February 2009 Archives

PHOENIX -- Lakers coach Phil Jackson discounted the notion that Luke Walton's play has picked up since Vladimir Radmanovic was traded to the Charlotte Bobcats on Feb. 7, removing the chance that Walton and Radmanovic might swap roles for the second time this season.

Walton replaced Radmanovic as the Lakers' starting small forward 20 games into the season. The Lakers acquired Adam Morrison and Shannon Brown for Radmanovic, who vented about his lack of playing time and generally appeared as if he would be happier elsewhere.

"It has to do with him being able to shoot the ball," Jackson said of Walton, who is averaging nine points, 4.6 rebounds and 3.4 assists in his last five games, an improvement on his season averages of 4.8 points, 2.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists.

"When Luke shoots the ball well, it makes a big difference in his game. I think the repetitions. He got a little under the weather right before the All-Star break and he had a couple of bad games there. He was still suffering a little bit. Now, I think he's feeling good and feeling good about his game."

DENVER -- Coach Phil Jackson called the Lakers' 90-79 loss to the Denver Nuggets tonight "a garbage game," and who are we to argue his point? The Lakers scored a season-low for points.

The Lakers narrowly missed setting a franchise record for their lowest shooting percentage. They checked in at 29.8 percent, avoiding a dubious mark of distinction only after Jordan Farmar made a layup in the closing seconds. They were at 29 percent before Farmar's bucket. The club record of 29.4 percent was set against the Utah Jazz on Nov. 3, 2004.

Otherwise, the Lakers' first loss since Feb. 11 was a game to forget. They lost for the first time in seven games. What's more, their five-game winning streak against the Nuggets also came to an end. Actually, it was a nine-game streak if you count playoff games.

"That was just one of those games," Jackson said. "We didn't want to lose it, but we didn't have it. Obviously, we don't shoot that way every night. You've got to give credit to the defense of your opponent, but we just didn't shoot the ball very well."

When someone asked Derek Fisher if fatigue played a role in the Lakers' lackluster play, the veteran point guard seemed unsure what to say. The Lakers' lack of energy was evident from the start. They arrived at their hotel around 4 a.m. after defeating the Phoenix Suns on Thursday night at Staples Center.

"I don't know, I guess so," Fisher said. "I don't know whether it was getting in late or early or whatever you want to call it. If anything, it was a combination of the entire week. That wasn't our team, for sure. The Nuggets played better than we did."

DENVER -- The Lakers played the first half tonight exactly like a team that checked into its hotel at 4 a.m., after playing Thursday night against the Phoenix Suns at Staples Center. They missed shots from here, there and everywhere. They also reached for the ball while on defense, rather than sliding their feet. Those are sure signs of tired legs.

Kobe Bryant scored 15 of the Lakers' 40 points in the first half. J.R. Smith led the Nuggets with 11. The Lakers shot 31.1 percent while scoring their fewest points in a half this season. they also had nine turnovers. The Nuggets shot 45.9 percent and also had nine turnovers.

DENVER -- Phil Jackson addressed the idea that the Lakers are a better team without 7-foot center Andrew Bynum clogging up the paint and slowing them down. Jackson agreed that the Lakers are quicker and able to run more effectively without Bynum, who is sidelined by a torn knee ligament until at least April.

"Offensively, we're more streamlined," the Lakers' coach said tonight. "We probably run better offensively. We can do things will multiple ballhanders out there, particularly with Luke (Walton) and Lamar (Odom) out there. We know have four ballhandlers. Pau (Gasol) is very capable of running. So that part of our game, fastbreaks and scoring, has gone up. Defensively, I don't think we're quite as good."

Remember, the Lakers got thumped around the basket by the Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals last June. Bynum's absence was viewed by many as the main reason why the Lakers lost to the Celtics in six games. The Lakers were called soft and worse because they failed to match-up physically against the Celtics.

Talk about a tale of two locker rooms. I stopped by the Suns locker room after the game and it was fairly dreary in there. Shaquille O'Neal tried to lighten the mood, but most of the Suns players dressed quickly and exited as soon as possible.

``This was a good test for us,'' O'Neal said. ``Obviously we failed the test tremendously.''

Down the hall in the Lakers dressing room, things were jovial by comparison. Jovial, but businesslike.

It was obvious the team had known it needed to blitz Phoenix early in order to be ready for tommorrow's game in Denver.

``Tonight kinda felt like a trap game. We're at home, Steve (Nash) is out. It kinda seemed like a game we could've taken the night off,'' Kobe Bryant said. ``So we wanted to make sure from the (opening) jump that we didn't do that.''

Personally, I don't think so. But after the Lakers polish off the Phoenix Suns in a few more minutes, they will have won 11 of 12 games since Bynum was injured.

Bynum said he wasn't worried about regaining his spot in the rotation once he returned.

`` It's cool. It's cool,'' he said. ``Because when I come back in, then we'll all jell. I'll have to work my way back in and make us all better."

Around the league though, not everyone is convinced the Lakers are a better team with Bynum than without him. Denver coach George Karl told Chris Tomasson of the Rocky Mountain News that he thought the Lakers might actually be more cohesive without their young 7-foot-1 center.

"Don't you have to make the statement that maybe they're better without
Bynum?,'' Karl said. ``Why do we always say Bynum? How many games has he played for this team? I like Bynum. I think he's a great player. But sometimes you can have too much talent out there and it can kind of be confusing.''

The Lakers took a 70-55 lead into halftime against the Steve Nash-Amare Stoudemire-less Phoenix Suns on Thursday.

The game was so lopsided, even in the first half, we had Adam Morrison, Shannon Brown and DJ Mbenga sightings.

Morrison scored two points in his 4:33 of action, Mbenga scored four in in his 7:27 but Brown didn't get off a shot in his 0:34.

As a whole, the Lakers shot the lights out in the first half, hitting 28 of 45 shots (62.2 percent) while the Suns barely drew iron, making 22 of 53 shots (41.5 percent).

Leandro Barbosa leads Phoenix with 18 points on 7 of 15 shooting.

Phoenix guard Steve Nash is officially out for tonight's game against the Lakers with an ankle injury.

Andrew Bynum has started workouts on a stationary bicycle and an elliptical trainer this week, the first steps in his rehabilitation and recovery from a torn medial collateral ligament suffered Jan. 31 against the Memphis Grizzlies. The Lakers expect the 7-foot Bynum to be sidelined until at least April. Coach Phil Jackson said recently he doesn't expect Bynum to be ready to resume basketball drills until some time in March.

OKLAHOMA CITY -- The Lakers nearly squandered all of an 18-point lead, letting their advantage slip to only 75-74 early in the fourth quarter before racing away to a 107-93 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder tonight. Kobe Bryant scored 36 points to lead the Lakers to their fifth consecutive victory. Pau Gasol added 14 points, eight rebounds and six assists. Kevin Durant led the Thunder with 32 points on 11-for-20 shooting. Russell Westbrook, a former UCLA standout, scored 14 points on 5-for-13 shooting.

Bryant jammed his right ankle on a drive to the basket late in the game. "That's OK, I have ankle insurance," he said, chuckling. In other words, it's nothing that would keep him from playing in Thursday's game against Shaquille O'Neal and the Phoenix Suns on Thursday.

Derek Fisher marveled at Bryant's play in the fourth quarter, when he scored 15 points and added two assists in the final 9-plus minutes. Bryant made 5 of 6 shots and 5 of 7 free throws.

"He doesn't really do anything that amazes me anymore, but it's still just fun to observe his ability to just make his mind up and say, 'OK, this is what I'm going to go do,'" Fisher said. "To just make his mind up that he's going to make the shots go in, I just don't know if there's anybody in our game who can consistently match that ability. I know I'm biased, but it was impressive to me."

OKLAHOMA CITY -- When Kobe Bryant hit a jump shot early in the third quarter, he scored his 13th and 14th points of the Lakers' game against the Oklahoma City Thunder and passed Adrian Dantley for 19th place on the NBA's all-time scoring list. Bryant's hoop gave him 23,178 points for his career. He is the third-leading scorer in Lakers history after passing Elgin Baylor in Sunday's win over the Minnesota Timberwolves. Only Jerry West (25,192) and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (24,176) have scored more than Bryant while with the Lakers.

OKLAHOMA CITY -- The Lakers led by 12 by halftime thanks to 56.1 percent shooting (23-for-41). Kobe Bryant had 10 points but faced tight defensive pressure from the Thunder's Kevin Durant, who is three inches taller than the 6-foot-6 Lakers guard. In addition, he has the wing span of someone closer to 7-foot. Derek Fisher and Jordan Farmar added eight points apiece in the first half. Durant missed his first four shots, but finished the half by making 9 of his next 10 and scored 19 points.

OKLAHOMA CITY -- Lakers center Pau Gasol was named the Western Conference player of the week after averaging 20.3 points on 63.5 percent shooting, 10.8 rebounds and 6.5 assists in victories over Atlanta, Golden State, New Orleans and Minnesota. Gasol had his third-career triple-double in the Lakers' rout of the Atlanta Hawks on Feb. 17. He had 12 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists.

OKLAHOMA CITY -- First, we're not in Seattle anymore. The SuperSonics moved from Seattle to Oklahoma City last summer and became the Thunder. Or as Phil Jackson calls them the Tornadoes. First impressions of OKC are mixed. Friendly people. Easy to get around. Bland downtown. All of which describes Fresno, too.

Second, the Thunder have lost five consecutive game and are 13-43, last in the Northwest Division. The Lakers started the Thunder's skid by defeating them by a modest 105-98 margin Feb. 10 at Staples Center.

Third, Kevin Durant has scored 30 or more points in eight of nine games in February. The 20-year-old second-year player from the University of Texas is fourth in the league in scoring with an average of 26.2 points.

MINNEAPOLIS -- Here's some of the best and brightest postgame analysis after the Lakers defeated the Minnesota Timberwolves tonight.

Coach Phil Jackson on why the game was so close: "Our pathetic defense is what I was going to say. I thought we just played sloppy defense and didn't put our minds to it."

Kobe Bryant on whether the Lakers gave an Oscar-worthy performance: "Yeah, we were going for best drama, actually."

Bryant on whether beating Minnesota by 111-108 qualified as a good win: "No, we'll take it. We'll take it for what it is. We obviously could play a lot better, but they made a lot of tough shots. ... The important thing is we survived a game like this."

Pau Gasol on the Lakers' defense: "They were hitting shot at the beginning of the game (but) our defense wasn't as tight and as aggressive as it should have been. We were never able to leave them behind us and get away from them and score. We weren't sharp tonight as far as intensity."

MINNEAPOLIS -- Kobe Bryant scored 28 points, and Lamar Odom and Pau Gasol added 25 apiece to lead the Lakers past the Minnesota Timberwolves, 111-108, tonight at the Target Center. Bryant also had seven assists and six rebounds. Odom added 14 rebounds. Gasol and five assists and five rebounds. Ryan Gomes and Sebastian Telfair each had 20 points for the T-Wolves, who could not prevent the league-leading Lakers from improving to 46-10.

MINNEAPOLIS -- Kobe Bryant passed Elgin Baylor and moved into 20th place on the NBA's all-time scoring list during the Lakers' game against the Minnesota Timberwolves tonight. Bryant dunked to finish a fastbreak in the opening minutes of the second half to push past Baylor, a former Lakers Hall of Famer. Bryant went into the game needed 13 points to tie Baylor with 23,149 points in his career. Baylor began his career with the Lakers in Minneapolis. The player and the team moved to Los Angeles before the 1960-61 season.

Bryant scored 12 points and added five assists and Pau Gasol had 17 points to lead the Lakers to a 54-40 lead by halftime over the surprisingly feisty Timberwolves. Lamar Odom added 10 points and five rebounds during a sluggish first half. Ryan Gomes led Minnesota with 14 points in the first half, and backup Craig Smith added 11. Minnesota was without Al Jefferson, its leading scorer and rebounder. Jefferson is out for the season after undergoing surgery to repair a torn knee ligament.

MINNEAPOLIS -- First, Al Jefferson is out for the season after undergoing surgery on a damaged knee ligament. Jefferson averaged a team-leading 23.1 points and 11 rebounds in 50 games before he was injured two weeks ago. He had 34 points and 13 rebounds in the Timberwolves' loss to the Lakers on Jan. 30.

Second, Kevin Love has replaced Jefferson as the Timberwolves' center. Love, a 6-foot-10 rookie from UCLA, is averaging modest totals of 9.6 points and 8.8 rebounds in 54 games. He is slated to make only his 13th start of the season today against the Lakers.

Third, Bobby Brown and Shelden Williams are expected to make their Timberwolves debuts today after they were acquired last week from Sacramento for Rashard McCants and Calvin Booth. Brown and Williams did not dress for Friday's loss to the Indiana Pacers. (UPDATE: Williams is on the inactive list).

MINNEAPOLIS -- The Lakers did not practice, so there's not much to report today. One item to chew on, though. If the Lakers beat the Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday and the Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday, they will move closer to sealing the best record in the Western Conference. The Lakers have 27 games remaining, including the two on this trip, and if they go 20-7 the rest of the way for a final record of 65-17, the San Antonio Spurs would have to run the table in order to catch them. The Spurs were 36-17 going into tonight's game at Washington.

The Lakers worked overtime to defeat the New Orleans Hornets, 115-111. They didn't play all that well in winning their third straight after the All-Star break. Kobe Bryant scored 39 points, but shot only 13-for-30. Pau Gasol had 20 points and 12 rebounds. Derek Fisher had 14 points, including the 3-pointer that sent the game to OT tied at 98-all.

Lakers coach Phil Jackson opened his postgame remarks by saying, "We made it a lot harder for ourselves, but you have to give Orlando credit." A reporter interrupted Jackson, saying, "Uh, you mean, New Orleans." Jackson then said, "Uh, yeah, the Hornets."

Jackson then was asked if he would classify this as a good win. Jackson paused a moment before answering, "It gives us confidence that we can make mistakes and still come out of it with a win. I hope we learned some things that will help us along the way."

Jackson had this to say about Bryant's confidence despite his poor shooting: "Keep going to the wall and eventually that (stuff) will stick. And it did."

Forget about first team to 100 wins. The first team to shoot 40 percent might win this game. The Lakers played into the Hornets' hands by hoisting the first shot they saw instead of working the ball into a better position. Settling for long-range jumpers is not their game. The Hornets seemed perfectly content to chuck it from distance, however. Kobe Bryant led the Lakers with 16 points in the first half. The Lakers shot 35.6 percent and the Hornets shot 37. David West and James Posey had eight apiece for New Orleans.

Utah Jazz owner Larry Miller, who died Friday from complications from diabetes, was something of an icon in Salt Lake City. He owned a number car dealerships in town, including one that's next door to the Jazz's practice facility. Derek Fisher played for the Jazz for one season and recalled that Miller was as much a part of Utah as the Jazz.

"It was just always refreshing to know that he cared so much about the success of the team and that it wasn't just a business," Fisher said tonight."It wasn't just a piece of the portfolio. It wasn't just about dollars and cents with him. It was about trying to provide the best team and the best product for the Jazz fans."

OAKLAND -- The Lakers' grit was in evidence during their 129-121 victory tonight over the Golden State Warriors. The Warriors' ran and ran and ran and ran, pushing the Lakers to the brink before fading down the stretch. Kobe Bryant had 30 points to lead the Lakers, Pau Gasol added 24 points and 13 rebounds and Lamar Odom had 22 points.

Bryant on a variety of subjects: "We kept our poise tonight. Pau Gasol is an All-Star. He is tough down low. It's always fun coming up here (to Oakland), especially because the Warriors are always going to play hard. Monta Ellis is phenomenal. He is one of my favorite players in the league to watch."

Coach Phil Jackson on a lack of rebounding: "Well, they (the Warriors) shot 60 percent in the first half and 7-for-9 from the 3-point line. When that happens, there aren't too many rebounds that are available."

Jackson on Trevor Ariza, who made two key 3-pointers down the stretch: "He would have hesitated on them (last season). I think he would have taken them, but it wouldn't have been a natural thing to swing into it. He's playing with much more confidence."

The Lakers' decision to trade backup center Chris Mihm today to the Memphis Grizzlies invited more questions than it answered. First and foremost, does this mean GM Mitch Kupchak will make another move before the league's trade deadline Thursday at noon? With starting center Andrew Bynum out until at least April, the Lakers are suddenly short on 7-footers. What's more, who will serve as Pau Gasol's backup with Bynum sidelined and Mihm in Memphis? The short answer is Josh Powell, a burly backup forward/center.

Just got word the Lakers traded center Chris Mihm to Memphis for a conditional second round pick.

The play of the night --besides that college kid who made the half court shot -- had to be Shannon Brown's high-flying blocked shot in the fourth quarter that got his teammates up off the bench and was still the talk of the locker room an hour later.

That wasn't the first time Brown has done something like that though. Check out this footage:

The Lakers' 96-83 victory over the Atlanta Hawks was just what they hoped for in their first game after the All-Star break. At least that seemed to be the consensus in the locker room after tonight's game. Lamar Odom and Pau Gasol had big games for the Lakers, who left immediately after the game for tonight's contest against Golden State in Oakland.

Here's a sampling of the postgame chatter:

Kobe Bryant on the Lakers' effort: "I was very happy with the effort. I felt like the guys, with the time off, did something good because they came back with a lot of energy and had a high motor, so it was good."

Bryant on Odom, who had 15 points and a season-high 20 rebounds: "He's found his niche."

Odom on the team's play after the break: "It's the way we want to start it, with a win, playing the right way, playing good basketball, playing defense."

Coach Phil Jackson on the Lakers' sluggish start: "We were pretty rusty in the first half. I thought a lot of indecisive things happened in the first quarter. The young guys (Trevor Ariza, Jordan Farmar et al) came in and bailed us out at the end of that first quarter and got us going and got us to play a little more intense."

The Lakers pounded the Atlanta Hawks into submission, 96-83, tonight, but the big story at Staples Center was that somebody actually hit the halfcourt shot between the third and fourth quarters. Robert Ward, a Mission Viejo native who is a senior at USC, won $165,000 when he became the first winner in the three-year history of The Mirage Big Shot Jackpot Contest.

The Lakers led the Atlanta Hawks, 45-36, at halftime tonight. Nothing wrong with a nine-point lead at intermission, but the Lakers seemed to be playing down to the level of their competition, which is never a good thing.

The Hawks shot poorly (37.8 percent), and so did the Lakers (40 percent). The Hawks threw the ball away (10 turnovers), and so did the Lakers (nine turnovers). The Lakers hammered the Hawks on the boards, 32-23, which was a positive sign.

Lamar Odom had 11 rebounds, his fourth straight game with 10 or more. Kobe Bryant had only four points in the first half. Mike Bibby led Atlanta with nine points.

Couple of updates before the Lakers take on the Atlanta Hawks tonight:

Andrew Bynum shot baskets during the morning shootaround, but Lakers coach Phil Jackson said the 7-foot center probably won't start an exercise program until March. Bynum has been sidelined since tearing the MCL in his right knee Jan. 31. He probably will be out until April. ... Sasha Vujacic said his sprained left ankle is sound again after he took a Mexican vacation over the All-Star break. ... Adam Morrison and Shannon Brown were on the Lakers' active roster for the first time together since they were acquired from the Charlotte Bobcats for Vladimir Radmanovic on Feb. 7.

There was a welcome break for some of the Lakers, a full weekend for several others, and a trip down memory lane with Shaquille O'Neal thrust upon everyone who was in Phoenix for the All Star game or paying attention to the events out of that city over the weekend.

Ready and rested or not, the rest of the season lay in front of the Lakers Monday afternoon as they reconvened for their first practice after the All Star break with the NBA's best record (42-10) and 30 games standing between them and the playoffs.

Though they cruised to victories over Cleveland and Boston, their two main challengers for the league's best record, on their recently completed road trip, the road ahead will not be easy.

Seventeen of the Lakers final 30 games will be played away from home, including another monster trip. This time they'll make a seven-game excursion through the Midwest at the end of March.

``It's going to get tough, and we're going to have to push because teams are gunning for us,'' said forward Lamar Odom. ``There's going to be a target on our back, so we expect for games to be really hard and competitive.

``But I feel rejuvenated. I had a nice break. It was fun coming back today, seeing my brothers and getting back to work.''

Odom though, actually had a few days off.

Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol were in Phoenix to play in the All Star game, coach Phil Jackson was there to coach the Western Conference, Derek Fisher competed in the Shooting Stars competition and Trevor Ariza and Jordan Farmar were there as the Lakers union reps.

``It wasn't much of a break,'' Gasol said. ``But I did have the opportunity to catch up on some rest and to see my family. They keep you pretty busy, there's a lot of attention, but it's an honor to be an All Star and I had a great time.''

Before I begin this note, I thought I'd relay a conversation I had with a couple of other writers in the press room in Phoenix. The topic? Whether there was any better player in the league to interview than Derek Fisher.

One nationally focussed scribe, who talks to just about everyone around the league, felt like Fisher was the most articulate, intelligent player in the league to interview. Another felt like he and Ray Allen were the two best.

Here in Los Angeles, we've been spoiled by having Fisher around these last few years, and during the Lakers championship runs earlier in the decade. He's always thoughtful, polite and willing to connect emotionally to whatever he's asked.

In the fall, at the height of the presidential campaign, a bunch of his teammates --Kobe Bryant included -- started calling him ``Barack.''

Anyway, I caught up with Fisher the other day at the All Star game and asked who he thought this game meant the most too: Phil Jackson, Kobe Bryant or Shaquille O'Neal.

Fisher's response, as always, was thoughtful and on point.

``I think Shaq,'' Fisher said. ``At this point in his career, so many people didn't think that he'd be at this point again, so I think you'll see him --even though he always has fun -- I think this is a different kind of All Star weekend for him.''

Leave it to Phil Jackson to make lemonade out of lemons. (Wow, never thought I could work that cliche into the same sentence as Phil Jackson, who I've begun to notice is something of a wordsmith himself)

Anyway, instead of whining about having to coach the All-Star game this year, Phil invited his children and grandchildren to Phoenix and is turning the weekend into something of a family reunion. Only Jackson, like most good writers, averse to any cliche, called it something else.

``Well, I have four of my five children coming to the game and three of my grandchildren coming to the game, so I'm using as a point of reference for my family,'' he said.

PHOENIX -- It certainly wouldn't be the first NBA All Star game where a bit of craziness broke out.

Whenever the NBA's finest get together in early February, zaniness is often next to Godliness.

But on this day, it was the 63-year old coach in the corner of the room shaking up the desert sands as Lakers coach Phil Jackson implied that he wouldn't be averse to seeing Shaquille O'Neal take a final dance in a Lakers uniform one day.

``We know that there's always a chance you'll have an opportunity to have a player like that,'' Jackson said, a wry smile coming across his face. ``I was thinking about Robert Parish coming and playing one season with the Chicago Bulls. Playing a limited role, but being an influence on a team when he's 40 years old.

``So, we always say these old crocodiles, these alligators that patrol the lanes, have a long life span.

``So it would be great to see him back someday and, you know, coaching him.''

For months, O'Neal has been writing a rosy revision to his history with the Lakers, sending glowing compliments to Jackson and Kobe Bryant through the media, then chalking up their notorious public feuds to ``marketing.''

When told of Jackson's comments, O'Neal laughed heartily and said, ``He's right,'' then sent another compliment Jackson's way.

``He (Jackson) was great. He let us do what we did. His thing was, we're wining and we won the championship so he's not going to mess with it. That's what it was about.''

There is a chance of course, this is just another marketing campaign. Or, that Jackson was a bit weary from the Lakers recent travels.

He was never wild about the idea of having to be part of the party during this four-day break after all.

Asked how he felt about signing up for another season after the Lakers played eight games in 13 days, with seven of them on the road, Jackson chuckled a bit, then shook his head.

``You come home from a two week road trip and you pack your bags for the last time, haul them out to the door and the guy's taking them down and you wonder, `Can I go thru this thing again next year?,' '' Jackson said.

``That crosses your mind, there's no doubt about it. So that's why I've asked the owner to let me do one year at a time.''

Meanwhile, across the room, Jackson's two current All Stars were holding court for the assembled media, causing much less stir.

Well, except for the fact that Kobe Bryant showed up considerably late due to a delay on his morning flight.

During his 18-minute media session, Bryant deflected just about every question pertaining to O'Neal, except to joke that O'Neal ``never really knew the triangle.''

The Lakers current center, Pau Gasol, spent most of his time being interviewed by the Spanish media and talking about how excited he was to watch his younger brother Marc Gasol play in the rookie sophomore game on Friday night.

Already this All Star experience is shaping up better than his previous trip to Houston in 2005, when Gasol got the flu and spent most of the weekend in bed.

``So far so good,'' Gasol said. ``I'm a little sick, but it's just a little cold. Nothing like last time. The trip was tough. Freezing cities and a lot of games. It kind of wears you down. But it's exciting to be here. I've was able to get some rest last night, and hopefully some more (today).''

Bryant, who was keeping a noticeably lower profile this year, said his main joy this weekend would come from seeing his friends from the Olympic team again.

``It's a chance to get to see my guys,'' Bryant said. ``Chris Paul, LeBron, and D-Wade. We all formed a relationship over the summer so it's a good opportunity to kind of catch up and just hang out with them.''

As for his reunion with his old friend?

``It should be fun,'' he said. ``I think it should be fun.''

It already is.

SALT LAKE CITY The Lakers reached the All-Star break tonight with a 42-10 record, which puts them percentage points ahead of the Boston Celtics (43-11) for the NBA's best overall record. They lead the third-place Cleveland Cavaliers by 1 1/2 games in the fight for home-court advantage throughout the playoffs. What's more, they lead the San Antonio Spurs by 6 1/2 games in the Western Conference standings and have a whopping 13 1/2-game lead over the Phoenix Suns in the Pacific Division race.

SALT LAKE CITY -- The Lakers fell with a thud in the closing moments tonight, losing to the far more energetic Utah Jazz, 113-109. Kobe Bryant scored 37 points, Lamar Odom had 19 points and 19 rebounds, his third consecutive game with a season high for rebounds. Pau Gasol had 16 points and Derek Fisher scored 13. Deron Williams had 31 for Utah.

The Lakers lost for the first time in eight games and for only the 10th time in 52 games this season. They remained percentage points ahead of the Boston Celtics (43-11) for the best overall record in the NBA at the All-Star break.

They were not happy after the game, however.

Coach Phil Jackson: "We played a lethargic first half. The bench came in and played good and kept us going in the ballgame. I think our starters tried to rally at the end of the half and did a good job doing it. I didn't like the way we started in the second half and had a lot of missed opportunities and they took advantage."

Odom: "They just beat us. We could do a better job of playing without the referees and not worrying about calls. If we do have a problem with an official, let Kobe talk to them. We usually are a little tougher at the end of games mentally. Tonight, I think we coudl have done a better job. ... It's tough on the road."

Bryant: "(The Jazz) play extremely well here at home. They always play us tough here. ... We just didn't play well defensively. We didn't play hard enough defensively. We played lazy."

SALT LAKE CITY -- Maybe it was the altitude, but the Lakers didn't play a lick of defense in the first half. Not sure what was up with the Utah Jazz since they should be used to the thin air. Kobe Bryant scored 20 points on 8-for-13 shooting in the first half. Pau Gasol and Derek Fisher had 11 apiece and Lamar Odom had 10 points and nine rebounds as the Lakers shot 56.5 percent. Deron Williams had 14 points for Utah, which shot 62.5 percent. No way the scoring pace will continue at this rate in the second half, will it?

When Kobe Bryant made a free throw with 3:21 remaining in the first half tonight, he reached 23,000 points for his career. He hit the milestone faster than any other player in NBA history at 30 years, 171 days. Wilt Chamberlain did it in 30 years, 176 days.

Bryant jumped to the NBA from Lower Merion (Pa.) HIgh School. Chamberlain made two stops before leaping from Overbrook HIgh in Philadelphia to the NBA. He went to Kansas and also played with the Harlem Globetrotters before joining the league.

Oh by the way, Bryant had 34 points on 13-for-26 shooting at and the Lakers defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder, 105-98. Pau Gasol added 22 points and 14 rebounds and Lamar Odom had 12 points and a season-high 18 rebounds.

"You know, it's always fun," Bryant said of reaching his milestone. "Whenever you talk about the history of the game, it's always a tremendous honor."

Adam Morrison and Shannon Brown, the newest Lakers, were not on the active roster for tonight's game against the Oklahoma City Thunder. It was not a surprise since they were acquired from the Charlotte Bobcats on Saturday and practiced for the first time with their new teammates Monday. Neither is familiar with the triangle offense and Lakers coach Phil Jackson would like to get them used to it before they play in a game. it probably won't happen until well after the All-Star break this weekend.

I know, this one caught me by surprise too. But Vlad Radmanovic is apparently thrilled to be in Charlotte.

Not so much for the cities' southern comforts, but for the chance to get out from under Phil Jackson's thumb it seems.

"Here I'll do what I do best. Being a Laker was a great experience, but it was also frustrating not knowing when and how I'd play,'' Radmanovic told the Charlotte Observer on Sunday.

"Phil's system, great as it is, doesn't give a role player much opportunity. For Kobe Bryant, it's great. For Paul Gasol, it's great. But role players don't do much.''

CLEVELAND -- Here are a few of the best and brightest postgame quotes after the Lakers rallied to defeat the Cleveland Cavaliers this afternoon for their sixth win on their six-game road trip. Kobe Bryant was unavailable to speak with reporters after suffering from flu-like symptoms.

Lamar Odom on scoring 28 points and grabbing 17 rebounds, both season highs: "I told myself before the game started in my little meditation that Phil (Jackson) has taught me to put myself in the moment. I told myself that the first rebound I got, I was going to take it to the hole and score. It kind of opened the game up for me and I found the flow of the game."

Cleveland's LeBron James on Odom's play: "You see games like today where he gives you the points, the rebounds and the assists. He was definitely a big difference for them, with his offensive rebounding and going straight to the bucket to make some good plays."

Jackson on Bryant: "He had chills at halftime and was struggling. But he said he was going to go out there anyway and play. We just wanted to keep a watch on him and he was going to let me know how he was doing. He was definitely not himself today."

Jackson on the defining moments of the six-game trip: "There were two things that happened. One was, obviously, Andrew (Bynum) going down and the immediate shock of one of our key players being on the floor and the subsequent review of almost a year ago. The other thing was the game after that, with Kobe coming out and having a 61-point game at New York. The big pick-me-up type of game kind of infused the energy with this club."

CLEVELAND -- The Lakers ended their six-game trip with a 6-0 record after defeating Cleveland, 101-91, and ending the Cavaliers' 23-game home-court winning streak today. Kobe Bryant came down with flu-like symptoms early this morning and was not himself. He had 19 points, hitting a back-breaking fadeaway over LeBron James in the fourth quarter.

Lamar Odom led the Lakers by scoring 28 points and grabbing 17 rebounds, both season highs. Odom had 17 points and 12 rebounds in the second half. The Lakers trailed, 61-51, at halftime, but limited the Cavaliers to 30 points on 28.2 percent shooting (11-for-39) in the second half. James scored 16 points on 5-for-20 shooting and added 12 assists.

CLEVELAND -- Lakers coach Phil Jackson couldn't resist taking a couple of swipes at the Boston Celtics during his pregame session today with reporters. The Lakers defeated the Celtics in overtime Thursday in Boston, but Jackson revisited the game in his own not-too-subtle way.

Asked about the difference between having Kobe Bryant guard Boston's Ray Allen and having him check Cleveland's LeBron James, Jackson said."Chasing Ray Allen off multiple picks, especially ones that move as often as Boston's do, it's just not feasible to wear him out and get run into by (Kendrick) Perkins and (Kevin) Garnett."

Jackson moved Bryant off Allen and onto point guard Rajon Rondo in the second half Thursday, switching Derek Fisher from Rondo to Allen.

Asked if he was aware that the NBA had fined Boston coach Doc Rivers $15,000 for barking at the referees after the game, Jackson said, "Is that all? It should have been more. That's Boston. That's always been Boston. It just goes along with the product."

Rivers and the Celtics believed Allen had been fouled by Fisher before tossing an airball at the final buzzer as the Lakers held on for a 110-109 victory.

I've had a few conversations with front office types around the league in the wake of the Lakers trade for Adam Morrison and Shannon Brown yesterday, and a couple reactions surprised me.

First off, the general thought was that Morrison might not be here very deep into next season unless he shows some tremendous upside. And even if he does, all the better, because his expiring contract would hold that much more value.

Also, Shannon Brown is no throw-in. One Western Conference executive said that he thought, right now, Brown was better than Morrison and would help the Lakers more.

``He's more athletic, he's quicker and he's a better defender,'' the executive said. ``I think Shannon Brown is going to help them more than Adam Morrison because he can guard faster players.''

CLEVELAND -- Here's the bulk of a question-and-answer session with Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak after the announcement of today's trade that sent Vladimir Radmanovic to Charlotte for Adam Morrison and Shannon Brown. Kupchak talked about the reasons why he made the deal, what it means for the Lakers' salary cap flexibility for next summer and the one after and how he might be done dealing well before the Feb. 19 deadline.

So much for ``forging ahead with what we've got,'' as Mitch Kupchak said in the aftermath of Andrew Bynum's injury this week.

The Lakers on Saturday, traded oft-maligned sharp-shooter Vladimir Radmanovic to the Charlotte Bobcats for former lottery pick Adam Morrison and guard Shannon Brown.

While it may at first seem like this deal is exchanging one space cadet for another, I actually think it's a great deal for the Lakers. Radmanovic has fallen out of the rotation and turned increasingly surly in the locker room. A few weeks ago, he was benched for over-sleeping and arriving in the last five minutes of a shoot-around. He also has had several uncomfortable conversations with coach Phil Jackson about his diminished role, and made no secret of his displeasure with his reduction in minutes.

But the most overriding positive to this deal is financial. The Lakers get out from under Radmanovic's burdensome contract, which was paying him approximately $13.4 million over the next two seasons.

Brown's deal expires after this season, and Morrison has just one more guaranteed year on his rookie contract after this season. The team can extend him a qualifying offer for the 2010-11 season, or it could let him leave as an unrestricted free agent if he hasn't figured out how to translate his game -- which made him a star at Gonzaga not so long ago --to the NBA by then.

Morrison is under contract for approximately $4.159 million this season and $5.257 million next season. His qualifying offer would be $6.897 in 2010-11. So if the Lakers don't extend a qualifying offer to Morrison two years from now, they'd have saved about $8 million over the next two seasons (Radmanovic's $6.883 million salary in 2010-11 and the $1.169 difference between Radmanovic's salary and Morrison's salary in 2009-10).

That's no small change for a team facing exorbitant luxury tax bills over the next few seasons with new multi-year deals due for Andrew Bynum and Kobe Bryant, plus potential long-term deals for Lamar Odom and Trevor Ariza.

BOSTON -- There were no wild celebrations after the Lakers defeated the Boston Celtics, 110-109 in overtime tonight. At least, none for public consumption anyway. The Lakers were as calm, cool and collected in their postgame locker room as they were in overtime against the team that denied them the NBA championship last June.

Kobe Bryant led the Lakers with 26 points on 10-for-29 shooting and added 10 rebounds and five assists. Pau Gasol had 24 points and 14 rebounds. Lamar Odom had 20 points and six rebounds. Odom's free throws with 16 seconds left in OT proved to be the winning points after Ray Allen's desperation heave fell short at the buzzer.

The Celtics wanted a hand-checking foul whistled against Derek Fisher, who pressured Allen, but none was called and the Lakers held on to win with a key defensive stop in the final three seconds of overtime.

Here's a sampling of the postgame comments ....

Lakers coach Phil Jackson: "Neither of our teams played up to the capabilities that we are able to play, but we outlasted them. That's about it.. ... It's nice to be able to have a game like this where they are on a winning streak and they are playing really well. The matchup created good PR for the league, and we had a great overtime game."

Kobe Bryant: "It was more of a statement game for ourselves, knowing that we didn't necessarily play well for three quarters and still managed to find a way to win this game."

Luke Walton: "We all remember what it felt like leaving here (after the Lakers' loss in the deciding Game 6 of the NBA Finals last June) and this win here doesn't make up for it at all, but it's still nice and it feels good to get that win."

Boston coach Doc Rivers: "I didn't think we played well at all for the most part, but we hung in there. And I was just proud of our guys because I didn't think we played well. I didn't think we executed well at all. And yet we still had chances. We still had leads."

Celtics guard Ray Allen: "I thought I was pushed. I almost twisted ... I think I did twist my ankle. I thought I was fouled. ... We had some calls that went our way, some calls didn't."

BOSTON -- So far, the big game has been a big clunker. Neither team has played as anticipated, but maybe expectations were a little too grand for an early February game. The Lakers led for most of the first half, but were outscored, 6-0 in the closing minutes of the half. Kobe Bryant led the Lakers with 13 points in the first half, and Pau Gasol had 11 points and seven rebounds. The Lakers shot 47.7 percent. Kevin Garnett led Boston with 10 points. The Celtics shot 43.5 percent, missing a slew of open shots.

BOSTON -- The eyes of the basketball world will be on the TD Banknorth Garden for tonight's rematch of the 2008 NBA Finals. The Lakers lost to the Boston Celtics in the deciding Game 6 of the Finals last June, a humiliating 39-point defeat that still angers and motivates the Lakers.

The Lakers won the first game of the season between the teams on Dec. 25 at Staples Center, but it's safe to say they won't be pleased until they have beaten the Celtics in Boston and then gone on to win the championship that eluded them last season. The Lakers will be without Andrew Bynum, who tore a ligament in his right knee last Saturday. Kevin Garnett of the Celtics has missed the last two games because of flu-like symptoms, but is expected to play tonight.

The Lakers have won four in a row; the Celtics have won 12 straight. Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol each have scored 30 or more points in consecutive games, with Bryant scoring a season-high 61 in Monday's victory over the New York Knicks.

BOSTON -- Greetings from the birthplace of the Revolution, home to the Freedom Trail, the Old North Church, Boston Common, the Big Dig, the B's, the C's and the Sox. It's the de facto capital of New England and one of the last places in the nation where a regional accent still survives. Boston reeks of history and tradition, and nowhere is that more evident than in the city's sports teams. The Sox's hold on the region cannot be overestimated. The Bruins, Celtics and Patriots fall in line behind the Sox, who play in a crumbling but beloved old ballpark called Fenway Park. The Bruins and Celtics are having superb seasons. The B's are seeking their first Stanley Cup since the 1970s and the C's are seeking their second consecutive NBA title. The TD Banknorth Garden has turned electric after years of shabby play by the B's and C's. It will be bonkers again tonight, when the Lakers make their first visit since the NBA Finals last June.

TORONTO -- Kobe Bryant scored 36 points and Pau Gasol had 31 points and a team-leading 15 rebounds to lead the Lakers to a 115-107 victory over the Toronto Raptors tonight at the Air Canada Centre.

One game after scoring a season-high 61 points in the Lakers' victory over the New York Knicks, the league's reigning MVP made 13 of 28 shots and 6 of 8 free throws and added nine rebounds and five assists in 38 minutes. Gasol made 12 of 17 shots and 7 of 8 free throws in his second straight 30-point game.

Joey Graham had a career-high 24 points to lead Toronto, and Jermaine O'Neal added 22 points and nine rebounds. Toronto was without Jose Calderon (hamstring) and Chris Bosh left the game in the fourth quarter with a sprained knee.

Next stop: Boston.

TORONTO -- One night after watching LeBron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers score 33 points against them, the Toronto Raptors get a look at Kobe Bryant and the Lakers tonight. Bryant is coming off a season-high 61 points in the Lakers' win Monday over the New York Knicks. Bryant set the franchise record of 81 points against the Raptors on Jan. 22, 2006, the second-highest scoring game in league history behind Wilt Chamberlain's 100-point game in March 1962. Bryant has averaged 28 points per game against Toronto during his career. The Lakers lead the all-time series, 20-5, and have a three-game winning streak against the Raptors. The Lakers have won the first three games on this six-game trip. They conclude the trip with games Thursday against Boston and Sunday against Cleveland.

TORONTO -- Couple of statistical notes on Kobe Bryant's 61-point outburst Monday against the New York Knicks, as unearthed by the Lakers' crack media relations staff.

First, Bryant's 20-for-20 shooting at the free throw line set a franchise record. Jerry West and Magic Johnson had shared the mark by going 18-for-18. West accomplished it twice. Dominique Wilkins holds the league record with a 23-for-23 effort in1992.

Second, Bryant broke a tie with Michael Jordan to move into sole possession of second place on the league's all-time list with five 60-point games in his career. The immortal Wilt Chamberlain holds the record with an astounding 32 games with 60 or more points.

Third, Bryant was named the Western Conference's player of the month for January after averaging 27.2 points, 7.1 assists and 5.9 rebounds in 16 games.

TORONTO -- Welcome to the Great White North. Toronto used to be known as Canada's second city because while it was a vibrant center of commerce and industry it was not nearly as large or sophisticated as Montreal. Those days are long past. Toronto is Canada's New York City: sprawling, bustling and still growing by leaps and bounds.

The Lakers' fourth stop on their six-city trip is home to basketball's Raptors, hockey's Maple Leafs, baseball's Blue Jays and the Argonauts of the Canadian Football League. Toronto also is home to the CN Tower, the tallest structure in North America. The Stanley Cup is housed in the Hockey Hall of Fame. Hockey is more than the national sport in Canada it is a national obsession. It unites the country like nothing else.

NEW YORK -- Kobe Bryant scored a Madison Square Garden-record 61 points in the Lakers' 126-117 victory over the New York Knicks tonight. He eclipsed Michael Jordan's opponent mark of 55 set in 1995 while with the Phil Jackson-coached Chicago Bulls.

He then topped the overall record of 60 set by Bernard King of the Knicks on Dec, 25, 1984 against New Jersey. Bryant made 19 of 31 shots and 20 of 20 free throws in 36 minutes. He passed Jordan's mark with three free throws after he was fouled while attempting a 3-pointer with 3:56 remaining in the game.

Many fans in the crowd chanted, "MVP, MVP," just as Lakers fans do while he shoots free throws at Staples Center. Bryant topped the 60-point mark for the fifth time in his career. His career high is 81 points, set a little more than three years ago against the Toronto Raptors.

Bryant departed the game to a standing ovation and saluted the fans' cheers with a series of waves, including one in the direction of filmmaker Spike Lee. Bryant revealed after the game that he and Lee would be screening a film together, and he didn't wish to have Lee talking smack during the showing.

NEW YORK -- Here are a few of Andrew Bynum's pregame comments before the Lakers' played the New York Knicks tonight at Madison Square Garden:

"The severity of the injury is different (than last season's injury). Last year's injury, I couldn't walk and I was basically laid up for 10 to 14 days before I could get up and start walking around. I've come to grips with it, but it's crazy. There are so many similarities. It was Jan. 13th last year and Jan. 31st this year. I had 27 points the night before and both times were against Memphis. ... Both times I got injured it was a freak accident."

Bynum clarified that he has a partial tear of his MCL. It's not a complete tear and surgery is not necessary.

NEW YORK -- Andrew Bynum's knee injury is a common one suffered by athletes in sports such as basketball and football. He tore the medial collateral ligament (MCL) in his right knee Saturday in Memphis. The MCL is one of four ligaments that wrap around the knee and are critical to its stability. A tear in any of the four can result in an extended layoff for an athlete.

However, a more common tear or sprain often occurs in the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). Surgery is frequently necessary to repair the damage to the ACL. Injuries to the other two ligaments are seen less frequently than the MCL and ACL, but are not unheard of in athletes.

The Lakers expect Bynum to be sidelined for roughly eight to 12 weeks. Surgery is not necessary, however. He was injured when Kobe Bryant crashed into his leg after missing a driving layup midway through the first quarter of Saturday's game.

Andrew Bynum will miss approximately 8-12 weeks after the results of an MRI on Andrew Bynum's his right knee showed a tear of the medial collateral ligament.

Bynum suffered the injury early in the first quarter of Saturday's victory over Memphis. The MRI was performed Sunday at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York and Bynum was examined this afternoon by Dr. David Altchek.

NEW YORK -- Andrew Bynum underwent an MRI exam here today, but the results weren't immediately known. Bynum's orthopedist, Dr. David Altchek, is expected to study the exam before he and the Lakers determine the severity of Bynum's right knee injury and offer a prognosis on his recovery. An announcement is expected Monday.

Bynum suffered a sprained right knee midway through the first quarter of the Lakers' victory Saturday over the Memphis Grizzlies. He had to be helped from the court, but he said after the game that he could put weight on his leg and walk without the aid of a crutch. Bynum's injury happened a little more than a year after he suffered a season-ending left kneecap injury. Altchek performed surgery last May.

In other news, Lakers coach Phil Jackson took the day off and neither Derek Fisher nor Pau Gasol practiced at a local sports club. Kobe Bryant also had the option of sitting out, but practiced anyway. Those three logged 30-plus minutes in Saturday's win over Memphis. The Lakers face the New York Knicks on Monday night.

NEW YORK -- Welcome, from the greatest city in the world, home to more people per square inch than any other city in the United States. There were eight million people in the taxi on the way to my hotel this afternoon. Believe it or not, there are quiet spots in New York City. Central Park is nice anytime of the year, but my personal favorite is Bryant Park, located just behind the New York Public Library and not far from Times Square. Best people watching spot when the weather is nice. Grand Central Station is my alternate favorite on a cold, rainy or snowy day. It's not cold, rainy or snowy today. Madison Square Garden is pretty darn quiet, too, as the Knicks stumble toward another mediocre season. Today is Super Bowl Sunday, which means it's possible to get a good table for dinner at any restaurant that doesn't have the game blaring from a dozen televisions. Anyway, the Lakers' six-game trip reaches its midpoint Monday.