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Sixers avoid NBA’s worst start ever, spoil Kobe’s Philadelphia return

Futility came to a temporary halt for the Philadelphia 76ers on Tuesday night, courtesy of the Los Angeles Lakers.

Futility came to a temporary halt for the Philadelphia 76ers on Tuesday night, courtesy of the Los Angeles Lakers.

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What began as an emotional Kobe Bryant hometown bon voyage ended in Philadelphia’s first victory of the season. The Sixers won, 103–91, mercifully snapping the NBA-record skid at 28 and preventing another awful piece of history: the never-before-seen 0–19 start.

Philadelphia trailed by eight at halftime before a strong third-quarter performance resulted in a lead it would never relinquish.  The Sixers were paced by Robert Covington, whose 23 points were a game-high. Jahlil Okafor chipped in 12 points and five rebounds, and Jerami Grant added 14 and seven.

WATCH: Philadelphia honors Bryant with ovation, pregame ceremony

As for Bryant, the evanescent icon began the game hot, nailing three of his first four shots, all from three-point range, but struggled down the stretch. He finished 7-of-26 for 20 points. The crowd chanted his name after the game as he dapped up each Sixers player and delivered a final wave to the Philadelphia crowd, but the good vibes were all the Lakers had to hold on to: Los Angeles drops to 2–15 with the loss, a similarly futile mark.

• DEITSCH: Inside the Sixers beat | Sixers on the wrong side of history

The Sixers, at 1–18, share the record for worst start to a season (18 straight losses) with the 2009–10 New Jersey Nets, who finished 12–70. They can win back-to-back games for the first time since March on Wednesday against the Knicks in New York. The win Tuesday marked the first victory since March 25, 2015.