The Los Angeles Lakers finally got their first victory of the season after an 0-3 start by beating the winless Detroit Pistons 108-79 on Sunday.

The bad start to the season followed a dismal 0-8 record in preseason games to have alarm bells ringing for the Lakers, but the big names responded on Sunday, with new signing Dwight Howard scoring 28 points while Kobe Bryant had 15 points and eight assists.

Robin van Persie piled on the misery for former club Arsenal as Manchester United went top of the Premier League with a 2-1 victory at Old Trafford on Saturday.

Victory in this early kick-off match saw United replace Chelsea in first place and that is where they stayed after the European champions were held to a 1-1 draw at Swansea later Saturday.

Lewis Hamilton dominated qualifying for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on Saturday as he cruised to pole position for McLaren and set up a Red Bull party-wrecking performance in Sunday's race.

Hamilton's pole was his sixth this year and the 25th of his career on a circuit that he clearly responds to with great elan -- and gives him a perfect opportunity to upset the Red Bull express and end Sebastian Vettel's run of four consecutive wins.

Carmelo Anthony scored 30 points and the New York Knicks beat reigning NBA champion Miami 104-84 on Friday in the first major sports event in New York since killer superstorm Sandy struck.

A packed house in famed Madison Square Garden cheered the Knicks in their season opener against the Heat. The Knicks had been scheduled to play Thursday at Brooklyn but that game was canceled due to storm damage.

Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers believes there is plenty to come from Steven Gerrard as he prepares to make his 600th appearance for the club, against Newcastle at Anfield on Sunday.

Gerrard, 32, is rated as one of Liverpool's greatest players but despite winning the Champions League with the Merseysiders in 2005, he has never enjoyed a domestic title triumph.

Organizers, police and even athletes called Friday's cancellation of the New York Marathon the correct decision in the wake of the devastation caused by killer superstorm Sandy.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg axed what would have been the 43rd annual race after complaints over the timing and the notion of staging the event on Sunday while many people in the area remain without electricity or shelter.

Barcelona superstar Lionel Messi announced Friday the birth of his first child, Thiago, although the club say he will still play on Saturday,

Messi's partner, Antonella Roccuzzo, delivered their son at the Dexeus hospital about 700 meters (less than half a mile) from Barcelona's Camp Nou stadium.

Lucie Safarova of holders Czech Republic will take on Serbia's Ana Ivanovic in the first singles rubber of the Fed Cup final here on Saturday, after Friday's draw.

Safarova, the world number 17 and Czech number two, will face world number 12 Ivanovic, who is Serbia's number one, in Prague's O2 Arena from 1230 GMT on Saturday.

Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini insisted Friday he was comfortable with personnel changes that appear to have undermined his position with the Premier League champions.

The Italian saw Spaniard Txiki Begiristain appointed as director of football by City this week, strengthening a Barcelona connection which began when they made Ferran Soriano their chief executive.

Asian American star Jeremy Lin was a winner in his NBA debut with the Houston Rockets, but it was fellow newcomer James Harden who lifted the squad in a 105-96 triumph on Wednesday at Detroit.

The Rockets obtained Harden Saturday in a deal with Oklahoma City and signed a five-year contract extension worth a reported $80 million with Houston only hours before he took the court with his new teammates.