LAKERS LATEST

LOS ANGELES LAKERS 90-87 OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER



The new look Oklahoma City weren't exactly a breeze for the Lake Show today but the Lakers still took advantage of them on their own court with a 90-87 checkmate. This game came down to a last few seconds and chess moves as Kevin Durant and James Harden both failed to put winning 3-point checks on the board. Lamar Odom missed a pair of free throws with 10 seconds left but thanks to a cold final countdown of the game, the Lakers win and seed above the Thunder in the Western Conference was safe. The Lakers stand at third out west, 4 and a half games above Oklahoma. Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum coupled and doubled up for L.A. Pau had 18 points and 11 rebounds, while Bynum had 16 and 10. Kobe also added 17 as the Lakers overcame Russell Westbrook's 22 points and Kevin Durant's 21. The game was close throughout but when the Thunders last storm didn't turn to rain, the team of a thousand lakes whetted the competition. TIM DAVID HARVEY.

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LOS ANGELES LAKERS 108-95 LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS



In the U.K they would call this a derby and in Los Angeles, California, USA the cities two teams met for the third and last time this regular season. Still with these improving, playoff contending Clippers who knows if they'll meet the reigning champion Lakers again this post-season. The first time these two met Fisher hit a buzzer beating lay-up to win the game for the Lakers, but in the last-game the Clippers bested the Lakers in a worse loss for the Lake Show. Still the Clippers may have won the battle but the Lakers won the war and the season series last night with a 108-95 win. Last night the floor was the Lakers in more ways then one. Bryant recorded a jersey number 24 points despite suffering a minor elbow injury. Bryant had hit his funny bone hard in the second quarter but came back in the third to show he was no joke with 18 points. "Kobe kind of faked them out with that dead-arm thing and then scored a lot of points," coach Jackson said of Kobe's second-half hustle. Bynum also doubled up for the Lakers with Bynum had 16 points and 11 rebounds, while Gasol added 22 of his own points. NBA man of the moment Blake Griffin put on a show with 22 points and 10 rebounds but still he couldn't stop the showtime and had to give it up to Kobe. "That's why he's one of the best," Blake said of Kobe's elbow to the Clippers. I guess that's adding compliment to injury. TIM DAVID HARVEY.

LAKERS LATEST

LOS ANGELES LAKERS 106-101 PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS



Brandon Roy was Back in black, white and red for the Blazers but the Lakers beat them in black and white with a 106-101 win last night. After winning at home on November 7th, Los Angeles beat Portland on their trail. Kobe continued his latest Kobe like form with 37 points as the Lakers came back from 10 down to close out the Oregon team in overtime by two three's from Q.B.'s Lamar Odom and Ron Artest, a hook from Gasol and a clutch Kobe J that ended Portland's chorus. Despite LaMarcus Aldridge's 29 points and 14 rebounds the Trailblazers couldn't extend their hot, six game winning streak. At least their sell-out crowd saw their star back, as Brandon Roy received a standing 'O'. His coming back party was ruined by the Lake Show. TIM DAVID HARVEY.

LAKERS LATEST

LOS ANGELES LAKERS 104-80 ATLANTA HAWKS



(Josh Powell, NBA Finals 2010)

104-80. Now that's more like it. Speaking of rebounding the Lakers needed to bounce back and make a statement that they where still the reigning champion and by routing contender Atlanta they did that. The Lake Show had the talons to law the Hawks by 24 ending a 3 game losing streak. Coming off an All-Star MVP at home in Los Angeles, Kobe scored 20 in the Lakers return to Staples. Fellow All-Star Gasol added 14 points and 10 rebounds, doubling up in strength in numbers. All-franchise Joe Johnson scored 14 for the ATL, but Shannon Brown had 14 off the bench as the Lakers matched everything Atlanta had. The only bright-spot for the Hawks came before the game when reserve and last year Laker, Josh Powell was presented with his championship ring. Coach Jackson praised the hard-worker for his practice intensity and contributions to the championship. TIM DAVID HARVEY.

LAKERS LATEST

Now we are into the second-half of the season the men will really be seperated from the boys, or the contenders from the lottery picks that is. The reigning top dog, the Los Angeles Lakers and their doberman Kobe Bryant look to bounce back after a disappointing first half to the season. After hosting the All-Star game in L.A., after his Staples MVP performance Kobe Bryant has a warning for the league, "You can’t beat me in June"! The whole purple and gold half of Los Angeles (Blake's really bringing out the blue and red) is behind their Lakers including, Snoop Dogg who has recorded a new song 'Purp & Yellow'. Following his 'Lakers Theme' of years past, the Doggfather hopes to bring L.A. more luck with his new track which features The Game. The video of the song features Laker players, Shannon Brown and Ron Artest. Two guys no stranger to music videos after vying for the beautiful, talented Toni Braxton in her clip last year. The video also features Matt Barnes who has returned to practice this Monday for the Lakers. The X-factor defensive back-up who can play the 2 or the 3 will be an assett for the Lakers to have back as they try and overcome their liabilities. TIM DAVID HARVEY.

LAKERS LATEST

We told you there was more thrills and spills to come. Now the All-Star events are 'so' last weekend, as a blockbuster has hit our NBA TV screens. Carmelo Anthony is finally no longer a Denver Nugget. So all the talk will stop now right? NO! Believe me it's only getting started. The Showtime is now over in L.A, as 'melo has made his way out East, and not to New Jersey. Carmelo has headed to the core of Manhatten to play for the New York Knicks, making this most-improved team stellar and giving them a real good chance of overcoming Florida rivals Miami Heat and their 'superfriends' or even reigning Eastern champs, Boston. Chauncey Billups is also donning, blue and orange giving the Knicks another Mecca talent for Madison Square Garden. This sleeper part of the trade gives the Knicks, their own group of 'superfriends' and who knos Chris Paul may still be on his way this Summer too. More talent is coming New York's way with top backups Anthony Carter and Shelden Williams, plus former Knickerbocker favourite Renaldo Balkman is back in MSG. N.Y. still lose a crop of popular talent that helped them go far in the form of Raymond Felton, Danilo Gallinari, Wilson Chandler, and Timofey Mozgov, plus many draft picks to the Nuggets, but they also send Eddy Curry's expiring contract to Minnesota in exchange for the dunking, sparking talents of Corey Brewer. New York basketball is looking as bright and ignited as Times Square on New Year right now. It's another new day. TIM DAVID HARVEY.

LAKERS LATEST: ALL-STAR SPECIAL

Kobe Bryant isn't just the king of L.A. he's the king of the NBA. Bryant tied legend Bob Petit with four NBA All-Star MVP's (a record tie) on his home-court, the Staples Centre of the Los Angeles Lakers. The man who last shared the honors with former team-mate Shaq and also won in his hometown Philadelphia led the West to an epic 148-143 win over the Eastern All-Stars. Kobe tallied 37 points and 14 rebounds, going toe-to-toe with eastern rival LeBron James of favourite Miami who had 29 points, 12 rebounds and 10 assists, matching Michael Jordan as one of the only players to record a triple-double in an All-Star game. The East could have taken it but last years All-Star MVP, Dwyane Wade left with an ankle injury after scoring 14. One thing was for certain though, it was another classic All-Star for the ages and in what will probably be the last All-Star game for Kobe in Los Angeles, a fitting chapter closure to one of the stories of his L.A. times. TIM DAVID HARVEY.