De’Aaron Fox on Thursday scored a career-high 34 points as the Sacramento Kings beat the Los Angeles Clippers 124-103 in the first game at the Staples Center since Kobe Bryant was killed in a helicopter crash.
Paul George narrated a heart-warming two-minute video tribute shown before the contest, while Bryant’s retired No. 8 and No. 24 Los Angeles Lakers jerseys were left uncovered in the upper left corner of the arena.
“I’m really proud of the way our guys played,” said Kings coach Luke Walton, a teammate of Bryant’s on the Lakers. “We came in down and tired after playing last night, and then came into an emotional situation in what has been a very tough week.”
Photo: Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY
The Clippers played without Kawhi Leonard after the All-Star forward was scratched due to back pain.
Buddy Hield added 19 points off the bench for the Kings, who set a franchise record with 21 three-pointers.
Clippers guard George managed just eight points on two-of-10 shooting.
In Cleveland, Ohio, newly named All-Stars Kyle Lowry and Pascal Siakam combined for 42 points, as reigning NBA champions the Toronto Raptors won their ninth straight game with a 115-109 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Lowry scored 14 of his 23 points in the fourth quarter, while Siakam added 19, as the visiting Raptors extended their season-best winning streak.
Lowry, who is headed to the All-Star Game for the sixth straight season, was named as one of seven reserves from the Eastern Conference to join teammate Siakam, who was chosen as a starter last week.
Serge Ibaka scored a team-high 26 points in the win, as the Raptors completed a three-game sweep of the season series with the Cavaliers.
“That was anybody’s game from start to finish, to be honest,” Raptors coach Nick Nurse said. “You’ve just got to grind it out and find a way.”
Norman Powell scored eight of his 16 points in the final 62 seconds of the game for Toronto to help blunt a rally by the Cavaliers, while Fred VanVleet had eight points and a season-best 12 assists in the win.
Kevin Love and Collin Sexton scored 23 points each for the Cavaliers, while Darius Garland had 16 points and eight assists, Kevin Porter and Larry Nance added 13 points each, and Tristan Thompson had two points and 12 rebounds.
The Raptors took a 10-point lead on a clutch three-point basket with 5:41 remaining, but the Cavaliers went on a 9-0 run. Love’s three-pointer cut the lead to one point with just under four minutes left in the fourth quarter, 100-99.
Powell followed with a three-pointer and then a dunk with 35 seconds left to give the Raptors a six-point lead. He then added two free throws to get the lead back to six with 20 seconds left.
Also on Thursday, it was:
‧ Nuggets 106, Jazz 100
‧ Celtics 119, Warriors 104
‧ Hawks 127, 76ers 117
‧ Wizards 121, Hornets 107
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