Lakers Down Rocket 132-123-Kuwait Times

Los Angeles: LeBron James scored a 32-point triple-double on Tuesday to help the Los Angeles Lakers win the Houston Rockets 132-123 to snap the five-game NBA skid. The four-time NBA champion is the first starting center in his 19-year career as an injured, starless Lakers team working on coronavirus-related absenteeism, including Rajon Rondo, Trevor Ariza, and head coach Frank Vogel. Listed as. ..

“I’m trying to do whatever this team needs,” said James, who added 11 rebounds and 11 assists in his third triple-double of the season. “Tonight I started at the center for the first time in my career, and as you know, we were able to survive the five consecutive losses,” he added. James became the third NBA player to reach 36,000 career points, following Kareem Abdul Jabbar (38,387) and Karl Malone (36,928). Russell Westbrook also played an important role in his own 24-point, 12-rebound, 10-assist triple-double. This is the 7th time of the season.

Meanwhile, Malik Monk added 25 points and Carmelo Anthony scored 24 from the bench. His three points left 2:25, giving the Lakers a four-point cushion. James got 124-116 with a pair of free throws and a one-handed slam, from which the rocket couldn’t get a deficit of less than 5 points. “Overcoming the big losses in the Christmas day game, we made some big contributions,” he said. “Mello was spectacular again from the bench. Everyone gave us a great time.”

Nuggets stop the Warriors

The league-leading Golden State Warriors made a disastrous start in Denver, eradicating a 24-point half-time deficit, but suffered an 89-86 defeat to the Nuggets. The Warriors, who lost Draymond Green on Monday due to COVID-19 concerns, appeared to have lost as the Nuggets started the match with a 10-0 lead. Denver scored 22 points from NBA MVP Nikola Jokić, leading 60-36 in half-time and faced a ferocious late rally from the Warriors, including 15 points in the fourth quarter from star Stephen Curry. ..

Curry, who had been held down to 2 points in the first half when he missed all five of the three points, finished with 23 points. With five three-pointers at night, he became the first NBA player to hit 3,000 shots across the arc, but with only 1.2 seconds left, the ball was in the hands of teammate Andre Iguodala and was in the Golden State. Needed 3 pointers to force overtime.

He missed and the Nuggets won. Jokić has added 18 rebounds, 5 assists, and a big block of potential game tie-ups for Warriors rookie Jonathan Kuminga. There are 3.7 seconds left. Will Barton has added 21 points to Denver. Elsewhere, NBA champion Milwaukee Bucks defeated Orlando Magic 127-110 by 28 points from two-time NBA Most Valuable Player Janis Adetokumpo. Khris Middleton scored 21 points in Bucks, who recorded four consecutive victories.

In New Orleans, Garrett Temple ejected four three-pointers within four minutes in the fourth quarter. This is because Pelican defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers 108-104, leading 23 points earlier. Jonas Valanciunus defeated Cleveland with four free throws in the last 28.7 seconds after Ricky Rubio was taken away in the last three minutes due to a knee injury. In Toronto, Tobias Harris scored his first triple-double in his career, scoring 19 points with 12 rebounds and 10 assists, and Joel Embiid’s 36 points and 11 rebounds with a 114-109 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers Raptors. Was backed up. — AFP