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NBA Betting: LeBron and the Cavs Upset Kobe and the Lakers
A 41-point effort by LeBron James powered the Cavs. (AI Wire photo)
The latest duel between Kobe Bryant and LeBron James didn’t disappoint.
James scored 41 and Bryant had 33 points in an exciting contest that was decided in the final seconds. The Cavaliers came away with a 98-95 upset victory at the Staples Center on Sunday. James secured the win with a key jumper and free throws in the final minute.
The point spread favored the Lakers by four at home but Cleveland used a 15-2 run in the third quarter to notch its second victory in a month over L.A.
A wild sequence near the end nearly cost Cleveland. After Larry Hughes threw an inbounds pass away, Bryant missed a layup attempt that would have given Los Angeles the lead. But the Cavaliers regained possession and James was fouled. He hit the free throws for the final margin of victory.
The loss was the third straight by the Lakers, matching their longest skid of he year.
In other notable NBA games on Sunday:
Orlando 96, Boston 93: Hedo Turkoglu beat the buzzer with a fall-away three-pointer and the Magic handed the Celtics their fifth loss of the month. Boston played without Kevin Garnett, who was out with a strained abdominal muscle. Turkoglu finished with 27 points for Orlando, which was a one-point favorite at home.
Phoenix 88, Chicago 77: The Suns used a 12-0 run in the fourth quarter to overcome the Bulls at the United Center. Phoenix was held under 100 points but its offense came alive when it counted down the stretch. Amare Stoudemire had 24 points as the favored Suns covered the eight-point spread.