NBA: Jokic dominates as Nuggets hold off Lakers in opener

LOS ANGELES -- Nikola Jokic produced a dominant display as the Denver Nuggets held off a late Los Angeles Lakers fightback to win their NBA Western Conference finals opener 132-126 on Tuesday.

Two-time NBA Most Valuable Player Jokic finished with 34 points, 21 rebounds and 14 assists to give top-seeded Denver a 1-0 lead in the best-of-seven series.

Jokic received offensive support from Jamal Murray, who finished with 31 points, while four other Denver players posted double-digit points tallies.

The Lakers were led by Anthony Davis, who scored 40 points with 10 rebounds. LeBron James added 26 points while Austin Reaves added 23 points.

Denver led by 21 points in the third quarter but saw their lead whittled away to just three as the Lakers swept back into contention with a gutsy fourth-quarter fightback that ultimately fell just short.

"In the first half we were really good -- controlled the game, controlled everything, controlled the pace, controlled the defense and then second half we lost it," Jokic told ESPN.

"But whether you win by one point or win by 20 at this time of year, it doesn’t matter -– a win is a win."

Denver coach Michael Malone saluted his team's composure in closing out victory.

"A lot of our guys are battle-tested, we've been in a ton of close games," Malone said.

"I didn’t think there was any panic -- there was poise. Our guys looked at one another and realized what we had to do to close this game out."

James bemoaned the Lakers' slow start.

"It took us a half to get into the game and that was pretty much the ballgame right there," James said. "We have to understand that we have to start from the tip-off -- and they punched us in the mouth to start."

- 'Desperation' -

With a raucous Ball Arena home crowd roaring them on, the Nuggets took early control, surging into a 20-9 lead midway through the first quarter with a flurry of scoring that threatened to overwhelm the visitors.

Jokic was at the heart of the opening onslaught, imposing himself with eight points, 12 rebounds and five assists in the first quarter alone to help the Nuggets take a 37-25 lead heading into the second quarter.

Denver continued to score freely through the second quarter to take a commanding 72-54 half-time lead against a Lakers defense regarded as one of the best in the league.

Although Los Angeles managed to get their offense moving in the third quarter, outscoring Denver 38-34, the Nuggets continued to test the Lakers' defense.

Jokic completed his sixth triple-double of the playoffs midway through the third quarter and then electrified the home crowd with a 31-foot three-pointer on the buzzer to put the Nuggets ahead 106-92 heading into the final quarter.

The Lakers came surging back in the fourth quarter when a Reaves three-pointer trimmed the Denver lead to eight points with just over 10 minutes remaining.

The Nuggets responded with four unanswered points from Murray to help Denver take a 14-point lead with just over seven minutes left on the clock.

But again the Lakers responded and two quick threes from Reaves helped the visitors make it a three-point game after a 9-0 run.

The Nuggets held on however and a late Jokic free throw sealed the win.

James took scant consolation from the Lakers' fourth-quarter fightback.

"In postseason it doesn't matter if you cut it to one or you're down 20, if you lose, you lose," James said.

"They are 1-0 and we have to come back with desperation going into game two. We have to play better, we have to rebound better ... We need to be better in all facets of the game."

Game 2 in the series takes place in Denver on Thursday. The winner of the series will face either Boston or Miami in the NBA finals next month.

Agence France-Presse

NBA: Warriors survive against Lakers

SAN FRANCISCO -- The Golden State Warriors kept their NBA title defense alive on Wednesday with a 121-106 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers, who saw star center Anthony Davis depart after taking a blow to the head.

The Warriors cut the deficit in their Western Conference semi-final series to 3-2.

The New York Knicks also stayed alive as Jalen Brunson scored 38 points in a 112-103 victory over the Miami Heat at Madison Square Garden that pushed their Eastern Conference semi-final series to a sixth game.

Golden State and New York now must win on the road on Friday to give themselves a chance to win their respective series on Sunday.

Only 13 NBA teams have rallied from 3-1 down to win a series. The Warriors did it against the Oklahoma City Thunder in the 2016 Western Conference finals -- then a Cleveland Cavaliers team led by LeBron James did the same against them in the NBA Finals.

"Coming into this game, we just wanted to win one, give ourselves a chance, knowing that we have a big game six down in LA and we obviously need that one to stay alive," Warriors star Stephen Curry told broadcaster TNT.

Curry scored 27 points to lead six Warriors players in double figures. Andrew Wiggins scored 25 points and Draymond Green delivered a double-double of 20 points and 10 rebounds.

"All the way up and down the roster there were contributions," Curry said.

The Lakers are unbeaten at home this post-season, but they could find themselves without Davis, who departed in the fourth quarter after taking an inadvertent elbow to the head from Golden State's Kevon Looney.

A rattled Davis, who scored 23 points and grabbed nine rebounds, headed for the bench and was eventually helped to the locker room, not returning to the game.

"He took a shot to the head," Lakers coach Darvin Ham said after the game. "He seems to be doing really good already. That's the status right now."

James led the Lakers with 25 points, but Los Angeles couldn't match the energy of the desperate Warriors.

Curry drained a three-pointer at the halftime buzzer to give Golden State a 70-59 halftime lead.

Wiggins's putback dunk pushed the Warriors' lead to 18 points early in the third quarter.

They led by double-digits most of the second half, but Austin Reaves drilled a three-pointer that cut the deficit to nine with 5:25 remaining.

Curry responded with a step-back jumper and a three-pointer and the Lakers wouldn't get the deficit under 10 again.

Agence France-Presse

NBA: Lakers crush Grizzlies to advance

LOS ANGELES -- The Los Angeles Lakers punched their ticket to the NBA Western Conference semi-finals in emphatic style Friday, mauling the Memphis Grizzlies 125-85 to win their first-round series 4-2.

LeBron James and the Lakers will have to wait to see who they'll face in the Western Conference semi-finals after the Sacramento Kings fended off elimination, beating the NBA champion Golden State Warriors 118-99 to force a game seven in their series.

The Lakers, who earned the Western Conference seventh seed via the play-in tournament, rebounded with a vengeance after failing to lock up the series in Memphis on Wednesday.

They dominated in every facet in one of their best performances of an often rocky season, thrilling a crowd at Crypto.com Arena that included 86-year-old Oscar-winning actor Jack Nicholson.

Nicholson, a Lakers fan for decades, was in his courtside seat for the first time since last season's opener in October 2021.

D'Angelo Russell led the Lakers with 31 points. James finished with 22 points and six assists, and Anthony Davis had 16 points and 14 rebounds.

After they "let one go" in Memphis, Davis said, the Lakers weren't about to miss another chance on their home floor.

"We came out with energy," Davis told ESPN in an on-court interview. "Our crowd was into it. We came out with a sense of urgency that we're not going to let them guys come in here and force a game seven.

"We just came out with that mindset of ending it today."

The Lakers dominated every facet. They outscored the Grizzlies 52-32 in the paint and 24-14 on the fast break.

They out-rebounded the Grizzlies 52-45 and had 20 second-chance points to Memphis' nine.

They held Morant to 10 points on three-of-16 shooting, with Santi Aldama leading the Grizzlies with 16 points off the bench.

Grizzlies guard Desmond Bane added 15.

The Lakers won a playoff series for the first time since winning the club's 17th NBA title in 2020, in the Covid-protective bubble in Florida.

They fell to Phoenix in the first round in 2021 and didn't make it to the playoffs last season. They hadn't won a playoff series outside the bubble since 2012.

Agence France-Presse

NBA: James, Lakers roll past Grizzlies

LeBron James, Anthony Davis and the rest of the Lakers let their play answer the trash talking of Grizzlies forward Dillon Brooks, exploding out of the gate on the way to a playoff record-tying 35-9 first-quarter lead.

They led by as many as 29 in the second quarter as they rolled to a 111-101 victory.

Davis bounced back from a dismal showing in the Lakers' game two defeat to score 31 points and grab 17 rebounds.

He also had two steals and three blocked shots, while James added 25 points, nine rebounds and five assists.

Brooks, who had mocked NBA all-time scoring leader James as "old" after game two, saying he was happy to "poke bears," let his animosity get too physical and was tossed early in the third quarter after hitting James in the groin with his arm -- a blow that sent James to the court in pain.

Brooks, booed every time he touched the ball, finished the night with seven points. Even a dazzling 45-point display from star guard Ja Morant -- back in action after missing game two with a right hand injury -- couldn't save the Grizzlies.

"I think we just came out and set the tone," Davis said. "We just want to take care of our home floor. We're not getting into the back and forth. We let our game speak for itself."

Agence France-Presse

NBA: Davis propels Lakers to key win over Timberwolves

LOS ANGELES -- Anthony Davis shook off a twisted ankle to score 38 points and help the Los Angeles Lakers rally for a crucial 123-111 NBA victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday.

The Lakers improved their record to 39-38 -- their first time over .500 this season -- and more importantly leapfrogged ahead of the Timberwolves into seventh place in the tight Western Conference playoff race.

LeBron James scored 18 points and grabbed 10 rebounds and D'Angelo Russell had 12 points and 10 assists as all five Lakers starters scored in double figures.

The Lakers trailed by as many as 13 early in the third and were charging when Davis twisted his left ankle late in the period, grimacing as he lay on the court and limping off before returning to the game.

He finished with 17 rebounds, going hard at Minnesota even before star Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert departed the game with a knee injury.

"He kicked our ass in every way possible," Timberwolves coach Chris Finch said of Davis.

Added Lakers coach Darvin Ham: "It all starts with AD. We have a team that can make some things happen, but you've got to have that one pivotal force that can lead the charge ... in our case, it's AD."

That's even more true with James still returning to full strength after a month-long absence with a torn tendon in his right foot.

With Davis leading the way, the Lakers out-scored the Timberwolves 35-18 in the third quarter to take control and Ham said early indications were that Davis's injury wasn't serious.

"I think it's just a twisted ankle," Ham said.

The Boston Celtics followed up their big win over Milwaukee with 122-114 victory over the Utah Jazz.

Jayson Tatum scored 39 points and handed out 11 assists and Malcolm Brogdon scored 19 for the Celtics, who inched closer to the Bucks in the battle for the top seed in the Eastern Conference.

The Celtics drilled 17 three-pointers -- five of them from Tatum -- and trail the Bucks by one and a half games atop the East.

- Sixers hold off Raptors -

In Philadelphia, Joel Embiid scored 25 points and grabbed 12 rebounds as the 76ers built a big early lead and held on for a 117-110 victory over the Toronto Raptors.

James Harden scored 15 of his 23 points in the second quarter as the Sixers tightened their hold on third place in the East.

Philadelphia connected on 30 of 39 shots from the field in the first half, leading by as many as 24 on the way to a 20-point halftime lead.

The Raptors, locked in battle for a play-in tournament berth, hit back, Fred VanVleet pulling them within two points with a three-pointer with 5:50 left to play.

A jumper from Embiid and a three-pointer from PJ Tucker gave Philadelphia some breathing room and they held on for the win.

Scottie Barnes led the Raptors with 29 points and VanVleet added 19. All five Raptors starters scored in double figures but the Sixers bench out-scored Toronto's reserves 34-17.

"Good teams win ugly games," Tucker said. "Literally everybody stepped up on our team tonight. It's good energy and we needed everybody for the win."

The Sixers win left them three and a half games in front of the fourth-placed Cleveland Cavaliers, who fell 130-116 to the fifth-placed New York Knicks.

Jalen Brunson scored a career-high 48 points for the Knicks to help make up for the absence of Julius Randle, who sprained an ankle on Wednesday.

The sixth-placed Brooklyn Nets beat the Atlanta Hawks 124-107. Mikal Bridges scored 42 points as the Nets boosted their bid for the final direct playoff berth.

Dorian Finney-Smith added 19 points for Brooklyn, who were up by four at halftime and out-scored Atlanta 42-24 in the third quarter.

The Chicago Bulls tightened their grip on 10th place in the East and the final play-in berth with a 121-91 victory over the Charlotte Hornets. The Bulls are three games ahead of the Washington Wizards, who fell 116-109 to the Orlando Magic.

Agence France-Presse

NBA: Devin Booker leads Suns to blowout win, 3-2 lead over Lakers

Devin Booker recorded 30 points, seven rebounds and five assists to help the host Phoenix Suns steamroll the Los Angeles Lakers 115-85 on Tuesday night and take a 3-2 lead in the Western Conference first-round series.

Cameron Payne added 16 points off the bench and the Suns led by as many as 36 points while notching their second consecutive win in the seven-game series.

LeBron James registered 24 points, seven assists and five rebounds for the Lakers, who played without Anthony Davis (groin).

Game 6 is Thursday night at Los Angeles.

Chris Paul of the Suns reinjured his right shoulder while battling for rebounding position with 6:47 left in the third quarter and didn't return. He was officially ruled out early in the fourth quarter due to a contusion.

Paul had nine points, six assists and four rebounds in 23 minutes on a night in which Phoenix tallied 29 assists and committed just four turnovers. Los Angeles had 16 turnovers.

The Suns' domination included a 30-point halftime lead that was the largest in franchise playoff history, while it marked Los Angeles' second-largest halftime playoff deficit. The Lakers trailed the Portland Trail Blazers 75-41 in a first-round playoff game on April 23, 1992.

Mikal Bridges tallied 13 points for Phoenix, which shot 45.7 percent from the field and made 14 of 42 from 3-point range.

Kyle Kuzma added 15 points for the Lakers, who connected on 34.5 percent of their shots, including 12 of 35 from behind the arc.

The Lakers led 10-5 in the opening minutes before Phoenix scored the next 16 points to take the lead for good.

Booker scored 18 points in the opening stanza as the Suns held a 34-26 lead entering the second period.

Phoenix began the second quarter with a 16-1 burst, opening up a 50-27 lead on Paul's basket with 6:37 left.

Deandre Ayton's basket with 48 seconds remaining gave the Suns a 66-36 halftime lead. Phoenix outscored Los Angeles 32-10 in the stanza.

The Suns increased the lead to 36 points on Booker's basket with 7:30 left in the third quarter, shortly before Paul was reinjured. But the loss of its floor leader didn't bother Phoenix as it continued to lead comfortably while finishing off the rout.

Los Angeles' Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (knee) played 15 scoreless minutes before leaving. He missed Game 4 due to the injury.

-reuters-

NBA: Lakers' Davis says he'll be ready for NBA Finals Game 6

Anthony Davis insisted he'll be ready to go on Sunday when the Los Angeles Lakers try again to close out the Miami Heat for the 2020 NBA title, despite an early injury scare in the Lakers' game-five loss on Friday.

Davis, playing in his first NBA Finals, took an awkward hop as he battled Miami's Andre Iguodala for a rebound late in the first quarter and limped off the court in pain.

The Lakers said he aggravated a contusion in his right heel, but after pacing gingerly around on the sideline, he returned to the contest to score 28 points.

"Iggy kind of stepped on it," he said. "Reaggravated it. But I'll be fine on Sunday."

Davis said he originally hurt his heel in the Lakers' Western Conference finals win over the Denver Nuggets.

He said the pain Friday "kind of just wore off," although his movement appeared to be affected late in the game.

"I just kept moving around, just trying not to sit down. Get that adrenaline going and I was able to keep going and keep playing," said Davis.

The Lakers still lead the best-of-seven series three games to two and Davis said they have no reason to hang their heads after coming up just short -- 111-108 -- in the tense back-and-forth battle.

"It's basketball," he said. "It's the Finals. They wanted to win as bad as we wanted to win.

"So we've just got to go take it on Sunday.

"We win one, they have to win two," he said. "We have to keep that in mind, as well."

Agence France-Presse

NBA Finals: LeBron, Davis spark memories of Kobe-Shaq Lakers pairing

LeBron James and Anthony Davis delivered a fearsome one-two punch for Los Angeles on Friday, sparking more memories of Lakers legends Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant.

James and Davis combined for 65 points in the Lakers' 124-114 victory over the Heat, which put Los Angeles halfway to victory in the best-of-7 championship series.

They're the first Lakers duo to score 60 points in a Finals game since O'Neal and Bryant achieved the feat in 2002 -- when they claimed a third straight title.

After O'Neal departed the Lakers -- his relationship with Bryant famously soured -- Bryant won two more titles with the Lakers in 2009 and 2010.

James, playing in his 10th title series and with championships with Miami and Cleveland on his resume, recalled watching the Kobe-Shaq pairing when he was a high school star.

"Obviously we knew the force that Shaq brought to the table, but the elegance and force that Kobe played with, as well," James said. "They were very dominant in what they did on the floor, on both sides of the floor. So to be in the conversation with those two guys, myself and AD -- is just very humbling, because I know I grew up watching those guys."

Any memory of Bryant has a special resonance for the Lakers this year. The club icon died in a January helicopter crash that also claimed the life of his 13-year-old daughter and seven other people.

The Lakers wore their Bryant-inspired Black Mamba kit on Friday and remained unbeaten in four playoff games when wearing it.

James said that his and Davis's roles in the team can't be precisely compared to those of Shaq and Kobe.

"But I guess all four of us, we have a winning mentality," he said.

Davis agreed that any likeness was more to do with attitude than style of play.

"They both had a competitive spirit with themselves to will their teams to win," said Davis, who is in the championship series for the first time in his career.

"I think me and Bron are the same way. We are two guys who want to win no matter the circumstance. We both want to make sure that we do whatever it takes to help our team win."

Agence France-Presse

NBA: Jealousy-free Lakers thriving with James-Davis double act

ORLANDO - LeBron James believes an absence of locker-room jealousy is the key to his successful partnership with Anthony Davis as the Los Angeles Lakers bear down on a record-equaling 17th NBA championship.

Davis joined the Lakers last year from the New Orleans Pelicans, and has played a crucial role in guiding the team back to the NBA Finals for the first time in 10 years after missing the playoffs in 2018-2019.

On Wednesday, Davis excelled with 34 points, nine rebounds and five assists as the Lakers demolished the Miami Heat 116-98 in a game-one blowout.

James, meanwhile, added 25 points, 13 rebounds and nine assists in a dominant performance against his former team to open the best-of-seven series.

The James-Davis double act has provided the Lakers with the team's most potent axis since Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal were leading the team to three consecutive NBA titles between 2000 and 2002.

But while Bryant and O'Neal's relationship was undercut with tension, James says his partnership with Davis couldn't be more different.

"We're not jealous of each other," James said on Thursday. "I think that's the best thing. In professional sports, you have guys that join forces to become alpha males. That's what they call them.

"Two guys that have been dominant in a specific sport on their own respective teams, and they get together and they talk about how dominant they can be and they talk about this is going to be this and that.

'JEALOUSY CREEPS IN'

"I believe jealousy creeps in a lot. And that is the absolute contrary of what we are. We know who we are. We know what we're about. We want the best, seriously, every single day, both on and off the floor, for one another."

Davis, 27, agreed, saying he had never once considered the possibility that locker room envy could destabilize the Lakers locker room.

"The thought never crossed my mind when the trade happened," Davis said. "I'm not jealous of him. He's not jealous of me. I think it shows on the court.

"When you've got two guys who are very selfless and want to win as bad as both of us want to, the rest of it goes away and just takes care of itself."

Davis said a free flow of ideas and opinions characterized his partnership with James.

"We hold each other accountable," Davis said. "When we watch film or even during the course of a game, if I did something wrong, he tells me.

"If he does something wrong, I tell him. I think that's what makes it work, knowing that we trust one another to make reads, to make calls.

"We're able to talk to one another. Some guys on some teams are afraid to jump on the star player. Our team, a guy can tell a guy something, and we know it's coming from a great place and we know it's coming from a guy who wants to win.

Davis, however, does admit to envying James's three NBA championship rings.

"I want a ring, and he has three of them," Davis said. "That would be the one thing for sure that I would be jealous about... Hopefully I don't have to be envious of that much longer."

Agence France-Presse

James’ layup late lifts Lakers past Clippers, 103-101

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (AP) — LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers showed some rust.

They knocked it off with time to spare.

Anthony Davis scored 34 points, James had the go-ahead basket with 12.8 seconds left and the Lakers moved closer to clinching the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference playoffs by topping the Los Angeles Clippers 103-101 on Thursday night in the second game of the NBA’s re-opening doubleheader.

James had 16 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists to help the Lakers move 6 1/2 games ahead of the Clippers in the West with seven games remaining. Kyle Kuzma added 16 points.

“It felt like a real game to me, two teams battling. ... Can’t complain for the first game,” Davis said.

Paul George had 30 points and Kawhi Leonard scored 28 for the Clippers, who had an 11-point lead midway through the third in a game with deep ebbs and flows. The Clippers got that lead after a 26-5 run; the Lakers immediately rebutted with a 36-14 run to reclaim control.

And it still came down to the final moments.

George’s 3-pointer with 1:50 left cut the Lakers’ lead to 99-98. James muscled his way to a layup on the next possession, and then George hit another 3 to tie the game at 101 with 29 seconds remaining.

James followed his own miss down the lane for the go-ahead basket, then was brilliant on the last defensive possession — forcing the ball out of Leonard’s hands and covering George as his 3-point try at the buzzer misfired.

“We can’t have self-inflicted wounds and I thought we had too many of them,” said Clippers coach Doc Rivers, whose team — which remains short-handed with Lou Williams still in quarantine and Montrezl Harrell tending to a family matter — gave up 29 points off turnovers.

Thursday marked the NBA’s first game action in 141 days, the league getting back to work after the coronavirus pandemic forced a shutdown.

During the pandemic, a renewed discussion about racial injustice happened in this country — the conversation that surrounds this NBA restart. The courts have “Black Lives Matter” on them, and the Lakers and Clippers knelt together during the national anthem in a silent protest to demand equality. New Orleans and Utah did the same in the night’s opener.

James — who is going to win his first assist title — had five in the first quarter to get teammates going, and then his first basket of the restart came on a dunk early in the second quarter to put the Lakers up 37-24.

But for a stretch that basically spanned a full quarter, spanning the second and third periods, the Lakers couldn’t make a shot. They went 1 for 10 to end the half, then 0 for 9 to start the third and the Clippers took advantage.

They turned a 50-40 deficit into a 66-55 edge in the third. And then it was the Lakers’ turn to rally, slicing the Clippers’ lead to 77-76 going into the fourth.

“It was a good game,” Leonard said. “Still had fun out there. It was great to be back on the floor.”

TIP-INS

Clippers: The Clippers had won 11 of their last 12 games in the state of Florida. In both of those losses, Dion Waiters played for the winning side — the first being a game in Miami. ... Leonard was charged with two offensive fouls in the first quarter, the first time in his career that happened.

Lakers: The Lakers got to the 50-win mark for the 33rd time in franchise history, and this is the 12th time that James has helped a team get to that many wins in his 17 seasons. ... James’ 3-pointer with 8:30 left extended his NBA record of consecutive regular-season games with at least 10 points to 989.

CELEB ROW

NBA players are permitted to attend games in the bubble as fans — with their seats 6 feet apart to satisfy social distancing rules. Among those who attended: Portland’s Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum, San Antonio’s DeMar DeRozan and Toronto’s Kyle Lowry.

UP NEXT

Clippers: New Orleans on Saturday.

Lakers: Toronto on Saturday.

Associated Press

NBA: Lakers hold off Grizzlies' charge for 4th straight win

LeBron James scored a game-high 32 points, and the Los Angeles Lakers defeated the visiting Memphis Grizzlies 117-105 on Friday night.

Anthony Davis sustained a bruised calf in the first quarter but remained in to contribute 28 points, 13 rebounds and seven of the Lakers' 14 blocked shots.

Avery Bradley added 14 points and three steals as the Lakers won their fourth in a row. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope chipped in 12 points.

Josh Jackson scored 20 points on 9-of-12 shooting to lead the Grizzlies, who lost for the second time in as many nights.

Rookie Ja Morant had 17 points, and Brandon Clarke and Gorgui Dieng each amassed 14 points and 10 rebounds. Dieng hit all six of his field-goal attempts.

After trailing by 25 early in the third quarter, the Grizzlies got within 88-84 early in the fourth.

However, a 13-3 run put the Lakers up 101-87 after Alex Caruso slammed home a missed free throw by Davis. The Grizzlies got no closer than seven the rest of the way.

The Lakers turned a 6-point advantage after one quarter into a 60-41 lead at the break. Los Angeles closed the first half on a 22-7 surge, outscoring Memphis 32-19 in the second quarter.

In the third, the Lakers increased the margin to 68-43 before the Grizzlies rallied. A 24-7 burst pulled Memphis to within 75-67 after a 3-pointer by Jackson with 3:37 remaining in the quarter.

The Grizzlies outscored the Lakers 36-24 in the third to close the gap to 84-77 heading into the fourth. Los Angeles committed seven turnovers in the third to three for Memphis.

Overall, the Grizzlies had 17 miscues to 15 for the Lakers.

Memphis power forward Jaren Jackson Jr. left the contest due to left knee soreness and did not return for the second half. He finished with seven points and four rebounds in 16 minutes.

The Lakers have won all three meetings with the Grizzlies this season.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

Team LeBron outguns Team Giannis to win All-Star Game

CHICAGO -- Anthony Davis made a walk-off free throw and Team LeBron defeated Team Giannis in the 69th NBA All-Star Game on Sunday.

Davis, the Los Angeles Lakers' big man and first pick in the All-Star draft, missed badly off the back iron before sinking the second for a 157-155 victory in the unique, hotly contested showcase.

Kawhi Leonard earned the Kobe Bryant MVP Award after recording 30 points to lead Team LeBron, while Giannis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee Bucks) had 25 in a losing effort.

Neither team used a sub in the final quarter.

LeBron James (Los Angeles Lakers) gave Team LeBron a 156-153 lead but Chris Paul (Oklahoma City Thunder) opted for a 3 and missed. At the other end, Team Giannis closed the gap to 156-155 on two Joel Embiid (Philadelphia 76ers) free throws.

James was denied an earlier basket that would have made the score 156-153 after a review showed Antetokounmpo cleanly blocked James' layup initially called goaltending.

The fourth quarter began as a race to 157 points.

James Harden (Houston Rockets) made up for a missed set of free throws by making two and putting Team LeBron up 154-152.

Team LeBron mounted a comeback in the fiery final quarter that included Team Giannis' Kyle Lowry taking two charges and an official challenge -- overturning a foul call to a jump ball and change of possession -- with the game tied at 152.

Harden made a 3 to tie the game at 146 and Davis brought it back to all square after Team Giannis got two free throws from Embiid.

Team Giannis led 133-124 after three quarters, starting the unusual untimed final quarter.

The target final score of 157 was calculated using Team Giannis' score total after three quarters and adding 24 points.

A tightly contested third quarter tilted to Team LeBron with a Nikola Jokic 3-pointer. The Nuggets' 7-footer knocked down his shot with 22.2 seconds left and, after a turnover, applied a full-court press resulting in a foul and a pair of free throws for Russell Westbrook (Houston Rockets). He made 1 of 2.

Trae Young (Atlanta Hawks) connected on a cross court lob with Rudy Gilbert (Utah Jazz), tying the quarter 41-all with 2.2 seconds left. Westbrook missed a shot at the buzzer.

Team Giannis led 92-83 at halftime, with Young splashing a half-court shot at the buzzer.

Antetokounmpo lit up the second quarter and brought hustle at both ends -- not exactly an All-Star Game staple -- putting up 14 points and five boards in the period. Team Giannis won the second quarter 51-30.

Leonard had 12 points on 4-of-4 3-point shooting when the first subs were made 6 minutes, eight seconds into the game. He had 25 points in the first half -- seven 3s -- to lead all scorers. Team LeBron dominated the first quarter, 53-41, thanks to 9-of-18 shooting from 3-point range.

LeBron James, making his 16th All-Star Game appearance, and Team LeBron wore blue jerseys all with No. 2 on the back, and Team Giannis wore red No. 24 jerseys. The one-time gesture was a nod to Bryant, who wore No. 24, and his daughter Gianna, who preferred No. 2.

The untimed fourth quarter was a race to a target final score -- determined by adding 24 points to the score of the team leading after three quarters -- as part of a tribute to Bryant.

It was the first time since 2013 the All-Star Game was played without Warriors guard Stephen Curry, who is sidelined with a broken finger. Nets forward Kevin Durant, the 2019 All-Star Game MVP, was named an All-Star every year since 2010 before Sunday. He is sitting out the season recovering from a torn Achilles.

Each team represented a Chicagoland youth charity with the winning team netting $200,000 for their chosen organization, plus an extra $100,000 carried over from the third-quarter tie. The top-scoring team in each of the first three quarters was pegged to earn $100,000 for its charity.

Team Giannis represented After School Matters and Team LeBron played for Chicago Scholars.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

NBA: Lakers' Davis exits game after hard fall on back

Los Angeles Lakers star Anthony Davis suffered a contusion of the sacrum bone near the bottom of the spine when he took a hard fall on his back late in the third quarter of Tuesday night's home game against the New York Knicks.

X-rays were negative, and the plan was for Davis to undergo further testing late Tuesday night, according to coach Frank Vogel.

ESPN reported that Davis is expected to stay behind and rehab when the Lakers take a two-game road trip to Dallas (Friday) and Oklahoma City (Saturday), although the team did not have an announcement on his status.


Davis was injured while going up to defend a drive by Julius Randle, being knocked off balance. He crashed on his back and stayed down on the court during the ensuing timeout, immediately reaching for his lower back with his left arm.

He eventually walked slowly to the locker room on his own power.

He had five points, six rebounds and five assists in 28 minutes as the Lakers won 117-87.

"We're just hoping and praying for the best right now," Vogel told reporters after the game, saying the team would have an update on Davis' status Wednesday.

"He's one of our pillars. He's our present. He's our future. He's one of the best players in the world, so he obviously means a lot."

The six-time All-Star big man entered the game averaging 27.7 points and 9.5 rebounds for the Western Conference-leading Lakers, who acquired Davis from the New Orleans Pelicans in the offseason for a package that included forward Brandon Ingram, point guard Lonzo Ball and combo guard Josh Hart.

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NBA: Davis, James dominate as Lakers win 5th straight

Anthony Davis recorded 24 points, 11 rebounds and a season-best eight blocked shots to help the Los Angeles Lakers register a 106-99 victory over the visiting Detroit Pistons on Sunday night.

LeBron James added 21 points, 14 rebounds and 11 assists for his ninth triple-double of the season as the Lakers won their fifth consecutive game. Los Angeles blocked 20 shots, one shy of the franchise mark set against the Denver Nuggets on April 9, 1982.

Alex Caruso scored 13 points, Dwight Howard added 11 points, nine rebounds and five blocked shots and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope scored 10 for the Lakers. 

JaVale McGee swatted away six shots for Los Angeles, which shot 45.7 percent from the field and was 6 of 20 from 3-point range.

Derrick Rose scored 28 points and reserve Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk added 14 points for the Pistons, who lost for the ninth time in the past 11 games. 

Langston Galloway tallied 13 points, Andre Drummond had 12 points, 18 rebounds and four blocked shots, while Sekou Doumbouya and Christian Wood added 11 points apiece.

Detroit shot 37.2 percent from the field and hit 11 of 26 from behind the arc.

Lakers guard Avery Bradley (ankle) departed in the second quarter and didn't return. X-rays were negative but he is expected to miss some time.

Rose's 3-pointer pulled Detroit within 98-97 with 1:52 left. Davis then hit a corner 3-pointer and scored on a layup with 32.5 seconds left -- Drummond was called for goaltending on the latter shot -- as Los Angeles took a six-point lead en route to closing it out.

Detroit trailed by nine at halftime and finally led for the first time all night when Mykhailiuk buried a 3-pointer to make it 76-74 with 1:22 left in the third quarter. Galloway followed with a trey to make it a five-point margin with 59.3 seconds remaining.

Los Angeles scored the final point of the third quarter to trail 79-75 and erupted for the first 15 of the fourth period. Rajon Rondo's layup tied the score and Caruso tallied five points in 27 seconds to give the Lakers an 88-79 advantage with 8:34 to play.

Kuzma capped the burst with a layup with 7:42 left. The Pistons responded with nine straight points, and Mykhailiuk's 3-pointer cut Los Angeles' lead to 90-88 with 5:52 left.

Detroit went ahead 92-91 after two free throws by Rose with 4:51 left before the Lakers scored 15 of the game's final 22 points.

Los Angeles led 56-47 at the break with Davis already having six of his blocks.

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NBA: Anthony Davis lights up ex-team again, as Lakers top Pelicans

Anthony Davis scored 46 points and grabbed 13 rebounds, leading the Los Angeles Lakers to a 123-113 victory over the visiting New Orleans Pelicans on Friday night.

Davis, who scored 41 points in the Lakers' win over the Pelicans in their initial meeting on Nov. 27, hit 15 of 21 shots and made all 13 of his free throws as the Lakers won their fourth consecutive game.

Danny Green, who made 6 of 10 3-pointers for the game, had 20 of his 25 points in the first half, and LeBron James finished with 17 points, 15 assists and eight rebounds for Los Angeles.

Lonzo Ball had 23 points and Brandon Ingram had 22 for the Pelicans, who had their four-game winning streak snapped.

E'Twaun Moore added 16 points, Derrick Favors had 15 points, 14 rebounds and four blocks, and JJ Redick contributed 14 points for New Orleans.

It was the first visit to Staples Center in a Pelicans' uniform for Ingram, Ball and Josh Hart since they were traded to New Orleans for Davis.

New Orleans battled back from double-digit leads in the first half before Los Angeles took control in the third quarter.

Davis sparked the burst by scoring 19 points in the third as the Lakers outscored the Pelicans 31-21 for a 105-83 lead heading into the fourth quarter.

New Orleans pulled within seven after a dunk by Ingram with 2:25 left but got no closer.

The Lakers led by as many as 18 in the first half before the Pelicans rallied.

They sliced the gap to 64-60 on a bucket by Moore with 1:50 remaining in the second quarter, but the Lakers finished the half on a 10-2 surge for a 74-62 advantage at the break.

Los Angeles shot 50 percent from the floor for the game to 47.1 percent for New Orleans.

The Lakers made 14 of 29 3-pointers (48.3 percent) compared to 11 of 37 (29.7 percent) for the Pelicans.

Lakers reserve guard Alex Caruso missed the game with right calf soreness.

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NBA: Lakers jump all over Suns, then hang on for win

LeBron James recorded his eighth triple-double of the season with 31 points, 12 assists and 13 rebounds, and the Los Angeles Lakers held off the visiting Phoenix Suns 117-107 on Wednesday night after blowing much of a 36-point lead.

Anthony Davis scored 26 points and grabbed 11 rebounds as the Lakers won their third consecutive contest and handed the Suns their ninth loss in 11 games. Kyle Kuzma added 19 points and Avery Bradley finished with 18 for Los Angeles.

Devin Booker led the Suns with 32 points and Kelly Oubre Jr. had 26. Deandre Ayton finished with 16 points and 14 rebounds off the bench.

Phoenix used an 18-4 run to open the fourth quarter to close within 105-97 after a dunk by Ayton with 4:36 remaining. Another slam and a bucket inside by Oubre sliced the lead to seven with 2:13 left.

However, James' layup pushed the lead to 112-103 with 1:19 remaining. The Suns got no closer than seven the rest of the way as James clinched the win with free throws.

The Suns outscored the Lakers 66-43 in the second half.

The Lakers took command from the start before their poor performance in the fourth. They hit their first 11 shots from the floor en route to a 29-point lead in the first period. The Lakers finished the quarter ahead 43-17, their highest output in a quarter this season.

The Lakers outshot the Suns 70.4 percent to 26.1 percent in the quarter. Davis scored 15 points on 6-of-7 shooting, while Bradley added 10.

For the game, the Suns outshot the Lakers 48.8 percent to 47.8 percent.

Los Angeles held a 74-41 lead at the break.

With a second-quarter steal, Lakers center Dwight Howard became the sixth NBA player with 13,000 rebounds, 2,000 blocks and 1,000 steals, joining Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Robert Parish, Hakeem Olajuwon, Kevin Garnett and Tim Duncan.

Lakers reserve guard Alex Caruso left the contest with right calf tightness.

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NBA: Davis leads Lakers past banged-up Mavs

Anthony Davis had 23 points and nine rebounds as the host Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Dallas Mavericks, 108-95, on Sunday night at Staples Center.

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope scored 19 points, converting 5 of 9 shots and 4 of 5 3-pointers, off the bench for the Lakers, while Dwight Howard scored all 15 of his points in the first half. On the eve of his 35th birthday, LeBron James finished with 13 points and 13 assists.

Luka Doncic, who entered the contest as the NBA's third-leading scorer at 29.1 points per game, had 19 points on 5-of-14 shooting to go with seven assists. He was 0 for 6 on 3-pointers. Delon Wright added 14 points off the bench, while Kristaps Porzingis managed 11 points on 4-of-10 shooting.

The Lakers outshot the Mavericks 48.7 percent to 36 percent.

The Mavericks got a scare in the second quarter when Doncic crashed to the floor after being fouled by Howard on a drive to the bucket. He left the game with 2:02 remaining in the quarter but returned for the second half.

Dallas wasn't as fortunate with Tim Hardaway Jr. Hardaway left the contest with 5:26 remaining in the first quarter after sustaining a hamstring injury. Hardaway, who had 25 points in the Mavericks' win at Golden State on Saturday, appeared to have hurt himself after a breakaway dunk. He did not return, finishing with two points on 1-of-5 shooting in seven minutes.

A 3-pointer by Porzingis pulled the Mavericks within 35-31 midway through the second quarter but a 16-7 surge by the Lakers allowed them to take a 51-38 lead after two free throws by James with 2:11 left.

Los Angeles led, 54-43, at the break.

The Lakers increased the margin to as much as 17 in the third quarter before taking an 84-69 advantage heading in the fourth.

The Mavericks got no closer than 11 the rest of the way.

The Lakers are 11-4 at home. Dallas dropped to 12-4 on the road.

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NBA: Lakers halt skid, get back on track with win over Trail Blazers

LeBron James scored 21 points, matched his season best of 16 assists and also collected seven rebounds while playing through a groin injury to lead the Los Angeles Lakers to a 128-120 victory over the host Portland Trail Blazers on Saturday night.

Kyle Kuzma scored a team-high 24 points and Anthony Davis added 20 points, nine rebounds and five assists as Los Angeles halted a season-worst, four-game losing streak. Rajon Rondo tallied 15 points, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope added 13 and Dwight Howard had 11 points, eight rebounds and four blocked shots.

Damian Lillard recorded 31 points and nine assists for the Trail Blazers, who lost their third straight game. Hassan Whiteside recorded 19 points and 16 rebounds, CJ McCollum scored 18 points, Anfernee Simons added 14, Carmelo Anthony had 13 and Anthony Tolliver tallied 12.

The Lakers have won four of the past five meetings with Portland after losing the previous 16.

Los Angeles shot 51.6 percent from the field, including 11 of 32 from 3-point range. The Trail Blazers shot 47.7 percent and were 15 of 35 from behind the arc.


The Lakers led, 85-75, after Davis' basket with 7:45 left in the third quarter before the Trail Blazers scored the next 11 points to take the lead.

Los Angeles later went on a quarter-ending 13-4 run to take a 103-95 lead into the final stanza.

Caldwell-Pope buried a 3-pointer from the left corner on the fast break to give the Lakers a 118-107 advantage with 3:55 remaining.

Caldwell-Pope knocked down another 3-pointer from the left corner 61 seconds later to make it 123-112.

James recorded assist No. 16 in stellar fashion with an alley-oop to Davis, who slammed the ball home to make it 127-115 with 1:37 left to put the game away.

Kuzma scored 20 first-half points on 7-of-9 shooting to help the Lakers take a 71-64 lead. Lillard had 16 points for Portland.

James didn't look too bothered by his groin injury when he started strong with 10 points to help Los Angeles lead, 34-32, after the opening quarter.

The Lakers led, 62-49, after two free throws from Davis with 5:16 remaining in the second quarter before the Trail Blazers cut the margin to seven heading into the break.

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NBA: James, Lakers pull out tight win in Miami

LeBron James compiled 28 points, 12 assists and nine rebounds while leading the visiting Los Angeles Lakers to their sixth consecutive victory, a 113-110 decision over the Miami Heat on Friday night.

The Heat, trailing 112-110 with 8.1 seconds left, couldn't rebound a missed free throw by Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. After another foul and one more Caldwell-Pope free throw, Miami's Jimmy Butler missed a 3-pointer at the buzzer that could've forced overtime.

Anthony Davis also starred with a game-high 33 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks for the Lakers, who earned their 13th consecutive road win.

Butler, the reigning Eastern Conference Player of the Week, had a team-high 23 points, but his Heat lost at home for the first time this season, falling to 11-1 at AmericanAirlines Arena. Miami had won six of its previous seven games.

James, who leads the NBA in assists and is essentially Los Angeles' point guard at 6-feet-9 and 250 pounds, also committed eight turnovers in his return to Miami.

Before the game, he and retired star Chris Bosh shared an embrace. Bosh, who had a courtside seat, was one of James' teammates when the Heat won NBA titles in 2012 and 2013 and reached the Finals in 2011 and 2014.

Before the game, Miami suspended guard Dion Waiters for the third time this season. Waiters, who is owed $24.7 million over this season and next, has yet to play in this campaign.

The Heat also were without starting forward Justise Winslow (back) and backup point guard Goran Dragic (groin).

Los Angeles was without forward Kyle Kuzma (left ankle) for a second straight game, but backup point guard Rajon Rondo (hamstring) returned after missing two consecutive contests. He had no points and four assists in 25 minutes.

There were five lead changes and four ties in a tight first quarter that finished with the Lakers on top, 30-29.

In the second quarter, Miami led by as many as 14 points before settling for a 59-51 advantage at the break.

Los Angeles went on a 20-4 run early in the third, taking a 71-65 lead. Davis had 12 points in the third and James added 10 as the Lakers built a slim 88-85 lead, setting up the final frantic minutes in the fourth.

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NBA: Davis drops 50 in Lakers’ win over Timberwolves

Anthony Davis scored a season-high 50 points, sparking the Los Angeles Lakers to a 142-125 victory over the visiting Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday night.

Davis connected on 20 of 29 shots from the floor and converted all 10 of his free throws in 39 minutes. It was his fourth career 50-plus scoring game. Davis also had seven rebounds, six assists and four steals.

LeBron James had 32 points and 13 assists for the Lakers, who won their fourth in a row and 14th in 15 games. Alex Caruso added 16 points, while Danny Green finished with 12.

Andrew Wiggins, who missed Friday's loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder with a left thumb sprain, and Karl-Anthony Towns led Minnesota with 19 points each. Josh Okogie added 18 points, while Robert Covington had 16 for the Timberwolves, who lost their fourth consecutive contest. Eight players scored in double figures for the Timberwolves.

The Timberwolves rallied from several double-digit deficits throughout the contest before fading in the fourth quarter. Los Angeles used a 16-4 burst to seize a 103-84 lead after a 3-pointer by Caruso with 4:14 left in the third, but Minnesota cut the gap with a 19-7 run to pull within 110-103 heading into the fourth. Towns scored 13 points in the third.

The Timberwolves trailed by 11 early in the second quarter before putting together a 24-9 surge for a 55-51 lead after three free throws by Covington at 5:27. However, the Lakers closed the half on an 11-0 run for a 73-65 advantage at the break.

Davis scored 27 points in the first half, while James had 16 before intermission despite being limited by foul trouble.

The Lakers shot 61.2 percent to 50 percent for the Wolves in the first half. Overall, Los Angeles outshot Minnesota 58.5 percent to 51.8 percent. The Lakers committed just 10 turnovers to 15 for the Timberwolves. The Lakers also outrebounded the Timberwolves, 41-33.

Lakers reserve guard Rajon Rondo sat out the contest with a strained hamstring. He is listed as day-to-day.

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