L.A. Lakers 08-09 Season (official thread)

[OHSportsFan9]

Not worthy of its own thread, but @ Devin Harris just chilling with the Laker Girls after he went out-of-bounds for a loose ball.

Player.

[schwab]

LAKERS: Lakers Gameday | 11/25/08 | Lakers 120, Nets 93

Lakers breeze to 12-1 with 120-93 romp over Nets

LOS ANGELES(AP) Pau Gasol had 26 points and eight rebounds before sitting out the fourth quarter, and the Los Angeles Lakers overcame a poor shooting performance by Kobe Bryant to rout the New Jersey Nets 120-93 on Tuesday night and improve the NBA's best record to 12-1.
Bryant had difficulty most of the game with Vince Carter's defense, going 5-for-17 from the field in 28 minutes and finishing with 12 points in the Lakers' fifth straight victory. He shot 1-for-9 in the first half and didn't get to the free-throw line until 1:11 remained in the second quarter.
The reigning MVP and two-time scoring champion had a similar game at New Jersey on Feb. 5, scoring a season-low six points on 3-for-13 shooting with no free-throw attempts.
Devin Harris had 21 points and six assists for the Nets, who again played without Stromile Swift (back), Josh Boone (bruised left ankle) and Chris Douglas-Roberts (right knee strain). Eduardo Najera, who has an injured back, did not make the trip.

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[schwab]

LAKERS: Lakers Gameday | 11/28/08 | Lakers 114, Mavericks 107

Lakers beat Mavericks 114-107 to go 13-1

LOS ANGELES -- Kobe Bryant scored a season-high 35 points, and the Los Angeles Lakers used a 17-0 run in the second half Friday night to beat the Dallas Mavericks 114-107 and win their sixth straight, improving the NBA's best record to 13-1.
Andrew Bynum, playing on a sore right foot, had 18 points and 10 rebounds to help end Dallas' five-game winning streak. Bryant was 14-for-26 from the field after going 5-for-17 with 12 points in Wednesday's 120-93 win over New Jersey. Dallas' Dirk Nowitzki had 19 points and 12 rebounds.

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[Flocka]

Ariza is one of my favorite players.

[schwab]

NBA.com Gasol, Kobe help Lakers beat Raptors

Gasol, Kobe help Lakers beat Raptors

Highlights

LOS ANGELES(AP) Pau Gasol had 24 points and nine rebounds, Kobe Bryant had 23 points and seven assists before sitting out the fourth quarter, and the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Toronto Raptors 112-99 on Sunday night to improve their league-best record to 14-1.
Bryant came 15 points shy of reaching the 22,000-point mark faster than any other player. Had he done it, he would have beaten Wilt Chamberlain to that total by one day, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. Bryant was the fastest to 12,000 and every level up to 20,000. The two-time scoring champion and 10-time All-Star was the second-fastest to 21,000. Anthony Parker led Toronto with 19 points and five teammates also scored in double figures. Jermaine O'Neal missed his third straight because of a sprained left ankle.

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[schwab]

ESPN - Weekend Dime: The top 20 expiring contracts - NBA

6. Lamar Odom (Los Angeles Lakers)
Expiring Salary: $14,148,596
Soon to be traded? UNLIKELY
Odom repeatedly has insisted that, even in a contract year, he's OK with his new role as the Lakers' sixth man. If the Lakers are convinced of that, why would they dare mess with their chemistry by trading Odom during the season, especially given how well they've played in November? Even an Odom-for-Marion swap, which does make some sense for both teams, represents a risk for L.A. because Marion isn't big enough to stand in for Andrew Bynum should Bynum's injury issues return. So it's probably smarter for the Lakers to wait until the offseason and bank on the idea that they could convince Odom to participate in a sign-and-trade -- and thereby avoid losing him without compensation -- if the current harmony doesn't last.

[schwab]

LAKERS: Lakers Gameday | 12/02/08 | Pacers 118, Lakers 117

Granger leads Pacers back from 15-down as Murphy's tip-in upends Lakers

INDIANAPOLIS -- Danny Granger scored 32 points and led Indiana back from a 15-point fourth-quarter deficit, and Troy Murphy's buzzer-beating tip-in completed an improbable 118-117 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday night.
The Lakers came into the game with seven straight wins, the league's best record and reigning MVP Kobe Bryant. But even another terrific night from Bryant, who scored 28 points, wasn't quite enough.

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[schwab]

LAKERS: Lakers Gameday | 12/03/08 | Lakers 114, Sixers 102

Bryant scores 32 in Lakers' win over 76ers

PHILADELPHIA(AP) Kobe Bryant tormented his hometown team again, scoring 32 points to help the Los Angeles Lakers rebound from a last-second loss with a 114-102 victory over the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday night. Lakers coach Phil Jackson said before the game that the thrill of playing in his home city has worn off for Bryant. But the reigning MVP appeared to enjoy every big 3-pointer that pushed back the Sixers and gave Los Angeles a boost.
The Lakers improved to 15-2 one night after they lost in Indiana on a late tip.

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[schwab]

LAKERS: Lakers Gameday | 12/05/08 | Lakers 106, Wizards 104

Bryant, Lakers barely beat Wizards 106-104

WASHINGTON(AP) On a poor shooting night, Kobe Bryant came through when the Los Angeles Lakers needed him the most. And then he nearly blew it about 10 seconds later.
Bryant banked in a running 12-foot jumper over Caron Butler with 25 seconds left Friday night, then went 1-for-2 on foul shots 10 seconds later, but the best-in-the-West Lakers eked out a 106-104 victory over the worst-in-the-East Washington Wizards.
After Bryant's miss at the line - he made all 13 other free throws he took - Butler had a chance to win it for Washington, but missed a 3-point attempt shortly before the buzzer.
Bryant was 5-for-17 from the field and finished with 23 points, seven rebounds and seven assists. Butler led the Wizards with 26 points.

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[schwab]

LAKERS: Lakers Gameday | 12/07/08 | Lakers 105, Bucks 92

Lakers improve to 17-2 with 105-92 win over Bucks

LOS ANGELES(AP) Kobe Bryant had 20 points and a season-high eight assists, Derek Fisher added 19 points and the Los Angeles Lakers beat Milwaukee 105-92 on Sunday, improving their record to 17-2 and equaling the best 19-game start in the franchise's 61-year history.
The Lakers also started the 1985-86 season 17-2. This was the sixth time the team has won 17 of its first 20 games, including the championship seasons of 1971-72 and 2001-02.
All the Lakers' starters scored in double digits, something none of the Bucks' starters did.
Bryant shot 6-for-13, sitting out the final 4 minutes of the third quarter after getting treated for a cut just above his left wrist. He started the fourth and was removed with 7:41 to play and the Lakers up by 19.
Andrew Bynum, who had a career-high 17 rebounds against the Bucks last Jan. 11, grabbed 14 boards and scored 14 points. Pau Gasol had 12 points, nine rebounds and five assists.

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[schwab]

W-T-F... methinks 72-10 is safe for now..

http://www.nba.com/lakers/news/081209_gameday_kings.htm

Kobe, Lakers go cold as Kings snap eight-game skid

SACRAMENTO, Calif (AP)-- Francisco Garcia and John Salmons scored 21 points apiece, and the Sacramento Kings snapped an eight-game losing streak with a surprising 113-101 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday night.
Bobby Jackson added 15 points for the Kings, whose first victory in nine home games was one of the NBA's most improbable results of the young season. Sacramento (6-16), which had lost 11 of its last 12 games overall, steadily increased a fourth-quarter lead against the Lakers, who couldn't rally while Kobe Bryant struggled with 9-of-25 shooting.
Bryant scored 28 points and Pau Gasol had 25 points and 12 rebounds for the Lakers, who had won three straight while opening the season 17-2, matching the best start in franchise history.

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[exhawg]

The Lakers and Celtics have been very underwhelming for the past week or two.

[schwab]

Walton getting the start tonight.

Diaw, Bell, and Singletary heading to Charlotte... Richardson and Dudley not playing yet. Suns suiting up 9 players.

Walton with a big block on Grant Hill to start the game, Lakers should roll.

[OregonBuckeye]

Originally Posted by exhawg

The Lakers and Celtics have been very underwhelming for the past week or two.

Boston's on a 12-game winning streak and has recently dominated Orlando and Portland. May need to lower your expectations a tad.

[schwab]

LAKERS: Lakers Gameday | 12/10/08 | Lakers 115, Suns 110

Gasol leads Lakers to 115-110 win over Suns

LOS ANGELES(AP) Pau Gasol scored 28 points, Kobe Bryant had seven of his 18 points in the last 6 1/2 minutes, and the Los Angeles Lakers struggled to a 115-110 victory over the short-handed Phoenix Suns on Wednesday night.
Andrew Bynum added 17 points and 11 rebounds, Sasha Vujacic scored a season-high 15 points and Derek Fisher had 13 for the Lakers (18-3), who were coming off a lethargic 113-101 loss at Sacramento on Tuesday night and didn't clinch this victory until the final minute.
The Suns (13-10) played without Raja Bell, Boris Diaw and rookie Sean Singletary, traded to Charlotte earlier Wednesday for Jason Richardson, Jared Dudley and a 2010 second-round pick.
Phoenix also was without former Lakers star Shaquille O'Neal, whose 92-year-old great-grandmother died this week. O'Neal was in New Jersey for funeral services and hopes to return in time to play Friday night against Orlando. O'Neal scored 35 points Tuesday night - his most in nearly three years - in a 125-110 victory over Milwaukee.
Matt Barnes had season-high totals of 25 points and 10 rebounds to lead Phoenix. Grant Hill scored 23 points, Amare Stoudemire had 21 points and 11 rebounds, and Leandro Barbosa added 18 points for the Suns. Steve Nash shot 2-of-12 and was held to seven points and nine assists.

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