Bryant Scores 33, Lakers Beat Pistons 103-90

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The Los Angeles Lakers cruised to a 103-90 win against the Detroit Pistons at the Palace of Auburn Hills, driven by Kobe Bryant’s 33 points and 9 rebounds in about 32 minutes of play.

Bryant unleashed his full offensive repertoire as he drove, spun, faked, stutter-stepped, and shot his way to 24 of his 33 points in the first half.

When asked why he seems to dial his game up a notch against Detroit, Bryant simply replied “04,” referring to the Lakers’ 2004 NBA Finals defeat at the hands of the Pistons.

The Piston’s offense sputtered from the get-go, finishing the game shooting 39.3 percent and the final score was not indicative of the Lakers’ dominance through the first three quarters.

Lakers were in the driver’s seat early with a 59-45 first half lead, and the Lakers offense would only continue stepping on the gas, as they would accelerate their lead to as high as 26 points via a 16-4 run to start the third quarter.  The Lakers’ reserves would take control of the wheel in the final quarter, allowing the starters to rest and minimize their minutes.

Lakers exerted their dominance in the post, outrebounding the Pistons 55-41.  Pau Gasol had 12 of those rebounds paired with his 25 points.  Odom supplied 14 rebounds to go with his 15 points.

Richard Hamilton, one of the cornerstone players for the Pistons, fouled out of the game at the 7:01 mark of the first quarter after receiving two consecutive technical fouls for protesting a foul drawn by Bryant.  Rodney Stuckey’s 18 points led the Pistons.

On Friday night, the Lakers will end their road trip at the Target Center in Minneapolis, as they face the Minnesota Timberwolves at 5:00 p.m. PT.

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