NBA Game Summary - LA Lakers at Seattle

04.9.2005

Seattle, WA (Basketball News) - Kobe Bryant poured in a game-high 42 points and dished out five assists as the LA Lakers routed Seattle, 117-94, at Key Arena.

Caron Butler matched a season-high with 31 points, while Jumaine Jones ended with 13 points and 12 rebounds for LA, which snapped a five-game losing streak.

"We are going to continue to play hard and try to be the spoiler," Butler said. "Everybody is getting accustomed to each other with (Vlade) Divac and (Brian) Grant in the lineup all at once, but it is getting to late."

Ray Allen paced Seattle with 30 points and Nick Collison added 16 points and 11 rebounds off the bench for the SuperSonics, who will head to the playoffs as the third seed from the Western Conference. Seattle has now lost three straight contests and five of its last seven. Luke Ridnour and Damien Wilkins each had 12 points in the loss.

After a close first quarter, LA began to pull away near the end of the second frame using an 11-0 spurt to grab a 46-35 lead. Jones netted five points in the flurry and Butler capped it with a pair from the free throw line.

Seattle was able to get within 46-40 moments later, but Bryant closed the half with a trey, staking the Lakers to a 56-42 advantage at the break.

LA scored the first six points of the third quarter and surged ahead by 20 eventually leading 83-62 going into the final frame.

The Sonics got as close 18 in the early moments of the fourth, but LA was too much down the stretch and cruised to the easy win.

"Every win is important for morale, for the future and just for prides sake," Lakers forward Brian Grant stated.

The Lakers led by as many as 25 and outscored the Sonics 44-32 in the paint. Bryant finished the game 15-of-22 from the floor and hit 7-of-11 from beyond the arc...Seattle outrebounded LA 42-39, but shot 8-of-26 (30 percent) from three-point range and 41 percent from the field...LA went 12-of-23 from three- point distance and 42-of-82 from the floor.

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