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76ers halt 28-match losing streak
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The Philadelphia 76ers’ historic and agonizing losing streak finally ended on Tuesday as Kobe Bryant suffered more defeat with the Los Angeles Lakers in his first road match since announcing his plans to retire.
One more defeat for the Sixers on Tuesday — 0-18 heading into the game — would have given them sole possession of the record for the worst start to a season in National Basketball Association history.
They had already set a record for the longest losing streak in the history of the NBA, with 28 defeats stretching over last season and the current campaign.
But a 23-point haul from forward Robert Covington laid the foundation for a deserved 103-91 victory as Bryant and the Lakers tumbled to 2-15, the worst record in the Western Conference.
Jerami Grant and Nerlens Noel added 14 points apiece while rookie Jahlil Okafor was one of three Sixers to finish with 12 points.
“I’m pleased for the city,” Sixers coach Brett Brown said. “We don’t want the streak continuing. Obviously, this is a relief on many levels.”
Bryant meanwhile was the top scorer for the Lakers, producing 20 points, two assists and five rebounds.
Bryant’s haul also featured four three-pointers. But the 37-year-old’s effort was in vain, and his final numbers were just 7-for-26 from the floor. “God knows I can’t sustain that level of energy for 48 minutes like I used to,” Bryant said.
On Sunday, Bryant triggered an outpouring of tributes after confirming that his glittering 20-year career in the NBA would end at the end of this season.
But it promises to be a long goodbye for the veteran in every sense, with the Lakers inexperienced roster a pale imitation of the five NBA championship-winning teams Bryant played on during the previous decade.
Yet none of that mattered in Philadelphia. The home fans gave him a standing ovation as he took to the court for the warm-up and again when his name was introduced.
Bryant’s coach from school basketball was also on hand to present a framed jersey from his prep years. “I’m not the most emotional person,” he said. “I try not to be. But that got to me.”
Elsewhere, it was: Wizards 97, Cavaliers 85; Nets 94, Suns 91; Magic 96, Timberwolves 93; Grizzlies 113, Pelicans 104; and Mavericks 115, Trail Blazers 112 (in overtime).
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