Lakers continue winning ways

Kobe Bryant didn’t play but it didn’t matter on Friday night as the Atlanta Hawks were the opposition. The result was a 106-95 win. The Lakers are now 13-6 heading into Sunday’s showdown with San Antonio at the Staples Center.

Bryant sat out with a sprained ankle, resting for the game with the Spurs. But lo and behold, Luke Walton stepped up with a career-high 25 points against Atlanta. Maurice Evans started in place of Bryant and scored 22, including a spectacular reverse layup while being fouled in the fourth quarter that made the highlight reels.

And Bryant’s absence didn’t keep away the celebrities. Lindsay Lohan brought the party to the Staples Center, perhaps thinking there was an AA meeting there.

Lindsay Lohan

Bryant hurt the ankle in Monday’s win over the Pacers but played in Wednesday’s loss to the Hornets. The woeful Hawks provided an opportunity to steal a night off for Kobe.

Sunday’s game sets up as a key test for Los Angeles. The Lakers have been feasting on home cooking of late. The Spurs game ends a stretch of 13 out of 14 games at the Staples Center (one was “at” the Clippers). Seven of the games were against Eastern Conference teams.

Now, the Lakers will follow up the game with San Antonio with a quick, two-game, back-to-back trip to Houston and Dallas. Several people have questioned just how good Los Angeles is and whether the Lakers are truly contenders. These next three games should give a hint.

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Permalink - Posted in General on December 9, 2006 - Post a comment

Mamba goes off, Lakers hammer Jazz

The Lakers dropped a tough game in Utah last week. On Thursday, Kobe Bryant wasn’t going to let the Jazz get a repeat.

Bryant went off for a season-high 52 points to lead the Lakers to a 132-102 win over Utah at the Staples Center. Bryant scored 30 points in the third quarter alone. The performance was so impressive that Lakers coach Phil Jackson actually came off the bench and hugged Kobe when Bryant left the game in the fourth quarter.

The game seemed to announce that Bryant is fully healed following off-season knee surgery. It also seemed to be a statement to the Jazz, who came into the game with the league’s best record at 13-3. The Lakers, now 10-5 and in first place in the Pacific Division, expect to contend for the NBA championship again.

Phil Jackson and Kobe Bryant

Bryant made 11 shots in a row from the floor, a stretch that bridged the second and third quarters and was 19 of 26 on the night (two of three from 3-point range). He also made 12 of his 15 free throws - Utah tried a version of hack-a-Shaq to try to slow him down.

Next up for the Lakers is a Saturday game against the Los Angeles Clippers. The Lakers have now won six of nine games in a stretch of 14 games where they leave the Staples Center just once (the game at Utah).

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Permalink - Posted in General on December 1, 2006 - Post a comment


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