Kings-Lakers Preview

By JEFF MEZYDLO
Posted Mar 02 2012 2:22AM

Kobe Bryant won't let a busted nose and a concussion keep him from trying to help the Los Angeles Lakers win games.

Sporting a protective mask and coming off another inspired performance, the banged-up Bryant looks to help the Lakers avenge an early season loss to the Sacramento Kings on Friday night at Staples Center.

After being knocked hard to the floor by Miami's Dwyane Wade during Sunday's All-Star game, Bryant played through the discomfort of his injuries and the mask to post 31 points, eight assists and seven rebounds as Los Angeles (21-14) returned from the break to beat Minnesota 104-85 on Wednesday.

"Kobe is a special human being," coach Mike Brown said. "I don't have answers for him. I don't know what he's made of. He's just different. His body reacts different."

Already bothered a by a torn ligament in his wrist, Bryant has not missed a game this season while averaging an NBA-high 28.5 points. The broken nose and concussion left the 33-year-old with headaches, nausea and neck pain. None of which, however, were enough to keep him off the floor after he passed every concussion test from a neurologist.

"I understand the severity of the situation," Bryant said. "You have to go through those steps. It's part of the job. ... It's definitely different. In that sense, you're pretty helpless. You just have to be patient and hope for the best.

"You just have to deal with it and try to heal up as quickly as you possibly can, and get back on the court."

The Lakers were glad to have Bryant on the floor as they shot 48.8 percent to win for the sixth time in eight games. Paul Gasol scored 15 points while All-Star Andrew Bynum added 13 with 13 rebounds as Los Angeles took advantage of a surging Minnesota squad playing without ill star Kevin Love.

Bryant now looks to help the Lakers avoid a second straight loss to the Kings (12-23), who dropped Los Angeles to an 0-2 start with a 100-91 win at Sacramento on Dec. 26. Though Bryant finished with 29 points, the Lakers shot 42.0 percent and went 1 for 16 from 3-point range.

"I hope they enjoy this," Bryant said after that contest.

Bryant has averaged 31.0 points on 47.9 percent shooting in his last 27 games versus Sacramento, but the Kings have won two of three after losing eight straight in the series. Sacramento snapped a six-game road skid to the Lakers with a 100-95 win Jan. 28, 2011.

Sacramento big man DeMarcus Cousins had 27 points with 10 rebounds in that road contest. He finished with 23 and 10, respectively, as the Kings fell for the seventh time in nine games, 108-100 at home to the Clippers on Thursday.

Despite the defeat, the city of Sacramento announced Thursday its plan for a new $391 million arena that would keep the Kings in California's capital for at least another 30 years. With that behind them, they return to the road where they snapped a six-game skid away from home with a 115-107 win at Washington on Feb. 22.

Sacramento swingman Marcus Thornton has averaged 21.1 points in the last seven road games. He's totaled 60 points on 23-of-39 shooting in the last two meetings against the Lakers, but has combined for 17 in two against them as a reserve at Staples Center.

Mask-wearing Kobe gets 38, Lakers hold off Kings

By GREG BEACHAM
Posted Mar 03 2012 2:17AM

LOS ANGELES (AP) With a 20-point lead over lowly Sacramento in the fourth quarter, perhaps the Los Angeles Lakers started thinking 36 hours ahead to a visit from the Miami Heat.

The Kings capitalized on that wandering focus for an impressive comeback until the Masked Mamba finished them off.

Kobe Bryant scored 38 points in his second straight big game in a protective mask, and the Lakers blew most of a 20-point lead in the fourth quarter before holding on to beat Sacramento 115-107 Friday night in their highest-scoring performance of the season.

Bryant warmed up for Miami's Sunday afternoon visit with eight rebounds, three assists and 13-for-24 shooting in his second game since Dwyane Wade gave him a concussion and a nasal fracture with a hard foul in the All-Star game.

Kobe wasn't thinking about the guy who broke his nose while making sure the Lakers didn't stub their toes against Sacramento.

"We played well, (but) we didn't come in with the right sense of urgency and focus in the fourth quarter, and it almost cost us," Bryant said.

Andrew Bynum had 19 points and 15 rebounds for the Lakers, who improved to 16-1 at home since losing their season opener on Christmas. Pau Gasol added 15 points, and Metta World Peace scored eight of his 15 points in the final 5 minutes when the Lakers finally countered a lengthy rally by Sacramento's reserves.

"We were doing good things offensively," Gasol said before recalling the Lakers' similar fourth-quarter woes two nights earlier against Minnesota. "But the last two games, we got such a big lead, we stopped doing the things that got us such a big lead. Against Miami, we can't afford to let up at any time."

Francisco Garcia scored 18 points to lead seven Kings in double figures in their eighth loss in 10 games.

After Sacramento trailed 94-74 early in the fourth quarter, its reserves scored 11 consecutive points during a 21-6 run that trimmed the Lakers' lead to 100-95 on Jimmer Fredette's 3-pointer with 5 minutes to play.

"It was a great confidence-builder for myself, but ultimately we wanted to win the game," said Fredette, who scored all 12 of his points in the fourth quarter. "We were coming back, and we had a few things that didn't go our way, and a couple of shots that didn't go down that could have put us really close."

World Peace and Bryant both hit key 3-pointers down the stretch to counteract big baskets by Fredette and John Salmons, who had eight of his 12 in the final period.

Marcus Thornton scored 15 points for the Kings, who have lost two straight since California's capital city announced its financing plan for a $391 million downtown arena to replace Arco Arena. Sacramento couldn't keep up with the Lakers despite committing just five turnovers, their fewest in a game since Dec. 1, 2007.

"These guys could have folded and said, `It's over, we're going to roll over,"' Sacramento coach Keith Smart said. "But they played hard and got themselves back in the game, and that's why this group is going to be OK. This group is going to come around as we continue to get familiar with each other, and they're going to play hard every single night."

Two nights after scoring 31 points in a win over Minnesota in his first game in the mask, Bryant had 31 points through three quarters against the defense-deficient Kings. The NBA's leading scorer had 20 points in the first half, but didn't score in the fourth until hitting a rally-killing 3-pointer with 2:43 to play.

Bryant is sticking with his clear plastic mask until his nose is less tender, although he says the protection feels like "a sauna on my face."

The mask hasn't affected his vision or his shooting stroke: He's 20 for 24 on free throws since donning the mask, even though he banked in his last foul shot with 9.5 seconds left.

"The mask felt fine," Bryant said. "It felt fine last game, it felt fine tonight."

The Lakers have had trouble with their upstate rivals in recent months, starting with Sacramento's 100-95 win at Staples Center in January 2011 to snap a six-game skid in the series. The Kings then beat the Lakers at home on Dec. 26 while Bynum served a suspension, sending Los Angeles off to a 0-2 start to the season.

Notes: Before the game, Sacramento announced forward J.J. Hickson will miss the next three games to rest a bruised hip. The fourth-year backup was hurt during the Kings' loss to the Clippers earlier this week. ... Derek Fisher got a technical foul for arguing a foul called against him after Isaiah Thomas hit him in the head with his elbow and then pulled Fisher down to the court in the third quarter. ... Eddie Murphy watched the game from courtside.

Notebook: Lakers 115, Kings 107

Posted Saturday March 3, 2012 2:17AM

By Melanie Neff, for NBA.com

THE FACTS: Kobe Bryant had 38 points and eight rebounds and Andrew Bynum added 19 points and 15 rebounds to lead the Lakers to a 115-107 victory over the Sacramento Kings Friday night at the Staples Center. Four Lakers starters finished in double figures with Metta World Peace and Pau Gasol each adding 15 points. It was the second consecutive game the Lakers topped the 100-point mark. They have now won 8 of their last 11 games to improve to 22-14 overall and 16-2 at home.

The Kings made a game of it late, thanks in large part to Jimmer Fredette, who scored all 12 of his points in the fourth quarter. Fredette hit a three-pointer with five minutes remaining to pull the Kings within five at 100-95, but World Peace and Bryant followed with three-pointers of their own to help put the game out of reach.

Francisco Garcia led the Kings off the bench with 18 points. Marcus Thornton added 15 points, and Isaiah Thomas and Tyreke Evans each had 14. DeMarcus Cousins staked claimed to his 23rd double-double of the season with 10 points and 13 rebounds. The Kings fall to 12-24 overall and 4-18 on the road.

QUOTABLE: "I did the best I could to help my team win. I'm just trying to be a good player and get out there and give a spark."
-- Fredette on his fourth quarter performance.

THE STAT: The Kings bench shot 61 percent from the field in the fourth quarter, outscoring the Lakers starters, 33-23.

TURNING POINT: After Fredette pulled the Kings to within five with five minutes left in the game, World Peace and Bryant answered with five consecutive points each to give the Lakers a 110-97 lead with two minutes remaining.

HOT: Bryant and Bynum. After suffering a broken nose, concussion and strained neck over the weekend, Bryant has scored 31 and 38 points since coming back, despite having to wear a protective mask. Bynum, who missed the Lakers first matchup with the Kings, recorded his second consecutive double-double and his second straight three-block night.

NOT: Kings Jason Thompson shot 1-8 from the field.

GOOD MOVE: Kings head coach Keith Smart opted to go with his bench for all but 28 seconds of the fourth quarter after watching his starters get outscored 27-16 in the third quarter, while shooting a dismal 21 percent from the field. The Lakers held a 92-74 lead at the end of the third.

BAD MOVE: Smart opted to go with his bench for all but 28 seconds of the fourth quarter.

NOTABLE: With the win, the Lakers moved into a first-place tie in the Pacific Division with the Los Angeles Clippers, who fell to the Phoenix Suns.

UP NEXT: For the Lakers, Sunday vs. Miami, Tuesday @ Detroit, Wednesday @ Washington. For the Kings, Sunday @ Phoenix, Monday @ Denver, Wednesday vs. New Orleans.

• Kings: Hickson
• Lakers: Morris

• Kings: Thompson
• Lakers: Fisher

• Lead Changes: 4
• Times Tied: 3

• Arena: Staples Center, Los Angeles, CA
• Officials: #49 Tom Washington, #75 Eric Dalen, #72 J.T. Orr
• Attendance: 18997
• Duration: 2:13