POSTGAME QUOTES



Mike D'Antoni:

On the game:
“We started off really well. We played good defense, moved the ball…They threw some shots in, give them a little credit, but once we got to zero they got our psyche. Our air went out of us and we were flat. We just dissipated. And then they [Lakers] pulled it back together. The last 18 minutes I think they scored 22 points and we got a win.”

“I’m trying to figure out what’s the best way to play the team. We will keep looking at film, keep revisiting. We have a couple of practices and we will keep looking at different combinations. There will be times where during the season injuries, sickness, illnesses, whatever, will give another look to different people and hopefully they will be ready and I hope they understand. I try to talk to them and get them to understand.”

On Pau Gasol:
“I was happy for Pau, for his first time back. He hasn’t played in two weeks and I thought the first five, six, eight minutes of each half he was really good.”

On Metta World Peace:
“I want him to play the four and we have to be able to change our team. I hate it for Jordan Hill right now because he is the odd man out. He doesn’t deserve it, he’s played well, he is a good player, but for us to have a different team, a different look Metta has to play the four. Or if he starts at the three, once I get him to the four, it’s too many minutes for him, he needs rest. So that’s the whole process. And I think Metta going forward, as soon as he gets more comfortable with the four role will be very productive as a four and our team will be very productive. You have got Dwight, you have a seven footer in there so we can go small and I just think it puts Jodie Meeks out there, it puts Kobe more room to operate. Once we get Nash back it will be the pick and rolls that are able to operate.”

On Jodie Meeks:
“Jodie he has a little pop to his game, defensively and offensively. And he doesn’t seem to get tired. He played 39 minutes today. And we are a different look when he is on the floor. He spreads the floor and he is always a three point shot ready to happen. I think he is playing extremely well.”

On doing whatever it takes:
“We just tried to grind it out. I think it was a big lesson for us. We managed to stick together. We could have folded but we didn’t. We stayed together and played hard. ”

On scoring the ball and rhythm on offense:
“We’re just moving the ball. I’m being aggressive and looking for opportunities to get a few guys involved. I’m just hoping this whole Benjamin Button thing doesn’t wear off.”

On scoring final points and pulling out of the stretch:
“The important thing is that we got six stops and we got the drop down by a big margin. We finally got out act together and starting playing some defense.”

On getting a chance to play:
“I feel a little winded, a little out of touch but I was able to get out there and contribute. I’m getting into better shape so I can get better.”

On losing the lead and getting it back:
“What got us the lead was defensive intensity. That’s what we didn’t have for a good while and that’s what we need to have consistently. We can’t allow teams to play comfortably we just got to get into them defensively, we’ve just got to be consistent. We just can’t be complacent in our games regardless of who we play and regardless of the score.”

On consistency challenge being Mike D’Antoni adjusting to Pau or Pau having to find a way to do what he does:
“It goes both ways. I try to do my best. I try to do my part and hopefully the coaching staff will do their parts. I want to be as productive as possible and be out there as long as possible so I can do what I need to do.”

On why they fell behind, and how they came back:
“They got a lot of fast break points; they’re number two in steals and getting out and getting points in transition. They got the lead, and then we did a good job of playing great defense for a big stretch in the game.”

On how they can have the solid defense for a full game:
“It’s a process, and we’re going to get better at it. The biggest thing we did tonight was talk a lot on defense. We were helping each other. We had a couple possessions where we didn’t help, but now we have to close out the possession and everybody has to come back. Tonight we had Metta [World Peace] at the four, and [Byron] Mullens was playing the four for them and reaching over Metta’s head sometimes for rebounds. So, we all have to come in and help rebound on the defensive end.”

On having Pau Gasol back:
“It was great; we made a little connection tonight. I know he was tired, but I was happy to see him out there, and he looked pretty good. I’m just happy that he’s back, and hopefully all of the rest of the guys will be back soon.”

On playing the four tonight:
“It was kind of a weird position tonight because I’m definitely not used to playing the four. When I was young I played the four, but this is definitely different and I have to get used to it. I still want to make sure I’m able to keep my teammates involved, and continue to be a part and contribute.”

On whether this loss will stick with them:
“No, it’s the NBA. We have a game tomorrow night so not at all.”

On their performance tonight:
“I think that there are a lot of positives and we ran. We tried to push the tempo at them, they’re pretty good at doing that to people and obviously our rebound game was pretty good tonight.”

On Byron Mullens’ performance:
“He’s our leading rebounder and he has the ability to do that. I think people get disappointed in him on nights he doesn’t do it but his arrow is pointing in the right direction, as are a lot of our young guys, and Ramon Sessions had a heck of a game tonight. He really helped Kemba (Walker) out and vice versa.”

On needing high performances from guards Kemba Walker and Ramon Sessions to be successful:
“I believe so. There’s a lot expected of them but that’s the NBA. To be a guard in this thing its tough but you got to (marshal) your energy night in and night out and both of them can do it. They’re very capable.”

On losing after having a double digit lead:
“We got to learn to keep our leads. We tend to let up. Most of the time when we have big leads, we lose. So we still got to learn how to keep our leads.”

On the game’s back-and-forth momentum swings:
“It’s tough. Momentum was on their side. They made tough shots. They got stops. They did things well down the stretch. We just got to learn to keep our poise and keep our lead.”

On the team’s defense:
“We just wanted to make those guys take tough shots and I think we did a good job with that, Byron [Mullens] and Bismack [Biyombo]. Those were some guys that played really well tonight. They just made Dwight [Howard] and Pau [Gasol] try to shoot over them, and they did a great job.”

On the team’s offense:
“In the first half we were stagnant a little bit not moving the ball as much as we would like, but we kept the game close and that’s all you can ask for playing against a good team like those guys. Down the stretch we just missed a couple shots here and there and missed a layup.”

On what the team will take from tonight’s game:
“We need to just keep building. We’re a young team and we just got to learn from each game and hopefully we picked up something from this game. You just continue to play hard, we got Phoenix tomorrow and we’re just looking to get a win really.”

On returning to play in Los Angeles:
“It was just another game. I had a short period of time here and it was great. Tt came and went and I’m looking forward to what I got going on now in Charlotte. But it was great getting out here playing in front of the Staples Center crowd, it doesn’t matter if you’re playing [with the Lakers] or not it’s one of those arenas that you just enjoy playing at.”

On guarding Kobe Bryant:
“I started on him, Jeff came in and did a pretty good job. When we have guard to guard we can switch, but it’s just not that, its team defense as well. With him you always have to be prepared to come off your man and put your body in his space and try to make him shoot difficult shots or pass the ball.”

On the teams past success against the lakers and their mindset going into tonight’s game:
“We get up to play [the lakers]. Their personnel has changed year after year and they got one of the best players in the league so I think we get up to play them. It just so happens tonight we came closer.”

BOBCATS-LAKERS PREVIEW

By JEFF MEZYDLO

Though the Los Angeles Lakers still have their issues, they're starting to find ways to win again.

The same can't be said for the reeling Charlotte Bobcats.

The Lakers look to match a season high with their third straight victory and hand the Bobcats a 12th consecutive defeat Tuesday night at Staples Center.

As injuries continue to sideline stars Steve Nash and Pau Gasol while those who are healthy try to adjust to coach Mike D'Antoni's system, Los Angeles (11-14) won two in a row to split a four-game trip. Two days after snapping a four-game slide with a 102-96 victory at Washington, the Lakers defeated Philadelphia 111-98 on Sunday. They didn't trail in the second half of either game.

"It's guys playing with confidence and guys trusting each other," Kobe Bryant said after going 12 for 21 from the field and scoring 34 points Sunday. "We played well, communicated well, kept attacking and good things happened.

"I know the questions have been coming because we hadn't been winning, but our time will come."

Metta World Peace had 19 points and a career-high 16 rebounds while Dwight Howard added 17 and 11 for the Lakers, who won consecutive contests for the first time since a three-game run Nov. 16-20 once D'Antoni took over.

Though the last two wins have come against two of the NBA's lowest-scoring teams, Los Angeles played better defensively after allowing 111.8 points per game over the previous four. The Lakers tied a season high by forcing 19 turnovers against the Wizards and caused 18 against the 76ers while recording a season-best 13 steals.

"Guys are playing well," said point guard Chris Duhon, who matched a season high with 14 points Sunday.

Bryant has at least 30 points in six straight games, averaging 34.3 during that span, and leads the NBA in scoring (29.5 ppg). His 20.4 average against the Bobcats since the start of the 2009-10 season is his second-lowest against any opponent.

The Lakers also haven't done particularly well against a perennially mediocre Bobcats team, losing eight of the past 12 meetings, but they've won the last two. C

harlotte (7-16) allowed 99.6 points per game while starting 7-5 but is giving up 108.5 during its 11-game skid. The Bobcats had two slides of at least 12 games while going 7-59 last season.

They were outrebounded 43-31 and let Orlando shoot a season-high 54.4 percent in Saturday's 107-98 home loss.

"When you give up 54 percent shooting from the floor and they're getting over 100 points regularly we know what the culprit is," said coach Mike Dunlap, whose team has allowed at least 100 points in nine straight games and 12 of 13.

The Bobcats' latest poor defensive effort overshadowed a career-high 32 points from second-year guard Kemba Walker, who went 11 of 20 from the field and recorded seven assists.

"I'm trying to get better," said Walker, who averages team highs of 18.1 points and 6.1 assists. "That's all you do at this point. I'm just doing whatever I can do to help my team win basketball games. No matter how many points I have I really don't care about that stuff. I'm just trying to win."

Walker has averaged 21.1 points and shot 45.9 percent at home, compared to 12.4 points and 35.8 percent on the road. He went 4 of 11 from the field and finished with 12 points in a 106-73 loss at Los Angeles on Jan. 31 in these teams' last meeting.

SEASON & SERIES NOTES; CONNECTIONS
The Lakers won their lone meeting with the Bobcats last season, after splitting the previous two season series with Charlotte 1-1. The two teams have met 15 times in all with the Lakers trailing the all-time series 7-8. The Bobcats are one of only two teams in the NBA that the Lakers have a .500 or losing record against (Boston) alltime. At STAPLES Center, the Lakers are 5-3 all-time against the Bobcats while in Charlotte, Los Angeles has gone 2-5 overall. In their last meeting, the Lakers held Charlotte to a series-low 73 points and won by a series-high 33-point margin in a 106-73 victory 1/31/12 at STAPLES Center. In their first meeting of the 2009-10 season at STAPLES Center, the Lakers defeated the Bobcats 99-97, snapping a 3- game home and overall losing streak to Charlotte. On 3/5/10, the Lakers scored a series low 83 points and lost by a then series worst 15 points and followed that up the next season with a series worst 20-point defeat (89-109) 2/14/11 at Charlotte. In 2008-09, the Bobcats defeated the Lakers 110-117 in double-overtime at STAPLES Center, marking the third OT contest (2nd multi-overtime game) between the two teams in the brief history of the series. In 2006-07, the Lakers lost on the road to the Bobcats 124-133 in triple overtime to conclude a six-game road trip. It was the Lakers third ever triple-overtime game in the Los Angeles era and the team’s longest game since a four-overtime contest in January of 1980 at Cleveland. In 14 career games against Charlotte, Kobe Bryant is averaging 29.2 points, his highest career average against any team in the league. His high game against the Bobcats was 58 points in the triple-overtime contest 12/29/06. Bobcats guard Ramon Sessions played in 23 regular season games for the Lakers last season, averaging 12.7 points and 6.2 assists. Also, Lakers guard Steve Blake and Bobcats Center DeSagana Diop both are alumni of Oak Hill Academy in Virginia.

LAST REGULAR SEASON MEETING
Kobe Bryant scored all of his game-high 24 points in the opening two quarters as the Lakers took a 24-point lead into the half, led by as many as 35 on the night and defeated the Charlotte Bobcats 106-73 at STAPLES Center. Entering the game with a 6-8 all-time mark against the Bobcats and never having defeated Charlotte by more than 11 points, the Lakers got 48 points from the bench as six players in all finished in double-figures. Andrew Bynum posted a double-double with 20 points (8-11 FG) and a game-high 11 rebounds while Andrew Goudelock (12 points), Troy Murphy (12 points (4-4 3FG, 6 rebounds, team-high 4 assists), Pau Gasol (10 points, 9 rebounds) and Matt Barnes (10 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists, game-high 3 blocks) all scored 10-plus points. Gerald Henderson led Charlotte with 14 points on 7-of-16 shooting while rookie Kemba Walker finished with 12 points, six rebounds and a game-high six assists in the loss.