Box Score

 

LA LAKERS (99)

                          fg    ft    rb             
                   min   m-a   m-a   o-t   a  pf   tp
C Butler            42 12-22   6-9   2-7   2   2   30
D George            28  4-12   0-0   0-3   0   2   12
B Grant             24   2-9   5-6   2-6   0   3    9
C Atkins            32  6-15   2-2   0-0   8   2   14
L Walton            24   4-8   0-0   2-5   0   1    8
J Jones             21   4-8   0-0   1-4   1   1   10
S Medvedenko        15   3-6   0-0   3-4   0   2    6
T Brown             16   1-4   0-0   0-1   1   1    2
B Cook               8   1-2   0-0   0-0   0   1    2
S Vujacic           21   2-9   0-0   3-7   2   0    4
V Divac              9   1-2   0-0   2-4   2   2    2
K Bryant           DNP  - BRUISED SHIN                                   
  
_____________________________________________________
TOTALS             240 40-97 13-17 15-41  16  17   99
_____________________________________________________

Percentages: FG-.412, FT-.765. 3-Point Goals:
6-19, .316 (C Butler 0-2, D George 4-6, C 
Atkins 0-3, L Walton 0-1, J Jones 2-4, S 
Vujacic 0-3). Team Rebounds: 9. Blocked 
Shots:  0.  Turnovers:9 (C Atkins 2, D George
2, C Butler 2, B Grant, B Cook, L Walton). 
Steals: 11 (C Butler 6, J Jones 2, L Walton 
2, C Atkins).


PHOENIX (125)

                          fg    ft    rb             
                   min   m-a   m-a   o-t   a  pf   tp
Q Richardson        32  9-18   0-0  1-10   1   0   25
S Marion            31  8-16   2-2  4-12   4   3   22
A Stoudemire        33  9-13   5-6   4-8   2   3   23
S Nash              24   4-8   0-0   1-4   9   0    8
J Johnson           34   4-9   0-0   1-2   5   2    8
J Jackson           26   4-7   0-0   0-1   3   3    9
L Barbosa           24   5-8   0-0   1-5   7   3   14
S Hunter            15   1-1   3-4   0-3   0   0    5
W Mccarty           11   1-4   0-0   0-0   1   0    3
P Shirley            3   2-2   0-0   1-2   0   0    4
B Outlaw             4   1-1   0-0   0-0   1   1    2
J Voskuhl            3   1-1   0-0   0-2   0   0    2
  
_____________________________________________________
TOTALS             240 49-88 10-12 13-49  33  15  125
_____________________________________________________

Percentages: FG-.557, FT-.833. 3-Point Goals:
17-39, .436 (Q Richardson 7-14, S Marion 4-9,
S Nash 0-1, J Johnson 0-3, J Jackson 1-3, L 
Barbosa 4-6, W Mccarty 1-3). Team Rebounds: 
3. Blocked Shots:8 (S Hunter 3, Q Richardson 
2, S Nash, A Stoudemire, J Johnson). 
Turnovers:15 (J Jackson 3, S Nash 2, S Marion
2, Q Richardson 2, J Johnson 2, A Stoudemire 
2, L Barbosa 2). Steals: 7 (Q Richardson 2, J
Johnson 2, B Outlaw, A Stoudemire, S Marion).

-------------------------------------------
LA LAKERS             25  34  26  14  -   99
PHOENIX               31  39  32  23  -  125
------------------------------------------- 

Technical fouls: None.
Flagrant fouls: None. A: 18,422. T: 1:58. 
Officials: Gary Zielinski, James Capers, Joe 
Forte.

Extended Box

 

LA LAKERS (99) AT PHOENIX (125)

LA LAKERS

                                               REBOUNDS                        
PLAYER           POS  MIN  FGM-FGA  FTM-FTA  OFF-DEF-TOT  AST  PF  ST  TO  PTS
======           ===  ===  =======  =======  ===========  ===  ==  ==  ==  ===
 
C BUTLER          F    42   12-22     6-9      2   5   7    2   2   6   2   30
D GEORGE          F    28    4-12     0-0      0   3   3    0   2   0   2   12
B GRANT           C    24    2-9      5-6      2   4   6    0   3   0   1    9
C ATKINS          G    32    6-15     2-2      0   0   0    8   2   1   2   14
L WALTON          G    24    4-8      0-0      2   3   5    0   1   2   1    8
J JONES                21    4-8      0-0      1   3   4    1   1   2   0   10
S MEDVEDENKO           15    3-6      0-0      3   1   4    0   2   0   0    6
T BROWN                16    1-4      0-0      0   1   1    1   1   0   0    2
B COOK                  8    1-2      0-0      0   0   0    0   1   0   1    2
S VUJACIC              21    2-9      0-0      3   4   7    2   0   0   0    4
V DIVAC                 9    1-2      0-0      2   2   4    2   2   0   0    2
K BRYANT              DNP  - BRUISED SHIN                                             
  
TOTALS                240   40-97    13-17    15  26  41   16  17  11   9   99
                            (.412)  (.765)  TEAM REBS:  9 TOTAL TO: 11 (18 PTS)    

PHOENIX

                                               REBOUNDS                         
PLAYER           POS  MIN  FGM-FGA  FTM-FTA  OFF-DEF-TOT  AST  PF  ST  TO  PTS
======           ===  ===  =======  =======  ===========  ===  ==  ==  ==  ===
 
Q RICHARDSON      F    32    9-18     0-0      1   9  10    1   0   2   2   25
S MARION          F    31    8-16     2-2      4   8  12    4   3   1   2   22
A STOUDEMIRE      C    33    9-13     5-6      4   4   8    2   3   1   2   23
S NASH            G    24    4-8      0-0      1   3   4    9   0   0   2    8
J JOHNSON         G    34    4-9      0-0      1   1   2    5   2   2   2    8
J JACKSON              26    4-7      0-0      0   1   1    3   3   0   3    9
L BARBOSA              24    5-8      0-0      1   4   5    7   3   0   2   14
S HUNTER               15    1-1      3-4      0   3   3    0   0   0   0    5
W MCCARTY              11    1-4      0-0      0   0   0    1   0   0   0    3
P SHIRLEY               3    2-2      0-0      1   1   2    0   0   0   0    4
B OUTLAW                4    1-1      0-0      0   0   0    1   1   1   0    2
J VOSKUHL               3    1-1      0-0      0   2   2    0   0   0   0    2
  
TOTALS                240   49-88    10-12    13  36  49   33  15   7  15  125
                            (.557)  (.833)  TEAM REBS:  3 TOTAL TO: 15 (20 PTS)    
  
   LA LAKERS          25   34   26   14   -   99
   PHOENIX            31   39   32   23   -   125
  
BLOCKED SHOTS: LA LAKERS  - NONE, PHOENIX - S HUNTER 3, Q RICHARDSON 2,
S NASH, A STOUDEMIRE, J JOHNSON.
3-PT. FIELD GOALS: LA LAKERS 6-19 (.316), C BUTLER 0-2, D GEORGE 4-
6, C ATKINS 0-3, L WALTON 0-1, J JONES 2-4, S VUJACIC 0-3. PHOENIX 17-
39 (.436), Q RICHARDSON 7-14, S MARION 4-9, S NASH 0-1, J JOHNSON 0-
3, J JACKSON 1-3, L BARBOSA 4-6, W MCCARTY 1-3.
TECHNICAL FOULS: NONE.
FLAGRANT FOULS: NONE.
OFFICIALS: GARY ZIELINSKI, JAMES CAPERS, JOE FORTE.
A - 18,422. T - 1:58.

Game Story

PHOENIX (Ticker) -- Quentin Richardson and Amare Stoudemire 
ended the Los Angeles Lakers' postseason dreams.

Richardson collected 25 points and 10 rebounds and Stoudemire
scored 23 points to lead the Phoenix Suns to a 125-99 victory
over the Lakers, who will miss the playoffs for the first time
in 11 years.

The defeat dropped Los Angeles (33-41) nine games behind
eighth-place Memphis (41-32) in the loss column.  The Grizzlies
own the tiebreaker over the Lakers by virtue of a 3-0 season
series sweep.

"It comes with the territory," Lakers star Kobe Bryant said.
"We've got a young team and we struggled this year with being
consistent.  We had a lot of things that weren't expected ...
happen, and it set us back a lot.  The guys played hard and we
gave it our best effort.  It just wasn't meant to be, but we
will be back."

Bryant, who will miss the playoffs for the first time in his
nine-year career, could only watch as he was sidelined with a
bruised right shin.

"You know what, stuff happens and this is the path were on right
know," Bryant added. "We will bounce back and we will be back.
This is the course of action that we have to take and we're
going to take it.  We are going to take our lumps and get back
up to the top."

After winning three NBA championships from 2000-02 and again
reaching the NBA Finals last season, the Lakers appeased Bryant
in the offseason by trading Shaquille O'Neal and ending Phil
Jackson's tenure as coach so Bryant would re-sign with the club.

"We just couldn't get over the hump," said Lakers forward Devean
George, who is the only other holdover from the team's
championship run.  "We had a lot of adversity, a lot of things
happen to us; coaching changes, players injured, chemistry
problems.  We just couldn't fight through it."

"There are some guys that aren't here who won in the last five
years, four of them in the Finals," Los Angeles interim coach
Frank Hamblen said. "That's what the big difference is."

Richardson and Shawn Marion led Phoenix's high-octane offense,
which shot 60 percent (27-of-45) from the field en route to a
70-59 halftime advantage.  In the first half, Richardson scored
22 points on 8-of-12 shooting and Marion added 20 of his 22.

"We didn't stop them in transition nor did we stop them from the
3-point line in the first half," Hamblen said.

The pair combined to make 10 of Phoenix's 17 3-pointers - a team
record and the most ever given up by the Lakers.

"A lot of people made a lot of threes tonight," Richardson said.
"I didn't know that we were approaching (the record) tonight."

"We were hitting our threes early," Marion said. "They were
hitting their shots, too,  but at the same time, we were hitting
threes and they were hitting twos.  That's how we cushioned our
lead."

Stoudemire scored 11 points in the third quarter for Phoenix
(57-17), which won its sixth straight game and remained 1 1/2
games ahead of Miami for the NBA's best record and home-court
advantage throughout the playoffs.

"We need every game to keep our race for the No. 1 spot going,"
Richardson said.

NBA assists leader Steve Nash was limited to nine but it did not
prevent the Suns from dishing out a season-high 33.

Caron Butler scored 30 points for Los Angeles, which has lost 12
of its last 13 games.

"You just have to leave it all out there and play the game,"
Butler said. "You just have to continue to play hard."