OKLAHOMA CITY // Kevin Durant scored 29 points, Russell Westbrook added 26 and the Oklahoma City Thunder clinched the Northwest Division title by beating the Los Angeles Clippers 112-108.
The Thunder won the first division crown for the franchise since 2005, when they were known as the Seattle SuperSonics, but only after fending off a late charge from the Clippers.
Blake Griffin had 35 points and 11 rebounds in the second visit to his hometown in his NBA career, but he missed a key foul shot that helped put the game away for Oklahoma City.
Durant hit two free throws at the other end to put the Thunder up 110-106 with 12 seconds left and ice the game, just moments after he had missed a foul shot to give the Clippers a chance for the tie.
When Mo Williams couldn't get open, Griffin attacked the basket for a powerful slam but couldn't connect and got fouled by Serge Ibaka. He missed the first of his foul shots before hitting the second, and the Clippers tried to trap Durant but fouled him in the process.
An 88 percent free throw shooter, Durant wouldn't miss again.
Kendrick Perkins grabbed a season-high 17 rebounds and Ibaka chipped in 15 points and eight rebounds for the Thunder. It's only the second division title for the franchise in 13 years, since Seattle won three straight Pacific Division crowns from 1996 to 1998.
Williams and Eric Gordon scored 16 apiece for the Clippers, who overcame a 16-point deficit to beat Oklahoma City four nights earlier and nearly dug out of a 10-point hole in the final 3 minutes in this one.
Gordon's steal set up a right-handed tomahawk jam by Griffin on the fast break, and Griffin then swatted Thabo Sefolosha's shot before Chris Kaman came up empty on two free throw tries that proved critical.
Randy Foye had a putback dunk after Williams tracked down a long rebound for a fast break, Williams hit a 3 and Griffin slammed home a two-handed reverse dunk off of Williams' alley-oop to get the Clippers within 107-105 with 23.1 seconds left.
LA could never make up for the two misses by Kaman, an 80 percent foul shooter who was 2 for 6 at the line in the fourth quarter.
DeAndre Jordan scored six points during a 10-2 Clippers run that forced Oklahoma City coach Scott Brooks to hurry Westbrook and Durant back into the game. Jordan tipped in Eric Bledsoe's miss, hit two free throws and then had a right-handed jam before Craig Smith's hook shot got Los Angeles within 93-89 with 8:31 to play.
After a Thunder timeout, Westbrook got fouled in the lane and hit two free throws. Nazr Mohammed's jumper stretched the lead back to eight.
Durant made his presence known with a driving floater, then used a significant height advantage to back in for a basket against Foye that made it 105-95 with 3:32 remaining.
Griffin got off to a quick start, scoring the game's first points by dunking Mo Williams' alley-oop pass from midcourt with two hands. He dunked three more times while single-handedly outscoring the Thunder as Los Angeles took a 20-10 lead. He had a two-handed jam off an offensive rebound, another two-handed slam off an assist from Gordon and then turned a right-handed dunk into a three-point play.
Durant had an alley-oop slam of his own during a personal 7-0 run to get the Thunder going, and Oklahoma City pulled ahead after finally breaking up one of Griffin's dunks in the second quarter.
Mohammed stole an alley-oop pass intended for Griffin and scored at the other end in transition, and James Harden finished an 8-0 run with a 3-pointer to make it 39-37 Thunder with 8:01 left before halftime.
Ibaka had a tip-in and a three-point play as Oklahoma City scored the final seven points before halftime to go up 58-53.
RESULTS (home team in CAPS):
NY Knicks 97 PHILADELPHIA 92
Cleveland 104 TORONTO 96
Orlando 111 CHARLOTTE 102 (OT)
INDIANA 136 Washington 112
DETROIT 116 New Jersey 109
NEW ORLEANS 101 Houston 93
Phoenix 108 MINNESOTA 98
OKLAHOMA CITY 112 LA Clippers 108
Milwaukee 90 MIAMI 85
SAN ANTONIO 124 Sacramento 92
Denver 104 DALLAS 96
GOLDEN STATE 95 LA Lakers 87
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SQUADS
India
Virat Kohli (captain), Rohit Sharma (vice-captain), Shikhar Dhawan, Ajinkya Rahane, Manish Pandey, Kedar Jadhav, Dinesh Karthik, Mahendra Singh Dhoni (wicketkeeper), Hardik Pandya, Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Yuzvendra Chahal, Jasprit Bumrah, Bhuvneshwar Kumar, Shardul Thakur
New Zealand
Kane Williamson (captain), Martin Guptill, Colin Munro, Ross Taylor, Tom Latham (wicketkeeper), Henry Nicholls, Ish Sodhi, George Worker, Glenn Phillips, Matt Henry, Colin de Grandhomme, Mitchell Santner, Tim Southee, Adam Milne, Trent Boult
The Dictionary of Animal Languages
Heidi Sopinka
Scribe
Going grey? A stylist's advice
If you’re going to go grey, a great style, well-cared for hair (in a sleek, classy style, like a bob), and a young spirit and attitude go a long way, says Maria Dowling, founder of the Maria Dowling Salon in Dubai.
It’s easier to go grey from a lighter colour, so you may want to do that first. And this is the time to try a shorter style, she advises. Then a stylist can introduce highlights, start lightening up the roots, and let it fade out. Once it’s entirely grey, a purple shampoo will prevent yellowing.
“Get professional help – there’s no other way to go around it,” she says. “And don’t just let it grow out because that looks really bad. Put effort into it: properly condition, straighten, get regular trims, make sure it’s glossy.”
Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
Zayed Sustainability Prize
