Lakers win in Howard's return

LOS ANGELES (AFP) –

Dwight Howard (L) of the Los Angeles Lakers leaves the court on January 4, 2013. The Lakers celebrated Howard’s return from injury with a 113-93 NBA victory Sunday over Cleveland that ended the Lakers’ worst losing streak in six years.

The Los Angeles Lakers celebrated Dwight Howard’s return from injury with a 113-93 NBA victory over Cleveland that ended the Lakers’ worst losing streak in six years.

Howard, who was sidelined for three games with a right shoulder injury, scored 22 points and grabbed 14 rebounds as the Lakers ended a six-game slide.

The Lakers hadn’t lost six in a row since a seven-game losing streak in 2007.

Howard connected on nine of 11 shots from the field. Kobe Bryant led all scorers with 23 points and six assists, and played a key role in limiting Cleveland point guard Kyrie Irving, who scored 15 points with seven assists.

“That was a challenge I wanted to accept for sure,” Bryant said. “I tried to pressure Kyrie and force someone else to initiate the offense.”

Bryant said improved defense overall was key for a Lakers team that had surrendered more than 100 points in each of their past six games.

The Cavaliers, whose 9-29 record coming into the contest was the second-worst in the league, appeared to offer a good opportunity to end the skid, but they had shocked the Lakers in Cleveland in December.

“Defensively we we were very active, trying to take them out of their sets,” Bryant said. “I think our defensive intelligence tonight was pretty good.”

Lakers coach Mike D’Antoni said the return of Howard was part of the improvement on the defensive end, along with the solid play of Earl Clark, who was making his second start as Pau Gasol remained sidelined because of a concussion.

“It’s a baby step, but it’s a step,” D’Antoni said.