Andrew Bynum had 29 points and 13 rebounds in his season debut following a four-game suspension that carried over from the playoffs as the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Denver Nuggets 92-89 on Saturday.
Bynum shot 13-for-18, helping the Lakers win their third straight following the team’s first 0-2 start since 2002-2003. The center was suspended without pay for the first four games of the season because of a flagrant foul against Dallas’ J.J. Barea in Game 4 of the Western Conference semi-finals last season. The original ban was five games, but was reduced on Dec. 23 as a result of a shortened schedule caused by the NBA lockout.
Kobe Bryant, bogged down by foul trouble, had 17 points along with nine assists and 10 rebounds. The Lakers overcame two-for-24 shooting from three-point range.
Reserve forward Al Harrington had 21 points for the Nuggets, who have lost 25 of their last 29 road games against the Lakers.
PISTONS 96, PACERS 88
In Auburn Hills, Michigan, Jonas Jerebko had 20 points and 12 rebounds as Detroit ended Lawrence Frank’s 20-game losing streak by beating Indiana.
Jerebko, who missed all of last season after tearing his Achilles’ tendon in the preseason, narrowly missed his career bests of 22 points and 13 boards.
Frank hadn’t won a game since April 13, 2009, when his New Jersey Nets beat the Charlotte Bobcats. The Nets lost their final game that season and Frank was fired after New Jersey got off to a 0-16 start the next fall. He also lost his first three games with the Pistons since replacing John Kuester during the offseason.
ROCKETS 95, HAWKS 84
In Houston, Kevin Martin scored 27 points and Kyle Lowry matched a career high with 18 assists as Houston led from start to finish in a victory over Atlanta.
Luis Scola added 21 points, Jordan Hill grabbed a career-high 15 rebounds and Chase Budinger scored 17 points for the Rockets, who looked fresh despite playing their third game in three nights.
Joe Johnson and Al Horford scored 15 points apiece for Atlanta.
Former Rocket Tracy McGrady scored 13 points on six-for-11 shooting. He first entered the game with 3:57 left in the first quarter and most fans greeted him with boos.
THUNDER 107, SUNS 97
In Oklahoma City, Russell Westbrook scored 18 points and Daequan Cook hit four three-pointers in quick succession to help Oklahoma City pull away in the first half as the Thunder led wire to wire in a victory over Phoenix.
Two nights after hitting a buzzer-beating game-winner against Dallas, Kevin Durant had only 12 points in his bid to become the first player since Michael Jordan a quarter-century earlier to score at least 30 in the first five games of a season.
Hakim Warrick and rookie Markieff Morris had 15 points apiece for the Suns, who shot just 40 percent.
KNICKS 114, KINGS 92
In Sacramento, Carmelo Anthony scored 23 points, Tyson Chandler had 18 of his 22 in the second half as New York assumed control early in beating Sacramento.
The Knicks didn’t miss starting forward Amar’e Stoudemire, their leading rebounder and second-leading scorer who sat out with a sprained left ankle. They got an unexpected lift from replacement Josh Harrellson, a rookie from Kentucky who made his first NBA start and had career highs of 14 points and 12 rebounds, and hit four three-pointers.
Landry Fields had 21 points and Chandler added seven rebounds for the Knicks, who had struggled offensively in losing their previous two games, but had a season-high point total against the Kings. Toney Douglas had 17 points and eight assists.
Marcus Thornton had 14 points for the struggling Kings. Jason Thompson and Tyreke Evans had 13 points.
76ERS 107, WARRIORS 79
In Oakland, California, Andre Iguodala had 14 points, eight rebounds and seven assists and Lou Williams added 23 points off the bench as Philadelphia overcame a sluggish start to beat Golden State.
Spencer Hawes had 14 points and 12 rebounds for the 76ers, who have one more stop left on their season-opening, five-game road trip — the longest trip to start a season in franchise history.
Stephen Curry, back in the lineup after a one-game absence due to a sprained ankle, scored 21 points for Golden State, who played without guard Monta Ellis.
SPURS 104, JAZZ 89
In San Antonio, Manu Ginobili scored 23 points, 14 in the second quarter, to lead San Antonio over Utah.
Ginobili was nine of 10 from the field, including five of six from three-point range.
DeJuan Blair had 17 points and 10 rebounds. Tony Parker added 14 points and Tim Duncan 12 as San Antonio moved to 3-1.
Al Jefferson returned to the starting lineup for Utah, scoring 21 points with 11 rebounds in 35 minutes. Jefferson sat out Utah’s 102-99 win over Philadelphia on Friday night with an inflamed right ankle.
Bayer 04 Leverkusen go into today’s match at TSG 1899 Hoffenheim stung from their first league defeat in 16 months. Leverkusen were beaten 3-2 at home by RB Leipzig before the international break, the first loss since May last year for the reigning league and cup champions. While any defeat, particularly against a likely title rival, would have disappointed coach Xabi Alonso, the way in which it happened would be most concerning. Just as they did in the Supercup against VfB Stuttgart and in the league opener to Borussia Moenchengladbach, Leverkusen scored first, but were pegged back. However, while Leverkusen rallied late to
The lights dimmed and the crowd hushed as Karoline Kristensen entered for her performance. However, this was no ordinary Dutch theater: The temperature was 80°C and the audience naked apart from a towel. Dressed in a swimsuit and to the tune of emotional music, the 21-year-old Kristensen started her routine, performed inside a large sauna, with a bed of hot rocks in the middle. For a week this month, a group of wellness practitioners, called “sauna masters,” are gathering at a picturesque health resort in the Netherlands to compete in this year’s Aufguss world sauna championships. The practice takes its name from a
Japanese players are moving to English soccer in record numbers and more look set to follow with clubs attracted by their quality, strong work ethic and value for money. Kaoru Mitoma is the standout talent of five Japanese players in the English Premier League, with eight more in the Championship and two in League One. Liverpool midfielder Wataru Endo, the captain of Japan, believes his compatriots are “being held in higher esteem” by English clubs compared with the past. “The staff at Liverpool ask me about lots of Japanese players, not necessarily with a view to a transfer, but just saying this or
Taiwan yesterday survived Bosnia and Herzegovina to win their Davis Cup World Group I tie at the Taipei Tennis Center. The tight series started on Saturday with world No. 123 Jason Tseng losing 3-6, 7-5, 6-4 to Mirza Basic in the opening singles matchup. However, teammate Tony Wu kept the tie even, dominating world No. 86 Damir Dzumhur 6-2, 6-1. Yesterday, 24-year-old Ray Ho and partner 25-year-old Hsu Yu-hsiou kept up the momentum, making short work of Basic and Nerman Fatic, winning 6-3, 6-4. Tseng then suffered another defeat, losing 6-4, 2-6, 6-2 to Dzumhur in a brutal match that lasted more than two