Maurice Evans scored 27 points and Lamar Odom
had 17 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists for the Los Angeles
Lakers in a 113-106 pre-season victory over the New Orleans Hornets
on Friday night.
The injury-depleted Lakers were without Kobe Bryant, Chris Mihm,
Kwame Brown, Vladimir Radmanovic, Sasha Vujacic and Aaron McKie.
Vujacic sat out because of the left ankle he sprained in Thursday
night's 91-90 loss to the Clippers, but Brian Cook returned to the
lineup after missing one game with the same injury.
Reserve guard Bobby Jackson scored 17 of his 22 points in the
fourth quarter for the Hornets, also playing short-handed because of
Tyson Chandler's sprained right ankle and Marc Jackson's injured
left hamstring. Chris Paul, last season's rookie of the year, had 10
points and nine assists, and David West added 18 points.
Down by as many as 19 in the third quarter, New Orleans closed to
83-75 with a 14-3 run that included eight points from Paul _
including a three-point play with 41 seconds left in the period. But
Cook, Luke Walton and rookie Jordan Farmar took charge at the
offensive end for the Lakers in the fourth, helping restore their
lead to 105-89 with 4:52 remaining.
Bobby Jackson, 0-for-4 from the field through the first three
quarters, scored 11 points during a 13-3 spurt that sliced Los
Angeles' margin to 108-102 with 1:34 to play. But Evans responded
with a three-point play and Odom sank two free throws to restore the
Lakers' double-digit lead with 41 seconds to go.
Los Angeles never trailed, building a 60-46 halftime lead with a
14-2 run in the final 3:49 of the second quarter. Assistant coach
Kurt Rambis again ran the team for Phil Jackson, who is recovering
from hip replacement surgery he had Oct. 3. Jackson expects to be
ready for the season opener Oct. 31 against Phoenix at the Staples
Center.
The Hornets, who were forced out of New Orleans because of the
damage caused by hurricane Katrina, are playing only six of their 41
home games this season in New Orleans _ two fewer than the NFL's
Saints are playing there this season at the Louisiana Superdome. The
Hornets' other 35 home games will be in Oklahoma City, Okla.
