|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Kobe Bryant Archives December 2007
|
|
|
|
|
Kobe Bryant Archives
|
|
December 2007
|
|
|
|
|
KOBE BRYANT ISN'T ENOUGH AGAINST THE BOSTON CELTICS
|
|
|
|
|
January 1, 2008
- Kobe Bryant scored 22 for Los Angeles, going just 6-of-25 from the floor. Lamar Odom had 14 points and 10 rebounds. Paul Pierce scored 33 points and Kevin Garnett had 22 points, 12 rebounds and six assists Sunday night to lead the
Boston Celtics to a 110-91 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers. Boston took the lead in the first quarter and never relinquished it. Each time the Lakers threatened, the Celtics would pull away again.
|
|
|
The victory in the final of two meetings between the teams this season ran Boston's NBA-best record to 26-3 and extended its winning streak to six straight. It also ended a four-game winning streak by the Lakers, who still have
won 10 of their last 13. The Celtics prevented Lakers coach Phil Jackson from moving ahead of Boston Hall of Fame coach Red Auerbach on the career wins ladder. Jackson remained tied with Auerbach for seventh on the all-time list
with 938 victories. Ray Allen added 19 points for Boston and Tony Allen, filling in for Rajon Rondo, had 16.
|
|
|
|
|
|
There obviously was a lot of emotion during the game -- and a lot of jawing at the referees, who called seven technical fouls over the course of the game: on the Celtics' Garnett, Kendrick Perkins, Ray Allen and coach Doc Rivers;
and the Lakers' Bryant, Trevor Ariza and Kwame Brown. Odom also was called for a flagrant foul late in the game, with Ray Allen drawing his technical on the same play. Garnett left the game briefly in the second quarter to get two
stitches above his right eye.
|
|
|
Los Angeles, which trailed by double digits much of the game, narrowed the gap to 72-66 with 3:17 left in the third quarter, but Pierce scored 10 points in a row to give the Celtics an 82-66 lead at the end of the period. Boston was
up 53-45 at halftime, with Los Angeles narrowing the gap after falling behind by 17, at 45-28, early in the second quarter. Pierce had 16 points for the Celtics and Bryant 16 for the Lakers at the break. Bryant made just three of his
15 shots from the floor, but 10 of 11 from the free throw line. - NBA.com
|
|
|
|
|
KOBE BRYANT BEATS JAZZ SO BAD HE SITS THE 4TH QUARTER
|
|
|
|
|
December 29, 2007
- Kobe Bryant had 31 points and seven assists before sitting out the fourth quarter and the Lakers beat the Utah Jazz 123-109 Friday night, giving Jackson his 938th career win and a share of seventh place on the career list.
"The longer you stay here, the more wins you're going to accumulate,'' Jackson said modestly. "But I've never really followed that stuff, you know? I think the night that made the most sense to me, in terms of numbers of wins,
was when I got my 500th and Bill Fitch was coaching on the other side. He was my college coach, and he came over and shook my hand after the game.''
|
|
|
As fate would have it, Jackson will get a chance to pass Auerbach when the Lakers host the Celtics on Sunday night in the 177th regular-season meeting of the NBA's greatest rivalry. They've faced each other 10 times in the finals,
with Boston winning the first eight and the Lakers prevailing in 1985 and 1987. Jackson, who was inducted into the Hall of Fame on Sept. 7, has won nine league titles as a coach. Three of them came with the Lakers and the other six
with the Chicago Bulls - who won 72 games with Jackson at the helm in 1995-96.
|
|
|
|
|
|
"Fortunately, I've had really good teams and they've accumulated a lot more wins in a short period of time. But still and all, it's really just longevity and it speaks for hanging in there,'' Jackson said. Auerbach's final season as an
NBA coach coincided with Utah coach Jerry Sloan's rookie season as an NBA player with the Baltimore Bullets. But he found it difficult to compare Auerbach and Jackson.
|
|
|
"They didn't have the same people. If they coached all the same guys, maybe you could compare them. But they've both been blessed with great players, and that gives you a chance every night,'' said Sloan, whose 1,051 victories are fourth
on the career list. "Phil's always done a great job coaching his teams. It's one thing to have great players, but it's another to be able to coach them and win with them.'' - NBA.com
|
|
|
|
|
KOBE BRYANT AND ANDREW BYNUM LEAD LAKERS PAST SUNS
|
|
|
|
|
December 25, 2007
- Kobe Bryant asked to be traded last spring in part because he wanted to play for a team that could contend for an NBA title. He just might have gotten his wish by staying put. Bryant scored 26 of his 38 points in the second
half, Andrew Bynum had a career-high 28 points to go with 12 rebounds and a season-high four assists, and the Lakers beat the Phoenix Suns 122-115 on Tuesday for their ninth win in 11 games.
|
|
|
"I'm focused on one thing and one thing only -- winning the championship," Bryant said after the Lakers moved a season-high eight games over .500 at 18-10 and within one game of the Pacific Division-leading Suns. Bryant, who
complained about a lack of talent around him, has gotten plenty of help recently, especially from the 20-year-old Bynum, who shot 11-of-13 in outplaying Phoenix center Amare Stoudemire. Bynum left to a roar of approval from
the Staples Center crowd of 18,997 and a hand-slap from Bryant with 11.5 seconds to play.
|
|
|
|
|
|
"We're getting better. It's just about getting better each day," Bryant said. "It's good to have games like this. We have a solid foundation, we really do. When you play against Phoenix, you have to be solid." Derek Fisher added
19 points, Lamar Odom had 15 points and 14 rebounds, and Trevor Ariza scored 14 points in his first start since being acquired from Orlando last month. While Odom didn't mince words, calling Bynum one of the NBA's best centers,
others weren't so quick to make such a jump.
|
|
|
"The best thing about it is he's put in so much work over the summer and now," Bryant said. "The biggest thing for him is he's seeing results. The sky's the limit for him." After matching his career high by playing 42 minutes, Bynum
said he felt great. "I feel like I could play another game right now," he said. "I put in all the hard work just for this. It's paying off. This definitely was one of my better games. Made a pretty big impact, teammates looking for me,
wide open a lot of the times and they found me today. - NBA.com
|
|
|
|
|
Kobe Bryant Reaches 20,000 Points Against Knicks
|
|
|
|
|
December 24, 2007
- Bryant scored 39 points, becoming the youngest player in NBA history to reach 20,000, and the Los Angeles Lakers held off the New York Knicks 95-90 Sunday. Bryant added 11 rebounds and eight assists in his
first game at the Garden in nearly two years. His 3-pointer in the opening minute of the third quarter allowed him to reach the milestone at 29 years, 122 days.
|
|
|
"I always like playing here, period,'' Bryant said. "Last year I didn't have an opportunity to play and I was upset about it. This is my favorite arena to play in so I'm just happy and relieved that I was able to play tonight.''
Before Bryant, who was suspended last year when the Lakers came to New York, only Wilt Chamberlain (29 years, 134 days) and Michael Jordan (29, 326) had gotten there before turning 30.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Bryant's last basket came in the final minute after the Knicks had trimmed a 25-point deficit to one. The victory capped a 3-1 road trip for the Lakers, who headed home to host Phoenix on Tuesday.
Jamal Crawford scored 31 points for the Knicks, who were again without Stephon Marbury and have lost two straight and eight of 10. David Lee had 12 points and 13 rebounds, and Nate Robinson scored 16 points.
|
|
|
Bryant was back at MSG for the first time since Jan. 31, 2006. He was hit with a one-game penalty by the NBA before the Lakers' game here last year for striking San Antonio's Manu Ginobili in the face in the previous contest.
Bryant scored 12 points in the first quarter, helping the Lakers open a 31-21 lead, then became more of a playmaker in the second. He had five assists in the period, the last coming on former Knicks forward Trevor Ariza's 3-pointer
at the buzzer that made it 55-37. - NBA.com
|
|
|
|
|
Kobe Bryant Gets His First Win In Philly Since 2000
|
|
|
|
|
December 22, 2007
- Dr. J roused the Philly diehards into an appreciation for the city's last championship team. Kobe Bryant riled up those Sixers fans simply by touching the ball. The 76ers could only wish to matter as much
as those two greats.
|
|
|
Bryant, the Lower Merion High grad who was typically booed all game, was held to 19 points. Bryant failed to thrill his hometown fans, but he did leave Philly with a more memorable keepsake: the Lakers' first
regular season win in the city since February 2000. "It's always special coming here,'' said Bryant, still bothered by a groin injury. "Every time I come here, I realize how much I miss it. It's always fun.''
|
|
|
On a night Julius Erving and Philadelphia's 1983 championship team was honored, Andrew Bynum and the Lakers stole the show. Bynum scored a career-high 24 points and grabbed 11 rebounds and Lamar Odom had 21
and 11 to lead Los Angeles to a 106-101 win over the Sixers on Friday night. "We got the ball in people's hands and they delivered,'' coach Phil Jackson said.
|
|
|
Bryant sat at his locker before the game and talked about how when he was a kid he wanted to play like the high-flying Erving and how once all he thought about was playing for the Sixers. Now he gets a thrill
from beating them. Loved and loathed by the hometown fans, Bryant always tries to put on a spectacular show. Jackson said before the game he was worried Bryant would take too many shots or try and win the game
all on his own. - NBA.com
|
|
|
|
|
Kobe Bryant Loses The One-On-One Battle With James
|
|
|
|
|
December 21, 2007
- The two superstars wanted to guard each other in the final moments: Kobe on LeBron. LeBron on Kobe. It had to end like that. "I didn't even ask,'' James said. "I just told Sasha (Pavlovic) to go
somewhere else.'' James scored 33 points and shut out Bryant when the NBA's top two scorers went one-on-one in the final 2:23 and the Cleveland Cavaliers bounced back from a dismal loss with a 94-90
victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday night.
|
|
|
James added 10 rebounds and five assists. But it was his pressure on Bryant in the final minutes that helped the Cavs recover from a lousy defensive effort in a 108-90 loss at New York on Wednesday night.
James relished the chance to match up with a player he believes is the league's best with the ball. "If you want to win, you have to be able to defend the best player,'' James said. "I think we both took
on the challenge.''
|
|
|
|
|
|
Bryant finished with 21 points, but missed two shots with James chasing him and the Lakers went 0-for-8 from the floor in the final 4 minutes. However, on the second miss, Bryant got away from James and
grabbed a rebound in traffic before calling timeout with 10.3 seconds left. Bryant winked into a TV camera nearby, knowing he had at least temporarily bailed out his team. "I told LeBron I was going to
get it,'' Bryant said, laughing.
|
|
|
But after taking the inbounds pass, Bryant missed a long 3-pointer with 5 seconds left and Lakers guard Derek Fisher was called for a loose-ball foul despite grabbing a rebound over Gibson. Bryant felt he
had a good look at the missed 3. "He (James) had his hands down on me. He knows better than that,'' Bryant said. "I was going to let it fly. It felt good. As soon as it left my hands, I thought it was going
down. I was mad it didn't go in.'' James was afraid Bryant had hit a game-winner. "It looked good when I turned around,'' he said. - NBA.com
|
|
|
|
|
Kobe Bryant Is Sore But Dominant Against The Clippers
|
|
|
|
|
December 18, 2007
- The Lakers may be Kobe Bryant's team, but once again, they showed they're not a one-man operation. Sasha Vujacic scored 19 points, Lamar Odom added 17 points and 16 rebounds,
and Los Angeles beat the Chicago Bulls 103-91 Tuesday night. Slowed by a groin injury, Bryant scored 18 points but was a nonfactor for long stretches against the team he targeted
as a possible destination during the offseason. "Everybody's contributing and playing well,'' Bryant said. "It makes the game fun.''
|
|
|
Odom started an 11-point run with a layup and capped it with a dunk as the Lakers turned an 86-83 lead into a 14-point advantage with 3:24 left in the game. In between, they took advantage
of three turnovers, and got an alley-oop dunk by Andrew Bynum and a layup and 3-pointer by Jordan Farmar. "Balance, that's been the case the whole season,'' Odom said. Bryant seemed fine
when he converted an alley-oop in the game's opening minute, but he missed his next seven shots and was 7-for-19 overall. His skid ended with a jumper and a layup with just over 2 minutes
remaining in the first half.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Bryant then scored the Lakers' first six points of the third quarter, starting with a thunderous reverse dunk in transition about 40 seconds into the period, but he needed help and got it.
Vujacic played a big role for the second straight game and rewarded the Lakers with another big fourth quarter. This time he scored nine in the final period, after delivering 14 in Sunday's
win over the Clippers. "(Coach Phil Jackson) showed me he has confidence in me,'' Vujacic said. "That was the key thing for me. I'm having fun, playing basketball the way I used to play. I'm enjoying it.''
|
|
|
Bryant heard a few more cheers than boos during pregame introductions and one kid sitting about 10 rows off the court wore a Bulls jersey with masking tape and the number 24 scrawled on it.
There were oohs and aahs when Walton found a cutting Bryant for an all-oop over Hinrich, but there was nothing like the "Kobe! Kobe!'' chorus that roared through the United Center during
several home games last month. Those chants were in response to trade talks that fell through and the Bulls' slow start. The Kobe rumors picked up so much steam that Chicago general manager
John Paxson did his best to squash them on the eve of the home opener, saying the teams were never on the verge of a deal. A day later, fans chanted "Kobe! Kobe!'' in the closing seconds as
the Bulls fell to Philadelphia. The chorus continued during a 2-10 start that included a 106-78 loss at Los Angeles -- Chicago's most lopsided loss ever to the Lakers. - NBA.com
|
|
|
|
|
Kobe Bryant Is Sore But Dominant Against The Clippers
|
|
|
|
|
December 17, 2007
- Kobe Bryant worked around the clock to make sure he could answer the bell against the Los Angeles Clippers in the opener of a four-game season series against their
Staples Center co-tenants. Bryant scored 32 points and Sasha Vujacic scored all of his 14 points in the fourth quarter, leading the Lakers to a 113-92 victory Sunday
night. It was touch and go for a while with the two-time defending NBA scoring champ, who was listed as a game-time decision after injuring his groin in the final
minutes of Friday's loss at Golden State.
|
|
|
"It's sore, but you play through it," Bryant said. "We did a good job staying on top of it and making sure that it was good enough for me to go out there and play and
help the team. I didn't sleep. I was doing therapy for 24 hours, iced it down, had a weight-training session for my legs, kept stretching and doing what I needed to do.
"I can't really open up my stride as much as I'm used to, so I've got to take shorter, choppy steps as opposed to opening my gait," Bryant added. "So if I can just keep
it in my mind to keep my stride short, I'll be all right."
|
|
|
|
|
|
Andrew Bynum, ejected from last Thursday's win over San Antonio after a couple of run-ins with Spurs centre Fabricio Oberto, had 14 points, nine rebounds and six blocked shots in
his anticipated matchup against Chris Kaman. Bynum established his low-post presence right from the start as the Lakers jumped out to an 18-point lead late in the first quarter with
a 21-3 run, which included Bryant's first 11 points - and an airball at the other end by the Clippers' Corey Maggette from behind the three-point line.
|
|
|
Kaman missed seven of his first eight shots, one of which Bynum blocked before converting his defensive stop into a short hook shot at the other end. The Lakers' vastly improving seven-foot
center added an alley-oop dunk off a feed from Derek Fisher 38 seconds later, then duplicated the play off a rainbow pass from Jordan Farmar for a 75-58 lead with 5:24 left in the third quarter.
"I don't know if he gets too caught up with individual matchups or who he's playing against," Fisher said. "Right now, I think he's really just focused on improving himself and continuing to show
that he's the real deal. He's taking seriously his role of being a protector for us on the defensive end with shot blocking and controlling the defensive boards." - Canadian Press
|
|
|
|
|
Kobe Bryant Loses To Baron Davis & Vengeful Warriors
|
|
|
|
|
December 16, 2007
- Though Kobe Bryant might be the NBA's best player, nobody does showtime like Baron Davis. And the Lakers superstar had a front-row seat while Davis stole a win for
his Warriors. Davis put his usual game-breaking flair on the decisive 3-pointer with 16.8 seconds to play, and Golden State roared from behind in the final minutes to
snap a nine-game losing streak to Los Angeles with a 108-106 victory Friday night.
|
|
|
Davis had eight of his 22 points and a remarkable assist in the final 3:19 for the Warriors, who fed off of a playoff-worthy sellout crowd of more than 20,000 fans in
yellow T-shirts to beat Los Angeles for just the second time in 16 meetings. Bryant scored 21 points for the Lakers before injuring his quadriceps or groin with about
2 1/2 minutes to play, forcing him to sit out the two possessions in which the Warriors rallied.
|
|
|
|
|
|
"We kept our composure. We kept fighting in that huddle,'' Davis said while scrolling through congratulatory e-mails at his locker. "We stuck together when things weren't going
great. That's huge for us.'' Davis loves to put on a show against his hometown team, but foul trouble and the Lakers' size advantages prevented him from doing it until the last
minute. He picked up his fifth foul with 6 1/2 minutes left in the third quarter, sitting out nearly 9 minutes before returning to spark Golden State's 13th victory in 17 games.
|
|
|
Los Angeles had an eight-point lead with 3 1/2 minutes to play when the Warriors went through a 4:45 stretch with just one field goal. But Davis led Golden State back with two free
throws, a 3-pointer and an assist on Jackson's tying layup with 1:54 left before Bryant was hurt. Bryant said he hurt his quadriceps, while the Lakers said it was his groin. "It felt
like a little tweak, and I tried to shake it off and stretch it out,'' said Bryant, the NBA's second-leading scorer. "As soon as I took off running, it felt like I was shot in the leg.'' - NBA.com
|
|
|
|
|
Kobe Bryant Is Too Hot To Handle For Duncan-Less Spurs
|
|
|
|
|
December 15, 2007
- Kobe Bryant scored 30 points, and the Lakers used an 18-5 fourth-quarter spurt to break open a close game and beat the Spurs 102-97 on Thursday night for their
fourth straight victory. "We expected that from them,'' said Lakers forward Lamar Odom, who had 15 points and eight rebounds. "We were able to lock down and get
some stops when we needed them.''
|
|
|
The defending NBA champion Spurs (17-5), losers of two straight for the first time this season, played without Tim Duncan and Tony Parker. Duncan, averaging 17.6
points and 8.9 rebounds, sat out his fourth straight game because of a sprained right ankle. Parker, averaging 20.1 points and 6.8 assists, missed his first game
of the season with a sprained left ankle. "Very choppy game. The Spurs can make you play like that,'' Lakers coach Phil Jackson said. "Their defense is solid, no
matter who they put out there.''
|
|
|
|
|
|
Manu Ginobili, averaging a team-leading 20.8 points, scored only 14 and committed seven of San Antonio's 16 turnovers. He shot 5-of-17 and picked up his fifth foul with
10:27 remaining and the Lakers leading 78-76. "It was hard,'' Ginobili said. "I tried at the beginning to play off the ball and find the open man. But we weren't making
those shots, and I wasn't making mine, either. You've got to give them credit, too, they played a good defense on me. "We just didn't execute the last five or six minutes.''
|
|
|
Lakers center Andrew Bynum picked up two technical fouls and was ejected with 4:32 left in the third quarter and the Lakers leading 63-59. He left with six points and 11 rebounds.
"Not much to say. He lost his cool for a second, he got tossed,'' Bryant said. "Andrew should be proud - first ejection, national TV, he went out in a blaze of glory.'' Jackson
said he told the 20-year-old Bynum it was a good lesson for him. "You've got to maintain your character, your poise,'' Jackson said. "You're needed by your basketball club.'' - NBA.com
|
|
|
|
|
Kobe Bryant Can't Be Stopped By Davis & The Warriors
|
|
|
|
|
December 9, 2007
- Kobe Bryant scored 20 of his 28 points in the second half, six teammates joined him in double figures, and the Lakers pulled away late to beat the Warriors
123-113 for their ninth straight win over their in-state rivals. The win was the third straight for the Lakers (12-8), who have won 14 of their last 15 games
over Golden State and have a 16-1 record against the Warriors at Staples Center since the facility opened eight years ago.
|
|
|
"It's a game of matchups,'' said Bryant, who had six rebounds and a season-high eight assists. "They pride themselves on playing small ball. We match up pretty
well with them.'' The Warriors (11-9) were shooting for their 12th win in 14 games - their most most victories in a 14-game span since they went 13-2 during a
15-game stretch 32 years ago.
|
|
|
|
|
|
"They're a big team, and we just got outhustled,'' said Baron Davis, who led the Warriors with 20 points, eight rebounds and seven assists. "I think the reason why
we lose to them is that we let the other guys - their bench - get those 8, 10s and 12s. "Somebody for them is always having a career game against us.''
|
|
|
That would be Andrew Bynum in this game. The 20-year-old center matched a career high with 20 points and also had 11 rebounds and five blocked shots. Derek Fisher scored 15
points; Lamar Odom added 14 points, 10 rebounds and six assists, and Vladimir Radmanovic also scored 14 for the Lakers. Stephen Jackson scored 18 points, Mickael Pietrus added
14 and Monta Ellis had 13 for the Golden State. "We played a stellar second half,'' Lakers coach Phil Jackson said. "We were able to get it to Andrew and use him to our advantage.'' - NBA.com
|
|
|
|
|
Kobe Bryant Leads Lakers Past Iverson And The Nuggets
|
|
|
|
|
December 5, 2007
- Allen Iverson scored a season-high 51 points but Kobe Bryant's 25 led the Los Angeles Lakers to a 111-107 win over the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday night.
Carmelo Anthony had 26 points and eight rebounds and Marcus Camby had 20 rebounds for the Nuggets. Vladimir Radmanovic scored 21 points and Derek Fisher added
20 for the Lakers.
|
|
|
Iverson was held scoreless in the fourth until his layup with 3:15 left gave Denver a 102-99 lead. They were his only two points of the period. Andrew Bynum's
alley-oop dunk cut the lead to one, and Radmanovic's free throw tied the game with two minutes left. Bryant hit a pair of layups to give Los Angeles a 106-102
lead, and after Anthony scored, Bryant hit a jumper with 35.3 seconds left.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Iverson tied the game at 73 when he hit a soft jumper in the lane and was fouled by Fisher. He hit the free throw to give him 41 with 5:31 left in the third quarter.
Thirty seconds later, he made a jumper a for a 75-73 lead, and then he hit two free throws to extend the lead to four points. The Lakers rallied to take an 80-79 lead,
but Iverson drove the lane, and when two Lakers collapsed on him, he kicked the ball to Eduardo Najera, who hit a 3-pointer. - NBA.com
|
|
|
Marko Jaric missed the game with a foot injury, leaving the Wolves with Sebastian Telfair as the only healthy point guard. Even their coach hasn't been able to
stay healthy. Randy Wittman missed the game and will be out indefinitely when he undergoes back surgery on Wednesday. Sichting will fill in until Wittman returns,
though the team has not said when that will be. - NBA.com
|
|
|
|
|
Kobe Bryant Fends Off The Flu, The Wolves & Gets Win
|
|
|
|
|
December 4, 2007
- Even with a bout of the stomach flu, Kobe Bryant was too much for the NBA's worst team. Bryant scored 15 of his 20 points in the first half
to help Los Angeles jump out to a big lead, and the Lakers cruised the rest of the way to a 116-95 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves on
Tuesday night. Trevor Ariza added 15 points and five rebounds, and Bryant also had five assists for the Lakers, who dropped Minnesota to 2-14.
|
|
|
Bryant came out gunning from the start, scoring 13 points on 4-of-6 shooting in the first quarter. He appeared to be a little less explosive than
his usual self, until he threw down a 360-degree dunk off a fast break late in the second quarter. The Lakers were up by 16 by that point, and Bryant
didn't even need to play the fourth quarter as they snapped a two-game losing streak.
|
|
|
|
|
|
In Minnesota, rebuilding has been painful - literally. The Timberwolves have been banged up all season, which certainly hasn't helped matters in what
already was expected to be a difficult year after Kevin Garnett was dealt to Boston. Randy Foye (knee) and Theo Ratliff (knee) have been out for weeks,
while Rashad McCants (knee) and Mark Madsen (shoulder) have recently returned from injuries.
|
|
|
Marko Jaric missed the game with a foot injury, leaving the Wolves with Sebastian Telfair as the only healthy point guard. Even their coach hasn't been able to
stay healthy. Randy Wittman missed the game and will be out indefinitely when he undergoes back surgery on Wednesday. Sichting will fill in until Wittman returns,
though the team has not said when that will be. - NBA.com
|
|
|
|
|
Kobe Bryant Isn't Feeling The Magic After Orlando
|
|
|
|
|
December 3, 2007
- Kobe Bryant scored 28 points for the Lakers, 19 in the first quarter. Lamar Odom had 19 points and 17 rebounds, and center Andrew Bynum
blocked seven shots while helping neutralize Howard in the paint. "I thought Andrew did a good job defensively and was able to contain
Howard in there,'' Lakers coach Phil Jackson said. "That's a sub-par game I would guess for Howard, after all those write-ups we read about
him.''
|
|
|
Luke Walton's layup put Los Angeles ahead 91-89 with 5 1-2 minutes left. Teammate Jordan Farmar then forced Keith Bogans into a turnover and
took off the other way on a fast break, feeding Odom for a slam dunk. But the basket was waived off because of a charging call against Farmar,
who slammed into Keyon Dooling a split-second after dishing off.
|
|
|
|
|
|
"That was a big momentum change,'' Jackson said. "We got a steal and Jordy went down the court and drew a charge, instead of just moving the ball
ahead and doing the right things on the 2-on-1 break. It turned into a four-point play because they took a basket away from us, and they came down
and scored. Then Turkoglu hit a 3 to give them the lead, and it spiraled down from there.''
|
|
|
The Magic led by as many as 10 points early in the third quarter before the Lakers pulled ahead 73-70 with an 18-5 run, capped by Vladimir Radmanovic's
layup with 3:36 left in the period. Neither team led by more than three during an 11:06 span of the second half before J.J. Redick made a 3-pointer, two free
throws and a 15-footer in a 63-second span to give Orlando an 85-80 lead with 8:23 to play. "They executed better than we did,'' Bryant said. "We did a pretty
good job on our rotations, but they just knocked down shots right in our face.'' - NBA.com
|
|
|
|
|
Kobe Bryant Is Singing The Blues In Utah After Loss
|
|
|
|
|
December 2, 2007
- Kobe Bryant led the soft-serve Lakers with 28 points and Jordan Farmer scored 19 of his 21 in the second half. Ronny Turiaf was
the only other Laker to score in double figures with 12 and Los Angeles was outrebounded 48-34. "It's frustrating because they just
outworked us tonight,'' Bryant said. "They beat us to every ball and every rebound.''
|
|
|
After looking dead serious for most of the night, Utah's Andrei Kirilenko couldn't stop from grinning slightly as he walked to the
bench during a time out. Kirilenko had just clinched his third triple-double in Utah's unlikely 120-96 rout of the Los Angeles Lakers
on Friday night. He was swarmed by his teammates with hugs and high-fives.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Kirilenko and the Jazz had a lot of reasons to grin. "We tried to outplay -- not outscore -- but outplay (the) Lakers,'' said Kirilenko,
who finished with 20 points, 11 rebounds and 11 assists. The Jazz certainly did that -- even without starting forward Carlos Boozer and
center Mehmet Okur. Boozer was out because of a sprained right ankle and Okur with back spasms, taking about a 37-point chunk out of the
Utah's scoring average before the game even started.
|
|
|
Kirilenko, who asked for a trade two months ago, was everywhere on offense and defense, leading the Jazz with six steals and four blocks. Deron
Williams had a career-high 35 points and Paul Millsap, starting for Boozer, added 20 points and nine rebounds. Kyrylo Fesenko added six points and
seven rebounds in his NBA debut just hours after being called up from Utah's D-League affiliate in Orem. He also finished with five stitches,
thanks to an elbow to the right eye from Chris Mihm that only kept him out for a few minutes. - NBA.com
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
