Kyrie Irving is attempting to process the death of Kobe Bryant by reflecting on the lessons his friend taught him.

He put them to good use Friday, when he scored a season-high 54 points, making all 10 shots in the first half and 19-of-23 for the game, to lead the Brooklyn Nets to a 133-118 victory over the Chicago Bulls.

"It's an open wound," Irving said. "But I think just coming out here, knowing that this is a place where we connected on a deeper scale, it makes a lot of sense, what's happening."

His recollections of Bryant, who was killed in a helicopter crash along with his daughter Gianna and seven others Sunday, pushed Irving throughout the game.

"I hit a few shots in the first half. I had to keep it going and [use the] Kobe mentality, Mamba mentality," Irving said. "[I had to] keep going, keep going, so it felt good, felt good."

Irving's previous season high was 50 against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the season-opening 127-126 loss on Oct. 23. Irving is the first player in Nets franchise history to score 45 points in three games in a single season.

Irving shot 82.6% from the field, the sixth-best shooting percentage in a 50-point game in NBA history and the best since Michael Jordan shot 82.8% on Nov. 16, 1988, according to Elias Sports Bureau research. Only one other player has missed four shots or fewer in a 50-point game in NBA history: Wilt Chamberlain, who did so twice.

Spencer Dinwiddie had 20 points off the bench, and Taurean Prince chipped in with 16. Jarrett Allen and Garrett Temple contributed 12 and 11, respectively.

"A little bit was making shots," Dinwiddie said. "It's all about taking care of your bodies, being locked in, kind of mentally pushing through some of fatigue because everybody's going to have it, and just keeping that focus."

The Nets never trailed in their second straight win and third in their past four games, with Irving playing the lead role. He scored 16 points in the first quarter on 6-of-6 shooting, and by halftime, he was up to 27 points. Irving capped the half by scoring five points in the final 4.9 seconds, including a buzzer-beating 3 from the right side that gave the Nets a 73-57 lead.

Irving also had help, as Dinwiddie had 15 points, and Prince had 11 in the opening 24 minutes.

"My teammates were in the right spots," Irving said. "They were being aggressive. When they're being aggressive like that, it makes my job a lot easier."

One of Brooklyn's two prized free-agent signings, along with Kevin Durant, Irving didn't miss his first shot from the field until 1:24 into the third, a twisting fadeaway midrange jumper from the left side.

"Well, when you're that hot, you expect a guy to go down, [and] it usually happens [because] you're so hot, but it never happened," Nets coach Kenny Atkinson said. "Even that fast-break one at the end, where he kind of served it around and hit a tough shot, [a] pull-up in the lane. I think he was 8-for-8 at the rim. His finishing was superb. And when he shoots it like that from 3, [he's] tough to stop, tough guard."

Chicago, which trailed by as many as 21 points, fell to 19-32. Zach LaVine led the Bulls with 22. Luke Kornet finished with 19. Tomas Satoransky had 15, and Thaddeus Young had 14.

The Bulls cut Nets' lead to 105-99 on Coby White's 3-pointer 1:17 into the fourth, but that was as close as they got. From that point, Brooklyn outscored Chicago 28-19.

Irving made two free throws with 3:50 left to set a season high as chants of "MVP! MVP!" rained down from the sellout crowd of 17,732 at Barclays Center. On the next possession, he knocked down a midrange jumper.

"It felt incredible," Irving said. "You just want to carry that over into the next game."

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

NEW ORLEANS -- Zion Williamson and Ja Morant had been waiting for this moment.

Williamson, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2019 NBA draft by the New Orleans Pelicans, and Morant, the No. 2 overall pick by the Memphis Grizzlies, met at half court following Friday's contest. In that moment, the final score -- the Pelicans toppled the Grizzlies 139-111 -- didn't really matter. It was about two friends getting to exchange NBA jerseys for the very first time.

When the teams squared off less than two weeks ago on Martin Luther King Jr. Day in Memphis, Tennessee, Williamson wasn't yet ready to play, as he was still recovering from knee surgery. That was the final game he sat out before returning two days later.

Williamson and Morant, both South Carolina natives, played on the same AAU team the summer before Williamson's freshman year of high school and Morant's sophomore year. The two have remained friends. On Friday, they met on the court for the first time as pros and shared a moment following the game.

"You can't even imagine moments like that, man," Williamson said. "Like I said, we were two role players. I think one tournament -- AAU tournament -- me and him both averaged 30 or something when our main player wasn't there, but we never saw each other being the No. 1 and 2 pick, playing against each other and swapping jerseys.

"You can't imagine stuff like that, so it was a great moment. I'm real close with him. You just can't create stuff like that."

Morant called the moment "special" and said the two talked briefly about moving forward with their careers and goals. He also said he never looked at the game as being the No. 1 overall pick against the No. 2 overall pick.

"The media tries to [make] it me versus Zion," Morant said. "If I was talking in the media, I'd tell you it's Grizzlies versus Pelicans. It's me and my teammates looking to just keep pushing to the playoffs."

On the court, the Pelicans picked up a victory against Memphis for the second time this month. The Grizzlies went 11-4 in January as they try to solidify a hold on the eighth seed in the Western Conference playoff picture, but they lost two potentially crucial games to the Pelicans, who have gone 13-6 since Dec. 23.

New Orleans still sits four games behind the Grizzlies in the postseason chase, but the team is healthier than it has been all season.

"It was one of the most complete games we've played, really," said Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry, who picked up his 500th career win. "I thought we started the game great. We just went through a little period in there where we were a little loose with the ball, but for the most part, I thought we executed."

The 139 points marked a season high for the Pelicans and tied for the fifth most in franchise history. Williamson had 24 points to lead eight players in double figures, including first-time All-Star selection Brandon Ingram, who had 20 points. Pelicans guard Lonzo Ball, who had 19 points, 8 assists, 6 rebounds and 5 3-pointers, said the team is starting to look like what he thought it would be at the beginning of the season, before the injury bug hit.

"Obviously, we knew it was going to be a process, but I think we are finally figuring it out, building up the chemistry," Ball said. "Incorporating Zion back is good for us, and hopefully we just keep trending upward."

Ingram, who was announced as an All-Star reserve on Thursday in his first season with New Orleans, said he didn't have any expectations about what the team could be heading into the season.

"I just knew we had a lot of talented players in the locker room," Ingram said. "When I got here, I think the attitude and character went along with it, and [we] just continue to work each and every day when we get in practice, and it shows up in games."

Williamson has made strides since his debut Jan. 22. His 24 points were a season high, and Gentry said this was Williamson's "best" outing.

Part of that is Williamson getting used to playing with his teammates. The Pelicans' starting lineup of Williamson, Ball, Ingram, Jrue Holiday and Derrick Favors has played a total of 59 minutes since Williamson's debut. In five games with that lineup on the floor, the Pelicans have an offensive rating of 118.4 and a defensive rating of 90.2.

Since Jan. 20, 18 lineups around the league have played a total of 45 minutes. That lineup for the Pelicans ranks first in net efficiency, first in defensive efficiency and third in offensive efficiency.

Williamson sees more room to grow.

"I think I need a couple more games before we're fully comfortable," Williamson said. "'Cause remember, they have 45 games under their belt. I have five now. So I still think it's gonna take some time."

Williamson has made a habit of highlight plays throughout his high school, college and young professional career, and Friday was no exception. In the first half, Holiday tossed Williamson a lob that sailed behind the backboard. Williamson was still able to catch the ball with his left hand and lay it in with his right in one motion.

But that wasn't his favorite highlight of the night. That honor went to a dunk E'Twaun Moore threw down during the second quarter with Memphis' Josh Jackson on his hip. That got the bench cheering and Williamson thinking.

"He's definitely getting drug-tested," Williamson said with a laugh. "I hope he knows that."

LOS ANGELES -- Just over 25 minutes before a game unlike any other ever played at Staples Center tipped off, a celebration of Kobe Bryant began.

There were two moving and powerful video tributes, R&B artists Usher and Boyz II Men, and cellist Ben Hong performed, an emotional LeBron James addressed the crowd for the first time since Bryant's death Sunday, and the Los Angeles Lakers' entire starting five were introduced one by one as "Kobe Bryant" while wearing either Bryant's No. 8 or No. 24 Lakers jersey before playing the Portland Trail Blazers on Friday night.

After reading off all the names of those who died in Sunday's helicopter accident -- "Alyssa Altobelli. John Altobelli. Keri Altobelli. Payton Chester. Sarah Chester. Christina Mauser. Ara Zobayan. Gianna Bryant and Kobe Bryant." -- James pointed to notes he had on him before tossing them to the floor.

"I got something written down, they asked me to kind of stay on course or whatever the case may be," James said. "But Laker Nation, man, I would be selling y'all short if I read off this s--- so I'm going to go straight from the heart."

The entire Staples Center crowd erupted into a thunderous and what felt like therapeutic applause as James continued.

"Now I know at some point, we will have a memorial for Kobe," James said. "But I look at this as a celebration tonight. This is a celebration of the 20 years of the blood, the sweat, the tears, the broken-down body, the getting up, the sitting down, the everything. The countless hours, the determination to be as great as he could be. Tonight, we celebrate the kid that came here at 18 years of age, retired at 38 and became probably the best dad we've seen over the past three years, man.

"Tonight is a celebration."

The Lakers and their grief-stricken fans returned to Staples Center uncertain of how to feel Friday night, just five days after Bryant, his daughter and seven others died in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, California.

But it became clear that the organization, its employees, players and fans needed this moment to cry, as many did in the stands and on the floor, to smile again at Bryant's legendary moments and to remember the nine victims lost in a tragedy that has left Los Angeles heartbroken.

No one really knew what to expect coming to the arena, the place Bryant called home for nearly two decades.

Hours before the game -- which featured a nearly 30-minute pregame tribute and a halftime tribute as well -- staff members and Staples Center employees could be seen hugging and talking to one another. The entire franchise has been grieving since Sunday's tragedy stunned the world. Rob Pelinka, vice president of basketball operations and general manager, could be seen walking around and being greeted by people giving him their sympathy. Pelinka was Bryant's best friend, longtime agent and godfather to Gigi.

"The first thing that came to mind, man, is all about family," James told the crowd. "As I look around this arena, we're all grieving. We're all hurt. We're all heartbroken. But when we're going through things like this, the best thing you can do is lean on the shoulders of your family. And from Sunday morning all the way to this point -- and I've heard about Laker Nation before I got here last year, about how much of a family it is -- and that's absolutely what I've seen all week. Not only from the players, not only from the coaching staff, not only from the organization, but from everybody.

"Everybody that's here, this is really, truly, truly a family. And I know Kobe, Gianna, Vanessa and everybody thank you guys from the bottom of their hearts as Kobe said."

At halftime, rapper Wiz Khalifa, with Charlie Puth on piano, performed a stirring rendition of their hit, "See You Again."

Everywhere in the arena, there were reminders of Bryant. Inside the Lakers' locker room, a Bryant No. 24 jersey hung on a fire alarm next to James' locker, which was Bryant's former locker stall. James had several pairs of Bryant's signature Nike sneakers in front of his locker from which to choose. He wore an unreleased pair of Kobe 5 Protro "Big Stage/Parade" sneakers to the Lakers' morning shootaround.

Above the court up in the rafters, all of the Lakers' retired uniforms were covered by a black cloak except for Bryant's Nos. 8 and 24. On the court, there were decals affixed to the hardwood representing both of Bryant's numbers as well as the special KB patch.

Lakers coach Frank Vogel and staff members wore a pin with the special KB logo. Every seat in the building was blanketed with gold T-shirts with "Bryant No. 8" on the front and "Bryant No. 24" on the back -- the same shirts Lakers players wore while warming up before the game.

But there were two empty courtside seats that stood out from the rest. It was where Bryant and Gigi sat courtside across from the Lakers bench for a game on Dec. 29 against the Dallas Mavericks. There was a black Mamba Academy No. 2 uniform for Gigi and her father's gold No. 24 Lakers uniform draped on the seatbacks, with a bouquet of red roses on each seat.

"Everything we've done this week has been to seek therapeutic benefits, and basketball is our refuge," Vogel said. "We have a week like this, an event like this, nothing's going to feel better, I believe, for our guys than to get out there, compete, get their minds off it and do what they love to do the most."

Everything was different about this Lakers home game, the first since Sunday's tragedy after Tuesday's game between the Lakers and Clippers was postponed. Prior to James' emotional speech, the lights were dimmed inside the arena more than an hour before the game, which was unusual. The typically late-arriving L.A. crowd had the venue filled over an hour before the game began. And when the lights came back on, the Lakers players, donning Bryant No. 8 and No. 24 jerseys, jogged onto the floor for their layup line to loud cheers.

After the first warm-up, the lights turned off and then Usher, standing at a microphone in front of No. 8 and No. 24 signs made of gold flowers, sang "Amazing Grace" as a video played on the big screen of the outpouring of grief from the sports world for Bryant. The sea of fans stood and held their phones up to record the moment. After that, the lights turned off again and "Kobe" and "Gigi" chants echoed through the building.

When the lights came back on, Hong played "Hallelujah" at center court as another video played, featuring Bryant speaking in previous interviews over highlights from his life. The crowd watched the entire spectrum of Bryant's joy and pain, as scenes of him rehabbing and training, winning championships with Shaquille O'Neal, celebrating Olympic gold with James, winning his Academy Award, and showing his love for his wife, Vanessa, and his four daughters played on the big screen.

The Lakers and Blazers sat in their seats on the bench watching, and fans remained standing the entire time. After a 24.2-second moment of silence in honor of the uniform numbers of Bryant and his daughter, Boyz II Men, who hail from Bryant's hometown of Philadelphia, sang a stirring rendition of the national anthem. James and some of his teammates had their arms around one another, and fans could be heard sobbing in the stands. Then James took the mic, still emotional from the anthem and all that had transpired to that point.

"Kobe's a brother to me," James told the crowd, sniffling and fighting his emotions. "From the time I was in high school, watching him from afar to getting in this league at 18, watching him up close. All the battles we had throughout my career. The one thing that we always shared was that determination to just always want to win and just want to be great.

"The fact that I'm here now means so much to me. I want to continue along with my teammates, to continue his legacy, not only for this year, but for as long as we can play the game of basketball that we love because that's what Kobe Bryant would want.

"So in the words of Kobe Bryant, 'Mamba out.' But in the words of us, 'Not forgotten.' Live on, brother."

ESPN's Dave McMenamin contributed to this report.

INDIANAPOLIS – The Andretti family has released funeral service information for John Andretti, who died Thursday at the age of 56 after a long battle with colon cancer.

The family will receive friends on Monday, Feb. 3, from 4 to 7 p.m. followed by Eulogy and Prayer Service beginning at 7 p.m. at St. Mark Catholic Church in Huntersville, N.C.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be held on Thursday, Feb. 6, at 1 p.m., at Saint Peter and Paul Cathedral Catholic Church in downtown Indianapolis, Ind. The family will receive friends from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. prior to the Mass at the church.

Private burial will follow the service.

Andretti, a member of the famed Andretti racing family, drove and won at the highest levels of North American motorsports in Indy cars, stock cars and sports cars.

His tireless, selfless work on behalf of various charities, even after his cancer diagnosis became public in April 2017, earned him even more respect and loyalty from a legion of fans than his significant talent behind the wheel.

“We lost a husband, father and friend,” said John’s son Jarett Andretti. “My Dad was my mentor, my best friend and I will forever miss him. His memory will live on through his charitable work with Race4Riley and the movement he started with #CheckIt4Andretti. The outpouring of support we have received has been unbelievable. Dad touched so many people over his career and I am thankful for every message.”

In lieu of flowers, gifts can be made to:

Window World Cares
118 Shaver Street
North Wilkesboro, NC 28659
www.windowworldcares.com 

Riley’s Children’s Foundation
30 S. Meridian Street, Ste 200
Indianapolis, IN 46024
www.rileykids.org

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – Jon Rahm still has a chance to win in front of partisan crowds at the Waste Management Phoenix Open, but his close to the second round still left the Spaniard fuming.

Rahm was firing on all cylinders following a slow start at TPC Scottsdale, rolling in five straight birdies on Nos. 11-15 to move within three shots of the lead. But he bogeyed the par-3 16th after flying the green, failed to capitalize on the drivable 17th and dropped another shot after finding the bunker with his tee shot on the home hole.

It all added up to a 3-under 68 as Rahm heads into the weekend at 7 under, six shots behind leader J.B. Holmes.

“Obviously, it was just a horrible finish. I don’t know what to say. It’s just a bad way to finish,” Rahm said. “Could not be an easier finish, but to finish 2 over par on those three holes, yeah, that pisses me off.”

Rahm started his second round with seven straight pars before finally getting on the board with a birdie on No. 8, then followed with a tumultuous inward half that included only one par. He’s tied for 12th heading into the third round, amid a logjam that also includes Bubba Watson and Tony Finau.

Rahm came into the week off a runner-up finish at Torrey Pines, and he has received plenty of fan support having gone to school at nearby Arizona State. With an ascent to the top spot in the world rankings still a possibility with a win, Rahm was still struggling to rid himself of the taste of a sour finish.

“I’m very frustrated right now. I’m not going to lie,” he said. “There’s a lot of great things to look at out there, the five straight birdies was unbelievable, making really good putts. But I’ve got to tidy up the game.”

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – J.B. Holmes roared through the fan-packed closing stretch at TPC Scottsdale on his opening nine Friday, then grabbed the lead on the mellower side of golf's biggest party.

Six months after a final-round collapse and slow-play controversy at the British Open, Holmes took a one-stroke lead into the weekend at the Waste Management Phoenix Open. He shot a 6-under 65, a day after making a hole-in-one in an opening 64.

"There's going to be a lot of people. It's going to be really loud," Holmes said. "Just keep doing what I've been doing, hopefully, keep making putts and not change the strategy. It's worked pretty good so far."

In July at Royal Portrush, Holmes had a share of the second-round lead with winner Shane Lowry, then shot 69-87 to tie for 67th. The setback spoiled an otherwise successful season highlighted by an early victory at Riviera.

The 37-year-old from Kentucky got away from the game during the offseason, playing only two rounds in four months leading into the new year. He shook off the rust at Kapalua and got back in form last week at Torrey Pines with a tie for 16th.

Holmes played a five-hole stretch on his first nine in 5 under with birdies on the par-5 13th and 15th and par-3 16th, and an eagle on the short par-4 17th. He made a 16-footer from the back fringe on the stadium 16th, then drove to 6 1/2 to set up the eagle on the 319-yard 17th.

"I was just worried about it maybe going too far left," Holmes said. "But when I hit it, I thought I hit it about right and hopefully it would hit into that bank or bounce just up and it did."

He bogeyed the par-4 18th and took the lead from Wyndham Clark with birdies on the par-4 first and par-5 third. Holmes chipped in for birdie on the par-4 sixth and gave back the stroke on the par-4 ninth after hitting into a greenside bunker.

"Hit it really good in the middle of the round," Holmes said. "Didn't hit it quite as good toward the end, but putted really well and was able to make some birdies."

Holmes won at TPC Scottsdale in 2006 and 2008 for the first of his five PGA Tour titles.

"That was when I just came out, so I could move it a little bit better," Holmes said. "I still get it out there, but the golf course has changed more than anything. Like, 12 holes are different."

Clark was second, following a career-best 61 with a 69. He finished with birdies on 17 and 18.

"It was kind of a rough start. I was all over the place," Clark said. "I didn't feel great with my swing, but then I kind of hit two good shots on eight and nine that led to the back side."

Bill Horschel was third at 11 under after rounds of 63 and 68. He eagled No. 3 for the second straight day.

"I've just hit really good fairway woods in there," Horschel said. "Hit a perfect 5-wood in there yesterday and today was a perfect high, cut, soft 3-wood into that green and landed it in the only soft spot I guess there is on that green early in the morning when the greens are rock hard."

Byeong Hun An also was 11 under, holing a 20-foot birdie putt in fading light on 18 for a 66.

Scott Piercy was 10 under after a 65. He had a hole-in-one on the 194-yard seventh and eagled 13.

''Whenever you make a hole-in-one in Phoenix it's pretty awesome,'' Piercy said. ''But I just did it on the wrong side where everybody didn't see it.''

Jon Rahm was 7 under after a 68. After five straight birdies, he bogeyed two of the last three.

"Frustrated is a very light way of putting it right now," Rahm said. "I put a great swing on five birdies, playing great golf, and then just an absolutely terrible finish."

The former Arizona State star can jump from No. 3 to No. 1 in the world with a victory, provided top-ranked Brooks Koepka - tied for 39th in the Saudi International - finishes out of the top four.

Defending champion Rickie Fowler rebounded from an opening 74 with a 65 to get to 6 under. He eagled the par-5 13th and 15th.

"Just put myself in play and was able to just work my way around the golf course," Fowler said.

Fourth-ranked Justin Thomas was 6 under after his second straight 68.

Jordan Spieth missed the cut with rounds of 74 and 69.

"Historically, I've had a really hard time putting, reading these greens and it just continued this week," Spieth said. "Felt like I put good strokes on it and then I would look up and I missed them by like a foot off line. But overall I'm really happy with the progress I've made off the tee. That was the best I've driven the ball in a couple years."

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – Former U.S. Amateur champion Colt Knost is retiring from professional golf following a missed cut at the Waste Management Phoenix Open.

Knost, 34, is a Scottsdale resident and saved the final start of his major medical extension for his hometown event. Needing a victory to retain his PGA Tour status, he shot rounds of 70-72 that left him one shot outside the cut line. He’ll now be trading in his clubs for a microphone, having accepted a broadcasting opportunity with CBS Sports in addition to his ongoing radio show on SiriusXM.

“I just don’t want to go play that other tour (Korn Ferry Tour) anymore,” Knost told GolfChannel.com. “It’s been fun, but I’m kind of over it even though I still love playing.”

Knost compiled one of the best summers in amateur golf history in 2007, winning both the U.S. Amateur and U.S. Amateur Public Links in addition to helping the U.S. to a victory in the Walker Cup. His U.S. Amateur win earned him a spot in the 2008 Masters, which he forfeited to turn pro in the fall of 2007. While he made three subsequent appearances in majors, he never qualified for the Masters as a pro.

Knost enjoyed the best season of his career in 2016, highlighted by a T-3 finish at The Players when he tied the course record with a second-round 63. But he sustained a wrist injury shortly thereafter and never regained his form, missing 13 of 18 cuts since 2018.

An emotional Knost admitted that retirement first crossed his mind when he was rehabbing from the wrist injury, sharing that in hindsight he likely returned to action too early.

“I was playing so good and then I got hurt. It was just frustrating,” Knost said. “It just sucks to end this way.”

Knost won twice on the Korn Ferry Tour in 2008 and earned more than $4.3 million in 199 starts on the PGA Tour. While he had hoped his 199th start would last two days longer, he’s ready to close the book on a 13-year pro career.

“The game has just changed so much. Guys hit it so far, and I don’t,” Knost said. “But you know, I’m excited for what I have ahead. It’s going to be fun. But, of course, I’m going to miss playing.”