Associated Press
LOS ANGELES — Kobe Bryant scored 11 of his 39 points in overtime and the Los Angeles Lakers beat New Orleans 115-111 on Friday night, snapping the Hornets’ NBA-record streak of 13 consecutive overtime victories.
Pau Gasol had 20 points and 12 rebounds for the defending Western Conference champions, who won for the 14th time in 16 games.
Derek Fisher, whose 3-pointer with 14.6 seconds left in the fourth quarter forced overtime, made four free throws in the final 14.3 seconds of the extra period to ice it. Lamar Odom grabbed 12 points and 17 rebounds, the fifth time in six games that he had 17 or more boards.
The Lakers improved the NBA’s best record to 45-10 and avenged a 116-105 loss to the Hornets on Jan. 6 that ended a 15-game home winning streak. Chris Paul and David West, who combined for 72 points in that one, had 21 and 16 respectively in the rematch while Rasual Butler led the team with 31.
Paul played 45 minutes before picking up his sixth foul with 1:32 left in OT, the first time he fouled out in a regular-season game in his four-year NBA career. West had a season-high 16 rebounds for the Hornets, who were the only team in the league that hadn’t played an overtime game this season.
Hornets center Tyson Chandler watched from the bench in street clothes with his current and “former” teammates.
Lakers coach Phil Jackson rested Bryant for the first 5 minutes of the fourth quarter, and New Orleans reduced a 13-point deficit to 85-82 with 8:46 remaining on Butler’s 3-pointer — one of five by the Hornets in the quarter.
Paul’s two free throws gave the Hornets a 95-93 edge with 3:21 to play after the Lakers turned the ball over on a traveling violation. James Posey, who helped Boston beat the Lakers in last year’s finals, drained his third 3-pointer of the quarter to give the Hornets a 98-95 lead with 1:15 to play after Los Angeles tied it on a tip-in by Gasol.
Paul was called for an offensive foul with 20.1 seconds left, and Fisher made him pay by with his tying 3-pointer. The Hornets had one more chance to win it in regulation, but Paul missed a 22-footer over Fisher in the final second.
Fisher’s interception of a pass by West led to a fastbreak dunk by Bryant that capped a 12-3 run and gave Los Angeles their biggest lead, 77-61, with 1:48 left in the third quarter.
Chandler, who was traded by New Orleans to Oklahoma City on Tuesday and flunked his physical with the Thunder on Wednesday, rejoined the Hornets in Los Angeles for the start of a three-game road trip after the deal for Chris Wilcox, Joe Smith and the draft rights to DeVon Hardin was rescinded.
Chandler has been sidelined since Jan. 19, when he injured his left ankle in a game against Boston. But the reason for his failed physical had more to do with the big toe on his left foot, than his ankle. Oklahoma City’s team doctor, Carlan Yates, was the Hornets’ team physician when he operated on Chandler’s toe three years ago.
Notes: Fisher played only one season for Utah, but left with a
deep and abiding affection for owner Larry Miller, who died Friday night at age 64. “He was an extremely passionate and compassionate individual,” said Fisher, who was allowed to get out of his multiyear contract by Miller and return to the Lakers because of his daughter’s rehabilitation from eye surgery that forced him to miss a portion of the playoffs. “I didn’t know him well enough to be able to predict how he would respond, but I think the one thing that I had gathered throughout that year was how important family was to him and that he could relate to family issues.” … The Lakers observed a moment of silence for Miller. … The Lakers, who came in averaging a league-best 108.8 points, missed 15 of 16 shots over the first 7:22 of the second quarter.
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