Lakers Big 2nd Half Silences the Nuggets

DENVER — The Nuggets carried a 3-point lead into half time, but Kobe Bryant made things happen in the 3rd quarter leading the champs to an easy victory. Bryant blasted the Denver crowd by day and quieted it at night. After criticizing Denver fans for booing Carmelo Anthony, Bryant gave the Pepsi Center crowd little to cheer about, as he led the Los Angeles Lakers past the Nuggets, 107-97 on Friday night.  

Bryant scored 14 of his 18 points in the decisive third quarter and was one of five Lakers to score at least 17. Ron Artest scored a season-best 19 as did Pau Gasol. Lamar Odom had 18 and Andrew Bynum 17.  “Every one of their big guys had a big game,” Nuggets coach George Karl lamented.  After frittering away double-digit leads in their previous three games, the Lakers never let up after grabbing a 10-point advantage in the third quarter.

Anthony led Denver with 23 points after missing shoot-around to attend to a personal matter. Arron Afflalo chipped in 22, but the Nuggets repeatedly failed to find him in their second-half rotations and Bryant went off in the third quarter, helping the Lakers take control.  Bryant said his quiet first half was by design.  “It’s important for me to keep my guys involved, and build their confidence. I know I can score at any moment or get looks at any moment,” he said. “The third quarter I was able to do that.”

The Nuggets had won seven of their previous nine regular-season games against Los Angeles at the Pepsi Center, but the Lakers’ size bettered Denver’s speed as the Nuggets lost for just the fifth time in 24 home games. Led by Gasol’s 13 boards and 10 from Odom, the Lakers outrebounded the Nuggets 47-27.  “They’re trees down there,” Anthony said. “And they bring Lamar, another 7-footer, off the bench, and he does the same thing: Attack the offensive glass, put-backs.”

Bulk beat the break on this night. Although speedy Ty Lawson managed 15 points, the Lakers held the Nuggets to just four fast-break points and most of the time they got back to set up their defense before Denver could beat them to the basket.  “Size won tonight,” Karl said. “Even when we did some good things defensively, we didn’t rebound the ball. The hope of playing with speed is you’ve got to rebound the ball and get more than four fast-break points.”  Chauncey Billups said the Nuggets didn’t push the pace like they should have in the third quarter, “but that was because they were kind of scoring every time. It’s tough to get a fast break when you’re taking it out.”

Bryant, who gets booed in Denver every time he touches the ball, called out the Nuggets fans who have been jeering Anthony over his trade stance. On Thursday, he said they were stupid for booing Anthony after his 35-point performance against Oklahoma City this week, and on Friday at shoot-around he called them idiots.  “Melo’s a good friend of mine and it’s the truth,” Bryant said after the game. “It’s stupid. You don’t boo him. It’s silly. You boo him the first time, let him know how you feel and get over it.”  Bryant suggested that if Anthony were at all waffling about his desire for a trade, the Nuggets fans’ hostile treatment might just push the All-Star forward out of Denver.  Anthony has been the subject of trade talk since refusing to sign a three-year, $65 million extension last summer. Nuggets general manager Masai Ujiri said after the New Jersey Nets halted negotiations on their latest blockbuster proposal Wednesday that he was still in talks with several other teams about a possible trade for Anthony. Afflalo’s fourth 3-pointer of the night gave Denver a 52-49 lead at the break. But Bryant helped the Lakers surge ahead, taking an 82-72 lead into the fourth quarter that was never challenged.

Before tip-off, Karl said he’s kept a sense of humor about the never-ending Melo Drama out of necessity because his doctors have told him to keep his stress levels low after battling throat and neck cancer last year. He said his blood pressure is good, his blood work fine and his sleep patterns good.  “Two things I used to do is drink too many beers and eat in excess. Now, I don’t do either, so I’m fine in that area,” Karl said. “And I think I’m actually laughing at situations a little bit, trying to laugh with it and joke with it.”  With Ujiri and team president Josh Kroenke keeping a low profile, Karl has been the point man for the organization on all matters involving his star.  “I can’t deny that in the last two or three weeks it’s gotten a little tiring,” Karl said. “But in the same sense, I’ve had fun with it. There’s some laughter going on.”  Asked if he thought this spectacle might last right up to the Feb. 24 trade deadline, Karl said, “I think it could go farther than that. I’ve definitely written some thoughts about it on paper, if that happens, what I need to do, what I need to prepare for.”

The Nuggets wouldn’t necessarily risk losing Anthony to free agency without compensation next summer because they could still trade him between the end of their season and June 30. Karl said he’s spoken with Ujiri about all the possible scenarios but wanted to keep those conversations between the two of them.

Lakers Beat Kings with Help from Kobes Triple Double

When Kobe Bryant was limited in training camp because of offseason knee surgery, the Los Angeles Lakers didn’t know how long it would take for their star to find his usual form.  Apparently, five games was enough.  Bryant had 30 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds to help the Lakers win their fifth straight game to open the season, 112-100 over the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday night.  “I thought he might start off struggling to find some rhythm and he would build some rhythm as things went,” teammate Derek Fisher said. “To see him play this well this early, he’s on my team, so that’s good for me. But that’s not good for everyone else when he’s playing this good this early.” 

Pau Gasol added 22 points and 11 rebounds, and Lamar Odom scored 18 for the Lakers, who have won seven straight against their Northern California rivals.  But Bryant was the star. He had his 17th career triple-double and first since Jan. 21, 2009, against the Clippers. He had just two triple-doubles the past five seasons, but needed only five games after offseason knee surgery to get one this season.  “I just feel better. I feel fine,” Bryant said. “I’m 100 percent.”

The Kings wouldn’t argue. They had won three of four to begin the season for their best start in seven years. That brought hope among Sacramento fans that a rivalry that had grown stale in recent years could be rekindled to what it was a decade ago when these teams were annually among the top contenders for a title.  But the Lakers dealt the young Kings a dose of reality that beating Cleveland, Toronto and Minnesota is a little different than going up against the two-time defending NBA champions.  “The Lakers don’t even know who we are right now,” coach Paul Westphal said. “We would like to build a rivalry with the best team in the world. … We’ve got to win some games before there’s a rivalry. They’re where we want to be.”

A 3-pointer by rookie DeMarcus Cousins and a basket by reigning Rookie of the Year Tyreke Evans helped Sacramento get within six early in the third quarter. The Lakers responded with a 13-1 run that gave them a 79-61 lead and essentially put the game away early. Ron Artest hit a 3-pointer to extend the lead to 20 points.  The Lakers have scored at least 107 points every game this season and turned the ball over only six times against the Kings as the offense looked in midseason form.  “It’s just picking up where we left off,” coach Phil Jackson said. “Kind of generating energy from the championship season, going out with a lot of knowledge of what we want to do.”
The Lakers got a scare late in the third quarter when Odom was hunched over in pain holding his left hand. He was tended to by the training staff and quickly returned to the game and made a 3-pointer, showing no ill effects.  Just when it appeared as if the Lakers could rest their stars on the back end of back-to-back games, the Kings rallied to cut the lead to 99-92 on a layup by Evans with just under 4 minutes to go.

Fisher answered with a 3-pointer and then got a steal for a three-point play that made it 105-92 with 3:14 to go. Bryant converted a three-point play when he pump-faked to draw a foul on Luther Head and then made a jumper that hit the rim and backboard before falling in to generate cheers from the large contingent of Lakers fans on hand.  “Big play Derek,” Odom said. “The Yankees got Derek Jeter, we got Derek Fisher.”

Bryant hit a pair of 3-pointers over Evans in the opening minutes and then turned into a distributor. He had six assists in the first quarter as the Kings struggled defensively against the Lakers.

Lakers Beat the Grizzlies 124-105 in Easy Home Win

Lakers Cruise to Another Victory in 124-105 Rout Over the GrizzliesThe Los Angeles Lakers slept walked through another victory at home tonight versus the Memphis Grizzlies.  The Lakers spanked the Grizzlies 124 to 105 to begin the 2010/11season with a 4-0 start.

Kobe led the way with 23 points, Gasol had 21points and 13 rebounds. and Lamar Odom shot 6 for 7 from the field for 17 points and 8 rebounds. The bench sparked the Lakers again as Shannon Brown had 13, Steve Blake had 10 and Matt Barnes had a season high 16 points played solid defense and hit their shots behind the arc.  The rookies looked good as Derek Caracter had 6 points and Devin Ebanks had 4 points and a nice dunk late in the 4^th quarter.

Steve Blake to Devin Ebanks -- Dunk vs Memphis Grizzlies -- 11/2/2010

Lakers Comeback and Beat in Rockets in Season Opener

After back to back championships and an emotional ring cermony fit for Hollywood, you expect the Los Angeles Lakers to win the season opener at home.  The Lakers’ emotions ran high when the lights went down at Staples Center. They walked to center court one at a time, accepting a gaudy ring before saying something heartfelt about the next teammate in line.  The two-time NBA champions needed every bit of that family bond just to survive the first test in a season that’s sure to be full of them.

NBA Lakers vs Rockets Game Highlights

Kobe Bryant scored 27 points, newcomer Steve Blake hit the go-ahead 3-pointer with 18.8 seconds left and Los Angeles rallied late for a 112-110 victory over the Houston Rockets on Tuesday night.  Pau Gasol had 29 points and 11 rebounds for the Lakers, who hung the golden banner celebrating their 16th NBA championship and handed out their impossibly ostentatious rings in a surprisingly touching pregame ceremony.  “It’s always fun when this night comes and there’s a chance to enjoy it,” said Bryant, a five-time champion along with Derek Fisher. “And tonight it was a little more special because we all introduced each other. It’s special. We know the bond that we share, and for Fisher to bring me out there, that was great.”  But the champs then fell behind by 15 points before rallying for a fourth-quarter lead behind a 3-point barrage by Shannon Brown, who scored 14 of his 16 points in a 6½-minute span.

The clubs traded the lead four times in the final minute, but Houston’s Luis Scola missed a difficult scoop shot with 3 seconds left. After officials used a lengthy video review to award possession of the loose ball to Houston with 2.4 seconds to play, Aaron Brooks’ layup attempt at the buzzer was blocked by Lamar Odom.  “Getting those rings, you’re definitely on a high,” said Brown, who turned down significant free-agent offers for a shot at a three-peat. “You have to come back down, because that’s history. That’s something nobody can take away from you ever, but it doesn’t help us in the next game.” “They’re the world champs, and we knew it was going to be tough,” Houston coach Rick Adelman said. “But I thought we responded pretty well. I think for about seven minutes, we just didn’t play the way we’re capable of, and they got back in the game.”

The Rockets didn’t make the celebration easy in the Lakers’ first real home game since that gut-wrenching, come-from-behind victory in Game 7 of the NBA finals four months ago. Los Angeles trailed by 11 points late in the third quarter before a 21-4 run featuring 12 consecutive points.  The Lakers understandably had a little trouble focusing after the pregame festivities.

The nine remaining Lakers’ rings are small asteroids of excess designed by owner Jerry Buss. They feature 16 oversized diamonds for each Lakers title, a three-dimensional rendering of each player’s face and even a small piece of leather from a basketball used in Game 7 of the NBA Finals. In contrast, the ring ceremony was all heart. NBA commissioner David Stern and Lakers executive Jeanie Buss stood at center court waiting for coach Phil Jackson, who accepted his 11th ring and said a few kind words before introducing forward Luke Walton, who introduced Odom, who introduced Ron Artest — all the way to Fisher introducing Bryant to thunderous applause.  “I think that the players were emboldened by the ring,” Jackson said. “I think they were excited about it, so that part of it, I thought was good. I just didn’t think we played with the right speed and tempo in the first half. We got a lot of shots, not a lot of them good.”

The Lakers hung in with scoring from Bryant and Gasol, and Blake hit back-to-back 3-pointers in the final minute of the third quarter to trim Houston’s lead to five points entering the fourth.  Brown’s layup put the Lakers ahead 88-86 with 9:08 left near the end of the Lakers’ big run, but Houston took a 108-107 lead with 53 seconds left. Gasol and Scola traded baskets before Blake came open on the perimeter and confidently drained his third 3-pointer.  “It feels great to contribute in your first game, but it’s even better to win in your first game,” Blake said.  Sign up for Lakers News Alerts at LakerBuzz.com

Fisher Ices Game 3 to Give Lakers the Victory Over Celtics

The Los Angeles Lakers won game 3 in the 2010 NBA Finals over the Boston Celtics, 91-84.  Derek Fisher broke down the court after yet another miss by Ray Allen, with nothing between him and the basket. And nothing — not even three hard-charging Celtics — was going to keep the Los Angeles Lakers guard from finishing off a Game 3 victory.  A hard foul from all three pursuing Celtics sent Fisher sprawling to the floor, but not before he laid in his fifth basket of the fourth quarter and converted the three-point play to help the Lakers beat Boston 91-84 and take a 2-1 lead in the NBA finals.  “Truthfully, he’s done it over and over and over again,” said Kobe Bryant, who scored 29 points. “So it’s almost his responsibility to our team to do these things.”

Bryant had 25 points after three quarters, but he did not score for the first 10 minutes of the fourth. That’s when Fisher took over, hitting four of five Lakers baskets after Boston cut a 17-point first-half lead down to one point to reclaim the home-court advantage they lost when the Celtics won Game 2 in L.A.

Game 4 is Thursday night in Boston, and a Lakers victory would put them within one win of avenging the loss to their longtime rivals in the 2008 finals — not to mention the eight other times the Celtics have won an NBA title at the Lakers’ expense.  “Our thoughts are really just still on how disappointed we are, or were, losing that second game on our home court. I think that had more of our attention and focus than what happened in ’08,” Fisher said. “We didn’t doubt our ability to win here. … We understand when you want to be the best, you have to win wherever, whenever.”

Fisher finished with 16 points, and Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum had 10 rebounds apiece for Los Angeles.  Kevin Garnett, who had just six points in Boston’s victory Sunday, had 25 in Game 3. But Allen, who had 32 points in Game 2, missed all 13 field goal attempts — one shy of the NBA finals futility record — many of them while Fisher was guarding him. “It’s a hell of a swing, I’ll tell you that,” Celtics coach Doc Rivers said. “It’s basketball. That’s why you can’t worry about it. He’ll be back in the gym tomorrow and getting ready for the next game. … It happens to the best of us.”  The Celtics had high hopes after splitting the opening two games in Los Angeles, but the “Beat L.A.!” chants at the TD Garden couldn’t help them overcome poor shooting.  And it couldn’t stop Fisher.  “Derek Fisher was the difference in the game,” Rivers said. “He’s just a gutty, gritty player and he gutted the game out for them. I thought Kobe was struggling a little bit, and Fisher — he basically took the game over. … I don’t know what he had in the fourth quarter … but most of them were down the stretch.”  Fisher, 34, came into the league with Bryant in 1996 and has a history of clutch shots, from the heave with 0.4 seconds left to beat San Antonio in the 2004 playoffs to the late jumpers in a series-swinging victory over Orlando in Game 4 of last year’s finals. The Lakers went on to beat the Magic in five games, earning their 15th NBA title — second only to Boston’s 17.

“I think as you grow in this game and you put in the work that’s required to still be around 14 years later, you start to recognize that being in this moment, on this stage, it’s not a given. It’s not something that happens every season,” Fisher said. “Five or 10 years from now, when I’m long gone, I would have hated to feel like I didn’t just do everything I could have to help my team. Things have worked out well, and we have two more wins to get to really put a nice cap on it.”

The Lakers opened a 37-20 first-half lead, but Boston cut the deficit to four late in the third quarter and then made it 68-67 early in the fourth on consecutive drives by Glen “Big Baby” Davis and Rajon Rondo. With a chance to take the lead, Allen was called for an offensive foul away from the ball.

Fisher then scored four of the Lakers’ next five baskets to give them a five-point lead with about 4 1/2 minutes left. He scored another with 49 seconds left before being flattened by Davis, among others, and adding the free throw to make it a three-possession game.  “He saw the opening and went and made a very bold play. … It was imperative that it goes in for us to win,” Lakers coach Phil Jackson said. “When he’s got an opportunity to hit a key shot, it seems like he’s always there and ready.”

Allen and Paul Pierce combined to go 1 for 13 from the field as Boston went nearly 6 minutes without a field goal in the first half. Pierce finished with 15 points, including 3 for 4 from 3-point range, but Allen never snapped out of it.  He missed all eight 3-pointers, all five 2-pointers and got to the line just twice. He was spared of matching the worst shooting performance in NBA finals history when Garnett was called for an offensive foul away from the ball in the final minute while Allen clanged another shot off the rim.  “We obviously didn’t expect him to go 0 for 13, but it’s a tough gig for him to run around offensively the way he has to and then have to guard Kobe on the other end,” Fisher said. “I mean, that takes anybody’s legs out. It takes my legs out chasing him. So there are going to be nights maybe when his legs aren’t there because he’s having to work so hard on both ends, but we won’t see 0 for 13 on Thursday night, that’s for sure.”

Garnett matched his Game 2 total of six points in the first 75 seconds of Game 3, and Rondo had Boston’s next three baskets to give Boston a 12-5 lead. But the Lakers ran off eight straight points to go ahead, scoring 32 of the next 40 points to open a 37-20 lead with 9:10 left in the half.  Rondo, who had a triple-double in Game 3, finished with 11 points, eight assists and three rebounds.

Kobe Bryant Hits Game Winner to Beat Grizzlies

Hitting a game-winning shot never gets old for Kobe Bryant.  “Every time it feels like the first time,” he said.  Bryant returned to lineup after missing five games with an ankle injury and made a 3-pointer with 4.3 seconds left to lift the Los Angeles Lakers to 99-98 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies Tuesday night. 

Watch Kobe Bryant Game Winner vs Grizzlies

Bryant led the Lakers with 32 points, including his team’s final nine points. His 3-pointer with 54 seconds left tied the game at 96-all. His game-winner came off an inbounds play 4 seconds after his layup attempt was blocked by Rudy Gay.  “He kept making plays at the end of the game,” Memphis coach Lionel Hollins said of Bryant. “Great players make great plays. You’ve got to give him his due (but) it hurts.”  Bryant’s late scoring spree came after the Lakers had missed five straight free throws and trailed, 95-90, with 2:59 left. He began his nine-point run with a jumper from the left wing with 2:23 to go to trim the Memphis lead to 95-92.

After Gay’s free throw, Bryant dropped in a technical free throw to make it 96-93. Gay scored again with 40 seconds left to up the Grizzlies lead to 98-93 before Bryant’s back-to-back 3-pointers won it for the Lakers.  “Only in Hollywood, I guess,” Bryant said. “It’s fun. It’s my responsibility to make plays down the stretch. I enjoy it.”  Pau Gasol added 22 points and 13 rebounds for the Lakers, who won for the seventh time in their last eight road games.  “Nobody in the world is shocked anymore by what Kobe Bryant does and what he brings to the team,” Gasol said. “He really stepped up at the end. It feels good to have him back.”

The Grizzlies, who lost their fifth straight home game, were led by O.J. Mayo’s 25 points. Zach Randolph(notes) scored 20 and grabbed 14 rebounds, his seventh straight double-double.  Mayo’s two missed free throws with 18.8 seconds allowed the Lakers an opportunity to complete a comeback from nine points down early in the fourth quarter. Had Mayo made his free throws, the Grizzlies would have led by four.  “I’d love to take those last two free throws again,” Mayo said. “I’d love to take them and make them.”

Mayo had a last-second opportunity to win it for the Grizzlies, but his long jumper bounced off the rim as the buzzer sounded.  Absent from the Lakers lineup for his longest stretch in five years, Bryant scored nine points in the opening quarter, including a four-point play, and triggered a late first-quarter run with two breakaway dunks to increase the Lakers lead to 11.  Bryant last played Feb. 5 and Los Angeles went 4-1 without him.

The Grizzlies took their first lead early in the third quarter on a 3-pointer by Mayo for a 59-56 advantage and didn’t trail again until Bryant’s game-winning shot.
Bryant, averaging 42.5 points against Memphis in two previous games this season, began his late nine-point run with a jumper from the left wing with 2:23 to go to trim the Memphis lead to 95-92.  With Bryant scoring 17 of his points in the first half, the Lakers built several 14-point leads before settling for a 53-48 halftime advantage.  “We gave ourselves an opportunity to win the game,” Hollins said. “But Kobe was better. That’s the bottom line.”

LA Lakers Improve to 4 and 0 without Kobe Bryant

Shannon Brown pick ed up the slack with a career high 27 points and 10 rebounds against Warriors. Kobe Bryant rests his ankle again, but the Lakers continue to win.  The first surprise came earlier in the day, when Kobe Bryant decided he would not play against the Golden State Warriors.   Then the outcome of the game itself was in doubt, the Lakers stumbling Tuesday against the hapless Warriors, who entered with punch line-inspiring credentials of a 14-37 record, 4-22 on the road.   But the Lakers hemmed and hawed their way to a victory, 104-94, another testament to their ability to win without Bryant as much as the Warriors’ inability to win, period. Article written by By Mike Bresnahan

Kobe Hits Late Shot for Lakers to Beat the Celtics

The Los Angeles Lakers are doing their best to forget all those awful memories of playing in the Boston Garden. Kobe Bryant sank the go-ahead basket with 7.3 seconds left, and the Lakers won 90-89 on Sunday for their third consecutive victory over the struggling Celtics. Boston has not been able to make good on the traditional “Beat L.A.!” chant since winning 131-92 to clinch the 2008 NBA championship here in Game 6 of the finals. “They smacked us two years ago,” Lakers forward Lamar Odom said. “It was a big game for us. This is a team that’s going to be battling to be coming out of the East.”

Winners of 32 NBA titles between them including the last two the Lakers and Celtics have met in the finals 11 times, from Bill Russell against Elgin Baylor and Wilt Chamberlain, to Magic Johnson vs. Larry Bird and on to the current matchup of Bryant facing the New Big Three of Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Ray Allen. But while the Lakers’ superstar came through in the stretch for them, Boston’s couldn’t.

Watch The Highlights of Lakers Beating the Celtics

Bryant complained of a stiff ankle after Friday night’s win in Philadelphia, and it seemed to bother him during the game. He shot just 8 for 20 but made the big one: making a move toward the basket before stepping back from Allen’s defense and swishing the ball through the net to give Los Angeles its only lead of the second half. “He had a couple of looks before that that were good looks, and he didn’t put them in. We were mystified by that,” said Lakers coach Phil Jackson, who tied Pat Riley atop the franchise coaching list with his 533rd win in Los Angeles. “He told me the next one was going to go in, so we went with him.” Bryant finished with 19, Andrew Bynum had 19 points and 11 rebounds, and Pau Gasol had 11 points and 11 boards for the Lakers, who won their fourth consecutive game. “I didn’t say give me one more chance. I said give me the damn ball,” Bryant said. “I never really give him much of a choice.”
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The Celtics led 81-70 before the Lakers made the next four baskets. Rasheed Wallace hit a 3-pointer — his only basket of the game to stop the run, and it was still a three-point game with less than two minutes left when Bryant hit a pair of free throws to make it 87-86. Allen hit a pair of free throws, then Ron Artest sank a runner in the lane to make it 89-88. The Celtics got the ball to Pierce, who created a little too much space for himself, negating the basket. “I thought I made a good move. I got to my sweet spot,” Pierce said. “I guess the ref saw it differently and he made the call. That’s part of the game. That’s why you have referees.” Allen’s 3-point attempt at the final buzzer bounced harmlessly off the rim. “Ten times out of 10 times, when you have Ray open like that I’m going to give him the ball,” Pierce said. “He got a good look at it. Sometimes it falls; sometimes it doesn’t.” The Celtics fell behind 22-10 in the first quarter, when Bynum scored 12 points, and trailed 40-34 midway through the second before scoring the next 15 points.

Lakers Look Good in Victory Over Indiana

Kobe Bryant scored 29 points and Andrew Bynum added a season-high 27 to help the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Indiana Pacers 118-96 on Wednesday night. Bryant also had nine rebounds and seven assists, and Bynum had 12 rebounds. Pau Gasol(notes) had 21 points and 13 rebounds and Lamar Odom added 12 points and 14 rebounds for the Lakers, who won at Washington on Tuesday.

The Lakers set a season rebounding high, outrebounding the Pacers 62-42. The Pacers played in front of just their fourth sellout crowd of the year, and much of it chanted M-V-P for Bryant on several occasions.

Lakers Beat Kings in Double Overtime

Devoid of any feeling in his right arm since late in the third quarter, Kobe Bryant still managed to do what he does best: make clutch shots. Bryant ignored an arm that had no feeling and connected on two huge 3-pointers in the second overtime, finishing with 38 points as the Los Angeles Lakers bounced back from a humbling Christmas Day loss to Cleveland by beating the Sacramento Kings 112-103 on Saturday night.

Lamar Odom opened the second overtime with a putback basket that gave the Lakers the lead for good. Then Bryant took control, connecting on back-to-back 3-pointers to put the Lakers in front 109-103 with 2:37 left. Los Angeles outscored the Kings 11-2 in the second OT. Bryant wasn’t sure how the “funny bone” on his right elbow was hit, but went to the locker room briefly for some therapy, then returned for much of the fourth quarter, when he used primarily his left hand and attempted only one shot, which was blocked. “My arm went numb and it spazzed up,” Bryant said. “My moment came for me to step up in the 2nd overtime. The defense relaxed, Donte Greene put his hands down and left me open for those shots.”

It felt like old times for Bryant, who grew accustomed to antagonistic crowds earlier in his career at Arco Arena. Only the second sellout of the season, Kings fans loudly booed the Lakers when starting lineups were announced and began chanting “Beat LA!” It was reminiscent of the crowds that cheered the Kings in the Chris Webber era, when Sacramento was typically battling the Lakers for supremacy in the Western Conference. “To tell you the truth, it kind of stunk coming up here the last few years,” Bryant said. “It seems like they are getting behind this young team. It felt good to get booed like it used to be.”

Beno Udrih scored 23 points for the Kings, who held the Lakers scoreless in the final 3:35 of the fourth quarter to force overtime. Tyreke Evans had 18 points, Greene had 16 and Omri Casspi added 15 points and 10 rebounds.
It was another frustrating loss for the Kings, who went scoreless in the overtime period in a loss to Cleveland. Against the Lakers, the Kings squandered a seven-point lead in the first overtime and shot just 1-of 8 in the second OT.
The youthful Kings were stagnant on offense late in the first overtime and it carried over into the second, when their only basket was a driving layup by Evans with 3:01 remaining. “There’s no way in the world we should have lost that game,” Evans said. “I just thought toward the end things didn’t go our way. But it was also Kobe. He just took over the game with those two 3s.”

Pau Gasol had 24 points and 11 rebounds for the Lakers, who avoided losing consecutive games for the second time this season. Shannon Brown scored 15 points and Odom had 13 points and 15 rebounds. The Lakers lost 102-87 to Cleveland on Friday before a national TV audience and are in a stretch of four games in five days, concluding Tuesday at home against Golden State. They played without starting forward Ron Artest, who the team said suffered a concussion on Christmas evening, falling while carrying boxes down a flight of stairs and injuring his left elbow at his Los Angeles home. Artest was treated at UCLA Medical Center, undergoing a CT scan and receiving stitches in the back of his head and his elbow. The team said a neurologist examined Artest on Saturday. He is day to day and didn’t travel with the team on its Saturday flight to Sacramento. “With Ron out, it was definitely different,” Brown said. “Everyone on this team gets a chance to show their stuff at one time or another.”

After the Kings scored the first seven points in the first overtime, they went scoreless over the final 2:40 as the Lakers rallied. Gasol tipped in a missed shot by Derek Fisher from close range, tying the game at 101 with .04 seconds left. “It feels bad, especially when you know you had them,” Kings coach Paul Westphal said. “When we just relaxed for that one second, Kobe got two 3s. That is what hurt us. We can’t relax. It definitely felt good to be out there, but it just hurts to lose another one.”

The victory moved the Lakers (24-5) past idle Boston for the best record in the NBA. Bothered by his sore right arm, Bryant missed all four shots in the fourth quarter, when he began passing and shooting with his left. Yet Bryant did slap the ball away Evans in the closing seconds as the Kings never got a shot off, forcing overtime with a 94-all tie. Arguably the top rookie thus far, Evans had just two points in the overtime periods and shot 9 of 23 and committed five turnovers. “It was the worst game I have ever played in the NBA,” Evans said. “We had the lead and we had a couple of bad plays down the stretch.”

Overall, Bryant was his usual self offensively, but it was Brown helping the Lakers pull away in the fourth quarter. Brown scored eight points over a two-minute stretch, his three-point play putting Los Angeles ahead 92-85 with 4:23 remaining. Despite Bryant making his first five shots and scoring 16 points in the third quarter, the Kings would not back down. It took a late 3-pointer and a breakaway dunk by Bryant in the final 1:04 to pull the Lakers even at 78 heading into the fourth. Udrih capped off a highly productive first half by dribbling past Bryant and hitting a 3-pointer with a second left to give Sacramento a 57-55 lead. Making a rare start, Udrih scored 13 points and Greene had 11 for the Kings. Bryant had 14 points and Gasol added 12 for the Lakers, who shot 55 percent.