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Kobe Bryant is happy to be done with the Golden State Warriors so the Los Angeles Lakers can prepare for what they might actually see come playoff time next month.
Bryant scored 29 points and the Lakers dominated the boards to overcome a turnover-plagued night and beat the Warriors for the ninth straight time, 124-121 on Monday night.
Bryant said there was nothing to learn from a game where the Lakers committed 24 turnovers, outrebounded Golden State 56-25 and allowed 100 shots before holding on at the end for the victory.
"You're not going to see anything remotely close to this in the playoffs," he said. "Not even close. There's nothing you can gauge in this game. You just get out of here with a win and move on."
Pau Gasol scored 26 points, Andrew Bynum added 19 points and 14 rebounds and Lamar Odom had 17 points and 12 boards for the Lakers who have won three straight following their first three-game losing streak in more than two years.
The Lakers led by 11 late in the fourth quarter but barely held on for the victory. It wasn't sealed until Stephen Curry and Monta Ellis missed 3-pointers in the final seconds. Ellis' last-ditch attempt bounced on the rim three times before falling aside at the buzzer, completing a 5-for-23 night.
"I thought it was going in," Warriors center Chris Hunter said. "It looked like the invisible man tipped it away at the last second."
Curry scored 29 points for the Warriors, who have lost seven of eight. Coach Don Nelson remained six wins shy of breaking Lenny Wilkens' record mark of 1,337. The Warriors have only 16 games remaining this season, meaning Nelson's quest for the record might be pushed into next season, if he is brought back as coach.
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