Los Angeles Lakers end two-game skid with win against the Milwaukee Bucks
The Los Angeles Lakers (9-2) snapped a two-game losing streak, beating the Milwaukee Bucks (5-6) 118-107 on Tuesday 16 November at the Bradley Center in Milwaukee.
The Lakers, who opened the season with eight straight wins, got the win thanks to another stellar performance by Kobe Bryant, who finished with 31 points and seven rebounds, going 11-for-11
from the free throw line. Shannon Brown, who was 4-for-5 from three-point range, scored 16 of his 21 points in the fourth quarter while Pau Gasol had another double-double, finishing with 18 points and 10 rebounds. Lamar Odom had a solid all-around game with
13 points, seven rebounds, and six assists while point guard Derek Fisher finished with 10 points on the night, going 2-for-2 from deep.
Power forward Drew Gooden had his best game of the year for the Bucks, finishing with 22 points and 13 rebounds while Brandon Jennings had a team-high 31 points to go along with six assists.
Corey Maggette led all Milwaukee bench players with 15 points in 15 minutes of action while starters John Salmons and Andrew Bogut chipped in with 10 and 12 points, respectively. Bogut, averaging 11.3 rebounds per game, pulled down a game-high 18 boards, including
nine on the offensive glass.
Los Angeles outscored the Bucks 32-29 in the opening quarter but Milwaukee fought back in the second quarter, entering the break up 59-57. The game was tight until Bryant went on a tear,
scoring seven straight points for the Lakers. With Bryant scoring 13 of his 31 points in the third frame, the Lakers entered the final quarter with a 13-point lead.
And if the third quarter belonged to Bryant, the final 12 minutes belonged to Brown, who has said he wants to be the NBA Sixth Man of the Year. Brown totaled 16 points in the fourth quarter
alone, and gave his team a 104-90 lead when he hit a three-pointer midway through the quarter. After a 7-0 run by the Bucks, Brown hit another three to give the Lakers some breathing room down the stretch.
What they said
Brown’s dominant fourth quarter drew some kind words from Bryant.
"He's even a better shooter than he was last year," Bryant said. "You see him now making plays off the dribble, making plays for others, passing off the dribble. He continues to get better.
This is just the beginning for him."
Gooden seemed to agree that the play of Brown made the difference in the game.
"Shannon was so efficient out there for them. Seven of nine from the field, 21 points, 21 minutes, zero turnovers coming off the bench; that's an efficient game coming off the bench,"
Gooden said.
Bryant said his team’s defence improved in the second half.
"We talked about it at halftime, doing a better job defensively, we were really poor in the first half, just giving layup after layup. It was good. It was not what we're used to doing,
but it's a step in that direction."
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