Fisher Nets Game 4 for Lakers

Cops vow to jail miscreants as coliseum fills

(NEWSER) - An estimated 150,000 clogged streets in downtown Los Angeles today as the NBA-champion Lakers took a victory lap around downtown, the Times reports. Some 80,000 more jammed the Coliseum for a rally at parade’s end. Police, hoping to avoid the looting and chaos that followed Sunday’s clinching victory over the Orlando Magic, turned out in force. More»

(NEWSER) - Kobe Bryant has logged a lot of miles on his 30-year-old legs, which might just add a dollop of extra pressure as the NBA finals start tonight, writes Mike Bresnahan in the Los Angeles Times. It's finally legit to ask, how many more chances will he get? Since turning pro at age 17, Bryant has played 1,118 games—that's 340 more than Michael Jordan at the same age. “The window for Bryant's career is only a handful of years from sliding shut,” says Bresnahan. More»

He must feed the beast of his addiction to b-ball dominance

(NEWSER) - The Wire's pitiable junkie Bubbles and Kobe Bryant wouldn't seem to have much, if anything, in common. But not so, Scoop Jackson writes on ESPN.com, arguing that the Los Angeles Lakers star has an addiction of his own—a fiendish thirst to win a championship "no athlete in any other sport possesses," and to do so without playing second fiddle to Shaquille O'Neal. The finals start tonight. More»

LA never trails against defending champs in 30-point victory

(NEWSER) - No comeback required for the Lakers on Friday, as they scored the final nine points of the first half and never looked back in a 101-71 thrashing of defending champion San Antonio, reports AP. Kobe Bryant scored 22 points and Lamar Odom added 20 points and 12 rebounds as LA held serve at home, taking a 2-0 Western Conference finals series lead. More»

He makes key block on Kobe, three-point play in victory over Lakers

(NEWSER) - Andrei Kirilenko blocked Kobe Bryant twice in overtime and converted a three-point play with 35 seconds remaining as the Utah Jazz beat the Los Angeles Lakers 123-115 on Sunday, tying the Western Conference semifinals at 2-2. The Jazz went 8-for-8 from the foul line in overtime and outscored the Lakers 15-7 in the extra five minutes. More»