Lakers' Steve Nash Celebrates 40th Birthday With Win Over 76ers
PHILADELPHIA (AP) -- Steve Nash scored a season-high 19 points and the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Philadelphia 76ers 112-98 Friday night.
Wesley Johnson and Chris Kaman each scored 17 and six Lakers finished with double-digit points.
Tony Wroten scored 16 and Evan Turner and Spencer Hawes each had 15 for Philadelphia, which lost its fifth straight game, seventh in a row at home and 15th of 18 overall.
The Lakers won their second straight game after losing seven in a row.
A pair of once-proud franchises that last met in the NBA Finals in 2001, both teams are headed for the draft lottery this season. The Sixers own the league's third-worst record while the Lakers came in tied for seventh-worst.
Nash played more like a guy who was a two-time NBA MVP a decade ago instead of someone celebrating his 40th birthday. He had five assists, four rebounds and shot 8 for 15.
The Sixers led the entire first half, going up by as many as nine points a few times. Blake hit consecutive 3s for the Lakers to cut it to 64-61 at halftime.
The Lakers took their first lead, 68-67, in the third on Sacre's dunk. They were up 87-82 when Wroten sank a 62-footer at the buzzer. It was his second shot beyond half court in two games. He made a 58-footer to end the third in a loss to Boston on Wednesday.
Los Angeles pulled away early in the fourth. Kaman and Jordan Hill combined for all the points in a 10-0 run that put the Lakers up 101-90 and the Sixers never recovered.
After finishing Wednesday's win at Cleveland with four healthy players and a guy who fouled out, the Lakers had nine active players against the Sixers. Coach Mike D'Antoni used a little-known NBA rule to keep Robert Sacre on the court after he fouled out against the Cavaliers.
They didn't need any help in Philadelphia.
NOTES: The seven straight losses at home are Philadelphia's longest since 1996-97 season. ... Nash is the NBA's oldest player. He was MVP in 2004-05 and 2005-06 with Phoenix.
