LeBron James scores 31 while wearing a mask in Heat rout

LeBron James scored 31 points, Dwyane Wade added 23 and the Heat used a huge third quarter to run away and eventually rout the New York Knicks, 108-82, on Thursday night at Miami.

James donned a dark mask to protect his broken nose and was clearly unencumbered, hitting 13 of 19 shots and topping 30 points for the fifth consecutive game.

Wade shot 10 for 13 from the field for Miami, which outscored New York, 23-3, over the final 7:02 of the third and won its sixth straight.

The Heat shot 61%, while the Knicks shot 37%.

Carmelo Anthony scored 29 points for New York, but none in the final 21:38. Tyson Chandler had 19 points and 16 rebounds for the Knicks, who fell to 2-10 in February.

The Heat are 41-7 in February games over the last four seasons.

Washington 134, at Toronto 129 (3OT): The Wizards' Trevor Ariza scored the go-ahead basket on a fastbreak layup with 1:20 left in the third overtime. Marcin Gortat fouled out with 31 points and 12 rebounds, John Wall also had 31 points, and Ariza fouled out with 16 points and 10 rebounds for the Wizards, who won their fifth straight and improved to 2-0 since losing Nene to a knee injury. DeMar DeRozan scored 34 points in 58 minutes for the Raptors.

Brooklyn 112, at Denver 89: Paul Pierce scored 18 points as the Nets rebounded from their worst loss in 11 years. Randy Foye had 15 points to lead the Nuggets, who have lost four in a row and nine of 10.

at Indiana 101, Milwaukee 96: Roy Hibbert had 24 points and 12 rebounds to help the Pacers rally. Indiana, an NBA-leading 44-13 overall and an NBA-best 28-3 at home, blew a 17-point lead in the first half. Indiana starting guard George Hill took a nasty spill along the baseline late in the game. He was favoring his left shoulder as he walked off the court. Hill had nine points.

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USC makes late push but falls to Oregon State, 76-66

Southern California got some rain, but the drought continued for USC's basketball team as the Trojans dropped their ninth consecutive game Thursday night at the Galen Center, 76-66, against Oregon State.

The Trojans made a second-half push, going on a 14-2 run late in the game to cut their deficit to 70-64 with a minute left.

But the Trojans (10-18, 1-14 in Pac-12 Conference play) could not overcome a 37.3% shooting percentage and saw the Beavers improve to 15-12, 7-8.

Oregon State led the entire game, starting with a 6-0 run before the Trojans' leading scorer, junior guard Byron Wesley, got USC on the board with a jump shot.

But even with the return of Wesley, who had served a two-game suspension for violating an unspecified team rule, USC could not improve its record.

Wesley struggled early, scoring only five points in the first half and nine for the game before fouling out with 25 seconds left. He had been averaging 17.6 points per game, 22 in the five games leading up to his suspension.

USC Coach Andy Enfield didn't think the time off had affected Wesley, saying that he practiced as well this week as he has all season.

"I don't think two days affected him," Enfield said. "I think Oregon State affected him" with its size.

Senior guard J.T. Terrell gave the Trojans a spark in the second half after scoring only three points by halftime. He ended the night with 21 points to lead the team.

Oregon State's Roberto Nelson, the top scorer in the Pac-12, led the Beavers with 14 points. Sophomore Angus Brandt contributed 13 points but only two in the second half, when USC made its comeback attempt.

The Trojans continued their struggles from beyond the arc. They missed all eight of their three-point attempts in the first half and ended up shooting 22.2% from three-point range, making only four of 18 attempts.

Eric Moreland had 14 rebounds, helping the Beavers out-rebound the Trojans 39-31. He also had three blocks and is Oregon State's career leader in that category.

This is the third time in five seasons Oregon State has swept the conference series against USC.

If the Trojans do not win one of their three remaining conference games, it will be the second time in three seasons that they have had only one victory in conference play.

james.barragan@com

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UCLA comes up shy in double-overtime loss to Oregon

UCLA's two best players couldn't play.

The Bruins' top two scorers couldn't take shots. Their best rebounder wasn't around to rebound. Their best defender wasn't there to defend.

Oddly it didn't seem to matter that guards Jordan Adams and Kyle Anderson were suspended hours for Thursday's Pac-12 Conference game against Oregon.

Sure the Bruins were handed the expected loss. But the Ducks had to extend themselves to the limit before taking an 87-83 victory in double overtime at Pauley Pavilion.

David Wear sank a three-pointer at the buzzer to tie the score, 71-71, at the end of regulation. Oregon's Jonathan Loyd missed a jumper at the end of overtime.

The Ducks finally outlasted the Bruins by making five of six free throws in the last 39 seconds of the second overtime.

Joseph Young had 26 points and Jason Calliste added 18 to give the Ducks (19-8 overall, 7-8 in Pac-12 play) a much-needed victory. But if the Bruins (21-7 and 10-5) were looking for a defining moment as they turn toward postseason play, this was pretty close.

UCLA rallied from a 14-point deficit in the second half to force overtime in a game the Bruins seemed to have little chance of winning from the start. Yet, it still left them empty.

"We didn't have any practice without those guys," David Wear said. "To put forth that effort and lose hurts."

Or, as Alford said, "Losing is not expected. We're UCLA."

It was expected Thursday.

The Bruins found out in the late afternoon that they would be without Adams and Anderson.

Alford and fellow freshman Zach LaVine plugged the holes in the lineup. Alford played 49 minutes, finishing with 31 points and six assists. LaVine played 48 minutes, contributing 18 points and eight rebounds.

"We knew the type of team we have from top to bottom," Alford said.

Still, the Bruins need some CPR from Norman Powell.

The Ducks seemed to have the game in hand with a 51-37 lead midway through the second half.

Powell scored nine consecutive points to help cut the deficit to six, 56-50, with five minutes left. He scored 13 of his 14 points in the second half.

The Bruins kept chasing, with Alford and LaVine making big baskets. It didn't seem to matter.

Young sank two free throws with 1.3 seconds left to give the Ducks a three-point lead. But someone neglected to cover David Wear on the inbounds play. Wear took a long pass from his brother Travis and buried a three-pointer from 30 feet at the buzzer.

"I started running down court and realized no one picked me up," David Wear said. "We made eye contact and he threw a perfect pass to line me up."

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Arizona avenges defeat, tops California

Nick Johnson scored 22 points, Kaleb Tarczewski added 16 and No. 3 Arizona quickly turned its rematch with California into an 87-59 rout Wednesday night at Tucson.

Cal won the first meeting 60-58 on a last-second jumper by Justin Cobbs that sent the students pouring onto the court.

Arizona ran away from the Bears early in the rematch, using a big first-half run and 50% shooting to prevent the season sweep.

T.J. McConnell had 13 points and six assists, and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson provided a lift off the bench with 12 points and 10 rebounds.

Johnson also had seven rebounds and five assists after struggling the first game against the Bears.

Cal struggled at times against Arizona's defensive pressure and had little chance of stopping the Wildcats at the other end to lose for the 17th time in 19 games at McKale Center.

Cobbs led the Bears with 12 points.

Arizona wanted a little revenge after what happened in the first meeting against Cal.

The Wildcats entered the Feb. 1 game with the No. 1 ranking and a school-record 21-game winning streak. They left Berkeley with their first loss of the season — thanks to Cobbs' stepback jumper with 0.9 seconds left — and with forward Brandon Ashley in a walking boot after he injured his right foot going up for a rebound in the first half.

Ashley is done for the season, but Arizona has found ways to win without him, picking up three victories in four games.

at Arizona State 76, Stanford 64: Jahii Carson scored 26 points — 23 in the second half — and the Sun Devils held on in the second half to end the Cardinal's winning streak at three games.

With the win, the Sun Devils move into a four-way tie for third place in the Pac-12 with three games to play. California, Stanford, Colorado and the Sun Devils are all 9-6 in conference play.

Jermaine Marshall added 16 points, including 12 during a key 10-minute stretch of the first half, as Arizona State opened up a 10-point lead and never looked back.

Anthony Brown led Stanford with 21 points and Chasson Randle made six of nine shots in the first half, but only scored two points in the second half, finishing with 17 points before fouling out with 7:11 left.

Arizona State bounced back from back-to-back losses after upsetting then-No. 2 Arizona on Feb. 14.

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Clippers' DeAndre Jordan a defensive dynamo

Have a nice day.

Dwight Howard actually didn't look happy for most of the Rockets' 101-93 loss Wednesday night at Staples Center, perhaps mindful that he was not the best defensive player on the floor.

That title went to Jordan, a 6-foot-11, 265-pound block of granite with an equally massive accelerator. He was citius, altius, fortius without needing a passport to Sochi.

BOX SCORE: Clippers 101, Houston Rockets 93

Jordan stole a James Harden pass intended for Howard late in the fourth quarter and led the fastbreak, finding Matt Barnes for a layup that gave the Clippers a seven-point lead.

"I almost gave Matt like a fake pass because I never really get to push the break like that," Jordan joked. "Nah, Matt was wide open, so it was an easy play to make."

His arms and legs were constantly in motion, giving the Rockets whiplash on both ends of the court. One moment he's snatching an alley-oop pass from Chris Paul for a dunk. The next he's elevating to block a Chandler Parsons three-pointer in the corner.

Jordan tallied four blocked shots and three steals, enhancing his reputation as one of the game's top stoppers.

"D.J. has been so important for us with his energy, with his emotion, driving our guys on defense," Clippers Coach Doc Rivers said. "He's been great."

Jordan also had 13 points and 10 rebounds as the Clippers improved to 3-0 this season against the Rockets, a team they would gladly pencil in as a first-round playoff opponent.

Howard wasn't exactly a slouch, finishing with 23 points and 11 rebounds on a night the Clippers decided not to trap him to protect the three-point line.

He even made five of nine free throws but continued to fare poorly in the popularity department.

The fans continually booed the former Laker any time he touched the ball, which now appears to be a condition of entry at Staples Center no matter the home team.

Even Howard apologists would probably concede the three-time defensive player of the year, who had only one block Wednesday, couldn't provide liftoff for his team the way Jordan did for the Clippers.

Jordan notched his career-high 30th double-double by making six of seven shots, improving the NBA's leading field-goal percentage. He's on track to become the first player to finish atop the league in rebounding and field-goal percentage since Howard did it during the 2009-10 season.

Jordan also had four dunks, including a pair of the alley-oop variety in the third quarter, increasing his NBA-high total to 171.

His impact went far beyond the box score. Jordan went chest to chest with Harden after Harden pushed Darren Collison in the fourth quarter and did not back down.

"It's not just about me," Jordan said.

"Our whole team is getting better defensively and I can't make a lot of the plays that I make without my teammates initiating contact and getting into the ball. We know we all have to be on a string."

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Pro-Russia gunmen seize government buildings in Ukraine's Crimea

SIMFEROPOL, Ukraine — Ukraine put its police on high alert after dozens of pro-Russia gunmen stormed and seized local government buildings in Ukraine's Crimea region early Thursday and raised a Russian flag over a barricade.

Ukraine's acting president said that if Russian forces leave their base in the strategic peninsula that "will be considered a military aggression." Russia maintains a large naval base in southern Crimea that has strained relations between the countries for two decades.

The renewed tension in the peninsula that houses Russia's Black Sea fleet comes as lawmakers in Kiev were expected to approve the new government in the wake of the president fleeing the capital after months of protests over his decision to scuttle an agreement with the European Union in favor of stronger ties with Russia.

Russia has questioned the legitimacy of the new Ukrainian authorities after pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovych fled last week, and it has accused them of failing to control radicals who threaten the Russia-speaking population in Ukraine's east and south, which includes the Crimean Peninsula.

The men occupying the local parliament building did not immediately voice any demands but threw a flash grenade in response to a journalist's questions. They wore black and orange ribbons, a Russian symbol of the victory in World War II, and put up a sign saying "Crimea is Russia."

Maxim, a pro-Russian activist who refused to give his last name, said he and other activists had camped out overnight outside the local parliament in Crimea's regional capital, Simferopol, when heavily armed men wearing flak jackets, and holding rocket-propelled grenade launchers and sniper rifles took over the building.

"Our activists were sitting there all night calmly, building the barricades," he said. "At 5 o'clock unknown men turned up and went to the building. They got into the courtyard and put everyone on the ground.

"They were asking who we were. When we said we stand for the Russian language and Russia, they said: don't be afraid, we're with you. Then they began to storm the building bringing down the doors," he said.

"They didn't look like volunteers or amateurs, they were professionals. This was clearly a well-organized operation. They did not allow anyone to come near. They seized the building, drove out the police, there were about six police officers inside," he said.

"Who are they? Nobody knows. It's about 50-60 people, fully armed," he said.

The events unfolding in Crimea highlighted the divided allegiances between Russia and the West that have deepened amid the political turmoil that has gripped Ukraine in recent months.

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday put the military on alert for massive exercises involving most of the military units in western Russia, and the military announced measures to tighten security at the headquarters of Russia's Black Sea Fleet on the peninsula.

The maneuvers will involve some 150,000 troops, 880 tanks, 90 aircraft and 80 navy ships, and are intended to "check the troops' readiness for action in crisis situations that threaten the nation's military security," Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu said in remarks carried by Russian news agencies.

The move prompted a sharp rebuke from U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, who warned Russia against any military intervention in Ukraine.

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L.A. paid significantly more in overtime in 2013, records show

Los Angeles firefighters on average earned nearly $43,000 in overtime in 2013, up nearly 20% from the year before, according to data released Tuesday by City Controller Ron Galperin.

With overtime and bonuses factored in, the average firefighter was paid more than $142,000 last year, the data show.

Though firefighters got the biggest share, overtime was up substantially across city departments, climbing more than $70 million to a total of $378 million in 2013, the data show.

"The city is a 24-hour operation, so overtime is a part of doing business," Galperin said in a press release. He urged city leaders to explore management and hiring practices that could save money.

The information was added to Galperin's open data website, which he says is a vehicle to improve transparency and give taxpayers "more insight into the city's true payroll costs."

The firefighters' union president did not dispute the controller's pay figures. He said his members were overworked and desperate for reinforcements.

"We're at a tipping point where it doesn't make sense to continue to pay so much overtime without hiring new workers," said Frank Lima, president of United Firefighters of Los Angeles City. "That's not the fault of the firefighter on the street."

The city hasn't hired a new firefighter in five years, Lima said. That has left fewer firefighters to handle the workload and requires the city to pay more overtime, he said. Exhaustion among rescuers is contributing to longer response times and a growing risk to public safety, he added. "We're running more calls than ever over here; it ain't no cake walk."

The fire department has lost 726 sworn members since 2008, according to a press release on Tuesday. But a new class of 68 recruits began training in January and is expected to graduate in June.

"The ongoing hiring of new firefighters will help alleviate the need for such significant reliance on overtime staffing," the release said.

Department of Water and Power employees had the second-highest average overtime, at just over $12,500. That brought total earnings for the department's average employee to $103,000 in 2013, the data show.

The city-owned utility also paid an average of $16,230 for health and dental benefits for employees. That's 27% more than the cost to cover other city employees, Galperin reported.

jack.dolan@latimes.com

Twitter: @jackdolanLAT

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James Harden scores 43 in Rockets' win over Kings

James Harden scored a season-high 43 points before resting for all of the fourth quarter, and the Houston Rockets routed the Sacramento Kings, 129-103, on Tuesday night in Sacramento.

Harden helped Houston go ahead by 25 points in the first quarter, 31 in the second and 33 in the third. He made 11 of 20 shots, 15 of 16 free throws and added eight assists, three steals and two rebounds.

Dwight Howard left briefly after banging his right knee but returned to finish with 20 points and 11 rebounds, and Chandler Parsons had 10 points and eight rebounds for the Rockets, who have won 10 of their last 11 games.

DeMarcus Cousins had 16 points and six rebounds for the Kings before getting ejected for vehemently arguing with an official in the third quarter. He picked up his NBA-leading 14th and 15th technical fouls.

Minnesota 110, at Phoenix 101: Kevin Love had 33 points, 13 rebounds and nine assists for the Timberwolves, who trailed by eight with 7:57 to play. Rookie Shabazz Muhammad had a career-high 20 points for Minnesota.

Portland 100, at Denver 95: Damian Lillard made up for the absence of fellow All-Star LaMarcus Aldridge by scoring 31 points for the Trail Blazers. Lillard scored 12 in the third quarter and made several big shots late in the fourth after the Nuggets had trimmed an 18-point deficit to two.

Chicago 107, at Atlanta 103: Mike Dunleavy scored 22 points, Joakim Noah had 20 points and 12 rebounds, and the Bulls won for the sixth time in seven games. Jeff Teague had 26 points but made two turnovers late in the game for the Hawks, who have lost nine of 10.

Toronto 99, at Cleveland 93: DeMar DeRozan scored 16 of his 33 points in the fourth quarter, and the Raptors made it six wins in seven games. Kyrie Irving scored 25 points and had nine assists for the Cavaliers.

at Washington 115, Orlando 106: John Wall scored 27 points and the Wizards handed the Magic a 16th consecutive road loss, tying a franchise record for a single season. Trevor Ariza added 22 points and hit all five of his three-point shots for Washington.

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'Hobbit,' 'Hunger Games,' 'Game of Thrones' top Saturn Award noms

Evangeline Lilly in "The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug"; Jennifer Lawrence in "The Hunger Games: Catching Fire"; Nikolaj Coster-Waldau in "Game of Thrones" are all among the nominees for the 40th annual Saturn Awards. (Warner Bros./Lionsgate/HBO)

Peter Jackson's "The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug" and Alfonso Cuarón's Oscar-nominated "Gravity" are the top contenders at the upcoming 40th annual Saturn Awards, with eight nominations each.

"The Hunger Games: Catching Fire," 2012′s highest-grossing film, earned seven nominations, while "Iron Man 3," "Pacific Rim," "Star Trek Into Darkness" and "Thor: The Dark World" were recognized with five nominations each. On the television side, HBO's lavish fantasy "Game of Thrones" received five nominations, as did AMC's drama "Breaking Bad" and TNT's "Falling Skies."

Founded in 1972 to recognize films often overlooked by mainstream awards series, the Saturn Awards fetes projects in a broad swath of genres, including science fiction, horror, fantasy, thriller and action/adventure — there are also awards for best independent film with nominees including critical favorites "12 Years a Slave" and "Inside Llewyn Davis"; best international film (a group that includes Edgar Wright's apocalyptic comedy "The World's End" and Park Chan-wook's English-language debut "Stoker"); and best animated film ("Frozen," "From Up on Poppy Hill," "Despicable Me 2″ and "Monsters University").

Guillermo del Toro works with actor Charlie Hunnam on the set of "Pacific Rim," a $180-million original science-fiction action adventure. (Kerry Hayes / Warner Bros.)

J.J. Abrams ("Star Trek Into Darkness"), Peter Berg ("Lone Survivor"), Guillermo del Toro ("Pacific Rim") and Francis Lawrence ("The Hunger Games: Catching Fire") will compete with Jackson and Cuarón for best director honors.

In addition to the directing and fantasy film categories, Jackson's second installment in his second J.R.R. Tolkien trilogy was nominated for Evangeline Lilly's supporting performance as the elf Tauriel and its screenplay, production design, score, makeup and visual effects. "Gravity's" Sandra Bullock was nominated for best actress and George Clooney for supporting actor, in addition to best screenplay, editing, production design, visual effects, director and science fiction film.

Bullock's fellow best actress nominees include Halle Berry ("The Call"), Martina Gedeck ("The Wall"), Jennifer Lawrence ("The Hunger Games: Catching Fire"), Emma Thompson ("Saving Mr. Banks)" and Mia Wasikowska ("Stoker"). Best actor nominees are Robert Downey Jr. for "Iron Man 3," Oscar Isaac for "Inside Llewyn Davis," Simon Pegg for "The World's End," Joaquin Phoenix for "Her," Brad Pitt for "World War Z" and Ben Stiller for "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty."

Zachary Quinto, left, Benedict Cumberbatch and Chris Pine in a scene from "Star Trek Into Darkness." (Zade Rosenthal / Paramount Pictures)

Benedict Cumberbatch and Tom Hiddleston will compete in the supporting actor race for their respective villainous roles in "Star Trek Into Darkness" and "Thor: The Dark World." Nominated alongside the two popular Brits and "Gravity's" Clooney are Daniel Brühl for "Rush," Harrison Ford for "Ender's Game," Ben Kingsley for "Iron Man 3″ and Bill Nighy for "About Time."

In addition to Lilly, supporting actress nominees include Scarlett Johansson for her voice-over turn in the futuristic love story "Her," Nicole Kidman for "Stoker," Melissa Leo for "Prisoners," Jena Malone for "The Hunger Games: Catching Fire" and Emily Watson for "The Book Thief."

To commemorate the fourth decade of its ceremony, the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films added two new categories, including a best-comic-to-film field in which Zack Snyder's Superman epic "Man of Steel" will compete with James Mangold's Hugh Jackman-starrer "The Wolverine" and Marvel's "Iron Man 3″ and "Thor: The Dark World."

Jack Gleeson as Joffrey Baratheon in "Game of Thrones." (Macall B. Polay / HBO)

The second new category is designed to recognize up-and-coming actors working on television, with nominees including "The Walking Dead's" Chandler Riggs and "Game of Thrones'" Jack Gleeson, the Irish actor who plays the cruel King Joffrey.

Both "The Walking Dead" and "Game of Thrones" are nominated for best TV series, the former in the syndicated/cable television category, where it will complete against "American Horror Story: Coven," "The Americans," "Continuum," "Dexter" and "Haven"; the latter will vie against "Bates Motel," "Black Sails," "Breaking Bad," "Falling Skies" and "Vikings" in the limited run series race.

"Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.," "The Blacklist," "The Following," "Hannibal," "Revolution," "Sleepy Hollow" and "Under the Dome" are all nominated for best network TV series.

For a complete list of nominations, visit www.saturnawards.org.

– Gina McIntyre | @LATHeroComplex

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Lakers are mauled by a big 'Cat

The Lakers played against a bunch of guys who used to be on their team, and the result was like everything else this season.

Boring. Uneventful. A loss.

The Charlotte Bobcats were the winners Friday, 110-100, extending the Lakers' stupefyingly futile run to 3-18 since Dec. 21.

Four former Lakers got in on the action for the Bobcats, but Al Jefferson trumped everybody with 40 points and 18 rebounds at Staples Center.

Pau Gasol's body language is usually a good indicator of the Lakers' temperature. It was frigid, especially after Michael Kidd-Gilchrist beat the Lakers for a backdoor layup in the third quarter.

BOX SCORE: Charlotte Bobcats 110, Lakers 100

Gasol raised his palms up, looked toward the Lakers' bench, and dropped them to his side. The Lakers trailed by 17 at the time.

There were more yawns than celebrities. By far.

When the "Hollywood Nights" song blared over the loudspeaker during a third-quarter timeout, the scoreboard showed comedian George Lopez and actor Danny Trejo next to each other. And that was all.

No Denzel, no Jack. Not even a Jeremy Piven in the house.

Lakers fans booed as Ramon Sessions dribbled out the final seconds. He used to play for the Lakers, along with Josh McRoberts, Jannero Pargo and, sure, Chris Douglas-Roberts, cut in training camp two years ago.

Pargo was with the Lakers from 2002 to 2004, when they were trying to win championships. Now they're closer to winning the lottery, though a lot more losing and some draft-day luck will have to happen between now and May 20, the day of the draw.

After a sixth loss in a row, the Lakers (16-31) own the NBA's sixth-worst record.

They're now playing for "mostly pride and our fans, and the name that we have on our chest more than anything," Gasol said. "I think that's something we need to keep in mind."

Not that it mattered, but the Lakers were beginning a six-game run against teams with a combined 113-163 record, probably presenting their last chance, and a slim one at that, to climb toward .500.

But the Lakers are apparently the ones helping teams get closer to .500.

The most predictable stat of the night: Charlotte (21-27) came into the game averaging 94.1 points but had 62 by halftime. The more revolting revelation was the Bobcats' 64 points in the paint, compared to 38 for the Lakers.

Coach Mike D'Antoni called the Lakers "lifeless" in the first half.

"We better learn from it real quick or it's going to be a long season," he said. Then he added, "It already is."

Gasol scored 24 points and planned to have an MRI exam Saturday after aggravating a groin injury that bothered him earlier this week.

Sessions had nine points and 11 assists for Charlotte.

The last time the Lakers played Charlotte, Kobe Bryant forced Ben Gordon into a wild, off-balance three-point attempt to preserve an 88-85 victory.

It was seven weeks ago in Charlotte. It felt like longer than that. Maybe even forever.

mike.bresnahan@latimes.com

Twitter: @Mike_Bresnahan

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Kevin Durant's streak ends; Thunder's continues

Kevin Durant's 30-point streak ended at 12 games when he scored 26 in only 30 minutes, and the Oklahoma City Thunder won its 10th consecutive game, 120-95, over the Brooklyn Nets on Friday night in New York.

Serge Ibaka made all 12 of his shots and had 25 points and nine rebounds for the Thunder, which won so easily that Durant sat the entire fourth quarter, the only way to slow him down right now.

The NBA's leading scorer finished 10 for 12 from the field, though his scoring average during his sensational January dropped from 36.6 to 35.9.

Oklahoma City shot 63.6%, highest in the NBA this season, and outrebounded Brooklyn, 41-17.

Shaun Livingston scored 16 points while drawing the next-to-impossible assignment of defending Durant.

Golden State 95, at Utah 90: Stephen Curry scored 44 points, 13 in the fourth quarter, and the Warriors erased a nine-point deficit in the final nine minutes. Curry connected on eight of 13 three-point attempts, making three in the fourth quarter.

Memphis 94, at Minnesota 90: Zach Randolph had 26 points and 12 rebounds for the Grizzlies, who have won five in a row and 10 of 11, and six straight on the road. Kevin Love finished with 28 points and 16 rebounds for the Timberwolves, despite playing on a sore left ankle throughout the second half.

Atlanta 125, at Philadelphia 99: Mike Scott and Elton Brand scored 18 points apiece and five other Hawks scored in double figures in a rout of the 76ers, who have lost five straight home games for the first time since the 2009-10 season.

at Dallas 107, Sacramento 103: Dirk Nowitzki scored 34 points, and the Mavericks erased a 14-point third-quarter deficit to hand the Kings their sixth straight loss — the last five without leading scorer DeMarcus Cousins, who has a sprained left ankle.

Toronto 100, at Denver 90: DeMar DeRozan, returning after missing two games because of an ankle injury, scored 19 points, and the Raptors won in Denver for the first time since 2003.

at Orlando 113, Milwaukee 102: Arron Afflalo scored 21 points and Tobias Harris had 18 to help the Magic snap a three-game losing streak and extend its home winning streak against the Bucks to 16 games. Milwaukee has lost 14 of 15.

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Critic's Notebook: Friedkin Blows Out the Candles on 'The Birthday Party'

Whoever is ultimately at fault in the conflict between actor Steven Berkoff and director William Friedkin that led to the postponement of the Geffen Playhouse's much anticipated production of "The Birthday Party," there's no denying that the botched handling of the situation was a loss for the Geffen, the artistic company and Los Angeles theater.

I was looking forward to reencountering this early Pinter classic more than almost any other production this season. The last revival I saw was ages ago off-Broadway, the Classic Stage Company's astringent 1989 production with Jean Stapleton and David Strathairn. The time has come for a fresh look at this comedy of menace, and Friedkin and Berkoff seemed just the men for the job.

Apparently too much so.

Pinter was forever fascinated by the territorial skirmishes of supposedly civilized men. But the atmosphere evidently grew too Pinteresque in the rehearsal room for Pinter's playwriting to flourish onstage.

PHOTOS: Arts and culture in pictures by The Times

To say that I'm bitterly disappointed that a solution couldn't be found to the contretemps is an understatement. Berkoff's reputation for being difficult in rehearsal and the 0scar-winning Friedkin's relative inexperience as a theater director were clearly a combustible mix.

Normally an artistic director would broker a détente in such a situation or make the decision to replace an actor while there was still time to do so. Where was Geffen artistic director Randall Arney during this turmoil? Your guess is as good as mine, but playing referee to two brawling egos wouldn't seem to be his specialty.

This "postponement" leaves a gaping hole in the Geffen's season. According to Friedkin, a replacement wasn't found because several actors being considered to replace Berkoff weren't available and the part needs "one of the British lions to do this justice."

That's hogwash. This is Los Angeles, home to more actors than probably any city in the world. Pinter's plays have thrived in American hands. And the role hardly requires a star name for the production to succeed.

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After posting my frustration on Facebook this morning, I heard from an actor willing to fill in for Berkoff: Obie winner James Urbaniak. He'd be an inspired choice, but even if he were just kidding about his availability it shows how deep the bench is for local talent.

Think about it: it took just a few minutes for my Facebook scribble to go up and a credible name to emerge.

Arney shouldn't have accepted Friedkin's self-important avowal not to "produce anything that isn't up to my standard." A movie can be released at a later date. Theater hasn't the luxury of this kind of flexibility, and a nonprofit venue like the Geffen has a tough enough time keeping its financial house in order without this sort of manmade maelstrom.

This is indeed bigger than a director's temperament. While Friedkin carefully curates his reputation, artists and theatergoers are left in the lurch.   

Twitter: @charlesmcnulty

charles.mcnulty@latimes.com

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