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Notebook
Lakers' Walton to spend injury time behind radio microphone
Injured forward Luke Walton is trading his Los Angeles Lakers jersey for a seat behind the microphone. He will fill in for radio color commentator Mychal Thompson when the Lakers play Friday against Minnesota and Saturday at Utah. Thompson will miss those games because of a death in his family, the team said Tuesday.
Television color commentator Stu Lantz will miss six Lakers games Dec. 11-20 while his wife recovers from surgery. "Hot" Rod Hundley , a former Lakers color commentator alongside Chick Hearn and a former player, will replace Lantz.
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Lakers use lift from White House visit to down Wizards
Magic Johnson still tracks the Los Angeles Lakers, despite a second career as a real-estate tycoon and motivational speaker that often forces him to jet across the country, city after city, day after day.
He found time, however, to make it to Washington, where he offered words of wisdom to some of the Lakers during their White House visit. His theme: Time to step it up.
The Lakers found a pretty easy opponent to step on, beating the Washington Wizards, 115-103, Tuesday at Verizon Center.
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2009-10 Los Angeles Lakers Preview
In the sports world, I've noticed a second type of "Ugly American," and it concerns attitudes toward foreign-born players. The NBA's burgeoning worldwide popularity means more countries are playing the game of basketball at a higher level, and that means more foreign players in the league.
It's almost comical to see the "scouting reports" for these players. European big men, for instance, are usually described as fundamentally sound and highly-skilled, but lacking the requisite "toughness" to play NBA basketball.
It's almost like Americans have the trademark on that "toughness" and no one born outside our borders could possibly have the backbone, nerve or spunk to bang with a monster like Dwight Howard.
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Recap: LA Lakers vs. New Orleans
Kobe Bryant had 28 points -- 26 in a strong first half -- to lead the Los Angeles Lakers in a 104-88 drubbing of the New Orleans Hornets at Staples Center.
Bryant shot 10-of-16 in the first half and sat out a large portion of the second half for the Lakers, who have won six of their first seven games. Shannon Brown added 15 points off the bench, while Luke Walton had 11.
Los Angeles continued to play without Pau Gasol (hamstring) and Andrew Bynum (elbow).
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Nuggets destroy Hornets
Carmelo Anthony and the Denver Nuggets looked like the only ones having fun in this party town.
Anthony scored all of his 26 points in the first three quarters, and Denver thoroughly dismantled the New Orleans Hornets 121-63 on Monday night to take a commanding 3-1 lead in their first-round playoff series.
The New Orleans Arena was mostly empty by the end of the third quarter, when Denver led 89-50 on its way to the most lopsided playoff win in franchise history. It was also the worst playoff loss ever for the Hornets.
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