| Lakers Maul Grizzlies Authored by Scott Essman - December 14, 2005 - 11:07 pm
How badly did the Lakers maul the Memphis Grizzlies on Wednesday night in Memphis? So badly that they rested all five of their starters for the ENTIRE fourth quarter of the game. The rout rounded out a six-game road trip which saw the Lakers win five games. They are now 12-10 after starting the season 5-8.
Guard Kobe Bryant was clearly the star for the Lakers, scoring 27 points through three quarters, making a series of seemingly impossible acrobatic moves to the basket, drilling three-pointers, grabbing eight rebounds, and providing on-the-court energy for his teammates.
Other effective Lakers included forward Lamar Odom with 14 points, guard Smush Parker with 13 points, center Chris Mihm with seven points and eight rebounds in 20 minutes, and backup center Kwame Brown with nine points and six rebounds in 25 minutes.
From the beginning, the Lakers controlled the offensive flow of the game and often out-rebounded the Grizzlies. This renewed sense of intensity carried the Lakers through the final game on their current road trip. They come home now to play Washington on Friday, Houston next Sunday, and Dallas next Tuesday.
Should Phil Jackson finally have the Laker starters on the same page, Lakers fans may be in for a better season than expected, and doubters, including this reporter, will have to modify their previous predictions. |
