KOBE, LAKERS KEEP IT GOING BRYANT HITS 42; WIN STREAK HITS THREE LAKERS 99, UTAH 87.Byline: Howard Beck Staff Writer It was a sole, lonely voice, from somewhere among the masses in Section 217. A one-man chant for a one-man cause: ``M! V! P!'' No one joined in right away, but a few savvy 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. denizens picked up on the concept as the night wore on Saturday, building a chorus as 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. built on an undeniable case. Bryant scored 42 points to lead the Lakers to a 99-87 victory over the Utah Jazz, capping a spectacular week in which he led the Lakers to three consecutive victories over Western Conference rivals. Bryant scored 120 points in the three wins, his game elevating as the All-Star Game An all-star game is an exhibition game played by the best players in their sports league. The players are often chosen by a popular vote of fans of the sport and the game often occurs at the halfway point of the regular season, although this is not the case for some all-star games draws closer. The Lakers' still-substandard record casts doubts on a Bryant candidacy for most valuable player, but his sheer dominance (and the Lakers' rapidly improving game) might soon eclipse those doubts. Bryant made 12 of 25 field goals and 16 of 18 free throws Saturday, hitting the 40-point plateau for the second time in four days and the eighth time this season. The Lakers have won three in a row for just the second time this season, to move within three games of Houston for the eighth slot in the West. At 22-23, they are as close to .500 as they have been since losing the season opener Oct. 29. The Lakers wandered aimlessly aim·less adj. Devoid of direction or purpose. aim  less·ly adv.aim through much of the third quarter, giving up all of an 8-point lead while watching the likes of Scott Padgett Scott Anthony Padgett (born April 19, 1976 in Louisville, Kentucky) is an American professional basketball player formerly with NBA's Memphis Grizzlies. He is currently playing for CB Granada in the Spanish ACB. High school Padgett grew up in Louisville, Kentucky. score easy baskets. But Bryant righted things before the last tenths of a second expired, swishing a 38-footer at the buzzer to give the Lakers a 73-64 lead heading to the fourth quarter. Bryant dribbled behind his back to lose Calbert Cheaney Calbert Nathaniel Cheaney (born July 17 1971 in Evansville, Indiana) is a veteran basketball player in the NBA currently a free agent. He was selected 6th overall by the Washington Bullets in the 1993 NBA Draft. His last team was the Golden State Warriors in the 2005-06 season. near midcourt, then shot-putted the ball just before time ran out. The fans erupted, Bryant pumped a fist, then turned and pointed a finger at every corner of the building. He scored the Lakers' last 10 points of the third quarter, then scored their first seven points of the fourth, rendering pointless the best defensive efforts of Andrei Kirilenko Andrei Kirilenko may refer to:
Bryant continued firing away, and his 16-footer pushed the lead back to double digits Double Digits was a pricing game on the American television game show, The Price Is Right. Played from April 20, 1973 through May 18, 1973's show, it was played for a car and used small prizes. , 88-77, with 4:36 to play. 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). followed with a turnaround jumper, making it a 13-point game, and the Jazz went away quietly. O'Neal finished with 21 points and 13 rebounds. Having regained their footing with impressive victories at Phoenix and Sacramento, the Lakers could see .500 just over the horizon, and Shaquille O'Neal described the mission as only he could. ``If we get these next three wins here, we'll make some momentum. If we do make some momentum, our outcome will be favorable,'' O'Neal said before tipoff. Only Indiana and 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 stand between the Lakers and the All-Star break, and a pair of wins would push them over .500 for the first time this season. ``Now I seem to see the chemistry is a little bit better,'' coach Phil Jackson
Philip Douglas "Phil" Jackson (born September 17, 1945 in Deer Lodge, Montana) is the current coach of the Los Angeles Lakers, an American professional basketball team. said. ``Players are looking for Looking for In the context of general equities, this describing a buy interest in which a dealer is asked to offer stock, often involving a capital commitment. Antithesis of in touch with. the opportunity to do the thing that is the right thing, are willing to step into the right place. In basketball, you're constantly mending relationships and communications. And everybody still has to get on the same page, and you can't get distracted by officials or players you're playing against or the team or circumstances; you just have to remember what the objective is, the goal. ``I think that now the focus has narrowed for our basketball club, to where it's not an 82-game season, where `we'll get it together sooner or later.' It's no later, it's all sooner now that we have to get it together, and I think that's put a sense of urgency in this team.'' The Jazz arrived minus its coach (Jerry Sloan, suspended for shoving a referee), minus two injured starters (Matt Harpring and Jarron Collins) and seemingly without much energy after playing Golden State the night before. The Lakers, despite expending considerable energy at Sacramento on Friday, pounced on the Jazz for an 11-point lead in the first quarter. Karl Malone had 26 points and nine rebounds to lead Utah. CAPTION(S): photo, 2 boxes Photo: BRY-LLIANT The Lakers' Kobe Bryant capped a fantastic week Saturday with 42 points against Utah. Edna T. Simpson/Staff Photographer Box: (1) BRY-LLIANT (2) GAME RECAP |
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