In a battle of Western Conference All-Star centers Tuesday night in Memphis, it was Andrew Bynum over Marc Gasol in a knockout.
Bynum had 37 points on 15-of-18 shooting and 16 rebounds despite sitting out shoot-around earlier in the day because a bruised right knee suffered Sunday versus Boston. Gasol, Pau Gasol's younger brother, had 20 points on 10-of-25 shooting and 11 rebounds.
Marc Gasol might've tired having to bang with Bynum -- and when Bynum wasn't around, Gasol's older brother. Marc Gasol shot 2-for-9 in the second half of the Lakers' 116-111 double-overtime victory -- then 2-for-6 in the overtimes.
"I felt great," Bynum said. "Confident and strong and just played basketball."
Bynum's scoring lines over the past five games are 30, 19, 26, 20 and 37.
"They are trusting me now," Bynum said of his Lakers teammates. "They are giving me the ball. When I get it, I am doing decent things with it."
Bynum will try to follow up his big game with another Wednesday night in New Orleans, although Bynum logged 49 minutes Tuesday night.
Lakers, Grizzlies lay bricks from three-point range
--The Lakers have had their share of games lost this season because of poor three-point shooting. They didn't do that well in that way again Tuesday night, making just six of 20 in Memphis. But the Lakers benefited from the Grizzlies shooting 2-for-19 on three-pointers, with O.J. Mayo going 0-for-8.
--The Lakers have blown so many leads this season that Pau Gasol was sighing with relief late Tuesday night about coming from behind to win in Memphis. The Lakers trailed by 17 points at one point -- and they even came from behind in the second overtime, when they trailed by a 109-106 score before going on a 10-2 run over the last 2:38.
QUOTE TO NOTE: "The big games that he had at the start of the season were good games, but he wasn't being featured. This is different. We are featuring him." -- Kobe Bryant, on the emergence of Andrew Bynum.
ROSTER REPORT
PLAYER NOTES:
--F Luke Walton didn't travel with the team Monday to Memphis for the game Tuesday night because of gastroenteritis. The illness might keep Walton out Wednesday night in New Orleans also.
--G Darius Morris is on assignment with the D-Fenders in the NBA Development League, but his attempt to grow through experience suffered a setback with a bruised left wrist suffered Saturday. Morris is listed as day-to-day.
--C Andrew Bynum's 37 points Tuesday night in Memphis was the second-highest total of his NBA career. He had 42 points against the Clippers on Jan. 22, 2009.
MEDICAL WATCH:
--G Kobe Bryant (nasal fracture) is playing through the injury.
--G Steve Blake (costachaondral fracture) is playing through the injury.
--G Darius Morris (bruised left wrist) is day-to-day.
--F Luke Walton (gastroenteritis) is day-to-day.
ROTATION:
Starters:
--Point guard Derek Fisher
--Shooting guard Kobe Bryant
--Small forward Metta World Peace
--Power forward Pau Gasol
--Center Andrew Bynum
Bench:
--Guard Steve Blake
--Forward Matt Barnes
--Forward Josh McRoberts
--Guard Andrew Goudelock
