Bynum has right knee drained

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. -- The Lakers have won 10 out of their last 12 games in the playoffs since Kobe Bryant got his bothersome right knee drained prior to Game 5 of Los Angeles' first-round series with Oklahoma City. Now the Lakers hope that a similar procedure done to Andrew Bynum will help them win four out of seven games in the NBA Finals to capture the championship against the Boston Celtics.

The 22-year-old Lakers center had his right knee drained (or "aspirated" in medical terms) Monday morning.
Bynum suffered a slight tear of the meniscus of his right knee in Game 6 against the Thunder and has been limited in the playoffs, averaging 9.1 points, 7.7 rebounds and 24.2 minutes per game while recovering from a late-season strain to his left Achilles and navigating the pain and swelling that accompanied the right knee injury.

"It was just getting worse," Bynum said after the Lakers film session in preparation for the Celtics on Monday. "The swelling wasn't leaving so we had to do it ... I was doing the treatment, but [the swelling] wasn't going anywhere like in the previous three rounds so I just had to drain it."
Bynum said he could not feel any immediate benefit from the drain because there was still medicine in the knee numbing the pain, but said he would find out if the procedure had a positive impact Wednesday, when he plans to return to practice.

"It supposedly will make you feel more healthy, so that I'll find out come practice day," Bynum said. "I think that practice is going to be what kind of determines that for me, especially because I'll be running on it and cutting and it will be a full, hard day."

The procedure did wonders for Bryant, who described the draining as having "the nasty stuff sucked out of my knee." Bryant averaged 24 points on 38.4 percent shooting in the first four games against the Thunder before having his knee drained and has been on a tear ever since, averaging 31.3 points on 51.5 percent shooting in his last 12 games.

Bynum had 17 points and 14 rebounds and four blocks against the Utah Jazz in Game 2 of the conference semifinals shortly after sustaining the right knee injury, but has been inconsistent ever since then. After Bynum finished with just two points and two rebounds in Game 3 of the conference finals against Phoenix, Lakers coach Phil Jackson said he was considering keeping Bynum out of the lineup to rest his knee. Bynum responded with 12 points and eight rebounds in Game 4.

"I expect that he's going to come out and give us some really good minutes," Jackson said Monday. "It may not be heavy minutes, but I think he'll give us some good minutes. He's got some effective things that he's done against the Celtics over the course of the year."

Bynum was sidelined with a dislocated knee cap in his left knee in 2008 when the Celtics beat the Lakers in the Finals in six games. He was not even able to attend all of the games while he received treatment on his knee from a specialist in New York.




Boston has added the 6-foot-11, 230-pound Rasheed Wallace and has started to utilize the 6-9, 289-pound Glen Davis in a frontline that already included the 6-11, 253-pound Kevin Garnett and 6-10, 280-pound Kendrick Perkins two years ago.

Any contributions that Bynum's 7-foot, 285-pound body can add will be welcome for the Lakers.
"They're going to need me doing better than I am, that's for sure," Bynum said. "Going into it, I'm aware of that. We're just studying, looking at film, watching at how they're defending the post, watching our previous two games. I was effective in both of those games, so I'm going to need to play at that level and higher for us to be better."

Bynum averaged 16.5 points and 10 rebounds on 50 percent shooting in two regular season meetings against Boston this season that the Lakers split, winning by one point in Boston on Jan. 31 and then losing by one point in L.A. on Feb. 18 (with Bryant out with a sprained left ankle).
"I'm out there for whatever they ask me to do, any amount of minutes," Bynum said. "You don't come this far just to say, 'OK, I can't go anymore.'"

Even though Bynum was unable to play in 2008, he recognizes the revenge factor that this series presents to the Lakers.

"It's a great opportunity for us to get one back," Bynum said. "You never want to let that slip. It's an opportunity for us to say, 'We can beat these guys.' Nobody can come up to us and say, 'You guys can never beat Boston, you went to the Finals three times, they beat you twice.' We don't want to hear any of that. That's a motivating factor for us."

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Lakers eliminate Suns to advance to NBA Finals against Celtics

Kobe Bryant leads the way with 37 points, including a key basket late in the game, in a 111-103 victory at Phoenix. Ron Artest comes up big with 25 points.

One old nemesis was summarily dismissed by the Lakers, the sight of the vanquished Suns looking spectacular in the rear-view mirror in the aftermath of the Western Conference finals.Redemption accomplished?Not quite.Next up: The biggest, baddest Lakers nemesis of all: the Celtics. They may have shelved memories of twin past playoff losses to the Suns, with a 111-103 victory over Phoenix in Game 6 at US Airways Center, winning the best-of-seven series, four games to two.It was anything but straightforward because of a thrown elbow by the Lakers' Sasha Vujacic early in the fourth quarter, which almost single-handedly revived the Suns.For the Lakers, forward Ron Artest, the last-gasp hero of Game 5, paved the way with a strong first half and finished with 25 points, and Kobe Bryant had a game-high 37 points, and 11 of those came in the fourth quarter.Steve Nash, who had provided assurances that the series would go back to Los Angeles for Game 7, had 21 points for the Suns, who were led by Amare Stoudemire's 27 points.It was the Suns' first loss in seven home playoff games, and the Lakers earned their third straight trip to the NBA Finals.Which brings this all back to Boston. Afterward, the image of the Lakers' loss to the Celtics in the 2008 Finals almost immediately surfaced. Not that it is ever far from the thoughts and minds of Lakers players and fans.This is why Lakers center Andrew Bynum, who didn't know better, started talking about playing the Celtics.Last week.This is why the spectators were chanting, "We Want Boston! We Want Boston!" at Staples Center during Game 2, back before the Suns turned this into a compelling series with wins in Games 3 and 4 in Phoenix, confounding the Lakers with their zone defense.The Lakers started to figure it out, started to find the seams and the holes in the defense, and were fueled by an uncommonly strong offensive showing by Artest, who hit three three-pointers in the first half and added one more in the third quarter.Los Angeles led, 65-53, at the half, and built a 17-point lead heading into the fourth quarter.Then came the elbow.The Lakers' comfort zone became hugely unsettled when Vujacic raised him arms in front of Suns reserve point guard Goran Dragic, which managed to jar the Suns out of their malaise early in the fourth quarter.That old Slovenian rivalry -- who knew? -- between the Dragic and Vujacic flared after Dragic hit a jumper to cut the lead to 15 points in the first minute of the final quarter.Vujacic's left elbow struck Dragic after his jumper and down went Dragic, which earned Vujacic a flagrant foul-1.Worse yet, for the Lakers, that immediately ignited the Suns, their crowd and Dragic, in no particular order. Dragic poured in eight points in less than a minute and the Suns' bench started looking like a carbon copy of Game 4.The Suns went on runs of 12-2 and 16-4 to slice away at the Lakers' huge lead and pull within five, points, 95-90, with 5:35 remaining.That left it to Bryant to salvage matters -- again.He had hit an improbable 28-footer to close out the first half and Suns Coach Alvin Gentry said to his team at halftime, in a clip shown on TV: "There's not anybody in America that could do a thing about it."He could have been talking about Bryant in the fourth quarter as well.

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Ron Artest rescues the Lakers with last-second shot

The forward's follow of Kobe Bryant's miss gives the Lakers a 103-101 victory over the Suns and puts them one victory from the NBA Finals.

If there's a faster point of redemption in Lakers playoff history, it wasn't coming to mind, not after Jack Nicholson looked so stunned, Kobe Bryant looked so irritated and Ron Artest looked so confused.Staples Center had fallen silent after Jason Richardson banked in a three-pointer with 3.5 seconds left, not long after practically the entire crowd begged Artest to stop shooting when he missed two open looks from the left side near the one-minute mark.But then Artest, of all people, maligned much of the season as Lakers fans pined for Trevor Ariza, carved out the franchise's latest slice of playoff lore with an improbable play against the Phoenix Suns.Bryant's herky-jerky three-point attempt missed badly from the right side with 2.5 seconds left, but Artest beat Richardson to the airball and put in an off-balance follow that banked in as time expired, giving the Lakers a 103-101 victory Thursday in Game 5 of the Western Conference finals.
It was stunning, it was surreal, and it put the Lakers up in the series, 3-2. Game 6 in the best-of-seven series is Saturday in Phoenix.Artest had made one of eight attempts and scored only two points before the putback.Bryant ran over to Artest and jubilantly grabbed him. Then Lamar Odom arrived, then pretty much the entire Lakers bench.It mirrored another sequence this playoff season, Pau Gasol's follow shot with 0.6 seconds left to close out the Oklahoma City series, but the drama was much thicker, the plotline deeper this time as the Lakers faced a massive collapse.Biggest shot of Artest's career?"Biggest layup," he said, smiling, correcting the interviewer. "I missed a lot of layups during the regular season. Now I'm missing jumpers and missing layups, but, you know, staying with it."And then some, pushing the Lakers to an 8-0 home record in the playoffs and a ninth consecutive Game 5 victory.Every Lakers fan in Staples Center groaned when Artest hoisted an errant 20-footer with 1:02 to play and then missed a three-point attempt with 22 seconds on the shot clock after Gasol tracked down the rebound.The Lakers led by three at the time, but Richardson evened up the game after the Suns kept the possession alive with two offensive rebounds."That bank shot from three was pretty fortunate too," Lakers Coach Phil Jackson said before paraphrasing Shaquille O'Neal from a similar last-second playoff victory. "One good shot deserves another one."The Lakers called a 20-second timeout. Even Artest's coach was wondering why he was back on the court for the final possession."I don't know why I left him in the game," Jackson said. "I actually questioned it myself when I put him out there on the floor, and there he was. Made the key play."Artest quickly went from a mess to the night's best.In all his years of pro basketball as both a player and coach, Jackson said he had never seen such a turnaround so quickly by a player."No I have not," he said. "I'm still recovering."Artest is shooting poorly in the postseason (39.2%), not that anybody on the Lakers cared about percentages. Or probabilities.

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Lakers - Suns Game 5 WCF Preview

The Lakers’ swagger is more of a stagger after consecutive losses in the Western Conference finals.
After leaving town last week to chants of “We want Boston,” Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol realize they won’t even get the chance to defend their NBA title unless Los Angeles starts defending the Phoenix Suns.
Although Gasol says Game 5 on Thursday night is “a must-win for us,” the champions’ California cool shows few signs of cracking, beyond Bryant’s grumbling about missed defensive assignments.
After surviving a near-identical jam in last season’s conference finals against Denver, the Lakers came away with a confidence they can rise to any occasion—even a best-two-of-three series against a surging, shot-making opponent with rising confidence of its own.
“There’s absolutely no doubt that we love this,” Lakers coach Phil Jackson said Wednesday, not sounding much like a coach planning to fill out retirement papers next month. “This is what champions are made of. If you have the best teams in the West going up against each other, it should come down to a challenge like this. … This is what basketball at this level is. Like I told them, ‘If you can’t meet this challenge, then why go to the finals?”’
The Lakers have been in this situation three previous times over the past two playoffs: a series tied at 2, with Game 5 at home. Los Angeles won each time, beating Houston and the Nuggets last season before trouncing Oklahoma City last month in the first round. Overall, they’ve won Game 5 seven straight times at home.
Yet the Suns hold every smidgen of momentum heading back to Staples Center after winning the last two games with a gimmicky zone defense, impressive bench play and another phenomenal exhibition of offense. Los Angeles’ 58 percent shooting in its first two victories masked its full series of ineffective defense so far: Los Angeles has yielded 113 points per game, and Phoenix has shaken off a brief spell of outside shooting problems.
At least the Lakers are back home, where they haven’t lost in seven playoff games this spring.
“The momentum we have, the confidence we have now, is definitely going to help us going to L.A.,” said Suns forward Amare Stoudemire, who shook off two mediocre games at Staples Center with big efforts in Phoenix. “We definitely can win there. It’s just a matter of us implementing our will.”
Will was a popular topic in El Segundo as well, with Bryant declaring that most of the Lakers’ problems are mental lapses on execution and assignments. After nearly posting a triple-double in Game 4, Bryant lamented Los Angeles’ inability to stick to its assignments when the Suns repeatedly ran their pick-and-roll, drive-and-dish offense.
“My message is offensively, we’re going to score enough points,” Bryant said. “Defensively, we’ve got to do a much better job. That’s my message. We’ve got to grind, do a better job staying in front of them.”
The Lakers uniformly downplayed the importance of Phoenix’s zone defense, a 2-3 scheme that puts defenders on both sides of Los Angeles’ post players. The Lakers’ shooting decreased sharply in Phoenix, but Jackson snorted at the idea he’s being outmaneuvered, noting his club still scored 107.5 points per game in Arizona.
“They challenge you in a lot of ways that we have to adjust to,” Gasol said. “It’s mostly stuff we know about. It’s about being alert all the time.”
Suns coach Alvin Gentry will have to miss his son’s elementary school graduation on Thursday night after his club avoided the sweep that seemed highly possible after its first two losses in Los Angeles.
Gentry persuaded his players to stick with his simple defensive scheme in the past two games. The Suns allowed Bryant to work his usual offensive magic, but forced the Lakers’ low-post scorers to work extra hard for shots—or to give up the ball to the Lakers’ rather ordinary perimeter shooters, including Derek Fisher, Ron Artest and Shannon Brown.
“We want to stop everyone, but sometimes you just can’t stop Kobe,” Suns guard Steve Nash said of Bryant, who’s averaging 28.9 points per game in the playoffs. “So we can’t get discouraged. He’s playing as well as maybe he’s ever played right now. He may continue to do that. We’ve proven we can win if he plays great, but we’ve got to be really solid. We’ve got to be tough. We’ve got to win all the little battles, because they do have some matchups and talent that we don’t have.”
Jackson echoed Nash’s concerns about the little things, citing a few offensive rebounds the Lakers failed to secure in the first quarter of Game 4. Those mistakes eventually snowballed into team-wide problems with execution, even after the Lakers took care of almost every detail in the first two games while extending their playoff winning streak to eight games.
“We understood that it was going to be hard,” Gasol said. “The first two results we obtained gave us a good feeling, but we knew the Suns were going to bounce back, and they have.”
Bryant and center Andrew Bynum didn’t appear to practice with the Lakers on Wednesday, although Jackson didn’t say for sure. Bynum is playing on an injured right knee that will require surgery, while Bryant simply takes advantage of every chance to rest his accumulated injuries.

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Jackson calls Thursday's game 'critical'

PHOENIX -- The number on the white board in the Los Angeles Lakers' locker room, representing the countdown to the wins necessary to complete their road to a repeat, remained at six after Tuesday's 115-106 Game 4 loss to the Phoenix Suns -- but the only thing on the team's mind seemed to be Game 5 on Thursday.
"Critical game," Lakers coach Phil Jackson said. "We say they're all critical, but this is what playoffs are about. If you can support yourself on the home court, you have a chance of going back and pulling an upset or winning the game, No. 5, and creating the momentum change. So, we'll see what comes out on Thursday. Should be interesting."

For the second time this postseason, the Lakers jumped out to a 2-0 lead to start a series, only to lose Games 3 and 4 on the road. Against Oklahoma City in the first round, Los Angeles was able to take Game 5 at home and Game 6 on the road to close out the series before it went the distance.

Working in the favor of the Lakers, the No. 1-seeded team in the Western Conference, is their home-court advantage. The Lakers have yet to lose a game at Staples Center this postseason, going 7-0.
"Now we've got to go back home and make sure we have a really good intense game, where we set the tone from the first second and we play as hard as possible for 48 minutes," Pau Gasol said after racking up just 15 points and five rebounds Tuesday. Gasol averaged 25 points in Games 1 and 2 at home and just 19 points in Games 3 and 4 on the road.


"We've got to understand they're a team that's dangerous, as they proved," Gasol said. "I think people were overlooking them after the first two games and [were] just thinking ahead already. And so obviously, that's a big mistake."

Lakers - Suns Game 4 WCF Preview

PHOENIX (AP)—Losing one game in Phoenix was tolerable for the Los Angeles Lakers. Two losses and things start to get uncomfortable for the reigning NBA champions.
It’s safe to say that coach Phil Jackson was giving his team a refresher course on how to beat a zone defense when the Lakers worked out at US Airways Center on Monday after Phoenix employed the strategy to great success in its 118-109 victory on Sunday night. The Suns can square the series at 2-2 with another home win in Game 4 on Tuesday night.Jackson said he had never seen a team use the zone so much in a playoff game since the NBA legalized the defense in the 2001-02 season, not that Kobe Bryant seemed all that concerned.
When asked if a day of practice would be enough to work out how to attack the zone, he answered sarcastically.
“Nah,” he said. “We’re doomed.”
The Suns used the zone much of the second quarter and the entire second half. Phoenix coach Alvin Gentry said that was more than he anticipated but he stuck with it because it worked when nothing else had against the Lakers, who averaged 126 points and shot 58 percent in the series’ first two games.
There were inferences on Monday that the zone is somehow an “unmanly” defense, that real teams play man-to-man.
“We have to try every way we can to find a situation where we can win,” Gentry said. “Whatever that takes, that’s what it is. If we have to play our ‘girlie zone’ as somebody said, we’ll play our ‘girlie zone.”’
Steve Nash’s nose and Andrew Bynum’s knee were main subjects of discussion on Monday.
Nash has a small nasal fracture from a fourth-quarter collision with Derek Fisher but said he’s had “a handful” of broken noses and expected to be fine for Game 4. After all, he played the fourth quarter of Game 4 of the Western Conference semifinals with his right eye swollen shut after taking an elbow from Tim Duncan .
“To me I think he’s as tough as they come,” Gentry said. “You saw what happened in the game last night, he tried to rearrange his own nose. My wife was in a car accident and broke her nose. It almost made her physically sick to see him grab his nose and just try to rearrange it himself.”
Bynum got in early foul trouble and had just two points and two rebounds in 7 1/2 minutes on Sunday night. After the game, Jackson talked about perhaps having the big center, who has a small meniscus tear in his right knee, sit out the next game. But Jackson said on Monday that Bynum would play.
“I talked to him this morning. He feels like he’s OK,” the Lakers coach said. “I was worried that he was impinging on his ability to play by concern about his health and status, and he says he’s OK.”
Jackson isn’t about to rest Bynum just to get him more ready for a finals matchup against Boston.
“The only thing there is is the Phoenix series,” Jackson said. “If we don’t just stay focused on that, there’s nothing else. You have to play immediately for this series and forget about whatever else is down the road.”
The taller Lakers dominated the inside game in the first two contests, but Phoenix’s front line duo of Amare Stoudemire and Robin Lopez outscored the Lakers’ trio of Pau Gasol , Bynum and Lamar Odom 62-35 in Game 3. Gasol scored 23 on 11 of 14 shooting, but Odom made just 4 of 14 shots for 10 points.
Criticized widely for his play in the first two games of the series, Stoudemire attacked the rim from the start. In addition to making 14 of 22 field goals, he was 14 of 18 at the foul line. He had 11 rebounds, two more than in the first two games combined.
Lopez scored 20 on 8 of 10 shooting and his 7-foot presence anchored the Suns’ zone. He played 29 1/2 minutes in just his third game back after being sidelined with a bulging disk in late March.
In all, the Suns made 37 of 42 free throws to 16 of 20 for the Lakers.
That, Bryant said, was the difference.
Stoudemire knows he will be Los Angeles’ No. 1 target in Game 4.
“I’m not sure what they’re going to do,” he said, “but I guarantee you Phil is going to come up with something slick.”
Bryant nearly had a triple double with 36 points, 11 assists and nine rebounds but was just 2 of 8 on 3s. He said the Lakers were lured into taking a franchise playoff record 32 3-point shots, making nine of them.
“We’re not a great 3-point shooting team consistently anyway,” he said. “We did have good looks and sometimes get baited into taking those, some of them with the shot clock being low, granted. But we can do a much better job the first 17 seconds of the clock.”
He said the team also needs to clean up some “silly” turnovers. The Lakers had 17, five by Bryant, to the Suns’ seven.
Jason Richardson made 4 of 7 3-pointers on Sunday night. The rest of the Suns were 1 of 13. Channing Frye’s woes worsened. He went 0 of 7, 0 of 5 on 3s, and is 1 of 20 for the series. He has missed 17 in a row.
Frye was the last player off the practice court, shooting jumper after jumper. He was miffed about having to answer questions about “something little” like his shooting problems after such a big win.
“Sometimes the ball doesn’t go in, man. It’s just one of those things. It’s just not going in,” he said. “It’s going to go in tomorrow, though, I’m going to tell you that. They’re going to go in tomorrow.”
Bryant said, not surprisingly, that no one on his team was panicking. And just when was the last time Bryant panicked on the basketball court? In high school, maybe?
“When my shorts fell down,” he said. “They were too big.”

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Stoudemire's 42 points pull Suns back into series, cut Lakers' lead to 2-1 in West finals

PHOENIX -- Amare Stoudemire had been criticized for just about everything: his defense, his rebounding, even his desire.

The Phoenix forward listened calmly all week, then responded with a monster game. Stoudemire attacked the Los Angeles Lakers relentlessly, matching his career playoff high with 42 points and grabbing 11 rebounds to power the Suns to a 118-109 victory Sunday night. The win sliced the Lakers' lead in the Western Conference finals to 2-1.

All that talk about a Lakers-Boston final has been put on hold. The Suns can pull even in the series with a victory at home in Game 4 on Tuesday night.

Stoudemire, with a bandage over a cut he received when his goggles slammed into his forehead on a drive to the basket, said he has worked through serious knee and eye injuries and kept his career at an All-Star level.

"You can never question my determination," he said, "my focus, my dedication. That's one of the reasons I've persevered through injuries and continue to try to improve every summer. My dedication to the game is at an all-time high."

Phoenix, dominated inside in the first two games, won with its big men, and a big advantage at the free throw line.

Robin Lopez, whose 7-foot presence gave the Suns some much-needed toughness inside, scored 20 on 8-of-10 shooting in 31 minutes, by far his most playing time since returning from a back injury at the start of the series. Phoenix made 37-of-42 free throws, 14 of 18 by Stoudemire. The Lakers were 16 of 20 at the line.
Kobe Bryant had 36 points, 11 assists and nine rebounds. Pau Gasol scored 23 points, but the Lakers didn't get as much help from their supporting cast as they did in the first two games.

The Suns, the second-best 3-point shooting team in NBA history in the regular season, were just 5 of 20. But Jason Richardson was 4 of 7, including one with 26 seconds to go to put the lid on the triumph, snapping the Lakers' eight-game playoff winning streak.

"We certainly didn't come out to play the way I wanted," Lakers coach Phil Jackson said, "and we certainly didn't play the way I wanted at the end."

Richardson scored 19. Steve Nash had 17 points and 15 assists before banging his nose in a fourth-quarter collision with Derek Fisher. Nash said he didn't think it was broken but planned to see a specialist before practice on Monday.

"They attacked the hoop today," Jackson said, "and, you know, earned 42 foul shots. That's really the game plan. We seemed to be staying home on the 3-point shooters, and Stoudemire and Lopez had a night for them."

Stoudemire, who had just nine rebounds in the first two games and had been criticized for his lack of defense and absence of fire, scored repeatedly on drives to the basket, when he either made the basket, was fouled, or both. The All-Star power forward, who can opt out of the final year of his contract after this season, made 10-of-12 shots in the second half, scoring 16 in the third quarter and 13 in the fourth.
Phoenix coach Alvin Gentry said he knew Stoudemire would respond.

"He knew he didn't play well in L.A.," Gentry said.

Stoudemire had said Lamar Odom had "a lucky game" with 19 points and 19 rebounds in Game 1. Odom was far more complimentary after Game 3.

"He had a wonderful game," Odom said. "He got to the hole and was forceful. He played great."
Odom, meanwhile, made just 4-of-14 shots and had 10 points and six rebounds before fouling out. He and Andrew Bynum, bothered by his sore right knee, both got in early foul trouble.

"It was one of those games," Odom said. "It happens."
Jackson said Bynum might not play in Game 4.

"I'll talk to him and see how he feels about it," Jackson said. "I think he was ineffective. There were some things that got by him."
As for Lopez, Gentry called the second-year pro's offense "a big surprise." Lopez had been out since March 28 with a bulging disk before playing in this series.

The Suns played a lot of zone defense after the Lakers averaged 126 points and shot 58 percent in the first two games. Los Angeles shot 48 percent in this one. The Lakers had a 27-4 advantage in second-chance points, but were outscored 18-3 on fast-break points.

"When they started making shots, we had to go to the zone," Gentry said. "Tonight it worked and we stuck with it."
 
Los Angeles, though, led 90-89 when Odom made two free throws with 8:47 to play.
Lopez entered the game for the struggling Channing Frye, and Phoenix took the lead for good 91-90 on Jared Dudley's baseline drive with 8:27 left.

Frye missed all seven of his shots, five of them 3s, and is shooting 1 for 20 in the series, 1 for 14 on 3s. He has missed 17 straight shots.

Phoenix scored the last seven points of the second quarter to lead 54-47 at the half and was up 86-84 after three quarters, thanks to two free throws by Leandro Barbosa with 1.5 seconds left following an ill-advised foul at midcourt by Shannon Brown.

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Lakers - Suns Game 3 Preview

Amare Stoudemire is taking a lot of heat for his defense, or lack of it, thus far in the Western Conference finals. Then again, nobody ever confused him with Kevin Garnett as an NBA stopper—and he is playing against the Los Angeles Lakers.

The teams returned to practice on Friday after a day off, with the Lakers up 2-0 as the series shifts to Phoenix for Game 3 on Sunday night.

Stoudemire indicated defensive strategy, not his individual failings, were to blame for Phoenix’s interior defensive woes.

“I’m doing everything the coaching staff is asking me to do, every single thing,” he said after the Suns’ workout, “from fronting the post, to doubling Kobe, to helping out. Those guys are big down there.”
Phoenix is trying to become the first team in 47 tries to come back from an 0-2 deficit to win a seven-game series against a Phil Jackson-coached team. Those teams, of course, have been laden with talent, and these Lakers are no exceptions.

Steve Nash said the only way for Phoenix to beat the defending NBA champions is with the effort and chemistry that made the Suns such a surprising success this season.

“They’re a more talented team than we are,” Nash said. “They’re a more balanced team. It’s probably not a stretch in most people’s minds just to say they’re a better team than we are. So how do we overcome that? That’s just all spirit, fight and belief. We’ve got to rely heavily on those characteristics with this group.”
Stoudemire might be playing his final games for Phoenix. He can opt out of the final year of his contract with the Suns after this season and would like a maximum deal. He was one of the most dominant players in the NBA since the All-Star break, but two games against the Lakers have rekindled debate as to whether he is worth that much money.

“I understand. That’s fine, that’s fine,” Stoudemire said. “Last year, this same team with Shaq, we didn’t make the playoffs. You get rid of Shaq and add me and we’re in the Western Conference finals. That alone should tell you what I bring to the team.”

Phoenix coach Alvin Gentry said critics should lay off his All-Star forward.
“I think you guys are making way, way too much of that,” Gentry said. “We had a lot of guys out of position on certain plays. If you’re telling me because of the statement he made everybody is looking at him more closely then OK, fine. But to say that he’s the guy that’s out of position is not an accurate statement. That’s not true at all.”

Gentry was referring to Stoudemire’s statement that Lamar Odom had “a lucky game” with 19 points and 19 rebounds in the series opener.

Odom, who had 17 points and 11 boards in Game 2, has caused matchup problems for the Suns, but Pau Gasol has been even more of a nightmare. The Spanish 7-footer is averaging 25 points in the series, shooting 66 percent (21 of 32).

“He’s one of the best players in the league,” Kobe Bryant said. “He’s still underrated. His work around the paint, his work in the mid-range, turnaround (shots), passing abilities, defensive ability. Those are things we’re all fully aware he’s capable of doing.”

Stoudemire said Gasol is helped by the company he keeps.
“He’s very, very crafty,” Stoudemire said. “He’s great using his left and right hand. He’s a phenomenal player. But he has help. He has a lot of help with (Andrew) Bynum, Odom, (Ron) Artest. The lineup they have on the court, you’ve got to guard all those guys, not just Gasol.”

Stoudemire didn’t even mention Bryant, who followed his 40-point performance in Game 1 with 21 points and a career playoff high 13 assists in Game 2.

On offense, Stoudemire could use some help, especially from Channing Frye. Frye led the Suns with 172 3-pointers in the regular season. The 6-foot-11 player can bring out big defenders, opening space for Stoudemire, when he’s sinking shots from the top of the key. But he’s 1 of 13 in the series.
“It’s happened before,” Frye said of his cold spell. “I was just a little off-rhythm and they did a good job of taking advantage of that. … For me it’s just going out there and relaxing and just playing.”
Gasol said it’s important for the Lakers not to relax as the series moves into hostile ground.

“You stretch the series, put yourself in the position where you can lose the series and get knocked out,” he said, “so we really don’t want to do that at all. So we understand where we’re at, what we’re playing for and the importance of every game. We’re a veteran team, it’s not our first rodeo here.”

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Lakers' Lamar Odom sticks like glue

He almost left as a free agent after last season, but the Lakers are glad to have him around as they try to repeat.

Away from the swarm of the TV cameras and handheld voice recorders, Phil Jackson got somber for a moment, revealing how close the Lakers were to losing Lamar Odom as a free agent last July."We thought there was a chance he may be gone," the Lakers coach said quietly.The Portland Trail Blazers made a multi-year offer believed to be about $9 million a season. The Miami Heat also made a pitch for Odom, offering the most it could — five years, $33 million — and adding the tantalizing proposition of more playing time as a starter for a player who had a career season with the Heat in 2003-04.It didn't help the Lakers that negotiations were stalling, if not bottoming out near the end of July, the first month of the free-agency period. Odom's return was in doubt after the franchise yanked its offer of three years and $27 million.

But Jackson checked in often from his home in Montana, pushing the importance of Odom to the Lakers' front office, which eventually signed him to a four-year, $33-million deal on the 30th day of free agency."Lamar was very loyal to the Lakers. He could have made more money elsewhere," said Odom's agent, Jeff Schwartz. "There were a lot of outside forces going on at that point in time, namely the economy and the outlook on the team's finances. I think it really affected what Dr. Buss wanted to do."The Lakers' payroll has swollen from $78.3 million last season to $91.3 million this season, cutting directly into a profit margin of about $40 million last season and leaving owner Jerry Buss shifting uncomfortably in his seat whenever there's talk of the NBA's highest payroll.Odom, however, smiles when he thinks of the longest month of his Lakers career. It helped to have Jackson in his corner."It says a lot about my role and about my position on the team," Odom said.

"Whenever you have a coach as heralded or big-time or has been around like Phil has been around, it's an amazing compliment."These are the days when the Lakers are thankful they have Odom, a sixth man who has played starter's minutes in the Western Conference finals, filling the void for an ailing, limping Andrew Bynum.Amare Stoudemire might not think it's true, but Odom has helped carry the Lakers to two double-digit victories, averaging 18 points, 15 rebounds and 3.5 assists while shooting 64% against the Phoenix Suns. Game 3 in the best-of-seven series is Sunday in Phoenix.Odom wasn't a big factor in the first two rounds of the playoffs, averaging 8.5 points and 8.1 rebounds while battling a chronically sore left shoulder and sprained right knee.The Western finals have created a different dimension for Odom, who came alive at almost the same time last year, averaging 19.5 points and 11 rebounds in the last two games of the conference finals to help the Lakers break a 2-2 tie with Denver.

He has been solid this series, making Stoudemire's 4.5-rebound average look silly, and if he could do this all the time, the Lakers would sweat a lot less.It's part of what makes him an enigma, a point guard's skill set wrapped into a power forward's 6-foot-10 frame that doesn't always light up the stat sheet."I would do it if I played on a team where they just gave me the ball and said, 'Go set a pick for him' or 'We need you to shoot 25 times,' " Odom said. "That's not my role on this team."Odom's teammates and coaches almost ignore his on-again, off-again tendencies, unilaterally pointing to him as being the team's "glue guy," the modern-day sports cliché for the player who does things on and off the court that don't show up in the national highlights."Lamar's like a community guy.

He gets around to everybody," Jackson said. "He's got the kind of personality that seems to work well with almost all the guys. That's important on this team."Veteran guard Derek Fisher didn't like the concept of a glue guy. It didn't say enough about Odom."I'm a little leery of that term for guys because glue seems sticky, inconsequential. It holds things together, but only after it's broken," Fisher said. "He's definitely one of our guys that makes it fun to come to work for us. Everybody just enjoys being around him, so if that's what a 'glue guy' is, then definitely two thumbs up on that one, no question."

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Lakers center Andrew Bynum apparently wants Boston too

Like fans who chanted their desire for a Lakers-Celtics NBA Finals matchup, Bynum already is looking forward to it, saying, 'It's going to be amazing playing against those guys again.' One problem: The Lakers are only halfway to getting past Phoenix in the West finals.

Just wondering if 2-0 is the new 3-0 in the NBA playoffs. . . .It used to be that a 2-0 lead in a best-of-seven series meant merely holding serve, if a team like, say, the Lakers opened at home. Now 2-0 seems to be treated like a stranglehold, a near-lock on a spot in the next round.But enough about the media.L.A. fans on Wednesday fast-forwarded to a meeting in the Finals with a certain green-and-white-clad nemesis, chanting "We want Boston!" near the end of Game 2 at Staples Center against the Suns.

Boston moved one step closer Saturday night, beating Orlando, 94-71, to take a 3-0 lead in the Eastern Conference finals.And, a few hours earlier, Lakers center Andrew Bynum edged forward, although, in fairness, he was asked about the possibility of facing the Celtics, not volunteering to speculate."It's going to be amazing playing against those guys again," Bynum said after practice at the team's training facility in El Segundo. "Because we lost [in 2008], we're going to have a lot of fuel and a lot of ammo. They're definitely a great team. They have great veterans on their squad. . . .

The first step is closing out Game 3, and then after that, we'll be focusing."Actually, Game 4 would still be required.But you have to like Bynum's unvarnished look at it all. The other day, his coach, Phil Jackson, said he was "disappointed" to hear the Boston chants.Then there was Pau Gasol's measured approach with the Lakers up 2-0 in the Western Conference finals. Game 3 is Sunday in Phoenix."I really didn't even listen to it," Gasol said of the chants. "I didn't hear, really. I understand the fans are excited about that, the possibility. But we a group, as a team, have to be focused on Game 3, to start with, and we can't really look past that. Otherwise we're making a mistake."We understand the excitement, but we've got to take care of business first."The Lakers have run off eight straight wins in the playoffs, starting with the final two games of the Oklahoma City series, despite injuries that have largely prevented the likes of Kobe Bryant and Bynum from practicing, again the case on Saturday.Bynum said he just did some "lifting." But his personal status is secondary."It's not about me," Bynum said.

"It's about the team right now. If the Lakers win championships, Andrew Bynum is going to be OK. If the Lakers lose championships, then that's when things are going to be messed up."Weighty mattersSpeaking of lifting, Gasol had some amusing observations on life in the weight room. The increased time with the weights has had noticeable benefits on the court."I feel better strength," he said. "I hold my ground a lot better than I used to. Some days you've got to do what you've got to do."Still, this hardly means he likes it."It's not something I really enjoy or have a lot of fun with, but if it helps me to do my job at a higher level, it's good," Gasol said."I'm not going to be a meathead — ever. I'll take care of myself, but I won't kill myself in the weight room and enjoy it that much."Not like a certain teammate."DJ [Mbenga] enjoys it — he likes to look at himself in the mirror," Gasol said, laughing.

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Lakers need to cut a deal with Phil Jackson

Coach has been left hanging during this postseason run, but he is the team's most valuable asset not named Kobe Bryant or Pau Gasol and should be paid accordingly.

In a postseason filled with breathless runs and soaring fun, the highest Lakers drama has swirled around a stationary lectern manned by a guy who can barely move.Before every pregame news conference, it seems, potential free-agent Coach Phil Jackson is asked about his future.Is he coming back? Does he want to come back? Do the Lakers want him to come back? Will it be his decision? How soon? How much? Tell us now!Not once has Jackson been able to offer a definitive answer. Not once have the Lakers stepped in to help him. Night after night, the routine has continued, the greatest coach in NBA history transformed into a punch line, the steadiest presence in the organization publicly battered by uncertainty.

It is occasionally interesting, sometimes funny, increasingly boring, but on Wednesday night it became downright demeaning.Responding to media reports that he would be rehired only if he's willing to take a $7-million pay cut, Jackson refused to confirm the size of the slice, but acknowledged that a pay cut has been "indicated." While Lakers officials later said that Jackson's indications came from the media, that would be the first time someone with 10 championship rings would listen to someone with ink under their nails.I believe Jackson has been told by someone in the Lakers organization that for him to return, he would have to take a cut from his sports-best $12-million salary, and I don't like where this is going.The Lakers cannot underestimate his influence. They cannot undervalue his impact.

They cannot mess with this man.The Lakers need to pull Jackson aside and remind him that they want him back, and that they will pay a reasonable rate to do so. If they need to cut his salary to complement their overstuffed payroll, then maybe they give him a piece of the team, as they once did with Magic Johnson. If he needs to take less money, maybe they can make it up in other ways. If they need to be creative to make him happy, well, isn't this the capital of creative?The Lakers to give Jackson the self-empowering assurances he has given so many of their players. For once, they need to coach him the way he has coached them.Jackson needs to be able to stand in front of the media and give the same answer the rest of the spring: "Dr. Buss has said he wants me back if I want to come back. I'll take a week after the season to see how I feel.

We'll talk about it then."Even in these difficult economic times, Jackson deserves to know the organization will pay the price to keep him, because the price without him is far higher.You think somebody else can deal with Kobe Bryant's moods? Ron Artest's madness? Pau Gasol's hesitance? Lamar Odom's reluctance? And then guide them all to within two wins of a third consecutive appearance in the NBA finals, his seventh finals in 10 years as Lakers coach?You think somebody else could have calmly handled the constant nuttiness that has enveloped this organization over the last decade and turned it into four championships?Well, somebody else tried, and look what happened. After owner Jerry Buss allowed Jackson to leave in the summer of 2004, Rudy Tomjanovich and Frank Hamblen led the Lakers to a 34-48 record during the ensuing season before Jackson's return. It has been the only losing season in Bryant's career, and it is no coincidence that Jackson was not on the bench when it happened.By now, surely, Buss has learned. At last, finally, Buss must understand.Jackson is as valuable to the Lakers as any player not named Bryant or Gasol.

They cannot win a title without all three of them. Buss cannot let him leave again.And while Jackson has said he probably would coach here or nowhere, what if New Jersey Nets billionaire owner Mikhail Prokhorov decides to chase him? What if Prokhorov offers him mad money? What if Jackson feels compelled to take it because Jerry Buss never told him how much he was valued?And believe me, even after all these years have slowed his step and weathered his Zen, Jackson should be valued. Without his calming influence and credible leadership this postseason, any number of distractions could have engulfed this team, but nothing has touched it. Jackson was briefly his own distraction when he offered support of Arizona's awful new immigration law, but even if you disagree with him — and I do, vehemently — at least he took the heat and answered the question, a rarity among today's sports leaders.

Whenever a dramatic move is necessary to ensure the Lakers' greatness, Buss has traditionally found the money and made that move. His reputation has been made on it, his legacy has been built on it.The Lakers need to let Phil Jackson know that, if he so chooses, he can be a Laker for life. They need to let him know now.

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Yes, they could sweep, but Lakers aren't talking trash about Suns

Kobe Bryant says L.A. needs to work on controlling the pace as series moves to Phoenix, where the Suns 'run much, much better.'

Bring on Boston?Not quite yet. Not if you talk to the
Lakers.

Caution and superstition are key parts of many playoff series, particularly when Team A is in the same spot it was four years ago against Team B, holding a comfortable two-game lead in a best-of-seven series.The Lakers lead Phoenix in the Western Conference finals, 2-0, not quite the 3-1 edge they had before losing to them in seven in the first round in 2006, but still too tight to begin trashing the Suns.

Kobe Bryant had barely sat down for interviews after Game 2 before saying how great the Suns play at US Airways Center, where the series resumes Sunday."They run much, much better at Phoenix," he said. "So we've got to do a much better job holding them down, pacing the game. We can't play with this kind of tempo in Phoenix. It's different."But the Lakers are averaging 126 points a game and shooting 57.8% in the series."Got to take better shots, not as many transition threes," Bryant said. "We've got to be more patient."Patient? The reaction from thousands of Lakers followers: Whatever. Bring on the Celtics.The Lakers have won four of their last six games in Phoenix, where the outdoor temperatures are already creeping into triple digits and the local fans are restless because their two All-Stars aren't even close to matching the impact of the Lakers' two All-Stars.

Reader comment No. 1 on the Arizona Republic's website: " Pau Gasol is like a big bully taking candy from the little guy."Reader comment No. 2: "Hey, we swept the Spurs in the semis. That was fun."Yep. It's getting hot in Phoenix, in case the ramped-up cries among some fans for playing time for untested Suns rookies Taylor Griffin and Earl Clark don't prove the point.Meanwhile, Coach Phil Jackson gave the Lakers a day off Thursday, allowing them to rest and reflect upon the success that has them within six victories of the franchise's 16th NBA championship.Their role players are outplaying those of the Suns, be it Jordan Farmar averaging 10.5 points and shooting 72.7% through two games or Ron Artest — a role player on offense, to be sure — scoring as many points, 18, as Amare Stoudemire in Game 2, thanks to a recently rediscovered touch from three-point range.And there's still Bryant, averaging 30.5 points, nine assists and five rebounds this series."He's a very unselfish guy," Suns Coach Alvin Gentry said after Bryant's 13-assist effort in Game 2, the most by a Lakers player in a playoff game since Magic Johnson had 13 against in 1996 against Houston. "I mean, he really trusts his teammates now. …

He finds open guys."He's not going to force things. He doesn't do that anymore."History is on the Lakers' side despite their slip-up against Phoenix four years ago. They are 41-1 when winning the first two games of a best-of-seven series, their lone blemish coming in the 1969 NBA finals, when they lost a 2-0 lead and ultimately lost in seven games to Boston.Perhaps the only thing bothering them is the torn cartilage in Andrew Bynum's knee, which continues to be an issue. He posted decent numbers in Game 2 — 13 points and seven rebounds in 19 minutes — but was then asked how confident he was that he would be able to finish the season."Confident," he said. "I'm going to do it no matter what."

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Lakers grab 2-0 lead in West finals as Gasol scores 14 in 4th

LOS ANGELES -- Whenever the Suns sent two defenders at Kobe Bryant, he coolly passed to an open teammate. When Phoenix loaded up down low against Pau Gasol, the Lakers picked them apart from the perimeter.

Los Angeles' triangle offense has the Suns running in circles after two terrific performances in the Western Conference finals -- and the defending champions' fans just couldn't help looking ahead to a possible grand finale against Boston.

Gasol scored 14 of his 29 points in the fourth quarter, Bryant had 21 points and 13 assists, and the Lakers roared away in the final minutes for a 124-112 victory Wednesday night to claim a series lead that seems much more daunting than 2-0.

Although the Lakers took no bows after hitting better than 57 percent of their shots and scoring a jaw-dropping 252 points in the series' first two games, it's clear Bryant and Gasol are leading a clinic in offensive hoops against one of the NBA's highest-scoring teams.

"We're shooting the ball very well, moving the ball really, really well," Gasol said. "Our bench is playing at a high level, and we're all stepping up."

After Bryant scored 40 points in 35 minutes in the series opener, the Suns tried to double-team him more regularly in Game 2 -- so last season's NBA Finals MVP racked up the most assists by a Lakers player in a postseason game since Magic Johnson in 1996.

Bryant's streak of six straight 30-point games ended, yet he capped his night as a creator by setting up Gasol for two tough baskets in the final minutes, with Gasol scoring with a flourish and drawing a foul each time.
"It makes the game a lot easier to have [Gasol] inside to catch and complete plays," Bryant said. "We're extremely well-versed in playing against teams that double and zone, things like that."

Ron Artest scored 18 points for the Lakers, who won their eighth straight playoff game and moved within striking distance of a tantalizing NBA Finals showdown with the Boston Celtics, who lead Orlando 2-0 in the East. For the second straight game, the chants rained down from the Staples Center crowd in the final minutes: "We want Boston!"

The Lakers remained unbeaten at home in the postseason despite a much-improved effort from the Suns, who lost the opener by 21 points. Phoenix tied it at 90-all heading to the final period of Game 2, but Gasol and Bryant flawlessly led the Lakers to another high-scoring victory, handing third-seeded Phoenix its first back-to-back losses since late January.

"It's really tough because we have so many guys on this team that can hurt you offensively," said Lamar Odom, who had 17 points and 11 rebounds. "When we get four or five guys going offensively, it seems like our defense steps up. We do a great job of using our quickness, cutting guys off and making it hard for teams as well as putting that offensive pressure on them."

Game 3 is Sunday night in Phoenix. But unless the Suns figure out a way to stop Los Angeles' versatile, poised offense, Beantown and Hollywood could be just a few days away from another chapter in their storied rivalry.

"We can't slow them down," Phoenix coach Alvin Gentry said. "I thought we played well offensively, but every time we tried to make an adjustment to slow them down offensively, they would go somewhere else. There's a good reason they're the world champs, but we'll keep plugging away, keep trying."
The Lakers have lost only one best-of-seven playoff series in franchise history after taking a 2-0 lead, winning the other 41. The 15-time champions haven't won eight straight games in the same postseason since their famous one-loss run through the 2001 playoffs.

"We still scored enough points tonight, but when they can score 120-something, that's asking the offense to score too much," said Phoenix's Steve Nash, who had 11 points and 15 assists. "If we're going to beat them, we've got to find a way to slow them down."

The crowd enthusiastically booed Amare Stoudemire, who on Tuesday belittled Odom's 19-point, 19-rebound performance in the opener as "a lucky game." Stoudemire appeared determined to back up his words with aggression, finishing with 18 points and six rebounds while Odom had another superbly lucky game off the bench.

Grant Hill scored 14 of his 23 points in the third quarter while Phoenix erased a 14-point deficit, playing with more efficiency and aggression than in Game 1. But the Lakers went back ahead by 11 midway through the fourth with a 9-0 run, and the Suns couldn't stop Bryant and Gasol from executing their two-man game to perfection.

"I was being effective and just finishing plays," Gasol said. "We just continued to go to it because it was working pretty well for us."

Jason Richardson scored 27 points for Phoenix, and Jared Dudley hit five 3-pointers.

Game Notes

Lakers C Andrew Bynum appeared to be moving more fluidly, scoring 11 of his 13 points in the first half -- more than he managed in the previous three games combined, when his injured right knee began hindering him. ... Suns reserve Leandro Barbosa had blood on the back of his head after falling into the first row of cameras when his shot was blocked early in the fourth quarter. ... The Suns had more 3-pointers in the first half (6) than they managed in all of Game 1 (5).


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Lakers - Suns Game 2 Preview

LOS ANGELES (AP)—Channing Frye is just grateful an NBA playoff series doesn’t follow the Tour de France’s rules.

After enduring their largest blowout loss in four months in the Western Conference finals opener, the Phoenix Suns don’t have to begin Game 2 way behind the guys in the yellow jerseys.
“They’re not going to start out with a 30-point lead,” said Frye, forgetting the Suns lost to the Lakers by a mere 21 points Monday night. “It’s over, and we’re going to be even again, so hopefully we’ll do a better job.”

The Suns seemed cautiously upbeat Tuesday at their Staples Center workout following Los Angeles’ 128-107 victory in the opener. Coach Alvin Gentry held court with team personnel at the scorers’ table, while Steve Nash calmly sipped a cup of tea across the way.

And Amare Stoudemire was still talking tough before Game 2 on Wednesday night.
The Suns forward, who promised physical play against the Lakers’ bulky frontcourt before the series, was unimpressed by Lamar Odom, who had 19 points and 19 rebounds off the Lakers’ bench in the opener.
“He had a lucky game in Game 1,” said Stoudemire, who seems particularly fiery in what might be his last few games with Phoenix if he declines a contract option and becomes a free agent this summer.

“We’ve just got to make sure we box him out,” said Stoudemire, who managed just three rebounds while Odom set a career playoff high on the boards. “I think I focused so much on (Pau) Gasol and (Andrew) Bynum to where he sneaked in there and got 19 boards.”

Odom and his teammates could only chuckle at Stoudemire’s bravado after another workout at their El Segundo training complex. Odom’s versatile, aggressive effort helped Los Angeles hold off the Suns in the first half until Kobe Bryant scorched them for 21 points in the third quarter.

“It was good. We can do better,” Odom said. “Hopefully I can have another lucky game.”
“You have to earn luck,” Gasol chimed in.

With a little luck, the Lakers could be on a roll to their third straight NBA finals after a commanding performance in their seventh straight playoff win.
Stoudemire’s teammates aren’t counting on good fortune to help them recover from their one-sided loss. They remain confident their pick-and-roll offense will create easier baskets later in the series, and they also hope to stop the Lakers from hitting 58 percent of their shots, as Bryant and Co. did in their highest-scoring playoff game in more than two years.

“Some of the things we game-planned for, we actually did well,” said Nash, who had 13 points and 13 assists. “We just didn’t hit shots. We want to cut down on their transitions and create some easier stuff for ourselves, but some of the things they did, you’ve just got to tip your hat to.”

The Suns hadn’t lost since April 24, but their playoff streak skidded to a halt in their most one-sided loss since Jan. 16, featuring the most points they’ve allowed since March 26. Phoenix hasn’t lost back-to-back games since Jan. 25-26, when the Suns began their 28-7 finish to the regular season, pushing them into third place in the conference standings.

Bryant, who had the first 40-point game against the Suns all season, didn’t speak to reporters after taking it easy in another practice session. Yet for all the talk about Bryant’s accumulated injuries, the Suns realize he shows no signs of slowing down after five straight 30-point playoff games capped by his first 40-point postseason performance since last year’s NBA finals.

“The shots he made, we could run anybody at him—we could run Schwarzkopf at him,” Gentry said, referring to former Gulf War Gen. Norman Schwarzkopf. “It doesn’t matter. He’s going to make them. The shot he made at the end of the first quarter, that’s what I’m talking about. That’s why they pay him $30 million a year. I think he’s the best finisher that ever played.”

The defending NBA champions mostly seemed unimpressed by their opening victory, which kept them unbeaten in six home playoff games.

Coach Phil Jackson felt numerous flaws in Los Angeles’ defensive performance were covered up by the Suns’ poor shooting, while Derek Fisher worried about going through a seven-game series at Phoenix’s preferred pace.

“Sometimes we played a little bit too fast,” Fisher said. “Something we want to come back to in Game 2 is making sure Pau and Drew and Ron (Artest) and Kobe get their opportunities inside to test their D. That’s where we’re difficult for teams to guard.”

Jackson dismissed the notion of any distraction for his team in the small protest outside Game 1 over his unclear stance on Arizona’s new immigration law. The coach said he saw about 30 protesters outside Staples Center after the game, and they had a few choice words for him as he drove away.
“Luck is part of the game,” said Jackson, whose teams in Chicago and Los Angeles are 46-0 after winning the first game of a playoff series. “You make your own luck, that’s what sports people like to say.”

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Stoudemire: Odom had 'lucky game'

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. -- Can Lamar Odom's 19 points and 19 rebounds in the Los Angeles Lakers' 128-107 win in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals be attributed to something as trivial as his uniform number, lucky No. 7?
Phoenix's Amare Stoudemire seems to think so.

"I'm not giving him no hype right now; he had a lucky game in Game 1," Stoudemire said after Suns practice Tuesday at Staples Center. "We just got to make sure we box him out. I think I focused so much on [Pau] Gasol and [Andrew] Bynum to where he snuck in there and got 19 boards, so now we just got to make sure there's three guys out there that can rebound well [when] adding Odom. So, we got to do a better job on them."

Odom barely batted an eyelash when told about Stoudemire's claim after the Lakers finished practice.  "So be it," Odom said. "Hopefully I can have another lucky one." Odom hit his first three shot attempts and finished 9-for-15 in the game. When he entered the contest midway through the first quarter the Lakers were down by five, and after his seven points and four rebounds to finish the quarter, L.A. led by nine heading into the second.

"I just go out there and play whatever the matchup is," Odom said. "I just try to be as efficient as possible in a run-and-gun game. Do all the small things, catch the ball near the basket, put it in."

Lakers coach Phil Jackson said that Odom created his own good fortune by being aggressive on the floor.
"You make your own luck we say, that's what sports people like to say," Jackson said. "I think he was just aggressive when he came in and tried to feel out where he could help us in the game. He hit a couple open shots and then everything started opening up for him -- drives, offensive rebounds and his whole game kind of came forward.

"That's a lot of times the way basketball is. A guy starts playing well and just things fall in his hands. It certainly did for him last night and we hope it continues that way."

Stoudemire's comments made Lakers captain Derek Fisher recall recently watching Larry King interview Mick Jagger.

"They were asking Mick Jagger about why he felt like the Rolling Stones have been so great for so long," Fisher said. "Obviously, he talked about talent, working hard, blah, blah, blah. But he said there is some luck involved in being good. When you're great for a long time, you have to be lucky sometimes. So if he wants to call Lamar lucky last night, I'll take 19 and 19 as luck any day of the week."


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Lakers vs. Suns: Lakers win Game 1, 128-107

The Lakers struggled to the end of the regular season and then were dominated in Games 3 and 4 by Oklahoma City in the first round of the playoffs. But, we're seven games removed from that and it was also the last time the defending NBA champions lost.So, how did they turn their fortunes around? Simple. Kobe Bryant started playing like Kobe Bryant again.On Monday, in the Lakers' 128-107 win over the Phoenix Suns, Bryant had 40 points, including a remarkable 21 points in the third quarter of the Western Conference finals opener.

Game 2 in the best-of-seven series is Wednesday at Staples Center.It really wasn't much of a game once Bryant took over. It was the fifth consecutive game in which Bryant has scored more than 30 points. He scored his 40 on 13-of-23 shooting from the field while making 11 of 12 from the line. He made three of six three-pointers.

Perhaps the greatest praise for Bryant came from two-time MVP Steve Nash of the Suns, who was held to a below-average 13 points."I don't think we sent him to the line a lot," Nash said. "I don't think we let him inside a lot, but still he scored a ton."Bryant played only 35 minutes as he left the game with about nine minutes to play and nothing left to prove. As the game wound down, even the normally nervous Lakers crowd started to loosen up, chanting: "We want Boston."The Boston Celtics have a 1-0 lead over the Orlando Magic in the Eastern Conference finals, with Game 2 on Tuesday."Kobe had an outstanding game," Lakers Coach Phil Jackson said in an understatement of fact. "Pau (Gasol) played a fine game and so did Lamar (Odom)."Gasol contributed 21 points while Odom had 19 points and 19 rebounds."Kobe carried a lot of the offense tonight," Jackson said. "He came in and was going to shoulder the game."Bryant's health is a constant topic around Los Angeles.

The Times reported on Monday that he recently had a "significant" amount of fluid drained from his knee, something Jackson verified although he said it was not done this past weekend.And Bryant certainly made everyone forget about his date with a syringe early when he came out and scored 11 points in the first quarter. But there was an anxious moment with 1:46 left in the opening period when he slipped as he drove down the lane and fell on his injured knee. It hushed the sellout crowd of 18,997. But what was hurting him was his head, which banged into Phoenix guard Jason Richardson as he fell.How did he respond?He got up, stayed in the game and sank a 17-footer at the buzzer.It was that kind of game for Bryant."When he's making those shots, there's not a whole lot more you can do about it," said Suns Coach Alvin Gentry."Every time he plays, he takes it personal. . . .

He knows how important the first thing is."Amare Stoudemire was the main reason the Suns were only seven points behind at the half before Bryant took over in the third. Stoudemire scored 15 of his 23 points in the first half and was the Suns' leading scorer. Richardson added 15 points with Robin Lopez contributed 14.Besides Bryant, another subplot around Los Angeles has been the future of Jackson. He is in the last year of a contract that pays him $12 million a year. He said he would decide his future after the playoffs but in a radio interview he did before the weekend he said he was leaning toward retiring.

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Lakers - Suns WCF Preview

The question after L.A.’s hard fought First Round Series win over Oklahoma City was whether or not the Lakers, forced into full engagement from the start, would be able to carry the kind of effort they were forced to summon to quiet the Thunder heading into future rounds.

The team certainly thought it would, and with a resounding 4-0 sweep over Utah in Round 2, the premonition was confirmed: the Lakers looked like the defending champions once again.
After Utah dispatched of L.A.’s 2009 nemesis Denver in six games, the Lakers became the first team – ever – to sweep the Jazz in a seven-game series.

Riding superior size, four games of at least 30 points from looking-healthier-every-game Kobe Bryant, terrific all-around play from Pau Gasol and the same tough defense that led the NBA in field goal percentage against in the postseason, the Lakers silenced the Jazz by a total of 29 points in four games.
As such, the dry-erase board in L.A.’s locker room read: “8.”
Eight games down, eight to go.

Over on the other side of the Western bracket, the Phoenix Suns were impressive themselves in dispatching the San Antonio Spurs with a 4-0 sweep, setting up a South-Western Conference Finals that surely whets a basketball fan’s appetite.

The Lakers controlled the regular season series between Bryant and Steve Nash’s respective squads, winning by a combined 39 points on November 12 and December 6 home victories, dropping a 118-103 decision in Phoenix on Dec. 28 and concluding with a 102-96 victory in the Valley of the Sun on March 12.
The matchup doesn’t begin until May 17, affording the Lakers six days of rest and recuperation (and sure, some practice) before STAPLES Center welcomes what’s sure to be an entertaining series.
To get you ready well in advance, we’ve included position-by-position breakdowns with declared advantages for either side.

Coming soon, we’ll have a series preview video with assistant coach Brian Shaw and a preview podcast with Lakers Scout/Director of Video Services Chris Bodaken, who began dissecting the Suns on film before L.A. had even finished off the Jazz.

Position Break Down included in Link

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Lakers' Sasha Vujacic could prove his worth against Phoenix

The guard has sat out since April 14 because of a severely sprained left ankle but says he will be available for the Western Conference finals against the Suns.

Reporting from Salt Lake CityWhen Sasha Vujacic returns, will he be a secret weapon off the bench or continue to shoot astray?The reserve guard said he would be available for the Western Conference finals after sitting out since April 14 because of a severely sprained left ankle, but his regular-season numbers were purely underwhelming — 2.8 points in 8.6 minutes a game, 30.9% from three-point range.Lakers coaches have been saying Vujacic's presence is missed on the court. He'll get a chance to prove it next week.

"He can help us do some things that we haven't covered yet with our personnel we have on the bench," Lakers Coach Phil Jackson said. "We're really looking at it at the defensive end, to cover guys coming off picks, with his quickness and his ability to focus on guys."Vujacic started to play better the final two weeks of the regular season, averaging six points and 15.7 minutes a game in April as the Lakers battled a variety of injuries, specifically those sustained by Kobe Bryant.

Vujacic, who has one more year on his contract for $5.5 million, has been itching to return."It's been killing me; there's no secret about it," he said.He could come in handy against Phoenix, which loves to push the pace, make teams go deep into their bench, and run myriad screen-and-rolls with Steve Nash."Of course, I know that," Vujacic said. "I've been to the playoffs now five times with the team. Sometimes in the playoffs, experience comes into play a little bit. I can't predict anything, but whenever I get those consistent minutes like I did at the end of the season, I started enjoying it. Whenever my team needs me, whatever I have to do — play defense, make some shots — I'll do it."Rest up Bryant, Lamar Odom and Pau Gasol might skip their international commitments during the off-season, which is fine with somebody of particular importance:

NBA Commissioner David Stern."It's OK if they take some time off and if we have some of the newer players [representing]," Stern said Monday, speaking generally about veteran players not committing to international play this off-season. "Sharing the wealth is a terrific thing. I'm not worried about that at all."Gasol does not plan on playing for the Spanish national team, and Bryant and Odom might also sit out a Team USA schedule that includes a training camp in Las Vegas in late June and the World Championship in Turkey beginning in late August.Lucky guy?San Antonio Coach Gregg Popovich surely wasn't thrilled to be swept by Phoenix in the West semifinals.Then again, he might not have been eager to play the Lakers had the Spurs advanced to the conference finals.As the regular season concluded, Popovich was asked by reporters how much he wanted to face the Lakers in the playoffs, on a scale of one to 10.

His answer: "Minus-five."

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Lakers sweep way into Western Conference finals

Kobe Bryant scores 32 points on 11-for-23 shooting and Pau Gasol finishes with 33 points and 14 rebounds in a 111-96 victory to eliminate the Utah Jazz.

What us worry?All the angst that followed the Lakers through Games 3 and 4 of their first-round series against the Oklahoma City Thunder was erased, buried and forgotten as they defeated the Utah Jazz, 111-96, on Monday night to sweep their best-of-seven series, 4-0.It was the first time in team history that the Jazz have been swept in a playoff series.The Lakers move on to play the Phoenix Suns for the Western Conference championship in a series that will start next Monday at Staples Center.

The second round of the NBA playoffs has been rather one-sided as the Lakers, Suns (over San Antonio Spurs) and Orlando Magic (over the Atlanta Hawks) all swept. The only thing to decide is who the Magic will play in the Eastern Conference finals as the series between Cleveland and Boston is tied, 2-2.Game 4 really wasn't in doubt as the Lakers dominated in the second quarter to take a 17-point halftime lead. The Jazz was able to cut their deficit to five points during the third quarter but the Lakers never looked in danger of giving up the game.While Kobe Bryant had a Kobe-type game (32 points on 11-for-23 shooting), it was Pau Gasol, and his four-inch height advantage over Carlos Boozer, that might have made the difference.

Gasol finished with 33 points and 14 rebounds.Bryant scored at least 30 points in all four games against the Jazz. Not bad for someone who had some nagging injuries."I just wanted to execute and not let them score in transition," Bryant said. "I feel healthy and that's a big difference."When asked how the seven-day rest will be, he answered succinctly."Heavenly."Shannon Brown played a pivotal role off the bench for the Lakers, getting 12 points on 5-of-10 shooting. Derek Fisher and Lamar Odom each added 10 points.

Deron Williams and Paul Millsap each had 21 points to lead the Jazz.Game 4 (Fourth quarter 1:39): Lakers 109, Jazz 89Is a 10-point lead good enough with 6 1/2 minutes to play. That's rarely a certainty in the NBA.Well, it doesn't hurt when a team turns a bad possession into a three-pointer as the shot clock is winding down. But Paul Millsap answered with a 20-footer and the Lakers' lead was 11.On the Lakers' next possession, Ron Artest was fouled and missed both free throws.

But Pau Gasol was there for the rebound and after some ball movement he made the bucket with less than five minutes to play. At this point, Gasol had 24 points and 14 rebounds.After an offensive foul by Millsap, the Lakers drove the ball down the court and Gasol was sent to the foul line after Carlos Boozer's fifth foul.Gasol connected on a two from nine feet and when the Jazz missed on their possession, Boozer fouled Gasol for his sixth foul. Deron Williams was called for a technical and it was looking like the Jazz were done for the series as the Lakers' lead became 20 with 3 1/2 minutes to play.The next few minutes were uninspired garbage time play.

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Lakers - Jazz Game 4 Preview

SALT LAKE CITY (AP)—The Los Angeles Lakers may have learned something in the first round of the NBA playoffs.

Don’t let the series go any longer than it has to.
The Lakers are a victory away from sweeping the Utah Jazz and want to lock up a third straight trip to the Western Conference finals as soon as possible. Game 4 is Monday night in Utah, where the Lakers edged the Jazz 111-110 on Saturday for a 3-0 series lead.

“You never know what can happen in a series. You extend a series, ankles can get turned, knuckles can get bruised, knowing there’s things like that …” Lakers guard Kobe Bryant said Sunday.
The hypotheticals of bad things that could happen is long, something the Lakers learned when they took a 2-0 lead on Oklahoma City in the first round and needed six games to advance after the Thunder won two at home.

Bryant said the Lakers’ edge and attitude they had while winning the NBA title a year ago is back.
“We’re there. We’ve got it,” he said. “The competition from Oklahoma, probably. That’s probably what did it.”
The Jazz have pushed the Lakers in each of the first three games, but Los Angeles has held on to win all three by a total of 14 points. Saturday’s game was especially gut-wrenching for the Jazz, who had two shots bounce off the rim in the final seconds. Had either gone in, Utah would be looking to tie the series Monday instead of trying to avoid the team’s first sweep in a best-of-seven series.

“If we get the ball in the basket last night in the end of the ballgame it’s a different day,” Utah coach Jerry Sloan said. “But that’s part of it. You learn how to deal with the good and bad in life. There’s always going to be both at different times.”

The Lakers have knocked the Jazz out of the last two playoffs, starting in 2008 with a 4-2 win in the second round. Last year it was 4-1, so 4-0 and a possible long break before the Western finals is sounding pretty good.

“They’re not going to quit,” said Lakers guard Derek Fisher, who played one season in Utah three years ago. “If we don’t beat them they’ll just continue to take it one game at a time and try and work their way back in the series.”

Fisher hit the go-ahead 3-pointer with 28.6 seconds left on Saturday, giving the Lakers the lead for good, 109-108. He had been booed all night, as he has been in Utah since asking the Jazz to release him from his contract so he could move his family closer to a city where his 1-year-old daughter could get specialized treatment for a cancerous tumor in her eye.

He ended up signing as a free agent with the Lakers, which some Jazz fans won’t seem to forgive. The relentless boos and chants of “Fisher Sucks!” are not sitting well with Fisher’s teammates on the Lakers.
“That’s just bad people, doing stuff like that,” Bryant said. “Not about that. You don’t boo about that.”
Monday will be Utah fans’ last look at Fisher unless the Jazz can win two and bring the series back to Salt Lake City for a Game 6 on Friday. The Jazz need to survive Monday before considering what could happen after that.

The Jazz did what they wanted by limiting the Lakers’ size advantage, but it cost Utah when Bryant, Fisher and Ron Artest combined to hit 10 of the Lakers’ 13 3-pointers.

“Down the stretch, we made big shots. We’ve got guys that aren’t scared to take them,” Bryant said. “All across the board, guys will step up and they make them. That’s why we never really fret when it’s a five-point game or a two-point game with a couple minutes to go. “

It’s also why the Jazz were still dismayed when they returned to practice Sunday morning, knowing they were inches away from being down only 2-1 instead of 3-0.

Deron Williams was just off on a shot from the top of the key that would have won it and Wesley Matthews’ tip on the rebound bounced off the rim at the buzzer.

Matthews was still shaking his head as he thought about the play, which he said he had been doing most of the night. He said the mental replay was enough and he didn’t want to watch the actual video footage.
“I’m not going to watch the replay. I was looking at it. I saw it not go in one time and that was enough,” Matthews said.

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Lakers win Game 3 vs Jazz

Ron Artest is hot and Derek Fisher makes another big shot as they take command with a 111-110 victory in Utah that gives them a 3-0 series lead.

Reporting from Salt Lake City -- Ron Artest was shooting corner three-point attempts, and actually making them.Derek Fisher was booed by people who hadn't forgotten his departure, and it didn't bother him.The Lakers couldn't win Game 3s in Utah, but that ended Saturday in front of a deflated Jazz crowd, thanks primarily to 20 points from Fisher, another 20 from Artest, and, like that, the Lakers owned a 3-0 series lead after a 111-110 victory at EnergySolutions Arena.No team in NBA history has come back from a 3-0 deficit to win a playoff series. Game 4 is Monday in Salt Lake City.

Kobe Bryant was more than solid, finishing with 35 points and seven assists in almost 44 minutes, but the victory started with a new-and-improved Artest on offense and was bookended by Fisher's clutch three-pointer, another one for him to remember whenever his playing days end.The Lakers, who have won five games in a row, were stuck in a fight with a Utah team that had beaten them here in Game 3s the last two playoff seasons, and the game ended in a flurry, Deron Williams missing a long two-point attempt from the top, Wesley Matthews missing a tip-in at the buzzer.

Lakers General Manager Mitch Kupchak congratulated each Lakers player as they went to the locker room.This was a big one, in many ways, a revelation that the defending champions didn't want to be pulled back into another tight series (think Oklahoma City, first round).The Lakers now seem to be on a collision course with the Phoenix Suns, who have a 3-0 lead in their West semifinal against San Antonio.Not that anybody chose to peek that far ahead ... yet.Instead, the focal points were on Artest and Fisher."Unexpected guys stepped up tonight," Lakers Coach Phil Jackson said.Artest entered the night shooting 16.7% from three-point range in the playoffs, but he made four of seven from long distance, all four coming in a second half in which he scored 18 points.

It had been a bizarre couple of days for him, lashing out at Jackson on his Twitter feed and feeling the heat for his not-so-torrid three-point percentage."Kobe and the fellas, they continue to give me confidence, just to move on and play the next game," Artest said.Fisher's mark on the game came on a three-pointer with 28.6 seconds left, giving the Lakers the lead for good, 109-108.He was continually booed by Jazz fans who still feel he abandoned them by asking out of his contract two years ago and rejoining the Lakers."He played a great game tonight," Jackson said. "Just his tenacity is a factor for us."And yet, the Jazz still had a chance, buoyed by 23 points from reserve sharpshooter Kyle Korver, who ended up with the ball in his hands on an errant Lakers' inbounds play from the side with 4.4 seconds left.

Neither Willams nor Matthews could convert in the final seconds, and the Lakers won for the 21st time in their last 27 games against the Jazz."We've got our backs to the wall," said Jazz Coach Jerry Sloan, quickly correcting himself. "We had our backs against the wall with these guys to begin with because they're a great team."The Lakers trailed at halftime, 54-50, but Bryant looked vibrant and healthy, scoring 20 points on nine-for-14 shooting.The halftime deficit could have been worse for the Lakers after they trailed by 13 in the second quarter, but they were the ones making a second-half comeback this time, flipping the tables on the Jazz after Utah did it each of the first two games.They have one more game for sure in Utah. Their next road game after that might be in Phoenix."I'm not worried about it," Bryant said. "I'm just thinking about the next game."

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