After finishing with the Western Conference’s second-best record, the Los Angeles Lakers took on the seventh-seeded New Orleans Hornets in the opening round of the 2011 playoffs.
Point guard Chris Paul led the Hornets to the postseason and continued that with 33 points and 14 assists in Game 1 to take down the Lakers. Andrew Bynum, Lamar Odom and Metta World Peace brought the series to a tie in Game 2 in a low-scoring affair.
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The Lakers then went on to steal a game in New Orleans in Game 3 to take a 2-1 series lead. Paul would retaliate with a triple-double in Game 4 to tie the series at two games apiece heading back to Los Angeles. A collective effort in Game 5 gave the Lakers a chance to clinch the series back in New Orleans.
In Game 6, Bynum and Kobe Bryant combined for 42 points and led the team to a decisive 98-80 series-clinching victory. Five Lakers averaged double digits in the series and the series win was a team effort indeed.
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