原文:
Lakers come home for the holidays, but there's no time offKobe Bryant and Pau Gasol say the team must bewary of a letdown against Oklahoma City on Tuesday at Staples Centerafter completing a difficult Eastern trip.
“The first game back from a road trip is always thetoughest one, but we’ll be ready,” Kobe Bryant said after the teampracticed at its training facility in El Segundo. (Leon Halip / US Presswire)
Lessthan 12 hours after returning from a grueling trip, the Lakers got backto work Monday to prepare for Oklahoma City tonight at Staples Center.
Andto hear the Lakers tell it, that game will be just as challenging asthe five on the road, the last four of which they won despite dealingwith Eastern snowstorms and curtailed sleep.
"The first game back from a road trip is always the toughest one, but we'll be ready," Kobe Bryant said after the team practiced at its training facility in El Segundo.
Why?"Not sure, I think just all the traveling and your body getting[acclimated] again to the time zone, and trying to get back into aroutine," said Bryant, who is second in the league in scoring with anaverage of 28.8 points per game.
Pau Gasol agreed, even though he said that having to practice so soon after returning home "was a struggle."
"Butcoming back from a long road trip, we have to get our bodies going,otherwise the first game is always a little sluggish and we don't wantthat to happen," Gasol said.
The four consecutive wins improvedthe Lakers' record to a league-best 22-4 nearly one-third of the waythrough the regular season.
Coach Phil Jackson said thatif he had to pick one reason why the reigning NBA champions are off tosuch a strong start, it would be "great scheduling for home court." TheLakers have played 17 home games so far versus nine on the road.
"We'verun up a record that's appropriate for a team of our skill," Jacksonsaid, with "four more games left to finish out December [against] goodopponents.
"Oklahoma is a .500 team, but other than that,Sacramento is way up there . . . Phoenix is always a very tough matchupon their home court, Cleveland is a challenge regardless."
The Lakers play the Cavaliers and LeBron James at Staples Center on Christmas Day.
And despite their record, the Lakers need to keep improving on offense, Jackson said.
"Ithought we could do some better execution," he said of their play onthe trip. "A lot of our skills offensively I think eroded a little bit.That happens when you don't have practice time and you don't put in thekind of time you have to have to . . . get the timing and rhythm youneed on offense."
Bryant's finger
Bryant said the fractured index finger on his right hand "will probably bother me for a month or so."
Asfor making adjustments to compensate for the injury, Bryant said, "Ihave to protect it a lot more, particularly on defense. Offensively,handling the ball is still a little bit of an issue, shootingsometimes."
Even so, the finger didn't stop him from scoring 42,39, 29 and 28 points against Chicago, Milwaukee, New Jersey and Detroiton the trip that ended Sunday.
Bryant on Monday was named Western Conference player of the week.
Gasol's extension
Havingagreed in principle to a three-year contract extension, Gasol said hestill needs to take a physical to get the deal completed.
"Onceit's done and signed and finalized, I'll be extremely happy andthankful once again," he said. "I'm definitely in a good place and I'mexcited about it."
The deal could be worth up to $64.7 million and would keep him under contract through the 2013-14 season.