Luka Doncic on Monday scored 42 points, but could not prevent the Los Angeles Lakers stumbling to a third straight defeat with a 124-112 loss against the lowly Sacramento Kings.
LeBron James wore a special patch on his uniform to mark his historic 23rd season in the NBA and scored 22 points on a frustrating night for the Lakers, who made just eight three-pointers from 36 attempts.
Doncic and James were among only four Lakers players to make double figures, with Deandre Ayton finishing with 13 points and Jaxson Hayes adding 12 off the bench.
Photo: AFP
The Kings, one place off the bottom of the Western Conference with a 10-30 record, were led by 32 points from DeMar DeRozan, with Russell Westbrook finishing with 22 points against his former team.
“We literally couldn’t make a shot,” Lakers coach J.J. Redick said.
In other games, the Indiana Pacers bagged their third straight victory with an upset 98-96 win over the Boston Celtics in Indianapolis.
Pascal Siakam led the scoring with 21 points for the Pacers, last year’s NBA Finals runners-up who remain rooted to the foot of the Eastern Conference with a 9-31 record.
Siakam scored what turned out to be the winning basket, banking in a floating jump shot with seven seconds remaining to give the Pacers a rare home victory.
Boston’s Derrick White missed a 32-foot three-point attempt with two seconds left on the clock as the Pacers held on for the win.
In Toronto, 39-year-old Kyle Lowry was given a rousing reception as the Philadelphia 76ers romped to a 115-102 win over the Raptors.
Lowry, a beloved figure in Toronto after helping the Raptors to their lone NBA title in 2019, was given a standing ovation in the fourth quarter as the crowd saluted what was likely his final appearance in Toronto before he retires.
Lowry made a fleeting appearance for Philadelphia, playing just under two minutes as the Sixers cruised to victory thanks to 33 points from Tyrese Maxey and a 27-point contribution from Joel Embiid.
Maxey led the tributes to Lowry afterward, revealing how the veteran had helped his career since arriving in Philadelphia in 2024.
“We talk at least five times a day. It started as soon as he got here. He just told me: ‘Listen, man. I’m here for you. Whatever you need me to do, whatever you need from me, I’m here for you,’” Maxey said. “He’s been that way every single day no matter what.”
The Utah Jazz scored an upset 123-112 defeat of the Cleveland Cavaliers on the back of 32 points from Keyonte George and 28 points from Lauri Markkanen, the Mavericks mastered the Nets 113-105 and the Clippers swatted aside the Hornets 117-109.
Additional reporting by staff writer
MOTHER KNOWS BEST: Warriors’ coach Kerr said his 91-year-old mother criticized him for his attitude toward officials that led to his ejection from Monday’s game Shai Gilgeous-Alexander on Wednesday rescued the Oklahoma City Thunder with a game-tying buzzer-beater before finishing with 46 points in a 129-125 overtime victory against the Utah Jazz. The reigning NBA champions looked to be heading for a third straight loss after the Jazz inched into a 114-112 lead following Lauri Markkanen’s layup with just three seconds remaining in the fourth quarter. However, NBA Most Valuable Player Gilgeous-Alexander drained a superb 13-foot jump shot to tie it up at 114-114 as the buzzer sounded to send the game into overtime. Gilgeous-Alexander then took over in the extra period with nine points as the Western
Mohamed Salah’s Egypt knocked reigning champions Ivory Coast out of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) with a 3-2 win in the quarter-finals on Saturday, while Victor Osimhen starred as Nigeria beat Algeria 2-0 to set up a clash with hosts Morocco. In Agadir, Morocco, a thrilling last-eight tie saw Omar Marmoush and Ramy Rabia net in the first half for the Pharaohs before an own goal by Ahmed Aboul-Fetouh brought the Ivorians back into it. Salah then got Egypt’s third early in the second half and they held on after Guela Doue again reduced the deficit. Egypt is to face Senegal
AUSTRALIAN ADVENTURE: Sabalenka aims to follow up with a third Australian Open win, while Taiwanese Joanna Garland claimed a WTA 125 title in Canberra Aryna Sabalenka beat Karolina Muchova in straight sets to reach her third Brisbane International final in a row yesterday, a week ahead of the Australian Open. Sabalenka looked in great touch against the tricky Czech, who had won their last three meetings and went into the match as one of the few players with a winning record over the world No. 1. However, Sabalenka showed her class and power as she broke Muchova once in each set to take the semi-final 6-3, 6-4 in 89 minutes to face Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk in the final. “I struggled against her a couple of times [in
His team were knocked out of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in agonizing fashion on Tuesday, but the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s (DR Congo) human statue Michel Kuka Mboladinga would be remembered as the tournament’s most remarkable supporter. The colorfully dressed Kuka has earned fame as the fan who stands completely immobile throughout his team’s games, looking toward the sky with his right arm raised and palm open. He has become a media star and on Tuesday was accompanied by a delegation of several hundred Congolese supporters whose trip to Morocco was paid for by the country’s government. They took their
RSS