Fisher Beats Clippers At Buzzer
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Derek Fisher hit a layup at the buzzer to give the Los Angeles Lakers an 87-86 victory over the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday night after the two-time defending NBA champions trailed for most of the second half.
Kobe Bryant scored 24 points, Shannon Brown added 16 and Pau Gasol had 10 points and 10 rebounds for the Lakers, who ended a three-game road losing streak as the visiting team in their own building.
Eric Gordon scored 24 points, Blake Griffin had 16 points and 11 rebounds, Eric Bledsoe had 11 points and DeAndre Jordan 11 rebounds for the Clippers, who blew a 12-point lead in the third quarter.
Fisher dribbled into the paint and scored, capping a wild final 41 seconds. Bryant's fast-break running jumper drew the Lakers to 84-83 and his 19-footer put them ahead by one with 22 seconds to go.
The Lakers scored on two consecutive turnovers by Gordon before he found Jordan in the paint for a dunk that put the Clippers in front 86-85 with 15 seconds left.
But the Clippers were denied just their sixth win of the season when Fisher, the wily clutch shooter of so many NBA finals, found his way into the paint for the winning basket in the first meeting of the season between the Staples Center co-tenants.
Lamar Odom finished with eight points before fouling out with 1:14 to play.
The Clippers played without Chris Kaman and Randy Foye. Baron Davis came off the bench despite a bad left hamstring. The Lakers were without Andrew Bynum, who is expected to return during their upcoming six-game road trip.
Bryant scored the Lakers' first five points of the third before the Clippers took over.
They used a 23-8 run to take a 66-54 lead, with Griffin showing off a variety of moves, including a jump hook and a fast-break dunk. The Lakers repeatedly missed from 3-point range, with their only success a 3 by Bryant from 26 feet that drew ahhs from the crowd.
With the Lakers' offense in oblivion, Brown rescued them by scoring their final 11 points. Nine of those came on 3-pointers, including a heave from behind the half-court line at the buzzer that sailed cleanly into the net and left them trailing 71-65.
With Odom guarding him, Griffin had a couple of highlight dunks in the first half, when he was limited to four points and five rebounds at a time when he usually has double-digit points and rebounds.
The teams played evenly in the first half, when the Lakers' largest lead was eight before the Clippers led 43-41 at the break. The Clippers didn't take their first lead until 25 seconds were left in the second quarter when Bledsoe hit a pair of free throws to cap a 7-0 run that ended the half.
Notes: Lakers F Derrick Caracter sprained his left ankle in the first quarter and didn't return. ... Clippers F Brian Cook sat out the final game of his two-game suspension for a flagrant foul against Portland on Sunday. ... Gordon extended his streak of scoring 20 or more points to a career-high 10 games. ... The crowd of 19,614 was the Clippers' first sellout of the season. ... Seattle Mariners outfielder Milton Bradley sat courtside.
Updated December 9, 2010
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