Lakers vs. Nets: In-Game report

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Lakers 103, Nets 84 (final)

It became a highlight show for the Lakers in the fourth quarter.

And Kobe Bryant and Lamar Odom were right in the middle of it.

It began when Odom tipped in a shot that the public address announcer said was by Andrew Bynum.

Both were at the rim, but Odom raised his hand to let the announcer know it was him.

Later, Odom had a tipped rebound for a dunk over Josh Boone.

Then Bryant drove baseline and made a reverse layup while being fouled upside the head.

As for Bynum, he was in foul trouble all game, finally fouling out with 8:24 to play.

Bynum played just 11 minutes. He had just four points and three rebounds.

The Lakers got away with poor second quarter in which they were out-scored 27-17 and trailed by one point at the half.

But the Lakers played a better second half en route to going 3-0 on a road trips that stops in Detroit Sunday.

Bryant had 29 points, 10 rebounds and five assists.

Pau Gasol had 14 points and 14 rebounds and Odom had 14 points and 12 rebounds.

Lakers 74, Nets 64 (third quarter)

The Lakers played a more intense third quarter.

They seemed to be more intuned to the game than they were in the second quarter.

Kobe Bryant led the way for the Lakers in the third, scoring 13 points to help his team turn a two-point half-time deficit into a 10-point lead at the end of the third.

Nets 48, Lakers 46 (halftime)

Lakers Coach Phil Jackson played every player on his bench except for Sasha Vujacic.

It backfired.

The Lakers, who once led by 12 points, fell into a two-point hole at the half.

Devin Harris (17 points) and Chris Douglas-Roberts (14) helped the Nets overtake the Lakers.

This was not the type of homcoming Andrew Bynum expected.

Bynum, who went to high school about 45 minutes from the Izod Center, was in foul trouble the entire first half. He had three fouls in five minutes of action. Bynum picked up his third foul 29 seconds into the second quarter, forcing him to take a seat on the bench with four points.

Bynum has been dealing with an upper respiratory infection that has sapped his energy.

Lakers 29, Nets 21 (first quarter)

It sounded like it was a Lakers’ home game inside the Izod Center. The only difference was that it wasn’t that loud because there were so few people there.

But the fans who did brave the bad weather here in New Jersey cheered mostly for the Lakers. Then again, the Nets are 2-25. There isn’t much for Nets fans to cheer about.

There were plenty of fans in the stands wearing Lakers’ jerseys.

The Lakers must have felt comfortable with the game because they brought in seldom-used reserve Adam Morrison with 1:42 left in the first quarter.

The Lakers were leading at the time, 24-17, when Morrison entered the game. He made his first shot, a 16-foot jumper from the corner.

Lakers Coach Phil Jackson didn’t want his team to worry about the bad weather in the New York-New Jersey area.

The snow that was beginning to fall outside before the Lakers played the New Jersey Nets on Saturday night closed down several airports along the Eastern seaboard and could stop the Lakers from traveling to Detroit after the game.

Jackson wanted his players to concentrate on facing a Nets that that has the worst record in the NBA at 2-25.

Jackson wanted his players to be concerned about Nets center Brook Lopez and guard Devin Harris.

-- Broderick Turner