Sasha Vujacic

Kevin Durant scored 26 points, including the go-ahead jump shot with 32.6 seconds remaining and host Seattle stunned the defending NBA champion San Antonio Spurs, 88-85, last night to end a team-record losing streak at 14 games. Durant swished an open shot created by a screen from Kurt Thomas, whose consecutive open jumpers had given Seattle an unlikely lead with 90 seconds to go. Luke Ridnour hit a free throw with 12 seconds left before Manu Ginobili, who had 29 points, missed a leaning 3-pointer with 4.9 seconds remaining that would have tied it. Lakers 120, Knicks 109 - Kobe Bryant had 24...

LONDON — Does every woman need a basketball player? Helps with the rebounds, apparently, painting a ceiling or scoring on the old boarding-house reach. Anything needing a stretch. But get a good one. A professional. That’s what Maria Sharapova did, and it seems to be working well for the ex-champion, who glided into Wimbledon’s fourth round yesterday over Czech Klara Zakopalova, 6-2, 6-3. On the sidelines, her partner — actually fiancé — Sasha Vujacic, was vigorously using his large hands.

Sasha Vujacic scored 19 points, Lamar Odom added 17 points and 16 rebounds, and the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Bulls, 103-91, last night in Chicago. Slowed by a groin injury, Kobe Bryant scored 18 points for the Lakers, but was a nonfactor for long stretches against the team he targeted as a possible destination during the offseason. Odom started an 11-point run with a layup and capped it with a dunk as the Lakers turned an 86-83 lead into a 14-point advantage with 3:24 left in the game.

The NBA draft came and went, and the core of the Los Angeles Lakers remains the same. Despite rumors of potential trades that would have altered their roster, the Lakers didn’t make any significant moves Thursday. Instead, Los Angeles drafted two guards and a pair of forwards with its four second-round selections. The Lakers took Michigan point guard Darius Morris at No. 41 and guard Andrew Goudelock from the College of Charleston with the 46th pick. Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak was pleased that both were available when the team selected and was hopeful one, if not...

DENVER - Trevor Ariza's clutch steals are punching a dagger in Denver's season just as much as Kobe Bryant's big baskets. For the second time in three games, Ariza stole an inbounds pass in the final minute to help Los Angeles beat the Nuggets, this time 103-97 at the Pepsi Center for a 2-1 lead that restored the Lakers' home-court advantage in the Western Conference finals. Ariza, whose steal of Anthony Carter's lazy lob sealed the Lakers' win in the series opener, sliced in front of Carmelo Anthony to swipe Kenyon Martin's inbounds pass with the Lakers clinging to a 2-point lead with 36...

Earl Boykins scored a season-high 22 points, John Salmons added 20, and the shorthanded Milwaukee Bucks stunned the Lakers in Los Angeles last night, snapping the two-time defending champions’ five-game winning streak with a 98-79 victory. Kobe Bryant scored 21 points and Pau Gasol added 15 points and 11 rebounds for the Lakers, who belly-flopped in their final tuneup before a Christmas visit from the Miami Heat. Ersan Ilyasova scored 17 points for the Bucks, who had lost three straight and were down to nine players against the Lakers, who had beaten...

Magic coach Stan Van Gundy tried his best to highlight all the good he could after his team’s 97-87 victory over the injury-depleted Milwaukee Bucks last night. But he wanted to make one thing perfectly clear: While he is pleased with his club’s seven-game winning streak, he hasn’t liked what he’s seen over the past two victories. “We’re starting to back off in some areas,’’ Van Gundy said. “I think some people, after a while, start to take some things for granted . . . I don’t like the way we’ve approached the last two games.

Wanted: A great game worthy of the NBA Finals. Oh, sure Game 4 was historic. But by no stretch of anyone's imagination was it a great game. The numbers said it was the greatest comeback in NBA Finals history. Yeah, well, what did it do for Lakers fans? It was an enjoyable game from a Celtics viewpoint, and that was all. In terms of sheer competitiveness, this ballyhooed confrontation between the Celtics and Lakers has been a disappointment. There has not been a game in which both teams brought even a B-plus game on the same evening.

LOS ANGELES - The Celtics really wanted to celebrate in the locker room. And how could you blame them after completing possibly the greatest comeback in NBA Finals history and the Celtics' illustrious history? But there was no champagne in the locker room. No Larry O'Brien championship trophy. No NBA title hats or T-shirts. And Sam Cassell and James Posey, the Celtics with NBA titles on their résumés, reminded everyone that one more win is needed before they can pop bottles and get sized for championship rings.

LOS ANGELES - The Lakers owned the fourth quarter against Denver. Now they have a 3-2 lead in the Western Conference finals. Kobe Bryant scored 22 points, Lamar Odom had 19 points and 14 rebounds, and Pau Gasol added 14 points and 10 rebounds in Los Angeles's 103-94 victory last night. Game 6 is tomorrow night in Denver, where the Lakers lost Game 4 by 19 points. "Got to come ready to play," Bryant said. "We made a lot of mistakes the last time, the mistakes that took place were execution, and we didn't do things at the defensive end. "We'll come ready to play.

Magic coach Stan Van Gundy tried his best to highlight all the good he could after his team’s 97-87 victory over the injury-depleted Milwaukee Bucks last night. But he wanted to make one thing perfectly clear: While he is pleased with his club’s seven-game winning streak, he hasn’t liked what he’s seen over the past two victories. “We’re starting to back off in some areas,’’ Van Gundy said. “I think some people, after a while, start to take some things for granted . . . I don’t like the way we’ve approached the last two games.

Earl Boykins scored a season-high 22 points, John Salmons added 20, and the shorthanded Milwaukee Bucks stunned the Lakers in Los Angeles last night, snapping the two-time defending champions’ five-game winning streak with a 98-79 victory. Kobe Bryant scored 21 points and Pau Gasol added 15 points and 11 rebounds for the Lakers, who belly-flopped in their final tuneup before a Christmas visit from the Miami Heat. Ersan Ilyasova scored 17 points for the Bucks, who had lost three straight and were down to nine players against the Lakers, who had beaten them six straight...

LOS ANGELES — There has been much historical talk circulating around this Game 7, and rightly so. Kobe Bryant seems to be the only person unwilling to insert himself into the broad sweep of Celtics-Lakers lore. “Ain’t got nothing to do with me right now,’’ he grunted when prodded, for what seemed like the thousandth time in these proceedings. “It’s got nothing to do with me.’’ All right, already. It is true that much of that history was made in an entirely different basketball world, one in which there was minimal mixing of basketball cultures at the highest level.

PHOENIX — Get ready, Boston. Kobe Bryant and his Los Angeles Lakers want a rematch. Bryant wrapped up a magnificent series with 37 points, Ron Artest added 25, and the Lakers held off the Phoenix Suns, 111-103, last night to win the Western Conference finals, four games to two. The Lakers and Celtics, the NBA’s premier teams for much of the league’s history, will meet in the Finals for the 11th time with Game 1 Thursday night in...

LOS ANGELES - The Lakers owned the fourth quarter against Denver. Now they have a 3-2 lead in the Western Conference finals. Kobe Bryant scored 22 points, Lamar Odom had 19 points and 14 rebounds, and Pau Gasol added 14 points and 10 rebounds in Los Angeles's 103-94 victory last night. Game 6 is tomorrow night in Denver, where the Lakers lost Game 4 by 19 points. "Got to come ready to play," Bryant said. "We made a lot of mistakes the last time, the mistakes that took place were execution, and we didn't do things at the defensive end. "We'll come ready to play.

DENVER - Trevor Ariza's clutch steals are punching a dagger in Denver's season just as much as Kobe Bryant's big baskets. For the second time in three games, Ariza stole an inbounds pass in the final minute to help Los Angeles beat the Nuggets, this time 103-97 at the Pepsi Center for a 2-1 lead that restored the Lakers' home-court advantage in the Western Conference finals. Ariza, whose steal of Anthony Carter's lazy lob sealed the Lakers' win in the series opener, sliced in front of Carmelo Anthony to swipe Kenyon Martin's inbounds pass with the Lakers clinging to...

PHOENIX — Get ready, Boston. Kobe Bryant and his Los Angeles Lakers want a rematch. Bryant wrapped up a magnificent series with 37 points, Ron Artest added 25, and the Lakers held off the Phoenix Suns, 111-103, last night to win the Western Conference finals, four games to two. The Lakers and Celtics, the NBA’s premier teams for much of the league’s history, will meet in the Finals for the 11th time with Game 1 Thursday night in...

After playing with fire late, the Celtics held on to earn a chance to party near Hollywood. And this party is 22 years in the making. The Celtics nearly blew a 24-point lead in the fourth quarter last night before defeating the Lakers, 108-102, in Game 2 of the NBA Finals at TD Banknorth Garden. Game 3 of the best-of-seven series is tomorrow night in Los Angeles, as is Game 4 Thursday and, if needed, Game 5 Sunday. The Celtics are hoping to return to Boston with an elusive 17th NBA title, their first since 1986.

Wanted: A great game worthy of the NBA Finals. Oh, sure Game 4 was historic. But by no stretch of anyone's imagination was it a great game. The numbers said it was the greatest comeback in NBA Finals history. Yeah, well, what did it do for Lakers fans? It was an enjoyable game from a Celtics viewpoint, and that was all. In terms of sheer competitiveness, this ballyhooed confrontation between the Celtics and Lakers has been a disappointment. There has not been a game in which both teams brought even a B-plus game on the same evening.

LOS ANGELES - Staging perhaps the greatest comeback in their storied history, the Celtics recovered from a 24-point deficit on the road last night to beat the Lakers, 97-91, and take a commanding 3-1 series lead in the 62d NBA Finals. There are New England sports fans who've been born, registered for the draft, and legally bought a beer at the Eire Pub since the last time the Celtics won an NBA title. They grew up hearing tall tales of the flags of their fathers . . . now they have a chance to see the fabled franchise win a banner for their generation.