Sports

LOS ANGELES — Nikola Jokic scored 35 points as the Denver Nuggets defeated the Golden State Warriors 108-105 in a blockbuster showdown between the two NBA heavyweights on Wednesday.

A pulsating clash featuring the last two NBA champions lived up to the billing, with the Western Conference rivals going toe-to-toe in a game that saw the lead change hands nine times.

After trailing for almost the entire game at Denver’s Ball Arena, the Warriors edged in front heading into the fourth quarter after outscoring Denver 31-23 in the third.

But Denver recovered from a five-point deficit early in the fourth to snatch victory, clinching the win after Klay Thompson’s attempted game-tying buzzer-beater drifted wide.

The victory cemented Denver’s place at the top of the Western Conference, with the reigning NBA champions improving to 8-1.

“We don’t have the pressure of being a champion, we’re just trying to enjoy the moment,” Jokic told ESPN.

“I’m just trying to play the game the right way. And as long as we’re winning I think I’m doing a good job,” added Jokic, who also had 13 rebounds and five assists.

Reggie Jackson backed Jokic with 20 points while Michael Porter Jr. had 17.

Steph Curry’s 23 points led the scoring for the Warriors, the 2022 champions who fell to 6-3 after the loss.

Elsewhere, Joel Embiid posted 27 points with 10 rebounds and four assists as the Philadelphia 76ers secured a sixth straight win of the season with a 106-103 defeat of the Boston Celtics.

Embiid received offensive support from Tyrese Maxey, who finished with 25 points from 11-of-27 shooting, including three from beyond the arc.

The victory leaves Philadelphia in first place in the Eastern Conference on 6-1, with the Milwaukee Bucks second at 5-2.

Kristaps Porzingis led Boston’s scoring with 29 points while Derrick White finished with 19 points and Jayson Tatum 16.

Sixers head coach Nick Nurse paid tribute to the contributions of Maxey and Embiid.

“We’ve got an emerging young star in Tyrese, we’ve got an unbelievable player in Joel, and we’ve got a lot of talented athletes around them who give us some depth,” Nurse said.

In other games, Victor Wembanyama gave a low-key display in his Madison Square Garden debut, where the San Antonio Spurs succumbed 126-105 to the New York Knicks.

Wembanyama, the No.1 Draft pick from France, struggled to find his shooting range, making just 4-of-14 from the field before finishing with 14 points.

Jalen Brunson led the Knicks scorers with 25 points, while RJ Barrett had 24 and Julius Randle 23.

The Spurs loss marked the team’s fourth straight game where they have conceded 120 points or more, and came after Monday’s 152-111 mauling by the Indiana Pacers.

Asked what he had seen from his team in recent performances, Spurs coach Gregg Popovich replied: “What am I seeing? I’m seeing teams score 120 or 130 against us — that’s what I’m seeing.”

Clippers, Lakers stumble 

Also in New York, James Harden was left looking for his first win since joining the Los Angeles Clippers after slumping to a 100-93 defeat to former club the Brooklyn Nets.

Harden was held to just 12 points by the Brooklyn defense. Paul George top-scored for the Clippers with 24 points but was unable to stop Los Angeles slipping to defeat. The Clippers fell to 3-4 for the season.

In Oklahoma City, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander poured in 43 points from 15-of-22 shooting as the Thunder rolled to a 128-120 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Caris LeVert led the Cleveland scorers with 29 points.

In Milwaukee, the Bucks edged past the Detroit Pistons 120-118 thanks to 34 points from new recruit Damian Lillard and 15 from Giannis Antetokounmpo. Seven of the Milwaukee line-up finished with double-digit points totals.

The Los Angeles Lakers’ dismal form on the road continued in Texas, with the Houston Rockets thrashing their visitors 128-94.

Rui Hachimura led the injury-hit Lakers scoring with 24 points, but Los Angeles were always chasing the game after being overrun 32-19 in the first quarter.

The Lakers — who have lost all five of their road games this season — went into Wednesday’s match missing the injured Anthony Davis, Jarred Vanderbilt, Gabe Vincent and Jaxson Hayes.

“It’s tough, we’re juggling different circumstances with guys being in and out of the line-up,” Lakers coach Darvin Ham said.

“But at the end of the day, no one’s gonna feel sorry for you, especially when you’re a Los Angeles Laker.”

BARCELONA — This year in Europe it was supposed to be different, but Barcelona will have to do it the hard way, with coach Xavi Hernandez watching his credit start to drain.

Xavi insisted the Catalans are on the right track after winning La Liga last season and their three opening Champions League matches, but a shock 1-0 defeat by Shakhtar Donetsk stopped them dead in their tracks on a chilling Tuesday night in Hamburg.

Barca were expected to clinch qualification to the Champions League knock-out rounds but fell woefully short, failing to significantly trouble the Ukrainian champions at any point in the game.

“All the European ghosts of previous years came down on Barcelona,” wrote Spanish newspaper Marca.

“The eliminations from past years against Bayern, Benfica, and Inter. And yesterday’s opponent had a much lower level than all of these.”

While Barcelona still lead Group H on nine points, level with their next opponents Porto, and are expected to qualify, pressure has started to build on Xavi.

Barcelona have not won the Champions League since 2015 and after gambling a chunk of the club’s future income to make a slew of signings in 2022, are desperate to reestablish themselves among Europe’s elite.

Many Spanish outlets considered the Shakhtar loss, against a team from war-torn Ukraine, who have to play their matches at a neutral stadium, a humiliation.

“Barca, beaten by Shakhtar, are the ‘jester’ of Europe,” ran a headline in newspaper El Pais.

It arrives hot on the heels of two other disappointments.

Losing the Clasico in stoppage time against rivals Real Madrid on October 28 was a morale blow, and even though Barca beat Real Sociedad 1-0 on Saturday, they were lucky to do so after a weak performance.

What they offered against Shakhtar was more of the same, with Xavi suggesting it might be a “mental” problem, rather than a physical one or an issue with the team’s football.

“Xavi’s big problem is that he does not have a clear diagnosis of what is happening to the team,” argued radio journalist Manolo Lama, on station Cadena Cope.

Further to that, the coach does not seem to know what his best starting line-up is, or even which system to use.

Against Real Madrid he switched to a formation with three centre-backs, sticking to it against Real Sociedad, where it was dismantled with ease.

In the Shakhtar defeat he reverted to Barcelona’s classic 4-3-3 with two wide forwards, but Shakhtar negated it by asking their wingers to track back diligently.

Spearhead Robert Lewandowski is blunter than he has been in a decade, with no goals in his last six games for the club, while the 35-year-old’s unwillingness or inability to press is setting Barca back.

Roque road 

Spanish reports suggest the club are looking for a way to bring in striker Vitor Roque in January.

The Catalans have already signed the 18-year-old from Brazilian side Athletico Paranaense but do not currently have the financial leeway to register him in the winter window.

It might be one way of arresting the slump the team have fallen into, a far cry from mid-September when they thrashed Real Betis and Royal Antwerp 5-0 back-to-back.

Xavi heralded those performances as among the best of his two years in charge, but on Tuesday they were operating at the other end of the spectrum.

Even though Barcelona will likely still progress, it was a performance to suggest advancing beyond that will pose a significant challenge.

The Catalans have improved under Xavi, but perhaps not quite enough to satisfy president Joan Laporta or a demanding fanbase.

“When I don’t feel I can provide the solutions, I will step aside and go home,” said Xavi a year ago, as Barca faced Champions League elimination. The team is calling out for solutions now.

LOS ANGELES — Anthony Edwards scored 38 points as the Minnesota Timberwolves ended the Boston Celtics’ unbeaten start to the season on Monday while James Harden made a losing start in his Los Angeles Clippers debut.

Edwards’ points tally included eight in overtime to help Minnesota claim a 114-109 win over a Celtics team who owned the last undefeated record in the league prior to the game.

“I let my team down in the last quarter by missing two shots; I said to myself I’ve got to make up for it by taking over in overtime,” Edwards said after the win.

Jaden McDaniels gave Edwards offensive support with 20 points, including a jump shot with 16 seconds remaining that effectively sealed victory for Minnesota.

“We’re the dynamic duo,” Edwards quipped. “I trust him. I give him the ball whenever he wants; he’s the reason we won tonight.”

Elsewhere Monday, new Clippers recruit Harden finished with 17 points and six assists but could not prevent his new team falling to a 111-97 road defeat to the New York Knicks.

The 34-year-old former NBA Most Valuable Player was one of five Clippers players in double figures but Tyronn Lue’s star-studded lineup were outgunned by the Knicks’ R.J. Barrett and Julius Randle, who combined for 53 points.

Clippers coach Lue liked what he saw from Harden despite his team’s defeat.

“I thought James was really good,” Lue said. “It’s going to take him a little time to get in game shape, we understand that. But his presence on the floor was definitely felt.”

New York ran away with the game in a one-sided fourth quarter, outscoring the Clippers 35-21 for a win that sees them improve to 3-4 in the Eastern Conference.

Wembanyama struggles 

In other games on Monday, Indiana gave rising San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama a reality check in a 152-111 drubbing.

Wembanyama had earned rave reviews after posting 20 points against Toronto on Sunday and 38 points in a victory over Phoenix last Thursday.

But the 19-year-old’s hot hand went stone cold in Indianapolis, with the French teenager shooting just 3-of-12 from the field to finish 13 points.

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said only two of his players — Keldon Johnson and Zach Collins — had performed well.

“They were the only guys on our team who showed consistent, decent play,” Popovich said. “A lot of that had to do with Indiana — they were on fire and jumped on us.”

Asked about Wembanyama’s contribution, Popovich added: “He moved well. But like I said — only two guys played decently.”

In Miami, meanwhile, LeBron James scored 30 points against his old club, but the Los Angeles Lakers were edged out 108-107 by last year’s NBA Finals runners-up.

A James layup and a free throw got the Lakers to within one point with 2min 39sec remaining in the fourth quarter.

But Miami’s defence kept the Lakers scoreless for the remainder of the contest and Cam Reddish missed a potential game-winning jump shot with four seconds remaining as the Heat held on for the win.

In Philadelphia, reigning MVP Joel Embiid erupted for 48 points as the Sixers cruised to a 146-128 defeat of the Washington Wizards, who are bottom of the Eastern Conference with just one win in six games.

Embiid was in imperious form for the Sixers, making 17-of-25 from the field while draining a perfect 14 out of 14 from the free throw line. The Sixers improved to 5-1.

In the Western Conference, meanwhile, Steph Curry’s sizzling start to the season continued as the Golden State Warriors defeated the Detroit Pistons 120-109.

Curry is averaging more than 30 points a game in the league this season and added another 34 in Monday’s win. The Warriors improved to 6-2 to remain in third place.

In Denver, the defending NBA champion Nuggets produced a scintillating second-half comeback to sink the New Orleans Pelicans 134-116.

Denver trailed by 20 points in the second quarter after a fast start from the Pels, but came roaring back to outscore their opponents 75-45 after halftime.

Two-time MVP Nikola Jokic contributed a 35-point triple-double which included 14 rebounds and 12 assists in a remarkable second-half turnaround by Denver.

WASHINGTON — Kevin Durant scored 41 points to lead the Phoenix Suns over Detroit and former Suns coach Monty Williams on Sunday while Britain’s O.G. Anunoby sparked Toronto’s stunning NBA rally at San Antonio.

Toronto made a 22-point fightback to beat the Spurs 123-116 in overtime while the Cleveland Cavaliers sparkled as well, snapping a 12-game regular-season losing streak to Golden State dating to Christmas 2016.

Durant added five assists, four rebounds, three blocked shots and a steal to power the Suns past the host Pistons 120-106.

“He was terrific, scored the ball every way you can, really wants it,” Suns coach Frank Vogel said. “Just a really terrific performance. He’s really good at basketball and he showed it tonight.”

The Suns outscored Detroit in every quarter as Eric Gordon contributed 21 points and eight assists for Phoenix, which snapped a three-game losing skid.

“We’re excited because we finally got a win,” Durant said.

Cade Cunningham led Detroit with 26 points in the first regular-season matchup between the Suns and their former coach Williams.

After Williams was fired as the Suns’ coach following a second-round play-off exit last season, Detroit signed him to a six-year deal worth $78.5 million.

The Suns were without Bradley Beal, sidelined by back spasms, and Devin Booker, out with a calf strain.

Raptors rally 

At Cleveland, Donovan Mitchell scored 31 points and Darius Garland added 24 to power the Cavaliers over Golden State 115-104.

“The biggest thing for us is that we put together a full game,” Mitchell said. “We fought hard. That’s a tough team. They have a lot of guys who have won championship rings and we’re trying to get to that level. We’ve got to continue this momentum.”

Evan Mobley added a game-high 16 rebounds for the Cavs.

“He was dominant,” Mitchell said.

Stephen Curry led the Warriors with 28 points, hitting 7-of-11 shots from 3-point range, while Draymond Green added 18 points for Golden State, which saw a five-game win streak ended.

At San Antonio, 26-year-old English forward Anunoby scored 24 points for the Raptors, hitting a career-best seven 3-pointers to spark a shocking comeback over star French rookie Victor Wembanyama’s Spurs.

Scottie Barnes sparkled for Toronto with a game-high 30 points, 11 rebounds, six assists, three steals and three blocked shots.

Anunoby sank the tying basket off a rebound with one second remaining to send the game into overtime at 110-110. His 3-pointer in the extra session game Toronto a 118-112 edge.

German guard Dennis Schroder added 24 points for the Raptors.

Keldon Johnson led San Antonio with 26 points while Zach Collins added 21 points and 11 rebounds and Wembanyama contributed 20 points, nine rebounds, five blocked shots and four assists for the Spurs.

Memphis finally wins 

Desmond Bane scored 30 points and Jaren Jackson added 27 to spark previously winless Memphis to victory, the Grizzlies improving to 1-6 with a 112-100 triumph at Portland.

At Dallas, Slovenian guard Luka Doncic had 23 points, 12 rebounds and nine assists to spark the Dallas Mavericks over Charlotte 124-118.

Kyrie Irving had 18 points and 10 assists for the Mavs, 5-1 overall and 3-0 at home, while Grant Williams scored 18 points and Dereck Lively added 15 points and 14 rebounds.

LaMelo Ball led the Hornets with a triple double of 30 points, 13 assists and 10 rebounds.

AMMAN — Faisali host Qatar’s Sadd as they resume AFC Champions League round robin group stages Group B matches on Monday.

The team will try to make up for their last disappointing away game against their Qatari guests when they lost 6-0, after earlier  losses to UAE’s Sharjah and to Uzbekistan’s Nasaf Qarshi 1-0.

The top team from each group will advance to Round 2 alongside the top 3 second placed teams.

Faisali are trying hard to stabilise the team’s performance and lineup after inconsistent coaching staff, injuries and unwarranted mistakes in defence and offence leading to their worst results ever including losing 6-0 to Sadd.

They played week 7 of the Jordan Pro League this week beating Jalil 4-0 to stay third.

On the other hand, Wihdat who with Faisali had less than two weeks to amend the breaches in lineup and strategy before they resume Asian Football Confederation AFC Cup and AFC Champions League matches respectively, resume their Asian Cup matches on Tuesday.

Wihdat will play Iraq’s Kahraba’a in Basra having taken the lead in the second tier Asian competition after the initial three rounds. Playing in Group B, Wihdat beat Kahraba’a 3-1 after they lost to Kuwait SC 2-1 and beat Aleppo’s Ittihad 2-0 in the first leg.

They will need to top the group to secure their spot and advance , as only the best runner-up among 3 West Asia groups will advance as well.

Wihdat head into the AFC Cup after beating Salt 1-0 and staying at second after week 7 of the Jordan Pro League, with Hussein keeping a slim 2 point lead.

LOS ANGELES — Golden State star Stephen Curry drained the winning layup with two-tenths of a second remaining on Friday as the Warriors opened the NBA’s new in-season tournament with a dramatic 141-139 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder.

In a game featuring 23 lead changes, it was tied at 139-139 when Curry drove to the basket and rose to bank in a shot.

But teammate Draymond Green, whose hand was near the rim, was called for offensive goaltending — only for the call to be overturned to allow the Warriors to celebrate the win.

Curry finished with a game-high 30 points, connecting on five of 10 three-pointers and nine of 15 overall.

Green scored 15 points with five rebounds and Chris Paul handed out 13 assists.

Lu Dort scored 29 points and Chet Holmgren added 24 for Oklahoma City, who were without leading scorer Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, sidelined by a knee injury.

Even without him, the Thunder weren’t about to go quietly. The Warriors led by two at halftime, but Dort scored 11 points early in the third to put Oklahoma City up by five before the Warriors battled back, knotting the score at 106-106 heading into the fourth.

“They took it to us the whole game,” said Warriors coach Steve Kerr, who admitted he feared the worst when officials reviewed the interference call on Green.

From courtside, Kerr said, Curry’s shot looked good.

“When I saw the replay on the scoreboard, it looked like Draymond touched the rim,” Kerr said. “And I guess it’s just a determination of did it affect the shot.

“I was sort of expecting them to overturn [Curry’s basket], but obviously they allowed it and we escaped.”

It was among the most dramatic moments on the first night of the new Cup-style tournament that commissioner Adam Silver hopes will fire players’ competitive instincts and give added interest to games early in the season.

The 30 clubs were drawn into six groups of five, and each team will play a total of four tournament games this month to decide six group winners and two wildcard qualifiers for the quarter-finals.

All games in the new tournament count in the regular season standings except for the final on December 9 in Las Vegas.

Reigning NBA champions Denver took the opportunity to hand the Dallas Mavericks their first defeat of the season, 125-114.

Two-time NBA Most Valuable Player Nikola Jokic scored 33 points on 14-of-16 shooting, adding 14 rebounds and nine assists as the Nuggets bounced back from their lone defeat so far this season.

Denver scored 20 second-chance points, dominating in the paint to deny a Mavs team led by 34 points from Luka Doncic. Kyrie Irving, back after missing two games, scored 22 for Dallas.

The first win of the new competition went to the Indiana Pacers, who were fueled by 27 points from Myles Turner in a 121-116 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Tyrese Haliburton added 18 points and 13 assists for the Pacers, who led by as many as 18 but had to claw back after the Cavs, led by 38 points and nine assists from Donovan Mitchell, grabbed a four-point lead midway through the fourth quarter.

Bucks hold off Knicks 

It was close in Chicago, where Dorian Finney-Smith scored 21 points and Mikal Bridges added 20 for the Brooklyn Nets in a 109-107 victory over the Bulls.

In Portland, the Trail Blazers edged the Memphis Grizzles 115-113 in overtime.

Bridges’s dunk with 1:13 remaining gave the Nets a 108-104 lead. Zach Lavine answered with a floater but then missed two shots, and with the Nets up 109-107, LaVine was off-target again as time expired.

“We’ve got a lot of grit — and we want to win,” Bridges said of the Nets’ determined fourth-quarter effort.

In Milwaukee, Damian Lillard scored 15 of his 30 points in the fourth quarter, draining the go-ahead three-pointer with 1:03 to play as the Bucks held off the New York Knicks 110-105.

Milwaukee withstood 45 points from Jalen Brunson, whose three-pointer with 1:10 remaining put the Knicks up for the first time since the second quarter, 103-101.

Lillard drained a three-pointer and converted a three-point play to rebuild the Bucks’ lead, and two big blocks from Brook Lopez — who had eight — helped the Bucks maintain the edge.

Giannis Antetokounmpo added 22 points, eight rebounds and six assists for the Bucks, who had six players score in double figures.

LOS ANGELES — The defending NBA champion Denver Nuggets crashed to their first defeat of the season in an upset 110-89 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday, while Boston extended their unbeaten start with a brutal thrashing of Indiana.

Denver began the season in imperious form, building to a 4-0 start, but were stopped in their tracks after a dominant performance from the Timberwolves at Minneapolis’s Target Centre.

Anthony Edwards led the Minnesota scoring with 24 points while Karl-Anthony Towns finished with 21 in a wire-to-wire victory for the Timberwolves, who led by 19 points at half-time.

Rudy Gobert delivered a crucial defensive performance with 12 rebounds and two blocks to help shut down Denver’s free-scoring offense.

Two-time NBA Most Valuable Player Nikola Jokic led the Denver scorers with 25 points, 10 rebounds and three assists.

“It just shows what we’re capable of, honestly,” Minnesota’s Mike Conley said after the win. “We know we can be a great team — we’ve got to put it together for four quarters.

“Tonight we beat a really good team and were able to stick with the easy things and let that just bring us home,” added Conley, who finished with 17 points.

While Denver kissed goodbye to their unbeaten record, there were no such problems for the Celtics, who romped to a 155-104 blowout over the Pacers to improve to 4-0 at the top of the Eastern Conference.

The points total was the second-highest ever in Celtics history, behind the 173 scored in a win over Minneapolis in 1959.

Jayson Tatum led Boston with 30 points and 12 rebounds, with Derrick White adding 18 points and Sam Hauser 17 from five three-pointers.

LeBron snaps streak 

The game was over as a contest well before the finish, allowing Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla to rest his starters for the entirety of the fourth quarter.

In other games, LeBron James produced a vintage 35-point performance as the Los Angeles Lakers staged a second-half rally to end their 11-game losing streak to city rivals the Los Angeles Clippers with a 130-125 overtime victory.

The Lakers trailed by 19 points early in the game but roared back in the second half to complete a dramatic win, the team’s first over the Clippers since 2020.

For long periods James appeared to be locked in a toe-to-toe battle with Clippers veteran Paul George, who scored 20 points in a remarkable fourth quarter to force the contest to overtime.

George, who finished with 35 points, fouled out early in overtime and momentum swung back to the Lakers who closed out the win.

James received scoring support from Anthony Davis and D’Angelo Russell with 27 points each, while Austin Reaves added 15.

In San Francisco, Klay Thompson drained a jump shot with 0.2 seconds remaining to clinch a thrilling 102-101 win for the Golden State Warriors over the Sacramento Kings.

Thompson’s last-gasp bucket settled an engrossing duel between the two northern California teams which saw the lead change hands no fewer than 12 times.

The Warriors improve to 4-1 to move up to second in the Western Conference standings.

In Toronto, the Milwaukee Bucks fell to 2-2 for the season after slumping to a 130-111 defeat on the road.

Pascal Siakam scored 26 points in a balanced offensive effort for the Raptors, who saw all five starters finish in double figures.

German international Dennis Schroder had 24 points and Scottie Barnes added 21 as Toronto outgunned the Bucks’ twin-pronged line-up led by Giannis Antetokounmpo and new signing Damian Lillard.

Antetokounmpo was restricted to 16 points while Lillard finished with 15 as the Raptors cruised to their second win of the season against a Bucks team led by their former assistant coach Adrian Griffin.

In Dallas, the Mavericks maintained their perfect start to the season to improve to 4-0 with a 114-105 defeat of the Chicago Bulls.

Grant Williams had 25 points, Tim Hardaway Jr. posted 24 points while Luka Doncic added 18 points with 10 assists as Dallas overturned a five-point deficit early in the fourth quarter to close out victory.

LOS ANGELES — Victor Wembanyama scored 18 points as the San Antonio Spurs staged a dramatic comeback to snatch a last-gasp 115-114 victory over Kevin Durant and the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday.

San Antonio, coming off a brutal 40-point mauling by the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday, looked to be heading for another heavy defeat after Phoenix cruised into a 20-point lead early in the third quarter.

But a thrilling duel in Phoenix was turned on its head by San Antonio in the fourth quarter, who outscored the Suns 33-19 in the final frame to secure victory.

French prodigy Wembanyama, the No.1 NBA Draft pick, played a crucial role in the comeback, with a jump shot from 15 feet making it a three-point game with 49 seconds left on the clock.

The 2.24m tall teenager then tipped in a dunk to make it a one-point game with seven seconds remaining.

The decisive play however came from forward Keldon Johnson, who wrestled the ball away from a stunned Durant before driving to the basket for a layup that handed San Antonio their first lead of the game with just two seconds remaining.

There was still time for Durant to launch an attempted buzzer-beater, but his shot missed to leave San Antonio celebrating their first road win of the season.

“It wasn’t our prettiest game but we’re learning every day and we’re on the right path,” the 19-year-old Wembanyama told broadcaster TNT after the win.

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich saluted his team’s ability to keep grinding away in search of a victory.

“We made a gazillion mistakes — but it’s a game of mistakes. And so does every team,” Popovich said.

“But we just kept playing and that’s the best thing about the group. I was really proud of them.”

‘Eager to sacrifice’ 

Wembanyama was one of five San Antonio players who finished in double figures.

Johnson led the Spurs scoring with 27 points while Wembanyama also had eight rebounds and four blocks.

The youngster from Paris revealed he had been determined not to be overawed by lining up against one of his NBA idols in Durant, who finished with 26 points to lead the Phoenix scoring.

“I mean KD, he’s just like in the highlights,” Wembanyama said of Durant.

“Sometimes I want to think like ‘This is a guy I’ve watched for 10 years, like my idol’. But I’ve got to lock in because I know he’s going to try and step on me the whole game. So I don’t care he’s my idol.”

Durant lamented conceding the late turnover from Johnson that ultimately cost Phoenix the win.

“It just happened so fast,” Durant said. “I should have held on to it.”

Wembanyama, who arrived in the NBA declaring he hoped to help San Antonio become championship contenders once again, added that the team’s transformation would require patience.

“How patient I am? As patient as we need to be. I’m new here,” he said. “I don’t know yet what it takes to win a championship but I’m eager to find out and make the sacrifices.

“The good thing is I have total trust in my organisation and my coach so you know, it’s going to take time.”

San Antonio’s win in Phoenix was one of three games in the NBA on Tuesday.

In Los Angeles, the Clippers hosted the Orlando Magic with new recruit James Harden in the building following his blockbuster trade from the Philadelphia 76ers.

Television footage showed Harden meeting his new team-mates in the locker room ahead of the clash, which the Clippers went on to win 118-102.

In the day’s other game, the New York Knicks outgunned the Cleveland Cavaliers on the road with Julius Randle and Jalen Brunson scoring 19 points apiece in a 109-91 victory.

KOLKATA — Shaheen Shah Afridi grabbed three wickets while openers Fakhar Zaman and Abdullah Shafique cracked half-centuries as Pakistan stormed to a seven-wicket victory over Bangladesh on Tuesday to stay afloat in the race for a World Cup semi-final place.

Shaheen’s 3-23 helped Pakistan dismiss Bangladesh for just 204 in 45.1 overs before Zaman’s 74-ball 81 and Shafique’s 69-ball 68 guided Pakistan over the line for the loss of three wickets with 105 balls to spare.

The victory revived Pakistan’s outside hopes of reaching the semifinals with six points from seven matches.

They still need to win against New Zealand (November 4 in Bengaluru) and England (Kolkata on November 11) and also hope other results go their way if they are to stay in the tournament.

In contrast, Bangladesh became the first side to crash out of the 10-team event with just one win from seven games.

“We are trying to win our next two matches and let’s see where we stand. We will take a lot of confidence into those matches,” said Pakistan skipper Babar Azam who singled out Zaman for special praise.

“We know when Fahkar plays the way he can for 20-30 overs it is a different ball game. So we let him play his natural game and it is good to see.”

Needing to improve their net run-rate, Zaman and Shafique cruised to 128 by the 22nd over.

Shafique hit nine boundaries and two sixes as he made his third half century in addition to a hundred in the tournament.

He fell leg-before to spinner Mehidy Hasan Miraz while Azam holed out to the same bowler for nine.

Zaman, who recovered from a knee injury to replace Imam-ul-Haq in one of three changes for Pakistan, smashed seven sixes and three boundaries, his 16th ODI fifty, but first after 11 innings.

He holed out to Miraz in the 28th over but Mohammad Rizwan (26) and Iftikhar Ahmed (17) remained undefeated to complete the modest chase.

Miraz finished with 3-60, the only bright spot in Bangladesh’s bowling.

“Two more matches hopefully we can bounce back. The fans supported us and are behind us whether we are doing well or not,” said Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan.

“We have to give something back to them so they can smile.”

Shaheen’s 100th wicket 

Earlier, Shaheen and fellow fast bowlers Mohammad Wasim (3-31) and Haris Rauf (2-36) ripped through Bangladesh.

The pace trio were too hot to handle as Bangladesh struggled on a dry and slow Eden Gardens pitch.

Bangladesh, which won the toss and batted, only passed the 200-mark thanks to a solid 70-ball 56 from Mahmudullah, 45 by Liton Das and Shakib’s 64-ball 43.

Shaheen struck with the fifth ball of his first over, trapping opener Tanzid Hasan right in front of the stumps and then saw Usama Mir clutch on to a flick off Najmul Hossain Shanto (four) in his next.

The first dismissal gave Shaheen his 100th wicket in his 51st One-Day International, making him the 21st Pakistani bowler with a century of wickets.

Pace partner Haris made it 23-3 with the wicket of veteran Mushfiqur Rahim, caught behind for five in the sixth over.

It took a 79-run stand between Mahmudullah and Liton to carry Bangladesh to 102 when Iftikhar broke the stand with a soft dismissal of Liton, caught off a loose shot. Liton hit six boundaries in his 64-ball knock.

Shaheen came back for his second spell to finish off Mahmudullah, bowling him with a superb outswinger that hit the top of the off stump. Mahmudullah’s knock had a six and six boundaries.

Shaheen joined Australian spinner Adam Zampa as the top wicket-taker at this World Cup with 16.

Shakib, who had a poor tournament with just 61 runs in five innings ahead of Tuesday’s game, mistimed a hook off Rauf and was caught by Agha Salman after hitting four boundaries.

Miraz hit a six and a boundary to score a 30-ball 25 but Wasim removed him and then Taskin Ahmed (six) and Mustafizur Rahman (three) in successive overs as Bangladesh lost their last six wickets for 74 runs.