Los Angeles Lakers' Kobe Bryant, right, has a field-goal percentage that is cratering at 37.2 per cent while he takes 22 shots per game, almost twice as many as any teammate. Andy Lyons/Getty Images
Los Angeles Lakers' Kobe Bryant, right, has a field-goal percentage that is cratering at 37.2 per cent while he takes 22 shots per game, almost twice as many as any teammate. Andy Lyons/Getty Images
Los Angeles Lakers' Kobe Bryant, right, has a field-goal percentage that is cratering at 37.2 per cent while he takes 22 shots per game, almost twice as many as any teammate. Andy Lyons/Getty Images
Los Angeles Lakers' Kobe Bryant, right, has a field-goal percentage that is cratering at 37.2 per cent while he takes 22 shots per game, almost twice as many as any teammate. Andy Lyons/Getty Images

LA Lakers could miss out on NBA play-offs with an ageing Kobe Bryant on the court


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Some are beginning to embrace the heresy that the Los Angeles Lakers are better off without Kobe Bryant.

Advanced statistical analysis had been suggesting just that, as the 2014/15 season unfolds, but the 36-year-old shooting guard, who this season passed Michael Jordan as the NBA’s No 3 all-time scorer, gave critics more ammunition when he sat out their home game with Golden State last Tuesday.

The Lakers won by 10 and the “better without Kobe” conversations grew heated. The stat wonks noted the Lakers’ average point differential was 21.4 points higher with Bryant off the court and they were also 24.4 points per 100 possessions worse with Bryant on the floor.

It seems clear the Lakers are in no hurry to replace their sole surviving star, even if his field-goal percentage is cratering at 37.2 per cent while he takes 22 shots per game, almost twice as many as any teammate.

Byron Scott, Lakers coach, left no doubt where he stands on the issue. Those advocating Kobe sit “are idiots”, Scott said. “He’s one of the best to ever play the game. You take him off the team, you’re going to have nights where you struggle, period.”

Bryant has pain in his knees, feet, back and Achilles tendon. Perversely, he will be back in the line-up as soon as possible mostly because the Lakers are awful.

A team contending for the play-offs would not build its offence around an ageing star who misses nearly 63 per cent of his shots.

poberjuerge@thenational.ae

Follow us on Twitter @SprtNationalUAE

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Community volunteers have swung into action delivering food packages and toiletries to the men.

When provisions are distributed, the men line up in long queues for packets of rice, flour, sugar, salt, pulses, milk, biscuits, shaving kits, soap and telecom cards.

Volunteers from St Mary’s Catholic Church said some workers came to the church to pray for their families and ask for assistance.

Boxes packed with essential food items were distributed to workers in the Dubai Investments Park and Ras Al Khaimah camps last week. Workers at the Sonapur camp asked for Dh1,600 towards their gas bill.

“Especially in this year of tolerance we consider ourselves privileged to be able to lend a helping hand to our needy brothers in the Actco camp," Father Lennie Connully, parish priest of St Mary’s.

Workers spoke of their helplessness, seeing children’s marriages cancelled because of lack of money going home. Others told of their misery of being unable to return home when a parent died.

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Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence

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Men:

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2. Alphonce Simbu(TAN) 2:07:50 

3. Reuben Kipyego(KEN) 2:08:25 

4. Abel Kirui(KEN) 2:08:46 

5. Felix Kemutai(KEN) 2:10:48  

Women:

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2. Eunice Chumba(BHR) 2:26:01 

3. Immaculate Chemutai(UGA) 2:28:30 

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Name: HyperSpace
 
Started: 2020
 
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
 
Based: Dubai, UAE
 
Sector: Entertainment 
 
Number of staff: 210 
 
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
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Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
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Friday (UAE kick-off times)

Borussia Dortmund v Paderborn (11.30pm)

Saturday 

Bayer Leverkusen v SC Freiburg (6.30pm)

Werder Bremen v Schalke (6.30pm)

Union Berlin v Borussia Monchengladbach (6.30pm)

Eintracht Frankfurt v Wolfsburg (6.30pm)

Fortuna Dusseldof v  Bayern Munich (6.30pm)

RB Leipzig v Cologne (9.30pm)

Sunday

Augsburg v Hertha Berlin (6.30pm)

Hoffenheim v Mainz (9pm)

 

 

 

 

 

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Bitcoin is the most popular virtual currency in the world. It was created in 2009 as a new way of paying for things that would not be subject to central banks that are capable of devaluing currency. A Bitcoin itself is essentially a line of computer code. It's signed digitally when it goes from one owner to another. There are sustainability concerns around the cryptocurrency, which stem from the process of "mining" that is central to its existence.

The "miners" use computers to make complex calculations that verify transactions in Bitcoin. This uses a tremendous amount of energy via computers and server farms all over the world, which has given rise to concerns about the amount of fossil fuel-dependent electricity used to power the computers. 

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(Ahmed 02’, El Shahat 17’, Al Ahbabi 60’)