Grizzlies 82 - 90 Lakers
Final
  for this game

Bryant, Lakers handle Grizzlies

Jan 9, 2012 - 5:49 AM Los Angeles, CA (Sports Network) - Kobe Bryant scored 26 points and dished out nine assists as the Los Angeles Lakers downed the Memphis Grizzlies, 90-82.

Despite turning over the ball 27 times, the Lakers took advantage of the Zach Randolph-less Memphis squad by dominating the glass, outrebounding the Grizzlies 53-34.

Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol controlled the interior, snatching 15 rebounds apiece for the Lakers, who won their sixth straight game at Staples Center since dropping their home opener to the Bulls, 88-87.

Matt Barnes added 15 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks.

"Twenty-seven turnovers was the downside. We have to address that," Gasol said.

Rudy Gay paced the Grizzlies with 19 points and newly-acquired Marreese Speights added 17 points and seven rebounds for Memphis, which was without Randolph for a fourth consecutive game.

Trailing 78-68 after three quarters of play, the Grizzlies used a 6-0 spurt to make it a 78-74 game with 9:18 left, but that was as close as Memphis got as back-to-back buckets by Barnes pushed the lead back to eight.

Although the Lakers never trailed in the second half, they shot just 36 percent.

Bryant started off hot, nailing four of his six shots for 11 points in the first quarter as the Lakers took a 31-22 advantage into the second.

"We wanted to jump on them in the first quarter," Memphis head coach Lionel Hollins said. "Kobe came out sharp and made a lot of shots."

Metta World Peace's steal and dunk gave Los Angeles its largest lead of the game, 40-26, in the second quarter and the Lakers took a 56-46 advantage into the locker room.

Los Angeles shot 56 percent in the opening half.

Game Notes

Los Angeles played its 10th game in 15 days, matching the Oklahoma City Thunder for the most contests in that span...Memphis is 6-17 all-time at the Staples Center...The Lakers lead the all-time series 45-16...Pau Gasol's little brother Marc Gasol was 0-for-9 from the field and scored just two points...Bynum had 15 points and Gasol finished with 13...The Grizzlies shot 40.9 percent from the field, but connected on just 1-of-9 from beyond the arc.






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