Home » Sports » Basketball
Kobe earns rest after Lakers pacify Bobcats
Source: Agencies |
February 2, 2012, Thursday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
KOBE Bryant's fast start afforded him the luxury of a late rest as the Los Angeles Lakers made light work of the free-falling Charlotte Bobcats with a 106-73 blowout home win on Tuesday.
The NBA's leading scorer notched 18 points in the first quarter and recorded the game-high 24 by halftime, where the Lakers built a substantial lead against the league's worst team, allowing Bryant to sit out the fourth quarter.
An entire quarter on the bench was a rare but welcome treat for the 16th year veteran, who entered the night second in the league in minutes per game.
His absence also allowed the Lakers bench to shine and contribute 48 points on the night.
"Our bench was terrific, it was great to see," Lakers coach Mike Brown told reporters. "We moved the ball and guys knocked down shots. It was a fun night to watch guys execute."
Los Angeles (13-9) set the early tone with a 10-0 run in the first quarter, where it grabbed a 12-point lead before going up by 24 at halftime.
The defeat was the latest reverse for the tumbling Bobcats (3-19), who lost their ninth straight game, the most since they dropped a franchise worst 13 in a row in 2006. Gerald Henderson led all Charlotte scorers with 14 points on a night his team shot just 34 percent from the field.
The Lakers, on the other hand, were able to break the 100-point mark for the second consecutive game after going 13 without doing so.
Andrew Bynum chipped in 20 points and 11 rebounds on the day he learned that he will be named to his first NBA All-Star Game when the voting is announced later this week.
The Lakers picked up a final home win before they head out on a six-game road trip beginning on Friday. The team has had trouble away from home this season, where they are just 2-7.
Elsewhere, Atlanta's Joe Johnson needed just three quarters to match his season high with 30 points as the Hawks recorded their sixth straight win over the Toronto Raptors with a commanding 100-77 victory. Also, it was: Pacers 106, Nets 99; Celtics 93, Cavaliers 90; and Knicks 113, Pistons 86.
The NBA's leading scorer notched 18 points in the first quarter and recorded the game-high 24 by halftime, where the Lakers built a substantial lead against the league's worst team, allowing Bryant to sit out the fourth quarter.
An entire quarter on the bench was a rare but welcome treat for the 16th year veteran, who entered the night second in the league in minutes per game.
His absence also allowed the Lakers bench to shine and contribute 48 points on the night.
"Our bench was terrific, it was great to see," Lakers coach Mike Brown told reporters. "We moved the ball and guys knocked down shots. It was a fun night to watch guys execute."
Los Angeles (13-9) set the early tone with a 10-0 run in the first quarter, where it grabbed a 12-point lead before going up by 24 at halftime.
The defeat was the latest reverse for the tumbling Bobcats (3-19), who lost their ninth straight game, the most since they dropped a franchise worst 13 in a row in 2006. Gerald Henderson led all Charlotte scorers with 14 points on a night his team shot just 34 percent from the field.
The Lakers, on the other hand, were able to break the 100-point mark for the second consecutive game after going 13 without doing so.
Andrew Bynum chipped in 20 points and 11 rebounds on the day he learned that he will be named to his first NBA All-Star Game when the voting is announced later this week.
The Lakers picked up a final home win before they head out on a six-game road trip beginning on Friday. The team has had trouble away from home this season, where they are just 2-7.
Elsewhere, Atlanta's Joe Johnson needed just three quarters to match his season high with 30 points as the Hawks recorded their sixth straight win over the Toronto Raptors with a commanding 100-77 victory. Also, it was: Pacers 106, Nets 99; Celtics 93, Cavaliers 90; and Knicks 113, Pistons 86.
- About Us
- |
- Terms of Use
- |
-
RSS - |
- Privacy Policy
- |
- Contact Us
- |
- Shanghai Call Center: 962288
- |
- Tip-off hotline: 52920043
- 沪ICP证：沪ICP备05050403号-1
- |
- 互联网新闻信息服务许可证：31120180004
- |
- 网络视听许可证：0909346
- |
- 广播电视节目制作许可证：沪字第354号
- |
- 增值电信业务经营许可证：沪B2-20120012
Copyright © 1999- Shanghai Daily. All rights reserved.Preferably viewed with Internet Explorer 8 or newer browsers.
