to took a hard fall with less than two Dimitrov, who beat Wimbledon champi- get down or get even more motivated.” minutes left and appeared to injure on Andy Murray in the semi-finals, held on In the women’s tournament played at his right knee, but finished out the to take the decider into a tiebreak and the same venue, top seeded Slovakian game. completed the victory on his first match Dominika Cibulkova battled past American Portland won all four meetings, its point to improve his head-to-head record Christina McHale 7-6 (7-3) 4-6 6-4 to win first sweep of the series since the 1999 against the South African to 4-1. her fourth career title. season, when the Blazers won all “Belief! That was the only thing that The victory will move Cibulkova a place three games against the Nuggets. kept me (going) today. I didn’t think I was higher to number 11 from her previous gonna come back after last night’s match. I career-high world ranking when the new TIMBERWOLVES 108, KINGS 97 felt really bad after the match,” Dimitrov standings are released today. —Reuters Kevin Martin scored 26 points, Kevin Love had 22 and Minnesota reached .500 with its win over Sacramento. It was the second straight win and fifth in six games for the Timberwolves (29-29). Minnesota never trailed after opening the third quarter with nine MIAMI: Orlando Magic center Nikola Vucevic (9) looks to pass as he falls on the court as Miami Heat straight points. Love added 10 shooting guard Dwyane Wade (3) defends during the first half of an NBA basketball game. —AP rebounds and seven assists, and Nikola Pekovic had 20 points and nine rebounds for the Timberwolves. DeMarcus Cousins had 21 points NBA results/standings and 17 rebounds for the Kings in his return from a one-game suspension. Rudy Gay had 22 of his 24 points in Miami 112, Orlando 98; Washington 122, Philadelphia 103; Houston 118, Detroit 110; Indiana 102, Boston 97; the opening half and Isaiah Thomas Brooklyn 107, Milwaukee 98; Memphis 110, Cleveland 96; Portland 102, Denver 96; Minnesota 108, had 22 points and eight assists in Sacramento 97; LA Clippers 108, New Orleans 76. Sacramento’s third straight loss. Eastern Conference Western Conference WIZARDS 122, 76ERS 103 Atlantic Division Northwest Division Trevor Ariza made eight 3-pointers W L PCT GB Oklahoma City 44 15 .746 - and scored a career-high 40 points to Toronto 32 26 .552 - Portland 41 18 .695 3 help Washington win its sixth straight Brooklyn 28 29 .491 3.5 Minnesota 29 29 .500 14.5 game. Ariza made all six 3-point NY Knicks 21 38 .356 11.5 Denver 25 33 .431 18.5 attempts in the first quarter for 24 Boston 20 40 .333 13 Utah 21 37 .362 22.5 points and finished 14 of 23 from the Philadelphia 15 44 .254 17.5 floor overall.