Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (right) guards Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant as Bryant passes the ball during the first half of an NBA basketball game on Thursday in Los Angeles. AP
LOS ANGELES—LeBron James scored 36 points and the Cleveland Cavaliers snapped their six-game losing streak with a 109-102 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers despite Kobe Bryant’s 19 points and career-high 17 assists.
Kyrie Irving added 22 points for Cleveland, which had lost nine of 10 before James held off Bryant down the stretch in an entertaining duel between two basketball icons.
Bryant hit a 3-pointer with 1:54 left and two free throws with 43 seconds to play, cutting Cleveland’s lead to 103-99. But James drove past Bryant for an acrobatic layup with 20.9 seconds left, and Bryant missed a jumper that essentially ended it.
Jordan Hill scored 20 points in the Lakers’ ninth loss in 12 games.