ANALYSIS: What Gaza crisis taught Israel about Iran

Jim Hollander / EPA

An Israeli soldier from the Home Front Command comforts and plays with a boy in an air raid shelter in the southern Israeli town of Ashkelon on November 19. Many people in this border town close to the Gaza Strip stayed close to the shelters, and even spent most the day inside.

By Martin Fletcher, NBC News

News analysis

ASHKELON, Israel ? Israel's warplanes and Iron Dome anti-rocket missiles have been facing south for eight days, but their message was heard loud and clear to the north ? by leaders in Iran and Lebanon.?

The fighting against Hamas in Gaza, carried out by mostly missiles and planes, can be seen as a war game for what could happen if Israel moved to take out Iran's nuclear program, a much larger action that could result in both Hezbollah in Lebanon and Iran firing rockets toward Tel Aviv.

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And violent as it has been, one?Israeli?general described Hamas, when comparing its might to Hezbollah and Iran, as a rain drop in a storm.

In other words, there's worse to come if Israel attacks Iran, much worse.

Israel declares mission accomplished, Hamas claims victory

So, what, if any, lessons did Israel learn that can be applied to Iran?

Homefront
The most obvious concerns the endurance of Israel's "homefront," which is simply a military, dehumanizing term for "the people." Verdict: good. ?

There were almost no complaints by the people that they had to spend so long in bomb shelters. Southern towns like Ofakim, Ashkelon, Beer Sheva and even Ashdod closer to the center were attacked about a 150 times each in seven days. That means the people rushed to their shelters as the sirens wailed on average 21 times a day.

Shops and stores are reopening and a semblance of normalcy is returning to Gaza's streets after a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas is put into effect. NBC's Ayman Mohyeldin reports from Gaza.

Yet despite the discomfort and fear, most people did not call for an end to Israel's assault on Gaza. They wanted it to last as long as necessary to stop all rockets from Gaza in the future.

Iron Dome
The Iron Dome, Israel's home-made anti-rocket missile system, Israel's key defense against rockets from Gaza prevented carnage. Verdict: Very good with an official hit rate of 84 percent.

Israeli officials say over 900 rockets have been fired at the country in the past 6-days. NBC's Stephanie Gosk reports.

According to Israeli army figures, Islamist militants in Gaza fired 1,506 rockets at Israel in eight days. Eight hundred and seventy-five fell harmlessly into open areas like fields and the sea. The Iron Dome is programmed to let those alone and to intercept only rockets that would hit urban areas.

Iron Dome intercepted 421 rockets and 58 rockets actually got through, killing three civilians and wounding about 100 more, mostly lightly.

How Israel's 'Iron Dome' intercepts incoming rockets in Gaza conflict

Shelters
The small number of casualties was because a few people?did not use?Israel's second defense layer, the bomb shelters. Verdict: Very good.?

Nobody in a shelter was hurt. The three killed did not do as they were advised and stood on their balcony watching the action. A rocket shot right through the window, splattering them against the walls.?

But?while the world has been watching the war in the south, the threat from the north is much bigger. Israeli intelligence sources say Hamas and partners in Gaza had 10,000 rockets. Hezbollah in South Lebanon has between 100,000 and 200,000,?including longer range rockets that carry heavier explosive warheads,?according to Israeli military analysts.

The Iron Dome could be effective against several fired at the same time and even a dozen or two, but if hundreds of long-range rockets are fired, for instance, at Israel's largest population center Tel Aviv, it is guaranteed that many would get through, causing havoc, heavy damage and possibly loss of life.

Israel needs America
How long could the homefront, or the people, withstand such an onslaught, especially if?compounded?by rockets from Iran?

The answer is not clear, but what is clear is that such an attack from Lebanon would provoke instant and massive Israeli retaliation.

That leads to another lesson, or rather byproduct, of the assault on Hamas ? Hamas may already be eliminated from the equation of a post-Iran strike. Would Hamas fight for Iran after the punishment it received in the past week and the depletion of its rocket supply and rocket-manufacturing ability??Nobody?knows.?

Mohammed Salem / Reuters

Two sides exchange deadly airstrikes, rocket attacks.

Shot dead, dragged through the streets: The fate of an alleged spy in Gaza

More likely is that Islamic Jihad, which is armed, trained and financed by Tehran, would fire its rockets at Israel, even if Hamas tried to stop them. So another lesson for Israel: Take out Islamic Jihad in Gaza ? and that could lead to conflict with Hamas anyway.

But as political and military leaders here analyze the results and lessons of the past week, the clearest lesson is probably this, and it is hardly new: Israel needs the United States.

It was President Barack Obama who insisted on a cease-fire, who called Egyptian President Mohammed Morsi three times in 24 hours, and who had several calls with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu,?shepherding?both through the difficult process of reaching an agreement.

Americans tied to Israel caught in the chaos of Gaza conflict

The fact is,?Israel could not have carried out an invasion of Gaza without Washington's support. And as Obama made clear in his talks with Netanyahu, the United States prefers no ground invasion. And?Israel agreed. ?

So at the moment, Israel has Western support for latest action in Gaza. This support would evaporate if it decided unilaterally to invade Gaza.?

If the cease-fire holds for 24 hours, Israel will start talking about lifting border control on Gaza. In the meantime, Israeli ground troops remain mobilized in case Hamas resumes rocket attacks from Gaza. NBC's Andrea Mitchell reports.

But if newly re-elected Obama says the same about an attack on Iran, only more forcibly, will Israel agree again?

That is a different issue. Israel's homefront and defensive shield give Israel's freedom to act, but the bit questions are, for how long? And against what strength enemy?

And critical will be this: Will Obama be for or against?

Martin Fletcher is the author of "The List", "Breaking News" and "Walking Israel".

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Source: http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/11/23/15357759-what-gaza-fighting-taught-israel-about-possible-war-with-iran?lite

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Belarus holds non-deal Eurobond road show in Asia-source

MOSCOW, Nov 23 (Reuters) - Belarus is holding a non-deal

road show to test investor interest towards a possible sovereign

Eurobond issue, a banking source told Reuters on Friday.

He added meetings are now taking place in Singapore and Hong

Kong, without elaborating.

Belarus is looking at $500-600 million Eurobond issue, which

might be placed early next year to refinance debt falling due in

2013.

Belarus was forced to devalue its currency, the Belarussian

rouble, by 65 percent last year to deal with a large

current account deficit caused by public spending before the

presidential elections in 2010.

It had issued $1.8 billion in Eurobonds shortly before the

currency crisis, but has not tapped the market since early 2011.

(Reporting by Oksana Kobzeva; Writing by Katya Golubkova;

Editing by Douglas Busvine)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/belarus-holds-non-deal-eurobond-road-show-asia-082032288--sector.html

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Avoid early bird remorse: 10 Black Friday gadget do's and don'ts

19 hrs.

Avram Piltch , Laptop

With many stores opening Thanksgiving evening, this year you won?t even have to digest your turkey before you put on your elbow pads and line up outside your favorite big box store. But to make body checking your fellow shoppers worthwhile, you?ll need a plan.?You don?t want to spend 12 hours wearing adult diapers to avoid losing a place in line, only to find out that the camera you snatched takes terrible pictures and costs $20 less on the Web.?

Don?t get early birds remorse! Use these tips make sure you really are getting a good deal on Black Friday gadgets.?

1. Do research online prices before you go out
On a normal day, retail stores charge a lot more for electronics than their online competitors. On Black Friday, you may find something that looks like a fantastic sale in the store, but is hardly less than the regular price you would have paid online.?

For example, Best Buy is selling a Windows 8 Professional upgrade disc for $54.99, but before you smash through the plate glass door, you should check and see that Microsoft?has been selling the ?same version of Windows 8 as online download for $40 for several weeks now. Target has a 6-foot HDMI cable on sale for $9.99, even though Newegg sells similar cables for $2.99 at any time of year.

More: Top 8 Black Friday Apps

2. Don?t leave the house for less than $200 in total savings
Let?s do some math to guestimate the cost of standing in line for the possibility, but not the certainty, of a bargain. Assume you will be spending a minimum of 5 hours on travel and waiting in lines for a single store, though for the good deals, you may need to wait in front of the store much longer. If you value your free time at even a low rate of $10 per hour, that?s $50 plus the cost of transportation to and from the store, which we?ll estimate at $4, the cost of one gallon of gas.

The worst part of this equation is that the $54 cost buys you a raffle ticket, where bargains are the prize, because even after spending that money, you could walk away empty handed. With stores often stocking less than a dozen units of their featured deals, there?s a very good chance that you won?t run fast enough or have good enough line position to get what you came for.

If you?re young and bored, maybe it?s worth gambling 5 hours of your life on the possibility that you?ll get a $400 TV for $180, but don?t do it if you?re going to save less than $200 in total on all purchases. When you have a family around, even that amount of savings might be too small and you might value your time at a higher rate. With my luck, I?d wait in line for 12 hours, the store would be out of TVs and my infant son would have taken his first steps while I was standing outside Best Buy. ?

3. Do use bargain aggregrators to find deals online
Shopping online is a much more civilized and time-efficient way to buy gifts and fill out your gadget collection this Black Friday. With dozens of sites, including those for the major brick and mortar retailers, offering sales and coupon codes, it?s easy to miss the best sales. Fortunately, there are a number of deal blogs that do nothing but find and report on the best prices.

My favorite deal aggregators include?LogicBuy,?Tech Bargains,?Ben?s Bargains?and?Fat Wallet. I usually check all four several times a day during the holiday season, just to see what?s for sale before it sells out.

4. Don?t buy an?outdated phone
Many retailers use Black Friday as an excuse to dump outdated products from their inventories. When it comes to phones, just say no, because last year?s mobile devices have slower CPUs, lower-res screens and, in the case of Android devices, often have old versions of the operating system.?

Take for example, the Samsung Galaxy S II that Radio Shack is giving away for free with a two-year contract on Sprint. Yes, free sounds like a good price, but this 2011-era phone feels ancient in comparison to the Galaxy S III which will be available for $50 on Sprint at the same store. ?Not only does the newer model have a sharp 720p screen and a faster processor, it also provides an NFC chip and custom software that lets you transfer files justby tapping phones.

Since you?ll own this phone for at least 20 months before you?re eligible to upgrade, you want a device that?s as current as possible. ?How dumb will you or your giftee feel in 2014 when everyone else is running Android 6 on 1080p screens while you?re stuck with a remnant from 2011?

More:Top Smartphone Gifts for 2012

5. Do buy hard drives, SSDs and other storage / memory upgrades
Whether you?re buying SD memory cards, more RAM, an external hard drive or an SSD upgrade, you can find some incredible deals online this Black Friday. We expect to see 128GB SSDs selling for $50 or less and 256GB models approaching the $100 mark. What better way to say ?I love you?than with an upgrade that doubles or triples the speed of your most important tasks?

You should also be able to find external USB back up drives hovering around $50 for 500GB and $85 for 1TB, maybe less. SD cards and microSD cards make great stocking stuffers and you?ll find 16GB versions of each for under $10 with 32GB capacities for well under $20. RAM is getting a lot cheaper these days so expect to pay $60 for 16GB of laptop memory and around $25 for 8GB. ?

6. Don?t buy a cheap notebook for people you like

Want to punish your teenager for posting inappropriate things to Facebook? Still have a grudge against mom for recycling your comic books? Get revenge by purchasing them low-end Black Friday notebooks that will ruin their computing experiences.?

For under $300, you can find such clunkers as this $179 Compaq door buster?from Walmart??that comes with a sluggish 1.3-GHz AMD C-60 processor, just 2GB of RAM and a low-res 15.6-inch screen. Put away your door busting pepper spray, because a computer like this will be bulky, slow and annoying, even though it can connect to the Internet and run basic apps.

If you?re shopping for a notebook for yourself or someone you actually like, accept nothing less than an Intel Core i3 CPU, 4GB of RAM and a speedy 7,200 rpm hard drive or SSD. Go for a 13 to 14-inch screen for maximum portability or, if you want a larger computer, look for one with a high-res screen (1600 x 900 and above) and good audio playback.

More: 5 Reasons to Spend More Than $500 on Your Next Laptop

7. Do use coupon codes to configure your ideal laptop for less
Rather than buying the cheapest piece of junk notebook you see advertised, look for coupon codes for vendors that let you configure a notebook to your liking such as Dell, Lenovo, Toshiba and HP. With the appropriate price reduction, you can build just the ThinkPad or Inspiron you need and get a hefty chunk off the list price. Find the coupon codes on deal aggregation sites like Logicbuy and Techbargains.?

For example, with the right coupon codes, you can buy the awesome Lenovo ThinkPad T430s with a 1600 x 900 screen and discrete graphics for just $806.

8. Don?t even consider buying a cheap, low-end tablet?
What?s the point of buying a tablet if it can?t run your apps and the picture is such a low resolution that all the pixels are so big that they look like Ben-Day dots. So please for the love of Jobs or the admiration of Android avoid low-cost craplets like the Ematic eGlide EGL25BL that Walmart sells. With its 7-inch resistive touch screen and 1-GHz processor, this sad slate is likely to send you screaming back to your PC.

Even some Black Friday tablets from reputable brands are a rip-off, because they?re way out of date. Take, for example, the $179 Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 7-inch that Best Buy is advertising. Yes, we gave the Galaxy Tab 2 7-inch a rating of 4 stars when we reviewed in back in April, but back then a 1024 x 600 display, a 1-GHz dual core CPU and Android 4.0 were fine specs.

Today, you can get the Google Nexus 7 with a quad-core CPU, an HD screen and the latest Android 4.2 OS for $199, well worth the $20 splurge.?

If you can possibly afford it, go for a 7-inch tablet with at least a 720p screen (1280 x 720) or a 9-?to 10-inch tablet slate with a resolution higher than 1080p (1920 x 1080).

More: Hottest Holiday Tablets

9. Do buy accessories and peripherals, especially monitors
On Black Friday, we often see better deals on gadgets you attach to your computer than on the computer itself. So, if you?re planning to purchase a mouse, keyboard, Wi-Fi router or all-in-one printer, Black Friday could be a good time to act.?

Because you can never be too rich, too thin or have too many pixels, an external HD monitor makes a great gift or splurge for yourself. You can grab a 23-inch, 1080p screen for well under $150. This $110 23-inch Dell LED monitor is a great example.

10.?Don't make a major purchase you didn't plan for
That $279 10-inch tablet at Best Buy seems like a steal, but you didn't plan to buy a tablet for yourself this year. Stay away. The easiest way to blow your budget is to buy something you don't really need, just because it seems like a good deal. Make a list of major items you need before you look at the sales listings. Remember, the cheapest gadget is the one you didn't buy.

Source: http://www.nbcnews.com/technology/technolog/avoid-early-bird-remorse-10-black-friday-gadget-dos-donts-1C7185474

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Will the Perfect Storm Sink Cisco's Collaboration Boat ...

By Andrew W. Davis / No Jitter

Three trends--including the possibility that high-end telepresence has peaked--are threatening to swamp Cisco's efforts in video. Much of the news coming out of Cisco recently has described the company's collaboration business as "struggling" or disappointing, with indeed much of the blame being attributed to the company's telepresence product line and business unit. From my perspective, it seems that Cisco is being hammered by three separate weather patterns that have come together to shake the boat to its collaboration foundations.

1. The telepresence hype has passed. Cisco rocked the world in late 2006 with the introduction of the CTS 3000, a multi-codec room system that delivered the illusion that the remote people were in the same room with you. Using the terminology of Gartner's hype cycle model, telepresence has evolved from the peak of inflated expectations to the trough of disillusionment as customers have come to grips with the facts that 1) these systems are expensive to buy, deploy, operate, and maintain and 2) a near-telepresence experience can be created at 1/8th the cost.

In the early stages of the telepresence hype cycle, nearly every vendor gave nearly every videoconferencing system a "telepresence" moniker, including such beauties as immersive telepresence, adaptive telepresence, personal telepresence. Much of this was a reaction to the not-so-subtle Cisco brain-washing thrust that telepresence was new, exciting, and transformative while video conferencing was a legacy, failed technology. The great reversal in thought was punctuated by Cisco's blockbuster $3.2-billion acquisition of Tandberg, announced in October 2009 and consummated in April 2010.

Today, the world has come to recognize that "telepresence" has come to describe the multi-codec systems that deliver an immersive experience. Analyst firms have adopted "multi-codec" vs. "single-codec" as clear terms that describe distinct product and market categories and that enable markets to be measured.

Data collected from vendors each quarter by Wainhouse Research suggests that the multi-codec segment is anything but a high-growth video conferencing segment. In fact, 2010 may turn out to be the year of "peak telepresence." Making the immersive, multi-codec segment the face of Cisco's videoconferencing thrust has not proven to be an advantageous positioning strategy.

2. The overall videoconferencing market is struggling. Just one year after Cisco's acquisition of Tandberg, one of the two dominant vendors in the global video conferencing space, the market began some wild gyrations. Industry revenue growth is no longer a certain bet. In fact, worldwide revenues for room and executive systems for the first half of 2012 are down 7% compared to a year earlier.

Continue Reading...

About the Author
Andrew W. Davis is a researcher, analyst, and opinion leader in the field of collaboration and conferencing. He is a co-founder of Wainhouse Research, a boutique analyst firm that concentrates on collaboration products and services, including audio, video, and web conferencing and unified communications. Prior to Wainhouse Research, he held senior marketing positions with several large and small high-technology companies including Data General, Apollo Computer, and Megascan. Andrew has published over 250 trade journal articles and opinion columns on multimedia communications, videoconferencing, and corporate strategies as well as numerous market research reports and is the principal editor of the conferencing and collaboration industry's leading newsletter, The Wainhouse Research Bulletin. Andrew focuses on covering the video side of the collaboration market. He also specializes in strategy consulting and new business development for Wainhouse Research. A well-known industry guest speaker, Mr. Davis holds B.S. and M.S. degrees in engineering from Cornell University and a Masters of Business Administration from Harvard University.

for daily updates about industry news and analysis!

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Source: http://www.telepresenceoptions.com/2012/11/will_the_perfect_storm_sink_ci/

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U.S. has decimated al Qaeda chiefs but must persist in fight: Panetta

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. forces have decimated al Qaeda's leadership and made gains against some of its affiliates, but the fight has shifted in new directions that will require persistent U.S. efforts to truly end the threat, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said on Tuesday.

Panetta, in a speech to the Center for a New American Security, said while the United States had achieved progress against al Qaeda affiliates in Yemen and Somalia, associated groups had made inroads in Mali and Nigeria and were trying to gain a foothold in Libya.

He said the United States had "decimated core al Qaeda," killing leaders like Osama bin Laden, Sheikh Saeed al-Masri and Abu Yahya al-Libi. It also has made strides against affiliated groups like al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula in Yemen and al Shabaab in Somalia, he said.

"These gains are real, but it is important to point out that even with these gains, the threat from al Qaeda has not been eliminated," he said. "We have slowed the primary cancer, but we know that the cancer has metastasized to other parts of the global body."

As a result of U.S. pressure, Panetta said, al Qaeda has become even more "widely distributed, loosely knit and geographically dispersed."

"The fight against al Qaeda has taken a new direction - one that demands that we be especially adaptable and resilient as we continue the fight," he said.

Panetta said disrupting and ultimately defeating al Qaeda would remain a key priority even as U.S. forces draw down in Afghanistan over the next two years and renew their focus on the Asia-Pacific region as part of a new military strategy.

He said the key to achieving "the end of al Qaeda" was to finish the job in Afghanistan in a way that ensured the group could never again establish safe havens there.

Panetta said dealing with government corruption in Afghanistan and eliminating militant safe havens in Pakistan were crucial to Afghan stability.

"It will require continued commitment by the international community and the United States to help Afghan forces achieve it," he said, adding, "We have come too far and invested too much blood and treasure" not to finish the job.

He said the United States also would have to keep the pressure on al Qaeda in Pakistan, Yemen and Somalia. It would also have to work to prevent the emergence of al Qaeda safe havens elsewhere in the world, using U.S. special operations forces in partnership with local forces, he said.

"To truly end the threat from al Qaeda, military force aimed at killing our enemy alone will never be enough," Panetta added. "The United States must stay involved and invested through diplomacy, development, education and trade in those regions of the world where violent extremism has flourished."

He said that included Afghanistan and Pakistan as well as countries in the Middle East and Africa.

(Reporting By David Alexander; editing by Philip Barbara)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/u-decimated-al-qaeda-chiefs-must-persist-fight-021541460.html

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Cell phones in the work place ? The Job Portal ? PNET

We are all very attached to our cell phones. Take a walk down the street or to the mall and you will see that most people always have their cell phone on their person and ready for action at all times. It is possible to store your whole life on your cell phone and it is nearly impossible for most of us to imagine a life without our precious mobile phones.

While putting your cell phone away for any length of time can cause something akin to panic, it is necessary in the workplace. More and more managers are complaining about cell phone usage in offices and factories and there is an increasing number of disciplinary cases against individuals who continually use their cell phones at work.

Avoid making this mistake at your own workplace by following these guidelines:

• Put your cell phone on vibrate or silent when you are at work.
• Try to keep your cell phone in your handbag or in a desk drawer while you are working. If you cannot do this, keep it face down away from your work space.
• NEVER take your phone with you into a meeting.
• If you can?t keep your phone on silent, make sure that your ring tones and SMS tones are appropriate for the work environment.
• Ask your friends and family to avoid calling or messaging you during working hours. If they must contact you, tell them to do so during your lunch hour.

Some personal calls are permitable during work hours, but as with anything, they should be in moderation. If you must take a call, it is better to do so without disturbing your co-workers. Move outside or into a corridor if you are in a shared office and keep it short.

Tags: career, cellphone etiquette, co-worker, colleagues, communication in the workplace, mobile etiquette, mobiles in the workplaces, phones in the workplace, pnet, pnet.co.za, using cellphone for work

This entry was posted on Wednesday, November 21st, 2012 at 08:24 and is filed under Advice in the Workplace, Career Advice, Communication in the workplace, Work Ethic. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.

Source: http://www.pnet.co.za/blog/?p=663

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Lakers hold off Nets 95-90, win D'Antoni's debut

LOS ANGELES (AP) ? Although Mike D'Antoni still can't jump, pivot or move on his surgically replaced knee with his usual enthusiasm, he felt plenty strong enough to start work with the Los Angeles Lakers.

D'Antoni also knows it's usually quite comfortable to be Kobe Bryant's coach.

Bryant scored six of his 25 points in the final two minutes, and the Lakers hung on for a 95-90 victory over the Brooklyn Nets on Tuesday night in D'Antoni's sideline debut.

Although D'Antoni is still unsteady after knee surgery earlier this month, he coached Los Angeles to a narrow victory that snapped Brooklyn's five-game winning streak. Eight months after leaving the New York Knicks, he seemed thrilled to be in his rightful place on an NBA bench ? and to watch his talented new team do its thing.

"With this team, there's no reason not to win every game," D'Antoni said. "That's our goal. It's not, 'Let's get two out of three.' We can win every game we play. ... I feel like we're the best team in the league. We've got the most talent, so they can do what they want. We've just got to keep perfecting things."

D'Antoni clearly isn't at full strength: He hobbled slowly on the sideline on the rare occasions he left his chair during play in the first half. He moved around with more vigor after halftime, protesting foul calls with his usual theatrical vehemence despite a slight limp in his step.

"I was a little peg-legged, but it was good," D'Antoni said with a laugh. "Adrenalin is a great thing. I'm good, (but) jumping is a thing of the past."

Dwight Howard had 23 points and 15 rebounds despite a horrific 7-for-19 performance at the free-throw line for the Lakers, who have won five of six and moved above .500 since firing Mike Brown. Pau Gasol and Metta World Peace scored 17 points apiece. Gasol contributed 11 rebounds and seven assists as the Lakers wrapped up a tumultuous six-game homestand that began with Brown's unexpected firing 11 days ago.

"We're definitely playing with better flow," Gasol said. "We're playing with more confidence, looser out there."

The Lakers went 4-1 under interim coach Bernie Bickerstaff, but D'Antoni finally took over the bench nine days after he was hired. Los Angeles largely couldn't play at his favored tempo, but D'Antoni quickly learned the benefits of coaching Bryant, who took over in the final minutes.

Bryant has played for D'Antoni on various U.S. national teams.

"It's the same as it's always been," Bryant said. "He's always very calm, but he still has an undertone edge to him. He's the same D'Antoni. ... We're just getting more in sync with each other. For the most part, we're doing a pretty good job taking care of the ball."

Brook Lopez scored 23 points and Deron Williams had 22 for the Nets, who missed five of their last six shots in their ninth consecutive loss to the Lakers.

"It was definitely frustrating," Williams said. "We were right there and we battled the whole game. We had control of the game at one point, but we didn't make shots down the stretch. We had plenty of chances to tie it. We were getting the stops we needed, and put them on the free throw line a couple of times, but we just didn't make enough plays down the stretch and we didn't convert."

After taking a narrow lead through three quarters, the Lakers missed their first seven shots in the fourth and fell behind mostly due to their All-Star center's incompetence at the line. Brooklyn deliberately fouled Howard in the fourth quarter, when he went 3 for 10.

Los Angeles still took the lead on Gasol's free throw with 2:37 to play, and Bryant hit a running hook shot after Joe Johnson airballed a jumper moments later. Johnson cut the lead to one point on a fast-break layup with 36 seconds left, but Bryant hit four free throws in the final 17.1 seconds while Williams missed a potential tying 3-pointer with 4 seconds left.

Johnson scored 14 points for the Nets, who finish their three-game California road trip at Golden State on Wednesday night.

"I thought Deron did a great job of quarterbacking the team and getting it to our pace," Nets coach Avery Johnson said. "We wish we could have had a few more shots fall in the fourth quarter, but our team laid it all out on the floor. They showed a lot of heart, something that we didn't see early in the season ? especially in a road game at Miami."

NOTES: The Nets haven't won six straight games or been more than five games over .500 since 2006. .. Before the game, D'Antoni said Steve Blake and Steve Nash will miss at least four more games, which means they won't play on the Lakers' three-game road trip over the next four days starting in Sacramento on Wednesday night. The Lakers' next home game is against Indiana on Nov. 27. ... The Lakers have won their last five road meetings with the Nets, last losing in New Jersey on March 17, 2006. They'll visit Barclays Center on Feb. 5.

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/lakers-hold-off-nets-95-90-win-dantonis-061210158--spt.html

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