He played 26 minutes and sat out the entire fourth quarter while the Lakers outscored the Clippers 27-9.
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Beijing steps up security amid alerts of threats against Westerners
Beijing authorities put swaths of the city under lockdown, stationing armed guards on street corners and in pedestrian plazas. No further details were given about the nature of the threat or where the information came from.
It actually got loud in the fourth quarter.
England call up Woakes to replace injured Anderson
Vice-captain Joe Root was absent from training with an upset stomach, but is not thought to be a doubt for the Test. The 32-year-old, who was born in Durban , also survived a near run out after dashing a single to get off the mark.
That’s the sort of feedback that should give Russell a lot of confidence going forward.
Christmas Eve Forecast: Record-shattering warmth today
It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas in some parts of the country, but in others it feels more like a typical spring day. Green Christmas wins out this year with record-breaking temperatures making for a holiday that could get Heat Miser singing.
“Listen, you have to be realistic about what we’re facing and where we are right now as a team and as an organization”, Bryant said after Wednesday’s 120-85 loss to Oklahoma City. All that remains to be seen is whether it will be a moment to remember or another forgettable moment in the 2015-16 Lakers season. The Lakers are 1- 5 in Christmas Day games since then, with their only victory coming in 2012, when Bryant scored a game-high equaling 34 points in a 100-94 victory over the New York Knicks, the last time Bryant played in a Christmas Day game. He’s also well below his usual rates of assists, rebounds and 3-point accuracy.
“They’re going to come out here, play extremely hard and be ready to play”, Lakers coach Byron Scott said of the Clippers. “I thought Marcelo was a big part of that”.
That was a long time ago, when Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal were teammates and championships were being earned.
Chris Paul should be able to take advantage of rookie D’Angelo Russell and the Lakers have nobody who can slow down Blake Griffin. But I just can’t cut really quickly right now. However, you still can’t rule out Bryant turning back the clock and delivering one final vintage Mamba performance for Christmas. He had 12 points Friday, made a handful of shots and didn’t get injured. He finished 7-of-13 from the field, but performed well in the fourth quarter. But even with his struggles, he’s getting plenty of support. Voting runs until January 19. He also added that saying he was shocked does not do the situation justice.
Kobe Bryant is dominating the NBA All-Star fan voting this year, leading league MVP Stephen Curry by more than 200,000 votes, despite poor play.
WHAT’S NEXT – The Lakers practice Saturday, then hit the road for a three-game trip to Memphis, Charlotte and Boston.
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Playing up to the level of their competition is something the Clippers have yet to do this season. “I thought that was kind of indicative of how this season has gone”, Scott said.
