Kobe, Lakers Douse Raptors Late, 117-108

Suns broil Grizzlies; Bulls subdue Jazz in Kirilenko's return
By Jesse Andrews,  Newser Staff
Posted Mar 12, 2008 5:19 AM CDT
Kobe, Lakers Douse Raptors Late, 117-108
Toronto Raptors guard T.J. Ford, center, gets a hug from Los Angeles Lakers' Kobe Bryant, left, as Derek Fisher waves to Raptors players at the end of the basketball game at the Staples Center in Los Angeles Tuesday, March 11, 2008. Bryant scored 34 points and Fisher finished with 18 points in the Lakers...   (Associated Press)

The feisty Raptors kept it close until late, but Kobe's well-rounded 34-7-7 proved insurmountable in the Lakers' 117-108 triumph, reports the Los Angeles Times. Nonetheless, diminutive guard T.J. Ford did surprising damage inside, slashing for 28 points in the absence of bruising All-Star Chris Bosh. Also in pro basketball:

  • The Suns evened their record to 5-5 since the Shaq trade, sandblasting the Grizzlies 132-111 behind Amare Stoudemire's 29 points and 13 boards.
  • The Bulls closed in on the eighth playoff seed with a 108-96 upset of the Jazz at home, an ill-auguring start to Utah's five-game roadtrip.
(More NBA stories.)

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