Chicago Bulls, Portland Trail Blazers and Los Angeles Lakers Win: NBA Tuesday Roundup – (Part 2)
Los Angeles Lakers edge past Phoenix Suns 139-137
Kobe Bryant scored a season-high 42 points as the Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Phoenix Suns 139-137 at the Staples Centre on Tuesday night. Bryant also contributed 12 rebounds and nine assists in the Lakers seventh consecutive victory.
Lamar Odom paced the Lakers with 29 points, a team-high 16 rebounds and five assists. Pau Gasol added 24 points and pulled down 13 rebounds, while forward Ron Artest finished with 18 points for the victors.
Channing Frye scored a career-high 32 points and 14 rebounds for Phoenix. Meanwhile, Marcin Gortat came off the bench with 24 points and 16 rebounds in the defeat. Steve Nash finished with 19 points and a game-high 20 assists for the Suns, who lost their
34th game of the 2010-11 season.
The Suns held a 31-27 lead after going into the second quarter but the Lakers converted the deficit into a 66-60 lead at half time. Los Angeles extended that lead to 95-86, heading into the final stanza.
Phoenix tried to get back in the game and went on a 12-3 run early in the fourth quarter to make it a one-point contest. Both teams played the rest of the quarter at a crisp pace and tied the game at 112, pushing the game to overtime.
The Suns opened overtime (OT) on a 4-2 run to tie the game at 116. Artest then hit a tiebreaking three-pointer to put the Lakers ahead by 119-116. However, both teams scored nine points apiece in the first OT to tie the game again at 121.
Lamar Odom appreciated the sizzling play by Artest on the night. He said, “A basket in those situations is worth 20 points as far as what it does for the team. He made some big plays, especially sometimes when we get in that isolation with Kobe and (the
other team) starts hanging off (us) and it is time for somebody to drive the ball and make a play. Ron is tough."
In the second overtime, the Lakers went on a 6-2 run to take a 127-123 lead, but the Suns then scored the next seven points to take a two-point lead. Los Angeles answered with a pair of free throws by Gasol in the dying seconds of OT to tie the game at 130
apiece.
Gortat opened the third quarter with a pair of free throws to put the Suns ahead by 132-130 but the Lakers scored seven unanswered points to go ahead by 137-132 with one minute to go. Frye then hit a breath-taking three-pointer to go ahead by 137-135.
Bryant’s floating jump shot extended the Lakers lead to 139-135 with just 14 seconds remaining. Carter’s driving lay-up in the closing seconds was not enough to overcome the Lakers lead.
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