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Archive for January, 2011
Lakers Beat Nets, Win Streak Up To 7
01.15.11
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.
Kobe Closes Out The Warriors as Lakers Win
01.13.11
Kobe Bryant drives towards basket against Warriors.
Kobe Bryant has the reputation of being the game’s best closer. On Wednesday night he didn’t disappoint, taking over the game in the final six minutes, and rallying the Lakers past the pesky Golden St. Warriors 115-110 at Oracle Arena.
Bryant scored 17 of his game-high 39 points in the final 5:49, as the Lakers overcame an early 14-point deficit. He also had a crucial assist on a Ron Artest three-pointer with under two minutes left, that gave the Lakers a five point cushion. Bryant grabbed six rebounds, dished out four assists, and hit 13-21 from the field.
But it wasn’t just the heroics of #24 that saved the Lakers on this night. Lamar Odom came off the bench to score 20 points, to go along with nine rebounds, and single-handedly kept the world champs in the game early in the fourth quarter, before Bryant came in and closed it out.
Pau Gasol had another solid game with 24 points and 11 rebounds, and Andrew Bynum scored 11 points to go along with a game-high 14 rebounds.
The Warriors led most of the game. They jumped out to a 37-23 lead in the second quarter, behind the sizzling shooing of Monta Ellis, who scored 21 of his 38 points in the first half. After the Lakers went ahead briefly at 43-42, the Warriors went on an 11-2 run to close the half and take a 53-45 to the break.
In the third quarter quarter, the Warriors kept the pressure on the Lakers, keeping the lead between 6-8 points most the quarter. Ellis hit a buzzer-beating jumper that gave Golden St. a 75-69 lead after three.
The fourth quarter turned into a duel between Ellis and Bryant, with the reigning 2-time NBA Finals MVP finally getting the better of his shooting guard counterpart down the stretch, hitting big shot after big shot, including a dagger three-pointer to put the Lakers up 105-99 with just over 30 seconds left. The Warriors hit several threes down the stretch, but the Lakers made all the foul shots for the win.
Ellis for the game hit 15-26 from the field, and 4-5 from three-point line, playing all 48 minutes of the game. Dorell Wright also played the entire game, scoring 27 points to go along with seven rebounds, four assists, three steals, and two blocked shots. Stephen Curry had 15 points and 10 assists.
Both teams shot the ball well, the Lakers hit 51.2% (42-82) from the field and 26-29 (89.7%) from the foul line. The Warriors shot 50.6% (44-87) from the field and a ridiculous 13-30 (43.3%) from beyond the arc. Los Angeles dominated on the glass 47-27, including 18 at the offensive end, which gave them a lot of second-chance opportunities, offsetting the massive three-point differential.
And after turning the ball over frequently in the first half leading to 20 fastbreak points for the Warriors, the Lakers finished the game with a respectable 14 turnovers.
The Lakers have now won six straight games, and are sitting in second place in the Western Conference, 4.5 games behind the San Antonio Spurs. They’re now 14-6 on the road, and have won eight of their last nine away from Staples Center.
The champs next face the slumping New Jersey Nets on Friday night at Staples Center. The Lakers won the first meeting in New Jersey 99-92 back in early December, a game that was a lot closer than it should have been. Former Lakers Jordan Farmar and Sasha Vujacic will make their first appearances at Staples Center in uniforms other than purple and gold. Farmar will also receive is 2009-10 NBA Championship ring.
Lakers Show No Mercy in Obliterating Cavs By 55
01.12.11
Pau Gasol slams home two against Cavs.
On a night the Lakers made history, the world champs showed no sympathy for the woeful Cleveland Cavaliers, and humiliated them, 112-57 at Staples Center on Tuesday.
In a season most Cleveland fans and players would like to forget, their loss to the Lakers had to have felt like rock bottom. The Lakers held the Cavaliers to their lowest point total ever at 57, and in the process sent them to their 11th straight loss, dropping their record to an NBA-worst 8-30.
The Lakers’ win was their third biggest since moving to Los Angeles, and only the third time in their history they beat a team by at least 55 points. The last time was March 19, 1972, when they pounded the Golden St. Warriors 162-99 at the Forum. The 57 points were also the fewest the Lakers have allowed in the shot clock era.
Los Angeles had seven players in double figures, led by Ron Artest who had 15 points and six assists. Andrew Bynum also had 15 points, to go along with six rebounds, and five blocked shots. Pau Gasol had 13 points and 14 rebounds, and Kobe Bryant, who took just three shots in the first half, scored 13, to go along with eight assists, and five rebounds.
The game was never close, as the Lakers jumped out to a 27-12 lead after one, and it only got worse for Cleveland from there. They led 57-25 at the half with Bryant scoring just two points. The lead ballooned to 50 early in the third quarter, and to add insult into injury, Shannon Brown hit a half court shot at the buzzer to give the Lakers a 92-41 lead after three. The Laker reserves also didn’t let up defensively, and grew the lead in the fourth, outscoring the Cavaliers 20-16 in the period.
The Cavs shot just 29.9% (23-77) from the floor for the game, and the Lakers’ bench nearly outscored Cleveland by themselves, with 46 points from the reserves. They also held the slumping Cavaliers to 1-14 (7.1%) from beyond the arc, and outrebounded them 53-42.
For the game, the Lakers shot 53.5% (46-86) from the field, and 10-20 from the three-point line. They also only turned the ball over 12 times, compared to 19 for the visitors.
Cleveland had just two players in double figures. Alonzo Gee had 12 points, and Ramon Sessions had 10. The Cavs starters had just 23 points combined, shooting 8-37 (21.6%) as a group. Samardo Samuels was 1-12 from the floor, as he was constantly hounded by the bigger Laker frontline. In fact at one point in the third quarter, Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum had made as many baskets combined as the entire Cavs team had.
The Lakers win was their fifth straight, as they continue to play solid basketball at the defensive end. They’re now allowing just under 96 points per game for the season after Tuesday night’s defensive clinic.
The champs will play tomorrow night in Oakland against the Warriors, in the second game of a back-to-back. The Warriors have been blown out twice at Staples Center, once by 24, and the other game by 28. This will be the teams’ first meeting in the Bay Area this season. The Warriors have been playing better ball lately, they’ve won six of their last 10 games.
Lakers Muscle Up and Take Down Knicks
01.10.11
Andrew Bynum rises up for dunk against Knicks.
The Lakers got tough on Sunday night, and played a very physical brand of basketball against the upstart New York Knicks, winning going away 109-87 at Staples Center.
Kobe Bryant scored 27 points to go along with 10 rebounds, as the Lakers held the high-scoring Knicks to just 87 points on 36.0% shooting from the floor.
The Lakers big front line pushed the Knicks around all game long, and dominated on the boards 61-42, including 17 offensive rebounds. The game also had its share of chippiness, as the Lakers were assessed four technical fouls and a flagrant foul.
Andrew Bynum scored 18 points and grabbed 7 rebounds in a strong effort against Amare Stoudemire, but was ejected from the game in the fourth quarter with two technical fouls for arguing a call against him. It was a game loaded with emotion and hard fouls.
Ron Artest was hit with a technical early in the first quarter as it appeared he put his hands near the throat of the Knicks’ Shawne Williams. He then picked up a flagrant foul for dropping Stoudemire with a clothesline on his way to the basket in the third quarter. Bryant and Stoudemire also got into a heated argument moments later.
The Lakers led virtually the entire game, although the Knicks kept it close early, thanks to a lot of early Laker turnovers. A late second quarter push gave the champs a 52-47 lead at halftime.
After the break, the game got rougher, and the Knicks simply could not make shots. The Lakers led by double-figures for most of the second half. The Knicks got to within seven early in the fourth quarter on a three-point play by Stoudmire, but could get no closer, as the Lakers won going away by 22.
Pau Gasol also had a dominant game up front, scoring 20 points, grabbing 14 rebounds, and blocking four shots. Shannon Brown had 16 off the bench, and Lamar Odom scored 13 points and a pulled down a season-high 18 rebounds.
For the game, the Lakers didn’t shoot particularly well themselves at only 41.8% (38-91), although they did hit 8-17 from the three-point line, and turned the ball over only 13 times. After a sloppy start where they turned the ball over five times in the first five minutes, they committed just eight the remainder of the game. Taking care of the ball didn’t allow the Knicks to get into the transition game they desperately needed to in order to beat the bigger Laker squad.
The Knicks were led by Amar’e Stoudemire’s 23 points, 10 rebounds, and six blocked shots. Stoudemire shot just 7-24 from the floor, and didn’t hit his first basket until the middle of the second quarter. In fact he scored 18 of his 23 points in the second half, but many were after the game was out of reach.
The Lakers played their first game without backup forward Matt Barnes, who is scheduled to have surgery this week to repair a torn meniscus he suffered on Friday against New Orleans. The Lakers won’t have a timetable for his return after the surgery.
The Lakers have now won four straight, six out of seven, and haven’t lost to the Knicks since February of 2007.
Los Angeles’ next game is Tuesday night at home against the woefully bad Cleveland Cavaliers, who have certainly suffered without LeBron James. They’ve currently lost 10 in a row after their setback on Sunday in Phoenix, and are sitting with NBA’s worst record at 8-29.
Kobe Moves Up Scoring List, Lakers Beat Hornets
01.08.11
Kobe Bryant takes shot against Hornets.
Kobe Bryant moved up to 9th place on the NBA’s scoring list, passing Oscar Robertson, as the Lakers made enough plays down the stretch to hold off the New Orleans Hornets 101-97 on Friday at Staples Center.
Bryant scored a game-high 25 points, putting him at 26,720 for his career. He surpassed the Big O’s mark of 27,210 with a short jumper inside the paint with just over one minute left in third quarter. He already passed Dominique Wilkins to put himself inside the top 10 earlier in the week against the Detroit Pistons.
The game was close all night, as the Lakers had a 10-point lead momentarily in the fourth quarter, but never had a double-digit otherwise. They led at halftime 51-46, but the Hornets came out strong defensively early in the third quarter, and took a brief 62-61 lead with about four minutes left in the period.
The Lakers responded and got the lead back up to seven at 80-73 to start the fourth quarter. After Lamar Odom hit a three-pointer to make it 87-77 with just under eight minutes left, the Hornets responded with six straight points, but could never get closer than three. Bryant then hit two baskets in the final two minutes, and the Lakers were able to make enough free throws down the stretch for the win.
Pau Gasol rebounded from a sub-par game in Phoenix on Wednesday, to score 21 points, grab 13 rebounds, and dish out seven assists, hitting 6-8 from the floor. Lamar Odom, playing with a sore left shoulder, didn’t appear to be bothered by the injury, scoring 17 points, to go along with 13 rebounds. Andrew Bynum chipped in with 17 points, five rebounds, and three blocked shots, as the Lakers dominated the scoring in the paint.
The Lakers, who shot over 60% in the first half from the field, finished the game at 50.6% (39-77), and 5-12 from beyond the arc. They also limited their turnovers, which has plagued them recently. On Friday, they had just 11 to the Hornets’ 12. The Lakers held New Orleans to 43.4% (33-76) shooting from the floor, although the Hornets did hit 8-19 from the three point line.
Everything wasn’t all rosy though for the world champs, as Matt Barnes sprained his knee early in the first half. And while he did score a basket and continue to play a little longer, he did eventually leave the game, and an MRI is scheduled tomorrow to assess the severity of the injury.
Also, early in the fourth quarter, Steve Blake turned an ankle when he landed on Andrew Bynum’s foot. Blake left the court, had his ankle wrapped, and did return to the bench in uniform.
The Hornets were led by David West’s 23 points and 12 rebounds. Trevor Ariza and Marco Belinelli both scored 17 points, and Emeka Okafor had 13 points and 13 rebounds. Chris Paul took just six shots, scoring 12 points, but he did have a game-high 10 assists.
The Lakers’ next game is against Amar’e Stoudemire and the much-improved New York Knicks at Staples Center on Sunday. This will be the first meeting between the new-look Knicks and the Lakers this season. The Knicks knocked off Stoudemire’s old team, the Phoenix Suns, on Friday easily 121-96.
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