Good start for D’antoni

Bryant scores 25, and Lakers win with hobbled coach

Kobe Bryant scored six of his 25 points in the final two minutes, and the host Los Angeles Lakers hung on for a 95- 90 victory over the Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday night in coach Mike D’Antoni’s sideline debut.

Dwight Howard had 23 points and 15 rebounds despite a horrific 7- for- 19 performance at the freethrow line for the Lakers, who have won five of six and moved above .500 since firing Mike Brown.

Although D’Antoni is still unsteady on his surgically replaced knee, he coached Los Angeles to a narrow victory that snapped Brooklyn’s five- game winning streak.

“We weren’t clicking offensively and we didn’t play real well overall but good ( in) spots and especially a win against a team that’s hot — they’d won five in a row— to outplay them, that means something,” D’Antoni said.

Brook Lopez scored 23 points, and Deron Williams had 22 for the Nets, who suffered their ninth consecutive loss to the Lakers.

Pau Gasol and Metta World Peace scored 17 points apiece as the Lakers wrapped up a tumultuous six- game homestand that began with Brown’s firing 11 days ago.

The Lakers went 4- 1 under interim coach Bernie Bickerstaff, but D’Antoni finally took over the bench nine days after he was hired.

D’Antoni clearly isn’t at full strength: He hobbled slowly on the sideline on the rare occasions he left his chair during play in the first half. He moved around with more vigor after halftime, protesting foul calls with his usual theatrical vehemence despite a slight limp in his step.

Knicks 102, Hornets 80: Carmelo Anthony scored 29 points, and New York extended New Orleans’ losing streak to four games. Ryan Anderson, starting in place of No. 1 overall pick Anthony Davis, led the host Hornets with 15 points. Davis sat out with tenderness in his left ankle.

76ers 106, Raptors 98: Jason Richardson scored six of his 21 points late in the fourth quarter, and Nick Young had 23 off the bench to spark the Philadelphia home win.

Mavericks: Dirk Nowitzki said that he’s still about two weeks away from getting back on the court to start running and shooting. That would put him at just more than six weeks since arthroscopic surgery on his right knee Oct. 19— and he still isn’t sure when he will start playing.