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Diaw helps Bobcats outlast Lakers

Jan 28, 2009 - 8:11 AM By Jonathan Raber PA SportsTicker Contributing Writer

LOS ANGELES (Ticker) -- Boris Diaw scored 23 points and Raymond Felton just missed a triple-double as the Charlotte Bobcats claimed a 117-110 double-overtime victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday.

Felton finished with 22 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists and Emeka Okafor and Raja Bell chipped in 17 points each for Charlotte, which has held the upper hand in the series in recent meetings.

"It was up and down," Felton said. "They made runs, we made runs, they hit big shots, we hit big shots."

The Bobcats have captured five of the last six meetings against the Lakers, including three straight at Staples Center.

"It says that we're learning how to win," Bell said. "It's good to know that a young team, that doesn't necessarily have a good record, isn't afraid to come into a building with the mystic like Staples against a team like the Lakers and compete."

Kobe Bryant poured in 38 points for Los Angeles before fouling out late in the first overtime. Andrew Bynum added 24 points and 14 rebounds for the Lakers, who had a four-game win streak snapped.

"That team always plays us tough," Bynum said. "They just try to hang around and then towards the end of the game, anything can happen."

Trailing by two in the second overtime, the Bobcats scored seven straight points to take a 112-107 lead on a pair of free throws by Okafor.

The Lakers closed to within two on a three-point play by Bynum with just over a minute left, but Okafor hit a jumper and Felton added a pair of free throws to make it 116-110 and put the game out of reach with 25 seconds left.

"We kept our resolve, kept on playing hard and was able to get them in the second overtime," Okafor said.

Los Angeles led by as many as six in the first overtime, but the Bobcats refused to go quietly.

Bryant gave the Lakers a 103-100 cushion with 51 seconds left in the period but was called for his sixth foul moments later. With Bryant out, Diaw extended things by hitting a 3-pointer to tie it at 103-103 with 32 seconds remaining.

"I never felt like we were going to lose the game anyway," Felton said. "I felt like we still had enough strength and power to pull it out. But of course, when (Bryant) goes out that gives us extra leeway."

The Lakers needed a late push in the fourth to overcome a nine-point deficit.

After Shannon Brown's 3-pointer to open the fourth put the Bobcats up 79-70, the Lakers went on an 11-2 run and tied it at 81-81 on Sasha Vujacic's 3-pointer with 6:09 to go.

The teams traded baskets before Diaw's 3-pointer at the 3:10 mark capped a 7-0 run and made it 90-83 in favor of Charlotte. Bryant answered back with seven straight points, including a 3-pointer to make it 92-90 with 1:12 left.

Sasha Vujacic missed a potential game-tying shot on the other end and following a foul, Diaw split a pair of foul shots for a three-point cushion.

Derek Fisher sent the game to overtime, nailing a 3-pointer in the corner to tie it at 93-93. Felton's attempt hit the front of the rim as the buzzer sounded.

"We really almost stole the ballgame," Lakers coach Phil Jackson said. "But we shouldn't have won, and so I think sometimes justice prevails."