The Phoenix Suns made 22 three-pointers, the second highest in an NBA game, to beat two-time defending champions the Los Angeles Lakers 121-116 on Sunday.
Jason Richardson scored a game-high 35 points and knocked down seven threes as the Suns (5-4) fell just short of the NBA record of 23 three-pointers set by the Orlando Magic last year.
“I didn’t know what the record was. I know we made a lot of them,” Richardson told reporters. “I didn’t know we were close to the record or anything like that.”
PHOTO: AFP
Steve Nash scored 12 of his 21 points in the final five minutes and added 13 assists. The All-Star point guard found Hedo Turkoglu for a final clinching shot from long distance with 34 seconds left to push the Suns’ lead to six.
The Lakers (8-2) lost their second straight game after starting the year 8-0, despite a strong offensive performance.
Spanish forward Pau Gasol had 28 points and 17 rebounds, while Kobe Bryant fell one board shy of a triple-double with 25 points, 14 assists and nine rebounds.
LAMAR ODOM PUT UP 22 POINTS AND 11
rebounds, but received a critical technical foul with 53 seconds left when the Lakers were trailing by two.
“I don’t think the NBA wants those type of things to happen, it changes the context of the ball game,” Los Angeles coach Phil Jackson said.
Even without the technical free-throw, the Lakers could not stop the offensive onslaught from the Suns, who shot 51 percent from the field and were 22-for-40 behind the three-point line for the game.
In a tight contest, Phoenix took the lead for good in the third where they led by as much as 13 points.
SPURS 117, THUNDER 104
In Oklahoma City, the San Antonio Spurs stretched their NBA winning streak to seven games with a win over the Thunder.
Matt Bonner scored 21 points and just missed the Spurs franchise record by hitting all seven of his three-point shots. Bonner swished home three of them during a 21-8 run to open the fourth quarter.
Sunday’s other results:
‧ Hawks 111, Timberwolves 105
‧ Pistons 100, Kings 94
‧ Rockets 104, Knicks 96
Santiago Castro on Tuesday had an immediate impact off the bench as he scored the goal to send Bologna into the Coppa Italia semi-finals for the first time in 26 years. Bologna won 1-0 against last year’s runners-up, Atalanta BC, and are to play either holders Juventus or Empoli in the final four. Juventus are to host Empoli in their quarter-final on Feb. 26. The last time Bologna reached the semi-finals was in 1999, when they lost 4-2 to ACF Fiorentina. There were chances for both sides in a high-tempo match in Bergamo, but it was Bologna who broke the deadlock 10 minutes from
After nearly six years away from the NBA, New Taipei Kings player Jeremy Lin (林書豪) is set to participate in the 2025 NBA All-Star Weekend’s Rising Stars mini-tournament as the coach of Team G League. The NBA announced Monday (U.S. time) that the Taiwanese-American player will join a trio of Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famers – Tim Hardaway Sr., Chris Mullin, and Mitch Richmond – as honorary coaches for four teams featuring 28 rising talents. "See you soon in the Bay," Lin wrote in an Instagram story sharing the news. As the All-Star Weekend will take place at
The former interpreter for baseball star Shohei Ohtani on Thursday was sentenced to nearly five years in prison for bank and tax fraud after he stole nearly US$17 million from the Los Angeles Dodgers player’s bank account. Ippei Mizuhara, who was supposed to bridge the gap between the Japanese athlete and his English-speaking teammates and fans, was sentenced in federal court in Santa Ana to four years and nine months after pleading guilty last year. He was ordered to pay US$18 million in restitution, with nearly US$17 million going to Ohtani and the remainder to the US Internal Revenue Service. He was
The 40-year-old LeBron James on Thursday became the oldest player to score 40 points in an NBA game, putting up a season-high 42 in the Los Angeles Lakers’ 120-112 victory over the Golden State Warriors. James passed the record held by Michael Jordan, his idol and the only other NBA player to score 40 after his 40th birthday. “I’m old, that’s my take,” James said when asked about his latest achievement. “I need a glass of wine and some sleep, that’s what I think.” Jordan did it for the Washington Wizards just three days after turning 40 in February 2003. James is 38