Doubles champions league, the Lakers, with their star guard Kobe Bryant in front, won 98-80 at New Orleans Hornets to win by 4 - 2 the best-of-seven Western Conference and make the pass to the semifinals.
The Lakers, who had not started well in the series after losing in their field the first game, and still did not convince in the next three, despite two wins, left no doubt of his superiority in the fifth, played in Staples Center (106-90) and the sixth, which was played at New Orleans Arena.
Bryant, despite his left ankle injury and sore knees, was again the undisputed leader of the team with 24 points, including 22 in the first three quarters of the game when the Lakers got 62 with a partial -82.
The center Andrew Bynum completely dominated under the basket to make a double-double of 18 points and 12 rebounds, while the English power forward Pau Gasol with 16 points supported, canceling out any time Omeka Okafor, the tall man the Hornets.
Gasol played 34 minutes in which he scored 5 of 12 shots from the field and was perfect from the line personnel to June 6, plus eight rebounds, three assists and made two blocks.
The reserve power forward Lamar Odom also served once again his sixth mission team player to contribute 14 points, eight rebounds and four assists, the third man of the Lakers who had double digits.
The match was dominated from start to finish by the Lakers to 34-40 with partial break, 62-82 at the end of the third and the fourth was pure formality, with the entrance of the reserve players that they might have their minutes for the next round.
Lakers tonight will have to wait for the outcome of the sixth game of the qualifiers to compete Portland Trail Blazers against the Dallas Mavericks with a 3-2 lead for the Texas team, because the winner will be his next opponent in the semifinals.
"The whole team was psyched that we had to complete the tie in the sixth game and that's what happened to work hard from the start and without any concession," said Bryant. "I'm not completely recovered, but I could do my job and help the team, that's what it was."
Meanwhile, the Hornets, who prior to conclude the regular season were the low star power forward David West, had no presence under the basket and there was the option they try to get triumph.
The Lakers had 43 rebounds in only 30 of the Hornets, who scored 17 of 18 shots of staff, but managed to double champions league 25, 26.
The guard Chris Paul, who was instrumental in the first four games with two key individual performances for the Hornets wins, this time could not make it possible even though the third had 10 points, 11 assists and eight rebounds.
While the power forward Carl Landry supported him by scoring 19 points, guard-forward of Dominican origin Trevor Ariza was at 12 and Italian guard Marco Belinelli scored 11 points, the four who had double figures for the Hornets . The great merit
for the Hornets was to get two wins, one no less than at the Staples Center, and make the series more exciting and competitive than it expected.
sheet:
80 - New Orleans Hornets (16 +18 +23 +23): Paul (10), Belinelli (11), Okafor (7), Ariza (12), Landry (19)-starting five- Green (9), Jack (6), Gray (0), Mbenga (0), Ewing Jr. (0), Smith (4) and Pondexter (2).
98 - Los Angeles Lakers (18 +22 +29 +29): Bryant (24), Fisher (6), Bynum (18), Artest (4), Gasol (16)-starting five-, Odom (14) , Barnes (8), Blake (0), Brown (8) and Johnson (0).
Officials: Ron Garretson, Mike Callahan and Tom Washington. Smith noted a flagrant foul, the Hornets. There was eliminated by personal.
Incidents: sixth game of the quarter-final of the Western Conference that was held at the New Orleans Arena, New Orleans, before 17,949 spectators.
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