In brief: Warriors’ home winning streak ends at 54 in loss to Celtics
NBA: Stephen Curry missed a long 3-pointer to tie it with 5.3 seconds left and the Golden State Warriors suffered their first home defeat in more than 14 months, losing 109-106 to the Boston Celtics on Friday night in Oakland, California, to snap an NBA-record 54-game winning streak in the regular season at Oracle Arena.
That included 36 straight home wins to start this season. Golden State hadn’t lost at home since a 113-111 overtime defeat to the Bulls on Jan. 27, 2015.
Isaiah Thomas made a driving layup with 8.3 seconds left on the way to 22 points for Boston.
Shaun Livingston hit two free throws with 46.9 seconds left to get Golden State within 105-103, then Draymond Green wrestled the ball away from Amir Johnson moments later for his sixth steal and Golden State called timeout. But Green lost the ball with 23.9 seconds left.
Evan Turner made a pair of free throws with 18.1 seconds to go before Harrison Barnes’ baseline 3 on a dish from Curry.
James reaches milestone, lifts Cavs: LeBron James had 29 points to pass another Hall of Famer on the NBA’s career scoring list and the Cleveland Cavaliers recovered after blowing a big first-half lead to beat the host Atlanta Hawks 110-108 in overtime.
James moved past Hall of Famer Oscar Robertson into 11th place on the NBA’s scoring list when he scored on a layup late in the third quarter. Atlanta’s Al Horford was called for goaltending on the play. The basket gave James 26,711 points. He began the night 21 points behind Robertson’s 26,710 points.
Bucks top Magic: Jabari Parker made a driving basket with 10.1 seconds left to put Milwaukee ahead and Tyler Ennis hit two free throws that sealed the visiting Bucks’ 113-110 win over the Orlando Magic.
Parker finished with 26 points, Giannis Antetokounmpo had a triple-double with 18 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists, and Greg Monroe and Khris Middleton each added 18 points as the Bucks snapped the Magic’s three-game winning streak.
Clemons leaves Jaguars for Seahawks
NFL: The Seahawks said it had reached a contract agreement with 13-year veteran Chris Clemons. He was a defensive end for the Super Bowl 48-winning Seahawks of the 2013 season.
The move is for depth behind Pro Bowl end Michael Bennett, disruptive Cliff Avril plus Frank Clark, Seattle’s top draft choice in 2015. Clemons’ signing adds a veteran familiar with Seattle’s defensive system for specific pass-rush and situational roles.
It is also Seattle’s low-cost, low-risk attempt to revive the 34-year old’s career. Clemons had eight sacks in 2014 for Jacksonville but just three last season for the Jaguars. His three sacks in 2015 was his lowest total in six years. He was playing for former Seahawks defensive coordinator Gus Bradley, now the Jaguars’ head coach. Clemons made just one start with five tackles and one sack in the final eight games last season. The Jaguars released him instead of paying him a $4 million salary in 2016. He had two years left on his deal with Jacksonville when he got cut last month.
While terms weren’t immediately known, the Seahawks will be paying a lot less than $4 million for Clemons this year. The team was believed to have less than $8 million in salary-cap space before this agreement, 25th in the 32-team NFL according to overthecap.com. That’s with a few million still to spend on draft choices and rookie free agents, and the likelihood of extending No. 1 wide receiver Doug Baldwin before the regular the season.
Clemons had 4 1/2 sacks in 2013 as part of the deepest and most effective defensive front in Seahawks’ history. Seattle released him in March 2014 as his contract was about to balloon, a move that saved the Seahawks $7.5 million against that year’s cap.
Seattle had acquired him from Philadelphia in 2010 by trading fellow defensive end Darryl Tapp to the Eagles. Clemons had 11, 11 and his career high of 11 1/2 sacks in 2010-12 to begin his first go-round in Seattle.
Pilots sign Terry Porter as new coach
College basketball: The University of Portland has hired veteran NBA player and coach Terry Porter as its new head basketball coach. He will replace Eric Reveno, who was dismissed last month after 10 years with the Pilots.
Porter played for the Blazers from 1985-95, anchoring a team that went to the Western Conference finals three times from 1990 to 1992 and to the NBA Finals twice.
Hield wins Oscar Robertson Trophy: Buddy Hield, who led Oklahoma to its first Final Four in 14 years, has won the Oscar Robertson Trophy, presented by the U.S. Basketball Writers Association to the nation’s top college player. Hield received 144 votes in the nationwide balloting.
Panarin leads Hawks in OT win over Jets
NHL: Brent Seabrook scored 1:02 into overtime after Artemi Panarin tied it late in the third period with his second goal of the game, and the Chicago Blackhawks beat the Winnipeg Jets 5-4 in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
Panarin also had two assists, including when he orchestrated a 2-on-1 with Seabrook in overtime. Panarin passed across the slot to the defenseman, and Seabrook beat Ondrej Pavelec with a shot inside the near post.
NHL suspends Keith: The league has suspended Blackhawks’ Duncan Keith for the final five games of the regular season and the first game of the playoffs for “dangerously and violently” high-sticking Minnesota Wild forward Charlie Coyle.
While on his back on the ice, Keith struck Coyle in the face with his stick, an action Patrick Burke of the NHL’s department of player safety called “an intentional and retaliatory act of violence by a player with a history of using his stick as a weapon” in the video announcing the suspension.
Keith, Chicago’s top defenseman and the reigning Conn Smythe Trophy winner as playoff MVP, has been suspended twice before, including a similar incident for a deliberate stick to the face.
Djokovic beats Goffin, wins Miami Open final
Miscellany: Novak Djokovic won a thrilling tiebreaker to beat David Goffin 7-6 (5), 6-4 at the Miami Open final in Key Biscayne, Florida. The margin was so slim a blown overhead by Goffin might have made all the difference.
Djokovic showed no signs of lingering issues from the back spasms that bothered him in the quarterfinals. He improved to 27-1 this year and is seeking his fourth title in 2016.
He needs one more victory to match Andre Agassi’s tournament record of six men’s titles.
Georgia State hires Minter: Rick Minter, the former Cincinnati coach and Philadelphia Eagles assistant, is Georgia State’s new defensive line coach. Minter was linebackers coach for the Eagles the last three years.
Broner stops Theophane in 9th: Adrien Broner defeated Ashley Theophane in a ninth-round technical knockout in Washington, leaving the WBA super lightweight title vacant. The fight was supposed to be Broner’s first defense of the belt. But weighed in 0.4 pounds over the 140-pound limit Thursday and was stripped of the title.
Pacquiao considers Olympics: Manny Pacquiao says he’s thinking about fighting for his country in the Olympics this summer if the boxing competition is open to professional fighters. His promoter, Bob Arum, thinks the idea of any pro fighting in Rio – much less the eight-time world champion – is a terrible idea.
“The idea you’ll allow professionals into the Olympics at this short notice is absolutely insane,” promoter Bob Arum said. “These people ought to have their heads examined.”
The head of the International Boxing Association has proposed allowing pros in the Olympics, though it’s doubtful the plan would be implemented by Rio because qualification tournaments are either under way or have already been held for boxers in most countries.
Hoffman retains lead at Houston Open
Golf: Charley Hoffman had a 2-under 70 for a one-shot lead over Jamie Lovemark at the Houston Open in Houston.
Lovemark was a former NCAA champion seeking his first PGA Tour title after having his career affected by back surgery. He was one of four players to shoot the day’s low score, 68, under conditions that worsened as the afternoon went on, which helped protect Hoffman from the field.
Dustin Johnson was among those chasing Hoffman, who opened with a 64 Thursday, but Johnson dropped back to 8 under with a bogey on 17, closing with a 71 after narrowly missing a 10-foot birdie putt on 18.
Johnson was in the last group to finish the round before darkness stopped play.
Thompson, Miyazato share lead: Lexi Thompson birdied the final hole for a 4-under 68 and a share of the ANA Inspiration lead with Ai Miyazato in Rancho Mirage, California. The 21-year-old American holed a 30-foot putt on the par-5 18th to reach 7 under at Mission Hills in the LPGA Tour’s first major championship of the year.
Woods to skip Masters: Tiger Woods made it official what most observers figured all along. Recovery from two back surgeries last year has not progressed to the point where it’s wise for him to tee it up at the Masters. It will be the second time in the last three years that Woods has not played the Masters.
Woods did say on his website that he has been hitting golf balls and training daily. But he still had no timetable for when he would return to competition.