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Brett
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Shaq Sits, Lakers Blow Past Grizzlies 121-89
11.23.03
Even without Shaquille O’Neal, the Lakers put on one of their most impressive displays of the season, routing the Memphis Grizzlies 121-89 on Sunday night at home.
With O’Neal nursing a strained calf, the Lakers never missed a beat. Kobe Bryant helped pick up the slack, leading all players with 28 points. Karl Malone also had a very strong game, tallying 20 points and 10 rebounds in just 26 minutes, and Gary Payton chipped in with 17 points and 10 assists.
The Lakers blew what was a tight game open late in the second quarter, taking a 59-48 lead into the locker room, and leading 90-67 after three quarters.
For the game, the Lakers shot 59% from the field (45-of-76) and 90% (27-of-30), as they scored a season high 121 points. They also held the Grizzlies to 42% from the field, and forced Memphis into a season-high 24 turnovers.
The Lakers bench provided some big contributions. Slava Medvedenko, playing in his first game of the year because of a bruised heel, scored 14 points and grabbed 11 rebounds in 30 minutes. He also made seven of his eight shots from the floor. Bryon Russell had his second straight strong game, scoring 12 points on 5-of-6 from the field.
The Grizzlies were led by Shane Battier, who led the team with 18 points, coming off of the bench.
The Lakers next game is Wednesday at Staples Center against the Washington Wizards. Shaquille O’Neal’s availability will again be a game-time decision.
Link: LakerStats.com Box Score
Link: NBA.com Recap
Lakers Breeze Past Knicks 104-83
11.19.03
The Los Angeles Lakers ended their three-game road losing streak with a decisive victory 104-83 over the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on Wednesday.
The Lakers took a two-point halftime lead and ran away from the Knicks in the second half, outscoring them 53-34, to take the easy win. The Knicks were held to only 43% shooting from the floor, which was a vast defensive improvement for the Lakers, who allowed the Detroit Pistons to shoot 57% on Tuesday.
The big stat of the game was free throwing. The Lakers shot 47 free throws, making 37, while the Knicks took only six, making them all. The Knicks had five players with four fouls, and three others with three.
Shaquille O’Neal led the Lakers with 23 points, he also hit 11 of 16 from the foul line. Kobe Bryant scored 21 points, and Karl Malone added 17 points and a team-high 14 rebounds.
Frank Williams led the Knicks with 14 points, and he came off of the bench. Allan Houston, the team’s leading scorer, was held to 10 points on 5-of-14 from the field.
The Lakers return home for a Friday night game against the Chicago Bulls at Staples Center.
Link: LakerStats.com Box Score
Link: NBA.com Recap
Lakers Roll Early, Dominate Heat 99-77
11.16.03
The Los Angeles Lakers got out quickly in the opening moments, and then cruised to their 20th straight home win, beating the Miami Heat 99-77 on Sunday night.
Thanks to a great 1st quarter, led by Gary Payton, who scored 11 of his 13 points in the first, the Lakers jumped out quickly to a 23-9 lead and never looked back. The Heat only as close as nine points once in the 2nd quarter, but trailed by double-figures for all but 2:12 of the game.
Kobe Bryant led all scorers with 27 points, including 15-of-16 from the free throw line. Shaquille O’Neal scored 14 points, despite playing only 23 minutes dude to foul trouble. Karl Malone added 11 points, and grabbed a team-high 10 rebounds.
The Lakers played their third straight solid defensive game, holding the Heat to an awful 36% from the field (29-of-80). Miami also missed all 12 of their shots from beyond the arc. The Lakers shot 45% (33-of-74) from the floor, and made 33 of 46 from the foul line.
The game was plagued by an abundance of foul calls and far too many turnovers, 20 for Miami, and 17 for the Lakers.
Former Clipper Lamar Odom led the visitors with 18 points in his return to Los Angeles, and former Laker Eddie Jones added 12, but missed all five of his 3-point attempts.
The Lakers now head out for a quick two-game road trip. They play Tuesday in Detroit and Wednesday in New York against the Knicks, before returning home for a Friday night game against the Chicago Bulls.
Link: LakerStats.com Box Score
Link: NBA.com Recap
Shaq Leads Lakers to Win Over Pistons 94-89
11.14.03
Behind a dominating second half from Shaquille O’Neal, the Los Angeles won their 19th straight regular season home game, beating the Detroit Pistons 94-89 on Friday night.
The winning streak marks the team’s longest home run since they won 24 straight during the 1987-88 to 1988-89 seasons. The Lakers last loss came to the New York Knicks on February 16, 2003, 117-110. The team did lose twice in the playoffs last season.
The Lakers led the game early by 12, but found themselves in a dogfight by halftime, tied at 45.
O’Neal, who scored just six points in the first half, dominated the second, scoring 15 of his team-high 21 points. He narrowly missed a triple-double, as he also tallied 15 rebounds and eight assists. He also iced the game with two free throws in the final 20 seconds.
Gary Payton shared high scoring honors with O’Neal, as he also registered 21 points, and hit a clutch 3-point basket in the closing minutes to push the Laker lead to 90-83. “The Glove” has been struggling from beyond the arc so far this season, making only 4-of-18 prior to his 4th quarter basket.
Karl Malone, playing with a sore hamstring, scored 16 and grabbed nine rebounds, and Kobe Bryant, fresh off his return from a Colorado courtroom, chipped in with 16 points.
The Lakers defense held the Pistons to 43% shooting (37-of-87) from the field, and only 2-of-10 from beyond the arc, while shooting 47% themselves (36-of-76) from the floor.
Chauncey Billups had a strong night, scoring a game-high 29 points. He got little help from his teammates however, as Elden Campbell was the only other Piston in double-figures in scoring with 12.
The Lakers try to extend their home winning streak to 20 when they face the struggling Miami Heat on Sunday.
Link: LakerStats.com Box Score
Link: NBA.com Recap
Lakers End Slide, Beat Raptors 94-79
11.12.03
After dropping their last two on the road, the Los Angeles Lakers returned home to Staples Center and re-established a defensive presence, beating the Toronto Raptors 94-79.
The Lakers led the game the entire way, and showed several flashes of the dominance that people expect with a lineup that includes Shaquille O’Neal, Kobe Bryant, Karl Malone, and Gary Payton. They stretched the lead to as many as 20 in the third quarter, and coasted to the easy victory.
The Lakers defense re-emerged, as the Raptors shot just 35% (24-of-69) from the field, and turned the ball over 19 times. The Lakers on the other hand, were able to get a strong performance down low from O’Neal, who led the team with 23 points and 14 rebounds. Shaq hit 9-of-12 from the floor, but continues to struggle from the free throw line, making only five of 15 attempts.
The Lakers offensive balance also returned as Bryant scored 19, Malone 17, and Payton with 16. Still more production is needed from the bench, as they contributed only 13 points, seven of them by Derek Fisher.
In a game marred by some poor shooting and some sloppy play, the Lakers turned a 10-point halftime lead into a 65-45 blowout midway through the 3rd quarter, on the strength of their defense and ability to get easy transition baskets. The added pressure on defense allowed the Lakers offense to flow more smoothly from time to time, but still isn’t consistent enough yet.
The Raptors, who fell to 0-4 on the road, were led by Vince Carter, who scored 23 points but hit only 7-of-22 shots, including 1-of-6 from beyond the arc. Morris Petersen scored 16, and Lamond Murray chipped in 15 off the bench.
The Lakers next game is Friday against the Detroit Pistons at Staples Center.
Link: LakerStats.com Box Score
Link: NBA.com Recap
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