Top Sporting News

LOS ANGELES – Kobe Bryant scored 19 points and threw downbound two rousing dunks on a sprained left ankle, and the Los Angeles Lakers pushed the New metropolis Hornets to the bounds of first-round playoff voiding with a 106-90 conclusion in Game 5 on Tuesday night, taking a 3-2 program lead.

Andrew Bynum had 18 points and 10 rebounds, and Pau Gasol additional 16 points as the two-time defending NBA champions roared back from a andante move in a important mettlesome for their threepeat hopes with additional hammy playoff performance by Bryant, who scraped his ankle in Game 4.

Trevor Ariza scored 22 points, Marco Belinelli additional 21, and Chris Apostle had 20 points and 12 assists for the seventh-seeded Hornets, who hit forfeited threesome of four since their stunning Game 1 victory. Ariza hit fivesome 3-pointers, but managed just six points in the ordinal half as the Lakers took curb of the mettlesome and perhaps the series.

Game 6 is Thursday in New Orleans.

Bryant left New metropolis on crutches two days earlier, but he refused an tomography exam comprehensive treatment when he got home, with coach Phil Jackson reluctantly agreeing. Postseason injuries are null newborn for the two-time NBA finals MVP, who has persevered through a slew of them during 67 playoff games in the preceding threesome years.

After a andante start, Bryant erased worries about his shape with a douse that recalled the days when a younger Kobe wore a No. 8 jersey. Late in the ordinal quarter, he drove the lane with a left-hand dribble, went up with two safekeeping and threw downbound a right-handed slam over Emeka Okafor, electrifying his Staples Center fans.

He additional additional crowd-riling slam with his left assistance in the ordinal lodge while Los Angeles jumped to an 11-point lead, and he headlike back to the locker room primeval to get more treatment when he came discover for beatific in the test minutes.

While Bryant took the emotive lead, the Lakers got additional unpaid low-post mettlesome from Bynum, who touched exceptionally well on his own sore knee. Gasol also returned to nearly normal after an awful move to the series, while Derek Fisher and Lamar Odom additional 13 points apiece.

The Hornets prefabricated 61 proportionality of their shots in the prototypal half, but couldn't maintain that measure when the Lakers got downbound to business. Last spring, the Lakers also faced an modify first-round program way into Game 5 against Oklahoma City, and they responded with octad serial wins.

Ariza breezed past Bryant for a layup on the Hornets' opening cacoethes as they came discover with no emotion of the bounteous Hollywood stage, making 13 of their 16 shots in the prototypal lodge and actuation to a nine-point lead. Apostle racked up octad assists in the period, picking up correct where he left off in New Orleans.

But Bryant additional threesome more baskets after his hammy dunk, staking Los Angeles to a 54-51 halftime advantage. Apostle kept the Hornets correct in it, scoring seven points in the test 2 transactions of the prototypal half.

Paul's triple-double allowed New metropolis to modify the program in Game 4, but he struggled to attain bounteous plays after effort octad assists in the prototypal quarter. His frustrating night was epitomized in the test transactions when Ron Artest's defense forced him only to drop the ball on the ground, unable to dispense or to transfer after he jumped.

NOTES: Before the game, Artest received the J. director President Citizenship Award, recognizing his unwearying year of mental health advocacy. Artest, ease best famous for his persona in the 2004 fighting at the Palace of Auburn Hills, noticeable himself rattling grateful for the honor. Artest testified before Congress and upraised money for the cause, modify raffling off his 2010 title ring. ... Paul's octad assists in the prototypal lodge equal the franchise playoff record for a Lakers opponent. Evangelist author and Steve author also did it. ... Fans nearby courtside included Jon Hamm, king Beckham, Steven Spielberg, Ken Jeong, Reggie Bush, Jeremy Piven, Kaley Cuoco, Kevin Hart, Maria Shriver and ballgame enthusiastic Frank Robinson.

Source