MVP Bryant lifts Lakers over Pacers

National Basketball Association Most Valuable Player Kobe Bryant hit the game-winner with three seconds to play Friday as the Los Angeles Lakers beat Indiana 121-119. Bryant finished the game with 36 points, 13 assists and seven rebounds. Indiana called timeout to set up a final play that didn't pan out. Mike Dunleavy inbounded the ball to Jeff Foster, who looked to get the ball back to Dunleavy but couldn't and ended up holding it as time ran out. The victory avenged the Lakers' December 2 loss at Indiana, when the Pacers won with a last-second tip-in. The...read full article

Jackson playing head games with these two Lakers

Lakers Coach Phil Jackson has never shied away from zinging players. Friday was no different. He picked at the play of Sasha Vujacic and Vladimir Radmanovic, reserves who have had to take on larger roles because of a spate of injuries. Jackson's unhappiness with Vujacic began when the fifth-year pro picked up a late technical foul Tuesday during a loss to New Orleans. "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 said before Friday's game against...read full article

Recap: LA Lakers vs. Indiana

Kobe Bryant recorded 36 points -- including the game-winning jumper with three seconds left -- and the Los Angeles Lakers returned to their winning ways at home with a 121-119 victory over the Indiana Pacers. The Lakers had lost their previous home tilt to the Hornets, snapping a 15- game win streak as the host. But LA improved to 19-2 at home this season, which is second in the NBA behind the Cavaliers, who are a perfect 19-0 at Quicken Loans Arena after a 98-83 rout of the Celtics on Friday. "We were never quite comfortable with a 10- or 12-point lead...read full article

Kobe sinks Pacers in final three seconds

Kobe Bryant hit the game-winning jumper with three seconds left to give the Los Angeles Lakers a 121-119 victory over the Indiana Pacers on Friday. Bryant, who finished with 36 points, 13 assists and seven rebounds, backed down Jarrett Jack before drilling the shot. Indiana called timeout to set up a final play, which went awry. Mike Dunleavy inbounded the ball to Jeff Foster, who looked to get the ball back to Dunleavy but couldn't and wound up holding it as time ran out. Foster launched a futile shot after the game was over. The win was a form of revenge for...read full article

Bryant's late surge gives Lakers win

Kobe Bryant made a tiebreaking jumper with 3 seconds left and scored the Lakers' last 11 points, giving Los Angeles a 121-119 victory over the Indiana Pacers on Friday night. Bryant finished with 36 points and 13 assists. After his turnaround jumper, the Pacers took a timeout but were unable to get off a shot before the final buzzer. The Lakers improved their home record to 19-2 and remained tied with Cleveland for the best overall record in the league at 29-6. The Cavaliers beat The Celtics 98-83 in Cleveland earlier Friday to improve their home mark to...read full article

Lakers are put through paces again

Teammates Vladimir Radmanovic and Pau Gasol congratulate Kobe Bryant after he hit an 18-foot jumper with three seconds to put the Lakers ahead, 121-119, on Friday night against Indiana. Should the Lakers be fortunate enough to make it to the NBA Finals, they can be thankful for one thing. The Indiana Pacers won't be there. Cleveland, Boston and Orlando are headline-takers in the Eastern Conference, but the well-under-.500 Pacers are simply headline-makers for the Lakers. A little more than a month after beating the Lakers in...read full article

Quote of the Day 1/8/09

"I've always approached the season like the Tour de France. I've approached it in stages. I'm not going to sprint the hill every time. I'm going to let my teammates pull me up, and then I'm going to wait..." -Kobe Bryant

Bill Walton brings earnest enthusiasm to ESPN

Bill Walton is now in his 35th season being part of the NBA, his 19th as a broadcaster. He is 56 years old and suffered in (self-imposed) silence while healing from a bad back during last year's playoffs that led to Boston beating Los Angeles in the Finals. He's back on the air at ESPN now, not for all the network's "NBA Shootaround" shows, but enough. He debuted on Christmas Day and he'll be back again Feb. 6 when ESPN has a doubleheader of Denver at Washington and Golden State at Phoenix. Walton's earnest enthusiasm for the league is...read full article

Lakers Looking For Payback Against Indiana

The Indiana Pacers look like they've finally shaken their season-long struggle to win close games. That might not do them much good if they can't stay competitive against the Western Conference-best Los Angeles Lakers. The Lakers look to improve to 19-2 at Staples Center as they go for their eighth win in nine games overall Friday night against the Pacers. Indiana (13-22) is stuck at the bottom of the Central Division in large part because of its inability to win tight games. The Pacers are 0-4 in overtime and were 3-11 in games decided by six points or fewer after...read full article

With the injuries, Sun Yue gets his opportunity

For the Lakers, a void has to be filled because of injuries. And that means even a rookie such as Sun Yue has to be Sun got the call from Lakers Coach Phil Jackson on Wednesday night, but it was not a shining moment for the 6-foot-9 guard from China. It was not so much that he didn't score. It was more about how uneasy he looked on the court against the Golden State Warriors. "For me, every game on the court I feel more better, more comfortable," Sun said. "I might not be getting used to the whole system...read full article

Win or lose, Lakers still best in West

With auditions ongoing for two months, there's been a painfully obvious truth on the Western stage. No one seemed capable of playing a credible Joker to the Los Angeles Lakers' Batman. The Lakers have been local heroes with no foils, a team so successful it sucked the drama out of this movie. New Orleans was an early favorite to fill the role of chief antagonist, but coming into Tuesday night's game at Staples Center, the Hornets didn't seem up to it. The first two times they met in N'awlins, the Lakers gobbled up the home team like tasty bowls of...read full article

After Tonight's Game The NBA Orders Pau Gasol To Take Gender Test

After tonight's victory for the Los Angeles Lakers over the Golden State Warriors. David Stern decides to have an NBA official determine the gender of Pau Gasol. The reason for the test, according to Stern: "This is a man's league." Stern was very upset with Gasol for three reasons—it's constant whining to the refs, it's version of the tennis grunt when taking a shot, and lastly for hanging on the rim after a dunk. Usually, the league administers a urine test and of course always with advanced notice, but Stern was too pissed off, so he decided that it...read full article