LOS ANGELES: The defending champion Denver Nuggets, powered by 32 points from Nikola Jokic, shook off a slow start to beat LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers 114-103 in game one of their NBA playoffs first-round series on Saturday.
The Nuggets, who swept the Lakers in four games in the Western Conference finals on the way to their first title last season, continued their dominance of star-studded Los Angeles, who had dropped all three regular-season meetings.
The game was the finale of the first day of the playoffs, which saw the Minnesota Timberwolves beat the Phoenix Suns 120-95, the New York Knicks beat the Philadelphia 76ers 111-104 and the Cleveland Cavaliers beat the Orlando Magic 97-83.
In Denver, Jokic added 12 rebounds and seven assists, Jamal Murray added 22 points with 10 assists and Michael Porter Jr. scored 19 for the Nuggets, who used a 13-0 scoring run to take charge in the third quarter — in which they limited the Lakers to 18 points.
James scored 32 points and grabbed 14 rebounds and Anthony Davis added 27 for the Lakers, who cut a 15-point deficit early in the fourth quarter to six only for the Nuggets to pull away again.
Jokic’s only three-pointer of the game pushed the Nuggets’ lead to 103-93. He added a dunk over James, who took a hard fall with a minute remaining but stayed in the game to the bitter end.
“Mindset needed to change,” Jokic said of the Nuggets’ third-quarter resurgence. “I think for the second half defense was amazing.”
Lakers coach Darvin Ham said the Nuggets’ 15-6 superiority in offensive rebounding was key as Denver piled up 18 second-chance points.
“You can’t allow them to get multiple possessions,” said Ham, who added that he still believed the best-of-seven series, which resumes Monday, will be a “hard fought” affair.
In Minneapolis, Anthony Edwards scored 23 of his 33 points in the second half as the Minnesota Timberwolves thrashed Kevin Durant and the Phoenix Suns in their Western Conference clash.
Against a team that also had their number in the regular season, Minnesota’s Edwards, Karl-Anthony Towns and Rudy Gobert — bolstered by a strong supporting cast — turned the tables.
Towns scored 19 points, Gobert added 14 points and 16 rebounds and the Timberwolves reserves — led by 18 points from Nickeil Alexander-Walker — out-scored the Suns bench 41-18.
Up by 10 at halftime, the Timberwolves took full control in the third quarter, with Edwards scoring 18 points and taking the opportunity to needle Durant.
“I think everybody here knows that’s my favorite player of all time,” Edwards said of two-time NBA champ Durant. “That was probably one of the best feelings ever in my whole life, for sure.”
Durant finished with 31 points and seven rebounds. Devin Booker added 18 and Bradley Beal 15, but the Suns couldn’t find a way through the Timberwolves’ stifling defense keyed by Gobert.
“It’s just one game,” Edwards said. “They’re going to be ready the next time we play them.”
In New York, Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart scored 22 points apiece for the Knicks and Miles McBride came up big off the bench with 21 — 13 of them in the second quarter.
The 76ers got a jolt shortly before halftime when NBA Most Valuable Player Joel Embiid came down from a highlight reel dunk and appeared to hurt his surgically repaired left knee.
He returned for the third quarter coming up with a steal and feeding Kelly Oubre Jr. for a dunk that gave the Sixers a three-point lead late in the period.
The Sixers, led by 33 points from Tyrese Maxey, couldn’t stay in front, and with less than two minutes remaining Hart drilled a pair of three-pointers and OG Anunoby made another to help the Knicks seal it.
The Knicks host game two on Monday, with the Sixers breathing a sigh of relief that Embiid, who finished with 29 points, eight rebounds and six assists, apparently will be ready as they try to even the series.
In Cleveland, Donovan Mitchell scored 30 points and Jarrett Allen added 16 points and 18 rebounds to lead the Cavaliers in a wire-to-wire victory that Allen hoped would set the tone for their Eastern Conference series.
“We keep saying ‘throw the first punch,’” Allen said in an on-court postgame interview. “I think it was the perfect example tonight.”
Orlando’s Paolo Banchero scored 24 points but had nine of the Magic’s 12 turnovers.
Nikola Jokic leads NBA champions Nuggets past LeBron James, Lakers
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Nikola Jokic leads NBA champions Nuggets past LeBron James, Lakers
- The Nuggets continue dominance of star-studded Los Angeles, who had dropped all three regular-season meetings
- Minnesota Timberwolves and Cleveland Cavaliers also win their NBA playoff openers
Japan roll on as Taiwan and Philippines reach quarterfinals
- Japan head into their quarterfinal against Philippines with three straight wins
PERTH: Japan kept their perfect defensive record intact to reach the quarterfinals of the Women’s Asian Cup without conceding a goal as Taiwan and the Philippines also qualified Tuesday.
On a day when the action on the field was overshadowed by five players from the Iranian team being granted asylum by host nation Australia, Japan’s 4-0 win over Vietnam ensured a spot for the Philippines on goal difference.
Collisions between players marred Taiwan’s 3-1 win over India. Both teams’ goalkeepers were taken off after blows to the head.
Japan keep perfect record
Japan head into their quarterfinal matchup against the Philippines with three wins from three games and a tournament-leading 17 goals. Japan is the only team yet to concede at the Asian Cup.
Vietnam started against Japan knowing that a three-goal loss would end its chances of qualifying as one of the best third-place teams if Taiwan avoided defeat to India.
Vietnamese goalkeeper Khong Thi Hang made a series of impressive saves to limit Japan to a 1-0 halftime lead but was constantly under pressure from an opponent which had scored 11 goals against India.
Riko Ueki headed Japan’s opening goal, her fourth of the tournament, before Maika Hamano, Aoba Fujino and Kiko Seike all scored against a tiring Vietnamese defense. Japan will meet the Philippines in the quarterfinals.
Vietnam’s Duong Thi Van was taken off late in the game after a clash of heads with Japan’s Mina Tanaka.
Injuries for Taiwan and India
Taiwan heads to a quarterfinal meeting with China after a win over India which ended with concerns over the welfare of key players on both teams.
Su Yu-hsuan gave Taiwan the lead before Manisha Kalyan’s free kick off the crossbar brought India back into the contest. Taiwan restored its lead when a penalty bounced off the post and in off Indian goalkeeper Elangbam Panthoi Chanu for an own goal.
Taiwan was leading 2-1 when its goalkeeper Wang Yu-ting was taken off following a head injury assessment. The immediate cause wasn’t obvious but Wang had previously played on after an earlier collision when Sanfida Nongrum’s shoulder made contact with her head.
Chen Yu-chin made sure of the win with Taiwan’s third goal on the break but two Indian players ended up stretchered off after they collided while trying to stop her.
Goalkeeper Panthoi charged out toward Chen and was leaping to attempt a save when defender and captain Sweety Devi’s knee struck her in the face. Panthoi was taken off on a stretcher with severe swelling on her face and Devi was briefly motionless on the ground before being taken off the field.
It was the second time Panthoi had treatment after being struck on the head. In the first half she was hit by a shot which caused her to fall back and her head hit the ground.
