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Kobe Gets Lakers Past Celtics
02.11.11
Kobe Bryant drives to hoop against Celtics.
Ray Allen may have gotten the biggest cheers for his record-setting night, but Kobe Bryant got the last laugh, as the Lakers rallied from 15 points down to beat the Boston Celtics 92-86 at the TD Garden on Thursday night.
Bryant scored 20 of his game-high 23 points in the second half, including eight in the fourth quarter, as the Lakers avenged a very poor 109-96 loss they suffered against the Celtics two weeks ago at Staples Center.
The game got off to a rocky start for the the champs, as they shot poorly early, and Ray Allen torched them for 12 points in the first quarter, including his 2,561st three-pointer that put him past Reggie Miller as the league’s all-time leader in field goals beyond the arc. But Allen struggled after the first quarter, as the Lakers worked hard to run him off the three-point line, and he finished the game with 20 points but just 3-8 from deep.
The Lakers trailed 37-22 early in the second quarter, before the bench helped to chip away at the lead led by Lamar Odom and Shannon Brown. A 10-0 spurt late in the quarter pulled the Lakers to within eight at 53-45 at halftime.
In the second half, the Lakers again had a 10-0 run to start the half, and took their first lead of the game at 61-60. The teams went back and forth for most of the third quarter, with the Lakers holding a slim 72-68 going into the fourth quarter.
With Bryant on the bench to start the fourth, Lamar Odom hit a three-pointer, Brown followed up a miss with a wild putback to give the Lakers a 77-68 lead. The Celtics put their starters back in, and got the game to within 82-79, but Bryant hit several crucial baskets down the stretch, including a 12-footer with 54 seconds left that sealed the win.
The win was easily the Lakers’ biggest of the season, as they have struggled both home and away with the league’s elite teams. The Celtics did play without Shaquille O’Neal again, and lost Nate Robinson early in the game, but did have their four All-Stars.
Pau Gasol rebounded from a poor performance against Boston in the last meeting, to score 20 points and grab 10 rebounds. Andrew Bynum was a force down low on both sides of the ball, scoring 16 points to go along with nine rebounds. Shannon Brown had 12 off the bench, and Lamar Odom chipped in with 10 points and a game-high 12 boards.
The Lakers managed to shoot a solid 47.9.% (35-73) from the floor, and outrebounded the Celtics 47-36. Boston, who is the only NBA team that shoots over 50% from the floor, were held to 40.2% (33-82) from the field and just 5-16 (31.3%) from the three-point line. Los Angeles also had 20 assists in the game, doubling the paltry 10 they had in the first meeting.
Besides Allen’s 20 points, Paul Pierce had 15 points on just 6-15 from the floor, Rajon Rondo had 12 points and 10 assists, and Kevin Garnett added 10 points and 11 rebounds, but hit just 4-13 from the floor.
The Lakers are now 3-0 on their current seven-game road trip, but are in the midst of playing four games in five nights. They play tomorrow night in New York against the Knicks, for the team’s second and final meeting this season. The Lakers won the first match up easily 109-87 at Staples Center back on January 9th. Bryant led the way that night with 27 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists.
Lakers Escape Past Rockets in OT
02.02.11
Heroes against Houston, Kobe Bryant and Lamar Odom.
The Lakers needed an extra five minutes to get it done, but they were able to escape Tuesday night with a 114-106 win over the fiesty Houston Rockets, to avoid a disastrous three-game losing streak at home.
Kobe Bryant had 32 points, 11 assists, and six rebounds on 13-25 from the floor, hitting a floater in the lane with 38 seconds left in overtime to put the Lakers up 110-106, as they held on for the eight-point win that was every bit a grind.
Lamar Odom had his second career 20/20 game, scoring 20 points and grabbing 20 rebounds in a starting role, as the Lakers played without Andrew Bynum who missed the game with a bruised knee. Pau Gasol rebounded from two terrible games to score 26 points and 16 rebounds, including the tie-breaking layup in overtime that put the world champs ahead for good.
The injury-depleted Rockets kept the game close all night. After the Lakers built a 43-31 lead early in the second quarter, Houston quickly fought back and trailed only 54-48 at halftime, and the Lakers never regained that strong momentum again until late in overtime.
In the second half, the Rockets came out fired up, and at one point took a 68-63 lead midway through the third quarter. The Lakers rallied back and held a six-point lead with just over two minutes left in the game. But Houston refused to go away, and tied the game with 5.5 seconds left on a wide-open layup by Luis Scola. Odom then missed an off-balance three-pointer at the buzzer to send the game into overtime.
In the extra session, the Rockets took a 104-100 lead on a jumper by Scola with 2:48 left, before the Lakers went on a 10-2 run, capped off by Bryant’s basket with 38 ticks left. That was enough to get the Lakers the much-needed victory after two very difficult losses to Sacramento and Boston at home.
Kevin Martin led the Rockets with 30 points, and oddly enough was the only Rocket to get to the foul line, hitting 10-11. Luis Scola had 24 points and 15 rebounds, and Aaron Brooks scored 16 off the bench, although he hit just 2-10 from beyond the arc.
The Lakers, who had just 10 assists on Sunday, had 22 against the Rockets. Bryant, who had zero dimes against Boston, had seven alone in the first quarter, as he looked to get his teammates involved early. And this time, they made the shots.
For the game the Lakers shot 48.4% (44-91) from the field, and outrebounded the Rockets 54-44. Gasol and Odom combined for 36 of the 54 boards. The Lakers also had 16 offensive rebounds. But they allowed way too many second-chance points, letting Houston grab 16 offensive rebounds themselves. The second-chance baskets and easy layups made the game a lot closer than it should have been.
The Rockets shot just 43.0% (43-100) from the floor, and took a whopping 38 three-pointers, hitting just 10 (26.3%). In fact Houston’s point guards, Kyle Lowry and Brooks, combined to go a miserable 2-16 from beyond the arc, and just 10-30 from the field overall.
The Lakers’ next game is Thursday night at home against the team with the best record in the NBA, the San Antonio Spurs, at an amazing 40-8. The Spurs did lose to Portland 99-86 on Tuesday night however. This will be the second meeting of the year between the two teams. The Spurs dominated the Lakers in the second half in San Antonio en route to a 97-82 win on December 28th.
It is unknown whether Bynum will be back for Thursday’s game, but coach Phil Jackson didn’t sound optimistic, especially with the center’s history of knee problems. Bynum did play in the first game, scoring 10 points off the bench.
Lakers Hammer Jazz at Staples Center Again
01.26.11
Kobe Bryant puts up a jumper for two against Jazz.
The Utah Jazz hate playing the Lakers at Staples Center, and coming in with a four-game losing streak didn’t make their prospects for a win any better on Tuesday. Behind a balanced attack, the Lakers obliterated the Jazz 120-91, dropping Utah for the 17th straight time in Los Angeles.
The Lakers, coming off an impressive win in Denver on Friday, continued their strong play against the struggling Jazz. They jumped out to a 37-22 lead after one quarter, and never looked back. The lead ballooned to 66-38 at halftime, and by early in the fourth quarter it had grown to 38. The Lakers finished the game shooting a season-high 62.0% from the floor in their league-leading eighth wire-to-wire victory.
Kobe Bryant scored 21 points to go along with six assists, and got a ton of rest in the blowout, playing just over 26 minutes for the night. He needs just 13 points to pass Hakeem Olajuwon for eighth place on the NBA’s all-time scoring list.
Pau Gasol had 20 points and seven rebounds, Andrew Bynum scored 19 points to go along with 11 rebounds and three blocked shots. Lamar Odom had 17 points and eight rebounds off the bench, including a circus shot jumper from the right baseline as he was fouled, for a three-point play. It was that kind of night for the champs.
The Jazz shot just 41.9% (36-86) from the floor for the game, and the final score certainly didn’t reflect how good the Laker defense was. Utah’s shooting percentage greatly improved when the game was out of reach, and both teams cleared the benches for extended “garbage time.”
To go along with their hot shooting, the Lakers had 34 assists on their 44 baskets, with five players notching at least four assists. In fact, everyone on the team had at least one assist, except for Joe Smith who played just four minutes of the fourth quarter.
Deron Williams led the Jazz with 17 points and eight assists, but didn’t get much help from anyone else. He also turned the ball over five times as the Lakers were aggressive against him on the perimeter. C.J. Miles had 14 points, Paul Milsap scored 11, and Al Jefferson was the only other Jazz player in double-figures with 10 points and nine rebounds.
The Jazz are now 3-19 all-time against the Lakers at Staples Center, including the playoffs. The last time the Jazz won at on the road against the Lakers was New Year’s Day in 2006, 98-94.
The Lakers have also won 12 of their last 15 overall, including three of four against Western Conference playoff teams. They’re now sitting at 33-13, 5.5 games behind the conference-leading Spurs. They also have the NBA’s third best record behind San Antonio (38-7) and Boston (33-10).
The Lakers’ next game is Friday night against the last place Sacramento Kings, who they have beaten 14 of the last 16 times the teams have faced each other, including two easy wins this season. The Lakers will look to avoid a letdown before Sunday’s huge match up against the Boston Celtics at Staples Center. That game will be the first between two teams since the Lakers 83-79 win in Game 7 of the NBA Finals last June.
Laker Bigs Dominate in Win Over Nuggets
01.24.11
Andrew Bynum goes up for two against Nuggets.
The Lakers have had their problems in Denver the last few seasons, but righted the ship on Friday with a solid 107-97 over the Nuggets at the Pepsi Center.
The Lakers rebounded from their embarrassing second half performance in Dallas on Wednesday, with a much better all-around effort against the Nuggets, especially from their frontcourt, which dominated all game long.
Pau Gasol scored 19 points and grabbed 13 rebounds, Ron Artest scored a season-high 19 points, Lamar Odom poured in 18 points and 10 rebounds, and Andrew Bynum chipped in with 17 points and seven rebounds, part of a very balanced attack for the world champs. The Lakers got 73 of their 107 points from those four players up front.
Kobe Bryant scored 18 points on 8-15 from the floor, to go along with seven assists and six rebounds. He also made several critical baskets in the third quarter to help the Lakers pull away.
The game was close throughout the first half, with both teams trading blows. The Lakers trailed early by seven, but fought back in the second quarter and forged a 41-36 lead. The Nuggets then went on a 16-8 run to end the half, to take a 52-49 lead to the break, the same three-point lead they held after the first quarter.
But Bryant led the charge in the third quarter, as the Lakers took control of the game, and led 82-72 after three. In the fourth quarter, the Lakers never let up. The Nuggets could get no closer, as Los Angeles led by as many as 14 points in the final period en route to the surprisingly easy victory.
The Lakers absolutely destroyed the Nuggets on the glass, 47-27, including 15 offensive rebounds, which gave the Los Angeles 10 extra shots. The Lakers also shot 53.4% (47-88) from the floor and turned the ball over only nine times. The good shooting and protecting of the ball didn’t allow Denver to get up and down the court for easy baskets, which has been their trademark against the bigger Lakers.
Denver didn’t shoot poorly at 47.4% (37-78), but hit only 7-21 (33.3%) from the three-point line, and managed to get to the free throw line only 20 times, converting 16. They lead the league in foul shot attempts, at over 31 per game.
Carmelo Anthony, still in a Nugget uniform, scored 23 points, but shot just 10-24, as Artest made life difficult on the All-Star most of the night, forcing him into tough shots. Aaron Afflalo had a superb game with 22 points on 8-11 from the floor, including 5-7 from beyond the arc. Chauncey Billups added 16 points.
The win snapped a two-game road losing streak for the Lakers, and may have been their best win away from Los Angeles this year. They’re now 15-8 on the road, and have won 11 of their last 14 games overall.
The Lakers’ next game is Tuesday night against the struggling Utah Jazz at home. The Jazz beat the Lakers earlier this season 102-96 in Utah on November 26th, a game that saw Los Angeles blow a 19-point lead. Tuesday’s game against Utah will be the first of five straight at Staples Center for the Lakers, as they also face Boston and San Antonio on this homestand.
Lakers Defense-Less in Dallas
01.19.11
Lamar Odom goes up for two against Mavericks.
The Lakers certainly did enough offensively to win on Wednesday, unfortunately they played one of their worst defensive games of the season, losing to the the Dallas Mavericks 109-100 at the American Airlines Center.
It’s not often a team shoots 54.3% from the floor in this day and age in the NBA and loses. But when the other team shoots 55.0%, then it makes sense. And that’s what happened against Dallas, as a good offensive game was wasted by the Lakers due to their inability to stop the Mavericks at all in the second half.
As has been the case in recent games, the Lakers led early, and led by double-figures at certain points as well. But they just can’t seem to play consistent defense for 48 minutes, allowing teams back into games, and quickly. Dallas erased an 11-point first half deficit, and a 9-point third quarter deficit, storming back for a relatively easy win.
In fact at one point in the in the fourth quarter, the Mavericks led 97-81, before the Lakers went on a 10-2 run, highlighted by a 4-point and a 3-point play by Lamar Odom. But they could get no closer, as the Mavs just had too big of a cushion and the Lakers were just unable to get stops at the defensive end. The Mavericks outscored the Lakers 27-8 to finish the third quarter, which was the difference in the game.
Pau Gasol led the Lakers with 23 points on 11-16 from the floor, though he had just five rebounds. Kobe Bryant had 21 points and 10 assists, and Lamar Odom continues to play great basketball, scoring 20 points and grabbing 10 boards off the bench. He was the one real bright spot in the loss.
The biggest issue for the Lakers was allowing a Dallas team that had lost six in a row and was really struggling offensively, to hit 12-26 (46.2%) from the three-point line. And many of those shots were completely uncontested, as the Lakers were out of position on defense on so many occasions, it was hard to keep count. Both teams had 35 rebounds.
Jason Kidd, who went scoreless against Detroit in Dallas’ last game, scored a season-high 21 points on 5-8 from beyond the arc, to go along with 10 assists. Shawn Marion got to the basket at will, looking like the high-flying act he was in his younger days in Phoenix, as he scored 22 points off the bench.
Jason Terry, who was one for his last 18 from the three-point line hit 4-6 against the Lakers, for 22 points off the bench as well. Dirk Nowitski, coming back from a sprained knee, struggled with just 14 points on 5-15 shooting, but it hardly mattered on this night, as Dallas snapped their losing streak.
The Lakers will try to move on from that forgettable second half in Dallas to face Carmelo Anthony and the Denver Nuggets on Friday at the Pepsi Center. The Nuggets beat the Lakers 118-112 back on November 11th, a game Los Angeles led by 10 in the fourth quarter in Denver, before collapsing down the stretch as Anthony went for 32 points.
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