NBA: LeBron has triple-double as Lakers dump Nets

LeBron James totaled 27 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists as the Los Angeles Lakers pulled away in the fourth quarter for a 128-113 victory over the struggling Brooklyn Nets Thursday night in New York.

James posted his 91st career triple-double and 10th this season as the Lakers won for the 12th time in 14 games in front of a crowd that featured former President Bill Clinton and many Los Angeles fans. 

James exited to a standing ovation from many fans after checking out for good with 4:42 remaining and the Lakers up 23.

James shot 11 of 19 from the floor as the Lakers shot 50 percent overall and hit a season-high 19 3-pointers.

James ended the game at 33,626 points, 17 behind Kobe Bryant for third on the all-time scoring list. His first chance at passing Bryant will be Saturday in Philadelphia.

Anthony Davis added 16 points and 11 rebounds to help the Lakers to a 52-41 rebounding margin. Kyle Kuzma also added 16 as the Lakers got 55 points from their bench.

Dwight Howard also posted a double-double with 14 points and 12 rebounds while Danny Green hit four 3-pointers and contributed 14 points.

Kyrie Irving scored 20 points but it was not enough as the Nets dropped their fifth straight game and fell to 2-12 in their last 14 games. 

Taurean Prince added 18 while Caris LeVert contributed 16 as the Nets shot 44 percent and lost despite hitting 21 3-pointers.

The Lakers settled for a 38-35 lead after shooting 58.3 percent in the first quarter and allowing the Nets to end the period on a 13-6 run over the final 2:33. 

The Lakers took the lead for good shortly after James returned in the second quarter, held a 75-70 lead by halftime and took an 88-75 lead after Green sank three 3-pointers in the first 3:58 of the third.

The Nets were within 95-94 on a 3-pointer by Irving with 50 seconds left but Davis and Rajon Rondo hit 3-pointers before Jared Dudley's buzzer-beating 3-pointer pushed the lead to 104-94 lead entering the fourth. 

Los Angeles then finished off the win by starting the final quarter with a 17-2 blitz and took a 121-96 lead on a jumper by James with 5:32 remaining.

source: news.abs-cbn.com

NBA: Lakers overtake Cavs, pull away for blowout win

Avery Bradley ignited a third-quarter run with a 3-pointer Monday night as the Los Angeles Lakers, after trailing the entire first half, blew past the visiting Cleveland Cavaliers for a 128-99 victory.

LeBron James scored a game-high 31 points while Dwight Howard recorded 21 points and 15 rebounds off the bench, helping the Lakers win their ninth straight while snapping Cleveland's two-game winning streak.

Kevin Love (21 points, 11 rebounds) and Tristan Thompson (17 points, 10 rebounds) had double-doubles for the Cavaliers, who had opened a six-game trip with victories at Detroit and Denver.


Love, Darius Garland and Thompson each had a hoop as Cleveland scored the game's first six points en route to as much as a 10-point lead in the first quarter and a 14-point advantage in the second.

The Lakers rallied within 48-47 by halftime, and they still trailed 56-55 after a Garland layup in the fifth minute of the third quarter.

Bradley's 3-pointer with 7:38 left in the third gave Los Angeles the lead for good and began a 13-0 burst that also included a three-point play by James. JaVale McGee's jumper with 5:10 left in the period capped the run and gave the Lakers a 68-56 lead.

The Lakers were up by 14 at quarter's end and gradually pulled away over the final 12 minutes in the opener of a two-game homestand.

James' 31 points came on 12-of-16 shooting from the floor. He also found time for a game-high eight assists.

Bradley finished with 12 points, and he was followed by Kyle Kuzma with 11 and Danny Green and Alex Caruso with 10 apiece.

The Lakers outshot the Cavaliers 54.5 percent to 44.7 percent.

All five Cavaliers starters scored in double figures, with Collin Sexton (16), Garland (16) and Cedi Osman (15) joining Love and Thompson in the distinction.

The Cavaliers shot just 7-for-25 on 3-point attempts, with Osman accounting for four of the seven successes. The Lakers hit 11 of 30 tries from behind the arc.

source: news.abs-cbn.com