Kobe, Pau Power Lakers Over Hornets

Kobe Bryant had 32 points and Pau Gasol dropped in 34 as the Lakers came away with a 101-95 win in New Orleans.

Chris Paul led the injured Hornets with 21 points and 15 assists. While David West struggled with foul trouble, David Andersen and Marcus Thornton chipped in off the bench, each in double figures.

The crowd was behind the Hornets the entire game, especially during a late third quarter run in which the crowd was on their feet after several threes by CP3 and David Andersen. But thanks to great defense by Derek Fisher and Ron Artest, the Lakers held the Hornets offense in check in the final possessions of the game.

The one-two punch of Kobe and Pau carried the Lakers offensively. Except for Andrew Bynum, no other Laker player was in double figures. However, tonight it was the Lakers defense that won the game.

Player of the Game: Pau Gasol He had 34 points on just 17 shot attempts and 10 boards. He had a key offensive rebound and block on David Andersen in the closing minutes of the game helping the Lakers secure a win. Overall, Pau played an efficient game and was a dominant force.

Highlight of the Game: What started with a pick-and-roll between Kobe and Pau, ended with an alley-oop monster jam for Andrew Bynum. Kobe was trapped after getting past the screen and threw it to Pau. Pau was then doubled and lobbed it up for the two-handed slam by Drew.

Notes: Former Laker D.J. Mbenga a.k.a. "The Big Congo" had eight points. Trevor Ariza was out with an injured ankle. Emeka Okafor was also hurt and didn't play.

Next Game: Mon @ Memphis Grizzlies 4th Southwest 27-24 (Last Game: OT Loss @ Rockets)