CHECK OUT THE BRAND NEW KOBEBRYANTDUNKS.COM WEBSITE July 18, 2009 - Check out a BRAND NEW Kobe Bryant website that keeps you updated on the latest Kobe Bryant news, photos, videos, wallpapers and more! If you are a huge Kobe Bryant fan, check out KobeBryantDunks.com! You can also keep updated on the lastest Kobe Bryant news on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/kobebryantdunks.   KOBE BRYANT HAS THE BALL STOLEN LAST MINUTE BY HOWARD June 10, 2009 - Kobe Bryant, seeking a fourth title and his first since 2002, scored 31 points for the Lakers but the superstar, widely considered the game's best closer, was awful in the final minutes. He scored just 10 points in the second half, went only 4 of 15 from the field after the first quarter and looked tired in the fourth. He also missed five free throws, points that could have given the Lakers that 3-0 lead. "It was a bad night,'' he said. LAKERS VS. MAGIC GAME 3 HIGHLIGHTS With their season 48 minutes from all but disappearing, the Magic had five players score at least 18 points. Lewis and Dwight Howard had 21 apiece, Rafer Alston, who was just 3 of 17 from the field in the first two games, had 20 and Turkoglu and Mickael Pietrus 18 each. "We lost two games, but there's no need to roll over,'' Howard said. "It's a seven-game series. A team has to beat you four times to end the series and we felt good knowing that we had three games at home.'' Pau Gasol scored 23 points but had just three rebounds and the Lakers were only 16 of 26 from the line. KOBE BRYANT PHOTOS LAKERS VS. MAGIC After Pietrus was long with a wide-open 3, Gasol was fouled at the other end and made two free throws to make it 99 all with 2:41 remaining. "Oh, boy,'' muttered one fan near the media section. But Pietrus calmed fears by dunking in a rare miss to put the Magic up two, and when Lewis hit a jumper - it was originally called a 3 but replays showed his right foot was on the line - Orlando was up 104-101. Bryant then had a chance to pull the Lakers within one, but split two free throws. The Lakers got the ball back but Bryant, who scored 17 in the first quarter and 21 by halftime, tried to do too much on the next possession. He crossed over to get past Pietrus, but Howard, the league's defensive player of the year known mostly for his blocks underneath, made like a point guard and tipped the ball away. Pietrus was fouled and made both to make it 106-102. "It's disappointing,'' Bryant said. "I'm used to coming through in those situations. The team trusts me to come through in those situations and it just didn't happen tonight. Just got to bounce back.'' - NBA.com   KOBE BRYANT PREVENTS POSSIBLE 3 GAME LOSING STREAK March 3, 2009 - Kobe Bryant scored 31 points and the Los Angeles Lakers ended their two-game skid with a front-running 99-89 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies on Tuesday night. The Lakers avoided their first three-game losing streak of the season, taking the lead for good seven minutes into the game. Memphis, 3-24 on the road, kept it relatively close until the Lakers pulled away from a 54-51 lead early in the third quarter. They were up 78-67 by the end of the period and remained comfortably ahead in the fourth quarter. Lakers center Pau Gasol, matched in the middle against younger brother Marc, had 13 points and eight rebounds. Derek Fisher added 11 points for Los Angeles. LAKERS VS. GRIZZLIES NO VIDEO AVAILABLE GAME HIGHLIGHTS Bryant was 12-of-23 from the line and sat out the fourth quarter while the Lakers went mostly with reserves. Marc Gasol, 24 and four years younger than Pau, had 17 points and 14 rebounds for Memphis. O.J. Mayo scored 17. Los Angeles was up by 15 early in the second quarter, but the Grizzlies chipped away and closed to within 52-47 on Marc Gasol's two free throws after his brother fouled him 4 seconds before halftime. Bryant had 19 points by halftime, but was the lone Laker in double figures. Marc Gasol had 11 points, nine rebounds and three assists for Memphis by the break. KOBE BRYANT PHOTOS NO PHOTOS AVAILABLE LAKERS VS. GRIZZLIES With the Lakers trailing 17-16 with five minutes left in the first quarter, Bryant pulled up and made an 11-footer, fed Pau Gasol for a dunk, hit a 16-footer, then added a 3. That ignited Los Angeles, and the Lakers went on to finish a 16-2 string that put them up 32-19 at the end of the period. The Grizzlies are 1-21 this season in games when they've failed to score at last 20 points in the first quarter. - NBA.com   KOBE BRYANT RANKS 20TH ON THE ALL-TIME SCORING LIST February 22, 2009 - Kobe Bryant scored 28 to move past Elgin Baylor into 20th place on the NBA's career scoring list in the Lakers' 111-108 victory Sunday night. Bryant's breakaway lay-in with 10:42 to play in the third quarter pushed him past the former Lakers great Baylor into third in franchise history, behind only Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Jerry West. The last time the Lakers were here, Bynum had 27 points and 15 rebounds in the Lakers' 132-119 victory, but things weren't as easy this time around. The Lakers had height mismatches all over the floor. Bryant had a 2-inch advantage over Randy Foye according to the listed heights, but he plays so much bigger than the Wolves' captain and had no problem getting his shots in the low post. LAKERS VS. TIMBERWOLVES GAME HIGHLIGHTS Bryant was 6-for-8 in the first half, most coming on short turnaround jumpers over Foye. Gasol went 8-for-10 in the first two periods with nothing coming from further than 5 feet out. "He is the best player in the game, the way he plays, the way he dominates,'' Foye said of Bryant. "It's just a tough matchup. It's a mismatch all around the board. They're always going to have a mismatch, no matter the position.'' Yet for all that success, the Lakers had plenty of problems putting this depleted Wolves team away. Smith made his first eight shots from the field, the last two on breakaway layups to give Minnesota an 80-78 lead after three quarters. KOBE BRYANT PHOTOS NO PHOTOS AVAILABLE LAKERS VS. TIMBERWOLVES Bryant converted a three-point play and then a baseline turnaround jumper over Foye with his tongue wagging Jordan-style for a 106-103 lead. He added two free throws and Foye missed a desperation 3-pointer at the buzzer to seal it. Lakers coach Phil Jackson ripped his team's defense, which allowed the 18-37 Wolves to shoot 50 percent, make 10 3-pointers and get several wide-open drives to the basket. "We got lucky, man,'' Odom said. - NBA.com   KOBE BRYANT RUNS OVER HORNETS IN OVERTIME February 20, 2009 - They could've started with defending Kobe Bryant. Bryant scored 11 of his 39 points in OT and the Los Angeles Lakers beat New Orleans 115-111 on Friday night, snapping an NBA-record streak of 13 overtime wins by the Hornets dating to December 2005. "There have been many times this season where the starting unit struggled and the bench came in and bailed us out. Tonight was the opposite,'' Bryant said. "Anytime you have a game like that where you kinda seesaw down the stretch like that and come out with a win, it's always good.'' Pau Gasol had 20 points and 12 rebounds for the defending Western Conference champions, who won for the 14th time in 16 games. Derek Fisher, whose 3-pointer with 14.6 seconds left in the fourth quarter forced overtime, made four free throws in the final 14.3 seconds of the extra period to ice it. LAKERS VS. HORNETS GAME HIGHLIGHTS Lakers coach Phil Jackson rested Bryant for the first 5 minutes of the fourth quarter, and New Orleans reduced a 13-point deficit to 85-82 with 8:46 remaining on Butler's 3-pointer - one of five by the Hornets in the quarter. "We made it a lot harder on ourselves, which we have to give New Orleans credit for,'' Jackson said. "They came out in the fourth quarter and hit a bunch of 3s. We knew they would eventually start hitting them, but I don't think we were intent enough about covering them up.'' Paul's two free throws gave the Hornets a 95-93 edge with 3:21 to play after the Lakers turned the ball over on a traveling violation. James Posey, who helped Boston beat the Lakers in last year's finals, drained his third 3-pointer of the quarter to give the Hornets a 98-95 lead with 1:15 to play after Los Angeles tied it on a tip-in by Gasol. KOBE BRYANT PHOTOS NO PHOTOS AVAILABLE LAKERS VS. HORNETS Paul was called for an offensive foul with 20.1 seconds left. Fisher took the charge, then made Paul pay for it with his tying 3-pointer. "We're used to it from him,'' Bryant said of Fisher. "That's what he does. That's why he is so valuable to our ballclub.'' The Hornets had one more chance to win it in regulation, but Paul missed a 22-footer over Fisher in the final second. "I missed the shot, and we have to live with it,'' Paul said. "They loaded up that side. I probably should have taken it middle of the court and isolated it.'' - NBA.com   KOBE BRYANT COMES FROM BEHIND TO DESTROY WARRIORS February 18, 2009 - Kobe Bryant scored 30 points, Pau Gasol added 24 points and 13 rebounds, and the Los Angeles Lakers roared from behind in the final 5 minutes for their 13th victory in 15 games, 129-121 over the Warriors on Wednesday night. Los Angeles trailed late into the fourth quarter against the improving Warriors, but the Lakers made a dynamite 17-3 run beginning with back-to-back 3-pointers by Ariza, who finished with 17 points. The lanky swingman might not have had the courage to take those big shots earlier in his career, but his confidence is growing along with the Lakers' NBA-best 44-10 record. LAKERS VS. WARRIORS GAME HIGHLIGHTS Bryant was the only Los Angeles regular who had an unimpressive shooting night, going 9-of-22, but the reigning league MVP had nine assists and also scored 12 points in the fourth quarter, taking charge with plenty of energy in reserve after playing less than 29 minutes against Atlanta. "We kept our poise tonight,'' Bryant said. "It's always fun to come up here, especially because the Warriors are always going to play hard.'' Stephen Jackson and Corey Maggette scored 24 points apiece for the Warriors, who lost for just the second time in six games. Jamal Crawford scored 23 points and Monta Ellis had 15 as Golden State's season-best three-game winning streak ended in its first game since last Thursday. The improving Warriors took another elite team down to the wire, but Los Angeles has won all three of its meetings with Golden State this season, scoring at least 114 points in each game. KOBE BRYANT PHOTOS NO PHOTOS AVAILABLE LAKERS VS. WARRIORS Jackson felt extra fatigue while guarding Bryant in his first game back from the Warriors' long break, and he lightly criticized Nelson's playing rotation. "I could have came out when (Bryant) came out,'' Jackson said. "He got a lot of rest. I think the thing to do was take me out when he came out the game. For the most part, I played great D on him, made him take a lot of tough shots. I just think the play of the other guys really helped them win the game.'' Before the game, Los Angeles traded center Chris Mihm to Memphis for a future draft pick, trimming about $2 million off their payroll and luxury tax obligations. Mihm, who will be a free agent this summer, couldn't crack coach Phil Jackson's rotation even after fellow 7-footer Andrew Bynum tore a ligament in his knee Jan. 31. - NBA.com   KOBE BRYANT SCORES A SEASON-LOW 10 POINTS AGAINST HAWKS February 17, 2009 - With his teammates carrying the load, Kobe Bryant scored a season-low 10 points. "That's the way we wanted to start it, with a 'W,''' said Odom, whose rebounds were two off his career high. Bryant had been in Odom's ear about reaching the 20-rebound mark. "That's what I do, challenge guys,'' Bryant said. "I just want to get the best out of him.'' Bryant's egging on made Odom set a goal after he averaged 19 rebounds in the previous four games in the best stretch of his career. "It's a good way to score the ball,'' Odom said. "It keeps me involved in the game. Rebounding is a skill just like passing and shooting. It takes timing.'' The Hawks couldn't have picked a worse way to start the rest of their season. All-Star Joe Johnson scored 14 points and Josh Smith added 13 for the Hawks, who had their three-game road winning streak end on the first night of their five-game West Coast trip. Atlanta, fourth in the Eastern Conference standings, had won four of five heading into the break. LAKERS VS. HAWKS GAME HIGHLIGHTS "We played a quarter and a half and then they hit us in the mouth and they shut us down,'' Hawks coach Mike Woodson said. "Coming out in the third quarter, we were just flat, so flat, to the point where, when they hit us we didn't respond.'' Coming off a weekend in which he shared the All-Star MVP trophy with former teammate Shaquille O'Neal, Bryant shot 4-of-12 and never got to the free throw line in his lowest offensive performance since he had 11 against Washington on Jan. 22. Not that the Lakers needed their resident superstar. They improved to 25-4 at Staples Center by blowing out the Hawks in the third quarter after Atlanta led by nine in the opening period. Sparked by Ariza and Farmar, the Lakers' reserves outscored Atlanta's bench 37-31. "I thought that was the difference early, but it was their starting unit that got us in the third,'' Woodson said. "I thought when Farmar and those guys came in during that spell in the second quarter, I thought that's what gave them the cushion going into halftime.'' KOBE BRYANT PHOTOS NO PHOTOS AVAILABLE LAKERS VS. HAWKS Bryant hit two 3-pointers in the third quarter, but his teammates did everything else as Los Angeles outscored the Hawks 40-24. Atlanta's Mike Bibby virtually disappeared after the first quarter, when he had nine, and never scored again. "The guys that came in off the bench helped them, that brought them back into the game,'' he said. "We knew how their bench is, that's just the way the game goes sometime. We just weren't able to bounce back from it.'' That gave the Lakers an 85-60 lead going into the fourth, when the starters watched from the bench. "Odom was just active and we didn't put a body on him,'' Smith said. "Both he and Gasol, we weren't able to find a body on either and they were both able to keep second chance points in and get extra possessions.'' The Hawks outscored the Lakers 23-11 in the final 12 minutes, a stretch Jackson described as "a stinker.'' The Lakers recovered from a slow start to outscore Atlanta 22-12 in the second quarter. They did it with just one basket from Bryant, which was all he had in the first period. - NBA.com   KOBE BRYANT IS THE YOUNGEST PLAYER TO REACH 23,000 POINTS February 10, 2009 - Kobe Bryant bounced back quickly from the flu and became the youngest player in NBA history to reach the 23,000-point plateau. Bryant showed no lingering effects from being sick two days earlier, scoring 34 points in the Los Angeles Lakers' surprisingly narrow 105-98 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday night. He obviously enjoys reaching such career milestones. "It's always fun whenever you talk about the history of the game,'' Bryant said. "It's always a tremendous honor.'' With fans chanting "MVP,'' Bryant - 30 years, 171 days old - made a free throw with 5:13 left in the second quarter, bouncing the ball off the front of the rim, then the backboard and in. He joined 20 others in league history who've reached that lofty mark. Wilt Chamberlain was formerly the youngest at 30 years, 176 days. He still ranks as the fastest to 23,000, reaching it in 606 games, while Bryant, who came straight from high school to the NBA, reached it in his 917th game. LAKERS VS. THUNDER GAME HIGHLIGHTS Pau Gasol had 22 points and 14 rebounds, and Lamar Odom had 12 points and a season-high 18 boards for the Lakers, just back from a 6-0 trip they concluded with wins against Boston and Cleveland. Bryant had chills and fever and needed intravenous fluids at halftime of Sunday's game against the Cavaliers. After the win over the Thunder, he said, "I feel really good. I got rested up, got fluids in me, got some decent meals in me.'' Even if he was still sick, he undoubtedly would have played. "I love playing. I'd much rather be out there moving around,'' Bryant said. "I'd feel a lot worse if I was just laying down and not doing anything.'' Although Los Angeles has the league's best record and Oklahoma City one of the worst, the Thunder stayed close most of the game. Down by as many as 15 early in the third quarter and behind by 10 with 1:20 remaining in the game, the Thunder pulled within 103-98 on Jeff Green's 3 with 10 seconds to play. But Gasol's layup off an Odom steal with 4 seconds on the clock wrapped up the scoring. KOBE BRYANT PHOTOS LAKERS VS. THUNDER Kevin Durant scored 31 points, his fifth 30-point game in a row, and had 10 rebounds in the loss. Russell Westbrook had 17 points and nine rebounds. `It was a good effort, but playing against the best team in basketball has to be a flawless effort,'' Oklahoma City coach Scott Brooks said. "We did not have that, but we played hard. We came back in the second half and did a good job, really competing and contesting the shots. We made them miss shots. "That is the best team in basketball. We competed with them.'' Los Angeles held a 13-point lead at halftime, but the Thunder cut the deficit to 80-73 by the end of the third quarter. Bryant and Odom combined on several spectacular plays. Down by two with 4 seconds left in the first quarter, the Lakers drew even as Bryant grabbed Odom's length-of-the-court pass just over the outstretched hands of a defender and dunked to tie it at 25. In the second quarter, Bryant threaded a pass to Odom as he split defenders down the lane and Odom seemed to catch the ball, go up and dunk all in the same motion. - NBA.com   KOBE BRYANT SCORES 19 DESPITE BEING SICK WITH THE FLU February 8, 2009 - Kobe Bryant was sick. The Cleveland Cavaliers just looked it. With Bryant suffering from the flu, Lamar Odom scored a season-high 28 points - 15 in the third quarter- and Paul Gasol scored 18 as the streak-busting Los Angeles Lakers dominated the second half and handed Cleveland its first home loss this season, 101-91 on Sunday to complete a 6-0 road trip. Bryant was not himself. The superstar vomited before the game, shivered with chills throughout and needed intravenous fluids at halftime. But Odom picked up the offensive slack, helped contain LeBron James on defense, and was the biggest factor in the Lakers outscoring the Cavaliers 50-30 after halftime. "That was one of the best games he's played for us,'' Lakers coach Phil Jackson said of the enigmatic Odom. "He's had some spectacular games, but that was a terrific game. It was the total package of his game. He broke people down with his speed and quickness to the basket and got some easy shots.'' LAKERS VS. CAVALIERS GAME HIGHLIGHTS It's been a tough few days for Cleveland. First, guard Mo Williams was bypassed for the second time as an All-Star. Then, James had his apparent historic triple-double in New York downgraded by an NBA review, and now, the Cavaliers have had their invincibility at home stripped by the road-weary Lakers. "You have to give the Lakers credit,'' said James, who scored 16 but missed 15 of his 20 field-goal tries. "I missed a lot of easy looks that I usually make.'' The Cavaliers came in 23-0 at Quicken Loans Arena, but were stopped by the Lakers, who are gaining a reputation for stopping streaks. They ended Boston's 19-game winning streak on Christmas Day and halted a 12-game run by the Celtics earlier this week. This was Cleveland's first loss at home since Game 5 against Washington in the first round of last season's playoffs. "I didn't want it to happen,'' James said. "But I'm glad it's over.'' KOBE BRYANT PHOTOS LAKERS VS. CAVALIERS The Lakers weren't intimidated in one of the NBA's rowdiest arena and went undefeated on a road trip that also included stops in Minnesota, Memphis, New York, Toronto and Boston. Los Angeles' trip started rocky with center Andrew Bynum injuring his knee against the Grizzlies, but it couldn't have ended any better. Beginning with Bryant's record-setting 61-point performance against the Knicks, the Lakers have gone 4-0 without Bynum. They didn't commit a turnover in the final 19:28 against the Cavs. "We're playing for perfection,'' Odom said, "and in order to do that, it takes a lot of energy, focus and commitment to winning and doing whatever it takes. We got production from everyone.'' Zydrunas Ilgauskas scored 22 to lead Cleveland, which shot just 28 percent (11-of-39) in the second half and didn't play its customary shutdown defense. Williams, whose All-Star snub had infuriated the Cavs, scored 19 and James finished with 12 assists and eight rebounds. - NBA.com   KOBE BRYANT PULLS OUT A CLOSE ONE AGAINST CELTICS February 5, 2009 - Lamar Odom made a pair of free throws with 16 seconds left in overtime to lead the Los Angeles Lakers to a 110-109 victory over Boston on Thursday night and snap the Celtics' 12-game winning streak. Kobe Bryant scored 26 points with 10 rebounds and Paul Gasol had 24 and 14 for the Lakers, who also snapped Boston's 19-game winning streak on Christmas Day and sent the Celtics into a 2-7 skid that is the worst stretch of the New Big Three era. Paul Pierce scored 21, and newly minted All-Star Ray Allen had 22, but he missed a desperation, off-balance shot at the buzzer while Boston fans clamored for a foul call. Rajon Rondo scored 16 with 12 assists, and Kevin Garnett scored 16 before fouling out with 4:22 left in the fourth quarter. LAKERS VS. CELTICS GAME HIGHLIGHTS It was a physical meeting that featured a pair of double-technicals and enough shoving to pass for a playoff game, but both teams were tired when it ended. Bryant, who scored 61 and 36 in his previous two games, hit three 3-pointers in the fourth quarter, the last with 1:30 left in regulation and Pierce in his face to make it 101-100 - the Lakers' first lead of the half. But after Pierce made one of two free throws with 30 seconds left, Bryant tried to shoot over Pierce again and banged it off the rim. After a timeout with 7.7 seconds left, Pierce dribbled the clock down before Bryant poked the ball away. Eddie House got it and put up a sideways, one-handed 3-point attempt at the buzzer that wasn't close. KOBE BRYANT PHOTOS LAKERS VS. CELTICS Bryant missed his last five shots of the game. Gasol made one of two free throws to give the Lakers a 108-107 lead with 1:11 left, then Glen "Big Baby'' Davis made a jumper - his only basket of the game after six misses. Kobe missed over Pierce, then Davis missed again and fouled Odom, who sank them both. The Celtics got the ball to Pierce, but his shot was off. Rondo got the rebound and drew a foul, but it wasn't a shooting foul. The inbounds pass made it to Allen, but he was out of position and never got a good look. - NBA.com   KOBE BRYANT STARTS COLD BUT SOON DOMINATES February 4, 2009 - Kobe Bryant scored 36 points, Pau Gasol added 31 and the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Toronto Raptors 115-107 on Wednesday night for their fourth straight victory and eighth in nine games. Lamar Odom had 13 points, and Derek Fisher added 12 for the Lakers, set to play the Celtics on Thursday night in their first trip to Boston since losing the NBA finals. Joey Graham had a career-high 24 points, and Jermaine O'Neal added 22 for Toronto. The Raptors have lost four straight. Andrea Bargnani scored 21 points, and Anthony Parker had 18 for the Raptors, 5-21 overall against the Lakers. Toronto All-Star Chris Bosh left the game with 9:50 remaining in the fourth because of a sprained right knee. Bosh had 12 points and eight rebounds in 29 minutes. LAKERS VS. RAPTORS GAME HIGHLIGHTS The Raptors also played without point guard Jose Calderon, who sat out with a sore right hamstring. It's the same injury that kept him out of 10 games in January and two in November. Parker moved over to point guard with Graham starting at shooting guard. Los Angeles had never led by more than two and trailed 87-85 to begin the fourth, but took its first lead since the second quarter on Bryant's jumper with 6:27 left. Toronto trailed by seven with just over a minute left, but Parker made a 3-pointer and Graham followed Bryant's miss with a layup to cut it to two, 107-105. But Graham failed to convert the 3-point play, and Bryant responded with a jumper in the lane, then a pair of free throws, to push the lead to six. KOBE BRYANT PHOTOS LAKERS VS. RAPTORS Bryant set a Madison Square Garden record by scoring 61 points in a 126-117 victory over New York on Monday night. His career high of 81 came in a home victory over Toronto on Jan. 22, 2006, and he came in averaging 28 points in 21 career games against the Raptors. The Raptors started brightly, leading 21-9 after Parker completed a four-point play after Odom's foul at 6:33. But the Lakers stormed back behind four 3-pointers, including three from Bryant, cutting it to 23-21 3 three minutes later. Bryant had 14 points in the opening quarter, but Toronto led 31-26 after one. Bryant missed all five shots he took in the second, while O'Neal had 11, and Bosh eight to give Toronto a 63-58 lead at the half. - NBA.com   KOBE BRYANT SETS A MADISON SQUARE GARDEN RECORD February 2, 2009 - Kobe Bryant broke the current Madison Square Garden record with 61 points, and the Los Angeles Lakers looked plenty potent without Andrew Bynum in a 126-117 victory over the New York Knicks on Monday night. Bryant teased and pleased a sold-out crowd that took turns booing him and saluting him with "MVP!'' chants during an electrifying performance. He passed Michael Jordan's opponent record of 55 points at the present building, known as "Garden IV,'' when he hit three free throws with 3:56 remaining, then bettered Bernard King's mark of 60, set on Christmas Day 1984, with two more foul shots with 2:33 to play. Bryant, who also finished with the highest-scoring game in the NBA this season, left to a loud ovation after the 24th 50-point game of his career. It was also his fifth 40-point game here. Pau Gasol added 31 points and 14 rebounds in the Lakers' first game since losing Bynum, their starting center, for eight to 12 weeks with a torn medial collateral ligament in his right knee. They'll be fine without him if Bryant plays the way he did Monday, going 19-of-31 with an array of tough jumpers, powerful drives to the basket and perfect foul shooting. He also hit all 20 free throws. LAKERS VS. KNICKS GAME HIGHLIGHTS Bynum was hurt Saturday at Memphis when Bryant missed a driving shot, then crashed into his leg. The center isn't expected to need surgery and said he was confident he would return in time for the playoffs. Lamar Odom moved into the starting lineup and Gasol slid to the center spot to replace Bynum, who was carrying a tall black crutch, though he was limping along without using it. Odom had six points and 14 rebounds. The Lakers reached the NBA finals last season despite losing Bynum for the final 46 games with an injury to his left knee, but they missed his inside presence when they were overpowered by Boston in six games. Gasol and Odom were too big for the undersized Knicks, but the Lakers will get a truer test of where they are without Bynum when they visit the Celtics and Cleveland Cavaliers later this week. Al Harrington scored 24 points, David Lee had 22 points and 12 rebounds, and reserve Wilson Chandler added 20 points for the Knicks, who had won three straight and six of seven, but didn't have the firepower to stay with the Western Conference leaders in the opener of their brutally tough week. KOBE BRYANT PHOTOS LAKERS VS. KNICKS New York hosts Cleveland on Wednesday and Boston on Friday. It's the first time a team has played three straight games against opponents with .750 winning percentages after Feb. 1 since the Celtics did it in February 1995, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. Knicks coach Mike D'Antoni said the daunting slate would give the Knicks the chance to "elevate'' their game. "These will be three great games to do that and whatever happens we'll spin it the best way we can,'' D'Antoni said before the game. Odom made a free throw 14 seconds into the game to open the scoring, then Bryant and Gasol combined for the next 30 Los Angeles points. Bryant's 3-pointer with 35 seconds left gave him 18 points and the Lakers a 31-26 lead headed to the second. New York was down only one before Bryant returned from a break with 7:25 left in the half and took over the game. He scored nine points in a 1:15 span to make it 49-42 and had 16 points in the second quarter, giving Los Angeles a 65-54 advantage. He hit the 40-point mark during a 15-4 spurt midway through the third quarter that allowed the Lakers to finally shake free of their Knicks. - NBA.com