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Kobe Leads Lakers Past Suns
01.06.11
Andrew Bynum throws in two against Suns.
The Lakers went into Phoenix for the second time this season, and came out with their second victory, a hard fought 99-95 win at US Airways Arena on Wednesday.
Kobe Bryant scored 11 of his game-high 24 points in the third quarter, as the Lakers turned a one-point halftime deficit into a seven-point lead after three quarters. He also grabbed seven rebounds, dished out five assists, hitting 9-17 from the field.
The Suns, who have been struggling defensively as of late, erased a 12-point first half deficit to take a 50-49 lead at the break. The Lakers grabbed the lead quickly in the third quarter, and never trailed in the second half, leading by as much as eight several times.
But the Suns would not fold, and got to within one point at 92-91, on a three-pointer by Vince Carter with just over two minutes left. Derek Fisher then hit a jumper, followed by a three-pointer by Ron Artest from the corner with just under 90 seconds left, as the Lakers hung on down the stretch for the win.
The win pushed the Lakers road record to 13-6, as they won their second straight game on the second night of a back-to-back.
Andrew Bynum had 14 points, seven rebounds, and two blocks, despite playing in foul trouble all night. Shannon Brown had 13 points off the bench, and Lamar Odom had 12 points and a team-high 10 assists, as he continues his stellar all-around play this season.
For the second straight night, the Lakers controlled their recent turnover struggles, committing just 12, which didn’t allow the high-scoring Suns to get into a running game for easy baskets. The world champs also outrebounded the Suns 47-31, including 14 at the offensive end. The extra possessions helped the Lakers offset the Suns’ advantage from the field, 48.6% to 47.1% and their 11 three-pointers.
The Suns were led by Jared Dudley’s 21 points off the bench, as he hit 8-11 from the floor, including 3-4 from beyond the arc. Dudley was one of six Suns’ players in double figures. Vince Carter had 13 points, Marcin Gortat had 12 points and nine rebounds, and Steve Nash had 11 points to go along with 10 assists.
The Lakers return home for a Friday night game against the New Orleans Hornets. The Lakers beat the Hornets 103-88 back on December 29th. Friday’s game will be the first of three straight at Staples Center, as the Knicks come to town on Sunday, and then the LeBron-less Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday.
Link: Lakers @ Suns Box Score
Gasol’s Triple-Double Powers Lakers Past Blazers
11.08.10
Paul Gasol reverses it home for two against Blazers.
There is little doubt who the MVP of the Lakers has been the first two weeks of the season. Pau Gasol continues to dominate all opponents, notching his fourth career triple-double, as the Lakers blasted the Portland Trail Blazers 121-96 at Staples Center on Sunday night.
Gasol scored 20 points, grabbed 14 rebounds, and had 10 assists as the defending NBA champions stayed undefeated and moved to 7-0 on the season. For the big Spaniard, it was his first triple-double since February 17, 2009 against the Atlanta Hawks.
It was also the Lakers’ second triple-double in three games, as Kobe Bryant got his 17th last Tuesday in Sacramento.
Lamar Odom also kept his All-Star-caliber play going, with 21 points and 12 rebounds, hitting 10-15 from the field. Kobe Bryant had another extended night of rest, playing less than 25 minutes and scoring just 12 points.
Bryant wasn’t needed on this night, as the Lakers took control of the game from the opening tip, led by 13 after one quarter, and opened it up to 58-36 at halftime. The Blazers never got back into the game in the second half and shot just 42.7% from the field, to the Lakers’ season-high 54.9%.
The game was quite a switch from Friday night, when the Lakers struggled to put away the lowly Toronto Raptors, and expected an even tougher effort from a quality Portland team that always gives them a bad time.
The Lakers spread the offense around on this night, with seven players in double-figures. Shannon Brown hit 3-6 from beyond the arc en route to 15 points off the bench. Matt Barnes had 13 points and six rebounds off the bench, Derek Fisher scored 12, and Ron Artest had 11, also shutting down Blazer star Brandon Roy in the process.
Roy was hounded by Artest all night, scoring just eight points on 1-6 from the field. His only field goal came midway through the third quarter. Andre Miller led the visitors with 20 points, Nicolas Batum had 17, and Rudy Fernandez put in 13 off the bench.
The Lakers next play host to the struggling Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday. They can match the second-best start in franchise history at 8-0 with a win in that game. Phil Jackson’s best start as a coach is 12-0, when his Chicago Bulls accomplished the feat in the 1996-97 season. That team went on to a 69-13 record and an NBA Championship.
Lakers Receive Rings, Bench Brings Home Win
10.27.10
Kobe Bryant hits jump shot against Rockets.
On a night where the Lakers of 2009-10 received their championship rings, it was a new Laker for 2010-11 who hit the biggest shot of the game, as the Lakers defeated the Houston Rockets 112-110 at Staples Center on Tuesday night to open the NBA season.
Steve Blake hit the go-ahead 3-pointer with 18.8 seconds left on a pass from Kobe Bryant, and the Lakers, who seemed sluggish all night until late in the third quarter, escaped with the win. Blake in his Laker debut finished with 10 points on 3-5 from the field and 3-4 from beyond the arc.
Shannon Brown also had an inspired game off the bench, as he poured in 16 points, including 4-5 from the 3-point line, and showed his much-improved outside shooting. He also had four steals, and was a key catalyst as the Lakers rallied from a 15-point deficit to take the lead early in the fourth quarter.
The Lakers were able to surprisingly get back in the game with Kobe Bryant resting, as the bench took over in the third and fourth quarters. Blake and Brown each hit three 3-pointers in the final two periods, part of a big run that turned the tide.
Kobe Bryant had 27 points and seven assists, as he continues to work his way back from off-season knee surgery. Pau Gasol led everybody in the game with 29 points and 11 rebounds. Lamar Odom added 14 points and 10 rebounds in a starting role for Andrew Bynum, as the center continues to rehab his knee.
Early on the Rockets seemed determined to spoil the Lakers special night, as they shot over 50% from the field in the first half and led 62-51 at the break. They held a double-digit lead until the final moments of the third quarter, when Steve Blake hit back-to-back threes to draw the Lakers to within five. The Rockets would fall behind by as much as eight in the final quarter, but managed to pull ahead 110-109 on a Luis Scola layup with just under 30 seconds left.
Bryant then drove to the rim taking defenders with him, and passed out to Blake, who hit a 3-pointer from out front that put the Lakers ahead for good. The Rockets had two chances at the end to tie or win the game, but were unable to get good looks at the basket.
The Lakers next game is Friday night in Phoenix, where they will face an Amar’e-less Suns team for the first time.
Derek Fisher will retire
09.26.10
My prediction is Derek 
Lamar Fisher will hang’em up after his current contract expires in three years, when he’ll be almost 40. You didn’t think he was going to retire now, did you? After winning his 5th NBA Championship with Kobe Bryant and Phil Jackson in his 11th year as a Laker, there is no reason to think he won’t continue playing for more rings. This 6’1″ 36 year old was born in Little Rock, Arkansas and played there in college; he will be playing his 15th year in the pros this season. Fisher has numerous detractors; no one would argue that he is the best point guard in the league. He is just the best point guard for the Lakers, providing leadership and clutch shooting. He has the highest 3-point field goal percentage in NBA Finals history, and is second in made 3-pointers. The good thing about Fisher slowing down as he ages is that he wasn’t exactly quick in his youth, so the decline is less drastic than with speedier players like Allen Iverson. And at least Fisher is durable, having played every game in 7 of the last 8 seasons and averaging 80 games in the 12 seasons he didn’t have a serious injury. With the Lakers having an excellent back-up for Fisher, the goal should be to limit his minutes during the regular season and have him well rested for the playoffs. Fisher is president of the National Basketball Players Association, and Theo Ratliff is vice president.
LAKER ROSTER: Luke Walton
09.16.10
Let me start off by saying that a healthy Luke Walton is a productive Luke Walton. He has good fundamentals, whether from his time at Arizona or being schooled by his father and brothers. He is the type of player that works well in the designs of the triangle offense because he has a pass the ball, team first mentality that is really the basis of the triangle. Move the ball continuously until you have a high percentage shot. I hadn’t realized, until starting to work on this, that he had the fewest games played and lowest point total for the Lakers last season. He was also next to last in minutes played (Hello, Adam Morrison!) The Lakers have many options at the small forward position. Ron Artest will be the starter, and Matt Barnes (hopefully), Lamar Odom, Devin Ebanks and Kobe could all play minutes as needed. Given that Luke is 30 and has averaged approximately 60 games a season over his 7 year career, it’s probably a good thing for the Lakers to have choices. Luke stated that his focus during the off-season was to get his back stronger and healthier, and he work with a strengthening coach, a back specialist, a yoga teacher and a pilates instructor. So ideally he will be in top form at the beginning of the season. I don’t think he was too happy about being limited to 29 games last year due to his back problems. I expect that should he have health or injury issues this season and miss half a season again, he will decide he’s played enough, made enough money, and has as many rings as Pops (1 of 3 father/son combos). Rumor has it that he was considering retirement already, and like Yao Ming, if he can’t stay healthy, then he’ll be gone. For more on Luke’s summer, visit Lakers.com
http://my.lakers.com/blogs/2010/09/03/luke-walton-summer-update/
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