GAME THREAD: NBA: NEW JERSEY (6-7) at LA LAKERS (7-5)

LOS ANGELES (Ticker) -- Kobe Bryant was nearly perfect in thefourth quarter, but it was not enough to complete the LosAngeles Lakers' late comeback.


Richard Jefferson had 27 points and Jason Kidd added 15 pointsand 14 assists as the New Jersey Nets held on for a 102-100victory over Los Angeles on Sunday.


"We weren't really looking ahead, but we understood that if wewere able to get this win, opportunity was knocking for us tostart improving," Jefferson said. "I think that's what we didtoday. Win or lose I think this was our best game on the roadtrip."


Trailing 101-98 with six seconds left, Bryant was fouled on a3-point attempt by Kidd. The Lakers superstar made the first twofoul shots to bring his total at the line to 15-of-15 for thegame, before missing the third.


"It felt great - missed it by a millimeter," Bryant said. "Itskimmed the rim, went in and came out."


After Bostjan Nachbar sank one of two free throws for NewJersey, Vladimir Radmanovic's 3-point attempt from the winggrazed the front rim at the buzzer.


The Nets, who had trailed by 12 points at the half, used a 21-4run to bridge the end of the third and beginning of the fourthto take a 84-74 lead with 8:37 to play.


"It didn't take a genius to figure out we didn't have a lot ofenergy in the first half," New Jersey coach Lawrence Frank said."The fact we were able to find it was great. I think our guysshowed great grit."


The Lakers went on a 17-3 run - with 11 of the points comingfrom Bryant - capped by Sasha Vujacic's 3-pointer to take a96-94 advantage with 1:32 remaining.


Jefferson scored the next three points on free throws to giveNew Jersey a one-point lead, and Nachbar made two free throws togive the Nets a 99-98 advantage with 28 seconds to play.

Bryant, who scored 15 of his 31 points in the fourth, thenmissed a jumper from the right wing - for his first miss of thequarter - with 13 seconds left. Vince Carter made two more freethrows to give the Nets a three-point bulge with six tickslater.


Bryant was 3-of-16 in the first three quarters before going4-of-5 from the field in the fourth for his fifth 30-point gameof the season.


"The start of the fourth quarter we didn't execute properly,they jumped out to huge lead on us and it was an uphill battlefrom that point forward," Bryant said. "They made someadjustments, we had to counter that and we did so late in theball game but we just didn't do it enough in time to stop thebleeding."


Carter finished with 19 points for the Nets, who have won threestraight games after a six-game losing streak - five of whichcame while Carter was nursing a sprained right ankle.

"It was tough sitting on the bench, watching," Carter said. "Iwanted to be out there. I had to be patient and everybody isplaying well."


The Lakers built a 16-9 lead in the first seven minutes of thegame and never trailed during the first half en route to a 49-37advantage at the break. Lamar Odom and Derek Fisher combinedto go 9-of-9 in the first half, scoring 21 points.

Fisher finished with a season-high 20 points and Odom had 16 forthe Lakers, who have lost three in a row after winning fourstraight.


"It was a disappointment, but obviously we knew it was going tobe a tough game," Los Angeles coach Phil Jackson said. "Itlooked like we lost some energy in that third quarter. Theytook advantage of it. But we rallied at the finish and gaveourselves a chance."

 

Re: NBA: NEW JERSEY (6-7) at LA LAKERS (7-5)

Kobe's missed FT. I can't believe it. I was so high on the comeback and losing the way we did made me almost want to cry....</p>

 

Re: NBA: NEW JERSEY (6-7) at LA LAKERS (7-5)

WHere can i download this game?</p>