The AP reports: The San Antonio Spurs made it clear to the Los Angeles Lakers that they’re still a major player in the Western Conference. Roger Mason hit a jumper with 10 seconds left and made a free throw after being fouled by Derek Fisher, and the Spurs beat the Lakers 112-111 on Wednesday night in the first meeting between the teams since the Western Conference finals… Manu Ginobili led San Antonio with 27 points, and Bryant had 29 for Los Angeles. He added 10 assists. Both teams are 10-2 in their last 12 games. Bryant was double-teamed on the Lakers’ last play, so he swung the ball to Ariza. But Ariza was called for traveling… Tony Parker and Tim Duncan each added 20 points for the Spurs. Duncan also had 10 rebounds and eight assists. Pau Gasol scored 21 points for Los Angeles after hitting eight of this first nine shots.
Category: Los Angeles Lakers Blog
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Von Wafer making name for himself
The Los Angeles Times (Broderick Turner) reports: Von Wafer signed a non-guaranteed contract with the Houston Rockets last September for $797,581 and appears to have found a home. He has been starting while Tracy McGrady heals from a sore left knee, and Ron Artest gets well from a sore right ankle. “I told him during the game how I was proud of the way he’s been playing,” Kobe Bryant said. “He’s doing a fine job.” Wafer was 10 for 14 from the field (three for four from three-point range) in 39 minutes in Houston’s 105-100 loss to the Lakers at the Toyota Center. The athletic Wafer did much of his work against Bryant. “He told me he was proud of me,” Wafer said. “I’ve got a lot of respect for Kobe. He told me he was proud of me, that I’ve come a long way and just keep it going.”
Bryant scores 33 to lead Lakers over Rockets
The AP reports: Kobe Bryant sank a 3-pointer with 27 seconds left and scored 33 points, and the Lakers beat the short-handed Houston Rockets 105-100 on Tuesday night. Bryant had 13 points in the fourth quarter, finally getting the better of Wafer, who scored a career-high 23 points in place of the injured Tracy McGrady… Carl Landry had a season-high 21 points and eight rebounds for the Rockets, who also played without Ron Artest. Artest has missed five of the last six games with a sprained right ankle. An MRI exam also showed a bone bruise that the Rockets say will keep him out 7-10 more days… Yao had 19 points and 17 rebounds for the Rockets, who lost for just the second time in their last 11 home games.
Bynum leads Lakers past Heat 108-105
The AP reports: Andrew Bynum scored a season-high 24 points including a go-ahead follow shot with 18.5 seconds remaining, Vladimir Radmanovic added a season-high 18 points, and the Lakers beat the Miami Heat 108-105 to become the first Western Conference team to reach 30 victories. Bryant had 19 points and seven assists, but shot just 5-of-14. Gasol had 14 points and 18 rebounds to match his career high, but shot 4-of-15… Derek Fisher had 13 points and a season-high 11 assists and Sasha Vujacic added 10 points for the Lakers (30-6), who won for the ninth time in 10 games… Wade led the Heat (19-17) with 27 points and nine assists, and rookie Michael Beasley scored 16 of his 23 points in the fourth quarter. Cook added 17 points, and Shawn Marion and Quinn added 12 points apiece.
Bryant’s late surge gives Lakers win over Pacers
The AP reports: With the game tied and the clock ticking down, Bryant ran off 23 seconds, then, with defenders lunging at him, coolly hit a turnaround, fadeaway jumper with 3 seconds remaining Friday night to give the Los Angeles Lakers a 121-119 victory over the stubborn Indiana Pacers. Bryant’s 36 points included the Lakers’ final 11 of the game, and he also finished with 13 assists and seven rebounds… “We couldn’t stop Kobe,” said the Pacers’ Danny Granger, who had 28 points when he fouled out with 47 seconds remaining… Troy Murphy had 24 points for Indiana and Dunleavy finished with 22. Pau Gasol had 21 points and 11 rebounds for the Lakers, and Andrew Bynum had 20 points.
Late Gasol surge leads Lakers past Warriors 114-106
The AP reports: Pau Gasol had 33 points and a career-high 18 rebounds, Kobe Bryant added 21 points and the Lakers rallied from a late deficit for their seventh victory in eight games, 114-106 over the Warriors on Wednesday night. Andrew Bynum had 18 points and 11 rebounds for the Lakers, whose home loss to New Orleans on Tuesday snapped a six-game winning streak for the Western Conference leaders. Los Angeles also lost key swingman Lamar Odom to a bone bruise, trimming their rotation and increasing their dependence on Gasol, who had just 10 points against the Hornets… Jamal Crawford had 25 points and a season-high nine assists for Golden State, and Corey Maggette added 19 points before fouling out of the Warriors’ fifth loss in six games… Trevor Ariza scored a season-high 17 points for the Lakers, playing 33 minutes in Odom’s absence.
Lamar Odom out Wednesday
Lakers forward Lamar Odom was examined today by team physician Dr. Steve Lombardo and MRI results show that Odom has a bone bruise in his right knee. Odom will not play in tonight’s game in Oakland against the Golden State Warriors, and his status beyond that is listed as day-to-day.
Odom suffered the injury in the 2nd quarter of last night’s game against the New Orleans Hornets at STAPLES Center.
West, Paul lead Hornets past Lakers 116-105
The AP reports: David West scored 15 of his 40 points in the final period to outscore Los Angeles by himself, and New Orleans beat Los Angeles 116-105 to snap the Lakers’ 15-game home winning streak. The Lakers led 92-89 entering the fourth quarter before shooting just 5-of-21, including 3-of-11 from 3-point range while being outscored 27-13… West shot 14-of-23 from the floor and 12-of-13 from the foul line in matching his career high. He also grabbed 11 rebounds as the Hornets (21-10) won for the 16th time in 21 games and avenged two losses to the Lakers in New Orleans earlier this season.
InsideHoops.com notes: Also for the Hornets, Chris Paul shot 11-of-24 for 32 points, 15 assists, no turnovers and 3 steals. Tyson Chandler had 12 points and 8 rebounds. Rasual Butler had 10 points and 6 rebounds. The Hornets shot 50.6%… For the Lakers, Kobe Bryant shot 14-of-22 for 39 points, 4 rebounds and 7 assists (4 turnovers). Derek Fisher had 19 points, 5 rebounds, 6 assists and 2 steals, though he took 18 shots. Lamar Odom came off the bench for a mere 12 points and little else. Pau Gasol shot 3-of-8 for 10 points, 8 rebounds and 5 assists. The Lakers shot just 41.9%.
Luke Walton out 2+ weeks
Lakers forward Luke Walton was examined today by Dr. Ken Jung, a foot specialist with the Kerlan-Jobe Orthopaedic Group. Dr. Jung confirmed that Walton is suffering from sesamoiditis (right foot).
Walton will wear a protective boot on his foot for a week and will also begin non-weight bearing rehabilitation exercises in a pool starting today. He is expected to be out a minimum of two weeks.
Lakers beat Blazers 100-86 for 15th straight home win
The AP reports: Kobe Bryant scored 26 points, Pau Gasol added 19 and Los Angeles beat the Portland Trail Blazers 100-86 Sunday night for its sixth consecutive victory and 15th straight at home… LaMarcus Aldridge led Portland with 22 points and 11 rebounds, as all five starters scored in double figures. But the Blazers shot only 39 percent overall… Vujacic, playing despite a case of tonsillitis, had 11 points in 26 minutes. Vladimir Radmanovic had 16 points off the bench for the Lakers, 12 of them in the fourth quarter. Portland made only three of 14 shots during the first 6:06 of the quarter, all of them 3-pointers, and never got closer than 14 points.
Did not play: Brandon Roy