L.A Lakers End Cleveland Cavalier's Home Winning Streak at 23

At halftime it appeared that the Cleveland Cavaliers would coast to their 24^th consecutive home victory. It seemed impossible that the Lakers could come back from their 61-51 deficit with Kobe Bryant vomiting in the locker room and getting pumped with IVs.

But the Lakers are no longer a one-man or even a two-man team. For the second game in a row, against the two best teams in the Eastern Conference, Lamar Odom took over at both ends of the court.

In the third quarter alone, Odom scored 15 of the Lakers' 31 points while grabbing 10 rebounds, putting the Lakers up 82-77. It was only the fourth time that the Cavaliers found themselves down going into the fourth quarter at home, and Cavalier fans were getting nervous.

Phil Jackson’s defensive scheme focused on keeping LeBron James out of the paint and making the other Cavaliers beat them. And that is exactly what Mo Williams, Wally Szczerbiak, and Zydrunas Ilgauskas set out to do.

It appeared as though Jackson’s plan had backfired in the first half because Williams, Szczerbiak, and Ilgauskas were all doing damage while the Lakers had held James in check.

After dominating in the first half, there was little the Cavs could do when Odom rose up in the third quarter, followed by Pau Gasol taking over in the fourth quarter.

Cleveland didn’t have an answer for Odom or Gasol. The Lakers came away with a perfect 6-0 road trip along with the best road record in the NBA (19-5) and the best overall record (41-9).

Odom led all scorers with 28 points and 17 rebounds. Gasol had 18 points and 12 rebounds. Meanwhile, the flu-stricken Bryant managed just 19 points in 35 minutes.

The Lakers defense held James to 16 points, his second lowest point total of the season, on 5 of 20 shooting. Ilgauskas led the Cavaliers with 22 points. Williams scored 19 points and Szczerbiak added 16 points from the bench.

The Lakers now fly home to meet Oklahoma City on Tuesday night at the Staples Center. They will be joined by two new teammates, Adam Morrison and Shannon Brown. The Charlotte Bobcats traded Morrison and Brown to the Lakers for unhappy forward and three-point shooter, Vladimir Radmanovic.

Morrison was the third pick in the 2006 NBA draft. He had surgery last year on a torn ACL, which he suffered in a game against the Lakers, and has never quite returned to form.

Radmanovic had been openly disappointed when he was replaced in the starting lineup by Luke Walton, becoming the forgotten man in the Lakers offense.