Kobe’s numbers retired, Warriors edge Lakers
Celtics get key steal to overcome Pacers rockets coast to 14th straight victory T'Wolves top Blazers
Flanked by a row of basketball Hall of Famers, Kobe Bryant smiled widely and watched as two drapes were slowly lowered Monday night at Staples Center, revealing the No. 8 jersey he wore for the first 10 years of his career, and the No. 24 he donned for the second decade.
The Lakers retired Bryant’s jerseys in a halftime ceremony that ensured for one more night a Lakers game would be the cross-section of Los Angeles glitz and glam. Jack Nicholson was back in his courtside seat, and basketball legends from Shaquille O’Neal and Jerry West to Allen Iverson and Bill Russell were on hand to honor Bryant, who won five championships in 20 seasons with the Lakers.
Bryant became the 10th Laker to have his jersey retired, but the first player in major professional sports to have two numbers retired by the same organization.
In the game, Kevin Durant had 36 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists, and Golden State extended its winning streak to nine with an overtime victory against Los Angeles.
Klay Thompson scored 17 points and Israeli forward Omri Casspi finished with 14 points and 10 rebounds in 25 minutes off the bench, marking the fourth time in his NBA career that he has registered backto-back double-doubles.
(Orange County Register/TNS)
Celtics 112, Pacers 111
A Terry Rozier steal and go-ahead layup with 1.5 seconds remaining gave Boston a wild win over Indiana.
Boston gave up a 19-point lead to the Pacers late in the fourth quarter, but a furious late rally was capped by Rozier’s steal and game-winner.
Kyrie Irving led the Celtics with 30 points. Al Horford flirted with a triple-double, scoring 14 points, grabbing 10 rebounds and dishing out nine assists. Jayson Tatum chipped in 16 points and Marcus Smart added 15.
Indiana was paced by Victor Oladipo’s 38 points, 30 of which came after halftime.
Rockets 120, Jazz 99
Eric Gordon hit seven three-pointers and carried Houston over Utah. Gordon finished with 33 points, including 17 in the fourth quarter as the Rockets won their 14th straight game.
James Harden chipped in 26 points, six rebounds and six assists while Chris Paul finished a rebound shy of a triple-double with 18 points, nine boards and 10 assists.
Rodney Hood paced Utah with 26 points but scored just two in the fourth quarter.
Hornets 109, Knicks 91
Frank Kaminsky came off the bench to score 24 points and Charlotte snapped a three-game losing streak with a victory over short-handed New York.
New York, which had a four-game winning streak snapped, was without leading scorer Kristaps Porzingis for the second straight game because of a sore left knee.
Timberwolves 108, Trail Blazers 107
Jimmy Butler hit a pair of free throws with 2.5 seconds left, and Damian Lillard’s three-point shot at the buzzer was off the mark as Minnesota came from behind to beat Portland.
Butler scored 37 points for Minnesota, which finished a five-game home-stand 3-2. Jamal Crawford had a season-high 23 points, including 16 in the fourth quarter, off the bench for the Wolves. Karl-Anthony Towns had 16 points and eight rebounds.
Bulls 117, 76ers 115
Nikola Mirotic and Kris Dunn each scored 22 points as Chicago rallied from a nine-point fourth-quarter deficit to defeat Philadelphia for its sixth straight win.
Chicago also got 20 points from Justin Holiday, 12 from Bobby Portis and 10 apiece from Denzel Valentine and Lauri Markkanen.
Thunder 95, Nuggets 94
Russell Westbrook hit one of two free throws with two seconds remaining, and Denver missed a last-second shot as Oklahoma City came back for the win.
The Nuggets had a chance to win after Westbrook’s free throw, but Gary Harris’s desperation shot at the buzzer was wide.
Westbrook scored a season-high 38 points on 16-of-28 shooting.
Spurs 109, Clippers 91
LaMarcus Aldridge scored a workmanlike 19 points and Tony Parker added 16 as the San Antonio cruised to a win over injury-depleted Los Angeles.
The Clippers cut San Antonio’s lead to 67-65 on a three-pointer by Jamil Wilson with 5:33 to play in the third quarter, but the Spurs responded by scoring 18 of the final 23 points in the period and taking an 85-70 advantage to the fourth quarter.
Jamil Wilson and DeAndre Jordan scored 13 points for the Clippers.
Suns 97, Mavericks 91
Newly acquired point guard Isaiah Canaan scored 11 of his 17 points in the fourth quarter to lead Phoenix back from a double-digit deficit en route to a win over Dallas.
TJ Warren, who finished with a teamhigh 19 points, made three of four free throws in the final five seconds to seal the victory.
Harrison Barnes led five Mavericks in double figures with 26 points. (Reuters)