Warriors drop Lakers, 99-89
By Michael Tsai
Advertiser Staff Writer
Kobe Bryant scored 30 points in 31 minutes but it wasn't enough as the defending NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers opened the preseason with a 99-89 loss to the Golden State Warriors last night at Stan Sheriff Center.
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Golden State rookies Jason Richardson and Troy Murphy combined for 25 points and played a big role in holding off the Lakers down the stretch.
Los Angeles' Kobe Bryant scores two of his 30 points on this reverse layup against Golden State's Erick Dampier in the third quarter.
Free-agent addition Mitch Richmond scored 11 points for the Lakers and teammate Rick Fox added nine points, six rebounds and three assists.
"I thought we looked like we played our first game — rather raggedy," said Lakers assistant coach Jim Cleamons, who is running the team with fellow assistant Frank Hamblen. "We looked like we were very inexperienced and didn't have a lot of poise. I think that's probably to be expected."
Lakers head coach Phil Jackson was in Montana to attend his mother's funeral.
Meanwhile, a crowd of 10,300 watched an out-of-sync Laker team fall behind early and trail for almost the entire game.
With Dickey Simpkins, Stanislav Medvedenko and Peter Cornell manning the center spot while Shaquille O'Neal recovers from toe surgery, the Lakers had difficulty generating points in the post. Newcomers like Samaki Walker, who started at power forward, also looked uncomfortable in the team's triangle offense.
"We're going to watch film tomorrow and most of it is going to be a horror flick," Cleamons said.
Down 51-43 at halftime, the Lakers made a run in the second half behind Bryant and Fox, who worked a two-man game for four baskets during one crucial stretch early in the third quarter.
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Laker forward Jelani McCoy out-fought Danny Fortson for a defensive rebound — shoving the burly Fortson to the ground in the process — and hit Bryant streaking down the right side. Bryant found Fox in the opposite corner for a jumper to make it 53-51.
Golden State's Danny Fortson guards the Los Angeles Lakers' Samaki Walker.
The Warriors later moved ahead 59-55 on a free throw by Antawn Jamison.
Bryant responded by snaking between Larry Hughes and Erick Dampier for a double-pump layup on the baseline.
On the other end, McCoy stuffed a shot by Bob Sura to regain the ball. Fox then put back a missed alley oop attempt from Brian Shaw to Bryant to give the Lakers a brief 60-59 advantage.
The Warriors didn't back down. They regained the lead for good on a scoop shot by Sura, then extended it to 75-70 on a Chris Mills 3-pointer with 15 seconds left in the quarter.
The Warriors took control in the fourth quarter when Bryant went to the bench. The 6-foot-11 Murphy capped a 9-3 run by stealing a Richmond pass and dribbling the length of the floor for a dunk that gave Golden State an 84-75 lead.
With a restless crowd chanting "We want Kobe," Bryant re-entered the game with 6:48 left and found himself in a zero-sum duel with Richardson, who scored three consecutive field goals down the stretch.
The Lakers, who have 11 new players in camp, took the loss in stride.
"Now is not the time for us to be ready," Bryant said. "This is practice. This is working time. We have to be ready for October 30 when we start the season."
