Lakers Hold Off Thunder In First Meeting Since Playoffs
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Pau Gasol scored 21 points, Kobe Bryant added 21 and seven assists, though he missed three last-minute free throws, and the Los Angeles Lakers held off the Oklahoma City Thunder 101-94 Monday night for their eighth win in nine games.
Lamar Odom had 16 points and Derek Fisher scored a season-high 15 for the Lakers in the clubs' first meeting since the Los Angeles sent home the eighth-seeded Thunder from the first round of last season's playoffs in a highly competitive six-game series.
Russell Westbrook had 32 points and 12 assists, and he led a late run aided by those three straight misses by Bryant. But Westbrook missed two free throws of his own with 21.4 seconds left before airballing a 3-point attempt.
(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
