NBA: LA Lakers 121, Memphis 89
LOS ANGELES, Nov. 24 (UPI) -- Kobe Bryant had 28 points and Karl Malone 20 points and 10 rebounds Sunday as the LA Lakers rolled to a 121-89 win over the Memphis Grizzlies.
The Lakers have won 22 straight regular season home games dating to Feb. 16 -- eclipsing their longest home streak since moving to Los Angeles. They played without star center Shaquille O'Neal, who sat out with a calf injury.
Malone made 6-of-7 shots, Bryon Russell scored 14 points on 5-of-6 shooting, and Stanislav Medvedenko made 7-of-8 en route to 14 points and 11 rebounds.
The Grizzlies had a 48-46 lead before the Lakers closed the first half with a 14-2 run. Bryant and Russell scored all the points during the spurt.
Gary Payton, who had 17 points and 10 assists, scored 13 points on 6-of-7 shooting in the third quarter.
Shane Battier scored 18 points to lead the Grizzlies.
Ravens, Rams, Patriots win overtime games
KANSAS CITY, Mo., Nov 24 (UPI) -- Three overtime games were decided by field goals and five others were decided by four points or less Sunday.
Three first-place teams -- the Baltimore Ravens (6-5), St. Louis Rams (8-3) and New England Patriots (9-2) -- survived in overtime. The Ravens did it in dramatic come-from-behind fashion, rallying from a 17-point fourth-quarter deficit and defeating the Seattle Seahawks, 44-41.
The Ravens remain tied for first place in the AFC North with the surprising Cincinnati Bengals (6-5), who extended their winning streak to three games with a 34-27 victory over the San Diego Chargers (2-9).
The Seahawks (7-4) slipped into second place in the NFC West, one game behind the Rams (8-3).
The Patriots won their seventh straight, escaping with a 23-20 victory over the Houston Texans (4-7). Tom Brady threw for 368 yards before Adam Vinatieri kicked a 28-yard field goal with 41 seconds left in overtime.
New England leads the Miami Dolphins (7-4) by two games in the AFC East. Jay Fiedler came off the bench late in the third quarter and directed two touchdown drives as the Dolphins rallied for a 24-23 win over the Washington Redskins (4-7) in the Sunday night game.
The Kansas City Chiefs (10-1) and Indianapolis Colts (9-2) didn't need overtime, but also earned three-point wins.
Report: Solich to be forced out at Nebraska
LINCOLN, Neb., Nov. 24 (UPI) -- Lopsided losses to Texas, Missouri and Kansas State may cost Nebraska football coach Frank Solich his job.
The Nebraska Lincoln Journal Star, citing three sources close to the program, reported Sunday that athletic director Steve Pederson wants Solich to step down at the end of the regular season.
According to the newspaper, Pederson will ask Solich, in his sixth year at Nebraska, to announce his retirement following Friday's regular-season finale at Colorado, then will offer him a job in the athletic department and a lucrative buyout package.
Solich, 59, is 57-22 since taking over for Tom Osborne following the 1997 season but the Cornhuskers have struggled at times during his tenure.
Nebraska won the Big 12 Conference title in 1999 and played for the national championship in 2001, but the Cornhuskers finished just 7-7 last year, their first non-winning season since 1961.
Oklahoma, USC, LSU remain 1-2-3 in poll
MCLEAN, Va., Nov. 24 (UPI) -- The top three teams remained unchanged in the latest USA Today/ESPN football coaches' poll.
In Sunday's poll, Oklahoma, Southern California and Louisiana State maintained their spots. The Sooners (12-0) collected all 63 first-place votes and 1,575 points following their 56-25 drubbing of Texas Tech.
After their 47-22 pounding of city rival UCLA, the Trojans (10-1) received 1,510 points, meaning two voters placed them third or one put them fourth. USC hopes it won't matter once the final Bowl Championship Series standings are released.
If USC slips in its season finale against Oregon State, LSU (10-1) could earn a place in the Sugar Bowl -- the national title game.
The Trojans' national championship hopes improved when Michigan defeated Ohio State in Ann Arbor. With the victory, the Wolverines (10-2) inched a spot to fourth in the coaches' poll.
The defending national champion Buckeyes (10-2) fell to seventh.
