The Los Angeles Lakers pulled together to win their second straight contest without Kobe Bryant with a 101-89 victory over the San Antonio Spurs on Monday.
Pau Gasol had a versatile effort with 21 points, 19 boards, eight assists and five blocks while Lamar Odom had 16 points and 10 rebounds for the defending NBA champions.
Los Angeles (40-13) were not only without Bryant, who has missed two straight games because of an injured left ankle, but starting center Andrew Bynum was also absent with a hip ailment.
PHOTO: REUTERS
“We have quality players and with Kobe and Andrew out we had to play hard and play team basketball,” Gasol told reporters. “You have to fight through. That’s what the NBA is about.”
Despite a good start, the Spurs (29-21) could not take advantage and slumped to a third defeat in their last five games, with Manu Ginobili getting 21 points and Tony Parker 20 in the losing cause.
San Antonio scored the game’s first nine points and led by six after the first quarter, but the Lakers overhauled them and had a 50-47 lead at halftime. The Lakers then stretched the advantage and surged early in the fourth to go up by 11.
Los Angeles ended a five-year stretch without a win in Portland on Saturday and continued their balanced play in the absence of their leading scorer Bryant, with five players in double figures.
The role players stepped up while Bryant gets a well-needed rest after playing through various injuries this season. His absence on Saturday was the first game he has missed since 2007 and he is currently listed as day-to-day.
“If I’m not able to play I won’t play and If I am I will — it’s as easy as that,” Bryant said. “If [Sunday’s] All-Star game were today I could not play in it. I’m just trying to push out inflammation and trying to minimize the pain and increase the range. It’s a process.”
The defeat for the Spurs meant they slipped into a tie with the Oklahoma City Thunder for sixth place in the Western Conference.
Off-season acquisition Richard Jefferson struggled again, managing only nine points on 2-for-9 shooting.
■MAGIC V HORNETS
AFP, ORLANDO, FLORIDA
Vince Carter came close to his all-time best score with a 48-point total to steer the Orlando Magic to a 123-117 win over the New Orleans Hornets on Monday.
“That was incredible. That was unbelievable,” Orlando coach Stan Van Grundy said.
Orlando were 17 points down at half-time, but Carter turned on the heat with 34 points from 27 attempts in a blistering final spell.
The guard’s blitz included six three-pointers that brought the Magic level with six minutes left.
Then Carter, coming back from a bleak spell of form, killed off the Hornets in the last minute with two free throws for a personal total just four points off beating his all time record of 51. It was by far his best showing since his arrival in Orlando from the New Jersey Nets in the inter-season.
“It was a great feeling,” Carter said. “When you’re rolling like that for your team, it’s a great feeling. We have so many weapons, and just because of that I never imagined to be able to come out here and have a game like that.”
“It’s been a while,” he said. “I’ve had rough months. That’s just how it goes. And I know the expectations, and you work so hard to have an impressive resume, so it’s expected each and every night. I understand that, and I don’t have a problem with that.”
Magic’s giant center Dwight Howard added 25 points and 12 rebounds for last year’s finalists to maintain Orlando’s improved run of nine wins from their last 11 games following a slow start of the year.
Van Gundy welcomed Carter’s return to form.
“I know one regular question I’m not getting tonight: ‘What’s wrong with Vince?’ Anybody got that question tonight?” he laughed.
In Monday’s other game, it was:
● Mavericks 127, Warriors 117
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