Live from Staples - Lakers vs. Hawks

10:03 - Entry pass to Kobe backing down deep in the post.  A couple dribbles, then a rocket pass to LO cutting straight to the rack for a dunk.  Everyone keeps running with that kinda clockwork, Kobe won't even need a good paw to make things happen.

9:28 - Remember where you were when you saw Pau Gasol hit his first bucket as a hometown Laker.  The ultra-thorough historians will credit D.Fish with the lob pass.

7:00 - Al Horford loses Gasol in the paint while ambling towards the bucket.  Henry Bibby's son may have plauyed with his Hawks mates all that long (today would be the first day for those keeping score), but even he can get a dime off that easy a set up.   

5:46 - The Oscar votes (and for that matter, the nomination) are already likely counted, but that won't stop Josh Smith from making a run at the golden man.  His charge drawn against LO in the paint would have made Meryl Streep sit up and applaud.

4:18 - Very nice sequence with LO taking the ball straight to the rack shaded the entire way by the equally lengthy and lanky Josh Smith, no slouch as a defender.  LO manages to stay just far enough ahead to float the layup up and over.

3:18 - I could tell that three ball from Vlad was good the minute it hit air.

2:02 - Gasol can thank Jordan Farmar for his trip to the stripe (both sank).  There had been a scrum for the rock

48.6 - A series of volleyed loose rocks by the Atlanta goal ends up in Luke's hand.  it then ends up in Atlanta's hands over an ill-attempted over the shoulder pass to nobody in particular.  Terrible decision.   

1.8 - Kobe picks Joe Johnson clean and takes the ball to the bucket for the barely contested layup.  It provides the Lakers an 18 point advantage, the same number we'll close on to end the quarter.  The first half of the frame saw the Lakers jump up by 8, allow Atlanta back in... then get tired of Atlanta lurking.  The final 6:43 saw L.A. go on an 18-4 run and leave  the Hawks in the dust.  Nice foundation for a blow out.  Let's see if they can build.  BK with the second.

SECOND QUARTER-

Seconds in for the Lakers, with the responsibility of keeping the nice cusion the team built in the first 12.  So far so good, as two minutes in, the Lakers are still up by 17. 

10:09- Walton draws a charge on Williams, and the Lakers have a chance to build the lead even more.  PJ has Odom on the floor to help facilitate things, and it's helping.  The ball movement has been very good.  Or at least generally good.  But very active.  Guys are cutting and looking to make the extra pass.

9:20- Sasha hits the triple, and the lead is 19. Farmar pushes it to 21 on the next trip with a nice baseline drive and reverse layup with the left hand.

8:31- Timeout on the floor, Lakers up 40-19.   Fair to say the second unit hasn't let up in the slightest.  And LO, as he's done since the Gasol trade was completed, is playing like a monster.  4-4 from the floor, 10 boards already (he's going up with some serious authority...), three dimes. 

He gets a rest, as Vlad Rad comes in for him.

8:10- Damn, Josh Smith just stuffed the *@&@O out of Vlad on the drive.  He showed the ball WAY too early there.  Can't do that with Smith around. 

6:48- Nice two man game between Walton and Farmar results in a PF for Bibby, his second.  Good sequence, though, for the Lakers, who had stalled up in the offense on hte previous trip, and were forced to put up a late Walton post up on Childress, which was blocked. 

6:02- Wow.  The Hawks are falling apart.  They're turning the ball over, the last time because Smith and Bibby couldn't decide who was going to dribble the ball, and it was lost to Vlad who fed Walton underneath.  The Lakers are getting very good looks at the hoop, and limiting Atlanta on the boards offensively.  They're one and out at this point. 

6:01- Starters back in for LA, up 46-24.

5:24- Childress hits a couple FTs, but Vlad Rad comes back with an open jumper- nobody came out to cuard him, which makes sense since basically all he can do is shoot- and the lead is up to 21.

4:45- Kobe is left open for three, and drops it.  Nice to see a jumper go down.  With that finger, he doesn't have to be perfect from the perimeter, but if people tink he can't make open looks, the'll sag off him and make it harder to drive.

3:53- Gasol draws a tough foul on Horford (tough in the sense that I think Horford did a good job d'ing him up).  Everything, and I mean everything, is going right for the Lakers, including that Pachulia just came back in for Atlanta.  He was horrible in his first go round tonight.  As long as the Lakers don't do anything weird and let Atlanta creep under 20 before the half, they should be okay.  But honestly, I don't think ATL has it in them to keep the Lakers away from the basket.

2:16- They're putting the wood on 'em now.  Nice little baseline feed from Kobe to Gasol, who goes up and under- no easy feat for a 7+' tall dude- for the reverse layup.  61-27 Lakers.  I think they could put me on the floor at this point and still win.  Kobe has 15, Gasol 15, Vlad 9, LO 8, Lakers shooting 55%, holding Atlanta to 33%. 

Even more sick for Mike Woodson and Hawks fans?  16 TOs, and there are still two minutes to go in the half.  Wow.

1:46- In the long run, Bibby should help the Hawks out a lot, but in the short run, it must be tough to drop a new PG into the offense.  He can't know all that many sets, and it seems like the Lakers have picked up on where the ball is going.  Bibby has struggled early for sure.

:57.6- Fish hits both ends of a 1+1.  Lakers up 66-28.  Then they steal the inbound, and Vlad draws an and-1.  69-28.  I mean, wow. 

HALFTIME:  Lakers up 73-37, after a buzzer beater from Childress.  Really, there's not much more to say than "Lakers up 73-37."  That tells you all you need to know, really.  A lot has to go well, and very little wrong for the home team to make a score like that happen. 

More to come after the half.

THIRD QUARTER:  Still BK driving.

11:00- Hopefully nothing odd happens, and this'll be the last run for the starters.  With a game in Phoenix tomorrow, a nice long rest could do everyone some good.

9:18- Lakers up 77-42.  There's been a certain lack of precision and energy for both teams coming out of the half, which you might expect given the score.  The Lakers could not shoot for the rest of the quarter, just letting the clock run down, and still probably exit up by 20.

8:40- There's a Lakers bucket.  Kobe to Pau to Odom for an easy dunk.  Lakers up to 79.

6:35- Fisher hits a three, and the lead is back up to 37.  Atlanta is doing a little better offensively, but still can't keep LA away from the bucket.  Good for the Hawks for staying with the game.  They could have folded completely at the half, and instead have folded only about halfway.  They're showing a little pride, which I'm sure Mike Woodson appreciates.   On the other hand, the Lakers have thrown things into cruise control, and are being pretty sloppy with the ball. But really, they're up by 35, so it's hard to nitpick. 

5:27- Timeout on the floor.   We're getting close to "sit down the starters for good" country.

4:00- Hawks on a mini run, cutting the lead to 31.  Not exactly sweat time yet, but if the Lakers aren't careful, they'll let Atlanta in just enough to extend the starters.

Johnson hits a 3, and the lead is down to 28.   Okay, so I might be being a little melodramatic here, but I have to do something to stay busy.  Play has done gone and gotten sloppy for LAL.

2:32- Timeout on the floor for Atlanta. 

END OF THE THIRD- Sorry.  Slow updating due to network problems.  Anyhoo, the Lakers finish the quarter up 97-69.  Atlanta shaved eight points off the lead, which in most third quarters would be a problem.  Fortunately, in this one, it wasn't.  Lakers still up by 28.  Should be plenty enough cushion to cruise home on this one.  But another 32 point quarter for Atlanta, and while the Lakers will still get the W, the crowd will not get any tacos.

AK will have the fourth.

FOURTH QUARTER

10:28 - Walton fould Pachulia in the paint, sending the backup center to the line for a pair.  By the way, I'm setting the over/under for Coby Karl and DJ Mbenga's entrance at the 7:47 mark.  Any takers?

9:29 - With the shot clock winding down, Luke gets fed inside, spins in both direction, then drains the turn around from 13 feet out just as the buzzer's about to sound.  One absurdly dumb turnover aside, it's been a pretty decent game for Luke, who's been playing much better the last 4-5 games.  Even games where he's not racking huge stats, he's looking considerably less rusty than he has during the majority of this subpar season.  And while I don't see him winning back the starting gig from Vlad Rad anytime soon, with Ariza out at least another month (and likely more), they're gonna need Walton playing solid.  Not spectacular.  He's not a spectacular player.  Just solid.  Tonight would qualify.

8:19 - Mbenga enters the action.  For those who took the "over," congrats.

6:32 - It's only fair that Ronny would get an easy putback attempt under the basket (nobody within 3 feet of him), because he just played some fantastic D on Williams on the other end of the court.  His contesting of Marv's driving layup caused the miss, then Ronny tapped the loose ball into Laker mitts.  Go on with your bad self and gift bucket.

6:20 - Coby's entered the fray.  For those who took the "under," congrats.

5:40 - Mbenga misses a 14-footer.  There's a reason he's got something of a "banger" rep.  As BK jokes, "such a feathery touch!"

3:38- If you noticed fans behind the Laker goal up and cheering for seemingly no particular reason, it's because Cameron Diaz was making her way by and waving to everyone.  The walkby took a little longer because she ran into a friend of hers and stopped to talk.

2:44 - Coby Karl with the serious throwdown!!!  The crowd is literally chanting "Coby!"  And it ain't for the guy with a towel around his head at the moment.  But Kobe did leap up in excitement.

47.3 - Coby puts it on the floor, draws the foul while going up, launches, connects, then sinks the "And one."  Is it safe to say at this point that Coby Karl is putting on a clinic?

Mercifully for the Hawks, this contest (technically speaking) finally wraps up.  122-93 Lakers beatdown.  All five Laker starters in double figures (none of whom played even 35 minutes) and LO with the double-double.  Solid bench play (led by Jordan Farmar's 12).  Tacos for all.  A nice way to acquaint Pau Gasol (who tied Kobe for leading scoring honors at 23) with his surroundings.  Thanks for dropping by.  More to come later.

AK