Lakers impress rival coach Gregg Popovich

San Antonio gets the win, but the Spurs' coach comes away with an appreciation for what the Lakers are doing this season, as he credits Phil Jackson.

Reporting from San Antonio -- His team won and yet San Antonio Coach Gregg Popovich still is impressed by what the Lakers are, what they have become and what they can be. Popovich had heard so much about the Lakers, about their talent, depth and drive to win an NBA championship after losing to the Boston Celtics in the 2008 NBA Finals. He credits Lakers Coach...read full article

NBA Power Rankings: hollywood style

The new year has wrought quite a few changes in the NBA’s pecking order. Young, strong teams are tearing down the walls, but while the birds are flying high in the NFL, the only one on this list took a dive.

1. Los Angeles Lakers (30-6) - Just to prove that I’m not still bitter about the Lakers/Kings conference finals in 2002, I’m going to give the Lakers this top spot. It’s a gift, because even though they have won 9 of their last 10, injuries to Odom, Walton, and Farmar are going to make sure LA won’t be number 1 again for quite a while. I’m chalking this bad luck up to...read full article

NBA Preview from The Sports Network

Los Angeles Lakers (30-6) at Houston Rockets (24-15), 8:30 p.m.

The Los Angeles Lakers kick off a quick two-game road swing through Texas on Tuesday when they arrive in Houston to face the Rockets at the Toyota Center. The Lakers won their third straight game on Sunday when Andrew Bynum scored a team-best 24 points, including a key putback in the waning moments of the fourth, as Los Angeles went on to post a 108-105 victory over the Miami Heat at Staples Center. Kobe Bryant had 19 points on 5-of-14 shooting with seven assists, while Derek Fisher had a game-high 11 helpers and 13 points for...read full article

NBA Power Rankings: Cavs Finally Reach the Top

Cleveland's win over the C's coupled with L.A.'s loss was enough to get the Cavs into the number one position for the first time all season. The struggling Celtics fell another spot from last week, and there's also a new team occupying the basement at number 30.

1. Cleveland Cavaliers (29-6) - The Cavs get my top billing thanks to a pair of convincing wins, including one over the Celtics. I'll try not to jinx it, but this team absolutely has what it takes to go undefeated at home.

2. Los Angeles Lakers (30-6) - I bumped the Lakers down after losing to the Hornets and barely surviving close calls against the Warriors, Pacers and Heat. Next week's...read full article

Lakers vs Heat Highlights

Kobe Dogs Wade, Lakers Escape The Heat With Win

Kobe Bryant The Doberman, the defensive stopper from Beijing, was unleashed again for one night.
He shadowed Dwyane Wade all over the court, denied him the ball and took him out of the game at key moments, all while leaving his team’s scoring to others. It worked. Wade shot just 1 of 10 in the second half when Kobe was on him and was virtually a non-factor on the Heat’s last few possessions, Andrew Bynum led the Lakers with 24 points including what was essentially winning tip in with 18.5 seconds left and Los Angeles picked up another close win at...read full article

Bynum helps Lakers edge Heat

Andrew Bynum scored a team-best 24 points, including a key putback bucket in the waning moments of the fourth, and the Los Angeles Lakers went on to post a 108-105 victory over the Miami Heat at Staples Center. Kobe Bryant had 19 points on 5-of-14 shooting with seven assists, while Derek Fisher had a game-high 11 helpers and 13 points for LA, which has won three straight and nine of 10 overall. Pau Gasol logged a game-high 18 rebounds and scored 14 for the Lakers, while Vladimir Radmanovic drained four three-pointers en route to 18 points. The...read full article

Bynum lifts Lakers to close win over Heat

Kobe Bryant again misfired against the Miami Heat. This time, Andrew Bynum had his back. Bynum tipped in Bryant's miss with just under 19 seconds remaining Sunday, helping to lift the Los Angeles Lakers to a 108-105 victory over the Heat in a matchup of two of the NBA's top three leading scorers. Bynum had 24 points and six rebounds for the Lakers, who suffered an 89-87 loss to the Heat on December 19, when Bryant's game-tying attempt rimmed out at the buzzer. With the game tied at 102-102 on Sunday, Bryant drove to Dwyane...read full article

Bynum leads Lakers past Heat 108-105

Andrew Bynum scored a season-high 24 points, including a go-ahead follow shot with 18.5 seconds remaining, and the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Miami Heat 108-105 Sunday night to become the first Western Conference team to reach 30 victories. After Bryant tipped in Kobe Bryant's miss to give the Lakers a 104-102 lead, Chris Quinn missed a baseline jumper. Vladimir Radmanovic got the rebound and was fouled with 6.6 seconds left. Radmanovic, an 83.3 percent shooter from the foul line, made both shots to give him a season-high 18 points...read full article

Quote of the Day

"If they don't come (with a double team)...I can turn and shoot over the top." -Kobe Bryant

Bryant, Wade square off when Lakers host Heat

Miami (19-16) at LA Lakers (29-6) 9:30 p.m. EST

Kobe Bryant appears determined to defend his MVP crown. Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers go for their third straight win on Sunday when they host the Miami Heat. The 30-year-old guard, Bryant earned his first NBA MVP last season when he ranked second in the league in scoring, averaging 28.3 points per game. He also added 6.3 rebounds and 5.4 assists as the Lakers advanced to the NBA Finals before losing to the Boston Celtics. Bryant is poised to duplicate that success this campaign as he ranks third in scoring at 27.2 points per game and has...read full article

Around the Association

Don't call him a Wizard Los Angeles Lakers coach Phil Jackson has no problem ripping or downright insulting his players. Step forward Sasha Vujacic, who apparently is in Jackson's doghouse for a series of not so intelligent plays recently. "We just had to come to the conclusion that Sasha's just an emotional player that plays by the seat of his pants, and that's about it. He just doesn't have a brain," Jackson told reporters on Friday. "He's just out there whacking away and working really hard. He's not using his head out there at times. We're...read full article