Lakers Win First Game on First Road Trip of the Season

The Los Angeles Lakers beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 101-98 even though Pau Gasol was still out and Kobe Bryant was battling a fever and sore throat. Despite his health issues, Bryant managed to score 31 points, and thanks to the help of Ron Artest, the Lakers walked away with an overtime win yesterday (Nov. 3) at Ford Center. Artest had 20 points on six-for-eight shooting, and after entering the game with a low scoring average of 8.3 and a shooting percentage of 32.1, he added six assists. Andrew Bynum scored 22 points on 10-for-15 shooting.

Bryant skipped the team shoot-around prior to the game but still suited up after a nap in the trainer’s room kept his fever at bay long enough for him to remain on the court for nearly 46 minutes. Said Kobe to reporters, “I’ve played through worse,” adding that he did feel better was his fever dipped because of “everything that’s going on with H1N1 [flu].” As for Artest, he appeared to grasp the triangle offense for perhaps the first time last night, and garnered praise from coach Phil Jackson who said, “Third quarter, Ron kind of kept us going. He kept us even. He played real well,” adding, “He’s finding his way. The rhythm of the offense and finding his shots are still a mystery to him.” The Lakers, 3-1, will now reunite with former Laker Trevor Ariza when they play the Houston Rockets.

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