In brief: Nets get off schneid, beat Bobcats

Basketball: The New Jersey Nets won for the first time this season, ending the worst start in NBA history at 18 losses by beating the Charlotte Bobcats 97-91 on Friday night in East Rutherford, N.J.

Brook Lopez had 31 points and 14 rebounds, and Courtney Lee scored a career-high 27 points in his return to the starting lineup for the Nets in their first game under Kiki Vandeweghe, their general manager who will coach the rest of the season.

“For me, I was happy for the players,” Vandeweghe said. “It was tough, tough on everybody.”

Lee made the tiebreaking free throws with 2:22 left, dunked after a steal 15 seconds later, and New Jersey put it away when Devin Harris made three from the line with 1:26 remaining for a 93-86 lead.

•Bryant’s 3 beats Heat: Kobe Bryant banked in a 3-pointer over Dwyane Wade’s defense at the buzzer, ending the superstars’ sensational duel and sending the Los Angeles Lakers to their eighth straight victory, 108-107 over the visiting Miami Heat. Bryant finished with 33 points.

Wade scored 26 points, but missed a free throw with 3.2 seconds left to give Los Angeles one last chance to tie.

•McMillan needs surgery: Portland Trail Blazers coach Nate McMillan ruptured his right Achilles tendon during practice and will have surgery Monday. McMillan will coach tonight’s home game against Houston, but he will miss next week’s four-game road trip.

•Skiles suspended: The NBA suspended Milwaukee Bucks coach Scott Skiles one game without pay for his actions toward an official. He served the suspension Friday, when the Bucks lost at Detroit.

•Griz win Big Sky opener: Anthony Johnson scored 22 points to lead Montana (5-2) to a 71-54 victory over Northern Arizona in Missoula in the Big Sky Conference opener.

•Montana State routs UNC: Marquise Navarre scored a career-high 22 points, and Bobby Howard added 21 points and nine rebounds as Montana State (3-3) opened Big Sky play with an 87-63 rout of Northern Colorado in Bozeman.

Appleby leads Aussie

Golf: Stuart Appleby shot consecutive 6-under-par 66s and held a two-stroke lead in the third round of the wind-suspended Australian Open in Sydney.

Appleby played two holes, then went through a near 6-hour suspension because of gusting winds on the oceanside links-style course.

Adam Scott reduced Appleby’s six-stroke lead to two when he completed his second round, also shooting 66.

•Ailing Yang builds lead: Despite battling a fever and a pounding headache, Y.E. Yang shot a 7-under 65 to build a two-shot lead going into the weekend at the Chevron World Challenge in Thousand Oaks, Calif. Yang led by two shots over Kenny Perry, Padraig Harrington and Ian Poulter.

Bleeding Vonn wins

Skiing: Blood pouring from her mouth, Lindsey Vonn sped through a snowfall to win a World Cup downhill on the course in Lake Louise, Alberta, for the sixth time in six years.

Vonn’s knee smacked her chin, causing her to cut her tongue, near the top of the run. She finished in 1 minute, 26.13 seconds, a half-second better than anyone else.

•Swiss top finishers: Carlo Janka won a World Cup super combined event in Beaver Creek, Colo., as top Americans Bode Miller and Ted Ligety failed to complete.

Ligety, the reigning Olympic combined champion from Park City, Utah, straddled a gate in the slalom, ending his run. Miller leaned too far forward on his slalom run and lost his balance, falling to the snow.

Flyers fire coach

Hockey: The Philadelphia Flyers replaced coach John Stevens with Peter Laviolette after the team was shut out in consecutive games.

Laviolette led the Carolina Hurricanes to their only Stanley Cup title in 2006. He was fired in December 2008.

The Flyers were expected to contend in the Eastern Conference this season. They are 13-11-1 for 27 points and out of a playoff position.

•Habs beat Bruins: Mike Cammalleri scored three times in the second period and the Montreal Canadiens celebrated their 100th anniversary with a 5-1 win over the Boston Bruins in Montreal.

Fight could affect Michigan State’s bowl

Miscellany: A campus fight involving Michigan State football players and fraternity members could affect the Spartans’ bowl destination.

Alamo Bowl officials said they are monitoring fallout from the Nov. 22 incident that has led to the dismissal of two Michigan State players and the suspension of eight others for a violation of team rules. No charges have been filed, but police are still investigating the fight at a campus residence hall.

Michigan State officials are keeping both the Alamo and Insight bowls updated.

•Spain takes Davis Cup lead: Defending champion Spain took a 2-0 lead over the Czech Republic in the Davis Cup final after David Ferrer rallied for a 1-6, 2-6, 6-4, 6-4, 8-6 victory over Radek Stepanek in Barcelona, Spain.

Earlier, Rafael Nadal beat Tomas Berdych 7-5, 6-0, 6-2 in the first singles match.

Feliciano Lopez and Fernando Verdasco can clinch Spain’s fourth title today with a doubles win over Lukas Dlouhy and Jan Hajek in the best-of-5 finals format.

•Stanford in College Cup final: Christen Press scored four minutes into overtime and undefeated Stanford advanced to its first NCAA Women’s College Cup soccer final with a 2-1 victory over UCLA in College Station, Texas.

The Cardinal (25-0) will face North Carolina, which beat Notre Dame 1-0. The Tar Hells will play for their 21st national title Sunday.