Kobe Bryant delivered a masterful 40 points as the NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers stormed past the Phoenix Suns 128-107 in Game One of the Western Conference final on Monday.Seemingly unaffected by his ailing right knee which was drained of fluid earlier this week, Bryant choreographed a stunning display by the Lakers as they made the most of their size advantage against the smaller but speedy Suns.The 11-times All-Star guard, who shot 13-of-23 from the field, poured in 21 points in the third quarter alone to help his team tighten their grip after Phoenix had made a fast start at the Staples Center.Spanish forward Pau Gasol added 21 points and Ron Artest 14 while Lamar Odom, off the bench, weighed in with 19 points and 19 rebounds for the top seeds.For the Suns, forward Amar'e Stoudemire top-scored with 23 points and guard Jason Richardson contributed 15.Watched by a capacity crowd of 19,000 that included Hollywood actors Dustin Hoffman and Sylvester Stallone, the Lakers were virtually unstoppable for the last three quarters as they won their seventh successive game in the playoffs.The Suns made a promising start by racing from 7-0 up into an early 22-17 lead before the Lakers fought back. Reserve forward Odom swiftly added seven points to help the home team lead 35-26 after the first quarter.The Lakers maintained control in the second period, briefly forging 11 points clear after an Odom two-pointer before grabbing a 62-55 advantage by half-time.Bryant and Gasol caught fire in the third quarter, the highlight coming when they combined superbly for a Bryant slam dunk that put Los Angeles 17 points ahead to send the sellout crowd into a frenzy.The Lakers took a commanding 93-79 lead into the final period and never relinquished their grip as they continued to make the most of their size advantage with a powerful inside game.Game Two, also at the Staples Center, will be on Wednesday.(Editing by Rex Gowar; To query or comment on this story email sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)News posted by www.newsinfoline.com
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