Bryant helps Lakers regain lead in West
The Lakers have worked their way back to the top of the Western Conference. They’ll be hard-pressed to stay there in the coming days.
Kobe Bryant scored 10 of his 34 points in the final 8 1/2 minutes, Lamar Odom added 20 points and nine rebounds, and the Lakers beat the Toronto Raptors 117-108 on Tuesday night for their 18th win in 22 games.
Next comes a rugged four-game road trip starting Friday night in New Orleans, with games at Houston, Dallas and Utah to follow. The four teams have a cumulative record of 168-86 including 101-26 at home, and if the Rockets win games against Atlanta and Charlotte beforehand, they’ll be shooting for their 22nd straight win against the Lakers on Sunday.
“It’s going to be a tough one,” Bryant said. “Those teams are great teams. In the East, you have a couple gimme games. In the West, you don’t get those.”
Lakers coach Phil Jackson had a message for his players after their latest victory.
“I told them basically we aren’t going to beat any of those teams if we play like we have played the last two or three games,” he said.