Lakers Gameday | 03/03/09 | Lakers 99, Grizzlies 89
 Los Angeles Lakers
Western Conference Standing : 1 Streak: Won 1 |
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 Memphis Grizzlies
Western Conference Standing : 12 Streak: Lost 8 |
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---Francisco Gomez, Lakers.com
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Bryant, Gasol help Lakers cruise past Grizzlies
LOS ANGELES(AP) Kobe Bryant scored 31 points and the Los Angeles Lakers ended their two-game skid with a front-running 99-89 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies on Tuesday night. The Lakers avoided their first three-game losing streak of the season, taking the lead for good seven minutes into the game. Memphis, 3-24 on the road, kept it relatively close until the Lakers pulled away from a 54-51 lead early in the third quarter. They were up 78-67 by the end of the period and remained comfortably ahead in the fourth quarter. Lakers center Pau Gasol, matched in the middle against younger brother Marc, had 13 points and eight rebounds. Derek Fisher added 11 points for Los Angeles. Lamar Odom was only 1-of-8 from the floor and scored just two points for Los Angeles, but posted some other impressive numbers: 13 rebounds, eight assists and six blocks. Bryant was 12-of-23 from the line and sat out the fourth quarter while the Lakers went mostly with reserves. Marc Gasol, 24 and four years younger than Pau, had 17 points and 14 rebounds for Memphis. O.J. Mayo scored 17. Los Angeles was up by 15 early in the second quarter, but the Grizzlies chipped away and closed to within 52-47 on Marc Gasol's two free throws after his brother fouled him 4 seconds before halftime. Bryant had 19 points by halftime, but was the lone Laker in double figures. Marc Gasol had 11 points, nine rebounds and three assists for Memphis by the break. With the Lakers trailing 17-16 with five minutes left in the first quarter, Bryant pulled up and made an 11-footer, fed Pau Gasol for a dunk, hit a 16-footer, then added a 3. That ignited Los Angeles, and the Lakers went on to finish a 16-2 string that put them up 32-19 at the end of the period. The Grizzlies are 1-21 this season in games when they've failed to score at last 20 points in the first quarter. Notes: Los Angeles was coming off a 118-111 loss at Phoenix that followed a 90-79 defeat at Denver. ... The Lakers last lost three straight Jan. 23-27 of last year. ... The Grizzlies announced that C Chris Mihm underwent surgery on his right ankle, with no timetable for his return. Memphis acquired him from the Lakers on Feb. 18, and he yet to play a game for the Grizzlies. 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 - Grizzlies Preview
The Los Angeles Lakers haven't lost three straight games this season. Facing a lowly Memphis team should get them back on track. While Los Angeles goes for its fifth straight win at Staples Center on Tuesday night, the Grizzlies are looking for just their fourth road win of the season. The Lakers (48-12) dropped their second consecutive game Sunday, 118-111 at Phoenix, despite Kobe Bryant's 49-point effort. The reigning MVP hit 18-of-38 from the field and recorded his 96th career 40-plus point game as Los Angeles lost two in a row for the third time in 2008-09. The Lakers' last three-game losing streak was Jan. 23-27, 2008. "We're going through a period right now where everybody's just kind of tired a little bit," said Bryant, who had 29 points in a 90-79 loss at Denver on Friday. "It happens. ... Everybody kind of goes through it a little bit. And this two games, we've been playing lethargic." In two games versus Memphis this season, though, Bryant has averaged 30.5 points as Los Angeles won both contests. In the Grizzlies' last game visiting the Lakers, Bryant scored 53 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in a 114-111 loss on March 28, 2008. Pau Gasol missed that game with a sprained left ankle. He had 30 points Sunday and is looking for another solid outing Tuesday against his former team. Gasol, who spent his first six-plus seasons with Memphis before last February's trade to Los Angeles, averaged 19.5 points and 7.5 boards in two victories against the Grizzlies this season. Lamar Odom looks to bounce back from one of his worst games of the season. He had four points and six rebounds against the Suns before fouling out in 23 minutes. "Lamar just really had an awful day," Los Angeles coach Phil Jackson said. "I mean, there were a couple of really bad calls against Lamar that limited his time." Odom has averaged only 12.5 points and 6.0 boards in the two games against Memphis this season. The Grizzlies (15-43) arrive in Los Angeles for back-to-back games versus the Lakers and Clippers after losing their seventh straight, 99-92 to Oklahoma City on Saturday. Rudy Gay scored 20 points and O.J. Mayo added 18. Memphis trailed 29-17 after 12 minutes - the 21st time in 2008-09 that it hasn't reached 20 points in the first quarter. "That has been a struggle, trying to get the start of the game with higher energy, higher effort," said Grizzlies coach Lionel Hollins, whose team is 1-20 when it fails to reach 20 points in the opening 12 minutes. Memphis, 3-23 on the road this season, needs to get off to a quick start and to avoid turnovers against a Los Angeles team leading the league in scoring at 108.8 points per game. The Thunder scored 25 points Saturday off the Grizzlies' 17 turnovers. "We gave them too many easy layups," said Mike Conley, averaging 13.1 points and 5.8 assists since being inserted into the starting lineup Jan. 19. "There was too much penetration by their guards. They were shooting 90 percent at one point just because of their layups. They were making a lot of easy plays." Gay sprained his ankle Saturday, but likely be available Tuesday. Gay had 28 points, seven boards and four assists in Memphis' last game visiting the Lakers. 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 lead their season series with Memphis 2-0 after taking last season’s series from the Grizzlies 2-1. This will be the 52nd meeting between the two franchises and the 29th since the Grizzlies moved to Memphis. The Lakers lead the all-time series 38-13 but are just 16-12 versus the Grizzlies since the team moved to Memphis. In their last 10 meetings with Memphis, the Lakers are 6-4 but have won 4 of their last 5 overall. The Lakers are 5-5 in their last 10 home games against Memphis and are 12- 5 all-time at STAPLES Center against the Grizzlies. In Memphis, the Lakers have gone 5-5 in their last 10 road games but are winners of their last four straight at FedExForum. Under head coach Phil Jackson, the Lakers are 24-9 against the Grizzlies. Individually, Kobe Bryant is averaging 23.9 points for his career against the Grizzlies in 45 games (38 starts). Last season, Bryant scored an NBA season-high 53 points March 28, 2008 at STAPLES Center. Two seasons ago in Memphis, Bryant scored a series-high 60 points, becoming only the 3rd player in NBA history to score 50 or more points in three consecutive games 3/22/07. Additionally, the Lakers acquired Pau Gasol from Memphis in exchange for Kwame Brown, Javaris Crittenton, Aaron McKie and the draft rights to his brother, Marc Gasol, on February 1, 2008. In the Lakers 1st meeting this season with the Grizzlies (12/22), the brothers Gasol faced off in the NBA for the first time, with Pau (15 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 blocks) bettering his brother Marc’s line (8 points,7 rebounds). In two games against his former team, Pau is averaging 19.5 points, 7.5 rebounds and 5.0 assists. Both played for Spain this past summer in the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Pau remains the franchise leader in 12 statistical categories, including points (8,966), rebounds (4,096) and blocks (877) in six-plus years with Memphis.
LAKERS SCOUTING REPORT
This is a very big game for us. I know that may sound a little crazy since we are still six weeks away from the playoffs against a team that has lost seven in a row. But coming off back to back losses we need to re-establish the intensity that we had in racing out to 48 wins in our first 58 games this season. Tonight’s game will be more about the energy we bring and the respect we show to the Memphis Grizzlies. We need to throw the records out and simply be ready to play basketball from the opening tip.
LAKERS UPDATES
BRYANT 35 POINTS SHY OF PASSING ROBERT PARISH FOR 18th ON ALL-TIME SCORING LIST THIRD TIME’S A CHARM GASOL EARNS 1st CAREER WESTERN CONFERENCE PLAYER OF THE MONTH AWARD PICKING UP THE SLACK |
