Lakers roll past the Thunder, 101-85

The Lakers drubbed the Oklahoma City Thunder, 101-85, this evening at Staples Center.

Kobe Bryant had 26 points, including a pair of difficult-to-fathom shots that delighted the crowd.

Pau Gasol, in his second game back from a hamstring injury, had 15 points, seven rebounds and six assists. Andrew Bynum had 25 points on nine-for-11 shooting.

The shot of the game, if not the month, happened with 2:01 left in the first quarter. Bryant was being pushed to the baseline by Thunder rookie James Harden, so he shot from behind the basket at an impossible angle. The ball went over the backboard and through the hoop, leading to a burst of noise from the crowd.

For good measure, Bryant picked up a loose ball in the final seconds of the first quarter and scored on a hurried 15-foot fling.

-- MIke Bresnahan

Photo: Lakers guard Kobe Bryant pulls up for a shot over Thunder guard James Harden -- and the backboard. The shot went in. Credit: Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times

Lakers' Andrew Bynum misses another practice

For the second consecutive day, Lakers center Andrew Bynum was unable to practice because of an injured ankle.

Bynum, who rolled his right ankle during Thursday night's game against the Chicago Bulls, said after Friday's practice that he would play Sunday night against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Staples Center.

But Lakers Coach Phil Jackson said after practice Saturday that they weren't "sure" if Bynum would play.

Bynum will be a game-time decision.

-- Broderick Turner

Photo: Lakers center Andrew Bynum gets inside Chicago's defense for a layup on Thursday night. Credit: Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times

Lakers' Andrew Bynum injured ... but not too seriously

Just when the Lakers thought they had a healthy starting frontcourt ...

Center Andrew Bynum rolled his right ankle while playing defense against Brad Miller in Thursday's victory over the Chicago Bulls. Bynum was called for a foul on the play.

"I've been getting a lot of treatment on it," Bynum said today. "It stiffened up this morning."

Bynum, however, said he would play Sunday against Oklahoma City.

-- MIke Bresnahan

Lakers' Bynum, Gasol still injured

Lakers center Andrew Bynum and forward Pau Gasol are not expected to play Sunday night against the New Orleans Hornets at Staples Center.

Bynum, who has strained right elbow, and Gasol, who has a strained right hamstring, didn't practice Saturday.

Bynum will miss his second consecutive game, Gasol his seventh.

-- Broderick Turner

Lakers' Bynum doubtful for Friday's game, Gasol does some work at practice

Lakers center Andrew Bynum is doubtful for Friday's game against Memphis after an MRI exam today showed a strained right elbow.

Bynum was injured when he was fouled across the arm by center Chuck Hayes in overtime of the Lakers' 103-102 victory Wednesday against Houston.

Bynum said he was relieved that the injury wasn't "too serious." He had better range of motion this afternoon after being unable to use his right arm while getting dressed after Wednesday night's game.

He said he wasn't sure if he would play Sunday against New Orleans.

Pau Gasol, who has missed five games because of a strained right hamstring, did some practice work with the team this afternoon, though he said he was "very doubtful" for Friday's game.

Gasol did not take part in any contact drills today, nor did he take part in a scrimmage for the second half of practice. He did some walk-through work on offense and shot by himself

If Bynum and Gasol cannot play Friday, DJ Mbenga would probably get the start at center against rugged Grizzlies center Marc Gasol. Going with a small lineup, and Lamar Odom at center, is also a possibility.

-- Mike Bresnahan

Photo: Andrew Bynum, center, dunks during a game against the Dallas Mavericks on Friday. Credit: Christine Cotter / Los Angeles Times

Lakers set roster for opening night

The Lakers sent in their roster to the NBA on Monday for Tuesday night's opener at Staples Center against the Clippers.

Pau Gasol, who missed the last six exhibition games recovering from a strained right hamstring, was placed on the active roster.

Gasol and the Lakers aren't ruling him out for Tuesday night's game, but both are saying he is questionable for the game.

The Lakers placed backup center DJ Mbenga on the inactive list.

But the Lakers can change their list before Tuesday night's game, meaning that Mbenga could be on the active roster and Gasol could be placed on the inactive list.

Andrew Bynum, who missed the last two exhibition games with a right rotor cuff injury, said he will play against the Clippers.

-- Broderick Turner

Lakers vs. Nuggets: Denver defeats Lakers, 119-105

 

The game got so out of control in the first half that Lakers Coach Phil Jackson didn't play Kobe Bryant and Derek Fisher in the second half of a 119-105 loss to the Denver Nuggets on Friday night at the San Diego Sports Arena.

Bryant played 10 minutes and Fisher played nine minutes. Each guard scored six points.

Denver didn't play Carmelo Anthony and Chauncey Billups.

The Lakers finished the exhibition season with a 6-2 record. They open the regular season Tuesday night at Staples Center against the Clippers.

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One would think after the replacement officials called five technical fouls and two flagrant fouls in the first half that both the Lakers and Denver Nuggets would cool out in the second half.

But Nooooo!

Leave it to reserve Malik Allen to get called for a technical foul in the third quarter.

Malik Allen!

Please.

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Things got a little out of control in the second quarter tonight between the Lakers and Denver Nuggets, forcing the replacement officials to earn their paychecks in this exhibition game.

The three referees called three technical fouls in the second quarter, five in the first half.

Lakers suffer more injuries

The Lakers have suffered more injuries during this exhibition season.

Center Andrew Bynum came down with a minor right rotator cuff strained during Tuesday night’s game against the Golden State Warriors and was unable to practice Wednesday.

The Lakers are listing Bynum as probable for Thursday night’s game against the Denver Nuggets at the Honda Center in Anaheim.

“My training staff isn’t anticipating anything prohibiting him from playing,” Lakers Coach Phil Jackson said after practice. “But we’ll see what’s up tomorrow.”

Free-agent forward Tony Gaffney suffered a lower back contusion during the game against the Warriors on Tuesday night.

On a positive injury note, both Pau Gasol (strained hamstring) and Luke Walton (sore lower back) practiced Wednesday and probably will play Thursday night against the Nuggets.

-- Broderick Turner

It's early, but Andrew Bynum is coming off the bench for Lakers

 It’s early, undoubtedly, but center Andrew Bynum is currently on the Lakers’ second unit.

Lamar Odom played with the starters in Saturday night’s scrimmage, along with Kobe Bryant, Ron Artest, Pau Gasol and Derek Fisher.

Apparently, Lakers Coach Phil Jackson is more comfortable going with a unit similar to the one that flourished in the playoffs last season, the obvious exception being Artest in place of Trevor Ariza.

Bynum doesn’t seem concerned by anything, be it a move to the second unit, even if it’s only temporary, or the fact that he’s in the first year of a lucrative contract extension that pays him $12.5 million this season.

Two words he said seemed to sum it up: “No pressure.”

-- Mike Bresnahan

Jackson to spend more time working with Bynum

With Lakers center Andrew Bynum deciding to scale back his work with assistant coach Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and with former Lakers assistant Kurt Rambis -- who also spent plenty of time working with Bynum -- taking the head coaching job with the Minnesota Timberwolves, Coach Phil Jackson said he'd spend some time working with Bynum.

"My own focus is going to be in that direction because Kurt was really the guy that spent a lot of time with him, working on some of the details of his game," Jackson said.

Jackson joked that "just about everybody on my staff wants to have a piece of Andrew," meaning that assistants Brian Shaw, Frank Hamblen and Jim Cleamons all will work with Bynum.

Jackson said Bynum has been running the court pretty well during training camp and that his condition looks good.

-- Broderick Turner

Photo: Lakers Coach Phil Jackson. Credit: Alex Gallardo / Los Angeles Times