Kobe Leads Lakers to Pacific Title

[April 12, 2008]  LOS ANGELES (AP) -- The Los Angeles Lakers are Pacific Division champions for the first time in four years and have a shot at the Western Conference title after winning their most important game of the season. But they had to survive a tremendous scare, blowing all but one point of a 30-point lead.

Kobe Bryant, making a push for his first MVP award, had 29 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists, and the Lakers held off the New Orleans Hornets 107-104 Friday night to move within a half-game of the conference-leading Hornets.

Pau Gasol added 25 points, Derek Fisher scored 15, and Lamar Odom had 13 points and 16 rebounds for the Lakers (55-25), who never trailed but weren't assured of victory until the final minute.

Peja Stojakovic led the Hornets (55-24) with 24 points. Tyson Chandler added 18 points and eight rebounds, Jannero Pargo scored 17 points and Chris Paul had 15 points and 17 assists.

Houston and San Antonio, both 54-25, trail New Orleans by one game in the tightly-bunched West. The Lakers finish the regular season with home games against the Spurs and Sacramento Kings, while the Hornets play road games against the Kings and Dallas Mavericks and a home game against the Clippers.

If Los Angeles and New Orleans finish with the same record, the Lakers win the West and home-court advantage at least until the NBA finals by virtue of a better record against conference opponents. The teams split their four regular-season games.

Trailing 63-33 late in the second quarter, Paul and the Hornets suddenly got their game together, outscoring the Lakers 36-10 to move within four points with 3:51 left in the third period.

Bryant scored 10 points during a 17-6 run that extended the Lakers' lead to 92-77 with 9:25 remaining, and the sellout crowd of 18,997 at Staples Center chanted, "MVP, MVP, MVP" during most of the timeout that followed.

But the Hornets bounced back again, outscoring the Lakers 12-1 to draw within four points. Sasha Vujacic made a 3-pointer to give the Lakers a seven-point lead, but back-to-back 3's by Stojakovic trimmed the Lakers' lead to 96-95 with 3:58 remaining.

Ronny Turiaf then made two free throws for his only points of the game, Fisher added a 3-pointer, and Bryant made a foul shot to give the Lakers a seven-point lead with 2:39 remaining. New Orleans wasn't closer than five again until Pargo made a 3 at the buzzer.

A basket by Bryant with just under 4 minutes left in the second quarter extended the Lakers' lead to 30. Paul had only one point before scoring six during a 12-2 run to finish the second quarter, pulling New Orleans within 20.

For the Hornets, that was just the beginning.

Gasol scored 11 points, Bryant and Odom added 10 each, and the Lakers outrebounded the Hornets 14-3 while taking a 39-20 first-quarter lead. The 39 points matched the Lakers' highest-scoring first quarter this season.

Vladimir Radmanovic pushed Chandler to the floor 4 minutes into the game, and was charged with a flagrant foul. Both players were hit with technical fouls. Chandler had to come out of the game 24 seconds later after picking up his second personal.

Notes:@ Lakers C Andrew Bynum, sidelined since injuring his left knee Jan. 13, said before the game that he doesn't know when he'll return. "I guess I'll just play when I'm ready," he said. A knee specialist who examined Bynum on Wednesday wouldn't clear him for practice. Bynum said he didn't know when he'd be examined again. The playoffs begin next weekend. ... The Hornets entered having won six of seven road games to raise their road record to 26-12, the NBA's second-best record behind Boston's 29-10 mark. ... Lakers F Trevor Ariza, sidelined since breaking his right foot Jan. 20 in practice, won't be returning any time soon. Ariza had a CT scan Friday that showed the broken bone hasn't healed yet, but is progressing. Ariza was given clearance to increase his treadmill workouts, and coach Phil Jackson said he'll be checked out again in two weeks. ... Each of the previous three games between the teams were one-sided, with the Hornets winning 118-104 in Los Angeles on Nov. 6 behind Stojakovic's franchise-record 10 3-pointers; the Lakers winning 109-80 at New Orleans on Jan.9, and the Hornets winning 108-98 at home on March 14.

[Associated Press; By JOHN NADEL]

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