In brief: Bryant’s Lakers edge Anthony’s Nuggets in opener
Kobe Bryant scored 40 points, including six free throws in the final 30 seconds, to lift Los Angeles to a 105-103 victory over the Denver Nuggets in Los Angeles on Tuesday after the Lakers trailed most of the game in the Western Conference finals opener.
Pau Gasol added 13 points and 14 rebounds and Derek Fisher had 13 points for the Lakers, who faced a seven-point deficit in the fourth quarter. Gasol’s two free throws tied the game for the last time at 99 before Bryant went to the line, offsetting a 3-pointer by Chauncey Billups and a free throw by J.R. Smith.
Carmelo Anthony scored 39 points, Billups added 18 and Kenyon Martin had 15 for the Nuggets, who hadn’t played since taking care of Dallas in five games last Wednesday.
•Clippers win lottery: Those longtime losers from Los Angeles were big winners.
The Clippers came across the country for what’s practically an annual spring vacation and are going home with a nice souvenir: the No. 1 pick in next month’s draft.
The Clippers won the draft lottery, moving up from the third-best chance to earn the top pick for the third time, earning the right to draft All-America forward Blake Griffin of Oklahoma, the national college player of the year.
Memphis vaulted to second and Oklahoma City will pick third.
Sacramento, which had the best chance to win the lottery after finishing with a league-worst 17-65 record, fell to fourth, and Washington dropped from second to No. 5.
The draft is June 25.
•Sixers talk to Rambis, Casey: The Philadelphia 76ers have interviewed Lakers assistant Kurt Rambis and Mavericks assistant Dwane Casey for their coaching vacancy.
NHL
Red Wings take 2-0 lead
Mikael Samuelsson scored 5:14 into overtime, lifting the Detroit Red Wings to a 3-2 win over the visiting Chicago Blackhawks and a 2-0 lead in the Western Conference finals.
Chris Osgood made 37 saves for the defending Stanley Cup champions. Game 3 is Friday night in Chicago.
•Judge orders mediation: A bankruptcy judge has ordered the NHL and Phoenix Coyotes owner Jerry Moyes to mediation in an attempt to resolve their fight over who is in control of a franchise that both sides agree is insolvent.
Judge Redfield Baum made the ruling after hearing arguments from attorneys on both sides in U.S. bankruptcy court over the NHL’s contention that Moyes had no authority to file Chapter 11 bankruptcy earlier this month.
NFL
Favre’s future unclear
It turns out surgery is not an option after all – at least not at this moment – in the mind of Brett Favre.
Contrary to a report on Monday out of Minnesota that said Favre was on his way to Alabama for surgery on his partially torn biceps tendon, Favre apparently would like to continue trying every non-surgical method to correct the arm instead.
ESPN countered the surgery report with its own story that said surgery was not imminent. Rather, Favre would turn to cortisone injections and biceps curls or light throwing in an attempt to tear the tendon completely in an effort to eliminate the pain.
•Seahawks land Pittman: The Seattle Seahawks have reached a one-year contract agreement with veteran long snapper Bryan Pittman, agent Kevin Gold said.
Pittman played at Washington. He started 92 straight games for the Houston Texans until the NFL suspended him for four games in December for violating the league’s anti-doping policy.
•Labor talks on horizon: Talks on a new collective bargaining agreement between the NFL and the players union are expected to begin next month, with an eye on avoiding a lockout that could disrupt the 2011 season.
•New Orleans chosen: New Orleans is a Super Bowl city again.
NFL owners voted to play the 2013 Super Bowl in New Orleans, the first time the championship will be played there since Hurricane Katrina shredded parts of the Louisiana Superdome.
New Orleans beat out Miami, which sought a record 11th Super Bowl, and 2008 host Glendale, Ariz.
Miscellany
Di Luca adds to lead
Danilo Di Luca won the longest stage of the Giro d’Italia with a late solo breakaway and added to his overall lead.
The 2007 winner attacked on a short climb almost two miles from the finish of the 10th leg. With the race resuming after a rest day, Di Luca was timed in 6 hours, 30 minutes, 43 seconds over the 163-mile route from Cuneo to Pinerolo that passed through the Sestriere ski resort.
Lance Armstrong finished 13th, 29 seconds back. He moved up from 25th to 18th overall but his gap behind Di Luca increased to 5 minutes, 28 seconds.
•USC, Duke win titles: Southern California, the eighth seed, won its 17th NCAA men’s tennis tournament with a 4-1 victory over No. 3 seeded Ohio State in College Station, Texas.
Third-seeded Duke won its first women’s title, beating California 4-0. The Bears lost to UCLA in last year’s final.
•Henry a Jayhawk: Guard C.J. Henry officially enrolled at Kansas and will be eligible to play next season.
The move reunites Henry with his brother, Xavier, and completes one of the most talented incoming classes Kansas has ever had.
C.J. played baseball in the New York Yankees’ farm system for three years but enrolled at Memphis last year. Xavier, a high school senior last season, had signed with Memphis, but both decided to play elsewhere when coach John Calipari left the Tigers for Kentucky.
•FINA approves 202 swimsuits: Swimming’s governing body rejected 10 high-tech racing suits and approved 202 others for the world championships in July.