LOS ANGELES -- The Lakers have been giving playoff-contending teams more trouble over the past week than clubs that are way out of contention -- like themselves.
Joe Carter Indians Jersey . Chris Kaman had a season-high 28 points along with 17 rebounds while starting at centre for the vertigo-stricken Pau Gasol, Jodie Meeks scored 22 points, and Los Angeles snapped the Phoenix Suns six-game winning streak with a 115-99 victory Sunday night. It came just five days after the Lakers put a crimp in the New York Knicks post-season plans with a 31-point drubbing at Staples Center. In between that game and this one were a pair of road losses to the league-worst Milwaukee Bucks and the Minnesota Timberwolves, who beat the Lakers by 36 points Friday night. "Were trying to be the player-haters of the year. Thats definitely what were trying to do, and we embrace it," said point guard Kendall Marshall, who had 13 points and 11 assists. "We want to keep teams out of the playoffs and mess up seedings. Thats our motivation right now. Any type of motivation we can get to grow as a team is good for us right now." The undermanned Lakers shot 53 per cent from the field, avoiding what would have been Phoenixs first season sweep over them since 2004-05. The Suns won the first three meetings by an average margin of 13.3 points, including a 117-90 rout on Dec. 23 at US Airways Center. This was the first meeting between the teams in 2 1/2 months. "I dont know if we had a single guy who came with the energy that they usually have," coach Jeff Hornacek said. "Weve had games like this before, where they think theyre just going to show up and win a game. Were not good enough to do that. These guys have been winning games lately because theyve been focused in, but tonight they just werent." The 25-48 Lakers beat a team with a winning record for only the eighth time all season. Gasol missed his fourth straight game because of his ailment, joining Kobe Bryant, Steve Nash, Xavier Henry and Jordan Farmar on the inactive list. Gerald Green scored 22 points off the bench and Goran Dragic added 17 for the Suns, who missed their first 11 shots from 3-point range and finished 8-for-36 from behind the arc against a defence that came in having allowed an average of 119.1 in their previous 16 games and 108.9 overall -- second-worst in the league behind Philadelphia. The Suns shot 38.5 per cent overall. "Theyre not shooting them to miss them," an agitated Hornacek said. "They all thought they were going to make them, and its not always going to be there. So at that point, quit shooting them and drive to the basket." The Suns first loss since March 17 at Brooklyn dropped them to 44-30 and put them into a tie with idle Dallas for seventh place in the Western Conference standings, a half-game ahead of Memphis. "Our schedule gets a lot harder after this," Hornacek said. "Play all the top teams now in the next six or seven games, so thats why this game was so important. I mean, if this happens against Oklahoma City or the Clippers, then fine. But this team is not a playoff team, so thats why its disappointing." Kaman, an 11-year veteran in his first season with the Lakers, secured his sixth double-double of the season before halftime with 18 points and 10 rebounds to help Los Angeles build a 61-43 lead at intermission. "Chris can do that. He has talent, and he came ready to play," coach Mike DAntoni said. Dragic, who came in with a team-best 20.6 scoring average, got seven of the Suns first 13 points -- but didnt get another until his driving layup with 8:39 left in the third quarter trimmed the Lakers lead to 70-48. The Suns, who came in fifth in the league in 3-point shooting at 37.7 per cent, didnt get their first one until Markieff Morris ended their drought with 8:45 left in the second quarter. His brother Marcus drained another one 34 seconds later and Green made a three-point play with 7:41 left in the half, tying it at 31 after Suns trailed by 13. But the Lakers responded with a 28-9 run that included nine points by Meeks, and Ryan Kelly capped the rally with a pair of free throws to give Los Angeles a 59-40 cushion with 1:06 left in the third. The Suns got no closer than 11 points with 3:43 to play. "They made a few runs and killed us. We didnt know how to stop them," Dragic said. "I think our intensity was really bad. Its like no one wants to play in the playoffs -- or at least it seems like that. " NOTES: The longest winning streak in Suns history was 17 games in 2006-07, under DAntoni. ... Kaman received a technical foul from referee Derrick Stafford after getting called for an offensive foul with the Lakers leading 80-55. ... The last time the Lakers hosted Phoenix on Dec. 10, they lost 114-108. That game was one of only six that Bryant has played in this season. ... The Suns are only 16-19 when Dragic is their high-point man. The rest of the time, they are 28-10.
Trevor Bauer Jersey . The South Africa international, who rejoined the club last month on loan from Tottenham, opened the scoring in the sixth minute with a powerful shot into the roof of the net.
Jason Kipnis Indians Jersey . Watching them over the past year - and in some cases, two years - has given us a starting point for this seasons Craigs List.(SportsNetwork.com) - No team has been better at bouncing back from a loss this season than the Nashville Predators. Goaltender Pekka Rinne is a big reason why. Rinne and the Predators try to avoid their first two-game losing streak of the season on Tuesday night as they play host to the Boston Bruins. Nashville has answered each of its 10 setbacks this season with a win, something it will try to do again tonight following a 2-0 loss to the San Jose Sharks on Saturday. Rinne yielded only one goal on 33 shots faced, but the Sharks Antti Niemi stopped all 29 Predator shots for the shutout. Nashville had 18 shots in the third period, but could not score. The Predators got a scare in the second period when captain Shea Weber was cut under his arm when he came down on the left skate of Sharks forward Tye McGinn at the end of a check in the second period. However, the defenseman later returned to the game after having the cut addressed. Saturdays loss gave the Predators a 2-1 mark on their road trip and was only their third setback in 10 games. Head coach Peter Laviolette said on Monday that there is no secret as to why his club has yet to lose two in a row. Weve got a hard-working group here that understands the recipe for success, Laviolette told Nashvilles website. When you start removing an ingredient or two, the recipe isnt as good, and (the players) know that. We know exactly what we have to do on the ice, and I think our practice and the video backs that up. The results have followed our efforts when we play the right way. Of course, having Rinne in net helps too. He leads the NHL with 18 wins and a 1.75 goals against average, while hhis .
Carlos Carrasco Indians Jersey. .937 save percentage is tied for tops in the league. Rinne is 2-0-1 in his career versus the Bruins with a 2.48 GAA and .923 save percentage. The Bruins hit the road for three in a row and are coming off a 3-2 shootout setback to the Ottawa Senators on Saturday. Tuukka Rask made 29 saves, but was bested twice in the tiebreaker. Loui Eriksson tallied and Craig Cunningham scored his first career goal for the Bruins, who have won just twice in their past nine games (2-5-2). Cunninghams first tally came short-handed with 8:15 to play in the first period as he chased down Zdeno Charas clearing attempt before unleashing a slap shot into the net. (Chara) made a good play, kind of chipped it out of the zone, said Cunningham. I think their d-men kind of got a little flat-footed, I took off, buried my head and tried to get it on net. Luckily it went in. The Bruins could have a bit more luck on their side during this road trip as forward David Krejci is expected to travel with the team. He has missed 10 straight with a groin injury, though it is unknown when he will be able to actually return. Boston visits Minnesota on Wednesday and then caps its trip at Winnipeg on Friday. Rask is 1-0-1 with a 2.91 GAA and .908 save percentage in two career meetings with the Predators, while backup Niklas Svedberg has faced them once before. That came in Svedbergs NHL debut and only start of last season, a 3-2 victory in overtime on Jan. 2. The rookie gave up only two goals on 35 shots faced. That win by Svedberg came in the most recent encounter between the clubs and stretched Bostons series win streak to three in a row. ' ' '