Kobe Bryant Buries Bucks At Home

LOS ANGELES, CA– Kobe Bryant’s play in crunch time allowed the Los Angeles Lakers to seal a close game against the Bucks.

Bryant scored 10 points in the final quarter, including a clutch steal with 42.6 seconds remaining that led to two freethrows, as he closed out the game for good. Bryant once again put on a spectacular show, finishing with 30 points, 5 assists, 6 rebounds and 3 steals. On top of this, Kobe’s relentless defensive pressure held Milwaukee shooting guard Michael Redd to just 6 points on 1/8 shooting.

Bryant’s partner in crime, Lamar Odom, recorded a near double-double, adding 17 points and 9 rebounds. Odom once again used his versatility and speed to penetrate the opponent’s defense and proved to be a reliable second option for the Lakers on offense. Odom would shoot 8/12 from the night, as most of his shots came on layups.

Also starting in the Laker frontcourt, Caron Butler contributed 16 points, 4 steals and 4 assists for the Lakers. Butler capitolized on the run-n-gun strategy of the Lakers and consistently ran the break in order to get good baskets. Butler has provided consistent outside shooting for the Lakers as well throughout the season, and certified his consistency yet again, making 7/13 shots. His speed caused many problems for the Bucks on defense and helped the Lakers out-run the opposition.

Also coming up big was Lakers center Chris Mihm, who scored 12 points, blocked 5 shots and grabbed 7 rebounds. Mihm was very effective playing the pick and roll with the Laker guards as well as cutting to the basket for high-percentage shots. The Laker big man routinely has stepped up his game at Staples so far this year.

Vlade Divac made his first appearance this season, marking the first time he sported the purple and gold jerseys ironically since being traded for Kobe Bryant prior to the ‘96-’97 season. Vlade received a warm welcome from the Staples Center fans as he entered the game. Divac played just 5 minutes, all in the 2nd quarter, and recorded one foul. Vlade appeared somewhat lost in his Laker re-debut, but is sure to make improvements throughout the season and become a solid contributor to the Lakers.

Off the bench, Laker guard Tierre Brown may have had his breakout game. In just 14 minutes, Brown scored 8 points and handed out 6 assists. Tierre provided the spark the Lakers needed to re-gain the lead in the fourth and final period. Brown often would penetrate and kick to the open man, whether in the paint or on the perimeter. When the Laker offense was at a standstill, head coach Rudy Tomjanovich called upon Brown to give them a boost off the pine.

Brian Cook also was a key contributor off the bench for the Lakers. Cook continued his solid outside shooting, scoring 9 points on 4/7 shooting in his 19 minutes on the floor.

The Lakers now move to 7-5 and look to take on their former rivals, the Sacramento Kings (7-4) at Staples Center on Friday night. The Kings currently hold a 1/2 game lead on the Lakers in the Pacific division, making this contest crucial for early positioning in the standings. As always, we will have live Gameday coverage here on CL.com.

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