LOS ANGELES, (Reuters) – Kobe Bryant delivered a masterful 33 points as the Los Angeles Lakers held off a late fightback by city rivals the Clippers to launch their NBA championship defence with a 99-92 win Tuesday.
The 11-times All-2Star guard also weighed in with eight rebounds and three assists to help his team pull away from the Clippers after their lead had been trimmed to one point going into the final quarter.
Seven-foot center Andrew Bynum celebrated his 22nd birthday with 26 points and 13 rebounds for the Lakers while forward Lamar Odom, standing in place of injured Spaniard Pau Gasol, chipped in with 16 points and 13 rebounds.
For the Clippers, who were without rookie forward and top overall NBA draft pick Blake Griffin, guard Eric Gordon top-scored with 21 points and center Chris Kaman contributed 18 points and 16 rebounds.
“That third quarter was a real letdown for us which is not an issue we’ve had before,” Lakers coach Phil Jackson told reporters after his team had beaten the Clippers for the ninth time in a row.
“We missed a lot of easy shots and gave up a lot of opportunities to them. They came storming back into the game.
“Our second unit in the fourth quarter, with Lamar out there, really got things going and in the fourth we were able to sustain it.”
The evening began on an emotional note for the Lakers when last season’s team and the coaching staff were presented with diamond-encrusted gold championship rings in front of former players including Jerry West and Magic Johnson.
RUSTY OPENING
Veteran guard Derek Fisher then orchestrated the sellout crowd to chant ‘3-2-1’ before the 2008-09 NBA championship banner was unveiled up above in the Staples Center rafters, sparking frenzied applause.
With the ceremony over, both teams displayed signs of early-season rust but Bryant poured in 13 points as the Lakers outplayed their opponents on defence to race into a 32-22 lead after the first quarter.
The Clippers, inspired by the aggressive play of forward Craig Smith off the bench, stayed on level terms in the second period to trail 59-49 by half-time.
Although the Lakers led by 11 points for much of the third quarter, they were pegged back late on by superb play from Gordon and Marcus Camby.
A Gordon three-pointer and a Camby alley-oop dunk cut the Lakers’ advantage to a slender 76-75 going into the final period.
Bryant, Odom and 10-year league veteran Ron Artest, the high-profile summer signing for the Lakers, then took control to ensure that the defending champions ended their season opener at home on a triumphant note.
“Taking them on any night is a tough challenge,” Clippers coach Mike Dunleavy said of the task facing his team with Griffin sidelined for up to six weeks with a stress fracture of his left knee.
“They put a lot of pressure on you and Kobe Bryant, Artest and Bynum are tough match-ups. We are not looking for any moral victories but I’m glad that our guys played hard all the way through. There were times when they could have folded.”
