Los Angeles Lakers Blog – Page 143 – NBA Blog

Game 1: Lakers inside duo overpower Thunder 87-79

The AP reports:

Other than being out of breath, Andrew Bynum displayed little rust in teaming with Pau Gasol to dominate the middle in the Los Angeles Lakers’ 87-79 victory against the Oklahoma City Thunder in their playoff series opener Sunday…

Gasol scored 19 points, Bynum added 13 and Kobe Bryant had 21 points on 6-of-19 shooting after missing four of the final five regular season games to rest his swollen right knee and broken right index finger…

Kevin Durant led the Thunder with 24 points on 7-of-24 shooting in his playoff debut—under the 30.1 average of the NBA’s youngest-ever scoring champion. Former UCLA star Russell Westbrook added 23.

Andrew Bynum returns to practice

ESPN reports:

Lakers center Andrew Bynum, who missed the final 13 games of the regular season with a strained left Achilles tendon, returned to the floor for a full practice Friday for the first time since suffering the injury on March 19.

Bynum practiced with the team ahead of Sunday’s playoff opener against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Staples Center (Noon p.m. PT, ABC) and was pleased with the outcome.

“I felt very good,” he said. “Really, no pain. It went good.”

Lakers coach Phil Jackson was encouraged by Bynum’s effort. “We’re very pleased. He’s certainly not in any space where he feels like he’s back, I’m sure, but we’re pleased he was able to run and play and participate.”

NBA fines Phil Jackson yet again

Los Angeles Lakers head coach Phil Jackson has been fined $35,000 for publicly criticizing game officials, it was announced today by Stu Jackson, NBA Executive Vice President, Basketball Operations.

Jackson was fined for comments made to the media on April 13.

We’ll add more detail over the next hour. We are guessing this is in regard to Jackson saying that Kevin Durant gets lots of calls in his favor. This page will be updated shortly.

CC Sabathia chimes in on LeBron staying or going

Marc Berman of the New York Post reports:

CC Sabathia told WFAN there’s a likelier chance of his friend LeBron James leaving for New York if Cleveland wins the NBA title.

Asked about James’ thought process, Sabathia told hosts Evan Roberts and Joe Benigno, “I think it depends on what happens this year in the playoffs and how they play, to see how close they get and if they win, how that weighs in his decision.

“I know he wants to go where he can win. I know he likes the idea of New York.”

Sabathia added, “I think if he won (a title), it would be easier for him to leave.”

NBA will discuss issue of players resting

The AP reports:

David Stern says the issue of players resting at the end of the regular season will be discussed among NBA executives, though he doesn’t see anything coming of it.

The commissioner says he is “troubled by it, because it would be our preference that healthy players play,” but says the decision is one that has always been left up to the teams.

InsideHoops.com Says:

I totally understand NBA teams about to enter the playoffs wanting to make sure their key players are healthy for the post-season. But of course, fans who are paying big ticket prices for games want to see good action, and not the bench guys playing while star players barely break a sweat or sit out entirely. But that’s just how it is. Fans going to the last few games of the regular season simply need to know that depending on a team’s situation, a key star or two may not be out there.

Kobe Bryant sitting out last two regular season games

Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times reports:

The text message arrived on Phil Jackson’s cellphone Sunday at 8 p.m., a few hours after the Lakers’ latest loss.

Kobe Bryant wanted to sit out the last two regular-season games.

It was somewhat surprising, seeing how Bryant had just told reporters he wanted to continue playing because “you can’t rest too much … you get rusty,” but then came the text, eventually followed by the Lakers’ official announcement Monday afternoon that Bryant won’t play another game until the playoff opener because of his broken right index finger.

Andrew Bynum likely to rest until playoffs

Kevin Ding of the Orange County Register reports (via blog):

Andrew Bynum likely to rest until playoff opener

Andrew Bynum said Thursday he is leaning toward sitting out until the Lakers open the playoffs rather than risk a setback in his strained left Achilles’ tendon.

Bynum referred to coming back for the last two games of the regular season “possible,” but he later noted: “It’s like, what’s the point? Another possibility to go back a couple steps.”

Bynum was firm in his declaration that he would play in the playoff opener, likely to be April 18. If Bynum doesn’t play until then, he will have missed a month since being hurt March 19.

“I’m going to play in the first game of the playoffs,” he said.

Kobe Bryant contract details

Broderick Turner of the Los Angeles Times reports:

More details emerged about Kobe Bryant’s contract extension that he signed Friday. The guard’s three-year deal is worth $83.546 million, just below the league maximum of about $90 million, according to several NBA team officials who were not authorized to speak publicly.

His three-year deal averages out to $27.85 million per season.

Bryant, who earns $23 million this season and $24.8 million next season, will get $25.244 million for the 2011-12 season, $27.849 million 2012-13 and $30.453 million in the 2013-14 season when he turns 35.

Bryant, 31, has a no-trade clause in the contract, but he doesn’t have an opt-out clause as he had in his last contract.

However, if Bryant does accept a trade, his contract has a trade kicker that could be worth as much as 15% of the remaining years left on the contract.

NBA fines Phil Jackson

Los Angeles Lakers head coach Phil Jackson has been fined $35,000 for publicly criticizing game officials, it was announced today by Stu Jackson, NBA Executive Vice President, Basketball Operations.

Jackson was fined for comments made after the Lakers’ 100-81 loss to the San Antonio Spurs on Sunday, April 4, at STAPLES Center.

Elliot Teaford of the Los Angeles Daily News reports:

Jackson was displeased with the manner in which calls went against Ron Artest, who was locked in a physical battle with Manu Ginobili.

“They wouldn’t let Ron play the way he played prior to (a second-quarter technical foul),” Jackson said Sunday. “(Ginobili) could hook Ron (who) didn’t get what was going on and ended up getting too many fouls on him.

“The way we ended up the half, I think turned the referees against us and when you do that, that’s an unfortunate thing. Ron didn’t back off and didn’t read that official well enough to know (when) to back off. … Ginobili forced the issue and got the calls.”

The NBA playoffs are approaching fast.

David Lee has first 30-20-10 game since Kareem in 1976

Marc Berman on the New York Post blog reports:

In another disgraceful Knick loss at the tail end of another disgraceful season, David Lee did something no NBA player has done since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in 1976.

Lee posted his first career triple-double in racking up 37 points, 20 rebounds and 10 assists, though the defense-less Knicks were pummeled by Golden State, 128-117, tonight at Oracle Arena.

Lee registered the first 30-point, 20-rebound, 10-assist game since Jabbar went for 35-20-12 – also against Golden State, 34 years ago.

And yet the Knicks were barely in contention, falling behind by 20 points in the first half. Lee played 45:47, obviously kept in the game late to post his triple-double. It was emptier than an Easter Egg basket on Monday.

Frank Isola of the New York Daily News reports:

This is why stats are sometimes overrated. David Lee notched his first career triple-double as the Knicks lost, 128-117, to the hapless and undermanned Golden State Warriors Friday night. Lee finished with a career-high 37 points, 20 rebounds and 10 assists in 46 minutes as the Knicks fell to 26-49. Danilo Gallinari added 29 points, while Anthony Morrow, who was the best player on the floor, scored 35 off the bench for Golden State.

The Warriors’ starting lineup consisted of Reggie Williams, Corey Maggette, Ronny Turiaf, C.J. Watson and Stephen Curry, who had 15 points and 10 assists. The Warriors (22-53) shot 57%.

Josh Dubow of the Canadian Press reports:

“It’s about getting wins, even at this juncture of the season when we know we’re not making the playoffs,” Lee said. “It’s disappointing we couldn’t get one. That’s two high-powered offensive teams tonight that aren’t the two best defensive teams in the league by any stretch of the imagination, so it’s a difficult loss for us. We need to find a way to win one in L.A. to salvage this road trip.”