Your Wish

Is my command:

The Kobe-less Lakers defeat the defending conference-champion Suns 114-106:

Kobe Bryant could only sit and watch, unable to lend a hand to his Los Angeles Lakers teammates. Without him, it appeared they had no chance, especially when the high-scoring Phoenix Suns made their first nine shots in the season-opener.

Odom matched his career high with 34 points to go with 13 rebounds and six assists, 19-year-old Andrew Bynum had career-high totals of 18 points and nine rebounds, and Maurice Evans added 17 points for the Lakers, who outscored the Suns by 27 after falling behind 39-20 in the first quarter.

Even their coach expressed surprise.

"You don't know what to expect, these players don't have any history as far as NBA games -- kids like [Jordan] Farmar, who gave us a big lift in the second half," Phil Jackson said. "Andrew's first start in his NBA career, a start that was auspicious. It was Maurice Evans' first game as a Laker, and on his homecourt, he comes off the bench in the second half and starts and does a great job for us."

What awaits the Kobe-less Clippers tonight at Air America Arena?