Febuary 6th: Walls are starting to close around Bryant.

 
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Phil
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PostPosted: Mon Feb 06, 2006 6:07 am    Post subject: Febuary 6th: Walls are starting to close around Bryant.

Walls are starting to close around Bryant
By Ross Siler, Staff Writer

DALLAS - All Kobe Bryant had to do was open the sports section Saturday morning in Oklahoma City to see just what Hornets coach Byron Scott, his former Lakers teammate, had in store for him that night.

"You've got to have him see a wall," Scott told The Oklahoman. "The guy that's guarding him, and if he goes to his right, there's got to be a guy there. If he goes to his left, there's got to be a guy there. So basically when he catches the ball, it's almost three-on-one."

The reaction to Bryant's 81-point game two weeks ago Sunday has come in the form of furious double-teams by opposing coaches. The Lakers have been unable to capitalize, even as teams commit two and three players to stopping Bryant.

Bryant has had trouble in particular with smaller guards. He followed his seven-turnover game against Charlotte on Friday with another seven turnovers against the Hornets, who doubled and trapped with 6-foot guards Chris Paul and Speedy Claxton.

"When he was in the game, we ran a small at him," Charlotte coach Bernie Bickerstaff said of Bryant. "The reason we ran a small at him was because his dribble is always down low so our small guys were getting some steals. He splits the big guys."
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Phil
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PostPosted: Mon Feb 06, 2006 6:09 am    Post subject:

Teams Mimic Bryant Double-Team
By Mike Bresnahan, Times Staff Writer

DALLAS — Kobe Bryant has seen just about every possible defense, but the latest trend of double-teaming him far from the basket has caused the Lakers all kinds of problems.

Bryant has continued to make shots but his teammates have not, a primary reason the Lakers went empty-handed against Indiana, Charlotte and New Orleans.


Bryant averaged 32 points and shot 48.5% but the rest of the team shot only 34.1%. Not surprisingly, the Lakers have not had a lead in more than 127 minutes of play.

Teams have dared other Lakers to shoot by double-teaming and trapping Bryant just inside halfcourt or above the three-point line.

"A lot of teams in our league are copycats," said forward Devean George, who had 21 points Saturday against the Hornets. "They'll see something kind of working well for another team and how they're double-teaming Kobe, so until we stop it, until we start capitalizing on making shots and cutting teams up, then they can continue to do that."

Bryant has done a credible job of finding open teammates, although his turnover level has almost doubled over the last three games, which led to a question of whether he could figure out how to be more effective in breaking double teams single-handedly.
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Phil
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PostPosted: Mon Feb 06, 2006 6:11 am    Post subject:

Opponents are starting to get physical with Bryant
His frustration is obvious, but it's the price he's paying for scoring 81 points.

By KEVIN DING
The Orange County Register

DALLAS – Kobe Bryant's discussion with referees Tony Brothers, Phil Robinson and Bob Delaney on Saturday was long-running and not about how amazing it is the maximum home price listed by the Oklahoma City chamber of commerce is $359,000.

The commentary was - except for one simple stream of profane bulletins directed at Brothers, which drew a technical foul - complaining that Hornets players were regularly making contact with Bryant's arms when they pawed at his dribble or contested his jumper.

Since the Toronto Raptors' congeniality in Bryant's 81- point game on Jan. 22, Lakers opponents have not just committed more completely to double-teaming Bryant away from the basket, they're making sure there's real danger in their shadows.
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PostPosted: Mon Feb 06, 2006 6:13 am    Post subject:

Short-handed for big test

10:08 PM PST on Sunday, February 5, 2006

Broderick Turner

DALLAS - The next stop on the weary Lakers' trip that has them moving in the wrong direction is Dallas, to play the hottest team in the NBA.

If playing the Mavericks, who have won 11 straight, weren't enough to deal with, the Lakers likely won't have two starters. Lamar Odom has missed the past two games with sprained cartilage between his ribs, and Chris Mihm missed Saturday night's game with a sprained right shoulder.

Throw in the fact that the Lakers have lost three in a row and four out of five on this seven-game road trip, and things don't look good for Tuesday's game at the American Airlines Center.

The question is can the Lakers win without Odom or Mihm, considering they were just barely winning more games than they lost with the two?

"We've got to," said Kobe Bryant, who scored 43 points, including the go-ahead three-pointer in the final minute, in a 109-106 win at Dallas on Dec. 12.

"Like I've said, we've got to get our you-know-what together and get ready to play against Dallas. They're going to be ready because of what we did to them last time."

The absence of Odom and Mihm could mean more playing time for Brian Cook and Sasha Vujacic, both of whom started against the Hornets on Saturday night.

Cook had 13 points on 6-for-10 shooting with seven rebounds in 26 minutes. Vujacic (5 points) missed 8 of 10 shots, though he had four steals.
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Phil
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PostPosted: Mon Feb 06, 2006 6:15 am    Post subject:

Mavs face test vs. Kobe, Heat

Avery & Co. get chance to make statement with big week before break

09:32 PM CST on Sunday, February 5, 2006

By EDDIE SEFKO / The Dallas Morning News

While Avery Johnson stresses the importance of taking the NBA game-by-game or quarter-by-quarter, this is a big week upcoming for his team.

Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers come to town Tuesday, Shaquille O'Neal, Dwyane Wade and the Miami Heat visit Thursday, then the Mavericks play their only remaining road game of the month Friday at Denver. Clearly, winning all three to equal the club-record 14-game winning streak is not going to be easy.

"It should be a great week for us," Dirk Nowitzki said. "We have to prove ourselves this week."

The last two games before the All-Star break will be at home against New York and Washington.
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PostPosted: Mon Feb 06, 2006 6:16 am    Post subject:

Mavs' task: slow Kobe
By ART GARCIA
Star-Telegram Staff Writer

Some of the Mavericks were given a parting gift on their way out of American Airlines Center after Saturday night's 110-91 win over Seattle.

A DVD of Kobe Bryant highlights.

How's that for a weekend homework assignment?

"We have a huge challenge in front of us," Jerry Stackhouse said. "He's been putting up huge numbers against everybody. We haven't forgotten about how he had his way with us through three quarters when we were there."

Did he ever. Bryant had 62 points (in 33 minutes) at the end of three quarters on Dec. 20 at the Staples Center, while the Mavs had only 61.

The Mavs (37-10) are gunning for their 12th consecutive victory Tuesday at home against the NBA's leading scorer and the Los Angeles Lakers.

It's a good bet the Mavs are featured prominently in the Kobe Uncut DVD. Such scouting tools are routine from the team's video department this season, and the Bryant edit was given to the perimeter players.
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