Basketball

Kobe Bryant praised Von Wafer moments after the former Lakers draft pick had the best game of his young career.

Of course, Bryant had to spoil it first. He sank a go-ahead three-pointer with 27 seconds left and scored 33 points as the Lakers beat the short-handed Houston Rockets, 105-100, Tuesday.

Preston Gomez, the longtime Angel whose service to Major League Baseball spanned seven decades, passed away Tuesday in Fullerton. He was 86.

Over a 65-year career in professional baseball, Gomez held roles with all three Southern California franchises -- the Angels, Dodgers and Padres -- during which time he established his reputation as a genuine, caring mentor and leader.

The question was meant to be a joke, but Derek Fisher didn't interpret it as one.

Asked how much more he could possibly contribute to the injury-depleted Lakers after logging 40-plus minutes six of the past 11 games, the 34-year-old point guard shrugged his shoulders and started doing the math in his head.

Ailing Vujacic questionable for Lakers

Another day, another member of the once-formidable Lakers bench down with an injury.

This time it's Sasha Vujacic who did not fly with the team to Houston on Monday as a result of back spasms. The Lakers are holding out hope he'll be able to join them either for tonight's game against the Rockets or Wednesday's game in San Antonio. The reserve guard injured his back late in the second half of Sunday night's victory over Miami.

What better way for Andrew Bynum to show his coaches that he deserves to be on the court in the waning moments of close games than by scoring the biggest bucket of a back-and-forth game?

With the score tied, the pressure mounting and a sellout crowd on its feet, Bynum watched as Miami sent three defenders at Kobe Bryant, crashed hard to the glass and tipped in Bryant's errant runner.

100 points is new 90 for Lakers' D

The Phoenix Suns had a surprisingly hard time with the Clippers before Grant Hill went to work down the stretch and Shaquille O'Neal capped another perfect game at the free throw line.

Hill scored six of his 21 points in the final 5:04 against the undermanned Clippers, and Amare Stoudemire overcame early foul trouble to score 26 points as the Suns sent Los Angeles to its 11th straight loss with a 109-103 victory on Sunday.

Instead of fretting about his team's inability to prevent opponents from eclipsing 100 points in recent weeks, Lakers coach Phil Jackson is taking a far more laissez faire approach.

A look of incredulity and frustration washed over Andrew Bynum when a reporter mentioned the late-game pattern that has defined the young center's season thus far.

First Bynum gets yanked from the final five minutes of a tight game. Then Coach Phil Jackson goads the 7-footer by questioning whether he can trust Bynum's defense during crunch time.

In a game typified by scintillating passing, YouTube-worthy dunks and blistering shooting, Kobe Bryant provided the Lakers one final highlight.

With the score tied and just a few ticks remaining, Bryant waited for a double team that never came and hoisted a turnaround jumper from just beyond the free-throw line. The shot rattled home, delivering a nerve-rattling 121-119 victory Friday.

Lakers' Vujacic runs on emotion

Rasual Butler keeps putting his bench-warming days of last season further behind him.

Butler scored a season-high 27 points, and the New Orleans Hornets handed the Clippers their 10th straight loss, 107-80, Friday night.

Relegated to the end of the bench for much of last season, Butler said he approached his summer workouts with renewed commitment. It began to show when Coach Byron Scott inserted him into the starting lineup for then-injured Morris Peterson on Nov. 19.