Pau Gasol gets better of brother Marc, unbeaten Lakers skin Grizzlies

By Paul Levine Nov 3, 2010, 14:33 GMT

Los Angeles - The latest match-up between Spanish brothers Pau Gasol and Marc proved to be a mismatch.

Kobe Bryant scored all of his 23 points in the first half, and the Los Angeles Lakers improved to a perfect 4-0 on the season, with a 124-105 skinning of the visiting Memphis Grizzlies on Tuesday night.

Pau had 21 points, 13 rebounds and five assists for the two-time defending NBA Champion Lakers, while Marc finished with 11 points, eight boards and five assists for the Grizzlies.

'It's always more of a fun game for me to go against my former team and also my brother,' said Pau. 'Good, good, effective,' was the way he described his moves on his younger seven-foot brother.

Since being traded for Marc in a multi-player mid-season swap, Pau has helped the Lakers to three consecutive NBA Finals appearances, including back-to-back championships.

'I'm very proud about what Pau has done here,' Marc said. 'He's making his teammates better and he's making his team better. That's always your goal as a player. Pau always plays hard and always tried to win basketball games. That's all he cares about.'

Lamar Odom had 17 points and eight rebounds, while Matt Barnes added 16 points and 14 boards off the bench for the Lakers, who led by as many as 29 in the wire-wire beat down.

'We're a very good team and we're off to a good start, but we have a long way to go,' Barnes said.

Rudy Gay scored 30 points and Mike Conley had 16 with eight assists for the Grizzlies (2-2), who played without power forward Zach Randolph (bruised tailbone).

'What we saw tonight is an example of where we want to be,' Conley said of the Lakers. 'They have guys who come in off the bench and play their roles very well. All 12 guys that are playing bring the same energy, so we have to learn from that and put it onto our team.'

The Lakers came out of the gate focused at both ends of the court and turned the Grizzlies into teddy bears at Staples Centre behind Bryant and Pau Gasol (15 points with eight boards) for a commanding 73-46 halftime cushion.

'We came out hard, we came out really strong and we set the tone early,' Gasol explained.

The Grizzlies clawed back to pull within 14 midway through the third quarter, as Gay scored 13 points to highlight a 21-8 run. However, they trailed 97-76 entering the fourth frame and never threatened.

'We didn't compete in the first half,' Grizzlies coach Lionel Hollins said. 'I thought the third quarter we played much better, but it was too little too late.'

Elsewhere in the NBA:

Washington Wizards 116, Philadelphia 76ers 115 (OT)

John Wall, the top pick in last summer's draft, had 29 points, 13 assists and nine steals, Andray Blatche added 23 points, including the game-winning free throw with 7.1 seconds left in overtime as the Wizards (1-3) made a successful home debut with their first win of the season.

Andre Iguoldala had a final shot to give the Sixers the win, but he missed a jumper to end the game. The Wizards forced the extra session when Cartier Martin nailed a three-pointer to beat the regulation buzzer. Lou Williams scored 30 points and Elton Brand had 21 for Philadelphia, which fell to 0-4 under new coach Doug Collins.

Atlanta Hawks 100, Cleveland Cavaliers 88

Marvin Williams tossed in 22 points, Al Horford had 16 with 12 rebounds, and the visiting Hawks remained perfect (4-0) under new coach Larry Drew.

Jamal Crawford chipped in with 16 points, Joe Johnson and Mike Bibby contributed 15 apiece for Atlanta, which is off to its best start since opening 6-0 two seasons ago. J.J. Hickson topped the Cavaliers (1-3), with a career-high 31 points.

Boston Celtics 109, Detroit Pistons 86

Kevin Garnett scored 22 points, Paul Pierce had 21 and Rajon Rondo handed out 17 assists as the visiting Celtics (3-1) crushed the winless Pistons. Charlie Villanueva led Detroit (0-4) with 17 points.

Miami Heat 129, Minnesota Timberwolves 97

Dwyane Wade scored 26 points, LeBron James had 20 and 12 assists as the Heat (4-1) routed the visiting Timberwolves for its fourth straight win. Kevin Love led Minnesota(1-3) with 20 points.

Portland Trail Blazers 90, Milwaukee Bucks 76

Wesley Matthews scored 18 points, Brandon Roy had 17 and the visiting Trail Blazers (4-1) bounced the Bucks, one night after losing their first game of the season to the Chicago Bulls. Corey Maggette topped Milwaukee (1-3) with 16 points.

Orlando Magic at New York Knicks, postponed

The game between Orlando Magic and New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden was postponed for safety reasons.

The Knicks informed the league that debris above the attic and ceiling fell into the arena during overnight maintenance work and that it would be closed until it is assured of being safe.= The contest has not yet been rescheduled.