Thunder stun Clippers with late comeback
NBA: Russell Westbrook scored 38 points and made three free throws with 6.4 seconds remaining, and the Oklahoma City Thunder overcame a seven-point deficit in the final 50 seconds to beat the visiting Los Angeles Clippers 105-104 on Tuesday night to go up 3-2 in the Western Conference semifinals.
Westbrook was fouled by Chris Paul while shooting a 3-pointer with the Thunder trailing by two. After his free throws, Paul drove to the hoop, but Reggie Jackson stole the ball from him, and time expired.
Kevin Durant scored 10 of his 27 points in the final 3:23 for the Thunder.
Blake Griffin had 24 points and 17 rebounds, Jamal Crawford scored 19 points and Paul had 17 points and 14 assists for the Clippers.
The Thunder can clinch the series Thursday in Los Angeles.
• Wizards pounds boards, Pacers: Marcin Gortat had 31 points and 16 rebounds, John Wall scored 27 points and the Washington Wizards rode a 39-rebound advantage to a 102-79 rout of Indiana, cutting the Pacers’ lead in the Eastern Conference semifinals to 3-2 at Indianapolis.
Washington can even the series at home on Thursday in Game 6.
It was a stunning turnaround for a team that had lost the last three. But with Gortat matching a career high in points and posting a playoff career high in rebounds, Washington held a 62-23 rebounding edge.
David West scored 17 points for Indiana.
Washington used a 15-6 run to take a 45-38 halftime lead, extended the margin to 24 after three and to as much as 30 in the fourth.
• Van Gundy, Pistons reach agreement: A person with knowledge of the details says Stan Van Gundy has agreed to a $35-million, five-year contract to be the Detroit Pistons’ coach and president of basketball operations.
Detroit gave Van Gundy the powerful combination of jobs on Tuesday, the person told The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the deal had not been announced.
Van Gundy is taking over a team that has Andre Drummond, one of the top young centers, and money to reshape its roster this summer.
Lundquist, Rangers turn back Penguins
NHL: Henrik Lundqvist set an NHL record with his fifth straight Game 7 victory, making 35 saves to lift the visiting New York Rangers to a 2-1 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins and earn a spot in the Eastern Conference finals.
Brian Boyle and Brad Richards scored for New York, who rallied from a 3-1 series deficit for the first time in the franchise’s 88-year history.
The Rangers did it behind Lundqvist, who stopped 102 of the final 105 shots he faced over the final three games as New York advanced to the conference finals for the second time in three years.
The Rangers will play the winner of the Bruins-Canadiens series in the conference finals. That series is tied 3-3 and Game 7 is tonight in Boston.
• Kane hits game-winner in OT: Patrick Kane scored on a backhand at 9:40 of overtime to lift the Chicago Blackhawks to a 2-1 victory over the Minnesota Wild in Game 6 to clinch their second-round Western Conference series at St. Paul, Minn.
Kris Versteeg scored at 1:58 of the first and Corey Crawford came up with tough save after tough save among his 34 stops for the Blackhawks, who advanced to the Western Conference finals to meet either Anaheim or Los Angeles. Anaheim leads that series 3-2 and Game 6 is tonight in Los Angeles.
• Bettman visits Seattle: NHL commissioner Gary Bettman made a visit to Seattle to meet with local elected leaders to get an update on the status of a possible new arena.
NHL spokesman Frank Brown confirmed Bettman’s meeting after it was first reported by KING-TV. Brown said Bettman was on the West Coast for playoff games and met with Seattle mayor Ed Murray.
Brown said the meeting was solely to get an update on the status of a new arena being proposed by investor Chris Hansen. Legislation approved by city and county officials call for an NBA team to be placed in Seattle first before an NHL team unless the memorandum of understanding on the project is rewritten.
Aussie wins stage to cut Wiggins’ lead
Cycling: Rohan Dennis of Australia surged within the final 300 yards to claim the hot and mountainous third stage and reduced Bradley Wiggins’ race lead in the Tour of California.
Wiggins, the 2012 Tour de France winner, leads Dennis by 24 seconds with five stages left. Tiago Machado is third overall, trailing by 1 minute and 5 seconds.
• French rider claims fourth stage: French rider Nacer Bouhanni won the slippery fourth stage of the Giro d’Italia in a sprint as the race returned home after opening with three legs in Northern Ireland and Ireland.
Australian rider Michael Matthews retained the overall leader’s pink jersey.