NBA all-stars joined President Barack Obama on Sunday to entertain wounded troops

WASHINGTON LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Carmelo Anthony and other NBA all-stars joined President Barack Obama on Sunday to entertain wounded troops.The basketball superstars were joined by some retired legends, including Bill Russell and Magic Johnson. College player Maya Moore of the Connecticut Huskies women’s team also played.

The game was played for a group of “wounded warriors” – troops injured in action – and participants in the White House’s mentoring program.The action took place at a gym inside Washington’s Fort McNair, a short drive from the White House. The president was inside the gym for about two hours. (AP)

Kevin Garnett soars as Lakers' Pau Gasol struggles

Battle of the power forwards in Game 5 clearly goes to Boston, which also gets some Zen-like leadership from Garnett.Boston The man who likes to abuse his own bald head  either as a way to psych himself up or express simple frustration  was the one trying to ramp down the energy on Sunday.Boston’s Kevin Garnett certainly won’t ever become Mr. Zen, but Celtics Coach Doc Rivers found himself somewhat amused when the emotional Garnett went against type in the Celtics’ 92-86 victory in Game 5 of the NBA Finals at TD Garden.

“That tells you how screwed up we are,” Rivers said. “Kevin Garnett is calming our team down. It’s funny now, but it was Kevin and Tony Allen in the huddle telling everyone to calm down. I jokingly told [assistant coach] Armond [Hill] this is a crazy basketball team.”Rivers thought it was Garnett’s best all-around game in this series against the Lakers. Not only did Garnett issue an emphatic double-double, scoring 18 points and adding 10 rebounds and two blocked shots, but he clearly got the best of the Lakers’ Pau Gasol in their key matchup.Though Gasol finished with 12 points and 12 rebounds, going five for 12 from the field, he was close to a non-factor in the first half, scoring two points and only taking four shots.

“He’s been consistent for us for a while now, so he can afford to have a bad game every once and a while,” Kobe Bryant said of Gasol.Lakers Coach Phil Jackson said he would have to look at the tape to get a complete analysis of Gasol’s game, of whether the Spaniard was tentative.

“He didn’t have a lot of opportunities in the first half, and in the second half it looked like he broke away, went by Garnett, got to the front of the hoop, and he blocked it from behind,” Jackson said.”… I thought Garnett made a couple good defensive plays.”Gasol averaged 20.5 points the first four games of the series, which is why the vanishing act seemed so startling in Game 5.

“I’ve got to find ways to get better looks than I did tonight throughout the game,” he said. “And when I do, just be assertive and be aggressive and don’t be hesitant when I get the ball. Just attack.”That was Garnett’s mantra after a rough go in Los Angeles, most notably in Game 1. Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo talked about the big turnaround in Garnett’s game.

“I think a couple of guys maybe thought KG lost a step or something when he struggled in the first few games,” Rondo said. “But he’s caught his rhythm, doing intangibles on the court, scoring, rebounding, assisting, blocking shots. He’s changing the game.”That’s what he’s been doing for us all year. He’s big for us. He may not score 27 points, 26 points. But he’s happy with his role and he’s doing it well.”

Garnett recognized the moment of truth in the series. “The severity of this game is huge, man,” he said. “You don’t want to go back to L.A. with them having a chance to close it out and it being on their floor.

“Tonight, I thought for the most part I was active. I got my hands on a lot of loose balls. Some knucklehead plays in the fourth quarter I would like to take back.”But for the most part, I was talkative. I was loud. Just got to carry that over and be all out.”

After immigration law and now Arizona will faces boycott calls

PHOENIX Civil rights leaders are urging organizations to cancel their conventions in Arizona. Baseball’s Arizona Diamondbacks are encountering protesters on the road. And the AriZona iced tea company wants everyone to know that its drinks are made in New York.Arizona is facing a backlash over its new law cracking on illegal immigrants, with opponents pushing for a tourism boycott like the one that was used to punish the state 20 years ago over its refusal to honor the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. with a holiday.”The goal is to as quickly as possible bring to a shocking stop the economy of Arizona,” former state Sen. Alfredo Gutierrez said Friday as a coalition called Boycott Arizona announced its formation.

The outcry has grown steadily in the week since Republican Gov. Jan Brewer signed the nation’s toughest law against illegal immigration. The measure makes it a crime under state law to be in the country illegally, and directs local police to question people about their immigration status and demand to see their documents if there is reason to suspect they are illegal.Many in Arizona support the law amid growing anger over the federal government’s failure to secure the border. The state has become a major gateway for drug smuggling and human trafficking from Mexico.

Critics say the law will lead to racial profiling and other abuses, and they are giving Arizona a public relations beating over the issue.Groups have called on people not to fly Tempe-based US Airways, rent trucks from Phoenix-based U-Haul or go to Suns and Diamondbacks games. A New York congressman and others are urging major league baseball to move the 2011 All Star Game out of Phoenix.

The Major League Baseball players’ union opposes the new law, issuing a statement Friday expressing concern it could have a negative impact on hundreds of ballplayers and their families. The union will consider taking “additional steps” if the law goes into effect this summer.The cities of San Francisco and Los Angeles have talked of cutting off deals with the state and its businesses.Phoenix is vying for the 2012 Republican National Convention, and at least one mayor has called on political leaders to choose a different city.

About 40 immigrant rights activists gathered outside Wrigley Field in Chicago on Thursday, chanting, “Boycott Arizona” as the Diamondbacks opened a series against the Cubs. A small plane pulling a banner criticizing the law circled the stadium.Civil rights leaders from the Rev. Al Sharpton to Archbishop Desmond Tutu of South Africa have pushed for a boycott.Turning the tables on the state, the Mexican government warned citizens to use extreme caution when visiting Arizona.With all things Arizona now under attack, the AriZona Beverage Co. evidently feared business would suffer. The iced tea company tweeted: “AriZona is and always has been a NY based company! (BORN IN BKLYN ’92)”

Fifteen million people visit Arizona each year for vacations, conventions and sporting events such as the Fiesta Bowl, pro golf tournaments and baseball spring training. The state tourism office estimated that conventions and other travel and tourist spending in Arizona brought in $18.5 billion in 2008.Some companies said the call for a boycott has had no noticeable effect, although Rep. Raul Grijalva, D-Ariz., said he has heard of six events being canceled. One of the groups to pull out is the American Immigration Lawyers Association, which canceled a fall conference to be held at a Scottsdale resort.

“We knew that the governor had this bill sitting on her desk,” spokesman George Tzamaras said. “Literally, minutes after she signed it the board of governors convened a conference call, and by an almost unanimous vote the association decided to pull that meeting.”The prospect of a boycott unnerves Arizona tourism officials.”We’re worried about keeping every convention and meeting here in Phoenix. It’s an economic driver here in the state; it provides hundreds of thousands of jobs and a good economic boost to the state,” said Doug MacKenzie, spokesman for the Greater Phoenix Convention & Visitors Bureau.MacKenzie said he has heard of five or six event cancellations, adding, “I think it’s misguided to bring the tourism industry into the crosshairs of this political issue.”

In 1990, Arizona voters’ rejection of a King holiday set off a cascade of cancellations of conventions and other events. The NFL pulled the 1993 Super Bowl from the Phoenix suburb of Tempe. The NBA told the Phoenix Suns not to bother putting in a bid for the All-Star game.By the time voters finally passed a holiday bill two years later, estimates of lost convention business in the Phoenix area alone topped $190 million.

Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., who surprised many by reversing course and supporting the new immigration law, said the latest furor and the King dustup are completely different.”One was about honoring a civil rights hero who a majority of Americans held in extremely high esteem,” he said. “The other is about an issue of national security and the security of our citizens, where we have broken borders and are literally overwhelmed with both human smuggling and drugs.”

The governor’s spokesman, Paul Senseman, said boycotts are a foolish response when opponents can mount a legal challenge or try to repeal the law in a referendum.”A boycott is not only the least effective but the most discriminatory and harmful method to utilize when there are other methods in our democratic process that are readily available,” he said.(AP)

LeBron James and Shaquille O'Neal have only one goal

CLEVELAND LeBron James and Shaquille O’Neal have only one goal, and they moved one step closer to their objective on Saturday.Cleveland’s superstars, separated for a large chunk of the regular season, combined for 36 points and seven blocks as the Cavaliers opened the Eastern Conference playoffs with a 96-83 win over the Chicago Bulls.

James had 24 points and four blocks and a slimmed-down O’Neal, playing for the first time since Feb. 25, scored 12 in 24 minutes as the top-seeded Cavs won a testy opener between two teams that obviously don’t care for each other.Game 2 of the best-of-seven series is Monday in Cleveland.

Derrick Rose had 28 points and 10 assists for Chicago, which trimmed a 22-point deficit in the third quarter down to seven in the fourth.But James converted a three-point play with 2:29 left and Mo Williams followed with a 3-pointer to put Cleveland up 94-81.

After they were eliminated in the Eastern Conference finals last May by Orlando, the Cavaliers went out and traded for O’Neal, a four-time NBA champion and icon. O’Neal was brought in not only to combat Magic center Dwight Howard but to help James win his first title and deliver Cleveland its first championship in any major pro sport since 1964.

The Cavs need 15 more wins to get it.Williams added 19 points and 10 assists, and Antawn Jamison, acquired at the trading deadline, finished with 15 points and 10 rebounds. Cleveland blocked 12 shots – 10 in the second half.

James was his usual MVP self, making plays at both ends. But unlike past postseasons, he doesn’t have to do it alone this time.O’Neal, who upon arriving in Cleveland promised to “win a ring for the King,” looked remarkably sharp despite missing the Cavs’ final 23 games after tearing a thumb ligament. He dropped 20 pounds while he was sidelined by watching his diet and swimming.

Cleveland’s offense ran smoothly while he was in the middle and he had the game’s signature play early in the third quarter.Posting up Joakim Noah in the foul lane, O’Neal made a quick spin move to fake out the Bulls center, who stumbled forward and nearly fell on his face. O’Neal then delivered a dunk and sprinted back down the floor scowling.

The Cavs quickly extended a 15-point halftime lead to 68-46, but the Bulls, who have been in playoff mode for the past two weeks as they fought for the No. 8 seed, wouldn’t go away.Chicago cut it to 82-75 while James was on the bench, but once he came back, the Cavs were on their way.The teams traded unpleasantness on more than one occasion. Noah, who said the Bulls would “try to shock the world” in the series, exchanged words with Cleveland’s Anderson Varejao and was booed every time he touched the ball. James and Brad Miller were assessed technicals in the first half following a collision, and James and Luol Deng had a discussion after the halftime horn.

As has become his ritual every postseason, James arrived extra early at Quicken Loans Arena. He was on the floor more than three hours before tip-off, getting in some extra shooting as he prepared for a postseason Cleveland fans hope ends like none before.

Taking passes from assistant coach Chris Jent, James intently worked on his inside game before moving outside to knock down jumpers. He maintained the serious demeanor he has displayed in recent days, a clear sign he’s locked in for this title run.”We’ve prepared for this moment,” he said, surrounded by reporters. “It’s here.”

Before taking the floor, James gathered his teammates in the hallway outside Cleveland’s locker room for a prayer and then broke the huddle.”One, two three,” James said.”Championship,” they responded.Anything less this time will be a disappointment.

NOTES: A diehard New York Yankees fan, James said he did not watch the Bronx Bombers receive their diamond-filled World Series rings earlier this week. “I saw them win it last year, though,” he said. “I knew the rings would come at some point.” … James entered the playoffs averaging 29.4 points, 8.3 rebounds and 7.3 assists in 60 postseason games. No other player in NBA history (minimum 20 games) has averaged more than 25 points, seven rebounds and six assists. … Entering the game, Cleveland hadn’t won a playoff game against Chicago since 1992. The Bulls have won all five previous playoff series between the teams (1988, ’89, ’92, ’93, ’94). … The Bulls are the first team since Toronto (2001-02) to reach the playoffs despite a 10-game losing streak during the season.(AP)

Kobe Bryant signed a three-year extension to stay under contract through 2013-14 with the Lakers

Kobe Bryant signed a three-year extension to stay under contract through 2013-14 with the Lakers, the only team he has ever known in his NBA career. Bryant was already under contract this season and next season for a total of $47.8 million before the extension would kick into gear. Financial details of the extension were not immediately available.

Bryant, 31, will be eight weeks shy of his 36th birthday when his new extension reaches its end.”We are extremely pleased that we were able to reach an agreement and come to terms on the extension at this time,” Lakers General Manager Mitch Kupchak said in a statement. “Kobe has been a cornerstone of the Lakers for well over a decade, helping to lead us to four NBA championships and in the process developing into one of the greatest players in basketball history.”

The 12-time All-Star and the Lakers had casually been negotiating the extension, though there had been some thought that Bryant would not sign because he hoped to keep his options open, among them the unlikely possibility that a new collective-bargaining agreement would be more favorable to high-salaried players if it got renegotiated in 2011.Bryant won his first regular-season MVP award in 2008 and his first NBA Finals MVP in 2009.

The Lakers signed forward-center Pau Gasol to a three-year, $57-million extension last December, a move that also kept him with the team through 2013-14.”Two of our main goals heading into this season were to sign Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol to contract extensions,” Kupchak said. “With the signing of Pau earlier this season and the signing of Kobe today, we were able to accomplish those goals, helping to keep the core of this team intact for the foreseeable future and in turn help to ensure the franchise’s continued success over the years to come.”

Nike Inc has extended its contract with basketball star LeBron James

Nike Inc has extended its contract with basketball star LeBron James, one of the sports gear giant’s top athletes.Nike provided no details of the contract, but said in a short statement on Wednesday that it was “proud to continue our partnership with him for years to come.”

“Nike’s relationship with LeBron has created innovative basketball products and captivating campaigns,” said Nike.James, who plays for the Cleveland Cavaliers, had a seven-year contract with Nike that was due to expire soon, according to Cleveland newspaper The Plain Dealer. It said the new deal will keep the two together for at least the next seven years.James, who becomes a free agent in July, won the National Basketball Association’s Most Valuable Player award in 2009.(Reuters)

LOS ANGELES Kobe Bryant scored 24 points, hitting 14 of 15 free throws, and the Los Angeles Lakers pulled away with a dominating third-quarter run for a 122-99 victory over the Indiana Pacers

LOS ANGELES Kobe Bryant scored 24 points, hitting 14 of 15 free throws, and the Los Angeles Lakers pulled away with a dominating third-quarter run for a 122-99 victory over the Indiana Pacers on Tuesday night.Andrew Bynum added 16 points and Pau Gasol had 14 points and 16 rebounds for the defending NBA champions, who fell behind early before improving to 14-0 against the Pacers at Staples Center.Jordan Farmar scored 19 points, including 10 in the fourth when he ran the offense while Bryant rested his myriad of injuries.The Lakers won their third in a row heading into a stretch of three road games in four days, capped by Sunday’s contest at Orlando.

Troy Murphy had 17 points and 13 rebounds, Dahntay Jones scored 16 points, Josh McRoberts had 15 and Earl Watson finished with 10 assists for the Pacers. They dropped to 7-24 on the road and have lost eight of their last 10 overall.

Bryant nearly matched his career average of 24.9 points against Indiana, though most of his offense came at the line. He was just 5 of 14 from the field, missing all four of his 3-point attempts.Bryant hit a 21-foot fadeaway to beat the halftime buzzer, keeping Los Angeles ahead 60-54.That momentum carried into the third, when the Pacers closed to 62-61 before the Lakers took over. They went on a 35-10 run that produced a 98-71 lead heading into the fourth.Derek Fisher’s 3-pointer gave the Lakers the game’s first double-digit lead, 75-65. Ron Artest and Lamar Odom hit consecutive 3-pointers, then Shannon Brown made two straight 3s before Farmar capped the burst with a fast-break slam dunk.

The Pacers dissolved in a series of miscues, with their seven turnovers leading to 10 points. Bynum and Brown came up with big blocked shots, too. Indiana’s offense broke down, with the Pacers making 7-of-20 shots in the quarter.Fans began pouring out of Staples with nearly 6 minutes remaining. During a timeout, Odom and Gasol gazed at the overhead scoreboard checking out other NBA scores. Bryant spent the rest of the game on the bench along with the other starters.After trailing most of the opening quarter, the Lakers got a boost from Brown, Farmar and Adam Morrison in the second. Their early scoring put the Lakers back in front, and Gasol and Bryant kept them there with eight points apiece.Still, the Pacers were better at the line and from 3-point range in the first half, with Murphy already exceeding his scoring average by the break.

NOTES: The Pacers haven’t beaten the Lakers in Los Angeles since Feb. 14, 1999, when the Lakers still played at the Forum. … The Lakers’ 14-0 mark at Staples includes three playoff wins against Indiana Los Angeles reached 100 points for the first time since defeating Golden State 104-94 on Feb. 16.(AP)

Golden State Warriors vs Atlanta Hawks 108-104 on Sunday night

OAKLAND, Calif. Stephen Curry scored 32 points and made the go-ahead free throw in the final minute after a technical foul on Jamal Crawford to help the Golden State Warriors rally from an 18-point deficit and beat the Atlanta Hawks 108-104 on Sunday night.Playing with only eight healthy players, the Warriors scored 16 straight points in the fourth quarter to erase the big deficit and went on to win their first game against a team, with a winning record since beating Boston on Dec. 28. Golden State had lost 11 of 13, with the only wins being blowouts at home against struggling Sacramento and the Los Angeles Clippers.

After losing their big lead, the Hawks lost their cool in the final minute. Leading by two points, Joe Johnson turned the ball over and Monta Ellis went in for a breakaway layup that tied the game at 104 with 1 minute left.After Al Horford missed a jumper, C.J. Watson lost the rebound out of bounds for Golden State. But Crawford was called for a technical, giving Golden State the lead on Curry’s free throw.

Crawford then missed a 3-pointer from the corner with 15 seconds remaining and Ellis hit two free throws to make it 107-104. Josh Smith missed another 3 with 5 seconds to go and Chris Hunter made one of two free throws for the final margin.Johnson led Atlanta with 31 points, Horford added 26 and Smith had 14 points and 17 rebounds. The Hawks have lost three of four.Ellis finished with 26 points for Golden State, but was on the bench for the bulk of the Warriors comeback early in the fourth quarter.

Golden State cut the 18-point lead down to five on two free throws by Curry midway through the period. Curry followed with a 3-pointer and C.J. Watson’s layup tied the game at 95. Curry capped the 16-0 run with a driving layup to give the Warriors a two-point lead with just over 5 minutes remaining.

Ellis gave the Warriors a 102-101 lead when he made one of two free throws, but Johnson answered with a 28-footer as the shot clock ran down to make it 104-102 with 2:22 to go. Atlanta did not score again.The loss was especially tough on Crawford, who had his differences with Golden State coach Don Nelson last season before being dealt to Atlanta. Crawford scored 17 points, topping the 10,000-point mark in his career, but didn’t come through down the stretch.The game was tight for the first half with neither team taking a lead bigger than five points. Atlanta led 52-51 at halftime before breaking the game open in the third quarter.

Horford scored nine points during a 14-2 run that helped Atlanta take a 74-59 lead just past the midpoint of the quarter. Smith added back-to-back dunks, including an emphatic left-hander on a breakaway following a bad pass by Ellis that made it 86-68 late in the third.

NOTES: Warriors F Corey Maggette missed the game with a strained left hamstring. He went to Los Angeles to have the injury examined. … Golden State F Ronny Turiaf missed the game with flulike symptoms. … Ellis topped the 5,000 career point mark as well. …Hawks G Mike Bibby was 1-for-6 from the field and is 3-for-18 over his last three games.(AP)

Alicia Keys recently teamed with fellow female powerhouse Beyoncé to film the video for "Put It in a Love Song" in Brazil

DALLAS Alicia Keys recently teamed with fellow female powerhouse Beyoncé to film the video for “Put It in a Love Song” in Brazil. Some local fans posted video footage online, in which we see Keys giving a performance in the streets. A plethora of photos were also put on AliciaKeysDaily.com, showing A.Keys and B dressed up in festive dresses, also in the streets. On Sunday, during the NBA All-Star Game at Cowboys Stadium, Alicia talked about the latest release from her The Element of Freedom LP. “Shooting ‘Put It in a Love Song’ in Rio, in Brazil, was very incredible,” Keys said. “I feel that the energy of the city matches the energy of the song. It’s sensual, it’s exciting, it’s so rich with color. I loved it. The people came out so heavy and so hard. I think it was exciting, especially to participate and experience it with them like that. Me and B have a great relationship. And to be able to have the chemistry we have and do it in a city that’s so unique like that is unforgettable. The pictures speak a thousand words. So you saw the energy out there. It was great.”

On Sunday, Keys performed for more than 108,000 people at the stadium, a new attendance record for any NBA game. The singer did a medley of her hits: “Empire State of Mind,” “Sleeping With a Broken Heart” and “No One.” “It is a grand stage,” Keys said of the mini-set. “It’s really exciting. I’m a personal fan of championship-style games where the best are playing. It’s exciting, and I love that. Also to be able to perform on a stage like this and a venue like this, people are excited. They’re here to have a great time, and so I’m glad that on Valentine’s Day, I’m able to bring a little love in the building. So it’s gonna be beautiful.”

Los Angeles Lakers vs Sacramento Kings 109-108

LOS ANGELES With apologies to Jerry West, the Lakers’ modern-day “Mr. Clutch” did it again.Kobe Bryant hit yet another buzzer-beating 3-pointer and finished with 39 points as the defending NBA champions overcame a 20-point deficit to beat the Sacramento Kings 109-108 on Friday night. The last time the Lakers won a game in which they trailed by 20 or more points was Dec. 12, 2006, when they erased a 21-point deficit in a 112-101 double-overtime win against Houston at Los Angeles.”It looked like they went into a zone coverage on the inbounds pass, and that side was wide open,” said Bryant, averaging 35.7 points in his last 10 games.”It was just a matter of me getting to that spot with enough time to get a shot off. Phil drew up a play for a 3. He wanted me to get a good look and knock it down. I think he wanted to get out of here.”

Lamar Odom had a season-high 20 points and grabbed 10 rebounds for the NBA-leading Lakers (26-6). Pau Gasol had 17 points, 16 rebounds and four assists – one of which set up Bryant’s clutch basket from in front of the Sacramento bench.”Kobe’s shooting the ball at a high percentage,” Gasol said. “But he’s not always going to shot like that. We understand that, and I think he understands that, too. But when he’s feeling it and the shots are going down, he’s going to keep shooting.”Spencer Hawes had a career-high 30 points and grabbed 11 rebounds for the Kings, Omri Casspi scored 23 points, and Beno Udrih added 19 points and 13 assists.

“I am so proud of our team – but at the same time, it’s disappointing,” Sacramento coach Paul Westphal said. “We’ve played well enough to beat those guys twice, but they have a knack at the end of games. We got everything we needed, performance-wise, from everybody that played, and we couldn’t close it out. That’s one of the things that makes the Lakers so good. Kobe is an unbelievable player, no question about it.”One night after scoring a season-high 44 points and getting a season-best 11 assists, Bryant added another chapter to his Hall of Fame resume. This miracle shot came exactly four weeks after his off-balance 3-point buzzer-beating bank shot that pulled out a win over the Miami Heat at Staples Center. On Dec. 16 at Milwaukee, Bryant hit a 15-footer as time expired in overtime to give the Lakers a 107-106 win.

“These players – I don’t know how they get themselves into those positions, but they do an unbelievable job of hitting shots that are remarkable shots, marvelous shots,” coach Phil Jackson said. “He’s right there with Michael in that kind of breath you look at.”The Lakers came out as flat as half-empty champagne bottles left over from New Year’s Eve, shooting 37 percent from the field in the first half and trailing 64-49 at intermission. Derek Fisher was the biggest offender, missing nine of 10 shots in the half while the Kings had the highest-scoring half by a Lakers opponent this season.

Fisher, who had six points, played 9 minutes in the third quarter without taking a shot, then sat out the entire fourth quarter.The sellout crowd let the Lakers feel their pain, booing them loudly after Jon Brockman’s layup gave Sacramento a 38-23 lead with 9:12 left in the second quarter. The Kings built the lead to 20 at 52-32 with a 3-pointer by Ime Udoka that capped a 26-9 run with 5:06 left in the half.

“I think we kind of took the pedal off,” Hawes said. “We knew they were going to make a run. It was inevitable. We knew that we couldn’t sit up by 20 points the whole game. And they chipped away and chipped away to put themselves in a position to win it at the end. That’s why he’s Kobe. He makes big shots at big times.”In their previous game, Tuesday night at Staples Center, the Lakers fell behind by 15 points to Golden State and gave up 60 points in the first half before pulling out a 124-118 win.

NOTES: According to Jackson, it looks as though Ron Artest will be back playing by early next week, following the fall at his home on Christmas night that caused a concussion, a deep cut on his left elbow and a slight loss of memory. “He’s improved significantly in the last two days, and optimistic that he’ll be able to practice soon – probably not a full-out practice with contact tomorrow, but will have non-contact activity with the team,” Jackson said. “There’s a number of checks they go through with concussions, like speech patterns. But with Ron, that doesn’t work.” … This was only the third time in the last 36 years that the Lakers played on New Year’s Day. Their overall record on Jan. 1 is 9-6. … It was the first time the Kings played on New Year’s Day since the vagabond franchise moved from Kansas City to Sacramento in 1985-86. They are 11-9 overall on this date (0-3 in K.C., 4-4 in Cincinnati and 7-1 in Rochester). … With 24,800 career points, Bryant is 16 points away from overtaking Patrick Ewing for 15th place.(AP)