Final
Bryant paces Lakers over Warriors
Jan 7, 2012 - 7:12 AM Los Angeles, CA (Sports Network) - Kobe Bryant scored a game-high 39 points on 13-of-28 shooting, leading the Lakers to a 97-90 victory over the Warriors.Pau Gasol totaled 17 points and 11 rebounds and Matt Barnes added 16 points for Los Angeles, which was coming off a loss at Portland on Thursday.
The Warriors, losers in four straight, were outscored 32-19 in the third quarter after leading by four at halftime.
Monta Ellis paced Golden State with 18 points and 10 assists, while David Lee chipped in 15 points and 11 rebounds in the setback.
"We fought hard," Lee said. "Kobe had a good game tonight. He's the only guy that killed us statistically."
Neither team led by more than six in a closely-played first half. Golden State owned a 22-20 lead after 12 minutes and was up 39-35 at halftime.
Los Angeles turned the game in its favor with a 14-2 run in the third, with Bryant's layup yielding a 53-48 lead midway through the quarter.
The Lakers stayed in front from there, and three-pointers by Steve Blake and Bryant in the final minute extended the margin to 67-58.
Klay Thompson's three-pointer 2:12 into the fourth cut the deficit to 71-65, but LA answered with nine of the next 10 points over the next 2 1/2 minutes, as Bryant's jumper provided an 80-67 cushion.
A Kwame Brown free throw capped a 10-0 run for Golden State and pulled the visitors within 85-82 with 3:35 remaining, but Gasol followed with a pair of jumpers around Barnes' driving layup to regain some breathing room.
The Lakers hit 6-of-8 free throws in the final minute to seal the victory.
"In the second half we had to pick up our energy," Bryant said. "We're trying to figure out what goes best with the lineup we have on the floor."
Game Notes
The Warriors have dropped seven straight in Staples Center to the Lakers...The Lakers have won five straight at home since opening the season with a loss to Chicago on Christmas Day...Golden State shot just 10-of-19 from the foul line...Thompson and Brown finished with 14 and 13 points, respectively...LA's Andrew Bynum was held to nine points but pulled down a game-high 16 rebounds.
- GOLDEN STATE: 90
LOS ANGELES: 97
Final
Jan 7 1:06 AM - GOLDEN STATE: 58
LOS ANGELES: 67
End of 3rd
Jan 7 12:18 AM - GOLDEN STATE: 39
LOS ANGELES: 35
Halftime
Jan 6 11:38 PM - GOLDEN STATE: 22
LOS ANGELES: 20
End of 1st
Jan 6 11:07 PM - GOLDEN STATE: 0
LOS ANGELES: 0
1st Quarter - 12:00
Jan 6 10:42 PM
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