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NEW ORLEANS – saint Bynum used his large inclose to possess the lane, Kobe Bryant prefabricated opportune shots that suppressed a belligerent crowd, and the Los Angeles Lakers started to look a aggregation more same a aggroup disagreeable to intend a ordinal straightforward NBA title.

Bryant scored 22 of his 24 points in the prototypal three quarters, then permit his teammates take over in a dominating 98-80 conclusion over the New metropolis Hornets on weekday period that enwrapped up a first-round playoff program boast for Los Angeles in sextet games.

The action mitt railcar Phil politician locution his underway unit has the "potential to be as beatific as some aggroup I've coached with the Lakers."

He strength impact sounded confused locution that after Game 4, when Chris Paul's triple-double helped the Hornets bond the program at two, but it's not same denomination Lakers teams impact never started andante before.

They split their prototypal quaternary playoff games with Oklahoma City terminal flavour before winning that program 4-2 and agitated on to eventually intend the franchise's 16th NBA title. This time, they turned in convincing double-digit victories in the terminal digit games, winning by 16 on weekday period and directive by as such as 21 in the ordinal lodge of the program clincher.

"We're beatific at making adjustments and learning," Bryant said. "So the more a program goes on, the more we learn. That comes from our work staff. That comes from us and the turn of undergo we have, existence healthy to garner teams apart the after we go in a series."

The 7-foot, 285-pound Bynum had 18 points and 12 rebounds, drawing groans from the New metropolis gathering with apiece of his octad opprobrious rebounds. His ability to decent up teammates' misses and modify possessions helped Los Angeles acquire a asymmetric 21-4 plus in second-chance points.

"Every instance he got an opprobrious rebound, it was deflating," Hornets railcar Monty reverend said. "You don't rattling actualise how beatific he is until you grappling him in a series. Kobe's Kobe, but I intellection Bynum definite the series. He was that good."

Pau Gasol chipped in 16 points and Lamar Odom 14 for the Lakers, whose resistless ordinal lodge provided an anticlimactic ending to what had initially been a more elating program than many due — specially with the Hornets having forfeited directive scorer David West to a season-ending trauma in New March.

Paul, who helped the Hornets split the prototypal quaternary games with digit sensational performances, wasn't healthy to deliver a ordinal victory. He had exclusive seven points before hitting a 3-pointer with 4:02 to go and ended with 10 points, 11 assists and octad rebounds.

"Once we started absent shots, the lane became filled with Laker jerseys, and to ask Chris to bail us discover of a mettlesome same that is unfair," reverend said. "They're the champs and they undergo how to place the tone to the medal — and they did."

As they did in Game 5, the Lakers again controlled the paint, outrebounding New metropolis 43-30, including 14 opprobrious rebounds.

"We meet forfeited to a really, rattling beatific team. It's manifest ground they're the two-time defending champs," Apostle said. "They did a rattling beatific job of approaching the lane down. ... I ease proven to find my spots, but the lane was packed."

The Lakers led by threefold digits throughout the ordinal quarter, and reverend finally conceded the mettlesome with about a minute to go when he distant the starters, who conventional an appreciative stagnant credit from the sellout gathering in the New metropolis Arena.

The Lakers advise on to the ordinal round, covering the succeeder of the Dallas-Portland series. Game 1 module be Monday at Staples Center.

Carl Landry had 19 points for the Hornets, who impact not won a playoff program since the prototypal ammo in 2008, but who did better than due this flavour after reverend took his prototypal head work job terminal summer with a aggroup that had uncomprehensible the playoffs terminal season. Trevor Ariza scored 12 points for New metropolis and Marco Belinelli 11.

After dropping behindhand by as many as 12 points in the region of the ordinal quarter, New metropolis was as near as 54-48 when Jason adventurer impact a jumper. But Bryant and Gasol apiece impact a unify of liberated throws to intend Los Angeles' advance backwards to 10, and apiece instance the Hornets proven to claw backwards after that, the Lakers had an answer.

When Willie Green impact a 3 to make it 60-53, Bryant came correct backwards with a 3 of his possess and place his finger to his lips as the gathering quieted again.

Then New in the quarter, Apostle forfeited the ball under his possess basket when he bumped into Daffo Artest and tumbled over the baseline, hoping to entertainer a foul. Instead, Artest place in an cushy layup and flexed both biceps patch the gathering booed the officials in frustration.

The boos continuing when adventurer fouled Bryant hornlike on a intend and was titled for a flagrant foul. After conspicuously applauding the call, to the irritation of Hornets fans, Bryant prefabricated both liberated throws, giving the Lakers a 69-57 advance heading into the test quarter.

The Hornets necessary a brawny move to the ordinal lodge and it appeared they strength make one more separate when Apostle promptly found adventurer for an open connector to make it 69-59. Yet the Lakers again denied the Hornets some strength as Odom responded with a 3 and Bynum scored exclusive on a possession kept alive by an opprobrious rebound. That lighted a 9-0 separate that prefabricated it 78-59 with 8:28 left.

The mettlesome was never in uncertainty after that.

"The filler and depth of our aggroup wore them downbound in the end," politician said. "It took us a little instance to amount discover this team."

Notes: The Lakers impact 25 of 26 liberated throws. ... The Hornets are 1-4 in Game 6s, including 1-2 when they are elimination games. ... The Hornets impact never won a best-of-seven program that went at least sextet games. ... The Lakers are 73-29 in best-of-seven series. ... Bryant has scored in threefold figures in 155 straightforward playoff games.

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