NBA
Wilson Chandler scored a career-high 36 points and grabbed 12 rebounds, helping the Denver Nuggets beat the Sacramento Kings 108-96 on Monday night.
The Nuggets snapped a five-game skid against Sacramento and remained entrenched in the Western Conference’s final playoff spot.
Darren Collison led seven Kings players in doubles figures with 17 points as they dropped their fifth straight. The team was coming off a tough loss the night before when Utah’s Rudy Gobert tipped in a missed jumper as time expired in overtime on a play that was initially ruled goaltending.
Andrew Bogut broke his left leg less than one minute into his Cleveland debut and the Cavaliers were outgunned 106-98 by the surging Miami Heat, who beat the NBA champions for the second time in three nights. Dion Waiters scored 29 points, Goran Dragic added 21 as the Heat held off a late rally by the Cavs.
Kawhi Leonard scored 39 points, including 17 in the fourth quarter, and made big plays on both ends in the final 30 seconds as the San Antonio Spurs rallied for a 112-110 victory over the Houston Rockets. Leonard outscored James Harden 17-4 in the final quarter of a matchup between two leading MVP candidates as the Spurs won their eighth straight.
COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Nigel Williams-Goss had 25 points and eight rebounds, and No. 4 Gonzaga secured a spot in the West Coast Conference title game for the 20th straight season with a 77-68 victory over pesky Santa Clara on Monday night. Gonzaga will seek its fifth straight conference championship Tuesday night against St. Mary’s.
Jordan Washington had 21 points and 10 rebounds, and Iona held off Siena 87-86 in overtime on Monday night to win the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference title and earn a bid to the NCAA Tournament. Despite playing with four fouls, Washington scored six points in the tense extra period. Marquis Wright hit a 3 at the final buzzer as Siena came up just short.
T.J. Cromer scored 23 points, and East Tennessee State beat top-seeded UNC Greensboro 79-74 to win the Southern Conference Tournament championship and an NCAA bid.
C.J. Bryce scored 24 points, and UNC Wilmington clinched its second straight NCAA Tournament berth with a 78-69 victory over College of Charleston in the Colonial Athletic Association championship.
(Stories Courtesy Associated Press)