The Lakers' Chris Duhon, left, and the Phoenix Suns' Marcin Gortat battle for a rebound during Friday's game at Staples Center. The Lakers won, 114-102. (Mark J. Terrill / Associated Press)
LOS ANGELES - Are we having fun yet?
You had to imagine Mike D'Antoni was happy Friday night.
The Lakers wasted no time embracing D'Antoni's freewheeling offense, even as their new coach remained behind in their locker room to undergo physical therapy after undergoing knee replacement surgery recently.
The newly unburdened Lakers ran down the court with uncharacteristic speed and determination, scored with ease and pulled away from the Phoenix Suns for a 114-102 victory in front of a sellout crowd of 18,997 at Staples Center.
The Lakers set a season-high for points in a game.
Say goodbye to "Slowtime."
Say hello to "Showtime."
Friday marked the end of an era, with interim coach Bernie Bickerstaff guiding the Lakers through D'Antoni's up-tempo offensive game plan while putting a halt to the slow-motion offense employed by former coach Mike Brown.
To be accurate, the Lakers didn't charge down the court with reckless abandon. They picked their spots, running when they outnumbered the retreating Suns and slowing down when the situation called for caution.
What was different was the way the Lakers played with the ball in their hands. They moved it around the court quicker, passing it to open teammates closer to the basket. Or farther away, if the situation was right.
The Lakers found a nice rhythm to their offense from the opening minutes and led by 35-30 after the first quarter and 62-57
by halftime. D'Antoni said in his introductory news conference Thursday he would be surprised if the Lakers didn't average 110 points.They went into the game averaging 96.5 points in their old deliberate offense.
Freed from Brown's micro-managed version of the Princeton offense, the Lakers played with an ease that made it seem as if they were youngsters playing in a gym without fans and without supervision or pressure.
Metta World Peace scored a team-leading 15 points by halftime, for instance.
Pau Gasol made his first five shots, for another example.
Kobe Bryant picked his spots, content to be part of the greater picture.
Dwight Howard found plenty of openings, too.
Even the Lakers' maligned second unit was effective at times.
Bryant scored a team-leading 31 points on 10-for-24 shooting for the Lakers (4-5). World Peace had 22 points. Howard scored 18 points and grabbed 12 rebounds, Gasol had 16 points and 10 rebounds, and Jordan Hill scored 10 points in a reserve role.
Goran Dragic scored 22 points for the Suns (4-6), and Luis Scola added 18 points.
Imagine what it might be like when Steve Nash returns from a leg injury. Also think what it might be like when D'Antoni makes his debut on the Lakers bench, expected to be Sunday against the Houston Rockets at Staples Center.
Naturally, the Suns played right into the Lakers' hands Friday, keeping the game moving at a brisk clip from the opening jump. The defensive-minded Rockets won't be as willing to play at the same tempo Sunday. That's not their method of operation.
Bickerstaff sounded eager to hand the baton to D'Antoni, joking before the contest that if this wasn't his final game as Brown's replacement he "would heal D'Antoni's knee myself." Bickerstaff improved his record to 3-1.
The Lakers weren't flawless in their execution against the Suns, who went on several extended runs themselves. The Lakers led by as many as 10 points in the second quarter only to see the Suns charge past with a 15-0 run for a 55-50 lead.
The Lakers then closed the half with a 12-0 run for a 62-55 edge.
They took a 92-84 lead heading into the fourth quarter. Bryant had a team-leading 25 points on 9-for-20 shooting going into the final period, and World Peace had 21 points on 7-for-11 shooting.
Source: http://www.pasadenastarnews.com/sports/ci_22016639/nba-lakers-put-show-their-new-coach?source=rss
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