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."

I said during the Bobcats game on Friday that I could see Vlad Radmanovic's DNP-CD become a regular thing. Today, he's starting. As usual, I have my finger on the pulse of everything "Lakers."

AK

First Quarter

6:10 - My heart races. I swear I hearing the call of "Manu Girl." Or maybe it's just the winds playing tricks on my fragile psyche. But either way, my head's on a swivel looking around.

5:42 - LO goes coast to coast off a rebound, using his off arm to shy away from Oberto and stretch in the layup. Things that's been missing from the Lakers of late?

I've heard many readers question from time to time if Phil puts any of the blame for the Lakers' inconsistency on his own shoulders. Rest assured, he's not all about the shirk. When asked for a cause behind the team's frequent Jekyll-and-Hyde routine, particularly on defense, Phil labeled a lack of focus the No. 1 culprit, a disease he says "starts with the coach." Jackson says he'll be making a more pointed effort to remind himself "not to expect that they understand (everything)." Despite the film sessions and various discussions with his players, the finer points may not always sink in, which requires continual reemphasis, which Jackson wondered if he might be "lax at." I figured those habits come in part from having coached so many veteran, savvy squads, but upon asking,  that's not exactly the case. "It's trying not to be overbearing," explained Jackson. "I think having an overbearing nature is what wears players out over the course of this game. Harping attitudes. That everything's critical. Positive aspects of the game are really important." But as Jackson pointed out, there are limits to a slack leash. "There's a time when (the negative) has to be emphasized and it has to be done in a way in which the message is delivered." So what makes a point loud and clear?  The threat of reduced minutes, which Jackson has started doing. "That's not so much overbearing. That's just taking them out of the game. You don't even have to say a word. That speaks volumes."


 

Today's big time TV match against the San Antonio isn't just the exciting by-product of the Texas love for a yearly rodeo classic.  It's a chance for the Lakers to redeem themselves after a Friday loss to Charlotte that left Phil Jackson a shade less than enthused.  The Bobcat debacle may have been Lamar Odom's first game in uni since mid-December, but he (along with Kobe Bryant) still was given no quarter by Phil Jackson over some sloppy execution.  The team (which really isn't quite as "young" as it often claims while explaining such lapses) will look to right the ship without one of its main deckhands, Luke Walton, down for at least a week.  It's a setback for the Lakers, but for ABC's purposes, it's not as big a thing, since more folks nationally are hankering to see this young fella, anyway.

For an expansion team with 59-147 lifetime record (which includes their current 15-27 clip), they sure do give the Lakers fits.  They split against L.A. last season, forced a triple OT loss in December and capped off the improbable success with Friday's 106-97 OT loss at Staples.  The night felt like a potential disappointment in the making, considering the Lakers spent the entire first half of the game digging themselves out of a self-made hole.  Even a lead solidifying third quarter rally was a bummer, with Luke Walton coming down awkwardly after challenging Adam Morrison's shot and suffering a moderate ankle sprain that will likely cost him a week or more on the court.  Walton can swap healing recipes with Kwame Brown, whose own ankle issues should keep him out of action for at least that amount of time.  Perhaps during those same 7-ish days, Phoenix may actually lose a game, prompting Phil Jackson to lift his jaw just slightly higher off the ground.

The bad News:  He racked them during a loss that hardly qualifies as a proverbial "good one."  Yes, as Phil Jackson pointed out, a team's record "doesn't mean anything that particular night as you step on the court.  Records are off."  But still, you expect better than a 106-97 OT loss against Charlotte on your home court.  At the very least, you expect better execution during a loss.  "We forced the issue," insisted the frowning coach, an assessment Kobe later offered without prompting.  "Guys started trying to insert their will too hard into the ball game.  They created too many turnovers as a consequence.  We weren't going to get the calls even though we were trying to force the calls to be made.  That just played into their hands."  Hands that Jackson was quick to compliment as active and effective.  "They stripped Kobe and had Lamar doing things we didn't want to see them doing out there, basketball wise.  They tried to force the issue rather than understand that counter action, subtlety is part of the game plan that you have to have against a whose defense is as good as this and has a center that can block shots."

BK is in Colorado doing some X-Games stuff, so it's me riding solo.  I'm already drunk with power.  And whiskey.

AK

First Quarter

8:26 - Lakers are already down 11-2.  I know the popular school of thought is that you can't stop Matt Carroll, you can only hope to contain him.  But I'd try anyway.

7:09 - LO misses on the layup (and REALLY thinks he drew a foul), but Bynum is there to clean up.   Andrew's had a few loose balls slip out of his hands already, so it's good seeing him snag one for a deuce.

If you happen to run into #54 these days, recommend a good book, tell him a good anecdote, suggest a hobby, or whatever else you think can help him kill a little time.  Because when it comes to his daily life these days (which consists of a lot of treatment, tweaking and sitting), Kwame is feeling mighty antsy.  And bloated.  "I'm scared to take off this shirt," laughed Brown as he talked with the surrounding reporters.  "Show off this fat."  As one might guess, Kwame's version of "doughy" is the kind of build every male reader would kill to show off on the beach for an hour.  The guy hasn't gone soft quite yet.  But his bum ankle's nonetheless getting in the way of both his normal workouts and just his time on the floor, which he really misses.   Kwame's still not sure when he's coming back, although he figured he definitely needs another week.  He'll use those 7 days to down some meds, which will hopefully take down the swelling and enable him to jump and explode to his liking. Asked if the time off has helped his shoulder, Kwame said he didn't know, because he hasn't been absorbing any contact during the rehab period. "I haven't touched anybody. Except for the cake."

Think a brouhaha against the perennially bottom dwelling Charlotte Bobcats is a ho-hum affair?  Well, then you're obviously not a member of the orange squad, because they're still living on cloud 9 after their instant-ish "classic" 3OT win last month.  For certain franchises, you take history book moments where you can get them.  And given the Lakers' recent history against the slugs of the world, their "been there, done that" factor possibly goes out the window.   But the Lakers hope the return of Lamar Odom will help prevent another chapter of "Carolina Glory" from being written.  Not that the stop gap folks haven't been doing a good job, but LO's ability to zone in on a errant ball is skill the squad's been seriously missing for six weeks.  And the All-Star votes Odom managed to tally even while missing a month and a half show hint that an injury-free season might have landed him in Vegas with 3rd leading vote getter Kobe Bryant.  He'll just have to settle for making his team a potential killer.

Technically, the Lakers are 42 games into the season, but that's close enough to the literal halfway point that a mid-season report of sorts feels appropriate.  But instead of doing the traditional "Who should win Award X?" material, which is often interesting but overdone, I decided to take a look at some of my pre-season predictions and see how they're holding up.  As always the case whenever I open my mouth on any subject, there's a halfway decent chance I'll come out looking reasonably informed.  Unfortunately, that other half equals me looking like a man with his head buried in his own hindquarters.  But without further adieu, let's check out the odds of a few prognostications becoming brilliant calls.   

As noted in yesterday's practice report, Sasha Vujacic not only provided the session's best moment, bringing that "best" equaled getting the best of Andrew Bynum and Lamar Odom.  For the veteran Odom, getting dunked on was easy enough to laugh off.  After all, the dude's just happy to be practicing for a Friday reemergence.  Odom will be playing alongside Bynum, but for how long he plays starting 4 to Bynum's 5 depends on what Phil Jackson, who's old enough to decide such matters, decides what to do with the center spot once Kwame Brown is healthy again.

Today's practice was a spirited affair, sparked by two pretty cool happenings.  For starters, every player, coach and member of the P.R. staff (and yours truly, since membership occasionally has its privileges) received a copy of On The Shoulders Of Giants: My Journey Through the Harlem Renaissance, the new book by Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (with Raymond Obstfeld).  It's all about The Captain's experiences growing up in Harlem during a period of significant cultural growth and how he came to see a connection between jazz and hoops.  History told through music and basketball.  Heady stuff, but it's what one would expect from Kareem, who always looks to teach young players about black history (which begins its celebratory month in February).  For his prize pupil, the lessons are typically accompanied by a friendly critique.  "He always tells me the music I listen to is terrible," smiled Andrew Bynum.  Some of you may worry about a potential rift between Kareem and Phil Jackson, who'll soon give his players books for the upcoming roadie.  But fear not, because according to Phil, there's enough room on the team plane for two sets of novels.  "They'll get an A+ if they read that book and they'll get a star if they read mine."

Ever since mid-December, the Lakers have been distinctly lacking in lanky, left-handed rebounders with point-guard court vision and low-post scoring ability. Of course, every team lacks that asset, but the Lakers ... really lack it. But come Friday, the Lakers should become rich in such rarities, because Lamar Odom is expecting to take the court against the Charlotte Bobcats. He's more than looking forward to the easy breezy (compared to rehab) that is NBA game action. When it comes to the practices that simulate such activity, LO's results yesterday got Kobe's thumbs up.  Coincidentally, Kobe just earned an approving opposable of his own. Dude's just chock full of them right now. His team's not doing so bad in the props department, either.

I caught the tail end of an El Segundo scrimmage and was quickly bug-eyed by the Planning-To-Play-On-Friday Lamar Odom. First, it has been so long since I've seen Lamar go five-on-five, a run through my mental Rolodex was needed to remember he once played roundball fairly often. But what really struck me as a mucho pleasant surprise was how good LO looked, strutting stuff ranging from a twisting layup between Aaron McKie and Ronny Turiaf to a left-handed tomahawk dunk off an alley oop. Then again, as Phil Jackson reminded us, logic dictated a smorgasbord of vintage LO, because, "We anticipate that when he gets back, he should be able to do the things he could do before.  Otherwise, he shouldn't come out here and play." 

Geez, Zen Master. Way to bring down a room.

A sloppy Joe gets eaten at a diner. A sloppy drunk gets 86'ed at a bar. And last night, a sloppy basketball game got watched at Staples Center. To say the least, the Lakers' 108-103 win over the Warriors left something to be desired in the "execution" department, unless turning the ball over 24 times was part of Phil Jackson's white-board strategy. Ineptness was spread around equally among players, including Luke Walton, whose recent struggles manifested themselves in what was possibly the worst game of his career. But just as the team pulled together in the fourth and began playing what resembled respectable ball, Walton also experienced some redemption down the stretch. A gut (and heart) check for the player and squad? Well, it's never a great thing when both are tested against a mediocre Bay Area opponent, but the bottom line is that everyone remembers the win in a box score, not necessarily how it was achieved.

This game would have made you cry.   Unfocused play, leaky defense, and more turnovers than a Danish bakery.  At least for the first three quarters.  But in the fourth, L.A. picked it up and managed to eek out a perhaps ill-deserved 108-103 win over the Warriors Monday night at Staples.  L.A. did their best to giftwrap a road victory for Golden State over 75% of the night, committing a somewhat obscene 22 turnovers through three and avoiding whenever possible making it tough for the Warriors to score.  Fortunately, their visitors from O-Town didn't appreciate the largess, and left the door open for L.A. in the fourth.  They stopped giving the ball away (only one TO in Q4), tightened up in their own end (GSW had 18 in the fourth), and used 14 fourth quarter points from Kobe (of his 42) to help seal the deal.  While Kobe dominated, Andrew Bynum played one of his strongest games of the season, with 10 points, a career high 15 boards, and four blocks. 

Mo Evans provided a lift off the bench, and Luke Walton played 26 awful minutes before finishing with five good ones.  Hopefully, it's a sign that the slump he's been in since the Memphis game is ending.  It wasn't pretty, and a better team may have made them pay, but in the end, it's a win.  That's all that counts.

MORE ON THE GAME NOW ADDED AFTER THE JUMP! 

BK   

Remember, they're taping us tonight, and want us to talk about what everyone is saying to us.  So it's really important that you guys are especially observant and witty tonight.  There is literally a camera about six inches away from my face.  This whole thing is very "meta."   Blogging about being filmed while being filmed.  Think about it.  Anyway.....

Tip off.  Given how the Warriors run, it's not surprising PJ said they spent a lot of time on transition defense.  Not sure if you've noticed, it hasn't been all that good lately.

10:00- Everything's been inside so far, which is good.  Hopefully that'll slow the game down.  Luke misses his first open shot of the game.  The slump continues.

Because tonight, we're taping a segment of LTV's Pre-game Show during the Live Blog.  They're doing an inside look of sorts at Lakersblog.  What we do, what goes into blogging from Staples, the pre and post game items we collect.  Your basic expose as to the "magic" we bring you kids every day without fail.  To say the least, we're a little psyched.  We're also convinced this must be the slowest news day in the history of all media coverage, but hey, we'll take it.

Much of y'all's last off-season was spent debating whether the readily available Al Harrington would fit in well with the Lake Show and who was worth jettisoning to make it happen. That scenario obviously never came to fruition, but we will get to see what it's like playing against the recently de-mohawked forward, as he's a part of a Golden State squad dropping by Staples this evening. Sure, this Warriors squad is now fire-powered by the insanity of Stephen Jackson, but they likely still qualify as giddily average, the ideal team to serve as a BAND-AID of sorts, one that can help prove to the rankings-makers exactly what this team is all about. Schizo nature or not, however, the Lakers have been defying 41 games worth of expectations thus far, a triumph of which the lion's share of credit must go to the adjusted play of Kobe Bryant (especially in the first half) and the coaches guiding him.

Halfway through the season they're not yet an elite team, but if they're not careful, the purple and gold will guarantee themselves a date with one come the first round of the playoffs. Saturday night's 113-103 loss to the Hornets in OKC is another in a disturbingly robust collection of clunkers that are costing the Lakers position in the Western Conference. The Lakers rang in the season's midpoint with an unfocused, unsuccessful effort, especially on the defensive end, allowing the league's weakest offensive team to go ABA on them. David West, in only his second game back from elbow surgery, pushed the Lakers around, and Rasual Butler did damage on both ends for the Hornets. Kobe, who had a rough go of it, described the game as a learning experience (hasn't the point been driven home by now?). If that's the case, the box score shows plenty of room for educational lessons, save a career high 23 from Mo Evans.  At least it's good to know that our sideline celebs trump theirs.   

After all, it's a privilege, not a right. 

BK

26-14 vs. 15-23.  7-3 over the last 10 games vs. 4-6.  5th in the W.C. vs. a distant 12th. It can only mean one thing: Uh-oh.  Halfway through what has been a very successful season, the Lakers have thrived against the NBA's big boys. It's the weak sisters that have been a problem, and injuries have forced NO/OKC squarely into that category. Despite getting David West and Bobby Jackson back in their loss last night to San Antonio, the Hornets will enter tonight's game against the Lakers short some bodies ... most importantl, Chris Paul. But don't accuse them of packing it in. Having carefully poured over scouting reports, the Hornets have focused on Kobe something-or-other as a potential scoring threat. How Desmond Mason and Co. defend him will go a long way toward determining if Lakers fans will enjoy celebratory or mournful Saturday evening nightcaps. 

More MVP talk.  And some MVP rankings.  Maybe a vote for MVU (Most Valuable Unit?)   

After beating the Spurs Wednesday night, L.A. met Mark Cuban's bunch Thursday evening with a chance to really turn the NBA world on its ear, and perhaps elevate themselves in a brand new power ranking.  Not so much.  Their 114-95 loss turned what could have been a monster two days into merely a pretty good pair of games.  Hey, bat .500 in the majors and you make a lot of money.  L.A. led after a quarter, but after that things went downhill faster than the box office receipts for Pluto Nash.   One big problem (other than containing Josh Howard) was keeping Dallas off the glass, as the Lakers were very nearly doubled up in the board battle.  It's usually not a good sign when Smush Parker is your co-leader in rebounding, as the box score shows.   There just wasn't much production in the Lakers frontcourt Thursday night as the Lakers didn't really give themselves a chance to win (or Dallas took it away, depending on your perspective).  The good news?  Combine the fact L.A. won't play Charlotte, Portland, Seattle, or Memphis in the playoffs with their solid marks against the best of the W.C., and things look rosier. 

Last time the Lakers played Dallas, they made sure "13" remained a proverbial unlucky number for Mark Cuban's soldiers.  Granted, it won't be quite as cool breaking a mere 5-game streak this evening, but I imagine y'all can live with such a crappy letdown.

AK

Heading to San Antonio Wednesday night without Kwame Brown and Lamar Odom, there really wouldn't have been much shame in losing.  After all, the Spurs are pretty good. So what does it mean that they left with an impressive 100-96 win?   Phil Jackson PG'd up some Quentin Tarantino to describe his feelings -- basically, let's not get ahead of ourselves -- but after Kobe's 34/6/8 pushed the purple and gold to within a half game of the three seed, it'll be hard for Laker fans not to get a lil' giddy. Giddier than Ronny Turiaf, who hit a clutch shot over Tim Duncan to put the game on ice?  Possibly, and that's some impressive giddy. Whatever it is, from a box showing nice bench production to the knowledge that their gimpies could be back next week, the win was a sign of growth for L.A.  Spursland?  Well, they're in a less happy place.  Not getting the basics -- five guys on the court -- right will do that. 

Including a win.

The dreaded Texas Two-Step (and considerably less dreaded NO/OKC) roadie got off to a sweet start with a gi-normous 100-96 win over the Spurs. Kobe put up a very efficient 34 points (12-19 shooting) and received double-digit bench help from Mo Evans and Vlad Radmanovic, whose 3-3 trey shooting looked a little more like what folks had in mind when they heard Cat Stevens was strumming his acoustic for the purple and gold. Some key plays down the stretch by Smush Parker and Ronny Turiaf helped seal the deal. 

Assuming the entire team gets outta San Antonio without anybody being accused of throwing cake, the night couldn't have gone down any better.

AK

It's too cold today to hang out at River Walk, so the Lakers might as well just win a basketball game.  Circular logic, but hard to argue with.

AK

The stars at night are big and bright, deep in the heart of Texas.  The Lakers will need their one healthy star and all his satellites to be all that and more if they're going to leave tonight's game in San Antonio with a win.  One big question?  How much will Kobe's injured groin mess with his game (or gravitational pull, perhaps, to extend the astronomical metaphor a bit more- astronomy fans, help us out!)?  Can Andrew Bynum stay on the court long enough to have an impact on Tim Duncan's night?  It'll take something to improve a 7-9 road record thin on wins against top teams.  And, just to make it a lil' tougher, after losing three straight, the Spurs have won four of five.  The good news is if the Lakers can't get it done tonight, they'll have another shot at a W.C. fat cat tomorrow in Dallas.  And like the other two games on the trip, the Lakers will be without Kwame and L.O.   

Between Kobe vs. Wade, Brian Cook's 25, Smush Parker's goat-to-hero turn, and, oh yeah, a pretty exciting overtime win for the Lakers, we didn't have time to edit down some P.J. before bedtime.  But that just means more for this afternoon, right?  We'll whip through those clips on the way to what I felt like were some interesting comments by Kobe after the game, some of which are contained here, in a good piece by SI.com's Arash Markazi. Click below the jump for that more substantive discussion.  But first:

Jackson wasn't pleased that the game went into OT, but was happy with how the Lakers responded to the challenge, hopefully teaching them some lessons that will be useful down the line... perhaps as early as the upcoming road trip.  Counting last night's game, P.J. is looking for three wins in the five games between now and next Monday's homer against the Warriors. 
Download phil_jackson_1.15 on winning in OT, Kobe's D.mp3
Download phil_jackson_1.15 on growth from Miami game.mp3
Download phil_jackson_1.15 on upcoming roadie (SA, DAL, NO).mp3   

That the two teams aren't even in the same ZIP code record wise doesn't matter.  That Shaq wasn't available (except as a potential candidate for any worst dressed lists) didn't matter.  When the Heat and Lakers square off, it's an event, because it puts Kobe Bryant and Dwyane Wade- two guys with serious respect for each other- on the floor together.  And while Kobe wouldn't call it Bryant vs. Wade, the rest of us can.  Monday night at Staples, Wade won the battles early, but Kobe won them late and took the war, 124-118, in OT.  Considering what happened on Christmas Day (we all remember that), fans can overlook the flaws in a game that shouldn't have gone to an extra five to begin with.  Nice as it was for fans to get the free hoops- those tix aren't cheap- it was better for Kobe, who controlled the OT with six points and solid D on Wade, and best for Smush Parker, whose late steal and rock solid free throws helped ice the game, after finding some rough patches at the end of regulation.  But don't forget Brian Cook's 25/10 night, a surprise even on a night when the Lakers got everyone involved in the flow.  The box score shows five starters, and seven players overall, in double figures.  Things are headed in the right direction, to be sure, with the heavy lifting portion of the season around the bend.      

Well, the "Folks Who Can Afford The Price Of A Ticket To A Lakers Game" version of a riot, which would have consisted of angry Blackberry emails sent to the league office (after first checking one's voicemails and text messages, of course), $14.00 Mojitos angrily but carefully overturned- lest the Prada and Armani outfits get soiled- and fans pausing from their melee duties to check out Lil' Jon, but ignoring Andy Garcia altogether. 

Seriously, though.  The natives were getting so frustrated with the calls (or no calls, depending who was on which end of the whistle) that had the Lakers finished this baby holding the short end of the overtime stick, the vibe would have grown far from pretty.  But as it stands, the Lakers dug, scratched and overcame their way to a 124-118 bonus basketball win over the now truly hated Heat. A 35 point performance by the now truly, truly hated Dwyane Wade was overcome by a quintet of Purple and Gold starters (plus Vlad Rad and Mo Evans) in double figures.  Kobe's 25 points were obviously big, but the active D he played on Wade down the stretch, which helped keep the dreaded one from taking over in OT, may have been the key to everything.  You may have noticed a decided lack of "2006 SI Sportsman of the Year" scoring as time wore on.

More to come later.  (And now there, below the jump)

AK

Am I wrong in thinking there's no excuse for not beating any team where Jason Kapono is actually a starter, or is that just my USC roots coming through?

AK

First Quarter

Wade overplays the passing lane trying to steal a bounce pass from Cookie, leading to an easy lay up by Luke Walton. 

As of now, Kobe's being guarded by Jason Kapono.  This is one of those few times where I would possibly advocate Kobe having tunnel vision when it comes to the ball.  Unless Kapono has grown considerably faster than what's been on display the last few seasons (and during the course of this actual game), this is a match up Kobe should abuse.  Kobe could be wearing leg irons and Kobe couldn't guard him.

Give or take.  Minus maybe 15 turnovers or so, that leaves about 75 or 80 shots a game, right?  My over under on the number of pick and rolls the Heat will run tonight against the Lakers?   75.  To that end, the whiteboard in the L.A. locker room was filled with nothing but p&r defensive schemes.  Call it the kitchen sink strategy.  "We're going to do everything.  Not only different (than the Christmas Day Uglyfest), we'll do every possible way to try and change up what happened that last game," Phil Jackson said.  "That penetration, (Dwyane Wade's) ability to find other players, we're going to have to try and find a way to limit that on some level."  On a lot of levels, I'd say.  Kobe's feeling okay, but expect Mo Evans to see some time on Wade in an effort to temper his somewhat supernatural ability to get to the line.  He'll "tagteam with Kobe."  On a positive note, now that Jason Kapono is in their starting lineup, Jackson wondered if that meant he'd have to guard 24 now and again.  I think we can all agree that would be a late Christmas gift from Santa, who arguably owes Laker fans one. 

BK

Chris Webber and Phil Jackson had a nice conversation Saturday night, but it still seems that C-Webb is headed to Detroit, where he can get PT he's not guaranteed to see in L.A.  So that, as the saying goes, is that. While the braintrust (and we use that term loosely) at Lakers Blog Central thought he would have been a nice no-harm, no-foul addition, the Lakers aren't any worse off now than they were before. Besides, there are bigger things to worry about today.  Like exacting some revenge on the Miami Heat tonight at Staples for the Christmas Day Pick and Roll Massacre left in the Lakers' stocking in South Beach.  Shaquille O'Lincoln won't be playing (to P.J.'s disappointment), but D-Wade vs. Kobe is plenty, and if the last few games are any indication, the Heat finally have found some form of supporting cast this season.  And they've done it without Pat Riley, now part of the Brotherhood of Surgically Repaired Coaches.

This just in: the Western Conference is rough.

Whether Chris Webber will have the chance to attempt a Bob McAdoo impersonation with the Lakers is still up in the air, though the verbiage (cyber or otherwise) filling that air has heated up a touch.  Wherever he lands, PT will be an issue.  Likely Webber is looking for the perfect spot (Detroit?) to end a career that's had its share of rough moments.  Discounting those days when the direct deposit notice comes through, of course.  As for on-the-court action, as the suddenly hot Heat head to Staples tomorrow- with Shaq, but not really- it's a good time to reconsider The Trade one more time.  It's an interesting debate: hardware vs. potential future returns.  Speaking of which, more games like Friday's could land Kobe more MVP props.  If he can push the Lakers through a crowd of teams near the 24 win mark, it'll help.  Would a rise in Mark Heisler's NBA Rankings make a difference?

It's never good when the Lakers get trey happy.  What about everyone else?

How do you say, "K. Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers" in Hebrew? Apparently, "K. Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers."

You may have seen part of it on the magic picture box, but now you can hear the whole thing.  That's right, Phil Jackson's Friday Night Postgame Press Conference.  I wouldn't be surprised if this turned out to be the single most important bit of audio your ears will ever absorb.  It's that compelling. 

Seriously, though, there's some good stuff in there about the matchup between Andrew Bynum and Dwight Howard, the solid play and poor free throw shooting of Smush Parker, Kobe's health, and Ronny's block party.  Download phil_jackson_1.12 Orlando Postgame.mp3

Coming off a road trip ugly enough to make Medusa look like a beauty queen, the Lakers needed a win in the worst way Friday night at Staples.  And all it took was a career night from a diplomatic Smush Parker- good to know any chip on his shoulder didn't weigh him down- and a huge fourth quarter from (most of) Kobe Bryant to eek out a 109-106 win over the Magic.   The purple and gold were aided by missed free throws from an otherwise solid Dwight Howard, who bricked three of four down the stretch and helped make a couple potentially game-icing Parker misses a non-issue.  Sort of.  In the end, the Lakers were able to continue their trend of beating the league's better teams.   Most of the scoring came from Parker and Bryant, but the box shows blocks as well- nine combined from Andrew Bynum and Ronny Turiaf, who set a career high with five.

What you would have seen on the blog, had "routine maintenance" at the Typepad Mothership not shut down the site for most of the second half, was a career high night for Smush Parker, a big fourth quarter from that Kobe fella, and a smilin' Mom happily leaving Staples to the sweet sounds of "I Love L.A."  Well, that last part you wouldn't have seen since we don't have video, but trust me, she was in a good mood after the 109-106 win over the Magic Friday night.  She may have been the biggest Smush fan in the building at tipoff, but by the end of it, Parker likely had converted a few thousand of the Staples faithful.  26/5, with three steals, including a critical pair in the fourth.  He was good enough that we'll ignore for the time being two huge free throws he missed in the final minute that gave the Magic a chance to tie the game.  So once again, Brian Hill literally saw his team beaten by the Smush Parkers of the world.  Any chance of getting another game or two against the Magic put on the sked?

Plenty more on the game tomorrow.  Sorry the tech issues scuttled a perfectly good live blog.

BK

The Lakers can't possibly lose a game with the entire Kamenetzky family in attendance, right?

AK

First Quarter - AK at the Helm

11:18 - Smush is the first to score, draining a three.  In terms of "omens pointing to Mom walking away happy after a win," things couldn't possibly be off to a better start, given Parker is her favorite Laker.

8:58 - Brian Cook hits a mid-range jumper.  Before the game, BK asked Cookie if he would dedicate his first basket to Mom by giving a point to her section.  I guess Cook's not a multi-tasker (or has his mind on the game, as opposed to casual locker room conversation), because he forgot to give a signal.


 

That's right.  Mother and father K Brothers are visiting from St. Louis, and AK and I bought them some tix for their anniversary.   Mom is decked out in her Kobe jersey (#8, no autographs, please) and a homemade purple and gold scarf.  The Yuletide season having passed, she decided to leave the purple Santa hat we gave her after the Christmas Day game a couple years back, surprising, since she (rightly) claims that people are in fact far nicer to you when you're wearing a Santa hat.  Just something to keep in mind.  As an added bonus, Brian Cook was nice enough to dedicate his first shot of the game to her.  So she's excited about that. 

As for actual basketball news (condensed): Kobe is going to play, L.O. isn't putting a timetable on his return, but "would love to" be back by the long roadie that kicks off February, and Kareem was very classy and complimentary towards Dikembe Mutombo and his new blocks record... but did point out that the NBA didn't keep blocks as a stat in his first four years in the league.  I asked him how many more years Deke would have to play if the "lost quad" were on the books.  "Several," he replied.  The Cap did point out that Bill Russell would likely smoke them all. 

Chris Webber would look solid in purple and gold, make a natural fit in black and gray, and won't be wearing blue and orange.  But despite his agent expressing interest in L.A.- who wouldn't want an opportunity to be featured on such a prestigious website as this on a daily basis?- the tea leaves point to a Webber homecoming in Detroit.  Which is what we, um, reported Thursday night.  If by reporting you mean recycling what we heard on t.v.  So what does all this mean?  He'll probably end up in Milwaukee.  Closer to home, the Lakers have a matchup tonight against a rapidly improving Dwight Howard and the Southeast Division leading Orlando Magic to worry about.  The good news?  Kobe's groin shouldn't keep him out.  Substitute "knee" for "groin," "will" for "shouldn't" and "Trevor Ariza" for "Kobe" and you have your update on the former Bruin. 

It's a great day to check up on the Lakers' Lenovo stats.  Get your math on (once you're done considering the near-future of L.A. hoops, that is)!  While your at it, be thankful that Laker games generally feature high percentage shooting.   

On the TNT broadcast, David Aldridge said that it's basically a done deal, and that C-Webb is headed to Detroit.  Who says you can't go home again?

(Note: During the Bulls-Nets halftime show, Webber said Aldridge's report was false, and actually talked up the Purple and Gold- among other teams- as a squad on his radar.  Granted, players often deny stories that end up materializing, so who knows what's gonna actually happen?  But at any rate, consider your heads "up." - AK)

In other news, the average height of the Denver Nuggets received a major boost today and their dribbles per possession figure took a hit, as Earl Boykins was sent to Milwaukee for Laker Killer Steve Blake. With A.I. in town, J.R. Smith back, and 'Melo on the way, there just wasn't enough basketball available for lil' Earl.  Should Boykins be available in your fantasy league, pick him up.  With all the injuries the Bucks have suffered, he'll get tons of shots. 

BK