Archive for the 'Running Diary' Category

Lakers 99, Blazers 82: Running Diary

Published
by
Mike Trudell
on February 6, 2010
in Running Diary
. Closed

59514037Click here for the Lakers Gameday Page
We took a look at the Lakers - Blazers contest in Portland while it was happening, entering a thought or three each quarter as the Lakers looked to snap an nine-game losing streak in the Rose Garden.

Inactives
Lakers: Kobe Bryant*
Blazers: Brandon Roy, Greg Oden, Joel Pryzbilla
*No, really … more on that below.

Starters
Lakers: Fisher, Artest, Odom Gasol and Bynum
Blazers: Andre Miller, Jerryd Bayless, Martell Webster, LaMarcus Aldridge, Juwan Howard

Kobe Bryant Out For First Time Since Dec. 8, 2006
How about that? Kobe ALWAYS plays, so his sprained ankle was obviously really bothering him to the point that he didn’t feel like he could help significantly (CLICK HERE to read more). Portland was dealing with its own injury to a star player, as Brandon Roy was set to miss his 10th straight game with a right hamstring strain.

59513799First Quarter
12:00 No Kobe + No Roy = A Bit Less Energy. Portland’s always among the loudest arenas in the league, particularly when the Lakers are in town, but there was certainly some deflation with the stars from each team in dress clothes.

7:22 Juwan Howard, who’s literally one of three players still in the NBA from his 1994 Draft Class (Jason Kidd and Grant Hill), made all four of his face-up jump shots to give Portland an early 12-8 edge.

0:03.3 Before the game, assistant coach Brian Shaw mentioned his curiosity to see which players would step up in Bryant’s absence. While the first quarter was a collective effort, Shannon Brown distinguished himself with a team-high nine points in seven minutes thanks to 4-of-5 shooting, including a quarter-ending and-1 that cut Portland’s lead to 29-26 despite the Blazers’ 62.3 percent shooting.

Second Quarter
9:21 Little things plagued the Lakers early on in this one, including a defensive lapse from Brown that left Rudy Fernandez - among Portland’s best three-point shooters - wide open at the end of the shot clock when Brown stepped in to double Steve Blake. Fernandez swished the open look, putting Portland up 37-28.

3:30 After a solid steal and resulting fastbreak layup from Derek Fisher (whose minutes were up considerably with Bryant on the bench since Phil Jackson needed his floor leadership), Gasol laid in near the rim to tie the game at 41. The bucket capped an 11-2 run for the Lakers, who at that point were led by Brown’s 14 points and seven boards from Odom.

0:00.1 Ron Artest caught fire for the Lakers to close the half, nailing three consecutive three-pointers including a buzzer-beating bomb from just inside the halfcourt line to give L.A. a 54-48 cushion.

59513792Third Quarter
12:00 Already playing without Bryant, L.A. learned that it would be without Bynum for the second half due to a hip contusion he suffered early in the first quarter.

9:54 Fisher continued a solid game by nailing his second three-pointer of the first two minutes, keeping L.A.’s lead at six as he climbed to 14 points. His season high, accomplished three times, was 15 heading into the game (one of those games was L.A.’s first in Portland on Jan. 8).

3:44 Into a full time out, the Blazers shooting percentage had gone straight down the tubes since a 63.2% first quarter. Forced largely into settling for jumpers, Portland had converted just 11-for-30 (36%) from the field to trail 67-59. L.A., meanwhile, turned again to Artest, whose back-to-back buckets got him to a game-high 19 points before Gasol’s quarter-ending dunk (courtesy of Farmar’s pick-and-roll dish) gave L.A. a 73-64 edge after three. Artest, Fisher and Brown had combined for 50 of L.A.’s 73 points, while Gasol (8), Odom (6) and Bynum (6) had just 20.

Fourth Quarter
9:00 Sasha Vujacic, who couldn’t get anything to go against Denver (missing all five of his three-point attempts) nailed his first shot of the night, a two, that preceded Jordan Farmar’s three-pointer moments later to put L.A. up 78-66. We’d be remiss not to mention Odom’s fantastic work on the glass after he grabbed his 19th board to match his season high.

6:23 Farmar nailed another triple to give L.A. its biggest lead to that point as the bench contributed a solid opening to the fourth. They were simply getting a bit of production from everyone who entered the game … you know, the whole rally-around-the-flag bit.

2:14 On defense, Odom grabbed his 22nd rebound to tie a career high (previous in March of 2008 vs Golden State), while on offense Gasol became the sixth Laker in double figures. The game concluded moments later at a 99-82 clip, leaving your postgame numbers:

POSTGAME NUMBERS
3,000 Career assists reached by Lamar Odom early in the third quarter to become the eighth fastest player in NBA history to 3,000 assists and 6,000 rebounds. It’s quite a list in front of him: Larry Bird, Chris Webber, Kevin Garnett, Oscar Robertson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Wilt Chamberlain and Elgin Baylor.

63.2 Portland’s shooting percentage in the first quarter, rendering 29 points. From there on, however, they couldn’t hit a thing, finishing at just 43.7 percent.

22 Odom’s career-high rebounding total in an impressive all-around game that also featured 10 points, six assists, a steal and a block.

6 Lakers in double-figures, including Ron Artest (21), Shannon Brown (19), Derek Fisher (14), Pau Gasol (13), Jordan Farmar (12) and Lamar Odom (10)

5 Years it had been since the Lakers won in Portland, when they earned a 86-83 victory on Feb. 23, 2005, a nine-game stretch.

Lakers 93, Grizzlies 95: Running Diary

Published
by
Mike Trudell
on February 1, 2010
in Running Diary
. Closed

59478623Click here for the Lakers Gameday Page
We took a look at the Lakers - Grizzlies contest in Memphis while it was happening, entering a thought or three each quarter as the Lakers looked for their fifth straight road win.

Inactives
Lakers: Adam Morrison
Grizzlies: Darrell Arthur, Sam Young

Starters
Lakers: Fisher, Bryant, Artest, Gasol and Bynum
Grizzlies: Mike Conley, O.J. Mayo, Rudy Gay, Zach Randolph, Marc Gasol

Pregame Locker Room Talk
For discussion of a FIFA 2010 showdown between Lamar Odom/Jordan Farmar and Luke Walton/Adam Morrison, plus Phil Jackson’s pregame thoughts, CLICK HERE.

59479116First Quarter
5:45 Ron Artest’s second long jumper of the first few minutes halted a 16-4 Grizzlies run that had opened an eight-point lead, as Kobe Bryant opened 0-for-3 and Pau Gasol picked up two early fouls that forced Lamar Odom into the contest just two minutes in. It was no surprise that Memphis came out strong, as L.A’s coaches knew how difficult it would be to close the trip with a victory: the Grizz had won 11 straight home games before blowing a big lead against New Orleans in their last game, and the Lakers were more than a bit road weary and eager to get on the team flight back to L.A.

5:16 We expected to see a lot of L.A.’s bench today on the back-to-back/last game of an eight-game trip, and Jordan Farmar checked in early in the first as evidence. We also saw Odom, Shannon Brown and D.J. Mbenga in the first, and wouldn’t have to wait long for Luke Walton to enter.

0:07.1 Rudy Gay made a big mental error by launching a full court attempt with seven seconds still remaining on the game clock, apparently mistaking the seven for a one. Give L.A. credit for capitalizing, as Shannon Brown gathered the rebound, launched a full court pass to Bryant and watched Kobe nail a buzzer-beating three-pointer. That shot tied the game at 24, and got Kobe to within 18 points of tying Jerry West’s all-time Lakers scoring mark.

Second Quarter
12:00 Farmar, Brown, Walton, Odom and Gasol (who’d played just two minutes in the first with those two early fouls) started the second as the bench effort continued. The first quarter effort had been sloppy for L.A., featuring five turnovers and five missed free throws, so the 24-all score would do just fine.

5:47 While rookie Hasheem Thabeet - the 2nd overall pick out of UCONN (taken ahead of Memphis Tigers PG Tyreke Evans) - had trouble with Gasol on defense (conceding three buckets), he was able to grab an offensive board and stick it back to put Memphis up 41-34 halfway through the second. Thabeet’s so tall that he doesn’t even have to jump to touch the rim … you could fit at least three Grizzlies cheerleaders into his body.

0:04.4 With the rest of the Lakers noticeably lacking in energy (did we mention the 13-day trip?), Bryant scored the final 13 Lakers points of the second quarter to cut what was an 11-point lead to just two at the half, 52-50. He’d also gotten to 23 points, just five away from tying West.

59479121Third Quarter
5:41 Artest’s triple was sorely needed to halt a 12-3 Grizz run to start the third. Ron Ron got to 11 points to join Kobe (25) in double figures for the Lakers, while Zach Randolph’s 14 points (and 11 boards) led the Grizzlies. ZR certainly looked like an All-Star a few days after being voted in by the coaches.

4:14 With 4:14 left in the third quarter, Bryant threw down a two-handed dunk after Jordan Farmar laid the ball off in transition following an Artest steal to become the greatest scorer in the history of the Los Angeles Lakers with point No. 29 to climb to 25,193 all-time. Moments earlier, @LetKobeDunk had flown in for a soaring one-handed dunk through the lane.

1:00 Lamar Odom, already suffering from some sore fingers, suffered a sprained right index finger that he’d continue to play through, but LA managed a one-point lead after three.

Fourth Quarter
7:57 Brown’s three-pointer gave the Lakers a 78-76 lead as the Purple and Gold tried to mount a final push to their road trip. Farmar had nailed a third-quarter-ending triple himself to provide further ammunition off the bench.

594791265:05 Bryant continued his scoring binge with a corner three-pointer that made it 86-82 for L.A., getting to 39 points in the process as the starters returned to try and close out the 13-day trip. L.A., however, had managed to get only 10 attempts combined for Gasol and Bynum.

0:23.2 In a photo finish, Bryant pulled up in transition to nail a three-pointer that answered Rudy Gay’s corner three. The Grizz, however, still led by two as Randolph’s two free throws swished through when Odom was called for over the back at the other end after missing a layup (Bryant had also missed a three after a tip out). Still with us? On the ensuing inbounds pass, Mike Conley was fouled by Fisher, but missed both free throws to leave the door open for the Lakers. Bryant dribbled around the perimeter probing for an opening before eventually dishing to Artest for a look at a corner three … but it rimmed out, and the ball went over Gasol’s head as the Spaniard looked for a tip in.

With that, the Lakers lost for the first time in five games, finishing their trip with a 5-3 mark. Before the flight back to Los Angeles, here are your postgame numbers:

POSTGAME NUMBERS
25,198 Career points for Kobe Bryant, who surpassed Lakers legend Jerry West as the all-time leading scorer in franchise history.

44 Points for Kobe to lead all scorers on this night, tying his season-high in the process.

42 Points in the paint for the Grizzlies, compared to just 26 for the Lakers, tying a season low.

10 Missed free throws for the Lakers, a number that plagues a team even worse in a two-point game.

3 Shots attempted by Andrew Bynum after his 21-point performance in Boston. He did, however, grab eight rebounds in 25 minutes, and most importantly got over the mental hurdle of not getting injured in Memphis.

Lakers 90, Celtics 89: Running Diary

Published
by
Mike Trudell
on January 31, 2010
in Running Diary
. Closed

59463519Click here for the Lakers Gameday Page
We took a look at the Lakers - Celtics contest in Boston while it was happening, entering a thought or three each quarter as the Lakers looked for their fourth straight road win.

Inactives
Lakers: Adam Morrison*
Celtics: Marquis Daniels, J.R. Giddens
*Phil Jackson tends to activate D.J. Mbenga against bigger teams like Boston, and Morrison against smaller teams like Indiana.

Starters
Lakers: Fisher, Bryant, Artest, Gasol and Bynum
Celtics: Rajon Rondo, Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, Kendrick Perkins

Phil Positioned to Tie Pat
With a victory tonight, Phil Jackson would tie Pat Riley with 533 victories as head coach of the Lakers. For more, CLICK HERE.

59463529First Quarter
10:27 Ron Artest appeared intent upon letting Boston know that he wears purple and gold now … his activity started before the game even tipped as he wrestled Paul Pierce for position before the ref threw the ball up (ref had to separate them). He then drew a Pierce defensive foul on L.A.’s first possession, and moments later nailed a three to put L.A. up 5-2 early.

4:07 A fantastic stretch from the Lakers showed through on the scoreboard, as an 11-0 run broke open the game after Bynum followed up Gasol’s layup and Kobe’s three with a layup near the rim. Pierce, Kendrick Perkins and Ron Artest had all committed their second personal fouls, bringing Tony Allen, Rasheed Wallace and Sasha Vujacic into the game, and L.A. was certainly the better team after eight minutes, leading 22-10 (speaking of Perkins … I’ve never once seem him smile. Ever.)

0:26.9 L.A. capped an excellent defensive quarter with a great individual defensive play, as Jordan Farmar picked off Tony Allen’s pass and threw down a breakaway two-handed hammer dunk at the other end. The C’s got a layup before the quarter ended, but had managed just 19 points to L.A.’s 30, the Lakers shooting 61.1 percent from the field.

Second Quarter
9:26 Rajon Rondo gave the Lakers’ second unit some problems to begin the second, resulting in consecutive and-1 layups after Luke Walton twice reached in before Rondo converted the buckets. His second hoop and free throw cut L.A.’s lead from 11 down to five.

5:33 It continued to be all Rondo for Boston, as the point guard scored his eighth point of the quarter and then earned his fifth assist in six minutes to cap a 21-10 run to start the period that tied the contest at 40 (related: Bryant was resting, not on Rondo). Gasol scored five points, meanwhile, for the Lakers.

1:27 Remember how good L.A. was in the first quarter? Boston matched that and more over a big stretch of the second, going on a 15-0 run as L.A.’s offense appeared to be back in California. That allowed Boston to push its lead to 10 points when Pierce hit a corner three, but Bynum’s put-back and Fisher’s first field goal attempt of the half - a three-pointer - cut that in half by halftime. In summation: L.A. scored the last five points of the quarter, but Boston still won it 33-17, thanks largely to Rondo, who had nine points, eight assists and two steals in the period.

59463608Third Quarter
10:00 The Lakers had yet to solve their Rondo problem from the second quarter, as the first-time All-Star scored consecutive buckets in the paint, though Fisher’s second three-pointer of the game kept the lead at six. Note on the crowd: probably the fewest Lakers jerseys of the season thus far, as the home fans managed to buy up most of the tickets. This is not surprising, of course.

7:36 Something we don’t see much of - an Artest pull-up jumper in transition - tied the score at 58. Off the box score and off the ball, Kevin Garnett continued to be as physical as possible with Gasol. The Spaniard wasn’t backing down, but he looked to be growing frustrated as the whistles weren’t blowing despite the contact.

0:31.3 Lakers fans love, on opposite day, when Pierce draws fouls by throwing his body randomly into the fray in the paint. His first successful such foray came late in the third, though his two free throws were negated by Bryant’s pull up jumper. The Celtics managed to add two point to their halftime lead, leaving the Lakers down 73-66 heading into the final quarter.

Fourth Quarter
8:27 L.A. needed a bench boost, and Shannon Brown provided a quick one by hitting a jumper in the lane and subsequently finding Odom in transition for a left-handed dunk that cut an 11-point lead to 81-74. L.A.’s bench had still been outscored 25-15 at that point.

3:24 Bynum doesn’t always get a lot of looks in crunch time, but when isolated on Perkins, he responded with a pretty move to the baseline and swished the shot to bring L.A. within two points. Gasol, meanwhile, was on the bench and Brown remained in the lineup. The Lakers had trailed by as many as 11 earlier in the quarter when Eddie House hit two three-pointers, but had rallied to give themselves a chance.

0:07.3 Wow. Kobe nailed the game winner. We’ve said that sentence before this season a few times, right? It didn’t come at the buzzer, but instead on a pull-up jumper in the lane over Ray Allen as the shot clock wound its way down. Swish. Boston still had a chance to win the game, but Allen missed an open three created by Pierce’s penetration (it was his sixth miss in six attempts from three for the game). Kobe had the chance to win it in part thanks to Artest’s driving layup on the previous possession, and like that, the Lakers had won four road games in a row to improve to 5-2 on the long trip.

They’ll close it down in Memphis on Monday, but until then, your numbers:

POSTGAME NUMBERS
533 Coaching victories for Phil Jackson, who tied Pat Riley for the all-time Lakers lead.

61.1 L.A.’s shooting percentage in the first quarter, a number which dipped to 47.9 for the game.

50 Points in the paint for the Lakers, 18 of which came in the fourth quarter.

12 Assists for Rajon Rondo, who also led the Celtics with 21 points, though he cooled noticeable in the second half (just two assists). Phil Jackson credited Kobe Bryant’s defense in slowing the first-time All-Star late.

3 Straight regular season wins for the Lakers over Boston since losing in the 2008 NBA Finals.

Lakers 99, Sixers 91: Running Diary

Published
by
Mike Trudell
on January 29, 2010
in Running Diary
. Closed

59443164Click here for the Lakers Gameday Page
We took a look at the Lakers - Sixers contest in Indiana while it was happening, entering a thought or three each quarter as the Lakers looked for their third straight road win.

Inactives
Lakers: D.J. Mbenga
Sixers: Primoz Brezec

Starters
Lakers: Fisher, Bryant, Artest, Gasol and Bynum
Sixers: Jrue Holiday*, Allen Iverson, Andre Iguodala, Elton Brand, Samuel Dalembert
*Assistant coach Brian Shaw suggested that Holiday may be starting because he’s more willing to play to Allen Iverson’s strengths than Lou Williams, the former starter, may do naturally. Williams, like Iverson, is more of a shoot-first guard.

Sixers Pregame Notes
To read about how the Sixers like to play, the change in their starting lineup, last season’s matchups between the teams and more CLICK HERE.

59443242First Quarter
6:53 An observation from the first four-plus minutes of play: Ron Artest seems to be moving better on his feet. He told Phil Jackson before the game that his feet were both feeling better, certainly good news since he’d been battling plantar fasciitis on both feet for the past few weeks. The result was three early hoops for L.A.’s only three field goals, the first coming after his defensive steal and sprint up the floor.

5:35 Thought you should know that Philly’s mascot is a rabbit named “Hip Hop.” Get it? Yeah. In basketball news, Shannon Brown checked in for Kobe Bryant, who’d committed two fouls.

0:33.9 Lamar Odom managed L.A.’s second bench bucket with a baseline jumper to give L.A. its first lead of the quarter after a sluggish 7-for-20 start (35 percent); moments later, Jordan Farmar’s jumper rimmed out, as L.A. took a 19-18 lead into the second quarter. The Sixers shot poorly as well, managing just 35 percent from the field including 0-for-3’s from Dalembert and A.I. (Iverson, not Iggy).

Second Quarter
8:41 Bryant’s first field goal in four attempts came off a nice out of bounds play, the result of which was a two-handed dunk. Shannon Brown, meanwhile, snapped the nets on two high-arching jumpers as L.A. opened a 31-23 lead.

6:21 “Cutting down the paint, Odom hammers it in!” - Spero Dedes, calling the play for us as Odom went on a three-step burst through the lane before slamming home a left-handed flush that put the Lakers up by 10. Moments later, Gasol’s tip in of Bryant’s miss capped a 16-4 Lakers run as L.A. continued to handle its business against on-paper inferior foes, as it had in Washington and Indiana.

3:25 Gasol went on a scoring binge in the second quarter with 10 points on 4-of-4 shooting, adding five assists and three boards to get to 10, five and five (triple-double watch) with time to spare in the half. He’d thus accounted for 20 of L.A.’s 26 points in the quarter to that point, which had built a double-digit lead that dipped only a point at halftime to 51-42. This despite Bryant making only 1-of-7 shots … but at least my cab driver on the way to the arena honked five times and frantically waved when seeing Kobe get off the bus upon arrival (Kobe waved).

59443156Third Quarter
11:13 Anytime Kobe appears to injure anything, near panic enters for those associated with Purple and Gold, but after appearing to tweak his left ankle and talking to Gary Vitti about it during a time out, Bryant simply walked it off … then picked Iguodala’s pocket … then hit a jumper. So no worries, after all.

8:02 Philly, to its credit, responded to L.A.’s opening salvo with a 10-1 run to bring the lead back to single digits at nine. Elton Brand led the way with back-to-back baseline jumpers to get himself to a game-high 15 points, and added an assist to Iggy.

2:31 All of a sudden, Allen Iverson turned into All Star starter A.I., going on a scoring binge to the tune of 15 points in the quarter, bringing the 76ers within just three points after L.A. had led by 16 points. But the Lakers happened to have the No. 13 pick in A.I.’s 1996 draft class, Kobe Bryant (A.I. was No. 1), and Bryant continued to shake off that knee tweak as he scored the final six points of the period and shifted over to Iverson on defense. No. 24 is something else … Lakers by nine after three, 76-67.

Fourth Quarter
9:53 Speaking of Kobe … he didn’t slow down in the fourth, nailing three more shots to get to 8-of-10 in the second half, scoring 20 of his 22 points. The fans, a select few of whom likely saw him play at nearby Lower Merion High School, were clamoring for more.

7:53 The 76ers weren’t quite ready to die, as Iverson’s jumper made it a six-point game heading into the home stretch.

3:00 Artest, who had scored just two points since the first quarter, nailed a big three to push L.A.’s lead to 11 as the game drew to a close. Moments later, he dropped another dagger triple to get to 18 points - his highest scoring game since November 28 against Golden State. The Lakers ended up winning 99-91 for the team’s third straight impressive/easy road victory, bringing the team to a 4-2 mark on the eight-game trip.

Next up is a Sunday showdown in Boston. Until then, your numbers:

POSTGAME NUMBERS
1 Double-double for the Lakers in a relatively low-scoring game, as Pau Gasol went for 19 points and 10 rebounds, plus five assists.

2 First half points for Kobe Bryant on 1-of-7 shooting. Of course, he nailed 9-of-15 in the second half to finish with a game-high 24 points.

15 Points in the third quarter for Allen Iverson, who suddenly caught fire as if he were playing in the 2001 NBA Finals again. Kobe Bryant switched over to him on defense, however, and A.I. scored just six in the fourth quarter.

18 Points scored by Ron Artest, his highest output since Nov. 28 against Golden State, including two clutch fourth quarter three-pointers that sealed the win.

18 Also the number of turnovers committed by Philly, where as the Lakers had only 10.

Lakers 118, Pacers 96: Running Diary

Published
by
Mike Trudell
on January 27, 2010
in Running Diary
. Closed

59424898Click here for the Lakers Gameday Page
We took a look at the Lakers - Pacers contest in Indiana while it was happening, entering a thought or three each quarter as the Lakers looked for their second straight road win.

Inactives
Lakers: D.J. Mbenga
Pacers: Jeff Foster, Tyler Hansbrough

Starters
Lakers: Fisher, Bryant, Artest, Gasol and Bynum
Pacers: Earl Watson, Dahntay Jones, Brandon Rush, Danny Granger, Troy Murphy

Throw Out the Numbers at Home
While the Lakers happen to dominate the Pacers in most statistical categories and of course with their overall record (34-11 to 16-29), you can basically throw out the numbers at Conseco Fieldhouse, where the Lakers have won just three times in seven tries since 1999. CLICK HERE to read more.

59424925First Quarter
7:35 So much for being tired on a back-to-back … the Lakers conceded nothing energy-wise in the first four-plus minutes, scoring 18 points on 8-of-10 shooting including Andrew Bynum’s 4-of-4, to just eight Pacers points. L.A. was getting anything it wanted offensively, like Peyton Manning deciding which receiver to feed and calmly delivering. In related news, there were more than a few Colts 18 jerseys in the arena, but far fewer than I expected.

2:46 The Pacers went back to a more conventional lineup when center Roy Hibbert checked in for Granger, and immediately scored on consecutive possessions to highlight an 8-2 run that brought Indiana within a single point. The Georgetown big has nice touch around the hoop, and at least gives Bynum some length with which to contend.

2:03 Moments later, Hibbert got a welcome-to-the-game spin move and baseline hammer dunk from Gasol. Pau actually struggled with his shot in the period, making only 2-of-8 attempts, but both Bryant and Bynum made all five of their attempts to get the Lakers a 31-29 lead after one.

Second Quarter
10:53 Back on Jan. 3 in a blowout of Dallas, Bynum was a perfect 8-of-8 from the field in the game. In 11:22 of action tonight, Bynum’s again a perfect 8-of-8 from the field, for a game-high 18 points. For how easily Bynum was scoring (he was almost indifferent, just dropping in layups), Murphy and Hibbert may as well have been AAU guards.

7:45 Though Bynum and Bryant still had yet to miss, the rest of the Lakers were only 4-of-21 as a Brandon Rush three gave Indiana its first lead of the night. Suppose you could blame a part of L.A.’s defensive indifference on last night’s game but we’ll likely see that pick up in the second half. The Lakers also generally take a bit to feel out their opponent if it’s the season’s first meeting, then make appropriate adjustments at the break.

0:00 Sasha Vujacic, who’d checked in for the last nine seconds of the ball game, received a corner pass from a slashing Bryant but instead of shooting, kicked the ball out to Lamar Odom, who nailed the three at the buzzer. Vujacic, who is constantly playing shooting games with assistant Brian Shaw before games and generally bantering with him, sprinted over to Shaw and said something while Shaw laughed hysterically. Lakers 59, Pacers 56 at the break.

L.A. was led by Bynum’s terrific 22 points and seven boards, while Odom grabbed nine boards off the pine and Bryant put forth 10 points on six shots, with three assists and four boards.

59424948Third Quarter
9:54 What’s the deal with Murphy’s shots rolling around the rim for two seconds before falling in? His three just did so, much like last season’s game winner in this building, to bring Indy within two points.

7:58 While Josh Powell yelled “Let’s go D!!!” for a steady minute, the Lakers followed a general season trend by stepping up their defense in the third quarter. In concert, the offense found easy looks in transition to go on a quick 8-0 run that produced a 10-point lead, capped by a Kobe three and a Pau and-1.

1:14 Odom’s second three-pointer of the game pushed L.A.’s lead to 16 points, as the predicted third quarter push came to put the Pacers in serious jeopardy. Bynum (11-of-13) and Bryant (8-of-12) had combined for 48 points at that stage, and the Lakers headed into the fourth with a 92-78 lead after a Hibbert jumper pulled two points back.

Fourth Quarter
9:10 Bynum rightfully reached his season high early in the fourth on a baseline hoop, getting to 27 points on 12-of-14 shooting, which brought him to 57.2 percent on the season. He added 12 rebounds for good measure.

6:21 Shannon Brown’s two free throws capped an 8-0 bench run that also featured two Farmar buckets and an Odom jumper, creating a 104-87 lead for the purple in gold as the game looked increasingly over. At least the fans here have the Colts in two weekends.

3:19 Bryant left the game to a standing ovation from the scores of Lakers fans in the house after swatting Hibbert from behind. His totals: 29 points, nine rebounds and seven assists in 35 minutes, the team up 111-92. The game would end moments later with a 118-96 final, allowing the Lakers to improve to 34-11 on the season.

Up next is a Friday contest in Philadelphia, but until then, your numbers:

POSTGAME NUMBERS
71 Points shy of Jerry West’s all-time points total after another 29, which came on 10-of-15 shooting and 6-of-8 from the line. Bryant added nine rebounds and a team-best seven assists in yet another impressive performance.

54 Points in the paint for the Lakers, thanks in part to Andrew Bynum (see below), to just 32 from the Pacers.

30 Free throw attempts for the Lakers, of which they made 25. The Pacers were just 11-of-14.

27 Season high in points from a super efficient Bynum, who made 12-of-14 shots and all three free throws, not to mention 12 rebounds.

7 Game streak snapped when Jordan Farmar didn’t connect on at least one three-pointer.

Lakers 115, Wizards 103: Running Diary

Published
by
Mike Trudell
on January 26, 2010
in Running Diary
. Closed

59415762Click here for the Lakers Gameday Page
We took a look at the Lakers - Wizards contest in Washington D.C. while it was happening, entering a thought or three each quarter as the Lakers looked to get back into the win column after Sunday’s loss in Toronto.

Inactives
Lakers: D.J. Mbenga
Wizards: Gilbert Arenas, Jarvaris Crittenton

Starters
Lakers: Fisher, Bryant, Artest, Gasol and Bynum
Wizards: Randy Foye, Mike Miller, Caron Butler, Antawn Jamison, Brendan Haywood

Phil Jackson Pregame
Check out Jackson’s pregame particulars by CLICKING HERE.

59416084First Quarter
11:50 In Toronto, the Lakers watched Pau Gasol play one of his more aggressive games in taking 22 shots, and it was good to see that continue with the game’s first bucket, plus the foul.

5:16 Remember in New York on Friday night when neither the Knicks or the Lakers missed often in the first quarter? It’s like they’re replaying that game, but in Washington with Wizards jerseys as the Wiz opened 8-for-12 from the field and L.A. 6-of-9 in a 18-16 lead for the home team. Washington got seven points from Jamison, L.A. seven from Gasol.

0:00.7 Kobe Bryant’s pull-up jumper thanks to a nice outlet from Odom gave the Lakers the final four points of the period - capping a 14-7 run - that produced a 30-29 lead after a hot shooting first quarter from both teams. The Lakers canned 11-of-17 shots (64.7 percent) while the Wiz made 13-of-24 (54.2 percent).

Second Quarter
10:00 Odom continued a hot individual start to the game by canning his fourth field goal in as many attempts to get to nine points, matching his buddy Pau Gasol. In less good news for L.A., Jordan Farmar (who had 17 points against Toronto) committed his second foul and had to go right back to the bench.

7:02 Vujacic, trying to play his way back into Phil Jackson’s rotation, nailed his first field goal attempt of the game from 18 feet, capping a quick 6-0 Lakers run that made it 46-37 while Kobe rested on the bench. The Slovenian followed up that play by, in feisty fashion, tying up Haywood for a jump ball. You had to love the determined expression on his face.

3:11 An impressive quarter continued for the Lakers as Bryant scored a tough and-1 bucket at the basket and moments later, Shannon Brown hammered home his third big dunk of the half, flying in to stuff Bynum’s missed free throw home to create a 55-41 lead for L.A. The Lakers would close the half up 60-44 after Fisher buried a corner three; Fish did go down on the floor for about 20 seconds on the ensuing inbounds play, holding his groin area, but seemed fine while walking to the bench under his own power.

59416074Third Quarter
4:53 Remember that gravity-defining hanging runner off glass that Bryant nailed over Dwight Howard in Game 5 of the NBA Finals? He just pulled off a similar move over Haywood. Pretty stuff.

3:59A pretty passing play resulted in an alley-oop dunk from Bryant to Gasol, moments after Artest had nailed a three-pointer and Fisher had picked off a Foye pass. The Lakers often seemed to be toying with Washington’s defense, not allowing their lead to fall below 10 points at any point of the quarter.

0.04.0 Haywood hit 1-of-2 free throws to cap a solid offensive quarter for Washington featuring 28 points on 57.9 percent shooting. Their problem was that the Lakers shot a ridiculous 71.4 percent (10-of-14) to score 27 points of their own, allowing just one point chipped off the 16-point halftime edge.

59415761Fourth Quarter
9:30 It’s not often that someone gets under the skin of Pau Gasol, but Andray Blatche managed as much early in the fourth with some post-whistle extra-curriculars. The resulting double technical seemed to re-energize Gasol, who went hard to the basket on Blatche moments later and drew a foul, hitting both foul shots to reach a game-high 24 points and put L.A. up 11.

6:35 After a Brown three capped a 7-0 Lakers run, Farmar went on a 5-0 run himself after Foye managed a jumper. The second bucket was a three-pointer, and that’s no surprise since he’s been scorching hot from three of late, hitting at least one in seven straight games and going for 46.5 percent in January after shooting just 31.6 percent in December.

2:39 A very impressive all-around Lakers effort was punctuated by a nasty one-handed alley-oop jam from Gasol to Odom, who threw down with his favored left hand to put the Lakers up 112-94. The game would end with a 115-103 margin for the Lakers, who now head to Indiana for an always difficult game at Conseco Fieldhouse.

Until then, your numbers:

POSTGAME NUMBERS
59.5 L.A.’s shooting percentage for the game on an impressive 44-of-75 from the field, including 9-of-22 from three.

38 Bench points for the Lakers, who got terrific games from Lamar Odom (15 points, eight rebounds) and Shannon Brown (11 points, three assists) and a nice fourth quarter from Jordan Farmar (seven points).

26 Points for both Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol to lead the Lakers. Bryant added a team-high eight assists, and Gasol a game-high 10 rebounds.

9 Turnovers for L.A., which was too busy making shots to turn the ball over.

3 Huge dunks from Shannon Brown, all in the second quarter, including a rebound flush-back of a missed free throw.

Lakers 105, Raptors 106: Running Diary

Published
by
Mike Trudell
on January 24, 2010
in In-Game and Running Diary
. Closed

59393758We took a look at the Lakers - Raptors contest in Toronto while it was happening, entering a thought or three each quarter as the Lakers looked to win their second straight road game.

Inactives
Lakers: D.J. Mbenga
Raptors: Marcus Banks

Starters
Lakers: Fisher, Bryant, Artest, Gasol and Bynum
Raptors: Jarrett Jack, DeMar DeRozan, Hedo Turkoglu, Chris Bosh and Andrea Bargnani

Canadian Home Court Edge
The Raptors have been one of the league’s best home teams this season, particularly of late. In fact, they had won 8-of-9 games at Air Canada Centre heading into Sunday’s game, including five straight against Western Conference teams (Dallas, San Antonio, New Orleans, Houston and Minnesota). We should recognize the vigor of the home crowd, which is very festive (much like a European soccer crown, minus the extra curriculars).

59393751First Quarter
5:07 Pau Gasol capped a very aggressive personal open to the first with a nasty one-handed dunk in transition off the feed of Derek Fisher to make it 14-5 Lakers. The Spaniard would close the quarter with a game-high 10 points in the period on 5-of-9 shooting. Unrelated: did you know that Subways in Canada don’t have spinach or olive oil? I found out the hard way.

2:07 Ron Artest struggled to find his range throughout the quarter, missing all five of his attempts from various spots around the perimeter. Perhaps this is because Celine Dion, of whom he’s a big fan, was not here to sing “Oh Canada”? Just a guess.

0:02.9 It took a while, but the Raptors finally started to hit some shots near the quarter’s close after opening just 2-of-10, getting a Chris Bosh hoop and a end-of-shot-clock Marco Belinelli three-pointer to keep Toronto within three (24-21) at the quarter’s close. By the way, the Canada Dry ginger ale in the media room tastes quite good, not surprisingly.

Second Quarter
8:51 Jordan Farmar, who had made at least one three-pointer in five straight games, nailed another thanks to Bryant’s penetration. Farmar’s shooting around 43 percent in January, and has been fairly consistent. In related news, he’s been spending considerable time at the gym at night shooting with his personal trainer.

3:31 Sticking to the ol’ game plan in the second, the Lakers repeatedly pounded the ball inside to Bynum, who responded with 13 points in the quarter as the Raptors were left literally without an answer. Bynum had three separate and-1’s, all helping the Lakers to a 48-41 lead when Odom took his place.

0:01.9 Kobe nailed three jumpers all in the final minute of the quarter to put a dent in Toronto’s first hot stretch of the game that had produced 14 points since a 48-40 Lakers lead. His final J gave the Lakers a two-point edge heading into the half. Bryant closed the half with 14 points, eight boards and five assists, and was on triple-double watch (he had 16 in his career coming into the game).

59393754Third Quarter
9:45 The Lakers brought some California heat to the start of the third quarter, getting consecutive buckets from Gasol and Bynum before Bryant atoned for his missed dunk with a corner three. That capped a 7-0 run to start the third, creating a nine-point cushion.

4:32 L.A.’s lead briefly reached 10 when Fisher canned a corner three, but the Raptors responded with a 6-0 run to cut the margin to 73-69 and force a Phil time out. Jarrett Jack was key in the run, scoring twice at the rim and feeding Bosh for a baseline jumper. Random note: I learned that Canada native Kiefer Sutherland’s grandpa is a famous/important politician from our cab driver to the arena.

0:08.9 DeMar DeRozan’s baseline jumper capped a quick 4-0 run to close the third for Toronto, cutting L.A.’s lead to two points - as it was at halftime - heading into the final quarter. Bryant was within only two assists of his triple-double with 21 points, 12 boards and eight assists, not to mention an explosive baseline dunk and big swat of Bargnani.

Fourth Quarter
8:25 Speaking of Bargnani … the Italian and former No. 1 overall pick nailed his third field goal in the opening minutes of the quarter to tie the score at 88. He was one of five Raptors in double figures at that point (Bosh, DeRozan, Jack and Belinelli), as the Lakers gave Bryant a rest in favor of Shannon Brown.

7:13 Just moments after failing to see Luke Walton’s alley-oop pass, Farmar atoned with his third three-pointer of the game. It also answered Bargnani’s three at the other end, a rainbow that had given Toronto its first lead of the game at 93-90, sending the crowd - which easily ranks in the NBA’s top five - into a relative frenzy. Fast forward to the 3:23 mark, when Farmar got a tough runner to go (17 pts) at the end of the shot clock to put the Lakers up 103-100 in a terrific up-and-down final quarter.

0:01.2 A crazy final few minutes as Bryant put the Lakers up 105-101 with a shot over Turkoglu, but he missed his next two jumpers - including a fade away with a second left on the shot clock - to give the Raptors a chance to go ahead with 11.4 seconds left in a 105-104 game. As it turned out, Turkoglu managed to draw a foul heading to the bucket with just 1.2 seconds to go as the ref whistled a push in the back (Gasol’s hand was on his back, but the Turkish forward appeared to be out of control and set to dive towards the hoop). Alas, he made both foul shots, and Bryant’s desperation three-pointer from 38 feet rimmed out to give the Raptors a dramatic come-from-behind victory.

Before L.A. plays the Wizards on Tuesday, they’ll go visit with President Obama at the White House on Monday … and before that, your numbers:

POSTGAME NUMBERS
1 Assist shy of a triple-double for Kobe Bryant, who scored a game-high 27 points on 11-of-24 shooting.

3 Players scoring at least 20 points, with Bryant’s 27, Pau Gasol’s 22 and Andrew Bynum’s 21. Both Bynum and Gasol grabbed nine rebounds as well.

12 L.A.’s edge on the glass, 51-39.

15 More free throw attempts for the Raptors (26) than the Lakers (9).

16 Career high regular season rebounding total for Bryant. Both Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum added nine rebounds for the Lakers.

17 Points off the bench for Jordan Farmar in 22 minutes on 7-of-11 shooting, plus four rebounds and all of the crunch time minutes at point guard.

Lakers 115, Knicks 105: Running Diary

Published
by
Mike Trudell
on January 22, 2010
in In-Game and Running Diary
. Closed

59365828Click here to check out the Lakers’ Gameday Page
We took a look at the Lakers - Knicks contest in New York City while it was happening, entering a thought or three each quarter as the Lakers looked to complete a season sweep of the Knicks.

Inactives
Lakers: Adam Morrison
Knicks: Eddy Curry

Starters
Lakers: Fisher, Bryant, Artest, Gasol and Bynum
Knicks: Chris Duhon, Wilson Chandler, Danilo Gallinari, Jared Jeffries, David Lee

First Quarter
7:33 The Lakers opened hotter than the roof of your mouth after drinking something hot too fast, with L.A. nailing 7-of-8 shots to take a 15-11 lead when Ron Artest sank his second deep jumper in as many attempts. Ron Ron, playing on the same floor he frequented as a St. John’s player, led the Lakers with a 38.4 percent success rate from three coming into the game.

593655165:30 The Knicks capped a quick 8-0 run with a Jared Jeffries dunk on the baseline, turning a four-point deficit into a four-point lead rather quickly. Phil Jackson had mentioned before the game how difficult the Knicks can be on a defense because of their unconventional system that takes time to adjust to, and that seemed the case as L.A. was unable to rotate to open shooters on time.

1:41 Andrew Bynum had a solid first quarter, leading the Lakers with 11 points after two free throws put L.A. up 30-25. Phil Jackson rewarded him by removing Pau Gasol when Lamar Odom checked into the contest moments before Bynum’s foul shots. Moments later another sub, Jordan Farmar (who joined Gasol in donating money to Haiti relief) nailed back-to-back threes to send the Lakers into the second quarter with a 36-30 lead.

Second Quarter
10:38 Gasol checked back into the contest to open the second quarter and scored quickly thanks to Odom’s offensive rebound. That gave him six points, which meant $6,000 for the Clinton-Bush Haiti Fund since Gasol was donating $1,000 for each point he scored on the evening (Farmar is also donating to the Fund). Wouldn’t assisting one of Gasol’s buckets feel extra good tonight?

4:41 Gasol’s next bucket was a lefty hook off glass, which followed Luke Walton’s corner three to give the Lakers a 51-49 lead. Did you know that Walton leads the team in three-point percentage at 60 percent? OK, so he’s only taken 10. Whatever.

0:01.0 Artest was at it again from the three-point line, nailing his third in as many attempts to send the Lakers into the half tied at 63. Bynum led the Lakers with 17 points, Artest had 11 and Gasol eight while Bryant managed just five. The Lakers shot 56.1 percent from the field, but conceded eight offensive rebounds to the Knicks, which made up the difference of New York’s 48.1 percent from the field. It was not a good defensive effort for the Lakers, who caused not a single Knicks turnover, but L.A. generally plays its best D in the second half.

59365843Third Quarter
6:50 Bryant began to find an offensive rhythm at the quarter’s onset, scoring nine of L.A.’s 12 points capped by a three-pointer that made it 75-74 purple and gold. Clearly, he was going to find his way sooner than later.

2:44 Two Knicks – David Lee and Wilson Chandler – had been hurting the Lakers on defense throughout the evening, and each broke into 20-point scoring territory late in the third, producing an 81-79 lead for the home team thanks to Lee’s two-handed dunk. Lee had 21, and Chandler 22 at that point as Farmar and Brown entered the contest for L.A.

0:01.2 Bryant’s attempt at beating the buzzer with a driving layup was denied by Harrington, but Farmar’s third three-pointer of the game got the Lakers within a point at 85-84. L.A. stayed barely above the 50-percent shooting mark (50.8) and was executing decently on offense, but had forced just two Knicks turnovers to that point and grabbed only four offensive rebounds to 10 from the Knicks.

Fourth Quarter
8:37 Those offensive rebounding and turnover numbers sometimes equate to energy, and if the Lakers were tired from last night’s loss in Cleveland, they seemed determined to push past it in the fourth*. Phil Jackson’s decision to start the young legs of Farmar and Brown seemed to help considerably, and moments later it was Gasol whose energy tangibly affected the team. First came a back down of Chandler for a deuce, then a drawn charge, then tip in of Lamar Odom’s missed put-back and finally a swat of David Lee that helped create an eight-point lead.
*We later learned that Derek Fisher gave a pre-quarter speech that clearly riled up the troops.

4:03 Speaking of Gasol … his terrific fourth quarter continued with an and-1 driving layup. He made the free throw in some atonement for missing 3-of-8 to start, reaching eight points with two boards and three blocks in the quarter and matching L.A.’s largest lead at 107-95.

1:50 It was truly all Kobe and Pau on offense for the Lakers in the fourth, as the two combined to score 23-of-27 points to create a 113-103 lead. Both teams would add two points as the game concluded moments later, the Lakers erasing Thursday evening’s losing stench thanks to a 31-20 final period. The Knicks really struggled to get good looks thanks to active defense in that final period, and scored only 44 points in the second half after a 63-point first half.

The Lakers will sleep in New York City tonight, then hop on a plane to Canada tomorrow in advance of Sunday’s game against Toronto. Until then, your numbers:

POSTGAME NUMBERS
42 Second half points for the Knicks, who put 63 on the Lakers defense in the first half. Phil Jackson said the team made notable adjustments at halftime and generally played in more aggressive fashion.

23 Combined fourth quarter points for Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol, who finished with 27 and 20, respectively, to lead the Lakers.

14 Rebounds off the bench by Lamar Odom to lead the Lakers, including five on the offensive end.

6 Turnovers created by the Lakers, well below their average.

4 Blocked shots for Pau Gasol, who played center for the entire fourth quarter to better match up with New York’s small lineup. Gasol added 10 points and five boards in the final period to finish with 20 points, eight boards, five assists and four boards.

Lakers 87, Cavs 93: Running Diary

Published
by
Mike Trudell
on January 21, 2010
in In-Game and Running Diary
. Closed

59355599Click here to check out the Lakers’ Gameday Page
We took a look at the Lakers - Cavs contest in Cleveland while it was happening, entering a thought or three each quarter as the Lakers looked to avenge their Christmas Day loss.

Inactives
Lakers: Adam Morrison
Cavs: Mo Williams (left shoulder), Leon Powe, Jamario Moon

Starters
Lakers: Fisher, Bryant, Artest, Gasol and Bynum
Cavs: Delonte West, Anthony Parker, LeBron James, J.J. Hickson, Shaquille O’Neal

59355109First Quarter
10:02 Pau Gasol’s turnaround in the lane capped a 9-0 Lakers run to open the contest, beginning with consecutive Kobe Bryant jumpers (the second a three-pointer) and an Andrew Bynum dunk courtesy of Ron Artest’s offensive rebound and dish. Not a bad start.

7:03 Cleveland, which boasts a 15-3 home record and has won 13-of-14 at “The Q” (Quicken Loans Arena, mind you), responded to L.A.’s burst with a 10-2 run of their own to pull within a point. A little late on this note, but when LeBron throws the powder in the air, do you think he ever considers using Pixie Stix (just to benefit the fans and broadcasters)?

1:09 Bryant nailed his fifth shot in eight attempts in an aggressive first quarter that produced 12 points (two-of-two from three) and helped give the Lakers a 27-18 lead after the period. Gasol, Odom and Bynum did a terrific job on the glass, doubling up the Cavs 16-8 and not allowing a single offensive board (helped that Cleveland shot 35.3 percent to L.A.’s 52.2).

Second Quarter
8:57 Kobe continued to impress with his offensive arsenal by nailing two more jumpers from the right wing to reach 7-of-10 for 16 points in pacing 59355408the Lakers to a 32-26 lead. He’d also switched over to guard LeBron James, with Artest getting a breather.

3:00 Had enough Kobe mentions yet? Well, if you score 25,000 points in your career on the first of two free throws, you can get your third straight running diary mention too.

0:04.8 James had a successful half in terms of getting to the rim, drawing the sixth Lakers foul on him personally to close the half with two of his eight makes in 10 attempts, bringing Cleveland within two points (46-44) when they had trailed by as many as 11 in the half. For point of reference: last season in the same building, the Lakers were down 10 points heading into the third.

Continue reading ‘Lakers 87, Cavs 93: Running Diary’

Lakers 100, Mavs 95: Running Diary

Published
by
Mike Trudell
on January 13, 2010
in Running Diary
. Closed

Andrew Bynum DallasCLICK HERE TO CHECK OUT THE LAKERS’ GAMEDAY PAGE
We took a look at the Lakers - Mavs contest in Dallas while it was happening, entering a thought or three each quarter as the Lakers looked to snap a four game road losing streak.

Inactives
Lakers: Pau Gasol
Mavericks: Eduardo Najera, Matt Carroll

Starters
Lakers: Fisher, Bryant, Artest, Odom* and Bynum
Mavs: Jason Kidd, Josh Howard, Shawn Marion, Dirk Nowitzki, Erick Dampier
*Odom continued to start in place of Pau Gasol, who missed his sixth straight game with a strained left hamstring.

Pregame Stories
Three options for you today (click to open): 1) Kobe update; 2) Lamar Odom on guarding Dirk Nowitzki; 3) Luke Walton back update.

59271648First Quarter
8:43 Looking much like the Lakers team that played effectively in the third quarter against San Antonio without Kobe taking a shot, L.A. got seven points from Andrew Bynum, three from Ron Artest and two each from Lamar Odom and Derek Fisher to take a 14-7 lead.

3:32 Bynum continued a terrific offensive quarter with a step-through jam in traffic to get to a game-high 14 points before leaving with two personal fouls. He found more success going against Erick Dampier than he had Tim Duncan the night before, making all five of his field goal attempts. We should note that Bynum only late last week began feeling good after battling an upper respiratory ailment, in addition to a bit of leg pain that was limiting his explosiveness. Not even a trace of either in the last three games.

1:15 Bryant almost reluctantly took his first field goal attempt when the Mavs left him wide open from three, and he was well short. It was his only attempt of the quarter, and he went to the bench ala Steve Nash in lying down flat along the baseline. But his teammates allowed the Lakers a 27-24 lead after one thanks to a solid all-around effort. Random note: the Mavs had really good Chinese food in the media room, though one’s palate was expecting Mexican food. It took a while to get over mentally.

Second Quarter
8:23 L.A.’s second unit looked like the exact opposite of Arizona and Green Bay’s respective offenses last weekend in failing to score during the quarter’s first two minutes plus the final two of the previous quarter, but then turned into Kurt Warner (or Aaron Rodgers) as Odom hit two free throws and Shannon Brown scored back-to-back buckets, putting the Lakers back on top 33-29.

5:11 Luke Walton sure didn’t look like a guy who’d missed 27 straight games, continuing his solid six fourth quarter minute with a nice stretch to open the second, setting up two Lakers hoops with his passing and hitting a leaner in the paint to help L.A. open a 39-34 lead.

1:01 With Bryant still lying on the baseline, Sasha Vujacic entered and directly helped L.A. out of a mini offensive slump, first finding Odom cutting to the hook for a layup after drawing the defense, and then getting two free throws to go after drawing a bump in traffic, halting a 9-0 Dallas run to give L.A. a 46-45 lead. Artest then closed a solid personal half by getting Dirk to foul him with 00.2 seconds left beyond the three-point line, making all three to give the Lakers a four-point edge at the half despite no points from Kobe. Bynum also managed to hit two more shots to go 7-of-7, which meant he’d literally not missed a shot against Dallas in a game and a half (he went 8-of-8 when they met in early January).

Jordan FarmarThird Quarter
6:35 Artest continued an effective offensive game by hitting a triple that got him to 14 points, putting the Lakers up by two after Dallas had drained 6-of-8 to open the quarter. Even battling injuries, Artest has the capability to step up his offense if needed.

5:57 So, last night in San Antonio, a fan threw up all over the place after swallowing a bunch of jalapeno’s during a contest. As it turned out, Dallas did the same contest, but thankfully we had no barf in this one. No word on how this will affect the game’s outcome.

0:00.9 Jordan Farmar nailed a deep three-pointer from the top of the key to send the Lakers into the fourth up five thanks to a 7-0 run to close the third. Bynum got to a 21 and 10 double-double, in addition to some solid paint defense that largely kept Dallas out of the lane. Bryant managed eight points on 4-of-6 shooting to get himself into the action.

Fourth Quarter
12:00 As expected, Bryant stayed on the floor without a rest to start the fourth. The key for stiff backs is to keep them warm, which Phil Jackson obviously knew in keeping Bryant out of the second quarter so that he could play the entire second half.

5:55 For the second time on the evening, the Mavs grabbed two long rebounds on the same possession and scored on the third attempt, but Farmar hit a pull-up jumper at the other end to keep L.A.’s lead at six points. It was also a strong stretch from Walton, whose two assists gave him four off the bench in 14 minutes.

0:28.0 A crazy stretch in which Dallas erased a 5-point lead with two Dirk jumpers concluded with Bryant nailing a 19-foot jumper, just a possession after he’d air balled a jumper from the other side of the floor. The Mavs then ran a nice play to get Dampier what looked to be an open layup, but Bryant slid in and fouled him hard. Damp, who’s only a 58 percent free throw shooter, missed both to give L.A. possession.

0:05.6 After Bynum made 1-of-2 free throws, the Mavs had a chance to tie with a Josh Howard corner three, but he missed and Farmar corralled the rebound. Jordan, a 76.9 percent free throw shooter, nailed both to send the Lakers to their most impressive victory of the season. No Pau Gasol, a hurt Kobe … but they banded together and got the job done.

L.A.’s back in action against the Clippers on Friday. Until then, your numbers:

Brown KiddPOSTGAME NUMBERS
3 Lakers frontcourt players who finished with a double-double (that would be all of them). Andrew Bynum was terrific with 22 points and 11 rebounds, Lamar Odom was solid with 18, 14 and four assists, while Ron Artest battled injuries to post 16 points and 11 rebounds.

7 Turnovers for the Mavs; L.A. had to work for nearly all of its points.

10 Points for Kobe Bryant on 5-of-11 shooting, making L.A.’s victory that much more impressive. Of course, the team’s biggest shot was Bryant’s 19-foot jumper to break a 95-all tie with 28.9 seconds remaining.

31 Bench points for the Lakers in an impressive all-around effort, led by 12 from Jordan Farmar, and helped by four assists in only 14 minutes from Luke Walton.

48.8 L.A.’s solid shooting performance from the field, led by Bynum’s 8-of-11.

20,000 Point mark reached by Dirk Nowitzki, becoming the 34th player in the history of the league and first European player to get there. He led Dallas with 30 in the contest.