CAPTAIN COMEBACK BRYANT'S 48 IN RETURN LIFTS LAKERS LAKERS 119, PHIL. 93.Byline: Ross Siler Staff Writer As if there was any question, 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. answered it with every 3-pointer he connected on Friday night in his return from a two-game suspension. The Lakers likely never would have found themselves mired mire n. 1. An area of wet, soggy, muddy ground; a bog. 2. Deep slimy soil or mud. 3. A disadvantageous or difficult condition or situation: the mire of poverty. v. in a five-game losing streak, matching the longest of Phil Jackson's coaching career, had Bryant never delivered that elbow to Memphis guard Mike Miller's chin last week. After struggling to watch the Lakers lose two games to Utah without him, even flipping over to ``Superman'' on another channel, Bryant kept every eye glued on him in his return at Staples Center This article has multiple issues: * Its neutrality is disputed. * It may contain original research or unverifiable claims. * It does not cite any references or sources. . The superstar guard, sharing the stage with Allen Iverson <noinclude></noinclude> Allen Ezail Iverson (born June 7, 1975, in Hampton, Virginia[1]), nicknamed A.I. and The Answer, is an American professional basketball player for the Denver Nuggets of the National Basketball Association. , made a statement in finishing with 48 points - 42 through three quarters - and hitting all seven 3-pointers he took as the Lakers rolled to a 119-93 rout of the Philadelphia 76ers. ``He definitely had something to prove,'' guard Smush Parker William Henry "Smush" Parker (born June 1 1981, in New York, New York) is an American professional basketball player, currently with the Miami Heat of the National Basketball Association.[1] Parker played shooting guard in college, but moved to point guard in the NBA. said of Bryant. ``A five-game losing streak. The last two games the offense looked out of sync. He just wanted to let everybody know he's back and the Lakers are back.'' Parker finished with a career-high 24 points and combined with Bryant to go 12 of 12 from the 3-point arc, something Jackson said he'd never seen. Bryant's seven 3-pointers set a franchise record for the most in a game without a miss. But Bryant eclipsed it all, rivaling at times his 62-point show from last month against Dallas. He scored the Lakers' last 14 points of the third quarter and finished with his eighth 40-point game of the season. Bryant closed the quarter by sizing up second-year guard Andre Iguodala Andre Tyler Iguodala (born January 28, 1984, in Springfield, Illinois) is an American professional basketball player who plays for the Philadelphia 76ers of the NBA. He was sometimes nicknamed "Iggy", and "The Other A.I. and drawing contact as he drilled a jumper. He also buried two 3-pointers as the crowd roared and the Lakers went in front 94-75. ``At the end there it started getting similar,'' Bryant said, ``when I started kind of revving it up and getting basket after basket.'' Bryant checked back in with the Lakers leading by 19 points in the fourth quarter and promptly hit another two 3-pointers before departing for good. Bryant is averaging an astounding a·stound tr.v. a·stound·ed, a·stound·ing, a·stounds To astonish and bewilder. See Synonyms at surprise. [From Middle English astoned, past participle of astonen, 39 points in 15 home games this season. ``I didn't want this to be the team that lost six in a row,'' Bryant said. ``He's too good of a coach for that.'' The Lakers (16-16) shot 58.5 percent overall and better from the 3-point arc than the foul line foul line n. 1. Baseball Either of two straight lines extending from the rear of home plate to the outer edge of the playing field and indicating the area in which a fair ball can be hit. 2. . Iverson finished with 31 points and Bryant redeemed himself after going a season-worst 7 of 27 against the Sixers in Philadelphia. Parker, meanwhile, had the best quarter this season by any player not named Bryant. He pumped in 15 points in the first quarter, hitting three 3-pointers and six of seven shots in all, and delivered two highlight plays. With 4:12 left in the quarter, Parker got a hand on Kyle Korver's inbounds in·bounds adj. 1. Basketball Involving putting the ball into play by passing it from out of bounds to a teammate on the court. 2. Sports Within the designated boundaries. pass in the backcourt and wound up with the steal. He spotted Lamar Odom Lamar Joseph Odom (born November 6 1979, in South Jamaica, Queens, New York) is an American professional basketball player who currently plays power forward (also plays both forward spots and is a "point-forward") for the National Basketball Association's Los Angeles Lakers. and lobbed an alley-oop only to get the ball back for a dunk as Odom threw a touch pass. Parker also sneaked behind the Sixers for a dunk with 0.7 seconds left in the first quarter. The Lakers led 37-22 after their highest-scoring first quarter this season and made Iverson pay for his roaming on defense. ``That's what pretty much happens,'' Parker said. ``I score quickly, and then it's No. 8's time.'' Ross Siler, (818) 713-3610 ross.siler(at)dailynews.com CAPTION(S): 2 photos, 2 boxes Photo: (1 -- color) The Lakers' Kobe Bryant goes to the basket against Philadelphia's Andre Iguodala, left, and Samuel Dalembert Samuel Davis Dalembert (born May 10, 1981 in Port-au-Prince, Haiti) is a professional basketball player who plays center with the NBA's Philadelphia 76ers. Dalembert began playing in Montreal, Canada and played college basketball at Seton Hall University in New Jersey, US. during Friday's game. Bryant had 48 points in the Lakers' 119-93 win. (2) Philadelphia's Andre Iguodala tries to dunk over the Lakers' Chris Mihm during Friday's game at Staples Center. Michael Owen Baker/Staff Photographer Box: (1) LAKERS at CLIPPERS - Ross Siler (2) STORY LINES |
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