Bryant, Lakers trip up Bobcats
When he was playing in Miami, Caron Butler stayed up late after games to watch Kobe Bryant’s oncourt magic in Los Angeles. But Butler hadn’t seen it in person since joining the Lakers in the off-season.
“I was like, ‘Now that I’m over here, I want to see some of that,’ ” Butler said.
Bryant certainly obliged Saturday night, scoring 21 fourth-quarter points and hitting a long jumper with 0.9 seconds left in the Lakers’ 117-116 victory over the Charlotte Bobcats in Charlotte, N.C.
Bryant finished with 32 points and nine assists for the Lakers, who trailed much of the way against the expansion Bobcats. Bryant finished 12 for 24 from the field, including 8 for 12 in the final quarter, and hit his first game-winner of the season.
“I fee like if I can raise up and get a good look, it’s a good shot,” Bryant said. “When you get in a rhythm and all of a sudden the pressure comes, I feel like the basket gets even wider. It’s just one of those things. It’s a lot easier to make a shot when the pressure’s on than it is in the first quarter, sometimes.”
Los Angeles has consecutive road wins for the first time this season.
“I told them that before the game,” Lakers coach Frank Hamblen said of the team’s struggles on the road. “For a playoff team, this has to stop.”
Bryant put an end to that, and extended the Bobcats’ recent losing streak in frustrating fashion.
Charlotte appeared ready to end its five-game skid, leading by 10 points with about 7 minutes left on the way to tying its season-high with 116 points.
The Bobcats also got a pair of strong performances from Brevin Knight and Emeka Okafor. Knight, back in the lineup after missing three games with a sprained ankle, had 21 points and 17 assists with no turnovers. Okafor had a career-high 30 points and 11 rebounds.
Heat 90, Nets 65: Eddie Jones scored 14 of his 18 points in a decisive third quarter to send Miami past visiting New Jersey for its eighth straight win.
Shaquille O’Neal had 15 points and 11 rebounds for the Heat, who allowed their lowest point total of the season. Damon Jones added 15 points and Dwyane Wade 13 as Miami won its 12th straight home game.
Vince Carter scored 20 for the Nets, who managed just 26 points in the second half and lost for the fourth time in five games.
Nuggets 90, Spurs 87: Carmelo Anthony made a 14-foot jumper and a pair of free throws down the stretch to lead visiting Denver over short-handed San Antonio for its eighth victory in a row.
The Nuggets trailed 79-70 with about 9 minutes left after Devin Brown made two 3-pointers and Beno Udrih added another for the Spurs, who played without Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili for a second straight game.
But Denver chipped away at the deficit while San Antonio’s offense bogged down, and the Nuggets finished by scoring the game’s final 10 points.
Hornets 111, Bucks 107: J.R. Smith scored 16 points, including three key free throws in the final 4 seconds, helping New Orleans hold off visiting Milwaukee.
Dan Dickau scored 17 points to lead New Orleans.
Maurice Williams finished with 19 points for Milwaukee, which trailed for most of the second half. Anthony Goldwire added 14 points on 4-for-5 shooting from 3-point range.
Trail Blazers 80, Grizzlies 66: Shareef Abdur-Rahim had 25 points and 10 rebounds, and Portland beat visiting Memphis to give Kevin Pritchard his first victory in five tries as Portland’s interim head coach.
The victory over Memphis snapped a six-game losing streak overall for the Blazers, who led by as many as 18 points. Richie Frahm added 14 points for Portland.
Before the game the Trail Blazers placed guard Nick Van Exel on the injured list because of an arthritic left knee, and signed free-agent guard Maurice Baker to a 10-day contract to fill the roster spot.
Warriors 105, Hawks 92: Mike Dunleavy and Jason Richardson each scored 22 points and Golden State set a team record with 18 3-pointers in its road victory over Atlanta.
Dunleavy was 6 for 7 from 3-point range, and Baron Davis went 6 for 10 and scored 20 points. The Warriors became the fifth team to fall one 3-pointer shy of the NBA record set by Atlanta in a 107-93 victory in Dallas on Dec. 17, 1996.
Kings’ Miller out 4 to 6 weeks
Sacramento Kings center Brad Miller will be sidelined for at least a month after breaking his left leg during a light shooting drill Saturday.
Miller, a two-time All-Star, missed Sacramento’s last six games with a bruised calf. He was expected to return for today’s game against Houston.
The bone will heal in four to six weeks and Miller should be able to ride a stationary bike in 10 days. But the playoffs begin in six weeks, and the Kings aren’t sure whether he’ll be ready.