LOS ANGELES: James Harden scored 28 points and dished out 11 assists Thursday as the Houston Rockets handed the San Antonio Spurs a rare home NBA defeat, 102-91.
Harden showed no sign of a let-down after his historic 60-point triple-double on Tuesday, producing seven points in the final two minutes as the Rockets thwarted a Spurs rally to notch their second win this season over San Antonio.
Down by double-digits much of the contest, the Spurs pulled within 92-85 with 2:49 remaining with the aid of a hook shot from LaMarcus Aldridge and a three-pointer from Bryn Forbes.
The Rockets responded with a three-pointer form Harden, followed by his four-point play with 1:36 left.
“They’re great in this building,” Harden said of a Spurs team that endured just their fifth home defeat of the season. “We knew they were going to make a run. We held our composure, made some big shots, got some defensive stops when we needed to and that was the game right there.”
Gerald Green added 15 points for Houston. Clint Capela chipped in 14, Ryan Anderson scored 13 and Chris Paul and P.J. Tucker scored 10 apiece for Houston, who led 54-38 at halftime.
In Detroit, Blake Griffin produced a double-double of 24 points and 10 rebounds in his debut for the Pistons, who held off the Memphis Grizzlies 104-102.
Griffin, who admitted he was shocked to be traded by the Los Angeles Clippers this week, got a warm welcome from the Detroit crowd in pre-game introductions.
He delivered the pass to Anthony Tolliver for a three-pointer that gave Detroit a 101-100 lead with 1:49 to play.
Two free-throws from Tolliver stretched the Pistons lead to 103-100 with six seconds left and Reggie Bullock sealed with a final free-throw.
Andre Drummond, who promises to form a formidable front-court duo with Griffin, finished with 14 points and 15 rebounds for the Pistons, who are ninth in the East and hoping the arrival of five-time All-Star Griffin can help propel them into playoff position.
“It was great to get a win,” said Griffin, adding that things will only improve as he gets more familiar with his new teammates.
“We came in off of one shoot around,” he noted. “We’ll keep getting better from here.”
Gary Harris was the hero in Denver, draining a three-pointer at the buzzer to lift the Nuggets to a 127-124 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Denver led by as many as 20, and by 17 in the fourth quarter before the Thunder mounted a furious comeback, knotting the score at 124-124 on Paul George’s three-pointer with 5.6 seconds to play.
Denver responded as Nikola Jokic fired an inbound pass to Harris in time for him to make the game-winner.
Jokic notched his third triple-double of the season with 29 points, 14 assists and 13 rebounds.
Jamal Murray scored 33 points for Denver and Harris added 25 as the Nuggets shook off narrow defeats to Boston and San Antonio earlier in the week. They face the Golden State Warriors on Saturday.
George scored 43 points for the Thunder and Russell Westbrook added 20 points with 21 assists and nine rebounds.
James Harden leads Rockets over Spurs
James Harden leads Rockets over Spurs
FIA confirms path for World Rally Championship’s return to US
- Success of candidate event, with stages assessed in Kentucky and Tennessee, would open the door to a WRC round in the US from 2027
- Mohammed Ben Sulayem: It is a nation where motor sport is part of the cultural DNA
DUBAI: The International Automobile Federation is stepping up plans for the FIA World Rally Championship to return to the US, with the announcement of a WRC candidate event for mid-2026.
The event will run from June 11-17 and has been organized in collaboration with the US Automobile Competition Committee. FIA delegates at the event will assess every aspect of rally organization, from sporting operations to safety protocols.
The goal is to evaluate the potential for hosting a full WRC round, and a successful event will pave the way for the US to rejoin the WRC calendar in 2027, marking a milestone for both the championship and rallying in the country.
FIA President Mohammed Ben Sulayem said that the US represents one of the most important growth opportunities for the FIA World Rally Championship.
“It is a nation where motor sport is part of the cultural DNA, with world-class domestic championships and a rapidly growing appetite for global competition. I am deeply committed to strengthening the FIA’s presence in the US and ensuring that rallying becomes a defining pillar of that future,” he said.
“With five FIA-sanctioned events already established across three FIA World Championships across the nation, the foundations are firmly in place. Now is the time to build on that momentum.
“Expanding the WRC into North America would not only enhance the championship’s global reach, but connect rallying with a knowledgeable, passionate, and expanding fanbase in a market where participation and engagement continue to accelerate and grow.”
FIA delegates will inspect the candidate event’s stages and infrastructure in Kentucky and Tennessee, gaining first-hand insight into the terrain and facilities.
The program will also include a visit to a round of the American Rally Association National Championship, offering the FIA team a chance to engage directly with the US rally community, including organizers, volunteers, and fans.
Delegates will meet with the proposed event promoter and organizer, Podium Event Partners, which has long-established experience across multiple motor sport disciplines, including NASCAR.
With a deep-rooted history in the US, rallying has seen a renewed momentum in recent years driven by grassroots participation and the strength of the ARA National Championship.
The potential return of the WRC to the US reflects the joint ambition of FIA and WRC Promoter to expand its global footprint in a country with a rich motor sport heritage and a growing appetite for rallying, opening a thrilling new chapter in the world’s premier rally series.
FIA Deputy President for Sport Malcolm Wilson said that confirmation of a FIA World Rally Championship candidate event in the US is a first step toward bringing the championship to the country, offering a valuable opportunity to assess the proposed stages and service park concept.
“ACCUS plays a central role in this process, bringing significant experience and leadership within American motor sport, and the FIA will work closely with ACCUS and the event organizers to evaluate the event and support its continued development to ensure it meets FIA World Rally Championship standards.”
