When my Lakers are committed to playing strong defense, to getting the ball inside to take advantage of their size, and to making the extra pass to turn a good shot into a better shot, they are very difficult to contend with. New Orleans faced that team in game 3, and it didn't end well for the Hornets.
Pau Gasol had his best game of the series so far with 17 points, 10 rebounds, and 4 assists. Kobe Bryant shot 50% from the floor and finished with 30 points. Andrew Bynum had another great game, finishing with 14 points and 11 rebounds. LA got 20 points from the bench, led by Lamar Odom's 13.
Chris Paul had 18 points for the Hornets in the first half, but only scored 4 more as the Lakers controlled him in the second half.
And that means that, after a 14 point win, my Lakers lead the best of 7 first round series 2 games to 1. Game 4 is Sunday from NOLA.
