Pierce, Bryant Named Players of the Week

[Tammo29@xxxxxxx]

<A
HREF="http://www.nba.com/news/pow_021209.html";>http://www.nba.com/news/pow_02
1209.html</A>

Monday, Dec. 2 - Sunday, Dec. 8
Pierce, Bryant Named Players of the Week

 NEW YORK, Dec. 9 b Bostonbs <A
HREF="http://www.nba.com/playerfile/paul_pierce/index.html";>Paul Pierce</A>
and the Los Angeles Lakersb <A
HREF="http://www.nba.com/playerfile/kobe_bryant/index.html";>Kobe
Bryant</A> today were named the Eastern Conference and Western Conference
Players
of the Week, respectively, for games played Monday, Dec. 2 through Sunday,
Dec. 8.
Pierce averaged 26.7 points, 7.7 rebounds, 5.7 assists, and 2.0 steals in
leading the Celtics to a 2-1 record last week and to within one game of the
Atlantic Division-leading Philadelphia 76ers.

Bryant, fresh off his 21-point fourth quarter effort in the Lakersb historic
come-from-behind victory over the Mavericks Friday, helped guide the Lakers
to a 3-1 week by averaging 23.3 points, 9.3 assists, 7.0 rebounds and 2.5
steals. The weekly award is the second for Bryant this season.

Here is a closer look at the week for Pierce and Bryant:

Paul Pierce, Boston Celtics

Dec. 2 at Orlando b Tallied 27 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists in
leading the Celtics to a five-point road victory over the Magic.

Dec. 4 at Philadelphia b Scored a game-high 34 points, and had four steals,
in six-point loss to Atlantic Division-leading Sixers.

Dec. 6 vs. New York b Record 19 points, nine rebounds and eight assists, in
just 34 minutes of play, in leading the Celtics over the Knicks 91-80

Kobe Bryant, L.A. Lakers

Dec. 3 vs. Memphis b Recorded 24 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds, his NBA
leading fourth triple-double of the season, in the Lakersb 101-91 victory
over the Grizzlies.

Dec. 6 vs. Dallas b Had 27 points, 21 of which came in the fourth quarter,
as
the Lakers rallied from 27-points down to defeat the Mavericks 105-103. The
fourth quarter deficit was the second largest overcome in NBA history. Bryant
also chipped in nine rebounds and seven assists.

Dec. 8 vs. Utah b Tallied 25 points, a season-high 14 assists, five steals
and four rebounds as the Lakers avenged their loss to the Jazz earlier in the
week, 110-101.


Other nominees for Eastern and Western Conference Players of the Week were
Bostonbs <A
HREF="http://www.nba.com/playerfile/antoine_walker/index.html";>Antoine
Walker</A>, Dallasb <A
HREF="http://www.nba.com/playerfile/dirk_nowitzki/index.html";>Dirk
Nowitzki</A>, Golden Statebs <A
HREF="http://www.nba.com/playerfile/antawn_jamison/index.html";>Antawn Jamison
</A>, Houstonbs <A
HREF="http://www.nba.com/playerfile/yao_ming/index.html";>Yao Ming</A>, the Los
Angeles Clippersb <A
HREF="http://www.nba.com/playerfile/elton_brand/index.html";>Elton Brand</A>,
New Jerseybs <A
HREF="http://www.nba.com/playerfile/richard_jefferson/index.html";>
Richard Jefferson</A>, New Orleansb <A
HREF="http://www.nba.com/playerfile/p.j._brown/index.html";>P.J. Brown</A> and
<A HREF="http://www.nba.com/playerfile/jamal_mashburn/index.html";>Jamal
Mashburn</A>, Phoenixbs <A
HREF="http://www.nba.com/playerfile/shawn_marion/index.html";>
Shawn Marion</A>, Sacramentobs <A
HREF="http://www.nba.com/playerfile/bobby_jackson/index.html";>Bobby
Jackson</A> and Washingtonbs <A
HREF="http://www.nba.com/playerfile/larry_hughes/index.html";>Larry Hughes</A>.