LEADING OFF

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Photograph by Peter Read Miller

RUSSELL, WITH MUSCLE Thunder point guard Russell Westbrook parted the Lakers last Thursday en route to a 36-point performance in Oklahoma City's 102--93 victory. In the third quarter alone, Westbrook had 17 points, just two fewer than the entire Los Angeles lineup.

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Photograph by Nic Bothma/EPA

LIGHT MORNING EXERCISE The peleton climbed through the sunrise during Stage 4 of the Absa Cape Epic mountain bike race in the Overberg region of South Africa last Thursday. The premier multistage mountain bike race, the Epic drew more than 1,200 riders for the eight-day, 781-kilometer race that included 16,300 meters of climbs.

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Photograph by Damian Strohmeyer

PANE AND SUFFERING Bruins forward Chris Kelly led with a glass jaw during last Thursday's game against the Capitals at Boston's TD Garden. Despite blowing a 2--0 lead, Washington, eighth in the Eastern Conference at week's end, won 3--2 in a shootout to breathe life into its playoff push.