SoCal NBA Preview

LA Lakers (9-6) at Utah (11-5) , 7:30 pm, ESPN
SALT LAKE CITY (Ticker) - Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles seek their third straight won on Friday, when they visit the surging Utah Jazz. Bryant scored 24 points in three quarters and reserve Sasha Vujacic added a career-best 22 as the Lakers coasted to a 127-99 victory over the Denver Nuggets on Thursday. "The young fellows came in and took care of business," Bryant said. "It feels good to go out there and play well. It shows a lot of maturation on our part." Los Angeles coach Phil Jackson reportedly has agreed to a two-year contract extension worth about $24 million. He and the team parted ways in 2004 before the 62-year-old signed a three-year, $30 million deal following a year off. Lakers forward Lamar Odom hopes to finally contribute on the road, as he is averaging just 8.8 points and 6.4 rebounds in five game away from the Staples Center. Despite tweaking his right ankle, Carlos Boozer scored 12 of his 26 points in the fourth quarter to help the Jazz posted a 106-95 triumph at Philadelphia on Wednesday. Utah has won four of its last five games. On November 4, Bryant poured in 33 points to lead five others in double figures as Los Angeles posted a 119-109 victory at home against the Jazz. Odom missed the first meeting with the Lakers while recovering from offseason shoulder surgery.


LA Clippers (6-7) at Denver (9-7), 7:30 pm
DENVER (Ticker) - The Denver Nuggets have hit a bump in the road, and they hope a visit from the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday can fix things. Nine days ago, the Nuggets went to Los Angeles as one of NBA's hottest teams, but the Clippers changed that with a 101-90 victory. Since then, Denver is just 1-3, including Thursday's 127-99 thrashing at the hands of the Los Angeles Lakers. Carmelo Anthony scored 23 points for the Nuggets. However, Anthony could be in trouble with the league again as he was ejected in the fourth quarter for grabbing Lakers guard Sasha Vujacic by the neck in frustration. "Sasha did a little bit of acting," Anthony said. "I didn't mean to do it. I hope people don't overact, it wasn't intentional." Last season, the 23-year-old Anthony served a 15-game suspension for his involvement in a brawl against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on December 16. The Clippers suffered their third straight loss on Monday, falling 88-71 to the Houston Rockets. With the Clippers hampered by several key injuries, Los Angeles' big man Chris Kaman continues to be the lone bright spot in his fifth season. He is averaging 18.6 points and 13.8 boards. But Kaman has not performed well against the Nuggets, who are holding the seven-footer to just 9.0 points through 14 career meetings.