Lakers vs. Detroit Pistons: Lakers win, 103-90

Lakers 103, Pistons 90 (final)
The Lakers have replaced a recent two-game losing streak with a two-game winning streak.

Kobe Bryant had 33 points, making 11 of 20 shots and all eight of his free-throw attempts, in the victory Wednesday night at Detroit.

Pau Gasol had 25 points and 12 rebounds for the Lakers (10-2).

Neither Bryant nor Gasol played in the fourth quarter even though the Lakers' reserves lost most of a 26-point lead.

The Pistons (4-8) pulled to within 11 late in the game but came no closer.

Pistons guard Richard Hamilton was ejected quickly after arguing a foul call with referee Derrick Stafford with 7:01 left in the quarter. Hamilton had four points on two-for-five shooting at the time.

After years of struggling on the road against Detroit, the Lakers have won their last three games here.

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LAKERS VS. PISTONS GAME PREVIEW

The Los Angeles Lakers showcased their depth in a victory to open a three-game road trip that should pay dividends for the remainder of it.

They'll play the second half of a back-to-back set of games Wednesday night when they visit the Detroit Pistons.

Los Angeles (9-2) avoided its first three-game skid since March 4-7 with a 118-107 victory at Milwaukee on Tuesday. The highest scoring team in the league trailed by two at halftime before using a 61-point second half to dominate a Milwaukee squad that entered the contest allowing the fewest points per game in the NBA.

"We talked about it at halftime, doing a better job defensively, we were really poor in the first half, just giving layup after layup," superstar guardKobe Bryant said. "It was good. It was not what we're used to doing, but it's a step in that direction."

Bryant led the way with 31 points, but the second-leading scorer was an unlikely source. Shannon Brown scored a season-high 21 points as he took advantage of fewer minutes for Ron Artest.

"I'm going to keep working and we're going to keep winning," Brown said. "It's more about doing what I've got to do to help my team win."

Brown averaged 8.1 points on 42.7 percent shooting last season - his first with Los Angeles. He's averaging 11.3 on 52.3 percent shooting this season.

"He's even a better shooter than he was last year," Bryant said. "You see him now making plays off the dribble, making plays for others, passing off the dribble. He continues to get better. This is just the beginning for him."

Artest only played 17 1/2 minutes and asked to come out of the game, but insisted nothing was wrong afterward. Coach Phil Jackson said Artest would play Wednesday - the forward's fifth game at the Palace of Auburn Hills since the infamous brawl in 2004 with Indiana.

While Detroit (4-7) will be the underdog, the Pistons do have a strong bench like Los Angeles. Two of the Pistons' three top scorers - Ben Gordonand Charlie Villanueva - play primarily as reserves.

The bench keyed a huge comeback that fell short Monday in a 101-97 loss at Golden State that completed a 2-2 road trip. The Pistons cut a 32-point deficit down to two before losing.

"The passing we showed in the second half is the way we kept this thing within striking distance," coach John Kuester said. "The guys worked hard and showed a lot of grit. It was a heck of a comeback."

Gordon and Villanueva combined for 32 points to help fuel the rally.

"We came back down 32, and when you're doing it in that short of a period (of time) there really isn't any margin for error," Gordon said. "I had some bad turnovers. We didn't execute a couple times on what we wanted to do."

The Lakers have won three straight in this series since losing 12 of 16, including four of five in the 2004 NBA finals.

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LAKERS VS. PISTONS GAME PREVIEW

The Los Angeles Lakers showcased their depth in a victory to open a three-game road trip that should pay dividends for the remainder of it.

They'll play the second half of a back-to-back set of games Wednesday night when they visit the Detroit Pistons.

Los Angeles (9-2) avoided its first three-game skid since March 4-7 with a 118-107 victory at Milwaukee on Tuesday. The highest scoring team in the league trailed by two at halftime before using a 61-point second half to dominate a Milwaukee squad that entered the contest allowing the fewest points per game in the NBA.

"We talked about it at halftime, doing a better job defensively, we were really poor in the first half, just giving layup after layup," superstar guardKobe Bryant said. "It was good. It was not what we're used to doing, but it's a step in that direction."

Bryant led the way with 31 points, but the second-leading scorer was an unlikely source. Shannon Brown scored a season-high 21 points as he took advantage of fewer minutes for Ron Artest.

"I'm going to keep working and we're going to keep winning," Brown said. "It's more about doing what I've got to do to help my team win."

Brown averaged 8.1 points on 42.7 percent shooting last season - his first with Los Angeles. He's averaging 11.3 on 52.3 percent shooting this season.

"He's even a better shooter than he was last year," Bryant said. "You see him now making plays off the dribble, making plays for others, passing off the dribble. He continues to get better. This is just the beginning for him."

Artest only played 17 1/2 minutes and asked to come out of the game, but insisted nothing was wrong afterward. Coach Phil Jackson said Artest would play Wednesday - the forward's fifth game at the Palace of Auburn Hills since the infamous brawl in 2004 with Indiana.

While Detroit (4-7) will be the underdog, the Pistons do have a strong bench like Los Angeles. Two of the Pistons' three top scorers - Ben Gordonand Charlie Villanueva - play primarily as reserves.

The bench keyed a huge comeback that fell short Monday in a 101-97 loss at Golden State that completed a 2-2 road trip. The Pistons cut a 32-point deficit down to two before losing.

"The passing we showed in the second half is the way we kept this thing within striking distance," coach John Kuester said. "The guys worked hard and showed a lot of grit. It was a heck of a comeback."

Gordon and Villanueva combined for 32 points to help fuel the rally.

"We came back down 32, and when you're doing it in that short of a period (of time) there really isn't any margin for error," Gordon said. "I had some bad turnovers. We didn't execute a couple times on what we wanted to do."

The Lakers have won three straight in this series since losing 12 of 16, including four of five in the 2004 NBA finals.

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Lakers guard Shannon Brown: Give me a nickname

The suggestions are coming in as fast as Shannon Brown on a fast break. And I want to make sure you're a part of it.

Coming off an impressive fourth-quarter performance in the Lakers' 118-107 victory Tuesday over the Milwaukee Bucks, Shannon Brown is asking his Twitter followers to come up with a nickname for him. With enthusiasm growing for Brown as the league's most improved player, surely some of you have some ideas. Share your nicknames for Brown in the comment threads below with some explanation. I'll be sure to send the results to Brown's Twitter feed and also show him some of the ideas once the Lakers return from their three-game trip.

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Lakers talking to free agent Jake Voskuhl

In search of a big man to add to an ever-thinning front court, the Lakers have talked to the representative for free agent Jake Voskuhl, a 6-foot-11 center known for his physical play.

Voskuhl, 33, did not play in the NBA last season. He was invited to the Clippers' training camp this season but was cut in favor of reserve center Jarron Collins.

With Andrew Bynum out until around Thanksgiving and Theo Ratliff out at least four to six weeks after knee surgery, the Lakers need a player down low.

"The Lakers are a great situation," said Voskuhl's agent, Mark Bartelstein. "Any time they call, you're certainly going to listen. Hopefully something's going to happen."

Voskuhl was close to being signed by a couple of teams last season and mulled some offers in Europe, but he sat out the season in part because his wife was having a baby, Bartelstein said.

"He's stayed in shape," Bartelsetin said. "There's no doubt he can help an NBA team."

Players cannot be signed to 10-day contracts until later in the season, but the Lakers can sign Voskuhl to a non-guaranteed contract on a weekly basis.

Voskuhl has played for five teams in a nine-year career. The Lakers consider him to be an active defender and rebounder despite career averages of 3.4 rebounds and 0.4 blocked shots a game.

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Lakers vs. Portland: Lakers make tough test look easy in win over Trail Blazers

Lakers 121, Trail Blazers 96 (end of game)
This was supposed to be the first real test of the season for the Lakers, the first team that would challenge the two-time defending NBA champions.

Instead, the Lakers just blew out another opponent.

Portland was never in this game.

The Lakers opened a 13-point lead at the end of the first quarter, increased it to 22 points at the half and led by 29 in the second half.

Pau Gasol led the way, recording a triple-double with 20 points, 14 rebounds and 10 assists.

Lamar Odom had a double-double with 21 points and 12 rebounds.

Every Lakers starter scored in double figures.

But for Ron Artest, who had 11 points, his defense on Portland's All-Star guard Brandon Roy was big.

Artest held Roy to eight points. Roy was just one for eight from the field.

The Lakers improved to 7-0.



Lakers 89, Trail Blazers 64 (end of third quarter)

By the end of the third quarter, Pau Gasol already had a triple-double.

He posted 20 points on nine-for-13 shooting and had 14 rebounds and 10 assists.

Gasol's last triple-double was Feb. 12, 2009, against the Atlanta Hawks, when he had 12 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists.

It was his second triple-double with the Lakers, the third of his career.

The Lakers went up by as much as 27 points in the third quarter.

Lakers 58, Trail Blazers 36 (end of first half)

The Lakers only got better in the second quarter, opening a 24-point lead at one time.

Pau Gasol was the man for the Lakers in the first half.

He had a double-double with 14 points and 11 rebounds. He also had seven assists to help the Lakers to a 22-point halftime lead.

The Lakers out-rebounded the Trail Blazers in the first half, 25-11.
Lakers 27, Trail Blazers 14 (end of first quarter)

The Lakers played very good defense on the Trail Blazers, limiting them to 36.8% shooting. That allowed the Lakers to open a 15-point lead at one point in the first quarter.

Offensively, the Lakers shot the ball well, making 55% of their shots. Pau Gasol scored eight points on three-for-five shooting.

Brandon Roy, Portland's top offensive weapon, didn't score in the first quarter, missing his two shots.

Pregame

Lakers Coach Phil Jackson said before his team played Portland on Sunday night at Staples Center that the Trail Blazers have three players who do the majority of their scoring.

Jackson said the Lakers planned to focus their defense on Portland guards Brandon Roy and Andre Miller and forward LaMarcus Aldridge.

"We spend time talking about those three and how the other guys fit in around them," Jackson said.

Roy entered the game averaging 22 points, Aldridge 19.7 and Miller 12.

The Lakers entered the game with a 6-0 record; the Trail Blazers were 5-2.

Jackson has said the Trail Blazers will be a nice test for the Lakers.

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Lakers turn back Raptors 108-103

Lakers 108, Raptors 103 (final)
They just got by a Raptors team that now is 1-4 on the season.

It took Pau Gasol scoring 30 points and Kobe Bryant adding 23 for the Lakers to improve to 6-0.

The Lakers were out-rebounded, 49-31. They also gave up a 38-point second quarter to the Raptors and trailed at halftime by three points.

Gasol, who made 12 of his 22 shots, finished with seven rebounds, three assists and two blocked shots. Bryant made six of 12 shots, missing all three of his three-point attempts, and 11 of 12 free throws. He had six assists, four rebounds, three steals and one blocked shot.

Steve Blake (14) and Shannon Brown (12) combined for 26 points off the bench. Starting point guard Derek Fisher had 11. Lamar Odom did not shoot well, making two of 10 shots and three of seven free throws to finish with seven points.

The Raptors had six players in double figures, including reserves Leandro Barbosa (17 points), Jose Calderon (14) and Amir Johnson (12, plus 15 rebounds including nine offensive). DeMar DeRozan led the starters with 15 points.

Lakers 82, Raptors 78 (end of third quarter)

The Lakers found a little of their groove back in the third quarter.

To do that, the Lakers had to play better defense against the Raptors.

After giving up 38 points in the second quarter, the Lakers held the Raptors to 20 points in the third.

By the end of the third quarter, Pau Gasol led the Lakers with 22 points.

Raptors 58, Lakers 55 (end of first half)

A lackluster effort in the second quarter got the Lakers in trouble and left them trailing by three points at halftime.

The Lakers led by as many as 13 points in the first quarter, but that all changed.

When reserve guard Leandro Barbosa made a three-pointer with 2.7 seconds left in the second quarter, the Lakers' lead was gone and they were in a hole.
The Lakers were outscored, 38-22, in the second quarter.

Pau Gasol has made seven of 11 shots and leads the Lakers with 15 points. Kobe Bryant has made four of seven shots, although he missed both three-point attempts, and has 10 points, four assists, two steals and two rebounds. Lamar Odom leads the Lakers with five rebounds.

Barbosa leads the Raptors with 15 points, while shooting guard DeMar DeRozan has 10 points.

Lakers 33, Raptors 20 (end of first quarter)

The highlight of many highlights for the Lakers in the first quarter Friday night came from Kobe Bryant.

Bryant threw a behind-the-head pass to Pau Gasol for a dunk in transition that brought the fans and Bryant's teammates out of their seats.

Bryant had four assists in the first to go along with eight points.

Steve Blake entered the game and scored nine points by making all three of his three-point shots.

Pregame

Since Chris Bosh left Toronto to join LeBron James and Dwyane Wade with the Miami Heat, the Raptors have become a different team.

Lakers Coach Phil Jackson still views the Raptors as a team with some talent, but he also sees a young team still trying to find its way.

Jackson, whose Lakers face the Raptors on Friday night at Staples Center, said Toronto now relies more on center Andrea Bargnani to score inside and outside.

Jackson said the Lakers have to prevent point guard Jarrett Jack from penetrating and breaking down their defense.

After missing the first five games recovering from a strained right hamstring, Luke Walton will be placed on the active list for Friday night's game, Jackson said.

Jackson said he'll play it by ear as far as whether Walton will play.

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Post-game quotes from Lakers' 107-83 victory over Golden State Warriors

Where are the rolling pictures, you may ask? They're stored digitally in my camera, but numerous technical mishaps led to sound that's far from audible. So in the best compromise I can think of, below is a transcript of some of the Lakers' and Warriors quotes shared by the team's public relations staff. Keep in mind these transcripts don't consist of the entire interviews that took place, but hopefully it gives you enough of a gist.

Everything will fixed for workable video for today's practice and the remaining 79 games!

Lakers guard Kobe Bryant

On if the team's bench play will make the back-to-back games Tuesday against Memphis and Wednesday at Sacramento easier: "Our bench is very solid, very solid. They rarely make mistakes. They stay within the structure and they play well together."

On the starters being able to rest: "That is going to definitely help a lot. When we get [Andrew Bynum] back, that should help out a lot. Even tonight, in a game like tonight, Pau [Gasol] is playing a great deal of minutes. I would like to see him rest a little more."

On what he feels best about the Lakers' play: "We're 3-0. The games go by this early in the season, and you just continue to play."

Lakers forward Pau Gasol

On what the team team can improve on: "We're going to be challenged every night and we understand that. I think we can improve defensively. There's still a lot of room for improvement. Obviously, there are a lot of games to go. But we're excited. I think we're pretty happy about how things are going right now."

On the how the Lakers presented matchup problems for Golden State: "We've been successful against them the last couple of years. If you want to continue to be successful, that's a team that you can't really relax on because they have a lot of players that are talented and up-tempo guys. If you fall asleep, they can put a lot of runs together."

Lakers forward Lamar Odom

On his rebounding effort: "I feel good. I'm in shape. I'm following and getting rebound, and I'm trying to make plays, especially on the offensive rebound. I'm just being active. I'm confident. I'm playing with a team that has a lot of chemistry so I kind of know what to expect."

On getting aggressive early: "I want to get myself involved in the game and get going pretty early so I can find that rhythm, and find that spot and always be comfortable at taking shots whenever I'm on the court. I'm just looking to attack first.

Lakers forward Ron Artest

On his defensive assignments once Kobe's knee gets healthy: "We just go with the flow. I'm sure it depends on the matchup and it depends on what team it is. If I have to guard the best player, I will unless it's not going to benefit us. Sometimes I want to guard the best player but it just doesn't help our lineup."

On his approach to guarding Warriors guard Monta Ellis: "Just team defense. It wasn't anything I did. It was more about what we're going to do as a team, and just sticking to the script, team-wise."

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