Not to ruin any surprises, but Kobe plays in this game.  Unfortunately, I just got suspended for inadvertently hitting BK in the face in what was described an "unnatural blogging act."  I think Stu Jackson's starting to really overstep his boundaries.

AK

The quest to end a three-game losing streak begins on this blog.  The quest not to have any secrets revealed if you're waiting for the KCAL feed also begins on this blog, but in a hour.

AK

Take a deep breath and relax, because your purple and gold fears have been quelled.  The rosters for the 2007 T-Mobile Rookie Challenge & Youth Jam (which I'm pretty sure is sponsored by Verizon) were announced today, with Andrew Bynum and Jordan Farmar getting named to the sophomore and rookie teams.  Kudos to both players, who I'm sure are pretty stoked to join the fun.

Question.  Even though it's his weekend to shine, does Jordan still have to lug Socks' stuff to the arena, grab him Gatorades during the game and carry out his general rook duties?  Or does he get the weekend off?  I'm not sure what the industry standard dictates.

AK

How bad are the New York Knickerbockers?  The Lakers arrived in the Apple down 2 starters (Luke Walton, Kwame Brown), found out at the last minute Kobe Bryant was on punishment, and still came close during this 99-94 loss.  The ever-shuffling Laker starting lineup got a quick jolt in the arm from Queens native Smush Parker and the half closed on tight action.  But the second half was mostly about Eddy Curry putting up points and the Lakers not making plays down the stretch, despite many opportunities (and one heck of a dance by Vlad Radmanovic).  But Mo Evans missed a trey with under 30 seconds left and Jered Jeffries made a key swat, eventually leading to a box score iced in New York's favor.  The three game losing streak heads this evening to Boston, a team envious of the Lakers' comparatively victorious ways. Like Kermit the Frog says, it ain't easy being green.  It hasn't been easy being one-time Celtic Chris Mihm these days, either.  But fingers crossed, life could get considerably better.

If I ran KCAL, I would take advantage of the delay and CGI in old footage of Kobe playing throughout the broadcast as a means of protesting #24's suspension.  But I don't run KCAL.  I'm just a dude with basic cable (and League Pass, of course).

AK

Remember, if you're gonna watch the game on the KCAL broadcast later on, don't peek.  Instead, occupy yourself for an hour by continuing to air "Manu-Gate" grievances on the earlier thread. 

AK

... Can they at least make their decision before I finish today's Extra? Kinda ruined the whole "even Zeke thinks no Knick can stop The New Jack Bauer" theme I was running with, doncha think?

Gotta say, neither I (nor Kobe) saw this one coming. Didn't even hear whispers it could be a possibility. The hit to Manu Ginobli's mug looked inadvertent to me and Kobe even went to check on him while the Spur was lying on the floor. Even with Manu's patented ability to flop, there are limits to how bad this could appear. I guess when Stu Jackson watched the play in super slo-mo, he noticed Kobe reach inside his shorts, grab a pair of brass knuckles, and quickly slip them on his nonshooting hand for that extra oomph to Manu's grill. Otherwise, not sure what the problem is.

Oh, well. At least the Lakers just have to do it without Kobe against the Knicks, as opposed to an NBA team.

AK 

They want to be a part of it. New York, New York. And by "it," the Lakers mean, "Breaking a two-game losing streak and picking up their recent lackluster play," which makes tonight's date with a certain New York team ideal. After all, if the Knickerbockers can't own this juggernaut division, how tough could they really be to best? Even "rising," they're still pretty bad. And judging by his chipper attitude, Isiah Thomas considers No. 24 busting a mere 55 on his squad something of a lucky day. Perhaps Isiah will go with a radical strategy of having nobody guard Kobe, given that he doesn't have a player up to the task. Certainly not this cat, who may end up with a lot of time on his hands any day now. But whether it's Kobe or Shammond Williams shredding New York a new one, the ensuing victory is all that matters for a team looking to get a mega-roadie, which has the potential to pick up or team down your purple and gold, off to a solid start.

Well, at least when the Lakers lose lately, they give the fans free bonus hoops for their troubles. Take yesterday's 96-94 loss to the San Antonio Spurs. While a disappointing conclusion to what could have been a "W" under the team's belt, the Laker Nation got their economy's worth. But gratitude at the purple and gold's generosity aside, they'd probably eschew the freebies for some full priced victories. But for that to happen, the Lakers will need to hang on tightly to momentum gained and leads accrued, a reality the Lakers didn't bring to fruition. They'll need to hit from the stripe, which has been like Kryptonite all season for the Laker shooters. And it goes without saying that some consistent focus will need to be further displayed, a mind-set that starts from the top with the resident bad cop. But even the Lakers' "Alonzo Harris" can chalk up these setbacks as part of the learning process, assuming the lessons are taken to heart, thus creating a better box score. 

But then again, if a team gets rebounded 53-44, allows 22 second-chance points to their quintet and shoots 58% at the line, a peaches and cream "aloha" shouldn't be expected. They should instead expect to leave town on a 96-94 OT loss to San Antonio. Well, maybe not that exact score for the box, but a similar outcome, in any event. 

When it came to the boards, the San Antonio trio of Robert Horry, Michael Finley and Manu Ginobli combined for 21 grabs, a big reason the double figures recorded by Lamar Odom and Andrew Bynum (along with 9 by surprise starter Vlad Radmanovic, who hit a huge three to send the game into OT) were largely nullified. To some degree, while not tolerable, it's also not shocking, given that the Lakers haven't been a glass-eating machine since the season's start. And the Spurs' frequently missed shots led to many a loose ball, mostly snatched by the Spurs. "Everybody's crashing the boards," Said Lamar Odom in a tip of the cap to a team great at keeping opponents off the glass.  "They saw themselves missing shots and they went after the ball hard. That's a professional team.  They're good."