Grizzlies send sinking Lakers to 10th loss
LOS ANGELES (dpa) – Darrell Arthur came off the bench to score a season-high 20 points, Mike Conley added 19 and the host Memphis Grizzlies sent the sinking Los Angeles Lakers to their 10th loss in 12 games, 106-93 on Wednesday.
LA Lakers’ Kobe Bryant (right) knocks the ball away from Memphis Grizzlies’ Rudy Gay (22) during the first half of an NBA basketball game in Memphis. AP |
Besides suffering their fourth straight loss overall, and seventh straight road defeat – their longest since the 2004-05 season – the Lakers also lost All-Star centre Dwight Howard, who left for good late in the second quarter after aggravating a right shoulder injury.
Rudy Gay had 12 points with 11 rebounds, while Zach Randolph contributed 12 points and 10 boards as Memphis (27-14) dominated the glass 52-34, and went over the century mark for the first time in seven games.
Kobe Bryant topped the Lakers (17-25) with 29 points, Metta World Peace added 15, while Spaniard Pau Gasol finished with 13 off the bench.
In other games:
- Stephen Curry scored 31 points, including two free throws with 12.4 seconds left after a steal, David Lee had 22 with 12 rebounds and the host Golden State Warriors knocked off the league-best
Oklahoma City Thunder 104-99 despite a game-high 33 points by league top gun Kevin Durant.
- Dwyane Wade scored a season-high 35 points, LeBron James had 31 with 11 assists and 10 rebounds for his 34th career triple-double and the Miami Heat rallied for a 123-116 overtime victory over the visiting Toronto Raptors, who got 20 points from Alan Anderson.
- Brazilian Tiago Splitter scored 25 points, Frenchman Tony Parker had 24 with 13 assists and the San Antonio Spurs trimmed the New Orleans Hornets, 106-102 for their 15th straight home win despite the absence of Tim Duncan because of a sore left knee.
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- Argentine Luis Scola scored 21 points, Michael Beasley had 19 and Lindsey Hunter made a successful head-coaching debut after replacing Alvin Gentry over the weekend, in the visiting Phoenix Suns’ 106-96 victory over the Sacramento Kings, who wasted a 15-point, 15-rebound effort by DeMarcus Cousins.
- Jimmy Butler scored 19 points, Italy’s Marco Belinelli converted a tie-breaking three-point play with 7.5 seconds left and the Chicago Bulls stormed from 17 down to edge the visiting Detroit Pistons for the 17th straight time, 85-82.
Elsewhere: the visiting Atlanta Hawks soared past the Charlotte Bobcats 104-92; the visiting Denver Nuggets dropped the Houston Rockets 105-95; the Portland Trail Blazers routed the visiting Indiana Pacers 100-80; the Utah Jazz edged the visiting Washington Wizards 92-88; and the visiting Brooklyn Nets clipped the Minnesota Timberwolves 91-83.
