Kobe given grand farewell
Los Angeles, Dec. 19: Terry Rozier’s steal and layup with 1.2 seconds remaining on Monday gave Boston a 112- 111 NBA victory over the Indiana Pacers after the Celtics squandered a 19- point lead.
Kyrie Irving led the Celtics with 30 points while Al Horford scored 14 points, grabbed 10 rebounds and passed off nine assists.
Jayson Tatum contributed 16 points and Marcus Smart added 15 and the Celtics made their first 10 shots and improved the best record in the Eastern Conference to 26- 7.
“That was one hell of a of a game to be a part of,” Irving said.
Victor Oladipo led the Pacers ( 17- 14) with 38 points, 30 in the second half. His 3- pointer and layup on back- to- back possessions gave Indiana a five- point edge with 31 seconds to play.
An Irving 3- pointer pulled Boston within 110109 with nine seconds remaining. Rozier followed by intercepting a Bojan Bogdanovic pass intended for Oladipo and raced the opposite way for the winning layup.
“It’s a tough, tough loss,” Oladipo said. “We gave ourselves a chance to win and we competed with the best team in the Eastern Conference. We can be that good. We just have to keep on getting better.”
Oklahoma City’s Russell Westbrook scored a seasonhigh 38 points on 16of- 28 shooting from the floor and sank the winning free throw after being fouled later in the host Thunder’s 95- 94 victory over Denver.
The league- leading Houston Rockets stretched their win streak Los Angeles, Dec. 19: Fivetime NBA champion Kobe Bryant was hailed as the “greatest” Los Angeles Laker of all on Monday by fellow legend Magic Johnson in a ceremony to retire Bryant’s jersey numbers.
The tribute came at halftime of the Lakers’ Staples Center matchup against the defending NBA champion Golden State Warriors, with Bryant’s numbers eight and 24 joining other inspirational Laker icons from the team’s 70- year history.
“We’re here to celebrate the greatest to ever wear the purple and gold. He made us rub our eyes and wonder what did we just see,” said Johnson, now Lakers president of basketball operations.
“There will never, ever be another Kobe Bryant.”
Bryant played 10 seasons in each retired number, winning three titles in the single- digit uniform top and two in the higher number jersey.
“Thank you so much for tonight,” Bryant told the crowd, which chanted his name while giving him a standing ovation.
“It’s not about my jerseys that are hanging up there for me. It’s about the jerseys that were hanging up there before.”
Many of the team’s past legends were on hand to welcome Bryant, who retired after the 2015- 16 campaign as an 18- time All- Star, a 2008 NBA Most Valuable Player and twotime NBA Finals MVP, to 14 games with a 120- 99 rout of visiting Utah as Eric Gordon scored 33 points, making a careerhigh seven 3- pointers, and James Harden added 26 points, six rebounds and six assists with Chris Paul contributing 18 points, nine rebounds and 10 assists. two- time NBA scoring champion and two- time Olympic champion.
Bryant, 39, said fans inspired him to put in the work every day that became his trademark over two decades with the Lakers, an unprecedented feat.
“Those times are the dream,” Bryant said. “It’s not the destination. It’s the journey. If you accomplish that, your dreams won’t come true — something
Clint Capela returned from injury and had 24 points and 20 rebounds for the Rockets ( 25- 4) while Rodney Hood led Utah with 26 points. On the night when the Los greater will.”
With a nod to his “Black Mamba” nickname, Bryant closed his remarks with, “Mamba out.”
With his family on hand to watch, Bryant was honoured with the mention of such career highlights as his career- high 81- point game in a 2006 victory over Toronto, the secondhighest point total in any game in NBA history.
Also acknowledged was Angeles Lakers retired Kobe Bryant’s two jersey numbers, the defending champion Golden State Warriors stole the show with a 116- 114 over- time triumph.
Kevin Durant scored 36 points, grabbed 11 rebounds and passed out eight assists. He netted 12 his final game, when he became the oldest player in NBA history to score 60 points, hitting the mark on the number in his farewell victory over Utah.
“There will never be an athlete in his last performance to top this man’s performance 60 points,” Johnson said.
“What we’re celebrating is the journey you took us on for those 20 years,” Buss said. — AFP of Golden State’s 14 points in over- time to spark the victory, including the deciding jumper with 6.4 seconds to go.
Lonzo Ball, who scored seven of his 16 points in the extra five minutes, had a potential tying layup blocked by David West to snuff the Lakers’ last chance.
Minnesota’s Jimmy Butler, who scored 37 points, hit two free throws with 2.5 seconds left and Damian Lillard missed a 3- point shot at the buzzer as the host Timberwolves held off Portland 108- 107. Lillard had 17 points, 13 assists and eight rebounds while Jusuf Nurkic and C. J. McCollum each scored 20 for the Trail Blazers.
Nikola Mirotic and Kris Dunn each scored 22 points and Justin Holiday added 20 to power the host Chicago Bulls to their sixth consecutive victory, a 117- 115 triumph over Philadelphia.
Kent Bazemore’s two late baskets among his 16 points halted a Miami rally as the host Atlanta Hawks beat the Heat 110104. Taurean Prince matched a career high with 24 points and Dennis Schroder added 21 for the Hawks. Josh Richardson had 26 points for Miami.
LaMarcus Aldridge scored 19 points and Tony Parker added 16 as the San Antonio Spurs cruised past the visiting Los Angeles Clippers 109- 91 while T. J. Warren scored 19 points and Isaiah Canaan added 17 to power the Phoenix Suns over host Dallas 97- 91.
At Charlotte, reserve Frank Kaminsky scored 24 points and the host Hornets snapped a threegame losing streak with a 109- 91 victory over New York. — AFP