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12-02-2009, 09:46 PM
Wednesday, December 02, 2009
By GREG BEACHAM, AP Sports Writer
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LOS ANGELES — Andrew Bynum scored 21 points, Kobe Bryant added 18 on a light night of work and the Los Angeles Lakers beat the New Orleans Hornets 110-99 Tuesday for their seventh straight victory.
Ron Artest scored 16 points as the Lakers remained undefeated in six games since the return of Pau Gasol, who had 14 points in Los Angeles' balanced offense.
The Lakers moved in front of Phoenix atop the Western Conference by taking another big first-half lead and coasting to their NBA-best 11th home victory. Seven players scored at least seven points while Los Angeles beat New Orleans at Staples Center for the second time in 24 days.
Former UCLA star Darren Collison scored 20 points for the Hornets, who lost their fifth straight road game. New Orleans has the NBA's second-worst road record at 1-9, only ahead of the 0-11 New Jersey Nets, and is winless on the road since beating the Clippers at Staples Center on Nov. 9.
Emeka Okafor added 17 points and 12 rebounds for the Hornets, who played again without All-Star point guard Chris Paul and forward Peja Stojakovic. Paul still has a seriously sprained left ankle, while Stojakovic missed his second straight game to deal with a family member's illness.
The Lakers overpowered New Orleans last month with solid bench play and Bryant's low-post scoring, which more than made up for the injury absences of Bynum and Gasol in a 104-88 win. Los Angeles is nearly at full strength now, and its bulky front line was too much for the depleted Hornets.
The Lakers extended the NBA's longest current winning streak with yet another strong second quarter. Los Angeles made a 21-4 run that included 10 straight points during the period, rolling to a 23-point lead.
While New Orleans is struggling on the road, the Lakers don't even know what kind of road team they are. Thanks to a curious early-season schedule, the defending champions have played 13 of their first 17 games at home, and they've still got four more games left at Staples Center on this six-game homestand.
New Orleans might have improved its defense after Sunday's embarrassing 16-point loss at Sacramento, but the Lakers' outstanding ball movement still generated plenty of open shots. Four Lakers scored in double figures in the first half, with Fisher getting six assists.
Los Angeles again concentrated on low-post play against the undersized Hornets, with Bynum often scoring easily against Okafor. The Lakers had made more than 60 percent of their shots late in the third quarter.
NOTES: Bryant and New Orleans' Devin Brown exchanged looks and words after a hard foul by Brown in the third quarter. ... The teams don't meet again until March 29, when the Lakers make their only visit to New Orleans. ... Courtside seats were filled by actors Jack Black and Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Taboo from the Black Eyed Peas, and Lew Wolff, the Los Angeles real estate mogul who owns part of the Oakland Athletics.
By GREG BEACHAM, AP Sports Writer
* ShareThis
LOS ANGELES — Andrew Bynum scored 21 points, Kobe Bryant added 18 on a light night of work and the Los Angeles Lakers beat the New Orleans Hornets 110-99 Tuesday for their seventh straight victory.
Ron Artest scored 16 points as the Lakers remained undefeated in six games since the return of Pau Gasol, who had 14 points in Los Angeles' balanced offense.
The Lakers moved in front of Phoenix atop the Western Conference by taking another big first-half lead and coasting to their NBA-best 11th home victory. Seven players scored at least seven points while Los Angeles beat New Orleans at Staples Center for the second time in 24 days.
Former UCLA star Darren Collison scored 20 points for the Hornets, who lost their fifth straight road game. New Orleans has the NBA's second-worst road record at 1-9, only ahead of the 0-11 New Jersey Nets, and is winless on the road since beating the Clippers at Staples Center on Nov. 9.
Emeka Okafor added 17 points and 12 rebounds for the Hornets, who played again without All-Star point guard Chris Paul and forward Peja Stojakovic. Paul still has a seriously sprained left ankle, while Stojakovic missed his second straight game to deal with a family member's illness.
The Lakers overpowered New Orleans last month with solid bench play and Bryant's low-post scoring, which more than made up for the injury absences of Bynum and Gasol in a 104-88 win. Los Angeles is nearly at full strength now, and its bulky front line was too much for the depleted Hornets.
The Lakers extended the NBA's longest current winning streak with yet another strong second quarter. Los Angeles made a 21-4 run that included 10 straight points during the period, rolling to a 23-point lead.
While New Orleans is struggling on the road, the Lakers don't even know what kind of road team they are. Thanks to a curious early-season schedule, the defending champions have played 13 of their first 17 games at home, and they've still got four more games left at Staples Center on this six-game homestand.
New Orleans might have improved its defense after Sunday's embarrassing 16-point loss at Sacramento, but the Lakers' outstanding ball movement still generated plenty of open shots. Four Lakers scored in double figures in the first half, with Fisher getting six assists.
Los Angeles again concentrated on low-post play against the undersized Hornets, with Bynum often scoring easily against Okafor. The Lakers had made more than 60 percent of their shots late in the third quarter.
NOTES: Bryant and New Orleans' Devin Brown exchanged looks and words after a hard foul by Brown in the third quarter. ... The teams don't meet again until March 29, when the Lakers make their only visit to New Orleans. ... Courtside seats were filled by actors Jack Black and Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Taboo from the Black Eyed Peas, and Lew Wolff, the Los Angeles real estate mogul who owns part of the Oakland Athletics.