LOS ANGELES (AP) -Kobe Bryant scored 30 points and the Los Angeles Lakers broke open a tight game in the late going to beat the short-handed San Antonio Spurs 102-97 on Thursday night for their fourth straight victory.
The defending NBA champion Spurs (17-5), losers of two straight for the first time this season, played without stars Tim Duncan and Tony Parker.
Duncan, averaging 17.6 points and 8.9 rebounds, sat out his fourth straight game because of a sprained right ankle. Parker, averaging 20.1 points and 6.8 assists, missed his first game of the season with a sprained left ankle.
After Bruce Bowen’s 3-pointer early in the fourth quarter tied the game at 81, two baskets by Vladimir Radmanovic triggered an 18-5 run that gave the Lakers a 99-86 lead with 3:40 remaining. San Antonio scored the final five points after the outcome had been decided.
Lamar Odom had 15 points and eight rebounds for the Lakers (13-8).
Bowen led the Spurs with 22 points – two off his career high. Brent Barry added 17 points, Manu Ginobili scored 14 and Fabricio Oberto had a career-high 16 rebounds to go with nine points.
Wizards 104, Heat 91
MIAMI (AP) – DeShawn Stevenson scored a season-high 26 points and the Wizards added to Miami’s misery at home.
Caron Butler finished with 19 points and nine rebounds, Antawn Jamison had 16 points and 16 rebounds and Brendan Haywood added 12 points for Washington, which had lost each of its last eight trips to Miami and had dropped 15 of 16 overall to the Heat.
Chris Quinn scored a career-high 22 points for Miami, which saw its modest two-game winning streak end and lost for the seventh time in nine home games this season.
Udonis Haslem had 19 points and 11 rebounds, Dwyane Wade added 17 points and Ricky Davis had 16 for Miami. Shaquille O’Neal finished with only seven points on 3-for-6 shooting in 26 minutes.
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