The Star Online: Sports
The Star Online: Sports |
- Bryant leads Lakers over Knicks
- Rondo powers Celtics over Nets
- NBA: Kings reinstate Cousins after missing one game
| Bryant leads Lakers over Knicks Posted: 25 Dec 2012 06:12 PM PST LOS ANGELES: Kobe Bryant scored 34 points while Steve Nash and Pau Gasol turned in major performances to spark the Los Angeles Lakers over the New York Knicks 100-94 on Tuesday in an NBA Christmas matchup. NBA scoring leader Bryant surpassed the 30-point mark for the ninth game in a row as the Lakers stretched their winning streak to five games and improved to 14-14 on the season. "We held them to 16 points in the fourth quarter and played good defense," Bryant said. "We did it as a group and we did it in stages. It's a process. We just tried to get better." Canadian point guard Nash, in only his second game back after a leg fracture sidelined him for 24 games, had 16 points, 11 assists and six rebounds, while Dwight Howard added 14 points and 12 rebounds. Spanish forward Gasol added 13 points, eight rebounds and six assists for the Lakers. Carmelo Anthony, second on the NBA scoring list, led New York with 34 points, while J.R. Smith added 25 points and Raymond Felton contributed 10 points. The Knicks had ripped the Lakers 12 days earlier in New York, but that was with Los Angeles lacking Nash and Gasol due to injuries. The Lakers have not lost since. "Give them credit. They made the plays defensively," Knicks head coach Mike Woodson said. "The fourth quarter was pretty much in their favor. We had some breakdowns late and they cost us." New York fell to 20-8, still best in the Atlantic division and second-best in the Eastern Conference. Anthony, who went only 4-of-11 from the field in the first half for 10 points, netted 17 points in the third quarter to pull the Knicks ahead 78-71. But the Lakers scored the last six points of the third period and went on an 8-0 run in the fourth quarter capped by back-to-back Bryant buckets for an 87-82 lead with seven minutes remaining. Smith missed a tying three-point shot and Gasol followed with a dunk with 12 seconds left to seal the Lakers' triumph. "I don't dunk as often as I used to so it felt good to go to the hole with some explosiveness," Gasol said. The Knicks, who have played a record 48 Christmas contests, fell to 22-26 on December 25, while the Knicks improved to 21-18 in such games. -AFP |
| Rondo powers Celtics over Nets Posted: 25 Dec 2012 04:21 PM PST NEW YORK: Rajon Rondo scored 19 points and contributed six rebounds and five assists as the Boston Celtics defeated the Brooklyn Nets 93-76 on Tuesday in an NBA Christmas Day matchup. The Celtics made a successful start to a four-game road trip, pulling level with the Nets at 14-13 for the season. Both clubs now share second place in the Atlantic Division behind the New York Knicks. Jared Sullinger scored 16 points for the Celtics while Jeff Green added 15 points and Kevin Garnett had eight points and 10 rebounds for Boston, which lost twice to Brooklyn earlier this season. "We played firm. That's what we have got to be," Garnett said. "We've got to be more consistent with what we are doing." After the Nets battled back within eight points, the Celtics scored the last seven points of the third quarter to seize a 73-68 lead. Rondo had nine of Boston's 17 points in the third quarter to spark the visitors. Brook Lopez and Gerald Wallace each scored 15 points to lead Brooklyn while Joe Johnson added 12 in a losing cause. The Nets, who lost for the fourth time in five games and fell to 9-7 at home this season, were without power forward Kris Humphries, who is suffering from an abdominal strain. He is averaging 7.1 points and 7.4 rebounds a game. -AFP |
| NBA: Kings reinstate Cousins after missing one game Posted: 25 Dec 2012 05:07 PM PST SACRAMENTO, California: Sacramento Kings center DeMarcus Cousins was reinstated by the NBA club on Monday, two days after being suspended indefinitely for unprofessional behavior and detrimental conduct. Cousins missed the Kings' 108-96 home victory over Portland on Sunday because of the suspension, a triumph that lifted the team's record to 9-18, still last in the Pacific Division. Cousins exchanged angry words in the locker room with coach Keith Smart at half-time of the Kings' 97-85 road loss to the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday. Smart decided to bench Cousins for the entire second half, ordering him not to join the other players when they returned to the court for the second half. After the game, an apologetic Cousins said his outburst was wrong. In his third NBA season, Cousins is averaging a team-high 16.6 points plus 9.5 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.35 steals a game after 23 games. Cousins was suspended for one game earlier this month by the NBA for hitting Dallas guard O.J. Mayo in the groin and suspended two games in November by the league after a confrontation with San Antonio Spurs announcer Sean Elliott. - AFP |
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