LOS ANGELES — Kobe Bryant scored 12 of his 24 points in the fourth quarter, Pau Gasol had 23 points and 10 rebounds, and the Los Angeles Lakers rallied from a fourth-quarter deficit for a 96-91 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday night in another testy edition of their cross-hallway rivalry. Andrew Bynum scored 19 points to help the Lakers snapped their three-game skid with their first win of the season over their fellow Staples Center tenants. The Clippers beat the Lakers twice in the preseason and again earlier this month, staking an early claim to L.A. superiority with their revamped lineup. The Lakers aren’t ready to cede the city just yet – and they were willing to fight for it. The clubs combined for six technical fouls, and the Lakers’ Josh McRoberts was ejected. Blake Griffin had 26 points and nine rebounds, and Caron Butler and Mo Williams added 16 points apiece for the Clippers, who led for nearly every possession of the first 3 1/2 quarters. Chris Paul had four points and 12 assists for the Clippers in his return from a five-game absence because of a strained left hamstring. After trailing for all but the opening basket, Bryant put the Lakers in front with six points during an 11-4 run capped by Metta World Peace’s 3-pointer with 3:30 to play. The Lakers nursed the lead into the final minute, when Bynum made a lyaup and blocked DeAndre Jordan’s shot in the paint on consecutive possessions, essentially sealing the Lakers’ ninth straight “home” victory in the building shared by these clubs. The Lakers have won 10 of their last 11 home games since Christmas, and the Clippers still haven’t beaten the Lakers twice in a row since the 2006-07 season. The Lakers still failed to score 100 points for the 12th straight game, matching their longest low-scoring stretch since early 2004. Paul hadn’t played since the Clippers’ home victory over the Lakers 11 days ago, but his teammates stayed in first place in the Pacific Division during his absence. Coach Vinny Del Negro appeared to be limiting Paul’s minutes slightly, perhaps with an eye to the Clippers’ five games in the next eight days. Butler scored the Clippers’ first 11 points, hitting three 3-pointers as they jumped to an early 10-point lead to the delight of their small fan contingent. The Clippers stayed narrowly ahead with 12 first-half points from Griffin, who landed his nightly jaw-dropping dunk when he drove past Gasol on the perimeter and floated past Bynum for a double-clutch jam. Later, Griffin made a nimble reverse hook shot and a flying rebound putback dunk within a minute of each other. The Lakers got unlikely offensive help from Andrew Goudelock, the rookie from College of Charleston who had scored just 10 points all season before matching that total midway through the second quarter against the Clippers. Goudelock hit two 3-pointers and didn’t miss a shot until the third quarter. The testiness and bad tempers that infiltrated this rivalry last year also resurfaced when Griffin and World Peace went down in a heap as they chased a loose ball at midcourt in the third quarter. Both teams surrounded the tangle of limbs and exchanged minor contact, but officials only ruled a jump ball. Bryant committed six turnovers in the third quarter as the Clippers maintained their lead, and Mo Williams added the tension with a flagrant foul on Goudelock during a fast break early in the fourth. The officials attempted to keep peace with technical fouls – including two quick ones to McRoberts, who was ejected with 9:35 to play after two exchanges with the Clippers’ Reggie Evans. Chauncey Billups committed a technical foul during the Lakers’ run to an 87-82 lead on World Peace’s sixth 3-pointer in 38 tries during his dismal offensive season. NOTES: Before the game, the Lakers sent second-year forward Derrick Caracter to Bakersfield of the D-League as he continues his rehabilitation from a torn meniscus in his left knee. … Fans near courtside included David Beckham, Aziz Ansari, Jerry Bruckheimer, Mark McGrath and director McG. Go here to see the original: L.A. Rivalry Getting Heated
Posts Tagged ‘ city ’
Ascot Hills Park: The Eastside’s Newest Outdoor Space
East Los Angeles isn’t generally thought of as a hiking destination—but Ascot Hills Park may change that. The 93-acre park opened in the summer of 2011, and provides a great opportunity for recreation in an area of the city not typically known for its open space. more › More: Ascot Hills Park: The Eastside’s Newest Outdoor Space
3 Options for a Post-Occupy City Hall Lawn
New renderings for the City Hall lawn show that the department is using its destruction as an excuse to revamp the park and get rid of some of the water-wasting turf. Blogdowntown explored three options on the table , and today the department released renderings that show what each option would look like. more › Continue reading here: 3 Options for a Post-Occupy City Hall Lawn
Palm Desert council to vote on rule waiver today
Former Palm Desert City Councilman Jim Ferguson is requesting a waiver from a rule that prohibits city officials from representing any party with the city for two years after leaving office. Read the original here: Palm Desert council to vote on rule waiver today
EaterWire : Mario Alberto Lands at Freddy Smalls, Additional Expansion for Joan’s on Third, MORE!
WEST LA— When Chimu closed abruptly last October, Downtown lunchers lamented the loss of a standout Peruvian restaurant. At the time, chef Mario Alberto Orellana had decided to partner with Jason Michaud of Local to launch new eatery Red Hill in Echo Park, however since then any Facebook or Twitter posts regarding Orellana and his kitchen staff’s involvement in Red Hill have been removed. Orellana was last seen working the line at Freddy Smalls Bar + Kitchen in West L.A. [EaterWire] — MK AROUND TOWN— Even more good news for fans of Joan’s on Third . While a second gourmet market/cafe is planned for Studio City, more locations are expected to open around the city within the next two years. [EaterWire] PASADENA— Tonight Scott James Teague , head bartender of Demi Monde NYC and a Pegu Club vet, lands behind the bar at 1886 to prepare his own menu of elixirs in addition to bar’s winter list. [EaterWire] COACHELLA— From the Twitter feed of club guy Brent Bolthouse : “NEON CARNIVAL COUNTDOWN :: 94 DAYS.” [Twitter] See the original post here: EaterWire : Mario Alberto Lands at Freddy Smalls, Additional Expansion for Joan’s on Third, MORE!
Kobe Needs Another Big Night To Lift Lakers Past Jazz In OT
SALT LAKE CITY — Andrew Bynum wasn’t on the court the first time the Los Angeles Lakers faced the Utah Jazz. He made his presence felt Wednesday night, with five blocked shots, including a game-saver on Al Jefferson’s short jumper with 1.9 seconds remaining in overtime as the Lakers held on for a 90-87 victory. Kobe Bryant scored 40 points to lead the Lakers, including a pair of free throws with 0.7 seconds remaining for the final margin. “Andrew kind of made of his own coverage on Al and we tried to keep telling him to get out of it,” Lakers coach Mike Brown said. “But he didn’t listen to us and whatever he did, worked. So I’m going to add it to my defensive package.” Jefferson, who was coming off a season-high 30-point effort against Cleveland on Tuesday, was held to 11 points on 5-of-17 shooting. Paul Millsap led the Jazz with a season-high 29 points, hitting 14 of 24 shots. The loss was the first at home for the Jazz this season and halted their five-game winning streak. The Lakers embarrassed the Jazz in Utah’s season-opener, winning by 25 even without Bynum on Dec. 27. This one was close throughout, with Millsap’s tip-in tying it at 78 with 21 seconds left in regulation. Bryant, coming of a 48-point game Tuesday night at home against Phoenix, missed a shot at the buzzer that would have won it in regulation for Los Angeles. Millsap then scored the first four points of overtime, but the Lakers fought back, with 3-pointers by Bryant and Pau Gasol. “Pau’s got a green light to shoot the 3,” Brown said. “As you can tell, guys trust him. Kobe made a pass to him late in the game at a crucial point. To see him step and knock it down was huge for us.” Seven-foot Bynum came up even bigger. He made just 5 of 13 shots, but his tip-in with 51 seconds left in OT put the Lakers ahead 88-87. Millsap brought the Jazz within one, then after Bryant’s miss, the Jazz found themselves with a chance to win. Gordon Hayward had the ball and started toward the lane, only to pass it to Jefferson underneath. Bynum was there. “It was just a reaction,” Bynum said about his block. “I’m lucky he went for the quick flip.” Hayward said he thought about shooting it himself. “The clock’s winding down, a final scramble and we didn’t know what was going on,” Hayward said. “There were 8 seconds left, so I got to make a play. Maybe I could have shot a 1-2 pullup, but I thought it was the right play, the right pass. We got a good look. Bynum just made a good play.” Bryant would block a long 3-point attempt by Devin Harris as the Jazz inbounded with 0.7 seconds remaining in OT. The win was the first on the road for the Lakers (8-4), while Utah (6-4) is 5-1 at home. “It felt good to get a road win here,” Bryant said. “It’s a very tough place to play and it was a huge test for us.” But even he wasn’t so sure Gasol could knock down the 22-footer from the corner. “Pau’s been shooting them well in practice and coach has been urging me to trust him at the 3-point line,” Bryant said. “I thought about passing it to him, it seemed like an eternity. But I said, `What the hell.’ “You think Tebow prays? When that ball left his hand, I must have said 30 Hail Mary’s.” Gasol finished with 14 points. He was just 5 of 14 overall, but hit his only 3-point attempt – his first of the season. “Tonight was not a very effective game on our part, for the most part,” Gasol said. “But we continued to fight through it. We forgot about everything else and we made two big plays down the stretch with the put-back and the block and I was able to make a couple plays. Hopefully we’ll get the bodies that we have injured right now and it will give us a deeper rotation.” If the Lakers were celebrating a little more than usual, they say they earned the right. “It was a tough game. It’s hard to get a win here. Back to back, getting in here late last night, going to bed late. It’s something to be proud of as a team,” Gasol said. “Hopefully, we’ll get some sleep and get ready for another back-to-back.” The Jazz also left feeling pretty good despite the loss, saying they are a different team than the one that faced the Lakers in the opener. “We kept playing hard, didn’t give up,” Jefferson said. “It’s one of those games at the end of the day we wish we could have won, but we could walk out with our head up. We played hard until the end. We just got to get ready for New Jersey.” The Jazz face the Nets on Saturday in a game that marks the return of Deron Williams for the first time since he was traded away last February. “We’re coming, we’re getting better,” Jazz coach Tyrone Corbin said. “We played against a good team tonight. They were a little bit better but our effort was great.” NOTES: Lakers forward Jason Kapono missed his second game so he could be with his wife, who gave birth Tuesday to twin girls. … Josh McRoberts (sprained toe/thumb) and Troy Murphy (stomach ailment) also did not suit up for L.A. … Jazz guard Raja Bell was assessed a first-quarter technical after giving Bryant a quick shove then having a few words with him. … Both teams were a combined 1-10 from 3-point range in the first half… Lakers guard Steve Blake suffered a rib contusion in the fourth quarter. Read more: Kobe Needs Another Big Night To Lift Lakers Past Jazz In OT
LA Hires New Top Traffic Cop
EaterWire : Philz Coffee Coming to SoCal, New Hwood Jamie Lauren Project, Soba and Sake at Breadbar
AROUND TOWN— Uptown Almanac notes , via The Facebook , that Philz Coffee , the popular Bay Area coffee chainlet, is headed to SoCal. On tap for 2013 is expansion to LA, OC, and SD. [Uptown Almanac] HOLLYWOOD— Chef Jamie Lauren has landed a new home. Per Twitter, “I’m looking for line cooks for a new project I’m working on in Hollywood . Send resumes to: jcookgurl@yahoo.com thanks!” [ Twitter ] CENTURY CITY— The last standing Breadbar introduced a new temporary dining engagement yesterday running until January 19. It’s called Common Grains Pop-Up Soba and Sake Bar run by soba maker Sonoko Sakai who penned a lengthy piece on the subject of soba for the LAT . Anyway, on offer freshly stoned and milled soba served with tradition or mod garnishes. [EaterWire] [Photo: Philz Coffee, Mission SF] View post: EaterWire : Philz Coffee Coming to SoCal, New Hwood Jamie Lauren Project, Soba and Sake at Breadbar
Pencil This In: Golden Globe Foreign Language Films, Dead Celeb Cookbook and Music for a School Night
Awards season is ramping up and the Golden Globes prepare for Sunday’s ceremony by screening the nominated Foreign Language Films this week; It’s a School Night returns to Bardot; a Gary Oldman retrospective kicks off tonight; and a dead celeb cookbook event. Read on for all the details. more › Read the original here: Pencil This In: Golden Globe Foreign Language Films, Dead Celeb Cookbook and Music for a School Night