Below is a running diary of L.A.’s first Sunday home game, meaning the debut of their white uniforms, with some comments drawn from our @LakersReporter Twitter account, and a few more details in case you missed any of the action:
Starters
Lakers: Fisher, Bryant, Artest, Odom and Gasol
Warriors: Monta Ellis, Reggie Williams*, Dorrell Wright, David Lee, Andris Biedrins
*Williams started in place of Stephen Curry, who aggravated a
sprained ankle suffered against the Lakers in Golden State’s
final preseason game in the Warriors Friday win over Houston.
FIRST QUARTER
7:49 To say that it was all Lakers early doesn’t do the
home team’s 14-2 push to start the game justice, as L.A.
seemingly picked from where it wanted to score, and held the Warriors
to 1-of-7 shooting at the other end. In their home white jerseys (for
Sundays and holidays), the Lakers boasted a matchup advantage at nearly
every position.
2:13 Among those matchup edges: Ellis guarding Bryant, Lee on Odom and Biedrins on Gasol. Odom opened with five points, four boards and four assists, while Bryant had eight in a 26-12 lead. L.A.’s bigs were dominating the offensive boards to impressive effect as well, grabbing seven for a 15-8 edge on the glass.
0:00 It was a nearly flawless quarter for the twice defending champs, who rode Odom’s 11 points, seven boards and four assists plus ten point and four rebounds from Bryant to a 34-14 lead. L.A.’s 45 percent from the field wasn’t particularly outstanding, but the eight offensive boards (five from Odom) made that null and void.
SECOND QUARTER
8:57 Golden State did find a bit of life to start the second,
scoring the first eight points of the period to cut just a bit into
L.A.’s lead. The Lakers had yet to score a point in the first
three plus minutes of the quarter, as the second unit of Steve Blake,
Shannon Brown, Matt Barnes, Devin Ebanks and Theo Ratliff weren’t
getting much going in the half court (0-for-9). Blake even committed
his first turnover of the season, getting stripped in transition.
Perhaps too much pregame Halloween candy for the subs?
4:00 Golden State’s big offseason acquisition, David Lee, was oddly quiet in the first half, taking only one shot (and missing) while being outrebounded by Odom 10 to two. Lee didn’t want any part of Odom on defense, either, playing 10 feet off him to avoid being driven around and thus giving up wide-open looks on L.O.’s two three-pointers.
0:00 In six minutes, the starters managed to put the lead
right back at the 20-point margin they’d built after the first
quarter, though a three-pointer in the final seconds from Charlie Bell
made it a 56-38 margin at the break. The three-headed monster of Gasol
(16 points, five rebounds), Odom (13 points, 10 rebounds, four assists)
and Bryant (14 points, five rebounds) that outscored G.S. on its own
(43-38).
THIRD QUARTER
9:52 Things weren’t much different from the first half
early in the third quarter as Bryant and Gasol exchanged easy hoops
inside. Moments later, Gasol joined Odom in double-double territory
with 21 points and 11 rebounds. He’s good.
3:46 Fisher broke a 12-1 Warriors run (finally, signs of life) with a corner three to put the Lakers up 16, as L.A. looked a bit bored running up and down with a suddenly infused-by-energy Golden State team.
0:00 Despite a much better quarter for the visitors, Golden State managed to chip only one point off L.A.’s 18-point halftime lead, the Purple and Gold taking an 81-64 lead into the final stanza. The Lakers had gotten only six total points off its bench at that point, and Phil Jackson put the 3 B’s, or the "Killer B’s” if you like (Blake, Barnes and Brown, of course) in alongside Gasol and Artest to start the fourth.
FOURTH QUARTER
10:00 A quick 6-0 run forced G.S. coach Keith Smart to take a
time out, his team down by 20+ once again, and perhaps more importantly
allowed the Lakers to watch a Laker Girl routine performed in Halloween
costumes.
6:50 Subs in. All of ‘em, including rookies Derrick Caracter and Devin Ebanks, plus Brown, Barnes and Vujacic. In related news, the Lakers had a 25-point lead.
0:00 Despite Golden State’s eight straight points to conclude the game, the Lakers still won by 24 points. Nothing of consequence happened in the final minutes, though Barnes, Ebanks, Vujacic and Caracter combined for 18 points off the pine.
Your final from a breezy victory: Lakers 107, Warriors 83.
L.A. is back in action for the rare Tuesday/Wednesday home/road double header with Memphis at STAPLES and Sacramento at the state capital.