Quick Hitters
Roses for Kobe and Gianna as Lakers return to action
LOS ANGELES — Red roses adorned the courtside seats where Kobe and Gianna Bryant sat at the last Los Angeles Lakers game they attended. On the overhead video board, photos of Bryant in action for the Lakers alternated with those of the other seven people who were killed alongside him and his 13-year-old daughter in a helicopter crash.
Friday night at Staples Center was unlike any other.
Longtime public address announcer Lawrence Tanter introduced the entire Lakers lineup the same way: “From Lower Merion High School, No. 8, Kobe Bryant.”
In a ceremony before the Lakers’ first game since the crash on Sunday, Usher stood at center court of the darkened arena in front of No. 8 and No. 24 yellow rose arrangements to sing “Amazing Grace.” Cellist Ben Hong from the Los Angeles Philharmonic performed while video of Bryant talking about his life and career played.
Fans interrupted the silence with chants of “Kobe! Kobe!” and “MVP! MVP!”
Boyz II Men, from Bryant’s hometown of Philadelphia, sang the national anthem.
LeBron James, wearing No. 24, wiped his eyes as the anthem ended. He and Anthony Davis, wearing No. 8, hugged.
The crowd stood for 24.2 seconds of silence as the shot clocks ticked off the time until the horn blared. Spotlights shone on the empty seats set aside for Bryant and his daughter. Hers had a black-and-white Mamba jersey and his a No. 24 jersey.
James stood at center court and read the names of the nine crash victims, ending with Bryant. He told the crowd he had remarks prepared and pulled a piece of paper from his sweatpants. But then James tossed it to the floor.
“Laker Nation, I would be selling you short if I read off this (expletive), so I’m going to go straight from the heart,” he said.
“The first thing comes to mind is all about family. As I look around this arena, we’re all breathing, hurt and heartbroken,” James said. “The best thing you can do is lean on the shoulders of your family.”
PHOENIX — One day after Oklahoma City’s Chris Paul earned his first All-Star selection in four years, the veteran point guard gave a good reminder of why he’s still one of the NBA’s best players.
Paul ripped a steal away from Phoenix’s Kelly Oubre Jr. and then made the go-ahead jumper with 1:03 left, and the Thunder held on for a 111-107 victory over the Suns on Friday night.
It was another big moment in a surprisingly successful season for Paul and the Thunder. They’ve won seven straight road games and have a 30-20 record, including a 24-9 mark since Thanksgiving. A big reason for those wins is Paul’s continued excellence, even at 34 years old.
“It’s been special. It’s been a lot of fun,” Paul said. “Our team has been unbelievable and that’s been the best part about it. It’s always an honor and privilege to be named an All-Star, especially after not doing it for four years.”
Danilo
Gallinari led
Oklahoma City with 27 points and Dennis Schroder added 24. Paul finished with 20 points and 10 assists.
Oklahoma City used a 13-0 run late in the fourth quarter to flip a 99-92 deficit into a 105-99 lead with 25 seconds left and held on. Schroder drained a 3-pointer during the rally to tie the game at 99, and Paul hit the go-ahead jumper to make it 101-99.
“We just tried to finish, especially when we get to four- or five-minute mark,” Paul said. “That’s winning time. That’s when the really good teams lock in.”
The Suns led 81-79 going into the fourth quarter after Jevon Carter hit a 3 in the final seconds of the third and pushed their lead to 99-92 with 4:30 remaining on Deandre Ayton’s layup. But then they didn’t score for more than four minutes, missing seven straight shots as the Thunder rallied.
It was an entertaining game that featured 21 lead changes, which tied a season high for the Thunder.
Phoenix was led by Devin Booker and Oubre, who both scored 27 points. Oubre made a 3 with 9.5 seconds left that pulled the Suns to 107-106, but Shai Gilgeous-Alexander hit two free throws on the ensuing possession to put the Thunder up three.
“We had our chances,” Suns coach Monty Williams said. “We turned it over 22 times. They had 15 offensive rebounds. That is a lot of extra possessions to give a team that has as good of a guard trio as those guys.”
Schroder sank a 3-pointer with eight seconds left in the second quarter to put the Thunder ahead 53-52 at halftime. Schroder and Gallinari had 12 points apiece in the first half, while Booker led the Suns with 14.
REMEMBERING KOBE
The Suns held 24 seconds of silence before the game to honor Kobe Bryant, his 13-year-old