Lakers vs. New Jersey: Lakers roll by Nets for seventh win in a row
Lakers 100, Nets 88 (final)
The Lakers won their seventh consecutive game, defeating the Nets and two former teammates in the process.
It wasn't an easy win for the Lakers (30-11) against the 10-29 Nets.
Kobe Bryant led the Lakers with 27 points.
Pau Gasol, who was poked in the left eye late in the fourth quarter, finished with 20 points and nine rebounds.
Former Lakers Jordan Farmar and Sasha Vujacic, both of whom now play for New Jersey, had solid games in their first visit to Staples Center since leaving Los Angeles.
Vujacic finished with 17 points on seven-for-16 shooting, two for nine from three-point range.
Farmar had 12 points on five-for-11 shooting, and three assists.
Nets center Brook Lopez led all scorers with 35 points.
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Lakers 70, Nets 63 (end of third quarter)
The Lakers played a solid quarter of basketball in opening a seven-point lead after three quarters.
Kobe Bryant led the Lakers with 24 points through three quarters and Pau Gasol had 16 points and eight rebounds.
Lakers 45, Nets 40 (end of first half)
The Lakers played much better defense in the second quarter, and that allowed them to take a five-point lead in at halftime.
They held the Nets to 16 points in the second quarter after giving up 24 in the first.
By the half, the Nets were shooting 41.9% from the field.
It was a tough first half for Andrew Bynum. He picked up his third foul with 4:43 left in the second trying to block the shot of Brook Lopez.
Bynum put his hands above his head and briskly walked off the court to the Lakers' bench.
Bynum didn't score in the first half, playing just 11 minutes because of foul trouble.
Nets 24, Lakers 22 (end of first quarter)
Kobe Bryant was still on the attack after his offensive onslaught against the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday night, when he scored 30 of his 39 points in the second half.
In the first quarter against the Nets, Bryant had 13 points on five-for-nine shooting. That, however, was 59% of the Lakers' first-quarter point total.
And with New Jersey center Brook Lopez scoring 13 points on six-for-seven shooting, and the Nets' making 52.4% of their shots, the Lakers trailed by two points at the end of the quarter.
Pregame
Sure, New Jersey Nets guards Jordan Farmar andSasha Vujacic both played for the Lakers and know the triangle offense well.
But that's not something that concerned Lakers Coach Phil Jackson.
Farmar and Vujacic, both in town Friday night to face the Lakers in Los Angeles for the first time, know the triangle offense very well, but it doesn't mean they will be able to stop it.
"If someone wants to overplay something, it's probably going to end up burning them," Jackson said.
Farmar, who signed a three-year, $12-million deal with the Nets last summer, will get his championship ring before the game.
-- Broderick Turner
Photo: Lakers power forward Pau Gasol tries to block a shot by New Jersey's Kris Humphries in the first half Friday night at Staples Center. Credit: Rick Loomis / Los Angeles Times
hobbitmage
I was wrong! Lopez passed his test with flying colors and Bynum had an awful game except for about a half dozen altered shots and a few blocks I observed in his few minutes on the court. Lakers win.
Congrats! Round 1 to hobbitmage. I'll still take Bynum on my team.
Posted by: KobeMVP888 | January 14, 2011 at 10:01 PM
Fish smoking from outside again tonight. Went 1 for 4....somebody needs to cool him down. He 2 for 10 the last two games and really making his critics look bad.
Posted by: S Perkins | January 14, 2011 at 10:45 PM
mage- don't load too much into crowing when Bynum has a bad game- I don't think that way leads you into good territory.
Posted by: phred | January 14, 2011 at 10:49 PM
Nice business like win for the Lakers. Good to see Sasha and Jordan both have good game while the Lakers win comfortably.
@hobbit - Brook dominated Drew tonight...he was into it from the start and more assertive than most nights. Hopefully this will get him rolling again (and maybe get Avery off his back). As far as Drew goes, when you have a game this bad the only thing you can do is tip your cap to your competition and come back strong the next game.
Posted by: LRob | January 14, 2011 at 11:10 PM
Nice business like win for the Lakers. Good to see Sasha and Jordan both have good game while the Lakers win comfortably.
@hobbit - Brook dominated Drew tonight...he was into it from the start and more assertive than most nights. Hopefully this will get him rolling again (and maybe get Avery off his back). As far as Drew goes, when you have a game this bad the only thing you can do is tip your cap to your competition and come back strong the next game.
Posted by: LRob | January 14, 2011 at 11:10 PM
-
Nuff said...
Posted by: Magic Phil | January 14, 2011 at 11:26 PM
1. Brooke Lopez owes the entire Lakers team dinner for making him an All-Star.
2. I liked the refs' decision to rest Bynum tonight. He'll be fresh for Sunday.
3. Whoever took away Artest's meds: thank you.
Go Lake Show!
Posted by: The Outlaw | January 14, 2011 at 11:29 PM