RESERVE STRENGTH LAKERS HAVE MORE THAN ENOUGH TO EASILY BEAT WARRIORS LAKERS 119, G. STATE 96.Byline: Howard Beck Staff Writer Notice was served officially 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. Wednesday night, for those who hadn't yet gotten the memo: The NBA NBA abbr. 1. National Basketball Association 2. National Boxing Association NBA (US) n abbr (= National Basketball Association) → Basketball-Dachverband (= dog days of spring have officially arrived. The Lakers did their best to simulate meaningful basketball in a game lacking any sense of intrigue, but that was the one feat they couldn't accomplish. Against the Golden State Warriors The Golden State Warriors are a professional basketball team based in Oakland, California. The team plays in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Franchise history Philadelphia Warriors , it was enough just to avoid injuries, get the starters a long breather and walk away with a 119-96 rout. What the game lacked in providing entertainment, it made up for in furthering the Lakers' greater goals. The victory, coupled with Portland's loss to Detroit, pushed the Lakers' lead over the rival Trail Blazers tosix games, with 13 left to play. The Lakers (57-12) have now won 11 straight at Staples, 23 of their last 24 overall and haven't lost to a Western Conference opponent since Feb. 1. About the only setback the Lakers suffered was Shaquille O'Neal's lossof ground in the NBA scoring race. He played just 23 minutes (a season-low for a game in which he hasn't ben ejected) and scored 22 points, handing the lead back to Philadelphia's 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. . Against the Warriors (17-50), the Lakers didn't figure to be tested - and indeed, they led by as many as 34 points in the third quarter. But 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. had expected explosive guard Larry Hughes Larry Hughes (born January 23 1979 in St. Louis, Missouri) is an American professional basketball player who plays point guard for the National Basketball Association's Cleveland Cavaliers. - who scorched scorch v. scorched, scorch·ing, scorch·es v.tr. 1. To burn superficially so as to discolor or damage the texture of. See Synonyms at burn1. 2. the Lakers for 41 points two weeks ago - to at least make things interesting. Kobe Bryant's pride, if nothing else, would be on the line as he defended Hughes. ``There will be something there for him to get his energy going for this game,'' Jackson said before tipoff, ``and that's the kind of thing that we need in this game to really go out and play well. We have to havesomething to challenge us. ... I think it's going to be a big challengefor (Bryant), just knowing how he feels about it.'' Give Hughes credit for trying. He scored 26 points on 8-of-22 shooting. But Bryant was resting comfortably on the bench for most of it as the Lakers established the rout early and sat on it. So much for interesting subplots. Bryant finished with 18 points in 28 minutes - the longest run of anystarter. Glen Rice Glen Anthony Rice (born May 28 1967, in Flint where he played for Flint Northwestern High School, Michigan) is a retired American NBA basketball player. Rice was a three-time NBA All-Star small forward well known for his pinpoint shooting accuracy, ranking 4th in NBA history with added 17 points. With the season winding down, and the Lakers having all but sewn up the top seed in the West, Jackson wants every opportunity to rest his starters for the playoffs. ``This is definitely a game that I will try and use a lot of players,'' Jackson said before the game. The Warriors cooperated with that goal, and Jackson was mostly pleasedwith his bench production, if a little perturbed per·turb tr.v. per·turbed, per·turb·ing, per·turbs 1. To disturb greatly; make uneasy or anxious. 2. To throw into great confusion. 3. about 22 turnovers. Brian Shaw Brian K. Shaw (born March 22, 1966 in Oakland, California) is a former professional basketball player. The 6' 6" Shaw could play both guard spots, but was used primarily at point guard over the course of his 14 seasons in the league. , celebrating his 34th birthday, and Rick Fox led the reserves with 14 points each. Travis Knight Travis Knight (born September 13 1974 in Salt Lake City, Utah) is an American former professional basketball player who was selected by the Chicago Bulls in the 1st round (29th overall) of the 1996 NBA Draft. grabbed a season-high 10 rebounds before fouling out in the fourth quarter. Every Laker but John Salley scored, and the Lakers shot 50 percent. It didn't take long for Jackson to turn the game over to his bench. Bythe time the Lakers opened the second quarter - already leading 37-19 - Bryant was the only starter on the floor. Less than two minutes later, he was on the bench too. It didn't help the Warriors any. The Lakers' second string (Knight,Robert Horry, Fox, Shaw and Derek Fisher) quickly extended the lead to 31 points with a 26-13 run. Fox scored 11 points in the run, including a pair of 3-pointers, to finish with 13 in the second quarter. The Lakers shot 48.9 percent in the half to take a 65-45 lead into the intermission. CAPTION(S): 2 photos, chart Photo: (1 -- color) Kobe Bryant of the Lakers heads toward the basket while being guarded by the Warriors' Larry Hughes on Wednesday night at Staples Center. (2) Kobe Bryant goes up for a slam dunk during the Lakers' game with the Golden State Warriors. John Lazar/Staff Photographer Box: GAME RECAP |
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