pitches in his second start against Chicago and first as a visitor at W

PHILADELPHIA -- The Los Angeles Lakers took advantage of a timely game against the lowly Philadelphia 76ers.Julius Randle scored nine of his 25 points in a dominating first quarter and the Lakers snapped an eight-game losing streak with a 100-89 victory Friday night.Lou Williams added 18 points and DAngelo Russell and Nick Young had 15 points apiece. They were playing the third game of a seven-game, 12-day trip -- their longest of the season.It feels great, Young said. Its tough coming in after every loss, putting our heads down.Joel Embiid scored 15 points for the 76ers. They have dropped eight straight at home to fall to an NBA-worst 6-20.We got jumped from the start, Philadelphia coach Brett Brown said.Sevyn Streeter performed the national anthem wearing a We Matter jersey. The R&B artist had been scheduled to sing before the 76ers home opener in October, but was scratched by the team two minutes before the performance because she was wearing a We Matter T-shirt.Streeter came to center court on Friday in a black jersey with the words We Matter above the No. 7. She received applause upon her introduction and cheers when she completed the song.Los Angeles rebounded after a 107-97 loss at Brooklyn on Wednesday night when they shot 38.5 percent from the field, 22.2 percent from 3-point range and 61.8 percent from the free-throw line. Coach Luke Walton publicly challenged his team after the loss.Theyre competitors, Walton said. Theyre sick of losing.The Lakers scored the first 13 points against the 76ers, finished the first quarter up 30-18 and led from start to finish on the way to the rout. They blew the game open in the third quarter by tallying 15 of the first 21 points, taking their biggest lead on Youngs drive that made it 68-46 with 5:41 left in the period. The 76ers missed 10 of 12 shots to start the period.Philadelphia cut the third-quarter deficit to 10 points, 74-64, entering the fourth, and the 76ers got as close as seven, 80-73, on Dario Sarics 3-pointer with 9:07 remaining. But the Lakers responded with a 10-2 run to go up 90-75 with 6:19 left.The Lakers won for the first time since Nov. 30.GETTING DEFENSIVELos Angeles held Philadelphia to 36.4 percent from the field, including 19.4 percent from the arc. Walton said the Lakers defense was a key to the victory.I thought we came out and set our tone defensively early on and had one of our better defensive games, Walton said. Better communication and better effort from everybody. We had guys really committed to playing defense tonight.THREES A CROWD?Philadelphia had all three of its coveted big men -- Embiid, Jahlil Okafor and Nerlens Noel -- available together at the same time for the first time.Embiid, the third pick of the 2014 draft, missed the first two seasons with a foot injury. Noel was picked sixth in 2013 by New Orleans and traded to the 76ers. He returned Monday after recovering from offseason knee surgery only to sprain his ankle and miss Wednesdays game.Noel had two points in 8 minutes and aired his frustration afterward.I think Im too good to be playing eight minutes, he said. Thats crazy. Need to figure this (stuff) out.Okafor, picked third in the 2015 draft, started alongside Embiid for the second time. He had 14 points.The duo also started in Wednesdays 123-114 loss to the Raptors and Embiid had his worst game as a pro, tallying a season-low nine points.Embiid and Okafor didnt look very comfortable together on the floor again. Both natural centers, Embiid moved to the power forward spot to accommodate Okafor.Never from the start to the finish did you feel like you were in any type of rhythm or flow, Brown said. It doesnt surprise me. It saddens me but it doesnt surprise me.TIP-INSLakers: Tarik Black (ankle) missed his sixth straight game, and Jose Calderon (right hamstring) sat out for the seventh consecutive contest. ... Russell was high school teammates with Embiid and 76ers No. 1 pick Ben Simmons at Montverde Academy in Florida. Simmons has been out all season with a foot injury.76ers: Philadelphia shot 6-for-31 from 3-point range. ... The 76ers honored Allen Iverson for his recent induction into the Hall of Fame. Iverson rang the replica Liberty Bell in the pregame and spoke at halftime. He questioned the fortitude of present-day players. Not taking anything away from the new era, but I could never, ever, ever sit out of a game if something wasnt broke, he saidUP NEXTLakers: At Cleveland on Saturday night for one of their 16 back-to-back games of the season.76ers: Host Brooklyn on Sunday night. Joe Montana Super Bowl Jersey . There are some early surprises in the race for the Hart Trophy, but two of the contenders are the leagues biggest stars over the past decade. There are many more players in contention for the awards than just the three that Ive named, and a good or bad week can easily alter the landscape, but through the first 20 or so games of the NHL season, this is how the awards races look to me. Marquise Goodwin Super Bowl Jersey . 10 Texas Rangers jersey for one last time. Young formally announced his retirement Friday after returning to Rangers Ballpark, his baseball home for all but the last of his 13 major league seasons. http://www.authenticsf49erspro.com/Mike-mcglinchey-49ers-jersey/ . Robredo, ranked No. 16, bounced back from an upset loss to Leonardo Mayer in the second round of the Royal Guard Open in Chile last week to down Carreno Busta in 1 hour, 25 minutes. On a day filled mostly with qualifying matches, fifth-seeded Marcel Granollers of Spain also entered the second with a 7-5, 3-6, 6-2 win over Aljaz Bedene of Slovenia, while Guido Pella of Argentina defeated Guillermo Garcia-Lopez of Spain 7-6 (6), 6-4 to advance. George Kittle Super Bowl Jersey . The 29-year-old Baines has established himself as one of the top attacking full backs in the country and was the subject of two bids from United during the last off-season. Everton manager Roberto Martinez says that keeping Baines at the club is a "massive boost and exciting for the future" because he brings "maturity and football knowledge in a very specialized position on the pitch" and an "infectious and positive influence to the rest of the squad. C. J. Beathard Super Bowl Jersey . The Canadian squad, skipped by Jennifer Jones of Winnipeg, got on the board first with two in the second end, and followed that with two more apiece in the fourth and sixth ends. CHICAGO -- There it was, another big at-bat staring at Addison Russell. And once again, the young star delivered.Russell hit a two-run single with the bases loaded in the seventh inning, and three relievers combined for five perfect innings to lead the Chicago Cubs to a 5-4 victory over the San Francisco Giants on Thursday night.Hes growing up, manager Joe Maddon said. As a major league baseball player, his confidence could not be higher.The Cubs spoiled a shaky Jeff Samardzijas return to Wrigley Field and started September on a winning note after going 22-6 to match the 1932 team for the best August in franchise history.The major league leaders also moved a season-high 39 games over .500 and a jaw-dropping 15 1/2 games ahead of St. Louis in the NL Central -- their largest lead in the standings since the 1907 team finished 17 games ahead of Pittsburgh, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.Russells bloop single off Cory Gearrin gave the Cubs a 5-4 lead. Dexter Fowler had two singles and scored two runs.Kris Bryant added an RBI single to extend his hitting streak to 14 games, matching a career high. And the Cubs rallied behind a dominant bullpen and another big hit by Russell.I kind of embrace those situations, he said. In that situation, I didnt try to do too much. I just wanted to see a pitch, really, and just try to go about my approach the same way.The 22-year-old Russells 88 RBI are tops among National League shortstops. He is 8 for 18 and has driven in 23 runs with the bases loaded. On top of that, he is playing a Gold Glove-level defense.His go-ahead hit wiped out a 4-3 deficit and capped a rally that began when Hunter Strickland (3-2) gave up a leadoff single to Fowler and walked Bryant after two close pitches were called balls.Will Smith walked Ben Zobrist with one out to load the bases before retiring Jason Heyward on a pop fly. But Russell then drove in Fowler and Bryant with a bloop single to left.It obviously felt like I had a good game plan, Gearrin said. Made two good pitches and broke his bat and he just found a hole. Its just frustrating because you want to get the result no matter what. At the same time as a pitcher, you can only do so much.That made a winner of Joe Smith (2-4), who worked two innings after returning from a strained left hamstring.ddddddddddddCarl Edwards Jr. worked the ninth for his first career save with Aroldis Chapman getting the night off after pitching in the previous three games. And the Cubs came away with the win on a cool and windy night in which both starting pitchers lasted just four innings.SHAKY STARTSSamardzija gave up three runs and five hits, walked three and threw 87 pitches in his second start against Chicago and first as a visitor at Wrigley Field. The right-hander played for the Cubs from 2008 until he was traded to Oakland during the 2014 season in the deal for Russell.Chicagos Mike Montgomery gave up four runs -- three earned -- and three hits, including a long two-run homer to Hunter Pence in the first.TRANSACTIONSThe Giants reinstated LHP Josh Osich and OF Mac Williamson from the DL and recalled LHP Ty Blach, LHP Matt Reynolds, LHP Steven Okert and INF Kelby Tomlinson from Triple-A.TRAINERS ROOMGiants: RHP Matt Cain (lower back strain) is expected to come off the DL and head to the bullpen rather than the rotation. Manager Bruce Bochy said the three-time All-Star, who has struggled with injuries in recent seasons, was all for the assignment. RHP Albert Suarez will start Friday.Cubs: RHP John Lackey (strained right shoulder) will likely return to the rotation this weekend. Thursdays throwing session went well, and assuming no setbacks, the veteran will start Sunday. ... RHP Hector Rondon (strained right triceps) will begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Iowa on Saturday and likely make another appearance for the minor league club before returning. ... Pedro Strop (torn meniscus in left knee) tweaked his right groin in a workout on Wednesday. The Cubs expect him to miss about six weeks after initially projecting him to be out four to six following his injury on Aug. 10.UP NEXTThe Cubs send LHP Jon Lester (14-4, 2.70 ERA), unbeaten in his past six starts, to the mound while Suarez (3-2, 4.35) makes his eighth start for San Francisco. ' ' '