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Fisher’s Buzzer-Beater Gets Lakers By Clippers
12.09.10
Derek Fisher hits the game-winner against Clippers.
Normally when Derek Fisher hits a game-winning shot, it’s a jump shot. On Wednesday night he tried something a little different, as he banked in a layup at the buzzer, to lead the Lakers to a wild 87-86 win over the Clippers at Staples Center.
The game seemed to played in mud all night, as neither team had much of an offensive flow. After an early lead, the Lakers found themselves down the rest of the night, never really did find their rhythm, but were able to make enough plays down the stretch to pull out what was seemed to be a loss to their hallway rivals.
Kobe Bryant led the Lakers with 24 points, and while he only scored four points in the fourth quarter, his two baskets in the final two minutes of the game, set up the dramatic finish.
With the Clippers leading 84-83 after a Bryant basket, Ron Artest knocked away a pass for a steal, and Bryant then drilled an 18-foot jumper to put the Lakers up 85-84 with 22.8 seconds left.
After a timeout, the Clippers’ Eric Gordon, who scored 24 points himself, spun down the lane and found DeAndre Jordan for dunk, and an 86-85 lead with 15.5 seconds left. Not calling a timeout, the Lakers brought the ball down and Bryant was fouled by Gordon before he could get up a shot with 3.1 seconds left. The Clippers had a foul to give, although Gordon didn’t appear to commit the foul intentionally.
After a Laker timeout, Fisher took the inbound pass above the top of the three-point line, and drove the left side of the lane to the basket against Eric Bledsoe, and floated in the running layup at the buzzer over the outstretched fingers of DeAndre Jordan, who nearly blocked the shot, for the exciting 87-86 win.
Fisher only hit three baskets in the game, but the last one mattered the most.
Shannon Brown had a big night off the bench for the Lakers, scoring 16 points, and single-handedly keeping the Lakers in the game in the third quarter after they had fallen down by 12 points, including a 50-foot heave at the buzzer to bring the Lakers to 71-65 after three.
Lamar Odom, plagued by foul trouble, scored just 8 points and eventually fouled out of the game. Pau Gasol also continues to struggle, scoring just 10 points on 4-13 from the field, although he did grab 11 rebounds.
Clippers’ rookie star Blake Griffin, who also was in foul trouble early and struggled to find his game in the first half, wound up with 16 points and 11 rebounds in the loss. Eric Bledsoe added 11 points and seven assists, and DeAndre Jordan scored nine points, and grabbed 11 rebounds.
The Lakers were once again were outrebounded, 52-39, and shot a miserable 42.5% from the field. The Clippers were their own worst enemy down the stretch, turning the ball over on two straight possessions to allow the Lakers the chance to get close in the final two minutes. Ron Artest had four steals for Lakers.
While most thought the game wouldn’t be close, the Clippers were not intimidated by the world champs, and weathered an early 20-12 Lakers lead to take a 43-41 lead into the break. They led by 68-56 late in third before the Lakers mounted a charge to get back into the game. The lead changed hands three times in the final 22 seconds of the game.
The Lakers next game is on Friday in Chicago against the Bulls, who now have Carlos Boozer back in the lineup. Boozer didn’t play in the first meeting between the two teams, an 98-91 win by the Lakers back on November 23. The Lakers are hoping to have Andrew Bynum back on Tuesday when they play the Washington Wizards in the nation’s capital.
Lakers Do Enough To Get By Wizards
12.08.10
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.
Lakers End Slump, Bury Kings By 33
12.03.10
Kobe Bryant scores two over Luther Head.
The Lakers’ longest losing streak in 2 1/2 years is over. Back at home on Friday, the Lakers made short work of the Sacramento Kings in their easiest win of the season, 113-80, ending a four-game skid.
The champs came out focused from the start, and played strong defense from the opening tip to the final horn. They shot 56.6% from the field, and held the Kings to just 40.3%, including 5-16 (31.3%) from the three-point line. All stats were a vast improvement over what had been happening at both ends of the court during the losing streak.
Kobe Bryant was the game’s leading scorer with 22 points, and got to be a spectator the entire fourth quarter during the Lakers’ largest blow out of the season. He played a little over 26 minutes for the night.
Pau Gasol, playing despite a sore left hamstring, scored 16 points, with five rebounds, five assists, and three blocks in under 27 minutes. It was also a welcomed, short evening for Gasol, who has logged heavy minutes in recent games as the Lakers continue to try to get by without Andrew Bynum and Theo Ratliff.
Lamar Odom added 16 points and seven rebounds, and the Lakers’ bench, led by Shannon Brown’s 14 points, outscored the Sacramento bench 52-37.
The Kings kept the game close for most of the first quarter and trailed only 21-16 after the first 12 minutes. But the Lakers took over from there, leading 52-35 at the break, and by as much as 35 in the fourth quarter en route to the 33-point win. The 80 points were also a season-low for a Laker opponent.
Jason Thompson led the Kings with 19 points and 10 rebounds, although most of his damage was done when the game was well out of hand in the second half. Tyreke Evans had 15 points, but continues to struggle with his shot, hitting just 5-15 from the field.
A game against the struggling Kings was just what the doctor ordered for the Lakers, as they will head out on a six game road trip beginning next week, and are in desperate need of a positive swing of momentum before the two-week marathon.
The Lakers next game is Tuesday night at Staples Center against another stuggling team, the Washington Wizards, who do boast one of the league’s most-exciting rookies, and the number one pick in the draft, John Wall.
Another Laker Debacle in Houston
12.02.10
Lamar Odom drives past Shane Battier.
The streak continues…now it’s at four. And it’s not the kind of streak the Lakers were hoping for, it’s a streak of losing. The team’s problems continued Wednesday night in Houston, as the Rockets rallied in the fourth quarter, and beat the Lakers 109-99 at the Toyota Center
The Lakers haven’t lost this many games in a row since April of 2007, when they were a team barely scraping to make the playoffs, not the two-time defending NBA champions. But that’s the reality of the situation right now and certainly nobody in the league is going to feel sorry for them.
Kobe Bryant led the Lakers with 27 points, to go along with four rebounds, four assists, and four steals. But really Lamar Odom had the best night for the Lakers, scoring 25 points on 11-16 from the floor, and grabbing 11 rebounds.
In what has been a familiar theme for the Lakers during this stretch, their defense let them down again when they needed it most. Leading by nine midway through the final quarter 89-80, the Rockets got hot from the three-point line, led by Shane Battier who was the hero late.
Battier scored 11 points in the final 2:30 of the game, including two three-pointers that put the Rockets up 105-99 with under a minute left. Bryant attempted to get the Lakers back in the game with some desperation three-pointers but was unable to connect, and the Rockets made foul shots down the stretch for the win.
Kevin Martin led the Rockets with 22 points, Battier scored 17, including 4-6 from beyond the arc. Luis Scola added 14 points, and 9 rebounds.
Pau Gasol, who again looked tired from all the heavy minutes he has been playing, complained of a tight hamstring in the second half, but did finish out the game for the Lakers. It was a struggle all night for the Spaniard however, as he managed a season-low eight points and nine rebounds in just under 39 minutes.
The lone bright spot for the Lakers on this night was the play of the bench. Matt Barnes was a spark in the second half, particularly in the fourth quarter when they Lakers went up by nine. He scored 14 points and grabbed eight rebounds. Shannon Brown added 11 points.
The Rockets shot a sizzling 50.6% from the field, and 10-22 (45.5%) from the three-point line. The Lakers, who were over 50% for much of the game, shot just 45.5% from the field and hit only 5-16 (31.3%) of their three-point attempts. The Rockets also played without center Yao Ming, and point guard Aaron Brooks, both recovering from leg injuries.
The Lakers try to get back on track Friday at home against the struggling Sacramento Kings. And with the way thing are going, nothing looks like a sure thing anymore.
Lakers Sudden Skid Reaches Three
12.01.10
Kobe Bryant bottled up in Memphis.
It wasn’t that long ago the Lakers started the year 8-0, and discussions began to creep up how this team might challenge the Bulls’ magical 72-10 record. Now just ten games later, the team is searching for answers, as they have dropped three straight following Tuesday’s 98-96 loss in Memphis against the Grizzlies.
In a recurring theme over the last week, the defense continues to struggle, allowing yet another sub-.500 team to shoot well, as Memphis hit 48.8% from the field, and 8-12 (66.7%) from the three-point line, and seemingly scored at will down the stretch of the game.
The struggles also continued on the offensive end, as the Lakers, once leading the league in scoring at over 112 points per game, now have scored less than 100 in their last four games, shooting another miserable 43.6% from the floor, and an even worse 7-22 (31.8%) from the three-point line.
Kobe Bryant led all scorers with 29 points, but again struggled with his shot, hitting just 9-25 from the field. He did also had seven rebounds and five assists. Pau Gasol continues to play too many minutes, as he logged just under 45 on Tuesday, scoring 15 points and grabbing 14 rebounds, despite shooting just 5-13 from the floor.
Despite all the issues, the Lakers trailed by only two at halftime 51-49, but fell down by as many as 13 in the fourth quarter, before a late rally got them back in the game. Ron Artest hit a three-pointer to cut the lead to 98-94 with just over a minute left.
After the Lakers scored to make it 98-96, they were able to force a Grizzly turnover with 14 seconds left in the game, and decided not to call timeout to set up a play. Bryant dribbled up court and drove to the middle of the lane, but lost the ball in mid-air and was forced to pass out to Ron Artest, who had his last ditch attempt blocked by Rudy Gay to seal the win for the Grizzlies. Artest finished with 12 points.
Mike Conley scored a season-high 28 points on 10-13 shooting, inciuding 4-5 beyond the arc. Rudy Gay only had 14 points, but had six big blocks, including the one on Artest as time ran out. The Grizzlies had six players score in double-figures, and turned the ball over only seven times.
The loss dropped the Lakers to 13-5, and they are now shockingly sitting in fourth place in the Western Conference, 2 1/2 games behind the San Antonio Spurs, who continue to play very well at 15-2.
The Lakers conclude their short two-game trip on Wednesday in Houston, in the second of a back-to-back set. The Rockets are without center Yao Ming, and most-likely without starting point guard Aaron Brooks, both out with injuries.
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