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.”

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)

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)

Houston Rockets vs Dallas Mavericks 97-94

Luis Scola and Erick Dampier fight for a rebound

HOUSTON – Aaron Brooks felt in a groove, and that was all the Houston Rockets needed to pull out another close victory over the Dallas Mavericks. Brooks scored 30 points, Shane Battier made a tiebreaking three-pointer with 2:11 left, and Rockets beat the Mavericks 97-94 on Thursday night. “I wanted to extend the defence a little bit and open up Carl (Landry) on the inside a little bit,” Brooks said. “I feel we did a great job doing that. I’m going to go out there and play hard and shoot when I’m open and whatever happens after that, I’m going to roll with it.” Brooks followed Battier’s three with one of his own for a six-point lead with 1:35 remaining, and the Rockets held on when Jason Kidd missed a potential tying shot from behind the arc in the final second. “I got a great look,” Kidd said. “I might have rushed it a second. I would love to have that shot again. Give Houston credit. They won the game. The zone helped us in the second half to get back in the game. We had an opportunity.” The Rockets led through most of the first half and went up 66-52 in the third quarter, aided by six quick points by Brooks. But the Mavericks scrambled back into the game and tied it at 89 with 4:52 to play. Jason Terry led a strong bench performance by Dallas with 20 points. Josh Howard had 16 points and Drew Gooden added 10 points off the bench. Shawn Marion had 16 points and Kidd scored 14 for the Mavs, but Dirk Nowitzki sat out much of the first half with three fouls, and finished with 11 points and seven rebounds. Landry added 15 points for the Rockets. “We’ve struggled with Dallas early in the season,” Houston forward Luis Scola said. “We finally could win the last two games so we finished the year on a great note and we’re happy with it.” Houston led 56-47 at the half and Brooks took charge with 13 points in the third quarter to keep the Rockets rolling to a 78-70 lead after three quarters.

The Rockets beat the Mavericks 116-108 in overtime in their last meeting on Dec. 18. There were seven technical fouls called in the game and the Mavericks protested to the NBA that the final 61 seconds should be replayed, believing a “misapplication of the rules” led to the ejection of Dallas centre Erick Dampier in the extra period. This time, there were two technicals.

“We’re rivals and have been since I’ve been in Dallas,” Terry said. “It’s been tough all season and it’s an early end to our matchup during the regular season. Good luck to them and maybe we’ll see them in the playoffs. They always play hard.” The Rockets led by 10 points late in the first quarter, but the Mavericks fought back and took their only lead of the second period, 38-37 on a 16-foot jumper by Terry. Kyle Lowry followed quickly with a three-point basket and the Rockets held on to their lead at the half.

Howard had 11 second-quarter points to keep Dallas close. The Mavericks started cold and the Rockets broke from a 7-7 tie to a 24-17 lead. Scola broke the tie with two straight baskets and the Rockets took advantage of early foul trouble by Nowitzki, who drew his second foul at 6:31 and sat out the rest of the first period. He got his third late in the second quarter. “Our undoing was a sluggish first quarter,” Mavericks coach Rick Carlisle said. “Houston hit us with early transition points and threes. The rest of the game was about even. With a team like this you have to come out with energy early or you are in trouble.”

Notes: Rockets rookie guard Chase Budinger is still recovering from a sprained ankle Dec. 19 and sat out Thursday’s game and likely will miss Saturday’s at New Orleans. Nowitzki has 10 double-doubles this season. Terry is the Mavericks’ No. 7 career scorer with 6,152 points.

Philadelphia 76ers vs Portland Trail Blazers 104-93

Lou Williams vs Martell Webster

PORTLAND, Ore.  Elton Brand had a season-high 25 points and nine rebounds in a reserve role, leading the Philadelphia 76ers to a 104-93 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers on Monday night.Brand, a 6-foot-9 former All Star, made 9 of 20 shots in 30 minutes to help Philadelphia (8-22) rally from a 10-point second half deficit.Allen Iverson, who missed the past four games with a knee injury, returned to the lineup as a starter and scored 19 points. Andre Iguodala, Samuel Dalembert and Marreese Speights scored 14 points each for the Sixers. Iguodala also had seven rebounds and nine assists.Brandon Roy led Portland (20-13) with 24 points, while LaMarcus Aldridge had 17 points and 12 rebounds.

Portland, which had won four consecutive games, all against teams with winning records, shot just 42.2 percent (35 of 83) against Philadelphia. The Sixers shot 57.7 percent from the field, hitting 45 of 78 shots.Portland controlled the second quarter to take a 49-43 halftime lead. The key stretch came midway through the quarter when, with the game tied 36-all, Roy and Dante Cunningham combined to score nine unanswered points to give the Blazers a 45-36 lead.

Portland stretched its lead to 61-51 midway during the third quarter before Philadelphia made its move. The Sixers went on a 13-4 run, then capped the quarter when Royal Ivey hit a buzzer-beating 22-footer to give Philadelphia a 77-73 lead heading into the fourth quarter.The Sixers continued their surge into the final period, outscoring Portland 40-17 over a 13-minute stretch spanning the third and fourth quarters to take a 91-78 lead with 6:05 left in the game.

NOTES: Philadelphia has won three straight and five of six over the Blazers. Iverson, acquired by Philadelphia on Dec. 5, is averaging 16.1 points in six games with the Sixers. Since Nov. 11, Philadelphia is 4-18. Roy has scored at least 23 points in 13 consecutive games. It is the longest active streak of 20-point plus games in the NBA. Portland shot just 5 of 15 from 3-point range against Philadelphia after hitting 16 of 32 3-pointer its past two games.

Los Angeles Lakers vs Warriors 124-118

Kobe Bryant (24) vs Stephen Curry (30)

LOS ANGELES Kobe Bryant had a season-high 44 points and 11 assists while making all 16 of his free throws, and the Lakers survived Golden State’s 55-percent shooting for avictory over the Warriors on Tuesday night.Pau Gasol had 27 points and 12 rebounds for the defending NBA champions, who relied even more heavily than usual on Bryant to avoid their third loss in four games over the past five days.Bryant came through with 17 points in the fourth quarter, clinching his seventh 40-point game of the season on two free throws with 4:04 left. He has 103 40-point games in his career, third-most in NBA history.Corey Maggette scored 25 points and Monta Ellis added 22 for the Warriors, who beat Phoenix and Boston in the previous three days during the best stretch of another rough start to a season.Golden State shot superbly and ran its uptempo offense well, but had nobody who could guard Bryant in the Warriors’ seventh straight loss to the Lakers. The Warriors haven’t won three straight games yet this season.

The Lakers still have the NBA’s best record (25-6) despite two 15-point losses in the previous three days, including their 102-87 Christmas flop against Cleveland. They also played their third straight game without starting forward Ron Artest, who gave himself a concussion and a deep cut on his left elbow when he tripped and fell at his home on Christmas.In their first home game since their fans littered the court with foam hands in response to the Lakers’ gripes about the officiating, Bryant and Lamar Odom both got technical fouls for arguing calls in the final 4:16. Los Angeles’ complaining helped the Warriors keep within three points down the stretch until Bryant followed up Ronny Turiaf’s two missed free throws with two foul shots of his own with 1:05 to play.

C.J. Watson scored 14 points while hitting four 3-pointers for the Warriors, who went 14 for 22 in the first quarter while opening with a clear burst of energy, perhaps still rolling from their impressive 103-99 win over the Celtics.

Pushing the tempo and finding Maggette for open shots, the Warriors scored 29 points the first 8:03 to take an 11-point lead that grew to 15 in the second quarter. Los Angeles rallied after halftime and took the lead midway through the period, but the Warriors hung around with scoring from Maggette and Ellis, whose layup in traffic evened it at 104 with 5:24 to play.

NOTES: Warriors C Andris Biedrins, who returned Monday from a lengthy absence with an injured groin, had six points and eight rebounds before fouling out. … Artest plans to run on a treadmill Wednesday to see how his body responds, saying he might try to play Friday against Sacramento. … Vladimir Radmanovic scored 11 points for the Warriors. Los Angeles traded him to Charlotte last season in a deal netting Shannon Brown and Adam Morrison from the Bobcats. Brown threw down a one-handed dunk in Radmanovic’s face in the final minute of the first half. … Courtside fans included John McEnroe, Mario Lopez and Nicole Richie. Her longtime partner, rocker Joel Madden, wore a T-shirt reading “RIP The Rev” to honor Avenged Sevenfold drummer Jimmy “The Rev” Sullivan, who was found dead in Huntington Beach on Monday.

Los Angeles Clippers vs Boston Celtics 92-90

Kendrick Perkins dunks

LOS ANGELES  Baron Davis hit a long fallaway jumper at the buzzer, and the Los Angeles Clippers dramatically snapped the Boston Celtics’ nine-game road winning streak with a 92-90 victory on Sunday night.Rajon Rondo scored 20 points for the Celtics, but missed two potential go-ahead free throws – actually three, including another that was waved off – with 1.5 seconds left in just the Celtics’ second loss in 16 games.Davis had 24 points and 13 assists for the Clippers, who snapped a three-game losing streak when Davis took an inbounds pass with a second left, pivoted and jumped backward for a perfect 22-footer. The shot gave Los Angeles its only lead of the second half.Rasual Butler hit a dramatic tying 3-pointer off a drive-and-dish pass from Davis with 8.5 seconds left.Kevin Garnett had 12 points and eight rebounds while playing mostly on the perimeter with a sore back for the Celtics, whose three-game winning streak ended two days after their impressive Christmas victory over the Orlando Magic. Boston manged just two points in the final 3:30 of its second straight road loss to the Clippers, who got 27 points and 12 rebounds from Chris Kaman.

Ray Allen scored 13 points for the Celtics, who played without injured star Paul Pierce for the second straight game. The Celtics hadn’t lost on the road since Nov. 14 at Indiana.The loss also left the Lakers alone atop the overall NBA standings at 24-5.

Eric Gordon scored 15 points for the Clippers, who narrowly avoided dropping a season-worst six games below .500 with a thrilling comeback in front of their first sellout crowd of the season. Staples Center was filled with a large percentage of Boston fans, yet the home team rebounded from its worst loss of the season in Phoenix on Friday with a stellar finish.Los Angeles trimmed the Celtics’ lead to two points in the final four minutes, but wasted two chances to tie it on Gordon’s traveling violation and Davis’ turnover in the paint. DeAndre Jordan also badly missed two free throws with 1:34 to play, but the Celtics did nothing on the offensive end.

In the final seconds, Davis drove the lane and dished to Butler for a wide-open tying 3-pointer. Rondo then blew past Davis, who clearly hacked him on the arm during a layup attempt. The game clock expired during the play, but officials put 1.5 seconds back on the clock after video review.

Rondo missed the first free throw off the back of the rim, and he then missed another shot long – but the officials waved it off, saying the other players weren’t set in their lanes. Given a third chance, Rondo still couldn’t connect, clanging his shot in and out.Boston coach Doc Rivers doesn’t expect Pierce to join the Celtics on their four-game road trip, keeping him home to rest his infected right knee. Rivers said the Los Angeles native’s condition fluctuates, and nobody is certain whether Pierce will play even when the Celtics return home.

Marcus Camby was inactive for the Clippers after aggravating his hyperextended left knee in their Christmas night loss at Phoenix. Coach Mike Dunleavy isn’t certain when he’ll be back.

NOTES: Tony Allen replaced Pierce in the starting lineup for the second straight game, while Jordan filled in for Camby in his first start of the season. … The Clippers won a two-point decision over the Celtics at Staples Center last season. … Rapper/actor Common and electro-hop band LMFAO watched the game near courtside.

Phoenix Suns vs Los Angeles Lakers 118-103

Amare Stoudemire vs Kobe Bryant

PHOENIX Amare Stoudemire scored 26 points, Jared Dudley matched his career best with 19 and the Phoenix Suns sent the Los Angeles Lakers to their second loss in three games with a surprising 118-103 rout on Monday night.Kobe Bryant scored 34 for the Lakers but sat out the final 7:50 when the game was deemed out of reach by coach Phil Jackson.Steve Nash had 16 points and 13 assists and the Suns’ reserves outscored their Los Angeles counterparts 52-31.Phoenix led by as many as 12 in the second quarter, 19 in the third and 22 in the fourth to improve to 12-2 at home.The Lakers were without Ron Artest for the second game in a row. He sustained a concussion and an injured elbow in a fall at his house on Christmas Day.The margin matched the 15-point victory Cleveland had over the Lakers in Los Angeles three games ago. Only a late spurt kept it from being the most one-sided loss of the season for the reigning NBA champs.Los Angeles’ lone win in the last three came in double overtime two nights ago in Sacramento.

Channing Frye had 14 points and a season-high 11 rebounds for the Suns, who fought the much bigger Lakers to a 43-43 standoff on the boards.The Lakers, playing the third of four games in five days, trailed virtually all night. Leading 56-50 at the half, Phoenix used a 17-4 outburst to go up 87-68 on the first of Dudley’s three 3-pointers without a miss.Nash and Jason Richardson also had 3s in the run, while Stoudemire scored four, including a driving dunk.

Bryant scored nine straight Lakers points, but his driving layup at third-quarter buzzer was blocked by Robin Lopez, and the Suns led 89-77 entering the fourth.Dudley and Goran Dragic sank consecutive 3s and Phoenix led 108-89 with 6:51. By then, Bryant had sat down for good.Coach Alvin Gentry, taking no chances, reinserted Nash and Stoudemire in the lineup with 4:54 left and Phoenix leading 110-94. Stoudemire had a three-point play and Nash made a 3-pointer to give the Suns a 116-94 lead with 3:27 left.

A 12-0 run at the end of the first quarter and start of the second put Phoenix ahead 32-23 on Leandro Barbosa’s two free throws with 10:53 left in the half. Two more at the line by Barbosa gave the Suns their biggest lead of the first half at 39-27 with 8:13 to go.

Bryant’s 3-pointer, followed by his 15-footer cut it to 48-45 with 2:09 left in the half. Stoudemire scored the next six for the Suns, and after Bryant’s driving layup with 9.5 seconds left made it 54-51, Nash sank two free throws with 2.7 remaining to put the Suns up 56-51 at the break.

NOTES: Jackson said he is hopeful Artest will rejoin the team against Golden State Tuesday in Los Angeles. … The Suns lost to the Lakers in Los Angeles by 19 and 21 points. Phoenix was in the second of back-to-back games in both contests. … Phoenix has a victory over the teams with the three best records in the league – the Lakers, Boston and Orlando.