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Sunday, Dec. 12 9:30pm ET
Lakers cruise to ninth win in 10 games | |||||
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RECAP
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BOX SCORE
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 GAME FLOW
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Shaquille O'Neal is a problem for the Detroit Pistons only twice a year. They couldn't solve him this time, especially on the boards. Kobe Bryant scored 26 points as the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Pistons 101-93 on Sunday night for their ninth victory in 10 games.
O'Neal added 22 points and a season-high 24 rebounds as the Lakers' two stars outdueled Grant Hill and Jerry Stackhouse, the NBA's highest-scoring tandem, in the first meeting between the teams in two years. "They made it known that they weren't going to let me get the ball inside, so I just told my guys to shoot and I would just get the rebounds," O'Neal said. Hill had 25 points and 12 rebounds, while Stackhouse added 24 points. Stackhouse took an elbow above his left eye and received nine stitches before returning in the second quarter. "In the second half, we just couldn't buy a bucket," Hill said. "We had good looks and they just didn't fall. We just gave up too many rebounds and that's the bottom line. We'll see this team again, so hopefully, we'll play better at home." Asked if there's a way to contain O'Neal, Hill said, "If there is, please let know, let the league know. He's big and he can move, making it doubly tough. I think he's having the best year of his career." The Pistons got just 15 points from their reserves, while the Lakers' backups had 40 points, led by Rick Fox with a season-high 20. "This reminds me that I'm not stealing money from the Lakers. It makes me feel good about my contribution to the team," Fox said. "I'm a perfectionist and like to see that things happen the same way every night. I'd like to see the shots go down more consistently." Led by O'Neal, the Lakers dominated the boards, 63-40, including 26 on the offensive side. "We allowed too many offensive rebounds. That was the difference in the game," Stackhouse said. "We can't allow a team to have that many offensive rebounds and expect to win. Shaq is the key figure in there, but other guys stepped up and made shots, too." O'Neal, who's been playing nearly every minute of games, and Bryant both sat down after their fifth fouls within seconds of each other with eight minutes remaining. By then, the Lakers had the game in hand and Hill couldn't ignite the Pistons before coach Alvin Gentry went to his bench. "You have to spend so much time and energy trying to figure out what you can do with Shaq. He breaks your heart," Gentry said. "We play good defense and we try to block him out and he jumps up there and gets it back. There's nothing that anyone can do about it, not just our guys." The Pistons led by eight points several times early in the game before the Lakers took over for good. They outscored the Pistons 21-7, including eight by O'Neal, for a 50-40 lead with three minutes left in the second quarter. Terry Mills got hot at the start of the third period, scoring six straight points on assists by Hill to draw Detroit within three. But Bryant started a 15-5 run with a one-handed shot up-and-under the basket as the Lakers closed the third leading 77-64. Mills hit a 3-pointer early in the final period to reduce Detroit's deficit to single digits before fouling out with 8:26 left. The Lakers answered by outscoring the Pistons 14-3, with Bryant and O'Neal chipping in their final points before sitting down, for a 91-71 lead with 6:15 remaining.
Game notes | ALSO SEE NBA Scoreboard Detroit Clubhouse LA Lakers Clubhouse RECAPS Utah 103 Toronto 88
LA Lakers 101
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