LAKERS FIND RIGHT MIX DEFENSE, ODOM AND BRYANT KEY.Byline: Ross Siler Staff Writer The first game back from the All-Star break is always an adventure, even with the Western Conference's worst team in town, but the Lakers just might have found a formula that can carry them these last 30 games of the season. They got an aggressive night out of 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. , held the NBA's 30th- ranked offensive team below its scoring average and let 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. finish things off in the fourth quarter. It added up to a 99-82 victory Tuesday night 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. and a step in the right direction for the Lakers, who sit eighth in the Western Conference standings, two games ahead of Utah, two games behind In sports, the phrase games behind, often abbreviated as GB in tables, is a common way to reflect the gap between a leading team and another team in a sports league, conference, or division. the Hornets. Odom finished with 20 points and a season-high 17 rebounds while Bryant scored 15 of his game-high 27 in the fourth quarter. The Lakers also gave up a whopping 31 fewer points to the Blazers than in their 113-103 loss to Portland last month. Then again, the Lakers' defense also was aided by an unbelievably bad night at 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. for the Blazers, who made just 12 of 28 (42.9 percent) from the line. Portland also was playing without injured centers Joel Przybilla Joel Anthony Przybilla (October 10 1979 in Monticello, Minnesota) is a professional basketball player in the NBA. A 7'1" (2.16 m) center, he currently plays for the Portland Trail Blazers. and Theo Ratliff Theophilus Curtis Ratliff (born April 17, 1973 in Demopolis, Alabama) is an American professional basketball player. He currently plays for the Minnesota Timberwolves of the NBA. He primarily plays the center position, and is known as an excellent shot-blocker. . Odom, meanwhile, found his rhythm at the end of the first quarter, tossing in a hook shot as Bryant gave up the ball to him, then driving for a dunk against Viktor Khryapa Viktor Khryapa (pronounced Veek-tor Ha-RAP-ah in American English[1]) (born August 3, 1982, in Kiev, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union (present-day Ukraine)) is a Russian professional basketball player in the NBA. with 3.0 seconds left. He came out of halftime and drilled a jumper on the Lakers' first possession. Odom also drove for two layups against Travis Outlaw Travis Marquez Outlaw (born September 18 1984 in Starkville, Mississippi) is an American professional basketball player currently with the Portland Trail Blazers of the National Basketball Association. , one at the end of the third quarter, one at the start of the fourth. ``I've just got an aggressive mindset mind·set or mind-set n. 1. A fixed mental attitude or disposition that predetermines a person's responses to and interpretations of situations. 2. An inclination or a habit. right now,'' said Odom, who is still bothered by a rib injury from earlier this month. It also was the end to one of the strangest stats of the Lakers' season. They were 0-7 when Odom took 15 or more shots before he went 9 of 21 in Tuesday's victory. ``When he's playing like that,'' Bryant said, ``he's being aggressive, he's taking the open jumper, and does a good job moving the ball, we're a very, very dangerous team.'' The Lakers led by as many as 17 points in the fourth quarter, only to see their lead shrink to 74-66. That was when Bryant took over, driving through all five Blazers for a layup, knocking down two 3-pointers and drilling two jumpers. He totaled 12 points in three minutes "Three Minutes" is the 46th episode of Lost. It is the twenty-second episode of the second season. The episode was directed by Stephen Williams, and written by Edward Kitsis and Adam Horowitz. It first aired on May 17, 2006 on ABC. and went 11 of 19 for the night. Bryant still had to play more than 42 minutes against one of the NBA's worst teams, shifting into the backcourt with Odom on the wing for stretches. The Lakers also put Bryant on Portland guard Steve Blake from the start of the game, even having Bryant pick up Blake full-court on defense. Lakers coach Phil Jackson said he didn't want to have Bryant chasing Juan Dixon through screen after screen, as was the case in the Lakers' loss in Portland last month. It also served to disrupt Blake and the Blazers' offense Tuesday. Blake finished with five points and six assists while Dixon had 16 points and four assists. The two combined to score 46 points and hand out 15 assists in the Jan. 11 game. ``Some of the weapons they had against us in the last game weren't as potent,'' Jackson said. ``That helped. Our defense got aggressive and got some turnovers, steals and confusion. That really gave us some momentum.'' Bryant had five steals in the first half, pouncing on entry passes once again. Devean George also might have made the defensive play of the season, blocking a Ruben Patterson dunk at the rim with 2.9 seconds left in the third quarter. Patterson wanted a goaltending goal·tend·ing n. 1. Sports The act of protecting a goal, as in hockey and other such sports. 2. Basketball call on the play but was whistled for a technical foul by referee Derek Richardson. It was an ironic turn as Patterson had pleaded with Richardson to give Bryant a technical - ``You're not going to let him talk to you that way,'' he said - minutes earlier after Bryant wanted an offensive foul called on Patterson. The Blazers shot 39 percent for the game and scored below their 88.7- point average, the NBA's lowest. The Lakers had given up 100 points or more in their previous seven losses, but had a satisfying night Tuesday. Ross Siler, (818) 713-3610 ross.siler(at)dailynews.com CAPTION(S): 2 photos, box Photo: (1) The Lakers' Lamar Odom goes up past Portland's Darius Miles for two of his 20 points on Tuesday night at Staples Center. (2) The Lakers' Kobe Bryant, right, and Portland's Ruben Patterson battle for the ball during the first half of Tuesday's game. John McCoy/Staff Photographer Box: STORY LINES |
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