Well, thats three loses in a row now. The Lakers were looking to start some momentum rolling before their 9 game roadie coming up, but fell just short in the end, falling to Cleveland 98-95.
The Lakers came out playing well early and put together a strong first quarter. The 12 minute period ended up lasting for about 45 minutes real time, because of a rare, indoor, rain delay caused by a leaky roof. The delay didn't affect the Lakers though, and they came out just as hot after the extended break.
Kobe was really the catalyst for the Lakers in the first half- playing great basketball. He was a perfect 6-6 from the field and also dished out 5 assists in the first half. However he sat out for a lengthy period of time in the 2nd quarter, and the bench wasn't able to step it up in absence, putting the Lakers down 9 at the half.
Thankfully the Lakers did not have another disastrous third quarter- in fact it was quite the opposite. Los Angeles actually opened the period on a 15-2 run, with great team basketball and good contributions from Farmar and Sahsa off the bench.
Things started to fall apart towards the end of the third, when missed shots, bad defense, and a poorly timed technical foul by Kobe, allowed Cleveland back into the game, down by only two heading into the final period.
The Lakers started off the fourth quarter with an unconventional small lineup of Farmar, Sasha, Walton, Kobe, and Kwame Brown. This turned out to be a masterstroke by Phil Jackson. They weren't able to match up great with the Cavs, but they made up for it with offensive rebounds, hustle, and the abundance of shooters which allowed them to spread the floor and get open threes.
The Cav's center, Zydrunas Ilgauskas fouled out with 6 minutes remaining, and this ended up actually hurting the Lakers. It forced them to go to a different lineup and they had less shooters on the floor. Kobe took this as an invitation to settle for one-on-ones with Lebron James, and was routinely shut down while attempting terrible shots. Phil Jackson yanked Kobe from the game with only 5 minutes left, to remind his star to play team basketball. I think this was good coaching by Phil, he knew it might cost his team a game, but he was sending a message for the rest of the season.
Kobe re-entered the contest with less than 4 minutes to go, and his team down by 4. Immediatly following his re-entry, Kobe missed a pair of freethrows, but Luke Walton made a huge play on the next possesion. He snuck up behind James, poked the ball free and went off on a one man fast break for an uncontested dunk.
The end of the game was marked by two bizzare Laker possessions. The first featured a few controversial non calls. After stealing the inbounds pass and down 1 with less than a minute, Kobe missed a layup attempt, got his own rebound, and then had the ball stripped by Daniel Gibson with lots of contact during the whole play. Kobe almost got himself ejected arguing the two non calls, and meanwhile the game clock operator had forgotten to start the clock during the whole sequence.
The officials decided to put 10 seconds on the clock and gave the ball to Cleveland despite Bryant's protests. The Lakers put Lebron on the line for two huge free throws, but despite and empty trip his last time at the line, he calmly sunk both of them. This put L.A. down 3 with 9 seconds to go, giving them the opportunity to go for a quick two, or attempt the tying three pointer. They chose to do neither. In an incredibly disappointing final play, Kobe and Luke were content to play catch and watch the time expire, finally culminating with Walton passing back to Bryant with less than a second remaining, and the buzzer sounded without a shot attempt.
POTG- Lebron James. Lebron was simply dominant in the game, and was the #1 reason the Lakers lost this game. He barreled to the hole time and time again. He looked like a monster truck, and the Lakers were the cars getting crushed- he just went right through them. Even when he was fouled, he often converted a three point play. Kobe was the only Laker who was able to guard him with any real success, but got burned on a huge final minute play. Lebron called for an isolation at the top of the key, and took Bryant on one on one. He dribbled out the shot clock, and shook Kobe before hitting a fall away 20 footer. This dagger put the Cavs up 3 with less than 30 seconds to play and the Cavs hung on for the W.
Sunday, January 27, 2008
Lakers vs. Cavaliers Pregame
The Lakers returned home today after a disappointing mini road trip, which included loses in both parts of the Texas two-step. In both contests, against the Mavs and Spurs, the Lakers had a solid first half (even leading by 10 against San Antonio) before absolutely imploding in the third quarter.
So the Lakers take the Staples Center court today for a dreaded early afternoon game, looking to break their two game losing streak against Cleveland and Lebron James.
I think this is one that the Lakers can win, and need to win. With the huge 9 game road trip coming up, the Lakers need to pile up two "W"s from todays game and the Knick game on Tuesday.
So the Lakers take the Staples Center court today for a dreaded early afternoon game, looking to break their two game losing streak against Cleveland and Lebron James.
I think this is one that the Lakers can win, and need to win. With the huge 9 game road trip coming up, the Lakers need to pile up two "W"s from todays game and the Knick game on Tuesday.
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
Who Makes These Schedules Anyway?
The Lakers are looking to keep the momentum rolling, having won 18 of their last 22 games, but starting with tonights contest at San Antonio, the schedule gets much tougher.
Kobe and co will make the short trip to Dallas to complete the treaded "Texas Two-Step" on Friday, before returning home for an afternoon matchup against the Lebrons on Sunday. A home game against the terrible Knicks will be the Lakers' last rest before they embark on a massive 9 game road trip next week.
These next few weeks will be a crucial test for the 2nd youngest team in the NBA, they must continue to assert themselves even without Bynum. By the Allstar Break, the Lakers will have played the hardest part of their schedule, and we should have a good idea of where they will stand in the West come playoff time.
Kobe and co will make the short trip to Dallas to complete the treaded "Texas Two-Step" on Friday, before returning home for an afternoon matchup against the Lebrons on Sunday. A home game against the terrible Knicks will be the Lakers' last rest before they embark on a massive 9 game road trip next week.
These next few weeks will be a crucial test for the 2nd youngest team in the NBA, they must continue to assert themselves even without Bynum. By the Allstar Break, the Lakers will have played the hardest part of their schedule, and we should have a good idea of where they will stand in the West come playoff time.
Monday, January 21, 2008
Lakers vs. Denver Nuggets Postgame 1/21/2008
The Lakers were looking to rebound from a poor performance against the Phoenix Suns on Thursday, and got their chance tonight. L.A. played much better than they played last Thursday, and were able to come away with the win, 116-99.
The Nuggets got off to a very hot start early, but the Lakers didn’t panic and stayed in the game. Led by hot shooting by Derek Fisher, the Lakers went on an 11-0 run, building a 39-29 lead after the first quarter- in which Fisher had 16. Kwame also came out aggressively, and while he missed a few layups, he converted two wide open dunks, getting the crowd behind him early.
One of the of the keys to the Lakers' strong first half start was the unselfish play of Kobe Bryant. Kobe came out looking to set up his teammates, and didn’t even attempt a shot until 5 minutes into the second quarter. But this was not the Kobe of old trying to prove a point. Rather, this was a Kobe that was playing like a less aggressive (and taller) Steve Nash. He was getting double teamed nearly every possession, but was consistently able to find the open player for uncontested shots. He finished the first half with 6 points on two field goal attempts to go along with five assists, and the Lakers were up by 10; 67-57.
In the 3rd quarter, Kobe picked up two quick fouls to put his total at 4 and relegate him to the bench. With their play maker on the bench, the Lakers lead began to dissipate, and the Nuggets even took a two point lead of their own. When Kobe returned he came out much more aggressive, and was hurting the team a little bit. As soon as Bryant got back into ball sharing mode, and stopped looking for his own shot, the Lakers started to pull away again. He drove and dished to Fisher for wide open threes and tossed an unbelievable, no-look, behind the back, pass to a trailing Ronny Turiaf for the showtime lay in as the Lakers regained the lead and never looked back.
In the fourth quarter the Lakers slowly built their lead, and even started playing defense. The starters were able to end their night early as the likes of Crittenton, Coby Karl and D.J. Mbenga (the Lakers newest signing) checked in. The reserves, led by some scrappy play by Jordan Farmar got the job done and even held the Nuggets to 99 to give the fans what they really wanted- Tacos.
Final thought-
One of the things I was looking to see in this game was how Kwame played. Would he be afraid to make a mistake after the treatment he got from the fans last game, or would he play his own game? The answer was an clearly the later. Kwame played with no fear of failure, and while he missed a few easy shots and got whistled for traveling and offensive fouls, it was good to see him come out aggressively. He hit the boards hard and finished with 11 rebounds, but his defense was still not there. He may still be slowed by injuries, but he often looked lost on defense and was blown by like a California stop-sign on several occasions. Overall it was a decent performance, and a marked improvement from the Phoenix game.
Player of the Game-
Derek Fisher shot the lights out tonight. He had 28 points (one shy of his career high) and hit 6-7 from downtown. While many have talked of Bynum's growth as the biggest part of the Lakers improvement this year, Fisher's contributions should not be overlooked. He is a huge upgrade from Smush Parker, and seems to be going through a late resurgence, having one of the best seasons of his career.
The Nuggets got off to a very hot start early, but the Lakers didn’t panic and stayed in the game. Led by hot shooting by Derek Fisher, the Lakers went on an 11-0 run, building a 39-29 lead after the first quarter- in which Fisher had 16. Kwame also came out aggressively, and while he missed a few layups, he converted two wide open dunks, getting the crowd behind him early.
One of the of the keys to the Lakers' strong first half start was the unselfish play of Kobe Bryant. Kobe came out looking to set up his teammates, and didn’t even attempt a shot until 5 minutes into the second quarter. But this was not the Kobe of old trying to prove a point. Rather, this was a Kobe that was playing like a less aggressive (and taller) Steve Nash. He was getting double teamed nearly every possession, but was consistently able to find the open player for uncontested shots. He finished the first half with 6 points on two field goal attempts to go along with five assists, and the Lakers were up by 10; 67-57.
In the 3rd quarter, Kobe picked up two quick fouls to put his total at 4 and relegate him to the bench. With their play maker on the bench, the Lakers lead began to dissipate, and the Nuggets even took a two point lead of their own. When Kobe returned he came out much more aggressive, and was hurting the team a little bit. As soon as Bryant got back into ball sharing mode, and stopped looking for his own shot, the Lakers started to pull away again. He drove and dished to Fisher for wide open threes and tossed an unbelievable, no-look, behind the back, pass to a trailing Ronny Turiaf for the showtime lay in as the Lakers regained the lead and never looked back.
In the fourth quarter the Lakers slowly built their lead, and even started playing defense. The starters were able to end their night early as the likes of Crittenton, Coby Karl and D.J. Mbenga (the Lakers newest signing) checked in. The reserves, led by some scrappy play by Jordan Farmar got the job done and even held the Nuggets to 99 to give the fans what they really wanted- Tacos.
Final thought-
One of the things I was looking to see in this game was how Kwame played. Would he be afraid to make a mistake after the treatment he got from the fans last game, or would he play his own game? The answer was an clearly the later. Kwame played with no fear of failure, and while he missed a few easy shots and got whistled for traveling and offensive fouls, it was good to see him come out aggressively. He hit the boards hard and finished with 11 rebounds, but his defense was still not there. He may still be slowed by injuries, but he often looked lost on defense and was blown by like a California stop-sign on several occasions. Overall it was a decent performance, and a marked improvement from the Phoenix game.
Player of the Game-
Derek Fisher shot the lights out tonight. He had 28 points (one shy of his career high) and hit 6-7 from downtown. While many have talked of Bynum's growth as the biggest part of the Lakers improvement this year, Fisher's contributions should not be overlooked. He is a huge upgrade from Smush Parker, and seems to be going through a late resurgence, having one of the best seasons of his career.
Thursday, January 17, 2008
Lakers vs. Phoenix Suns 1/17/08 Postgame
If this is what the next 2 Bynum-free months are going to be like, wake me up in March. Tonights game was an overall disappointing effort by the Lakers, falling to the now Western Conference leading, Phoenix Suns, 106-98.
The game got off to a horrible start for the Lakers, with the first unit looking incredibly out of sync. The absence of Bynum was painfully obvious. The Lakers showed early signs of life, hitting the offensive glass strong, and going on small runs, but Phoenix opened up a 13 point lead after the 1st half.
Kwame Brown had a very tough game- to understate it dramatically. It was already apparent in the very early goings that he was no Andrew Bynum. He is not as long, not as strong, not as patient, and lets not even talk about his hands. His finishing ability is incredibly disappointing and hard to watch after seeing Bynum the past few months. Too often Kwame settles for layups (which he routinely misses) instead of easy dunks. I hate to pile it on Kwame, I really do, becuase I think he is trying. But he's been forced into a really unfortunate situation. It's not his fault that Bynum is injured, and yet he is now inevitably compared to the young star.
In one horribly painful segment of the third quarter, Kwame had possibly the worst ever stretch of basketball to grace the Staples Center floor (well, disregarding some Clipper games). It began midway through the third quarter when he hesitated, passed on a wide open jumper, and proceeded to draw a traveling call while he headed to the basket without so much as thought to dribble. On the next possession, he grabbed an offensive rebound and smashed home a huge dunk- off the back of the rim. The crowd was booing him mercilessly at this point and I was thrilled to see him try to atone by going strong to the hole on the next possession. Sadly he blew that layup attempt. On the next possession he threw the ball to a wide open... Shawn Marion. The boos rained down like never before. I think he was getting booed louder than Kobe gets booed on the road. Finally Phil had to take him out. He finished with 8 points on 3-8 shooting, 6 rebounds, and 7 turnovers. Close to a triple double. I feel for the guy, but I just don't see how he can be our starting center for the next 8 weeks. Its a nightmare... For all parties involved.
Somehow the Lakers were able to compose themselves, and make a run in the beginning of the fourth quarter, with Kobe on the bench. Sasha Vujacic and Jordan Farmar both came up huge. When Phil Jackson finally brought Kobe back in, the Lakers were down 11 with 6 minutes to go. Some scrappy play and big shots by #24 closed the deficit to 6, but the Lakers were unable to get any closer than that.
Final Thoughts
Overall, this was a very tough game to watch. I was really hoping the Lakers would come out with high intensity and try to use this as a "statement game", as I alluded to in todays previous post. Sadly the effort wasn't really there, and Phoenix is just a better team than the Bynumless Lakers.
While I have already lambasted Kwame enough, I feel his play really did hurt the team tonight. There is simply no excuse for a big to get 7 turnovers- one third of the teams total. I hated to see the crowd booing him, I don't think we should ever boo our own, but if anyone ever deserved it, it was Kwame tonight.
Finally, I think Phil waited a little too long before he brought Kobe back in. The Lakers had their peak in momentum around the 7 or 8 minute mark of the 4th when Sasha hit back to back threes. If Kobe had come back in then, with the momentum still in our hands, we may have been able to make it close down the stretch. Instead we came up empty on our next two possessions, and allowed Phoenix to score, before calling a timeout and bringing Bryant back in.
The game got off to a horrible start for the Lakers, with the first unit looking incredibly out of sync. The absence of Bynum was painfully obvious. The Lakers showed early signs of life, hitting the offensive glass strong, and going on small runs, but Phoenix opened up a 13 point lead after the 1st half.
Kwame Brown had a very tough game- to understate it dramatically. It was already apparent in the very early goings that he was no Andrew Bynum. He is not as long, not as strong, not as patient, and lets not even talk about his hands. His finishing ability is incredibly disappointing and hard to watch after seeing Bynum the past few months. Too often Kwame settles for layups (which he routinely misses) instead of easy dunks. I hate to pile it on Kwame, I really do, becuase I think he is trying. But he's been forced into a really unfortunate situation. It's not his fault that Bynum is injured, and yet he is now inevitably compared to the young star.
In one horribly painful segment of the third quarter, Kwame had possibly the worst ever stretch of basketball to grace the Staples Center floor (well, disregarding some Clipper games). It began midway through the third quarter when he hesitated, passed on a wide open jumper, and proceeded to draw a traveling call while he headed to the basket without so much as thought to dribble. On the next possession, he grabbed an offensive rebound and smashed home a huge dunk- off the back of the rim. The crowd was booing him mercilessly at this point and I was thrilled to see him try to atone by going strong to the hole on the next possession. Sadly he blew that layup attempt. On the next possession he threw the ball to a wide open... Shawn Marion. The boos rained down like never before. I think he was getting booed louder than Kobe gets booed on the road. Finally Phil had to take him out. He finished with 8 points on 3-8 shooting, 6 rebounds, and 7 turnovers. Close to a triple double. I feel for the guy, but I just don't see how he can be our starting center for the next 8 weeks. Its a nightmare... For all parties involved.
Somehow the Lakers were able to compose themselves, and make a run in the beginning of the fourth quarter, with Kobe on the bench. Sasha Vujacic and Jordan Farmar both came up huge. When Phil Jackson finally brought Kobe back in, the Lakers were down 11 with 6 minutes to go. Some scrappy play and big shots by #24 closed the deficit to 6, but the Lakers were unable to get any closer than that.
Final Thoughts
Overall, this was a very tough game to watch. I was really hoping the Lakers would come out with high intensity and try to use this as a "statement game", as I alluded to in todays previous post. Sadly the effort wasn't really there, and Phoenix is just a better team than the Bynumless Lakers.
While I have already lambasted Kwame enough, I feel his play really did hurt the team tonight. There is simply no excuse for a big to get 7 turnovers- one third of the teams total. I hated to see the crowd booing him, I don't think we should ever boo our own, but if anyone ever deserved it, it was Kwame tonight.
Finally, I think Phil waited a little too long before he brought Kobe back in. The Lakers had their peak in momentum around the 7 or 8 minute mark of the 4th when Sasha hit back to back threes. If Kobe had come back in then, with the momentum still in our hands, we may have been able to make it close down the stretch. Instead we came up empty on our next two possessions, and allowed Phoenix to score, before calling a timeout and bringing Bryant back in.
Keep Momentum Rolling?
The Lakers will be looking to do just that tonight in a rivalry game with the Phoenix Suns. The Lakers have won 11 of their last 12, and 7 in a row (their longest post-shaq winning streak). The last one and half of those two "Ws" came without Andrew Bynum who is now sidelined with a dislocated knee cap. The injury, which will keep Bynum out for around 8 weeks, has the potential to be devastating to the hot Laker team. In their only full game during Bynum's absence, it took LA overtime and 44 shots (48 points) from Kobe to escape with a two point victory over the lowly Sonics. Without Bynums scoring, Kobe is going to have to expand his roll, and this means more shots, but he still needs to facilitate his teammates. If the Lakers can play above 500 ball with Bynum out, they will still be among the favorites in the West come playoff time.
Tonight's contest against Phoenix is a big test for this changed team. The Lakers can increase their Western Conference lead over Phoenix with a win, as well as clinch the all important season series over the Suns (for possible tie-break implications). Besides being the next chapter in this developing rivalry, tonight's game also has the potential to be a statement game for LA. The Lakers need to come out and prove to the rest of the NBA that they will be okay without their young superstar center, and that they can still compete against the NBA's Elite.
Lakers vs. Suns
7:30pm
TNT
Tonight's contest against Phoenix is a big test for this changed team. The Lakers can increase their Western Conference lead over Phoenix with a win, as well as clinch the all important season series over the Suns (for possible tie-break implications). Besides being the next chapter in this developing rivalry, tonight's game also has the potential to be a statement game for LA. The Lakers need to come out and prove to the rest of the NBA that they will be okay without their young superstar center, and that they can still compete against the NBA's Elite.
Lakers vs. Suns
7:30pm
TNT
Friday, January 11, 2008
Lakers vs. Milwaukee Bucks Postgame 1/11/2008
After blowing out the hot New Orleans hornets on the road in their last game, few were very concerned about tonights contest against the underachieving Bucks. And "few" would be right. While the box score seems to indicate a tight game, the Lakers really controlled this game the whole way.
The Lakers started of somewhat sluggish, and it was reported that Kobe Bryant was suffering the dreaded (and common) "flu-like symptoms". However, Bryant came out of the gate hot, and once he started shooting, the Lakers built a lead they would never quite relinquish. At one point during the late 1st quarter he scored 14 straight Laker points. He even hit his first four three point attempts, before he launched, and missed, a signature Kobe shot (35 footer, tightly covered, heat-check).
While the Lakers led for nearly the entire game, they were unable to get separate from the bucks. They lacked the killer instinct to turn this game into a blowout, something that had been doing with ease during the current 5 game winning streak.
Whether it was the Bucks' resiliance or simply the Lakers poor execution, the Lakers just couldn't pull away. They even cost the Staples Center faithful tacos in the final seconds, to the crowd's audible chagrin.
All in all, a win is win, especially during this part of the season. While teams like San Antonio, Phoenix, and Dallas, are coasting and waiting for May, the Lakers are pilling up wins and looking to move up the standings.
Player of the Game-
Andrew Bynum. While Kobe's 38 points and 7 assists were heroic under the circumstances, it was really Bynum who seized the game. In what is becoming incredibly, and happily, consistent, he notched another double double, this time snagging a career high 17 boards to go with his 25 points. He is really developing into a special player, and I expect him to be calling for Kobe's *** to be shipped out of town sometime in the near future.
The Lakers started of somewhat sluggish, and it was reported that Kobe Bryant was suffering the dreaded (and common) "flu-like symptoms". However, Bryant came out of the gate hot, and once he started shooting, the Lakers built a lead they would never quite relinquish. At one point during the late 1st quarter he scored 14 straight Laker points. He even hit his first four three point attempts, before he launched, and missed, a signature Kobe shot (35 footer, tightly covered, heat-check).
While the Lakers led for nearly the entire game, they were unable to get separate from the bucks. They lacked the killer instinct to turn this game into a blowout, something that had been doing with ease during the current 5 game winning streak.
Whether it was the Bucks' resiliance or simply the Lakers poor execution, the Lakers just couldn't pull away. They even cost the Staples Center faithful tacos in the final seconds, to the crowd's audible chagrin.
All in all, a win is win, especially during this part of the season. While teams like San Antonio, Phoenix, and Dallas, are coasting and waiting for May, the Lakers are pilling up wins and looking to move up the standings.
Player of the Game-
Andrew Bynum. While Kobe's 38 points and 7 assists were heroic under the circumstances, it was really Bynum who seized the game. In what is becoming incredibly, and happily, consistent, he notched another double double, this time snagging a career high 17 boards to go with his 25 points. He is really developing into a special player, and I expect him to be calling for Kobe's *** to be shipped out of town sometime in the near future.
I'm Back!
I'm finally back from an extended Holiday absence. Perhaps I should take leaves like that more often, because in my absence the Lakers have become one of the hottest teams in the NBA. This rise has been fueled by increased team play, great bench production, and most importantly the steady improvement and Andrew Bynum.
The Lakers host the Milwaukee Bucks tonight on ESPN at 7:30pm. Look for the return of the post game report immediately following the game right here.
The Lakers host the Milwaukee Bucks tonight on ESPN at 7:30pm. Look for the return of the post game report immediately following the game right here.
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