Kobe Bryant forcing his way for a shot against Nuggets.

The Lakers played sloppy, shot the ball poorly, Pau Gasol hurt his knee, and they lost the services of Andrew Bynum late. All of that added up to a disappointing 95-90 loss to the Denver Nuggets on Sunday afternoon at Staples Center.

Kobe Bryant scored 28 points, but shot just 10-27 from the floor, and was clearly bothered by the Nuggets’ aggressive defense against him, and the lack of foul calls. 

His frustration boiled over and he picked up his 13th technical foul in the second quarter after slamming the court with his hand after a missed shot.  He also missed several shots in the fourth quarter, including a key baseline jumper in the final moments with the game still on the line.

The Lakers also got a huge scare when Gasol went down clutching his knee after taking a hard foul on a made basket in the third quarter.  He briefly went to the locker room, but did return to finish the game.  Team officials have said he will have a precautionary MRI on Monday.   Gasol finished the game with 16 points and 12 rebounds, but clearly didn’t have the same impact on the game after injuring his knee.

Bynum also left the game Sunday with seven minutes left after tweaking his knee on a collision with Lamar Odom.  He appeared to grab his knee on the bench, but said after the game he was fine and expects to play on Tuesday against Utah.  He scored eight points and grabbed a game-high 16 rebounds.

The Lakers led 47-40 at halftime in a very uneven game, with neither team shooting the ball well.  The second half was a grind, the Lakers held the lead late in the third until Denver went on a run, and briefly grabbed the advantage.  The score was tied at 69 at the end of the quarter.

The Lakers opened up a 75-69 lead early in the fourth, but the Nuggets took over from there.  Point guard Raymond Felton scored all 16 of his points in the second half, including several key buckets down the stretch to keep Denver ahead.

With Denver up 91-83, the Lakers scored four straight and had the ball with under a minute left, but Bryant missed a tough baseline shot.  The Nuggets split two free throws to go up 92-87.   Odom, who had 17 points and seven rebounds off the bench, hit a three-pointer with 16 seconds left to bring the Lakers to within two.  After Nene made his first free throw, he missed the second, and Kenyon Martin forced Odom under the basket to grab the putback, which effectively closed the door on the Lakers’ winning streak.

For the game the Lakers shot just 42.9% (36-84) from the floor and 4-18 (22.2%) from beyond the arc.  They outrebounded Denver 45-44, but were undone by the 20 turnovers they committed.  The Nuggets shot just 43.9% (36-82) from the field themselves, and turned the ball over 17 times as well.

Danilo Gallanari led the Nuggets with 22 points and seven rebounds.  Kenyon Martin had 18 points and eight rebounds, and Nene scored 12 to go along with seven boards.

The loss dropped the Lakers 2.5 behind the Spurs for first in the Western Conference with six games left.  The Lakers are now 17-2 since the All-Star break.

The champs’ next game is Tuesday night at Staples Center against the Utah Jazz, who were eliminated from the playoff race on Friday by the Lakers.  After Tuesday’s game, the Lakers go on the road at Golden St. on Wednesday,  and then Portland on Friday.

Link: Lakers vs. Nuggets Box Score

Kobe Bryant drives to the basket against the Jazz.

For the first 24 minutes of Friday night’s game in Utah, it seemed like the Lakers were destined to give back the game they gained from Thursday’s nights hard-fought victory against Dallas.

But these Lakers are just playing at a whole other level. The champs rallied from 17 points down, overwhelming the undermanned Utah Jazz in the second half, and scored a 96-85 at EnergySolutions Arena, their ninth straight win, and 17th in the last 18 games.

Kobe Bryant led the Lakers with 21 points and Lamar Odom and Pau Gasol each had 16.  Gasol also added a team-high nine rebounds in the win.

Utah jumped on the Lakers early, led 26-13 in the first quarter, and then put together an 11-0 run in the second quarter to build a 41-24 lead.  But that’s when the tide began to shift.  Los Angeles fought back with an 18-7 run to close the half, and trailed just 48-42 at the break.

The second half was all Lakers, as Derek Fisher’s three-pointer finally got the Lakers even at 62 with just over four minutes left in the third quarter.  Moments later they took the lead for good when Kyrylo Fesenko was called for goaltending on a Shannon Brown shot. The Lakers led 71-64 after three.

The lead stretched to 83-65 early in the fourth, and the Lakers held off the Jazz the rest of the way for what turned out to be a fairly easy victory.  Los Angeles outscored Utah 52-35 in the second half.

Utah played without three of their key players, as Andrei Kirilenko, Devin Harris, and Raja Bell all missed the game with injuries.  The Lakers played without Matt Barnes, who was suspended by the NBA for his role in Thursday night’s melee with Dallas.

C.J. Miles, who had been in a shooting slump, scored 13 points in the first half for the Jazz, and finished with a game-high 24.  Al Jefferson added 17 points and 10 rebounds, and Paul Milsap chipped in with 16 points.

The Lakers shot just 39.4% from the field in the first half, but finished the game at 47.9% (34-71).  They also held the Jazz to 41.5% (34-82) from the floor, and 2-10 (20.0%) from the three-point line.   The Jazz did outrebound the Lakers 44-39, including 15-6 on the offensive end, but held a much bigger advantage (28-18) at the end of the first half.

The win, combined with San Antonio’s sixth straight loss at Houston on Friday, brought the Lakers to within 1.5 games for first place in the Western Conference, with seven remaining.   The Lakers’ current 17-1 record is the highest post-All-Star break winning percentage (.944) in league history.    The Jazz are second, going 31-4 (.885) after the All-Star break back in 1997.

The loss eliminated Utah from the Western Conference playoff race, marking the first time a team started 15-5 and 27-13 and didn’t make the playoffs.

The Lakers now return home for a Sunday afternoon battle at Staples Center against the new-look Denver Nuggets, who have been playing very well since trading their superstar forward Carmelo Anthony last month.  The two teams have split their two meetings this year, with the Lakers winning the last game 107-97 in Denver back on January 21.

Link: Lakers @ Jazz Box Score

Kobe Bryant takes a jumper against the Mavericks.

There were five ejections and four technical fouls at Staples Center on Thursday night, but nothing could stop the Lakers methodical second half romp over the Dallas Mavericks 110-82, as they won the battle for second place in the Western Conference.

Kobe Bryant scored a game-high 28 points, and Andrew Bynum had 18 points and 13 rebounds as the Lakers moved their record to an NBA-best 16-1 since the All-Star break. They’ve also won eight straight.

In a playoff-like atmosphere, with the Lakers running away in the fourth quarter, the Mavs’ Jason Terry pushed Steve Blake under the basket, sparking a skirmish between the players on the court. 

Matt Barnes, Blake, Terry, and Brendan Haywood were all ejected, with Terry picking up a flagrant-2 foul.  Minutes later, Shannon Brown was ejected after another shoving match that followed a hard foul on Pau Gasol with the game well out of reach.

Neither of the incidents could take away what was a dominating performance by the world champs, who held Dallas to just 31 points in the second half, including closing the game on a 19-2 run. The two teams could face each at some point during the playoffs.

Gasol chipped in with 20 points and six rebounds, and Lamar Odom had 16 points and 11 rebounds off the bench, scoring 11 straight points at the end of the third quarter and the beginning of the fourth, that turned a 79-70 game into a 90-70 lead.   Ron Artest poured in 13 points.

The Lakers led a tight game 54-51 at halftime, and then slowly started to pull away late in the third quarter.  After Odom’s 11-0 run late in the game, Dallas responded after the first flare up to get to within 91-80.  Bryant was reinserted into the game to restore order, scoring six straight points and the game was never close again.

For the game, the Lakers shot 44.7% (38-85) from the field, and hit 28-39 (71.8%) from the foul line.  They outrebounded the Mavericks 52-47, and committed just seven turnovers.  Dallas shot a woeful 36.1% (30-83) from the floor, and a miserable 6-26 (23.1%) from beyond the arc. They scored just 12 points in the final quarter.

Dirk Nowitski led the visitors with 27 points and 13 rebounds, one of only three Mavs in double figures.  Peja Stojakovic had 13 and J.J. Barea had 10 points off the bench. Before getting tossed from the game, Terry hit just 2-9 shots for five points.  Nowitski was clearly the lone bright spot on this night.

The win put the Lakers 1.5 games ahead of Dallas for second place in the Western Conference, and two games ahead in the loss column.  They also hold the tiebreaker having beaten Dallas 2-1 this season.  They are also only 2.5 games behind the San Antonio Spurs for first in the West after Boston’s 107-97 in San Antonio Thursday.

The Lakers play tomorrow night in Utah against the struggling Jazz, having just finished a 7-0 homestand.  They’ll return back to Staples Center for a Sunday for an afternoon game against the surging Denver Nuggets.

Link: Lakers vs. Mavericks Box Score

Kobe Bryant drives hard to the basket against Hornets.

The Lakers just keep rolling right along towards the playoffs, as they took care of the New Orleans Hornets 102-84 at Staples Center on Sunday night.

Kobe Bryant, who scored 79 points in his previous two games, poured in a game-high 30 points to go along with five assists, as the Lakers won their seventh straight game, and have gone 15-1 since the All-Star break.

Los Angeles jumped on the David West-less Hornets early, and led 30-19 after the first quarter.  After getting up by as many as 18 points in the first half, the Lakers settled for a halftime lead of 57-41.

The Hornets played much better in the second half, and were able to rally back behind the inspired play of Carl Landry, who is starting in place of West.  New Orleans got to within six points in the fourth quarter at 78-72, before the Lakers went on a 24-12 run to close the game, and win going away by 18.

Pau Gasol had a big night with 23 points, 16 rebounds, and four blocked shots.  Andrew Bynum battled foul trouble all game long, and played just over 21 minutes, but he did have 13 points and five boards in his limited action.  Ron Artest was the only other Laker in double figures with 11 points on 4-6 shooting from the field.

For the game, the Lakers shot 41-85 (48.2%) from the field, 17-21 (81.0%) from the foul line, but only 3-17 (17.6%) from beyond the arc, with Bryant hitting just 1-6 from deep.  The Lakers won the rebound battle 44-43 and committed just nine turnovers.

New Orleans struggled shooting the ball all night, finishing at 40.2% on 35-87 from the floor.  They were also a miserable 3-17 (17.6%) from the three-point line, with Marco Belinelli convering just 1-7 from long range.

Landry led the Hornets with 24 points and 10 rebounds playing almost 44 minutes.  Emeka Okafor had 14 points and 11 rebounds, and Chris Paul had an off night scoring just 10 points on 4-9 shooting, but he did have nine assists.  No other Hornet scored in double figures.

The win put the Lakers’ record at 53-20, and they are one game ahead of the Dallas Mavericks for second place in the Western Conference.  The two teams will get together on Thursday night for a battle at Staples Center.    San Antonio dropped their third straight and are now 57-16, just four games ahead of the Lakers for the conference lead with nine games remaining.

The champs will get three days off before they take on Dallas, and will try to complete a 7-0 homestand.  Sometimes long layoffs can be a bad thing for a team playing well, but the Lakers know they have to be at their best in what will surely be a playoff-like atmosphere on Thursday.   The Mavericks and Lakers have split their first two games this season, with the Lakers beating the Mavericks 96-91 in their last meeting in Dallas.

Box Score: Lakers vs. Hornets Box Score

Kobe Bryant drives hard to basket against Clippers.

It wasn’t a blowout, but the Lakers led wire-to-wire as they held off the Clippers 112-104 Friday night at Staples Center, to push their post-All-Star game record to 14-1.

Kobe Bryant had a game-high 37 points, coming off his season-high 42 points against Phoenix on Tuesday.  He hit 11-21 shots from the field, and went to the line 17 times, connecting on 14 of them.  He also had six and assists and four rebounds, and scored 12 points in the fourth quarter.

Pau Gasol, who scored 26 points and had eight rebounds, raised $26,000 for Japan relief as he donated $1,000 for every point he scored in the game.   Ron Artest had 15 points, five rebounds, three blocks, three steals, and played superb defense all night on the Clippers’ leading-scorer Eric Gordon, holding him to seven points on 3-14 from the field.

The Lakers jumped out fast on the Clips, taking a 30-14 lead late the in the first quarter.  The Clippers rallied in the second quarter and closed to 37-35, but never did get any closer in the first half.  The champs led at the break 57-48.

In the second half, the Lakers continued to maintain a healthy lead, pulling ahead by 12 on several occasions, only to see their hallway neighbors continue to battle back. After three the Lakers only led 85-80.

The Clippers kept it close in the fourth, closing the gap to two on several possessions.  With Lakers leading by four with 40 seconds left, Artest made a great defensive play in the open court, taking the ball away from rookie sensation Blake Griffin who was heading in for a dunk.  The game was sealed when Andrew Bynum tipped in a missed Derek Fisher free throw with under 20 seconds left.

Tempers flared again for the two teams, as Fisher and Clipper center got into a yelling match when Fisher threw out his elbow after a hard screen set on him by Kaman, in the final seconds.  Kaman appeared to tell Fisher he’d meet him in the parking lot after the game, as he was being ejected with two technical fouls.  Fisher was also assessed a technical.

Both teams shot the ball well from the floor.  The Lakers hit 50.0% (39-78) and the Clippers also hit half of their shots (42-84).  Neither team shot the three ball well, the Lakers went 6-18 (33.3%) and the Clips 5-17 (29.4%)  One of the big differences in the game was the Lakers going to the line 39 times, hitting 28, while the Clippers went 15-18 from the charity stripe.  The Lakers won the rebound battle, 41-34, and committed two less turnovers at 16-14.

For the Clippers, Mo Williams had a season-high 30 points and six assists, hitting 11-16 from the floor and 4-7 from the three-point line.  Griffin had a fairly quiet 22 points and only six rebounds, but did have a few highlight dunks, which as become the norm for him nightly.  Randy Foye had 12 off the bench, and Al-Farouq Aminu scored 11 points off the bench as well.

The Lakers moved their record to 52-20 as they won their sixth straight, and now lead the Dallas Mavericks by 1.5 games for second place in the Western Conference standings.  They also only trail the San Antonio Spurs by 5.0 games with 10 left to play.  They won their eighth straight game at Staples, and took the season series against the Clippers 3-1.

Los Angeles tries to continue their undefeated homestand against the New Orleans Hornets on Sunday.  The Hornets lost their leading-scorer David West to a torn ACL this week, so they will rely much more on All-Star point guard Chris Paul to pick up the scoring slack, as they battle for playoff position in the West.  The Hornets are currently in seventh place in the conference.

Link: Lakers vs. Clippers Box Score

Kobe Bryant drives to basket against Suns.

In one of the more-exciting games of the NBA season, the Lakers continued their post-All-Star game roll as they outlasted the Phoenix Suns in a three-overtime marathon, 139-137 at Staples Center on Tuesday night.

Kobe Bryant scored a season-high 42 points, including five in the closing minutes of the third overtime to get the Lakers their 13th win in 14 games since the break.  He just missed a triple-double, as he tallied 12 rebounds and nine assists in 48 minutes.

Ron Artest made two of the biggest plays of the game, as he stole the ball from Steve Nash and slammed home a dunk with 1:11 left to put the Lakers ahead 135-132. He then drilled an off-balance 15-footer with the shot clock winding down to put the Lakers up 137-132. 

After Channing Frye hit one of his five three-pointers to bring the Suns back to 137-135, Bryant hit a runner in the lane with 14 seconds left to put the Lakers up 139-135. The Suns scored two points in the final seconds, but had wasted too much time to give themselves a chance to win the game.

By the middle of the third quarter the game looked liked it would an easy victory, as the Lakers had pushed the lead to 89-68 on a Bryant shot from beyond the arc.  The Suns had gone cold from the three-point line, and it looked their erratic shooting would finally catch up to them.  But Steve Nash then hit back-to-back three-pointers to get the Suns within 15, and the run was on.

After a wild rally in the final quarter where the Suns were down nine with three minutes left, Grant Hill tied the game with 31 seconds left on a three from the corner.  After a Bryant miss, Phoenix then missed a chance to win the game in regulation on an errant shot  by Vince Carter.  They also had a chance to win the game in the second overtime, but Grant Hill was unable to get off a desperation heave at the buzzer.

Lots of players put up huge numbers for both teams in this offensive marathon.   Five players scored at least 20 points, six players had at least 10 rebounds, and 12 players scored in double figures.

Lamar Odom, starting for the suspended Andrew Bynum, put in a season-high 29 points and 16 rebounds on 13-22 from the field.  Pau Gasol had 24 points and 13 rebounds, and Ron Artest scored 18 points.

For the Suns, Frye scored a career-high 32 points and 14 rebounds, hitting 5-13 shots from deep.  Marcin Gortat had 24 points and 16 rebounds off the bench, and Nash had 19 points and 20 assists, playing over 49 minutes.  He was clearly gassed at the end of the game, as he turned the ball over several times in the third overtime, and most of his shots fell short.  Vince Carter scored 17 points but hit just 7-23 from the field.

The Lakers took 120 shots from the floor, making 53 for 44.2%.  They hit 11-27 (40.7%) from the three-point line and 22-25 (88.0%) from the foul line.  They only turned the ball over nine times.  A very low number for a game that was so up-and-down the court.  They also had 30 assists on their 53 baskets.  Los Angeles outrebounded Phoenix 56-52, and had 18 offensive rebounds against the smaller visitors, even without Bynum.

The Suns shot 51-106 (48.1%) from the floor and took an unbelievable 41 shots from beyond the arc, making 17 for 41.5%  That means the last two times they have played against the Lakers at Staples Center, they have made an incredible 37-81 (45.7.%) from distance.  They also had 34 assists on their 51 baskets.

In the end though, it’s another win for the champs, as they proved they are one of the most versatile teams in the league, being able to play a slowdown game like the 84-80 win against Portland on Sunday, or a shootout against a very up tempo Phoenix Suns.

This was the Lakers first three-overtime game at home since February 2, 1969 when they played the San Francisco Warriors.  The Lakers actually lost that game 122-117.

The champs next face the Clippers on Friday night at Staples of course.  The Lakers are the designated home team for the game, as they look to improve on their current 4-0 homestand.  They are 2-1 against their hallway neighbors this season, and beat them last on February 25th easily 108-95.

Link: Lakers vs. Suns Box Score

Kobe Bryant shoots jumper against Portland.

Kobe Bryant and Derek Fisher have 10 championship rings between the two of them.  On Sunday night they provided a glimpse as to why, as they both hit several big buckets late, rallying the Lakers to an 84-80 win over the Portland Trail Blazers at Staples Center.

The Lakers played the game without center Andrew Bynum, who was suspended two games by the NBA for his flagrant foul on Friday night.  Without Bynum patrolling the paint, the Blazers were able to dominate the Lakers on the glass, and led the game for most of the night despite very poor shooting.  In fact, neither team looked good on offense.

Bryant led the Lakers with 22 points, but scored 10 of them in the fourth quarter with the game very much in doubt.  His short jumper in the lane with just over a minute left gave the Lakers an 80-76.  Thirty seconds later, he hit a picture-perfect fallaway baseline jumper over Brandon Roy that gave the Lakers an 82-77 lead.   That seemingly was the dagger for the champs.

However Portland wouldn’t quit. After they got to within two at 82-80, Fisher stuck a 17-foot jumper with 10 seconds left and the shot clock running out to seal the victory the Lakers.  Fisher also had two sensational defensive plays in the final minutes, and scored a layup with just under two left to put the Lakers up 78-76, a lead they would never relinquish.

The win pushed the surging champs to 12-1 since the All-Star game, and clinched their fourth straight Pacific Division crown.  They also stayed one game ahead of the Dallas Mavericks for the second place in the Western Conference standings.  Los Angeles is now 3-0 against Blazers this year, marking the first time since the 2004-05 season the Lakers will win the season series.

Lamar Odom, starting for Bynum, scored 16 points and grabbed 11 rebounds.  Pau Gasol had 14 points and 13 rebounds, and Ron Artest chipped in with 10 points.

For the game, the Lakers held Portland to a miserable 38.6% (32-83) from the field and just 6-25 (24.0%) from the three-point line.  Neither team shot the ball particularly well.  The Lakers did finish at 44.9% (35-78) from the floor, but just 3-17 (17.6%) from beyond the arc.  The one bright spot was they hit 11 of their 12 free throws.   Portland won the rebound battle easily 45-35, including 17-9 at the offensive end, certainly a sign the Lakers missed Bynum’s presence in the middle.

Nicolas Batum led the Blazers with 25 points, scoring 22 of them in the first three quarters.  He did make 4-9 from long range.  LaMarcus Aldridge scored 18 points to go along with six rebounds, and Rudy Fernandez was the only other Portland player in double figures.  He had 10 points, but hit just 3-10 shots. At one point the Portland went on 15-0 scoring run in the game, spanning halftime.

The Trail Blazers did lose forward/center Marcus Camby late in the game as he appeared to injure his ankle.  A big loss for a team trying to make a push towards the playoffs, and with a tough schedule coming up.

The Lakers are now 3-0 on their seven-game homestand, and will take on the Phoenix Suns Tuesday night at Staples Center.  The last time the Suns were in Los Angeles, they hit 22-40 three-pointers on their way to a shocking 121-116 win back on November 14.  The Lakers have won both games in Phoenix this season.

Link: Lakers vs. Trail Blazers Box Score

Andrew Bynum blocks Kevin Love's shot.

The Lakers have won 11 of 12 games since the All-Star break, but Friday night’s win against the lowly Minnesota Timberwolves may have been the toughest victory of the bunch. 

The Lakers overcame Kobe Bryant’s struggles with his sore ankle, and Andrew Bynum’s fourth quarter ejection to beat the Wolves 106-98 at Staples Center.

Pau Gasol scored 25 points and four blocks on 12-17 from the field, as the Lakers battled back from an early 10-point deficit.  Bryant struggled with his shot most of the night but did finish with 18 points, five assists, and four rebounds.  Bynum had 10 points and 14 rebounds before he was tossed in the fourth quarter after a Flagrant 2 foul call on Michael Beasley.

Bynum, who again was dominant on the defensive end again, struggled a bit offensively and was clearly frustrated late in the game after missing a dunk and committing an offensive foul.

As Beasley drove to the rim, Bynum jumped up and threw out his hip and elbow into Beasley who went crashing to the floor, but did get up angrily very quickly.  Bynum was ejected after officials checked the replay.  Beasley made both foul shots, but left the game moments later with a sore hip. At the time the Wolves still held the lead.

Bryant who scored just six points in the first half, scored 12 in the second half, and hit some crucial jump shots late to get the Lakers back out in front.  He didn’t start the second half, as it appeared he was getting extra work done on his sprained ankle during halftime.  Shannon Brown started the third quarter and finished with 14 points off the bench.

With the Wolves clinging to an 89-88 lead, the Lakers went on a 12-6 run, highlighted by a Lamar Odom three-pointer with just over 1:30 left in the game that put the Lakers up by their biggest margin of the night 100-94.   Minnesota could get no closer than five in the final minute as the Lakers extended their winning streak over the Timberwolves to 15 games.  The Wolves haven’t beaten the Lakers since March of 2007.

For the game, the Lakers shot 47.6% (40-84) from the field, including 8-19 (42.1%) from beyond the arc.  They held Minnesota to 44.3% (39-88) from the floor and just 7-21 (33.3%) from long range.  The Wolves did win the rebound battle 45-44, but actually held a double-digit rebound lead early in the game.

Wesley Johnson led all scorers with 29 points on 11-21 from the floor for Minnesota.  Michael Beasley had 18 points and seven rebounds before he left the game, and Kevin Love tallied another double-double with 15 points and 13 rebounds.

The win put the Lakers in sole position of second place in the Western Conference at 49-20, one full game ahead of Dallas, who lost to San Antonio 97-91 on Friday.

The world champs continue their seven-game homestand on Sunday night against the surging Portland Trail Blazers.  Los Angeles has beaten Portland twice already this season.  They could however be without the services of Bynum, who may face a league suspension for his flagrant foul on Beasley.  That could pose a problem against the suddenly very big and healthy Trail Blazer team.

Link: Lakers vs. Timberwolves Box Score

Andrew Bynum grabs one of his 18 rebounds.

If Andrew Bynum continues to play defense and rebound the way he has since the All-Star break, the Lakers will be a very difficult team to beat yet again come playoff time.

Bynum scored 10 points, grabbed a game-high 18 rebounds, and blocked four shots, as the Lakers overcame a five-point halftime deficit and pushed their way easily past the Orlando Magic 97-84 at Staples Center on Monday night.

The Lakers are 10-1 since the All-Star game, and continue to play well against the league’s elite teams. The win on Monday pulled the champs (48-20) virtually even with the Dallas Mavericks (47-19) for second in the Western Conference standings. Both teams are 6.5 games behind the San Antonio Spurs.

Kobe Bryant, playing despite a sore right ankle, scored 16 points, but struggled shooting just 7-19 from the field.  He only needed to play a little over 30 minutes on this night however.  Pau Gasol scored a game-high 23 points, Lamar Odom had 16 points and seven rebounds off the bench, and Derek Fisher chipped in 15 points.  The Lakers had five players score in double figures.

The Magic were able to stay ahead early thanks to some hot shooting from the three-point line, and the Lakers’ inability to put the ball in the basket.  In fact, the Lakers shot just 27% in the first quarter, but trailed only by six (25-19) thanks to the second efforts on the boards by Bynum, who had nine offensive rebounds for the game.

The Lakers trailed 46-41 at the half, but took over defensively in the second half.  The game was still close after three quarters with Los Angeles nursing a 71-66 lead, until the Lakers’ reserves put together an 18-5 run against the Orlando starters to push the game to 85-69 with just over seven minutes left.  The Magic were never able to get closer than 11 points the rest of the way as the two-time defending champs cruised to the victory.

Dwight Howard had 22 points and 15 rebounds, but did most of his damage with the game out of reach, and Bynum on the bench.  He also turned the ball over a horrific nine times.  He was also nowhere near as dominant as the first time the two teams met in Orlando, and was rejected near the rim twice by Bynum, a sign that this would be no easy night for the All-Star.

Jameer Nelson and Ryan Anderson each scored 13 points, and Hedo Turkoglu added 12.  Orlando got just 13 points from their bench, including an 0-6 performance from the field from Gilbert Arenas, who continues to have a disastrous season since being traded from Washington earlier this year.

For the game, the Magic did out shoot the Lakers from the field, 47.1% to 43.8%, but the Lakers’ shooting woes were mostly in the first half.  They shot over 50% in the second half.  Los Angeles outrebounded Orlando 41-39, including 14-6 at the offensive end.  The Magic as a team turned the ball over 18 times to the Lakers’ five giveaways.  Orlando did make 10-23 (43.5%) from beyond the arc, but struggled after a hot start.

Monday’s win was the first of seven straight home games for the Lakers, as they continue their strong push towards the playoffs.  They now get four days off until they host Minnesota on Friday night.

Link: Lakers vs. Magic Box Score

Kobe Bryant pours in two of his 33 against the Knicks.

The Lakers had no problems putting away the Knicks early for the second time this season, as they rolled over the New Yorkers 113-96 at Madison Square Garden on Friday night.

Kobe Bryant was the star on this night, unleashing his entire repertoire of shots on the star-filled New York crowd, as he played yet another stellar game in one of the NBA’s most-storied buildings.

Bryant finished the game with 33 points and 10 rebounds on 12-17 shooting from the floor, playing just under 29 minutes. He scored 19 of his 33 in the first quarter, including a buzzer-beating turnaround jumper that put the Lakers up 30-28 after one.

Pau Gasol had a solid game with 20 points and six rebounds, and he also got a long rest on the bench as the Lakers led by double-figures for most of the night.

Lamar Odom had 14 points off the bench, Andrew Bynum scored 12 points and grabbed nine boards, and Shannon Brown hit six of his 10 shots, including a highlight-reel alley-oop dunk in the second quarter, en route to 12 points.

The Knicks stayed close early, trailed by just two after one quarter, and took the lead early in the second. But the Lakers’ bench came in and took the game away from the home team, and the Lakers built a 62-48 lead at halftime.

In the third quarter, Bryant hit a jumper over Danilo Gallinari to put the Lakers up 70-52. The Knicks then made their last real run of the night, going on a 10-1 burst to close to within nine at 71-62. But the Lakers responded and scored six straight, culminating with a three-pointer by Bryant from the right side to go up 77-62. New York never got closer than 11 points the rest of the game, trailing by as many as 20 in the fourth quarter, as the champs cruised to the easy victory.

The Lakers shot 53.6% (45-84) from the field for the game, and 6-15 (40.0%) from the three-point line. But it was their defense that was most-impressive on this night, as they held the high-scoring Knicks to just 41.2% (32-85) from the floor and a miserable 5-20 (25.0%) from beyond the arc. New York did outrebound the Lakers 44-41, but most of that rebound advantage was gained in the fourth quarter with the game well over.

Amar’e Stoudemire led the Knicks with 20 points and 10 rebounds, but shot just 9-20 from the field, turning the ball over six times, and picking up a technical foul. Raymond Felton had a solid all-around game with 20 points and seven assist on 7-12 from the floor. Gallanari had 14 points, but hit just 4-15 from the field, including 0-6 from beyond the arc.

The Knicks have now lost to the Lakers eight straight times, including four in a row at Madison Square Garden. The Lakers moved their road record to 19-8, which surprisingly now matches their home record.

Los Angeles is now 4-0 on their current road trip, which takes them next to Orlando to go up against Dwight Howard and the Magic for the first time this season on Sunday. From there they head to Charlotte on Monday, and finish off the seven-game trip on Wednesday against the woeful Cleveland Cavaliers.

Link: Lakers @ Knicks Box Score