Lakers win again

LOS ANGELES — With a lead slipping away again, Los Angeles Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant showed his younger teammates how to put away an NBA game. Bryant, 37 and heading into retirement after this season, drained three three-pointers in the final 6:07, scoring 27 points and grabbing 12 rebounds to lead the Lakers to a 99-96 victory over the Pelicans in New Orleans. Although the shots sounded the death-knell for the Pelicans, they were greeted by cheers from fans, who like their counterparts around the country have greeted Bryant like one of their own during a season that has turned into a farewell tour. Bryant, who scored a season-high 38 in a win at Minnesota Tuesday, has lately given those adoring fans a glimpse of past glories. “He’s on a nice little roll,” said Lakers coach Byron Scott. “Our young guys are still so young they don’t understand when you’ve got a double-digit lead you can’t relax,” Scott said. “Not in this league.” The Lakers led 85-73 with 8:32 to play, but the Pelicans scored six straight points to trim the deficit. Bryant’s three-pointer with 5:40 to play rebuilt the Lakers lead to 88-79 and they were up 95-86 with 2:50 remaining — helped by Pelicans forward Anthony Davis’s miss of a wide-open dunk. New Orleans had pulled within 95-92 when Bryant nailed a three-pointer with just under a minute left to make it 98-92. Once more the Pelicans cut the deficit to two points, but Bryant made a last free-throw to complete the scoring. “Obviously, Kobe’s leading by example — how to step on people’s necks when you have a chance to,” Scott said. Raptors 110, Trail Blazers 103 Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan combined for 59 points as Toronto beat Portland. Lowry scored 30 points with eight assists while DeRozan added 29 points for the Raptors (34-16), who won for the 13th time in their last 14 outings. Jonas Valanciunas chipped in with 14 points and 11 rebounds for Toronto, which won for only the second time in the last 13 trips to Portland and first since December 2006. Damian Lillard collected 27 points and 11 assists while CJ McCollum had 21 points for the Trail Blazers (24-27), who lost for only the third time in 12 games. Allen Crabbe added 17 points off the Portland bench. Rockets 111, Suns 105 Corey Brewer had a season-high 24 points, including two three-pointers in the final two minutes, and Trevor Ariza had 20 points to lead Houston past Phoenix. Brewer hit back-to-back threes from the left corner, the second on a third-chance possession with 1:10 remaining to give the Rockets (27-25) a 108-101 lead. Archie Goodwin had 22 points for the Suns (14-37), who have lost six in a row, 12-of-13 and 21 of their last 23. Pistons 111, Knicks 105 Reggie Jackson scored 21 points, including a pair of three-pointers to save Detroit’s victory after it blew a 27-point lead. Jackson also made three free throws in the closing seconds as the Pistons (27-24) out-scored New York 16-8 in the final 1:47. Arron Afflalo scored 19 of his 24 points after halftime as the Knicks roared back from a 60-36 halftime deficit. Robin Lopez had 26 points and 16 rebounds to lead New York (23-29), which has lost seven of its last eight.  — Agencies