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Lakers Gameday | 12/20/08 | Magic 106, Lakers 103

Location: Amway Arena, Orlando FL | Time: 4:00pm | TV: KCAL HD | Radio: AM 570 KLAC, ESPN 1330
Dec 21 2008 1:11AM

Lakers LogoLos Angeles Lakers
(21-5)
Western Conference Standing : 1
Streak: Lost 2
 Lakers Game day

Heat LogoOrlando Magic
(21-6)
Eastern Conference Standing : 3
Streak: Won 4
Injury Report Injury Report
  • Sasha Vujacic (bone bruise, right hand) will play.
  • Pau Gasol (strep throat) is day-to-day.
    • Team 1 2 3 4 F
    Los Angeles Lakers 24 34 26 19 103
    Orlando Magic 23 26 36 21 106
    • Dwight Howard – (Sore left knee) Day-to-day.
    • Mike Wilks – Torn ACL, right knee…Out for the season.
    • Mickael Pietrus – (Torn ulnar collateral ligament, right thumb) - Out.
    POST-GAME NUMBERS

  • 68 - points for the Lakers backcourt who came out firing and striking, they made 23 of their 47 attempts. Kobe Bryant had 41 points in the game and Derek Fisher contributed with 21 points.
  • 39 - free throw attempts by the Orlando Magic compared to only 25 by the Lakers. The Magic didn't make most of their opportunities, they shot 24 out of 39 attempts. The Lakers however did take advantage of their opportunities only missing one of their 25 attempts.
  • 12 - three's made by the Orlando Magic towards their win tonight. Jameer Nelson was huge for the Magic tonight connecting on four threes to lead his team with 27 points.
  • 3 - points for the Lakers big man Andrew Bynum, he got into early foul trouble and his minutes were limited to 11 as his teams suffered their first consecutive loss of the season.
  • 0 - points for Shasha Vujacic who had a chance at the end of the game to give the Lakers the lead, but his shot went in and out. Vujacic shot 0 for 6 from the field, with three of those being from beyond the arc.
    ---Francisco Gomez, Lakers.com
    		•
    LAKERS BEST
    Points
    Kobe Bryant
    K. Bryant
    41
    Rebounds
    Kobe Bryant
    K. Bryant
    8
    Assists
    Derek Fisher
    D. Fisher
    4
    Plus/Minus
    Luke Walton
    L. Walton
    -9
    LINKS
  • Box Score
  • Play-by-Play
  • Quotes
    		• BLOG
  • Postgame
  • Running Diary
  • Lakers - Magic Pregame
  • Team Breakdown/Magic Preview
    		•  VIDEO
  • Hightlights
    • PHOTOS

    STARTERS
    Los Angeles Lakers Orlando Magic
    Guard
    Derek Fisher
    D. Fisher
    Guard
    Kobe Bryant
    K. Bryant
    Forward
    Luke Walton
    L. Walton
    Forward
    Pau Gasol
    P. Gasol
    Center
    Andrew Bynum
    A. Bynum
    Guard
    Jameer Nelson
    J. Nelson
    Guard
    Keith Bogans
    K. Bogans
    Forward
    Hedo Turkoglu
    H. Turkoglu
    Forward
    Rashard Lewis
    R. Lewis
    Center
    Dwight Howard
    D. Howard
    • POST-GAME
    • GAME PREVIEW
    • GAME NOTES
    • SCOUTING REPORT
    • LAKERS UPDATES
    Magic overcome Bryant's big night, win 106-103

    ORLANDO, Fla.(AP) Jameer Nelson had 27 points, and Orlando overcame Kobe Bryant's season-high 41 points in the Magic's 106-103 victory over the Western Conference-leading Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday night.

    Orlando held a lead late in the fourth quarter, and foul-plagued Dwight Howard hit a pair of free throws with just over a minute left. Rashard Lewis hit one of two free throws in the final minute to put the Magic up to stay.

    Bryant missed a 3 at the buzzer that would have sent the game to overtime.

    Howard scored 18 points in his second game back from a knee injury.

    Orlando, which beat perennial Western Conference contender San Antonio on Thursday, was looking to validate itself as a legitimate NBA title contender.

    Rashard Lewis added 22 points for Magic in their sixth straight home victory.

    Bryant had 25 first-half points as the Lakers took a 58-49 halftime lead.

    The Lakers went on a 8-0 run early in the second quarter to take a 32-24 lead.

    Jameer Nelson hit a long jumper to tie the score at 78-78 late in the third quarter, with the Magic using six 3s to get back in the game.

    Nelson scored 15 points in the third quarter.

    The Magic faced a great test, but so did Howard. He matched up with Lakers big men Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum, both averaging at least 13 points.

    Howard and Bynum picked up their second fouls early in the first quarter and went to the bench. Howard drew a technical foul early in the second quarter, and played only nine minutes in the first half.

    Lakers guard Jordan Farmar tore his meniscus cartilage in his left knee against Miami Friday. An MRI confirmed the injury Saturday, but the Lakers don't yet know how long he'll be sidelined. Farmar was on the bench in street clothes Saturday but will return to Los Angeles Sunday for further examination.

    Orlando's been the beneficiary of a generous schedule. They caught San Antonio on the second of back-to-back games, and enjoyed the same advantage against the Lakers. Los Angeles lost to Miami on Friday.

    There were obstacles, however. The Magic hadn't beaten the Lakers at home in four seasons.

    Notes: The Magic made 12 of 33 3s. ... Los Angeles is on a five-game trip. The Lakers return home to play NBA champion Boston on Dec. 25.


    Copyright 2008 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 - Magic Preview

    The Orlando Magic may have been viewing this week's stretch of games as a way to evaluate themselves against some of the league's best talent.

    They passed their first test, but have another big one looming.

    The Southeast Division-leading Magic look for their eighth victory in nine games on Saturday night when they host the Western Conference-leading Los Angeles Lakers.

    After advancing to the East semifinals in 2007-08, Orlando (20-6) is hoping to make a title run this season. So far, it looks like it has what it takes.

    The Magic lost their first two games this season, but have won 20 of 24 since to take a four-game lead over second-place Atlanta in the division.

    They defeated San Antonio 90-78 on Thursday, and can validate their status as legitimate contenders with a win over the Lakers (21-4) and a victory over Southwest-leading New Orleans on Christmas day.

    "We are playing with confidence now, but beating the best team in the West would definitely give us a lot more confidence,'' said the Magic's Jameer Nelson, who scored 24 points against the Spurs. "I think that we've proven we can compete with anybody in the NBA and as long as we play our game, it is going to be tough for people to beat us.''

    The Magic haven't had much success against Los Angeles, however, losing 16 of the last 19 meetings and eight of 10 in Orlando.

    Dwight Howard had 36 points on 14-of-19 shooting and 19 rebounds in the two games against the Lakers in 2007-08, as the teams split the season series.

    Howard returned on Thursday after missing two games because of a sore knee, and didn't appear to miss a step, scoring 14 points and grabbing 13 rebounds. The two-time All-Star leads the league in rebounds (14.1) and blocked shots (3.8), and is tied for first with 18 double-doubles.

    The Magic have won their last five home games by an average of 10.6 points, and are looking to win six in a row at Amway Arena for the first time since Nov. 6-25, 2006.

    "We've got to make a statement," Orlando's Rashard Lewis said. "We've got to continue to play well and win ballgames. I think that the most important part to gain recognition in this league, you've got to get wins."

    The Lakers have been receiving plenty of recognition lately, as they've jumped out to one of the best starts in the league with a 6 1/2 game lead over second-place Phoenix in the Pacific Division.

    The defending West champions had won four in a row before opening a four-game road trip with a tough 89-87 loss to Miami on Friday.

    The Lakers trailed by as many as 12 in the fourth quarter and were held to their lowest scoring total of the season, but still had a chance to win. Kobe Bryant's potential game-tying 15-foot fadeaway rimmed out as time expired, and the reigning league MVP finished with 28 points.

    "It was going down, then just popped out,'' said Bryant, who averaged 32.0 points and 8.0 rebounds in two games versus the Magic last season. "Happens sometimes. You regroup and you get back to work.''

    The Lakers have not lost consecutive games all season, but have dropped their last two on the road after starting 7-1 away from Staples Center.


    Copyright 2008 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
    GAME NOTES
    NOTES & CONNECTIONS

    The Lakers split last season’s series with the Magic 1-1 after sweeping each of the previous two seasons with Orlando 2-0. This will be the 40th meeting between the two franchises with Los Angeles holding a 30-9 advantage in the all-time series. The Lakers have never lost a season series to the Magic but have split on nine occasions. The Lakers are 16-3 against the Magic in their last 19 meetings and 8-2 in their last 10 overall. In Orlando, the Lakers are 8-2 against the Magic in their last 10 meetings. At STAPLES Center, the Lakers are 8-1 all-time against the Magic but saw their 10-game home win streak come to an end with Orlando’s 104-97 victory last season in Los Angeles. Under head coach Phil Jackson, the Lakers are 14-2 against Orlando. In 20 games against Orlando including 16 starts, Kobe Bryant is averaging 25.1 points. During the 2004-05 season, Bryant set a Lakers-Magic series record with 41 points on November 12, 2004. Former Laker Shaquille O’Neal holds the Magic high mark against the Lakers with 46 points back in March of 1995. Earlier this season on November 20, the Lakers acquired Trevor Ariza from Orlando in exchange for veterans Brian Cook and Maurice Evans. Cook played in 259 games with the Lakers from 2003- 07, averaging 6.6 points and 3.2 rebounds while shooting 39.2 percent on three-point field goals (171-217). Maurice Evans played in 76 games with the Lakers in 2006-07 and seven games in 2007-08, averaging 8.1 points in 22.0 minutes.

    LAKERS SCOUTING REPORT

    Check back soon for our Scouting Report against the Orlando Magic.
    Read more...

    LAKERS UPDATES

    BRYANT PASSES CLYDE DREXLER FOR 21st ON NBA’S ALL-TIME SCORING LIST
    With 28 points December 16 against New York, Kobe Bryant moved past Clyde Drexler (22,195) for 21st on the NBA’s all-time scoring list. Earlier this season, with 29 points November 14 against Detroit, Bryant moved past both Larry Bird and Gary Payton on the all-time list. With 22,220 points, Bryant now trails Elgin Baylor (23,194) and Adrian Dantley (23,177) for 20th and 19th respectively on the scoring list. Bryant, currently in his 13th NBA season, passed Drexler in his 890th career game. Drexler reached 21,195 points in 1,086 career games over 15 seasons. Bryant passed Bird and Payton in his 874th career game. Bird reached 21,791 points in 897 career games over 13 seasons while Payton reached 21,813 points in 1,335 games over 17 NBA seasons. With 28 points December 2 at Indiana, Kobe Bryant became the 22nd player in NBA history to score 22,000 points and in doing so, became the second youngest player ever to 22,000 points (30 years, 101 days), one day older than Wilt Chamberlain (30 years, 100 days) who scored his 22,000th point on 11/26/66. The next youngest to 22,000 points were Oscar Robertson (31 years, 117 days) on 3/21/70 and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (31 years, 350 days) on 4/1/79. The youngest player in league history to accumulate 12,000 – 20,000 career points, Bryant became the 12th fastest to 22,000 points in terms of games, reaching the mark in 881 career games. Through his career, Bryant has been the 29th fastest to 15,000, the 22nd fastest to 16,000, the 20th fastest to 17,000, the 16th fastest to 18,000, the 15th fastest to 19,000, the 15th fastest to 20,000 and the 12th fastest to 21,000 points in terms of games. Last season, Bryant became the 25th player in NBA history to score 21,000 points and in doing so, became the second youngest player ever to 21,000 points (29 years, 194 days) and second ever under the age of 30 behind Wilt Chamberlain (29 years, 184 days). Michael Jordan was the third youngest to 21,000 (30 years, 40 days). Earlier in the season, Bryant, at 29 years, 122 days, became the youngest player in NBA history to reach 20,000 career points and the third player ever to reach 20,000 points under the age of 30, ranking ahead of Wilt Chamberlain (29 years, 134 days) and Michael Jordan (29 years, 326 days).

    JACKSON MOVES PAST RED AUERBACH IN GAMES COACHED
    The Lakers 116-114 victory over New York December 16 was Phil Jackson’s 1,418th game as a head coach, moving him ahead of Red Auerbach for the 12th most games coached in NBA history. Additionally, with the victory, Jackson moved within THREE wins of 1,000 for his career. Should Jackson reach the 1,000-win mark in the next 15 games, he would become the fastest coach to 1,000 career victories in NBA history, surpassing Pat Riley (1,434 career games). Already the fastest coach to 900 career victories, Jackson reached the mark in 1,264 games, 14 games fewer than Riley who held the old mark at 1,278 games. The only coach in NBA history to win better than 70 percent of his games (997-421, .703), Jackson ranks 6th all-time in terms of victories behind Larry Brown (currently 1,018 after starting the season 1,010). Earlier this season at Dallas (11/11/08), Jackson coached his 1,400th career game. Back on March 25, 2007, Jackson coached career game 1,300 to pass his mentor Red Holzman (1,299) on the all-time list. Additionally, on September 7, 2007, Jackson was inducted in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, earning induction in his first year of consideration for election. Now in his 18th season as an NBA head coach, Jackson is 997-421 for a .703 win percentage, the best in league history.

    STRONG STARTS
    With their loss at Sacramento December 9, the Lakers fell to 17-3 on the season, coming up two wins shy of the franchise’s best two-loss start to a season set in 1985-86 when Los Angeles began the season a franchise-best 19-2 before losing their third game. This season, the Lakers began the year 7-0, coming within four wins of the franchise’s best undefeated start to a season. Only twice in franchise history had the Lakers started the season with a better mark, going a franchise-best 11-0 to open the 1997-98 campaign and 8-0 to start the 1987-88 season. The Lakers extended their one-loss record this season to 14-1, marking the second time the Lakers have ever been at least 14-1 while falling two wins shy of the franchise’s best one-loss start which came in the form of a 16-1 record to begin the 2001-02 campaign. Currently 21-3, the Lakers have surpassed Jackson’s best 3-loss mark in his nine year tenure with the franchise (previously 19-3, 2001-02). With the Bulls, however, Jackson’s teams began the season a staggering 41-3 in 1995-96 and followed that up with a 25-3 start to the 1996-97 season. The Lakers best 3-loss record in franchise history came in 1971-72 when after starting the season 6-3, Los Angeles reeled off an NBA record 33-straight victories to improve to 39-3 before their fourth loss. The Lakers 7-0 start to the season was the second time under head coach Phil Jackson that they have opened the season 7-0 (2001-02). Only once has a Jackson-led team opened the season with a better record, with the 1996-97 Bulls going 12-0 to begin the season. Additionally, including this season, Phil Jackson led teams have now won at least 17 games before their third loss on three occasions, twice with the Chicago Bulls and now once with the Lakers – 2008-09: 17-2, 1995-96: 23-2, 1996-97: 17-2.