Odom had his best all-around season as a Laker in 2010-11, averaging 14.4 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 3.0 assists predominantly off the bench for the two-time defending NBA champs. He also shot career-highs of 53.0% from the field and 38.2% from the three-point line. Odom started 35 games in the absence of center Andrew Bynum, and is one of six Lakers to play in all 82 regular season games.

It’s the first major award for Odom, who came to the Lakers from the Miami Heat in the Shaquille O’Neal trade in 2004. Always one of the NBA’s most-versatle players, Odom was a starter his entire career before Phil Jackson asked him to move to the bench before the 2008-09 season. He has flourished in the role helping the Lakers win the last two NBA titles.

Odom also becomes the first Laker to win the award.

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

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

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.

Link: Lakers @ Celtics Box Score

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.

Link: Lakers vs. Rockets Box Score

Kobe Bryant makes circus shot against Nets.

The New Jersey Nets, one of the league’s doormats, certainly has not made life easy for the defending NBA champs in two games this season. The Lakers had their hands full again on Friday night, but led by Kobe Bryant, were able to get a 100-88 win over the Nets at Staples Center.

Bryant scored a team-high 27 points, to go along with four assists and four rebounds, as the Lakers beat the Nets for the seventh straight time.  But it wasn’t easy.

The Nets led after one quarter 24-22, as Brook Lopez shredded the Lakers down low all game long.  The Lakers recpatured the lead 45-40 by halftime, but never were able to shake New Jersey completely in the second half.

During the second 24 minutes, the Lakers had the lead up to double-digits on a few occasions, but the Nets simply would not go away, led by the play of Lopez and former Lakers Jordan Farmar and Sasha Vujacic.  And with all the Carmelo Anthony trade rumors surrounding team, their focused effort was even more impressive.

The Lakers made enough good plays in the fourth quarter and kept the visitors at arm’s length to get the win.  It was Los Angeles’ seventh straight victory, their longest since opening the season with eight consecutive wins.

Pau Gasol scored 20 points and grabbed nine rebounds in under 33 minutes.  He also blocked four shots.  Lamar Odom had 14 points and a 11 rebounds off the bench, and Ron Artest played a solid game, scoring 14 points on 5-7 shooting from the field.   Andrew Bynum was in foul trouble all game long, and managed just two points and five rebounds in 22 minutes.

The Lakers shot 49.3% (35-71) from the field, hit 25-35 free throws, and committed only nine turnovers.  Their downfall was on the glass, as the Nets held the rebound edge 45-38, including 15-7 at the offensive end.  The second chances allowed New Jersey to take 14 more shots from the field, which kept them in the game, despite shooting just 42.4% (36-85) from the floor.

Lopez had a huge game, with 35 points on 13-19 from the floor.  He was just two off his career-high of 37 points.  He also added six rebounds and four assists.

Farmar and Vujacic got warm ovations from Lakers’ fans in their first games back at Staples Center.   Vujacic was second on the team in scoring, tallying 17 points on 7-16 from the field off the bench.  Farmar also had a nice game with 12 points, also coming off the bench.  They were the only two players in double-figures besides Lopez.

The Lakers next game is Sunday at Staples Center against the Clippers.  The Clippers will be the designated home team for the game, and are playing much better ball as of late, including a shocking 111-105 win over the Miami Heat on Wednesday. The Lakers beat the Clippers 87-86 back on December 8th, on a running layup by Derek Fisher at the buzzer.

Link: Lakers vs. Nets Box Score

Pau Gasol lays in two against Wizards.

In game that was far closer than it should have been, the Lakers got 32 points from Kobe Bryant and beat the slumping Washington Wizards 115-108 at Staples Center on Tuesday night.

The game wasn’t exactly a walk in the park for the Lakers, although it looked like it would be for a while.  They led 69-56 at halftime, and by the middle of the third quarter, had a 19-point lead. 

But the Wizards chipped away late in the period, and cut the Lakers’ lead to 87-84 after three.  They got no closer in the fourth, however, as the Lakers managed to make enough plays down the stretch for the 7-point victory.

Pau Gasol nearly had his second triple-double of the season.  He wound up finishing with 21 points, 14 rebounds, eight assists, and five blocked shots, in almost 43 minutes.  It appears that whatever was wrong with Gasol’s hamstring seems to have improved over the last several days, as he showed no signs of injury on the court.

Lamar Odom also had a nice night with 24 points and seven rebounds.  Shannon Brown added 12 off of the bench.

Former USC-star Nick Young scored 30 points off the bench in his return home to lead the Wizards.  Gilbert Arenas played his first game against the Lakers in over three years, scoring 23 points.  The last time he played at Staples, he scored 60 points in a 147-141 overtime win.   That was also the last time the Wizards beat the Lakers, they have lost eight straight since.

Rookie John Wall was very impressive, scoring 22 points and dishing out 14 assists, as he showed his incredible speed and quickness in the open court scoring several dazzling layups.

The game certainly wasn’t a thing of beauty for the Lakers, as their field goal percentage plummeted in the second half, and they finished shooting just 44.9% from the floor for the game.  They also struggled again from the three-point line, hitting just 7-25 (28.0%).  They did outrebound the Wizards 45-34 including 22-9 on the offensive end.   The Wizards also did turn the ball over 17 times, compared to only 13 for the Lakers.

While it may not have been the ideal way to go out before the upcoming seven-game road trip, a victory is still a victory.  And with everyone in the West playing so well right now, the Lakers can ill afford to falter against any more sub-.500 teams.

The Lakers’ next game is tomorrow night against the Clippers.  And while the Lakers are technically considered the “road” team for the game, they really won’t hit the road until they play in Chicago on Friday. It will be the Lakers’ first look at Clipper rookie-sensation Blake Griffin.

The Lakers also hope to have Andrew Bynum back at some point on the road trip, as he completed his first full practice on Monday with the team, and experienced no pain or swelling in his knee. A good sign for a return soon.

Link: Lakers vs. Wizards Box Score

Kobe Bryant shoots over Brandon Rush.

The Indiana Pacers had never beaten the Lakers at Staples Center since the facility opened in 1999, including three Finals losses in 2000.  On Sunday night, they changed all that, beating the Lakers 95-92 in a very lackluster performance by the world champs.

The Pacers took over in the second quarter, outscoring the Lakers 28-19, and holding a 51-45 lead at halftime.  They never relinquished that advantage, and held a double-digit lead through much of the second half, before the Lakers rallied late in the fourth quarter to make a game of it.

Kobe Bryant scored 41 points, but missed two potential game-tying three-pointers in the final 10 seconds, and the Pacers players and coaches celebrated their second impressive road win in less than a week.  They beat the Miami Heat in Miami last Monday 93-77.

Lamar Odom scored 15 points, and grabbed 11 rebounds in the losing effort.  Pau Gasol added 13 points, and 12 rebounds, but shot only 5-15 from the field.  Both he and Odom appeared tired at the end of the game, having to over 40 minutes with the Lakers injuries up front.  It seems the heavy minutes are starting to take their toll on the Lakers’ best two inside players.

The Laker bench, which has played so well this season, also struggled, scoring only 14 points and hitting just 1-8 from beyond the arc.  The Lakers as a team shot a paltry 38.6% from the field, only 7-23 (30.4%) from the three-point line, and were outrebounded again 48-45.

The star of the game for the Pacers was center Roy Hibbert.  The third-year pro from Georgetown scored 24 points, with 11 rebounds, and six assists, as he continues to make remarkable progress this season.  Danny Granger had 18 points, and Darren Collison scored 14, as the Pacers upped their record to 8-7.

The Lakers’ loss dropped them to 13-4 and 1 1/2 games behind the Spurs for first place in the Western Conference, as they head out on a two-game roadtrip this week to Memphis and Houston.   The Lakers also are awaiting word on when they will have center Andrew Bynum back on the court, as the team is desperate for help up front.

Link: Lakers vs. Pacers Box Score

Kobe drives to basket past Deron Williams.

Things were looking in good Utah. Kobe Bryant had scored 14 points over a two-minute stretch in the fourth quarter, and the Lakers had a five-point lead with just over two-minutes left. That’s where the fun ended in Salt Lake City on Friday night.

The Utah Jazz scored the last 11 points of the game, withstanding Bryant’s late scoring barrage, and defeated the Lakers 102-96.  They also trailed the world champs by 19 points early in the game, but erased that deficit to take a 75-72 lead after three quarters.

Kobe Bryant led the Lakers with 31 points, playing just under 34 minutes.  Pau Gasol scored 21 and grabbed 11 rebounds, bouncing back from a sub-par game against Chicago on Tuesday.  Lamar Odom had 16 points and 10 rebounds.

It looked like the game would be a laugher early, as the Lakers led 33-17 after one quarter, and still held a double-digit lead midway through the second.  That’s when the Jazz’ bench, led by Ronnie Price, came in and sparked a rally that got them back in the game before halftime. 

After the break, the game was a dogfight, as the lead changed hand several times, with no team leading by more than five points until the final score. The play of the game turned out to be Bryant losing the ball out front, and Raja Bell scoring an uncontested layup to put the Jazz up 98-96. Ron Artest then missed a wide-open three-pointer, and the Jazz made all their free throws down the stretch for the win.

Deron Williams led the Jazz with 29 points (10-14 from the field), and 12 assists.   Al Jefferson, who hadn’t played on a team that had beaten the Lakers since 2005, scored 20 points, and grabbed eight rebounds.  Paul Milsap had 13 points and eight rebounds for the Jazz, who moved to 12-5 on the season.

It was the second straight poor-shooting game for the Lakers, as they managed to hit just 41.8% from the field, and just 4-15 (26.7%) from the three-point line.  In fact, Steve Blake and Derek Fisher alone combined to shoot 0-6 from beyond the arc.  It was also the Lakers’ second straight game under 100 points, the first time that’s happened all year.

The loss dropped the Lakers to 13-3, and left them still 1/2 game behind San Antonio for first place in the Western Conference.  Their next game is home on Sunday against the Indiana Pacers, who earlier this week knocked off the Miami Heat 93-77 in Miami.  The Lakers head out for a quick two-game road trip after Sunday’s game.

Link: Lakers @ Jazz Box Score

Kobe Bryant scores two of his 33 against Pistons.

The Lakers made short work of the Detroit Pistons on Wednesday, leading by as many as 26 points in the second half, as they cruised to a 103-90 victory at the Palace of Auburn Hills.

Kobe Bryant took advantage of smaller defenders all night, scoring a game-high 33 points, with nine rebounds, and four assists in just under 32 minutes of action.  Pau Gasol dominated the worst-rebounding team in the league in the paint, with 25 points and 12 rebounds, and Lamar Odom added 15 points and 14 boards.   The Lakers outrebounded the Pistons 55-41.

In a microcosm of the Pistons’ season so far, guard Richard Hamilton was ejected with two technicals just five minutes into the game, after he picked up two early fouls guarding Kobe Bryant.   Discipline and internal battles have been a recurring theme for Detroit, as they continue to unravel on the court.

The Lakers took advantage of the Pistons’ woes, jumping out to a 59-45 lead halftime.  The lead ballooned to 78-52 late in the third quarter, as the NBA champs showed no mercy in piling up the points.  The final score was not indicative of how one-sided the game really was, as the Pistons made it respectable against the end of the Lakers’ bench in the fourth quarter.

The Pistons were led by Rodney Stuckey’s 18 points.  Tayshaun Prince had 13 points, and Austin Daye added 12.  Nobody else on the squad tallied more than eight points.

The Lakers held the Pistons to a miserable 39.3% from the field, including 4-16 (25.0%) from the 3-point line.  The only bright spots for the home team on the stat sheet were that they only committed just five turnovers, and held the league’s highest-scoring team to 103 points.  The Lakers have now beaten the Pistons three straight times in Detroit, after dropping the previous six there.

The Lakers conclude their three-game road trip on Friday in Minnesota.  The Lakers have already beaten the Timberwolves once this season in Los Angeles, but it was a struggle in a 99-94 win back on November 9.

Link: Lakers @ Pistons Box Score