LOS ANGELES — These Lakers are a strange group — even
for a bunch of professional athletes.
Sunday night in Phoenix, they were hammered 102-90 by the Suns in a game that
was nowhere near that close.
Monday night, back inside the forgiving walls of Staples Center, they pummeled
the Portland Trail Blazers 103-92 in a game that was nowhere near that close.
And about 26 hours after a postgame haranguing in which he called out
management demanding a resolution to the Pau Gasol trade rumors — one way or
the other — Kobe Bryant didn't want to talk about those comments.
Fortunately, he and Gasol — along with Andrew Bynum — did their talking on the
court, helping the Lakers to a 29-7 lead at the end of the first quarter. Portland
played the Lakers even in the second quarter and outscored LA by 11 in the
second half. But the outcome was decided in the opening period as Bynum scored eight
points and grabbed nine rebounds; Bryant had eight points and two assists, and
Gasol chipped in with four points and six rebounds to create the insurmountable
lead. Bryant ended up with 28; Bynum had 14 points and 19 boards and Gasol had
his 10th straight double-double — 16 points and 12 rebounds.
The Lakers improved to 19-13 — 14-2 at home — while the Blazers fell to 17-16. And
that capped a day in which Portland found out that 2007 No. 1 overall draft
pick Greg Oden would miss another season after a third microfracture surgery on
one of his knees.
Bad day for the Blazers; a typically odd one for the Lakers.
Following the loss in Phoenix, Bryant implored Laker management to either trade
Gasol of take him off the block, saying that it was affecting Pau mentally.
"We can't have one of our pillars not knowing if they're going to be here
or not," Bryant stated, adding that he'd rather see Gasol remain a Laker.
But if that wasn't in the organization's plans, then, "If they're going to do something, I wish they
would just (expletive) do it."
Naturally, it made headlines throughout the sports world; Bryant calling out
his employers after vowing to stay out of front-office business following the
Lamar Odom trade to Dallas in December — a trade Bryant didn't like at all.
Laker GM Mitch Kupchak came out with a statement Monday afternoon saying that
management would do what it had to in order to improve the team.
In other words, mind your business, Kobe.
Gasol, at least, was very appreciative of his teammate's gesture.
"I'm glad that (Kobe) spoke his mind and showed his support toward
me," Gasol said after the win over Portland. "I didn't know he was
going to do it at that particular (time) to the media, but he told me he was
going to say something.
"He (also) told me that I have to be tough, and to just deal with it. The
rest of the team, too. We have to stay focused and do the best we can. We don't
need any more distractions."
Bryant apparently agrees, practically remaining silent Monday night when asked
about his statement and that of Kupchak.
"I don't have any," Bryant said about Kupchak not ending trade
speculation. "I said what I had to say."
Could you address specifically what you . . .
"I'm done. I said what I had to say."
Did Mitch talk to you today?
"Next."
Next up for the Lakers is a meeting with the defending NBA champion Mavericks
in Dallas on Wednesday, the first time they've played at American Airlines Center
since being swept out of the playoffs last May.
Bryant was asked if there was any special motivation going back to Big D.
"It's not the playoffs, so no," he said, again choosing brevity over
explanation.
The trade deadline is March 15. It can't get here soon enough for the Lakers.
