Extra! Extra! (4.29)

Click on this Link to the Fox Sports Laker-Suns playoff page and see how your Lakers ARE DOMINATING the Suns in almost every facet of the game . . .

http://msn.foxsports.com/nba/headToHeadTeamResults?statsId1=21&statsId2=13&gameId=&view=post

This was a great game by our young team. Lakers are playing as if they are playoff veterens. This is made possible because of Kobe24. He is rubbing his energy on everyone. They are all feeding off of him.

Great show Lakers.

Go get them in the next two and wait for the Clippers...

AK i need a favor u work in espn so u go to mark stein and tell him suns in five here u go whith u r suns in five bitch lakes in five bitch
god i hate that fat son of a .....
tell him that a few guys in u r blog know more basketball then all of the experts combined
good game i dont like the hitting but they are standing for each other and getting closer to each other signs of good chemstry
lakes in five
kobe is the real MVP(even if nash takes it or if he doesnt)
lakers for life

So . . .

Suns In Five isn't looking so good. With Amare Stoudemire and Kurt Thomas already in street clothes and Brian Grant limited to bit-part minutes, Phoenix will be grateful to see a Game 6 if Tim Thomas can't recover quickly from a late knee injury.

Phoenix (and I) didn't think coming into this series that L.A. had the bigs to exploit the Suns' injuries and shortcomings in the frontcourt. But that was based on what we saw in the regular season, precisely none of which applies now.

The teams have swapped identities. Kobe has become Steve Nash, coaxing big-time performances out of journeymen to (almost) make you forget he shot 6-for-18. And Nash, in a weird way, has become Kobe.

Which is to say lonely.

-- Marc Stein

Think the media is regretting giving Nash the MVP now? I can't wait to hear their reasoning. Is it me, or am I the only one who thimks Phil told Kobe to be a ballhog this season. Only to unleash Kobe the super facilitator that NO one saw coming. Now there is only limited game film in which can be scouted. "..I only do what Phil tells me to do, if he tells me to shoot 60 times, I'm coming..."-Kobe
I think the rest of the west should start getting very nervous.

GREAT WIN!

I’ll tell ya! That was some basketball last night! The Lakers are no joke! They are playing disciplined ball!

The only thing that got me angry was: during the 2nd quarter when D. George, Cook, and Sasha were on the floor with Kobe, they went into this 3 point shooting mode and lost the lead. It was only for a short spell but, come own, we’re beating the Suns because of our inside game and defense. Why they would go into a 3-point lapse is beyond me. Phoenix is 3 point shooting team and they took 23 last night. We are not a 3-point shooting team and we took 21. This game should not have been as close as it was.

Tim Thomas? Why would we leave Tim Thomas open at the start of the game? We need to pay close attention to Tim at the opening. If we had this game would have been a blow out! 16 points in the 1st quarter, without that it’s not even close.

MY VISION!

I’ve been blogging pretty hard for sometime now. I’ve been hard on the players, some bloggers, and reporters. Everyone who disturbs my vision has taken a piece of my written wrath. At first my hope was just developing the likes of Kwame Brown so we can see what the future held for us. But when we beat the Pistons my visions were confirmed in my mind. Kwame played a heck of a game against the Pistons and I think I wrote then: “anything is possible.” Then we beat the Spurs in San Antonio…it was on, in my mind.

From the Pistons game my vision started to play out in my mind. It goes like this: I see the Finals. I see the Lakers winning it all! But the joy of my vision is when the horn sounds and I see Kobe Bryant, Kwame Brown, Lamar Odom, Smush Parker and the rest of the Lakers running into each other, embracing, celebrating in total relief. I see tears coming from their eyes. Tears of pure joy! Tears that end the pain of being maligned in the media…it goes on and on.

What is my part? It’s my vision! This is how I’m involved. Every game, I watch with pure concentration on the tube. Each play, my concentration is on the execution. It’s as if I’m willing the success of our team or, at least, I’m part of the mental concentration that is supporting the team as the rest of the die-hard fans are supporting them. When the game is not on the tube, it’s the radio for me. It goes like this: Radio is blasting, I have a window open to a live update of the box score, and, of course, a window open to the Lakers blog. I’m refreshing the box score and blog after every play that is announced. It’s as if I’m there. Everything is cool…UNTIL LAST NIGHT!

WHAT THE HELL! That dumb ass Spiro Dedes, during the 3rd quarter, starts to interview Derick Fisher! DURING THE GAME! A commercial comes on and then he continues to talk to Fish while the game is being played. My concentration was broken! What the hell is wrong with that guy, Dedes? Fisher isn’t retired! Fisher is a warrior. If he has to have him on, he should do it during halftime or something. Wow! For that he gets my written wrath! DUMB ASS!

Maybe some of you think I might be taking this a little to far, but I’ll remind you of one thing! THIS IS MY VISION! CHAMPIONSHIP this year! I know everyone is happy right now, but still, most of you are still thinking in terms of just making a good showing in the playoffs with the idea of ‘watch out for next year.’ It’s cool! That’s your vision, but like Moses dropped the staff in front of Pharaoh, which turned into a snake, then Pharaoh’s magicians dropped their staffs, which, also, turned into snakes. It didn’t matter because Moses’ snake swallowed Pharaoh’s snake. What’s the moral to the story? My vision swallows your vision. Again! THIS IS MY VISION, CHAMPIONSHIP this year, and when someone disturbs that vision I have to push that thought/action aside in order to preserve the strength of MY VISION. Spiro Dedes, keep your interviews for halftime or after the game.

mike

p.s. At this point people should start locking in with me on MY VISION then it can be OUR VISION!

Great Game. Great leadership by Kobe throughout the season is now being shown in the playoffs. May, I wonder how many MVP voters wish they could revote. Maybe they'll still give it to him. Wasn't there a rumor that it was fixed so that whomever won went to at least the second round? I remember hearing that somewhere on here.

Glad to see everyone contributing out there. I sure hope (don't think) there wont be any suspensions coming up. That would be a shame.

Mitch, see you at the game! I can't freaking wait. It's so tempting to sell my ticket since I paid face value and now they're going for 3-4 times that, but I just can't do it. I want to be there so badly.

On a related note after last nights game I decided to take the friends and my brother who accompanied me to Roscoe's for a little late night chicken and Waffle action. While my friend and my brother hunted around for a parking space, my female friend and myself were seated promptly. After ordering some coffee I realized that I left my cellphone in my car I went out to retrieve it. No sooner had I gotten to the car, then I was being asked my security if I was leaving. I replied "no" and looked up to see Smush Parker and company driving what appeared to be an Infinity eagerly awaiting my parking spot.

Later on he sat in the booth across from us and my friends, brother, and myself got to thank for his fantastic play in game three.

Nothing like a little chicken and waffles after a Laker W.

AK, is there any way we can petition the team to let the players wear the Gold Jerseys on Sunday instead of the flakey whites?

That whole switching Uni's is cute during the regular season, but but I'd rather see the real Laker colors during the playoffs, what do you guys think?

Sean,

Why on earth would anyone, except perhaps a few talking heads or brokebackers regret naming Steve Nash the MVP? He is the MVP and rightfully so.

Who doesn't know how superb Saint Kobe Dawgs basketball abilities are? That he is finally coming around with some team play the last couple of games does not an MVP make. If anything, the Saint needs a good butt whipping for holding his team back the entire season. 7th seed? Come on. With Steve Nash at the Brokeback helm, wouldn't they have been at least a 3rd or 4th seed? Think about it.

It's a season long measurment. You give the Saint kudos now because he is scoring low and his team is winning. That's good for the Saint and good for the Brokebacks. It's a team sport. This my friend, is precisely what Steve Nash has done all year long.

It's concievable that the Saint could pan out as a playoff MVP, but NBA MVP for the year, not a chance. There are at least 4 or 5 others much more deserving. Get over it. Get over it.

T.J. Simers is an idiot. How did this guy get a job at a major newspaper?

I like the Lakers white uniforms. The Gold ones are too Hollywood for me.

mike

Sonny,

Nice Kings win. Kobe has been doing what he had to do all season to get the team to the playoffs. I don't know how many games you watched, but more often than not Kobe would try to get his team involved, but they weren't ready to step up so he had to take over to get a W. Now, the team is ready to step up, and has responded. It has taken most of the season, but everyone is now in top form and contributing. Kobe doesn't have to take over the game to win anymore, so he's not.

JF

Lake show lake show lake show ...

and how can the Suns stop it... they cant it seems!

I am anticipating the Suns last gasp, the Suns final give it all I got blow. AND IT HAS TO BE NEXT GAME.

This is not just a must-win game for the Suns in this series, it is a must-win for their basketball philosophy.If they lose in the 1st round, then their free-wheeling style will be shown to be flukish and reg. season success only.

It will show that Amare is the true MVP of that team because he is the only one on the squad that could be unstoppable in the half-court sets.

The reason the Suns cant beat us is simple: They are a high-volume shooting team with an emphasis on the amount of shots instead of the quality shots. Thus, if we turn down the amount of shots they take these SUNS players cant decipher what is a good shot and what is another one of their tempo-producing, "forced"(As D'antoni says), bad shot. Over the long haul our quality shots will beat bad shots if the number of shots remain in our favor.

Ahhhh, I love basketball. The chess match is on and Phil is winning in a dramatic landslide. The only adjustments I see coming from the Suns is Marion on Walton and maybe to stop doubling Kobe since he is passing so much. They might just single cover him all game and hope he stops passing. It will be up to Kobe to recognize this and not settle for jumpers. He will need to continually pound the ball inside and pick his spots to attack.

If Tim Thomas is hurt for the Suns then aall bets are off...

I like what I am seeing BUT we have to take their best shot next game. I anticipate something like a 48% shooting game from the Suns where we have to get another gritty victory. The Suns know if we take this game then it's basically over. Kobe let them know how we must seize the moment!

Let's go , Lake show!

That's terrible Mike, I can'te believe you like the white, but then again I don't buy into your vision either if it means missing an interview with Fish -it was great to see him there cheering on his old team and it didn't interfere with the game action.

I still think the White uniforms are lame, the Lakers colors are Purple and Gold, not boring white. If we're going to be defending our home court on ABC we should be wearing our team colors, not some marketing ploy B.S 'alternate' uniforms.

The funniest thing happened last night...and no it wasn't Phoenix trying to play physical with us (hehe)...it was this poster that this dude held up and espn kept on showing. It was a picture of Nash holding the "llittle mamba" ---getting dunked on by Kobe! and next to it says...THE REAL MVP! I must have laughed out of my chair...they showed that like 4 times! lol It wasn't funny cause it isn't true...come on all of us here know who the real mvp is (well except AK lol...jk) but it was funny cause it was that picture, especially after our talk yesterday.

Improvements, improvements. Hate to say it, but again not a perfect game. A great game, a fabulous game, a game to make us proud. But little improvements never hurt anybody. First off...Please, Please don't put Smush (who actually played a great all around game for the most part...props) and Cook in the floor at the same time! Whenever it happens, we lose momentum. Second, we must not get caught up in their game...though it wasn't completely effective cause we got our heads back into the game...we must still focus on going inside! (It's kinda like when you're with someone, and this attractive person comes along....stay focus! Fast is not our style!). Third on the late offensive sets, we were running top of the key pick and roll. Now you all know I'm a Kobe fan...but we can't have him running around dribbling the ball at the top of the key! His teammates needs to help him out by moving, constantly move and you'll get the ball (that's what the triangle is all about!)

Finally, I was really proud yesterday. It was a great offensive game for us. I saw passing, and movement, mental passing (as in triangle conditioned) and it led to easy and great baskets! Movement frankly I haven't seen since showtime (in espn classic lol). Man I knew LO could pass, I knew Luke could pass, Smush at times, Kobe of course...but the Kwam, he could play (though I wasn't as surprised cause of MIke T...lol)! He had great passing, dribbling, and one-on-one defensive/offensive sets. He moved his feet really well, and passed like he was LO! I loved that block! I loved how LO took Marion out of the game both physically and mentally! (though he got a little going at the thirds...so we need to still watch for him in game 4) I Love this Game! lol

Go Lakers!

Laker Anger

Great story about Smush Parker and eating chicken!

Here is my story. Summer time last year, before the season started, I was near the Guitar Center in Hollywood doing a freelance graphic design for some guy. He wanted a CD layout. Well, I went to his apartment to do the job. When I came out of the apartment, standing in front of the building was a guy who, I swear, looked like Jerry Buss. I wasn’t sure if it was him. So being friendly and not wanting to spook the guy off, if it was, I said: “Hey, you look like Jerry Buss!” He looked at me friendly like and said: Yeah, I know! To this day I don’t know if it was him or not. I mean, really, if you met Jerry Buss on the streets would you know it was Jerry or someone who looked like Jerry? I mean, he’s not flashy or anything. He could get away with walking down the street with people stopping him, all the time, and saying: Hey, it’s Jerry Buss! All he would have to do is say, no; I just look like Jerry Buss. Who could argue with that? Kobe, Lamar, Kwame or any of the other Lakers couldn’t do that. Was it Jerry? I have no idea!

mike

Kevin Mck,

"That's terrible Mike, I can'te believe you like the white, but then again I don't buy into your vision either if it means missing an interview with Fish -it was great to see him there cheering on his old team and it didn't interfere with the game action."

That's the whole point. Seeing him is OK but having to listen to him while the game is being played on the radio...that's not acceptable. Plus he didn't say anything except the Lakers can beat the Suns. So what! I already know that!

Again, Spiro Dedes, DUMB ASS!

mike

Why doesn't anyone get TJ Simers? His job, is to get you riled up, to piss you off... the more successful the franchise, the more he wants to piss you off, to disrespect it in any way possible. You just feed into it when you get pissed off. Sit back and laugh, that's what he's doing.

Case and Point: Before any other media member, to my knowledge, ever started recognizing that the Shaq trade wasn't the worst b/c Shaq is a big (and I do mean big) lazy baby who was on the downside of his carrier, simmers was there, telling the media to take a chill pill on Kobe. It was so funny, after he wrote that, he had to do a spread about how much fan mail he recieved. If you have to do a spread b/c for once in your editorial carrier you recieve fan mail, I am pretty sure that your objective is not to please.

If Simmers is speaking out, it it probably to illicit a response.

I am always amazed at the idiots who respond, and treat him as if he actually believe what he is saying.

C'mon fans, show some common sense.

If there ever was any question of what kind of team the suns are, what kind of coach D'Antoni is, it's been answered. We spelled out great defensive adjustments yesterday...and he didn't get one in (well except for the Marion guarding Luke---who thought of that? props man---but they only did it for like 3 sets). They ran and ran and ran...they need to get it into their head that you can't just play O, you need to play D...or you'll be ODed (get it? haha). Thank god they're stubborn (though we would have won anyways ;-) I hope we continue with our play...whoop them into submission, cause that is what they deserved for not showing us respect, not giving us a chance, and especially for punking out on us!

Go Lakers! Playoffs baby! We can do it!

Ooooh... Laker sighting stories... my turn!

I saw Phil this past summer at the Aimee Mann concert at House of Blues on Sunset - he was up in the VIP section which I had also snagged access to by running into an old industry friend. After the concert was over, we followed Phil, John Black and I guess one of Phil's kids + girlfriend down to the Valet area where we eavesdropped on them until they brought Phil his mercedes - we overheard Phil speaking very unkindly of his supposed 'friend' Charlie Rosen, and had some criticizm of Shaq as well (talking about Shaq being out of shape and lazy) . At this point he hadn't even signed back on with the Lakers, so lots of us we're yelling "Come back Phil!" at him as he got in the car to leave, he gave a wave and a big smile making the whole evening worthwhile.

Speaking of Smush at Roscoes, I forgot to mention, I had kind of a weird sighting last night (I think, at least).

About a block from Staples as I was heading back to my car, I'm about 99% sure I saw Kurt Thomas walking with a few friends (one presumes) to an SUV in a nearby lot, where they all drove off. The guy looked exactly like Thomas and had a scowl going (which would be understandable, given the loss). And if that was him, that's very odd. I would have expected him to be getting on the team bus. Not that he needs to be getting a good night's sleep before today's practice. He ain't playing this series. I wouldn't blame the guy if he went out and got loaded after the game. I just would have expected his buddies to meet him at the hotel, and then they'd go.

Again, not 100% positive it was Thomas. But I'm pretty sure I'm right. And if so, little screwy.

AK

Just think about this for a sec. If Kobe knocked down those shots in Game 1, we would be looking at a sweep on Sunday.

Last night was a great game! But we still need 2 more wins against these guys. I think Sunday is a must win. We can't let them get any confidence back.

Purple and Gold-

I am a die hard lakers fan. I am studying abroad in South Africa, and I get up at 4:30 in the morning to 'watch' the gamecast of the play-off games. The second Shaq was traded I was thrilled, if anyone criticizes Kobe, I have words for them, and if anyone loves the lake show as blindingly as I do, I would be surprised.

That being said, it is my job as a fan to see things that way. It is Marc Stein's job as an analyst to see things as objectively as possible. I e-mail with Stein, and for some reason, when you are respectful, it gets you somewhere, so he e-mails back. The way he see's it, (as I called him out on the Suns in five prediction) is that when he made his prediction, every regular season game against the Suns the Lakers got smashed (minus the one where the reigning MVP didn't play, as well as Raja Bell). He just believed Suns had too many weapons- like us, he had never seen what we are seeing now, a laker team that is as balanced as it is. This is exactly what his latest column says. I think he is, in a way, calling himself out, saying that it is clear Suns aren't going to win in five.

I know our love for the lakers can make us read articles with a blind passion, and instinctively respond lividly, but take a second and hear what they are saying. Everyone on this Blog loves to talk about how espn hates the lakers, hates Kobe, loves LBJ, etc. But how would you feel if you were a Sonics fan for example? You would feel even less love. I am just saying... let's try and not just bash anyone who doesn't just love our team like we do.

AK, LOL! Funny story seeing that you see the Lakers all the time anyway. I would think that a Kurt Thomas sighting is pretty low as far as even mentioning it. LOL!

mike

We since we're at it, I have two stories.

Two nights ago I was at Hustler Casino playing some poker, and who else was there (not at the same table, of course. I would have to sell everything I own to post a blind at the tables he plays), that's right, Dr. Jerry Buss.

I'm in law school. Last semester I sent an e-mail to the Lakers' General Counsel, Jim Perzik. Jim came to my school (conveniently two blocks from Staples) to talk about Sports law and how he got started. He was Dr. Buss's real estate lawyer before he even bought the teams, and he's been with Buss ever since. He said Buss is a very loyal guy. He also brought one of his championship rings (yes, he gets them, too, which means he has as many as Dr. Buss). Wow. That things's a monster. He was passing around. It was quite entertaining.

JF

lol you guys are so funny. I saw Kobe once in Disneyland...I didn't do or say anything though. Though one of my friends is Vanessa's cousin (distant I think)...so top that for "sightings" lol...just kidding.

stat season game 3 game 2 game 1
FG% 47.858% 43.6 42.3 45.2
3PT% 39.999% 43.5 33.33 45.0
FT% 80.610% 82.4 100 91.4
FTA 18 17 18 35
FTM 14.5 14 18 32
FGM 41.8 34 33 33
FGA 87.4 78 78 73
3PM 10.2 10 9 9
3PA 25.6 23 27 20
REB 41.8 34 35 36
ASST 26.6 25 19 19

A look at the numbers folks,

First off all, purplehaemoglobin runs through my viens, and laker games are like an event at my house, no one calls the phone or knocks on my door. I live in florida and i got nba league pass so i have watched EVERY single minute of EVERY single LAKER game. Let me say passion plays an iportant part in the game but the numbers don't lie. Let me explain how that correlates (ENGINEERING STUDENT HERE). I am very much into looking at the numbers and they often tell a story that is only offset when there are the X factors of heart, desire and the "zone". Looking at the numbers we see that the suns are actually producing the same numbers and some even better numbers that they did in the regular season in a lot of statistical categories (FG%, 3PT%, FT%,FTA,FTM, 3PM, 3PA). So actually, despite some people saying, "well the lakers are up because the suns have not shot the ball well and blah, blah , blah", they should be saying that, "the suns need to step their game up because the lakers sure has step theirs up". Now where the suns are dying is in the "HEART " category. Rebounding is all heart and frankly speaking in the regular season they averaged way too much rebounds for a team with thier size. The lakers have stepped up and we see a huge rebounding difference for the suns, this correlates directly to the disparity between their season FGA and series FGA stat which consequently affects the "zones" that thier shooters get into. In summary, what i am saying is that the series is directly linked to rebounding and as KWAME showed last night (when he just shrugged the shrimp off) was that he thought he was physically superior in the series, coupled with the MATTRESS (MATRIX LOL) usual playoff disappearing act, there is no way the rebounding edge changes ( KOBE IS CRASHING THE BOARDS TOO, AND STEVE NASH 7 REBS (they are in big trouble)) in this series, this means no greater number of shots, no players getting into "zones" and a lot more fustration. So, no MIKE DANTONI (or whatever), the suns can't get back to playing suns basketball because 1) they are already doing it to the degree they can 2) they will never get 42 rebs in a game against us.

All this numbers stuff is great, but you know what, F the suns, condescending BASTARDS. And yes, steve nash does not like KOBE (on this blog we discussed this for days), i think KOBE does not care for him either. They thought the lakers were nothing and now OH OH. I wish we embarass them on national TV sunday. Now nash feels how itis like to not have anyone step up and our little MVP cannot take over the game like our guy can, but our guy can surely play the facilitator like he can.

Hey Mike T, i had faith in KWAME just like you have, actually at the start of the season i made the bet kwame wins Most Improved Player, needless to say i loss, but i still feel i won. I would have exiled the LAKERS from my TV if they had traded lamar (just as i did for a month when they traded EDDIE JONES) and i love to see sasha play ( whenever he comes in the game, i sit up to see who he is gonna harass to the popint where he just gets punched, and now he is finally shooting EUROPEAN) and SMUSH is really playground and athletic like F#$#. Here is another thing, the way SMUSH is posting up NASH, they will start double teaming, FUNNY the two-time MVP needs help defending a kid who 1) nobody wanted 2) played all other the world 3) played in the WNBA (bill walton made that statement LOL), imagine KOBE needing help defending let me see hmmmmm raja bell or any other average player.

Finally (i promise LOL), the playoffs really hinge a lot on coaches and MIKE DANTONI (or whatever, i like the guy and his style, it is fun to watch) cannot carry PHIL "KOBE DOES WHATEVER WE DECIDE ON" JACKSON jock strap. So while PHIL makes changes like;

1) Incoparating LUKE in the lineup since in the regular season, to get luke accustomed to feeding the post for the matchup with the suns
2) realizing the KOBE was too passive in game one, so he switched him out of the weak side in the triangle (the natural off SF position in the traingle) to the guard position which handles the ball more.
3) Adding one more option in game 3 by posting up SMUSH more (by game 5, steve nash, the suns engine will be so tired, we will have to park the entire curb on the curb LOL).

MIKE does not nothing, he just refuses to say, you know what maybe, we should post up marion, or try to isolate diaw on kwame or run nash off more screen and pops as opposed to screen and rolls. Sad it is (shout out to YODA LOL) when a man refuses to accept the need for change.

I am out, purple haemoglobin flows through my blood, hope you guys enjoyed my first post.

Question for AK, BK whomever,

Last night on the lakers postgame show they had reports that Tim Thomas sprained his MCL any truth to this and does this make him a scratch for 4? If so I say Lakers take it in 5 because without Thomas's 22 in game one it would have been a Laker victory. Not to mention he single handily kept the Suns in the game with 16 in the first.

Thanks

3) played in the WNBA (bill walton made that statement...lol

Actually he said WNBA developmental league lol

elyse u are right that i should be more respectful which i am normally but stein kills me he hates the lakers and worshipes nash for no reason.
i hated when he said suns in five after game 2.
man we play our hearts out so a know northing guy(ok so he knows his basketball but he is bias)say that kobe doesnt deserve the MVP but nash does and that the suns should beat the lakers and that kobe doesnt help his teamates when kobe s less talented teamates are whiping the floor(litterly whith kwame haha)whith the suns.
wats the guys s email anyway(promise not to curse)

Did TNT do the game last night? Where are the Barkley comments? Are there any links to the post game show from TNT?

mike

Mike it was on espn...and there was no post game...just half time and a short short 2 comment thing on sportscenter

AK, you got the score wrong. its 99-92.

why are you giving an extra point to the suns? you a phoenix fan? ;)

hehehe!

Mike T.,

I hear ya. It was just so freaking random, I thought it merited mention.

AK

Thanks Faith!

Oh yeah, BTW

;-)

mike

Faith,

Was that all you got from my rant.

LOL

Jumper,

Sorry. Typo. The "2" and "3" were too close together. It's been changed. Thanks for the heads up.

AK

purplehemoglobin...no lol...it was all good ;-)

The thing I don't get about Marc Stein

He is from SoCal right? I mean I always see him talking about Cal State Fullerton and Bruce Bowen. I don't know anybody who attended CSUF who wasn't pretty local.

Anyhow, I figured that he would have been a Laker fan growing up. Idk, maybe he was one of those folks that always cheered for the other team just to be different (I have little respect for folks like that, btw). So why so little love for the Lakers now?

The best I can come up with is that he *was* a lakers fan and maybe a Magic Johnson more than anything else so he loves anything that reminds him of Magic.

He just seems to have a real bias towards elite PGs (Nash, but also Jason Kidd). Who knows--maybe he was a back up PG on his HS team.

If anybody knows a little back story on Stein and why he *seems* to disfavor the Lakers so much, I'd love to hear it. If you know one of my assumptions to be wrong (ie Stein grwing up in SoCal), I'd like to hear that too.

I don't mind commentators perspectives when they differ from my own, but this one just doesn't make sense to me. Maybe it's like a Bill Walton thing where he feels like he has to be overly critical of Luke to come off as unbiased. Maybe Stein feels he needs to be harsh on the lakers to be unbiased. Again, this is premised on the assumption that Stein was a Laker fan growing up. Anyhow, I personally prefer the Bill Simmons/Steven A Smith style where they come to the table and lay out their biases and go from there. I know there are different reasons for having different styles, etc. but I just don't get where Marc Stein is coming from sometimes.

poyo

I personally think that Nash at the helm would have brought the Brokebacks to a MUCH higher seeding THIS year. Your team, which always had the potential, would have realized it much sooner. It's the leadership and magic that Nash offers, with whoever he has to work with. He's a natural born leader on the basketball court. Kobe may only be developing into one. With Amare out, did you really think the Suns were going to fair so well this year?

Steve Nash is MVP. That's the point. It is not a statement that Kobe won't be considered the greatest player of all time one day. Steve Nash is America's choice for MVP this year, respective to the way it is set up. Many Brokebackers do not see it that way. Fair enough. Let it go.

In hockey stats kobe would have had 25 assits. The suns are afriad of the lakers, and Nash needs to understand the lakers are just dominating them and he should not blame his teamates anymore.

Kobe has the best mind in basketball which he is showing this playoff. His defense is back, the last time he played defense this well was in the finals against the pistons when he would play Rip, billups and Williamson.

Scarier thing the lakers did not even play that well and they still manhandled the suns.
I expect to see a better lakers team than fridays's team they really wanted to put on a show for the crowd meaning they were not relaxed. On sunday they will make those easy shots and shot better from the three point line, and its about time Kobe goes off on this team i see 35pts and 10assits sunday's game.

Lakers fans should be very proud of this team. They ain't scared of nobody

In fact, I believe stein was a beat writer for Los Angeles Daily News... (can anyone back that up)? When we talk, he seems to actually really like the Lakers, he was also among the first writers to ask the media to give Kobe a second chance, and stop blaming him for the deconstruction of the team (see his new year's resolution piece two years ago....). He even told me the reason which he didn't vote Kobe was mostly b/c he didn't think lakers were a valid potential contender...i.e. into western conference finals or farther.... That's also why he couldn't vote for LBJ. Stein was also one of the only ESPN kids to predict the lakers would finish in the post season... (go ahead, check it out, he said they would finish in eigth).

I understand where you guys are coming from, that's why I started e-mailing him. But, sometimes, even though I don't agree, I can respect where he is coming from. At least a lot more than a guy like Rosen, who is always hating on Kobe... or until recently Simmon's who is another known Kobe disliker.

Sonny,

Isn't the Queens blog enough for you? I mean its kinda fun hearing you make yourself look stupid with your inanity, but seriously. I mean brokebacks doesn't even make any sense. You might as well just say the gay lakers. Now go back to cheering for your silly ass team and try to console yourself when they are booted out of the playoffs like the losers they are.

ps- if actually ever watched a laker game this season (minus the times they played the Queens) then you might have some some idea of why kobe had a far superior season than the white boy from canada.

I saw LO in Miami during the MTV Awards!! He told me we're going to surprise alot of people this year!!! (I had to tell my Laker "in the flesh" story too)!!!

Lakers in Five!!!

GO LAKERS!!!

Sonny,

If you look at thet brackets, the 7th seed was the perfect place to be in. We all know it's all about the post season; so why care about the regular season record. Especially if you can get a much easier path to the finals. I'm just sayin'

KWAME BROWN:

"They were trying to take it to us," Brown said. "So we just had to hit back. We can't be pushed around, especially when they're smaller than us."

LOL! You got to love it!

mike

SUNDAY BLOODY SUNDAY

Oh the irony...a few weeks ago, the former "coach of the year" Mike D'Antoni decides to rest the "mvp" Steve Nash and Raja Bell in a nationally televised ABC game against the Lakers. These Suns were definitly looking forward to a first round matchup with the Lakers, and didn't want to give the Lakers any edge by risking a loss...of course this move by D'Antoni infuriated me and many Laker fans, but now a few weeks later, this move by D'Antoni very well might cost his team this series, had they played, maybe they'd at least get a sense of our "inside man" game plan and did some serious soul searching (of course we'd still beat them in the end tho)...Now tomorrow, in front of Staples, in front of the Laker fans, in front of the nation, in front of the world, the Lakers have a chance to DESTROY THESE SUNS, and Dántoni and Steve Nash have nowhere to hide, the confidence on that Sunday in early April has left this Suns team (I don't care what that bitch Raja Bell says), and now this whole franchise could be at a turning point, they could lose it all, they can be exposed for what they are, and how they maybe have so-called myps and coach of the yrs and 50 win season, ultimately they are failures...

lol sorry, ok i had to get that out of my system, but seriously, not that I'm really doubting the Lakers won't maintain and increase the intensity, I hope they realize how much more symbolistic tomorrow's game is, and use that Sunday in early April when the Suns insulted them with that classless move as extra motivation to DESTROY THESE SISSIES heyyyyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!

Ran in to Bill Bertka once while shopping. He siad something like "how you doing?" before frantically trying to distance himself from the weird people who recodnized him.

Sonny, while your blogs tend to be a little screwy, I always thought they were at least intelligent. What happened? If you paid any attention at all this season, you would understand that, as his young, inexperienced teammates learned the most complex offensive system in the NBA, Kobe was forced (yes, FORCED) to single handedly keep the team in playoff contention. That REQUIRED 40, 50, 60, and even 81 point performances at times. In order to win while the team learned, Kobe, the only one in the league capable of doing so, lifted the team upon his shoulders and carried them until they were able to take their share of the load.
They are now ready, and, as always Kobe is doing what is required to win games. He is the only player in the NBA that could have pulled this off. He is proving that he is not only a scorer, but a distributo, floor general, defensive stopper, and cheerleader.
Oh, and also a winner, but I can understand why a Kings fan wouldn't recognize one of those...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uFBxNCiL7cw&search=lakers
litle something something for the occasion and in the memory of the great chick hearns
(since lots of u have been missing him so much)

LUKE WALTON:

"I wasn't trying to hurt him (Thomas)," Walton said. "This is the playoffs. No layups. He had a wide-open layup, and I was going for the ball. I got his arm and I wanted to make sure he didn't get a (three-point play). I went hard with it."

That's how you do it! You got to love it!

mike

chuck sorry typo(u and i beeing so close)
and here is another one of kwame and diaw thing(kick their ass,jk)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VKAj0HQnsuA&search=lakers

lol Mike...good one!

That's how it's supposed to be...that is why we got Kwame...we needed to be physical (though in this case I think Phoenix started it lol). We were so soft last year.

Ok, Lakerville…

So where do we stop? How high should we let our hopes and expectations go. No doubt our team is playing terrific basketball. They peaked at the end of the season winning 11 of the last 14. But that was just the prelude to their best basketball yet. Are they going to get better in these playoffs? Have they peaked? Can they really make it to the finals?

I cannot explain in words what I am seeing. It seems that every minute that goes by I see our young team growing. A visible growth; confidence, execution, hussle, PRIDE, and a team bond that we have not seen in a long time, even through those championship years (00-03) where there was always bickering amongst them. When was the last time you looked over at the Laker bench and saw all the players standing, cheering, and dancing after every play? When have you seen this many chest-bumps, hugs, and high-fives? When was the last time you actually felt that these players liked each other and had each other’s back (look at Kobe go to his teammates’ defense, and vise versa). When was the last time the crowd got there early and was yelling the entire time? This isn’t NBA basketball; it’s Duke in the Final Four (and I say that every bit in a positive manner). All heart, all passions, all innocent fun.

The Suns struggled down the stretch. Are they still struggling or are the Lakers really taking it to them? If they are struggling then can this series be an accurate gauge, or is it merely a mirage. I think my heart and mind are in sync on this one when I say that the Lakers HAVE gotten THAT good. Then again, my bias might be interfering with my logic and/or reality.

Again, where should we put our expectations at? At what point do we tiptoe the line of satisfaction and disappointment. When the playoffs started I hoped that the Lakers would win at least one, merely asking them to “compete” against the Suns. I never realistically thought that they could win this series. At this point, I would be perturbed if they didn’t win, which mean my expectations have gone up. Next series we would get either the Nuggets or the Clippers. When the playoffs started I mentioned that there were only 2 teams that I felt could beat us; the Spurs and the Suns. We are obviously pounding the latter, so I expect a date with San Antonio. It my heart I feel we can beat San Antonio if we keep playing this way. In my heart I feel that we have more than a punchers chance to beat anything the East has to offer. As you can see, my expectations have gone up considerably. Is that fair to the Lakers? Am I asking for too much now? I want to applaud their progress but at the same time I don’t want them to “settle”. I don’t ever recall a time where Laker fans would accept both. Our expectations have always been either a championship or getting knocked out early because we weren’t that good. Most of us felt the latter coming into the playoffs, but now we are at a crossroad where this team has developed into something special and apparently have the ability to make more than noise. I want to be firm, but I want to be just.

Any ideas?

man you gotta love the web also...this are the post-game interviews I missed in case you guys missed it too!

http://cbs2.com/video/?cid=71

(if it's showing incorrectly...just click on the bar that says top stories and go to sports)

Thanks Faith!!!! Awesome link!!!

LoLo,

I hear you, man. At first, just making it to the playoffs and competing was the goal. We wanted to make some noise. Well, I think that goal has been achieved and surpased. Now we bar has risen, and we want more. We've gotten a taste of how great they can play, we've gotten a taste of what it's like to win in in the playoffs again, and we want that to continue. That being said, I don't think we should be disappointed if they lose in the second round or in the conference finals. Remember, when Phil came in, he was hoping to reach the finals by the last year of his three-year contract. They have far exceeded anyone's expectations thus far.

That's my 2 cents worth.

JF

Sonny-

I like that you think that Nash was, how did you phrase it....oh, yes "Steve Nash is America's choice for MVP this year, respective to the way it is set up"

Steve Nash is not America's choice... if reports are correct, as I assume they are, then this is the choice of a select few media members. This is the way it is set up, but it is NOT "america's choice"... America has nothing to do with it. I am pretty sure America voted Kobe. Minus a few polls here or there in Arizona, Texas, and Ohio....

Respective to the way it is set up, Kobe got screwed, but everyone on this post knows that, so there is really no point in debating it anymore.

Please don't entertain the thoughts of a man who makes points(?) like this...

I personally think that Nash at the helm would have brought the Brokebacks to a MUCH higher seeding THIS year. Your team, which always had the potential, would have realized it much sooner. It's the leadership and magic that Nash offers, with whoever he has to work with. He's a natural born leader on the basketball court. Kobe may only be developing into one. With Amare out, did you really think the Suns were going to fair so well this year?

-the blogger formerly known as Sonny Belfast

Sonny is at again, boys & girls!! These points you make may (and I emphasize MAY)have had some credence prior to this series but the fact you bring this up now is nothing more than you trying to dampen our Laker spirit with your hate!!! Its all good Sonny, cause I know you would love to have your team in the position that the Lakers are in!!!

Leadership & magic?! You don't even give your own point guard those kind of props. Nash ain't David Blain, dawg!!! You're obviously recovering from your drunken stooper after your squad got that V last night!!!

Lakers are winning this series and Kobe will be the peoples MVP!!! Enjoy your playoff run, Sonny!! It ends soon....

LoLo,

What do we have to lose by choosing to believe in what we're seeing? I mentioned before the playoffs started that the Lakers are not over achieving. We are playing to our potential! We are playing fundamental basketball with that potential. As Kobe Bryant said last night: This isn't a fluke, luck, or a full moon type of thing. This is hard work! So you have to ask yourself, how far can hard work take you? It's not like we don't have the personal to deal with anyone. Defensively, Kwame Brown can deal with Brand, Kaman, Duncan, R. Wallace, and B. Wallace one on one, which leaves those teams having to play from the outside in. That, in and of itself, theortically, gives us the edge if we look at percentages. Outside shooting is low percentage basketball in a series where defense is the issue. How far can we go? As far as our defense takes us because on the offensive end, we have Kobe Bryant.

mike

Another real Story,

I worked in Michael Jackson's neverland. I saw Lamar odom lurking in the garden ( when he was with clippers.) people say he used to hide his pot there. Not sure if this is true. But I saw him couple of times. Man he is freaking tall.

Faith,

Good link! Thanks!

mike

Lolo...

I am excited too. But lets just get through one series at a time. Detroit is a pretty remarkable team. So is San Antonio. Nothing is impossible. And with Phil and Kobe, I could not say I would rule anything out. But we still have to win six more games before we even get to that...before it is even something we try to figure out. And, I don't think they will necessarily be six easy wins. IF the Lakers made it to the Western Conference Finals, and that is counting one to many chickens, they will already have greatly exceeded anyone's expectations, save perhaps Mr. Bryant.

Hey people,

you people are feeling as if Lakers won the title this year. But you don't the fact the Phoenix will win the next 3 games to close the series. Too much hype around lakers is going on. Kobe is becoming impaties and will go with the old ways with too much over confidence.

Over confidence will kill the lakers. We cannot impose something we didn't do the the whole year in regular season. Kobe goes for 40+ and Lakers lose in next 3 games. so much for the hoopla.

Michael Teniente,

you sound like a 12 year virgin girl. I see most of the stuff you post is copied from other laker blogs. nice work.

OK, TJ Simers just went on my "such an attention-whore idiot that he's not even worth a glance" list. He wasn't "entertained" at that game?? That was easily the most exciting game of the season.

LoLo,
I feel the exact same way as u do, as the beginning of the series i hoped that they would win a couple of game and make some noise. Now i also adjusted my expectations, but I do realize that no matter what happens this year, the growth of odom, kwame and luke will be very beneficial for the years to come.

If kobe keep playing the role of distributor even in the regular season, we can be a top 4 team in the west, needless to say that we will add talents this summer..

So its all upside for Lakers for now (instead of the Heat, which is all down side with shaq deteriorating and they have to pay wade the max in a year)

and i take comfort in that

Mike-

Dealing with a banged up Suns squad and a full strength, extremely good Detroit squad are two very different levels. And, while we have been playing well defensively, we just have to keep in mind that Phoenix is not known as a strong defensive team which has helped our offense.

Mike T,

While we as fans might not have much to lose I don’t want to be hard on these guys by suddenly raising expectations. I want them to win but I don’t want them to feel like there’s a point they have to reach in order for this season not to be a loss. I think I will stick to my old expectations and just say anything else is gravy.

I also never thought the Lakers were overachieving. If anything, I felt they were underachieving for the longest time. With these kids being so young and within a new system I felt that there was nowhere to go but up. True, these players as individuals are not impressive at all. Put them together and you get a bunch of kids that have the Suns on their heals. Bottom line is that I never felt they could get this good (as a team, not as individuals). I don’t think they are overachieving; I think they have developed into more than I ever expected. They deserve all the kudos in the world for that. They need our support to continue to grow and I don’t want to be unfair to them by raising expectations on the fly. (Did you see how Kwame shot those free throws when the crowd was chanting his name? I have never seen him so confident.)

anybody wonder what the clippers were thinking when they saw the lakers beat the suns?

im pretty sure it was something like "aw hell nah"

before i get ahead of myself that was a great win, and hopefully we got one on sunday too...

Go Lakers...

LoLo and to the rest of the nay sayers,

What's with you people? Are you putting money on how far the Lakers will go? If so then I guess you should be worried. If not, loosen up!

LoLo,

"I don’t want to be unfair to them by raising expectations on the fly."

Do you really think that having high expectations for these guys is fair or unfair? They're not a bunch of babies that we have to be careful around because they're fragile and we might disturb their growth pattern. Sounds like you might be a teacher who's dealing with a bunch of kids and you're projecting your point of view on how you deal with kids on the Lakers. They're grown men. They are playing the way they're playing because they are trying to win a Championship. As quiet as it's keep, that's their expectation. That's why PJ is putting up numbers on the chalk board after every game. It's 14 now. It sounds like if your afraid of anything, you're afraid of disappointing yourself. Again, why? Unless you're gambling money, I just don't understand your reasoning.

Elyse

Yeah, right! First it was the Lakers weren't going to beat the Suns. It was Suns in 5 and so and so forth. Now it's because the Suns are injured. Fundamental basketball will get you as far as you apply it. Detriot is extremely good because they play fundamental basketball. Nothing more nothing less. Screen out Ben Wallace, Stop Rasheed Wallace and you have Tayshon Prince, Richard Hamilton, and Chauncy Billups having to beat you. I know Kwame can stop Rasheed, so that leaves only Ben Wallace. I wouldn't start Luke Walton against Detriot unless he's ready to body up Ben. As for the Pistons, their bench is their weakness. Their starter have played mega minutes this year. By the time the finals arrive they will be on their last leg. I like to see what they can do with a constant body on them with those tired legs.

mike

LoLo,

"I want them to win but I don’t want them to feel like there’s a point they have to reach in order for this season not to be a loss."

That's funny! Do you really think they will "feel" like we're going to turn on them if they lose? That is rich! I mean, read what you said there. Doesn't that sound somewhat condensending to you? Again, they are not fragile babies. They are paid millions to perform the way they are performing. Jerry Buss didn't sign Kobe Bryant to mega dollars (or PJ, for that matter) because they are measured in terms of what is consider "a loss." Even if we had a team of experienced players, getting to the Finals always has a bit of chance involved. The Lakers when they beat the Kings, on Horry's last second shot, could have been consider lucky to have reached the finals that year. Would that season been considered a loss if we hadn't made it? Why? Because Horry does or does not make a last second 3-pointer? It an emotional investment that we have here. And it's up and down until we win or lose our opportunity to win a CHAMPIONSHIP this year, and in every other year.

mike

hey mike T, don't drink all of that laker juice all by yourself, pass the wealth. I want some too cause i am too scared to believe man, no one but the bloggers understand, when the lakers losses, i don't watch sports center i skip all the sports shows and so on. My only solace is my dear bloggers, so i will sip on that laker juice and believe and rest on the shoulders of my fellow bloggers IF we fail and sip champagne with my brethren WHEN we succed.

LoLo,

I say just let our expectations run wild. For me that is part of the fun of being a die hard fan - believing in your team in spite of what all the so-called experts (and sometimes even logic and reason) say. I won't be happy unless we win a championship. Will I be disappointed this year? Probably. But that's ok, a little disappointment never killed anyone. I was disappointed last year, and the year before, and the year before. I was especially disappointed in the late '90s when it seemed like we lost in the playoffs to Utah every freakin' year! (I know it was only twice, but in my memory it seems like so much more.) But, for me at least, there is no joy unless there is also the lurking posibility of ultimate failure. That is, aside from the pleasure of watching such a poetic, musical, and mathematic game such as basketball.

Some of you people remind me of that old Bible story, when Moses send spy to the land. Most of them came back with the report: There's giants in the land! We can't go in there and take it from them. While only 2 came back with a report: It's a land flowing with milk and honey! Let's make our move and posses it!

Scarey cats and dreamer. LOL!

mike

Mike T,

I’m not a teacher; but they are in fact kids and they are fragile. If they weren’t then why have a development league? Why have rules that determine how old you have to be in order to get drafted? In fact, you of all people should be the last person to be talking like these people are grown men after all your talk about how we needed to get Kwame’s confidence level up by nurturing him as if he was a baby. Why? For what? In your words he should have lived up to being the number 1 pick from the get-go. So save the hypocritical none-sense for someone else.

They’re not playing that way because they want to win a championship. They are playing that way because they are developing. The theory of playing for a championship is a cliché that does not mean much in the age of free agency and over-priced players. Sure they all want to win, but the problem is that most people want to win their way, and not by playing “fundamental” basketball.

As for your theory of me disappointing myself, that’s ridiculous. I take my job as fan seriously. If there is something I can do to help develop these players I will do it. I start by not confusing my “wants” with my expectations. I “want” them to win every game. Period. But that is not very realistic, is it? And if I ridicule them for not going undefeated then I am a fool. If you don’t think that a player getting booed by his own crowd does not do any harm, especially to a young player, then you’re the fool. There’s a time and place for everything, and getting on your team for expectations that suddenly lose reality does not have a place in sports. My goal is to quickly realize where those expectations should lie considering that these young players are growing in front of our eyes into a team that is about to make more than noise in these playoffs.

Purple and Gold,
Thanks for posting that http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VKAj0HQnsuA&search=lakers

The only reason I re-posted it is because there was something telling on that clip. Notice how Diaw, who was the guy who got levelled in the first place, flops so theatrically, and then calmly walks around trying to contain *everyone else* on his team.

If you were in his position, wouldn't you be the one trying to get in Kwame's face? Wouldn't you atleast be a little bothered by someone basically treating you like a gnat? Not Boris.

Methinx the entire thing was manufactured with the hope to get one or more Lakers [Kwame specifically] thrown out. That's right - the Suns have started resorting to cheap tricks to get back in the game/series. They know they can't do anything with the size advantage we have in the middle, so they are trying to even the playing field by getting our big thrown out. Who's Kwame's back-up? Cookie? Turiaf?

Phil needs to factor this in. Don't believe me? Check the clip out for yourself!

If the Lakers can win tomorrow:
They can take the series with Phoenix easily.
There is no reason why they can't then beat (probably) the Clippers to go to the conference finals.

After that, you never know if Timmy's foot might go completely south on him or Tony might pull a muscle or something... or, on the positive side, the Lakers might suddenly stop making the quantity of turnovers and elementary mistakes that form the basic reason why they can't presently hope to beat a team like the Spurs.

But all that is moot talk if the Lakers don't win tomorrow...

14

Hariyahu,

Good point. I hope the league doesn't use the angle from that video to assess any penalties, since from that angle it clearly looks like that Kwame threw an elbow, which was not the case.

Anyone,

Would the league have announced a suspension by now if they were going to assess one?

JF

Let me chime in on the seemingly debate of the day ;-)

I think the sky is the limit for this team. We have to remember that they are a young developing team...and in that process look what they have accomplished so far! I don't think they've peaked as of yet...for 2 reasons. One, Kobe isn't playing as well as he can play with others playing as well (and it is possible, game 2 was the closest I've seen) and 2, we're still so young that you have to figure they can get so much better, so much smarter, and so much more confident. It's also important to remember that each team goes into the playoffs for a championship. Each team has the option to reach that high, for fans to visualize that stage (regardless of position) after all in sports anything is possible right? It is very possible, if nothing else cause we've got Kobe, and Phil, couple that with an emerging TEAM, then you've got something special.

And no I have never seen anything as FUN as this is...for both us and the team. I remember even during the championship years...there wasn't this sense of accomplishment, a sense of ownership, a sense of enthusiam. Perhaps it was because of reputation/expectations...regardless, I'm taking it.

Finally, it really has nothing to do with Phoenix. It's all about what we do, and what we won't let them do. The Suns are struggling not completely because they're without their key players, but also because we are throwing them out of their game. They just don't get it, you can't play O, no D, and expect not to OD (come on you guys have to get it this time hehe). The difference between their game, the reason why they can't win championships (as of yet) is that they don't have the defense, the mentality that the showtime had with almost the same fast-paced offense. We are creating our own breaks, we are hindering their spirit...that is how we're winning, and that is how I think we should always play...and finally, that is why we as fans should continue to have faith, support and hope.

Go Lakers! It's all gravy baby! ;-)

AP Article posted 23 minutes ago: http://msn.foxsports.com/nba/story/5552966

LoLo,

Yeah, right, a while back I said I was going to chew some lakers ass when they blew a 15 point lead and you were right there saying: I'm with Mike T. I'm going to chew some lakers ass, too. Specifically Phil Jackson. So, quit your two-face stance.

As for them being kids. They are not in the D-League so it doesn't apply or at least logic would indicate that.

LAMAR ODOM:
"When you've got five guys on the court who are a threat, it's hard to defend," said Lamar Odom, who had 15 points and 17 rebounds. "Look at Detroit. It probably confuses the team we're playing against, when you win the game and Kobe scores 15 or 16 points."

Does that sound as if they aren't thinking Championhship? Odom just compared the Lakers to the Pistons. Why? Because it's obvious that fundamental basketball is what it takes to win a Championship. The only question is playing together for a couple of years to be able to jell.

KWAME BROWN:
"Most of these teams in the playoffs have been together for a while," Brown said. "We were put together at the beginning of the year. This is a little quick for us to jell."

Even Kwame Brown knows that! They know what they are doing! They understand it's about jelling. Do you think they understand all that just because they think they're going to fall short? NO!

You didn't think they were kids when they were playing bad, hell, you were brutal. Now they're playing great and their kids again. Yeah, right!

mike

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/recap;_ylt=Asbi6ZjIshAJhN7fJfGTDLm8vLYF?gid=2006042813&prov=ap

And another thing - guess who was the last Sun [besides Diaw] to enter the scene, and the first one to leave it - "America's MVP", of course!

something I forgot to mention...

It's important that we stay within ourselves, and play as physical...because I have a feeling that a frustrated and cornered team will not only resort to the same "dirty" tactics that they've tried last game (I agree with Hariyahu...it was premeditated). I think this time, they're likely to take the legs out of both Kobe and LO. So we need to protect our own, and stay within ourselves.

Go the Kwam! Go Kobe! Go LO (Go low LO lol)! Go Smush! Go Luke! Go our bench! lol ;-)

LoLo,

"They’re not playing that way because they want to win a championship. They are playing that way because they are developing. The theory of playing for a championship is a cliché that does not mean much in the age of free agency and over-priced players. Sure they all want to win, but the problem is that most people want to win their way, and not by playing “fundamental” basketball."

As far as bring up free agency and most people want to win thier way. Well, it's clearly not the case in this series and to bring it up as part of a debate makes you the fool.

You should check out the link hariyahu put up. Then tell me what you see! Do you see a kid who is overly sensitive about what people might think or say? Look at it good. That's Kwame Brown! The growing up has come and gone. It's all about playing! Nothing more and nothing less. Only a fool can't see that.

mike

hariyahu

I think you're right. The Suns would try to get under Brown's skin by holding and pushing him because they want him to lose his cool. Because without Brown the Suns can attack the middle. It's obvious.

mike

hariyahu

LOL! It's funny if you look at Diaw when he goes down. Look at him layout as if he's really been abused. Then after a few seconds look how he springs to his feet like as if he saying, I was just acting! LOL!

mike

Question for NBA historians (or those with enough time to research):

When was the last time a 7 seed took on a 6 seed in the second round?

JF

This was posted by Jeanie Buss on April 17, 2006 on the Courtside Connection page of Lakers.com:

"Nice win over the Suns yesterday even though they decided to rest Steve Nash. It is an interesting move on the part of Phoenix. It seems that they want to meet the Lakers in the first round – I have even received phone calls from Suns executives telling me they want to play the Lakers instead of Sacramento. I don’t know why they would tell me that but I guess they think it is a compliment."

Serves them right.

When Stein worked for the Daily News, he covered the Clippers. He is a Clippers fan. What do you think he thinks about the Lakers???? As a reporter, he tries to be neutral, but biases always show through. I believe he was the first to report that Kobe was considering the Clippers when he would be a free agent. It probably added to his bias when Kobe stayed with the Lakers.

Detroit's getting beat up by the Bucks.

Check out the poll on who the Nike "Baller of the Year" should be. http://www.nba.com/nike/

greetings all! still unbelievably ecstatic over the win... altho i would really call the next one "THE must win" ...it's clear to me that the suns are timid but just saying the right things in the post-game interviews... we got to break 'em on sunday even more and not allow the suns to recapture their swagger

and is it just me or is nash completely clueless to all things defense? does he honestly believe that the suns are just hurting themselves, giving NO credit to the defense the lakers are playing?
and did ya'll see smush killing nash on the post-up... i was too impressed with smush's bullying skills ... IMO the mvp has shown flashes but not enough this series to make me ride his jock strap as the rest of america does

Laker Fan, you worked at neverland? cool! i visited your little town there in solvang, nice. a little too danish for me (esp. since i stuck out like a black panther in alabama) but lovely, little town.

my true brush with fame story...
okay, it's not a laker story but LA sports team nonetheless. the year i graduated from college, i ran into St. Louis Rams team president John Shaw at LAX... i told him i was from the da Lou, a huge fan of the Rams and better luck next year in the super bowl. also told him i was trying to find some throwback LA Rams clothes in the city but couldn't. he asked for my address then a week later, HOOKED me up with a gang of ol' school LA rams gear. No lie. how nice was that!

Concentration is so important. I'm watching the Bucks destroy the Pistons, 114-91 3' left.

Let's not get too cocky. We are not Detroit (yet), so we can't afford to give anything tomorrow.

All the way?

I've posted this 5 times this season. This league is spread thin and relatively weak in comparison to years past. It's open season.

Why not be optimistic? Not because this version of the Lakers is point perfect but because the competition isn't all that strong. SA is aching and aging. The Clips are the Clips. We can beat Dallas [LO can stick Dirk]. Detroit has Rip hurtin' and the way we're going now, they'd have to play Chauncey on Kobe and that won't get it done. It's doable. Why bother with probable when possilbe is all you need as a fan?

Having said that, with K Thomas and Amare, this version of the Suns would probably win it all. Probably. This year I like our possible better.

and another thing about Mr. MVP... he doesn't seem to even understand his opponent!

remember this backhanded comment before the series started? steve, i think you greatly underestimated the lakers.

"If we get beat by Kwame, then it's probably not a good sign," Nash said. "They've got the best player in the game over there, and if Kwame Brown beats us, you'd think that'd be in our game plan. Obviously, he's a little bigger than the guys we have, but we're more worried about Kobe.

"It's difficult to change who you are. They're a Kobe Bryant offensive team. It's hard to go back now and say, 'OK, Kwame, you've got to get us 15 points on the block tonight.' . . . If he's not shooting 50 percent down there, they're not going to keep going there. Kobe's not going to let the ball get back in there."

All the way?

I've posted this 5 times this season. This league is spread thin and relatively weak in comparison to years past. It's open season.

Why not be optimistic? Not because this version of the Lakers is point perfect but because the competition isn't all that strong. SA is aching and aging. The Clips are the Clips. We can beat Dallas [LO can stick Dirk]. Detroit has Rip hurtin' and the way we're going now, they'd have to play Chauncey on Kobe and that won't get it done. It's doable. Why bother with probable when possilbe is all you need as a fan?

Having said that, with K Thomas and Amare, this version of the Suns would probably win it all. Probably. This year I like our possible better.

Watching the Nuggets-Clippers game... Denver fans must be the stupidest in the league. They waste all their energy yelling at opposing players rather than supporting their own team. And for no good reason. They still boo Sam Cassell because he played well against them in the playoffs a few years ago. Just ridiculous.

Cbuck,

Wow, I'm a big Ram fan too. Today we drafted a CB name Tye Hill, Then we got 2 tight ends. One is Dominque Byrd. I don't know what gonna happen next year but I'm a big Fan.

Also that comment by Nash, wow, that's crazy. But now he knows.

mike

Vman,

I hear you. For whatever reason, this is an emotional ride were on. Why not take the high road of those emotions, right?

GO LAKERS!

MAKE THE OBEY!

mike

Anyone interested in 2 tickets to tomorrow's game (not for free)? Section 322 row 12. Guy wants $85 each, which is what he paid on stubhub. I assume he can't make it to the game. E-mail me.

Nevermind about the tickets. They're sold. Sorry.

Wow, Detroit 104, Bucks 124. Wow!

Anybody watch this and see why Detroit got whupped so badly?

Is the door open?

It's fun reading all those comments that the Suns made (or implied) before the series having seen what the Lakers are doing to the Suns right now!

While I don't have the "visions" like Mike T, there is a crazy thought in the back of my head that the Lakers have at least a shot of making the Finals this year. Not that it will be easy, but because of the one-time-only seeding quirks (which the NBA will fix pronto), and because of MATCHUPS, I'm saying there's a chance.

The Lakers have shown that they can win this series in two or three more games as long as they keep doing what they're doing. The Clippers or Denver in Round 2 can also result in a series win -- the Lakers did well against both teams and they definitely have momentum. Dallas has a shot at defeating San Antonio in the other part of the bracket, and we all know how well they match up with us (62, anyone?). If Miami finds a way to make it to the Finals ... whoa.

BUT -- it's hard enough to sustain this intensity for a 7 game series, let alone 3 or 4. The Lakers need to take it game-by-game, take nothing for granted, and just stick with their game plans and keep executing despite any obstacles that come their way, just like they did after Game 1.

So let's not get ahead of ourselves. Let's enjoy each performance that this Laker TEAM puts on for us fans and go from there!

We gonna win this series. Just keep up our defense and our play of style and we got this.

Rams, phef. Patriots fan here. Even though I don't live in New England, I'm still a fan.

Keep up the good work Lake show.

And I cannot believe we are actually chanting "Kwame, Kwame, Kwame". Now he is a favorite, unlike his term in Washington, Kareem has taught him well. He will no doubt continue to flourish like this. A descent scorer, combined with terrific defense, makes in the end we got a great deal for him.

Like the article before said, because we traded Shaq, we got LO, Kwame (from Caron Butler), luxury tax relief (Brian Grant being waived), and the Miami 2006 Pick, we got a great deal in the end. Shaq is on the decline, and these guys are stepping up. Not the greatest of deals (we could have still gotten Dwyane Wade and have 2 great guards), but then again, not a very bad one.

The only bad deal would be the Gary Payton one. We got backups in that deal. Payton was still alright at that time, we lost a fan favorite, and our pick which could have been helpful still. And we got Mihm (who'll probably stay as a backup), Chucky Atkins (a very bad defender and now in Memphis), and Jumaine Jones (a descent 3 pointer enduring a sad career in Charlotte).

This is the back-to-back mvp...a person with no respect for either the opponent's organization, nor for the players...I'm glad we're (kinda) wooping their butts...hopes it continues...that'll teach them to punk out on us! lol

All yall regular posters, much props. I've been reading these blogs all season long and have enjoyed every post put up. I'm in Laker heaven enjoying these redeeming victories in the last month or so and I'm glad yall put the smackdown on phonies such as JohnC as well. Here are a couple of comments which I felt might prod some discussion.
Yes the "passive" Kobe seems to be working now. Yes the "passive" Kobe is going to make quick work of this team in 5 or 6. And while Nash and others put Ocho down directly, or indirectly, by saying that he should have played like this all season or even from now on.. I for one disagree.
The rest of the league is not Phoenix. When we play San Antonio, we are not going to throw the ball to Kwame as a game plan against Duncan. Once in a while, yes. As a game plan, no. Without the ability to go inside out as effectively. We'll need to see the "aggressive" Kobe come out and take over the entire series, while the newly confident rest of the cast "get in where they fit in."
Do I love Lamar? Of course, he's a monster.
Do I love the Kwam? Of course, he's the Kwam..
Do I love "passive" Kobe. Possibly only for this series and the beginning of the next series just to see if this winning formula works against the next team.
Do I love "aggressive" Kobe? Bring him on against San Anton..
We're gonna win it again..

I've been reading this blog since the start of the season and i gotta tell ya.. i love this blog (i read it before going to sleep, before lunch and after i've woken up)..

I'm a huge fan of the Lakers especially #8..

Its amazing what he is doing now, this shows how much heart he has for the game, and his will to win no matter what it takes.

Well, since nobody is saying anything about it, don't you think Kobe's defense helped alot for the past 3 games? He has been really active on the D, and you gotta love that block against Barbrosa (did i get it right?) even though the refs called it a foul.

Anyways thanks to the K brothers for creating the best Lakers blog out there, and props to Mike T for the insightful posts and Jon K who has shown nothing but heart for the Lakers.

Keep it up guys! ;)

hmmn...I didn't realize Mike already said that...nevermind then hehe

Good point (the one from MVS) Mike lol

Faith,

;-) ;-)

A double for you.

Blog to you tomorrow, If God will, of course.

mike

Here my personal sighting/meeting:

About 4 years ago or so, my friend worked as a receptionist in one of the offices at Hoag Hospitol. She saw that Kobe was coming in with his daughter for a check up. Being the good friend that she is and knowing how much I love kobe, she alerted me. I went there ahead of time and waited for kobe to show up. After waiting for about 30mins, he finally showed up! I said Hi to him, he said hi back, but to my dismay, he wouldn't give me an autograph. He said "its not the time and place for that"...perhaps he's right.

I think everyone is getting waaaaayyy too excited. Getting to the Finals? Winning the finals? Slow down guys. If we lose today, we are in deep doodoo, as the psyche of this team is still fragile.

That being said, we shot like 40% and 20% from 3 and still won? (Not to mention The Man going only 6-18!!?) Things look very promising for game 4, as the massive rebounding advantage doesnt look like it will change, and we cant shoot any worse than we did in game 3.

Still, put Amare and KT on this team, and we go down 4-1 or 4-0, and they are back next year. Sorry for the downer, but thats the truth.

What's wrong with you guys who is ripping on Diaw?

Kwame Brown stood with his crotch in Diaw's face!!! Hello??? Do you have anything to say in Kwame's defense???

Diaw does not retaliate because he is not that kind of person. That's his personality. He is from France and he is not into all that American sports thuggury thing. That's all. And you guys are can't see that?