Lakers-Hornets Preview

By BRETT MARTEL
Posted Apr 21 2011 6:22PM

NEW ORLEANS (AP) If Pau Gasol can't get comfortable in a city once ruled by his native Spain, the Los Angeles Lakers could be in for a long series.

The Hornets already are showing signs of making the first round of the playoffs more than a mere formality for the two-time defending champs, having seized home advantage with a 1-1 split of the series' first two games in Los Angeles.

Four-time All-Star Chris Paul and his upstart squad will be back home for Friday night's Game 3, which perhaps not-so-coincidentally sold out soon after Paul led the Hornets to an upset victory in the opening game of the best-of-seven series.

Even in losing on Wednesday night, the Hornets showed they were not about to let the Lakers wipe the floor with them. New Orleans remained competitive until the final minutes of Game 2 and lost by nine despite missing 12 free throws, turning the ball over 16 times and having starting center Emeka Okafor in early foul trouble.

If anything, that result left the Hornets' surprising nine-point triumph in Game 1 look like less of a fluke and made it clear that the Lakers had lost any intimidation factor they may have earned with their four-game sweep of the teams' regular season meetings.

"We feel as though we kind of beat ourselves," Hornets guard Jarrett Jack said of Game 2. "Take no credit away from them, but we definitely had some mistakes."

Then again, things might have been different if Gasol hadn't struggled in both games. He scored eight points in each - about 11 below his regular season average - on a combined 4 of 19 shooting.

For now, Gasol at least sounds as if his confidence is unshaken and he knows the formula for snapping out of his postseason shooting slump.

"You've got to stay aggressive out there, no matter what's going on, no matter whether things are going your way or not," Gasol said. "You've got to continue to play and continue to make plays whichever way you can."

Even Kobe Bryant, who hasn't been shy about urging Gasol to overcome his nice-guy nature on the court, was more complimentary of the struggling forward's Game 2 performance.

"He didn't have a good shooting night, but he was aggressive and he attacked," Bryant said. "That's what we need from him. He sets the tone for everybody else in terms of him being aggressive. It's a certain energy that he carries with him."

The Lakers survived Gasol's 2 of 10 shooting on Wednesday in part because they simply have the depth one expects from a title contender. Andrew Bynum, Lamar Odom and Ron Artest picked up the slack on offense. Meanwhile, the whole team played better defense after Phil Jackson decided to have Bryant replace Derek Fisher as Paul's primary defender.

Rather than filling his normal role of piling up points, Bryant focused on defense and it seemed to catch on among his teammates. Jackson was clearly pleased and could very well employ the same strategy again on Friday night.

"That was the defense that we played late in the season when we had our little run," Jackson said, referring to an 18-game stretch in which the Lakers won 17 times.

Paul went from being dominant (33 points, 14 assists in Game 1) to exceptional (20 points, nine assists in Game 2) and the Hornets offensive flow as a whole seemed more disrupted as their shooting percentage plummeted from 52 percent to 39 percent.

"I wish we could have gotten 2-0, but I feel good because we competed," Paul said. "But in order to win this series, it's going to take more. It's going to take more from me, it's going to take more from everybody."

Hornets rookie coach Monty Williams wasn't ready to congratulate his team on leaving Los Angeles with one win. Rather, he wondered whether he should be concerned that his team let an opportunity to take a 2-0 lead slip away.

"It's different because we're playing against a team that has so much experience in these situations, and we don't and I don't," Williams said. "So, we have to play a certain way. We can't say 'Oh, we split in LA, now let's go home.' We have to have the mentality that we have to win every game that we can."

In other words, Williams remembers how the Lakers ripped the 2009-10 NBA title from Boston's grasp after falling behind 3-2 in the finals - and overcame a double-digit deficit in the second half of Game 7 to do it.

Compared to the task they faced against the Celtics last June, the Lakers challenge in the Big Easy doesn't look all that hard. At least, not yet.

Copyright 2011 by STATS LLC and Associated Press. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of STATS LLC and Associated Press is strictly prohibited

Lakers take 2-1 series lead with win over Hornets

By BRETT MARTEL
Posted Apr 23 2011 2:24AM

NEW ORLEANS (AP) The New Orleans Hornets didn't expect Pau Gasol to toss up a 3-pointer from the corner any more than the Lakers star's growing chorus of critics expected him to make it.

Gasol stunned them all by draining the shot, then scored twice more during a key fourth-quarter surge that helped secure a 100-86 victory Friday night and put Los Angeles in control of the first-round playoff series.

"It's funny how a shot can kind of turn the momentum around for him when he's had a hard time making shots around the basket and in the paint - and he knocks down a 3," said Kobe Bryant, who led the Lakers with 30 points. "That kind of got him going."

The win gave the Lakers a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series, with Game 4 in New Orleans on Sunday. Just as important, the performance re-established Gasol as one of the Lakers' primary scoring threats following two poor outings. He finished with 17 points and 10 rebounds.

"It was just about playing my game and being assertive and being comfortable out there," Gasol said. "Don't try to overthink it. Don't try to think about the last play. Just try to make the right play. It was a much better game on my part."

Gasol made only 4 of 19 shots during the first two games of the series and took some blame for the Lakers' surprising Game 1 loss.

Hornets defenders could have been excused for not closing down on his 3-point attempt; Gasol put up only three shots from deep the entire regular season, making one.

When asked, figuratively, where his 3-point shot came from, Gasol seemed to be still ruffled by the criticism he's taken recently and uncooperatively responded, "The corner."

When a member of the Lakers' staff later said Gasol had time for two more questions, Gasol added, "Or none."

Lakers coach Phil Jackson figured Gasol was bound to start playing better.

"He is just too good a basketball player. He can shoot, he can handle the ball, he can do a lot of things. It's just a matter of him finding a comfort zone out there," Jackson said. "I didn't expect him to find it out on the 3-point line, but we are not surprised when he makes those shots."

Andrew Bynum added 14 points and 11 rebounds. He briefly went down holding his right knee, but remained in the game after trainers examined him and then got a rest for most of the fourth quarter. Lamar Odom scored 13 points for the two-time defending champs, who took the lead for good when Ron Artest made a layup as he was fouled to make it 13-10.

Chris Paul had 22 points and eight assist for the Hornets, who managed to stay within single digits for long stretches of the game but never truly threatened to take the lead in the second half.

"They just had a collective effort tonight," Paul said of the Lakers. "Everybody pitched in and that's what we really can't let them do. ... We fought. We played a great first half. It's just, in the second half it got away from us."

Bryant's intensity was evident from the opening minutes when he violently rejected Carl Landry's attempted close-range shot out of bounds. Soon after, he cut into the lane for a vicious one-handed jam.

Hornets fans' attempts at booing or heckling him only seemed to help him focus. Hitting on his typical array of demoralizing 3s and off balance jumpers off the glass, he had 15 points in the first half. He didn't need to take the game over in the second because of Gasol's emergence, which the Lakers thought was overdue after he averaged only eight points, about 11 below his average, during the first two games of the series.

It was Bryant's 80th playoff game with at least 30 points, second on the all-time list behind Michael Jordan's 109.

Although Gasol still didn't seem quite himself in the first half, when he had four points, he became a factor when it mattered, hitting his momentum-changing 3 that made it 78-70 early in the fourth quarter.

"I was open, so I shot it," Gasol said. "It was a good shot."

Soon after, Gasol added a putback and a soft jumper from the baseline to give Los Angeles an 85-71 lead with 8:36 left, the Lakers' largest lead to that point.

Paul meanwhile, faded a bit in the second half, when he scored only four points.

While the Lakers made defensive adjustments to keep the ball away from Paul, the Hornets' All-Star guard said, "I blame myself because I don't care if they deny."

"I can't let them do that," Paul continued. "I've got to get my shots. I've got to be more aggressive and not allow them to take me out."

The Lakers wound up cruising with a double-digit lead for much of the fourth quarter in the most convincing performance of the series by either team. If the Hornets are unable to bounce back in Game 4, which Paul described as "definitely a must-win," the Lakers could close out the series at home in Game 5 on Tuesday night.

Certainly, the Hornets will need better production from their bench, which was a major factor in their surprising Game 1 triumph but accounted for only nine points on 4-of-17 shooting in Game 3.

Landry scored 23 points for New Orleans, while Trevor Ariza had 12 points and 12 rebounds and Emeka Okafor had 15 points.

The Lakers' size advantage translated to a 48-42 edge in points in the paint and a 43-38 advantage in rebounding. That included 14 offensive rebounds that helped produce 17 second-chance points.

"They are probably a lot bigger than we are but the rebounding to a degree is about attitude," Hornets coach Monty Williams said. "We just have to believe we can get those rebounds."

NOTES: During the last two games, Hornets reserves have gone 9 of 34 from the field for 22 points. ... Fisher was called for a technical foul for elbowing Marco Belinelli in the jaw after Belinelli had committed a foul. ... Although the crowd was not nearly as star-studded as the first two games in Los Angeles, there were several celebrities in the sellout of 18,340, including musician 50 Cent, actor Gerard Butler and Saints running back Reggie Bush. ... A fan made a halfcourt shot during a timeout to win a year's supply of 7up.

Copyright 2011 by STATS LLC and Associated Press. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of STATS LLC and Associated Press is strictly prohibited

Lakers-Hornets notebook

By Larry Holder, for NBA.com
Posted Saturday April 23, 2011 1:21AM

THE FACTS: Guard Kobe Bryant got back into the scoring mix with a game-high 30 points to push the Los Angeles Lakers to a 100-86 win over the New Orleans Hornets on Friday night at the New Orleans Arena. The Lakers took a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven first round playoff series.

QUOTABLE: "Pau (Gasol) told me before the game in the elevator, 'Let's go loco tonight.' You know, just play hard and get back to doing as best we could. ... "Pau had ups and downs in the game, and then he came alive. We're still figuring some things out."
-- Lakers forward Ron Artest.

THE STAT: The Lakers took advantage of their length advantage they hold on the Hornets as Gasol, Andrew Bynum and Lamar Odom combined to score 44 points. The trio also combined for 30 rebounds.

TURNING POINT: The return of Gasol to himself late in the third quarter and early in the fourth quarter gave Los Angeles the extra cushion it needed to quell any sort of Hornets comeback. Gasol hit two free throws with nine seconds remaining in the third quarter to push the Lakers up 75-68. Gasol then scored five points in the first three minutes of the fourth quarter to extend Los Angeles' lead.

QUOTABLE II: "We just couldn't get to a point to where we were in striking distance. I thought we were able to close it to five, but every time we got there they would make a play and extend the lead. They withstood all of our attempts to make a run, that's why they are the two-time defending champions.
-- Hornets guard Jarrett Jack on the loss.

HOT: Hornets guard Chris Paul and forward Carl Landry did about as much as they could to keep New Orleans within relative striking distance. Paul scored 22 points on 9 of 13 shooting and Landry went 6 of 12 from the field and 11 of 12 from the free-throw line for 23 points.

NOT: Hornets guard Marco Belinelli continues his inconsistencies as he went 2 of 8 from the floor for only five points in 22 minutes.

BAD MOVE: Hornets coach Monty Williams continues to leave forward Trevor Ariza in the game when Bryant is on the bench. It seems like Ariza's energy is wasted defending other players when his primary purpose is to slow down Bryant.

INSIDE THE ARENA: Former Hornets and now Kings guard Marcus Thornton attended Friday night's game. Thornton, a fan favorite, was dealt near the trade deadline to acquire Landry. Rapper 50 Cent, actor Gerard Butler, Saints running back Reggie Bush, Saints cornerback Tracy Porter and former Saints cornerback Mike McKenzie were also among those celebrities sitting courtside for Friday night's game.

NOTABLE: There was quite a 3-point shooting disparity between the Lakers and the Hornets. Los Angeles went 7 of 16, while New Orleans shot a rough 2 of 13 from behind the arc. ... The Lakers starters shot nearly 52 percent from the field. ... The crowd of 18,340 was a sellout.

UP NEXT: Game 4 -- Sunday @ New Orleans; Game 5 -- Tuesday @ Los Angeles; Game 6 -- Thursday @ New Orleans, if necessary.

• Lakers: Caracter, Ebanks, Johnson
• Hornets: Andersen, Banks, West

• Lakers: Fisher
• Hornets: --

• Lead Changes: 2
• Times Tied: 4

• Arena: New Orleans Arena, New Orleans, LA
• Officials: #17 Joe Crawford, #15 Bennett Salvatore, #65 Sean Wright
• Attendance: 18340
• Duration: 2:25

Los Angeles Lakers (58-25)		New Orleans Hornets (46-37)
Start of 1st Quarter
(12:00) Jump Ball Okafor vs Bynum (Paul gains possession)
	11:44	Landry Jump Shot: Missed
Gasol Rebound (Off:0 Def:1)	11:43
Bynum Turnaround Jump Shot: Made (2 PTS)	11:25 [LAL 2-0]
	11:15	Belinelli Foul : Offensive (1 PF)
	11:15	Belinelli Turnover : Foul (1 TO)
Artest Jump Shot: Made (2 PTS)	10:56 [LAL 4-0]
	10:41 [NOH 2-4]	Okafor Jump Shot: Made (2 PTS) Assist: Paul (1 AST)
Gasol Jump Shot: Missed Block: Ariza (1 BLK)	10:28
Team Rebound	10:28
Bryant Turnover : Bad Pass (1 TO) Steal:Paul (1 ST)	10:18
	10:13	Ariza Layup Shot: Missed
	10:12	Ariza Rebound (Off:1 Def:0)
	10:11 [NOH 4-4]	Ariza Layup Shot: Made (2 PTS)
Bynum Foul : Shooting (1 PF)	10:11
	10:11	Ariza Free Throw 1 of 1 Missed
Bynum Rebound (Off:0 Def:1)	10:10
Bryant Turnover : Lost Ball (2 TO) Steal:Ariza (1 ST)	09:52
	09:46 [NOH 6-4]	Paul Layup Shot: Made (2 PTS)
Bryant Jump Shot: Made (2 PTS)	09:40 [LAL 6-6]
	09:31	Ariza 3pt Shot: Missed
Bynum Rebound (Off:0 Def:2)	09:30
Bryant Jump Bank Shot: Missed	09:17
	09:15	Landry Rebound (Off:0 Def:1)
	09:10	Belinelli 3pt Shot: Missed
	09:09	Landry Rebound (Off:1 Def:1)
	09:08	Landry Layup Shot: Missed
Bynum Rebound (Off:0 Def:3)	09:07
Bynum Dunk Shot: Made (4 PTS) Assist: Gasol (1 AST)	08:49 [LAL 8-6]
	08:36	Paul Turnover : Bad Pass (1 TO) Steal:Fisher (1 ST)
Gasol Turnover : Traveling (1 TO)	08:33
	08:14 [NOH 8-8]	Ariza Driving Layup Shot: Made (4 PTS)
Artest Turnaround Jump Shot: Made (4 PTS) Assist: Fisher (1 AST)	07:57 [LAL 10-8]
	07:41 [NOH 10-10]	Belinelli Jump Shot: Made (2 PTS) Assist: Paul (2 AST)
Artest Dunk Shot: Made (6 PTS) Assist: Gasol (2 AST)	07:28 [LAL 12-10]
	07:28	Landry Foul : Shooting (1 PF)
Artest Free Throw 1 of 1 (7 PTS)	07:28 [LAL 13-10]
	07:17	Paul Turnover : Bad Pass (2 TO) Steal:Bryant (1 ST)
Bryant Jump Shot: Made (4 PTS) Assist: Fisher (2 AST)	07:12 [LAL 15-10]
	07:12	Paul Foul : Shooting (1 PF)
Bryant Free Throw 1 of 1 (5 PTS)	07:12 [LAL 16-10]
	07:01	Paul Turnover : Bad Pass (3 TO) Steal:Fisher (2 ST)
Bryant Turnover : Lost Ball (3 TO) Steal:Paul (2 ST)	06:48
	06:37	Paul 3pt Shot: Missed
Bynum Rebound (Off:0 Def:4)	06:36
Team Timeout : Regular	06:31
Bryant 3pt Shot: Missed	06:23
	06:22	Paul Rebound (Off:0 Def:1)
	06:07	Belinelli 3pt Shot: Missed
	06:05	Okafor Rebound (Off:1 Def:0)
	06:01	Landry Layup Shot: Missed Block: Bryant (1 BLK)
	06:01	Team Rebound
	05:50	Landry Jump Shot: Missed
Fisher Rebound (Off:0 Def:1)	05:49
	05:42	Landry Foul : Personal (2 PF)
	05:42	Landry Substitution replaced by Gray
Bynum Jump Shot: Missed	05:31
	05:30	Okafor Rebound (Off:1 Def:1)
	05:11 [NOH 12-16]	Ariza Running Jump Shot: Made (6 PTS)
Bryant Dunk Shot: Made (7 PTS) Assist: Fisher (3 AST)	04:55 [LAL 18-12]
	04:34 [NOH 14-18]	Ariza Fade Away Jumper Shot: Made (8 PTS)
Gasol Jump Shot: Missed	04:16
	04:15	Paul Rebound (Off:0 Def:2)
	03:54	Gray Jump Shot: Missed
Bryant Rebound (Off:0 Def:1)	03:53
Bryant Layup Shot: Made (9 PTS)	03:48 [LAL 20-14]
	03:48	Gray Foul : Shooting (1 PF)
	03:48	Team Timeout : Regular
Gasol Substitution replaced by Odom	03:48
Bryant Free Throw 1 of 1 (10 PTS)	03:48 [LAL 21-14]
	03:24	Ariza Jump Shot: Missed
	03:23	Okafor Rebound (Off:2 Def:1)
Bryant Foul : Personal Block (1 PF)	03:19
	03:19	Okafor Substitution replaced by Smith
	03:10	Belinelli 3pt Shot: Missed
Bryant Rebound (Off:0 Def:2)	03:09
Fisher Finger Roll Layup Shot: Made (2 PTS)	02:50 [LAL 23-14]
	02:38 [NOH 16-23]	Smith Jump Shot: Made (2 PTS) Assist: Paul (3 AST)
Odom Turnover : Bad Pass (1 TO) Steal:Ariza (2 ST)	02:27
	02:22	Ariza Driving Reverse Layup Shot: Missed
Odom Rebound (Off:0 Def:1)	02:21
Bynum Dunk Shot: Made (6 PTS) Assist: Odom (1 AST)	02:10 [LAL 25-16]
Artest Foul : Personal (1 PF)	01:50
	01:50	Belinelli Substitution replaced by Green
Artest Substitution replaced by Blake	01:50
Bynum Substitution replaced by Barnes	01:50
Bryant Substitution replaced by Brown	01:50
Fisher Substitution replaced by Gasol	01:50
	01:40 [NOH 18-25]	Paul Fade Away Jumper Shot: Made (4 PTS)
Odom Jump Shot: Missed	01:19
Gasol Rebound (Off:1 Def:1)	01:18
Gasol Fade Away Jumper Shot: Made (2 PTS)	01:05 [LAL 27-18]
	00:54.5 [NOH 20-27]	Paul Jump Shot: Made (6 PTS)
Odom Turnover : Bad Pass (2 TO) Steal:Gray (1 ST)	00:34.9
	00:27.9	Ariza Layup Shot: Missed Block: Brown (1 BLK)
	00:25.2	Ariza Rebound (Off:2 Def:0)
	00:23.6 [NOH 23-27]	Paul 3pt Shot: Made (9 PTS) Assist: Ariza (1 AST)
Odom Driving Jump shot: Made (2 PTS)	00:04.4 [LAL 29-23]
	00:04.4	Smith Foul : Shooting (1 PF)
Odom Free Throw 1 of 1 (3 PTS)	00:04.4 [LAL 30-23]
	00:00.0	Paul 3pt Shot: Missed
	00:00.0	Team Rebound
End of 1st Quarter
Los Angeles Lakers (58-25)		New Orleans Hornets (46-37)
Start of 2nd QuarterBack to Top
	11:44	Okafor Foul : Personal Block (1 PF)
Bynum Jump Shot: Missed	11:35
Barnes Rebound (Off:1 Def:0)	11:34
Barnes Putback Slam Dunk Shot: Made (2 PTS)	11:34 [LAL 32-23]
	11:16 [NOH 25-32]	Jack Floating Jump shot: Made (2 PTS)
Bynum Layup Shot: Made (8 PTS) Assist: Blake (1 AST)	10:53 [LAL 34-25]
	10:33	Jack Jump Shot: Missed
Odom Rebound (Off:0 Def:2)	10:31
Odom 3pt Shot: Missed	10:22
	10:21	Green Rebound (Off:0 Def:1)
Barnes Foul : Personal (1 PF)	10:15
	10:15	Jack Substitution replaced by Ariza
	10:05	Green Jump Shot: Missed
Barnes Rebound (Off:1 Def:1)	10:04
Odom Driving Layup Shot: Made (5 PTS)	09:54 [LAL 36-25]
	09:43 [NOH 27-36]	Paul Pullup Jump shot: Made (11 PTS)
Barnes 3pt Shot: Missed	09:28
Bynum Rebound (Off:1 Def:4)	09:26
	09:25	Green Foul : Shooting (1 PF)
Barnes Free Throw 1 of 2 Missed	09:25
Team Rebound	09:25
	09:25	Smith Substitution replaced by Landry
	09:25	Paul Substitution replaced by Jack
Barnes Free Throw 2 of 2 Missed	09:25
Bynum Rebound (Off:2 Def:4)	09:24
Bynum Jump Shot: Missed	09:07
Odom Rebound (Off:1 Def:2)	09:05
Odom Turnover : Bad Pass (3 TO) Steal:Ariza (3 ST)	09:05
	08:47	Landry Turnover : Lost Ball (1 TO) Steal:Barnes (1 ST)
Barnes 3pt Shot: Missed	08:22
Bynum Rebound (Off:3 Def:4)	08:20
Bynum Jump Shot: Made (10 PTS)	08:16 [LAL 38-27]
	08:09	Team Timeout : Regular
Odom Foul : Personal (1 PF)	07:52
	07:43 [NOH 29-38]	Landry Reverse Layup Shot: Made (2 PTS) Assist: Jack (1 AST)
Bynum Jump Shot: Missed Block: Ariza (2 BLK)	07:28
Odom Rebound (Off:2 Def:2)	07:26
Odom Jump Shot: Missed	07:17
	07:16	Ariza Rebound (Off:2 Def:1)
	07:07 [NOH 31-38]	Landry Running Jump Shot: Made (4 PTS) Assist: Ariza (2 AST)
Odom Foul : Shooting (2 PF)	07:07
Odom Substitution replaced by Gasol	07:07
Barnes Substitution replaced by Artest	07:07
Blake Substitution replaced by Fisher	07:07
Brown Substitution replaced by Bryant	07:07
	07:07 [NOH 32-38]	Landry Free Throw 1 of 1 (5 PTS)
Bryant Layup Shot: Missed	06:51
Bynum Rebound (Off:4 Def:4)	06:50
	06:50	Green Foul : Personal (2 PF)
Bryant 3pt Shot: Made (13 PTS)	06:39 [LAL 41-32]
	06:22	Green Jump Shot: Missed
Gasol Rebound (Off:1 Def:2)	06:21
Bynum Layup Shot: Made (12 PTS) Assist: Fisher (4 AST)	06:03 [LAL 43-32]
	05:50 [NOH 34-43]	Okafor Jump Shot: Made (4 PTS) Assist: Jack (2 AST)
Bryant Jump Shot: Missed	05:22
	05:21	Landry Rebound (Off:1 Def:2)
	05:10	Ariza 3pt Shot: Missed
	05:08	Green Rebound (Off:1 Def:1)
	05:02	Team Timeout : Short
	05:02
	05:02	Green Substitution replaced by Paul
Bynum Substitution replaced by Odom	05:02
	04:43	Jack Driving Layup Shot: Missed
Odom Rebound (Off:2 Def:3)	04:42
Odom Layup Shot: Missed	04:26
	04:25	Paul Rebound (Off:0 Def:3)
	04:21 [NOH 36-43]	Paul Jump Shot: Made (13 PTS)
Gasol Foul : Offensive (1 PF)	04:00
Gasol Turnover : Foul (2 TO)	04:00
	03:47 [NOH 38-43]	Paul Jump Shot: Made (15 PTS)
Artest Jump Shot: Missed Block: Jack (1 BLK)	03:22
Gasol Rebound (Off:2 Def:2)	03:20
Bryant Fade Away Bank shot: Made (15 PTS)	03:16 [LAL 45-38]
	02:50	Okafor Turnover : Out of Bounds Lost Ball Turnover (1 TO)
Team Timeout : Regular	02:50
Artest Substitution replaced by Brown	02:50
Odom Substitution replaced by Bynum	02:50
	02:38	Ariza Foul : Personal Block (1 PF)
Gasol Layup Shot: Made (4 PTS) Assist: Fisher (5 AST)	02:26 [LAL 47-38]
	02:07	Okafor Turnaround Jump Shot: Missed
Bryant Rebound (Off:0 Def:3)	02:06
Brown Dunk Shot: Made (2 PTS) Assist: Gasol (3 AST)	01:48 [LAL 49-38]
Gasol Foul : Shooting (2 PF)	01:29
	01:29	Landry Substitution replaced by Gray
	01:29 [NOH 39-49]	Okafor Free Throw 1 of 2 (5 PTS)
Gasol Substitution replaced by Odom	01:29
	01:29	Okafor Free Throw 2 of 2 Missed
Bynum Rebound (Off:4 Def:5)	01:28
Bryant Jump Shot: Missed	01:04
	01:03	Ariza Rebound (Off:2 Def:2)
	00:54.7 [NOH 41-49]	Paul Pullup Jump shot: Made (17 PTS)
Brown 3pt Shot: Missed	00:41.9
	00:38.9	Gray Rebound (Off:0 Def:1)
	00:31.0	Paul Turnover : Out of Bounds Lost Ball Turnover (4 TO)
	00:09.6	Okafor Foul : Shooting (2 PF)
Bynum Free Throw 1 of 2 (13 PTS)	00:09.6 [LAL 50-41]
Odom Substitution replaced by Smith	00:09.6
	00:09.6	Gray Substitution replaced by Landry
Bynum Free Throw 2 of 2 (14 PTS)	00:09.6 [LAL 51-41]
Fisher Foul : Shooting (1 PF)	00:03.0
	00:03.0 [NOH 42-51]	Paul Free Throw 1 of 2 (18 PTS)
Smith Substitution replaced by Odom	00:03.0
	00:03.0	Landry Substitution replaced by Smith
	00:03.0	Paul Free Throw 2 of 2 Missed
Odom Rebound (Off:2 Def:4)	00:01.9
Brown 3pt Shot: Missed	00:00.0
Team Rebound	00:00.0
End of 2nd Quarter
Los Angeles Lakers (58-25)		New Orleans Hornets (46-37)
Start of 3rd QuarterBack to Top
Bryant 3pt Shot: Made (18 PTS) Assist: Artest (1 AST)	11:45 [LAL 54-42]
	11:26 [NOH 44-54]	Okafor Dunk Shot: Made (7 PTS) Assist: Paul (4 AST)
Bryant 3pt Shot: Made (21 PTS)	11:01 [LAL 57-44]
	10:34 [NOH 46-57]	Okafor Turnaround Jump Shot: Made (9 PTS) Assist: Paul (5 AST)
Bynum Turnover : Traveling (1 TO)	10:17
	10:09	Paul Jump Shot: Missed
Bryant Rebound (Off:0 Def:4)	10:07
Bryant Turnover : Bad Pass (4 TO) Steal:Ariza (4 ST)	09:57
Bryant Foul : Shooting Block (2 PF)	09:54
Team Timeout : Short	09:54
	09:54 [NOH 47-57]	Ariza Free Throw 1 of 2 (9 PTS)
	09:54 [NOH 48-57]	Ariza Free Throw 2 of 2 (10 PTS)
Bynum Turnover : Traveling (2 TO)	09:43
Team Violation : Delay Of Game	09:43
	09:31 [NOH 50-57]	Okafor Turnaround Jump Shot: Made (11 PTS) Assist: Paul (6 AST)
	09:19	Belinelli Foul : Personal (2 PF)
Fisher Technical	09:19
	09:19 [NOH 51-57]	Paul Free Throw Technical (19 PTS)
Fisher 3pt Shot: Made (5 PTS) Assist: Bryant (1 AST)	09:13 [LAL 60-51]
	09:04	Landry Foul : Offensive (3 PF)
	09:04	Landry Turnover : Foul (2 TO)
Bryant 3pt Shot: Missed	08:52
Artest Rebound (Off:1 Def:0)	08:50
Artest Layup Shot: Missed	08:47
Bynum Rebound (Off:5 Def:5)	08:46
Bynum Putback Layup Shot: Missed	08:45
	08:44	Ariza Rebound (Off:2 Def:3)
	08:39 [NOH 54-60]	Belinelli 3pt Shot: Made (5 PTS) Assist: Paul (7 AST)
	08:15	Okafor Foul : Personal (3 PF)
Gasol Jump Shot: Missed	08:06
Artest Rebound (Off:2 Def:0)	08:03
Artest Layup Shot: Made (9 PTS)	08:03 [LAL 62-54]
	07:40	Belinelli 3pt Shot: Missed
Gasol Rebound (Off:2 Def:3)	07:39
Gasol Jump Shot: Made (6 PTS) Assist: Artest (2 AST)	07:20 [LAL 64-54]
Fisher Foul : Personal (2 PF)	07:10
	07:10	Belinelli Substitution replaced by Pondexter
Fisher Substitution replaced by Blake	07:10
	07:00 [NOH 56-64]	Landry Driving Jump shot: Made (7 PTS) Assist: Paul (8 AST)
Gasol Layup Shot: Made (8 PTS)	06:38 [LAL 66-56]
Blake Foul : Personal Block (1 PF)	06:28
	06:19	Okafor Turnover : Traveling (2 TO)
Bryant Jump Shot: Missed	05:57
	05:55	Okafor Rebound (Off:2 Def:2)
	05:47	Pondexter 3pt Shot: Missed
Bryant Rebound (Off:0 Def:5)	05:46
Artest 3pt Shot: Missed	05:37
	05:35	Ariza Rebound (Off:2 Def:4)
	05:25 [NOH 58-66]	Landry Reverse Layup Shot: Made (9 PTS) Assist: Ariza (3 AST)
Team Timeout : Regular	05:25
Gasol Substitution replaced by Odom	05:25
Blake Substitution replaced by Fisher	05:25
Bryant Jump Shot: Missed	04:59
	04:57	Ariza Rebound (Off:2 Def:5)
	04:40	Ariza Jump Shot: Missed
	04:38	Okafor Rebound (Off:3 Def:2)
Bynum Foul : Personal Block (2 PF)	04:29
	04:18	Ariza Layup Shot: Missed
Odom Rebound (Off:2 Def:5)	04:17
Bryant 3pt Shot: Made (24 PTS)	03:58 [LAL 69-58]
	03:32 [NOH 60-69]	Landry Driving Bank shot: Made (11 PTS)
Odom Foul : Shooting (3 PF)	03:32
	03:32 [NOH 61-69]	Landry Free Throw 1 of 1 (12 PTS)
Fisher Jump Shot: Missed	03:21
	03:20	Okafor Rebound (Off:3 Def:3)
	03:04 [NOH 63-69]	Landry Dunk Shot: Made (14 PTS) Assist: Pondexter (1 AST)
	02:47	Pondexter Foul : Shooting (1 PF)
	02:47	Team Timeout : Regular
Artest Substitution replaced by Barnes	02:47
Bynum Substitution replaced by Gasol	02:47
Odom Free Throw 1 of 2 (6 PTS)	02:47 [LAL 70-63]
Odom Free Throw 2 of 2 (7 PTS)	02:47 [LAL 71-63]
	02:27	Pondexter Layup Shot: Missed
	02:26	Landry Rebound (Off:2 Def:2)
	02:25	Pondexter Layup Shot: Missed Block: Gasol (1 BLK)
Odom Rebound (Off:2 Def:6)	02:24
Fisher Turnover : Traveling (1 TO)	02:11
	02:02	Landry Turnover : Bad Pass (3 TO) Steal:Barnes (2 ST)
Barnes Layup Shot: Missed	01:56
	01:54	Ariza Rebound (Off:2 Def:6)
	01:48	Paul Jump Shot: Missed
	01:46	Paul Rebound (Off:1 Def:3)
	01:44	Paul Turnover : Lost Ball (5 TO) Steal:Fisher (3 ST)
Fisher Layup Shot: Made (7 PTS)	01:40 [LAL 73-63]
Odom Foul : Personal (4 PF)	01:24
	01:24 [NOH 64-73]	Landry Free Throw 1 of 2 (15 PTS)
Odom Substitution replaced by Bynum	01:24
Bryant Substitution replaced by Brown	01:24
	01:24	Okafor Substitution replaced by Mbenga
	01:24	Pondexter Substitution replaced by Green
	01:24 [NOH 65-73]	Landry Free Throw 2 of 2 (16 PTS)
Bynum Jump Shot: Missed	01:09
	01:08	Mbenga Rebound (Off:0 Def:1)
Gasol Foul : Shooting (3 PF)	00:58.5
	00:58.5	Ariza Substitution replaced by Jack
	00:58.5	Mbenga Free Throw 1 of 2 Missed
	00:58.5	Team Rebound
	00:58.5 [NOH 66-73]	Mbenga Free Throw 2 of 2 (1 PTS)
Gasol Turnover : Traveling (3 TO)	00:42.8
	00:33.3 [NOH 68-73]	Paul Fade Away Jumper Shot: Made (21 PTS)
Bynum Jump Shot: Missed	00:10.9
Gasol Rebound (Off:3 Def:3)	00:09.5
	00:09.5	Green Foul : Shooting (3 PF)
Gasol Free Throw 1 of 2 (9 PTS)	00:09.5 [LAL 74-68]
Gasol Free Throw 2 of 2 (10 PTS)	00:09.5 [LAL 75-68]
	00:00.0	Green Jump Shot: Missed
	00:00.0	Team Rebound
End of 3rd Quarter
Los Angeles Lakers (58-25)		New Orleans Hornets (46-37)
Start of 4th QuarterBack to Top
	11:44	Landry Jump Shot: Missed
Bynum Rebound (Off:5 Def:6)	11:43
Gasol Jump Shot: Missed	11:27
	11:26	Mbenga Rebound (Off:0 Def:2)
Bynum Foul : Shooting (3 PF)	11:16
	11:16 [NOH 69-75]	Landry Free Throw 1 of 2 (17 PTS)
	11:16 [NOH 70-75]	Landry Free Throw 2 of 2 (18 PTS)
Gasol 3pt Shot: Made (13 PTS) Assist: Blake (2 AST)	10:52 [LAL 78-70]
Bynum Foul : Shooting (4 PF)	10:29
	10:29	Paul Free Throw 1 of 2 Missed
	10:29	Team Rebound
Bynum Substitution replaced by Odom	10:29
	10:29 [NOH 71-78]	Paul Free Throw 2 of 2 (22 PTS)
	10:19	Mbenga Foul : Personal (1 PF)
Blake 3pt Shot: Made (3 PTS) Assist: Gasol (4 AST)	10:08 [LAL 81-71]
Blake Foul : Personal (2 PF)	09:59
	09:50	Green Jump Shot: Missed
Brown Rebound (Off:0 Def:1)	09:48
	09:40	Mbenga Foul : Personal (2 PF)
	09:40	Green Substitution replaced by Belinelli
	09:40	Mbenga Substitution replaced by Okafor
	09:40	Paul Substitution replaced by Ariza
Gasol Jump Shot: Missed Block: Okafor (1 BLK)	09:25
Gasol Rebound (Off:4 Def:3)	09:23
Gasol Putback Layup Shot: Made (15 PTS)	09:22 [LAL 83-71]
	09:01	Jack Jump Shot: Missed
Odom Rebound (Off:2 Def:7)	08:58
Gasol Jump Shot: Made (17 PTS) Assist: Odom (2 AST)	08:36 [LAL 85-71]
	08:34	Team Timeout : Regular
	08:11	Belinelli 3pt Shot: Missed
Brown Rebound (Off:0 Def:2)	08:09
Brown Jump Shot: Missed	07:48
	07:46	Ariza Rebound (Off:2 Def:7)
Barnes Foul : Personal (2 PF)	07:31
	07:31	Landry Substitution replaced by Smith
Brown Substitution replaced by Bryant	07:31
	07:23 [NOH 73-85]	Smith Jump Shot: Made (4 PTS) Assist: Jack (3 AST)
Gasol Jump Shot: Missed	07:00
	06:59	Ariza Rebound (Off:2 Def:8)
	06:50	Jack Jump Shot: Missed
Gasol Rebound (Off:4 Def:4)	06:49
	06:33	Ariza Foul : Shooting (2 PF)
	06:33	Belinelli Substitution replaced by Paul
Bryant Free Throw 1 of 2 (25 PTS)	06:33 [LAL 86-73]
Barnes Substitution replaced by Artest	06:33
Bryant Free Throw 2 of 2 (26 PTS)	06:33 [LAL 87-73]
	06:21 [NOH 75-87]	Smith Jump Shot: Made (6 PTS) Assist: Jack (4 AST)
	06:03	Smith Foul : Shooting (2 PF)
Odom Free Throw 1 of 2 (8 PTS)	06:03 [LAL 88-75]
Odom Free Throw 2 of 2 (9 PTS)	06:03 [LAL 89-75]
	05:41 [NOH 77-89]	Okafor Turnaround Bank shot: Made (13 PTS) Assist: Smith (1 AST)
Odom Running Jump Shot: Made (11 PTS)	05:26 [LAL 91-77]
	05:26	Smith Foul : Shooting (3 PF)
	05:26
Blake Substitution replaced by Fisher	05:26
Gasol Substitution replaced by Bynum	05:26
Odom Free Throw 1 of 1 Missed	05:26
	05:25	Okafor Rebound (Off:3 Def:4)
	05:13	Jack Jump Shot: Missed
Bryant Rebound (Off:0 Def:6)	05:11
Bryant 3pt Shot: Missed	04:51
	04:50	Jack Rebound (Off:0 Def:1)
	04:33	Okafor Turnover : Bad Pass (3 TO) Steal:Bryant (2 ST)
	04:19	Ariza Foul : Personal Block (3 PF)
	04:19	Jack Substitution replaced by Belinelli
Fisher Free Throw 1 of 2 (8 PTS)	04:19 [LAL 92-77]
Fisher Free Throw 2 of 2 Missed	04:19
	04:18	Smith Rebound (Off:0 Def:1)
	04:00	Okafor Turnover : Bad Pass (4 TO)
	04:00	Smith Substitution replaced by Landry
Odom Jump Shot: Made (13 PTS) Assist: Bryant (2 AST)	03:43 [LAL 94-77]
	03:22 [NOH 79-94]	Ariza Jump Shot: Made (12 PTS)
	03:02	Paul Foul : Personal (2 PF)
Bryant Free Throw 1 of 2 (27 PTS)	03:02 [LAL 95-79]
Bryant Free Throw 2 of 2 (28 PTS)	03:02 [LAL 96-79]
Odom Foul : Personal (5 PF)	02:50
	02:50	Team Timeout : Regular
Odom Substitution replaced by Gasol	02:50
Bynum Substitution replaced by Brown	02:50
	02:50 [NOH 80-96]	Landry Free Throw 1 of 2 (19 PTS)
	02:50 [NOH 81-96]	Landry Free Throw 2 of 2 (20 PTS)
Bryant Fade Away Jumper Shot: Missed	02:26
	02:25	Paul Rebound (Off:1 Def:4)
Artest Foul : Personal (2 PF)	02:25
	02:25 [NOH 82-96]	Landry Free Throw 1 of 2 (21 PTS)
	02:25	Landry Free Throw 2 of 2 Missed
Gasol Rebound (Off:4 Def:5)	02:24
	02:05	Ariza Foul : Personal (4 PF)
	02:05	Paul Substitution replaced by Jack
Fisher Free Throw 1 of 2 (9 PTS)	02:05 [LAL 97-82]
Fisher Free Throw 2 of 2 (10 PTS)	02:05 [LAL 98-82]
	01:42	Okafor Jump Shot: Missed
Gasol Rebound (Off:4 Def:6)	01:41
Bryant Fade Away Jumper Shot: Made (30 PTS)	01:21 [LAL 100-82]
	01:21	Ariza Foul : Shooting (5 PF)
Bryant Free Throw 1 of 1 Missed	01:21
	01:19	Ariza Rebound (Off:2 Def:9)
Fisher Substitution replaced by Blake	01:11
Gasol Substitution replaced by Odom	01:11
Bryant Substitution replaced by Barnes	01:11
	01:11	Jump Ball Ariza vs Artest (Blake gains possession)
	01:11	Ariza Turnover : Lost Ball (1 TO) Steal:Bryant (3 ST)
Artest Jump Shot: Missed	00:55.9
	00:54.9	Ariza Rebound (Off:2 Def:10)
	00:41.9	Belinelli 3pt Shot: Missed
	00:40.0	Landry Rebound (Off:3 Def:2)
Artest Foul : Shooting (3 PF)	00:39.0
	00:39.0	Ariza Substitution replaced by Pondexter
	00:39.0 [NOH 83-100]	Landry Free Throw 1 of 2 (22 PTS)
Artest Substitution replaced by Smith	00:39.0
	00:39.0 [NOH 84-100]	Landry Free Throw 2 of 2 (23 PTS)
Smith Jump Shot: Missed	00:27.9
	00:25.9	Jack Rebound (Off:0 Def:2)
	00:13.9	Landry Jump Shot: Missed
	00:12.7	Okafor Rebound (Off:4 Def:4)
	00:12.1 [NOH 86-100]	Okafor Putback Slam Dunk Shot: Made (15 PTS)
End of 4th Quarter

broadcast information
country		channel			time
usa			ESPN	National	9:30 pm ET
		--	CST	Local	9:30 pm ET
		--	KCAL-LAL	Local	9:30 pm ET
		--	KSPN	Local	9:30 pm ET
canada		--	SNET1	national	9:30 pm ET