Hawks-Lakers Preview

By MATT BEARDMORE
Posted Mar 02 2013 8:59PM

Another victory won't move the Los Angeles Lakers back into the Western Conference playoff picture, but it will lift them to .500.

The Lakers will try to get to the break-even point for the first time in more than two months on Sunday night when they go for a seventh straight home victory over the Atlanta Hawks.

Acquiring Dwight Howard and two-time MVP Steve Nash in the offseason brought championship expectations, but this Lakers team has grossly underachieved.

Los Angeles (29-30), though, is enjoying its best stretch of the season with 12 wins in 17 games. The Lakers are just 2 1/2 games behind eighth-place Houston and eyeing a .500 record for the first time since they were 15-15 on Dec. 28.

"We've had enough time together where we've turned a corner and we're making improvement instead of continually taking steps back," said Nash, who had 10 points and seven assists in Thursday's 116-94 home win over Minnesota. "I think that improvement has been a long time coming, but it's only the beginning. We really need to continue to improve."

Even in his 17th season, 34-year-old Kobe Bryant has still found a way to improve his game, shooting a career-best 47.2 percent. He's hit 59.6 of his field-goal attempts in the last four contests while averaging 35.0 points. The league's fifth all-time leading scorer has taken 21 or more shots in each of those games after a 13-game run when he took more than 19 just twice.

"I've been in attack mode since the (All-Star) break. It's go time," Bryant said Thursday after hitting four 3-pointers and scoring 33 points. "We're getting a little closer, and we're starting to get in more of a striking distance where you start watching (the playoff race)."

The Hawks (33-24) can forget about catching East-leading Miami (42-14) in the Southeast Division, but they're in a tight battle with Brooklyn for the fourth seed and the first-round home-court advantage that comes with it.

Atlanta was hoping to arrive at Staples Center on a five-game winning streak, but it committed 21 turnovers in Friday's 92-87 loss to Phoenix.

"It's been good for us these first three games of the road trip, and we've been playing very well, (but) maybe we needed a game like this to just snap up back into reality," said coach Larry Drew, a former Laker point guard. "Now we have to go into LA to play against a very tough Laker team and then we go to Denver (on Monday) to finish this road trip out. We let a golden opportunity slip away tonight, but we've got to be ready for the next."

Howard better be ready for Al Horford, who has been on a tear over the last eight games - averaging 24.8 points and 11.8 rebounds.

Atlanta, though, will likely need a better offensive effort from Josh Smith, who had five points on 2-of-11 shooting on Friday, if it's going to post its first road win in this series since Feb. 15, 2006.

Playing without Horford (torn pectoral muscle), the Hawks had one of their worst shooting performances of the season (34.4 percent) in the last matchup between these teams, an 86-78 Lakers home win last Feb. 14.

Bryant finished with a season-low 10 points in that contest, Los Angeles' third straight victory over Atlanta.

Copyright 2013 by STATS LLC and Associated Press. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of STATS LLC and Associated Press is strictly prohibited

Kobe, Lakers hold off Hawks to get back to .500

By GREG BEACHAM
Posted Mar 04 2013 1:34AM

LOS ANGELES (AP) Kobe Bryant drove past Josh Smith and rose up with the athleticism of a player half his age, throwing down an arena-rocking, one-handed dunk. A few possessions later, Bryant drove right at Smith and willed a layup over the taller defender for the Los Angeles Lakers' winning points.

For a .500 team, the Lakers are looking pretty good lately. Bryant is the biggest reason why.

Bryant scored 11 of his 34 points in the fourth quarter and hit the go-ahead layup with 9 seconds left, leading the Lakers back to .500 for the first time in more than two months with a 99-98 victory over the Atlanta Hawks on Sunday night.

Steve Blake stole Smith's final pass in the waning seconds for the Lakers (30-30), who blew a 16-point lead in the second half before Bryant scored their last six points.

After Bryant scored the Lakers' final basket while driving directly at Smith, Blake swiped Smith's desperation pass from underneath Los Angeles' basket. Bryant threw the ball high in the air to run out the clock on Los Angeles' seventh straight home victory over the Hawks since 2006.

"I just had to attack," Bryant said. "I wanted to attack and just go right at them. Take the game to them. Be aggressive. Be physical. And it worked out."

Steve Nash had 15 points and 10 assists, while Dwight Howard added 11 points and 15 rebounds in the Lakers' 13th win in 18 games. Los Angeles hung on for a quality win over the Hawks, a near-certain playoff team with ample motivation to knock off the high-profile Lakers.

Kobe wouldn't allow it, making one big play after another down the stretch. Afterward, he repeatedly compared himself to a fine wine - only getting better with age.

"It was more of a message to my team here, to kind of have that will, that hunger, to push through it by any means necessary," he said. "It's just a challenge. I wouldn't even really categorize it as fun. The fun comes in the challenge, and we're up for it."

The Lakers hadn't been at .500 since Dec. 28, when they followed a win over Portland with six consecutive losses. They've spent the past six weeks digging themselves out of the latest hole in their rut-filled season, culminating in a lengthy stretch of recent solid play despite the absence of injured 7-footer Pau Gasol.

If the Lakers manage to upset Oklahoma City on Tuesday night, they would have their first winning record since Nov. 20, when they beat Brooklyn in coach Mike D'Antoni's debut to go 6-5.

Al Horford scored 24 points and Smith had 19 for the Hawks, who had won four straight before consecutive road losses to the Suns and Lakers. Atlanta hasn't beaten the Lakers anywhere since March 31, 2010.

Smith relished his matchup with Bryant, even if he got the short end of it.

"He's been doing it for a long time, so you have to respect what he brings to the table," Smith said. "He's an assassin. He wants that moment. But from a defensive standpoint, I love taking a challenge like that and try to step up and try to make it tough for him. It was kind of like a tug-of-war match. We were going back and forth, and they made one more play than we did to win the game. I live for moments like this."

Bryant put the Lakers up 96-95 with 2:18 to play on that ferocious dunk. After turnovers by both teams, Jeff Teague reclaimed the lead for Atlanta with 45 seconds left on a floating layup in traffic.

After Bryant hit two free throws, Horford put the Hawks back ahead with a dunk on a backdoor pass from Smith with 26.7 seconds left. But Bryant drove around Horford and right into Smith at the rim, willing the ball over his defense.

"There's a reason why he's the best player in the game," Horford said of Bryant. "He did what he usually does, and we didn't do a good enough job on him. It's disappointing. We thought we worked hard and put ourselves in a position to win. We just had too many mistakes down the stretch."

Devin Harris scored 12 of his 16 points in a three-minute spree late in the third quarter while Atlanta erased Los Angeles' big lead.

NOTES: The Hawks finish their trip Monday night in Denver. ... Atlanta coach Larry Drew was able to attend his son's final UCLA home game on Saturday thanks to the fortunate coincidence in the Hawks' schedule. Drew considers Los Angeles home after playing for the Clippers and Lakers, followed by a lengthy stint as a Lakers assistant coach in the 1990s prior to Phil Jackson's arrival. ... Novak Djokovic visited the Lakers' locker room with fellow tennis player Justin Gimelstob before the game. One day after winning the Dubai Championships halfway around the globe, Djokovic spoke at length with Howard, who claims he won a school tennis tournament as a kid.

Copyright 2013 by STATS LLC and Associated Press. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of STATS LLC and Associated Press is strictly prohibited

Notebook: Lakers 99, Hawks 98

Dan Arritt, For NBA.com
Posted Mon Mar 04, 2013 1:27 AM - Updated Mon Mar 04, 2013 1:27 AM

THE FACTS: The Los Angeles Lakers got back to square one Sunday night, a destination they never envisioned they'd be shooting for during the first week of March. They reached .500 (30-30) for the first time in 2013 on the back of Kobe Bryant, who scored 34 points -- the last two on a high-banking, heavily contested layup with nine seconds remaining. That basket stood up as the game winner in the 99-98 victory against the Atlanta Hawks at Staples Center.

QUOTABLE: "I don't know where he's getting his young legs from but, obviously, the last three or four possessions he went right to the rim and made some incredible shots."

--Lakers coach Mike D'Antoni

THE STAT: The Lakers are 5-1 since the All Star break, 13-5 since Jan. 25 and own as many wins as losses for the first time since Dec. 28. They're still 2 ½ games back of the eighth and final playoff spot, however.

TURNING POINT: The Lakers let a 16-point third-quarter lead evaporate behind the hot shooting of Atlanta (33-25), mostly from backup guards Devin Harris and Kyle Korver, who scored 16 points apiece. Al Horford put the Hawks ahead, 84-83, with a slam dunk off an L.A. turnover with 8:11 remaining and both teams proceeded to swap leads four more times before Bryant made his game-winning move. He drove around Horford from the left wing and elevated toward the basket. Josh Smith slid over to help and also rose into the air, causing Bryant to pull the ball down in flight and then bank it high off the glass and through the hoop. The Hawks had one last opportunity and Smith appeared to beat the Lakers defense with a backdoor move, but Harris' pass was slightly behind Smith and he was unable to control the ball. He regained possession but was too far under the basket, forcing him to pass it out top, where it was intercepted by Steve Blake just before the final horn sounded.

HOT: The Lakers shot 68.4 percent from the floor in the opening quarter, helping them surge to an early 11-point advantage. Outside of Bryant, the next best game belonged to point guard Steve Nash, who scored 15 points on 6-for-12 shooting and dished out 10 assists for his first double-double in a month. Metta World Peace also hit some big shots, finishing with 13 points on 5-for-8 shooting and blanketing Smith on Atlanta's final possession. Horford led the Hawks with 24 points on 12-for-20 shooting, extending his career-best streak of 20-point games to nine. Harris scored 12 points in the final three minutes of the third quarter, putting him in double figures for the sixth consecutive game.

NOT: Smith, a 65.9 percent career foul shooter heading into the game, was at 51.2 on the season. He then missed all six of his free throws against the Lakers, points that surely would have come in handy down the stretch. Atlanta point guard Jeff Teague made a couple baskets late, but finished with eight points on 3-for-13 shooting, his worst shooting performance of the season when taking double-digit shot attempts. Teague's latest effort came on the heels of his 3-for-10 performance in Friday's loss in Phoenix. The most blinding stat for the Lakers was their 21 turnovers, which resulted in 29 points for the Hawks.

GOOD MOVE: In what many consider the best dunk of the season for Bryant, he drove around Smith and threw down a tomahawk dunk that gave the Lakers a 95-94 lead with 2:16 remaining and brought the crowd to its feet for the remainder of the game. Those were the first of six straight points Bryant scored to close out the game. He also nailed a 25-foot 3-pointer to end the third quarter after the Lakers had to inbound the ball with 2.4 seconds on the clock.

QUOTABLE II: "I just wanted to attack. Take the game right to them. Be aggressive, be physical."

--Kobe Bryant

BAD MOVE: One quarter earlier, Harris showed everyone how to completely botch a final possession. Harris grabbed a defensive rebound with 24 seconds remaining in the first half and could have held the ball for a final shot. Instead, he launched a 25-footer with 12 seconds still remaining and didn't come close. Dwight Howard grabbed the rebound for the Lakers and Bryant drew a foul on Smith with one second remaining. Bryant went 1-for-2 from the line, giving the Lakers a 52-45 halftime lead.

QUOTABLE III: "There were times when we had a little bit of momentum and then we'd come down and get a stop and then turn the basketball over. We just can't play like that on the road."

--Atlanta coach Larry Drew

NOTABLE: Atlanta did not secure an offensive rebound until midway through the third quarter. The Hawks finished with eight offensive rebounds, but only produced seven second-chance points. ... Both teams combined to miss their first 30 field goal attempts before the Lakers grabbed the game's first offensive rebound with 4:43 left in the second quarter. ... Atlanta center Zaza Pachulia made his 15th start of the season. He finished with two points and two rebounds in 21 minutes. Korver came off the bench for the eighth time this season. ... The Lakers starters outscored the starting five for the Hawks, 37-21, in 13 minutes together. All other lineups for L.A. were outscored, 77-62.

UP NEXT: For the Lakers, Tuesday @ Oklahoma City, Wednesday @ New Orleans, Friday vs. Toronto. For the Hawks, Monday @ Denver, Wednesday vs. Philadelphia, Friday @ Boston.

• Hawks: Scott, Williams
• Lakers: Gasol, Hill

• Hawks: --
• Lakers: Howard

• Lead Changes: 17
• Times Tied: 6

• Arena: Staples Center, Los Angeles, CA
• Officials: #10 Ron Garretson, #70 Brent Barnaky, #42 Eric Lewis
• Attendance: 18997
• Duration: 2:15

Atlanta Hawks (33-25)		Los Angeles Lakers (30-30)
Start of 1st Quarter
(12:00) Jump Ball Howard vs Smith (Nash gains possession)
Pachulia Foul: Personal (1 PF)	11:41
	11:37	Nash Turnover : Bad Pass (1 TO) Steal:Stevenson (1 ST)
	11:34	Nash Foul: Shooting (1 PF) (2 FTA)
Stevenson Free Throw 1 of 2 Missed	11:34
Team Rebound	11:34
Stevenson Free Throw 2 of 2 (1 PTS)	11:34 [ATL 1-0]
Teague Foul: Personal (1 PF)	11:24
	11:14	Bryant Jump Shot: Missed
Horford Rebound (Off:0 Def:1)	11:13
Smith 3pt Shot: Missed	11:05
	11:04	Bryant Rebound (Off:0 Def:1)
	10:43	Howard Reverse Layup Shot: Missed Block: Smith (1 BLK)
Smith Rebound (Off:0 Def:1)	10:36
	10:27	Clark Foul: Personal (1 PF)
Teague Jump Shot: Missed	10:20
	10:19	Clark Rebound (Off:0 Def:1)
	10:11	Nash Turnover : Bad Pass (2 TO) Steal:Horford (1 ST)
Horford Turnover : Bad Pass (1 TO)	10:08
	09:49 [LAL 2-1]	World Peace Jump Shot: Made (2 PTS) Assist: Nash (1 AST)
Pachulia Jump Shot: Made (2 PTS) Assist: Horford (1 AST)	09:24 [ATL 3-2]
	09:11 [LAL 5-3]	Clark 3pt Shot: Made (3 PTS) Assist: Nash (2 AST)
Horford Hook Shot: Missed	08:43
	08:41	Clark Rebound (Off:0 Def:2)
	08:35 [LAL 7-3]	Nash Driving Layup Shot: Made (2 PTS)
Teague 3pt Shot: Missed	08:23
	08:22	World Peace Rebound (Off:0 Def:1)
	08:20	World Peace Turnover : Lost Ball (1 TO) Steal:Smith (1 ST)
	08:13	World Peace Foul: Shooting (1 PF) (2 FTA)
Smith Free Throw 1 of 2 Missed	08:13
Team Rebound	08:13
Smith Free Throw 2 of 2 Missed	08:13
	08:11	Howard Rebound (Off:0 Def:1)
	07:52 [LAL 9-3]	Bryant Fadeaway Jump Shot: Made (2 PTS)
Smith Dunk Shot: Made (2 PTS) Assist: Pachulia (1 AST)	07:37 [ATL 5-9]
	07:26 [LAL 11-5]	Nash Jump Shot: Made (4 PTS)
Pachulia Foul: Away From Play (2 PF) (1 FTA)	07:26
Pachulia Substitution replaced by Petro	07:26
	07:26 [LAL 12-5]	Howard Free Throw 1 of 1 (1 PTS)
Stevenson 3pt Shot: Made (4 PTS) Assist: Teague (1 AST)	07:09 [ATL 8-12]
	06:56 [LAL 14-8]	Nash Running Hook Shot: Made (6 PTS)
Smith Turnover : Bad Pass (1 TO) Steal:Howard (1 ST)	06:50
	06:47 [LAL 16-8]	Clark Dunk Shot: Made (5 PTS) Assist: Bryant (1 AST)
Team Timeout : Regular	06:41
Teague Floating Jump shot: Missed	06:29
	06:26	World Peace Rebound (Off:0 Def:2)
	06:19 [LAL 18-8]	Bryant Fadeaway Jump Shot: Made (4 PTS) Assist: Nash (3 AST)
	06:02	Howard Violation:Defensive Goaltending
Horford Hook Shot: Made (2 PTS) Assist: Teague (2 AST)	06:02 [ATL 10-18]
	05:43 [LAL 20-10]	Howard Hook Shot: Made (3 PTS) Assist: Bryant (2 AST)
Teague Foul: Offensive (2 PF)	05:37
Teague Turnover : Foul (1 TO)	05:37
	05:37	Clark Substitution replaced by Jamison
	05:37	World Peace Substitution replaced by Meeks
Teague Substitution replaced by Harris	05:37
	05:23	Howard Turnover : Out of Bounds Lost Ball Turnover (1 TO)
Stevenson Substitution replaced by Korver	05:23
Horford Driving Layup Shot: Made (4 PTS)	05:07 [ATL 12-20]
	04:50	Nash Turnover : Bad Pass (3 TO) Steal:Harris (1 ST)
Korver 3pt Shot: Missed	04:45
	04:42	Jamison Rebound (Off:0 Def:1)
	04:37 [LAL 23-12]	Jamison 3pt Shot: Made (3 PTS) Assist: Nash (4 AST)
Horford Jump Hook Shot: Made (6 PTS)	04:13 [ATL 14-23]
	03:56 [LAL 25-14]	Bryant Fadeaway Jump Shot: Made (6 PTS)
	03:41	Howard Substitution replaced by Clark
Petro Layup Shot: Made (2 PTS) Assist: Harris (1 AST)	03:34 [ATL 16-25]
	03:19	Nash Jump Shot: Missed
Petro Rebound (Off:0 Def:1)	03:18
Horford Jump Shot: Made (8 PTS) Assist: Harris (2 AST)	03:04 [ATL 18-25]
	02:42	Bryant Jump Shot: Missed Block: Korver (1 BLK)
Horford Rebound (Off:0 Def:2)	02:40
Smith Driving Dunk Shot: Made (4 PTS)	02:27 [ATL 20-25]
	02:26	Team Timeout : Regular
Horford Substitution replaced by Johnson	02:26
Petro Substitution replaced by Tolliver	02:26
	02:26	Nash Substitution replaced by Blake
	02:13	Bryant Fadeaway Jump Shot: Missed
Johnson Rebound (Off:0 Def:1)	02:10
	02:07	Blake Foul: Shooting (1 PF) (2 FTA)
Harris Free Throw 1 of 2 (1 PTS)	02:07 [ATL 21-25]
Harris Free Throw 2 of 2 (2 PTS)	02:07 [ATL 22-25]
	01:47 [LAL 28-22]	Bryant 3pt Shot: Made (9 PTS)
Smith Dunk Shot: Made (6 PTS) Assist: Tolliver (1 AST)	01:28 [ATL 24-28]
	01:16	Bryant Foul: Offensive (1 PF)
	01:16	Bryant Turnover : Foul (1 TO)
Smith Jump Shot: Made (8 PTS)	00:56.7 [ATL 26-28]
	00:50.1	Jamison Foul: Offensive (1 PF)
	00:50.1	Jamison Turnover : Foul (1 TO)
Harris 3pt Shot: Missed	00:42.9
	00:41.9	Bryant Rebound (Off:0 Def:2)
Johnson Violation:Defensive Goaltending	00:36.7
	00:36.7 [LAL 30-26]	Bryant Driving Layup Shot: Made (11 PTS)
Smith Hook Shot: Missed	00:18.9
	00:14.9	Blake Rebound (Off:0 Def:1)
Smith Foul: Personal (1 PF)	00:02.5
Smith Substitution replaced by Stevenson	00:02.5
	00:00.6	Bryant 3pt Shot: Missed
	00:00.0	Team Rebound
End of 1st Quarter
Atlanta Hawks (33-25)		Los Angeles Lakers (30-30)
Start of 2nd QuarterBack to Top
Petro Layup Shot: Made (4 PTS) Assist: Korver (1 AST)	11:43 [ATL 28-30]
	11:33	Blake Turnover : Bad Pass (1 TO) Steal:Petro (1 ST)
Harris 3pt Shot: Missed	11:26
	11:23	Howard Rebound (Off:0 Def:2)
Korver Foul: Personal (1 PF)	11:17
	11:11	Meeks Layup Shot: Missed
Petro Rebound (Off:0 Def:2)	11:08
Korver 3pt Shot: Made (3 PTS) Assist: Harris (3 AST)	11:03 [ATL 31-30]
	10:53	World Peace 3pt Shot: Missed
Petro Rebound (Off:0 Def:3)	10:52
Petro Jump Shot: Missed	10:43
	10:42	Howard Rebound (Off:0 Def:3)
	10:28	Howard Layup Shot: Missed
Petro Rebound (Off:0 Def:4)	10:26
Tolliver 3pt Shot: Made (3 PTS) Assist: Korver (2 AST)	10:20 [ATL 34-30]
	09:56	World Peace Floating Jump shot: Missed
Petro Rebound (Off:0 Def:5)	09:53
Horford Jump Shot: Missed	09:39
	09:38	Howard Rebound (Off:0 Def:4)
	09:20	Howard Hook Shot: Missed
Harris Rebound (Off:0 Def:1)	09:17
Korver Jump Shot: Missed	09:03
	09:02	Jamison Rebound (Off:0 Def:2)
	08:55	Howard Foul: Offensive (1 PF)
	08:55	Howard Turnover : Foul (2 TO)
	08:55
	08:55	Howard Technical
Korver Free Throw Technical (4 PTS)	08:55 [ATL 35-30]
Horford Driving Layup Shot: Made (10 PTS) Assist: Harris (4 AST)	08:40 [ATL 37-30]
Horford Foul: Personal (1 PF)	08:27
	08:13 [LAL 32-37]	Howard Layup Shot: Made (5 PTS) Assist: Blake (1 AST)
Tolliver Foul: Shooting (1 PF) (1 FTA)	08:13
Harris Substitution replaced by Teague	08:13
	08:13	Howard Free Throw 1 of 1 Missed
Petro Rebound (Off:0 Def:6)	08:12
Petro Turnover : Out of Bounds Lost Ball Turnover (1 TO)	08:12
	08:12	World Peace Substitution replaced by Nash
	08:03 [LAL 34-37]	Howard Layup Shot: Made (7 PTS) Assist: Nash (5 AST)
Teague Jump Shot: Missed	07:47
	07:46	Howard Rebound (Off:0 Def:5)
Korver Foul: Shooting (2 PF) (2 FTA)	07:41
	07:41 [LAL 35-37]	Jamison Free Throw 1 of 2 (4 PTS)
	07:41 [LAL 36-37]	Jamison Free Throw 2 of 2 (5 PTS)
	07:30	Blake Foul: Personal (2 PF)
Horford Jump Shot: Missed	07:16
	07:14	Howard Rebound (Off:0 Def:6)
	07:01 [LAL 38-37]	Jamison Jump Shot: Made (7 PTS) Assist: Nash (6 AST)
	06:50	Meeks Foul: Personal (1 PF)
Korver Jump Shot: Made (6 PTS) Assist: Teague (3 AST)	06:40 [ATL 39-38]
	06:27 [LAL 41-39]	Blake 3pt Shot: Made (3 PTS) Assist: Nash (7 AST)
Horford Foul: Offensive (2 PF)	06:19
Horford Turnover : Foul (2 TO)	06:19
Tolliver Substitution replaced by Smith	06:19
	06:03	Howard Jump Shot: Missed
Smith Rebound (Off:0 Def:2)	06:02
Smith Turnover : Bad Pass (2 TO) Steal:Jamison (1 ST)	05:58
Petro Foul: Personal (1 PF) (2 FTA)	05:57
	05:57	Team Timeout : Regular
	05:57 [LAL 42-39]	Meeks Free Throw 1 of 2 (1 PTS)
	05:57	Meeks Free Throw 2 of 2 Missed
Petro Rebound (Off:0 Def:7)	05:56
Teague Jump Shot: Missed	05:34
	05:31	Blake Rebound (Off:0 Def:2)
	05:15	Howard Hook Shot: Missed
Smith Rebound (Off:0 Def:3)	05:12
Smith 3pt Shot: Missed	04:56
	04:55	Jamison Rebound (Off:0 Def:3)
	04:46	Nash Jump Shot: Missed
	04:44	Howard Rebound (Off:1 Def:6)
	04:44 [LAL 44-39]	Howard Putback Dunk Shot: Made (9 PTS)
Teague Floating Jump shot: Missed	04:20
	04:17	Howard Rebound (Off:1 Def:7)
	04:10	Blake Turnover : Bad Pass (2 TO) Steal:Petro (2 ST)
Smith Layup Shot: Made (10 PTS) Assist: Teague (4 AST)	04:05 [ATL 41-44]
	04:04	Team Timeout : Short
Teague Substitution replaced by Harris	04:04
	04:04	Meeks Substitution replaced by Bryant
	03:49	Bryant Turnover : Bad Pass (2 TO) Steal:Petro (3 ST)
	03:40	Howard Foul: Shooting (2 PF) (2 FTA)
Smith Free Throw 1 of 2 Missed	03:40
Team Rebound	03:40
Smith Free Throw 2 of 2 Missed	03:40
	03:39	Jamison Rebound (Off:0 Def:4)
	03:20	Nash Jump Shot: Missed
	03:19	Bryant Rebound (Off:1 Def:2)
	03:13 [LAL 47-41]	Jamison 3pt Shot: Made (10 PTS) Assist: Blake (2 AST)
Smith Floating Jump shot: Missed	02:53
	02:50	Jamison Rebound (Off:0 Def:5)
	02:44	Jamison 3pt Shot: Missed
	02:42	Howard Rebound (Off:2 Def:7)
	02:39	Blake 3pt Shot: Missed
	02:36	Jamison Rebound (Off:1 Def:5)
	02:19	Howard Turnover : Lost Ball (3 TO) Steal:Horford (2 ST)
Petro Hook Shot: Made (6 PTS) Assist: Smith (1 AST)	02:04 [ATL 43-47]
Korver Foul: Personal Block (3 PF) (2 FTA)	01:53
Team Timeout : Regular	01:53
Korver Substitution replaced by Stevenson	01:53
	01:53 [LAL 48-43]	Nash Free Throw 1 of 2 (7 PTS)
Horford Substitution replaced by Tolliver	01:53
	01:53 [LAL 49-43]	Nash Free Throw 2 of 2 (8 PTS)
Smith Turnover : Bad Pass (3 TO) Steal:Howard (2 ST)	01:38
	01:32 [LAL 51-43]	Bryant Driving Layup Shot: Made (13 PTS)
Tolliver Jump Shot: Missed	01:10
	01:09	Howard Rebound (Off:2 Def:8)
	00:54.9	Nash Jump Shot: Missed
Petro Rebound (Off:0 Def:8)	00:53.9
Smith Dunk Shot: Made (12 PTS) Assist: Harris (5 AST)	00:36.5 [ATL 45-51]
	00:25.8	Bryant 3pt Shot: Missed
Harris Rebound (Off:0 Def:2)	00:24.6
Harris 3pt Shot: Missed	00:12.9
	00:11.6	Howard Rebound (Off:2 Def:9)
Smith Foul: Personal (2 PF) (2 FTA)	00:01.8
	00:01.8 [LAL 52-45]	Bryant Free Throw 1 of 2 (14 PTS)
	00:01.8	Bryant Free Throw 2 of 2 Missed
Smith Rebound (Off:0 Def:4)	00:01.6
End of 2nd Quarter
Atlanta Hawks (33-25)		Los Angeles Lakers (30-30)
Start of 3rd QuarterBack to Top
Teague Turnover : Bad Pass (2 TO) Steal:World Peace (1 ST)	11:44
	11:40 [LAL 54-45]	World Peace Driving Layup Shot: Made (4 PTS) Assist: Nash (8 AST)
Teague Jump Shot: Made (2 PTS) Assist: Pachulia (2 AST)	11:26 [ATL 47-54]
	11:06	Bryant Jump Shot: Missed
Stevenson Rebound (Off:0 Def:1)	11:04
Horford Layup Shot: Made (12 PTS) Assist: Smith (2 AST)	10:59 [ATL 49-54]
	10:35	Clark Jump Shot: Missed Block: Smith (2 BLK)
	10:33	Clark Rebound (Off:1 Def:2)
	10:30	Bryant Jump Shot: Missed Block: Pachulia (1 BLK)
	10:27	Clark Rebound (Off:2 Def:2)
	10:24 [LAL 56-49]	World Peace Driving Layup Shot: Made (6 PTS)
Horford Turnover : Lost Ball (3 TO) Steal:World Peace (2 ST)	09:59
	09:53 [LAL 58-49]	Nash Running Jump Shot: Made (10 PTS) Assist: World Peace (1 AST)
	09:33	Clark Foul: Shooting (2 PF) (2 FTA)
Smith Free Throw 1 of 2 Missed	09:33
Team Rebound	09:33
Smith Free Throw 2 of 2 Missed	09:33
	09:31	Clark Rebound (Off:2 Def:3)
	09:17	Clark Jump Shot: Missed
Stevenson Rebound (Off:0 Def:2)	09:16
	09:07	World Peace Foul: Personal (2 PF)
	08:58	World Peace Foul: Personal (3 PF)
Horford Hook Shot: Missed	08:46
	08:44	Bryant Rebound (Off:1 Def:3)
	08:38 [LAL 60-49]	Bryant Running Bank shot: Made (16 PTS)
Team Timeout : Regular	08:38
	08:21	World Peace Foul: Personal (4 PF)
Teague Floating Jump shot: Missed	08:15
Team Rebound	08:15
Horford Turnover : Bad Pass (4 TO) Steal:Bryant (1 ST)	08:09
	08:03	Bryant Layup Shot: Missed
	08:02	Clark Rebound (Off:3 Def:3)
	07:59 [LAL 63-49]	Nash 3pt Shot: Made (13 PTS) Assist: Clark (1 AST)
Smith Jump Shot: Missed	07:38
	07:37	Nash Rebound (Off:0 Def:1)
	07:21 [LAL 65-49]	Clark Dunk Shot: Made (7 PTS) Assist: Nash (9 AST)
Team Timeout : Regular	07:15
Teague Substitution replaced by Harris	07:15
Stevenson Substitution replaced by Korver	07:15
Pachulia Substitution replaced by Petro	07:15
Korver Jump Shot: Made (8 PTS) Assist: Smith (3 AST)	07:03 [ATL 51-65]
	06:48 [LAL 67-51]	Howard Alley Oop Dunk Shot: Made (11 PTS) Assist: Bryant (3 AST)
Smith Dunk Shot: Made (14 PTS) Assist: Petro (1 AST)	06:32 [ATL 53-67]
	06:09	Bryant Turnover : Bad Pass (3 TO) Steal:Harris (2 ST)
Korver 3pt Shot: Missed	05:59
Horford Rebound (Off:1 Def:2)	05:57
Smith 3pt Shot: Made (17 PTS) Assist: Korver (3 AST)	05:51 [ATL 56-67]
	05:35 [LAL 69-56]	Nash Floating Jump shot: Made (15 PTS)
	05:24	World Peace Substitution replaced by Meeks
	05:24	Clark Substitution replaced by Jamison
Harris Floating Jump shot: Missed	05:10
	05:07	Howard Rebound (Off:2 Def:10)
	04:49	Nash 3pt Shot: Missed
Smith Rebound (Off:0 Def:5)	04:48
Horford Alley Oop Dunk Shot: Made (14 PTS) Assist: Smith (4 AST)	04:43 [ATL 58-69]
	04:31	Meeks 3pt Shot: Missed
Smith Rebound (Off:0 Def:6)	04:29
Horford Jump Shot: Missed	04:24
	04:22	Howard Rebound (Off:2 Def:11)
	04:08	Jamison Turnover : Lost Ball (2 TO) Steal:Harris (3 ST)
Smith Dunk Shot: Made (19 PTS) Assist: Horford (2 AST)	04:02 [ATL 60-69]
	04:00	Team Timeout : Regular
	03:50	Nash Turnover : Bad Pass (4 TO) Steal:Petro (4 ST)
Smith Turnover : Bad Pass (4 TO)	03:46
	03:30	Howard Layup Shot: Missed Block: Petro (1 BLK)
	03:30	Team Rebound
	03:30	Nash Substitution replaced by Blake
	03:24	Bryant 3pt Shot: Missed
Korver Rebound (Off:0 Def:1)	03:22
	03:10	Howard Foul: Defense 3 Second (2 PF)
Korver Free Throw Technical (9 PTS)	03:10 [ATL 61-69]
Harris 3pt Shot: Made (5 PTS) Assist: Horford (3 AST)	03:04 [ATL 64-69]
	02:44 [LAL 72-64]	Blake 3pt Shot: Made (6 PTS) Assist: Bryant (4 AST)
Harris 3pt Shot: Made (8 PTS) Assist: Korver (4 AST)	02:24 [ATL 67-72]
Smith Foul: Personal (3 PF)	02:07
	02:07	Howard Substitution replaced by Clark
Horford Substitution replaced by Tolliver	02:07
	02:02 [LAL 74-67]	Bryant Jump Shot: Made (18 PTS) Assist: Blake (3 AST)
Petro Jump Shot: Missed	01:43
Smith Rebound (Off:1 Def:6)	01:42
Smith Tip Shot: Missed	01:42
	01:38	Jamison Rebound (Off:1 Def:6)
	01:25	Jamison Jump Shot: Missed Block: Korver (2 BLK)
	01:25	Team Rebound
	01:18 [LAL 76-67]	Bryant Jump Shot: Made (20 PTS)
Korver 3pt Shot: Missed	01:00
	00:58.9	Clark Rebound (Off:3 Def:4)
	00:43.9	Clark Layup Shot: Missed
Tolliver Rebound (Off:0 Def:1)	00:41.9
Harris Running Jump Shot: Made (10 PTS)	00:38.4 [ATL 69-76]
	00:38.4	Blake Foul: Shooting (3 PF) (1 FTA)
Smith Substitution replaced by Stevenson	00:38.4
Harris Free Throw 1 of 1 (11 PTS)	00:38.4 [ATL 70-76]
	00:25.9	Bryant Jump Shot: Missed Block: Petro (2 BLK)
Harris Rebound (Off:0 Def:3)	00:23.4
Harris 3pt Shot: Made (14 PTS)	00:04.3 [ATL 73-76]
Harris Foul: Personal Take (1 PF)	00:02.4
Petro Substitution replaced by Jones	00:02.4
	00:00.8 [LAL 79-73]	Bryant 3pt Shot: Made (23 PTS) Assist: Blake (4 AST)
End of 3rd Quarter
Atlanta Hawks (33-25)		Los Angeles Lakers (30-30)
Start of 4th QuarterBack to Top
	11:52	Howard Foul: Offensive (3 PF)
	11:52	Howard Turnover : Foul (4 TO)
Korver 3pt Shot: Made (12 PTS) Assist: Tolliver (2 AST)	11:35 [ATL 76-79]
	11:25	Howard Foul: Offensive (4 PF)
	11:25	Howard Turnover : Foul (5 TO)
Harris Jump Shot: Made (16 PTS) Assist: Stevenson (1 AST)	11:07 [ATL 78-79]
Pachulia Foul: Shooting (3 PF) (2 FTA)	10:56
	10:56 [LAL 80-78]	World Peace Free Throw 1 of 2 (7 PTS)
	10:56	Meeks Substitution replaced by Bryant
	10:56	World Peace Free Throw 2 of 2 Missed
Korver Rebound (Off:0 Def:2)	10:54
Korver Jump Shot: Made (14 PTS) Assist: Harris (6 AST)	10:43 [ATL 80-80]
	10:30 [LAL 82-80]	Blake Step Back Jump shot: Made (8 PTS)
Stevenson 3pt Shot: Missed	10:14
	10:13	Jamison Rebound (Off:1 Def:7)
Stevenson Foul: Shooting (1 PF) (2 FTA)	10:04
	10:04 [LAL 83-80]	Bryant Free Throw 1 of 2 (24 PTS)
Tolliver Substitution replaced by Horford	10:04
	10:04	Bryant Free Throw 2 of 2 Missed
Stevenson Rebound (Off:0 Def:3)	10:02
Korver Jump Shot: Missed	09:49
	09:48	Bryant Rebound (Off:1 Def:4)
	09:40	World Peace 3pt Shot: Missed
Stevenson Rebound (Off:0 Def:4)	09:39
Horford Turnaround Jump Shot: Missed	09:23
	09:20	World Peace Rebound (Off:0 Def:3)
	09:15	Jamison 3pt Shot: Missed
Harris Substitution replaced by Teague	09:15
Team Rebound	09:15
	09:15	Jump Ball Howard vs Pachulia (Korver gains possession)
Teague Floating Jump shot: Missed	08:54
Team Rebound	08:54
	08:54	Blake Foul: Loose Ball (4 PF)
	08:54
Horford Hook Shot: Missed Block: Howard (1 BLK)	08:33
Team Rebound	08:33
Horford Jump Shot: Made (16 PTS) Assist: Stevenson (2 AST)	08:30 [ATL 82-83]
	08:16	Blake Turnover : Bad Pass (3 TO) Steal:Stevenson (2 ST)
Horford Dunk Shot: Made (18 PTS) Assist: Teague (5 AST)	08:12 [ATL 84-83]
	07:51 [LAL 86-84]	World Peace 3pt Shot: Made (10 PTS) Assist: Blake (5 AST)
Korver Jump Shot: Missed	07:38
	07:37	Bryant Rebound (Off:1 Def:5)
	07:26	Jamison 3pt Shot: Missed
Korver Rebound (Off:0 Def:3)	07:25
Stevenson 3pt Shot: Missed	07:16
	07:15	Howard Rebound (Off:2 Def:12)
	06:52	Bryant Turnover : Bad Pass (4 TO) Steal:Horford (3 ST)
Korver 3pt Shot: Missed	06:46
Pachulia Rebound (Off:1 Def:0)	06:45
Korver Jump Shot: Made (16 PTS) Assist: Pachulia (3 AST)	06:40 [ATL 86-86]
	06:40	Team Timeout : Regular
	06:40	Howard Substitution replaced by Clark
	06:40	Blake Substitution replaced by Nash
Stevenson Substitution replaced by Smith	06:40
	06:28	Nash Turnover : Out of Bounds Lost Ball Turnover (5 TO)
Horford Dunk Shot: Made (20 PTS) Assist: Pachulia (4 AST)	06:19 [ATL 88-86]
	06:01 [LAL 88-88]	Bryant Pullup Jump shot: Made (26 PTS)
Horford Alley Oop Layup shot: Made (22 PTS) Assist: Smith (5 AST)	05:43 [ATL 90-88]
	05:32	Nash Jump Shot: Missed
Korver Rebound (Off:0 Def:4)	05:31
Smith 3pt Shot: Missed	05:14
	05:14	Team Rebound
	05:14	Clark Substitution replaced by Howard
Pachulia Foul: Shooting (4 PF) (2 FTA)	05:02
	05:02 [LAL 89-90]	Bryant Free Throw 1 of 2 (27 PTS)
	05:02 [LAL 90-90]	Bryant Free Throw 2 of 2 (28 PTS)
Horford Turnover : Lost Ball (5 TO) Steal:Bryant (2 ST)	04:40
	04:31	Howard Hook Shot: Missed Block: Smith (3 BLK)
	04:31	Team Rebound
	04:17	Bryant Jump Shot: Missed
Korver Rebound (Off:0 Def:5)	04:16
Smith Turnover : Bad Pass (5 TO) Steal:Nash (1 ST)	04:12
	04:00	Bryant Layup Shot: Missed
Horford Rebound (Off:1 Def:3)	03:59
Team Timeout : Regular	03:55
Teague Floating Jump shot: Made (4 PTS)	03:42 [ATL 92-90]
	03:26 [LAL 93-92]	World Peace 3pt Shot: Made (13 PTS) Assist: Nash (10 AST)
Teague Jump Shot: Missed	03:08
	03:07	Howard Rebound (Off:2 Def:13)
	02:43	Bryant Jump Shot: Missed
Horford Rebound (Off:1 Def:4)	02:42
	02:37	Nash Foul: Shooting (2 PF) (2 FTA)
Teague Free Throw 1 of 2 (5 PTS)	02:37 [ATL 93-93]
Teague Free Throw 2 of 2 (6 PTS)	02:37 [ATL 94-93]
	02:17 [LAL 95-94]	Bryant Driving Dunk Shot: Made (30 PTS)
Horford Layup Shot: Missed	01:59
	01:58	Nash Rebound (Off:0 Def:2)
	01:38	Bryant Pullup Jump shot: Missed
Pachulia Rebound (Off:1 Def:1)	01:35
Teague 3pt Shot: Missed	01:15
Team Rebound	01:15
Team Turnover : Shot Clock Turnover	01:15
	01:01
	01:01
	01:01	Bryant Turnover : Out of Bounds Lost Ball Turnover (5 TO)
Pachulia Substitution replaced by Harris	01:01
Teague Driving Layup Shot: Made (8 PTS) Assist: Smith (6 AST)	00:45.2 [ATL 96-95]
Smith Foul: Shooting (4 PF) (2 FTA)	00:33.5
	00:33.5 [LAL 96-96]	Bryant Free Throw 1 of 2 (31 PTS)
	00:33.5	Jamison Substitution replaced by Blake
	00:33.5 [LAL 97-96]	Bryant Free Throw 2 of 2 (32 PTS)
Team Timeout : Regular	00:33.5
Horford Dunk Shot: Made (24 PTS) Assist: Smith (7 AST)	00:26.7 [ATL 98-97]
	00:09.0 [LAL 99-98]	Bryant Driving Layup Shot: Made (34 PTS)
Team Timeout : Short	00:09.0
Smith Turnover : Bad Pass (6 TO) Steal:Blake (1 ST)	00:01.9
End of 4th Quarter