Los Angeles Lakers bag fifth win behind Kobe Bryant’s triple-double
When Kobe Bryant said that he’s knee has already healed, eyebrows were raised including Phil Jackson’s, but five-time champion guard proved on Wednesday 3 November that he meant it.
The 32-year old guard recorded his 17th career triple-double to lead the Los Angeles Lakers to their fifth-straight win when they edged the Sacramento Kings, 112-100, at the Arco Arena in
Sacramento, California.
Bryant, who underwent a knee surgery during the off-season, scored 30 points, dished out 12 assists, and grabbed 10 rebounds, for his first triple-double performance since 21 January 2009,
which was recorded against the Los Angeles Clippers.
"I thought he might start off struggling to find some rhythm and he would build some rhythm as things went," Lakers starting point guard Derek Fisher said. "To see him play this well this
early, he's on my team, so that's good for me. But that's not good for everyone else when he's playing this good this early."
Pau Gasol also had a share of the spotlight as the Spanish centre racked up 22 points and 11 rebounds, while Lamar Odom continues to sizzle this season as the 11-year veteran power-forward
added 18 points and eight rebounds for the Lakers, who have scored at least 107 points in each of their five games this season.
"It's just picking up where we left off," Lakers head coach Phil Jackson said. "Kind of generating energy from the championship season and going out with a lot of knowledge of what we want
to do."
Tyreke Evans had 21 points on 10-for-17 shooting from the field, while Carl Landry, Francisco Garcia, and Beno Udrih scored 17 points each, with the latter had eight assists for the Kings,
who were within six points early in the third period.
However, the Lakers unleashed a 13-1 blast and led by as much as 20 points after a long-range bomb from Ron Artest, who finished the game with 17 points on 7-for-11 clip from the field.
Just as the Lakers thought that their night is already done, the Kings slowly chipped in to their lead and pulled within seven points, 99-92, but Fisher knocked in a three-point dagger and
had a crucial steal that led to a three-point play, extending the Lakers’ lead to 13 points, 105-92, with 3:14 left in the game.
"Big play Derek. The Yankees got Derek Jeter, we got Derek Fisher," said Odom on Fisher's six-point spurt down the stretch.
Los Angeles never looked back and handed the Kings' second defeat in their first five games, and also ended the talks about rekindling the two team’s rivalry a decade ago, when the Lakers
and the Kings are among the title contenders.
"The Lakers don't even know who we are right now," Kings head coach Paul Westphal said when asked about his thoughts on reviving the rivalry. "We would like to build a rivalry with the best
team in the world, but we've got to win some games before there's a rivalry. They're where we want to be."
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