Los Angeles  - Reigning league MVP Kobe Bryant wasn't at his best, but Pau Gasol was and the Los Angeles Lakers won the West.

Gasol scored a season-best 36 points, to go along with 11 rebounds and seven assists as the Lakers clipped the New Jersey Nets 103-95 on Friday night, to clinch the top playoff seed in the Western Conference.

"That's the way I like to describe myself as an efficient player," said Gasol, who made 14-of-19 shots. "I try to be effective, try to contribute in different ways because I think I can.

Melbourne, Australia  - The next round in the fight over aerodynamics among the Formula One teams is to take place after the Australian and Malaysian grand prix.

Motorsport's ruling body FIA said Saturday that it set a hearing before its appeal board for April 14 in Paris

London, Mar 28: Formula 1 ace Lewis Hamilton says that he will never let his Pussycat Doll girlfriend Nicole Scherzinger drive him around.

Hamilton, 24, admits that 30-year-old Scherzinger is “quite good” at map reading, but he still prefers to do the driving.

“I always drive whether we are in her car or mine. She knows I like to drive,” the Sun quoted him as saying.

Melbourne, Mar 28 : South Africa captain Johan Botha has said that Mark Boucher and Albie Morkel "get paid the big bucks" as they deserve it after leading the Proteas from a shaky 5-83 to victory over Australia in the first Twenty20 international.

Morkel was player of the series in the one-day internationals against Australia in January and on Friday night in Johannesburg scored 37 off 19 balls, including four fours and two sixes, adding 58 for the sixth wicket with Boucher.

London, Mar 28: Captain Chris Gayle’s blistering 80 led West Indies to a thumping eight-wicket victory over England, who had earlier only mustered up a meagre 117 in 41.3 overs in a rain-affected third one-dayer in Barbados.

It was the second worst day of England’s tour of West Indies. Only being rolled over for 51 in the first Test in Jamaica was more humiliating than succumbing to West Indies in the third one-day international.

Hong Kong  - A former Fijian rugby player was fined for assaulting a Hong Kong police officer in a brawl involving more than 50 people that was broken up by police with batons and pepper spray, a media report said Saturday.

The running fight in three streets in the city's Wan Chai district occurred Friday just before the start of this year's Hong Kong Rugby Sevens competition.

Paula Maisiri, 32, pleaded guilty and was fined 500 Hong Kong dollars (64 US dollars) for assaulting the unnamed officer, the South China Morning Post said.