Bryant’s late jumper ends Lakers’ slide
March 10, 2010
LOS ANGELES (AP)—Kobe Bryant(notes) hit a 17-foot fallaway jumper with 1.9 secondsleft, and the Los Angeles Lakers rallied in the fourth quarter to snap theirthree-game losing streak with a 109-107 victory over the Toronto Raptors onTuesday night.
Chris Bosh(notes) hit a 3-pointer with 9.5 seconds left to tie it for the Raptors,who outplayed the defending champions for most of the first three quartersbefore losing on another big shot by Bryant, who scored 14 of his 32 points inthe fourth quarter.
Bryant, who missed a shot at the buzzer in Los Angeles’ loss at Toronto inJanuary, got the ball on the wing before eluding Antoine Wright’s(notes) defense andgliding nearly to the baseline for a graceful jumper. Wright’s faileddesperation shot set off a celebration for the Lakers, who haven’t lost fourstraight since April 2007.
Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe … AP – Mar 10, 12:00 am EST Toronto Raptors guard Jose Cal… AP – Mar 9, 11:58 pm EST
Toronto Raptors forward Hedo T… AP – Mar 9, 11:57 pm EST
Los Angeles Lakers forward Pau… AP – Mar 9, 11:56 pm EST
Toronto Raptors center Andrea … AP – Mar 9, 11:56 pm EST
Toronto Raptors guard Jose Cal… AP – Mar 9, 11:55 pm EST
Toronto Raptors forward Hedo T… AP – Mar 9, 11:53 pm EST
Los Angeles Lakers forward Pau… AP – Mar 9, 11:51 pm EST YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_last_index = 7; YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_lazy_images = [http://d.yimg.com/a/p/ap/20100310/capt.dde88674e7f8494982b8e3147aaaeaf8.correction_raptors_lakers_basketball_las104.jpg?x=180&y=200&xc=1&yc=1&wc=328&hc=364&q=70&sig=06vCmNp8nLdk1JC_9vtxXA--,http://d.yimg.com/a/p/ap/20100310/capt.2369229f6cf249e0a41db5bf4717e4c7.correction_correction_raptors_lakers_basketball_las102.jpg?x=180&y=200&xc=1&yc=1&wc=309&hc=343&q=70&sig=kW4klknZnkx_YV6LzIJplw--,http://d.yimg.com/a/p/ap/20100310/capt.341da90bf6ab47618a912a72f7141d79.correction_raptors_lakers_basketball_las101.jpg?x=180&y=200&xc=1&yc=1&wc=257&hc=286&q=70&sig=jZlNttREldGGoxTo34efkQ--,http://d.yimg.com/a/p/ap/20100310/capt.d6088a692e954c81932abbdea1f9d3e6.raptors_lakers_basketball_las103.jpg?x=180&y=200&xc=1&yc=1&wc=255&hc=283&q=70&sig=Mz8i_vdukxilycYrUD0BHA--,http://d.yimg.com/a/p/ap/20100310/capt.47df5a1b29a24a4681766e6c293245c2.raptors_lakers_basketball_las104.jpg?x=180&y=200&xc=1&yc=1&wc=328&hc=364&q=70&sig=mUdVklRq7nnSr.gvkRAM2A--,http://d.yimg.com/a/p/ap/20100310/capt.2b18a7a2a172433ea027c11315a6902f.raptors_lakers_basketball_las102.jpg?x=180&y=200&xc=1&yc=1&wc=309&hc=343&q=70&sig=ON5wBqqdgMg7RhXbMFl99Q--,http://d.yimg.com/a/p/ap/20100310/capt.32302172ad454e9bb09bba5b294c1ba7.raptors_lakers_basketball_las101.jpg?x=180&y=200&xc=1&yc=1&wc=257&hc=286&q=70&sig=huEPxKk_eyz9h9lhNGOeQA--]; YAHOO.util.Event.addListener(window,load,YAHOO.Sports.articleLazyLoadCarousel.init); 1 of 8 Tor-LAL Gallery function prev_photo() { if (YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_current_index > 0) { goto_photo(YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_current_index – 1); } else { goto_photo(YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_last_index); }}function next_photo() { if (YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_current_index 0) { YAHOO.util.Dom.addClass(article_carousel_prev, prev); YAHOO.util.Dom.removeClass(article_carousel_prev, prev_disabled); } else { YAHOO.util.Dom.addClass(article_carousel_prev, prev_disabled); YAHOO.util.Dom.removeClass(article_carousel_prev, prev); } if (YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_current_index < YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_last_index) { YAHOO.util.Dom.addClass(article_carousel_next, next); YAHOO.util.Dom.removeClass(article_carousel_next, next_disabled); } else { YAHOO.util.Dom.addClass(article_carousel_next, next_disabled); YAHOO.util.Dom.removeClass(article_carousel_next, next); }*/}function goto_photo(p) { if (YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_photos) { for(i = 0; i < YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_photos.length; i++) { if (i == p) { YAHOO.util.Dom.setStyle(YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_photos[i], display, ); } else { YAHOO.util.Dom.setStyle(YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_photos[i], display, none); } } if (YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_current_page) { YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_current_page.innerHTML =(p + 1); YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_current_index = p; } } update_buttons();}YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_init = function () { YAHOO.util.Event.addListener(article_carousel_prev, click, prev_photo); YAHOO.util.Event.addListener(article_carousel_next, click, next_photo); YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_current_index = 0; YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_current_page = YAHOO.util.Dom.get(carousel_page); YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_photos = YAHOO.util.Dom.getElementsByClassName(item, div, leadphoto); if (YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_photos) { goto_photo(0); }}YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_init();
Andrew Bynum(notes) scored 22 points and Pau Gasol(notes) had 17 points and nine reboundsfor the Lakers, who returned from a winless road trip to beat Toronto for theeighth straight time at Staples Center.
Bosh scored 22 points in his second game back from a seven-game injuryabsence, and Andrea Bargnani(notes) had 21 as the Raptors opened a four-game road tripby struggling from the field in the final minutes of their sixth loss in sevengames. Jarrett Jack(notes) added 18 points.
Lamar Odom(notes) had 10 points, eight rebounds, five assists and several bigfourth-quarter plays for the Lakers, who pushed their suddenly tenuous lead overDallas atop the Western Conference standings back to three games while winningtheir only home game in a 16-day stretch.
Bryant put the Lakers ahead on two free throws with 3:54 left, and DerekFisher(notes) stole Hedo Turkoglu’s(notes) pass and hit two free throws with 30 seconds leftto put Los Angeles up by four. Odom missed a free throw moments later to giveToronto a chance to tie it, and Bosh coolly nailed his second 3-pointer of thegame after hitting just six all season previously.
An only-in-L.A. moment also factored in the final decision moments earlier,when Toronto’s Jose Calderon(notes) went racing to the sidelines to save a loose ballwith 1:48 to play. Before Calderon could get there to attempt an out-of-boundssave, the ball was tipped away by Lapo Elkann, the Fiat heir and internationalplayboy watching from a courtside seat.
Elkann got a loud ovation when he was shown on the overhead scoreboardmoments later.
Los Angeles lost at Miami, Charlotte and Orlando over the previous fivedays, with an embarrassing blowout loss to the Bobcats sandwiched between twotight games in Florida. Bryant’s various injuries and his teammates’ strugglesboth played roles in the slide, which allowed the streaking Mavericks toeliminate most of Los Angeles’ conference lead.
In a good sign the Lakers were getting back to business, Ron Artest(notes) hadshaved his head bald. On Sunday in Orlando, the colorful forward unveiled aRodmanesque yellow dye job with the word “Defense” apparently written into itin purple in three languages.
The Lakers will finish the regular season with 11 of 17 on the road,including Friday’s game in Phoenix to open a three-game trip.
Toronto took a 58-50 lead into halftime with 15 points from Bargnani, whohit two 3-pointers and played his usual up-tempo game. The Raptors maintainedtheir lead in the third quarter with 13 points from Jack, and Gasol becameenraged in the final seconds when Amir Johnson(notes) got away with grabbing a fistfulof Gasol’s shorts while the Lakers All-Star attempted a putback.
Gasol and Lakers assistant coach Frank Hamblen both received technical foulsafter the quarter ended.
NOTES: Turkoglu returned from a one-game absence to rest his sprained leftankle. … Lakers G Sasha Vujacic(notes) returned from an eight-game absence with asprained right shoulder, playing just three minutes. … Besides Elkann,courtside fans included actors Eddie Murphy, Jason Statham, Mark Valley, RussellBrand and Noah Wyle.
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