Los Angeles Lakers Blog – Page 79 – NBA Blog

Dwight Howard is day-to-day with sore shoulder

Los Angeles Lakers star center Dwight Howard has been diagnosed with a sore right shoulder and is day to day.

Howard was evaluated in Minneapolis by Lakers trainer Gary Vitti on Thursday, one day after he aggravated the torn labrum in his right shoulder during the Lakers’ loss to the Phoenix Suns.

The Lakers are expected to give a more definitive update on Howard’s status prior to Friday’s game against the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Howard suffered the injury midway through the fourth quarter of Wednesday’s 92-86 loss. The seven-time All-Star fell to the floor in pain after being blocked by Suns guard Shannon Brown with 6:57 remaining in the contest.

— Reported by Dave McMenamin of ESPN Los Angeles

Suns rally to beat Lakers 92-86

Steve Nash’s first trip back to Phoenix to play the Suns was an evening of triumph.

For the Suns, not Nash.

Michael Beasley scored a season-high 27 points and the Suns rallied from 13 down in the fourth quarter to hand Nash’s Los Angeles Lakers their eighth straight road loss 92-86 on Wednesday night.

The Lakers, who had won three straight – all at home, lost Dwight Howard when he reinjured his right shoulder with 6:57 to play. Coach Mike D’Antoni said he thinks the injury is something that Howard will have to deal with all season.

”It is my understanding that it is something that will hurt, then it will go away and he will be able to play,” D’Antoni said.

Beasley, whose previous season best of 25 came two games earlier, scored on a scrambling layup as the shot clock was expiring to put the Suns ahead 88-86 with 43.8 seconds to play.

”I’m just playing aggressive,” Beasley said. ”I’m trying to turn over a new leaf. No more nonchalant Beas. I’m back to the Beast.”

Kobe Bryant had 17 points and nine assists, but missed what would have been the tying layup with 24 seconds to play. Howard had nine points and 14 rebounds before he left after aggravating the shoulder injury that sidelined him for three games earlier this month. Metta World Peace scored 15, Pau Gasol 14 and Antawn Jamison 13 for Los Angeles.

— Reported by Bob Baum of the Associated Press

Pau Gasol upset after benching in 4th quarter vs Hornets

The Los Angeles Lakers got another win Tuesday by beating the New Orleans Hornets 111-106, but they might have lost some of the team cohesion they built up over the course of their three-game winning streak.

In what has become a recurring theme since Mike D’Antoni took over as Lakers coach, forward Pau Gasol was benched in the fourth quarter against New Orleans.

The former four-time All-Star, who recently bristled when moved to a bench role as D’Antoni placed Earl Clark in the starting lineup, expressed his displeasure after the game.

“I’m a competitor, I’m a guy that thinks I bring a lot to the table, and not being on the floor is something that I don’t like, I don’t appreciate,” Gasol said.

— Reported by Dave McMenamin of ESPN Los Angeles

Lakers edge Hornets for 3rd straight win

Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers really think they’re on to something, even if it’s nothing revolutionary. They’re gaining confidence in their newfound attitude and approach with each victory they’re producing.

Not even a fantastic fourth-quarter rally by the New Orleans Hornets could shake Kobe’s conviction that the Lakers have finally figured out a few things about their puzzling season.

Dwight Howard scored 24 points, Bryant had 14 points and 11 assists in another pass-first performance, and the Lakers hung on to beat New Orleans 111-106 Tuesday night for their first three-game winning streak in five weeks.

Earl Clark had 20 points and 12 rebounds for the Lakers (20-25), who jumped to an 18-point lead midway through the fourth quarter with their third straight game of patient passing and hard-nosed defense quarterbacked by Bryant. The fifth-leading scorer in NBA history has warmly embraced his new role as a playmaker – no surprise for somebody whose first basketball muse was Magic Johnson.

”It’s working pretty well,” said Bryant, whose 39 assists in the Lakers’ last three games are the biggest three-game total of his 17-season career. ”It’s very easy for me to look over the defense and know where they’re coming from, just kind of line my guys up in the right way and just pick them apart.” …

Eric Gordon scored 18 of his 25 points in the first half for the Hornets, who got within one point on Greivis Vasquez’s running jumper.

Ryan Anderson scored 11 of his 16 points in the fourth quarter for the Hornets, who had won eight of 12, including an impressive victory in Memphis two nights earlier at the start of their five-game trip. Anderson, Vasquez and Robin Lopez led the impressive late rally that just fell short, with Lopez finishing with 16 points and nine rebounds.

— Reported by Greg Beacham of the Associated Press

Lazar Hayward returns to Los Angeles D-Fenders

Lazar Hayward has returned to the Los Angeles D-Fenders, it was announced today. Hayward, signed by the Minnesota Timberwolves on December 31st, became the D-Fenders first NBA Call-Up of the season and 12th in team history.

Selected by Washington in the first round of the 2010 NBA Draft (30th overall) and later traded to Minnesota on draft day, Hayward has been a member of Minnesota, Oklahoma City and Houston since joining the NBA. In 72 career NBA games with the Thunder and Timberwolves, Hayward has averaged 2.9 points, 1.3 rebounds and 0.5 assists in 8.2 minutes. The 6-6, 225 pound forward also played three games with Tulsa of the NBA Development League in 2012, averaging 24.0 points 5.7 rebounds and 2.7 assists in 34.3 minutes.

A standout at Marquette University, Hayward finished his career with the Golden Eagles as the program’s second all-time leading scorer (1,859 points) and fifth all-time leading rebounder (910 rebounds) after averaging 13.5 points (45.2 FG%; 35.7 3FG%) along with 6.6 rebounds in 138 career games. Additionally, the Buffalo, New York native was named to the All-Big East Second Team (2008, 2010) as well as the Big East All-Tournament Team (2010), and earned an All-America Honorable Mention selection by the Associated Press (2010) during his time at Marquette.

Kobe leads Lakers past Oklahoma City 105-96

Kobe Bryant had 21 points, 14 assists and nine rebounds, Steve Nash added seven of his 17 points in the final 5 1/2 minutes, and the Los Angeles Lakers held off the NBA-leading Oklahoma City Thunder 105-96 Sunday.

Pau Gasol scored 16 points in a reserve role as the Lakers picked up the most impressive victory of their thoroughly unimpressive season, coolly maintaining a small lead down the stretch of their second straight win after a four-game skid.

Los Angeles had lost nine of its last 11 against the powerful Thunder, including four of five in the clubs’ second-round playoff series last spring.

Kevin Durant scored 35 points and Russell Westbrook had 17 points, 13 assists and nine rebounds for the road-weary Thunder, who finished their longest trip of the season at 3-3.

Bryant and Westbrook briefly tangled in the third quarter in an exchange that earned a technical foul for Kobe. Both All-Star guards entered the fourth quarter needing just one rebound for a triple-double, but neither got it.

Westbrook also missed his first eight shots and 12 of his first 13 before finding his shot, but the Lakers didn’t wilt down the stretch…

Howard had eight points and 10 rebounds while fighting foul trouble and missing eight of his 10 free throws. Bryant and Nash led a passionate effort by the Lakers, whose season-long missteps and embarrassments have left them well out of the playoff picture heading into the second half of the season.

— Reported by Greg Beacham of the Associated Press

Lakers beat Jazz 102-84 to snap 4-game skid

Airing things out among themselves had the desired effect for the Los Angeles Lakers.

Metta World Peace hit five 3-pointers on his way to scoring 17 points and the Lakers pulled away in the fourth quarter to beat the Utah Jazz 102-84 on Friday night, snapping a four-game skid.

Coming off an 0-3 road trip during which players confronted each other last Wednesday in Memphis, the Lakers got balanced scoring and better team defense that helped them beat the Jazz for the first time in three meetings this season.

Kobe Bryant suggested ”our closed-door meeting that everyone seems to know about” had something to do with the victory.

”It’s a relief, especially against a team that’s handled us pretty well,” he said. ”We made shots and that makes the game a lot easier. It’s not about showing we’ve turned the corner. It’s about doing it.”

Derrick Favors led the Jazz with 14 points off the bench. Fellow reserve Gordon Hayward scored 13 and Al Jefferson had 12. Paul Millsap and Randy Foye added 10 points each. Utah had won six of its previous seven.

Dwight Howard had 17 points and 13 rebounds, Steve Nash scored 15 and Pau Gasol added 15 points off the bench for the Lakers. Bryant had 14 points, a season-high 14 assists and nine rebounds in bringing Utah’s four-game winning streak to an end…

The Lakers’ 15-4 run to start the game was helped by World Peace and Nash combining for three 3-pointers. The Jazz quickly closed within two before the Lakers stretched their lead to 26-19.

— Reported by Beth Harris of the Associated Press

Dwight Howard does not expect a trade

As he begins the process of refusing to complain anymore about his role, Dwight Howard wanted to make one thing clear about his Lakers future.

“I plan on being here for the remainder of the season,” he said. “My focus and team’s focus is to do what we can do to get into the playoffs.”

Will that sentiment last once he becomes an unrestricted free agent July 1? He could re-sign for five years and $117.9 million instead of a four-year, $87.6 million deal with another team.

— Reported by Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News

Earl Clark set to be unrestricted free agent after season

With his breakout season, Lakers forward Earl Clark faces an unexpected reality.

Once he becomes an unrestricted free agent in July, he’ll likely have some interest. What does he think about his future?

“It’s not like I’m this big free agent where I’ll be at SportsCenter and people are asking me where I’m going,” said Clark, who’s making $1.2 million this season. “I’m focusing on the game and trying to continue to play well.”

— Reported by Mark Medina of the Los Angeles Daily News

Jordan Hill out six months after hip surgery

Lakers forward Jordan Hill underwent surgery this morning in Nashville on his injured left hip. The surgery, performed by Dr. Thomas Byrd, included the removal of loose fragments, repair of a torn labrum and a microfracture procedure to repair damaged cartilage.

Hill will be re-evaluated by Dr. Byrd in a month, but is expected to be out approximately six months.