March 2009 Archives

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Here are some of the best postgame comments.

Lakers coach Phil Jackson on losing to Charlotte, 94-83: "We didn't play the game with the kind of vim and vigor that we normally do. They made five turnovers to start the third quarter and we only had one basket out of those. I think we misunderstood how to play this team. The type of energy we had is very disappointing when you are trying to get something working out there."

Jackson on the Lakers' 39.2 percent shooting: "Kobe (Bryant) couldn't hit shots. Lamar (Odom) looked good on his shots (but) our bench didn't do so well, so maybe it was (tired) legs. I'm not willing to say that just yet."

Bryant on the state of the team after consecutive losses: "We need to get it together and get back on track. We aren't doing a very good job of sharing the ball. We need to build momentum heading into the playoffs. I don't think fatigue is the reason we've lost two in a row."

Charlotte guard Raymond Felton on guarding Bryant: "Me and Raja (Bell) just tried to stay up on him and stay physical with him and bother him. He still hit some shots, but every shot he took was a tough shot. He's going to hit shots. Kobe is a great player. He's a workaholic. I've got to give most of the credit to Raja. I did my part when I played him a few minutes, but I've got to give it all to Raja."

Charlotte forward Gerald Wallace on winning six of seven against the Lakers: "We match up really well with them. I think we force Kobe to take a lot of tough shots and get him out of what we wants to do offensively. At the same time, we're able to attack them and take advantage of their weaknesses on their defensive end."

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- The Lakers turned in another clunker, losing to the Charlotte Bobcats by 94-84 tonight. Now the best they can do on their seven-game trip is finish with a 5-2 record. They complete their longest trip of the season Wednesday at Milwaukee. Lakers coach Phil Jackson set a goal of coming home with 60 victories. Now the best they can do is return with 59. The Lakers (58-16) shot almost as poorly as in Sunday's loss to Atlanta. They shot 39.2 percent tonight and 35 percent Sunday. Kobe Bryant led the Lakers with 25 points. Lamar Odom had 20 points and nine rebounds. Pau Gasol had 16 points and 11 rebounds. Gerald Wallace led the Bobcats with 21 points. The Lakers averaged 108 points, but then scored 76 against Atlanta and 84 against Charlotte.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Lakers coach Phil Jackson, looking for an early spark, inserted Shannon Brown into the lineup ahead of Jordan Farmar late in the first quarter tonight. The Lakers started by shooting a meager 6-for-19. Matters improved slightly by the end of the half. Lamar Odom led the Lakers with 14 points and eight rebounds. Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol had eight apiece. Bryant made only 4 of 14. Gerald Wallace had 12 points and seven rebounds for the Bobcats. The Lakers shot 39.2 percent; the Bobcats shot 47.4.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Injured center Andrew Bynum's appearance Saturday at the Playboy Mansion was no big deal, according to Lakers coach Phil Jackson. The 7-foot Bynum was photographed with playmate Nicole Narain perched on his shoulders.

"I think there's a lot being made out of that that's unnecessary," Jackson said today before the Lakers played the Charlotte Bobcats. "This is a young guy. He's a 21-year-old guy. He's been out of basketball for six weeks. He's got to let out some energy and have some fun. I don't know if putting a girl on your shoulders is a good idea. The fact that people are beating him up over that, I think that is crazy. Andrew is doing fine. He's going to be fine."

Bynum has been sidelined since tearing a right knee ligament Jan. 31.

Jackson met with Michael Jordan for a while before the game. Jordan, now a Bobcats executive, and Jackson won six NBA titles together with the Chicago Bulls in the 1990s. They spoke about the Illinois state title won a few weeks ago by Jordan's son's team.

Seeing as how we're so close to playoff time, I thought I should pass on the big news of the day. Boston is going to ``shut down'' KG over the last two weeks of the season so he can rest his ailing knee. He might play in a couple of games, but it will be very limited.

I'm still not convinced the Cs are done, mostly because I think they can beat Orlando in a seven-game series and Cleveland will have to get by (my prediction) Charlotte in the first round and either Atlanta or Miami in the second, both of which could be lengthy series'.

But if Garnett is still this banged up, I don't see how Boston is the same team.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- The Lakers held a lengthy practice today. Actually, it was of fairly normal length if they had been at home in El Segundo. But things tend to move faster on the road. The Lakers tend to get it over with quickly when they are out of town. They had a video session for 90 minutes today and then practice for another 90 or so.

Kobe Bryant practiced with his teammates, but was still feeling crummy from an upset stomach that began to bother him before Sunday's game in Atlanta. He expects to play Tuesday against the Charlotte Bobcats. He told reporters to stay away because he didn't want them getting the same bug.

Adam Morrison offered a few tips to his new teammates about his old teammates. The Lakers acquired Morrison and Shannon Brown from the Bobcats for Vladimir Radmanovic on Feb. 7. Morrison and Brown have played limited minutes for the Lakers. Radmanovic has made one start in 23 games with Charlotte.

Charlotte leads the all-time series against the Lakers, 5-4. Why?

"When I was with the Bobcats, I always thought that we matched up well with them," Morrison said. "I think we were always a little more athletic. It was one of those deals where we were never a playoff team, so this was like our playoff game. Going to L.A. or them coming here, you knew there was going to be a big crowd. I think we just played up to it. This year, they're almost in the playoffs. They're one game out. They're a better team. They're playing well. They're not a bad team at all. Basically, (the Bobcats) just outplayed them most of the time."

As of this morning, the Bobcats (33-40) were in ninth place in the Eastern Conference standings, two games behind the eighth-place Chicago Bulls. The top eight teams make the playoffs.

ATLANTA -- The bottom line on the Lakers' 86-76 loss today to the Atlanta Hawks was that they didn't get the ball to Pau Gasol often enough. Gasol led the Lakers with 21 points and 11 rebounds. He made 7 of 10 shots, the only Lakers starter to shoot better than 50 percent. The Lakers shot a meager 35 percent as a team.

Gasol on the outcome: "It definitely wasn't a good game for us. As a team, we didn't play well. I don't know exactly why we were so out of whack and missing so much, but that was the way it turned out."

More from Gasol: "Our outside shots weren't going down, so we should have gone inside a little more. This is just one of those games when we didn't realize how to attack the Hawks. They really confused us (defensively)."

Coach Phil Jackson on Gasol and Kobe Bryant (17 points on 7-for-19 shooting): "Pau had a good game, but I think he may have been a little too unselfish at times. Kobe did some good things out there, but he did miss some shots."

Bryant on the Hawks: "(They) have played us well in this building (Philips Arena). Tonight was one of their better shooting nights against us. My hat is off to them for maintaining control of the game and withstanding our runs."

ATLANTA -- The Lakers and Hawks combined to shoot enough bricks to build a house in the first half. Lakers shot 33.3 percent (14-for-42) and the Hawks shot 38.3 percent (18-for-47). The Lakers trailed the Hawks by 38-27 with 3:42 left in the half, but roared back into the game with a 12-2 run in the final minutes before the break. Kobe Bryant, playing with a sprained right ankle and an upset stomach, electrified the crowd at the Philips Arena with a jump shot over Atlanta's Mario West, who had been hounding him all around the court. Bryant couldn't shake West, so he finally just jumped over him and shot.

ATLANTA -- Neither a sprained right ankle nor an upset stomach was expected to keep Kobe Bryant from playing today against the Atlanta Hawks. Bryant injured his ankle late in Friday's victory over the New Jersey Nets. He underwent treatment on his ankle Saturday, but fell ill this morning and was unable to attend a team meeting, according to Lakers coach Phil Jackson.

"As far as I know he is (playing), but I haven't talked to him," Jackson said this morning. "He wasn't at the team video brunch session. He wasn't feeling well. So I haven't talked to him. But our crack trainers have assured me he can play. I'm not going to speculate on what it was, but it could have been a reaction to whatever kind of medicine he was taking for the swelling and soreness."

ATLANTA -- Lakers coach Phil Jackson has been tough to pin down recently when it comes to coaching next season. He said in Chicago last week he would be back for 2009-10 and would not retire on top if the Lakers win the NBA championship. A title in June would be his league-record 10th, breaking a tie with the late Red Auerbach.

He was even more emphatic in Oklahoma City a few days later. "I'd like to quit at the end of this year," he said. "But you know I won't do it. This time of the season, when you're traveling, it's weary, you're like, 'Can I do this another year?' But by the end of July, I'll be ready to go back and coach basketball."

But he told a Southern California newspaper Friday he hasn't committed to coaching next season yet and would decide in the offseason. Jackson, 63, has had health concerns in recent years and that is always a concern. He did not attend the Lakers' first exhibition back in October because of swelling and pain in his lower legs. He has not missed a game since then, however.

Personally, I believe him when he says he won't decide until the summer. The season is a grind and it's difficult to maintain an objective view of things while in the midst of them. Winning the record-setting title that eluded him last June might play a role in his decision, too. So might Kobe Bryant's decision to stay or go. Bryant can opt out of his contract after the season ends. Health is no doubt the biggest issue, however.

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Kobe Bryant said he jammed his right ankle rather than rolling it after crashing into Devin Harris of the New Jersey Nets, spraining it late in the second quarter of the Lakers' victory tonight. He said his ankle "burned" after the game. He also vowed to play in Sunday's game against the Atlanta Hawks, the fifth stop on the Lakers' seven-game trip.

Bryant suffered a dislocated right pinkie when he jammed it on the body of former Nets guard Jason Kidd during the Lakers' victory last season over New Jersey at the Meadowlands. He was supposed to have surgery on it, but declined in order to participate in the Beijing Olympics. He put it off again in order to join the Lakers for the start of training camp.

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- The Lakers defeated the New Jersey Nets, 103-95, and clinched the best record in the Western Conference tonight at the Izod Center. Pau Gasol had a season-high 36 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists to lead the Lakers (58-14).

Derek Fisher had 18 points. Kobe Bryant had 14 points and nine assists, but suffered a sprained right ankle that forced him to the locker room inside the final minute of the first half. He returned to score 12 points in the third quarter. He also left the game with only a few seconds left in the game to begin treatment. Vince Carter led the Nets with 20 points.

"We're not going to pat ourselves on the back," Lamar Odom said after the Lakers won the West for the second straight season. "We're on a mission and that's to get back to the playoffs and do well in the playoffs and hopefully advance to the championship round."

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Kobe Bryant scored only two points on 1-for-7 shooting before suffering an as yet to be determined leg injury in the closing seconds of the first half tonight. He charged into the New Jersey Nets' Devin Harris and landed awkwardly. He was tended to by Lakers medical personnel during a 20-second timeout and then headed for the locker room with the Lakers ahead by two points with 52.2 seconds left in the half.

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Joe Crawford of the D-Fenders, the Lakers' developmental league team, signed today with the New York Knicks. Crawford was the Lakers' lone draft pick last June, but was waived after training camp. He averaged 20.8 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.7 assists in 43 games for the D-Fenders. Crawford, a guard from Kentucky, was expected to be in uniform for the Knicks' game tonight against the New Orleans Hornets at Madison Square Garden.

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. -- The Lakers ended a six-game losing streak here tonight with a resounding 92-77 victory over the injury-depleted Detroit Pistons. Kobe Bryant scored 30 points to lead the Lakers to their first win at the Palace of Auburn Hills since January 2002. He also had eight rebounds and seven assists. Derek Fisher added 15 points. Will Bynum led the Pistons with 25 points and 11 assists. Detroit played without injured standouts Allen Iverson (back), Rip Hamilton (groin) and Rasheed Wallace (calf).

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. -- The Lakers hammered the Detroit Pistons in the first quarter tonight, then the Pistons thumped the Lakers in the second. Detroit led by three points at halftime. The Pistons used a 17-0 run to start the second quarter to get back into it after the Lakers led by 25-12. It was the fewest points the Lakers had given up in a first quarter since they held the Portland Trail Blazers to 14 on opening night back on Oct. 28. The second unit got blanked to start the second quarter and the Pistons rallied swiftly.

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. -- Lakers coach Phil Jackson said today he's uncertain how he will use Andrew Bynum when the 7-foot center comes back from a torn right knee ligament. Jackson suggested that it might be best for Bynum and the Lakers if he filled a reserve role when he first rejoins the active roster. Jackson did not rule out using Bynum as a starter, however.

"We'll just have to see how he comes back, not when," Jackson said. "Does he come back in condition where he can play 25 to 30 minutes? Is he going to be a 'Starbury' (Stephon Marbury of the Boston Celtics) where he's playing 12 or 14 minutes a game, and then increase it that way? So, we'll see how he fits in. He's running on the court, and that's about it. He's doing some basketball skills. There's a considerable amount of time before he's even able to practice with us."

Sun Yue has suffered a sprained left ankle, the Lakers announced today. Sun was injured during a practice Monday with the D-Fenders, the Lakers' developmental league team. X-rays were negative and an MRI exam confirmed the sprain. He is expected to be sidelined for between three and six weeks. When he's fit to play, he'll rejoin the Lakers. Sun, a rookie guard from China, played six games for the D-Fenders and averaged 9.8 points, 3.7 assists and 3.3 rebounds. He also played in 10 games with the Lakers and scored six points in a total of 28 minutes.

OKLAHOMA CITY -- After the Lakers silenced the Oklahoma City Thunder tonight, center Pau Gasol displayed a nasty cut on his nose. He was whacked in the face while driving to the basket midway through the second quarter and let the referees know they missed the call. In fact, referee Mark Wunderlich admitted he didn't see it.

That was about the only thing that went wrong for the Lakers, who led by 17 points after the first quarter and 24 by halftime.

Said Gasol: "We should try to do that more often, absolutely. It's something that shows character and consistency, and we haven't been able to do that as often as we should. Hopefully, when we get big leads, on the road especially, we should take care of the game and continue to execute and focus on what we do well on every possession."

Kobe Bryant on trying to catch the Cleveland Cavaliers for the top record in the NBA: "It's all about how well we play. We don't care about that (finishing ahead of Cleveland). We want the best record just to have it, just because of the challenge of it, just to say we did it. Outside of that, it's just about getting better."

Coach Phil Jackson on resting his starters in the fourth quarter: "That's OK. We can't complain about that. I think we played all right in first quarter. After that we just kind of toyed with the (Thunder). I didn't like that so much. We never really got back that rhythm we started the game with."

OKLAHOMA CITY -- The Lakers routed the Oklahoma City Thunder, 107-89, tonight at the Ford Center. Kobe Bryant scored 19 points, Lamar Odom had 18 and Josh Powell added 14 in a reserve role. Pau Gasol narrowly missed a triple-double, with 14 points, 14 rebounds and seven assists. Kevin Durant led the Thunder with 24 points. Russell Westbrook, a former UCLA standout, had 10 points and six assists.

OKLAHOMA CITY -- The Lakers did as they pleased en route to a 24-point lead in the first half of their second game on their seven-game trip. Their 57.1 percent shooting in the first half hinted at their dominance. So did a 24-17 rebounding advantage. They outscored the Thunder, 37-20, in the first quarter and were never challenged. Kobe Bryant and Lamar Odom led the Lakers with 13 points in the first half. Jeff Green had 12 points for the Thunder.

OKLAHOMA CITY -- Here are a few additional comments from Jordan Farmar that got left out of today's story on him, his role and his progress as the second unit's point guard. You can find the story on the Website. Or in print.

Question: Are you back to 100 percent (after having left knee surgery Dec. 24)?
Farmar: "Physically? Yeah, I think so. I felt 100 percent when I first came back. There's a difference between being 100 percent and actually playing. We don't actually practice that much, so you don't really get a chance to play."

Question: Were the expectations of the Bench Mob too high early in the season?
Farmar: "Our team was a little different at the start of the year. Vlade (Radmanovic) was starting, so both Luke (Walton) and Trevor (Ariza) were on the bench. Our bench was different. Putting Luke and Trevor back on the bench makes things different. We have two guys (Shannon Brown and Adam Morrison) who aren't playing. We've been in our offense at a championship caliber for a year. Those guys could play, but we don't get a chance to practice.

"The dynamic has changed. People want results, results, results, but there are reasons for it (a drop off in the level of play). It's a continuous work in progress, ever changing. It's not like we come in and say, 'OK, we're going to run a bunch of plays for Sasha (Vujacic) or a bunch of plays for Luke.' We come in and play and however it works out, it works out. There are other teams that run a lot of screen-and-roll. You have a guy like J.R. Smith (of the Denver Nuggets) who comes in and scores. Or like (San Antonio's Manu) Ginobili. You can say, 'Oh, they kicked our butts.' So the roles are just completely different.

"Looking at the big picture, it's a lot bigger (than individual performances). What have we lost, 14 games all year? We're still playing great basketball. It's just a matter of balancing and trying to find out what's going to continue to work."

Question: Is it difficult to balance aggressive play with the triangle offense?
Farmar: "I think that has a lot to do with it. Our system doesn't allow me to play aggressively the way I know how to play, coming out on screen-and-rolls and making decisions and making reads. So playing aggressive will be hard for me to do. Fish (Derek Fisher) will come out and play 35 minutes and he gets only two or three shots some games. That's just how it works out in the system."

CHICAGO -- Slow news day. Optional practice for the Lakers. Watched lots of college basketball. Made a list of the best and worst arenas in the NBA. Various factors went into the judging, including atmosphere and overall impressions of the arenas. Don't know enough about ticket or beer prices around the league, so that's not factored. Neither is parking, but access to public transportation is weighed. Downtown locations preferred.

UPDATED: In response to anonymous' complaint that this isn't a list of the best and worst, it's just about the fans. Guess you failed reading comprehension in school. Doesn't it say in the paragraph above that "Various factors went into the judging, including atmosphere and overall impressions of the arenas." Atmosphere equals fans. Right? Right? Right? C'mon people.We need more and better response to this blog. I'm doing my part. You people need to step it up. Thank you. Rant over.

The top 5
1. Conseco Fieldhouse (Indiana) ... Made to look and field like a high school or college gym from the 1950s. The first and only retro arena. Too bad the team isn't better.
2. EnergySolutions Arena (Utah) ... Bad name, great fans. Steep pitch in the lower bowl of the arena makes it feel like the fans are sitting right on top of the court. Noisy and hot.
3. Madison Square Garden (New York) ... The oldest arena in the league. Best and most appreciative fans in the league. Right in the heart of the city, which helps.
4. Arco Arena (Sacramento) ... It's small and loud and the fans are obnoxious. What's not to like? OK, so it's outdated and ownership desperately wants a new building.
5. US Airways Center (Phoenix) ... Fans are right on top of the action. The building is right in the heart of downtown, with restaurants and bars within walking distance.

The bottom 5
1. Izod Center (New Jersey) ... When the Nets move to Brooklyn, maybe then there will be a sense of place that's lacking in the swamps west of New York. Until then ... Boo.
2. Amway Arena (Orlando) ... This must have been some kind of place before they invented electricity. No charm. Just loud. No surprise, the Magic want a new arena.
3. Target Center (Minnesota) ... It's not all that old, but it looks like it's about to tumble to the ground when you walk inside. Great location fails to make up for lack of atmosphere.
4. AT&T Center (San Antonio) ... Great, great fans in San Antonio. They deserved better than this dark and uninviting barn located on the edge of nowhere.
5. New Orleans Arena (New Orleans) ... Fans have turned out in droves since the Hornets returned after Hurricane Katrina. They deserve more in their arena, however.

The OK 5
1. TD Banknorth Arena (Boston) ... Used to hate it, but great fans make up for a fairly ho-hum design. Blandest exterior of any building in the league. Too bad.
2. Toyota Center (Houston) ... Fans in one section behind the basket stand for most of the game, chanting and cheering. Sounds more like Euro soccer than the NBA.
3. Rose Garden (Portland) ... Big arena, but the fans manage to make it come alive when the Trail Blazers are playing well. And they're playing very well right now.
4. FedEx Forum (Memphis) ... Just like the look of the place. Beats the heck of the Pyramid, the Grizz's old home. Best place to watch bad basketball.
5. Time Warner Cable Arena (Charlotte) ... Another hideous sponsorship title. Good barn, though. Good sight lines. Noisy. Beats the old place the Hornets used to call home.

The next 5
1. United Center (Chicago) ... Seats like a million people, and feels like a hangar.
2. Verizon Center (Washington) ... Right downtown. Easy access to the Metro.
3. American Airlines Arena (Miami) ... Cool location right on the waterfront.
4. Oracle Arena (Oakland) ... Warriors fans keep turning out to see bad teams.
5. Pepsi Center (Denver) ... Gotta love all the Lakers haters in Colorado.

The rest
1. Staples Center (Lakers and Clippers) ... Too big and uninviting, but it's home.
2. American Airlines Center (Dallas) ... Really looks like an airplane hangar.
3. Air Canada Centre (Toronto) ... Good for hockey, but only so-so for hoops.
4. Quicken Loans Arena (Cleveland) ... Will it still hop if LeBron bounces in 2010?
5. Philips Arena (Atlanta) ... Suites are all on one side of the building. Very odd.
6. Ford Center (Oklahoma City) ... Good crowd, but a fairly routine building.
7. The Palace (Detroit) ... Great crowd, but fairly ordinary design. Huge lower bowl.
8. Wachovia Center (Philadelphia) ... Too big. Too quiet. Just a hockey arena, really.
9. Bradley Center (Milwaukee) ... Yawn.

CHICAGO -- The Lakers rallied to defeat the Chicago Bulls tonight at the United Center because their backups ignited a withering 28-5 run to start the fourth quarter. The Bench Mob has had its share of struggles recently, but came through when called upon and propelled the Lakers to a 117-109 victory to start their seven-game trip.

Kobe Bryant scored 28 points and Pau Gasol added 23 points and a team-leading 10 rebounds, but they were on the bench when backups Jordan Farmar, Luke Walton, Sasha Vujacic and Josh Powell joined with starter Lamar Odom to seize control.

Farmar scored eight of his 13 points in the fourth quarter. Walton scored all five of his points in the final period as did Vujacic. Powell had both of his two in the fourth and Odom had three of his 13 in the final quarter.

"They got some turnovers," Lakers coach Phil Jackson said. "When you do that, you can get some run-outs and make things happen. Just little things like getting loose balls, getting down the floor. They helped each other out, guys played together. We got Sasha some shots and Jordan was very effective out there. It was good to see that tonight. The confidence is very important. They recognize they have to help each other out, that's the first thing. The second thing is that they have to stay aggressive."

CHICAGO -- Well, one team seemed excited to be playing tonight. It wasn't the Lakers, however. The Chicago Bulls ran circles around the heavy-legged Lakers en route to a double-digit lead by the end of the first quarter. The Lakers' deficit grew to as many as 16 points in the second quarter. Chicago shot 59.1 percent in the first half; the Lakers shot 45.5 percent. John Salmons led the Bulls with 18 points. Kobe Bryant had 13 for the Lakers.

CHICAGO -- Lakers coach Phil Jackson is set to coach his 725th game with the team tonight, tying him with John Kundla for the second-most games in franchise history. Pat Riley holds the Lakers' record with 727 games coached. Jackson will match Riley's total when the Lakers play the Detroit Pistons on Thursday and pass him in Friday's game against the New Jersey Nets.

Charles Barkley believes the Lakers are a better team with 7-foot center Andrew Bynum than without him (surprise!). He and fellow former NBA standout Chris Webber talked about the Lakers' postseason fortunes during halftime of TNT's telecast of the Lakers' victory Thursday night over the Golden State Warriors at Staples Center.

Said Barkley: "I don't think the Lakers can win the championship without Andrew Bynum. You know what killer instinct really is? It's just defense. And realistically, if you look at (the Lakers), Kobe Bryant is a defender, but there's no one else on that team that you say, 'He's a defender.' The game always comes down to defense. They've got to be concerned. They are one of the elite teams in the NBA, but can they beat the Spurs, Utah, Celtics, Cleveland and Orlando? It's not going to be that easy."

Said Webber: "We interviewed Kobe (Bryant) earlier this year and ... he said the reason why (the Lakers) lost (in the Finals) last year is because they weren't tough. Just because you have a great team and you can win those (regular season) games, it is a totally different season when the playoffs come. ... When you're not respected by other NBA teams or when other people see that chink in your armor, they are gong to go after that. If they don't have Bynum, then they don't have shot blocking inside, they don't have toughness in their presence and other teams could exploit that."

Apparently Sun Yue playing more of a small forward role with the D-Fenders, rather than point guard. That's not to say he's changing positions. Just that he's playing small forward for the D-Fenders. The idea is for him to learn the offense from a different position and keep him on the court as much as possible.

His shooting has been off, and his conditioning isn't top notch, because it's been hard to get enough practice time in recent months with so many road games. Nevertheless, I'm told he's impressed his teammates and coaches in his D-League stint.

The Lakers defeated the Golden State Warriors, 114-106, tonight at Staples Center. They squandered almost all of an 18-point lead in the third quarter, then watched as the Warriors crept to within 105-102 in the final minutes before holding on to win.

Coach Phil Jackson was happy for the victory, which kept the Lakers (54-14) within one game of the league-leading Cleveland Cavaliers (55-13). He wasn't overly enthusiastic about their play one game after they blew a 14-point lead and lost to Philadelphia and two games after they coughed up a 15-point lead before scrambling back to defeat Dallas.

"Well, turnovers were awful tonight, right off the bat," Jackson said. "Direct line penetration was not very good. I thought we did some inconsistent things against their personnel. There's three or four things right off the bat that I can name that we did not improve tonight. Significantly, I thought there was some better recognition in transition defense. And even though they got some breaks early, we still had better recognition as to getting back and shutting the ball down."

Breaking it down further, the Lakers had 22 turnovers, which Golden State turned into 23 points. The undersized Warriors had 46 points in the paint. they also had 14 fastbreak points.

On the plus side, the Bench Mob rebounded from a pair of lackluster games. Sasha Vujacic led the second unit with 12 points on 4-for-4 shooting. Luke Walton had nine points, Josh Powell had seven and Jordan Farmar had four. Shannon Brown and DJ Mbenga also played, but they did not score.

The Lakers had their hands full with the Golden State Warriors tonight, leading by only one point at halftime. The Lakers played in fits and starts and the Warriors played with a sense of urgency common to teams hoping to make their season by knocking off the high and mighty. Pau Gasol had another fine first half, leading the Lakers with 13 points on 5-for-9 shooting. Kobe Bryant, fresh off jury duty in Orange County, had nine points. Kelenna Azubuike led Golden State with 15 points on 5-for-8 shooting.

Lakers coach Phil Jackson said tonight it could be another month before injured center Andrew Bynum can play in a game. Bynum has been out since suffering a torn medial collateral ligament in his right knee Jan. 31. He was expected to be out for up to 12 weeks.

"I'm not a trainer and I'm certainly not a physical therapist on top of it, but he's still a month away from being a player," Jackson said before the Lakers played host to the Golden State Warriors. "Best-case scenario is that he plays the first week of April. On the pace he's been going, it's really hard to see him doing that in two weeks."

Bynum expects to perform a variety of basketball-related drills Friday.

Sun Yue, a rookie guard from China, was re-assigned today to the D-Fenders, the Lakers' developmental league team. Sun played four games earlier this month with the D-League team and averaged 10.3 points, 3.5 rebounds and 3.5 assists in 36 minutes. He has played only 10 games with the Lakers, scoring only six points in a total of 28 minutes.

UPDATE: Sun scored four points on 1-for-6 shooting in the D-Fenders' 103-91 victory over the Iowa Energy. He also had five assists, two rebounds and two blocks in almost 23 minutes.

Lakers center Andrew Bynum said today during a radio interview that he planned to begin basketball-related activities Friday. The 7-foot Bynum has been sidelinded by a torn medial collateral ligament in his right knee since Jan. 31.

"I'm going to increase my lateral movement come Friday and I'm going to try to get back on the court and do a little bit of drills on Friday as well," Bynum said during an interview with John Ireland and Steve Mason of KSPN (710 AM).

In addition, Bynum said his participation in a full practice with his teammates is still a few weeks away, and he remains hopeful of playing in an undetermined number of regular-season games next month. The Lakers end their regular season April 14.

"As far as when I'm coming back, it'll be as soon as I'm ready, man," Bynum said. "It will definitely be some time in the middle of April."

Trevor Ariza said today that he would guarantee that he would not make the same mistake he made Tuesday night in not fouling Andre Iguodala of the Philadelphia 76ers when the Lakers had a foul to give in the closing seconds. Iguodala's 3-pointer at the buzzer made the Lakers losers.

Ariza also said he would guarantee that the Lakers would not cough up a third consecutive double-digit lead when they face the Golden State Warriors on Thursday night. The blew leads of 15 points in a victory Sunday over the Dallas Mavericks and 14 points in Tuesday's loss to the 76ers.

Asked if the Lakers' lack a killer instinct, Ariza merely laughed. "Nah, I don't think that's what it is," he said. "I just think we kind of relax when we shouldn't. We take things for granted a little bit, but I guarantee you that (squandering a big lead) won't happen again."

Trevor Ariza said after the game that he expected Andre Iguodala to drive to the basket on the final play, not pull up for a 3-pointer.

``I didn't expect it,'' Ariza said. ``I thought he was going to try to go to the rim. I could have fouled him on the way up, but I didn't expect him to pull up. He hit a tough shot. He's a good player and that's what good player do, they hit tough shots.''

Lakers coach Phil Jackson seemed nonplussed that Ariza didn't foul before Iguodala got the shot up. So did center Pau Gasol.

``We shouldn't have gotten to that point anyways,'' Gasol said. ``That's the learning part of it, and also hopefully the fact that when there's six seconds left and we have a foul to give, we can't take that kind of a chance and let that guy take a three and win the game. At least put him on the line and make him earn it.''

Kobe Bryant said he was OK with Ariza's defense on the play.

``In hindsight we should have taken the foul,'' Bryant said. ``Trevor play him and played him well. He was 0 for 6 on threes but he made the big one at the end....

``Trevor contested it, hats off to him. He's an extremely talented player and I obviously think the world of him. We spent a great deal of time talking in the summer and I was happy with the way he played.''

Blech. That's kinda how it felt inside the locker room after the Lakers strange loss to the Sixers on Tuesday night.

Lamar Odom kind of summed things up.

``Next,'' he said, when a reporter asked about the team's mood after the sour loss. ``Next practice, next game. It's just a game that we have to put behind us as soon as possible.''

We expected Kobe Bryant to be irritable and upset after the loss, but seemed to be in a similar mood as Odom.

``Do I look concerned?'' he said, shrugging his shoulders. ``No, I'm not concerned. It's just a good lesson for us. It's a lesson learned and thats the key. Sure you want to win all these games, but you also want to learn from them so when you get in the post season it doesn't happen again.''

Pau Gasol seemed a bit more openly disappointed, saying that ``we just weren't controlling out there'' but noting that ``I'm pretty sure we're on the same page. Now we just need to take care of what we need to take care of and play our basketball.''

Pau Gasol had an x-ray on his right pinkie after the game, but it was negative. His pinkie got whacked early in Tuesday's loss to Philadelphia, but apparently didn't hurt his shooting stroke much as he went 9-for-12 from the floor.

Gasol is now 21 for 25 from the field in his last two games.

Wow, didn't see that coming. It was looking like just another ho-hum uninspired win over a mediocre team. Kobe Bryant hit a 18-foot jumper with about six seconds remaining that looked like it would be the game-winner, 93-91, but Andre Iguodala came out of the time out and buried a 3-pointer at the buzzer in front of the outstretched arms of Trevor Ariza to give Philly the stunning win.

"Kobe Doin' Work," the Spike Lee documentary that was filmed during the Lakers-Spurs Western Conference Finals last year, will debut at The Tribeca Film Festival in New York on April 25. The festival runs April 22-May 3 in lower Manhattan. ESPN will then air it on Saturday, May 16 at 4:30 p.m.

On Tuesday, Bran played in his 933rd career game, passing Jerry West for second most in franchise history. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (1,093) holds the record.

Lakers coach Phil Jackson had this to say tonight about the MVP race, which most handicappers believe comes down to a contest between Kobe Bryant of the Lakers, LeBron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers and Dwyane Wade of the Miami Heat:

"Single-handedly Wade has helped his team out. You know Cleveland puts the ball in the hands of James umpteen times a game. All the way down the stretch, he creates shots for other people or for himself. His defense has improved in a manner that's extremely impressive and Kobe is Kobe. He's the reigning MVP guy. So, it's a hard choice. I'm glad I don't have to make it."

Reporters, rather than coaches, vote on the MVP award in the last week of the regular season.

Kobe Bryant played in his 933rd game with the Lakers tonight, passing Jerry West for the second-most games played in franchise history. West played 932 games and still ranks as the club's leading scorer with 25,192 points. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar still leads with 1,093 games played and is second in scoring with 24,176 points. Bryant is third with 23,479 points.

Following the lead of several other professional teams, the Lakers announced today that they will not raise the price of tickets for next season. "With the current state of the economy, we feel that increasing ticket prices would add to the financial burden that most families and individuals are suffering at this time," said Jeanie Buss, the Lakers' executive vice president of business operations and daughter of team owner Jerry Buss.

"We are determined not only to continue fielding a team that enjoys a high level of success, but also to keeping our games affordable for our loyal fans, who are the heart and soul of the team," she continued in a statement released by the team. "Although we are freezing prices for the upcoming season, rest assured that we will continue to do whatever is necessary to bring another NBA championship back to Los Angeles."

Prices will remain frozen at $90, $115, $155, $220 and $260 for seats in the lower bowl of Staples Center and $10, $35 and $45 for seats in the upper deck.

The Lakers recalled guard Sun Yue from the D-Fenders, their developmental league team. Sun, a 6-foot-9 rookie from China, played in four games for the D-Fenders and averaged 10.3 points, 3.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 2.25 blocks in 36 minutes. The Lakers sent him to the D-Fenders on March 6. They brought him back today. He's unlikely to play much, however. He has appeared in only 10 games with the Lakers this season, scoring six points in a total of 28 minutes.

Andrew Bynum said today that he hopes to be back on the practice court in another week or two. If that goes well, he plans to rejoin the Lakers' active roster after a week of workouts with his teammates. And that means the 7-foot center would have a chance to play in a handful of games before the playoffs start next month. The Lakers' final regular-season game is April 14. Bynum has been sidelined by a torn right knee ligament since Jan. 31.

The Lakers squandered a 15-point lead, but rallied from six points down to defeat the Dallas Mavericks by a modest 107-100 today at Staples Center. The Lakers swept the three-game series with the Mavericks, showing they are clearly the superior team. They also showed they are capable of falling asleep and making things interesting. Kobe Bryant led the Lakers with 28 points, Trevor Ariza had a career-best 26 and Pau Gasol had 25. Jason Terry sparked the Mavericks' rally and led them with 29 points in a reserve role. If the playoffs began today, the first-place Lakers would play the eighth-place Mavericks.

Pau Gasol scored 20 points on 10-for-10 shooting in the first half, showing exactly why the Lakers would welcome a first-round playoff series against the Dallas Mavericks next month. The Mavericks have no one capable of stopping the 7-foot Gasol. Dirk Nowitzki couldn't get it done in the first half. Neither could Eric Dampier. In fact, the Mavericks don't have anyone who can guard anyone. At least, that's the way it appeared in the first half. Trevor Ariza added 15 points and Kobe Bryant had 11 for the Lakers. Bryant didn't score his first points until hitting a jump shot that gave the Lakers a 45-39 lead with 7:19 left in the half.

First, the Dallas Mavericks, who visit Staples Center on Sunday afternoon, are locked in a seven-team battle to decide the second through eighth spots in the Western Conference playoff race. The Mavericks (40-26) were eighth, but only four games behind the second-place San Antonio Spurs, as of this morning. The Mavericks are coming off a loss Friday against the Golden State Warriors.

Second, Dirk Nowitzki is having another superb season as is Jason Terry. Nowitzki leads the Mavericks in scoring, averaging 25.6 points, and is the league's fifth-highest scorer. Terry is averaging 19.9 points. However, as Lakers coach Phil Jackson pointed out today after practice, Jason Kidd "is the general." Kidd positions everyone just so. He is averaging 8.4 assists.

Third, Dallas owner Mark Cuban questioned the Mavericks' effort after a March 2 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder and threatened to make changes if matters didn't improve. Cuban isn't alone in being upset about the Mavericks' play this season.

"It's been a frustrating year, not only for him as an owner to watch, but as players," Dirk Nowitzki said. "We don't want to have the ups and downs all the time. We don't want to play well one night and not play well the next. As a player who is used to winning with this organization, it hasn't been an outstanding, fun year. But you've got to make the best out of it."

SAN ANTONIO -- It sort of crept up on everybody in purple and gold, but the Lakers clinched the Pacific Division title and a Western Conference playoff berth with their 102-95 victory tonight over the San Antonio Spurs. It's their second straight division championship and 20th in 39 years.

Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol scored 23 points apiece to lead the Lakers (52-13).

"This is the first step and from here on out we need to keep building the momentum needed to be ready for the playoffs," Lamar Odom said after returning from a one-game suspension to score 12 points and grab 10 rebounds.

Of his own play after sitting out of the Lakers' victory Wednesday over the Houston Rockets, Odom said, "I feel like I can play a lot better. I think I was forcing my shots tonight."

Next: a day off Friday, followed by a practice Saturday and a game Sunday afternoon against the Dallas Mavericks at Staples Center. Expect light posting Friday, what with no practice and a long day of travel.

SAN ANTONIO -- The Lakers came to play, shooting 64 percent while rocketing to an 18-point lead by the end of the first quarter. The Spurs regrouped to cut it to eight in the second quarter, but the Lakers raced away again just before halftime. The Lakers were so good that San Antonio Gregg Popovich was moved to play Drew Gooden for the first time since he signed with the Spurs on March 5. Popovich said before the game that he wasn't sure he would play Gooden. Kobe Bryant led the Lakers with 14 points and Pau Gasol had 12. Michel Finley led the sputtering Spurs with 17 points in the first half.

SAN ANTONIO -- Andrew Bynum took another step toward his return to the Lakers' active roster when he began running on a treadmill earlier this week. He had has no setbacks so far, according to an email team spokesman John Black sent to beat reporters today. Bynum's first session on the treadmill was Tuesday.

Bynum suffered a torn medial collateral ligament in his right knee during a Jan. 31 game against the Memphis Grizzlies. He was originally expected to be sidelined for between eight and 12 weeks.

Lakers coach Phil Jackson made it clear Monday that he did not wish to give updates about Bynum, a 7-foot center who suffered a season-ending left kneecap injury on Jan. 13, 2008. Jackson said he would not talk about Bynum until next month.

HOUSTON -- My colleague, Ramona Shelburne, sent me a text near the end of tonight's game, wondering what Kobe Bryant and Houston's Ron Artest were saying to each other. Clearly, they were jawing back and forth. They also were shoving, which earned them matching technical fouls with a little less than 7 minutes left in the game.

I wasn't close enough to hear what was said, but my answer to Ramona was this:

Artest: "Eff you."

Kobe: "No, eff you."

Artest: "No, no, eff you."

Kobe: "No, no, no, eff you."

Bryant would later say only that their conversation was "edgy." I ran my guess of their conversation by Derek Fisher and he laughed and said, "Yeah, something like that."

HOUSTON -- So, it turns out that Lakers coach Phil Jackson was not alone in thinking the team might benefit if Luke Walton rejoined the second unit in the wake of Lamar Odom's one-game suspension. Walton went to Jackson on Tuesday and suggested moving to a reserve role for tonight's game against the Houston Rockets.

His rationale: the backups, better known as the Bench Mob, had been stagnant offensively lately and with Walton joining them, they would have one more playmaker on the court. Jackson agreed, starting Trevor Ariza in place of Walton at small forward.

Ariza and Walton each scored eight points in the Lakers' 102-96 victory tonight over the Rockets at the Toyota Center. Ariza also had six rebounds and three assists in a little less than 30 minutes and Walton had five rebounds and two assists in a little more than 23 minutes.

Odom is eligible to return to the starting lineup for Thursday's game against the San Antonio Spurs, and Powell is expected to return to the bench. Ariza probably will start again and Walton will join Powell in the second unit.

HOUSTON -- Josh Powell started in place of Lamar Odom, who served his one-game suspension tonight for leaving the bench area to join in Monday's scuffle with the Portland Trail Blazers. The surprise was that Trevor Ariza replaced Luke Walton for the Lakers' game against the Houston Rockets. The Lakers started out fine, but watched the Rockets take the lead with a 15-2 run over the middle of the second quarter. Pau Gasol led the Lakers with 10 points. Ariza, Powell, Kobe Bryant and Derek Fisher had six apiece. Yao Ming led the Rockets with 12 points, and Luis Scola added 10.

HOUSTON -- Lamar Odom made good point Monday about the Lakers' need to take the Portland Trail Blazers a bit more seriously when they meet again April 10. Said Odom: "It's a good team and we have to approach them like that. Obviously, we haven't. They haven't been close games (the Lakers have lost seven in a row in Portland). We have to respect our opponent and play them like they're Boston or Cleveland. They play us like we're a tough team, or one of the best teams in the league. So why not play against every other team like that? It would be smart for us to do."

HOUSTON -- As expected, Lamar Odom drew a one-game suspension without pay for leaving the bench area during an altercation between the Lakers and the Portland Trail Blazers on Monday night. Odom will sit out Wednesday's game against the Houston Rockets and then return to play with his teammates Thursday in San Antonio.

Odom was on the bench when teammate Trevor Ariza was charged with a flagrant foul against Portland's Rudy Fernandez. Odom left his seat and took several steps toward the ensuing fracas that broke out. He attempted to play the role of peacemaker before assistant coach Kurt Rambis pushed him back toward the bench. Under league rules, players cannot leave the bench area to join an altercation under any circumstances.

Ariza was ejected from Monday's game, but escaped further punishment by the league.

HOUSTON -- Trevor Ariza won't be suspended for his flagrant foul Monday night that sent Portland's Rudy Fernandez to the hospital. The NBA is still looking at the scuffle that broke out after Fernandez hit the deck. Fernandez was expected to be released from the hospital this afternoon, according to a blog post on the Oregonian newspaper's Web site. Fernandez suffered a bruised chest and a rip hip pointer from his fall. He is doubtful to play in Wednesday's game against the Dallas Mavericks, however.

PORTLAND, Ore. -- Here's some of the best postgame comments after the Lakers' 111-94 loss tonight to the Portland Trail Blazers, their seventh consecutive defeat at the Rose Garden:

Trevor Ariza on his flagrant-2 foul that knocked Portland's Rudy Fernandez to the floor and sent him to the hospital with a soft tissue injury to his chest: "I was trying to go for the ball, trying to make a play on the ball. Unfortunately somebody got hurt."

Ariza on the Trail Blazers' reaction to his foul and the scuffle that followed: "That's one of their teammates. If it were one of my teammates, I'd probably do the same thing. I know there are no hard feelings. they were just protecting a teammate."

Lamar Odom on whether he left the bench area to act as peacemaker: "I stayed on the bench. I stood up, but I stood right there. I didn't go nowhere."

Phil Jackson on Ariza's foul and the ensuing altercation: "That was something that was unfortunate. ... Trevor went for the ball. He went for the ball (but) that's obviously going to be called a flagrant foul. But he went for the ball."

PORTLAND, Ore. -- Rudy Fernandez was taken from the court on a stretcher after falling heavily to the floor after Trevor Ariza fouled him on a layup try in the closing seconds of the third quarter. Ariza drew a flagrant-2 foul and was ejected.

It remains to be seen whether Ariza will be suspended. It's also possible Lamar Odom could be suspended for leaving the bench area after Portland's Brandon Roy and LaMarcus Aldridge confronted Ariza along the baseline near the Lakers' bench.

Odom appeared to be playing the role of peace-maker, but NBA punishment czar Stu Jackson won't care why Odom moved into the fray. Jackson will only care that Odom left the bench. No punches were thrown. Aldridge also could be suspended for escalating matters with a push to Ariza, which prompted the scrum in front of the Lakers' bench.

UPDATE: Fernandez was taken to a local hospital, where X-rays and a CT scan were negative. He has a soft tissue injury to his upper right chest inside area, according to a Trail Blazers spokeswoman. He will be kept overnight in the hospital for observations.

PORTLAND, Ore. -- Let's, see, the Lakers return to the Rose Garden on April 10. Maybe they can break their four-year losing streak then. Because they sure aren't breaking much of anything tonight against the Portland Trail Blazers. The Lakers can't shoot, can't defend and can't rebound. Otherwise, they look great. The Lakers set a season low with 38 points in the first half, breaking the 40 they scored in a loss to the Denver Nuggets on Feb. 27. They shot 38.5 percent compared to 58.5 percent for the Trail Blazers. Travis Outlaw scored 17 points in a reserve role, outscoring the Lakers' bench by 10 points.

PORTLAND, Ore. -- Here are three things to watch as the Lakers begin their final regular-season push with a game tonight against the Portland Trail Blazers. With 20 games remaining, these are three themes that bear monitoring:

First, shooting for the league's best overall record and securing home-court advantage throughout the playoffs. The Lakers went into tonight's game atop the overall standings with a 50-12 mark, ahead of Cleveland (49-13), Boston (49-15) and Orlando (46-16).

Second, strong and consistent play from the backups. The Bench Mob won't be asked to carry the Lakers down the stretch. They will be asked to play a steadier overall game, however. They have been up and down and all around at times this season.

Third, defense and rebounding. Lakers coach Phil Jackson called these two items key to the team's success. We'll add another: free throws. The Lakers went into tonight's game shooting 77 percent, which is a high number. If they can kick it up a point or two, all the better.

Great article up in the Oregonian today on Blazers' star-crossed rookie center Greg Oden, who is out once again with a knee injury.

It's been a rough go for the former No. 1 overall pick, who missed his entire first year due to microfracture surgery on his knee. In his first game of this season, against the Lakers, he sprained his foot and sat out a few weeks. Now, he's got a chipped knee cap that's already kept him out.

When he has been on the court, Oden has looked like, well, a rookie. There have been games and moments where he looks every bit the former No. 1 overall choice. But more times where Portlanders have to be wishing the team would've picked Kevin Durant in the No. 1 slot back in 2007.

Oden is out for tonight's Lakers game, but should be in street clothes. If you've got a minute, give the article a click as it offers some great insight on his psyche.

Sun Yue will not travel with the Lakers today for Monday's game against the Trail Blazers in Portland. He will remain with the D-Fenders, the Lakers' developmental league affiliate, while the big club takes a three-game trip this week to play Portland, Houston and San Antonio. Sun, a rookie guard from China, made his D-League debut Friday, scoring 11 points and adding seven assists in the D-Fenders' overtime win against Anaheim.

Pau Gasol is still pretty miffed about the treatment his Spanish countryman Rudy Fernandez received from the judges in the Slam Dunk contest at the All Star game.

I playfully asked him if he and Rudy would be working on their tandem dunk for next season's contest while the Lakers were in Portland -- Gasol says they never were able to practice before this year's contest -- and he laughed.

``I don't know if he'll be willing to again,'' Gasol said. ``He was screwed this year. So you can be screwed once, but if you can avoid it and prevent it, don't get screwed twice.''

The Lakers took Saturday off before beginning a tough three-game road trip against Portland, Houston and San Antonio. They will try to snap a six-game losing streak at Portland's Rose Garden on Monday.

Why have they had such a tough time winning in the Beaver State?

``They always have pretty good teams,'' center Pau Gasol said. `` They have a young team that feeds off the energy in that building and I think everybody gets excited to play against the Lakers.''

Odom thinks it's specific to the Trail Blazers, a good team who is really good at home (25-5 this year).

``It's a team that really gets up for us,'' he said. ``We're definitely going to have our concentration caps on. ''

Gasol at least will get a warm welcome from his Spanish countrymen Rudy Fernandez and Sergio Rodriguez, who are key reserves for Portland.

``It's always nice to see my guys and play against them,'' Gasol said. ``It's not just the playing against them, mostly its the going to dinner, going to lunch, off the court stuff.''

It really is getting to be every game now that Shannon Brown gives the free tacos a run for their money in terms of reason for fans to stay to the end of blowout games. His slam dunk near the end of the fourth quarter in Friday's blowout win over the Timberwolves sent the Staples Center crowd, and the Lakers bench into a frenzy.

Why the high-flying windmill dunk instead of a regular jam?

``That was a regular dunk,'' Brown said. ``I still have some things I can do. Things that I've visualized that I'll do.''

When Kobe Bryant made a layup and sank a free throw after he was fouled with 5:32 left in the first half tonight, he passed Robert Parrish and moved into 18th place on the NBA's all-time scoring list. Bryant went into the game needing four points to pass Parrish, who had 23,334 points during his storied career. Next up for Bryant: Charles Barkley in 17th place with 23,757 points.

So why did the Lakers take until March 6th to assign Sun Yue to their D-League?

For months it's been obvious that he wasn't going to get regular playing time on the team with the best record in the NBA, and for a player the Lakers brought over with an eye to the future, that wasn't a great situation. Sun though, wanted to stay with the Lakers and learn in practice playing alongside the best players in the league, not dominate in the D-League.

That's not all that was going on. Privately, team officials and Sun's camp were worried how an assignment to the D-League would play in China. Would it be seen as a demotion? A loss of face? That Sun had somehow failed in his journey to the NBA?

He hadn't of course. And there is plenty of precedent for NBA teams sending promising rookies to the D-League for extra PT, particularly during road-heavy portions of their schedules when practice time is scarce. But how does all of that translate into Chinese?

When the team finally made the call to assign him to the D-Fenders on Friday, there was quite a bit of thought put into the decision, and the tone of the press release.

Lakers coach Phil Jackson and teammates Derek Fisher and Trevor Ariza even made a point of showing up early to support Sun in the 3:30 p.m. game.

Afterwards I had a chance to speak with Sun's agent Charles Bonsignore, who said that Chinese officials understand the decision to send Sun to the D-League and were OK with it.

``They understand that it's an opportunity for him to get quality minutes since the team is going on a road trip and there isn't a lot of time to practice,'' Bonsignore said. ``They're OK with it.''

Sun Yue made the most of his move to the D-Fenders today, scoring 11 points in their 108-103 overtime victory over the Anaheim Arsenal at Staples Center. Sun also had seven assists, three rebounds and two blocked shots in 44 minutes, 11 seconds. It's possible Sun could play with the D-Fenders again tonight against Anaheim.

The move is one the Lakers have made with other rookie guards in recent seasons. Jordan Farmar played several games with the D-Fenders in the 2006-07 season. Coby Karl also played with the D-Fenders last season.

Sun had been expected to join the Lakers' developmental league affiliate at some point, but his first appearance with the D-Fenders was delayed by a recent right big toe injury. He suffered a one-inch gash on his toe when he cut himself while attempting to cut down a callous.

"I thought he was good," Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak said after watching Sun. "He didn't shoot the ball particularly well (4-for-15), and I thought he settled for a lot of 3-point shots on the perimeter. But surprisingly his timing, his conditioning was good. It looked like he passed the ball well. It looked like his teammates accepted him."

Sun Yue will join the D-Fenders, the Lakers' developmental league affiliate, for today's game against the Anaheim Arsenal at Staples Center. Game time is 3:30. Sun, a rookie guard from China, has played only 10 games with the Lakers this season. He has scored six points and added two assists in a grand total of 28 minutes.

The Lakers took today off.

Coach Phil Jackson hoped it would give them a chance to relax after a difficult stretch of nine games in 15 days, a span in which it was obvious that they were growing more fatigued by the day. They lacked their usual spark during losses Friday to the Denver Nuggets and Sunday to the Phoenix Suns. They bounced back by beating the Memphis Grizzlies on Tuesday, but were far from flawless during their 10-point victory.

When asked late Tuesday night what he wants his players to think about as they prepare for Friday's game against the Minnesota Timberwolves, Jackson said, "Nothing. I want them to take the day off and just enjoy a day. They can do whatever they want. Read books to their children. Whatever they do."

It's NBA related, not specific to the Lakers, but I thought some folks out there might be curious why Denver coach George Karl suspended Carmelo Anthony for Tuesday's game against the Pistons.

According to the Denver Post:

In Denver's previous game at Indiana, Karl planned to sub out Anthony at the timeout with 1:13 left in the third quarter. A furious Anthony defied his coach and walked out of the timeout huddle onto the floor -- and stayed in for the rest of the quarter.

Of the suspension, Karl said: "It's basketball and respecting the game. (He) crossed the line. I've done it as a player. I don't think I've ever been suspended, but I've done things because of passion and emotion. I talk a lot about thin lines. There's a thin line between emotional mistakes and passion. A very thin line. Melo wanted to win that game, and the stress and the emotion went the wrong way."

Kobe Bryant scored 31 points, Pau Gasol had 13 and Lamar Odom had one of the more unusual lines you're like to see this season as the Lakers ended their two-game losing streak with a 99-89 victory tonight over the Memphis Grizzlies. Odom scored only two points on 1-for-8 shooting, but had 13 rebounds, eight assists and six blocked shots.

"We didn't lose our confidence, we just lost," Odom said, referring to defeats Friday to the Denver Nuggets and Sunday against the Phoenix Suns.

"There were spots tonight that we were up, and I thought we played well," Lakers coach Phil Jackson said. "We had a couple of good defensive quarters in the first half, better defensive quarters. Our offense is a little bit rusty here and there."

Added Bryant: "The important thing is to get back on track. You don't want to compound mistakes or add to (losing streaks). Two is enough."

If you were waiting for the Lakers to snap out of their two-game funk by thumping the Memphis Grizzlies tonight, well, it certainly hasn't happened so far. The Lakers led by as many as 15 points and seemed poised to turn the game into a runaway. The Grizzlies rallied strongly in the closing minutes of the second half, however. Kobe Bryant led the Lakers with 19 points on 7-for-14 shooting in the first half. Lamar Odom had two points, nine rebounds and six assists. Marc Gasol, Pau's younger brother, led Memphis with 11 points. O.J. Mayo, the former USC standout, had 10 points.

Despite a report in the New York Post today that indicated the Lakers were among the front-runners to sign forward Joe Smith, it appears he will sign with the Cavaliers. Meanwhile, forward Drew Gooden reportedly is leaning toward signing with the San Antonio Spurs. Smith was bought out of his contract by the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Sacramento Kings did the same favor for Gooden.

Both must clear waivers Wednesday before signing with new clubs.

The Lakers will stick with the status quo for the stretch run and the playoffs, preferring to wait for Andrew Bynum to return from a torn right knee ligament. Coach Phil Jackson said tonight that he spoke to GM Mitch Kupchak about signing a veteran, but they decided it was best to simply wait for Bynum rather than mess with the team's chemistry.

The Lakers held their annual charity golf tournament at Riviera Country Club today, so Coach Phil Jackson and General Manager Mitch Kupchak didn't have a chance to talk about signing an experienced player to fill the vacant 15th spot on the roster. Certainly, Joe Smith could give the Lakers additional depth for the stretch run plus the playoffs.

In the meantime, Pau Gasol offered a fairly blunt assessment of the Lakers' so-called Bench Mob, which played another disjointed game in Sunday's 118-111 loss to the Phoenix Suns.

"Youth is a factor," he said without naming names. "Maybe there's a little bit of a lack of maturity and experience at some points. I think we all have to understand our roles, whatever that role is, and what is best for the team and understand what you need to do, not what you like to do.

"Some nights, it might be getting three steals and giving four assists instead of scoring 10 points or 15 points. Some nights those points are going to be needed. It's just a matter of understanding that and doing the best for the team, and sacrificing yourself sometimes, which some players are more willing to do.

"For some players, it's a little harder for them to understand."

PHOENIX -- Kobe Bryant scored 49 points and Pau Gasol added 30, but they didn't get enough support from their teammates and the Lakers lost to Shaquille O'Neal and the Phoenix Suns, 118-111, today at the US Airways Center. O'Neal led the Suns with 33 points before fouling out late in the game. The Lakers hammered the Suns, 132-106, on Thursday. But the Lakers lost Friday to the Denver Nuggets and tumbled again today. t's only their third two-game losing streak of the season.

PHOENIX -- Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol got off in the first half for the Lakers, but Shaquille O'Neal, Grant Hill and Leandro Barbosa did the same for the Phoenix Suns this afternoon at the US Airways Center. Bryant had 19 points on 8-for-17 shooting and Gasol had 18 points on 7-for-11 shooting. O'Neal was a monster down low, scoring 19 points on 7-for-8 shooting. Hill and Barbosa had 13 apiece for the Suns, who were without Steve Nash (sprained right ankle). The Lakers' backups continued their struggles, scoring only eight points in the first half. Jordan Farmar wasn't pleased to be replaced after going scoreless in seven minutes, barking at Lakers coach Phil Jackson as he walked to his seat on the bench. The Lakers need more from the Bench Mob than they've been getting recently.