L.A. Lakers 101 -- Cleveland Cavaliers 91
In what was supposed to be a matchup between the two best players in the NBA, forgotten man Lamar Odom made sure he would not be in the shadows again. LeBron James and Kobe Bryant, the first and third leading scorers in the league respectively, finally met after wreaking havoc on the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. The Lakers came in riding a five game winning streak, including a thrilling OT win against Boston, while the Cavaliers sought to extend their 23 game winning streak at home. James and Bryant guarded each other the whole night and it showed. Each played solid defensively and they only combined for 35 points (Kobe was sick with the flu). However, where James and Bryant failed offensively, Odom did not. Odom put up game and season highs with 28 points and 17 rebounds. Odom, who was recently thrust into the starting lineup due to Andrew Bynum's injury, seized his opportunity while leading the Lakers to an impressive victory. L.A.'s significantly better shooting proved to be the deciding factor, outshooting Cleveland 49% to 39%. Odom energized his team in the third quarter to pull away after a relatively close first half. The Lakers outscored the Cavs by 15 in the third in what turned out the be the crucial quarter. Odom hit 5/6 shots while James missed all four of his, including two threes. In a game between the two best teams and the two best players, Lamar Odom showed L.A's depth is the best in the NBA and should not be underestimated come playoff time. -A.S.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment