LOS ANGELES // Kobe Bryant scored a team-high 30 points to help the Los Angeles Lakers rebound from a disappointing loss with a 132-119 win away to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday night.
Andrew Bynum powered the Lakers inside with 27 points and 15 rebounds and Pau Gasol had 21 as the Lakers lit up the scoreboard just three days after their 117-110 home loss to the Charlotte Bobcats.
"We missed a few assignments and allowed some threes that helped them win that game," Bryant commented on the defeat to Charlotte.
"I felt like defensively (tonight), when we needed to, we made the right plays."
The victory improved the Western Conference-leading Lakers to 36-9 and was the first contest of their six-game road trip.
Despite Minnesota's record of 16-29, the team has won 10 of 14 games in the month of January under coach Kevin McHale, who took over the squad after Randy Wittman was fired in December.
The Minnesota forward Al Jefferson led the way for the home side, scoring a game-high 34 points and grabbed 13 boards in the loss.
Randy Foye added 27 points and five assists for the Timberwolves.
Los Angeles took control of the game by outscoring Minnesota 36-25 in the third quarter, which ended with a three-pointer from Trevor Ariza, who returned to action after leaving Tuesday's game with concussion.
Bryant tallied 12 points in the period to spark the run and added eight rebounds and five assists.
Bynum paced the Lakers early with 17 points in the first half. The seven-footer has been especially effective as of late, averaging 34.6 points in his last five contests.
"He's been unbelievable lately," the Los Angeles forward Luke Walton said of Bynum.
"I shouldn't say unbelievable because I've seen him do it in the past but now he's doing it every night. To see him doing these things offensively and defensively is really exciting for our team."
*Reuters
'Morbius'
Director: Daniel Espinosa
Stars: Jared Leto, Matt Smith, Adria Arjona
Rating: 2/5
Guide to intelligent investing
Investing success often hinges on discipline and perspective. As markets fluctuate, remember these guiding principles:
- Stay invested: Time in the market, not timing the market, is critical to long-term gains.
- Rational thinking: Breathe and avoid emotional decision-making; let logic and planning guide your actions.
- Strategic patience: Understand why you’re investing and allow time for your strategies to unfold.
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'Outclassed in Kuwait'
Taleb Alrefai,
HBKU Press
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At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30
Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances
In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe
Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010
Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm
Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year
Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”
Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners
TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
Stamp duty timeline
December 2014: Former UK finance minister George Osbourne reforms stamp duty, replacing the slab system with a blended rate scheme, with the top rate increasing to 12 per cent from 10 per cent:
Up to £125,000 - 0%; £125,000 to £250,000 – 2%; £250,000 to £925,000 – 5%; £925,000 to £1.5m: 10%; Over £1.5m – 12%
April 2016: New 3% surcharge applied to any buy-to-let properties or additional homes purchased.
July 2020: Rishi Sunak unveils SDLT holiday, with no tax to pay on the first £500,000, with buyers saving up to £15,000.
March 2021: Mr Sunak decides the fate of SDLT holiday at his March 3 budget, with expectations he will extend the perk unti June.
April 2021: 2% SDLT surcharge added to property transactions made by overseas buyers.
In The Heights
Directed by: Jon M. Chu
Stars: Anthony Ramos, Lin-Manual Miranda
Rating: ****
A MINECRAFT MOVIE
Director: Jared Hess
Starring: Jack Black, Jennifer Coolidge, Jason Momoa
Rating: 3/5
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Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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Duterte Harry: Fire and Fury in the Philippines
Jonathan Miller, Scribe Publications
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
