6:30- Memphis 13, Lakers 10. Miller again gets to the hoop, though, but the Lakers get the ball back on the offensive foul.  On the next possession, Walton takes the entry, makes a quick dribble, then goes up with the left hand for the bucket.  Now that he's using the left more often, his options in the post are opening up considerably. 

Walton cuts to the basket on the next trip for another easy bucket.  Now they're starting to get some better looks.

4:25- Kobe knifes to the basket for and and-one.  The Lakers are on a 12-5 run, and are officially taking control of the game.  The're getting inside, either through dribble penetration or the post up, which has helpe dthe percentage.  Unfortunately, the Grizzlies are doing the same, and are also geting a lot of clean looks.  Miller has been particularly effective against Kobe, and Gasol and Darko have also done a good job inside.  But the penetration has been too easy for Memphis.

3:24- Kobe hits a pair of FTs, 25-22 LAL.

2:42- Timeout on the floor.  Fair to say this hasn't been a defensive battle.  Lakers up by one, 27, 26.  Miller has done most of the damage, with 13 for Memphis.  If LA can get some stops, they'll be fine.  Ariza and Farmar into the lineup after the TO.

Ariza will now guard Miller, Kobe takes Navarro. 

END OF THE FIRST- Lakers 31, Memphis 29.  This has been a rough showing on the defensive end for LA thus far, in part because Miller has been lighting them up, taking advantage of a sick Kobe.  Pau Gasol found some space in the middle for six points, and it's generally been hard for LA to stop the sort of penetration that can lead to easy looks for the opposition.  On the other end, they're taking care of the ball (2 TOs), and are shooting 45%... not much has to change there.  Eight dimes on 12 FGs indicates some good ball movement, too. 

SECOND QUARTER:

Farmar, Ariza, Kwame, Ariza... and Coby Karl start the second quarter.  I'm wondering if Critter's poor performance Friday has hurt him a little.

9:11- Kwame makes a nice move on Gasol, but misses the layup.  Lakers could have used those points, as Memphis has gone on a run to take a lead.  Miller has hit a couple threes, and continues to just torch them. 

Ariza hits a three from the corner to stop the run a little, then Kwame makes up for the miss with a layup on Gasol.  Lakers up 38-37.

7:12- Tiemout on the floor, the Lakers have taken the lead back, 40-37.  Kobe, Walton, Turiaf in coming out of the TO, and Ronny hits his first jumper.  Happy birthday indeed.  Farmar follows with a finger roll at the hoop off a Memphis turnover.  11-0 run for LA.  44-37 LAL.

5:58: Farmar hits a three, and the run goes to 14-0, and the pressure goes up defensively as the Lakers force another turnover. 

4:51- Timeout on the floor.  Lakers on a 16-0 run have taken a 12 point lead.  Good work by the seconds/combination of the first/seconds to build the lead.  The defensive pressure has gone up as well, as the Lakers have forced four TOs in the quarter.  Memphis has made only three FGs in the quarter, two by Miller who is now back in the game.

Kobe picks him up again.  He looks like the intensity level is up on that end, too.  I think the first go round ticked him off.

:45.8-  61, 51 LAL.  Drew has made some nice plays offensively, showing off some good moves and a little handle in the lane.  With eight boards, he's having a nice night there, too.  Not his most effective as an interior defender, as the motion Memphis is using has forced him (and his teammates) into some late rotations.  But the Lakers have taken control of the game with a 13-20 quarter from the floor. 

That's how the half ends, 61-51 LA.  Not necessarily their best effort (the defense has been spotty) but they're up by 10 at the half against a bad team.  That's about what you'd want and expect.  Another solid half, and they'll take the game.

More to come.

THIRD QUARTER:

9:44- Lakers up 66-53 and haven't given an inch to start the second half.  They've avoided letting Memphis come out of the gate with the sort of run that would have brought them back into the game.

8:52- Drew down, holding his knee (looks from here like his left, but it's hard to tell...) The entire bench has cleared out to go attend to him.  Hopefully he's okay...

...yep, it's his left, but he's still not on his feet yet.  Now he's up, and being helped significantly.  He can't walk on the thing.  He's trying, but he's not able to put weight on it, and now is being helped by Ronny and Kwame off the floor.  He's not putting any weight at all on the leg.  In a nice gesture from Lakers fans, as he goes into the tunnel, a "Bynum, Bynum!" chant goes up. 

Sometimes these things look a lot worse than they are, but down through the tunnel he was putting no pressure at all on the leg.   

5:38- To say the energy has gone out of the building a little would be an understatement, but at least the lead hasn't gone anywhere.  Lakers still up 72-59.  Kwame to the line, misses the first, and the second.  Still a 13 point lead.

3:08- Lakers still up by 9, as Gasol hits a shot off the glass.  They've clearly lost a litle bit of energy and rhythm offensively, as they've gone almost exclusively with jump shots since Drew went out of the game.  The ball still has to move, players still have to move.  They can't live on the perimeter, just because Drew isn't there.  Attack the rack.

2:30- Memphis on a 6-1 run, closing the game to six.  Lakers need to put the biscuit in the basket.  They've been stuck in the 70s for a while now. 

1:09- Ronny takes a give and go from Ariza, and gets fouled going to the hoop.  He makes one of two, but fari to say this has been a lousy quarter fro the Lakers offensively.  Fortunately, Memphis can't hit a shot, either, and the D has been reasonably good.

Farmar hits a HUGE triple to end the quarter and push the lead back to 10, 80-70.  That was a huge, huge shot.

FOURTH QUARTER:

The Lakers have to go inside. They can't be content to sit out and launch jumpers all night.  Meanwhile, in the big picture, they have a serious issue with frontcourt depth if Drew is out for a while.  Mihm isn't coming back anytime soon.  Vlad is hurt.  That leaves Ronny to what, back up both LO and Kwame?  Yikes.  Or they go reeeeeeeeeal small. 

10:54- Credit the Lakers with getting very, very aggressive defensively.  Critter combined with a bunch of teammates to force a steal, then convert a tear drop after pressuring the Grizzlies after a 54 miss, then forced another TO on the other end.  This after Ariza nearly forced a steal a couple possessions before.  Points have been a struggle over the last 15 minutes, but they're making up for it.

7:05- This game has gone the way of molasses.  The Lakers have put in 26 points in the half, and Memphis 27.  They've played some nice defense, in terms of pressuring the ball, etc., but things are starting to go Memphis' way as the Lakers are having less success putting the ball in the hole.

And as I was thinking, you dan't leave LO and Kobe on the bench much longer, they both come back in at the 6:03 mark. 

5:47- Timeout on the floor, as Kobe just got T'd up.  Honestly, I coudln't tell what he was upset about, adn nobody sitting around me picked it up, either.  Memphis is on an 11-0 run, with a FT to come.  They've brought the lead down to two, and have started to take any and all momentum away from the Lakers who haven't had a clean look in a long time.  With Kobe back in the game, that should improve, but I have a feeling they're going to stay very Kobe-centric for the rest of the game.  Hopefully he can get them through.

The Lakers haven't had a FG in four minutes, I think.

5:00- Ronny in for Kwame coming out of the TO- Not sure why it took so long for PJ to get LO and Kobe back in the game.  That'll be one he'll likely be asked after the game...

2:54- Lakers tied up at 91, but will get two FTs from Lamar coming out of the timeout.  Overall, they've only scored 30 points in the second half, and Memphis is currently riding a 17-4 run.

2:11- Kobe to the line with a chance to give LA the lead back after Juan Carlos Navarro gives the Grizz a lead with a triple. Second chance points there for Memphis, who got the long rebound off a missed jumper.

Kobe makes two, but Hakim Warrick gets fouled by Kwame and will go to the line.  He makes the first.  Tied at 95.  The Grizzlies are really working the high screen, and are finding some good looks.  Though generally they've been jumpers.  Warrick makes the second, and Memphis is back up by one. 

1:19- Terrible foul from Kwame, jumping the screen and fouling Navarro about 35 feet from the basket.  Lakers get lucky when he misses both.  Still a one point Grizzlies lead.  Wow, that was a bad foul. 

38.9- Lakers up by three after a great Kobe layup off a steal.  Good thing Kobe got a hand on the pass from Memphis, because they had Gasol wide open down low off the pick and roll.  But Kobe got a piece of Miller's pass, and the break was on.  Memphis calls timeout, get the ball in to Gasol int he post- the ball rotates over to Gay, who hits the triple.

Fans on their feet.

Good ball movement on the possession, as Luke drops the ball into Kwame, who is fouled on the way up- hit in the eye, it looks like.  He'll go to the line with a chance to put the Lakers up.  Gay picks up his sixth in the process.

Kwame misses the second, and the Lakers get a tough break as Walton tracked the rebound, but was on the line before he could call timeout.

GAME SET MATCH:  Contact on the last play, but Kwame does a nice job contesting the shot, and the lay in falls short.  Nice play by 54.  Lakers win by 1.

More to come....

BK