Lakers Get Back on Track

The Los Angeles Lakers started the second half of the season by defeating the Atlanta Hawks 96-83, their 43rd win of the season. Atlanta shot a meek .369 from the field, and only sank 2 three-pointers. The Lakers out-rebounded the Hawks 67-39 and blocked 9 of Atlanta's shots. No player from either team scored more than 15 points. Trade-acquisitions Adam Morrison and Shannon Brown both played in the fourth quarter, and combined for 1 point, 1 assist, and 3 rebounds. Lamar Odom continues to rip up the backboard, scoring 15 points and grabbing 20 rebounds. Pau Gasol had the third triple-double of his career with 12 points, 13 rebounds, and 10 assists. Derek Fisher scored 14 points, and Kobe Bryant, Trevor Ariza, and Jordan Farmar each had 10. Joe Johnson led the Hawks with 14 points.

Clock Strikes 12 for Clips

The Los Angeles Clippers fell to the Atlanta Hawks 97-80, their 12th straight loss and 30th of the season. LA, who got Ricky Davis back after he served his 5-game suspension, could only muster a .425 shooting percentage with only 3 3-pointers. That paled in comparison to Atlanta's .493 shooting percentage. The Clips' 18 turnovers did not help either. Al Thornton led LA with 25 points, and Marcus Camby had a double-double with 12 points and 18 rebounds. Eric Gordon scored 18 points and Mardy Collins had 15. Josh Smith led the Hawks with 26 points and 8 rebounds, and Joe Johnson added 21 points with 7 assists.