Game #17 – November 25, 2019
	114	-	104
AT&T Center – San Antonio, TX

Team Leaders Lakers

Points – James 33, Davis 19, Caldwell-Pope 14

Rebounds – Davis 12, Green 9, McGee 6

Assists – James 14, Davis 6, Rondo 3

Team Leaders Spurs

Points – Aldridge 30, DeRozan 24, Forbes 13

Rebounds – Murray 8, Poeltl 8, Lyles 6

Assists – DeRozan 5, Forbes 5, White 4

Lakers @ Spurs – Box Score 11.25.19

Game #42 – January 9, 2019
	113	-	100
Staples Center – Los Angeles, CA

Team Leaders Lakers

Points – Kuzma 41, Beasley 19, Caldwell-Pope 15

Rebounds – Ingram 9, Zubac 9, Hart 7

Assists – Ball 11, Ingram 6, 2 Players Tied With 4

Team Leaders Pistons

Points – Griffin 16, Galloway 15, Jackson 15

Rebounds – Drummond 17, Kennard 5, 3 Players Tied With 3

Assists – Griffin 6, Jackson 5, 3 Players Tied With 2

Lakers vs. Pistons – Box Score 01.09.19

Kobe Bryant fights to get shot up against Phoenix.

131
The number of times the Lakers have beaten the Phoenix Suns all-time in the regular season. The two teams have played each other 222 times counting Friday. The Lakers have a +.500 regular season winning percentage against every team in the NBA except for the Boston Celtics and amazingly…the Charlotte Bobcats.

114
The amount of points the Lakers scored Friday, their most this season. And they did it while playing a much more up tempo offense which is the hallmark of a Mike D’Antoni-coached team.

92
Kobe Bryant’s free throw percentage through the first nine games. After hitting 10-11 on Friday, he’s now made 56 of his first 61 to start the season. Oh by the way, he’s also shooting 53.1% from the field.

52
The amount of points Metta World Peace has scored in his last three games, including 22 against Phoenix on Friday. He’s also made 11 of his last 26 three-pointers, as his shooting is definitely improving. Good to see.

48
The number of rebounds the Lakers grabbed on Friday, as they continue to dominate their opponents in that category this year. They’re averaging over 47 rebounds a night, nearly 15 at the offensive end. They had 17 offensive boards Friday.

25
Number of assists the Lakers had on Friday, which certainly is a big part of the reason they scored 114 points. Kobe and Darius Morris had 6 apiece to lead the team.

12
The number of turnovers the Lakers had Friday, which was a season-low. Think about the fact that they were playing a more up tempo style, but actually turned the ball over less. That’s a good sign right there.

7
The amount of foul shots Phoenix made on Friday. They actually only attempted 15, which isn’t surprising considering they don’t have a lot of guys that drive to the basket, and they do rely on the outside shot so much. But still interesting. Kobe by himself made 10.

That’s all for tonight, see you Sunday.

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

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.

Link: Lakers vs. Jazz Box Score

Kobe Bryant looks to pass against Thunder.

The Lakers bounced back from their disappointing Sunday afternoon loss to the Clippers, with a solid effort against one of West’s better teams, beating the Oklahoma City Thunder 101-94 at Staples Center on Monday night.

The Lakers haven’t beaten very many good teams this season so far, and were only 5-5 against teams with winning records coming in to Monday’s game.  So a win over a solid Oklahoma City team was important.  It also started a tough stretch for the Lakers, as they also play Dallas, Denver, and Utah in the next week.

Kobe Bryant scored 21 points, including seven in the third quarter when the Lakers seemingly took control of the game.  He hit 7-12 from the floor, to go along with seven assists and five rebounds, but shot just 6-11 from the foul line, and uncharacteristically missed two with the game still relatively close with 30 seconds left.  The misses didn’t cost the team however.

Oklahoma City, riding a 4-game winning streak, played the first half tight with the world champs.  The Lakers were able to make a small run to close out the half and take a 58-55 lead into the locker room.  In the second half, Bryant came out firing and by the middle of the quarter, the Lakers had pushed the lead to 76-61, on the strength of a 14-0 run.

But the Thunder would not go away.  Russell Westbrook was relentless attacking the basket,  Kevin Durant started to make tough shots, and the interior defense started to stiffen as the Thunder got themselves back into the game.    After the teams exchanged blows most of the fourth, Pau Gasol hit two baskets late in the quarter to put the Lakers up 98-88, and they were able to hold on down the stretch despite some shaky foul shooting.

Gasol had 21 points, seven rebounds, and three blocked shots, rebounding from his sub-par effort against the Clippers.  Lamar Odom had 16 points and seven rebounds off the bench, and Derek Fisher had a season-high 15 points.

Andrew Bynum had 10 points and 10 rebounds, but found himself in foul trouble again, as Laker guards had a tough time containing Westbrook and his drives to the basket, forcing Bynum to commit several fouls to stop layups.

For the game, the Lakers shot 50.0% (38-76) from the field, and 7-14 from the three-point line, where they have certainly struggled in recent weeks.  The Thunder shot just 42.5% (37-87) from the field, and an absolutely abysmal 2-22 (9.1%) from the three-point line, where they have struggled from all year.  The Lakers won the rebound battle barely 41-40.

Westbrook had a solid game with 32 points and 12 assists, on 12-23 shooting from the floor.  Kevin Durant had 24 points, but was hounded by Ron Artest all night long, and shot just 8-24 from the field, including 1-8 from beyond the arc.  The only other Thunder player in double-figures was Serge Ibaka who scored 11 points.

The win was the Lakers 11th straight at Staples Center over the Thunder, and they’ve now won 10 of their last 12 overall.

Los Angeles’ next game is Wednesday night against the slumping Dallas Mavericks in Dallas.  The Mavs have lost six straight, and have dropped all the way to fifth in the Western Conference standings.  They have been reeling since injuries to Caron Butler and Dirk Nowitski, but do have the big German back in the lineup now after he missed nine games with a knee strain.  Butler is lost for the season.

Link: Lakers vs. Thunder Box Score

Andrew Bynum slams home two against Spurs.

In another lackadaisical second-half effort, the Lakers were blitzed by the San Antonio Spurs and dropped their third straight by 15+ points, 97-82 at the AT&T Center on Tuesday.

It was a game that started off well for the Lakers. They kept it close early on, erasing a nine-point first quarter deficit, and taking a 44-42 lead into halftime. After briefly getting up by four in the third quarter, that’s when the wheels came off, and the Spurs took over.

Led by the hustle and inside play of undersized center DeJuan Blair, and Tony Parker’s relentless attacking of the basket, the Spurs turned the game in their favor and took over in the third quarter, outscoring the Lakers 29-18 in the period. The Lakers never could recover, and never got the game close again, as the Spurs cruised to the win.

Kobe Bryant had another off shooting night, scoring a team-high 21 points, but hitting only 8-27 from the floor. He also picked up another technical foul, his fourth in the three games, after getting into a spat with George Hill in the second quarter. These technicals surely are a sign of the Lakers’ frustration on the court, as they continue having trouble beating good teams.

It was another miserable night offensively for the Lakers, as only Andrew Bynum and Ron Artest scored in double-figures, and they both had 10. Pau Gasol took only eight shots, scoring nine points, to go along with nine rebounds. For the game, the Lakers shot a season-low 35.4% from the field. They did outrebound the Spurs 51-50.

During this three-game losing streak, the Lakers are also averaging just 80.3 points per game, and have shot under 41% in two of the three games. They also are turning the ball over far too much as well, over 15 per game during the streak.

The Spurs were led by Tony Parker’s 23 points on 10-18 from the field. DeJuan Blair had a dominant second half, and scored 17 points and grabbed 15 rebounds for the game. Richard Jefferson had 15 points and seven rebounds

The blowout win was even more impressive for the Spurs, when you consider that Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobili scored only 11 points combined on 4-19 from the floor. In fact Duncan only grabbed four rebounds in 30 minutes of action, yet the Spurs won convincingly.

The Lakers will try to avoid their second four-game losing of the season when they play tomorrow night in New Orleans against the Hornets. The Hornets, after starting the year 11-1, have gone only 7-12 since, as they have encountered their own problems the last month.

Link: Lakers @ Spurs Box Score

Kobe Bryant slams home two against Bulls.

If the Lakers played the rest of the game Friday like they did at the beginning and the end, they wouldn’t have suffered their fifth loss in their last eight games. But, in yet another lackluster effort, the Lakers fell short to the Bulls at the United Center, 88-84.

The game started well for the world champs, as they jumped out to 13-point lead in the first quarter, and still led 29-20 midway through the second.  But that’s when the wheels came off, as Derrick Rose got hot, and the Bulls went on a 16-3 run to end the half, and take a 36-32 lead into the break.

In the second half, things didn’t get much better.  The Lakers took a couple brief leads early in the third quarter, but couldn’t stop Rose from breaking down the defense inside, and stepping out for three-pointers. Eventually they found themselves down 82-69 with just over three minutes left in the game.

That’s when the Lakers put on a furious rally, and got as close as 83-80 with 48 seconds left after a Derek Fisher three-pointer from the corner.  After Rose split a pair of foul shots to put the Bulls up 86-82, Kobe Bryant was fouled, but he was only able to make 1-2 from the line.  After a Lakers’ foul on the rebound, Ronnie Brewer hit two from the line, and the Bulls had the win.

Bryant led the Lakers with 23 points, but only shot 9-23 from the field, and continues to struggle from the foul line, going 4-6 on Friday.  Bryant did however pass John Havlicek, and move into 11th place on the NBA’s all-time scoring list with 26,398 points.

Pau Gasol did have a solid game with 21 points, eight rebounds, and four blocked shots.   Lamar Odom added 18 points and eight rebounds.

Early on, the Lakers dominated the game inside, with Gasol the recipient of several easy scores inside.  As the night wore on however, the Lakers got away from going inside, starting taking a lot of three-pointers and watched their early double-digit lead slip away quickly.  They hit just 3-13 from beyond the arc for the game.

Derrick Rose led all scorers with 29 points, to go along with nine assists, five rebounds, and several key baskets down the stretch, as the Bulls beat the Lakers for the first time since 2006.  In fact only one member of the current Bulls was on the team when they last beat the Lakers, and that was Luol Deng.

Deng scored 14 points, and Carlos Boozer added 10 points and 11 rebounds.  Boozer didn’t play the first time the two teams met this year in Los Angeles, a 98-91 Lakers’ win.

The Bulls didn’t shoot the ball particularly well, hitting only 41.3% from the field, but made up for it by hitting 8-17 (47.1%) from the three-point line, which proved to be the difference in the game.

In a rather disheartening statistic, the Lakers have now only beaten two teams this season with a winning record, but will play just one more .500 team (Indiana) during the rest of this five-game trip.

The Lakers’ next game is Sunday in New Jersey against the slumping Nets.  Also, the Lakers are hoping to have center Andrew Bynum back for Tuesday’s game in Washington.

Link: Lakers @ Bulls Box Score

Shannon Brown slams home two against Warriors.

Matt Barnes’ perfect night in Minnesota Friday must have rubbed off on his teammates, as Pau Gasol had an even better stat line Sunday night, in the Lakers’ 117-89 crushing of the Golden St. Warriors at Staples Center.

Gasol didn’t miss a shot or a free throw, tallying 28 points, nine rebounds, and five assists, on 10-10 from the field, and 8-8 from the foul line, just one game after Barnes’ perfect 20-point, 7-rebound, 6-assist performance against the Timberwolves.

Along with Charles Barkley, Barnes and Gasol are the only players in NBA history to score at least 20 points, grab five rebounds, and dish out five assists without missing a single field goal or free throw.

The game itself wasn’t close from the opening tip.  The Lakers dominated inside early and jumped out 37-21 after one quarter, kept pouring it on all night, and lead 95-60 after three quarters en route to the easy victory.  The Warriors could fare no better than they did on Halloween night, when they lost by 24, despite having guard Stephen Curry, who missed the first game with an ankle sprain, in the lineup.

Kobe Bryant had another short and restful night in the blowout, playing less than 27 minutes, scoring 20 points, with six rebounds, and five assists.  Shannon Brown continues to play well off the bench, scoring 17 points on 7-10 from the field, including 3-3 from the 3-point line.  Lamar Odom added 15 points and 10 rebounds in just over 27 minutes of action.

The Warriors were led by Dorell Wright’s 16 points, but it took 17 shots to get them.  The Warriors did get a scare when their leading-scorer, Monta Ellis, took a hard fall on his hip and didn’t return to the game.  Ellis, the league’s second-leading scorer, had just five points on 2-10 shooting.  The injury is not believed to be serious.

The Lakers’ defense was on display again on this night, holding the Warriors to 35.2% from the field and just 3-20 (15%) from beyond the arc.  The Lakers shot a season-high 55.7% from the field, and have won their last 4 games by an average of 17 points.

The Lakers’ next game is Tuesday night against Derrick Rose and the Chicago Bulls at Staples Center.   The Bulls are playing well, leading the Central Division at 7-4, and are coming off an 88-83 win at Dallas on Friday.   They are in the middle of a grueling seven-game road trip.

Link: Lakers vs. Warriors Box Score

Kobe Bryant drives to basket against Timberwolves.

The Los Angeles Lakers matched the second-best start in franchise history at 8-0, with a sloppy 99-94 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves at Staples Center on Tuesday.

Kobe Bryant led all scorers with 33 points, including 23 of them in the first half. He hit only 3-13 from the field in the second half, as the Lakers were never able to put the pesky Timberwolves away until the final minute of the game.  Bryant bounced back from a sub-par game on Sunday against the Trail Blazers when he scored just 12 points on 3-11 shooting.

Pau Gasol had 18 points and 10 rebounds.  Lamar Odom shook off a foul-plagued evening, scoring 15 points and grabbing eight rebounds in just under 27 minutes of play.  Ron Artest added 13 points.

The biggest star of the night though was former UCLA standout Kevin Love, who scored 23 points and grabbed a career-high 24 rebounds for the Timberwolves.  It was the second 20/20 game of Love’s career.   Michael Beasley scored 17 points, and Sebastian Telfair added 13 points and 9 assists for the visitors, who lost to the Lakers for the 12th straight time.

The young Timberwolves, led by former Laker coach and player Kurt Rambis, fought the defending champs all game long, and even cut a seemingly-secure 11-point Laker lead to eight in the final seconds of the third quarter on a half-court heavy by Maurice Ager.  The Wolves closed to within two late in the fourth,  before Lamar Odom hit a 3-pointer and then a driving layup to give the Lakers an 94-87 lead, as they hung on for the win.

It was a lethargic performance by the Lakers, who were coming off a strong win over the Portland Trail Blazers on Sunday, and may have very well looking past the young Timberwolves towards their Thursday night battle in Denver.   The game was marred by sloppy play as the Wolves turned the ball over 27 times, and the Lakers had 18.

The Lakers were also dominated on the glass for the second time in three games, as the Timberwolves held a 54-42 rebounding edge, including 26 on the offensive end.  The second chances helped the visitors hang in a game where they shot just 38.0% from the field.

The Lakers try to move to 9-0 on Thursday, facing their toughest test of the young season against the Nuggets in Denver.  The Lakers best start in franchise history is 11-0, accomplished by the 1997-98 team that went on to win 61 games.

Link: Lakers vs. Timberwolves Box Score