The Lakers have worked their way back to the top of the Western Conference. They’ll be hard-pressed to stay there in the coming days.
Kobe Bryant scored 10 of his 34 points in the final 8 1/2 minutes, Lamar Odom added 20 points and nine rebounds, and the Lakers beat the Toronto Raptors 117-108 on Tuesday night for their 18th win in 22 games.
Next comes a rugged four-game road trip starting Friday night in New Orleans, with games at Houston, Dallas and Utah to follow. The four teams have a cumulative record of 168-86 including 101-26 at home, and if the Rockets win games against Atlanta and Charlotte beforehand, they’ll be shooting for their 22nd straight win against the Lakers on Sunday.
“It’s going to be a tough one,” Bryant said. “Those teams are great teams. In the East, you have a couple gimme games. In the West, you don’t get those.”
Lakers coach Phil Jackson had a message for his players after their latest victory.
“I told them basically we aren’t going to beat any of those teams if we play like we have played the last two or three games,” he said.
World number six Andy Roddick has decided to miss this year’s Olympic Games in Beijing to defend his Washington Open title.
Both events take place from August 11-17 and Roddick wants to remain in his home country to help his build-up for the U.S. Open which begins two weeks later.
“My goal every summer is to win the U.S. Open,” the 25-year-old American said in a statement released on Tuesday by Washington Open organizers.
“I have won the Legg Mason Tennis Classic three times and feel defending my title in Washington best prepares me for another grand slam title.”
Roddick, who won his only grand slam title at the 2003 U.S. Open, triumphed in Washington in 2001, 2005 and last year.
He clinched the 2007 crown by beating fellow American John Isner 6-4 7-6 in the final.
Ernie Els withdrew Monday from the Arnold Palmer Invitational because of fatigue, two weeks after winning on the PGA Tour for the first time in 3 1/2 years.
According to Els’ management company, he was tired and needed rest before the Masters.
Els ended an 0-for-47 drought on the PGA Tour when he captured the Honda Classic at the start of the Florida swing. He played last week at the PODS Championship, where he missed the cut by one stroke. Els is expected to play next week in the World Golf Championship at Doral, and he has said he would play in the Houston Open before going to the Masters.
The Arnold Palmer Invitational still has 30 of the top 50 players in the world ranking, including Tiger Woods, who will be going for his fifth consecutive PGA Tour victory.
Nine-time kings of Europe Real Madrid crashed out of the Champions league at the first knock out stage for the fourth successive year after they went down 2-1 to AS Roma here on Wednesday.
Real had only themselves to blame as they were reduced to 10 men after 70 minutes when their Portuguese defender Pepe was sent off.
Roma took almost immediate advantage of the situation with Rodrigo Taddei scoring and although Real captain Raul controversially equalised for the hosts, Roma ran out deserved winners on the night and 4-2 on aggregate after Mirko Vucinic scored in injury time.
Inevitably, speculation will start about the future of Real coach Bernd Schuster despite his men having a five point lead at the top of La Liga.