March 26th: Lakers vs Hornets. Brown injury Injury a Concern. Byant & Odom lead the Lakers over the Hornets.

[Phil]

Brown Injury Is a Concern
By Larry Stewart, Times Staff Writer
March 26, 2006

Just when Kwame Brown appeared to be getting on track, he might be slowed by an injury.

Brown suffered what initially appeared to be a minor hamstring injury Friday night near the end of the Lakers' 101-96 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks.

But Coach Phil Jackson was somewhat concerned Saturday. Although Brown was at practice and worked out, he was kept off the court.

Jackson said of Brown's right hamstring, "I don't think you'd say it's torn, I think it's just a slight cramp. There's some tightness there."

Jackson said Brown's injury would be further evaluated today, before the team's game against the New Orleans Hornets at Staples Center.

"I don't want to say he might not play," Jackson said. "I just want to say we have to think about possibilities. It's very possible that he may be able to come out and play at full level once he gets warm."

However, Jackson added that he'd rather give Brown the night off than aggravate the injury. He said how much Brown plays probably would be determined by how the game goes.

Brown was the overall No. 1 pick in the 2001 draft, selected by the Washington Wizards straight out of high school, but has not lived up to that billing. However, Brown, acquired in an off-season trade, is coming off his best week as a Laker.

[Phil]

A setback for Brown
By Jill Painter, Staff Writer

EL SEGUNDO - Just when Kwame Brown had finally started to find his groove. Now, a hamstring injury might limit him today.

Brown injured his hamstring in the final minutes of the Lakers' win over Milwaukee on Friday. He didn't participate in team drills Saturday but did other exercises with physical therapist Alex McKechnie in an attempt to prevent further injury to the hamstring.

Brown wasn't ruled out for today's game, but it's clear he might not play much.

"We have to be really careful," Jackson said. "(Trainer) Gary (Vitti) wants me to assess whether we should think about playing him in (today's) game at a level that ' We do have a two-day break. We'll have to make an assessment (today). It's too early to tell right now."

The hamstring isn't torn, but Brown was feeling tightness. He had 16 points and nine rebounds against the Hornets and had 21 points and 12 rebounds against Sacramento on Wednesday.

"It's very possible he may be able to come out and play at a full level," Jackson said. "We have to consider that he could aggravate it more and he could lose more time."

[Phil]

Now he's pulling for 'Tractor'
Sunday, March 26, 2006
Branson Wright
Plain Dealer Reporter

Los Angeles Lakers forward Ronny Turiaf and former Cavaliers forward Robert "Tractor" Traylor share a common bond, and Turiaf would like to lend his support.

Doctors discovered last summer that Traylor and Turiaf each had an enlarged aortic valve following an echocardiogram. The echocardiogram is a test used to detect potentially fatal conditions such as hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) and Marfan's syndrome.

The New Jersey Nets discovered Traylor's enlarged aortic valve during an exam in August, when Traylor was set to sign a free-agent deal with the Nets after the Cavs decided not to pick up Traylor's $1.76 million option.

The Lakers' discovery led to surgery and recovery for Turiaf, and the Nets' discovery led to surgery last November for Traylor, who is now working on returning to the league.

"He's going to go through hell with a capital H," Turiaf said. "The rehab was the toughest thing in my life for those three months. I understand exactly what he's going to go through."

Traylor is performing conditioning and strength exercises to help strengthen his heart and his body. Turiaf said Traylor will have to push his body to limits he never knew he had. "Things will get better and better as he goes through it," Turiaf said. "Every day he'll get better. That's what drove me because I could see progress and that kept me focused."

[Phil]

Every victory eases anxiety

By KEVIN DING
The Orange County Register

EL SEGUNDO – A victory tonight by the Lakers would put them four games ahead of the New Orleans Hornets with 10 games left in the regular season.

Although the Utah Jazz also is hoping to unseat the Lakers or the Sacramento Kings from a spot in the Western Conference's top eight, the Lakers can almost start worrying more about where they'll be in the playoff picture than if they'll be in that picture.

Lakers coach Phil Jackson said Saturday he isn't necessarily eyeing the No.6 seed that would almost certainly draw Denver, which has a worse record than San Antonio, Dallas or Phoenix and - unlike those teams - did not win a playoff series last season.

"We're just trying to get momentum, gain confidence as a team," Jackson said.

[Phil]

Late-season drama? It's best in the West

snippet:

KOBE COLLAPSE?

The Lakers seem poised to hold on to one of the two final playoff spots, but it will be interesting to see just how much gas Kobe Bryant has left in the tank.

Since his scoring explosion in January, Bryant has come back down to earth, shooting 42.5 percent from the field in March and just 27.5 percent on three-pointers.

''It's a lot more work [this season],'' Bryant said. ``I'll just go out there, rely on my teammates to not have to work so hard out there during the game.''

But that's easier said than done for Bryant, who always considers himself option No. 1. So he'll still take 39 shots, as he did in Boston this week, if it means his team hanging on for a win.

One encouraging sign for Bryant is the improved play of Lamar Odom.

The former Heat forward isn't necessarily being more aggressive offensively, just more efficient, shooting nearly 60 percent from the field this month while averaging just less than 18 points

with 8.5 rebounds and six

assists.

''The biggest change in this ballclub now is the play of Lamar,'' Bryant said.

``He's really understanding the fluidity and how to execute the offense. He's gotten more comfortable and, as a result, he's more consistent.''

[Phil]

Can anybody catch Kareem or Stock?

Breaking the scoring and assist records won't be easy
By Loren Jorgensen
Deseret Morning News
Karl Malone probably could have done it. The man who was honored in several ways on Thursday by the Utah Jazz and Salt Lake City — with a statue, a renamed street and a retired number — could have broken Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's record for NBA scoring.
Image
Tom Smart, Deseret Morning News
Utah's John Stockton and Karl Malone guard the Lakers' Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in Salt Lake in the 1980s.
Instead, Malone retired after rehabilitating his knee following the 2003-04 season with the Los Angeles Lakers, coming up 1,459 points short of Kareem's total. He would have needed to average 17.8 points for an 82-game season to do it — so he likely would have had to finish up the 2004-05 season, when his knee got healthy, and then played again this year to catch Kareem.
Michael Jordan probably would have owned the record now if he hadn't had a pair of "retirements" — one to embarrass himself by not learning how to hit a curveball and one for three years after his Bulls days and before finishing as a Wizard — before officially calling it quits. As it stands, Jordan is third on the scoring list, 6,095 behind Abdul-Jabbar.
Perhaps an even tougher career mark to reach would be John Stockton's all-time assist total. The former Jazz star finished his career with 15,806 assists. By comparison, Mark Jackson is second with 10,334 and Magic Johnson is third in assists with 10,141.
Becoming an all-time scoring or assist leader takes more than just being great. It also takes good fortune as far as staying healthy, not to mention the ability and desire to play at a top level for nearly two decades.
Here are the top five candidates — in both scoring and assists — currently playing in the NBA who could become record breakers.

[Phil]

All's lost for Garnett

Wolves left out of mix, like Knicks

BY MITCH LAWRENCE
DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER

Steve Francis was dealt to Knicks instead of also lottery-bound T-Wolves.
At last month's All-Star Game in Houston, the hottest trade talk had Minnesota getting Steve Francis from Orlando, which would have been an upgrade for the Timberwolves' underwhelming backcourt. But Kevin Garnett would hear none of it.

"Do you see Steve Francis on our roster?" Garnett said as he prepared for the midseason game. "Is he on our team? He's not? Well, holler at me when he is and then we'll talk about Steve Francis at that point."

Francis, of course, came to New York, where he has languished on Larry Brown's bench, while the Timberwolves have done nothing to move their team into the playoff picture. Instead, they have had their worst season since Garnett's rookie season, in 1995-96, and like the Knicks are playing out the string. With 14 games to go, including today's contest against Garnett's disappointing 28-41 Timberwolves in Minneapolis, the Knicks still have to show Brown something.

"One thing I realize, when you don't have anything to play for, you find out a lot about character," the Knicks' coach said yesterday after practice in Greenburgh.

[Phil]

Bryant, Odom Lift Lakers Over Hornets
From Associated Press
9:41 PM PST, March 26, 2006

Kobe Bryant scored 30 points and Lamar Odom added 23 points to help the Los Angeles Lakers beat the New Orleans Hornets 105-94 Sunday night for their fourth straight victory.

The Lakers are seventh in the Western Conference playoff race, two games ahead of Sacramento and four ahead of the ninth-place Hornets. The Hornets' loss clinched a playoff berth for the Pacific Division-leading Phoenix Suns.

Center Kwame Brown shot 7-for-7 from the field and finished with 17 points, helping Los Angeles equal its longest winning streak of the season.

David West had 23 points and seven rebounds for the Hornets, who have lost 11 of their last 12 games. They had allowed only one player to score at least 30 points in their previous 11 games. That was Bryant, who had 40 in a 113-107 win on March 8 at New Orleans -- the first major sporting event in that city since the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina.

The Hornets shot 44.7 percent from the field. The last time they played at Staples Center, in an 89-67 loss to the Clippers on March 1, the Hornets scored 16 points in the second half -- the fewest by any team during the shot-clock era. They also went a franchise-worst 12 minutes and 41 seconds between field goals during a 25-0 run by the Clippers.

Bryant drove the left baseline for a layup with 11 minutes remaining to give the Lakers an 87-77 lead, the first double-digit margin for either team. The Lakers built a 95-80 cushion with a 9-0 spurt triggered by Devean George's first basket of the game, an 18-footer from the top of the key.

The Hornets held the Lakers without a field goal over the final 6:22 and got as close as 91-89 on a pair of free throws by rookie Chris Paul, capping a 19-4 run.

[Phil]

Bryant leads Lakers over Hornets
Last Update: 3/27/2006 12:24:19 AM

Kobe Bryant scored 30 points and grabbed five rebounds as the Los Angeles Lakers handed the New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets a 105-94 defeat at Staples Center.
,Lamar Odom added 23 points and eight boards while much maligned Kwame Brown enjoyed a good evening for a change as he scored 17 points on 7-of-7 shooting for the Lakers, who have now won their last four contests.

David West scored 23 points and snatched 10 boards while Chris Paul dropped 17 points and P.J. Brown added 13 for the Hornets, who have now lost 11 of their last 12 games and find themselves two games behind Sacramento for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference.

Los Angeles put the game away over the final 12 minutes as Luke Walton found Devean George under the basket for a layup midway through the final frame to put LA up 13. Odom followed with a pair of freebies to put the Lakers up 15, 95-80.

[Phil]

Lakers sting Hornets on way to bank

Associated Press
Mon, Mar 27, 2006

LOS ANGELES -- Kobe Bryant scored 30 points and Lamar Odom added 23 points to help the Los Angeles Lakers beat the New Orleans Hornets 105-94 Sunday night for their fourth straight victory. The Lakers took the cash as 7-point favorites and the total hit the over.

The Lakers are eighth in the Western Conference playoff race, two games ahead of Sacramento and four ahead of the ninth-place Hornets. The Hornets` loss clinched a playoff berth for the Pacific Division-leading Phoenix Suns.

Center Kwame Brown shot 7-for-7 from the field and finished with 17 points, helping Los Angeles equal its longest winning streak of the season.

David West had 23 points and seven rebounds for the Hornets, who have lost 11 of their last 12 games. They had allowed only one player to score at least 30 points in their previous 11 games. That was Bryant, who had 40 in a 113-107 win on March 8 at New Orleans - the first major sporting event in that city since the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina.

[Phil]

Lakers 105, Hornets 94

The Associated Press
Kobe Bryant scored 30 points and Lamar Odom added 23 points to help the Los Angeles Lakers beat the New Orleans Hornets 105-94 Sunday night for their fourth straight victory.

The Lakers are seventh in the Western Conference playoff race, two games ahead of Sacramento and four ahead of the ninth-place Hornets. The Hornets' loss clinched a playoff berth for the Pacific Division-leading Phoenix Suns.

Center Kwame Brown shot 7-for-7 from the field and finished with 17 points, helping Los Angeles equal its longest winning streak of the season.

David West had 23 points and seven rebounds for the Hornets, who have lost 11 of their last 12 games. They had allowed only one player to score at least 30 points in their previous 11 games. That was Bryant, who had 40 in a 113-107 win on March 8 at New Orleans - the first major sporting event in that city since the devastation caused by Hurricane Katrina.

The Hornets shot 44.7 percent from the field. The last time they played at Staples Center, in an 89-67 loss to the Clippers on March 1, the Hornets scored 16 points in the second half - the fewest by any team during the shot-clock era. They also went a franchise-worst 12 minutes and 41 seconds between field goals during a 25-0 run by the Clippers.