[0] LAKERS WIN EASILY; TOUGH ROAD AWAITS : LAKERS 131 DENVER 92.Byline: Howard Beck Daily News Staff Writer Six minutes. Six short minutes - the time it takes to figure out a ``Melrose Place'' plot, microwave a TV dinner or read the special prosecutor's Whitewater evidence. Six minutes. That's all the suspense the Denver Nuggets Nuggets can refer to several branches of interest:
Such pointless musings didn't last long. Four minutes later - the time it takes a good team to put away a very bad team - the Lakers had completed a 15-0 run to take a 10-point lead, which by halftime swelled to a 26-point cushion and eventually, the predictable rout. Thus ended the Lakers' three-game losing streak in the form of an easy 131-92 victory, restoring, for now, the image of a team capable of dominating the opposition. Then again, this was only the Nuggets. The true test for the Lakers, 2-4 since the All-Star break, is the six-game, nine-day road trip that begins Sunday in Orlando, then winds through Milwaukee, Indianapolis, Minneapolis, New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of and Washington. ``It's just a feel-good game, that's all,'' coach Del Harris said. ``Everyone played and participated tonight. It's a good getaway game for us. Hopefully we can build on it, get a little momentum.'' No one would overplay o·ver·play v. o·ver·played, o·ver·play·ing, o·ver·plays v.tr. 1. a. To present (a dramatic role, for example) in an exaggerated manner. b. To emphasize or stress unduly. the victory, but in playing an all-around solid game from start to finish, the Lakers helped wash away some of the angst that accompanied their recent slide. ``I think it picks up the spirit of every player in this room a little bit,'' Kobe Bryant Kobe Bean Bryant (born July 23 1978) is an American All-Star shooting guard in the National Basketball Association (NBA) who plays for the Los Angeles Lakers. said. ``Hopefully, it can boost our confidence.'' Morale had taken a beating since four Lakers went to New York as All-Stars two weeks ago. Losses to three division rivals - Seattle, Portland and Phoenix - as well as Houston, threw a damper on the Lakers' All-Star aura and revived nagging doubts about the team's mental fortitude. ``If we did this every night, we'd be first in our division,'' said Shaquille O'Neal Shaquille Rashaun O'Neal (pronounced "shak-KEEL") (born March 6, 1972 in Newark, New Jersey), frequently referred to simply as Shaq, is an American professional basketball player, generally regarded as one of the most dominant in the National Basketball Association (NBA). , and he didn't mean playing Denver every night. On the way to their highest winning margin of the season, eight Lakers scored in double figures, led by Rick Fox's 22, Bryant's 21 and O'Neal's 19. The complete victory came with support from every corner, as even the three players at the end of the bench scored in double figures - Sean Rooks Sean Lester Rooks (born September 9 1969 in New York City) is a retired American basketball player at the center position in the National Basketball Association. He attended the University of Arizona and was drafted in the second round of the 1992 NBA Draft by the Dallas Mavericks. with 10, Jon Barry Jon Alan Barry (born July 25 1969, in Oakland, California) is a retired American professional basketball player and current television analyst for cable network ESPN.[1] Biography with 13 and Mario Bennett Mario Marcell Bennett (born August 1 1973 in Denton, Texas) is an American professional basketball player. He is currently playing in France for Dijon Bourgogne. College Career with career highs in both points (17) and rebounds (12). Bennett capped his personal coming-out party with a 3-pointer at the final buzzer that got the Lakers bench, and a handful of remaining fans, jumping and hooting approval for the second-year forward. ``It was a fun game,'' Bennett said. The Lakers didn't need all their stars for Thursday's rout, and they didn't have them - Nick Van Exel Nickey (Nick) Maxwell Van Exel (born November 27 1971 in Kenosha, Wisconsin) is a retired American professional basketball player in the NBA. Van Exel, a 6'1" left-handed point guard, was most well known for his flashy style of play and his ability to hit critical shots during missed a second straight game, this time due to illness, and Robert Horry Robert Horry (born August 25, 1970 in Harford County, Maryland) is an American National Basketball Association basketball player. Currently playing for the San Antonio Spurs, Horry is is known for his ability to make clutch shots in big games. was benched to rest his chronic groin-area injury. Reserve forward Corie Blount also was out with a sore right ankle. Horry dressed and worked up a sweat practicing before the game, but Harris chose to hold him out. ``Robert could actually play, but I'm not going to play him. We'll give him an extra day, and we'll have him for the road trip,'' Harris said. Van Exel, who missed Wednesday's game because of a popping sensation in his right knee, stayed home sick. The Lakers were not certain he would be available anyway, due to the knee problem. CAPTION(S): Box Box: GAME RECAP |
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