Not even Dr. J could inspire the 76ers.
On a night Julius Erving and Philadelphia's 1983 championship team was honored, Andrew Bynum and the Lakers stole the show. Bynum scored a career-high 24 points and grabbed 11 rebounds and Lamar Odom had 21 and 11 to lead Los Angeles to a 106-101 win over the Sixers on Friday night.
Erving tried to motivate the Sixers with a speech at the morning shootaround. The Sixers could have used the Hall of Famer in his prime instead.
Andre Miller scored 21 points, Andre Iguodala had 20, and Samuel Dalembert had 10 points and 14 rebounds.
Kobe Bryant took 10 of his 20 shots in the first quarter and finished with 21 points. Bryant failed to thrill his hometown fans, but he did leave Philly with a more memorable keepsake: the Lakers' first regular season win in the city since February 2000.
Derek Fisher scored eight straight points during a 10-0 run late in the third, including a go-ahead jumper off the break, that put the Lakers ahead for good and helped them take an 84-81 lead into the fourth. He finished with 21 points.
The Sixers pulled within five late in the game, but Bryant sank all three free throws after he was fouled on a 3-point attempt to put the Lakers up 99-91.
Erving and Clint Richardson took part in a halftime celebration for the 1982-83 championship team. That team -- which also included current Sixers coach Maurice Cheeks and Moses Malone -- swept the Lakers in four games and was the last of Philadelphia's four major pro sports teams to win a championship.
Erving received a rousing ovation from the crowd, one of the largest and liveliest of the season.
"Twenty-five years is much too long, so let's get it done," Dr. J told the fans.
Bryant sat at his locker before the game and talked about how in his formative years he tried to pattern his game after the high-flying Erving and how once all he thought about was playing for the Sixers.
Now he gets a thrill from beating them.
Loved and loathed by the hometown fans, Bryant always tries to put on a spectacular show. Coach Phil Jackson said before the game he was worried Bryant would take too many shots or try and win the game all on his own.
Early in the game, that seemed to be Bryant's plan.
He picked Thaddeus Young clean, then finished the play on the other end with a layup off a give-and-go. Bryant later sank a wide open 3 then shot a look that said "take that!" to some of the front row fans who heckled him.
Bryant, though, cooled after the first quarter. Bynum scored 18 of the Lakers' first 38 points, a stretch that also saw him hit the 1,000 career point mark.
The Sixers gamely kept pace with the Lakers, the highlight coming on a Miller steal from the left side where the he passed the ball to Iguodala in the middle who had the assist to a streaking Green on a thunderous dunk from the right. That was the final basket of the half and gave the Sixers a 56-53 lead at the break.
Game notes
76ers broadcaster Marc Zumoff celebrated calling his 1,000th regular season game. ... Jackson coached his 600th career game with the Lakers. ...The Sixers played without G Lou Williams (toe). ... Jackson hopes C Kwame Brown (knee, ankle) can practice Monday. ... Here's Bryant on a dream 1-on-1 matchup against Dr. J: "If he's not hitting his jump shot, I've got a good shot." ... Fans booed an Eagles highlight video until the camera showed Pro Bowl picks Brian Westbrook and Shawn Andrews watching the game from the front row.
