Lopez lifts Lakers over Nets
Brook Lopez hit six 3-pointers and scored a season-high 34 points against his former Brooklyn teammates, and rookie Kyle Kuzma had 21 points and 13 rebounds during his first career start in the Los Angeles Lakers’ 124-112 victory over the visting Nets on Friday night.
D’Angelo Russell had 17 points, seven rebounds and seven assists in his first game against the Lakers since they traded him to Brooklyn last summer in the four-player deal that brought Lopez and Kuzma to Los Angeles.
Lopez, the leading scorer in Nets history, had 23 points in the second half and added 10 rebounds while the Lakers stayed comfortably ahead of Brooklyn, which has lost four straight. Jordan Clarkson added 19 points and Brandon Ingram had 18.
Allen Crabbe scored 25 points for the Nets in the opener of a five-game road trip, and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson added 21.
Lopez had spent his entire nine-year NBA career with the Nets before the trade, becoming the top scorer in franchise history while leading the Nets in scoring during each of the past five seasons.
DEVILS LOSE FIRST ROAD GAME
Connor McDavid had three assists and the Edmonton Oilers beat the visiting Devils 6-3 on Friday night to hand them their first road loss of the season.
Drake Caggiula, Ryan Strome, Oscar Klefbom, Milan Lucic, Leon Draisaitl and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins scored for the Oilers. They snapped a two-game losing streak to improve to 4-7-1.
Taylor Hall, Jesper Bratt and Brian Gibbons scored for the Devils. They dropped to 9-3-0.
LEBRON HAS 57, CAVS WIN
LeBron James scored 57 points — the second-highest total of his career and an NBA-best this season — and the Cleveland Cavaliers stopped a four-game slide with a 130-122 victory over the host Washington Wizards on Friday night.
James hadn’t scored this much since getting a career-high 61 for the Miami Heat on March 3, 2014, against the Charlotte Hornets.
l Kyrie Irving scored 22 of his 25 points in the second half and the visiting Boston Celtics rallied from 18 down to beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 101-94 for their seventh straight victory.
Carmelo Anthony had 10 points and 14 rebounds but shot just 3 of 17 for OKC.
ASTROS NOT SURE ON WH VISIT
The World Series champion Houston Astros have not made the decision yet on whether they will visit the White House to meet with President Donald Trump if an invitation is extended.
“We just won the first world championship in Houston Astros history,” Astros manager A.J. Hinch said shortly before the team left for a celebratory parade through downtown Houston on Friday. “We’re also in one of the most divided countries, polarizing countries in politics. I don’t know that this is the best stage for everybody to declare one way or the other and try to comment on the moment and be too much of a political statement.”
The New England Patriots, Pittsburgh Penguins and Clemson Tigers have all visited the White House in recent months to be congratulated by the president for their titles. The Golden State Warriors did not make the trip after being uninvited by Trump.
l The Pittsburgh Pirates have exercised their $14.75 million option on star outfielder Andrew McCutchen.The 31-yearold, a five-time All-Star and the 2013 NL Most Valuable Player, signed a $51.5 million, six-year deal in 2012 that included the option, which had a $1 million buyout attached.