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Lakers Smush Warriors

Authored by Scott Essman - January 16, 2006 - 1:41 am

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When the Lakers present a balanced offensive attack - with other players supplementing Kobe Bryant's scoring prowess - they seem to get victories. This has been happening more often than not over the last two dozen games - a stretch during which they won 15 and lost nine. It happened again Saturday night in Oakland, as the Lakers beat the Golden State Warriors, 110-104.

Of course, Bryant, the NBA's leading scorer, provided his on-court pyrotechnics again, scoring 38 points, collecting seven rebounds and making seven assists.

However, in his greatest game as a Laker, guard Smush Parker contributed vitally as well. Parker, a former NY playground legend, scored 24 points, made 12 rebounds, and got six assists. Undrafted out of Fordham University in the Bronx, New York, Parker was disregarded in his first three seasons, including stints with Cleveland, Detroit, and Phoenix. This season, his fourth, he is arguably the Lakers' second most integral player, with all deference to the improved but inconsistent Lamar Odom (in Oakland on Saturday, Odom scored only two points on 1-8 shooting).

However, the Lakers received their balanced offense from other sources against the Warriors. In his own best game as a Laker, center/forward Kwame Brown scored 18 points and got 12 rebounds. Brown, who sometimes looks like a castoff from the old CBA, was at times flawless on Saturday. Center Chris Mihm, who started at center while Brown started at power forward, also scored key points, getting 12 for the game.

On this particular evening, the Lakers needed their scoring as much as possible, as the striking Warriors backcourt of Baron Davis and Jason Richardson combined for 61 points. Arguably, the Warriors tandem represents the best backcourt in the NBA.

Hardly a tuneup for their Monday night home game against the Heat, the Lakers-Warriors affair was competitive and indecisive through much of the game.

Without his supporting cast, Bryant's team would have certainly struggled for victory if not attained it at all.