Bryant, Vujacic power Lakers to victory over Denver

Kobe Bryant with 24 points and Sasha Vujacic with 22 - 19 of which were scored in the fourth quarter - helped the Lakers sail to a 127-99 victory Thursday, Nov. 29 against the Denver Nuggets, according to an Associated Press article published at the Lakers official Web site. The game, which also let Luke Walton and Andrew Bynum shine - with 14 and 12 points, respectively - gave the Lakers a bit more momentum as they continue to crawl their way out of a three-game consecutive losing streak last week.

With the home court advantage, the Lakers propelled themselves to get ahead after the first half with help from Derek Fisher, who sunk two three-pointers and a driving layup only minutes before halftime, according to the article.  Also, the Lakers reserves - which some team members had felt were not as powerful after the last several weeks of switching positions and trading - came through to outsource Denver’s reserves 63-29.

Denver was off to a stellar start defensively this season, but started to slip in their last few games, giving up 15 points and trailing 21-3 in the first quarter during Tuesday’s match up against the Indiana Pacers. The Lakers, who are having slightly better luck, pushed past the Seattle Supersonics but the team and coach Phil Jackson were not pleased with the Lakers overall performance.

“I didn’t like the way we finished up,” Jackson said about Tuesday’s win. “We had a 15-point lead, then we were wandering around defensively and started doing some things I didn’t like. It’s the sign of a young team that’s still unbridled and still undisciplined. I’m not happy with that game, but it was a win.”

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