NBA Game Summary - LA Lakers at Toronto

12.8.2005

Toronto, ON (Basketball News) - Lamar Odom scored a team-high 19 points on 8- of-12 shooting, as the Los Angeles Lakers cruised past Toronto, 102-91, at Air Canada Centre.

Smush Parker went 3-for-4 from behind the arc and finished with 15 points for the Lakers, who have won three straight.

Kobe Bryant took just 12 shots in the game and netted only 11 points, but dished out a season-high nine assists in the win.

"If they’re just going to continue to collapse on me, I’m just going to continue to hit my open guys and they’ll be able to make shots," said Bryant.

Forward Chris Bosh led all scorers with 22 points and also collected 10 rebounds, a career-high six assists and two blocked shots for Toronto, which has dropped two straight and eight of 10.

Mike James and Morris Peterson each chipped in 14 points for the Raptors.

Los Angeles seized control of the contest late in the opening half and never relinquished it.

Devean George hit a layup with 7:38 to play in the second quarter to put the Lakers up 33-23.

Charlie Villanueva led a 13-4 Raptors charge, however, that brought Toronto to within one. The 6-11 forward banged in a three-pointer from the top of the arc, then threaded a pass the next time down the floor to Jalen Rose, who converted from the baseline. Villanueva, who had 11 points, finished the run with a hook shot with 3:20 left.

The Lakers regained the momentum at the end of the half, though, as Bryant nailed a baseline jumper at the buzzer to make it 50-44 heading into the locker room.

That advantage quickly grew to 16 points, as Odom capped a 12-2 Lakers surge to start the second half with a long jumper.

The onslaught continued throughout the third and was capped by Parker, who brought the ball behind his back in the lane before finishing with a reverse layup to put Los Angeles on top, 81-62.

The Lakers hit six of their 10 three-point tries in the quarter and shot 57 percent from the field.

Toronto finished the night on a 21-10 run, but it was not enough.

"The only positive is that we’ve got another (game)," Bosh said. "We’ve just got to get better at putting the past behind us and moving on."

Toronto guard Alvin Williams had arthroscopic surgery on his right knee Tuesday. There is no timetable set for his return...The Lakers are 2-0 thus far on their current six-game road trip, and 5-4 away from this year...The Raptors are 1-9 in their building this season...Los Angeles has won 10 of its last 12 against Toronto...Bosh leads the Raptors with 11 double-doubles.

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