Nov 11, 2006 1:06 am US/Pacific
Pistons Hand Lakers' 1st Home Loss
LOS ANGELES (AP) ―
Tayshaun Prince tied his career high with 31 points, Chauncey Billups added 21 and the Detroit Pistons led virtually the entire game in beating the listless Los Angeles Lakers 97-83 Friday night.
Kobe Bryant led the Lakers with 19 points -- all but two coming in the fourth quarter after he was a non-factor for much of their second consecutive loss and first at home. He had 32 points in a loss at Portland on Wednesday, but his first basket Friday didn't come until 3 1/2 minutes before halftime.
Bryant was briefly on the bench in the fourth quarter, his right knee wrapped in ice. He returned with eight minutes left and the Lakers down by 18. He ran off eight in a row, capped by a 3-pointer, that got the crowd into it, but still had his team trailing 85-68.
Lamar Odom had 16 points before being ejected on his second technical foul with 2:16 left in the game.
Rasheed Wallace added 15 points for Detroit.
Prince single-handedly torched the Lakers in the third quarter, when he scored 17 points and helped Detroit build a 21-point lead. He reeled off nine in a row, at one point scoring over Bryant, who fell trying to defend. Consecutive 3-pointers by Odom in the closing seconds cut the Lakers' deficit to 15 heading into the final 12 minutes.
Detroit had lost the first two games of its four-game West Coast trip, but the outcome was never in doubt against the Lakers, despite their brief late rally.
Andrew Bynum, the Lakers' 19-year-old starting center, had his second straight poor game with six points and two rebounds. His lack of presence inside helped the Pistons dominate the boards, 49-32. Antonio McDyess had 12 rebounds and Nazr Mohammed added 10.
(© 2006 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
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