European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - April 28, 2007, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 36 stars and stripes saturday april 28 2007 Kobe Sparks lakers rally past suns by John Nadel the associated press los the humiliation that was game 2 of their playoff series against the Phoenix suns the los Angeles lakers fell behind by 17 Points Early in games at that stage with the Home crowd booing lakers Star Kobe Bryant figured there were two directions his team could take you can put your Tail Between your legs or come Back fighting he said the lakers went with option no 2 Bryant scored 15 of his 45 Points in the fourth Quarter Kwame Brown added a career playoff High 19 Points and the lakers beat the suns 9589 to Cut Phoenix Lead to 21 in the Besto seven series it was Effort Bryant said after the lakers won by scoring the games last six Points you can go Over execution and is and Osall you want what you have to have is Effort Brown hampered by a sprained left ankle for nearly four months scored eight More Points than his combined total in the first two games he played Well from the begin Ning of the game Bryant said he didst get discouraged when he didst finish plays Brown looked Ike he might be finished in this game when he rolled his right ankle with min utes left in the third Quarter but not Only did Brown stay in the game he scored nine Points during the remainder of the period i was like of no not again but ifs of Brown said ifs swelling up a Little bit but ill be of Mark j the los Angeles lakers Kobe Bryant has his shot blocked by the Phoe Nix suns Shawn Marion in the second half thursday in los Angeles game 4 will be played sunday in los Angeles with the fifth game wednesday night in Phoe Nix where the suns embarrassed the lakers 12698 in game 2 Bryant scored Only 15 Points in that game after getting 39 in the opener although he shot lfor10 in the final period of a 9587 loss he was much better in the fourth Quarter of this game shooting 5forll to finish 15for26 and added four foul shots in As Many attempts the Odds remain against the lakers since Only 11 of 193 teams in Aba history have come Back from an 02 deficit to win a Besto seven series but an Aba team has never won a Besto seven series after losing the first three games so this was a Victory they had to have we still have the pressure on us Brown said Bryant added six rebounds and six assists and Lamar Odom had 18 Points and 16 rebounds for the lakers Amare Stoudemire led the suns with 24 Points and 10 re Bounds Leandro Barbosa scored 20 Points Steve Nash had 10 Points and 13 assists and Shawn Marion also scored 10 Points for Phoenix the lakers won the game at the foul line shooting 22for28 to Phoenix 8for12 los Angeles out rebounded the suns 4435 youve got to give them cred it suns coach Mike Dantoni said things were so easy at the beginning human nature took Over Kobe Down the stretch was too much to handle they got 19 offensive rebounds that was the game a three Pointer by Bryant and a Basket by Odom gave the Lak ers an 8375 Lead with to play the suns Drew within three Points before failing to score on three straight possessions Bryant then drove for a Layup with to play making it 8984 two free throws by Stoudemire and a three Pointer by Barbosa tied the game at 89 with left but the suns  score again odoms Basket with remaining put the lakers ahead for Good and Bryant added a Tough turnaround jumper from the left Baseline with 57 seconds to go he made two foul shots with 20 seconds left i thought they played harder than we did Nash said and we didst stick to our game plan like we did in the first two games we were a step slow and we we rent in the right spots defensively we need to concentrate and be in the right spots Stoudemire said he believes the suns let the game slip away in part due to 15 turnovers we had a Chance to put them away he said they shot the Ball Well Kobe was on fire game 4 will be a different Story we nor Mally take care of the Ball but they were the aggressor the suns made their first five shots All jumpers for a Quick 110 Lead prompting a timeout from the lakers and Boos from a crowd of 18997 Stoudemire picked up two fouls in the first minutes but the suns kept hitting from outside and led 3114 late in the first Quarter Phoenix was 13for16 at that stage including 4for5 from three Point Range the lakers battled Back and trailed by Only three Points at half time pistons poised to close out magic the associated press Orlando Pla the Detroit pistons showed they know How to close out quarters now they want to close out another series Tayshaun Prince scored 23 Points Chauncey Billups added 21 and the pistons beat Orlando 9377 thursday night to take a 30 Lead in a first round playoff series the Victory ended a postseason trend for the pistons who had lost their past six game 3s when leading 20 and left them one Victory from advancing to the second round game 4 is saturday in or Lando Detroit which has Mase four straight Eastern Confer ence finals gave the magic plenty of chances in this one the pistons trailed Early let Orlando be physical and seemingly got flustered As they were whistled for three technical fouls leading scorer Rich Ard Hamilton even had an off night scoring 10 Points on 2forll shooting but Detroit made up for it with solid three Point shooting Prince Billups and Rasheed Wallace were a combined 8for10 from behind the arc and Strong finishes to each of the first three quarters they hit shots in the course of a game that Normal teams dont hit said Jameer Nelson who led the magic with 27 Points the pistons scored the final six Points of the first Quarter tying the game at 23 they made two baskets in the closing seconds before half time including a three Pointer by Billups As he was falling out of Bounds and Prince hit a three on the last Possession of the third those 14 Points essentially turned a close game into a double digit Lead those Are plays that Are killers when there against you Detroit coach flip Saun Ders said when they happen for you they give you a Nice Cushion the biggest one May have come just before halftime Orlando looked like it would keep it close heading into the locker room and maybe even hold a Lead but Prince hit a 20footer with 23 seconds remaining and the shot clock winding Down his second jumper in the final 45 seconds Hes the one Guy on our team that people dont talk about Saunders said Hes kind of a silent Assassin Prince then stole an errant inbound pass from Turkoglu and fed Billups who hit a fall ingrown three just before the final Buzzer those two shots turned a on Point game into a 4842 advantage for Detroit it was disappointing the Way we finished both of the first two quarters magic coach Brian Hill said we had essentially tie games or two Point games it was unnecessary jazz 81 rockets 67 at Salt Lake City Carlos Boozer had 22 Points and 12 rebounds John Orlando magic Forward Grant Hill 33 is wrapped up by Detroit pistons Forward Anto Nio Mcdyess in Orlando Fia on thursday and Utah held Houston without a Field goal for 10 minutes in the second half Matt Harpring scored 13 Points and Deron Williams added 11 Points and eight assists for the jazz Yao Ming had 26 Points and 14 rebounds and Tracy Mcgrady scored 24 Points for the rockets Shane Battier who scored 11 and Rafer Alston who added six were the Only other players to score for Houston Aba scoreboard playoffs first round Best of 7 Eastern conference Detroit is Orlando Detroit 100 Orlando 92 Detroit 98 Orlando 90 thursday Detroit 93 Orlando 77 Detroit leads series 30 saturday Detroit at Orlando tuesday Orlando at thursday May 3 Detroit at saturday May s Orlando at Detroit Cleveland is Washington Cleveland 97 Washington 82 wednesday Cleveland 109 Washington 102 Cleveland leads series 20 saturday Cleveland at Washington monday Cleveland at Washington wednesday Washington at Friday May 4 Cleveland at sunday May 6 Washington at Toronto is new Jersey new Jersey 96 Toronto 91 Toronto 89 new Jersey 83 series tied 11 Friday Toronto at new Jersey sunday Toronto at new Jersey tuesday new Jersey at Toronto Friday May 4 Toronto at new sunday May 6 new Jersey at Miami is Chicago Chicago 96 Miami 91 Chicago 107 Miami 89 Chicago leads series 20 Friday Chicago at Miami sunday Chicago at Miami tuesday Miami at thursday May 3 Chicago at saturday May 5 Miami at Western conference Dallas is Golden state Golden state 97 Dallas 85 wednesday Dallas 112 Golden state 99 series tied 11 Friday Dallas at Golden state sunday Dallas at Golden state tuesday Golden state at Dallas thursday May 3 Dallas at Golden saturday May 5 Golden state at Phoenix is la lakers Phoenix 95 la lakers 87 Phoenix 126 la lakers 98 thursday la lakers 95 Phoenix 89 Phoe Nix leads series 21 sunday Phoenix at la lakers wednesday la lakers at Phoenix Friday May 4 Phoenix at la sunday May 6s la lakers at san Antonio is Denver Denver 95 san Antonio 89 san Antonio 97 Denver 88 series tied 11 saturday san Antonio at Denver monday san Antonio at Denver wednesday Denver at san Antonio Friday May 4 san Antonio at sunday May 6 Denver at san Utah is Houston Houston 84 Utah 75 Houston 98 Utah 90 thursday Utah 67 Houston leads series 21 saturday Houston at Utah monday Utah at Houston thursday May 3 Houston at saturday May 5 Utah at necessary thursday lakers 95 suns 89 Phoenix Jjones 12 00 2 Marion 412 1310 Stoudemire 1117 22 24 Bell 3712 9 Nash 49 la 10 Thomas 36 00 6 Diaw 34 22 8 Barbosa 718 12 20 totals 3675 812 89 la lakers Walton 26 00 5 Odom 817 12 18 Brown 814 35 19 Bryant 1526 1313 45 Farmar 02 22 2 Bynum 02 36 3 Evans 02 00 0 Williams 05 00 0 Cook 13 00 3 Parker 04 00 0 totals 34812228 95 Phoenix 31 20 19 1989 la lakers 17 31 26 2195 three Point 922 Barbosa 511 Bell 24 Nash 12 Marion 13 Stoudemire la lakers 515 Bryant 23 Cook 12 Walton 12 Odom 13 Farmar 01 Parker 02 Williams fouled 45 Stoudemire la lakers 51 Odom assist Phoenix 30 Nash la lakers 15 Bryant total 18 la lakers 15 techno defensive three second la lakers defensive three second 2 pistons 93 magic 77 Detroit Prince 816 44 23 Wallace 613 0015 Webber 7131215 Hamilton 21167 10 Billups 813 36 21 Mcdyess 25 00 4 Davis 13 12 3 Murray 0222 2 Delfino 02 00 0 Maxiell 00 00 0 totals 34781723 93 Orlando Turkoglu 410 23 10 Battie 14 00 2 Howard 51012 11 Hill 212 46 8 Nelson 1019 44 27 Dooling 25 014 Milicic 571511 Arroyo 03 00 0 Ariza 24 00 4 to tals 3174122177 Detroit 23 25 23 2293 Orlando 23 19 is 1677 three Point goal Detroit 813 Wallace 33 Prince 35 Billups 23 Delfino Orlan do 38 Nelson 35 Arroyo 01 Turkoglu fouled 53 Mcdyess Orlando 49 Howard As Sist Detroit 15 Prince Orlando 16 Nel son Turkoglu total 19 or Lando 22 Hamilton Mcdyess Wallace Howard a17451 jazz 81 rockets 67 Houston Battier 410 00 11 Hayes 02 02 0 Yao 6141416 26 Mcgrady 923 58 24 Alston 25 00 6 head 05 00 0 Mutombo 00 00 0 Snyder 00 00 0 Howard 05 00 0 to tals 21641926 67 Utah Kirilenko 12 02 2 Boozer 1018 23 22 Okur 212 33 7 Fisher 39 00 6 will iams 5181111 Jiricek 49 0010 Collins 01 12 1 Harpring 412 55 13 Millsap 44 12 9 totals 3385 1318 81 Houston 17 25 10 1567 Utah 23 25 13 2081 three Point goals Houston 619 Battier 37 Alston 24 Mcgrady 15 head Utah 215 Jiricek 22 Fisher 02 Williams 05 Okur fouled outdone rebounds Houston 52 Yao Utah 55 Boozer As Sis Shouston 11 Alston Utah 19 will iams total fouls Houston 20 Utah 19 technical Houston defensive three Sec Ond a19911