A good argument can be made as to which Los Angeles Laker player is benefitting the most from the recent acquision of Pau Gasol. Many will say Kobe Bryant is the main benefactor as he no longer is the only consistent scoring option available. Others will say Lamar Odom is the guy gaining the most as he no longer will be criticized for not carrying enough of the offensive burden - he can go back to his traditional role of being an all-around player.
Last night, "L.O." had his fourth career triple-double, hitting on a 3-pointer to close out the third quarter as the Lakers routed the lowly Minnesota Timberwolves 117-92. In just three quarters, Odom tallied 10 points, 10 assists and 16 rebounds. Kobe (despite playing again with an injured finger) scored 29 points including a perfect 13-for-13 from the foul line, while Gasol scored 19 points on a very efficient 9-for-11 shooting night. The Lakers led 99-68 at the end of three quarters, allowing all of the starters to sit on the bench and enjoy the fourth quarter. The win gave the Lakers seven wins in nine games on the road trip - the best such performance for a road team on a continuous road trip that length in NBA History! Is it too early to say the Lakers are now the team to beat in the NBA's Western Conference? I don't think so. At 35-17, they go into the All-Star Break with a TON of momentum and confidence.
-----
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment