November 20th, 2005
Chicago (103) at LA Lakers (111)
Lakers defend home court
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Boxscore ]
Kobe Bryant scored an easy 24 points on 10/18 shooting as the Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Chicago Bulls 111-103. The Bulls, who had been plagued by foul trouble all night long, got a season best 12 points and 10 assists from reserve guard Chris Duhon who led a third quarter run that had his team up by one heading into the fourth. The Lakers however would not be denied on their home floor, outscoring Chicago 31-22 in the final period to secure the win.
The Lakers had a balanced attack, with five players scoring in double digits including 14 by Luke Walton off the bench. Kwame Brown also saw productive minutes starting at centre, scoring 9 points and grabbing 15 rebounds. Smush Parker struggled from the field but still came up with 16 points, in addition to handing out 9 assists and snaring 5 rebounds.
Chicago trailed at the end of the first two quarters, but captured the lead during a furious third quarter in which they outscored Los Angeles 34-28. Duhon, seeing more playing time as Gordon sat with foul trouble, led the Bulls attack scoring all 12 of his points in the period as well as handing out 8 of his 10 assists. His late steal also led to a fast break basket that gave Chicago the lead at the end of the third.
But the lead would be short lived. The Lakers opened the quarter with five easy points and never trailed again. A late burst as the Bulls found themselves in the penalty allowed Los Angeles to seal the victory with three minutes remaining. A wild Staples Center crowd alternated between chants of "Kobe!" and "M-V-P!" every time the star guard touched the ball in the final quarter.
November 21st, 2005
AI, Flash to miss time
Star guard Allen Iverson is expected to be sidelined a week with a lower back strain, sustained in the Sixers' 99-90 loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers last night. Iverson had 22 points and 9 assists before leaving the game in visible pain. He did not return. Third year sensation Dwyane Wade is also expected to miss up to two weeks with an injured calf muscle. Wade came up limping in the third quarter of the Miami Heat's 103-84 victory over the Toronto Raptors. He returned for three minutes in the fourth but was clearly in pain, exiting the game with 6:47 remaining.
Coach's Diary
November 21st - It might be time
Last night's collapse might just be the last straw. I think it's time to start looking at Plan B. Our defense was awful, we gave up 23 offensive boards and even though we shot over 50% for the game, we couldn't make our shots when we needed them the most. It's time for a few changes to be made. I know it's only 10 games in, but I expected us to be much better even at this early stage of the season. It's time to explore other options.