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EAST RUTHERFORD, New Jersey: Spanish center Pau Gasol
made a sensational debut for the Los Angeles Lakers here Tuesday,
scoring 24 points and grabbing 12 rebounds in a 105-90 victory over
the New Jersey Nets.
Lakers’ star guard Kobe Bryant,
the number two scorer in the National Basketball Association,
managed only a season-low six points but Derek Fisher matched his
season high with 28 points to join Gasol in sparking the Lakers.
“I’m not surprised at all,”
Lakers coach Phil Jackson said. “He’s a skilled ballplayer. He
obviously helps us make plays. He helped us get control of the
game.”
Gasol, seen as someone to help
carry the scoring load with Bryant, made 10-of-15 shots in the game,
including all five he tried in the fourth quarter.
“I just let the game come to
me, and it started to flow,” Gasol said. “I felt much more
comfortable in the second half. I’m all about winning and having
the opportunity to be with this team is something amazing.”
Gasol was traded Friday to the
Lakers from the Memphis Grizzlies, allowing the star center from
Spain’s run to the 2006 world title to escape a long-struggling
club where he spent seven NBA seasons.
Gasol overcame early foul
troubles to star in the final quarter as the Lakers improved to
31-16 while the Nets slid to 20-28, still good enough for the eighth
and final playoff position in the Eastern Conference.
“He made the game extremely
easy,” Bryant said. “Defenses are used to playing a certain way
and now they are going to have to evaluate how they play.
“He can shoot or he can make a
play so it’s going to be a little more difficult for defenses to
come up with a scheme.”
--AFP
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