Warriors-Lakers Preview

By JEFF MEZYDLO
Posted Jan 06 2012 2:53AM

It's been almost four years since the Golden State Warriors beat the Lakers in Los Angeles. Without talented guard Stephen Curry, their chances of ending that drought could be slimmer.

A nagging ankle injury could keep one of the Warriors' top scorers on the bench when they look to avoid a seventh consecutive road loss to the Lakers on Friday night.

Golden State (2-4) fell 101-95 at San Antonio on Wednesday, its third straight defeat. The Warriors biggest loss, however, might have come when Curry re-aggravated his sprained left ankle in the second half. The team's third-leading scorer at 15.2 points per game, Curry had 20, shot 7 of 11 and added eight assists in 30 minutes before leaving.

"It's been one of those things that's been chronic with me," the third-year guard said. "I've been trying to nip it in the bud, but it seems to be coming back. Hopefully it won't last too long because it's frustrating not to be able to be out there with my teammates."

Though the Warriors signed diminutive veteran Nate Robinson this week to provide depth at guard, Curry's backcourt mate Monta Ellis likely will carry the scoring load as Golden State tries to beat the Lakers (4-4) at Staples Center for the first time since a 115-111 win March 23, 2008.

The Warriors have lost six straight road games to the Lakers since then, and 31 of the last 34 meetings between these teams in Los Angeles.

Ellis had 38 points and seven assists in the loss Wednesday for Golden State, which is averaging just 90.3 points after putting up no fewer than 103.9 per contest in any of the previous five seasons.

"He was incredible and inspiring," first-year coach Mark Jackson said of Ellis. "I'm proud of his effort and his leadership."

Ellis has combined for 64 points in the Warriors' last two games against the Lakers - both at home. However, he had just five while shooting 2 of 10 before leaving with a hip injury in a 117-98 loss at Los Angeles on Nov. 21, 2010, Golden State's last visit. Ellis had averaged 25.0 points and gone 42 of 84 from the field in his previous four games there.

The Warriors will also need a solid contribution from David Lee, who posted 13 points and 10 boards against the Spurs after missing Monday's 102-91 loss at Phoenix with food poisoning. Lee had 22 points and 17 rebounds in a 95-87 home win over Los Angeles on April 6 that snapped Golden State's 12-game overall skid against the Lakers.

Los Angeles has won four straight at home since opening with an 88-87 loss to Chicago at Staples Center on Christmas, but will try to bounce back from Thursday's 107-96 loss at Western Conference-leading Portland.

Kobe Bryant scored 30 points and Andrew Bynum added 21 and 12 rebounds but the Lakers went 0 for 11 from 3-point range and fell to 0-3 on the road. Los Angeles is shooting just 22.8 percent from beyond the arc this season - third-worst in the NBA.

Despite his injured wrist, Bryant has totaled 67 points in the last two games. He's averaged 26.8 points during his career against the Warriors.

Bynum has averaged 22.3 points and 15.8 boards in four games since opening the season by serving a four-game suspension stemming from the 2011 playoffs.

"He's been really aggressive," teammate Pau Gasol said. "I'm glad to see him with this level of intensity and energy."

The Lakers are trying to avoid their first losing record through nine games since 2005-06, when they opened 4-5.

Kobe scores 39 as weary Lakers hold off Warriors

By GREG BEACHAM
Posted Jan 07 2012 2:30AM

LOS ANGELES (AP) Kobe Bryant's injured right hand looks like a boxing glove, and his fellow Lakers' legs are exhausted from a brutal early-season schedule.

That's still not enough to make Bryant flinch while carrying Los Angeles to yet another home victory over the Golden State Warriors.

Bryant scored 26 of his 39 points in a dynamic second half, Pau Gasol added 17 points and 11 rebounds, and the weary Lakers hung on in the fourth quarter for a 97-90 victory over their upstate rivals Friday night.

Matt Barnes had 16 points and six rebounds before fouling out for the Lakers, who won their fifth straight home game while playing their NBA-high ninth game in 13 days. Los Angeles bounced back from a passionless first half with another strong effort from Bryant, who has three straight 30-point games.

"The important thing was for us to try to pick up our energy on both ends of the floor and play with a little bit more life," Bryant said.

Bryant's two missed layups in the opening minutes were another reminder of the 13-time All-Star's struggles with a torn ligament in his right wrist. Before the game, Lakers coach Mike Brown acknowledged Bryant is receiving painkilling injections before every game, but said he isn't worried about Bryant's ability to hold up during the jam-packed NBA schedule.

"We went through stretches where we couldn't score, and so he carried us," Brown said. "That's what great ones do."

With 7-footers Andrew Bynum and Gasol openly struggling with exhaustion, most of the Lakers' offensive burden fell on Bryant. He handled it with his usual vicious effectiveness - even if he didn't approve of his own methods.

"I shot 28 times. I shot too much," Bryant said.

Golden State led 39-35 after an unsightly first half for both teams, who combined for 23 turnovers. Bryant heated up after halftime, scoring 17 points during the third quarter on a variety of jumpers and drives.

The Lakers then outlasted the injury-depleted Warriors in the fourth quarter for their fifth win in seven games.

Monta Ellis scored 18 points and David Lee had 15 points and 11 rebounds for the Warriors, who have lost seven straight road games to the Lakers. Golden State dropped to 2-5 before returning to Oakland for a three-game homestand.

"A lot of the shots they were making in the fourth quarter were Kobe Bryant fadeaways from 17 feet," Lee said. "That's a tough shot to defend. He had a very good game tonight, but he was really the only guy that killed us statistically. It's tough when he has a night like that."

Rookie Klay Thompson scored 14 points as Golden State played without high-scoring guard Stephen Curry, who sprained his right ankle Wednesday in San Antonio, and center Andris Biedrins, who also has an injured right ankle.

Nate Robinson scored nine points two days after signing with the Warriors, who scored eight consecutive points to trim the Lakers' late 11-point lead to 85-82 with 3 1/2 minutes left. Los Angeles responded with Barnes' fast-break layup sandwiched between two quick baskets from Gasol, putting the Lakers back in control.

Kwame Brown had 13 points for the Warriors while enduring the usual cascade of boos from the Staples Center crowd for the former Lakers big man. Golden State hasn't beaten the Lakers at Staples Center since March 23, 2008, losing 32 of the last 35 road meetings overall.

"We've just got to get tough mentally," Brown said. "We have such a young team, and we don't have a real superstar. When the refs starting biting the whistle, we've just got to get tougher. They've earned the right to get those calls by winning championships."

The Lakers' ineptitude from 3-point range is among their biggest problems. After a franchise-record 0-for-11 performance in Portland one night earlier, the Lakers missed their first six 3-pointers against the Warriors, running their skid to 0 for 22, before Troy Murphy hit a 3 late in the second quarter.

NOTES: Thompson is the son of Mychal Thompson, the longtime Lakers big man and current broadcaster for the club. Klay Thompson scored a Pac-10 tournament-record 43 points for Washington State at Staples Center last March. ... Lakers F Josh McRoberts missed his third consecutive game with a sprained left big toe. Barnes started in his place. ... Fans near courtside included Charlize Theron, Vanessa Hudgens and Warriors owner Peter Guber.

Notebook: Lakers 97, Warriors 90

By Dan Arritt, for NBA.com
Posted Saturday January 7, 2012 2:16AM

THE FACTS: If the torn ligament in the right wrist of Kobe Bryant is causing any limitations, he has learned to hide it well. Bryant scored 39 points Friday night and contributed seven assists against the visiting Warriors, leading to a 97-90 victory at Staples Center.

QUOTABLE: "We went through stretches where we couldn't score and he carried us. That's what great ones do."
-- Lakers coach Mike Brown on Bryant.

THE STAT: Bryant came into the game third in the league in scoring at 26.4 points, averaging a league-leading 22.5 shots a game. He finished 13-for-28 against Golden State, the third time in the last four games he has taken at least 28 shots. In the final 21 games last season, including the playoffs, he took 28 shots or more only once. Bryant averaged 25.2 points last season on 20 shots a game.

TURNING POINT: The Lakers were staring at a 46-39 deficit after Golden State forward Dorell Wright hit a 3-pointer with 9:29 left in the third quarter but the Lakers answered with a 14-2 run to take the lead for good. After trading baskets over the next couple minutes, the Lakers scored the last eight points of the quarter to take a 67-58 advantage into the fourth. Bryant scored 17 points over the final 9:11 of the third quarter.

HOT: Lakers small forward Matt Barnes shot 7-for-9 from the floor and scored 16 points, his highest-scoring output since netting 24 in a 17-point victory against Minnesota on Nov. 19, 2010. Barnes had 12 points and six assists in the second half before sustaining a stinger and sitting out the last five minutes with a bag of ice wrapped to his right shoulder.

NOT: Warriors guard Monta Ellis continues to struggle with an inconsistent release this season. He scored a team-high 18 points but shot 8-for-20 from the floor. Coming into the game, Ellis was a 46.8 percent shooter from the field in his career, but just 43.3 this season. It was just four seasons back that he shot 53.1 from the floor, taking an average of six less shots a game. Ellis also missed three of five free-throw attempts, part of a 10-for-19 effort from the line for the Warriors. David Lee did his part with seven turnovers for Golden State.

GOOD MOVE: In an otherwise ugly game, Bryant earned his usual style points. His long 3-pointer with Dominic McGuire in his face at the third-quarter buzzer brought the sold-out Staples Center crowd to its feet.

BAD MOVE: Golden State center Kwame Brown, who started in place of Andris Biedrins (ankle), was awarded two free throws late in the first half. He missed the first and then missed the second, but was given another attempt after a lane violation by the Lakers and missed that too. However, he was awarded another opportunity when the Lakers committed a second straight lane violation. You guessed it: He missed that one too.

QUOTABLE II: "He's playing great, very aggressive, carrying that team offensively and he's their lone playmaker."
-- Warriors coach Mark Jackson on Bryant.

NOTABLE: Warriors rookie shooting guard Klay Thompson scored a season-high 14 points off the bench on 6-for-8 shooting. He father, former Lakers forward Mychal Thompson, is an analyst for the Lakers' radio broadcast team ... Golden State guard Nate Robinson, who was signed as a free agent Wednesday, made his debut a little more than six minutes into the game. He ended up playing 32 minutes off the bench, totaling nine points and four assists ... Warriors guard Stephen Curry sat out with a sprained right ankle sustained Wednesday against San Antonio ... Lakers forward Josh McRoberts missed his third straight game with a sprained left big toe. The Lakers offer a promotion in which fans receive two free tacos from a fast-food restaurant if they win and hold the opponent under 100 points. They've accomplished that feat in all five home victories this season.

UP NEXT: For the Lakers, Sunday vs. Memphis, Tuesday vs. Phoenix, Wednesday @ Utah. For the Warriors, Saturday vs. Utah, Tuesday vs. Miami, Thursday vs. Orlando.

• Warriors: Biedrins, Curry
• Lakers: Caracter, McRoberts

• Warriors: Ellis, Jackson
• Lakers: --

• Lead Changes: 6
• Times Tied: 3

• Arena: Staples Center, Los Angeles, CA
• Officials: #22 Bill Spooner, #20 Leroy Richardson, #60 James Williams
• Attendance: 18997
• Duration: 2:23