spt_230306_digest
NBA: In a rematch of last season’s second-round playoff series, but with a superstar addition to each squad, Phoenix pulled out a 130-126 victory over Dallas on Sunday afternoon in American Airlines Center.
With Phoenix leading 128-126, Luka Doncic drove into the lane and went up for what appeared to be an easy 3-foot shot, but the ball rolled off the rim with 3.5 seconds left.
After the scramble for the rebound, Dallas fouled Kevin Durant and Devin Booker said something to Doncic. Doncic went face-to-face with Booker and both players were whistled for a technical foul. Durant made both free throws, essentially putting the game away for Phoenix.
In the battle of stars, Durant scored 37 points and Booker scored 36 for the Suns. Doncic scored 34 points for the Mavericks, Kyrie Irving scored 30 and Tim Hardaway Jr. added 21 points.
• Lakers outlast Curry, Warriors: Anthony Davis, the Lakers’ quiet superstar, the one more ready with a sarcastic counterpunch than the lead blow, flexed his muscles and howled into the crisp air.
His baseline drive in the final minute put the Lakers ahead by six points, moving them to the brink of what would be a 113-105 win.
Still shorthanded, the Lakers quickly built a 20-point lead against the NBA’s defending champions in the first quarter at Crypto.com Arena. Then they spent the rest of the game desperately trying to hold on to the smallest slices of it.
Davis scored 39 points and a returning Stephen Curry had 27 for the Warriors, who also got Andre Iguodala back in their lineup.
Byron takes late lead, wins at Las Vegas
AUTO RACING: William Byron seized the lead in the second-to-last lap in overtime to outrace teammates Kyle Larson and Alex Bowman to the finish line in a NASCAR Cup Series race in Las Vegas.
The victory was Byron’s sixth of his career.
Kitayama hangs on, edges McIlroy, English for title
GOLF: Kurt Kitayama overcame a triple-bogey 7 on the ninth hole and played error-free golf down the stretch to outlast Rory McIlroy and Harris English by a stroke to win the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill Club in Orlando, Florida.
Kitayama played a par 72 in the final round and finished the tournament at 9-under 279.
McIlroy and English each shot 2-under 70 over their final 18 holes but settled for par on Nos. 17 and 18.
• Jin Young Ko defends title: Jin Young Ko finished at 17-under 271 to hold off Nelly Korda to win the HSBC Women’s World Championship by two strokes at Sentosa Golf Club in Singapore.
• Toms wins Cologuard: David Toms finished at 15-under 201 and edged Robert Karlsson by a stroke to win the Cologuard Classic at Omni Tucson National in Tucson, Arizona.
Local watch
NBA
Rui Hachimura (GU), Washington: 2 points, 3 rebounds in 113-105 home win vs. Golden State
Corey Kispert (GU), Washington: 11 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists in 117-111 home loss vs. Milwaukee
Andrew Nembhard (GU), Indiana: 4 points, 1 assist, 1 steal, 1 block in 125-122 win at Chicago
Kelly Olynyk (GU), Utah: 15 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists in 129-119 loss at Oklahoma City
Jalen Suggs (GU), Orlando: 15 points, 4 rebounds, 3 steals, 2 assists in 122-119 home win vs. Portland
Klay Thompson (WSU), Golden State: 22 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists, 1 block
From staff and wire reports