March 4th: They beat lowly Warriors, now face the mighty Pistons. Odom on the U.S.A. team after all. LAKERS BEAT THE BEST IN THE LEAGUE!

Phil · Retired Joined: 03 Aug 2001 Posts: 10007

Lakers Have Soft Touch
They beat lowly Warriors, 106-94, but now must deal with Pistons, Spurs.
By Mike Bresnahan, Times Staff Writer
March 4, 2006

OAKLAND — Recognizing a gift when it was presented to them, the Lakers ripped through the wrapping and beat the Golden State Warriors just in time before the party-crashers arrive at Staples Center.

With Detroit and San Antonio on the all-too-near horizon, the Lakers beat the Warriors, 106-94, winning a road game for the first time since Feb. 8 and creating a hint of momentum Friday at The Arena.

The Warriors were almost too interested in shooting three-pointers to notice the free-throw disparity tilting heavily in favor of the Lakers — 33-12 through three quarters — but the Lakers will take it, the better to hold on to eighth place in the Western Conference, their game-and-a-half lead on Sacramento and Utah remaining intact.

Kobe Bryant, hacking and hawking as he battled a sinus infection, had 42 points, five assists and was obviously healthy enough to play … or so it seemed.

"Good enough, man," he said beforehand, almost sounding convincing. "Good enough."

Phil · Retired Joined: 03 Aug 2001 Posts: 10007

PISTONS: A Team Come True
The Pistons' ego-free approach to the game took a while to catch on in the NBA, as did some of their key players
By Mark Heisler, Times Staff Writer
March 4, 2006

DENVER — The golden era of team play in the NBA is … now?

You may not have heard much about it but while Shaquille O'Neal, Kobe Bryant and Phil Jackson were feuding, splitting up and coming back, the aw-shucks San Antonio Spurs won two titles. The who-are-you-again Detroit Pistons won one, made the Finals twice and maintained a 72-win pace the first half of this season.

"This team, I'd have to label it special," Denver Coach George Karl said of the Pistons before last week's game. "It's a basketball team, it's not an ESPN team. It's for basketball coaches. It's for basketball gurus.

"It's solid. They don't make mistakes. They're not flamboyant. They're ego-less. They're selfless, which, to have in the NBA, is fantastic. For them and San Antonio to be the focal point of ego-less, selfless teams is good."

Of course, even with the respect of their peers, last spring's finalists found themselves in the first game of ABC's Christmas doubleheader before the feature attraction, Shaq vs. Kobe III. San Antonio Coach Gregg Popovich said he was just flattered to be in "the JV game."

Phil · Retired Joined: 03 Aug 2001 Posts: 10007

Roster Openings Lead to U.S. Tryout for Odom
By Mike Bresnahan, Times Staff Writer
March 4, 2006

OAKLAND — Lamar Odom will be invited to try out for the U.S. basketball team, after all.

One of the top players in the Athens Olympics, Odom did not make the original 22-player list finalized internally by USA Basketball last week, but he will fill one of the spots created by players who declined invitations.

Roster space opened when Milwaukee guard Michael Redd and Seattle forward Rashard Lewis declined to accept the lengthy commitment, which begins in July with a training camp in Las Vegas. Redd is getting married in August and Lewis reportedly will use the summer to heal a series of nagging injuries.

"I'm happy to wear the uniform again," said Odom, who was disappointed when not initially selected. "Because we lost the way we lost, being able to go back is a big deal."

Mindful of the third-place finish by the U.S. in the 2004 Olympics, USA Basketball managing director Jerry Colangelo made it clear that players needed to begin committing to the cause well before 2008. In addition to the July training camp, the U.S. has games in Japan and South Korea before competing in the world championship in August in Japan.

Odom was one of three U.S. players to score in double figures in all three medal-round games in Athens. He is averaging 13.9 points, 9.3 rebounds and 5.3 assists for the Lakers.

Phil · Retired Joined: 03 Aug 2001 Posts: 10007

Lakers beat Warriors 106-94
Although ill, Bryant scores 42 points in an effort that involves his teammates.

By KEVIN DING
The Orange County Register

OAKLAND – Just about every game, there'll be a few times when Lakers coach Phil Jackson feels it, wishes it - but has no idea if it will come. Those moments are when the Lakers need someone other than Kobe Bryant to, as Jackson always articulates it, "step into the vacuum."

As usual, Bryant did his thing Friday night. But the Golden State Warriors didn't make it too difficult for the vacuuming to happen, too, by playing the sort of ramshackle defense the Lakers have lately. Several Lakers happily took turns getting Hoovered toward the rim while Golden State eyed an ill but productive Bryant in the Lakers' 106-94 victory.

Phil · Retired Joined: 03 Aug 2001 Posts: 10007

Bryant hot with a cold
Scores 42 in Lakers win over G.S.
By Ross Siler, Staff Writer

OAKLAND - Kobe Bryant laughed his way through the postgame television interview, just like any other of his 42-point nights, but left a trail of clues as to how bad he was feeling as he ran off the court at The Arena in Oakland.

He pulled the towel wrapped around his shoulders to his mouth and coughed, the same "nasty stuff" summoned from his chest all game. He blinked his eyes open and shut, trying to clear his clouded head.

The Lakers played a game Friday night that they had to have - "the playoffs before the playoffs," as Lamar Odom described it - and they showed just how much they have to have their superstar guard.

Bryant fought his way through a sinus infection, minus the aches and chills from Wednesday night in Portland, and delivered the Lakers the 106-94 victory against Golden State they needed.

It was Bryant's 16th 40-point game of the season and came as he went 11 of 29 from the field, 4 of 8 from 3-point range and 16 of 18 from the foul line. No other Lakers player took more than eight shots.

"You've got to just pick your spots a little bit," Bryant said. "You're sick, you've got to slow the game down. You've got to use your energy wisely."

Phil · Retired Joined: 03 Aug 2001 Posts: 10007

Pistons conclude road trip against Lakers
LAST UPDATE: 3/4/2006 11:06:51 AM

Detroit is 2-1 on the swing. Richard Hamilton ended with 20 points, including the game-winning jumper with 0.2 seconds left, as the Pistons edged the Seattle SuperSonics, 98-96, on Friday at KeyArena.

Rasheed Wallace finished with 21 points and 11 rebounds, while Chauncey Billups registered 21 points and 11 assists in the win over the Sonics for Detroit, which has won seven of its last eight games overall.

Tayshaun Prince scored 11 points and Antonio McDyess netted 10 in the victory, while Ben Wallace contributed nine points and 10 boards for the Pistons.

The Pistons are an impressive 22-8 on the road this season.

LA plays the opener of a tough two-game homestand. On Friday, Kobe Bryant scored 42 points and became the youngest player in NBA history to reach 16,000 points, as the Lakers built a huge lead in the third quarter on the way to a 106-94 victory over the Golden State Warriors at The Arena in Oakland.

Phil · Retired Joined: 03 Aug 2001 Posts: 10007

Beaten, battered by L.A.
Lakers follow proven recipe to pop Warriors
By Geoff Lepper, STAFF WRITER

OAKLAND — Apparently, Los Angeles' two NBA franchises are sharing more than just a home court.

The Lakers came into the Arena on Friday with a simple agenda cribbed straight from the laptop of Clippers coach Mike Dunleavy Sr.:

Beat the Warriors up on the floor, and you'll beat them down on the scoreboard.

Following that plan to perfection before a franchise-record crowd of 20,375, the Lakers simply outmuscled the Warriors for a 106-94 victory, their third in as many tries against Golden State this season.

Benefiting from the attack-first, ask-questions-later methodology, Kobe Bryant scored 42 points to spoil Baron Davis' return after three weeks of inactivity.

As a result of forcing the action — and the NBA's caste system, in which the 14-time-NBA-champion Lakers far outrank the lowly Warriors — Los Angeles outshot Golden State 42-22 from the line, including a 26-6 advantage over the middle quarters, when they crafted an 18-point lead.

"Tonight, we got outworked, we got bullied, we got pushed. And when we decided to push back, it was too late," Davis said.

Phil · Retired Joined: 03 Aug 2001 Posts: 10007

Lakers notes: Brown still anxious
By Ross Siler, Staff Writer

OAKLAND - As easy as it is to forget about how young Kwame Brown is, the Lakers' forward won't turn 24 for another week even though he is playing in his fifth NBA season.
So when Phil Jackson was asked about his young players who have hit a wall, the Lakers coach included guard Smush Parker on his list but not Brown, even though Parker is a year older than his teammate.

Brown's struggles continue to stem from lost confidence, Jackson said, and an anxiety that comes as soon as the former No. 1 overall pick gets his first touch in a game.

"Some of it I think has to do with a desire to do well," Jackson said. "He brings a little bit of tension or anxiety to the game. So we're trying to get him to relax a little bit and get into the game and really feel like he's seated in the game."

Jackson watched as Brown missed a 3-foot shot early in the second quarter of Wednesday's loss to Portland because he faded away from the basket. Brown finished with one point and two rebounds in the game, missing three of four free throws.

"He was almost falling down by the time he got the ball up and it was a point-blank layup," Jackson said. "Those are the things that are like turnovers to a ballclub - it's a disappointment - especially when you use execution to get that kind of a shot."

Phil · Retired Joined: 03 Aug 2001 Posts: 10007

LAKERS BEAT THE BEST TEAM IN THE LEAGUE-Box score

Phil · Retired Joined: 03 Aug 2001 Posts: 10007

Pistons Misfire; Lakers Beat NBA's Best
Ken Peters, AP Sports Writer
10:20 PM PST, March 4, 2006

LOS ANGELES -- Kobe Bryant scored 40 points, and the Los Angeles Lakers came from behind with a scoring spree that began in the third quarter and carried them to a 105-94 victory over the Detroit Pistons on Saturday night.

Lamar Odom added 24 points and 10 assists for the Lakers, who ended a four-game losing streak against the Pistons.

Chauncey Billups had 24 points and nine assists for the Pistons, but scored only four points in the second half. Richard Hamilton added 20 points and Rasheed Wallace 17 on 7-of-17 shooting after making his first six shots for Detroit.

With the Lakers trailing 78-68 with 3:26 remaining in the third quarter, Los Angeles scored the final 12 points of the period to go up 80-78. Odom had seven points in the closing minute, including a 3-pointer to give the Lakers the lead with 2 seconds remaining.

Phil · Retired Joined: 03 Aug 2001 Posts: 10007

Kobe leads Lakers in comeback over PistonsAssociated Press

3/5/2006 1:24:25 AM

LOS ANGELES (AP) - Kobe Bryant scored 40 points and the Los Angeles Lakers came from behind with a scoring spree that began in the third quarter and carried them to a 105-94 victory over the Detroit Pistons on Saturday night.

Lamar Odom added 24 points and 10 assists for the Lakers.

Chauncey Billups had 24 points and nine assists for the Pistons, but scored only four points in the second half. Richard Hamilton added 20 points and Rasheed Wallace 17 on 7-of-17 shooting after making his first six shots for Detroit.

With the Lakers trailing 78-68 with 3:26 remaining in the third quarter, Los Angeles scored the final 12 points of the period to go up 80-78. Odom had seven points in the closing minute, including a three-pointer to give the Lakers the lead with two seconds remaining.

Los Angeles then scored the first six points of the fourth quarter to open an 86-78 lead, and the closest the Pistons got afterward was four points.

The defeat was only the ninth on the road for the Pistons, but their second in four games. The NBA's best travelling team this year, they lost 98-87 at Denver on Wednesday.

Bryant sat out the final 4:33 of the opening half after picking up his third foul. He had 17 points by then, and the Pistons were up 44-42. Billups scored seven of his 20 first-half points in the last minute before the break as Detroit opened a 58-51 lead.

Bryant wasn't called for any fouls in the second half.

Phil · Retired Joined: 03 Aug 2001 Posts: 10007

L.A. Lakers 105, Detroit 94
Bryant, Odom Lead Lakers Over Pistons

LOS ANGELES, March 4 (Ticker) -- Even though Kobe Bryant had his usual offensive output, his supporting cast made the difference when it came to pulling out the victory.

Bryant scored 40 points and Lamar Odom added 24 with 10 assists as the Los Angeles Lakers ended a four-game losing streak against the Detroit Pistons with a 105-94 triumph.

NBA TV highlights from
Pistons-Lakers: Play
One night after becoming the youngest player in league history to score 16,000 points, Bryant reached the 40-point mark for the 17th time this season. However, the Lakers rallied with a decisive second-half burst in which Bryant - the league's leading scorer - was held without a point.

Trailing, 78-68, with 3:08 remaining in the third quarter, the Lakers scored the final 12 points of the period. Kwame Brown made a three-point play, Smush Parker dunked and Odom scored seven straight, capped by a 3-pointer with two seconds left.