Kobe Bryant scored 28 points in yet another dynamic performance
against the Knicks, and the Los Angeles Lakers pulled away in the
fourth quarter for their ninth straight victory over New York,
99-82 Thursday night.

Pau Gasol had 16 points, 10 rebounds and five assists for the
Lakers, who have won two straight after a 0-2 start to the
compressed season.

Carmelo Anthony scored 27 points in his first showdown with
Bryant since joining the Knicks, and Amare Stoudemire had 15 points
on 4-for-17 shooting as New York again struggled down the stretch
in the middle stop of a three-game West Coast road trip.

Steve Blake scored 11 points and hit two big 3-pointers while
the Lakers opened the fourth quarter with a 17-3 run, taking a
22-point lead and forcing the Knicks to miss nine of their first 10
shots while committing seven turnovers. Bryant didn’t even need to
score in the fourth quarter, contributing three assists as Los
Angeles roared away.

The Lakers have dominated this rivalry between the signature
teams from the nation’s two largest cities in recent years, winning
every meeting since February 2007 with Bryant averaging more than
34 points per game.

Tyson Chandler had 13 points and 11 rebounds in his hometown for
the Knicks, whose nine-game skid against the Lakers is their
longest current stretch against any opponent.

New York opened the season with a gritty win over Boston on
Christmas Day, but lost to Golden State on Wednesday. The Knicks’
frustration showed in technical fouls for each of their Big Three,
who incessantly argued calls despite New York’s 41-22 free throw
advantage.

Josh McRoberts scored 10 points for the Lakers, who made 23 of
their 32 shots before halftime for their highest shooting
percentage in one half in nearly 13 years. New York pulled within
eight points heading into the fourth quarter, but then committed
five turnovers in the next 2 1/2 minutes as reserves Blake and Matt
Barnes led the Lakers’ runaway.

Although Bryant is playing with a torn ligament in his right
wrist that requires a brace whenever he isn’t playing, the 13-time
All-Star’s latest injury is doing little to slow him. He has scored
at least 25 points in each of the Lakers’ games so far, and he
shredded the Knicks’ spotty defense.

The Lakers were the only team to begin the season with three
games in three nights, losing the first two before routing Utah on
Tuesday for new coach Mike Brown’s first victory. Although the
Lakers struggled early, they’ve been downright dominant on defense
in the past three games at home, showing they’re already picking up
the finer points of Brown’s defense-based system.

The Lakers, who held the Knicks to 31.3 percent shooting, will
get even better on defense with center Andrew Bynum wrapping up his
season-opening four-game suspension for his misbehavior in last
spring’s playoff finale. He’ll be in the lineup for the Denver
Nuggets’ visit to Staples Center on Saturday afternoon.

The Lakers returned from their first day off with a sharp first
half, taking a 16-point lead in the second quarter with crisp
offensive execution that frequently left behind the Knicks. Anthony
scored 18 points in the half with six field goals _ the same number
managed by all of his teammates combined.

Los Angeles’ bench missed just one shot in the first half, and
nobody in a gold uniform missed more than two.

Bryant scored 13 points in the third quarter, even banking in a
long 3-pointer while getting fouled on a four-point play late in
the period, but the Knicks trimmed Los Angeles’ lead to 80-72
heading into the fourth.

NOTES: The Lakers made 77.1 percent of their shots in the second
half against Orlando on March 21, 1999. … Baron Davis is
traveling on the West Coast with the Knicks, but not playing while
resting a herniated disc in his back. The veteran guard grew up in
Los Angeles. … Former Lakers broadcaster Spero Dedes returned to
Staples Center for the first time since abruptly leaving Los
Angeles during the summer to work for the Knicks. … Fans near
courtside included USC QB Matt Barkley, Angels ace Jered Weaver,
Willie McGinest, actress Kaley Cuoco and Richard Lewis, who sat in
with the Lakers’ radio broadcast team.

New York Knicks fans waited a long time for 2011. It had been seven years since New York last made the NBA playoffs, and though they were swept by the Boston Celtics in four games, excitement returned to Madison Square Garden this year.

It started with the signing of Amar’e Stoudemire in July of 2010. Stoudemire brought instant credibility and a whole lot of offense to a team desperately in need of both. The Knicks still didn’t play defense and they were clearly not in the same league as the upper echelon teams, but on opening night – a 98-93 win over the Raptors – it was clear that this was the beginning of a new era of Knicks basketball. New York finished the season 42-40, but not before some memorable moments took place.

Here are the New York Knicks’ top five moments of 2011:

No. 5: Spurs at Knicks, January 4, 2011 – The modern-day Knicks are not known for their defense, but on this particular night it was their opponent’s defensive shortcomings that stood out. New York outscored San Antonio 128-115, prompting Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich to bench his starters late in the fourth quarter. New York scored 72 points in the first half against a Spurs team that entered the game with a league-best 29-4 record. For the Knicks, Wilson Chandler scored a season-high 31 points and Stoudemire and Raymond Felton added 28 points apiece. Like old times, the Garden was rocking.

No. 4: Knicks at Heat, February 27, 2011 – Who says this doesn’t play any defense? It was a defensive play – maybe the most memorable play of the season for New York – that propelled the Knicks to a 91-86 victory over the Miami Heat. With seven seconds remaining, Stoudemire blocked LeBron James’ layup attempt to protect a one-point lead. Carmelo Anthony scored 29 points and grabbed nine rebounds in his third game in a Knick uniform. New York fell behind by 15 in the first half and ended the game on a 13-2 run. But it was Stoudemire’s heroics that had people talking.

No. 3: Heat at Knicks, January 27, 2011 – Nothing seems to make NBA fans (except for those who root for the Heat) happier than seeing LeBron James fail. They had plenty of opportunity to celebrate on this night at the Garden. James shot 7-for-24 from the floor and finished with 24 points, a below-average performance for King James. The Knicks hadn’t beaten a LeBron James team since 2007. With TNT broadcasting from the Garden for the first time in five years, there was no better time to end that streak. The Knicks did just that with a 93-88 win after outscoring Miami 29-15 in the fourth quarter.

No. 2: Knicks Return to the Playoffs – Sweep or no sweep, what mattered was that the Knicks were back in the playoffs. Not since 2004 had they been there. For too many seasons, the Knicks were mediocre at best, with no real hope to get out from under the salary cap and begin the rebuilding process. Then came the summer of 2010 and the signing of Stoudemire, February 2011 with the trade for Carmelo Anthony, and then suddenly, the Knicks were in the playoffs where they went up against the Celtics. Boston was the better team and it showed. The Knicks lost the first two in Boston and the next two at home. They didn’t go down easy, but injuries to Stoudemire and Chauncey Billups didn’t help their chances against a team that even Knicks coach Mike D’Antoni admitted was the better squad. The franchise has now lost ten straight playoff games, but finally getting back to the playoffs seemed to matter most.

No 1: Carmelo Anthony Comes Home – The Knicks didn’t land James seven months earlier, but the team thought they got the next best thing when the Brooklyn-born Anthony joined them in a trade that sent Danilo Gallinari, Raymond Felton, Wilson Chandler and Timofey Mozgov, along with some cash and draft picks, to the Denver Nuggets. (The Knicks also picked up Chauncey Billups, Shelden Williams, Renaldo Balkman and Anthony Carter in the deal.) Anthony received a 3-year, $65 million extension that made New York his home for the foreseeable future. On Wednesday, February 23, 2011, he scored 27 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in his Knicks debut at the Garden, hitting big shots down the stretch of a 114-108 win over the Bucks. It was Melo Mania the rest of the way.

Charles Costello is a lifelong Knicks fan who was a beat reporter assigned to cover the team during the 1997-98 season.

Sources

Spurs at Knicks: AP via Yahoo! Sports

Knicks at Heat: AP via Yahoo! Sports

Heat at Knicks: AP via Yahoo! Sports

Knicks Return to Playoffs: New York Daily News

Anthony Comes Home: New York Daily News

Video: YouTube

Note: This article was written by a Yahoo! contributor. Sign up here to start publishing your own sports content.

With rumors swirling again about his desire to play for the New York Knicks, Chris Paul appears to be bracing for a season unlike any of his other six seasons with the New Orleans Hornets. On the same day Paul participated in his first volunteer workout at the Alario Center since the 149-day lockout ended, a report came out in Yahoo! Sports on Thursday saying his agent told the Hornets the All-Star point guard would not sign a contract extension and wants to be traded to the Knicks.

But two league sources confirmed after the story broke that Paul’s agent, Leon Rose, never made the request to the Hornets.

“It is just rumors; you can’t control it,’’ Paul said. “It’s always going to happen, and it’s part of the game. I’m just happy to be back with my team.’’

Whether the Hornets trade Paul or he opts out after this season remains unknown. Paul has yet to disclose his plans, and Hornets General Manager Dell Demps was not available the past two days to address the situation.

But sources indicate the Hornets still aim to sign Paul to a long-term extension. However, the Hornets have listened to several trade offers from teams interested in acquiring Paul.

Publicly, though, Paul appears as if he expects to remain with the Hornets. Earlier this week at a charity event in New York, Paul said his heart remains in New Orleans.

“Right now, we only have five people on the roster,’’ Paul said. “I think our most important thing right now is trying to figure out what guys like D. West are doing, too. He’s like a brother to me. I’ve never played a season without him, so (I’m) trying to communicate with him as much as possible.’’

Paul said Thursday he’s had conversations with Hornets forward Trevor Ariza on how they can get their team better, and that’s important right now.

Yet, if Paul indicates he is not interested in a long-term deal to remain in New Orleans, Demps is likely to pursue the best trade offer available that would give the team maximum value in return to keep the franchise from having to rebuild as Cleveland was forced to do when LeBron James left in free agency to join the Miami Heat. The Cavaliers finished 19-63 last season under former Hornets coach Byron Scott.

Desiring talent to make another playoff run, it does not appear beneficial for the Hornets to trade Paul to the Knicks. The Knicks gave away most of their assets to obtain Carmelo Anthony in an extend-and-trade deal last season.

The Knicks are not likely to part ways with forward Amare Stoudemire or Anthony. After those two, the Knicks’ next best player is 35-year-old point guard Chauncey Billups, who likely doesn’t fit in the long-term plans Demps and Coach Monty Williams would have if Paul is no longer around.

If Paul opts out at the end of the season and goes to the Knicks, he would earn $4 million less than the $17.7 million left on his deal for the final year with New Orleans.

Paul has made frequent trips to New York the past several months because he was a member of the players association’s executive committee that took part in labor negotiations with the league.

“I’ve been back and forth to New York 18 times this summer, and I was engulfed in all that,’’ Paul said. “I just now had time to actually see my family and actually take a deep breath and realize I’m finally getting a chance to play basketball.’’

The Paul-to-the-Knicks speculation has been swirling since he suggested at a toast during Anthony’s wedding in 2010 that he and his close friend should team with Stoudemire to formulate a Big Apple trio that’s similar to the Miami Heat’s trio of James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, who made it to last season’s NBA Finals but lost to the Dallas Mavericks.

Since the first day he joined the Hornets in 2005, Paul has aimed to win. He has suggested in the past that he wants to win now instead of having to wait.

Paul has leverage to scare off some teams the Hornets could pursue trading him to because of the threat of not signing an extension. If he’s traded to a team and decides not to sign an extension, that franchise would have him for this season before he could opt out.

There was an ESPN report Wednesday saying Paul would not sign an extension with the Celtics if he was traded to Boston.

John Reid can be reached at jreid@timespicayune.com or 504.826.3407.

PARIS (AP) – Asvel says New York Knicks center Ronny Turiaf will play for the French club during the NBA lockout.

Turiaf will join San Antonio Spurs guard and fellow Frenchman Tony Parker, who is a part owner of Asvel and also has agreed to play for the club during the lockout.

Turiaf told Asvel’s website on Monday that he plans to arrive in France on Thursday and start practicing with the club this weekend.

Turiaf says he has recovered from a left hand injury that kept him out of this summer’s European Championship, where France lost the final to Spain.

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