ROZIER, WASHINGTON HELP HORNETS RALLY PAST HEAT 122-117

By STEVE REED AP Sports Writer

CHARLOTTE, N.C.

(AP) — Terry Rozier scored 31 points, P.J. Washington had 27 and the Charlotte Hornets stopped Miami’s three-game win streak with a 122-117 victory over the Heat yesterday.

LaMelo Ball scored 13 of his 19 points in the fourth quarter as Charlotte improved to 7-16 at home.

Gordon Hayward was a perfect 7 of 7 from the field for 20 points.

Rozier also had seven assists and six rebounds. He was 11 for 19 from the field, including a 5-for-11 performance from 3-point range. He made two buzzer-beater 3s at the end of quarters.

Jimmy Butler scored 28 points for Miami, and Tyler Herro had 24.

The Hornets, who have been hampered by injuries all season, have won four of six for the team’s best stretch of the season. Washington believes it’s a reflection of the team getting healthier.

Charisma

Charlotte’s projected starting five to begin the season is finally back on the floor and appears to be starting to mesh.

“Everybody is back and everybody is healthy — and that is a major difference,” Washington said. “At the end of the day we have to keep going the way we are right now.”

Hayward has struggled with shoulder and hamstring issues, limiting the team’s highest-paid player to just 24 games.

Sunday marked his best game in months.

“He’s playing confident and getting easy baskets and just bullying guys down low,” Washington said. “He’s playing great basketball and I expect that of him every night.”

Whether a now healthy Hornets team can make a playoff push remains to be seen, but coach Steve Clifford remains optimistic.

“Getting ‘Melo and Gordon back, obviously you’re a different team,” Clifford said. “If we can get into playing set groups then we’ll have a good chance to hopefully put some good stretches together. (It helps) when they know who they’re playing with and they know where the shots are coming from.”

The Heat led 62-58 after Rozier banked in a 3 from the midcourt logo to close out the first half.

Miami went on a 10-1 run to start the third quarter. Herro knocked down two

3-pointers to help the Heat open a 13-point lead.

But Charlotte came storming back behind Washington and Rozier, who began knocking down shots from deep.

Charlotte pushed the lead to 12 with 5:54 left on a turnaround jumper by Rozier.

Miami rallied with a 10-0 run. Kyle Lowry found

Bam Adebayo inside for a layup to cut the lead to 108-106.

But Charlotte had another burst as Mason Plumlee got the ball after Rozier won a jump ball and drove to the basket for a score. Ball canned an open 3-pointer to put Charlotte back up 114-106 with 1:50 left.

Washington’s rebound and score off his own miss kept Charlotte up by seven and Plumlee dunked off a pass from Washington to put the game away in the final minute.

Charlotte shot 54.2% from the field and scored 25 points in transition. The Hornets also outrebounded Miami 47-36.

“They have had a lot of injuries but when they have been fully healthy, this team can score much different than their numbers may suggest for the season,” Miami coach Erik Spoelstra said.

“We did not step up defensively, they got a lot of easy run-ups that quickly changed the momentum of the game.” charges, including seconddegree murder.

“Obviously, our city is going through a really tough time right now, I’m kind of focused on that more than basketball,” Jenkins said, adding that the video was “very disturbing.”

UP NEXT Pacers: Host the Lakers on Tuesday. Grizzlies: Host Portland on Wednesday.

By BRIAN DULIK Associated Press

CLEVELAND (AP) the matchup against Ohio State’s junior Oscar Greene.

— Cedi Osman tied his career high with 29 points while making all seven of his shots from behind the arc and the Cleveland Cavaliers built a 40-point lead on their way to a 122-99 rout of the Los Angeles Clippers last night.

All-Star starter Donovan Mitchell had 11 points in his return for Cleveland after missing three games with a strained groin. The Cavaliers never trailed adn took their largest lead of the season at 82-42 on Jarrett Allen’s first 3-pointer since November 5, 2021.

Andrews got second in the race in 7.77 behind Darius Luff, a junior at Nebraska, in 7.70. Greene was fourth in 7.87. Smith and Greene was set to compete in another 60m hurdles, but this time, Smith didn’t compete as Greene got fourth in 7.91 with Luff taking the top time in 7.66. Andrews, however, took the top qualifying time in another 60m hurdles in 7.91.

In another men’s 60m hurdles, Shakeem Smith,

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FROM PAGE 14 rebounds; Ujamma Johnson had nine points and D’Angelo Mackey chipped in with eight points.

Express 75, Eagles 53: Maleak Johnson came up with 16 points and eight rebounds to pace the Produce Express.

Rumalo Ellis had 13 points, eight assists, five rebounds and two steals and Dion Brown had 12 points, eight rebounds, representing the Bahamas, finished third in 7.97 behind winner Tyrin Lewis of UNAT West Texas A&M, who won in 7.87 with Taylor Rooney of UNAT Texas Tech second in 7.95. Smith also placed fourth in the men’s 60m in 6.95. The winning time was 6.64 by Benjamin Azamati of UNAT West Texas A&M, Also on the track, Adrian Curry, a senior at Ohio State, clocked 21.86 to win his heat, but was placed 39th overall. Carey also got third in his heat of the qualifying round of the men’s 60m in 6.85 for 27th place as Ian Myers, a freshman at Auburn, took the top spot three blocks, two assists and a steal. Both Randy Blanfort (10 rebounds and two steals) and Rasean Minns (five rebounds and three blocks) added seven points. Cornelius Rigby had 15 points, nine rebounds, four steals and two assists to pace RC Liquors in the loss. Lorenzo Riley also had 15 points with six rebounds, four assists and as many steals; Mark Sawyer had 10 points, six rebounds, four assists and three steals and Devon Seymour added eight points. in 6.69. And on the field, Shaun Miller Jr, as junior at Ohio State, was fifth overall in the men’s high jump with 7-2 ¼ (2.20m). Omamuyovwi Erhire, a junior at Texas Tech, won with 7-3 ¾ (2.23m).

Shockers 71, Tucker Boys 63: Horris McKenzie (seven rebounds) and Rameno King (126 rebounds and five block shots) both scored 14 points to pace Caro Contractors to victory.

Dominique Fernander (eight rebounds) and Spurgeon Johnson (even rebounds) both had 11 and William Rigby contributed 10 points with nine rebounds, four steals and three assists.

In a losing effort, Leon Bain scored 25 points, eight rebounds, three steals and

Razorback Invitational two assists; Kieran Mortimer had 12 points and 120 rebounds; Clayton Tucker nine points and five rebounds and Randon Swaby eight with 15 rebounds, three assists and as many steals.

At the Razorback Invitational in Fayetteville, Arkansas, Anthaya Charlton, a sophomore at the University of Kentucky, was fifth in the women’s long jump with a personal best leap of 20-7 (6.27m). The winning leap was 21-9 ½ (6.64m) by Jasmine Moore, a junior at Florida.

Charlton also got eighth in the finals of the women’s 60m in 7.49 with McKenzie Long, a senior at Ole Miss, taking the tape in 7.28. In the preliminaries, Charlton was the eighth fastest qualifying time in 7.46. Long had the fastest time of 7.27.

Tonight’s schedule 7pm - Your Essential Store vs Mekaddish Millionaires (DII).

8pm - Tuckers Boys vs Discount Distributors Rockets (D1).

Megan Moss, a junior at Kentucky, was third in her heat, but 30th overall in the women’s 400m in 54.82. Her former team-mate Abby Steiner, competing for the USA, won the event in a meet record and a worldleading time of 50.59 with fellow American Shamier Little, second in 50.64.

Commonwealth Games long jump champion LaQuan Nairn got in some speed work, competing in the men’s 60m where he had the fourth fastest qualifying time of 6.95.

Nairn, however, didn’t contest the final that saw Tinotenda Matiyenga of Zimbabwe win in 6.75.

Wednesday - 7pm - Discount Distributors Rockets vs Cyber Tech (DII).

8 pm Commonwealth Bank Giants vs Zulu Media Marketing (D1).

Friday 7 pm Produce Express vs BIBT Great Whites (DII).

8 pm Leno Regulators vs Sands Dollar (D1).

Saturday 7 pm BIBT Great Whites vs Your Essential Store (DII).

8 pm TMT Giants vs University of the Bahamas (D1).

The Clippers had won five in a row. They opted not to dress forward Kawhi Leonard and guards Paul George and Reggie Jackson, all of whom played Saturday in a victory in Atlanta. Officially, George and Leonard were reported as being out because of right knee trouble and Jackson has a sore right Achilles.

Turkey national team member Osman made 11 of 13 shots on Turkish Heritage Night at Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse. The Cavaliers have the best home record in the East at 21-5.

Darius Garland had 16 points and 10 assists for Cleveland.

Brandon Boston Jr. scored 24 points and Moses Brown had 13 points and 16 rebounds for Los Angeles.

Rookie Jason Preston from Ohio University had season highs of 12 points and eight rebounds.

The performance was in stark contrast to Cleveland’s 120-114 home loss to Golden State nine days earlier, when the Warriors sat Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green and Andrew Wiggins.