


NBA
‘Out of respect,’ league
postpones Lakers-Clippers

The NBA postponed the Lakers’ next game against the Clippers on Tuesday night after the deaths of retired superstar Kobe Bryant, his daughter and seven others in a helicopter crash.
The league announced the decision in a statement Monday, saying it “was made out of respect for the Lakers organization.”
Bryant’s helicopter crashed Sunday, and the Lakers learned about it while flying home from an East Coast road trip. LeBron James and several other players appeared to be visibly affected by the news when they got off the plane.
The Lakers organization hasn’t made a public statement about Bryant’s death, choosing to mourn in private.
The 16-time NBA champion franchise made grief counselors available to employees Monday after the loss of Bryant, who spent his entire 20-year NBA career with the Lakers.
Lakers owner Jeanie Buss was quite close to Bryant, and Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka was Bryant’s agent during his playing career.
Dwight Howard is the only current Lakers player who played with Bryant for the franchise for one season back in 2012-13, but the players all knew him.
Bryant had attended a handful of Lakers games in recent years with his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, who also died in the crash in Calabasas, California.
The NBA says the game between the Los Angeles rivals will be rescheduled later.
The next game on the Lakers’ schedule is Friday night at home against the Trail Blazers.
Bryant won five championships and reached seven NBA Finals during his two decades with the Lakers. He retired as the third-leading scorer in NBA history, and he held the mark until James passed him Saturday night.
De’Aaron Fox scored 22 for the Kings, putting back the rebound of his intentionally missed free throw as part of a 33-11 run over the final 5:42 of regulation.
Andrew Wiggins had 36 points, nine rebounds and eight assists for the T’wolves, who lost their 10th straight.