November 2009 Archives

Pau Gasol interview from earlier today.

General comments: "I think we're on the right track. We're playing well. We're playing aggressively. It's a good place to be. There are always things you can work on to get to a better place. For the most part, we're playing at a very high level. ... Ultimately, we're doing pretty well. So far, we understand we've had a nice home stretch. It's going to get harder, it's going to get more complicated, so we just can't relax."

On whether he's gained confidence since winning the NBA title: "Maybe I'm a little bit more confident. Maybe I feel a little better and stronger about my game. I think that's part of it. It's also maturing. I'm getting close to 30 now. It kind of puts you in a good spot in your career."

On Kobe Bryant's comment that he's a bad boy who knows he can't be stopped: "You have to have that confidence and that swagger out on the floor. You can't allow it to carry outside of the floor. I think I have really high confidence when I'm playing basketball and I feel like I can kick some butt. That's why I've been successful in my career in everything I've accomplished. When I step off the floor, I know that's just something I do really well. I'm not the center of the world. I'm not better than anyone else just because I have a certain skill. That's my mindset."

On whether he had the some confidence level while with Memphis: "I had that kind of confidence when I was in Memphis. But it was not joined by winning. And it was not joined by an extremely great level of teammates. I'm not saying the teammates I had in Memphis weren't high quality, but, obviously, these are the best I've had. It really pays off and it makes you feel a lot better at the end of the day, when you've won and you're in a good position at the top of the league. It was tough. At the end, I was really down on myself. I was losing my spark, my motivation, the passion I always had for the game. I was getting really frustrated. That's why when this happened (the Feb. 1, 2008 trade to the Lakers), I was so thankful. I was so thrilled I had this opportunity. I still am, and still probably will be for the rest of my life."

On not having to shoulder the scoring burden with the Lakers: "I can focus on a lot of other things. I can put a lot more energy into the defense. I know that's what this team needs most because offensively we're so gifted. I can put forth an effort defensively and exploit my qualities as a defensive player, which I wasn't so much in Memphis. I was only offensive minded and putting up numbers and forget about defense because nobody is playing defense. It's just tough. You get into that mode and it's a bad deal. But here because I don't have to use so much energy offensively, I can use it defensively, helping my teammates out and being there for my teammates. I can be a much better player."

Kobe Bryant scored 30 points on 11-for-17 shooting tonight and Pau Gasol added 20 points on 8-for-13 shooting as the Lakers handed the New Jersey Nets their record-tying 17th consecutive loss to start the season. Jordan Farmar added a season-high 15 points in a reserve role as the Lakers won their sixth in a row, all by double digits. Brook Lopez led the Nets with 26 points and 12 rebounds.

Kobe Bryant scored 23 points on 8-for-14 shooting and Pau Gasol added 10 points as the Lakers threatened to turn the game into a farce. The Lakers shot 52.5 percent in the first half and limited the Nets to 34.2 percent shooting. The Lakers led by as many as 27 points in the first half and seemed to be toying with winless New Jersey. Brook Lopez led the Nets with 12 points on 3-for-8 shooting. The Nets had 10 turnovers in the first half.

The New Jersey Nets fired coach Lawrence Frank a few hours before tonight's game against the Lakers at Staples Center. The Nets replaced him with assistant coach Tom Barrise and said in a statement that a "permanent replacement for Coach Frank has not been determined." The Nets were 0-16 to start the season under Frank and looked to avoid matching the league record for the longest losing streak to start a season. The Miami Heat in in 1988-89 and the Clippers in the strike-shortened 1999 season also started 0-17.

OAKLAND -- Pau Gasol had 16 points and five rebounds in the first half tonight as the Lakers exploited their size advantage over the Golden State Warriors. Andrew Bynum added 11 points and Ron Artest had nine, Kobe Bryant scored only five. Corey Maggette led the Warriors with 13 points. Monta Ellis had eight points on 3-for-12 shooting.

Lakers coach Phil Jackson doesn't often talk about his game plan, except in general terms. He said more than usual today when he announced Kobe Bryant would defend Golden State's Monta Ellis when the teams play Saturday night in Oakland. Ellis is averaging 28.9 points in 43.4 minutes. He has scored 30 or more points in three consecutive games. He had 34 against Portland on Nov. 20, then scored 37 against Dallas on Tuesday and had a career-high tying 42 against San Antonio on Wednesday.

Lakers coach Phil Jackson wasn't pleased by the play of the Bench Mob during Tuesday's victory over the New York Knicks. Here's what he had to say about the ongoing battle to get more out of the second unit: "Right now they're just filling minutes for guys who are getting a rest on the bench. We have to do better than that. ... I think they've done OK in the middle part of the game. I think (Tuesday) night, there just didn't seem to be leadership from the right sources out there." New York's backups outscored the Mob, 41-9.

Pilots like to say there's no such thing as a bad landing. Coaches like to say there's no such thing as a bad win. The Lakers led almost from start to finish, but they also nearly let a 25-point lead get away form them in the fourth quarter of tonight's 100-90 victory over the New York Knicks. They outrebounded the Knicks by 60-36, but they also had 25 turnovers. They outscored New York, 28-17, in the third quarter but were outscored, 28-17, in the fourth.

Said Lakers coach Phil Jackson: "It's one of those games that gets plodding the last six or eight minutes of the ballgame, so it doesn't leave you with a great feeling when you walk out of the building. You know you won, but it's not like a game where you felt it was well played and you did well. ... We're playing about 30 to 34 minutes right. We're still missing about 14 minutes."

Kobe Bryant scored 34 points on 14-for-20 shooting, an efficient night on a night when the Lakers' rhythm came and went against the overmatched New York Knicks. Ron Artest and Andrew Bynum added 17 points apiece. Pau Gasol had 11 points and a team-leading 16 rebounds. Derek Fisher scored 12 points. Not to be overlooked, Lamar Odom had five points and 12 rebounds in a reserve role. The Lakers won their fourth consecutive. Wilson Chandler and Nate Robinson each scored 12 for New York.

Kobe Bryant scored 17 points on 7-for-12 shooting in the first half to lead the Lakers, and Andrew Bynum added 10 points and six rebounds. Pau Gasol had nine points and a team-leading nine rebounds. David Lee and Wilson Chandler had 11 each for New York. Big question, why was this game so close? Well, the Lakers have a habit of going through the motions sometimes against weaker teams. With a 3-10 record going into the game, the Knicks certainly qualified. Perhaps the bigger question was, why weren't the Knicks ahead?

Kobe Bryant did a sit-down interview last week with a reporter from The New York Times, who was out here for a few days picking up stuff to advance tonight's game between the Lakers and the New York Knicks. Bryant had a couple of interesting responses. Here are two:

Question: Do you feel like you still have room to grow as a player?
Bryant: "I do. I do. I think there's so much more to understand. A lot of it just has to do with winning. It has nothing to do with me as an individual. Just more so, how can I lead these guys? That's kind of been the evolution as a basketball player. When you first come into the league, you're trying to prove yourself as an individual, do things to assert yourself and establish yourself. But then once you've done that, there's another level to the game that's more complex than figuring out how to put up big numbers as an individual. That's easy to do."

Question: Do you think your game has evolved since even two, three years ago?
Bryant: "Oh, without a doubt. A lot of that has to do with the team that I have because they allow me to explore those other areas of my game because they're better basketball players, so that enables me to sit back and say, 'OK, I don't have to score 40 points a game to keep us competitive.' I can start thinking the game more and thinking how can I use the pieces that I have here as opposed to thinking, 'Damn, I've got to put my head down and go out there and try to beat two or three guys just to keep us in the game.' So, I think they help me get to another level of understanding the game."

Jim Buss, the Lakers' VP in charge of player personnel, had this to say about the signing of Ron Artest as a free agent last summer: "I think Artest is an incredible defender and he's a perfect fit for this team. I think we improved. He enjoys locking down top, quality players on the other team. He enjoys it. It's hard to find those kinds of guys. He looks forward to going against Carmelo Anthony. He looks forward to going against LeBron James.

"Not too many people say that. He's impressive to me when we sat down and talked to him. I know he's got that reputation, but when you talk to him you can't see it. He's been good for years. The circumstances that happened, he's even asked for his money back. I think he's a good guy. I think he realizes what he really wants, and that's a ring."

... a concert broke out, thanks to the American Music Awards ending across the street at the Nokia Theatre The Lakers were well ahead of the Oklahoma City Thunder when things started popping early in the fourth quarter. No, not on the court but in the stands. Just as the fourth quarter started A-Rod and Fergie walked to a pair of courtside seats with Will.i.am. A-Rod, of course, plays with the World Series champion New York Yankees. Fergie and Will.i.am play with the Black Eyed Peas. Not to be overlooked, Jay-Z was also in the house. Suddenly, during a timeout, Will.i.am stood with a microphone at his seat and began to sing, "I Gotta Feeling," which has been something of a standard on the Lakers' sound track this season. Only in L.A., kids. Only in L.A.

Kobe Bryant scored 26 points, including two on a shot from behind the backboard, and Andrew Bynum shook off an ankle injury to score 25 points and grab a team-leading nine rebounds. Pau Gasol added 15 points in his second game back on the active roster after sitting out the first 11 games because of a strained right hamstring. Kevin Durant led the Thunder with 19 points, and former UCLA standout Russell Westbrook had 14. The Lakers led by as many as 28 points in winning their third in a row. They are 10-3 overall.

Kobe Bryant and Andrew Bynum each scored 15 points to lead the Lakers to a 23-point lead over the Thunder by halftime tonight. Bryant made 7 of 13 shots and Bynum hit 6 of 7. Bynum also had a team-leading six rebounds after sitting out the last two practices because of what the team called a jammed right ankle. Ron Artest added seven points for the Lakers. Russell Westbrook, a former UCLA standout, led the Thunder with seven points.

Team owner Jerry Buss held his annual sit-down chat with Lakers beat writers tonight. He was joined by his son, Jim, and they stressed their desire to win championships outweighs their desire to make lots and lots of money. In a perfect world, they would make money and win. Anyway, here's some of what they said when asked about the Lakers' league-leading $91.4-million payroll:

Jim Buss: "I like our team. I think we improved with Artest. If we win again, I'll look to raise the bar that much more. I'm not one that sits pat on a win. You kind of want to improve because that's what all the other teams, that's what they're doing, which is baseically improving to beat you. You want to stay one step ahead. That's basically how we run the team, by staying one step ahead of the competition. It's well spent. We don't like that, that it's that high. If we happen to get some bargains, I think (Ron) Artest is a bargain. He (Jerry) yells at me every day for the payroll. No, as long as it's well spent, he's fine with it. Of course, it would be great to spend $60 million instead of $90 million and have the same team. But to maintain that team, it's difficult."

Jerry Buss: "I think (winning) has to be (paramount). If we could find a way to save some money and stay the level of competition we're at, obviously, we'd try to do that. In this particularly case, we feel the dollars were well spent. Nobody likes this. I'd rather take the $30 or $40 million and put it in my pocket. Just look at my (worn and torn) jeans. You think I don't have a big payroll. If it's necessary, we're going to do it. That's just the way it is. We kind of stare at each other and gulp. That's the way it is."

Andrew Bynum sat out of practice for the second straight day, but told Lakers coach Phil Jackson he intends to play Sunday against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Bynum sprained his right ankle during the third quarter of the Lakers' victory Thursday over the Chicago Bulls. He also did not practice Friday. "We hope he's back," Jackson said when asked about Bynum's status for Sunday. "He was better today." The 7-foot Bynum, who is averaging 19.4 points and 11.4 rebounds, sat out two games earlier this season because of a strained right elbow.

Here's what Pau Gasol had to say today after scoring 24 points and grabbing 13 rebounds in the Lakers' victory Thursday over the Chicago Bulls, which also was his season debut: "It feels good, it feels good to be getting back into the groove of things. I'm happy about the game (Thursday) night. I just want to continue to work and continue to get better."

When asked if he was surprised by his effectiveness he said: "A little, a little bit. I wasn't expecting that level of contribution. I was just playing basketball. I was playing with my guys, and that was something I missed a lot. I've just got to get back into the rhythm."

Gasol sat out the season's first 11 games because of a hamstring injury.

In case you missed it late Thursday, here's what TNT's Charles Barkley had to say about the Lakers after their victory over the Chicago Bulls: "I said that this team could actually win the next three or four championships, I thought that three years ago. They are going to be tough to be beat because they aren't missing anything. You usually say this team needs this or this team needs that. They've got it all, they can take (Pau) Gasol and (Andrew) Bynum off the team and they would still be the favorite to win the NBA Championship. Now with those guys together with Ron Artest they are going to take a lot of wear and tear off Kobe (Bryant). They are going to be tough to beat four out of seven times."

Andrew Bynum said he sprained his right ankle when he picked up his fourth foul against Brad Miller in the third quarter. Bynum didn't believe it was serious, but said he'd know more in the morning when he goes for treatment.

He was walking on his own after the game.

``Hopefully things aren't too bad,'' Bynum said. ``I'm going to get some therapy in the morning.''

So much for the theory that Pau Gasol would be rusty after missing the first 11 games of the season with a hamstring injury.

The Spaniard came back Thursday night and looked like he hadn't missed a beat, scoring 24 points and grabbing 13 rebounds in 35 minutes of work.

Before the game, Lakers coach Phil Jackson said he thought Gasol would play about 25 minutes, but it could be more or less depending on how he handled the workload. While Gasol looked a bit winded at times, he played very well.

Other news of the night:

--Kobe Bryant moving to second on the all-time Lakers scoring list, passing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar in the second half.

--Andrew Bynum playing only 24 minutes with Gasol's return. He finished with 11 points and eight rebounds.

--Lakers move to 9-3 on the season.

Pau Gasol scored 14 points on 6-for-11 shooting and also grabbed five rebounds in his first 17 minutes of the season tonight against Chicago. He hardly looked as if he had been sidelined for five-plus weeks because of a strained right hamstring. Kobe Bryant scored 13 points on 4-for-14 shooting. John Salmons led Chicago with 18 points on 7-for-11 shooting.

Luke Walton underwent a procedure called a facet rhizotomy on Wednesday. The procedure seeks to turn off the pain signals sent from the injured part of the back (the facet) to the brain. The pain relief can typically lasts months or years. Walton suffered a pinched nerve in his back and was initially said to be out at least six weeks.

Derek Fisher offered a series of pretty honest opinions about the Lakers after Monday's practice. Forgive me for not posting it sooner. Sometimes I get sidetracked. Anyway, here's all of what Fisher had to say earlier this week:

"We're not really that concerned about guys making shots, ultimately. But we're concerned about the lack of execution that comes if a pass is kicked out of a double team or just coming down and not really seeming like we're that into our the offensive set or any kind of a flow. The coaches and players are confident we will make shots. We're just kind of locked into throwing the ball down to Kobe (Bryant) or throwing the ball to Andrew (Bynum). Even though those guys have success at times, there's been an in-and-out flow for everybody else. Ron (Artest) has had some moments, then hasn't. I've had some moments, haven't. Sasha has hit some shots, then sometimes he hasn't. That's kind of gone all the way around the whole team.

Pau Gasol said today he would play Thursday against the Chicago Bulls. Probably. Maybe. But not definitely.

"I don't know about definitely," said Gasol, who missed the Lakers' first 11 games because of a strained hamstring. He expects to make his season debut Thursday. Again, unless something kooky happens between today and Thursday. He went through practice without suffering a setback.

"I felt great today," Gasol said. "I don't want to jinx it, but everything felt great today. I don't see any reason why I wouldn't be able to play (Thursday). I want to play. I've been wanting to play since Day 1. It wasn't ready. The muscle wasn't healed."

Coach Phil Jackson said Gasol would start and Lamar Odom would return to the bench.

Kobe Bryant killed the losing streak. He scored 40 points for the 100th time in his career, making 17 of 29 shots while playing 39 minutes, 13 seconds with a nagging groin injury. He made a no-look, back-to-the-basket layup over Kwame Brown that seemed to be a perfect summary on his night. He wouldn't be denied in helping the Lakers avoid their first three-game losing streak since January 2008. Andrew Bynum scored 17 points and grabbed 12 rebounds for his eighth double-double. He had only 13 shots, making seven, however. Shannon Brown had 12 points and Jordan Farmar had 10 in reserve roles. Will Bynum, no relation to Andrew, scored 24 points to lead Detroit, and Ben Gordon had 18. Rip Hamilton and Tayshaun Prince sat out because of injuries.

Kobe Bryant showed no signs of the groin strain that slowed him to a crawl in Sunday's loss to the Houston Rockets. He scored a team-leading 21 points on 9-for-15 shooting in the first half. Andrew Bynum added seven points and seven rebounds against the undersized Pistons. Jordan Farmar added seven points in a reserve role. Ben Gordon led the Pistons with 11 points, but was no match for Bryant. Also, at halftime, injured Lakers forward Luke Walton said he had no idea how he suffered a pinched nerve in his back. He said it had been bothering him for about a week or so. He is expected to sit out six weeks.

UPDATED: Walton had this to say about his injury, "I want to get back as soon as possible. Last time (during a similar injury during training camp), they wanted me out longer, but as soon as the back started feeling good again, I was begging them to start playing again. They did and, obviously, it wasn't a mistake. I wasn't ready yet."

Here are a few observations from Phil Jackson before tonight's game against Detroit.

On Kobe Bryant's injury: "I thought he was possibly going to be out for some of this week. He's been struggling with this for a while, but he wanted to practice (Monday), he wanted to get into the rhythm of things and see how it felt. We have to watch his time off the court as jealously as we do on the court. We don't want him to sit and stiffen up during the course of the game. He wouldn't do that (take a game off to mend). I think an 82-game season has much meaning for him and winning an individual scoring championship. That's something (he) really relishes. He knows if he can do it."

On more playing time for Adam Morrison with Luke Walton out with a back injury: "We don't feel like we're depleted at all. We feel like we're kind of overloaded at that position. Ron (Artest) is a (small forward). Kobe plays a lot at (small forward). This is a team (Detroit) that plays three guards with (Rodney) Stuckey, (Will) Bynum and (Ben) Gordon. We don't feel like we'll be at a deficit at al in this game. We're hoping to give Adam some minutes. Luke hasn't had a lot to start the season, but we want Adam to have a chance to get out there and prove himself."

On the lack of motion in the triangle offense: "We've been pretty stagnant. We've had Kobe posting up on one side and Andrew on the other with three on the outside and two inside instead of the overload in the triangle like we usually play."

On Pau Gasol's status: "We're just going one day at a time. He came back after a practice yesterday and performed in the shootaround (this morning). He said he's fine. We're thinking tomorrow he'll have a practice. He'll work out tonight (during the game). We'll go one day at a time, but he's hoping he can play Thursday. I asked him if he could play tonight, actually. He said, 'Well, I'm not ready yet. I don't feel ready yet.' So, we're still waiting for him to feel totally comfortable with where he is."

Luke Walton has a pinched nerve in his back that will sideline him for at least six weeks, the Lakers announced tonight. Walton did not play in Sunday's loss to the Houston Rockets and did not practice this afternoon. He was examined by Dr. Robert Watkins. Walton had a sore back that kept him from playing several exhibition games last month. It's not immediately clear whether this injury is related to the previous one.

Expect Adam Morrison to get a few extra minutes while Walton is sidelined. Morrison doesn't have the knowledge of the Lakers' triangle offense that Walton has, but Coach Phil Jackson doesn't have many options at present. Jackson could play Josh Powell more at small forward. But with Pau Gasol out for at least one more game because of a hamstring injury, Jackson needs Powell to serve as Lamar Odom's backup at power forward.

Andrew Bynum scored 21 points on 8-for-12 shooting in Sunday's loss to the Houston Rockets. He had 19 points on 8-for-13 shooting in Friday's loss to the Denver Nuggets. He also had 26 points on 13-for-18 shooting in Thursday's victory over the Phoenix Suns. Overall, he's averaging 20.8 points on 59.6 percent shooting. So, the question is, why isn't he getting more shots? Just throwing it out there for discussion.

Here are a few tidbits from today's practice:

Kobe Bryant practiced with his teammates and reported no lingering trouble from the groin strain that slowed him down in Sunday's loss to the Houston Rockets. He said he's increased his medical treatments and plans to play Tuesday against Detroit Pistons.

Pau Gasol also practiced with his teammates and said his injured right hamstring was much improved. He doubted he could play against the Pistons, but didn't rule out playing Thursday against the Chicago Bulls.

Coach Phil Jackson harped on the Lakers' inability to outhustle the Rockets for rebounds and loose balls. After watching an offensive rebound get away from the starters during a scrimmage, he bellowed, "That's what hurt us last night. Go get the ball."

So, what troubled you the most about the Lakers' second consecutive loss? The fact that they shot 33.3 percent in the second half? The fact that they were outrebounded by a whopping 60-38 by game's end? The fact that Andrew Bynum got only three shots in the second half and 12 for the game? The fact that Kobe Bryant tried to play through a groin strain and scored 18 points on 5-for-20 shooting? The fact that Houston's David Andersen went unguarded for most of the game and scored 19 points? The fact that the Rockets' Aaron Brooks scored a career-high 33 points? Or was there something else?

Trevor Ariza received his championship ring tonight, joined by his 19-month-old son, Taj, at center court. Kobe Bryant and Derek Fisher presented Ariza with his ring and a sellout crowd of 18,997 saluted him with a standing ovation. Then the game started and Ariza struggled. He missed his first nine shots before sinking a 3-pointer late in the half. He had four points by halftime. Aaron Brooks led the Rockets with 15 piotns. Andrew Bynum led the Lakers with 14 points and six rebounds, and Ron Artest had 13 points. Kobe Bryant had 10 points on 4-for-13 shooting.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar visited Staples Center tonight for the first time since announcing last week that he had a treatable form of leukemia. He said he planned to continue in his role as a Lakers special assistant coach and looked forward to tutoring Andrew Bynum. He also said the response from basketball fans everywhere was overwhelming. He also said:

"It's been quite an experience, all the attention. I didn't expect it to play out that way. The fans and the general public have been incredible in their support. I got people's prayers and support. They asked what they could do. It's really been a great opportunity to re-connect with people, and I'm very glad that I did it. People have come up to me everywhere, in the supermarket, in the airport, when I'm stopped at a red light. People have given me hand signals. It's incredible. It's really been great. Not the usual L.A. signs when you're at the red light too long. It's been extraordinary. I don't know what to do more so than I have done. People just want to connect. It's been beautiful."

No question, the Lakers were off their game in the second half of Friday's loss to the Denver Nuggets. Their fatigue while playing at altitude in Denver was evident. It didn't help that they were playing for the second consecutive night against a team that prefers to run and run and run. One sign of their tiredness was their lack of offensive movement.

Or as Andrew Bynum explained, "I didn't get too many touches down low. We weren't swinging the ball and there was no movement on offense. A lot of it was a lack of team basketball. We would come down, dump it in the middle and everybody would stand still."

No practice today, so nothing newsy to report. Sunday, the Lakers host Trevor Ariza and the Houston Rockets. We will have lots of notes and quotes. The Lakers will present Ariza with his championship ring. Plus, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is expected to make his first appearance at Staples Center since announcing he has leukemia.

DENVER -- Gong. The Lakers hit the wall in the second half tonight, looking like a marathon runner who's run out of energy in the closing miles of the race. The Denver Nuggets outscored them by 29-8 in the third quarter and ended their six-game winning streak. Kobe Bryant scored 19 points, all in the first half. Andrew Bynum had 19 points and 15 rebounds. Carmelo Anthony led the Nuggets with 25 points, and J.R. Smith had 20.

UPDATE: The Lakers set a franchise record with 23 points in the second half, breaking the previous low of 24 set Dec. 20, 2004 against the Memphis Grizzlies. The Lakers' all-time low for points in a game is 70 set Nov. 5, 2002 against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Said Lakers coach Phil Jackson: "No one stepped up in the second half and played ball."

DENVER -- Kobe Bryant scored 19 points on 7-for-13 shooting to lead the Lakers in the first half of a high-tempo game. Lamar Odom had 12 points, five rebounds and three assists. Ron Artest had 11 points and six assists and Andrew Bynum added 10 points and eight minutes. Nene led Denver with 11 points. Carmelo Anthony had 11 points and three fouls in only 12 minutes for the Nuggets.

Don't know how you could've missed this, or even failed to hear about it by now, but here's the video from Shannon Brown's amazing dunk Thursday night.

KOBE:

``We played really well. We executed our strategy. We played with a purpose and we came out with a big win.''

DREW:

``I was able to rest over these last five or six days. That really helped me out. I got my legs back, I'm fresh. As far as the elbow goes, I'm going to continue getting treatment. It hurts a little bit, but it's going to be that way for a little while.''

PHIL:

``It's a good win. We have to take it into perspective. They played a back-to-back game and came off the home floor on a road game.''

Statement game? Nah, it's November. But the Lakers did reassert their position as the top dog in the Western Conference with Thursday's blowout win over the Suns.

Andrew Bynum and his sore elbow left the Phoenix Suns feeling sore as he dominated the paint and the game for 26 points, 15 points and three blocks.

Kobe Bryant added 29 points and Josh Powell had 14 on 6-of-10 shooting. Shannon Brown was the show-stopper though, as the threw home one of the best dunks of the season in the fourth quarter.

About the only disappointment? No tacos for the fans, who heartily booed Phoenix' Louis Amundson's jumper that helped the Suns crack a 100 points with under a minute to go in the game.

Welcome back, Andrew Bynum. After sitting out the last two games because of a strained right elbow, Bynum returned to the starting lineup and it looked like he hadn't missed a minute. He scored 16 points and grabbed nine rebounds in 22 minutes. He made 8 of 12 shots and exploited a mismatch against the Suns' Channing Frye. Kobe Bryant led the Lakers with 19 points on 8-for-14 shooting. Steve Nash led Phoenix with nine points. The Lakers shot 55.3 percent in the half; the Suns shot 32.7 percent.

It's always interesting to see what happens to a story once it gets published and then linked to on the web. We try and note the sarcasm, context, and tone of a source, such as the always sardonic, sometimes ironic, Phil Jackson. We even transcribe the entire exchange -- as our Elliott Teaford did this afternoon in his blog post on Phil's comments about Pau Gasol's hamstring injury -- so readers can judge for themselves.

And yet, somehow as the story gets repeated and repackaged by other media, all that context and any disclaimer we'd put about just how serious Jackson was being, goes out the window.

Apparently it got so confusing, some people called Lakers spokesman John Black for a clarification, to which Black said Jackson was joking and that Gasol was ``day-to-day,'' which is basically a catch-all phrase to describe an injury that has no timetable for a return.

What's frustrating is that nothing Jackson said was incorrect. He was merely trying to convey the sense of frustration and mystery surrounding Gasol's injury. I believe that is what all the reporters who were at practice took from it, and later wrote in their stories. But sometimes, in an effort to draw out the one-line news nugget of a story, subtlety and context gets lost.

Here's what I later wrote in the news story about the situation, ``After giving daily updates and forecasts about when All-Star forward Pau Gasol and his stubborn right hamstring might finally be fit enough to play, Lakers coach Phil Jackson teasingly said Wednesday that Gasol might not play until Christmas.

``Just how much Jackson might've been teasing - or needling Gasol - with that comment is unclear. For his part, the Spaniard said he wanted to have at least two days of pain-free running on a treadmill and at least a couple of pain-free practices before returning to action, which roughly translates to at least another 1-2 weeks out of action.''

I think that's rather clear. The Lakers don't know how long Gasol is going to be out. Gasol doesn't know how long he's going to be out. It's silly to try and predict anymore, because the injury is a bit mysterious.

Is there a chance Gasol will be out until Christmas? Sure. Is it likely? No.

Though he admitted that this time around he would be ``extra patient,'' Gasol seemed to be thinking in the 1-2 week timeframe. Any setbacks could push that longer.

Then again, if it takes this long to explain the situation, maybe Black was right to just call it ``day-to-day'' and be done with it.

Andrew Bynum won't play monster minutes against the Phoenix Suns in his return to the starting lineup from an elbow injury Thursday, at least not if Lakers coach Phil Jackson can avoid it. Jackson said after today's practice, "He can play up to a point where he's going to have discomfort. Right now, it's not about running up and down and activity. Preferably, I'd like to keep him under 35 minutes a night. I don't want to see him playing heavy minutes, especially in a game that's going to be back and forth like tomorrow night. He tweaked it a few times today and went right through it."

This probably isn't a big surprise, but after announcing in a series of interviews Tuesday that he has leukemia, which was a shock, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar told NBA TV he would probably continue in his role with the Lakers as a special assistant to Jackson.

The Memphis Grizzlies received permission recently to interview Abdul-Jabbar and reportedly were quite serious about having him join their coaching staff. The Grizzlies wanted him to help tutor their big men the way he has been working with Andrew Bynum.

"I'm not really going to try and change my situation at this point," Abdul-Jabbar said. "I'm still with the Lakers and I'm probably going to stay there because that's the best situation for me. I had to alter things a little, but it's a great situation in Los Angeles.

"They've got a great chance at repeating."

You never know sometimes with Lakers coach Phil Jackson, but today he said it might Christmas before Pau Gasol is ready to play again. Gasol has a strained right hamstring and will miss his eighth game of the season when the Lakers host the Phoenix Suns on Thursday. Anyway, judge for yourself. Here's what Jackson said after practice:

TV guy: It seems like he's a little uncertain and maybe the rehab has taken a step backwards.
Jackson "I find that hard to believe, that it's gone backwards. ... Right now, he's capable of doing only so much and nothing else. But it is mysterious, no doubt about it."

Newspaper guy: Do you know when he'll practice again? He thought maybe in a few days, after some treadmill running? Do you have a target date?
Jackson: "No. We're starting to look toward Christmas, though. Some time out there."

Newspaper guy: That's a ways away.
Jackson: "Yes, it is. You know how we are. We always say, 'Let's not put anything out there that's futuristic. We'll just get disappointed.' He's very disappointed right now."

TV guy: Mysterious?
Jackson: "Yeah, because with most hamstrings you see bleeding or bruises or holes in the hamstring. His has been one of those things wasn't a big concern to us, but has turned into a month-long injury."

Andrew Bynum practiced with his teammates today and said he would play in Thursday's mega-showdown with the surprising Phoenix Suns. Bynum sat out the last two games because of a strained right elbow suffered when Houston's Chuck Hayes smacked him late in the Lakers' victory over the Rockets last Wednesday. Meanwhile, Pau Gasol isn't ready to go through a complete practice let alone play in a game. He won't play Thursday.

Lakers great Kareem Abdul-Jabbar revealed early Tuesday morning that he has cancer but that his long term prognosis is good.

Abdul-Jabbar, 62, made the public disclosure almost a year after he was first diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukemia, a cancer of the blood and bone marrow which studies have shown can be controlled and treated with medication.

According to the Leukemia & Lymphoma society, from 1999-2005 the five-year survival rate for CML is 53.3 percent.

CML patients have what is called the "Philadelphia Chromosome" (Ph chromosome).

Chromosomes are structures in the cells that contain genes. Every cell with a nucleus has chromosomes. Genes give instructions to the cells.

The Ph chromosome is made when a piece of chromosome 22 breaks off and attaches to the end of chromosome 9. A piece of chromosome 9 also breaks off and attaches to the end of chromosome 22. The break on chromosome 9 involves a gene called Abl. The break on chromosome 22 involves a gene called Bcr. The Bcr and Abl genes combine to make the CML-causing gene called the Bcr-Abl cancer gene.

Abdul-Jabbar is the NBA's all-time leading scorer. He played 14 of his 20 seasons with the Lakers before retiring in 1989. He is currently a special assistant to the team, working primarily with young center Andrew Bynum and the Lakers front court players.

His role has been lessened this season as Bynum has developed his game, and the Memphis Grizzlies recently asked for and received permission to speak with him about serving in a similar capacity with their team.

Coach Phil Jackson gave the team the day off today. Back to work Tuesday. Just a guess but we might see injured center Andrew Bynum back on the court after he missed the last two games because of a strained right elbow. No clue as to when Pau Gasol will be back from the strained right hamstring that's sidelined him for the first seven games.

Pau Gasol said tonight that he's still unsure when his strained right hamstring will be sound enough to allow him to make his 2009-10 debut. He sat out of his seventh game tonight, watching from the bench in street clothes as the Lakers thumped the New Orleans Hornets. Here's more of what he had to say after the game.

"Well, it's been tough so far and I just have to be patient and make sure I feel good."

Question: Will you play Thursday against the Phoenix Suns?
Answer: "I don't know. I'm still day-to-day and I don't want to get ahead of myself."

Q: What can't you do?
A: "There are lots of things I can't do. ... It's just not there yet and it will take a little more time. It's tough. It's been hard so far. I have no other option than to stay positive and be patient. It's a matter of time before it gets better. That's what they keep tellling me and I have to get it in my mind."

Q: Does it help that the team is winning?
A: "It's definitely a relief. Hopefully, we'll continue to do well and keep winning, so I can sleep better at night."

Q: You have three days off now before playing the Suns on Thursday.
A: "More days without games is better. I suffer a little less.Then it's a matter of not having to watch the team play without me. It's a day-to-day kind of thing."

Q: Is there a timetable for your return?
A: "Every time I put a timetable in my mind I get disappointed, so I can't afford that anymore. It's a matter of time before it gets better. When, who knows? They can't tell me. I can't tell anybody. I wish I knew for certain because it would help my mind and spirit. But, so far, I have to take it easy and go one day at a time."

Kobe Bryant couldn't continue his streak of 40-point games, but he did get 28 points on 11-for-21 shooting as the Lakers hammered the Hornets. The Lakers led by as many as 27 points in the third quarter, coasting to their sixth win in seven games to start the season. Shannon Brown added 15 points and DJ Mbenga had 10 points and 12 rebounds for his first NBA double-double. Luke Walton had 11 points. Chris Paul had 15 points and nine assists for the Hornets, who looked out of sync from the opening tip. The Lakers never trailed.

There he goes again. Kobe Bryant has scored almost at will during the first half, making 10 of 16 shots en route to a team-leading 16 points. He was devastating once again in the high post, turning and shooting over the Hornets' Devin Brown. Bryant scored 41 points in consecutive games and in three of the last four. Lamar Odom, Derek Fisher and Luke Walton added five points each. Brown and Chris Paul led New Orleans with 10 points apeice. The Lakers led by as many as 17 points and never trailed.

Kobe Bryant had some interesting thoughts today on his latest scoring binge. He has scored 41 points in three of the last four games, including back-to-back contests. He is averaging 34.5 points through six games so far this season, tops in the NBA.

"It's easier because I have better teammates," he said. "They can make decisions with the ball. They understand the offense. We've been playing together for a while. It's not like I have to go get it on the perimeter and then try to beat three or four guys.

"You look at the points I'm getting, they're almost all from below the free throw line. It's almost silly to think about it. I never would have had those opportunities in the past. I have guys who I'm playing with who are threats, who can make 3s.

"The defense has to honor them and I can post up. It makes it a lot easier. You look back then and I had to beat three or four guys (to score 81 points) against the Raptors and the Raptors were (lousy in 2005-06) that year.

"Think about it, it's crazy. It's stuff I don't have to do now. It's stuff I had to do just to keep us competitive."

Here's the latest on the Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to Memphis scuttlebutt, thanks to our friends at the Memphis Commercial-Appeal:

"The Grizzlies still are in 'serious negotiations' with NBA legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to help coach their centers, according to team owner Michael Heisley. Abdul-Jabbar visited Memphis on Oct. 25 to attend a practice and meet with Griz players and management. Heisley said both sides are trying to iron out a working arrangement.

"'It's a matter of how much time Kareem will give to us,' Heisley said. 'We're trying to come to an understanding of how Kareem will work. I want to make sure we're getting somebody who will give attention to these kids and help them. He's got a lot of commitments.'

"Abdul-Jabbar, 62, is under contract with the Lakers after having tutored Andrew Bynum over the past several seasons. Memphis, however, asked for and received permission from the Lakers to speak with Abdul-Jabbar.

"'He wants to come and we want him to come,' Heisley said. 'It's really a question of whether he's got commitments that will keep him away from the team more than we'd like.'

Kobe Bryant scored 41 points on 19-for-30 shooting, Ron Artest added 19 points and DJ Mbenga scored five points and grabbed a team-leading 13 rebounds in place of injured center Andrew Bynum. Bryant had 15 points on 7-for-10 shooting in the third quarter, when the Lakers built a 12-point lead en route to their fifth victory in six games. Rudy Gay led Memphis with 22 points, and former USC standout O.J. Mayo had 15 points.

Josh Powell added 13 points in a reserve role for the Lakers, prompting Coach Phil Jackson to say, "He has been our most reliable substitute this year off the bench. He is shooting the ball well and he is much more comfortable playing in this offense. He knows the niches he can find and our players know how to use him well, too."

The Lakers are 5-1; the Grizzlies are 1-5.

Kobe Bryant hit a jump shot late in the half that gave him 14 points in the game and 24,000 for his career. At 31 years, 75 days, he is the youngest player in league history to reach the milestone. Wilt Chamberlain was 31 years, 113 days when he scored his 24,000th point. Bryant finished the half with a team-leading 16 points. The Lakers were without Pau Gasol (strained right hamstring) and Andrew Bynum (strained right elbow). DJ Mbenga started in place of Bynum, who was hurt in Wednesday's OT win at Houston.

Ron Artest wasn't happy that Charles Barkley criticized him Thursday for his many off-the-court pursuits, just after TNT showed a feature on the Lakers' forward. So, Artest spent most of Friday afternoon blasting Barkley on his Twitter feed. Artest then vented for nearly 12 minutes to reporters before tonight's game against Memphis.

Andrew Bynum underwent an MRI exam today that revealed he suffered a strained right elbow when Houston's Chuck Hayes smacked him in the closing seconds of the Lakers' overtime victory Wednesday night. Bynum was said to be doubtful to play in Friday's game against the Memphis Grizzlies. He did not practice today and left the gym with an electronic stimulating device on his injured elbow.

Meanwhile, Pau Gasol practiced with his teammates for the first time since suffering a setback on his strained right hamstring Oct. 14. He said he is "very doubtful" to play Friday. Gasol also said he might be ready to play Sunday against the New Orleans Hornets, and if not then, then he could play Thursday against the Phoenix Suns.

If neither Bynum nor Gasol can play Friday, then DJ Mbenga might start at center. It's also possible that Lamar Odom could move from power forward to center, with perhaps Josh Powell or Luke Walton filling his spot in the starting lineup.

HOUSTON -- It turned out that Andrew Bynum suffered a sprained right elbow when Houston's Chuck Hayes fouled him in the closing seconds of overtime tonight. Bynum went to the free throw line and made one of two free throws, giving the Lakers a 103-102 lead that held up. Bynum later said, "The elbow sucks. I can hardly lift it up. We'll take (X-rays) and see what they say. They took a whack at me and that was that."

HOUSTON -- Derek Fisher stripped the ball from a driving Trevor Ariza in the dying seconds of the overtime and the Lakers held on for a one-point victory over the Rockets. Fisher did not score in the game. Ariza had 15 points, including the 3-pointer that sent the game to overtime tied at 92-all. Kobe Bryant led the Lakers with 41 points on 15-for-30 shooting, one night after he had 31 points in their overtime victory over Oklahoma City. Andrew Bynum scored 17 points, including the go-ahead free throw with 24.7 left in OT. He also had 17 rebounds. Ron Artest had 15 points in his return to Houston.

HOUSTON -- The Lakers didn't lack for chances, but couldn't capitalize on them during a lackluster first half that featured their first look at Trevor Ariza in a Rockets uniform and the Rockets first look at Ron Artest in a Lakers uniform.Neither was a significant factor. Ariza had six points on 2-for-10 shooting in the first half; Artest had five points on 2-for-5 shooting. Kobe Bryant led the Lakers with 17 points, and Andrew Bynum had 10. Carl Landry led the Rockets with 14 points. The Lakers shot 37.5 percent in the first half.

HOUSTON -- Medical personnel from near and far checked the MRI taken of Pau Gasol's right hamstring and everyone agreed it was nothing more than a strain that's now healed. Gasol was cleared to resume normal basketball activities, but he will not play tonight against the Houston Rockets. He is expected to practice Thursday, assuming the Lakers conduct one after flying home late tonight from Texas. Lakers coach Phil Jackson was uncertain whether Gasol could play Friday against his former team, the Memphis Grizzlies. "I'm sure he would love to play against Memphis," Jackson said. In addition to the Lakers' medical staff, Gasol had doctors in his native Spain also check the results of the MRI.

OKLAHOMA CITY -- Is it true? Sasha Vujacic would neither confirm nor deny reports that he is dating tennis superstar Maria Sharapova. He said he liked tennis, then he directed a handful of reporters to "Go ask Lamar about his personal life. I'm sure he wants to talk about it." Lamar Odom married reality television star Khloe Kardashian a few days before training camp opened in late September. Odom has revealed little about their wedding.

So, is the Machine dating Maria? The Machine wouldn't say for sure.

When told Sharapova "is very nice," Vujacic said, "I know."

When told Sharapova "is very smart," he responded, "I know."

Moments earlier, Lakers public relations czar John Black busted Vujacic's chops for keeping his relationship a secret from him. "I thought you were my guy," Black said, laughing as Vujacic smiled and turned a darker shade of crimson.

OKLAHOMA CITY -- Kobe Bryant, playing despite a sore throat, scored 31 points, Andrew Bynum added 22 points and 10 rebounds and Ron Artest scored 20 points and played superb defense on Kevin Durant as the Lakers defeated the Thunder tonight. Durant scored 28 points on 10-for-19 shooting through three quarters, but with Artest hounding him, he went scoreless on 0-for-5 shooting in the fourth quarter plus overtime.

OKLAHOMA CITY -- Andrew Bynum scored 16 points and Kobe Bryant had 14 as the Lakers held a narrow lead at halftime tonight at the Ford Center. The Lakers led by as many as 13 points in the first half. The Thunder led only once, at 41-40. The Lakers went on a 12-0 run after losing the lead, but Oklahoma City roared back before the break. Kevin Durant led the Thunder with 20 points on 6-for-10 shooting. Ron Artest checked Durant.

OKLAHOMA CITY -- Kobe Bryant came down with a fever and a sore throat last night, but the fever is gone and he's expected to play tonight against the Thunder despite still having a sore throat. Pau Gasol underwent an MRI on his strained right hamstring Monday, but the Lakers are still awaiting the results. A sonogram taken recently indicated he might have suffered a tear. Gasol won't play tonight or Wednesday at Houston.

Pau Gasol had an MRI exam performed on his injured right hamstring this morning. The results won't be available until Tuesday. The Lakers also said Gasol recently underwent a sonogram that showed a possible tear with Coach Phil Jackson telling reporters after practice today, "The last diagnostic test we did showed he had a slight tear, so we wanted to see what that progress was. I think it's going to turn out really well."

Our friend Sam Smith, who nows writes on Bulls.com after a stellar career covering the league for the Chicago Tribune, has a gut feeling LeBron James will end up signing with the Lakers when he becomes a free agent next summer. Now, you must remember that Sam likes to toss things out there without any facts to back up his theories. He admits this is another of those times, but he lays out the scenario this way:

"The Lakers certainly have no salary cap room. They are in no position to pay James, which remains the No. 1 priority for all free agents. James just has to explain to the Cavs he's leaving. If they don't accommodate him, he's going to New York or Miami and they get nothing. But if they do in a sign and trade to save the franchise, they get a young, potential All-Star center in Andrew Bynum. Maybe Lamar Odom as well or Ron Artest. Draft picks, some pieces like Jordan Farmar. The Cavs can compete in the East with a star center and some pieces added to what they have. It's better than nothing as cap room doesn't mean anything in Cleveland. No one's going there.

"Look, I believe James has no idea yet what he wants to do next summer. But I also believe the Lakers' scenario makes the most sense for him if he wants a chance to be considered among the greatest winners of all-time. I believe that's what he's about now, and he accomplishes that only with the Lakers."

Hardly a surprise, but neither Jordan Farmar nor Adam Morrison received a contract extension by today's deadline. They will each become restricted free agents July 1, with the Lakers able to match any outside offers they might receive. Farmar, a guard, and Morrison, a forward, are backups with a great deal to prove in 2009-10. It's a good situation for the players and for the Lakers.

Ron Artest had his best game with the Lakers, scoring 12 points and adding seven rebounds and four assists. Artest also played lockdown defense on Joe Johnson of the Hawks, who had 18 points in the first quarter but only nine after Artest began guarding him in the second quarter. Kobe Bryant scored 41 points on 15-for-29 shooting, and Andrew Bynum had 21 points. Lamar Odom had 11 points, 14 rebounds and eight assists. Johnson had 27 points on 8-for-16 shooting for the Hawks, and Jamal Crawford added 17 points.

The Lakers had a tough time stopping Atlanta's Joe Johnson in the first half and the Hawks had a tough time stopping Kobe Bryant. Johnson scored 20 points on 7-for-10 shooting and added five rebounds for the Hawks. Bryant countered with 19 points on 8-for-17 shooting and two rebounds for the the Lakers. Andrew Bynum added 10 points for the Lakers. He should score at will against the undersized Hawks, but was only 4-for-9.

The Lakers say they still have no idea when Pau Gasol might make his season debut. He sat out tonight for the third consecutive game because of a strained right hamstring. He said he would join the team for its trip to play at Oklahoma City on Tuesday and Houston on Wednesday. He also said of his injury, "It's not going away. We didn't anticipate that it was going to be that way. So, it was hard for a few days, but I accepted it. Now I'm doing what it takes to get back. I wasn't thinking it would be that bad, but it turned out to be that way. ... Maybe it was an isolated play that could happen to anybody."