Spurs rally to keep LeBron, Lakers winless
LOS ANGELES — LeBron James hit the tying 3-pointer late in regulation. He led a Lakers lineup of three second-year pros and a rookie making his NBA debut to a 142-136 lead with 55 seconds left overtime.
James was then reminded in spectacular fashion that nothing will be easy in this West Coast chapter of his career.
Patty Mills hit a goahead jumper with 6.8 seconds left and the San Antonio Spurs kept the Lakers winless with LeBron, rallying from a six-point deficit in the final minute of OT for a wild 143-142 victory.
James tied it on a magisterial three with 2.4 seconds left in regulation, and he finished his second Lakers home game with 32 points, 14 assists and eight rebounds.
But the superstar missed two free throws with 12.8 seconds to play before Mills coolly put the Spurs ahead. James then missed a step-back 3-pointer at the buzzer, thoroughly deflating Staples Center as the Lakers fell to 0-3.
After cooling down, LeBron did not seem discouraged by the Lakers’ last-minute failure against a quality opponent — and while Los Angeles was missing suspended starters Rajon Rondo and Brandon Ingram .
“It’s not” discouraging, James said.
“I know what I got myself into,” he added. “It’s a process. I get it, and we’ll be fine. I didn’t come here thinking we were going to be blazing, storming right out of the gate. It’s a process, and I understand that.”
LaMarcus Aldridge had 37 points and 10 rebounds, and DeMar DeRozan added 32 points and 14 assists before Mills made the biggest shot. The Australian guard did it while playing Tony Parker’s traditional role on a familiar San Antonio play.
“It’s always good when you make shots or make an impact,” Mills said. “Other than that shot, it was a team victory. It was a gutsy win. Everyone participated.”
Kyle Kuzma had 37 points and eight rebounds for the Lakers, and Josh Hart added 20 points and 10 rebounds.
James’ dramatic three from a full step beyond the arc capped the Lakers’ improbable rally from an eightpoint deficit in the final 1:04 of regulation. The Lakers then took a 142136 lead late in overtime with huge contributions from unsung rookie big man Johnathan Williams, who played important minutes in his NBA debut after JaVale McGee fouled out. NEW YORK — When Rocky Fielding enters Madison Square Garden on Dec. 15, it won’t be his first time in the big arena. It will be his initial visit for a boxing event — his fight against Canelo Alvarez.
The WBA super middleweight champion will put his belt on the line and be a hefty underdog against what even Fielding calls “an elite fighter ... the face of boxing ... a superstar.”
Fielding and his girlfriend took a tour of the Garden a few years ago, then went to a basketball game. He hoped to someday be in the ring at the Manhattan venue that Fielding notes is the world’s Mecca of boxing. He even imagined it.
“I was coming off my first defeat and was somewhat down,” says the Brit who is 27-1, the loss to Callum Smith coming just under three years ago. “We came over, took the tour and returned at night for a basketball game. The history this arena holds struck me. As a fighter, you connect with it. And I said one day I would fight here.
“Three years down the road, I am fighting the biggest name in boxing. In the main event — for my title. Dreams do come true.”
It won’t be much of a dream if Fielding loses, as so many people outside of his camp seem to expect. Alvarez comes off a draw and then a win over Gennady Golovkin as middleweights, and a third bout with Triple G is what the boxing community hankers for.
But Alvarez seeks to join a group of Mexican fighters with three weight crowns. And while the money would be massive for a third Golovkin fight, Alvarez does own a 1-0-1 record against Triple G, though both bouts were very close.
For his part, Fielding envisions himself as the star of the show in mid-December.
“I know what I am up against, a tough, elite fighter who has been on pay-per-view and sold out arenas,” he said. “You have to start somewhere; he did. I’m the world champ and I want to get to that level he is at, and I am confident of getting that win.