If a time ever comes when a historian is asked to sum up the 2016 Lakers in one way, he or she should use this. Meanwhile, the Clippers snapped their three-game losing streak that had losses against San Antonio, Houston and Oklahoma City.
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Tony Pulis upset over penalty decisions as West Brom beaten by Swansea
Caretaker manager Alan Curtis said Saturday’s win over West Brom at the Liberty Stadium came as a “huge relief” for Swansea City. The Boxing Day 1-0 win was the Swans’ first since 24 October and only their second in 14 league matches.
Kobe Bryant scored 12 points in his league-record 16th and final Christmas Day game. LAC needed every one of those 27 points, seeing how much the Clippers struggled outside of those two.
Andrew Luck ruled out for Week 16
In the receiving end, DeVante Parker had 87 yards in four receptions while Jarvis Landry added 54 yards in eight catches. Going forward, the Colts have to figure out if they are going to commit to one of these tight ends going forward.
It’s a hard thing to do in tearing down the prestige that the Lakers have been known for by becoming whatever they’ve become – but it’s happening.
Van Gaal: My Job Is Secure
There are a lot of aspects we have to improve. “In the first half we didn’t dare to play our football”, he said. I have to deal with it and more importantly, the players have to deal with it.
Shooting guard J.J. Redick scored 14 points, forward Blake Griffin added 13 points and nine rebounds as the Clippers (17-13) defeated the Lakers for the eighth straight time. Clippers point guard Chris Paul was third among West guards with 146,335 votes, trailing Curry and Oklahoma City’s Russell Westbrook (267,699). Here’s the unbelievable part about this play: There were four Lakers making a diamond around DeAndre Jordan to prevent an offensive rebound.
“Everything is better when you win”, Paul said. When D’Angelo Russell made that ugly game-tying shot against the Minnesota Timberwolves to force overtime a few weeks ago, Kobe was the first one off the bench to celebrate with him. The team’s defense has really improved as of late and they’re getting real help from Mbah a Moute and Johnson now. Forward Larry Nance Jr. tried to haul in a rebound in the opening minutes of the first quarter. Jordan got credit for the bucket. Clippers coach Doc Rivers was forced to pull his reserves, while Lakers coach Byron Scott kept his out there and left Bryant on the sidelines – even as the Los Angeles crowd chanted Bryant’s name.
The Clippers did that through three quarters by building a 85-57 lead. Was it any wonder they trailed, 60-44? Paul finished hitting 11 of 19 shots. He had been sitting too long, Scott said.
Bryant, a 17-time All-Star, has received 719,235 votes with reigning NBA Most Valuable Player Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors next at 510,202 and LeBron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers topping the Eastern Conference with 357,937 votes.
“I was like, what the hell?”
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“I felt like he kind of took the challenge down the stretch defensively and found kind of another gear of how to compete”, Bryant said.
