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#SportsReport: Lakers Vs. Clippers Game Postponed; Capitals Beat Canadiens

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The NBA has decided it's too soon for the Lakers to resume their schedule in the wake of Kobe Bryant's death in a helicopter crash. The league has postponed Tuesday's game against the Clippers and will reschedule it. The decision came one day after Bryant, his 13-year-old daughter and seven others perished in the crash.

The Lakers learned about Sunday's wreck while flying home from Philadelphia. 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.

Meanwhile, an accident investigator says the helicopter pilot told air traffic controllers in his last radio message that he was climbing to avoid a cloud layer. National Transportation Safety Board Jennifer Homendy says the pilot had asked for and received special clearance to fly in heavy fog just minutes before the crash and was flying at 1400 feet when he went south and then west. Investigators and coroner's personnel are working on a rugged hillside outside Los Angeles. The fog was considered dangerous enough that local police agencies grounded their choppers. About 20 investigators are on the scene in Calabasas, where Bryant's helicopter crashed with an impact that scattered debris over an area the size of a football field. The coroner's office says three bodies were recovered Sunday afternoon.

The crash also cost the lives of longtime baseball coach John Altobelli, his wife and daughter. Altobelli headed the Orange Coast College baseball program in nearby Costa Mesa for 27 years. His daughter, Alyssa, played on the same basketball team as Bryant's 13-year-old daughter, Gianna. A woman who coached the basketball team also died. Matt Mauser told NBC's Today show that his wife, Christina Mauser, had a keen defensive mind for basketball and was asked to help coach at Bryant's academy.

In yesterday's NBA scores: Bam Adebayo took advantage of his final chance to convince NBA All-Star voters. Adebayo registered his third triple-double of the season and the Heat improved to 13-0 at home against Eastern Conference opponents by drubbing the Magic, 113-92. The Miami forward delivered 20 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists the day before league coaches hand in their ballots for the All-Star reserves. Jimmy Butler scored 19 points, Goran Dragic had 14 and Tyler Herro furnished 13 for the Southeast Division leaders. 

The Rockets posted a 126-117 victory at Utah behind Eric Gordon's career-high 50 points. Gordon picked up the offensive slack while Houston played without starting guards James Harden and Russell Westbrook. Danuel House Jr. and Austin Rivers each had 21 points as Houston handed the Jazz their first home loss since Dec. 9.

Luka Doncic provided 29 points and 11 rebounds in leading the Mavericks to a 107-97 decision over the Thunder. Kristaps Porzingis added 14 points and 10 rebounds to the win. 

Buddy Hield erupted for a career-high 42 points and the Kings stormed back from being 27 down to beat the Timberwolves, 133-129 in overtime. De'Aaron Fox scored 22 for Sacramento, which went on a 33-11 run over the final 5:42 of regulation.

Zach LaVine scored 13 of his 22 points in the fourth quarter, including the go-ahead foul shots with 2.1 seconds left to send the Bulls past the Spurs, 110-109. DeMar DeRozan had 36 points and 10 rebounds for San Antonio, but he missed the back end of two free throws with 0.2 seconds remaining.

The Cavaliers ended their seven-game losing streak as Kevin Love scored all 20 of his points in the first half of their 115-110 victory against the Pistons. Collin Sexton had 23 points and Tristan Thompson added 17 with 11 rebounds for Cleveland.

COLLEGE BASKETBALL

Breanna Stewart made her return to the court nine months after rupturing her right Achilles tendon as the U.S. women's national team beat No. 4 UConn 79-64 in an exhibition game. The night also belonged to NBA star Kobe Bryant and his 13-year-old daughter Gianna, who died in a helicopter crash Sunday. The two had become friends with Geno Auriemma and many of the former UConn players, including Stewart, who said Bryant was one of the first people to reach out to her when she got hurt in Europe in April.  

In top-25 men's basketball: the third-ranked Kansas Jayhawks continue to win games while Silvio De Sousa serves his 12-game suspension for his role in last week's ugly brawl with Kansas State. The Jayhawks are 2-0 without De Sousa after freshman Christian Braun contributed 16 points and nine rebounds to a 65-50 victory at Oklahoma State. Isaiah Moss added 13 points and Devon Dotson had 11 for the 17-3 Jayhawks, who led wire to wire in their fifth consecutive win. Kansas also was without David McCormack, who completed his two-game suspension for participating in the fight against the Wildcats. McCormack can return for Saturday's game against Texas Tech.

The only other game involving a ranked team on Monday had Iowa rallying from a 12-point, second-half deficit to defeat Wisconsin, 68-62. Luka Garza had 21 points and 18 rebounds for the Hawkeyes, who trailed 57-43 with 7:13 left before going on a 19-2 run. CJ Fredrick had 17 points for Iowa, while teammate Joe Wieskamp chipped in 12 points and 10 rebounds.

Baylor is No. 1 for a second straight week in an AP Top 25 men's college basketball poll that had no major changes at the top. The Bears stayed well ahead of No. 2 Gonzaga, part of an unchanged top seven for the first time this season. Kansas was third, followed by San Diego State and Florida State. The Aztecs remain the only unbeaten team in Division One men's hoops. Louisville, Dayton, Villanova, Duke and Seton Hall round out the top 10, with the Wildcats climbing over the Blue Devils.

NHL

The Washington Capitals didn't miss Alex Ovechkin while he served a league-imposed, one-game suspension for declining to play in the NHL All-Star game last weekend. Jakub Vrana contributed a goal and an assist as the Capitals doubled up the Canadiens, 4-2 in Montreal. Tom Wilson and Travis Boyd also scored before Nicklas Backstrom's empty-netter secured the Caps' fourth straight win and seventh in their last nine games. Braden Holtby made 31 saves and improved to 14-2-2 all-time versus Montreal.

Nikita Gusev and Jack Hughes scored shootout goals to push the Devils past the Senators, 4-3. New Jersey forward Kyle Palmieri forced overtime by scoring with 3:21 left in regulation after Vladimir Namestnikov  and Chris Tierney provided short-handed goals 35 seconds apart to put Ottawa ahead 3-2 midway through the third period.

J.T. Miller delivered a pair of second-period goals and the Canucks fought back from an early deficit to defeat the Blues, 3-1. Bo Horvat added an empty-netter as Vancouver earned its ninth straight home win and 12th in its last 15 games overall.

Jamie Benn's second goal of the game came 2:07 into overtime to complete the Stars' 3-2 verdict over the Lightning. Steven Stamkos had both goals for Tampa Bay, including the tying score with 1:26 left in regulation.

The Maple Leafs downed the Predators, 5-2 as William Nylander, Zach Hyman and Rasmus Sandin each provided a goal and an assist. Jason Spezza and Auston Matthews also scored and Frederik Andersen made 34 saves in Toronto's first victory in three games.

The Sharks stopped a three-game skid as Patrick Marleau and Stefan Noesen each scored twice in a 4-2 victory against the Ducks. Marleau moved past Hall of Famer Guy Lafleur and into a tie with Mike Modano for 25th place on the NHL's career list with 561 goals.

TENNIS

Unseeded American Tennys Sandgren gave Roger Federer a tough test until the 20-time Grand Slam champion advanced to the Australian Open semifinals. Sandgren took a two-sets-to-one lead before the third-seeded Federer rallied for a 6-3, 2-6, 2-6, 7-6, 6-3 victory. Federer fought off four match points in winning the tiebreaker, 10-8. Federer had an off-court medical timeout after falling behind 3-0 in the third set. He also withstood 27 aces by Sandgren. The final singles match of the day has second-seed Novak Djokovic versus Milos Raonic, with the winner taking on Federer in the semis.

On the women's side, top-ranked Ash Barty moved a step closer to ending a four-decade drought for Aussies at the first Grand Slam of the year by pulling out a 7-6, 6-2 victory against seventh seed Petra Kvitova. Barty saved set points in the 11th game and another in the tiebreaker before seizing the momentum against two-time Wimbledon champion. Barty is aiming to be the first Australian woman since Chris O'Neil in 1978 to win the tournament. She next faces American and 14th seed Sofia Kenin, who opened the Day 9 action at Rod Laver Arena with a 6-4, 6-4 win over Ons Jabeur. Kenin made the key break in the seventh game of the second set after saving three break points of her own in the previous game. Kenin is in a Grand Slam semifinal for the first time. Her longest previous run in a slam was a fourth-round appearance in last year's French Open.

MLB

The Cincinnati Reds and Arizona Diamondbacks acquired talented outfielders on Monday. A person familiar with the deal tells The Associated Press that free agent Nicholas Castellanos has agreed to a four-year, $64 million with the Reds. Castellanos comes to Cincinnati after hitting .289 with 27 homers and 73 RBIs for the Pirates and Diamondbacks last season. The 27-year-old Castellanos is the latest high-profile free agent to join the Reds, following infielder Mike Moustakas, pitcher Wade Miley and Japanese All-Star outfielder Shogo Akiyama. Starling Marte has been acquired by the Diamondbacks from the Pirates for two prospects. The two-time Gold Glove recipient and 2016 All-Star batted .295 and set career highs with 23 home runs and 81 RBIs for the Bucs in 2019. The Pirates receive Liover Peguero and Brennan Malone for Marte, who has two years left on his current contract.

NFL

Andrew Berry is returning to the Cleveland Browns' front office, this time as their general manager. A person familiar with the decision tells The Associated Press that the Browns will hire Berry, who spent last season as the Philadelphia Eagles vice president of football operations. Berry previously was in Cleveland's front office as the team's vice president of player personnel from 2016 to 2018.

Browns running back Kareem Hunt told an Ohio police officer he would have failed a drug test if one had been given during a traffic stop. A dashboard camera video released Monday shows Hunt being apologetic and emotional while talking to the officer. Police allegedly found marijuana in a backpack and an open container of vodka. Hunt's admission about the drug test could get him trouble with the NFL.

Minnesota Vikings coach Mike Zimmer has promoted his son to help fill a key vacancy on his staff. Adam Zimmer and Andre Patterson were appointed co-defensive coordinators, although Zimmer remains the linebackers coach and Petterson continues to serve as defensive line coach.

OHIO STATE

Complaints against Ohio State University's president and one of its former student health directors have been filed with the State Medical Board of Ohio in relation to alleged sexual abuse by now-deceased team doctor Richard Strauss. That's according to one of his lead accusers. Strauss died in 2005, years before alumni began stepping forward with allegations about him in 2018. Steve Snyder-Hill said by email that one of his complaints alleges that Ohio State President and trained ophthalmologist Michael Drake violated professional ethics. The complaint adds that the university under Drake's leadership broke public records laws by ignoring or responding too slowly to requests for documents related to the matter.

© The Associated Press 2020. All Rights Reserved.