On Tuesday (17th February 2009) night, the Los Angeles Lakers defeated Atlanta Hawks by a score of 96-83. This was the first match for the Lakers after the All-Star break. The highlight of the Lakers play was the triple-double of Pau Gasol. He recorded 10 assists, 13 rebounds and 12 points. This was the third occasion during the career of Gasol that he managed a triple-double. He became the first Lakers player to attain a triple-double after Bryant had managed one against the Clippers on 21st January 2009. He was ably assisted by Lamar Odom who displayed 20 rebounds and 15 points, Derek Fisher who posted 14 points as well as Jordan Farmar and Trevor Ariza who made 10 points each. However, Kobe Bryant exhibited only 10 points, which was his season-low score. He shot 4 of 12 and did not reach the free throw line. This was his lowest offensive performance after 22nd January 2009, when he had scored 11 against Washington.
Scorer’s for Hawks
For the Hawks, All-Star Joe Johnson accrued 14 points and Josh Smith contributed 13. During the 1st quarter, Mike Bibby scored 9 points. Further, he disappeared and did not score again. The Hawks have lost the first game of their West Coast trip that involves five games. Due to this defeat, their 3-game road winning streak was terminated.
At the end of the 1st quarter, the Hawks were leading by 9 points. However, in the 2nd half, the Lakers had a vastly improved performance. When the 4th quarter was about to begin, the Lakers were leading by 85-60. The reserves of the Lakers outscored the bench of the Hawks by a score of 37-31.