Los Angeles Lakers News

Lakers pull together for victory
Comment
February 9
Orange County Register
 
"Reversing last month's 20-point loss to the San Antonio Spurs figured to be a daunting task for the Lakers on Monday - and that was before Kobe Bryant and Andrew Bynum suffered injuries that woukld keep them out of the game. Improbable perhaps. Impossible? Obviously not. With Lamar Odom, Pau Gasol and Ron Artest handling the bulk of the scoring and everyone else pulling together on defense, the Lakers defeated the Spurs 101-89, at Staples Center. It was announced before the game that Bryant would miss his second consecutive game because of a sprained left ankle and Bynum was out because of a bruised right hip. Suddenly the tough game loomed tougher. However, a balanced attack to overcame ..."
Lakers close without Bryant
Comment
February 9
L.A. Daily News
 
"With injured superstar looking on, Gasol leads strong effort by L.A. in beating San Antonio. Near the end, when they needed a big basket, when they needed direction when it counted most, the Lakers didn't put the ball into the capable hands of superstar guard Kobe Bryant. They couldn't. He wasn't in uniform. Bryant sat out for the second consecutive game because of a sprained left ankle that might keep him out for a third game, too. He underwent an MRI exam that revealed nothing more serious than a sprain - not that that's not serious enough. Funny thing, though. As the Lakers neared the end of what would become a 101-89 victory Monday night over the San Antonio Spurs at Staples Center, it ..."
Lakers' Bynum could be out until next week
Comment
February 9
L.A. Daily News
 
"Andrew Bynum said Monday it might take a week for the bruising and swelling to subside in his injured right hip, which means he could be sidelined until the Lakers return from the All-Star break to play the Golden State Warriors next Tuesday. The good news, Bynum said, was his bruised and swollen left knee is vastly improved after he collided with Stephen Jackson of the Charlotte Bobcats last Wednesday and was forced to wear a protective brace. "That's better now," he said before the Lakers played the San Antonio Spurs at Staples Center. "The swelling is out of there." Bynum had so much discomfort in his knee that he donned a brace for the Lakers' home loss Friday against the Denver ..."
Even without Bryant, Lakers show it's still closing time in beating San Antonio
Comment
February 9
L.A. Daily News
 
"Near the end, when they needed a big basket, when they needed direction when it counted most, the Lakers didn't put the ball into the capable hands of superstar guard Kobe Bryant. They couldn't. He wasn't in uniform. Bryant sat out for the second consecutive game because of a sprained left ankle that might keep him out for a third game, too. He underwent an MRI exam that revealed nothing more serious than a sprain - not that that's not serious enough. Funny thing, though. As the Lakers neared the end of what would become a 101-89 victory Monday night over the San Antonio Spurs at Staples Center, it was clear that they could win a tight game without Bryant guiding them during crunch time. ..."
Minor injuries add up to a semi-major impact on Lakers
Comment
February 9
Los Angeles Times
 
"The injury bug stayed away from the Lakers a year ago, leaving them alone on their path to a 15th NBA championship. Kobe Bryant played all 82 regular-season games, as did Derek Fisher and Trevor Ariza. Pau Gasol missed one game. Lamar Odom missed four. Andrew Bynum's knee was their only injury of note, keeping him out of 32 games, but it's been a different story this season. Gasol has already missed 17 games because of hamstring injuries. Ron Artest missed five games because of a concussion. Bynum has missed three games and Bryant has now missed two games because of a sprained left ankle. The Lakers are getting nickel-and-dimed by injuries, a five-gamer here, a 10-gamer there. "When it ..."
Spurs sputter while stuck in the muck
Comment
February 9
Los Angeles Times
 columnist Mark Heisler
"They don't make marquee matchups in the Western Conference the way they used to. The Lakers and the San Antonio Spurs, winners of eight of the last 11 NBA titles, renewed the rivalry that defined the West on Monday night, just with a few things missing, like the old Spurs, the Lakers' franchise player and the Lakers' center. The Lakers were without the injured Kobe Bryant and Andrew Bynum. The Spurs had all their old core players, the problem being they were all older. Coach Gregg Popovich, whose team started the night No. 6 in the West, now paces his team, like the time he didn't put Tim Duncan in until the second quarter on the second night of a back-to-back, noting, "Not that much ..."
Lakers make the Spurs feel their pain
Comment
February 9
Los Angeles Times
 
"They did it again, indelibly, as if to show the first time wasn't a fluke. Two days after weathering a typically stormy game in Portland without Kobe Bryant (when it started) and Andrew Bynum (when it ended), the Lakers undercut a more refined San Antonio team Monday night. They played again without their two starters, but it didn't matter, in case the raucously appreciative Staples Center crowd didn't demonstrate it with a series of ovations. Lamar Odom, Pau Gasol and Ron Artest took turns pushing and prodding the Lakers in a 101-89 victory over the Spurs, a testimony to their depth, 36 minutes of strong defense and a dose of hustle that isn't always associated with this team. With a game ..."
Lakers' Bryant held out with injured ankle
Comment
February 9
San Antonio Express-News
 
"After playing in 235 consecutive games, Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant has now missed two in a row. Bryant, the NBA's fourth-leading scorer, sat out Monday's game against the Spurs with a sprained left ankle. It was the culmination of about two months of maladies for Bryant, ranging from a fractured finger to a bad back. That Bryant is just now taking time off underscores the divergent approaches of Lakers coach Phil Jackson and the Spurs' Gregg Popovich when it comes to resting stars. Though after Monday only one game remained between Bryant and the long layoff of the All-Star break, Jackson wouldn't rule him out for Wednesday's game against Utah. "If he feels he can play, he's going ..."
Spurs have little to feel good about
Comment
February 9
San Antonio Express-News
 
"Lakers coach Phil Jackson received some bad medical news before Monday's game against the Spurs. Gregg Popovich did, too. It was, in fact, the same bit of news. Jackson learned he'd again be without star guard Kobe Bryant and starting center Andrew Bynum. In the other locker room, Popovich was hardly licking his chops. "I'd rather have it the other way," Popovich said. "It's more a situation where if you win the game, I'm not sure you take a lot from it. And if you lose the game, you feel like hell." Given the choice, the Spurs would have gladly taken option A. Instead, they left Staples Center on Monday feeling like hell. The Lakers' three best remaining players picked up the slack for ..."
Bryant willing to sit to let ankle heal, might sit out All-Star game
Comment
February 9
Orange County Register
 
"Kobe Bryant's sprained ankle wasn't much better but his mood had improved greatly. Watching teammates dismantle the San Antonio Spurs would put a smile on any Lakers face. Bryant missed out on the chance to avenge last month's loss to the Spurs on Monday, but he didn't miss the chance to support his teammates even if it was from inside the lockerroom. For the second consecutive game, Bryant sat out because of severely sprained ankle. And for a second consecutive game, the Lakers played well and won, 101-89. Does that make sitting out easier?"
Bynum likely out, Bryant in doubt
Comment
February 8
ESPN.com
 
"The Los Angeles Lakers could be missing two starters Monday night when they host the San Antonio Spurs. Kobe Bryant did not participate in the team's shootaround and spent the time undergoing "diagnostic tests" on his sprained left ankle, according to Lakers coach Phil Jackson. Andrew Bynum, who suffered a bruised right hip that caused him to sit out the second half of Los Angeles' win in Portland on Saturday, is probably not going to play, according to Jackson. "He had some discomfort and can't move very well," Jackson said. Bynum is also dealing with a swollen left knee that he injured last week against the Bobcats when he collided knee-to-knee with Charlotte's Stephen Jackson."
Phil Jackson May Be Asked to Take Pay Cut
Comment
February 8
SportingNews.com
 
"There have been two constants involved with the Lakers' titles through the past decade: Kobe Bryant and Phil Jackson. But while the Lakers are expected to work out a multiyear, mega-million extension with Bryant at some point, perhaps the same can't be assumed for Jackson. According the Los Angeles Times, Lakers sources say if Jackson wants to return, he'll be asked to take a pay cut from his $12 million annual salary."
Lakers' Gasol is happy to receive short breather after trip
Comment
February 8
L.A. Daily News
 
"After playing five games in seven days, traveling from coast to coast with a stop in the middle of the country, Pau Gasol planned to spend Sunday watching football. He said he had no desire to pick up a basketball or even think about the Lakers' next game. Lakers coach Phil Jackson gave the players the day off Sunday, hoping a day of inactivity would give them a chance to recharge their batteries in time to face the San Antonio Spurs tonight at Staples Center. "Just chill, man, just chill," Gasol said of his plans for Sunday. The past three weeks have been the Lakers' toughest stretch of games so far. They hit the road to play eight games in 12 nights, traveling from one chilly outpost to ..."
Spurs still feeling Gasol deal
Comment
February 8
San Antonio Express-News
 
"Two years and one week ago, Kobe Bryant received a present he will never forget. A 7-foot Spaniard with floppy hair and a point guard's passing skills arrived on his doorstep in Los Angeles, all but gift-wrapped with a card that read, "From Memphis, with love." Pau Gasol, it turned out, was just what Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers needed to return to the NBA's pinnacle. "If we could have designed a player to make us a contender, it would have been him," Bryant said. "It was an absolutely perfect fit." Spurs coach Gregg Popovich was understandably less enthralled with the events of Feb. 1, 2008. At the time, he called what Memphis did — swapping an All-Star to the Lakers for a collection ..."
Hurtin' Lakers; Kobe questionable Monday, Bynum doubtful
Comment
February 8
Los Angeles Times
 
"Sunday was a day of rest and reflection for the Lakers, particularly for the injured Kobe Bryant and Andrew Bynum. Both were derailed by injuries Saturday night against the Portland Trail Blazers, Bryant not playing because of a sprained left ankle, Bynum sitting out the second half because of a right hip bruise, this on top of the swelling in his left knee that forced him to wear a brace. The Lakers listed Bryant as questionable for Monday night's game against the San Antonio Spurs at Staples Center and Bynum as "more doubtful." Bryant had played in 235 consecutive games before his ankle stopped that streak. The Lakers took Sunday off, which gave Bryant another day to rest and get ..."
Why Fisher is still good for the Lakers
Comment
February 7
Orange County Register
 columnist Kevin Ding
"I did not tell Derek Fisher he is slow and done and the problem with the Lakers. I did the next-best thing, as far as many Lakers fans are concerned: I told Fisher you think he is slow and done and the problem with the Lakers. He smiled. He could smile because he is uncommonly confident and because I was bringing it up at a time when Fisher had just reiterated his worth not just to this franchise through the past but to this team right now. He had 14 points on 50 percent shooting, six assists, two steals and one turnover Saturday night, when the Lakers won in Portland without sore-ankled Kobe Bryant. Beyond the numbers, Fisher was the undeniable leader on the court all night long - Pau ..."
Kobe sits as Lakers end drought in Portland
Comment
February 7
Orange County Register
 
"It was an unlikely locale but a timely moment for Lakers other than Kobe Bryant to show their worth. Bryant missed his first game in more than three years because of injury, suiting up initially but determining 45 minutes before game time Saturday night he wouldn't play because of a sprained left ankle. Without him, the Lakers won, 99-82, and broke their nine-game losing streak in Portland, where they came in with just two victories in their past 17 tries. It was Derek Fisher's leadership, Lamar Odom's rebounding and Shannon Brown's and Ron Artest's scoring that made up for Bryant. The Lakers also played most of the game without Andrew Bynum, who bruised his right hip and made one ..."
With Kobe Bryant and Brandon Roy sitting out, the Lakers end a nine-game skid at the Rose Garden
Comment
February 7
Oregonian
 
"Bad news has found the Trail Blazers so frequently this season that coach Nate McMillan admitted before Saturday's game that he has not been sleeping. Literally, not sleeping. "One of these days, I'm just going to fall out," McMillan said. "Like just be walking and collapse." On Saturday night, his team beat him to it. In a flat and almost emotionless performance, the Blazers were manhandled 99-82 by the Kobe Bryant-less Los Angeles Lakers, ending a nine-game winning streak over the purple and gold at the Rose Garden. With 3:23 to play, and the Lakers leading 90-72, Blazers fans filled the aisles on their way out, a practice usually reserved for Lakers fans, who hadn't seen a victory ..."
Lakers' Bynum braces himself for worst
Comment
February 7
L.A. Daily News
 
"Andrew Bynum on Saturday revealed the reason for wearing a second knee brace Friday night. It turned out he knocked knees with Stephen Jackson of the Charlotte Bobcats during the Lakers' victory Wednesday. Bynum has been wearing a brace on his right knee, the one he injured Jan. 31, 2009, against the Memphis Grizzlies, all season. He wore a different type of brace on his left knee, the one he hurt Jan.13, 2008, for Friday's game against the Denver Nuggets. He had both braces on again for Saturday's game against the Portland Trail Blazers. He said there was some swelling under his left kneecap, and the only way to get it out was to rest. He plans to rest during the All-Star break next week."
Lakers solve their problem in Portland -- without the help of Bryant
Comment
February 7
L.A. Daily News
 
"Hours before the Lakers ended their nine-game losing streak at the Rose Garden, Kobe Bryant limped through the locker room slowly Saturday night. He was dressed to play in purple and gold, but wore a glum look on his face. Bryant tapped a reporter on the shoulder, nodded and headed for the training room to receive treatment on his sprained left ankle. He never made it to the court, sitting out his first game since March 7, 2007, his streak of consecutive contests ending at 235. The Lakers went to work without him and center Andrew Bynum, who suffered a hip contusion in the first half and didn't play a minute in the second. It was not exactly an ideal scenario to try to end their longest ..."
Lakers are living in interesting, if uncertain, times
Comment
February 7
Los Angeles Times
 columnist Mark Heisler
"Normalcy (shudder) returns to Lakerdom. Normalcy (shudder) returns to Lakerdom, or a funny thing happened on the way to another parade. . . . If the question in Lakerdom is, what could go wrong, the answer is: Everything that has happened recently. Lost in last week's excitement over one-of-the-best-Lakers-ever Kobe Bryant passing Jerry West and most-stubborn-Laker-ever Kobe flaming out against the Nuggets, the last hope for a 70-win season faded to black. Friday's loss was the Lakers' 13th, mathematically ending hope of a 32-0 finish, making this the second season in a row in which, after Lakers players as well as talk show hosts talked about winning 70, they won't come close. So much for ..."
Lakers making it look effortless
Comment
February 7
Los Angeles Times
 columnist T.J. Simers
"It's February and I haven't gone to a Lakers game yet because I've been waiting for the exhibition season to end. If the Lakers aren't going to give it their all, why should anyone else? The '95-96 Bulls won 72 games, and this season began with some folks wondering if the Lakers might do better. That's pretty funny upon reflection. They lost the second game of the season by 14 -- at home. They lost to the Nuggets, playing without Carmelo Anthony -- at home. Come on, how can anyone expect today's pro athlete to go all out all the time? If the Lakers did that, they would be undefeated, no one else in basketball coming even close to matching the Lakers' star-studded roster with players like ..."
Kobe Bryant sits in Lakers win; listed as questionable for Monday
Comment
February 7
Los Angeles Times
 
"No Kobe Bryant. No problem. No Andrew Bynum for the second half. No problem. A nine-game losing streak against the Portland Trail Blazers at the Rose Garden staring the Lakers in the face. No problem. The spell the Lakers always seemed to be under when they went to Portland has been broken, a 99-82 victory over the Trail Blazers on Saturday halting a losing streak that dated to Feb. 23, 2005. And they did this with Bryant in the Lakers' locker room getting treatment on his sprained left ankle that knocked him out of the game. Bryant had played in 235 consecutive games, but now he was out and unable to help the Lakers in their quest to end the streak. Bynum started the game and played with ..."
Injured Kobe Bryant likely to play against Blazers tonight; news, notes and links
Comment
February 6
Oregonian
 
"The Lakers' Kobe Bryant, guarding Portland's Brandon Roy, is playing with numerous injuries this season.Many people were wondering if Bryant would finally sit out a game to rest his numerous injuries Friday night against Denver. Nope. The Lakers' star guard ignored the broken bone in his right index finger, balky sore back, nagging pain in his elbow and a sprained left ankle and played in the Lakers' 126-113 home loss to Denver Friday night. Bryant, who hasn't missed a game due to injury in more than three years, is wedded to the "warrior" moniker associated with his willingness to play through pain and injuries."
Nuggets manhandle Lakers
Comment
February 6
Orange County Register
 
"Kobe Bryant did what he could do on one healthy leg. He scored 33 points Friday despite a heavily taped left ankle that he sprained last week against Philadelphia and then aggravated against Charlotte two days earlier. Bryant showed no signs of discomfort in leading all scorers. He also had nine rebounds. Pau Gasol scored 17 points and pulled down 17 rebounds. If only the rest of the Lakers had played nearly as well Friday. There was little the Lakers could do against Denver's Chauncey Billups, who burned them for 39 points in a 126-113 victory at Staples Center that undoubtedly left the Lakers wondering what they need to do to beat the Nuggets. The Nuggets rolled over the Lakers in Denver ..."
Ron Artest's strong defense this season pays dividends for Lakers
Comment
February 6
Oregonian
 
"The Lakers' Ron Artest is known for his defense, but if opposing teams don't pay attention, he can hurt them on offense, too. Artest has a strong understanding of the Lakers' defensive concepts and is partly responsible for the team's improvements on defense this season. "He's got that Bruce Bowen sort of attitude where he's a pain in the (butt)," San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said Thursday. "He just never stops, and he's relentless defensively." Through Thursday, the Lakers were allowing 96.6 points per game. That's more than two points better than the 99.3 points they allowed last season. Their opponents' field-goal percentage (43.9, fourth in the NBA) represents an ..."
Lakers' trips to Portland have been no garden of roses lately
Comment
February 6
L.A. Daily News
 
"The numbers are grim. Nine consecutive losses and 15 in 17 games. The Lakers simply don't win very often in Portland. Coach Phil Jackson has chalked it up to the relentless Oregon rain, to the fact the Lakers often play in Portland on the back end of games on consecutive nights, to the fact the Trail Blazers are so good on their home court. Jackson has made jokes about the losing streak and also has been serious at times, bantering with beat reporters, who take great pains in reminding him of the Lakers' futility in the Rose Garden. Until recently, the streak hasn't been a concern. But there were signs after their most recent loss in Portland - a 107-98 defeat Jan. 8 - that their ..."
Lakers fall in the rain, courtesy of Billups
Comment
February 6
L.A. Daily News
 
"The Lakers looked like a team badly in need of a few days in the sun, on a beach somewhere warm, with those drinks with umbrellas in them. Judging by their 126-113 loss Friday night to the Denver Nuggets at Staples Center, the All-Star break can't get here fast enough. Denver torched the defenseless Lakers. Or more to the point, Chauncey Billups torched the defenseless Lakers, scoring 21 of his career-high 39 points in the third quarter. Billups made 12 of 20 shots, including nine of 13 from behind the 3-point arc, by game's end. The Lakers held an 81-72 lead after Kobe Bryant sailed a high-arching shot over Denver's Kenyon Martin. Bryant raised his arms in the air as the cheers from a ..."
Lakers are defenseless in ugly loss to Nuggets
Comment
February 6
Los Angeles Times
 
"The pattern remained the same, almost predictably, the Lakers playing against a team without its best player and somehow turning a blowout opportunity into a mess. The Denver Nuggets rolled into town with an unhealthy Carmelo Anthony, who happened to be tied for the NBA's scoring lead, but still stunned the Lakers, 126-113, Friday at Staples Center. The Lakers played about as much defense as the Western Conference All-Stars will play next weekend, and it cost them. Chauncey Billups had 39 points and nine three-pointers, both career highs, easily overshadowing Kobe Bryant's 33 points, and creating a new problem spot for the Lakers -- an inability to beat the best of the best in the NBA. To ..."
How much will Kobe Bryant play in All-Star game?
Comment
February 6
Los Angeles Times
 
"Kobe Bryant will play in the All-Star game. That much is known. How many minutes he plays is the great unknown. "He'll want to win the MVP award," Lakers Coach Phil Jackson said. The banged-up Bryant has encountered numerous injuries this season, most recently a sprained left ankle. This will be his 12th All-Star game. He won the MVP award in 2002 and 2007, and was co-MVP last year in Phoenix with Shaquille O'Neal. The All-Star game is Feb. 14 at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Jackson said there were three things Bryant could tell Denver's George Karl, the coach of the Western Conference All-Stars. "Any time I've coached the All-Star game, I always ask the players, 'How many guys are ..."
Melo out, Graham in for Nuggets vs. Lakers tonight
Comment
February 5
Denver Post
 
"Tonight, playing the role of Carmelo Anthony, will be Joey Graham. Yes, Joey "The Understudy" Graham will start at small forward tonight for Denver against the Lakers, because Melo is out for a sixth-straight game with a left ankle injury. Anthony said Friday morning at shootaround that he "probably" also will miss Saturday's second of back-to-back games, at Utah. Graham has logged a curious season thus far. Basically, he either starts for the injured Melo and plays big minutes — or doesn't play at all. "On any given day, he can be a big part of our offense and defense," Anthony said of Graham. "He's an agressor." Melo reiterated that he could play Tuesday against Dallas and in regard to ..."
Lakers' Bryant to be game-time decision against Denver
Comment
February 5
L.A. Daily News
 
"Kobe Bryant did not practice Thursday because of a sprained left ankle suffered last Friday against the Philadelphia 76ers and aggravated Wednesday against the Charlotte Bobcats. It's uncertain whether he'll play tonight against the Denver Nuggets. "He didn't come out on the court and practice," Lakers coach Phil Jackson said. "He's trying a variety of therapies to see what will work out. I'm sure he wants to (play against the Nuggets), but we'll see what that's about (tonight)." Bryant's participation tonight against Denver will be a game-time decision. He was unavailable for comment Thursday. He has played in 234 consecutive regular-season games. The last time he sat and watched the ..."
Phil Jackson ponders resting Kobe Bryant because of injuries
Comment
February 5
Los Angeles Times
 
"Kobe Bryant has ignored his ever-thickening medical file, playing through a broken finger, strained elbow, back spasms and, most recently, a sprained left ankle. But it might be time for him to sit a game or two, a thought that crossed Phil Jackson's mind while the Lakers' coach watched him hobble around the court Wednesday against the Charlotte Bobcats. "It occurred to me yesterday during the course of that game," Jackson said a day after Bryant had only five points, his lowest total since a January 2005 game against Cleveland in which he scored two points before being carried off the court because of a severely sprained ankle. This ankle injury isn't nearly as bad, but it's the latest in ..."
Bryant's ankle set back to 'square one'
Comment
February 4
ESPN.com
 
"Just when Kobe Bryant was starting to quiet his critics, who were calling for him to sit out and rest his fractured right index finger, his tender left ankle could be the injury that finally gets to him. "It was just hurting today," Bryant said Wednesday night after scoring a season-low five points on 2-for-12 shooting. "Tried to battle through it tonight. It was just stiff. Stiff and tight." Bryant, who was walking with a limp after the Lakers' 99-97 victory against the Bobcats and visibly wincing in pain during his postgame comments, said the ankle was bothering him before the game even started and its condition declined further when Lamar Odom landed on his left foot just before ..."
Weary Lakers eke out a home victory
Comment
February 4
Orange County Register
 
"If eight road games in 14 were not tough enough, the Lakers were back home Wednesday to face the Charlotte Bobcats, a team that had beaten them four of the past six times they had played. It figured to be a long, frustrating night for the road-weary Lakers. The Lakers played the first three quarters seemingly with little energy. Normal, easy shots fell short and routine layups missed their mark. Kobe Bryant missed his first five shots before burying a 3-pointer late in the second quarter. But the Lakers dug deep for any remnants of life they had in their arms and legs and pulled out a 99-97 victory, their first against the Bobcats since 2008. It wasn't until late in the game that the ..."
Charlotte Bobcats leave win at Lakers' doorstep
Comment
February 4
Charlotte Observer
 
"So if you heard Kobe Bryant would score five points and Stephen Jackson would finish with 30 and the Charlotte Bobcats would outrebound the Los Angeles Lakers by seven, you'd conclude the Bobcats won, right? You'd be wrong because the possession at the end that would have thrown this game into overtime was botched. And the coach blamed himself for that disorganization. "I had everybody confused -- that was my fault,'' Bobcats coach Larry Brown said following a 99-97 near-miss at the Staples Center. The Bobcats were down 3 with the ball and nine seconds left. They had an extra timeout - and had been made aware of that. But confusion ensued, resulting in a shaky inbounds pass by Jackson ..."
Lakers' Jackson becomes franchise's all-time leader in coaching wins
Comment
February 4
L.A. Daily News
 
"When the final buzzer sounded on the Lakers' 99-97 victory over the Charlotte Bobcats on Wednesday night at Staples Center, Phil Jackson rose and started to walk off the floor. A television reporter intercepted him before he could make his exit. Always, the on-court interview after a Lakers victory is with a player. Always. Not on this night, not after Jackson became the franchise's all-time leader in coaching victories. Jackson won his 534 th game in two stints with the Lakers, passing Pat Riley, who set the record with the Showtime teams of the 1980 s. Later, Jackson called the record a "team thing." It was not an individual honor. He praised the Lakers players during his twin tenures ..."
Jackson: Despite criticism, Bryant was best option vs. Memphis
Comment
February 4
L.A. Daily News
 
"Phil Jackson has coached two of the game's great scorers in the past two decades, Kobe Bryant with the Lakers and Michael Jordan with the Chicago Bulls. In addition to scoring loads of points and winning multiple titles, they had something else in common: There was plenty of second-guessing about their high volume of shots. There's been some serious public debate about the number of shots Bryant took in the Lakers' loss Monday to the Memphis Grizzlies. It was a conversation sparked by Pau Gasol's contention that he and fellow 7-footer Andrew Bynum were shortchanged. Bryant shot 16 of 28 against the Grizzlies, Gasol was 4 for 7 and Bynum was 1 for 3. Afterwards, Gasol said the Lakers are a ..."
Phil Jackson reaches milestone as Lakers hang on
Comment
February 4
Los Angeles Times
 
"Welcome home? The Lakers returned from an eight-game trip, pushing through poor weather in too many states to count, but nearly got snowed under by the Charlotte Bobcats. Kobe Bryant didn't shoot or score very much and the Lakers barely beat the undermanned and generally underwhelming Bobcats, 99-97, Wednesday at Staples Center. Phil Jackson passed Pat Riley for most coaching victories in Lakers history, now standing at 534, but the Lakers were anything but sharp after 13 days on the road. Then again, these are the Bobcats, who have never made the playoffs in their six-year existence and somehow won six of their last seven games against the Lakers. In fact, the Lakers hadn't beaten the ..."
Basketball is the easy part of Kobe Bryant
Comment
February 4
Los Angeles Times
 columnist Mark Heisler
"No. 1 in scoring among the Lakers, if not yet in the hearts of Lakerdom. . . . These days it's an exploit a month for Kobe Bryant, the youngest NBA player to score 20,000 points . . . and 21,000, 22,000, 23,000, 24,000 and 25,000 . . . who just passed Jerry West's 25,192 to break the Lakers' record. Of course, it was coming for years. The only surprise was the outcry among Lakers fans at references to Bryant as the best Laker ever by the Lakers broadcast team and local papers. What it suggested was the hold Magic Johnson and Jerry West have on Lakers fans' hearts, a whole level of warmth up from what they feel for Bryant. On the other hand, Bryant is just warming up. West reached 25,192 at ..."
Big trade is unlikely for Lakers
Comment
February 4
Los Angeles Times
 
"The trade deadline is two weeks from today, meaning 14 more days of rumors and whispers, but the Lakers are not expected to be big players in the market. They have the NBA's second-best record, the league's highest payroll and do not plan on moving any of their starters or sixth man Lamar Odom. "There is no compelling reason to dramatically change this team, in particular its core," Lakers General Manager Mitch Kupchak said. "We won a championship last year and we feel like we can be as strong this year with the one change we made -- the Ron Artest change. "If this is the team we go into the playoffs with, we'll be happy with our roster, provided we stay healthy. The caveat, as always, is ..."
Without Gerald Wallace, Bobcats leave win at Lakers' doorstep
Comment
February 4
Charlotte Observer
 
"So if you heard Kobe Bryant would score five points and Stephen Jackson would finish with 30 and the Charlotte Bobcats would outrebound the Los Angeles Lakers by seven, you'd conclude the Bobcats won, right? You'd be wrong because the possession at the end that would have thrown this game into overtime was botched. And the coach blamed himself for that disorganization. "I had everybody confused -- that was my fault,'' Bobcats coach Larry Brown said following a 99-97 near-miss at the Staples Center. The Bobcats were down 3 with the ball and nine seconds left. They had an extra timeout - and had been made aware of that. But confusion ensued, resulting in a shaky inbounds pass by Jackson that ..."
Lakers' road trip gets passing grade from players
Comment
February 3
L.A. Daily News
 
"The Lakers returned to Southern California in the wee hours Tuesday and found the place pretty much as they left it. The palms still swayed in the breeze and the sun still worked its way through the low clouds. They left town as the league leaders two weeks ago today and, after playing eight games in 12 nights, returned a full game behind the Cleveland Cavaliers in the overall standings. What changed? Well, nothing much, really. The Lakers won five and lost three. They were among the league's elite teams when they boarded their chartered aircraft Jan. 20, and they still are playing at a reasonably high level going into tonight's game against the Charlotte Bobcats at Staples Center. They ..."
Pau Gasol takes some of the blame for low number of shots
Comment
February 3
Los Angeles Times
 
"Pau Gasol was up against the wall, literally. He backed away slowly, maybe subconsciously, from reporters and smacked into a fire extinguisher and defibrillator bolted to the wall at the Lakers' training facility Tuesday. Gasol's frustration was evident Monday night after the Lakers' 95-93 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies, and the media wanted to know more about it after the team returned from its 5-3 trip. Gasol had seven shots against Memphis, Andrew Bynum only three, and Gasol publicly reminded everybody after the game the Lakers were "not making a conscious effort" to pound the ball inside. A day later, Gasol shouldered more of the blame but also served a reminder that he and Bynum were ..."
Kobe Bryant is No. 1 in points, but that's all
Comment
February 3
Los Angeles Times
 columnist Bill Plaschke
"The Lakers are more than a basketball team, they are a social glue, connecting a diverse city with brightly splashed layers of entertainment and excellence. The Lakers are not about individual statistics, they are about team championships, the annual push by parts that are never greater than the whole, the quiet owner who never closes his wallet, the humble late announcer who never missed a game. The Lakers have become Southern California's strongest and most enduring sports fabric not only because they win, but because of how they continually sacrifice their egos and agenda in the attainment of that victory. When the Lakers drop a bedsheet above the floor at Staples Center and adorn it ..."
Lakers' Kobe Bryant calls scoring record 'a great honor'
Comment
February 2
Los Angeles Times
 
"What next for Kobe Bryant? He was appreciative after passing Jerry West to become the Lakers' all-time scoring leader, calling it a "great honor," but is Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's all-time NBA mark a possibility? Time will be the final judge, as always, but Bryant said he would "probably" be able to do it. Bryant, 31, has 25,208 points in his 14th season. Abdul-Jabbar had 38,387 in 20 seasons before retiring a few months before his 42nd birthday. "He's going to play a long time," West recently said of Bryant. "Most of the players who scored 25,000 points, they were 22 years old when they started. He was obviously 18 when he first got started. It wouldn't surprise me to see him score in the ..."
Lakers end 8-game trip with a loss
Comment
February 2
Orange County Register
 
"Lakers coach Phil Jackson laid it out before the last of eight games on this season-long, vacate-Staples-Center-for-the-Grammy-Awards trip: A victory over the Memphis Grizzlies on Monday night would make it an "acceptable" trip. A loss would mean it was "so-so." That's what was hanging in the balance as Ron Artest's buzzer-beating 3-point shot sailed through the air. It was just long, banged off the rim, and the Lakers lost, 95-93, toto 5-3 over the past 13 days. So-so, indeed. "We can't be really happy," Lakers forward Pau Gasol said. Kobe Bryant could not either, even though he passed Jerry West, one of his mentors, to become the Lakers' all-time leading scorer. Bryant needed 28 points - ..."
Gasol irked by so many Bryant shots
Comment
February 2
Orange County Register
 
"On a night when Kobe Bryant made history as the new No. 1 Lakers scorer of all time and rightfully used words such as "great honor" and "rich tradition," the Lakers lost. Then Pau Gasol talked about why they lost, and his annoyance might've even exceeded that of Ron Artest while he hung his head and slumped at the waist after missing the potential winning 3-pointer Monday night. Gasol has on several occasions offered passive-aggressive comments about not getting the ball enough after Lakers losses in the past. This time, the comments leaned a little harder toward aggressive, particularly when it came to Bryant. Gasol was asked about Bryant's new record and offered politically correct - and ..."
Gasol: Lakers' inside presence lacking against Memphis
Comment
February 2
L.A. Daily News
 
"Pau Gasol scored 10 points on 4-for-7 shooting and Andrew Bynum had five points on 1-for-3 shooting in the Lakers' 95-93 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies on Monday, hardly good use of their 7-footers. Gasol is averaging 17.2 points on 53.1 percent shooting in 32 games, and Bynum is averaging 15.4 points on 56.8 percent shooting in 47 games. They are the Lakers' second- and third-leading scorers. "Obviously, we were not making a conscious effort to pound the ball inside," Gasol said, sighing heavily about the lack of touches for the Lakers' big men. "So, we settled a little bit too much. "It's not like they were double-teaming us a lot. It happens." Gasol, asked if the Lakers are a better team ..."