Spurs Tied After Durant Thunder

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Kevin Durant matched his career playoff high with 41 points and the Oklahoma City Thunder beat the San Antonio Spurs 111-97 on Sunday night to tie the Western Conference semi-final series 2-2.

Durant scored 29 points on 10-for-13 shooting in the second half.

Russell Westbrook finished with 14 points and 15 assists, Dion Waiters added 17 points, and Steven Adams had 16 points and 11 rebounds for Oklahoma City. The Thunder shot 50.6% overall and 57% in the second half to avoid going back to San Antonio down 3-1 for Game 5 on Tuesday night.

Tony Parker led San Antonio with 22 points, Kawhi Leonard had 21, and LaMarcus Aldridge 20.

San Antonio led by 11 early in the second quarter, but the Thunder rallied and took a 45-44 lead on a three-pointer by Durant with 1:47 left in the first half. The Spurs closed the quarter on a 9-0 run, with all the points coming from Leonard and Aldridge, to take a 53-45 lead at the break. Durant and Westbrook were a combined six for 21 from the field in the first half.

Boris Diaw’s three-pointer from the corner in the closing seconds of the third quarter gave the Spurs an 81-77 lead heading into the fourth.

Durant took over early in the final quarter. His back-to-back threes gave the Thunder a 93-87 lead. Enes Kanter’s fast-break dunk pushed the lead to 100-93.

San Antonio hung tough, but a baseline floater, a layup and a corner three by Durant made it 108-97.

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Boston Halt Warriors Record at Oracle

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The longest winning run at home in NBA history was halted at 54 games as the Golden State Warriors were beaten 109-106 by the Boston Celtics in Oakland.

Isaiah Thomas scored 22 points for Boston, including a match-winning driving lay-up with 8.3 seconds left.

Stephen Curry missed a long three-pointer to tie the match with 5.3 seconds remaining on Friday.

The loss was their first at the Oracle Arena since January 2015 - the streak included 36 straight wins this season.

The reigning NBA champions, who have won 68 games and lost eight this season, retain a 4.5-game lead over the San Antonio Spurs in the Western Conference.

The Warriors next meet the Portland Trail Blazers at the Oracle Arena on Sunday.

Curry, 28, said the defeat left him with "a weird feeling", adding: "We've just got to be able to move on from it.

"Maybe it's a good reminder going into the play-offs we don't want this feeling."

The Warriors must now win five of their final six games to break the Chicago Bulls' 1995-96 NBA season record of 72 wins home and away.

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Mose Malone 1955 - 2015

Three-time NBA MVP and Hall of Fame member Moses Malone has died at the age of 60.

Know as the ‘Chairman of the Boards’, due to his rebounding skills, Malone helped the Philadelphia 76ers to the NBA title in 1983, and was named finals and league MVP in the same year.

“It is with a deep sense of sadness that the Sixers family mourns the sudden loss of Moses Malone. It is difficult to express what his contributions to this organization – both as a friend and player – have meant to us, the city of Philadelphia and his faithful fans,” the 76ers said on Sunday.

“Moses holds a special place in our hearts and will forever be remembered as a genuine icon and pillar of the most storied era in the history of Philadelphia 76ers basketball. No one person has ever conveyed more with so few words - including three of the most iconic in this city’s history. His generosity, towering personality and incomparable sense of humor will truly be missed. We will keep his family in our thoughts and prayers and as we are once again reminded of the preciousness of life.”

The 12-time All-Star ranks fifth on the list for NBA rebounds in a career and eighth for points scored. He averaged 20.6 points and 12.2 rebounds.

Malone’s talent was obvious from a young age and when he signed for the Utah Stars of the ABA in 1974 he became the first player to turn pro straight from high school. After the ABA-NBA merger he played for a number of teams, most notably the Houston Rockets and the 76ers. He retired at the end of the 1994-95 season and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2001.

#RIP 

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