Warriors 108, Lakers 106
December 14th, 2007, 10:16 pm · Post a Comment · posted by KEVIN DING, OCREGISTER.COM
OAKLAND – The Lakers’ death grip over the Golden State Warriors loosened a bit Friday night.
The Lakers blew a seven-point halftime lead in a game that went down to the end with Kobe Bryant struggling with an apparent left quadiceps injury.
Bryant and Derek Fisher couldn’t hit the key shots for the Lakers down the stretch, but Stephen Jackson and Baron Davis did. Despite foul trouble, Davis had 22 points.
With Fisher shooting two foul shots – he made the second for a 104-103 Lakers lead – with 1:27 left, Lakers coach Phil Jackson chose to bench Bryant in favor of Trevor Ariza, who immediately nearly stole the ball as Golden State forced it to Davis.
But the Warriors still scored on Andris Biedrins’ tip-in for a 105-104 lead, and the Lakers were shaky without Bryant on offense. Lamar Odom tried to go solo and nearly lost the ball before casting up a wild 11-foot miss with 39.1 seconds left.
With Bryant standing on the sideline, Davis then nailed a top-of-the-key 3-pointer over Fisher and blew kisses to the crowd to celebrate the 108-104 lead.
The Lakers had been riding 9-0 and 14-1 streaks over the Warriors.
QUOTABLE
Phil Jackson had this to say – in apparent support – about Bryant’s leadership voice behind the scenes this season: “He has been barbaric on some of his teammates who need that type of activity, and he has been encouraging to guys who need encouragement.”
BARON BURNED
Playing with four fouls, Davis was called for a reach-in foul while trying to guard Luke Walton in the post and went to the bench with 6:34 left in the third quarter.
DID YOU SEE THAT?
When Biedrins was called for a foul setting a moving screen on Fisher, Warriors coach Don Nelson was so upset with referee John Goble that Nelson lost his ESPN microphone.
NEXT
Clippers at Lakers, 6:30 p.m. Sunday, FSN, KLAC/570
