2010 NBA Playoffs: Los Angeles Lakers vs. Phoenix Suns, Western Conference Finals, Game 4

Information about game 4 of the L.A. Lakers vs. Phoenix Suns series in the 2010 NBA Playoffs, with score, recap, pictures, stats, highlights, quotes and Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol performance.

Los Angeles Lakers

2010 NBA Playoffs Western Conference Finals
Los Angeles Lakers vs. Phoenix Suns

Phoenix Suns

Series Index:

Game 1: Lakers 128, Suns 107 at Los Angeles   Game recap & pictures
Game 2: Lakers 124, Suns 112 at Los Angeles   Game recap & pictures
Game 3: Suns 118, Lakers 109 at Phoenix   Game recap & pictures
Game 4: Suns 115, Lakers 106 at Phoenix Game recap & pictures
Game 5: Lakers 103, Suns 101 at Los Angeles   Game recap & pictures
Game 6: Lakers 111, Suns 103 at Phoenix   Game recap & pictures

Back to Playoffs 2010

Los Angeles Lakers 2 - 2 Phoenix Suns

GAME 4: L.A. Lakers 106 - Phoenix Suns 115

Leaders Points Rebounds Assists
Lakers Bryant: 38 Odom: 10 Bryant: 10
Suns Stoudemire: 21 Stoudemire: 8 Nash/Dragic: 8
1st 2nd 3rd 4th Tot
LAL 23 32 29 22 106
PHO 23 41 21 30 115
click for Lakers 2010 Playoff pictures (LA Daily News), Western Conference Finals vs. Phoenix Suns Game 4
Picture Gallery (LAT)

May 25 - Phoenix. Kobe Bryant made history by surpassing Karl Malone as the fourth all-time scoring leader in the NBA Playoffs, but in the same night the Suns bench scored 54 points and the Phoenix tied the Western Conference Finals at 2 with a 115-106 win at home.

Channing Frye finally found his shot, making 4 of 8 three-pointers for 14 points after having missed 19 of 20 shots in the previous 3 games, including 17 in a row previous to game 4. Barbosa added 14 points, Dudley 11 and Dragic set the pace of the second unit with 8 assists.

After a 23-23 first quarter the Suns looked as if they couldn't miss in the second when they made three after three and got 41 points shooting 74 percent, (7 of 10 on 3-pointers). The Lakers stayed in the game only because Kobe Bryant answered every almost every shot to get 15 of his 38 points. Kobe had a big game making 15 of 22 shots, including 6 of his 9 three-pointers, to go with his 7 rebounds and 10 assists.

But it wasn't enough because other than him the team was lost on offense and the defense was a disaster and allowed 18 offensive rebounds. Also, once again the Lakers couldn't find the way to consistently throw the ball inside where they are suppose to have the biggest advantage. And Kobe aside, the team shot 3-for-19 from long distance.

Despite all, with 16 points points from Bryant in the third quarter the Lakers tied it at 81 with 2:20 left, Pau Gasol's free throw put L.A. ahead for the first time since the opening period. Dragic gave the Suns the lead with 31 seconds left. Jordan Farmar's only shot made in the game gave the Lakers an 87-85 lead early in the fourth but the Suns reserves went into an 18-3 run and L.A. could never recover.

Gasol and Odom had 15 points each and combined for 12-for-27 shooting. Steve Nash also had 15 points and Amare Stoudemire added 21 points and 8 rebounds. Both had plenty of minutes of rest while the Suns' bench dominated the key moments of the game.

Kobe has 4,785 points scored in playoffs, 24 more than Malone, and trails only Michael Jordan (5,987 points), Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (5,762) and Shaquille O'Neal (5,248).

Now the series returns to L.A. for game 5 and back to Phoenix for game 6. The Lakers are 7-0 at home, the Suns are 6-1.

The Quotes

Phil Jackson (LAL Coach): "We thought we could come in here and get a game, and unfortunately you know we weren't up to the task. But we outscored them from the field I think both games, shot better than they did, did a lot of things very good and it still wasn't enough to win the game. They beat us at the foul line both nights, and that's the difference in the margin of the game."

Kobe Bryant (Lakers): "They have a great bench." "Our attention needs to be on the defensive end -- period. That's second-chance opportunities. Their bench came in and gave them a big boost in getting balls back and getting them extra possessions. We've got to cut that stuff out."

Pau Gasol (Lakers): "I think people were overlooking them after the first two games and just thinking ahead already. Obviously that's a big mistake."

Steve Nash (Suns): "The bench played fantastic. They were by far easily the difference tonight."

Alvin Gentry (Suns Coach): "We believe in those guys and they really believe in themselves, I thought they were much better defensively than they were offensively, and they were great offensively."

Highlights

Los Angeles Lakers Phoenix Suns
Leaders: Pts Reb Ast St Bl More
Kobe Bryant 38 7 10 1 1  
Pau Gasol 15 5 3 - 4  
Lamar Odom 15 10 3 1 -  
Ron Artest 13 3 1 - -  
Andrew Bynum 12 8 1 - 1  
Leaders: Pts Reb Ast St Bl More
A. Stoudemire 21 8 - - -  
Steve Nash 15 4 8 1 -  
Channing Frye 14 6 1 1 1  
Leandro Barbosa 14 - 2 - -  
Jason Richardson 11 6 2 1 -  

Complete Boxscore

LOS ANGELES LAKERS
Starters Min FG 3P FT Off Def Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF +/- Pts 
Ron Artest, SF 35 6-13 1-5 0-0 1 2 3 1 0 0 1 4 +10 13
Pau Gasol, PF 36 6-14 0-0 3-5 2 3 5 3 0 4 0 3 +10 15
Andrew Bynum, C 25 6-9 0-0 0-0 4 4 8 1 0 1 2 3 -16 12
Kobe Bryant, SG 45 15-22 6-9 2-4 1 6 7 10 1 1 2 3 -4 38
Derek Fisher, PG 33 4-7 0-2 0-0 1 1 2 2 2 0 1 5 0 8
Bench Min FG 3P FT Off Def Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF +/- Pts 
Lamar Odom, PF 35 6-13 1-3 2-4 4 6 10 3 1 0 0 4 -12 15
Luke Walton, SF 2 0-1 0-1 0-0 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 -3 0
Shannon Brown, PG 14 1-7 0-4 0-0 0 0 0 2 0 1 0 0 -21 2
Jordan Farmar, PG 15 1-5 1-4 0-0 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 1 -9 3
Josh Powell, C DNP COACH'S DECISION
Sasha Vujacic, SG DNP COACH'S DECISION
D.J. Mbenga, C DNP COACH'S DECISION
Totals 45-91 9-28 7-13 13 23 36 25 4 7 6 23   106
Percentages:   49.5% 32.1% 53.8%
PHOENIX SUNS
Starters Min FG 3P FT Off Def Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF +/- Pts 
Grant Hill, SF 20 4-8 0-2 0-0 1 3 4 0 0 0 0 1 -3 8
Amare Stoudemire, PF 31 7-14 0-0 7-12 5 3 8 0 0 0 1 2 -5 21
Robin Lopez, C 13 3-10 0-0 0-0 4 2 6 0 0 0 0 0 -3 6
Steve Nash, PG 30 3-11 1-5 8-9 1 3 4 8 1 0 2 1 -9 15
Jason Richardson, SG 31 4-9 1-3 2-2 2 4 6 2 1 0 0 1 -4 11
Bench Min FG 3P FT Off Def Reb Ast Stl Blk TO PF +/- Pts 
Channing Frye, C 35 4-8 4-8 2-2 0 6 6 1 1 1 1 2 +12 14
Leandro Barbosa, SG 17 6-8 2-4 0-0 0 0 0 2 0 0 2 2 +13 14
Louis Amundson, C 17 3-3 0-0 1-2 3 4 7 0 0 1 1 2 +14 7
Jared Dudley, SF 28 4-7 3-6 0-3 1 5 6 2 0 1 0 1 +12 11
Goran Dragic, PG 18 3-6 0-2 2-2 1 3 4 8 0 0 0 0 +18 8
Jarron Collins, C DNP COACH'S DECISION
Earl Clark, F DNP COACH'S DECISION
Totals 41-84 11-30 22-32 18 33 51 23 3 3 7 12   115
Percentages: 48.8% 36.7% 68.8%

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