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Grizzlies thump fading Lakers 102-82
The fading Los Angeles Lakers lost Kobe Bryant and yet another game, falling 102-82 to the Memphis Grizzlies on Sunday. Mike Miller scored 22 points to help the Grizzlies move into a tie with idle Denver for seventh place in the Western Conference, 8 1/2 games in front of the 10th-place Lakers. Memphis and Denver are three games ahead of ninth-place Minnesota, which beat Sacramento on Sunday.
The Lakers, already short-handed with Chris Mihm hurt and Lamar Odom placed on the injured list before the game, got limited time from Bryant, who left the game in the second quarter with a right leg injury. Los Angeles also lost Brian Grant in the second quarter to a pair of technicals, leaving the Lakers with a makeshift lineup the rest of the way.
Memphis led by 27 in the first half and the Lakers never cut the deficit into single digits.
Lorenzen Wright added 16 points for Memphis, while Brian Cardinal had 15 points off the bench. Pau Gasol had 13 points and 10 rebounds.
Caron Butler led Los Angeles with 18 points, and Chucky Atkins added 13 points.
Memphis built a 32-14 lead in the first period as the Lakers struggled from the field. Bryant had nine points while the rest of the team missed 11 of its 12 shots.
The Lakers actually got an offensive spark in the second half after Bryant left the game. Butler keyed the rally with nine points, and Sasha Vujacic had eight as Los Angeles cut into the Memphis lead. The Grizzlies carried a 79-64 lead into the fourth quarter.
The medical list for the game was long. The Lakers were without Odom and Mihm, who injured his right ankle in Saturday's loss at San Antonio. Meanwhile, Memphis placed C/F Stromile Swift on the injured list prior to the game with an irregular heartbeat and was without F James Posey, who is still recovering from a bruised right hip. ... Grant was ejected when he threw an elbow into the chest of Gasol. The two exchanged words and Grant got a second tech, sending him to the locker room. Gasol also received a technical in the confrontation. ...The Grizzlies announced Sunday that Dick Versace, the team's general manager, is leaving effective immediately to pursue other professional opportunities. Versace had been with the organization since 1999.
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