Kobe breaks Jordan' mark for career All - Star point

Kobe Bryant has surpassed Michael Jordan as the NBA All-Star game's greatest scorer.

Bryant broke Jordan's record of 262 points on a dunk with 4:57 left in the third quarter. That gave him 20 points for the game.

Owner of a record-tying four All-Star MVP awards, Bryant began the night with 244 points in the 12 games he had played in. He passed Oscar Robertson (246 points) and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (251) earlier in Sunday night's game.

Bryant tied the record on two free throws in the third quarter, taking a break between them to wipe blood from his nose after a hard foul from Miami's Dwyane Wade.

Jordan played in 13 All-Star games.

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Howard leads all players in first All-Star Ballot returns

NEW YORK -- Dwight Howard of the Orlando Magic and LeBron James of the Miami Heat top the Eastern Conference, while Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers and Kevin Durant of the Oklahoma City Thunder lead the Western Conference after the first returns of 2012 NBA All-Star Balloting presented by Sprint. Howard, the Kia Defensive Player of the Year each of the past three seasons, is the overall leader with 754,737 votes. 

The 2012 NBA All-Star Game, which will air live at 8 p.m. ET on TNT and ESPN Radio in the U.S., and reach fans in more than 200 countries and territories in more than 40 languages, will be played at Amway Center in Orlando -- on Sunday, Feb. 26, 2012.

Howard paces centers in the East, followed by the Chicago Bulls' Joakim Noah (75,038). James leads Eastern Conference forwards with 640,789 votes, followed by Carmelo Anthony (496,351) of the New York Knicks. Derrick Rose of the Chicago Bulls leads Eastern Conference guards with 640,476 votes, followed by Miami's Dwyane Wade (637,912).

Bryant's 690,613 votes leads Western Conference guards, with the Los Angeles Clippers' Chris Paul placing second (540,173). Durant's 633,538 votes lead forwards in the West, with Blake Griffin of the Clippers next in line with 394,264 votes. The Lakers' Andrew Bynum paces Western Conference centers with 496,597 votes, followed by the Clippers' DeAndre Jordan (134,961).

The leaders of both the Eastern and Western Conference players for the first returns of 2012 NBA All-Star Balloting presented by Sprint are below:

All-Star Balloting Presented By Sprint | Eastern Conference

Forwards: LeBron James (Mia) 640,789; Carmelo Anthony (NYK) 496,351; Amar'e Stoudemire (NYK) 178,797; Kevin Garnett (Bos) 173,161; Chris Bosh (Mia) 140,601; Paul Pierce (Bos) 94,071; Luol Deng (Chi) 85,086; Andrea Bargnani (Tor) 54,739; Carlos Boozer (Chi) 53,477; Hedo Turkoglu (Orl) 43,154.

Guards: Derrick Rose (Chi) 640,476; Dwyane Wade (Mia) 637,912; Rajon Rondo (Bos) 253,969; Ray Allen (Bos) 174,934; Deron Williams (NJN) 89,128; Jose Calderon (Tor) 42,929; John Wall (Was) 38,025; Richard Hamilton (Chi) 36,418; Kyrie Irving (Cle) 27,713; Joe Johnson (Atl) 23,384.

Centers: Dwight Howard (Orl) 754,737; Joakim Noah (Chi) 75,038; Tyson Chandler (NYK) 61,774; Joel Anthony (Mia) 41,832; JaVale McGee (Was) 24,713; Al Horford (Atl) 23,546.

All-Star Balloting Presented By Sprint | Western Conference

Forwards: Kevin Durant (OKC) 633,538; Blake Griffin (LAC) 394,264; Dirk Nowitzki (Dal) 231,832; Pau Gasol (LAL) 185,428; Kevin Love (Min) 143,814; LaMarcus Aldridge (Por) 118,268; Tim Duncan (SA) 81,783; Lamar Odom (Dal) 59,686; Metta World Peace (LAL) 39,006; Danilo Gallinari (Den) 34,438.

Guards: Kobe Bryant (LAL) 690,613; Chris Paul (LAC) 540,173; Ricky Rubio (Min) 133,520; Steve Nash (Pho) 118,922; Russell Westbrook (OKC) 107,197; Kyle Lowry (Hou) 90,725; Monta Ellis (GS) 63,696; Manu Ginobili (SA) 50,765; Jason Kidd (Dal) 49,596; Chauncey Billups (LAC) 42,657.

Centers: Andrew Bynum (LAL) 496,597; DeAndre Jordan (LAC) 134,961; Marc Gasol (Mem) 102,116; Nenê (Den) 94,167; Marcin Gortat (Pho) 62,631; Kendrick Perkins (OKC) 41,579.

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Kobe confirms directing A-Rod to German knee therapy

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Kobe Bryant confirms he recently directed Alex Rodriguez to the German doctor who performed the treatment the Yankees' slugger had on his right knee.

"I gave him the phone number," Bryant said Thursday night before the Los Angeles Lakers hosted the New York Knicks.

Bryant opened up about the steps he has taken to heal his arthritic joints in a rare pregame interview, crediting the therapy with dramatic improvement in his own troublesome right knee and an injured left ankle in recent months.

When Rodriguez inquired about Bryant's treatment, Bryant vouched for the German doctor who developed the course of injections of plasma-rich platelets that supposedly stimulate healing in arthritis-affected areas.

Bryant says his knee is now 95 percent healthy after at least three surgeries in the last eight years. He apparently had the same treatment done in October on his ankle, which also isn't limiting him this season.

"You can't just try something just to try it," Bryant said. "It has to make sense. It has to be something that you can back with research and study and things like that."

And how did Bryant get information about the therapy - called Orthokine - being done in Duesseldorf?

"It's my job to know these things," Bryant said with a grin.

The Yankees might benefit from Bryant's knowledge. General manager Brian Cashman said Wednesday that Rodriguez is "100 percent," with "no red flags" going into spring training.

Rodriguez had surgery on his right knee last July and saw his power drop in the second half and postseason. He played in 99 games and hit 16 homers, struggling to produce at his usual prolific levels.

Bryant is far from fully healthy. He's still playing with a torn ligament in his right wrist, wearing a brace on the joint whenever he isn't on court.

He's no longer wearing a wrap on the oft-injured index finger on his right hand, but that's because the joint is now "bone on bone," according to Bryant.

And Bryant hasn't stopped trying new things to heal more quickly and thoroughly. Several Lakers joined him at a cryotherapy clinic in the Sacramento area on Monday, trying out an extreme cold chamber that's thought to decrease pain and swelling in athletes.

Bryant can't remember when his friendship with A-Rod started, but they've been friendly for years, going out to dinner and talking regularly. He's grateful he could help the 36-year-old slugger get back in top shape.

"As a Yankee fan? Hell yeah," Bryant said.

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Kobe Bryant's wife files for divorce

SANTA ANA, Calif. (AP) -- Kobe Bryant's wife, who stood by her husband when he was charged with sexual assault in 2003, filed for divorce on Friday from the Los Angeles Lakers star, citing irreconcilable differences after a decade of marriage.

Vanessa Bryant signed the papers on Dec. 1. Kobe Bryant signed his response on Dec. 7 and it was filed Friday, according to the documents.

"The Bryants have resolved all issues incident to their divorce privately with the assistance of counsel and a judgment dissolving their marital status will be entered in 2012," according to a statement from a representative for the couple.

In the filing, Vanessa Bryant asked for joint legal and physical custody of the couple's two daughters, Natalia, 8, and Gianna, 5. Kobe Bryant asked for the same in his response. Vanessa Bryant also requested spousal support.

The Bryants "ask that in the interest of our young children and in light of the upcoming holiday season the public respect our privacy during this difficult time," according to the statement.

Bryant met his future wife in 1999 on a music video shoot when Vanessa Laine was 18 years old. Six months later, she and the then-21-year-old Bryant became engaged. They married on April 18, 2001.

The Bryants have been through trying times together.

Vanessa Bryant appeared at a news conference with her husband when he was charged with sexually assaulting a 19-year-old woman who worked at the exclusive Lodge & Spa at Cordillera near Vail, Colo., in 2003. She held his hand and stroked it tenderly as the NBA star admitted he was guilty of adultery - but nothing else. Earlier she had issued her own statement to the media, vowing to stand by her husband.

"I know that my husband has made a mistake - the mistake of adultery," she said in the statement at the time. "He and I will have to deal with that within our marriage, and we will do so. He is not a criminal."

A year later, prosecutors dropped the criminal charge against Kobe Bryant because the woman did not want to go ahead with a trial.

Last year, Kobe and Vanessa Bryant settled litigation with a former maid who accused the NBA star's wife of harassment. The Bryants countersued Maria Jimenez for violating a confidentiality agreement by talking to reporters about the family.

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Lakers squash Hornets to march on

(Reuters) - Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol exploded for 23 of Los Angeles' 29 points in the third quarter to propel the two-time defending NBA champions to a 98-80 victory over Western Conference rivals the New Orleans Hornets on Thursday, sending them into the next round of the playoffs.

The Lakers were joined in the second round by the Atlanta Hawks, who held off the Orlando Magic 84-81 to clinch their Eastern Conference series 4-2, and the Dallas Mavericks who closed out the Portland Trail Blazers 4-2 with a 103-96 win.

Los Angeles held a slim 40-34 lead following a low scoring first half, but Bryant and Gasol then took over to post a 12-point lead by the start of the fourth quarter, which they built on despite resting most of their starters.

"I think we weathered the storm early. We didn't get off to a great start. But we didn't allow the emotion and the energy in the building to get to us early," Lakers guard Derek Fisher told reporters.

"Even though we didn't play well, we hung right in there. In the third quarter we finally found a little bit of space to get some separation."

Bryant led the Lakers with 24 points in just 30 minutes. Andrew Bynum scored 18 points and pulled down 12 rebounds and Gasol scored 16 points as LA clinched a 4-2 series win.

Hornets' guard Chris Paul was held to just one field goal in the first half and 10 points in total in the game, though he did make 11 assists. Carl Landry led the Hornets with 19 points and Trevor Ariza added 12 points.

"They played well. We just lost to a really, really good team," said Paul. "It's obvious why those guys are the two-time defending champs. Those guys made shots and we missed shots."

MAGIC FALLS SHORT

The visiting Magic trailed by as many as 12 points in the fourth, but went on a 15-6 run over a seven-minute stretch to pull within one point with 34 seconds remaining, only to come up just short.

Jamal Crawford sank two free throws with eight seconds left to push the Hawks lead back up to three points.

In the closing seconds J.J. Redick missed an open three point attempt and Josh Smith blocked another three-point attempt by Orlando as the horn sounded.

In Portland, Dallas overcame a slow start and held off a late charge by the Trail Blazers.

Dallas outscored the Trail Blazers 33-16 in the second quarter to turn an eight point deficit into a nine-point half time lead.

Portland made one last push in the fourth quarter, trimming the lead to one point with 5:24 remaining on a steal and slam dunk by Wallace.

Jason Kidd responded for the Mavericks with a three-point basket to push the lead back to four and send the Mavericks to victory.

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Rose leads Bulls past Pacers as Lakers, Magic win big

(Reuters) - Derrick Rose showed no effects of his injured left ankle as the Chicago Bulls pushed their way past the Indiana Pacers with a 116-89 first round playoff series-ending rout on Tuesday.

Rose, who sprained his ankle on Saturday, sprung back to action with 25 points and the top-seeded Bulls ended put away the Pacers in a 4-1 best-of-seven series victory.

Meanwhile, the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers took a 3-2 series lead after they stung the New Orleans Hornets with a 106-90 victory, while Orlando kept their series alive with a 101-76 blowout of the Atlanta Hawks.

The Bulls will meet the winner of the Hawks and Magic matchup after winning just their second playoff series since 1998.

"I'm speechless right now," Rose told reporters. "I really can't believe it. It's a great accomplishment. I'm happy for my team mates and my coaching staff."

Chicago had battled through four close games with Indiana but ran away in Game Five.

The Bulls grabbed a 30-19 third-quarter advantage that gave them an 84-65 lead heading into the fourth.

Luol Deng finished with 24 points to support Rose and Chicago held the visitors to 39 percent shooting.

Danny Granger led the way with 20 for Indiana.

Despite the loss the Pacers showed some positive signs, reaching their first post-season since 2006 under coach Frank Vogel, who took over mid-season for the fired Jim O'Brien.

Kobe Bryant, also battling an ankle sprain, left little doubt about his health when he slammed down a vicious dunk over Emeka Okafor in the second quarter and finished with 19 points to spark the Lakers.

Bryant was hurt in Sunday's loss to the Hornets but responded well as the Lakers moved one win from advancing to the second round. Game Six is on Thursday in New Orleans.

Trevor Ariza scored 22 points and Chris Paul recorded 20 and 12 assists for the Hornets who were outscored 52-39 in the second half.

Orlando's win was spurred by Jason Richardson's 17 points, in his return from a one-game suspension due to an altercation in Game Three.

Orlando is hoping to become just the ninth team to come from down 3-1 to win a best-of-seven series. Game Six is on Thursday in Atlanta.

All Star center Dwight Howard, who was averaging 32.2 points per game, managed just eight points and eight rebounds while battling foul trouble.

Josh Smith had 22 points and 11 rebounds for the Hawks who trailed 58-35 at halftime and never recovered.

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Hawks swoop for late win as big guns boom

(Reuters) - Jamal Crawford banked in a three-pointer with 5.7 seconds left to seal a 88-84 win for the Atlanta Hawks over the visiting Orlando Magic Friday.

Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Lakers ambushed the New Orleans Hornets 100-86 on the road to join in the Hawks in taking a 2-1 lead in their best-of-seven NBA playoff series.

The Boston Celtics mercilessly overpowered the New York Knicks 113-96 to ruin the excitement of the first playoff game at Madison Square Gardens in seven years.

In Atlanta, Crawford scored 18 of his 23 points in the second half including the game-clinching three in the dying seconds of a nip-and-tuck contest.

"I just tried to get to my comfort zone, my sweet spot," Crawford told reporters. "I felt pretty good getting there. "I thought I got a good look, and it just happened to go down for me."

Al Horford gave the Hawks the lead at 85-84 with 46.6 seconds left.

Atlanta led for much of the game, but the lead changed four times over the final two minutes following an altercation which led to the ejection of Atlanta's Zaza Pachulia and Orlando's Jason Richardson.

"I thought we played with much more energy in the second half, and that got us back into it," said Orlando coach Stan Van Gundy. "But this is the playoffs and you can't play 24 minutes of defense."

Joe Johnson scored 21 points for Atlanta and Dwight Howard led the Magic with 21 points and 15 rebounds.

In New Orleans, the Lakers pounced on the Hornets in the opening quarter and pulled away in the final period to regain home-court advantage.

Kobe Bryant led the Lakers with 30 points and Pau Gasol recorded a double-double with 17 points and 10 rebounds. Carl Landry led the Hornets with 23 points and Chris Paul 22.

In New York, the Celtics sprinted to a 22-5 lead eight minutes into the game and led comfortably from start to finish to take a commanding 3-0 lead in the series.

Boston will attempt to complete the sweep Sunday.

Paul Pierce led the Celtics with 38 points, Ray Allen hit eight three-pointers among his 32 points and Rajon Rondo had a triple-double with 15 points, 11 rebounds and a Celtics franchise playoff record 20 assists.

The Knicks bench outscored the starters led by Shawne Williams 17 points. Carmelo Anthony scored 15 points on just 4-for-16 shooting from the field.

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Lakers rally past Blazers late for 12th win in 13

LOS ANGELES (AP) – Kobe Bryant scored 10 of his 22 points in a dynamic fourth quarter, and the Los Angeles Lakers rallied from behind in the final three minutes for their 12th win in 13 games, 84-80 over the Portland Trail Blazers on Sunday night.

Derek Fisher made back-to-back steals to put the Lakers ahead with 1:56 to play before hitting a clinching jumper with 10 seconds left. Bryant did the rest despite his sprained ankle and sore jaw, highlighted by a picture-perfect fallaway jumper with 32 seconds to play.

The Lakers managed a late surge despite playing without starting center Andrew Bynum, who was suspended two games by the NBA on Sunday for his flagrant foul on Minnesota's Michael Beasley two days earlier.

Nicolas Batum scored 22 of his 25 points in the first three quarters for the Blazers, whose three-game winning streak ended with a fourth-quarter flop, scoring just 14 points on 5-for-18 shooting.

LaMarcus Aldridge had 18 points in Bynum's absence down low, while Marcus Camby had 10 rebounds before hobbling off the court with an undisclosed injury in the final minutes. With three straight losses to the Lakers, Portland lost the season series with Los Angeles for the first time since 2004-05.

Although their last two wins haven't exactly been works of art, the Lakers formally clinched a playoff berth earlier Sunday when the Utah Jazz lost to Houston, and this victory wrapped up their fourth consecutive Pacific Division title and 50-victory season.

In Bynum's absence, Portland outrebounded the Lakers 45-35 and nursed a steady lead throughout the second half after making a 15-0 run spanning halftime, holding the Lakers without a field goal for 6 1/2 minutes.

But Bryant's acrobatic layup pulled Los Angeles to 74-72, and Bryant dunked after a steal by Fisher to even it at 76 with 2:20 to play.

Fisher made another steal on the next possession and drove for a layup to put the Lakers ahead. After Bryant's jumper with 1:11 left put the Lakers up by four points, Ron Artest got a technical foul from referee Dan Crawford after exchanging shoves down low with Gerald Wallace.

Lamar Odom had 16 points and 11 rebounds while starting in Bynum's place, and Pau Gasol added 14 points and 13 rebounds.

Lakers coach Phil Jackson was disappointed by the league's decision on a two-game suspension for Bynum, who was ejected after turning his shoulder and sending Beasley crashing to the court during the Lakers' win last Friday. Jackson said he doesn't understand the NBA's logic in its decisions.

Bryant showed no ill effects early from his sprained ankle and a sore jaw resulting from a head-to-head collision with Minnesota's Martell Webster. The All-Star game MVP scored 10 points in the first half, but the Lakers missed Bynum's defensive presence and even his scoring in the first half, getting just eight points apiece from Gasol and Odom.

Portland took its first lead on Aldridge's layup 53 seconds before halftime. Batum went 8 for 10 for 19 points in the first half, hitting a 3-pointer in the final minute to stake the Blazers to a 48-44 lead.

Matt Barnes banked in a 3-pointer from a step inside the half-court line at the third-quarter buzzer, trimming the Blazers' lead to 66-62.

NOTES: Odom has started 33 games for the Lakers this season, while Bynum has started 37. Bynum missed the first 28 games while recovering from offseason knee surgery. ... The Lakers have reached the playoffs in 33 of the last 35 seasons, missing the postseason only in 1993-94 and 2004-05. ... Fans near courtside included Bruce Willis, Will Ferrell, David Arquette and Andy Garcia

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Los Angeles Lakers scored their 10th win in 11 games over Orlando with a 97-84 victory

(AP) Los Angeles, California-  Pau Gasol scored 23 points and Kobe Bryant added 16 while playing on a sprained left ankle as the Los Angeles Lakers scored their 10th win in 11 games over Orlando with a 97-84 victory.

Andrew Bynum had 10 points, a career high-tying 18 rebounds and four blocks as the two-time defending NBA champions opened a seven-game homestand with another impressive post-All-Star effort.

The Lakers (48-20) also drew virtually even with the Dallas Mavericks (47-19) for second place in the Western Conference standings.

Dwight Howard had 22 points, 15 rebounds and nine turnovers – four more than the entire Lakers squad – for the Magic.

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Lakers trounce Warriors to remain unbeaten

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Los Angeles Lakers All-Stars Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol helped the two-time defending NBA champions breeze to a 3-0 start to the season with a one-sided 107-83 victory over the Golden State Warriors Sunday.
Spanish center Gasol paced the team with 26 points and 12 rebounds while Bryant recorded 20 points and seven rebounds in just 27 minutes of work.
"It feels good (to rest down the stretch). That means we're taking care of business," Bryant told reporters. "We're playing well, the pieces we have complement each other and we're just going to keep it rolling."
The Lakers got off to a fast start, outscoring the Warriors 34-14 in the first quarter, and cruised to their 10th straight win against Golden State, who last defeated Los Angeles in March 2008.
Lamar Odom scored 11 of his 16 points in the opening quarter and also chipped in 14 rebounds to continue his strong start after spending the summer helping the United States win a gold medal at the FIBA World Championships.
Monta Ellis scored a team-high 20 points for the Warriors (2-1) who had began the year with two wins but were without sharp-shooting guard Stephen Curry who missed the game with an ankle injury.
Curry averaged 17.5 points per game last season to finish runner-up for the Rookie of the Year Award, but he has been slowed by an ankle ailment since the preseason.
In his absence, Golden State shot just 40 percent from the field and was outrebounded 55-42.
In their quest for a third straight NBA title, the Lakers have leaned on Gasol early in the campaign while Bryant works his way back from offseason knee surgery and center Andrew Bynum sits out after his own knee procedure.
"Probably (this is the best start I've had in my career)," said Gasol, who has led the team in scoring in two of the three games. "I try not to look at numbers. I'm happy with us playing well and we'll try to continue."

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