Last nights game started out pretty much like the game before. The New Orleans Hornets came out ready to play with no fear of the big stage in Hollywood. They were shooting a scorching 81% from the floor in the first quarter going 13-16. By the 2nd quarter they shot 61%, and as the Laker defense continued to become relevant, they shot just 49% over the final quarters. The Lakers came out active as well. Their first two possessions were thrown inside. No 3 point attempts from Ron Ron until later, they followed the game plan and began pounding the ball inside. We had six Lakers in double figures. Criticize Fish all you want too, but he shows up in the postseason. He had 13 points and was 5-6 from the field. The NBA citizen of the year  Ron Artest continued his solid post season play and had 11 points.

That mainly had to do with the state of  Kobes ankle. With rumors circling that he refused an MRI, we all knew he would play, but we weren't sure how effective he would be. He actually stated after the game "Even if I would've gotten an MRI who's to say I wouldve told you guys what it said anyway? I was playing regardless." In the first quarter Kobe looked sort of slow, like he was favoring the ankle. Trevor Ariza was running circles around him. He played 9 minutes and had one point. Phil then sat him on the bench later stating his was becoming a liability out here. But,.......then came the 2nd quarter. With the bench playing surprisingly well Kobe got a bit of the rest. He started to get warm with a jumper in Trevor Arizas face. Then as Trevor was making a run to the basket Kobe grabbed him around the waist and the ref had nerve to call continuation, after Trevor traveled! This seem to ignite Kobe.He was livid, and then he was amazing. With the game tied at 44, like a flash he got into his imaginary phone booth, slipped on the #8 jersey and went to work. He ran right to the lane, switched hands and made a poster out of Okafur. He dunked on Burbon Street and the Staples Center including the Laker bench exploded. Shannon later said "Kobe had his afro back! I haven't seen him dunk like that in years!" Kobe said to Shannon " Yeah you were like 2 years old." That was the play that changed the game as well as the series. He told his ankle and foot to sit down and shut up! The Hornets knew that song all too well. " What ankle problem," Trevor said sarcastically . Coach Monte Williams chimed in as well, " Some ankle problem." Okafur said " Hes Kobe Bryant, he will play on one leg if he had too." He later said it looked like Okafur would try to challenge the shot and he decided to take the challenge. " I didn't expect him to do that," Okafur said " It kind of surprised me. I wasn't expecting a dunk.It was the last thing on my mind. I was expecting him to do some tricky stuff, my mind said " Stay on your feet, don't foul, he cocked it back, and before I realized it it was too late." Yup he became a poster. Lets take a moment of silence for the career New Orleans center, and for me because when Kobe did that I died. This blog is actually being written by my corpse.

Leaving on crutches the game before, #24 turned into Vintage Kobe with lucky lint in his hair. But, he wasn't done. On the other end he made another monster jam, this time with the left hand! This ignited a 10-0 run in the Lakers and they never looked back. He got 12 points in that quarter and  finished the game with 19 points. When asked about his athleticism he said " Its always there.Its not something I want to do all the time, especially not in an 82 game season, but its there." With them holding the lead Kobe was allowed to get some much needed rest and ankle treatment on the bench playing only about 28 minutes.

The bench actually stepped up in his absence. They were a plus 15 while he was resting. Lamar Odum was having a horrible night, but instead of fading into the background he fought hard and ended up with 13. The Killer Bees were in full effect. The Amber Alert on Shannons jump shot worked because he nailed 2 three pointers back to back. Steve Blake got in on some of the 3point action as well. Matt and Blake only combined for 8 points, but the Lakers were a plus 30 while they were in. Matt grabbed 4 offensive boards that turned into 9 Laker points. The Lakers were also uncharacteristically aggressive. Shannon brown got into it with Willie Green and the two had to be separated. Shannon threw an elbow that if it connected, Willie would've been missing a few teeth. Shannon later stated Green has been making sneaky plays after the whistle and he was tired of it

.

There also was a Pau Gasol sighting. Now I'm not letting Pau off the hook just yet, he still looked like he had on Mickey Mouse gloves out there. Being punked by Landry, being pushed, and folding like a sheet of paper. He whined on almost every play. Pau you gets no love from the refs let it go. Being all that as it may he actually was more aggressive. He got his feet wet early shooting a few baby jumpers. He even grabbed a few rebounds and altered some shots as well! He still was a bit tentative on offense appearing to be scared to get his shot blocked, but I wont be too hard on him, he finished with no menacing glares from Kobe, 16 points and we needed all 16 to put this resilient Hornets team away.   Pau Gasol actually shoved Landry in the back a few times to gain position. We saw that Pau Gasol yell that we've all grown to love.Like I always say..a grunting Pau is a winning Pau. You love to see him animated and feeling the emotion of the game.

  Bynum even raised his arms ala Ron Artesesque after an And 1. Late in the game Kobe nearly took Bellenellis face off while swatting at the ball.  One of the main reasons we were able to win is because we contained the Hornets bench. Before the game P Jax stated CP3 was gonna get his, just like Kobe will. The object is to not let the others get involved. Mission Accomplished. Jarret Jack had one point,and Aron Grey had none. Willie Green had a few points off the bench, but he never really got going. Bynum also continued to be a threat down low with 18 points and 20 rebounds. Trevor Ariza still looking like he was being controlled by the X Box was a red hot 5-8 from the 3 point line..AND THEY KEPT LEAVING HIM OPEN!! If he got one more 3 ball in the corner pocket I would've driven down to Staples myself and at least put a hand up. Chris Paul of course got his, but he was limited to 20 points and 12 assists.We held him to only six points in the 2nd half. Trevor continued lighting the Lakers up ending with 22 points.Bellanelli was a problem as well adding 21. But, the Laker defense adjusted. NO was outscored 83-58 in the final 3 quarters. The Lakers more importantly won the battle of the glass. Our big men Pau, Bynum, and Odum had a combined 25 boards..so did New Orleans whole team! We out rebounded them 42-25. The Lakers played to their height advantage once again with 42-30 points in the paint.  We also were almost perfect on the offensive glass. We lead the offensive boards column with 22-2 second chance points. We also forced 17 turnovers! The Lakers win by 16.

Some freaky facts for all of you worry warts out there: Lakers have won every series that's tied 2-2 when we win Game 5. Still worried? Phil Jackson is 54-1 when leading in a playoff series. But, the Lakers need to put this away once and for all. With a win tomorrow night the next series wont start until Monday. Last night we showed why we are the champions. We are up, we are down, some say we are out. But when it matters most we rise to the occasion. Kobe puts us on his back as he has so many times, and his legs only seem to get stronger. As we head back to the Hornets nest we seemed to have turned a corner. They still think they can beat us, lucky for us Hornets sting twice and then they die. Too bad for them we have 13 more stings to go and a bottle of  Raid

We're Baaaaaaaaaaack!!!!! Lakers take a 2-1 Series lead

Well it looks like the Lakers woke up and remembered they were playing the New Orleans Hornets. They were focused from jump street. The Hornets did however take a 6-4 lead but that is as far as they went. The Lakers looked like a totally different team than the one who played two forgettable games in LA, one of them leading to a loss. Maybe what they needed was a change in scenery, a business trip so to speak.  Ron Artest tweeted before the game that it was time to get loco....and loco they got.
Loco is Kobe Bryant running through the lane with a vintage slam while leaving CP3 standing alone. I actually thought I saw the afro! Kobe opted to be a defender the last game having only 11 shots, but as he said in the post game interview: "People must've forgotten I'm a scorer first. I wanted to remind them tonite." Remind us he did. Kobe had 30 points, 4 three pointers, and 1 block. Need I remind you Kobe is 6-1 going into a Game 3 when the series is tied. He averages 29PPG. He came out firing as well having 14 points in the first half.
Loco is Andrew Bynum giving us another knee scare. He stepped on Landrys foot and went to  the floor holding his right knee grimacing in pain as he had done many times before. Gary Viti did the normal routine of running to Bynum to find out the severity of the injury. Bynum got up after a minute..walked around, and continued to play. LOCO!!! He was one rebound away from a triple double at halftime. He was a dominating force in the paint looming over Okafur like a palm tree. By halftime the Lakers owned the boards 24-14 and were up by 9. Defensive was good as well. CP did have 18 points but he only had 3 assists. We can live with that. CP and Trevor Ariza were the only ones that could get any kind of rhythm going in the 1st two quarters. Pau Gasol still looked a little slow but we learned from John Ireland at the start of the game that he was suffering from an upper respiratory infection. I knew it was something, Pau just didn't look  like himself. The Lakers ended the half with all the momentum on their side, but would it last??? Word on the street is Ron Artest went to Pau in the locker room and said " Are you ready to get Loco?"
The 3rd quarter starts and the Lakers look even sharper! LOCO!!!! But, Okafur and Landry seemed to have some water splashed on them because they were awake as well. The lead was down to 7. Then, Joey ( Its no secret that I hate the Lakers) Crawford gave Fish a tech on a clear out from CP3. This actually got Phil Jackson out of his chair and in front of the scores table! LOCOO!!! Haven't seen Phil come out that far in years!. Fish and Phil tried to argue the call as CP3 converted the free throw. Lakers get the ball back and hits a 3! BOOYAH!!! Lead is up to 10. Landry continued his tenacious play and went for a monster dunk that ignited the crowd and cut the lead to 6 to end the 3rd.
The Lakers had 12 more minutes to seal the deal. Drew and Lamar each had four fouls. Pau Gasol opens the 4th with a 3 pointer in front of the Hornets bench ans he runs down the court with a fist pump! LOCO!!!! The next possession Blake gets in some of the action and he hits his 1st play off 3 as a Laker. Pau Gasol then scores 9 of the next 11 Laker points as the game began to slip away from the Hornets. The fans started heading to the exits and so did any hope of an extended season for New Orleans.
CP3 had 22 points and 8 turnovers! Our defense was too much for the Hornets to handle.  The Lakers had 48 points in the paint, 17 second chance points, and 14 offensive boards!! LOCO!!!! 
So, as is stands with a win on Sunday the Lakers can wrap up the series at home and have some much needed rest before round 2.  Matt Barnes was asked about Sundays game plan. He said " We have to get a good start. We cant give them any life. We have to strike first." The Hornets see Sundays game as a must win. They don't want to come back to LA down 3-1, because we all know how that's gonna end. Try this on for size Phil Jackson is 54-1 when leading in a series. The Hornets are not the team to turn things around. Not, this year. See you Sunday!!

The Stars don't shine, but its all tied up 1-1headed to the Big Easy

(Sigh)...well it wasn't very pretty at times but we did it. The season series is even at one game a piece headed back to the Hornets nest. We saw a little glimpse of heart from the Lakers last night. Maybe that 2 hour game tape session on Monday helped. P Jax pointed out that 35 of the 70 plays New Orleans ran featured the Lakers in wrong defensive sets . Phil gave some humor at the pregame conference. He took many jabs at the Lakers as usual. He said he would wear a different championship ring every game. " Hopefully I'll get through all of them before we are eliminated." On a night where Lamar Odom was finally acknowledged for his bench play, he received the 6th Man of The Year award before the game, becoming the first Laker to do so.  Phil Jackson said ." Yeah I wanted them to give it to him tonight because this may be the last game of the season here." The game started off with Kobe taking on CP3. He did that last year in the playoffs against Russell Westbrook when Fish couldn't keep up. He didn't wait until game 4 this time.  CP3 still got his points because you cant stop him, but he didn't really get his other teammates involved. He had 20 points and 9 assists. It paled in comparison to his opener with 33 points and 14 assists. " They tried to shrink the court on me," Paul said. They didn't want me to wiggle and dance with the ball as much ,and it worked for them to a certain extent." The Lakers came out flat again to start. The Hornets sprinted to a 20-11 lead as the Staples Center started to boo. But the defensive battle began an the Lakers went on a 10-0 run to the end of the 1st tying the score headed to the 2nd quarter.  The Bench started the 2nd quarter. They came out with lots of energy. Matt Barnes with a fresh new rooster haircut, and Steve Blake with a new yellow headband and chicken pox marks on his face. Lamar Odum grinning from ear to ear with his chest stuck out because of his award. He wanted to put it on the scores table for the fans to view, but then he decided to have it displayed in the Staple Center Lobby for fans to take pictures with it. The bench held their ground but the Hornets were not going away. We went on 9-0 run and lead by 6. I actually think this was the point where we would open the game up, but the Hornets kept fighting back. They actually cut the lead to six with a CP3 buzzer to end the half. The 1st half was way better than Game 1. The Lakers had 30 points in the paint. Bynum was very active with 8 points. But, Pau Gasol was still missing. Monte Williams mentioned his guys fight each other in practice. I wish someone would knock Pau out.He still looked sluggish and lazy with 6 points. A very interesting point at the half was NO already had 10 turn overs converting into 17 points for the Lakers. They had a total of 3 the last game. The Laker defense was tightening up by the minute. Another interesting stat was Kobe only had 3 points.
The Lakers came out on fire to start the 3rd. The bench opened up the quarter much to my dismay, but they kept it steady. We went on another 10-.0 run to put us back up by 12. Steve Blake was sensational with 5 assists and he did a pretty good job on CP3 as well. Omeka Okafur continue having a horrible night. He was in foul trouble much of the game and was a non factor. Carl Landry who continued to give us fits joined Okafur with 4 fouls as the 3rd winded down. But  Landry is not scared of Pau. He smells Paus fear and it shows.  As as to be expected Chris Paul hit ANOTHER 3 to end the 3rd and cut the lead to 7.
I was nervous again for the bench to start the 4th, but they actually extended the lead to double digits and Matt Barnes drew Landry his 5th foul. Thank goodness for the bench and Lamar Odom who showed why he was named the 6th man of  the year. He was slashing and floating through the air to the basket with ease. No one was more thrilled than the starters who were no where to be seen. At the 8:57 mark of the 4th, Kobe, Fisher, and Pau were a dismal 6-25 from the field . I'm giving Kobe an excuse though. He was chasing CP3 around all night. He did of course end with 11 points and continued his streak right behind only Jordan with 150 consecutive play off games in double digits. He even ran down the lane for a reverse dunk that was all " Vintage Kobe." All other starters sucked but Ron Artest. Ron continued his heroic play from game 1 with 15 points and 6 rebounds.. We were up by 15 with 6:42 to go in the game, but again, we couldn't hold on. The Lakers always have to make it interesting don't they? The lead was only down to 7 with 1:52 to play. But then there was a Pau Gasol sighting! Then on a Kobe miss Pau remebered how to rebound! It was only his 5th but it couldn't have come at a better time. After pulling down the rebound Pau dished it Ron Ron for a 3 and that's all she wrote. Lights Out!!! BynumLakers we much more organized holding the Hornets to under 40% shooting and forcing 16 turnovers.They also improved on funnelling drivers away from the lane, the aftermath resulted in 4 blocked shots.
Who would've thought Kobe trusted his team enough to take only 10 shots and lock the star down on defense? Who would have thought Lamar Odum had enough courage and consistency to take the team on his back  primitively winning us the game? Who would've thought Bynum fresh from injury would play hard and foul out playing until the final seconds, making up for Paus mistakes;not the least bit leery of his glass knee? Anyone who still believes this is the most talented team in the NBA even if some nights you cant see it. It will have to be more appaerent  in each series, in each game.
Friday night they are going into the Hornets nest. Even though they lost, the did just what they wanted. They got 1. They are still confident and hungry and we need to be ready. The starters and the bench both have to stop taking turns and both be on the same page. Lets be focused, determined, and single minded because this is only round one. Round two proves to hold bigger and badder demons. Time to dust off your crosses Lakers..this whole league needs to be exorcised.......starting Friday night

The Hornets sting the Lakers in Playoff Opener

Yesterday was such a nice day outside. Clear skies, light breeze. Children playing, the scent of barbecue in the air. Yes its Spring again. The corners crowded with vendors selling Laker shirts and incense. All was well in L.A.....outside. Inside the Staples Center was another story. Though the often criticized Staple Center fans were loud and awake wearing yellow shirts given to them at the door, we all should have seen this coming. 17-1 seems like years ago. The Lakers lost five in a row and struggled to win their last two. If there is a switch the Lakers haven't found it yet. To add matters worse we have a Sunday 12:30 game. The Lakers are 0-4 in those situations. The Lakers were beaten by the Hornets 100-109. Make that now 0-5. .Phil Jackson was aware of this so he called the Lakers to meet up 90 minutes early. Lamar Odum and Ron Artest slipped in a few minutes late, but all were there except Pau, who arrived 25 minutes later. That was a shock because I watched the game and didn't think Pau showed up at all.Perfect time for him to be the White Swan. He ended with eight points, six rebounds, ZERO offensive boards, and a cut under his eye. He played 38 minutes.When asked what the problem was, he stated he wasn't getting the ball enough. He said he wasn't able to get a good rhythm. He also stated its up to him to get some energy out there and become aggressive. In a game when Bynum wasn't as effective as usual because of foul trouble ( 13 points in 25 minutes), Pau was sorely missed. His passiveness left us without a front line, and it was exploited. The paint may as well have been 7-11 because it would've been open all night. The undersized Hornets topped us in that area too getting 52 points around the rim. We only got 34.Chris Paul was running circles around our guys with dribble penetration and  high screen and rolls. He made it look too easy. This is the Chris Paul that we all love to hate. He had a giddy 33 points and 14 assists. Most would blame Derrick Fisher for not being able to keep up, but he hasn't done that bad against Paul in the regular season. But, if you think that's the case then where is the help defense when he comes off those screens? CP3 continued to pull our big guys out on the perimeter then going around them, or dishing the rock to a big down low for an easy lay up or monster jam. Pau Gasol actually played him one on one for a few possessions. He  used Pau like one of the props in the NBA All Star Weekend  "  Skills Challenge" blowing right past him. The Hornets as a whole shot 51% from the field! CP3 wouldn't have been so bad if his supporting cast wasn't on fire as well. We often hear of players that could give the Lakers problems: Derrick Rose, Russell Westbrook, LeBrick James, but never have Jarett Jack, Willie Green, Carl Landry, or Marco Belleni in those sentences. But they put on a show. If that is not enough some guy named Aron Grey who averages 3 points off the bench scored 11 points until he had a hard foul at the end of the game.But the Hornets were focused and fired up. They walked into the Staples Center with their backs against the wall, knowing the feeling of the underdog. Many people already having their brooms out. Hornets coach Monte Williams in his first play off appearance said he told his guys all week to be aggressive and to fight. Fight they did. Whenever the Lakers would cut down the lead, the Hornets stayed poised and in control. At times it seemed like they had the basket ball in a brief case filled with explosives. They only had 3 turnovers the whole game tying the NBA record. They looked more like champs than the Lakers. Pau wasn't the only Laker to struggle. Our bench was outscored 39-21. Steve Blake was out, Matt Barnes suited up but was ineffective  still having problems with the knee, or maybe its because he hadn't played in almost a week. Our bench has been suspect in these last few games anyway, so that was no surprise. But, the bench leader Lamar Odum was supposed to provide some sort of spark. He only provided 10 points and one  rebound in 33 minutes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! He will surely be the death of me. ONE?????? Don't think those 10 points are impressive, six of them were scored when the game was already out of reach. He then had the nerve to say this was a good thing for the Lakers. He said maybe that would ignite us. Well something sure needs too. They should be embarrassed, all but Ron Artest and of course Kobe Bryant. If I would've told you coming into this game that Ron Artest would be the leading rebounder you would've laughed. Ron Ron pulled down 11 boards trying to make up for our defensive presence around the rim. Kobe Bryant finished with a hard 34 points and a bruised neck while falling into a chair ending the 3rd quarter. The same quarter that Ron Artest hit a buzzer beater to bring us to within one. He and Kobe combined  for 16 in the 4th but it wasn't enough. The Hornets scored 10 unasnswed points to put the game out of reach. After the game PauPJax said the team went away from the inside/ out offense, but when the bigs don't fight to get position what else do you do? Take matters in your own hands. That is what Kobe did, and he kept us in the game. But this time it was too late.
So,the Lakers loose Game one on their home court which they haven't done in years. But, I'm not worried. The Hornets aren't better than we are in skill, but they just played harder. They were more focused. It reminded me when the Lakers were on the way to the championship Phil's first year. We went 16-1 in the post season only to come out flat and loose against Allen Iversons Sixers. We of course went on to win the next 4 games and the title. I for see the same thing happening now. I predicted Lakers in 5, I just didn't think they would loose the first one! But hey, we all know the Lakers. The Jeckle and Hyde of the NBA. This is Hollywood folks!!! The more drama the better!! Game 2 Wed at 7:30

Let the Games Begin!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well the time has finally come. The real season is here. Lets get right to the point. We have 4 games today: Chicago vs Indiana at 11am PST , Miami And Philly at 1:30pm PST, Orlando vs Atlanta at 4:00pm PST, and Dallas vs Portland 6:30pm PST. With that being said the Lakers will open the playoffs tomorrow at Staples at 12:30pm vs The New Orleans Hornets. The Lakers have swept the season series against N.O., but for sake of argument lets take a look at how this series can unfold. Bynum did have a full practice on Friday despite a little soreness. He said " I feel fine. I'm ready to go. I'm ready to start winning games." He said it doesn't feel any worse than it felt last year. But, Phil doesn't seem so optimistic, still saying he may rest the center for game one. Matt Barnes did not practice Friday due to knee soreness and is a game time decision. Phil Jackson dropped off some N.O. game tapes to Steve Blake and said though he was " covered with spots" he should be back Tuesday for game two.Ron Artest also banged his knee in the Sacramento game and did not practice Friday. Ron Artest never being the one to let injuries stop him wouldn't even tell Phil which knee it was. He said there would be no chance he would miss game one.
Despite all that's going on with the Lakers I just don't think N.O. has enough fire power to win , especially on the road. The best match up here will be Bynum and Okafur. Bynum has averaged 15 points, 64% shooting, 5 rebs, 1 block against N.O.  Okafur has averaged 12 points, 62% shooting, 10 rebounds, and one block , though he only played in three of the games. In order for them to even have a shot he has to have a breakout game. That means taking on Drew, Gasol, and sometimes Odom with no David West post help. He does have Carl Landry. We are all too familiar with him. He has killed us many times in Houston. We know what hes capable of. He has averaged 14 points and 6 rebounds against us this season. Former Laker ( on his way to working at Target thanks to his agent) Trevor Ariza will have his playoff homecoming tomorrow as well. He never ducks at the opportunity to tell the Lakers " You should've paid me instead of this nut case.", speaking of  his successor Ron Artest. Jarrett Jack also provides a spark of the bench and Willie Green has been know to ignite the team as well. Our bench MUST come out of its funk if we want to make a statement in round one. I would actually like to see more time from "newbie" Tray Johnson!!!! Now on to CP3. His good friend Kobe Bryant said we need to be ready for him. He can be real scary. I still see him as a threat as well even though knee injuries have slowed down his play as of late. He averages 7.3 points a game at 31% shooting. But, he has the ability to take over a game with his assists, sometimes not needing to score.Hes gotten his season high against the Lakers more than once. But if need be he can penetrate the lane and take the Lakers off the dribble and we know how the Lakers are with dribble penetration.....
All in all the Lakers couldn't have asked for a better 1st round opponent. The Hornets are the only team in the West that the Lakers have beaten 4 times. With most sports analysts picking the Lakers to sweep the series, I'm thinking NO may at least get one. Hopefully with the West being as stacked as it is, we will get some much needed rest before Game 2 with Portland or Dallas lying in wait.
So folks this is it. 16 wins until we 3 peat. Will the 17-1 Lakers please stand up????

We win FINALLY! But at what cost?

Yes the Lakers 5 game skid has come to an end. After being played by the Jazz I was confused. After being " Blazed" by Portland I was sick. After seeing Golden State play like the Warriors they are at our expense I was lost. Then when it seemed like it couldn't get any worse: it did. You've heard of the phrase " When it rains it pours?" Well Sunday we saw " Thunder". In a game where it looked like the Lakers solved their problems... we lost. We played good ball until the final 3 minutes of the game. We had corrected our turnover woes and committed only one in the 1st three quarters! But committed 9 in the 4th. The cool, calm, and collective Champs lost it down the stretch. The young, gritty, and scrappy Thunder were the ones who remained poised, kept their composure, and brought the game home on our floor. We lost any hope of catching the Spurs for the number one seed, we barely had the 3rd seed and were poised to maybe be 4th. Tuesdays game was a must win in my head, but then so are all of them if you ask me. The Spurs came to town for the final meeting of the season. If you thought this was just another game you were in for a treat. Hours before the game the Lakers find out Steve Blake has the plague, or in 1st grade terms the Chicken Pox. Hes 31 years old. We then found out that Kobe, Bynum, and Artest have never had them, nor have they had the vaccine. ( mental head scratch). Not long after that we learn that Matt Barnes has had some soreness in his knee. The same knee that kept him out for most of the season. He did some light shoot  around the day before, but after practice he didn't feel he could play. So, the Lakers had to activate Derrick Character from the D league and sign guard Trey Johnson who was let go during pre season.  Just before tip off we learn that true to form Popovich will sit Duncan, Parker, and Ginobli. This seemed sort of strange to me because they are tied with Chicago. A win last night would've secured home court throughout the play offs. But, I guess the Spurs are deciding to put all their eggs in the Suns basket. If they loose tonite against Phoenix its all Chicago..
Moving on, tip off started: The Lakers against the Spurs bench. I don't even know who these guys are! This game should have been easy then right??? ( Charlie Murphy voice) WRONG. WRONG. Whenever the Lakers pushed the lead to 7, 8, 9, or even 10. The Spurs JV came right back at them. The Lakers still were making lazy passes, leaving holes in the defense, having slow rotations, defending by fouling, and of course Fisher kept getting caught behind the screens. At two different times the Lakers were out of fouls with 7mins left in the quarter! I must say the game was strangely officiated. It was called fair, but strange. On the day after Kobes 15th tech that he picked up against Perkins was rescinded, he picks up another one to make up for it. I love Kobe probably more than anyone but he needs to keep his mouth shut. True, the refs have gotten very "ticky tac " this season not even allowing players to even smack their hands in frustration. This is an emotional game. These men are passionate, and you have to allow them to express themselves. But, hey who am I? Long story short Kobe was sent to the bench and of course the camera followed him there. Kobe was the maddest Ive seen him in years. He punched the chair and said " Hey Benny ( the ref that slapped him with the T) you faggot!" Fine time for the camera to be watching him and not the game right? Well of course this stirred an uproar in the media and now the NBA is looking at what steps to take against Kobe. he earlier today released a statement saying the words he said were purely out of anger and were not meant tot be taken literally. Back to the game. The pesky Spurs Jr were hanging around,and Willie Green hit an 8 footer to give them a 2 point lead with 7:29 to play. The Lakers actually woke up and held them off after that. FINALLY. Then we created more space with Kobes 3 pointer to put us up by 9 with 2:55 to play. Kobe had 27 points in total, but Lamar Odum stepped up having 12 points in the 4th. Not that he had a choice. Just when it looked like the Lakers had turned a corner, Andrew Bynum went down after stepping on Dajuan Blairs foot. He grabbed his right knee ( the one he had surgically repaired over the summer, I know its hard to tell the difference because they are both made of glass)and sat on the floor for several minutes. As he held his knee Laker fans all over the world held their breaths. I actually thought I heard some fans yelling out " Melo Melo Melo". Yes, Bynum was led to the locker room again. This scene becoming all too familiar. We then get word from John Ireland that he hyper extended it and will not return t the game and will not accompany the team to Sacramento. He will have MRI at 11am on Wed. Welp, there go our 3 peat chances!! That was the buzz around Lakerland. The Lakers actually went on to win the game, but had mixed emotions. We now have lost Bynum, Barnes, Blake, and almost lost Kobe for the Sacramento game. Everyone with a B in their name is on shaky ground right now. I wish Shanons name would've been put on that list because he sucks lately. I swear if he jacks up one more three without running the offense Ima ..whew...wooosah..ok Im back.
The game did have some up points. We ended a 5 game skid and tied with Dallas for the #2 seed. We own the tie breaker if we end up with the same record. We also cant finish worse than 3rd because we own the tie breaker with Oklahoma City as well.
Good news came from the Laker Nation today. After waiting hours for Bynums MRI report to get here by Pony Express, results reveal its only a bone bruise and he will be ready to go for game one of the play offs this weekend. Matt Barnes also had xrays and he will be ready as well. But lets not get ahead of ourselves just yet.
Which brings me to tonites game. If we win tonite we will lock the #2 seed in place. Not that seedings matter...we were #3 overall last season and we know how that ended up. But tonite will be no cakewalk. This could possibly be a very the last game the Kings ever play in the Arco Arena. Its been said that Arco is one of the craziest arenas to play in, and it will be on fire tonite ready to send their royalty out with a bang. Not sure yet if Tyreke will play, but I'm sure that screw up Demarcus Cousins will be there. Hes in the top 5 of guys in the league who commit charges. He steamrolls over everyone in the paint. Whining and crying after every call. Wearing that scowl on his face like hes so big and bad. Being a rookie he has already been fines and suspended more times than I can count. Yeah hes got a long road ahead of him. But tonite, I think the players and their fans will take all of their anger, confusion, hurt, and pain out on our boys. They will remember every time we upset them in the playoffs and bring it to us tonite. They will remember the famous " Horry for the win " shot in the finals. They will remember the triple over time Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals where we went on to hoist up the Larry OBrien trophy. They will remember all of the plastic dummies that were made out of Vlade calling him " Floppy Divac". They will remember Kobe Bryant getting food poisoning after eating from the hotel room service on game day limiting his play on the court. They will remember Shaq at the parade saying "L.A is the capital of California!" Yes those memories are bittersweet, and as they remember them, we need to as well. They would like nothing more than to stick it to us one more time on their beloved royal court. We will have a depleted team, but we still have a winning spirit and we need to have a winning attitude. This last game in a hostile environment will close the door on a season of ups and downs. A weary road to the Ring. But when we send PJax off with his 4th 3Peat,we will look back on this day as but a distant memory. Merely one word in the storybook of our lives. As we limp into the play offs ,don't get nervous just yet Laker fans. Anything worth having is worth fighting for.

Will the real Lakers please stand up?

If you would've told me the Lakers would loose 3 in a row after going 17-1 I would've laughed. Well I'm not laughing now. The Lakers suffered their 3rd blow by none other than The Golden State Warriors..yes you read that right...by 8. The score looks a lot better than the game actually was. The Warriors looked like they were playing a shell of what the Lakers used to be. We not only lost the game, but we lost any hope in having Home court to the Spurs.. The Lakers always do this to us so I'm not sure why were surprised. They went 4-9 to close the season last year and the won the championship. They even went 7 games and struggled with the Houston Rockets in the 1st round. No there is never a dull moment with the Lakers. If you are looking for highlights and great moments don't bother because there weren't any. The thing that sticks out the most to me is that Andrew Bynum was 5-5 from the field. You may look at that and say Wow! That means he was perfect! Yeah, but why in the heck did he only take 5 shots!!!???? No he wasn't out with an injury, no he wasn't in foul trouble. In fact to my surprise and to my liking, Pau was on the bench in the 4th where he should've been last game. So why did Drew only take 5? Blame it on him not being aggressive, or maybe the Lakers went away from what gave them a 10 point lead: inside out. That's what the coaches talked about at the pre game, the Lakers just didn't do it. Maybe they were bored. Whatever the case may be, they went away from what works. That, and close to 50 turnovers in the the last 3 games will NEVER get it done. Giving up 16 offensive boards will never get it done. Especially against a team that leads the NBA in steals and points off turnovers! The Warriors made 21 points off of the Lakers. Turnovers mean you are being lazy and have no concentration in my opinion. When you pass the ball you look right into the eyes of your teammate. When you are catching the ball you lock eyes with your passers and have your palms up and hands out. Lack of focus is the only thing I can think of.
With that said, lets look on to the Portland match up. As we know the Lakers hardly ever win in Portland. We actually won the last game there, but it took an overtime to get it. When Phil was asked if he would rest the starters for the remaining 4 games he said " They rested during the Golden State game." The Lakers have shot 41% over the first 3 games and 22% from the 3 point line. They are also averaging 18 turnovers, that's more than 5 above the season average. We have won the 1st three meetings with the Blazers this season. A win tonite could be the first season sweep in 22 years.It could also all but solidify the # 2 seed in the West .This wont be a cake walk though. The Blazers are red hot at  the moment and we all know how hard it is for the Lakers to win in the Rose Garden. Gerald Wallace has been on fire shooting 54% over the last 9 games. The Blazers are 13-8 since they got him from Charlotte. But, the Lakers were the last team to hold him to single digit scoring. This should be a pretty good game. The last 2 teams these teams met, we only won by 5 points or less. If the lazy Lakers show up it could be another blowout, but if the real Lakers show up we could get a nice little push going into the play offs. Like A Martinez says..if there is a " switch" I need them to flip it and flip it TONITE..signing off......

Lakers/Jazz Round 2....not so much

That was how the Lakers finished their game against the Jazz last night. In disbelief. A Jazz team without their Hall of Fame coach. Without Daron Williams, Raja Bell, Danny Granger, and a host of others that make this ball club what it is. They are not playing for anything right now but the lottery and we got caught slipping. They were losers of 9 straight and wanted to upset the champs. Mission Accomplished.
Phil started out the day by saying he doesn't believe in " sitting" players to save them for the playoffs. He said at most he will shave off  a few minutes. The question had been going around the league whether or not Phil should sit his banged up players to save them for the playoffs.Drew banged the same knee he had surgery on in July, and Pau had an MRI done on Monday that showed a bone bruise.Both were cleared to play.
Pau was very active opening the game with a block then at the other end fed a pass to Bynum for a slam.
Drew was cleaning up the offensive glass early, in fact he had one block and nine rebounds in 15 minutes, but was blocked three times by Al Jefferson halfway thru the 2nd.
Starters got their first break with 2 min left in the 1st and the bench held a 4 point lead to end the first.
The reserves also started the 2nd quarter.
The turn overs started early as well. .Kobe had an off game. Yes he is allowed. He didn't shoot the ball particularly well, and got his first points from the free throw line with 3:03 to go in the 2nd. He had only attempted 1 shot. Neither team was finding a good offensive rhythm. Jazz shooting 34% Lakers 39% by half time.Our big men were keeping us in the game even though it wasn't balanced. Pau was scoring but not rebounding. Drew was the clean up man but wasn't scoring.Kobe picked up his 3rd foul at the end of the half, a debatable charge.There was a block party at Staples though and seemingly both teams were invited.The Lakers had 7 blocked shots but Jazz had 5! But, they each had 10 turnovers!!! The Lakers went to the locker room shooting13 for 33 from the field, but were up by 6.
Halftime report from the Locker room Phil simply  said someone needs to step up offensively.
Lakers start the 3rd giving up an easy bucket to Al Jefferson and a Pau turnover. It Looked like we were in for a long night. The Jazz scored the 1st four points to start the quarter. I felt a migraine coming on as the Lakers got their 12th turnover at the 8:57 mark of the 3rd. Tie score with  3:50 to go in the quarter, until Ron Ron hit a long 2 after his 6th try on the night.
Drew picked up his career high 19 boards in the 3rd. We loose the 3rd by 6 with a tie score headed to the 4th. Before the 4th The Lakers assistant coach Frank Hamblin said it looked like the Lakers didn't want to be here.  Joel Myers kept saying " This is a strange game". I came to that conclusion shortly after tip off. So, the 4th quarter starts off just as sluggish as the first 3. Lamar hit a 3 at the 9:30 mark of the fourth. It was the Lakers 1st 3 pointer on their 14th try!!!!!! Who told them they were the Orlando magic? We have a height advantage people!!! Throw it inside!!! Kobe still couldn't make 2 points with a paper and pencil. The Jazz point guard Gordon Hayword was torching the Lakers. He had 19 ( career high) with 7mins left in the game killing the Lakers with dribble penetration. Ron hit a 3 to put us up by 1 with 3:33 to go, but  Hayward broke down the defense AGAIN and dunked the ball to put them up by 1. He must've been mad about his former college team loosing the championship because he was on a mission.They sure could've used him that night....where was I?...Ok..
Kobe put it to two with 1:10 to play, and I actually started getting into the game. It took a whole 41 minutes to interest me. Seems like the Lakers felt the same way. Kobe then  drew an offensive foul on Hayward. We get the ball, but on a Kobe miss Lamar decided not to even jump ( as usual) and the Jazz get the ball. Favors then goes for the shot inside and is fouled by Pau. He misses the first. But makes the 2nd . Its now a 3 point game with 24 secs left . Kobe hits a 3 to tie at 65. "Here we go!"  I thought. " The Black Mamba saves the day again!"  Hayward then of course gets fouled by Pau with 6 secs left. He missed the first!! YES!!! Hes human!! He makes the 2nd. :/ ....1 point game ( sigh). Surely we can get a basket right? We don't need a 3....just a basket, a simple layup, and simple drive to the basket and get a foul...easy right??  Lakers advance. Kobe lost the ball. The 19th turnover, and just like that..Game over. The buzzer sounds as Kobe stares at his hands.Thats a total of 39 turnovers for the last 2 losses.I felt like I was in the Matrix. This had to be an alternate universe...These cant be the same guys who went 17-1 after ASB. Those Lakers wouldn't have given up 16 offensive boards. Those Lakers wouldn't have a Spaniard who is a 7 FT POWER FORWARD only grab 4 rebounds.Those Lakers wouldn't have went 31-82 from the field. Those Lakers would've listened To Assistant Coach Hamblin at practice when he said " Stick to the game plan and pound the ball inside." No, those 17-1 Lakers wouldn't have done that. But, these guys??? You bet. These guys led the game 18-8 because they were pounding the ball inside and finding Drew and Pau. These guys like Shannon Brown continued poor decision making, turnovers, and dribbling the ball too long. These guys like Steve Blake didn't even attempt one basket. Sure he had 4 assists including an alley oop to Shannon that lit the Staples Center on fire...if that had been the last play of the night, this column would've had a totally different feel. These guys have a coach who let Luke Walton in the game before garbage time( lets face it that's the only time we EVER need to see Luke), only to see him commit fouls and turnovers while Matt Barnes sat on the bench the whole 2nd half. Shannon and Luke were a combined 2 for 10. These guys have a coach who opted to sit Bynum in the 4th quarter down the stretch where his presence alone may have altered some of Haywood's drives. Bynum had a career high 23 rebounds!
When asked about the lost Kobe said " The ball just slipped out of my hands...it just slipped." Kobe said " We all have been taking the same BS pill. Its just BS..these last 2 games." Lamar Odum said it was the worst loss of the season. The Coach Dave Miller on 710 am totally agreed. " This loss was at home, they just didn't show up." said Coach. Steven A Smith stated it as boredom. He said he talked to the Lakers before the game and he got a sense of lethargy. He said he thinks the Lakers know they have no shot at 1st place now so they are just ready for the play offs to start. They know the Jazz aren't even a factor so the competitiveness was not there. Kobe even admitted to being passive tonite.I don't think Ive ever heard that one. He had 20 points on an embarrassing six-for 18 shooting! He also had 7 turnovers. None more detrimental than the last one. Stephen also said that was partly the reason for Sundays loss as well. Saying  like only he can in that Ny drawl ,  " The Lakers hate Sunday 12:30am games! They hate them!! They hate David Stern for making them play those games. The look at the schedule in disgust when they see them. They just didn't feel like playing and its as simple as that." he went on to say, " No one panic in Lakerland. The Lakers have made a statement with Dallas and San Antonio. They don't have anything else to prove. When the playoffs come they will be ready. They always are." I can say I usually don't agree with the opinionated Steve, but he was right on the money with that one. . In the grand scheme of things this Utah loss wont even matter. They will be a distant memory on the road to the 3 peat. We are however one game behind Chicago. We play Golden State tonite and we should win on account of us having fresh legs since we took last night off. But as Kobe said. On to the next game. Flush this one. Enough said...

"Melloless"Nuggets End Streak at 9...Please Don't Panic. We still got this

	Poss.	TO%	FTA/ FGA	FT%	3FGA/FGA	2PT%	3PT%	EFG	TS%	OReb Rate	DReb Rate	PPP
Den.	97	16	0.34	57	0.21	45	41	48	50	23	71	0.98
L.A.	97	18	0.24	70	0.21	48	22	45	48	29	77	0.93

Well just as I thought Denver came in with all they could muster up and caught us slipping.The Lakers came out flat and tired again but this time it got the best of them. The scrappy Denver team that leads the league in not only tattoos but in scoring. have been on fire since losing one of the games leading scorers. Go figure. The game was actually pretty boring after the last 2 "chippy" games we've endured.No ejections, no shoving matches, no half naked women charging the opposing teams bench. I guess we are spoiled now. There were about 30 lead changes to this game. I wont say Denver was hanging around as much as the Lakers were lounging around. The Lakers committed way too many turnovers and couldn't make a shot at the line with a paper and pencil. The first half was pretty uneventful. With a game that actually had about 30 lead changes you would think it would be more exiting. Denver actually lead more times than LA. Pau was playing Euro ball again being soft as tissue in the paint and not handling the ball well. This time no one stepped up to help him. Gallenari showed why he was a huge asset in New York. He had 18 of his 22 points at the half way mark only 2nd to the Black Mamba who had 19. It seemed like everything was back on track when the Lakers outscored Denver 27-19 in the 2nd quarter and headed to the locker room up by 7.
The 3rd quarter was pretty much the same as the others, accept Raymon Felton of all people decided to come alive. He scored all 16 points in the 2nd half. I actually yawned a few times. I guess I felt like the Lakers. The only thing keeping me awake on a Sunday afternoon besides Mike Breen (whom I love), is Marc ( never won a ring but thinks he knows everything ) Jackson and Jeff Van Gundy arguing the whole time.
Welp to speed things along lets fast forward ....we are all tied up headed to the 4th. The reserves are in and I don't have many complaints about Steve Blake. He has carried over his greats assists and is handling the ball pretty good and being a facilitator. But, even though Jr Smith is in foul trouble he is still scorching hot. P Jax must have some of the same concerns.... or complaints rather about Shannon that I do. He is constantly going away from the offense, dribbling the ball wayyyyy to much and well into the shot clock, then he finally passes it to someone too late, or he bricks a 3 off the rim. SIGH...Well Phil had seen enough as well becuase he uncharacteristically had the Fisher/Blake duo in for most of the 4th quarter. A few hiccups here and there but they didn't do so bad. Playing as lethargic as they were I still thought the we would pull a rabbit out of a hat like they have so many times before.The Lakers scored 7 straight and were up by 6 with 3:23 to play. Then a few no calls and buckets by Jr and Felton and we were down again. But, the Lakers cut it to 4 with 1:10 remaining.Then a debateable time out was called by Galanari.Lamar and Fish had Felton trapped ( after he carried the ball) and were ready for a jump ball. Only to come back in a get a 24 sec violation. The next possession Kobe took too much time off the clock and got fouled twice but of course no call. He had one tech already but proceeded to yell at the ref anyway. FYI the game suspension for techs starts over in the playoffs. So Kobe will have a clean slate if he can hold on until then.Chandler gets a foul to put them up by 5. Lakers inbound the ball and Lamar hits a 3 to put us down by 2 with 15 secs left as Princes " Lets Go Crazy" rings out from the Staple Center speakers. Denver then  inbounds and gets it to Ne Ne who is fouled. He makes the first, then Stuttering Stanley pushes Lamar Odum under the basket and dunks it in. Then he fist pumps the air and struts  down the court yelling at fans.I would repeat what he said but of course it was hard to make out on account of his speech impediment.I'm assuming Bynum was on the bench because of a bump to his right knee.Even though he only had 8 points on the night against an obviously smaller team, I'm sure he would have boxed out AND held his ground if pushed by Kenyon. Pau Gasol actually banged his knee and had a scare as well. He went back to the locker room for a stint with 12 points and 8 rebounds,but reports say hes ok. He ended the game with 16 points and 12 rebounds. Those stats seem solid, but they are somewhat misleading. He settled for way too many jump shots and he turned the ball over more times than normal. He sited the result as his own carelessness as well as the Nuggets reaching in. Gasol plans to get an MRI on Monday just to make sure his knee is ok.
Long story short the LakersLakers  were outscored 55-33 in the 2nd half. The Nuggets shot a whopping 60 % from the feild! OUCH!! The Lakers had 20 turnovers and 10 in the 2nd half alone! That will never work.Might I add that Denver's best 2 defenders Aaron Afflalo and Birdman were on the bench with injuries.
The best thing about this day was former Laker Byron Scott on the  " NBA Go Green " shirts " I'm not wearing that crap! Ill take it home to wash my car." You tellum B Scott!!! Once a Laker always a Laker.. Players around the league sport green shirts and shoes. No Lakers complied.
After the game the Lakers didn't seem to be too worried about the loss. When Kobe was asked if they felt bad he actually laughed for a while. He finally gained composure and said " NO".  Lamar Odum was seen coming out of the locker room Yelling " 2nd Time!! 2nd Time!!" Yeah he didn't block out ( or got pushed) and his man won the game. Kenyon Martin was  lookin alot like Antonio McDyess on the way to the bus. It was 2 months ago to the day that Lamar didn't box out his man. The Lakers last home loss on Feb 3rd came after a tip in from McDyess. PJax said Lamar was " steamrolled" by Kenyon. Ron Artest called the tip  "lucky" ,Even going as far as to say Kenyon must have eaten his Lucky Charms this morning. LOL. The always jovial Ron Ron said maybe we loss because he didn't get a haircut.Yeah I was wondering when that would take place as well.. Bynum cited lack of energy for the loss. He said he thought the Nuggets would lay down, but they didn't...why on Earth would they do that?? We are the champs!! Everyone gets up for the champs!!!
Well we didn't think we would go undefeated until the Championship did we?? So we will take this pill and swallow it. Tomorrow is another day. The Champs will play Utah again and hopefully it will be a repeat of the last time. I'm asking everyone out there to cross your fingers, pray, hop up and down on one foot, or get a horseshoe, whatever your good luck method is...do it. Lets hope the knees of Pau and Drew can last until we hoist up that hardware. ***SMOOCHES**