INDIANAPOLIS (AP) – Kobe Bryant scored 25 of his 31 points in the second half to help the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Indiana Pacers, 109-94, on Wednesday night.

Pau Gasol scored 29 points and Lamar Odom had 13 points and 17 rebounds for the Lakers, who never trailed.

The Lakers shot 51 percent against the Pacers, who entered with the NBA’s No. 2 field-goal percentage defense. Los Angeles outrebounded Indiana 51-29 to win for the sixth time in seven games.

Darren Collison scored 17 points and Brandon Rush added 16 for Indiana. The Pacers got off to a promising start this season, but have lost three straight. Indiana was going for its first season sweep of the Lakers since 1992 after winning 95-92 on November 28 in Los Angeles.

Gasol went 5-for-15 with five turnovers and five fouls in the previous meeting, but he set the tone in this one. Los Angeles made seven of its first eight shots and ran out to a 15-4 lead. The Lakers extended that advantage to 27-10 before Bryant even attempted a shot. They shot 73.7 percent in their best quarter of the season to lead 36-22 at the end of the period.

Bryant, content to play decoy, had one field goal and three assists in the quarter. Gasol scored 14 points in the first 12 minutes.

The Lakers led 59-37 at halftime. They outrebounded the Pacers 27-10 in the first half and shot 61 percent. Bryant took just four shots in the first half, but had six assists without a turnover.

Bryant got rolling early in the third quarter, when he drained a 3-pointer from the right corner while fading out of bounds with Danny Granger in his face. Bryant made another 3 a few minutes later and held his arm in the air as the ball went through the net. He scored 17 points in the quarter.

Brandon Rush hit back-to-back 3s to get Pacers fans excited late in the third, but Shannon Brown’s coast-to-coast drive and layup quieted the crowd and gave the Lakers an 87-69 lead at the end of the period.

Most of the sellout crowd stayed until the end, even though the home team trailed by double digits the entire fourth quarter.

Bryant, ever the crowd pleaser, drained consecutive 3s midway through the fourth, and some fans even chanted “Kobe! Kobe!”

Rose banged up twice as Bulls win sixth in a row

December 14, 2010

BY JOHN JACKSON, CHICAGO SUN-TIMES

CHICAGO — The Bulls are making winning rather routine these days. In fact, the only real anxiety in their 92-73 victory over the Indiana Pacers Monday night at the United Center — their sixth straight — had nothing to do with the result of the game.

Twice in the final six minutes seemingly everyone in the United Center had to hold its collective breath as Derrick Rose was down on the court in obvious pain.

The biggest concern was Rose’s right wrist, which he hurt in a fall. It was diagnosed as a sprain, and X-rays were negative.

“There are a lot of bones in the wrist that can be easily broken,” Rose said as he iced the wrist at his locker. “They told me to ice and then they’d let me know the results.”

“We’re concerned,” Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau said. “The way he went down, those are tough plays. The way he went down is an awkward way to fall.”

The first time, Rose appeared to step on the ankle of teammate Luol Deng after the Bulls grabbed a rebound and headed up court. Rose and grabbed his ankle, but after a minute or so he got up and walked to the bench.

After a timeout, Rose stayed in the game and appeared OK.

The second time was definitely scarier for everyone involved.

With just under two minutes left in the game, Rose drove towards the basket and was fouled from behind by the Pacers’ T.J. Ford. The play continued on and Brandon Rush came over to try and draw a charge.

Rose fell over Rush and landed face first. He braced his fall with his hands and immediately grabbed his right wrist.

The Bulls (15-8) haven’t had a six-game winning streak since December 2006. They also have a five-game streak against the Pacers at the UC, with the last Pacers’ victory in Chicago coming on Mar. 22, 2008.

Carlos Boozer led the way for the Bulls on the stat sheet with 22 points and 18 rebounds. Rose had 17 points and 12 assists and Luol Deng added 15.

Brandon Rush and T.J. Ford led the Pacers with 13 points apiece.

Indiana (11-12) was done in by its shooting. The Pacers were just 30-for-84 (35.7 percent) from the field, including 3-for-19 from three-point range.

The Bulls charged out to a 25-8 lead seven minutes into the game and it looked like they would make quick work of the opposition for a second straight game.

But the Pacers (even without Granger) are a more formidable opponent than the Minnesota Timberwolves on the road. Immediately after the Bulls went up by 17, Indiana got back in the game by scoring 10 straight points.

The Bulls led 27-18 at the end of the first quarter, but the Pacers — holding the Bulls to eight points over a span of 13 minutes over the first and second quarters — were up 37-33 with four minutes remaining in the second quarter.

The Bulls, though, rallied for a 43-41 halftime lead and then took a 65-58 advantage into the fourth quarter. Indiana trimmed the deficit to two points by scoring the first five points.

However, this time the Bulls never lost the lead. Joakim Noah and Ronnie Brewer scored consecutive baskets to provide some breathing room and the Bulls were never seriously threatened after that.

INDIANAPOLIS, Dec. 10 (UPI) — Danny Granger led all five starters in double figures with 18 points Friday and the Indiana Pacers held on for a 100-92 victory over Charlotte.

The Pacers made 13 shots from 3-point range compared with just three for the Bobcats, who have lost in each of their last five trips to Indianapolis.

Indiana took a 10-point lead into the final period and fought off the Bobcats — thanks in part to 16 points from Brandon Rush, 15 from Mike Dunleavy and 13 points, along with 14 rebounds, from Roy Hibbert.

Charlotte has dropped its last six road games. Gerald Wallace paced the Bobcats with 26 points and 13 rebounds.