ARAB TIMES, MONDAY, JANUARY 4, 2021 SPORTS 15 Kispert leads Gonzaga past San Francisco Alabama stuns Tennessee in physical battle KNOXVILLE, Tennessee, Jan 3, (AP): It took Nate Oats a season and 10 games to fi nally get a big one. The second-year Alabama coach de- vised a solid game plan and got his play- ers to execute it to fi nally claim a Top 10 victory Saturday night. In fact, it was the program’s fi rst true road win over a team ranked in the Top 10 since 2004. John Petty hit three critical 3-point- ers and fi nished with 19 points, leading Alabama to a stunning 71-63 victory over No. 7 Tennessee. The Crimson Tide (7-3, 2-0 South- eastern Conference) turned a two- point halftime lead into a double-digit advantage midway through the second behind Petty’s trio of 3s and two more long-range makes by Joshua Primo. Primo and Herbert Jones fi nished with 11 points, and Jahvon Quinerly scored 10. Tennessee (7-1, 1-1) struggled from the fi eld the en- tire game, hit- ting 21 of 66 shots (32%). Victor Bai- ley Jr. scored 16 points and Santiago Ves- covi had 13 for the Volunteers. Keon Johnson added 12 points. Kispert Yves Pons had fi ve second-half blocks when Tennessee clawed its way back to single digits late in the game, but never got closer than six points. The fi rst half was painful on both sides. Alabama’s 31-29 lead at the break happened with the Crimson Tide shooting 39% (12 of 31), while Ten- nessee struggled shooting 33% (11 of 33). Tennessee hadn’t trailed at half- time in any game this season. The Vols had three turnovers and two missed shots before they scored their fi rst points, almost 3 minutes into the game. With 8:46 left in the fi rst half, the score was tied at 14 as both teams labored to make anything happen. Charlotte Hornets’ P.J. Washington (left), and Philadelphia 76ers’ Dwight Howard leap for a rebound during the fi rst half of an NBA basketball game, Jan 2, in Philadelphia. (AP) Gonzaga 85, San Francisco 62 In Spokane, Wash, Top-ranked Gonzaga has the most potent offense NBA Results/Standings in the country, but coach Mark Few thinks the Bulldogs can be really good on defense, too. Sexton, Andre pace Cavs WASHINGTON, Jan 3, (AP): NBA re- Corey Kispert scored 26 points on sults and standings on Saturday. 9-of-11 shooting and Gonzaga shut Houston 102 Sacramento 94 Oklahoma City 108 Orlando 99 down hot-shooting San Francisco in New York 106 Indiana 102 the second half to win 85-62 . Philadelphia 127 Charlotte 112 Joel Ayayi added 18 points and New Orleans 120 Toronto 116 Cleveland 96 Atlanta 91 Andrew Nembhard had 14 for Gon- Eastern Conference zaga (10-0, 1-0), which has won 44 Atlantic Division consecutive home games - the longest ‘rally’ in win over Hawks W L Pct GB streak in the nation. Drew Timme had Philadelphia 5 1 .833 - Brooklyn 3 3 .500 2 10 points and 11 rebounds. New York 3 3 .500 2 Jamaree Bouyea scored 18 points Rockets beat Kings; Harden sits with injury Boston 3 3 .500 2 for San Francisco (7-5, 1-1), which has Toronto 1 4 .200 3-1/2 lost 20 consecutive games to Gonzaga Southeast Division out of reach. W L Pct GB since 2012. Dzmitry Ryuny added 11 ATLANTA, Jan 3, (AP): Orlando 4 2 .667 - points. Collin Sexton scored 27 Harden had started Houston’s fi rst Atlanta 4 2 .667 - Both teams shot well in the fi rst half. three games this season and is averag- Miami 2 3 .400 1-1/2 points, Andre Drummond ing a league-leading 37 points with 11 Charlotte 2 4 .333 2 Washington 1 5 .167 3 had 12 points and 11 re- assists. Central Division BASKETBALL De’Aaron Fox had 23 points for the W L Pct GB bounds and the Cleveland Kings, who lost to the Rockets for the Indiana 4 2 .667 - Cavaliers wiped out a second straight game after winning Cleveland 4 2 .667 - San Francisco took a 14-13 lead, but Milwaukee 3 3 .500 1 the Zags replied with a 12-2 run to go 15-point defi cit in the third three of their fi rst four games. Chicago 2 4 .333 2 up 25-16. quarter and beat the At- He said they got stagnant offensively Detroit 1 4 .200 2-1/2 San Francisco cut the lead to three in the second half and was particularly Western Conference lanta Hawks 96-91 on Sat- Southwest Division several times. But the Zags closed with disappointed in their lack of assists. W L Pct GB a 9-0 spurt, including Kispert’s long urday. 76ers 127, Charlotte 112 New Orleans 4 2 .667 - 3-pointer at the buzzer that gave the The Cavs’ keys to the game de- In Philadelphia, Joel Embiid had Houston 2 2 .500 1 19 points and 14 rebounds and Tobias San Antonio 2 3 .400 1-1/2 Bulldogs a 47-37 halftime lead. fensively were to prevent Atlanta Dallas 2 3 .400 1-1/2 Few said his team took too many from spending the whole game Harris scored 24 points to lead the Memphis 2 3 .400 1-1/2 quick shots in the fi rst half, which al- Philadelphia 76ers to a 127-112 win Northwest Division lowed San Francisco to stay close. shooting free throws and from fi r- over the Charlotte Hornets. W L Pct GB ing at will from beyond the arc, Utah 3 2 .600 - Kispert had 18 points in the fi rst half Ben Simmons had 15 points, 12 re- Portland 3 2 .600 - as Gonzaga shot 58%. Bouyea had 16 two categories in which the Hawks bound and 11 assists to help the Sixers Minnesota 2 3 .400 1 points to keep San Francisco within are among NBA leaders. New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson (1) is fouled as he drives beat the Hornets for the 12th straight Oklahoma City 2 3 .400 1 striking distance. But he scored only JaVale McGee, who fi nished with time. Philadelphia has not lost to Char- Denver 1 4 .200 2 to the basket by Toronto Raptor forward Pascal Siakam (43) during the Pacifi c Division two in the second half. 14 points, scooped in a runner to help second half of an NBA basketball game on Jan 2, in New Orleans. (AP) lotte since Nov. 2, 2016. W L Pct GB The Zags scored the fi rst seven the Cavs reclaim the lead at 84-83, and Terry Rozier scored 35 points for Phoenix 5 1 .833 - points of the second half to complete a Sexton made it a three-point lead with Rockets 102, Kings 94 But he has defi nitely been impressed. the Hornets. LA Clippers 4 2 .667 1 In Houston, John Wall scored 28 The Rockets scored the fi rst nine LA Lakers 4 2 .667 1 16-0 run and led 54-37. a 17-footer on the next possession to The Sixers are rolling in Doc Riv- Sacramento 3 3 .500 2 Anton Watson’s basket gave Gon- keep Atlanta on its heels. points and the Houston Rockets beat points of the fourth quarter to extend ers’ fi rst season on the bench and fol- Golden State 2 3 .400 2-1/2 zaga a 65-45 advantage with 12 min- Clint Capela had 16 points and 16 the Sacramento Kings 102-94 de- their lead to 92-81 with about 8½ min- lowed a 24-point win over Orlando utes left as the Dons made only three rebounds for the Hawks, who had spite playing without an injured James utes left. Eric Gordon led the team in with another victory where they led by of their fi rst 13 shots in the second 22 turnovers in the fi nal three quar- Harden. that stretch, making a 3-pointer and double digits for most of the game. began. The Bruins found out second- half. A 15-3 run pushed Gonzaga’s ters but tied it at 88-all on Bogdan Harden, who sat out with a sprained three free throws. Maligned in Philly for a paycheck leading scorer and rebounder Chris lead to 75-48 as the Dons went more Bogdanovic’s 3 before Sexton hit a 3 right ankle, was not listed on the in- Sacramento ended a scoring drought not commensurate with his production, Smith has a torn ACL and his career in than six minutes without a fi eld goal. to put the Cavs up 91-88 with 27.2 sec- jury report and coach Stephen Silas did of more than 3½ minutes soon after Harris has become the catch-and-shoot Westwood is likely over. The Dons ended up shooting only onds remaining. John Collins missed not mention his injury in his pregame that on an alley-oop dunk by Richaun 3-point ace the Sixers needed to give Still, they came together and rallied 38.9% for the game, compared to an ensuing dunk attempt before Darius availability. The team announced that Holmes. them another scoring threat alongside for a 65-62 victory over the Buffaloes 52.6% for Gonzaga. Garland hit a free throw and Sexton hit he wouldn’t play about 38 minutes be- Both teams struggled to score after All-Stars Embiid and Simmons.