Los Angeles Lakers go 3 and 0
Lakers go 3 and 0
Kobe Bryant is back and the Lakers didn't miss a beat. Kobe Bryant scored 23 points in his season debut, and the Los Angeles Lakers beat Seattle 118-112 on Friday night, the Lakers' third win in as many games this season.
Los Angeles Lakers' Kobe Bryant, right, puts up a shot as Seattle SuperSonics' Damien Wilkins guards during the first half of their NBA basketball game, Friday night, Nov. 3, 2006, in Los Angeles.
Los Angeles beat Phoenix and Golden State without Kobe Bryant, the league's leading scorer last season, as Kobe Bryant worked his way back from arthroscopic surgery on his right knee during the offseason.
Kobe Bryant played 41 minutes and went 8-of-15 from the field. He had six assists and four rebounds.
"I feel pretty good. I wasn't thinking about the knee that much," Bryant said. "It's exciting to be back. I am happy to be out on the floor.
"The timing and rhythm was off but that will come back in time."
In other NBA games on Friday, it was: Toronto 109, Milwaukee 92; New Orleans 100, Indianapolis 91; Philadelphia 105, Orlando 103; Atlanta 102, New York 92; Detroit 101, Boston 88; Miami 91, New Jersey 85; Memphis 96, Charlotte Bobcats 83; Cleveland Cavaliers 88,
San Antonio Spurs 81; Sacramento 89, Chicago 88; Utah 108, Phoenix 104; Minnesota 112, Denver Nuggets 109; and Golden State 102, Portland 89.
Lamar Odom, who led the LA Lakers
in the first two wins by averaging 28 points, matched that number Friday. Lamar Odom made five free
throws in the closing 36 seconds to help the Lakers hold off the Sonics.
Luke Walton had a career-high 20 points and eight rebounds for Los Angeles.
"Having Kobe Bryant, watching
Ronny Turiaf
come up big in the end, that was awesome. That was a lot more fun for me than having a career high in points,"
Luke Walton said.
Ronny Turiaf had 13 points and seven rebounds in 16 minutes.
He made all three of his shots from the field and was 7-of-8 at the free throw line.
"The guys worked extremely hard in the offseason," Kobe Bryant said.
"To step up when we needed them at the beginning of the season is great."
The Sonics led 102-100 with 4:55 left in the game.
But Ronny Turiaf's two free throws pulled the Lakers
even, and he added a jumper for a 104-102 lead shortly afterward, and Los Angeles didn't trail again.
Ray Allen had 30 points and Rashard Lewis added 28 for Seattle (0-2).
Seattle coach Bob Hill was unhappy with the disparity in free throws.
"It's difficult to win a basketball game when one team shoots 48 free throws and your team shoots 16 and you go to the basket for two-thirds of the game," Hill said.
"That's very difficult to overcome.
Seattle will host the Lakers Sunday.
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