Pau Shines and Kobe Falls in Lakers' Clincher

The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the New Jersey Nets 103-95, clinching the top spot in the Western Conference and home-court advantage throughout the playoffs up to the Finals. Kobe Bryant sprained his ankle after getting wrapped up with Devin Harris near the end of the second quarter, but returned in the second-half. New Jersey crept closer to the Lakers, at one point cutting a 22 point deficit to just 3 in the fourth. The Lakers pulled away every time the Nets got close, shooting .471 from the field. Jersey committed 22 turnovers and went 8-for-17 from the charity stripe, contributing to the loss. Pau Gasol had a season-high 36 points to go with 11 rebounds and 7 assists. Derek Fisher scored 18 points, and Kobe had 14 with 9 assists, scoring 12 points in the second-half. Vince Carter led the Nets with 20 points, and Harris had 13 with 14 assists.

Novak's Buzzer-Beater Saves Clips

The Los Angeles Clippers defeated the Toronto Raptors 107-105, their 16th victory of the season. LA won after Steve Novak hit a 3-pointer as time expired with the Clips down by one. The Clippers shot 50% from the field, and committed only 12 turnovers. Toronto nearly won the game after going into the fourth quarter trailing by 6. Novak, in addition to the game-winning shot, led LA with 21 points, all coming on 7 three-pointers. Al Thornton and Baron Davis both scored 20 points, and Eric Gordon added 17. Vince Carter led the Raptors with 41 points, 7 rebounds, and 6 assists.

New Jersey and Lakers Go Perfect Together

The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the New Jersey Nets 120-97, with 34 points coming in the third for LA, and 17 in the fourth for Jersey. The Lakers went into halftime with only a slim 2-point lead, but outscored the Nets 64-39 in the second half. Pau Gasol led LA with 26 points, and Jordan Farmar had 18 points. Vince Carter gave New Jersey 14 points, and Devin Harris led the Nets with 24 points.

Clippers Face Net Loss

The Los Angeles Clippers were defeated by the New Jersey Nets 112-95 to drop to 2-11. The Clips, who were without newly acquired Zach Randolph and Mardy Collins, gave up 31 points in the first quarter, and could not hang on. Yi Jianlian had his best game as a Net with 27 points and Vince Carter added 26. Baron Davis and Marcus Camby had their best games with LA, Davis with 30 points and 10 assists, and Camby with 18 points and 13 boards. Al Thornton added 20 points for the Clips.