Lakers Hold Off Warriors

By BRETT POLLAKOFF

Updated 8:41 AM PST, Thu, Jan 8, 2009

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There was no Lamar Odom in the Lakers' lineup when the team took the floor against the Warriors, and at least for a while, there was no problem. L.A. got off to a fast start and a double-digit first half lead, only to see it completely evaporate before they were able to come back to win by a score of 114-106.

Initially, the Lakers took charge of this one late in the first quarter, when they went on a 15-0 run to turn a one point deficit into a comfortable 34-20 lead. L.A. continued to roll a while longer, extending their advantage to as many as 17 points before the Warriors went on an 11-0 run of their own, which helped trim the deficit to just five points at the half.

The Warriors continued their push in the third quarter, gaining the lead a few minutes in and holding onto it to start the fourth. But by then the Lakers were ready to take control, and did so thanks mostly to the play of Pau Gasol.

Gasol made up for his subpar performance in the previous game by going off against the Warriors for 33 points, including 14 in the decisive final period. He added a career high 18 rebounds, and the way that the Lakers dominated inside, it's almost as if they learned something from their loss the night before to the Hornets.

Against New Orleans, the Lakers shot a ridiculous amount of three-pointers (34), and went a woeful 3-11 from downtown as the game got away from them in the fourth quarter. Tonight however, the team attempted only 19 threes, and used the combination of Gasol and Andrew Bynum to punish an undersized Warriors team inside. Bynum finished with an above average line of 18 points and 11 rebounds.

Vladimir Radmanovic got the start in place of the injured Luke Walton for the second consecutive night, and did little to help the team from that spot in either of the two games. He went scoreless against a Warriors team not exactly known for their defense, and had just three points on 1-7 shooting in the previous game against the Hornets. Phil Jackson has a day to decide what (if anything) he's going to do about it though, as the Lakers next game isn't until Friday when they'll face an Indiana Pacers team that's already beaten them once this season.