Kobe, Lakers defeat Clippers to remain undefeated

The more things change the more they stay the same.  Nearly twenty years removed from their Kareem Abdul Jabbar/Magic Johnson “Showtime” era, the LA Lakers are one of the teams to beat in the West and a threat to win the NBA title behind MVP Kobe Bryant and a talented supporting cast.  The LA Clippers, meanwhile, are as miserable as ever.  That form held on Wednesday night at the Staples Center as the Lakers trounced their crosstown rivals 106-88 to improve to 4-0.  The Clippers dropped to 0-5 and have a 12 game losing streak dating back to last season.

The Clippers played the Lakers tough for most of the game, leading 51-47 at halftime and trailing by only 4 heading into the 4th quarter.  Neither team shot the ball well, and the Clippers used the chippy play by both teams (both right at 38% for the game) to stay competitive with the more talented Lakers.  Al Thorton was the offensive catalyst for the Clippers, finishing with 22 points and 5 rebounds on the game.

The Lakers clamped down defensively and woke up offensively in the 4th quarter, imposing their will on the Clippers with a 22-0 run in the final period.  The Clippers were held to 8 of 23 shooting in the 4th quarter as the Lakers outscored them by 14 to put the game away.  Lakers Coach Phil Jackson said this sort of game was right up the team’s alley:

"The mantra is that defense wins ballgames, your offense comes and goes. If you just rely on your offense all the time, it's going to disappoint you at some level.”

Kobe Bryant echoed his coach’s sentiments:

"When you don't shoot the ball well, you've got to defend. That's what we did."

Kobe led all scorers with 27 points and played his usual nasty defense, turning it up a notch during the decisive 4th quarter run.  Andrew Bynum pulled down 17 boards while adding 4 blocked shots and 9 points.  Lamar Odom added 15 points and 9 rebounds off the bench.

This was the 2nd blowout victory by the Lakers over the Clippers this year—the two wins coming by an average of 28 ppg.  The win also represented the Lakers’ sixth straight win over their crosstown rivals.  The Clippers will try and turn their fortunes around on Friday night when the Houston Rockets come to town.  The Lakers will also get a shot at the Rockets this weekend in their next game as they try and maintain their perfect start to the season as Houston invades the Staples Center on Sunday.