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The Los Angeles Lakers defeated their sophomore co-tenants, earned the pivotal tiebreaker, and all but wrapped up the Pacific Division and 3rd seed in the West with the win last night against the Clippers. Not a bad night if you're a fan of the Purple & Gold.
In a game that was a joy to watch, the Lakers refused to lose focus down the stretch, with key defensive stops and sound ball movement that led to good looks. Led by the dynamic duo of Kobe Bryant and Andrew Bynum, who combined for 67 points (on 26 of 39 shooting!!!), the Lakers held out for a 113-108 victory.
After the game, Mike Brown talked about the execution on offense,
MB: Our team executed well offensively, Clippers have been playing well defensively as of late and for us to score 113 points on 52% shooting was a very productive night for us. It was the combination of Kobe [Bryant] and [Ramon] Sessions going for 14 assists and then our bench having eight assists. Kobe [Bryant] was very efficient out there going 13 of 19 and Andrew [Bynum] out there going 13 of 20 makes us a different team. It was just a good overall effort by everybody.
and Andrew Bynum talked about the importance of the win.
AB: Kobe [Bryant] didn’t want to lose tonight. We are fighting for a playoff spot. They are one game behind us so we had to get this win. Ramon [Sessions] was amazing for us tonight especially at the end. He did what guards are taught to do, jump into the shot blocker’s body and then finish and there was nothing they could do about it.
Sit down, Clippers.
↓ Much more after the jump ↓
Lakers News
- LAL 113, LAC 108: April 4 Running Diary | Lakers Blog
- Lakers 113, Clippers 108 | Lakers.com
- Lakers finish off Clippers, increase Pacific Division lead
- Los Angeles Clippers' Blake Griffin adds Lakers' Pau Gasol to dunk list | ESPN LA
- Andrew Bynum will be the key to the Los Angeles Lakers' run | ESPN LA
- Lakers' Andrew Bynum (ankle) in lineup against Los Angeles Clippers | ESPN LA
- Lakers need to harness Andrew Bynum | LA Times
- Lob City has limits as Lakers defeat Clippers, 113-108 | LA Times
- Five things to take from Lakers' 113-108 win over Clippers | LA Times
- Derek Fisher is shooting poorly for Thunder | OC Register
- Lakers hold off Clippers rally | OC Register
- Brown pushes Bryant for MVP | OC Register
- Pau Gasol gets run over by Blake Griffin | OC Register
- Lakers beat Clippers 113-108
NBA.com
- Thunder vs. Heat
- Spurs vs. Celtics
- Blogtable: Who’s Running on Empty?
- Can't-miss Pacers keep rolling, top Wizards 109-96
- Nash lifts Suns past Jazz, 107-105
ESPN
- LeBron James, Heat rally past Thunder for 17th straight home win
- Tim Duncan, Spurs slip Celtics for 9th straight win
- David Stern says deal close to keep Hornets in New Orleans
- Dirk Nowitzki scores 23, helps Mavericks down Grizzlies
Yahoo! Sports
- Aldridge leads Blazers over the Nets 101-88
- Knicks in prime spot to get Kentucky's John Calipari
- Nets let Deron Williams play 'assistant GM,' but it isn't enough to keep him from free agency
ProBasketball Talk
- Clippers get the highlights, Lakers take win and likely division
- LeBron James, Miami Heat make their case at Thunder’s expense
- David Stern says he expects deal to sell Hornets "soon"
- David Stern comments about Kings arena situation with typical coded message
- PBT Extra: Talking age limit — why the owners want two years
- Cavaliers’ Kyrie Irving out 7-10 days with sprained shoulder
- John Calipari says he is not leaving Kentucky for the NBA
- Derrick Rose returns to full practice, could play Thursday
- JaVale McGee "shocked" Wizards traded him. He was alone.
- Report: All eyes on Board of Governors meeting in Kings arena dispute
Dime Mag / SLAM Online
- LeBron James Wins His NBA MVP Duel; Andrew Bynum Goes Berserk | Dime Magazine
- What Shaquille O’Neal Was Doing During The Final Four | Dime Magazine
- Report: Dwight Howard Wants Orlando to Fire Stan Van Gundy | SLAM Online
- Video: Blake Griffin Posterizes Pau Gasol … Again | SLAM Online
- Steve Nash Looking to Sign a Three-Year Deal This Summer | SLAM Online
Blogs and Other Links
- Lakers Close Out Clippers in Fourth; Win Battle of Los Angeles | Lakers Nation
- Lakers Bench's Mission: Finish Strong | Lakers Nation
- When Passing > Posterizing…. | NBA Playbook
- Lakers/Clippers: Battle Of L.A. 2012, Part 3 | Forum Blue & Gold
- Mike Brown’s awesome play | HoopSpeak.com
- LeBron retakes the lead, but the MVP race between him and Durant isn't over | Eye On Basketball
- LeBron James and the Miami Heat show up in a classic against the Thunder | Eye On Basketball
- Video: Blake Griffin dunks on Pau Gasol. Twice. | Eye On Basketball
- Video: Russell Westbrook gives LeBron James the business on a flagrant foul | Eye On Basketball
- Essay: The Maddening Race For MVP | Shaky Ankles
- Shook Ankles: Ty Lawson Injures Ryan Anderson | Shaky Ankles
The Basketball Jones
- Andre Iguodala doesn’t ‘get’ why Lou Williams can’t guard anybody
- Brendan Haywood says the NBA is all ‘fake tough guys’
- Marc Gasol’s theory on how tanking makes teams better at basketball
- Is Aaron Gray the next Brad Miller?
- Ep. 793: Greetings, Earthlings
Multimedia
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