Durant lights up Dallas with 52 points
NBA: Kevin Durant scored a career-high 52 points, including the go-ahead basket with 16.5 seconds left in overtime, and the Oklahoma City Thunder held off a Dallas Mavericks rally for a 117-114 victory Friday night in Dallas.
The Thunder, who won their sixth straight, snapped a season-high four-game winning streak for the Mavericks.
Vince Carter led Dallas with a season-high 29 points.
• Belinelli, Butler boost Bulls: Marco Belinelli made a game-winning jumper with 3.1 seconds left, Jimmy Butler scored six points in overtime and the Chicago Bulls extended their Friday night road show by beating the Boston Celtics 100-99.
Carlos Boozer had 19 points and 20 rebounds, and Joakim Noah added 14 points and 13 boards as the Bulls won their 14th straight road game on a Friday. They haven’t lost since April 2011.
• Also in the NBA: Deron Williams scored 24 points, making four free throws in the final 43.4 seconds, and Brooklyn beat Atlanta 94-89 in New York to earn a split of their home-and-home series. Brook Lopez added 20 points for the Nets, who bounced back from a 109-95 loss in Atlanta on Wednesday that snapped their seven-game winning streak. … Tim Duncan had 24 points and 10 rebounds, and San Antonio held off Golden State 95-88 to extend its home winning streak to 14 games. David Lee had 22 points, Klay Thompson 21 and Jarrett Jack 20 for Golden State.
Staggering Suns ‘part ways’ with Gentry: The Phoenix Suns say the team and coach Alvin Gentry have “mutually agreed to part ways.”
Gentry had coached the Suns since replacing the fired Terry Porter at the All-Star break of the 2008-09 season, compiling a 158-144 record.
Favorites keep cruising in Australia
Tennis: Title favorite Serena Williams and defending champion Victoria Azarenka advanced in contrasting styles to the fourth round of the Australian Open in Melbourne.
Williams, aiming for a third consecutive major title, recovered from a break down in the second set to win six straight games and finish off a 6-1, 6-3 win over Japan’s Ayumi Morita in 66 minutes.
Top-ranked Azarenka struggled to hold off injured American Jamie Hampton 6-4, 4-6, 6-2, and didn’t help herself with six double-faults.
Elsewhere, Svetlana Kuznetsova advanced with a 6-2, 4-6, 6-3 win over Spain’s Carla Suarez Navarro.
Maria Sharapova celebrated a 6-1, 6-3 win over Venus Williams, her first victory over the seven-time major winner in a Grand Slam.
Top-ranked Novak Djokovic took another step closer to a third consecutive Australian men’s title, defeating Radek Stepanek 6-4, 6-3, 7-5 in the third round.
Hahn, Castro share lead at La Quinta
Golf: James Hahn finished with a 5-under 67 to match Roberto Castro at 14 under after another day of perfect conditions at the Humana Challenge in La Quinta, Calif.
Castro shot a 67 on PGA West’s Arnold Palmer Private Course after they began the round tied for the lead with Jason Kokrak at 63.
• Rose out front by one in Abu Dhabi: Justin Rose played solid, mistake-free golf, finishing with a 69 for a 136 total and a one-shot lead at the halfway point of the Abu Dhabi Championship in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
Rose leads Jamie Donaldson (70) of Wales, Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano (67) of Spain and Thorbjorn Olesen (69) of Denmark.
• Frost heats up in Hawaii: David Frost of South Africa had a 7-under 65 to take a one-stroke lead after the first round of the Mitsubishi Electric Championship in Kaupulehu-Kona, Hawaii.
Kirk Triplett (Moses Lake, Pullman High), the 2012 Champions Rookie of the Year, bogeyed the last hole to fall into a tie for second at 66.
Lysacek withdraws from nationals
FIGURE SKATING: Evan Lysacek has withdrawn from the U.S. Figure Skating Championships that begin Jan. 25 in Omaha, Neb., because of a slow recovery from surgery on a sports hernia.