News, notes and quotes

Actually, there wasn't much news beyond Amare Stoudemire's statement that Lamar Odom had a "lucky game in Game 1," when Odom scored 19 points and grabbed 19 rebounds in the Lakers' rout of the Phoenix Suns. Odom responded with a shrug, refusing to fire back despite numerous chances to do so.

Pau Gasol showed off a nice shiner under his right eye, the result of a collision with Grant Hill during a scramble for a loose ball in the third quarter of Game 1. Gasol said it didn't hurt and didn't think it made him look tougher than Steve Nash, who also has a black eye.

Coach Phil Jackson said the expected the Suns to make a significant adjustment for Game 2, double-teaming Kobe Bryant earlier in an attempt to get the ball out of his hands. Bryant dropped 40 points on the Suns on Monday night, including 21 in the third quarter.

Bryant has scored 30 points or more in six consecutive games, the longest streak in the NBA playoffs since former Lakers center Shaquille O'Neal had seven straight games of 30 or more during a stretch of contests in 2002 and '03.

Jackson and Gasol continued to answer questions about Arizona's tough new immigration law. Yawn. Wait, that's not my true response. I do have some serious feelings about the law, but I'll keep them to myself since this is sports and not politics. I just wish come of my colleagues would give it a rest.

Oh, and Andrew Bynum (knee) did not practice. I guess that's not exactly news, is it?