Warriors-Lakers Preview

By SANTOSH VENKATARAMAN
Posted Mar 31 2012 9:13PM

After squeaking past one lesser opponent, the Los Angeles Lakers want to avoid overlooking another one.

The Lakers have won 14 of their last 15 meetings with the Golden State Warriors heading into Sunday night's matchup at Staples Center.

Los Angeles (32-20) won 88-85 at home Saturday over Western Conference-worst New Orleans, blowing an early 14-point lead and eventually needing to rally from 10 down in the fourth quarter. The Lakers have split their last eight games.

"New Orleans came out as the undermanned team and we took them lightly," guard Ramon Sessions said. "But, it's like I tell (the Lakers) when I came in with Cleveland, this was our championship coming here playing in the Staples Center so teams are coming in playing hard and we just have to be consistent and play hard too."

Kobe Bryant missed his first 15 shots, but made a 3-pointer that put Los Angeles ahead for good with 20 seconds left. Bryant missed 18 of 21 shots on the day and scored 11 points - his fewest in his last 23 games.

"I'm stubborn. You have to have that kind of attitude, that kind of determination or stubbornness," Bryant said. "That's what gets teams over the hump to win multiple championships."

Known for his clutch play, Bryant demonstrated that ability by scoring six points during a game-ending 9-4 run in Tuesday's 104-101 victory at Golden State (20-30). He's averaging 34.5 points in two wins over the Warriors (20-30) this season.

Tuesday's defeat opened a winless three-game homestand for Golden State, which lost its fourth straight overall Friday with a 102-100 defeat to New Jersey.

The Warriors blew a 19-point lead in the third quarter against the Nets, causing coach Mark Jackson to chastise his team for "messing around."

"We didn't close them out when we had them and it came back to bite us," Jackson said. "We ought to be ashamed of ourselves. They outworked us in our own building."

Bouncing back won't be easy since the Warriors have dropped seven straight on the road against the Lakers and 32 of their last 35 away from home in the series. The Lakers are 21-5 at home, although their last seven games there have been decided by single digits.

"We've got a good record, we've won games, but we haven't been beating teams by 15 or 20 whether we're at home or on the road," coach Mike Brown said. "So, it's been a dog fight for us all the time."

Jackson started three rookies Friday for Golden State, with first-round pick Klay Thompson getting his 12th start in a row. Thompson, whose father Mychal is the radio color commentator for Los Angeles, has averaged 17.0 points in the two losses to the Lakers this season.

Los Angeles has outrebounded Golden State by an average of 15.0 boards in those contests, with Pau Gasol averaging 18.0 points and 14.0 rebounds.

If there's an edge for the Warriors, it's the fact that they rank among the NBA's leaders in 3-point shooting at 38.4 percent. The Lakers are one of the league's worst from beyond the arc, shooting 31.3 percent.

The Warriors remain without centers Andris Biedrins (groin) and Andrew Bogut (ankle), and guard Stephen Curry (ankle).

Lakers beat Warriors 120-112 behind Bryant's 40

By BETH HARRIS
Posted Apr 02 2012 1:33AM

LOS ANGELES (AP) Kobe Bryant needed 11 seconds to make his first basket, then he hit his second and a few minutes later another. No way was the Los Angeles Lakers' superstar going to struggle for a second straight game.

Bryant finished with 40 points - his fifth such game this season - one night after missing his first 15 shots in a win over New Orleans, and Pau Gasol added 26 as the Lakers rallied for the second consecutive game against one of the West's worst teams, coming away with a 120-112 win over Golden State on Sunday night.

"It's always interesting to me to hear people talk after a game like that," Bryant said, referring to the critics who pounced on his offensive struggles Saturday. "The amount of idiots that live out here after 16 years baffle me. I guess people just get dumber over the years."

Bryant scored 13 points in the opening quarter and 4 in the second when he sat for six minutes.

"Once we started the game and he knocked down his first three or four shots, I knew it was going to be another aggressive night for him," Gasol said.

Ramon Sessions added 23 points and nine assists in his best game since being traded to the Lakers two weeks ago. Gasol and reserve Troy Murphy had 11 rebounds each after All-Star center Andrew Bynum sprained his left ankle in the first quarter of the Lakers' eighth consecutive home win against the Warriors.

"He was able to walk out fine," coach Mike Brown said about Bynum, who left before speaking with reporters.

Bynum landed awkwardly going for a rebound and the team said he had a moderate sprain. He had no points and three rebounds when he left for good with 1:49 to play. The team said X-rays were negative and he would be re-evaluated on Monday. Bynum was coming off a productive month of March, when he averaged 22.2 points and 10.9 rebounds in 17 games.

"He's gotten better," Bryant said. "You see him working on his footwork a lot, he has a lot of moves in his arsenal that he didn't have before. He's much more comfortable doing it and he's gained a great deal of confidence."

If Bynum has to miss a few days, Bryant said the Lakers can adjust.

"I don't think it's a championship formula, but we can for the time being," he said. "Sessions is one of those players who can carry a game offensively, he's a great scorer. And Pau can obviously do what he does."

David Lee led six Warriors in double figures with 27 points. Klay Thompson added 18, Nate Robinson 17, and Richard Jefferson 16 for Golden State, which lost its fifth in a row and 10th in the last 12.

"They had us on the ropes, but we battled back," Warriors coach Mark Jackson said. "We put ourselves in position to win the game. They made tough shots, especially Kobe. But that's why he's paid the big bucks."

The Warriors were down 13 points to start the fourth quarter, but outscored the Lakers 19-8 to close within one with Bryant on the bench for part of the run. Jefferson, Robinson and Thompson all had 3-pointers in the spurt with 7 minutes to play.

The Lakers gained some breathing room on a 12-3 run, as Sessions, Bryant and Gasol combined for all the scoring, capped by Bryant's 3 that made it 109-99.

The Warriors weren't done yet. Robinson, who at 5-foot-9 was the shortest player in the game, hit his fifth 3-pointer to get the Warriors within five. Lee's three-point play cut the deficit to three points before Bryant hit a long 3 from in front of the Warriors' bench, making it 115-109 with 1:40 left.

"You definitely know after the game he had yesterday, he was going to come out here, try to be very aggressive and make his first few shots," Dorell Wright said about Bryant. "Guys did a good job on him. He just made real tough shots."

Jefferson answered with a 3 and Golden State was down three. Metta World Peace hit a 3 - the 10th of the quarter between the teams - on the Lakers' next possession for a 118-112 lead. After a timeout, Thompson missed a 3 with 1:03 to go, cooling off the long-range shootout.

"I don't think the game was lost in the fourth quarter," Lee said. "The game was lost in the third quarter when they made a nice little run. By the time we fought back, we had to play perfect basketball. They made some tough shots down the stretch."

The Lakers' biggest lead in the first half was nine points, with 12 lead changes and eight ties.

NOTES: It was Bryant's 112th career game with at least 40 points. The Lakers improved to 77-35 in those games. ... The Warriors' next road win will equal their 10 victories away from home last season. ... They haven't beaten the Lakers at Staples Center since March 23, 2008. ... The Warriors signed C Mickell Gladness, playing on a 10-day contract, for the rest of the season. He was not with the team Sunday because of family matters, but is expected to rejoin the Warriors in a few days. Gladness has averaged 2.0 points and 1.3 rebounds in six games. "He's an athletic, big guy who can block shots and finish at the rim," Jackson said. ... The Lakers played the second of their first home back-to-back set of games since the lockout shortened 1998-99 season. ... Jackson turned 47 on Sunday and spent the day with his wife and four kids at their Los Angeles home before going to work.

Notebook: Lakers 120, Warriors 112

Posted Monday April 2, 2012 1:40AM

By Dan Arritt, for NBA.com

THE FACTS: Someone, or something, needed to step up Sunday night after Lakers center Andrew Bynum departed the game with a sprained left ankle late in the first quarter and didn't return against the visiting Warriors. Leave it to the recently cold-shooting Kobe Bryant and the team's previously ragged 3-point shooting to lift the Lakers to a 120-112 victory at Staples Center.

QUOTABLE: "Obviously, Kobe going 16-for-28 and 3-for-3 from the 3-point line and the 40 points, he was very efficient shooting and scoring the basketball."
-- Lakers coach Mike Brown

THE STAT: Bryant produced his first 40-point game since registering four straight from Jan. 10-14. It was also his first game shooting 50 percent or better on the home floor since a victory March 4 against the Heat. Bryant came into the game shooting 31-for-102 over the previous five games (30.4 percent), lowering his season percentage to 42.5, the lowest since his rookie season in 1996-97 (41.7).

TURNING POINT: The Warriors trailed by 13 points at the start of the fourth quarter and looked well on their way to their fifth straight defeat, but Klay Thompson, Richard Jefferson and Nate Robinson helped rally Golden State within a point on Thompson's fast-break layup with 7:02 left in the game. Even after Lakers point guard Ramon Sessions kick-started a 9-0 run with a 3-pointer, the Warriors wouldn't go away, pulling back within three on David Lee's 3-point play with 1:59 left. The Lakers finally got the separation they needed on a 3-point basket by Metta World Peace with 1:09 remaining, pushing the lead back to 118-112.

HOT: The Lakers came into the game tied for 27th in the league in 3-point efficiency, but you couldn't tell against the Warriors, at least after the first quarter. They missed their first six 3-point attempts but made 10 of their final 13, including 4-for-6 in the fourth quarter.

NOT: Bynum's latest injury occurred when he came down on the foot of Josh McRoberts late in the first quarter. He immediately headed to the locker room for X-rays, which came back negative, according to the Lakers. He's expected to be reevaluated Monday and his availability is day-to-day. Bynum missed his only two shots and finished scoreless for the first time this season.

QUOTABLE II: "I think it's OK."
-- Brown on Bynum's ankle after watching him walk out of the locker room following the game.

GOOD MOVE: With Bynum sidelined, Troy Murphy and McRoberts took on an extra load. Murphy finished with eight points and matched his season-high with 11 rebounds. McRoberts had two points and eight rebounds, scoring his only basket on a two-handed dunk off a missed runner by Sessions. He swung on the rim for extra emphasis, much to the delight of the crowd.

BAD MOVE: Already thin in the middle with Andrew Bogut out with a fractured ankle, Andris Biedrins coming back from a six-game absence due to a strained groin and Mickell Gladness away from the team for a family matter, the Warriors shrunk even more when starting center Jeremy Tyler was whistled for three fouls in the first 2:37 of the game. That earned the rookie a seat on the bench until three minutes remained in the second quarter.

NOTABLE: Golden State came into the game tied for fourth in the league in fewest turnovers per game at 13.9. They matched their season low with five, a number they achieved in a loss Tuesday against the Lakers in Oakland. ... Sessions finished with 23 points and nine assists, his best scoring game as a member of the Lakers and one point off his season high. ... Jefferson and Robinson came off the bench and shot a combined 10-for-11 from 3-point range.

UP NEXT: For the Lakers, Tuesday vs. New Jersey, Wednesday @ L.A. Clippers, Friday vs. Houston. For the Warriors, Tuesday @ Memphis, Wednesday @ Minnesota, Friday @ Utah.

• Warriors: Bogut, Curry, Wright
• Lakers: Eyenga

• Warriors: --
• Lakers: --

• Lead Changes: 12
• Times Tied: 8

• Arena: Staples Center, Los Angeles, CA
• Officials: #13 Monty McCutchen, #6 Tony Brown, #34 Kevin Cutler
• Attendance: 18997
• Duration: 2:16