Final Post

So the Lakers ended up winning the Hornets series 4-2. We know that.

Then they faced Dallas in the next round. They got beat 4 games to 0, and were completely swept by a more dominating team. There was lack of hussle, and Gasol's true colors were definitely shown. Bynum was ejected after a flagrant foul, and Lamar Odom was as well. Overall it was a poor series for the two time defending champions.

It has been a blast giving updates this season on the team, and giving my input on the players and games. I want to thank everyone out there who checked the site out, as I got almost 1,000 page views. Here's to you, and here's to the Lakers chances next season.

My Prediction: Derek Fisher, (hopefully) Pau Gasol, possibly Ron Artest all get traded to other teams. Their contracts will get picked up by other teams, and the Lakers bring in some youthful, aggressive players to pick up the pace. The Lakers will finish the season 62-20, and win the NBA Championship vs. the New York Knicks.

Also, for those of you who don't know yet, Phil Jackson retired. Coach Mike Brown, who coached the Cleveland Cavaliers two seasons ago, is taking over for the legend. Not only did he do well in Cleveland with a lackluster team, but he knows all about good defense from the East. I think he'll be a positive contribution to the Los Angeles Lakers squad next season.

Lakers Handle Hornets, Take Lead in Series 3-2

April 26, 2011 - The sprained ankle, the trash talking, the shock of losing 2 games to the Hornets. These are the adversities Kobe Bryant was facing going into Game 5. He spoke with his game though, scoring 19 points and showing glimpses of vintage Kobe going to the hole with two electrifying dunks. The Lakers ended up winning 106-90 at the Staples Center.

Kobe dunking right over Okafor

 The two inside men, Bynum and Gasol actually meshed together in the game as well as they completely dominated in the paint. Bynum had 18 points and 10 rebounds as Gasol had 16 points. This is what they should be doing though, because they outsize the Hornets by a pretty big margin. Although Trevor Ariza scored an impressive 22 points, Chris Paul was held to only 20 points which is well below his average for the series. 

I've been saying he's too old, but Fisher played very well in Game 5

 At the beginning of the game, the Lakers were off to a slow start. Going into the second quarter, the team was down 32 to 23. But the reserves came in at the beginning of the second quarter and brought the game back, even taking the lead. The Killer B's (Blake, Brown, Barnes) are the key to the playoffs in my opinion. Although they are bench players, they could start anywhere else in the NBA. Add to that 6th Man Lamar Odom with either Bynum or Gasol in, and you've got a very good second squad. They are the reason the Lakers were able to get back into the game and take the lead. 

The Killer B's in the game!

 Other notables: Derek Fisher and Lamar Odom both had 13 points. 

The next game is Thursday, April 28th at 8pm back in New Orleans.

Lakers Get Stung by Hornets, Series Tied 2-2

April 24, 2011 - Chris Paul once again stole the show as he had a triple double on the night. He had 27 points, 15 assists, and 13 rebounds in a performance the Lakers just couldn't handle. The Hornets won in New Orleans 93-88 in Game 4 which ties the series at two games a piece.

These two battled it out many times throughout the night

Kobe Bryant had his first scoreless half (the 1st half) in a playoff game since 2004. He then came out in the second and scored 17 but rolled his ankle pretty bad with about 2 minutes remaining. He left the building on crutches but he is positive and assures he will be fine. But still, 5-18 in FG is not going to cut it. He took horrible shots. Pau Gasol still didn't get physical inside, still getting pushed around by much smaller players, but had 16 points. Ron Artest also added 16, hitting a few clutch shots throughout the first half, because he didn't score in the second half at all.

He can't get inside. He can't even hold on to the ball.........

It was a physical night as Kobe and Paul went at it all night. Fouls were called multiple times on the players as there were words and elbows being exchanged the entire night. Although I hate to say it because I hate when other people do, but the referees of this game were terrible. They weren't giving the Lakers any calls whatsoever.

In what may be his last season coaching, Phil Jackson needs to talk to his team, and go out on top

I didn't like Derek Fisher on Chris Paul either. Paul is a young, athletic player who is too agile for the old veteran Fisher. For Game 5, I hope Kobe's ankle is fine and they put match those two. Kobe guarded Paul very well in previous games that led to Laker wins. If not that, at least put Shannon Brown on him because he will definitely be able to keep up seeing as how he is very athletic himself. To sum it up, the Lakers need to step it up in Game 5 in Los Angeles. They need to bring the intensity. Kobe needs to take good shots, Artest has to hit buckets throughout the game, Fisher has to keep up, Bynum has to keep playing big, and Gasol needs to be more like Bynum and get big for once! The bench did a pretty good job in the game and actually did better than the starters through some stretches. 

For a win, the Lakers MUST STOP CHRIS PAUL.

Game 5 is on April 26, at 10:30 ET. It will be in LA at the Staples Center and will be on TNT.

Lakers Win on Road, Up 2-1 in Series

April 22, 2011 - After a slow start to the series, the Lakers beat the New Orleans Hornets on the road in Game 3, 100-86. This was also after the game where Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol put up horrible numbers in Game 2. But this game was different. Kobe dropped 30 points, and Gasol had 17 points with 10 boards. Bynum also added 14 points and 11 rebounds and 6th Man of the Year Lamar Odom had 13.

Kobe brought the intensity after a sluggish Game 2

Kobe Bryant turned his game completely on tonight. Not only was he extremely aggressive on offense, he was also playing hard defense. It was apparent that he took this game and put it on his shoulders. Gasol didn't bring much intensity after playing terrible the first two games. But in the second half, he really started to improve by making moves toward the basket, actually going up for offensive rebounds, and he even hit a 3 pointer. 

Gasol started bringing it in the second half, he even tried to make some blocks! Maybe Kobe had a talk with him...

The size and championship caliber of the Lakers finally started to show tonight. It was a great game to watch and I think they really worked well as a team. I hear analysts saying the Hornets shot so horribly, which they did, only going 45% while their usually reliable bench only shot 4-17. Not only was this bad shooting, but it was tough defense by the Lakers as well. I really liked the pace LA was keeping up, and it's something they've got to continue doing for the rest of the series. 

Finally getting things together

The next game is Sunday night 4/24 at 9:30 ET in New Orleans.

Lakers Edge Hornets, Series Tied 1-1

April 20, 2011 - After what was a shocking loss in the first game of the series, the Los Angeles Lakers came out and defeated the New Orleans Hornets 87-78, evening out the series 1-1. Despite the effort of the Lakers win, they still did not look like a championship caliber team. Andrew Bynum led with 17 points and 11 rebounds in a very physical performance. The 6th Man of the Year Award which went to Lamar Odom, proved to sum up exactly what he is. He played a key role in the game, adding another 16 points. Ron Artest looked to be in playoff fashion once again as he he connected on a couple three pointers and scored 15 points on the night.

Bynum played a big, dominating role in Game 2

Kobe Bryant, who had a poor night going 3-10 on FG with 11 points, still gave great efforts defensively in giving full court pressure on Chris Paul. Paul, who tore the Lakers up in game 1, only had 20 points in game 2. Trevor Ariza however, the talented player the Lakers got rid of, had 22 in the game.

Lamar Odom receiving his award for 6th Man of the Year

The big story of the night in my eyes? One that shows Pau Gasol is not physical at all, and is just too weak of a player. I have been saying it all year, I've even been saying it the past 3 years. Pau Gasol is not aggressive. After a terrible performance in the first game, Gasol did even worse in game 2, going 2-10 in FG with 8 points. Aside from being goofy, and losing the ball at many points in the game, he just couldn't get inside. He would try to post up and just couldn't get it inside the paint. He would either give up and pass the ball, or try to give some moves to get to the basket which didn't work well at all. I stick with my opinion on the matter that Gasol is highly overrated, and I wish they would get a trade for Dwight Howard.

Pau Gasol getting man-handled in the paint and losing the ball? Shocker......

In good news though, the bench players such as Odom showed up big. Matt Barnes flew under the radar a little bit in the game but he played a big role and had many key baskets. At one point, the bench was playing better than the starters were and they were the ones keeping the Lakers in the game.

Game 3 is on Friday night at 9:30 ET on ESPN. The game will be on the road in New Orleans so we'll see how the Lakers hold up, and we'll see if Gasol can do anything to be more physical and score some points to help his team.

Hornets Slip Past Lakers, Lead Series 1-0

April 17, 2011 - In what was a stunning opening series game that nobody really saw coming, Chris Paul led his New Orleans over the Lakers with 33 points, 14 assists, and 7 rebounds. The Hornets got the win with a 109-100 score. Kobe Bryant scored 34 points on 13-26 FG in the game, but it wasn't enough to stop the high energy Hornets who were balanced by the low energy Lakers.

Despite the effort of Kobe, the Lakers fell short to the Hornets

This was game was a shock, primarily because the Hornets had not beaten the Lakers in the regular season. In fact, the Lakers best shot percentages in games were against New Orleans. Add to that the fact that the Lakers have two big men in Bynum and Gasol facing off against the smaller team in the Hornets. But it was a David vs. Goliath night. The Lakers struggled in the second half, never gaining the lead. They also settled for too many bad looks outside as opposed to driving in on the smaller defense of the Hornets.

Chris Paul completely dominated, and not even Andrew Bynum could stop him inside

Artest pulled the Lakers within 4 with only 3 minutes left, but that's when Chris Paul answered with 8 consecutive points that put the lead away for good. Artest ended up finishing with 16 points, and Odom had 10. Pau Gasol had a measley 8 points and 6 rebounds on 2-9 FG from the floor. The Lakers just weren't physical. I don't think they gave it their all since they were just taking the Hornets lightly. Well, after the game Kobe Bryant was very upset with himself and his team. I expect the Black Mamba to go into full overdrive for the next game and I'm expecting a huge, dominating win by the Lakers. The next game is Wednesday night 4/20, 10:30 pm ET on TNT.

Alright I haven't updated the site in a while because I have been VERY busy with school and work. But I have been watching the Lakers still. They ended up going 57-25 on the year, clinching the number 2 seed in the playoffs in the Western Conference. There was a slight losing skid toward the end, but they pulled out with 2 big wins at the end of the season. So now it is playoff time!

What I think about the last few weeks regarding the team.... Lamar Odom will be the key in the playoffs. I am convinced of it. He comes off the bench and leads and scores, as well as fills in for Gasol and Bynum when they need him to. Kobe, aside from his $100,000 fine recently, he will still be his usual leader self in the upcoming playoffs. He has been pretty inconsistent lately though so he needs to turn the switch to ON! Fisher is too old in  my opinion and I wish Shannon Brown was starting over him. Brown is more athletic and definitely can push it up the floor like Fisher cannot. But I suppose Fisher has that veteran leadership and he is of course always clutch. Gasol is as weak as ever and I constantly see him getting pushed around in the paint and fumbling the ball. I wish the Lakers would've traded him for Dwight Howard. Bynum has really come into his own, but he did have a slight knee injury at the end of the regular season. While that scares me a little, hopefully he'll keep it together and play a big role in the playoffs. The rest of the bench players such as Barnes, Blake, and even Walton have impressed me and I hope they step it up and keep the tempo up on the floor in the playoffs when the starters are resting.

The road to the 3-peat has been a long time coming, but now we are officially taking the off ramp. The playoffs are here! Lake Show 3-Peat here we come!

Lakers/Clippers

March 25, 2011 - The Lakers gained their 6th straight win as Kobe had 37 points, and Gasol had another 26. The best stat of this game is that the Lakers NEVER trailed the Clippers. In their 14th win in 15 games, the Lakers beat the Clippers 112-104 Friday night.

Artest was at his eccentric best for the Lakers, following up a rare dunk by leaping in the air and flexing his biceps. He then celebrated a 3-pointer by blowing kisses in the air in the third quarter - but only after missing back-to-back dunks earlier in the period.

Overall, it was a good win for the Lakers. Although the Clippers are not as bad as they have been in years past, the Lakers definitely still have their number. In Bynum's game back after being suspended, he had 11 points and 12 rebounds. I like the way the team is playing together and they are now 52-20. They are still a game ahead of Dallas in the West and only 6 games behind the Spurs.

Overtime Thriller in LA!!!

March 22, 2011 - The Lakers gained their 5th win in a row, which makes 13 of 14 since the All-Star break. This was a fast-paced, offensive game the entire night. The final score was 139-137 and it went into TRIPLE OVERTIME. Kobe ended up with 42 points, Lamar Odom had 29 and Gasol added 24.

It was an intense game full of all-stars on both sides of the ball

It was a pretty close game in the first half. I must say, the bench for both of these teams is incredible. I was in awe as I watched the offensive clinic both benches were putting on the entire game. It was close at half, as the Suns went into the locker room up by 5. But the Lakers came back and gained a pretty big lead through the last two quarters, but in the last 5 minutes, the Suns started hitting big shots. Steve Nash was giving crazy assists as well as hitting unremarkable three-pointers. Vince Carter had a chance to win the game with 1 second in regulation left but he missed a long 3. Overtime.

During the end of the first overtime, the Lakers were up 121-118 with about 2 second left. The win was there, but Lamar Odom fouled the Suns' Channing Frye on a three pointer!!! You never do that!!! Anyways, he hit all three free throws so it went into Double Overtime!

Lamar Odom played huge in Bynum's absence

The second overtime was pretty much the same as the teams went back and forth offensively. With about 3 seconds left and the Lakers down 130-128, Gasol went for a shot and got fouled as well! So he hits those two free throws which leads to Triple Overtime!

In the first triple overtime the Lakers have hosted since 1969, they win it in a thriller! Ron Artest had a powerful dunk which set the crowd off and Kobe hit a jumper close to the paint inside with 14 seconds left in the game, giving the Lakers a 4 point lead that the Suns couldn't overcome. What a game!




Matt Barnes is an elite bench player for the Lakers, and will definitely help their 3-peat


My thoughts on this game however, are this. The Lakers got destroyed in fastbreak points. This is a little unsettling as it shows they can't get back down the court to play defense. The Suns went down into transition and hit many threes in the game. But the plus side, the bench of the Lakers is one of the best in the league and I really enjoyed seeing them play. Matt Barnes was huge in the game and Odom is stepping up big in Bynum's absence. Bynum will be back next game as his suspension is over from getting ejected two games earlier. This was a crazy showdown in the West that was full of offense. The Suns are a very good team and I think this triple overtime win by the Lakers showed a lot of heart. Now if they can only play better defense and get back after scoring so they don't give up so many fastbreak points.

The next game is Friday March 25th vs. the Los Angeles Clippers @ the Staples Center of course.

LAke Show Beats Portland

March 20, 2011 - The Lakers rallied from behind in the final minutes of the game hitting the last 5 baskets of the game. They won 84-80 after Derek Fisher had two key steals with 1:56 to go as well as hitting a jumpshot with 10 seconds left. Add to this that Kobe had 10 of his 22 points in the 4th quarter, and you've got a great game between these two teams.

Derek Fisher has been playing like a true veteran lately

Andrew Bynum was not playing in this game after being suspended 2 games for getting ejected the game before this one while playing against the Timberwolves. He was a key piece missing from the Lakers overall puzzle of great basketball. But Lamar Odom came through in a big way as usual, putting up 16 points and 11 rebounds. Another note is that the Lakers officially clinched a playoff berth as the Utah Jazz lost to the Houston Rockets Sunday. Now it just comes down to what seed the Lakers will be when playoffs come around.

These guys seem to playing with a lot of intensity lately

The team has won 12 of their last 13 games after the All-Star break which is very impressive. I don't know what it is, but they have an energy that wasn't seen much in the first half. Maybe those three losses in a row before the All-Star break helped the team out in a good way. It showed they aren't as good as they thought, as they lost to sub-par teams right before the break. But now, they are on fire. Kobe and Fisher are leading the team with true intensity. Ron Artest although not always hitting his shots, is playing tremendous defense. Bynum has been a huge part of the team being a dominant force inside and Gasol is hopefully feeding off that and will hopefully get that killer instinct soon himself. Lamar Odom has been clutch whenever he steps out on the court and will undoubtedly be a force to reckon with in the playoffs. The bench has been superb with Matt Barnes back now, Steve Blake and especially Shannon Brown have been playing well. They are starting to peak at the right time which is exactly what they need to get to that 3-Peat!!!!!

Next game is Tuesday vs. the Pheonix Suns @ the Staples Center. Here's to a big win!

Timberwolves Go Down

March 18, 2011 - The big story of this game, besides Gasol putting up 25 points and Kobe adding another 18 on his sprained ankle, Andrew Bynum was ejected in the fourth quarter and is now suspended for the next 2 games.

Bynum, who had 10 points and 14 rebounds, got ejected with about 6 minutes left in the game after he demolished Michael Beasley who was knocked down while he tried to drive inside to the basket. Bynum is now suspended the next 2 games, which include a game vs. Portland and Pheonix.

The Lakers have now won 11 of their last 12 since the All-Star Break. They have been putting up great numbers and playing like a team in sync. Another thing I really liked was after Bynum's foul, his teammates were yelling and arguing with other players and referees while disagreeing with the call. This shows they have team unity, something not seen too much in the first half of the season. This led to a fiesty rest of the game for the LA squad who is now 49-20 on the season and slowly creeping up the standings in the West.

LA stomps Orlando

March 14, 2011 - In a game which pitted two of the top teams in both the East and West, the Lakers prevailed in a landslide victory by a score of 97-84. Pau Gasol was the man of the night, scoring 23 points on 10-17 FG. Kobe added 16 points while still favoring his injured ankle from the game two nights before. The Lakers have now won 10 out of 11 games since the All-Star break.

Bynum man-handled Howard during the game, finally showing his true potential

Dwight Howard had 22 points and 15 rebounds on the night. But the key is he had 9 turnovers, which was 4 more than the entire Lakers team. This is obviously a great sign for the team who is going on a tremendous peak in their game right now.

Lamar Odom leads the 2nd string, with Shannon Brown, Steve Blake, and Matt Barnes helping to round out the best bench in the NBA

The Magic led throughout the first half, but LA pulled away in the second. Odom had 16 points on the night as well, and Fisher had 15. But the key to the game was Andrew Bynum. He had 18 rebounds and 4 blocks. I was watching this game, and he was dominating Dwight Howard through the night. Howard had a scared look in his face as Bynum was too strong inside for anybody. He is definitely a force to be reckoned with and as long as he stays healthy, he'll be a key to winning the 3-peat this year. Also, I hope the reserves keep it up because they are the best bench in the entire NBA. They're really helping to give the starters rest while still being able to put up big numbers against opposing starting squads.

The next game will be Friday, March 18 vs. the Timberwolves in LA.

Lakers Defeat Mavericks

March 12, 2011 - In a game that gave all Lakers fans a potential scare with Kobe leaving in the 3rd quarter with an ankle injury, the team pulled together to get a 96-91 win. Andrew Bynum had a strong performance, leading the team with 22 points as well as 15 rebounds. Both Shawn Marion and Dirk Nowitzki had 25 points each.


It was the 600th win for coach Phil Jackson's career. He is just the fifth coach in NBA history to have that many wins with one franchise. The exciting part is that with this key win, the Lakers have cut the Maverick's No. 2 playoff seed in the West to only a half-game. Jackson had this to say about the game,

We made a decided effort to go inside. We were able to get the ball in the right way and score. He replaced Pau [Gasol] as really our post scorer tonight."

The Lakers are now 9-1 since the All-Star break, going on a complete rampage throughout the league. The next game is against the Magic at the Staples Center.

Lakers and Heat!

March 10, 2011- In the prime time game on Thursday which brought the Lakers to Miami in a battle of two heavily studded teams, the Heat won 94-88. The heat are 2-0 against the Lakers this season, and this game snapped the Lakers 8 game winning streak while helping Miami's 5 game losing streak. 

After much speculation of Chris Bosh's numbers with Miami this season, he had stated earlier in the week he wanted the ball more. He got the ball more, and put up 24 points in the game. Kobe added 24 as well, where Pau added 20 points. It was a very close game and the Lakers played real well in the first half I thought. But toward the end of the third quarter, they started to get real sloppy. It's like they had no energy left and they were looking exhausted and out of the game. This led to key turnovers and bad possessions which helped the Heat take the lead and win the game. 

This game upset me a little bit because the Lakers were on such a great winning streak! Plus, that win just gives the Heat confidence heading toward the end of the season. Either way, I would like to see the Lakers play with intensity the entire game this year! Maybe they're just tired after playing such a long stretch of games lately. Next game is vs. Dallas.

8 Straight Wins

March 8, 2011 - The Lakers are on a massive 8-game winning streak after defeating the Atlanta Hawks 101-87. It was practically a one sided-game as the Lakers continued their dominating energy shown in the game vs. the Spurs.

A big story of the night was how Kobe Bryant scored 26 points, and passed Moses Malone to become 6th on the all-time scoring list of the NBA.

"He's very unique," said Drew, in his first season as the Hawks' coach, of the Lakers' star. "I was in L.A. when we traded for him, and you saw the talent.

That talent has definitely shown through his career. Now as he is passing one of the great NBA stars on the all-time scoring list, and as his team is on a great win streak and on their way to their third consecutive NBA championship!

Thursday, the Lakers face off vs. the Miami Heat. Although the Lakers have been playing extremely well, and the Heat have been playing.... well, not, it could still have the potential to be a great game full of all-star caliber players.

"Stay cool."

-- Phil Jackson, when asked how to beat the Heat Thursday.

Spurs who? Lakers destroy San Antonio

March 6, 2011 - The NBA-best San Antonio Spurs (51-12) got pounded by the Lakers (45-19) today by a score of 99-83 this afternoon where the starters had a huge lead of about 30 points through much of the game. Not only does this help put the Lakers even further on the heels of the Spurs in the West, but this was the Lakers 7th straight win since the All-Star Break. It's significant as well because prior to the game, the Spurs had won a franchise-record 22 straight games at home this season. This is after the Spurs completely embarrassed the Miami Heat, beating them by 30 points on Friday night. Then they turn right around and have the same thing done to them by the Lakers.

It was just one of those games for Kobe, where he was ON in full on Black Mamba mode

So why the big win? The Lakers were playing with absolute energy and intensity for the majority of the game. They sent a message from the beginning without a doubt. Great ball movement, good looks on shots, a high FG percentage of 46.7% where the Spurs shot 36%, offensive rebounds, defensive rebounds, etc. Literally every aspect of their game was on point in the game today as they sailed easily past the rival San Antonio. 

Kobe led with 26 points as Gasol dropped 21. Odom had 15 and Bynum had 17 rebounds. Fisher and Artest both hit a couple key three-pointers, Shannon Brown was electric as ever as he was high-flying to the basket. Gasol even hit his first three of the season in the game! It was also the return of Matt Barnes after being out for 26 games, and even he had 5 points.

Even Ron Artest had a well-played game where his defense was as good as ever

It just seemed like every shot was going in for the team, and their intensity was up for the majority of the game. They were like playing like a team on a mission, to make people realize they are the best team in the NBA. I think they proved a lot during the game and I love it. The Lakers next game is Tuesday March 8th where they face the Atlanta Hawks on the road. 

Lakers Win Streak Continues

March 4, 2011 - The Los Angeles Lakers have now won their 6th straight game since the All-Star break, as they beat the Charlotte Bobcats Friday night 92-84. Kobe dropped 27 points as Gasol dropped 20 points and 10 boards. Derek Fisher was injured during the game however, spraining his elbow in the third quarter. The victory was a surprise however, because prior to the game, the Bobcats had beaten the Lakers 8 of the last 10 meetings. 

Shannon Brown dunking in the game. Will Fisher's injury possibly give Brown a chance to start at point guard like I think he should be anyways?

The Lakers begin a four game road trip on Sunday, starting off against the NBA's best record San Antonio Spurs. In other news, newly acquired player this season Matt Barnes who has been dealing with injury the past month, is speculated to return to the lineup on Sunday against San Antonio.

Lakers @ Timberwolves

March 1, 2011 - The Los Angeles Lakers have extended their second half win-streak, beating the Minnesota Timberwolves on the road by a score of 90 to 79, despite the horrible FG% by the Lakers. They have now won 5 straight games, after losing 3 consecutive games right before the all-star break. The captain Kobe Bryant led the team with 24 points where Andrew Bynum had 14. The problem? The Lakers shot 37.5% from the field as a team, which is terrible. Artest was 2-10 shooting, Gasol was 3-10, and Fisher was 2-9.

Minnesota was only down four points going into the fourth quarter, but the Lakers managed to pull away and get the easy win. They outrebounded the T'Wolves 53-39 and Kobe was on fire in the second half, where he scored 20 of his 24 points.

Lamar Odom, who I feel will be the key to the 3-peat this year, added 12 points and 11 rebounds on the night

Although this was a win for the team, they should've dominated Minnesota tonight. The Timberwolves have the worst defense in the league as far as stats go, and there was a rookie on Kobe, who actually guarded him pretty well. Gasol, Artest, and Fisher were complete disasters at shooting. If this was Boston or San Antonio they played tonight, it would have been a blowout against the Lakers. Even though we all love the win and win-streak, they still have things to get together to be ready for the playoffs.

The next game is Friday, March 4th where the Lakers take on the Charlotte Bobcats at the Staples Center.

Lakers vs. Thunder Showdown

February 27, 2011 - The trade deadline is over. The all-star break is over. The second half of the season is well underhand. And the Lakers, who lost their last 3 games prior to the break, have now won 4 straight games. They beat the Oklahoma City Thunder by a score of 90 to 87 Sunday afternoon. The Lakers are now 4 and a half games ahead of the Thunder in the standings in the West.

A big game for Pau Gasol, but he still isn't as physical as he should be

Pau Gasol led the Lakers with 18 points and 11 rebounds as Kobe had 17 points and Bynum had 16. Luckily, Kendrick Perkins, who was acquired in a trade from the Boston Celtics by the Thunder, did not play in the game because he will still be out for 2-3 weeks due to injury.

From my standpoint, this was a close win for the Lakers in a game where they looked pretty sloppy. Although they held the Thunder to only 39 points in the second half, I saw a lot of bad passes, terrible defense, poor shot selection, and a loss of energy. I am honestly afraid of what the Thunder have the potential to do to teams when they get Kendrick Perkins healthy. Even though Gasol had a double double, I noticed he fumbles the ball way too much. He gets out-rebounded by much smaller guys too, like he gives no effort on the inside because he is so weak and not physical at all. I really wished the Lakers would have tried to get a strong big man in a trade. I would give Gasol and a 1st round pick for Dwight Howard of the Magic!

In other news during the game, the electrifying Kobe Bryant passed Elvin Hayes to become 7th on the NBA All-Time scoring list. What a great accomplishment, and my congrats go out to him.

Either way, I'm glad the LAke Show got a crucial win over the Thunder. Every win helps in the second half of the season. I just hope the intensity gets lifted higher, as it was in the 3rd quarter of the game where they held the Thunder to 23% FG. The Lakers play the Minnesota Timberwolves on the road, Tuesday March 1st.

Showdown at Staples: Lakers vs. Clippers

February 25, 2011 - In what was the end of a road trip for the Clippers, they ended up playing their last game "on the road" at the Staples Center vs. the Lakers. Kobe Bryant completely led the team, allowing them to beat the Clippers 108-95, giving them a 3-game winning streak. 

The Lakers playing great team defense vs. the Clippers

Bryant, who was 10 of 16 in FG with 24 points, went to the locker room with 2 minutes left in the first half holding his elbow after a foul. It turned out to be okay and he came out with complete energy, scoring 18 points in the third quarter alone. Gasol added another 22 points and Bynum added 16 with 11 rebounds. 11 players on the Lakers team scored in the game, as they shot an amazing 50.6% FG from the field. 

The electrifying Blake Griffin had 22 points and 10 boards, but that wasn't enough to stop the determined Lakers. Bryant and Gasol actually sat out the 4th quarter, giving them rest for Sunday's huge game vs. the newly stocked Oklahoma City Thunder. The game will match up the two teams, who are most likely destined to face each other in the playoffs this year after the Lakers struggled with them in last year's playoffs. The game is Sunday on ABC. It is in Oklahoma City and will be on at 2:30 pm ET. The Lakers need to get this win against the Thunder, not only to prove their dominance in the West, but to keep their win-streak and confidence alive in the second half.

Kobe Leads the way vs. the Blazers

February 23, 2011 - The Black Mamba showed up at game time as usual, as he had 37 points in the overtime win against Portland. Ron Artest also had a big game with 24 points, and Gasol had 18. 


The team overcame a 10 point deficit late in the game, which helped them to rally around and get the win. This snaps the Blazers six game winning streak, the best of their season. 

Bynum, who only had 6 points, blocks a shot during the game

It's good to see that the team is getting their play back, and not looking lazy like they were at the end of their road trip last week. Even though an overtime win is not how we would ideally want it, a win is a win. That is all that  matters at this point in the season, as the Lakers have to get their record as good as they can and hope the Spurs lose!


The next game is against the Los Angeles Clippers in what looks to be a lopsided game, or so we hope. 

Good Start to the Second Half of the Season

February 22, 2011 - After losing their last 3 games, and having a break for the all-star weekend, the Lakers finally showed they were back to their old selves. It was a lopsided game, as Los Angeles beat the Atlanta Hawks 104-80.




Kobe driving to the hole vs. the Hawks

 The two time defending champions put all talks of last week to rest. The first half of the season is over, and those losses to bad teams are over. This is the new, focused Lakers team ready to dish out punishment on the way to their 3rd straight championship. Kobe Bryant led the team with 20 points, as Gasol had 14, and Shannon Brown (who I think should be the starting guard over Fisher) had 15 points. According to nba.com, Kobe had this to say about the game....

"We came out and played hard, did all the right things," Bryant said. "I just felt like our execution defensively was really sharp tonight."

This is exactly right. Not only did they play good defense, but they shot very well for high percentages. They also were in the lead for the entire game. Although the one struggle they had was turnovers. The Lakers had 18 turnovers in the game, which is something that can't be done against excellent teams such as Miami or Boston.

Fisher may be getting old, but he still has some ups.

The Lakers (39-19) will face the Portland Trailblazers (32-24) on the road February 23rd. The Lakers handled them easily in November, beating them 121 to 96.

Halfway through the season

Well, the All-Star Break is over. That means the second half of the season is underway and teams are fighting for wins in order to clinch playoff spots.

The Lakers are 38-19 so far this season. At the end of the 2010 season, they were 57-25, so the record is definitely not as great as they thought it would be. This is because they have had struggles with offseason trades and new team issues. Another reason is because they haven't faired well against strong teams such as the Celtics or Spurs. But mediocre teams have given the Lakers problems too as they lost to the Cavaliers, Bobcats, and Magic their last 3 games of the first half of the season.

They are looking to take off this second half, and really peak as far as their skills and team chemistry on the court goes.
"It's back to the drawing board," Lamar Odom said. "Defense. Cohesiveness. Our chemistry on offense. I'm not that worried. I think it's things we can fix."
"We're looking forward to it," Bryant said. "We're up for the challenge. Pau and I have been talking this whole time about looking forward to it, and getting back at it."

Starting out their second half, is a game against the Atlanta Hawks. 8 out of their next 11 games are against playoff contending teams such as Miami, Dallas, San Antonio, and Oklahoma City.

We're about to see what the Lakers are made of this second half, and if they will be able to in fact turn the season around and win the 3-peat.

Lack of Focus

February 18, 2011 -- The long road trip the Lakers just got out of showed all fans what they were really about. It started off great, but quickly diminished into pathetic performances by all members of the team. As another Lakers blog puts it,

We’re more than half way through the season and the championship focus is still severely lacking.

The truth is the team is not playing as well as years past, and the road to the 3-Peat will be hard like this. Three 3-game losing streaks already for the team, and we're only halfway through the season! Hopefully the All-Star break will rejuvinate the guys and get them motivated again.


Thanks to http://lakeshowlife.com/ -- Another Lakers blog

Is This Real Life?

February 16, 2011 - The Los Angeles Lakers have come to the low point of their season. They lost to the Cleveland Cavaliers 104-99, ending their vicious 7-game road trip in which they lost the last 3 games. The Cavs are the league's worst team, with a now record of 10-46. The Lakers are now 38-19 on the season.

Here a Cavs player drives to the basket on the Lakers who played terrible as at least Lamar Odom is giving some effort, since Bynum showed none.

In a very disappointing and embarrassing loss, the team looked very lackadaisical. Not only did they take the Cavaliers lightly, they completely gave up on the end of their road trip. Pau Gasol led the team with 30 points, and the old man Derek Fisher had a surprising 19 points while Kobe had 17.

The Lakers failed in so many ways in this game, it seems they gave no effort. They took terrible shots, shooting 42% from the field. Kobe was 8-24 shooting, Bynum did terrible going 2-12 in FG, and Artest was 0-1 shooting with only 1 point in the game. The team also had a terrible night with turnovers, giving up 19 of them. Phil Jackson was not his usual calm self, as you could clearly see him yelling at his sloppy players on the sideline.

Shannon Brown makes plays, scoring 15 on the night in a sloppy performance by the Lakers as a whole.

We all know that this has got to spark some trade rumors with the team. In my personal opinion, Bynum has got to go. He is injury prone and the team must get some value for him while they still can. Dwight Howard would be the ideal player to trade him for. I would even give Bynum and a 1st round pick for Howard, who is not only an intense and physical player, but someone who could bring a spark to this lifeless Lakers team at the moment. Forget Carmelo Anthony, the LAke Show needs some strong players inside they can count on. I believe Howard would be the best fit for that.

Either way, something has to be done with the team right now. This is the worst Lakers stretch of bad performances I think I have ever seen. Someone has to step up, be a leader, and get the team to start playing with some intensity and drive. The road to the 3-Peat will be very hard with the guys playing the way they have been.

Lakers Fall to Bobcats...

February 14, 2011 -  After losing their first game of their 7-game road trip, the Lakers have lost a second now too. They are now 4-2 on their road trip as they fall to the Bobcats 108-89 in a sloppy performance. The Lakers this season, have a winning record against every team except for two - the Celtics, and Bobcats?

Kobe Bryant led the team in points, but still had a bad FG% on the night

It was definitely an off night for the Lakers who got handled the night before by the Orlando Magic as well. Los Angeles shot 44 percent from the field and only had 3 of 19 3-pointers go in. Add to the fact they got outrebounded and didn't force turnovers, and that's a recipe for a loss.

Kobe Bryant of course led the team with 20 points, but got into some foul trouble early, and shot very poorly. Pau Gasol had 17 points with 10 rebounds after getting man-handled by Dwight Howard the night before in Orlando. Ron Artest had 10 points on the night.

Lamar Odom and Luke Walton playing defense

This is not the thing you want to see the Lakers doing at the end of a road trip. Obviously it has been a long and hard trip thus far, but we'd all like to see them stay strong with endurance and fight. The loss to the Magic clearly got the best of them, and things are snowballing at this point. I saw terrible ball movement, ugly shots (they couldn't even hit the open ones), and just a team that was completely flat. Hopefully they can end the road trip strong with a win over the absolutely horrible Cleveland Cavaliers on Wednesday night. This is not what a team on the road to a 3-peat does. But, they will get everything together, take better shots, and build that stamina up. Chances are that in the playoffs, they will not be at home, so the Lakers are going to have to learn to stay energetic during long stretches on the road.

Magic beat Lakers

February 13, 2011 - The Magic handled the Lakers in Orlando Sunday afternoon, putting an end to the Lakers consecutive road trip wins after winning 4 straight. The Magic won by a final score of 89 to 75.

Dwight Howard had 31 points and 13 rebounds, completely dominating inside the paint for Orlando. Bynum and Bryant both had 17 points each for Los Angeles, who was held to a team low in scoring this season with 75 points. The game was close for the first 3 quarters, but then the Magic started to run away with it in the 4th. Pau Gasol was completely man-handled by Dwight Howard. This is the key reason why I hope Bynum doesn't get traded, because Gasol just isn't physical enough in my opinion to take on big men in the league.

It was a disappointing loss, but it's hard to win so many on a long road trip. The Lakers look to start up a new win streak as they face Charlotte on the 14th, and Cleveland on the 16th, both still on the road.

Lakers Handle Knicks

February 11, 2011 -  Kobe Bryant had 33 points and 10 rebounds at Madison Square Garden vs. the Knicks tonight as the Lakers had an easy win, with a final score of 113-96. Bryant scored 19 of those points in the first quarter, and only ended up playing 29 minutes in such a lopsided game. Pau Gasol added another 20 points on the night, as Lamar Odom added 14 with Andrew Bynum tallying another 12 points. 

It was fairly lopsided the entire night, but Amare Stoudemire of the Knicks still had 24 points with 10 rebounds, whose team has lost 4 of the last 5 games. This is why I don't want Andrew Bynum/(Lamar Odom?) to be traded for Carmelo Anthony. Because if that is the case, the Lakers will have no big men inside. Let's all be serious, Pau Gasol is tall, but he is not big or physical at all. 

Jackson has said this will be his last season as a coach, but said he wasn't feeling nostalgic about this perhaps being his final game at Madison Square Garden.

"I'm not prone to that," Jackson said, adding that riding up the elevator to the fifth floor at the arena "makes you want to think about, 'You know, I don't want to do this anymore."'

The Lakers have no won their 4th straight game on the road, as they look to continue their road trip in Orlando on Sunday the 13th.

Lakers Face Knicks Tonight, Looking for 4th Straight Road Win

The Lakers are currently 3-0 on their tough 7-game road trip, which is a true test to the team's stamina.

On the other hand, the Knicks have last 3 of their last 4 games. This includes a loss to the Los Angeles Clippers 116-108.

Kobe Bryant has averaged 30.3 points a game in Madison Square Garden, the highest of any venue in his career. This is after he had a 61 point performance there in February 2009.

Lakers vs. Celtics!!!!

February 10, 2011 - In what could be the most heated rivalry in professional sports, the Lakers faced the Celtics at the TD Garden in Boston tonight. The Lakers were 36-16 and the Celtics were 38-18 going into the game. The Lakers prevailed though, by a final score of 92-86. The Lakers were down in the first half by as many as 15 points.



It may have been a historic night for Ray Allen, but he still could not handle Kobe Bryant, the Black Mamba



The big story of the night was how Ray Allen became the all time leader in 3-pointers during a career. He broke Reggie Miller's record as he shot his 2,561st 3-pointer early in the first half of the game. But that wasn't the only plot of the night. The Celtics, going into the matchup, had the 2nd best record in the NBA and were a half game ahead of the Heat in their conference. The Lakers had the 5th best record in the league and were 3rd in the West. Not to mention the Lakers have been dealing with trade rumors in regards to their teammates and Carmelo Anthony. Not to mention, that yet again, this is the most epic rivalry in the NBA by far. Not to mention these two teams have faced eachother in 2 of the last 3 NBA championships, splitting those two series for the title.

Lamar Odom was the key to the game in my eyes, adding size, speed, and shooting to the Lakers

The Lakers put it all behind them however, and finally stepped up tonight like we knew they could. They finally got their groove back into their play. Kobe Bryant led the team in points with 23. He had acrobatic and electric scores, which we've come to expect from him through the years. He was incredible with his fadeaways, and his quick drives to the basket enabling him to penetrate and score while still getting fouled. Pau Gasol stepped up his game tonight also, as he had 20 points and 10 rebounds. Bynum, despite the trade rumors, had 16 points and 9 rebounds. In my eyes, Lamar Odom was the key to the game. He added size to the team as well as bursts of speed and great shooting, as he had 10 points and 12 rebounds.

On the other side, Ray Allen led the Celtics with 20 points, where Paul Pierce had 15 points, and Kevin Garnett tallied 11 rebounds.

Hopefully this will give the Lakers some confidence as they have been struggling as of late, against teams of both high and low caliber. I did still see some problems as I watched the game. First off though, the team is finally getting some ball movement and not taking dumb shots. They are waiting for open looks, and shooting. But Derek Fisher just can't be the point guard anymore. I know he is a leader, and a veteran, but his minutes should be cut. Shannon Brown should be the heir to his throne. He is an incredible athlete who dropped 12 points in 22 minutes of play in the game. I also believe that when the bench players are in, the squad is not as powerful as they have been in years past. I prefer Jordan Farmar over Steve Blake anyday. Either way though, I'm so hype that the team got the big W over Boston, IN Boston!!! That makes it so much sweeter.

If the squad can continue to build off this win, and gain confidence, there is no doubt in my mind that they will be champions again, gaining that well-deserved 3-peat! The Lakers record on the season is now 37-16.