Kobe has 29 and 10, Lakers rip Nets
December 19, 2009
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP)—Kobe Bryant(notes) had 29 points and 10 rebounds to leadthe Los Angeles Lakers to a 103-84 victory over the New Jersey Nets on Saturdaynight in a matchup of the NBA’s best and worst teams.
The Nets dropped their seventh straight, but the game was competitive intothe third quarter, when Bryant started taking over about the time the league’slowest-scoring team was enduring one of its usual droughts.
Pau Gasol(notes) had 14 points and 14 rebounds for the Lakers, who improved to 21-4after winning their third straight on a five-game road trip that ends Sunday inDetroit—provided they can fight their way through a winter storm to get thereon time.
Los Angeles Lakers' Kobe B… AP – Dec 19, 9:28 pm EST New Jersey Nets' Brrok Lop… AP – Dec 19, 9:23 pm EST
New Jersey Nets' Devin Har… AP – Dec 19, 9:22 pm EST
New Jersey Nets' Josh Boon… AP – Dec 19, 9:22 pm EST YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_last_index = 3; YAHOO.Sports.article_carousel_lazy_images = [http://d.yimg.com/a/p/ap/20091220/capt.8a2ea79d926d4a62a617cc0c7299767e.lakers_nets_basketball_era103.jpg?x=180&y=200&xc=1&yc=1&wc=302&hc=336&q=70&sig=_udblZy4_jlewDbP8qVYGQ--,http://d.yimg.com/a/p/ap/20091220/capt.05dd51d50b904f378eb35174e796fcb9.lakers_nets_basketball_era102.jpg?x=180&y=200&xc=1&yc=1&wc=323&hc=359&q=70&sig=KpXyCSNaPxk76qYGpbnyTg--,http://d.yimg.com/a/p/ap/20091220/capt.6a06260374244800ba444f68d88a869f.lakers_nets_basketball_era101.jpg?x=180&y=200&xc=1&yc=1&wc=309&hc=343&q=70&sig=Yt0mHB.COcg.IFozqMSY7Q--]; YAHOO.util.Event.addListener(window,load,YAHOO.Sports.articleLazyLoadCarousel.init); 1 of 4 LAL-NJ 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();
Lamar Odom(notes) added 14 points and 12 boards.
Chris Douglas-Roberts(notes) scored 20 for the Nets (2-26) before limping off withan injured right ankle after stepping on Odom’s foot while driving to the basketwith 4:47 left. Every loss during their latest skid has been by double digits,and only one has been by fewer than 16.
Devin Harris(notes) led New Jersey with 21, but he was mostly silent after scoring17 in the second quarter. Brook Lopez(notes) had 18 points and 11 rebounds.
Bryant came in averaging only 21.4 points in 20 career games against theNets, his lowest against any opponent. He easily passed that by scoring 18 afterhalftime, when the Lakers outscored New Jersey 57-36.
Despite the weather, the announced crowd of 17,190 was well above averagefor a Nets game, with many fans seemingly here to see the Lakers. There weregold shirts scattered throughout the arena, and the “MVP! MVP!” chants forBryant started minutes into the game.
Despite the mismatch in records, the Nets took a 48-46 lead into halftimebefore Bryant scored 13 in the third quarter, when the Lakers gradually pulledaway to a 74-64 edge heading to the fourth.
Odom then scored twice on offensive rebounds, Bryant converted a three-pointplay and Shannon Brown(notes) nailed a 3-pointer as the Lakers opened an 88-69 lead andcruised from there.
Still, it was much more competitive than the teams’ first meeting, when theLakers led by as many as 34 and routed the Nets 106-87 on Nov. 29, hours afterNew Jersey fired coach Lawrence Frank.
The Lakers shot 52 percent in the first quarter, opened a double-digit leadlate in the period and led 29-21 heading to the second. But they couldn’t keepup with Harris, who repeatedly pushed the ball up the floor and scored 17 pointsin the second quarter.
NOTES: Gasol and Bryant are both reportedly closing in on contractextensions, but Phil Jackson won’t decide it he’ll stick around past this seasonanytime soon. Jackson reiterated that he won’t decide on his future with theclub until June or July, citing the team’s performance, his health, and perhapssalary considerations as factors. “People are cutting costs all around theleague, that’s a big part of it,” Jackson said. “Coaches’ salaries are goingto take a cut too, so they may not even want to hire me.”
