Cleveland Cavaliers end winless run

The Cleveland Cavaliers have ended a run of six games without a win in the NBA by securing a 109-102 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers at the Staples Center.

The teams were well matched early on, but Kobe Bryant made a string of shots shortly before the break to give the home side the advantage at the interval.

LeBron James, who recently returned from a spell out with a knee injury, powered the Cavaliers ahead in the second half on his way to a 36-point game.

Bryant made a three-pointer inside the final two minutes, cutting the Cavaliers' lead to just four points, but James quickly opened up a lead again before Bryant missed a late jump shot.

The result leaves Cleveland with a 20-20 record from their first 40 games of the season, while the Lakers slip to 12-28.