Breaking: FIRS staff holds wife, kids hostage at gunpoint in Lagos

A man identified as Felix Akeze, a staff of the Federal Inland Revenue Service, is reportedly holding his wife and children hostage with gun at their residence in Chevron Drive, Lekki, Lagos State.

Reports said the wife who is from Aku in Igbo Etiti LGA, Enugu State, alerted one of her brothers through the phone early Monday morning.

She told him that the husband said she must pay all the money he spent on her and their children else he will kill all of them.

It was gathered that security men at the estate who have arrived the house at 5b, Toyosi Adetoro Street, together with some policemen from Ajah Division are making frantic efforts to gain access into the compound and rescue the victims.…

Matthew Stafford leads Rams in late drive to overcome Bengals, 23-20

The Los Angeles Rams defeated the Cincinnati Bengals, 23-20, in Super Bowl LVI on their home turf at SoFi Stadium, proving that their “Super Bowl or bust” attitude can be successful. Since acquiring Matthew Stafford in the offseason, the Rams have prioritized winning now over future draft picks and acquisitions. Today, the risk paid off as the Rams won their first Super Bowl since 1999 and their second in franchise history.

The Rams were trailing, 20-13, in the third quarter. But the defense stepped up, recording a record-tying seven sacks in the second half alone to stifle Joe Burrow and the Bengals offense. Stafford got the ball back with just over six minutes left to play in the game and led the Rams all the way down the field in a 15-play drive before connecting with Cooper Kupp for a 1-yard touchdown. The Bengals got the ball back with 1:25 left in the game, but the Rams defense managed one more stop to secure the victory.

This was the Bengals’ first Super Bowl appearance since the 1988 season. They are now 0-3 in Super Bowl appearances.

The Rams are the second team in as many seasons to win a Lombardi Trophy on their home turf. For Stafford, a 13-year veteran, the Super Bowl victory comes in his first season with the Rams and is the first of his career. Sean McVay becomes the youngest coach in history to win a Super Bowl.

Rams vs. Bengals final score, results, highlights

Final score: Los Angeles Rams 23, Cincinnati Bengals 20

4th quarter, 1:25 (LAR): Cooper Kupp Pass From Matthew Stafford for 1 Yard, M.Gay extra point is GOOD, Center-M.Orzech, Holder-J.Hekker.

3rd quarter, 6:02 (LAR): Matt Gay Made 41 Yrd Field Goal

3rd quarter, 10:15 (CIN): Evan McPherson Made 38 Yrd Field Goal

3rd quarter, 14:48 (CIN): Tee Higgins Pass From Joe Burrow for 75 Yrds, E.McPherson extra point is GOOD, Center-C.Harris, Holder-K.Huber.

2nd quarter, 5:47 (CIN): Tee Higgins Pass From Joe Mixon for 6 Yrds, E.McPherson extra point is GOOD, Center-C.Harris, …

Fireboy DML receives plaque from Audiomack for hitting over 350 million streams

Nigerian superstar, singer and songwriter, Adedamola Adefolahan, known professionally as Fireboy DML has been awarded by music streaming platform, Audiomack after surpassing over 350 million streams on the platform. In 2019, the Afro-pop sensation and “Peru” crooner released his debut album Laughter, Tears and Goosebumps which ramped up 153 million streams and his sophomore album “Apollo” which had instant hits like ‘Champion’ and ‘Tattoo’ also gathered 154 million plays on Audiomack. The rest of the streams were generated from singles which pivoted Fireboly’s ingress to receiving this award.

The plaque was recently presented to Fireboy DML by Jason Johnson, Vice President of Marketing and Brand Strategy for Audiomack at the Audiomack head office in New York City.

“In less than 4 years, Fireboy has made a mark in both the local and global music industry and we are very excited to commemorate the incredible feat of over 350million streams on Audiomack. At Audiomack, we believe in acknowledging and awarding talents for the milestone they have achieved in streaming and our goal is to highlight the hard work artistes are putting into their careers digitally and the contributions of supporting stakeholders including management teams, fans, and industry players like Audiomack.”, said Jason Johnson.

Kim Kardashian reveals what really led to her divorce from Kanye West

American reality TV star Kim Kardashian has for the first broken her silence on the reason behind her divorce from Kanye West.

In a recent interview with Vogue Magazine, the mother of four said prioritizing her life made her make some decisions including her split from West.

“For so long, I did what made other people happy. And I think in the last two years I decided, I’m going to make myself happy. And that feels really good,” she said.

“And even if that created changes and caused my divorce, I think it’s important to be honest with yourself about what really makes you happy. I’ve chosen myself. I think it’s okay to choose you.”

For Kim, she is going to spend her 40s “being Team Me” and being her best self.

“I’m going to eat well. I’m going to work out. I’m going to have more fun, spend more time with my kids and the people who make me happy,” she revealed.

Kim and Kanye’s official divorce news first broke in February 2021.

This came weeks after speculations about their marriage collapse.

It would be recalled that West called out his wife on Twitter back in July 2020, for meeting with rapper Meek Mill at the Waldorf hotel.

He later deleted the tweets.

Their separation has been marred by drama on social media. From Kanye calling out Kim for kidnapping one of their daughters and exposing the other to social media to Kim claiming to be solely responsible for the care of their children, it’s been tough keeping up with the West.

American rapper Eve welcomes 1st child at 43

American rapper Eve Jihan Cooper has welcomed her first child with hubby Maximillion Cooper.

The music star took to her Instagram page on Thursday, February 10, 2022, where she shared a photo of her newborn son.

“Our Beautiful boy was born Feb 1st, 2022 💙 Wilde Wolf Fife Alexander Somers Cooper 💙 Words can’t describe this feeling ✨✨✨,” she captioned the photo.

The ‘Ruff Ryder’ rapper first announced that she was expecting a baby last year.

Eve and Maximillion started dating in 2010.

By 2013, the couple got engaged and tied the knot the following year.

Cooper has four children from his former marriage with Julie Brangstrup.

Wendy Williams needs a guardianship, ‘concerned’ bank claims

There are serious concerns by TV host Wendy Williams’ bank that she is incapacitated and needs a guardian.

According to American bank Wells Fargo in a letter sent to New York Supreme Court Judge Arlene Bluth, it requested for a hearing to determine whether Williams, who has not hosted her daytime talk show since July 2021 due to ongoing health issues, needs a professional to intervene in her affairs.

“We are concerned about [Williams’] situation. It is our hope that the Guardianship Part [of the court] will imminently appoint a temporary guardian or evaluator to review the situation and ensure that [Williams’] affairs are being properly handled,” the request read. This is coming weeks after the TV host’s lawyer had claimed that the bank refused her from accessing her accounts.

The bank has however denied preventing Williams access to her accounts.

“We deny any allegations of improper actions with respect to Ms. Williams’ accounts and are fully participating in a court process to reach a resolution that is in her best interest. The financial well-being of our clients is at the heart of everything we do,” the bank’s spokesperson said.

Williams has been off her show’s set for months following her illness.

She has been battling Graves’ disease for years.

Substandard fuel: Producers, MRS, Oando, others must be held accountable – Buhari

President Muhammadu Buhari has ordered that producers and providers of consumable products be held accountable for substandard services and or products sold by them.

The President has also given directives to the relevant government agencies to take every step in line with the laws of the country to ensure the respect and protection of consumers against market abuses and social injustices.

The President’s Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu, in a statement on Thursday, said Buhari gave the directive while reacting to the issue of petroleum product shortages linked to the inadvertent supply of products of foreign origin into the Nigerian market.

According to the President, the protection of consumer interests is a priority of the present administration and is ready to take all necessary measures to protect consumers from hazardous products, loss or injuries from the consumption of substandard goods. Buhari, therefore, directed that in line with the law, service providers must make full disclosure of relevant information with respect to the consumption of their products and that dissatisfied consumers are entitled to a proper redress of their complaints.…

BBNaija’s Omashola shares 1st photo of his son

Former Big Brother Naija housemate Omashola has for the first time shared a photo of his newborn son.

The reality TV star took to his Instagram page on Friday, February 11, 2022, where he shared the photo and captioned it with a cute note.

“Watching my boy being birthed was a life-changing experience for me, I am godfather to so many kids and I’ve raised quite the number, but having one that I can call my own is a completely different kind of feeling. Little man will be exactly 31 days today. My son Eyitemi Daniel Oburoh,” he wrote.

Omashola and his fiancee welcomed their first child together in January.

The reality TV star only recently announced that they were expecting a baby.

Omashola proposed to his girlfriend on the eve of 2022 underwater.

According to him, the biggest highlight of 2021 for him was the proposal.

He later recounted how they met at an ATM gallery and knew they were meant for each other.

Omashola was one of the housemates from the fourth season of the reality TV show.

Kemi Adetiba is engaged!

Nigerian filmmaker Kemi Adetiba is engaged.

The award-winning filmmaker took to her Instagram page on Wednesday, February 8, 2022, where she shared photos from her engagement with a lengthy post.

“We’ve taken some time to privately enjoy this moment and bask in the celebration of it all. However, we’re beginning to understand it might be next to impossible keeping a lid on this for much longer,” she wrote.

“After thinking long and hard, we ultimately would love for this announcement to be on our own terms and molded in our own true narrative. Plus, you all here have followed my journey from the start and lovingly root for me – Now if that isn’t FAMILY, I don’t know what is :)”

She didn’t forget to share with her fans the exact date her soon to be hubby, Oscar popped the big question.

“So dear FAMILY, on the 28th of January in Ghana, delivered as a beautiful surprise and expression of love, and in the presence of some close friends and family, @oscarhemanackah asked that we spend the rest of our lives together, and I wholeheartedly said YES… without a single reservation,” she revealed.

“I would like to add here, that every single friend or member of my family that conspired in this surprise proposal, should just be on the look out for my retaliation… Cos it’ll be merciless!! 😏”

“Oscar and I shall share only as much of us as we’re comfortable with. No more.. No less. We hope you will respect this, and bear with us in this regard.

“Thank you for the overwhelming love and kindness you will undoubtedly show us as we count down to more festivities and the rest of our lives together. There’s not an ounce of anxiety in this place. “Oh… And before you say it… Yeeeeeesss, he knows he’s a very VERY lucky man 😝 but the beautiful thing about our connection and journey so far… Is that I know I’m

Kanye West begs God to reunite his family

Kanye West has taken to social media to beg God to help reunite his family.

In a post shared via his Instagram page on Wednesday, February 9, 2022, the rapper appealed to God to intervene in his failing marriage.

“GOD PLEASE BRING OUR FAMILY BACK TOGETHER,” he captioned a collage of his family photos.

This is the third time in less than three months that the rapper will be seeking for help on social media to rescue his marriage.

Kanye and Kim filed for divorce earlier in 2021 after seven years of marriage.

Their separation has been marred by drama on social media.

From Kanye calling out Kim for kidnapping one of their daughters and exposing the other to social media to Kim claiming to be solely responsible for the care of their children, it’s been tough keeping up with the West.

Kim and Kanye have four children: North, 8, Saint, 5, Chicago, 4, and Psalm, 2.

The Oscars 2022 nominations are in! Check out full list

Nominations for the 94th Academy awards are finally in! The announcement made on Tuesday, February 8, expectedly got the internet buzzing.

Surprising for most was the Lady Gaga snub for her role in Ridley Scott’s ‘House of Gucci’.

Meanwhile, Netflix’s ‘The Power of the Dog’ swept the most nominations with 12 nods including a history making nomination for Jane Campion.

The film’s director became the first woman to be nominated more than once in the best director category. (The first being ‘The Piano’).

Following closely with 10 nominations is ‘Dune’ then ‘Belfast’ and ‘West Side Story’ with seven nominations each.

Denzel Washington further extended his record as the most nominated Black actor, earning his tenth Oscar nomination for his performance in ‘The Tragedy of Macbeth’.

Here is a full list of nominees:

BEST PICTURE

“Belfast”

CODA”

“Don’t Look Up”

“Drive My Car”

“Dune”

“King Richard”

“Licorice Pizza”

“Nightmare Alley”

“The Power of the Dog”

“West Side Story”

ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

Jessie Buckley, “The Lost Daughter”

Ariana DeBose, “West Side Story”

Judi Dench, “Belfast”

Kirsten Dunst, “The Power of the Dog”

Aunjanue Ellis, “King Richard”

ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

Ciaran Hinds, “Belfast”

Troy Kotsur, “CODA”

Jesse Plemons, “The Power of the Dog”

J.K. Simmons, “Being the Ricardos”

Kodi Smit-McPhee, “The Power of the Dog”

INTERNATIONAL FEATURE FILM

“Drive My Car”

“Flee”

“The Hand of God”

“Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom”

“The Worst Person in the World”

DOCUMENTARY (SHORT)

“Audible”

“Lead Me Home”

“The Queen of Basketball”

“Three Songs for Benazir”

“When We Were Bullies”

DOCUMENTARY FEATURE

“Ascension”

“Attica”

“Flee”

“Summer of Soul”

Writing with Fire”

ORIGINAL SONG

“King Richard”

“Encanto”

“Belfast”

“No Time to Die”

“Four Good Days”

ANIMATED FEATURE FILM

“Encanto”

“Flee”

“Luca”

“The Mitchells vs. The Machine”

“Raya and the Last Dragon”

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

“CODA”

“Drive My Car”

“Dune”

“The Lost Daughter”

“The Power of the Dog”

ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

“Belfast”

“Don’t Look Up”

“King Richard”

“Licorice Pizza”

“The Worst Person in the World”

ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE

Javier Bardem, “Being the Ricardos”

Benedict Cumberbatch,

Maureen Esisi sends tongues wagging after sharing sensual video with BBNaija’s Cross

Nollywood actor Blossom Chukwujekwu’s ex-wife Maureen Esisi has sent tongues wagging after sharing a sensual video with former BBNaija housemate, Cross.

Everything about the video gives so many sexual vibes between the two celebrities.

From a shirtless Cross drinking from a glass while Esisi twerks in the background to the last scene of the video where she’s lifted and eventually carried to the bedroom by the reality TV star.

Lest we forget Muni Long’s ‘Hrs and Hrs’ song playing in the background.

Interestingly her caption for the video gave hints that it might all be about the upcoming Valentine’s Day celebration.

“We be TikToking for a Second @crossda_boss 😂🥰❤️ Who is your Valentine?🥰🥰🥰🥰,” she wrote.

Esisi was one of the few celebrities who publicly campaigned for Cross during his stay in Biggie’s house.

The news of Blossom and Esisi’s marriage collapse first broke the Internet in September 2019.

To date Blossom has remained silent as to why his once admired marriage crashed.

However, Maureen, on the other hand, gave some reasons why they are no longer together.

FG grants citizenship to 286 foreigners

The Federal Executive Council has granted Nigerian citizenship to 286 foreign nationals.

The Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, made this known to State House Correspondents at the end of the FEC meeting.

The meeting was presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari in Abuja on Wednesday.

Aregbesola said the successful candidates emerged out of 600 applicants. He disclosed that 208 of those approved were granted citizenship by Naturalization, while 78 others were granted citizenship by registration, and they cut across various countries of the world.

He said: “The Ministry of Interior through me presented the Advisory Committee on Nigeria citizenship approval to the Council today.

“And is the first set by the end of this first quarter or latest by the middle of the year another set will be presented to council.

“But what is it about?

“We received 600 applications from several people, foreign nationals who have been residing in Nigeria, but desirous of being Nigerians.

“These applicants are from virtually every part of the world.

“Americans, North and South Koreans, Australians, Europeans, Arabs, Asians, all over of the South Africa.

“Out of the 600 applicants, the Advisory Committee approved for the consideration of the council 280.

“Before the presentation, let me say, some agents of government scrutinized these applicants.

“The Agencies are the Department of State Services, the Foreign Affairs Ministry, the Nigeria Immigration Service, and the state of domicile of those individuals.”

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the Federal Government had in 2017 granted 335 foreign nationals citizenship.

Also commenting on Wednesday’s approval, the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, described the decision as groundbreaking, especially at a time “when some Nigerians say the country is unfit to live in”.

Mohammed said: “It’s a groundbreaking memo as it will tell you because just as some people think Nigeria is not a fit and proper place to live, we have thousands of people who are applying daily all over the world from virtually every continent to be citizens of Nigeria.

“I think that is very …

Impending strike: Minister accuses ASUU of blackmail

The Minister of Labor and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, has accused university teachers under the aegis of the Academi Staff Union of Universities of whipping up sentiments against the Federal Government to attract sympathy to its planned strike.

Dr. Ngige said the government had been implementing the Memorandum of Action signed in 2020 with the leadership of ASUU.

The spoke in reaction to the lecturers’ threat to throw public universities into another round of strike to protest the yet-to-be met demands.

The lecturers said the full implementation of the 2009 agreement is what can avert the strike. Ngige said the government released N70 billion in 2021 for both the Revitalization of Public Universities (N30 billion) and Earned Academic Allowances (N40 billion) to   demonstrate commitment to the MoA implementation.

He said: “It is not true.

“They have taken their Earned Academic Allowances for 2021.

“It was mainstreamed in the budget of 2021 and they got it.

“We paid N22.72 billion, which was mainstreamed in the 2021 budget.

“And they have collected the one of 2020 where they got N40 billion and shared it between them and other unions.

“They got it in January 2021.

“When they called off their strike in December 2020, the release of funds was one of the agreements.

“They were paid N40 billion and another N30 billion for Revitalization of Public Universities during the first quarter of 2021, bringing the total to N70 billion.

“If they say the EAA is not in the 2022 Budget, why don’t they allow the government to do a Supplementary Budget?

“There is a parameter that we use to calculate it.

“That parameter changes every year and it is the Budget Office that is calculating it.

“Maybe by March the Budget Office would have known what the parameter will be and put it in the 2022 supplementary budget.

“The EAA they got in 2021 was in the supplementary budget.

“We are implementing the MoA.

“We have been implementing it religiously.

“When they (ASUU) are talking like that, I don’t like it because …

BBNaija’s Bam Bam and Teddy A are expecting 2nd child

Former Big Brother Naija housemates Bam Bam and Teddy A are expecting their second child together.

The celebrity couple made this known during an episode of their show ‘Uncut With BamTeddy.’

The reality TV star was spotted with her protruding stomach at the gym in the episode while she also made side jokes about the pregnancy.

Bam Bam and Teddy A welcomed their first child back in 2020.

Bam Bam and Teddy A became an item after their stint at the third season of Big Brother Naija. It didn’t come as a surprise when the couple decided to tie the knot in 2019.

They had a very beautiful wedding ceremony in Dubai which was attended by friends and family of the couple.

The couple’s outfit was designed by Toyin Lawani of Tiannah’s Place Empire while Bam Bam’s dresses were styled by Medlin Boss.

The event which held at the Jumeirah Creekside Hotel in Dubai was one of the reasons almost everyone vacated Lagos for us.

The wedding ceremony had quite a large number of celebrities in attendance.

Adele sparks engagement rumours

The music star came to the awards wearing a customized dress and the ring which drew attention.

This is coming days after she mocked rumors that her relationship with Rich Paul had crashed. “Hiya, so I’m really happy to say that I am performing at the Brits next week!! Anddddd I’ll also be popping in to see Graham for a chat on the couch while I’m in town too! I’m looking forward to it! Oh, and Rich sends his love,” she tweeted. The rumors about cracks in her relationship with Paul first broke after she cancelled her Las Vegas Caesars Palace residency at the 11th hour.

It was previously claimed Adele was heard “shouting and sobbing” on the phone to Rich during rehearsals.

The music star was married to to Simon Konecki.

Adele filed for divorce from Konecki back in September 2019 after their separation in April that same year.

Adele and Simon’s relationship and later marriage have always been kept away from the prying eyes of the public.

The former couple started dating back in 2011 even though a lot wasn’t known about their relationship.

They welcomed their only child together in 2012.

NSCDC destroys eight illegal modular refineries in Abia

The Abia Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps has destroyed eight illegal modular refineries in the oil-bearing Ukwa West Local Government Area.

The State Commandant of the corps, Ayinla Olowo, told newsmen in his office in Umuahia on that the feat was achieved following the sustained efforts by the command to rid the state of illegal dealings in petroleum products.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that this was coming barely two weeks the command destroyed 10 of similar facilities in the same area.

Olowo said that the illegal refineries were destroyed by operatives of the Anti-vandal Unit of the command, codenamed “Operation Sting”. “The anti-vandal unit carried out an operation in Ukwa West on Feb. 5, to get rid of operators of illegal refineries in the area.

“The operatives destroyed eight illegal refineries and disconnected all the pipes with which they siphoned products from the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation’s pipelines.

“By this act, we have succeeded in stopping their activities in the area,” Olowo said.

He described the activities of illegal petroleum refiners as economic sabotage, saying that “their activities are having negative impact on the nation’s economic prosperity.

“This is why we have intensified our efforts to crack down on the operators.

“We cannot allow a few criminal elements to continue to destroy our national asset and source of revenue,” he added.

The state NSCDC boss expressed dismay that the command had yet to make any arrest and blamed the development on the antics of the illegal operators.

According to him, they usually keep people at strategic points in the forest to monitor the environment and alert them whenever there is any movement.

“So any time we carry out an operation, the moment we arrive at the forest, they will all disappear,” he said.

Olowo said that his next target was to uncover the root of the criminal act and those behind it and that the command would partner other sister security agencies in the state to tackle the menace.

He, however, said that such …

Police confirm second death in abduction of Edo IPMAN Chairman

The Edo Police Command says the driver to the state Chairman of the Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, Alhaji Abdul-Hamid Egele, has died.

The command’s spokesman, SP Kontongs Bello, confirmed the death to the News Agency of Nigeria in Benin on Tuesday night.

NAN reports that the deceased, whose identity could not be ascertained, was driving Egele’s backup car, when they were attacked by gunmen that abducted him.

Egele was abducted in his Jattu home on Monday evening, when his assailants intercepted his motorcade, killing his driver on the spot.

The hoodlums also shot and wounded the second driver and security operative attached to him.
Bello said that the second driver died as a result of the serious bullet injuries he suffered during the attack.

He said that Egele’s abductors had yet to contact his family, adding that the command had begun a rescue operation in the area.

“I got the news that the driver of the second vehicle, who was severely injured in the attack, is dead.

“The chairman’s family has yet to be contacted and we hope that the bush-combing exercise will lead to the rescue of the victim and arrest of his abductors,” Bello said.

According to eyewitness account, Egele, popularly called Baba Petrol, was abducted at about 7.00pm, when he was returning home after the day’s business.

“The gunmen, who drove in two unmarked vehicles, ambushed him near his house and fired at his jeep.

“He was taken away by the gunmen after they overpowered and injured his security,’’ the eyewitness further said.…

IPAC hails Gov. Sanwo-Olu’s efforts on out-of-school children

The Inter-Party Advisory Council in Lagos State has applauded Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu’s renewed efforts to reduce the number of children roaming streets or hawking during school hours.

Sanwo-Olu on Thursday halted his convoy to interact with two underage girls on errand for a bean cake vendor during school hours.

The governor, who noted that there were many children like that, said his encounter with the girls brought the need to bolster government’s support to public schools and raise the standards.

Sanwo-Olu said that the two girls would be under his care and that of the First Lady. The girls: Amarachi Chinedu, 9, and Suwebat Husseini, 12, were forced to skip school by their parents in order to carry out some domestic assistance around Anthony Village area.

Reacting, the Lagos State IPAC Chairman, Olusegun Mobolaji, in a statement on Tuesday in Lagos, said that every idea and initiative to reduce the number of children roaming street or hawking during school hours was commendable.

Mobolaji said: “This is a good initiative in the right direction. It will go a long way to build a great future for the State and build a better community.

“I will also plead with the State Governor to also look for a similar program to help remove teenagers and youths from the streets to reduce crime, cultism and cyber crime.

“The youths of this nation need urgent rescue and we can start from somewhere, no matter how little.

“The journey to Rome, as they say, begins with a step.”…

Giannis scores 44, leads Bucks’ 131-116 win over Lakers

Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 44 points on 17-for-20 shooting, and Bobby Portis had 23 points with five 3-pointers in the Milwaukee Bucks’ 131-116 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday night.

Khris Middleton scored all of his 21 points in the first half, and Antetokounmpo added 14 rebounds and eight assists while making his first 11 shots as the defending NBA champions won their fourth straight overall and swept back-to-back games against LA’s two teams.

Milwaukee jumped to a 24-point lead in the first half with 70% shooting and led by 30 midway through the third quarter before surviving the Lakers’ strong late rally. The Bucks hung on for their third win on a four-game West Coast road trip that ends with an NBA Finals rematch in Phoenix on Thursday.

LeBron James scored 27 points and Anthony Davis had 22 points and nine rebounds for the Lakers, who couldn’t catch up to the champs even on a rare night with both superstars in their injury-riddled lineup. LA has lost five of seven to fall back to three games below .500.

The Lakers rallied impressively in the fourth quarter, trimming Milwaukee’s lead to 10 points midway through the period with a 20-5 run. Portis’ fifth 3-pointer stopped the surge, and the Lakers never got closer than 11 again.

Los Angeles dropped to 10-8 with both James and Davis in their lineup during a season totally lacking in continuity due to lengthy absences for its two cornerstones. James looked tired at times in just his second game back from a five-game absence for the Lakers, who haven’t won back-to-back games since Jan. 7.

Malik Monk scored 20 points and Stanley Johnson added a season-high 16 for the Lakers in a reserve role.

After giving up 42 points to the Knicks in the first quarter on Saturday night, the Lakers allowed 38 to the Bucks in the opening period. Milwaukee took a 51-28 lead in the second by scoring seven points on one trip down the floor with a pair of 3-pointers sandwiching …