Kobe Bryant scored 34 points, Metta World Peace added 19 points and a career-high 16 rebounds, and the Los Angeles Lakers won consecutive games for the first time in nearly a month with a 111-98 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers on Sunday.
Dwight Howard had 17 points and 11 rebounds for the Lakers, who led 60-50 at halftime. Darius Morris had a career-high 15 points, all in the first half, while Chris Duhon scored 14.
The Lakers (11-14), who beat Washington 102-96 on Friday night, won two in a row for the first time since a three-game streak from Nov. 16 to Nov. 20. Even without injured stars Steve Nash and Pau Gasol, the Lakers hardly resembled the team that entered the night four games below .500.
Nick Young paced the reeling Sixers (12-12) with 30 points, while Spencer Hawes and Evan Turner added 16 apiece. Thaddeus Young had 14 points for Philadelphia, who dropped a third straight game for the first time this season.
NUGGETS 122, KINGS 97
Reserve JaVale McGee scored 19 points, Danilo Gallinari had 18 and Denver built a big lead in the first half to cruise past Sacramento.
The Nuggets scored 16 straight points to snap a first-quarter tie and take control. Denver have won seven in a row against the Kings. Sacramento have lost four straight.
Isaiah Thomas had 20 points and DeMarcus Cousins had 19 points and 11 rebounds for the Kings.
Sacramento’s Aaron Brooks committed a hard foul against Andre Miller late in the first quarter and a mild altercation ensued involving Cousins and Kenneth Faried of the Nuggets. All four players were given technical fouls.
TRAIL BLAZERS 95, HORNETS 94
In Portland, Oregon, rookie Damian Lillard hit a three-pointer with 0.3 seconds left as Portland handed New Orleans their sixth straight loss.
After trailing by as many as 16 points, Austin Rivers hit a three-pointer for the Hornets to tie it at 92 with 50.9 seconds left to set up Lillard’s winner.
Lance Thomas made a layup for the Hornets as time ran out for the final margin.
J.J. Hickson had a season-high 24 points and added 16 rebounds for the Trail Blazers, who have won three straight. Hickson has five straight double-doubles and 13 overall this season.
Ryan Anderson had 26 points, including seven three-pointers, for New Orleans.
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