Listen Now!  (3:58 Minutes)

Download the MP3  (1.3 MB)

• More Press-Enterprise Podcasts
• Podcast/iTunes FAQ
• Download the Latest iTunes Software
• Search All News Podcasts

Kobe scores 41 as Lakers win without big guys -

LOS ANGELES - As Lamar Odom chatted with a group of reporters before Friday's game, he tried to explain the Lakers' strategy for keeping their few remaining healthy big men out of foul trouble.

"Play less defense," he deadpanned, presumably joking.

It was actually the Memphis Grizzlies who seemed to adopt that strategy, providing hardly any defensive resistance against Kobe Bryant whenever he attacked from the high post.

Bryant scored 41 points for the third time in four games, helping the Lakers overcome the absence of Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum and coast to a 114-98 victory.

"What can I say? This is a guy that sees a weakness in a team and exploits it," Lakers coach Phil Jackson said of Bryant. "Tonight they didn't seem to want to put a finger in the dike. They just let the leak continue. We just kept going down in the post where Kobe had a size advantage against this team and took advantage of it   Read Full Article...