Kevin Durant wins 2013-14 Kia NBA Most Valuable Player Award

NEW YORK -- Kevin Durant of the Oklahoma City Thunder is the winner of the Maurice Podoloff Trophy as the 2013-14 Kia NBA Most Valuable Player, the NBA announced today. It is the first MVP award for Durant, who captured his fourth scoring title in five seasons, joining Wilt Chamberlain, George Gervin and Michael Jordan as the only players to accomplisah this feat. Despite teammate Russell Westbrook appearing in only 46 games, Durant guided the Thunder to the NBA's second-best record at 59-23.

Durant totaled 1,232 points, including 119 first-place votes, from a panel of 124 voters that consisted of sportswriters and broadcasters throughout the United States and Canada as well as an NBA.com MVP fan vote, making for 125 total ballots. For the fifth consecutive season, the NBA and Kia Motors America gave fans the opportunity to submit their votes by ranking their top five choices through a dedicated Web page on NBA.com. The fan vote counted as one vote and was compiled with the 124 media votes to determine the winner. Players were awarded 10 points for each first-place vote, seven points for each second-place vote, five for each third-place vote, three for each fourth-place vote and one for each fifth-place vote received.

Rounding out the top five in voting are Miami's LeBron James (891 points, six first-place votes), the Los Angeles Clippers' Blake Griffin (434 points), the Chicago Bulls' Joakim Noah (322 points), and the Houston Rockets' James Harden (85 points).

Durant averaged a career-best 32.0 points to go with 7.4 rebounds and 5.5 assists, also a career high. In capturing his fourth scoring title, he joined Jordan (10), Chamberlain (seven), Gervin (four), and Allen Iverson (four) as the only players in league annals to win at least four scoring titles. He shot .503 from the field, .391 from three-point range, and .873 from the free throw line, leading all players in free throws made (703) and attempted (805). Durant authored two 50-point games, topped the 40-point mark on 14 occasions, and turned in 17 games with at least 30 points and 10 rebounds.

Durant's consistency was highlighted by his streak of 41 consecutive games scoring at least 25 points, which ran from Jan. 7 through April 6, and was the longest streak since Michael Jordan did it in 40 straight games during the 1986-87 season. It's the third-longest streak (single season) in NBA history, behind Wilt Chamberlain, who did it in all 80 games during the 1961-62 season, and Oscar Robertson, who went for 25-plus in 46 straight games during the 1963-64 season. Chamberlain did it for 106 straight games over the course of the 1961-62 and 1962-63 seasons.

The winner of four Kia NBA Player of the Month honors in 2013-14 (October-November, December, January and March), Durant was also named Player of the Week six times (Dec. 2, Dec. 30, Jan. 20, Jan. 27, Feb. 10 and March 24).

The NBA MVP trophy is named in honor of the late Maurice Podoloff, the first commissioner of the NBA who served from 1946 until his retirement in 1963.

As part of its support of the Most Valuable Player Award, Kia Motors America (KMA) will donate an all-new 2015 Kia Sorento LX CUV to Moore Youth & Family Services on behalf of Durant. Kia Motors will present a Sorento to the charity of choice of each of five 2013-14 year-end award winners as part of "The Kia NBA Performance Awards." Following this season, Kia Motors will have donated a total of 31 new vehicles to charitable organizations since its support of the NBA's prestigious year-end honors began in 2008.

The 2013-14 Kia NBA Most Valuable Player Award is part of a series of on-court performance awards called "The Kia NBA Performance Awards." The series, currently in its seventh season, is part of a multiyear marketing partnership between KMA and the NBA, and includes five of the league's most prestigious year-end honors: Most Valuable Player Award, Defensive Player of the Year, Sixth Man Award, Most Improved Player Award, and Rookie of the Year. The series also includes the Kia NBA Eastern and Western Conference Rookies of the Month and the Kia NBA Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Month during the regular season. Kia Motors is the Official Automotive Partner of the NBA and the Kia Optima is the league's Official Vehicle.

source: nba

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LeBron, Durant named NBA Players of the Week

NEW YORK -- The Miami Heat's LeBron James and the Oklahoma City Thunder's Kevin Durant today were named the Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Week, respectively, for games played Sunday, Dec. 25, through Sunday, Jan. 1.

James guided the Heat to a 5-0 record to start the season, including an opening-night victory over the Dallas Mavericks in a rematch of the 2011 Finals. James led the league in scoring (29.6 ppg), paced the conference in steals (2.40 spg), and averaged a team high in assists (6.6 apg). James scored 34 or more points on three occasions, including 37 in Miami's 105-94 win at Dallas Dec. 25.

Durant helped the Thunder to a 5-0 start as well, averaging a Western Conference-best 27.4 points (second overall), while shooting .547 from the field and .500 from beyond the arc. Durant opened the 2011-12 campaign with four 30-plus-point performances. He recorded a double-double -- 30 points and 11 rebounds -- in a 104-102 win over the Mavericks Dec. 29.

Here is a recap of the week for James and Durant:

LeBron James, Miami Heat

Dec. 25 @ Dallas: Recorded 37 points, 10 rebounds and six assists in a 105-94 win at Dallas.

Dec. 28 @ Charlotte: Tallied 35 points, seven assists, six rebounds and three steals in a 96-95 road victory.

Dec. 30 @ Minnesota: Recorded a 34-point, 10-assist double-double, and added eight assists and four steals in a 103-101 win at Minnesota.

Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City Thunder

Dec. 25 vs. Orlando: Tallied 30 points, six assists and five rebounds in a 97-89 win over the Magic.

Dec. 28 @ Memphis: Posted 32 points, eight rebounds and two blocks in a 98-95 road victory over the Grizzlies.

Dec. 29 vs. Dallas: Recorded a 30-point, 11-rebound double-double in a 104-102 home win over the Mavericks.

Other nominees for the Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Week were Houston's Kyle Lowry, Indiana's Roy Hibbert, New York's Carmelo Anthony, Minnesota's Kevin Love, Orlando's Dwight Howard and Phoenix's Steve Nash.

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Mavs silence Thunder as unbeaten records fall

(Reuters) - No last-second buzzer-beater could save Oklahoma City this time as the Thunder lost a rematch with the Dallas Mavericks 100-87 on Monday to become the last NBA team to record a loss this season.

In a matchup between these teams just four days earlier, Kevin Durant made a three-pointer as time expired to give the Thunder a dramatic win against the Mavericks squad that knocked them out of the Western Conference Finals last season.

Dallas hit back on Monday, taking a seven-point lead at halftime before moving ahead by 15 in the third to hand Oklahoma City (5-1) their first loss.

The Miami Heat also entered the night 5-0, but fell to Atlanta to leave the NBA without any undefeated teams.

Dirk Nowitzki scored 26 points to counter Durant's 27 and the defending NBA champion Mavericks (2-4) made strides after their tough start to the season.

"I feel like we're going to be able to play with anybody ultimately," Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle told reporters.

Dallas, having made some key roster changes, stumbled to an 0-3 start but have now won two of their last three games.

New acquisition Vince Carter had 14 points while Shawn Marion added 17 for the Mavericks who made a big move in the second half.

Dallas opened the third quarter with a 14-6 run to move 68-53 ahead and the Thunder were facing an uphill battle from there.

"We didn't have any energy from the beginning," Durant said. "You also have to give credit to Dallas for the effort they made on defense. They made us shoot tough shots and made us see multiple defenders if a guy had the ball."

Russell Westbrook finished with 18 points and eight rebounds in the losing effort for the Thunder.

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Thunder's Durant leads generational shift in talent

(Reuters) - Kevin Durant has managed to dodge the growing pains often required for success in the NBA and now the Oklahoma City Thunder forward is among a handful of players headlining a generational shift in talent in the game.

There was plenty of talk about a changing of the guard when the playoffs started in April, and with four teams left it appears 22-year-old Durant has a legitimate shot to fast-track his way to a title in only his fourth season.

"Durant is a special player, one of the best players in the NBA," Memphis forward Zach Randolph said after Durant scored 39 points in a win over the Grizzlies that advanced the Thunder to the Western Conference finals.

"The kid is a gym rat, he works hard. He's one of my favorite players. You've got to give him kudos and give him respect."

The Los Angeles Lakers, Boston Celtics and San Antonio Spurs have combined to win the last four NBA championships, but each suffered unceremonious exits from the playoffs, opening the door for a new face of the NBA to grab the spotlight.

Kobe Bryant of the Lakers, Kevin Garnett of the Celtics and Tim Duncan of the Spurs all looked old and overmatched in their respective playoff series losses, prompting questions about where the franchises are headed from here.

Durant, widely considered the least pretentious big-name player in the game today, has won two scoring championships in his four seasons in the league and has shown an ability to step up his game at just the right time.

He will have to do just that in the Western Conference finals where his Thunder are tied 1-1 in their best-of-seven series against the Dallas Mavericks and head home for the next two games where Oklahoma City has gone 6-1 in the playoffs.

CHAMPIONSHIP SHOWDOWN

A series victory over the Mavericks would set up a showdown against either the Chicago Bulls, who boast 22-year-old league most valuable player Derrick Rose, or the Miami Heat, who have enjoyed a boost this year from 26-year-old LeBron James, the MVP of the prior two seasons.

Regardless of this year's NBA champion, the trio of Durant, Rose and James have already sent a message to the league that they possess the tools needed to challenge for NBA titles just as frequently as the Lakers and Celtics have in recent years.

Durant left the University of Texas after his freshman year for the NBA and was taken with the second overall pick in the 2007 NBA Draft by the Seattle SuperSonics, where he played for one season before the franchise relocated to Oklahoma City.

He averaged 20.3 points and 2.4 rebounds in a rookie season where he had to endure a 20-62 record with a Seattle team that finished with the second worst record in the NBA.

Durant has led his team in scoring in each season, was named MVP in leading Team USA to the FIBA World Championship last year and now is credited with taking the NBA's youngest playoff team to the conference semi-finals.

He is an emerging league MVP with a work effort that rivals any of the other top players in the league. After being held to just 11 points in Game Six versus Memphis, he returned with the best performance of his career.

"That wasn't me at all in Game Six. I was so upset with myself that I kind of let my guys down by not playing my game," Durant said after clinching the West semi-final series.

"No matter what, if I was shooting bad in Game Six, as long as I was aggressive. I wasn't aggressive at all. This game, that's what I told myself: 'Come in aggressive, start the game off aggressive.'"

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Thunder upset Mavs to tie series at 1-1

(Reuters) - The Oklahoma City Thunder, getting a tremendous boost from their bench, beat the Dallas Mavericks 106-100 to level the best-of-seven Western Conference Finals at 1-1 on Thursday. Kevin Durant, the NBA scoring leader the last two years, scored 24 points to lead the Thunder in scoring but was supported by a mighty effort from the reserves topped by guard James Harden's 23 points, seven rebounds and four assists.

"We have a lot of confidence in James," said Thunder coach Scott Brooks. "He made plays. He made big basketball plays. He's a spot up shooter, he's a penetrator, he's a playmaker. He's a tremendous player."

The Oklahoma back-ups, outscored by 31 points by Maverick reserves in Game One, manned the floor throughout the fourth quarter alongside Durant and combined to score 50 points in the game.

Harden gave Oklahoma City the lead going into the final period by producing a four-point play at the end of the third quarter when the guard drained a three-pointer and was fouled in the process. After sinking the free throw, the Thunder led 77-76.

A long jumper by Harden padded the lead to 102-92 with 3:15 left, and Oklahoma City withstood a furious fightback led by Dirk Nowitzki, who had been quieted by some heavy double-team defensive pressure following his Game One eruption for 48 points.

Nowitzki, the 7-foot German jump shooter, scored 16 fourth-quarter points to finish with 29.

"They wanted it more and came out swinging," said Nowitzki after Dallas lost their first home playoff game of this postseason.

Said Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle: "They attacked us, got us back on our heels. I don't remember a game we've won giving up 56 percent shooting. Give them credit. They played an attacking, desperate game. Their bench was dominant."

The Mavericks led by as many as 11 points in the first quarter before Durant changed the momentum with a thunderous, rim-rattling dunk over Dallas center Brendan Hayward.

Oklahoma City finished the first quarter trailing 31-26 and surged into a 59-57 at the intermission.

Durant praised the work of the reserves.

"We had a good chemistry going and the coach made a great decision to stick with it," Durant told reporters. "They really won the game tonight."

Brooks sat talented starting guard Russell Westbrook, who had scored 18 points, for the entire fourth quarter after he made a turnover at the end of the third quarter and a foul and then fumed on the bench.

Eric Maynor took over for Westbrook and finished with 13 points. "I thought Eric did a good job," said coach Brooks.

"Russell is an incredible player, our starting point guard. It was his time to come out and I stuck with Eric. He did a great job handling the decisions on the court."

The series now shifts to Oklahoma City for Game

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James delivers fatal blow as Heat finish off Celtics

(Reuters) - An inspired LeBron James delivered the decisive blow with the last 10 points as the Miami Heat beat the Boston Celtics 97-87 on Wednesday to book their place in the Eastern Conference finals.

The Celtics were expected to represent a major hurdle for the Heat but it was one they cleared with relative ease, winning the best-of-seven series 4-1.

Miami will now sit back and await the winner between Chicago and Atlanta, with the Bulls holding a 3-2 lead in the series.

In the Western Conference, the Oklahoma City Thunder pounded the Memphis Grizzlies 99-72 to seize control of their series 3-2.

After a tight opening quarter that ended 17-17, the Thunder ran away from Memphis leading 46-35 at the half and building a 19-point advantage after three quarters that the Grizzlies could not claw back.

Kevin Durant led the Thunder with 19 points while Daequan Cook had 18 off the bench. Marc Gasol had 15 for the Grizzlies, who will host Game Six on Friday.

Facing elimination, the Celtics battled hard from the tip-off but in the final quarter they had no answer to the Heat's 'Big Three' of James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh.

After Bosh had tied the game at 87-87 with a thundering dunk, James put his stamp on the contest by dropping two three-pointers from the arc.

The twice NBA MVP then added a dunk on a Boston turnover and a layup that touched off wild celebrations at the American Airlines Arena.

"I want to give a lot of credit to the Boston Celtics, that coaching staff and those players, they make you fight for everything," James told reporters.

"You can never take your foot off the gas, you can never take a second off against that team so I have a lot of respect for that team."

STEP CLOSER

Wade paced the Heat with a game-high 34 points and 10 rebounds. James had 33 points added Bosh with 14 as the Big Three once again led the charge, collecting 81 of their team's 97 points.

The Celtics, who held a slim lead through much of the game, were led by 18 points from Ray Allen. Kevin Garnett had 12 points in the opening quarter but was nearly invisible the rest of the game, finishing with 15.

Rajon Rondo, who dislocated his elbow in Game Three, was back on court with a heavily padded left arm but was limited to six points.

The win moved James, Wade and Bosh a big step closer to the NBA title they targeted when they came together in Miami.

"I got the utmost respect for that team," James said.

"They (Celtics) are the reason why all three of us came together, because of what they did, that blueprint they had in '08 when they all came together.

"It's a great team win, now we get ready for our next opponent."

The Celtics got off to a flying start, Garnett dropping 12 points and pulling down five rebounds to stake Boston to a 24-16 lead.

But Wade took the spotlight in the second, finishing the half with 23 points and helping trim the deficit to 49-47 heading into the intermission.

Boston clung to their two-point lead in the third, and padded it to 81-74 early in the fourth quarter but could not hold on as the Heat finished with a 16-0 run to seal the series.

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Miami put heat on Celtics, Thunder level series

(Reuters) - The Miami Heat piled the pressure on bruised and battered Boston by taking a 2-0 lead in their NBA playoff series with a 102-91 victory on Tuesday.

Quicker and more athletic than the veteran Celtics, who were hampered by a series of nagging injuries, the Heat again met the challenge of the defending Eastern Conference champions and have a commanding lead in the best-of-seven second-round series with Game Three set for Saturday in Boston.

In the Western Conference, the Oklahoma City Thunder slowed the inside force of the Memphis Grizzlies in a 111-102 victory that leveled their series 1-1.

Kevin Durant scored 26 points and the Thunder held red-hot Zach Randolph to 2-for-13 shooting as Oklahoma City bounced back from their series-opening loss to the giant-killing Grizzlies.

In Miami, LeBron James took his turn to carry the load with 24 of his game-high 35 points coming in the second half, while Game One standout Dwyane Wade added 28.

"This is a great team we're going against right now," James told reporters. "We're playing as hard as we can defensively and just trying to wear them down throughout the course of the game."

"They made a run but we stuck to our principles and finally wore them down."

With the game tied 80-80 midway through the fourth, the Heat exploded with a 14-0 burst to put the contest out of reach.

Boston's Paul Pierce, who was ejected from the contentious series-opener with two technical fouls in the fourth quarter, returned from a strained left foot but the injury forced him off the court briefly in the first quarter.

Ray Allen also played with a bruised chest following a collision with James in the third.

Rajon Rondo led the way with 20 points and 12 assists for Boston who trailed by five points after both the second and third quarters.

The Celtics will have to regroup at home if they are to take down Miami's "Big Three," who were brought together in the off-season to challenge Boston's supremacy.

Chris Bosh, the Heat's final member of the triumvirate, finished with 17 points and 11 rebounds.

Having allowed 34 points from Memphis's Zach Randolph in Game One, the Thunder restricted him to just 15 points, as they charged to a 28-17 lead after the first quarter and stretched it to 97-76 in the fourth.

Russell Westbrook had 24 points and James Harden put in 21 for the Thunder.

Mike Conley led the way with 24 points for Memphis who will host Game Three on Saturday.

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Heat sizzle against Celtics as Grizzlies maul Thunder

(Reuters) - Dwyane Wade and Miami sent a strong message to their Eastern Conference tormenters the Boston Celtics with a 99-90 victory Sunday that gave the Heat an early edge in the heavyweight second round playoff matchup.

Wade came out firing with 23 of his game-high 38 points in the first half, and LeBron James added 22 to help the Heat grab a 1-0 best-of seven series lead over the Celtics team that knocked each player from last year's post-season.

"Today our shot-makers made shots and that was the story," Wade told reporters after turning around his regular-season struggles against the Celtics this season when he averaged just 12.8 points per game.

"These guys expect this from me. I wasn't giving it to them in the regular season versus them and I wanted to come out and be a leader. (Boston) is never going to quit and we look forward to the challenge."

In the Western Conference, the Memphis Grizzlies continued their magical playoff run by mauling the Oklahoma City Thunder 114-101 to draw first blood in their best-of-seven Western Conference semi-final series.

Fresh off a shock first round upset of the top-seeded San Antonio Spurs, the eighth-seeded Grizzlies showed no signs of a letdown against the Thunder, grabbing the lead midway through the first quarter and never letting go.

A showdown between the Celtics and Heat has been anticipated ever since James and fellow All Star Chris Bosh joined forces with Wade in the off-season in an attempt to shift Eastern Conference power.

The series opener proved feisty as Boston's Paul Pierce was ejected with two technical fouls in the fourth quarter following a confrontation with Wade.

LATE PUSH

The wily Celtics still managed to make a late push and pulled within eight points with four minutes left after having trailed by as much as 19 in the second half.

But the Heat held off the run with six straight points to move ahead 96-82 with 2:54 left

Ray Allen kept Boston in the game with 25 points, including five three-pointers, and Pierce finished with 19.

James Jones sparked the Heat with five three-pointers and a career playoff-high 25 points but it was Miami's suffocating defense that held Boston to 36 first-half points as the home team took a 15-point lead into the locker room.

Game Two is in Miami on Tuesday.

In Oklahoma City, Zach Randolph, the Grizzlies best player against the Spurs, was again in the spotlight as he hit for a game-high 34 points and 10 rebounds. Spaniard Marc Gasol also contributed a double-double with 20 points and 13 boards.

Kevin Durant, the NBA's scoring champion, had 33 points and 11 rebounds in a losing cause for the Thunder while Russell Westbrook had 29 points.

Memphis led by as much as 16 in the first half and powered ahead 91-74 in the fourth as they eased to another shock victory.

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Heat and Thunder win opening playoff rounds

(Reuters) - The Miami supporting cast helped the Heat survive one final run from the Philadelphia 76ers to hold on for a 97-91 victory on Wednesday that advanced them to the next round of the NBA's playoffs.

In the Western Conference, the Oklahoma City Thunder also advanced after a 100-97 victory over the Denver Nuggets while the San Antonio Spurs escaped elimination with a 110-103 overtime win against the Memphis Grizzlies.

Reserve Joel Anthony made two free throws to put Miami up by three with 16 seconds left as the Heat narrowly avoided another fourth-quarter meltdown -- Philadelphia went on a 10-0 run in the final 82 seconds to win Game Four -- to wrap up their best-of-seven series 4-1.

The Heat had allowed a 10-point fourth-quarter lead to be cut to just one on Wednesday but they made nine of their 10 free throws in the final three minutes to ensure they advanced to a second round clash with the Boston Celtics.

"It was very difficult (to finish the series)," Dwyane Wade told reporters after scoring 12 of his game-high 26 points in the fourth quarter. "That team (Philadelphia) is resilient.

"We knew it was going to be that way. That team got us ready for the next round."

Chris Bosh finished with 22 points and 11 rebounds while LeBron James had 16 points, but it was the 20 points the home team got off the bench from Mario Chalmers that proved vital.

Philadelphia's starting lineup had dominated their Miami counterparts throughout the series, outscoring them 78-46 before either side made their first substitutions, which continued on Wednesday as they opened an 11-point lead in the first quarter.

Heat coach Erik Spoelstra changed tactics and started the second half with reserves Chalmers and Anthony, with Chalmers' contribution proving invaluable.

The guard made two of this six three-pointers in the third quarter, one of which began a 7-0 run that helped Miami to a 72-67 lead heading into the final period.

Elton Brand and Andre Iguodala scored 22 points each for the 76ers.

In Oklahoma City, Kevin Durant carried his team with 41 points as the Thunder erased a nine-point deficit in the final four minutes to clinch the series 4-1 and advance to the next round.

The Thunder went on a 9-0 run to tie the game with 1:50 left, then Durant, the NBA's leading scorer during the regular season, made two free throws to put his team on top 98-97 before adding the clinching jumper.

Denver's Arron Afflalo missed a three-point attempt as time expired. Afflalo finished with a team-high 15 points and Kenyon Martin added 14 and 10 rebounds for the Nuggets.

The Thunder will meet the Spurs or Grizzlies in the next round after San Antonio's Gary Neal made a last-second three-point shot to send their game into overtime.

The Spurs then saved their season by scoring the final seven points of the game to prevail 110-103 and reduce their series deficit to 3-2.

Manu Ginobili scored 33 points and Tony Parker added 24 and nine assists.

The Grizzlies, who had shocked the NBA by putting the WestWesternen Conference top-seeds on the brink of elimination, held a 97-94 lead with less than two seconds to go in regulation when Neal made his shot.

Zach Randolph had 26 points and Mike Conley finished with 20 for Memphis.

Game Six is on Friday in Memphis.

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Portland rally stuns Dallas, others leave it too late

(Reuters) - The Portland Trail Blazers, led by Brandon Roy, overcame a 23-point deficit to stun the Dallas Mavericks 84-82, while late rallies by the San Antonio Spurs, Chicago Bulls and Denver Nuggets fell short.

Roy scored 18 of his 24 points in the fourth quarter including the game-winning basket with 39.2 seconds left, thrilling the fans at the Rose Garden, and leveling the best of seven series at two home wins each.

The Trail Blazers survived two missed three point attempts by the Mavericks in the closing seconds.

"It still doesn't feel real yet. Just an unbelievable game, the comeback," said Roy who underwent arthroscopic surgery on both knees in mid-January.

"With everything I've been through this season, it all came into that moment there on the court, when guys were grabbing me and cheering me on. It was real special."

LaMarcus Aldridge scored 18 points for Portland and Gerald Wallace recorded a double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds. Dirk Nowitzki led the Mavericks with 20 points.

In Memphis, the eighth seeded Grizzlies hung on for a 91-88 win over the San Antonio Spurs to grab a 2-1 lead over the Western Conference's top seed.

The Grizzlies seized control of the game early with a 14-4 surge spanning the first and second quarter, but needed a rare three-point basket from Zach Randolph with 41.9 seconds secure the victory.

Randolph led the Grizzlies with 25 points while the Spurs were led by Manu Ginobili's 23 points.

In Indianapolis, the Chicago Bulls blitzed the Pacers in the final four minutes but were unable to complete the comeback falling 89-84.

Chicago outscored the Pacers 18-3 over a 3:30 span to move to within one point at 85-84 with 15.3 seconds but Danny Granger, who led the Pacers with 24 points, hit two critical free throws extending the Pacers lead back to three points.

Chicago's Carlos Boozer missed on a clear three point attempt on a broken play with three seconds remaining and Granger hit two more free throws to finish the game.

Joakim Noah led Chicago with 21 points and 14 rebounds and Rose scored 15 points and had 10 assists.

In the late game, the Oklahoma City Thunder rebounded from a dismal third quarter for a 97-94 win over the Denver Nuggets to take a commanding 3-0 series lead.

The Nuggets outscored Oklahoma City 24-15 in the third quarter to take a 73-71 lead into the fourth quarter. Russell Westbrook led the Thunder to victory in the fourth quarter with 13 of his 23 points.

Kevin Durant led the Thunder with 26 points and Kenyon Martin, Nene, and J.R. Smith scored 15 points each for Denver.

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Lakers and Spurs even series 1-1, Thunder up 2-0

(Reuters) - The Los Angeles Lakers came alive following their disappointing playoff opener to grind out an 87-78 victory over the New Orleans Hornets on Wednesday and level their best-of-seven series 1-1.

The San Antonio Spurs also tied up their first round series 1-1 with the Memphis Grizzlies while the Oklahoma Thunder went 2-0 up over Denver.

The defending champion Lakers were shocked in their series opening loss on Sunday when New Orleans point guard Chris Paul ran riot, but they returned with a strong defensive effort and now head to New Orleans for Game Three on Friday.

Andrew Bynum led the way with 17 points and 11 rebounds and Lamar Odom added 16 to offset poor performances from Kobe Bryant (11 points) and Pau Gasol (eight).

"I was just trying to be aggressive defensively," Bynum told reporters. "If I play hard defensively, sometimes we get some stops, some good luck and get transition baskets."

Los Angeles established a six-point halftime lead and were up seven after three quarters before stretching their lead to 15 in the fourth where they held off the Hornets.

New Orleans was limited to just 39 percent shooting. Trevor Ariza scored 22 and Paul had 20 for the visitors.

The Spurs, top-seed in the Western Conference, had to once again fight to earn their 93-87 triumph.

They trailed by three points at half-time but were inspired by Argentine shooting guard Manu Ginobli who missed the opening game of the series through injury but returned with 17 points.

But San Antonio kept their cool and George Hill made sure of the win with four points with free throws.

Sam Young top scored for the Grizzlies with 17 points.

The Thunder comfortably took a 2-0 lead in their series against the Denver Nuggets with Kevin Durant scoring 23 points and Russell Westbrook scoring 21 in the 106-89 win.

The Thunder took charge from the outset and had a 26-point lead early in the second quarter as they secured their second win before the series moves to Denver on Saturday for Game Three.

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Thunder Acquires Perkins and Robinson

(NBA) The Oklahoma City Thunder acquired center Kendrick Perkins and guard Nate Robinson from the Boston Celtics in exchange for forward Jeff Green, center Nenad Krstic and the Los Angeles Clippers' 2012 first-round pick, it was announced today by Executive Vice President and General Manager Sam Presti.

(Thunder) “It is never easy to make decisions such as these and I thank Jeff and Nenad for their contributions to the Thunder organization and to this community. They define professionalism and I wish them the very best in the future,” Presti said. “We had a unique opportunity to add a proven presence in our front court in acquiring Kendrick. He will help anchor our defense while Nate will add depth and athleticism to our backcourt. We are excited to welcome them both to the Thunder organization.” 


(Boston) “We are pleased to welcome Jeff and Nenad to the Celtics,” said Celtics President of Basketball Operations, Danny Ainge. “Jeff is a versatile talent on the offensive end and someone who can play multiple positions while Nenad, who is one of the better shooting big men in the league, gives us good size and length on both ends of the court.”
“We would like to thank both Kendrick and Nate for all of their contributions to the franchise both on and off the court,” said Ainge. “Perk was an integral part of our 2008 championship and we could not have asked for a better person to represent our franchise throughout his tenure with the ballclub. We wish both Nate and Kendrick nothing but the best in their future.”
Perkins (6-10, 280), an NBA champion currently in his 8th NBA season, owns career averages of 6.4 points, 6.1 rebounds, 1.4 blocks, 1.0 assist and 22.3 minutes in 454 NBA games. He has appeared in 12 games (7 starts) this season with the Celtics, averaging 7.3 points and 8.1 rebounds in 26.1 minutes. The center has appeared in 68 postseason games, averaging 6.9 points, 6.8 rebounds, 1.5 blocks and 25.7 minutes. 

Robinson (5-9, 180), the only three-time Slam Dunk winner in NBA history currently in his 6th NBA season, owns career averages of 11.3 points, 2.6 rebounds, 2.6 assists in 393 games. He has seen action in 55 games (11 starts) this season with the Celtics, averaging 7.1 points, 1.9 assists, 1.6 rebounds in 17.9 minutes. The guard has played in 17 postseason contests, averaging 4.2 points, 1.1 assists and 7.5 minutes.

Green, a 6-9 forward, is currently averaging 15.2 points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 49 games this season while starting for Oklahoma City. The former Georgetown Hoya was originally drafted by the Celtics with the fifth overall pick in the 2007 NBA Draft and was traded to the Seattle Supersonics along with Delonte West and Wally Szczerbiak in exchange for Ray Allen and Glen Davis. Green recorded a career-high 37 points against New Jersey this season on December 1, 2010. He has recorded 20 or more points on nine occasions this season and has recorded three double-doubles. In his fourth year in the NBA, Green has posted career averages of 14.2 points, 5.8 rebounds and 1.7 assists in 289 games.

Krstic, a 7-foot center, is currently averaging 7.6 points and 4.4 rebounds in 21.7 minutes per game while starting for the Thunder. The native of Kraljevo, Serbia has recorded a season-high of 18 points against the Chicago Bulls on 12/6/10. Krstic has recorded 10 or more points on 13 occasions this season and has posted one double-double. He recorded a high of 11 rebounds against Orlando on 1/13/11. In his seventh year in the NBA, he has posted career averages of 10.1 points and 5.4 rebounds in 395 games.

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