April 11th: Scoring title in Kobe's grasp. Bryant Ramping Up Intensity for Playoff Drive. Pieces of 8

 
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Phil
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PostPosted: Tue Apr 11, 2006 5:30 am    Post subject: April 11th: Scoring title in Kobe's grasp. Bryant Ramping Up Intensity for Playoff Drive. Pieces of 8

Bryant Ramping Up Intensity for Playoff Drive
By Lonnie White, Times Staff Writer
April 11, 2006

With four regular-season games remaining, Kobe Bryant said he's ready to lead his team into the postseason after missing the cut last year.

"I'm already there," said Bryant, who has been on a scoring tear, putting up at least 38 points in each of his last five games. "When the postseason comes around, obviously the intensity level rises tremendously and it's going to be exciting to see how guys respond."

The Lakers (41-37) will play Golden State tonight at Staples Center, followed by another home game against Portland on Friday.

On Monday, Coach Phil Jackson returned to basics and had the Lakers work on principles of the triangle offense with the help of assistant Tex Winter.

"Phil made it a point to go back to the very beginning," assistant Brian Shaw said. "We've been getting kind of sloppy and he wanted to tighten things up as we head down the stretch."

Although Bryant — four games away from this season's scoring title — has been taking a lot of shots, he's been shooting better than 50% (82 for 162) over the last five games.

"We have to win these games and I'm trying to lead by example," Bryant said. "My role on this team is to put the ball in the basket. So I go out there and try and do what I do best. Try and make it infectious for everybody else. Like for Kwame Brown to go out to be aggressive and effective defensively, and Lamar [Odom] to be the facilitator of our offense and playing with that type of intensity.

"We have a lot of guys who have never been in the playoffs. I'm looking forward to the challenge. The playoffs are a different game where you have an opportunity to break down an opponent. I'm excited."


Last edited by Phil on Tue Apr 11, 2006 5:35 am; edited 1 time in total
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PostPosted: Tue Apr 11, 2006 5:34 am    Post subject:

Pieces of 8
Bryant has been picking up the remnants of his shattered image since 2003, and though his popularity still wanes in some NBA precincts, his makeover has accelerated along with Laker fortunes this season.
By Mike Bresnahan, Times Staff Writer
April 11, 2006

The boos have subsided for the most part, although San Antonio and Sacramento still get a little boisterous, and Philadelphia will never let its native son forget his roots, showering Kobe Bryant with the same rude greeting its fans offered Santa Claus one unforgettable football Sunday.

Bryant has moved forward from a year ago, when the Lakers staggered to a 34-48 record, and has become the face of a team pushing for a playoff spot believed possible by only a handful of pundits before the season.


If last year's Bryant was driven and demanding, this year's edition might be more so, playing with an edge and impelling teammates to follow along his way, for richer or poorer. He hit for 62 points in three quarters against Dallas, then upped the ante with 81 in four against Toronto, maneuvering the Lakers toward a likely playoff appearance and witnessing an uptick to his image, which was shredded after sexual assault charges were brought against him in July 2003.

Bryant still declines to answer questions about the Eagle, Colo., incident, doing so twice in an interview with The Times, but he provided some insight into the importance of image, how he feels about the direction of the Lakers and what makes him push and pull on teammates.

"That's how I am," Bryant said. "I'm more determined than my opposition all the time. What you see from us as a team, what you see from us when we play now, we play with that edge."
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PostPosted: Tue Apr 11, 2006 5:37 am    Post subject:

Bryant is closing in on a title
Ross Siler, Staff writer

EL SEGUNDO - Even if the Lakers come up short in the first round of the playoffs, even if the Maurice Podoloff Trophy for MVP goes to somebody else, Kobe Bryant at least can take something of significance from this season.

With four games left in the regular season, Bryant is almost certain to win his first NBA scoring title and could become the first player since Michael Jordan in 1987-88 to average 35points per game.

It would be only the third scoring title in Lakers history since the franchise moved from Minneapolis, with Shaquille O'Neal (29.7 ppg) winning in 1999-2000 and Jerry West (31.2) winning in 1969-70.

"I think it's an accomplishment on this path that we're on to try to get back to the top," Bryant said. "It's just about the journey, enjoying the journey, and the accomplishments and achievements that we have along the way just makes the journey that much more exciting."

Bryant is averaging 35.2ppg and would average 33.4 ppg even if he failed to score in the last four games. Philadelphia's Allen Iverson is second in the NBA in scoring at 32.9ppg and Cleveland's LeBron James is third at 31.7 ppg.

If Bryant maintains his season average in his last four games, Iverson would need to score 66.3 points a game to catch him.
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PostPosted: Tue Apr 11, 2006 5:39 am    Post subject:

Scoring Title in Kobe's Grasp

Broderick Turner

10:00 PM PDT on Monday, April 10, 2006

EL SEGUNDO - He keeps racking up the numbers -- big numbers, big enough that Kobe Bryant is closing in on the first scoring title of his career.

Bryant leads the NBA at 35.2 points per game, and the Lakers have needed that scoring to be in position to reach the postseason.

"I just think it's an accomplishment on this path that we're on to try and get back to the top," said Bryant, who rested at practice Monday and got treatment on his sore left shin. He's expected to play tonight when the Lakers face the Golden State Warriors at Staples Center.

The scoring race appears close, with Allen Iverson on Bryant's heels, averaging 32.9 points. But if Bryant maintains his average, Iverson would have to average more than 65 points in his last five games to overtake him.

Bryant is on pace to become the franchise's single-season leader in points and scoring average. He has 2,673 points, trailing Elgin Baylor's record of 2,719, set in 1962-63; Baylor also has the highest average at 34.8 ('60-61).

The last player to average 35 points was Michael Jordan, in the 1987-88 campaign.

"I really don't give it that much thought," Bryant said of averaging 35 points. "A lot of people talk about it, and they saw how difficult it is to do. I just go out there and I work hard."
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PostPosted: Tue Apr 11, 2006 5:43 am    Post subject:

Day for repair work
Jackson has the Lakers work on the basics after seeing some lapses in their execution in recent games.

By AL BALDERAS
The Orange County Register

EL SEGUNDO – In what might have seemed like an unusual move, the Lakers prepared for their remaining four games by going back to the basics.

Rather than focus on the Golden State Warriors, tonight's opponent, Coach Phil Jackson spent much of Monday's practice running the team through its triangle offense.

"Phil made it a point to go back to the very beginning, to the basics, because he felt like we had some slippage and we were getting kind of sloppy in our execution," assistant coach Brian Shaw said. "He sort of wanted to tighten things up as we head down the stretch."

Some of those lapses helped lead to losses to Denver and Phoenix last week. The Lakers are tied for seventh place in the Western Conference with Sacramento, but the Kings would win in a tiebreaker should the teams finish with identical records.

Finishing in eighth place means facing the top-seeded team in the West, either San Antonio or Dallas, in the first round of the playoffs.
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PostPosted: Tue Apr 11, 2006 5:45 am    Post subject:

Brand Understands Fans' Loyalties
By Jason Reid, Times Staff Writer
April 11, 2006

Although the Clippers have improved, they have acknowledged Los Angeles is still a Laker town.

The Clippers squandered an opportunity to win the season series against their in-house rival, losing, 100-83, on Sunday at Staples Center.

Because of the Lakers' history of success, the Clippers shouldn't be concerned about attempting to close the gap when it comes to fans, Elton Brand said.

"Do we have a better roster? Absolutely," said the co-captain, in his fifth season with the franchise.

"But no matter what we do, we probably can't make Laker fans Clipper fans. You're just a fan of who you're a fan of.

"A lot of Laker fans grew up on those championships, and when you're a young kid or a teenager, and you see that, you'll be a fan of that team. There's just no taking anything away from that."

Sustained success, however, could help expand the Clipper fan base, Brand said.

"That's the road we're on now," he said. "There are younger generations of kids who see what we're doing, and we've got a young enough team to keep this going, so maybe we can keep creating new fans and get a few converts."
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PostPosted: Tue Apr 11, 2006 5:47 am    Post subject:

Warriors at Los Angeles Lakers

• TIPOFF: 7:30 p.m., Staples Center

• TV/RADIO: FSNBA; 680-AM

• RECORDS: Lakers 41-37; Warriors 30-46
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PostPosted: Tue Apr 11, 2006 5:50 am    Post subject:

More Sam Smith: The MVP candidates

[snippet]

By Sam Smith
Tribune pro basketball reporter

April 10, 2006

The era of the Big Man is finally over in the NBA. Not that it hasn't been coming, but perhaps for the first time there won't be a dominant power player among the top five in MVP voting this season.

.....Here's a look at this year's top candidates:

Steve Nash, Suns

Phoenix passed 50 wins again, will win its division and lead the league in scoring even with Amare Stoudemire out, all of which seemed impossible last October. Nash is having his career scoring season in addition to still leading the NBA in assists.

Kobe Bryant, Lakers

His 81-point game was the individual highlight of the season. He is threatening to become the first player since Michael Jordan in 1988 to average 35 in a season and is carrying a team of mostly career backups and retreads to the playoffs. "I think [the MVP] should be the best player in the league," said fellow candidate Chauncey Billups. "And I think Kobe Bryant is the best player in the league."

LeBron James, Cavaliers

The young star has the Cavs in the playoffs for the first time and has been the best player in the league down the stretch, averaging more than 10 points per game in the fourth quarter since March 5. He can be the fourth player in history to average at least 31 points, seven rebounds and six assists in a season. The others are Jordan, Oscar Robertson and Jerry West.
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PostPosted: Tue Apr 11, 2006 5:53 am    Post subject:

For your consideration
Five NBA players are making a run toward MVP honors



[snippet]


Kobe Bryant, G, Los Angeles Lakers
Impact: Take him off the Lakers, and it's a pretty woeful, sorry bunch, nowhere near a playoff team. With him, there's always a chance.
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