Phil Jackson (he's the coach) appeared on PTI's Five Good Minutes segment this afternoon.  He discussed the championship potential of this Lakers squad, efforts to get Pau Gasol last season, Kobe Bryant as the MVP and his evolution of a player, the Hack-a-Shaq, and why AK's sense of fashion needs to improve. 

Really, I thought that last one was unfair, because if a man wants to kick it like an 18th century Frenchman and strap on a pair of culottes, that's a personal choice worthy of PJ's respect.

BK

Avery Johnson is out in Dallas.  Meanwhile, in Phoenix, Suns GM Steve Kerr is denying reports that Mike D'Antoni is on his way out, but that doesn't necessarily mean much given that the Jack McCallum story for SI.com that broke the news said that the Suns weren't necessarily interested in firing D'Antoni... they just won't complain if he seeks employment elsewhere.

The wheel spins in the Western Conference.  Plenty more to come on this, I'm sure.  Fair to say, though, that the balance of power is now a lot different than it was a couple years back. 

BK

PROGRAMMING NOTE:  Join us for Purple, Gold, and Blue today at 11 am.  Our guest is Eric Neel of ESPN.com.  Click the widget on the side of the page, or go straight to our show page at Now Live.com.  

It was a landscape altering night around the Western Conference, but none of it had much to do with the "one-seeded" Lakers (visual aid at left).  After polishing off the Nuggets in Denver on Monday, the Lakers took Tuesday off to reflect on a job well done in Round 1.  They wanted a sweep, they got a sweep, thanks to contributions from the big guns such as Pau Gasol and Kobe Bryant to supporting players such as Luke Walton, and even a little defense from Vlad Radmanovic.   

All told, it puts Bryant past the first round of the playoffs for the first time since Shaquille O'Neal was sent to Miami, part of a long, often grueling path to rebuilding that seems to stretch a lot deeper into history than it actually does.  When the Lakers will kick off Round 2 is an open question after Houston spanked Utah Wednesday night to send the series back to Salt Lake for Game 6 on Friday, with the Jazz up 3-2.   

The other Western Conference semifinal is set, now that San Antonio polished off Phoenix and New Orleans sent Dallas packing, both series ending in a surprisingly tidy five games and setting the stage for a summer of intrigue.  Start with the coaching situation in the desert, where Sports Illustrated's Jack McCallum is reporting that Mike D'Antoni won't be back next year.  Call it irreconcilable differences between a coach and GM who don't see the game through the same prism, and aren't afraid to debate their points.  Or maybe the Suns just have the wrong model. 

There will also be forfeits levied toward whichever teams face Boston in the Eastern Conference semifinals and finals.

Ridiculous.

Were I a Suns die hard, I'd be especially furious right about now.

AK

Generally speaking, we consider Tom Petty a sage.  But in this case, waiting is actually pretty easy.  A perk, even.  Having polished off the Denver Nuggets in four games after last night's 107-101 win at Pepsi Center, the Lakers can kick back and wait for the conclusion of the Jazz/Rockets series, which continues tonight back in Houston, with the Rockets down 3-1.  In the meantime (which might not be that long, if Utah closes things out) the Lakers can bask in the glow of their first playoff series win in four seasons.  The fork-sticking win didn't come easy, unlike the first three, because Denver finally showed up to play all 48 minutes.  They made LA's 10-point halftime lead disappear, took a lead in the third, and kept things tight in the fourth, but it wasn't enough to overcome a huge fourth quarter for Kobe Bryant, who had 31 points as Carmelo Anthony continued to struggle for Denver.  But it wasn't just Bryant -- Pau Gasol, Lamar Odom, Vlad Radmanovic, and Luke Walton all played a role in the win and the box score shows once again that the Lakers used some solid ball movement to score points. 

If there was a central theme of the series -- beyond Denver's inability to cope with stress -- it was LA's ability to share the ball.  They finished the four games with a 66.2% assist rate.  When the Lakers move the ball that well, they're very difficult to beat. It's that teamwork that separated them from the Nuggets, who undoubtedly have plenty of talent. 

I'll give Denver credit.  They managed to do something that honestly I didn't think they had in them -- play 48 minutes of hard (though not necessarily smart) basketball, and even come from behind to close the game in the second half.  They were spirited (though not necessarily smart), spunky (see previous), and showed some fortitude (though not necessarily brains).   

Not that it mattered.

Despite the best push they saw in four tries from Denver and a game that frequently devolved into something that would have made Dr. James Naismith cry, the Lakers again showed they were too good for the Nuggets.  Final score, 107-101. LA breaks out the brooms and becomes the first Western Conference team to advance to the semifinals. Early, it was a combination of Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol.  Late, it was a whole lot of Kobe, as No. 24 poured in 15 over the final eight minutes. 

A visual aid never hurts.

In theory, all the Lakers need to do is exactly what they've been doing for the first three games.  Stay patient, show some discipline, and wait for Denver to freak out.

Sure, it's fun to end a series at home... but why bother with a Game 5 if you don't have to?

BK

Here goes... Denver is done.

I could give y'all more, but I opted instead to channel my "inner Nugget" and throw in a quick towel. 

All kidding aside, there's honestly no real point in a formal examination of tonight's game at Pepsi.  Yeah, I could break down topics like controlling tempo, what remains in the kitchen sink for Denver to throw at L.A., maintaining crisp ball movement, etc.  But at the end of the day, such analysis would amount to roughly "blah, blah, blah."  What's the point, since I think the Nuggets would actually prefer the series end, along with any theoretical obligation to put up a legitimate fight.  Carmelo Anthony admitted Denver quit during Game 3 like Larry Brown on "pick a job, any job."  Eduardo Najera and George Karl can disagree all they want.  I'm taking Melo's side.  Why?  Well, aside from the fact that sports fans watching the game in Braille could see the white flag waving, it's exactly how this Nuggets bunch acted during the 2006 playoffs when stuff starting going bad.  And while Kenyon Martin has managed to avoid behavior prompting Karl to suspend him, it's safe to say that two additional seasons hasn't increased this group's collective maturity and resolve.  Thus, unless Karl's game plan includes trotting out a brand new roster, consider this series done in about 8-9 hours.  I'd be stunned to see the Lakers lose.   

The Lakers have a quartet of chances remaining to put the Nuggets out of their literal misery, the first of which presents itself this evening (7:30 pm PST TNT).  The opportunity to put this baby to bed on their first try is a notion appealing to the visiting squad, although it's debatable whether the Nuggets themselves wouldn't prefer that even more.  Anyway you slice it, the Pepsi Center representatives have lost their collective composure and regrouping feels like a long shot.  Inspirational weight room decorations haven't done bupkis to drop temperatures back to "simmer."  Nuggets star Carmelo Anthony has been held in serious check by a Vlad Radmanovic/Luke Walton-led group effort, although the forward's own emotions may be doing more to negate his scoring than any hand in the kisser.

Whether you're referring to how the Lakers steamrollering the Nuggets 102-84 made it even more perfectly clear who'll win this series or a literal description of the effort Denver put forth in resistance, the Star Trek catchphrase is appropriate when discussing this series.  As Denver remained its own worst enemy throughout the series, the Lakers adjusted to whatever tempo and D was presented, continuing to exploit their opponent through non-stop, crisp ball movement.  Whatever home court advantage supposedly in Denver's pocket was quickly negated, or at least the part that would potentially result in shots being made.  The Lakers played some enthusiastic D, but their opponent's inability to hit the broad side of the ocean didn't exactly hurt (meaning they have something in common with Vlad Radmanovic).  The Lakers' win also featured nice balance beyond just its big three in the box score contributions.  Five dudes in double figures, including a wholly rejuvenated Luke Walton, who can't recall stringing together a better consecutive trio of games than the ones in this series.  Derek Fisher, who hit a pair from downtown in the third quarter, was another role player who helped deliver some knockout blows.   

I have no idea whether the folk icon was an NBA hoops fan, much less a supporter of that squad the Lakers beat down 102-84.  But anyone affiliated with Colorado on some level would be embarrassed by the horrific effort put forth by the hosting squad.  Not to downplay the excellence of the purple and gold, who played an extremely disciplined and efficient game on both sides of the ball.  After weathering a tight first half of Kobe Bryant foul trouble -- Pau Gasol's 13 points were key-- the Lakers blew the doors off in no time flat, quickly turning a must-win game for Denver into a laugher along the lines of Must-See TV.  The box score shows five Lakers in double figures, often the result of crisp ball movement that created 26 assists.  The Lakers also contested any and every ball put up by Denver, often forcing their opponent to take bad shots from a sizable distance.  They even limited Allen Iverson and Carmelo  Anthony to a combined 10-38 from the field.

-- Image courtesy of Rolling Stone

And before we kick off, my two cents...

The Nuggets have thrown a wide variety of looks at the Lakers and none have been effective over the course of an entire contest.  We can discuss and analyze every X and/or O, but everything comes back to one central fact.  Denver is a good team, but L.A. is just better.  Not to sound simplistic, but it really is that simple.  And honestly, I think Denver knows that nothing they do can truly "overcome" that.

Thus, I'm expecting to see Denver doing more of what's been (relatively speaking) most effective and trying to make it better.  But were I George Karl, I'd tell my squad to play the Lakers extremely physical.  Nothing dirty, but nothing without some contact involved.  If the Lakers have a teamwide weakness (of sorts), it's that they can get rattled when team bump and grind.  Especially if the refs don't call it (and the odds of no whistle increase at Pepsi), which has often gotten the Lakers out of sorts.  With any luck, the Lakers will concentrate more on the refs than the game, a bad habit that used to rear its ugly head on a very regular basis.  In particular, I'd look to muscle Gasol, who really doesn't like that style of play.  Basically, an approach that hopes to make the Lakers beat themselves to some degree.  If any team knows how self destruction is possible, it's Denver.

Will it work?  We shall see.  This is actually the game I'm picking the Nuggets to win (whether because of my strategy or otherwise), followed by the Lakers closing out the final two.  But if I'm wrong about the outcome (and I hope I am), this is a sweep.  Book it.  Here's to hoping.

AK

A few before the 2:30 tip, stream of consciousness style:

• There's every reason to expect the Nuggets to come out hard right at the tip.  They're an excellent team at home (33-8), and while they lack any semblance of discipline, Denver isn't without pride.  AI, Melo, Martin, Camby, etc.- all care about winning, and not being made to look ridiculous, which men in their position cannot afford.  That said, if the Lakers can survive the initial push, if the game is close in the second half they'll have every opportunity to win.
• In Games 1 and 2, the Lakers have done a good job limiting Denver's opportunities on the break.  That'll be harder to do at Pepsi Center with the crowd revving the Nuggets up, but certainly not impossible.  Thus far, LA has controlled the pace through smart decisions on offense that has taken the game close to the rim, and being very aware of run out chances on the other end.  They're clogging the outlet lanes, and generally frustrating Denver's break before it can get going.  It's not that the Lakers are playing slowly, because they're not.  They're just not buying into Denver's pace.

Hopefully, the Lakers' list includes beating the Denver Nuggets in game 3 of their playoff series (2:30 pm PST, TNT), since they happen to be in town and all.  It would make sense, since Kobe's trying to order "championships" off his hotel room service menu, what with his stomach growling even more than when he shared the spotlight with Shaq.  To make the victory go down (as one analyst predicts), they'll have to be prepped for whatever tweaks George Karl- who's been at this coaching game a looooooong time- throws into the mix.  (Tweaks being, of course, one of the things to look for in today's game).  If Coby's pop was smart, some soothing Enya in the locker room will be part of whatever changes, because his squad is a rather tightly wound bunch. 

Their vets, who've often been a huge part of the problem, need to start setting an example of coolness ASAP.  But in a weird way, if the Lakers can make quick business of the Nugs, they'll be doing Melo a favor.  The faster his summer vacation rolls around, the more time he gets to film his new reality TV gig.   And for the rare Nugget with a inch or two of unmarked skin, more time at the tat parlor. 

Word from Eric Pincus at Hoopsworld.com is that Trevor Ariza is improving, but still isn't ready for full contact basketball activities (such as NBA playoff basketball).  He can run around and drill, but will need one more CT scan before he's cleared to go whole hog.  So the Denver series is out, but here's still the chance of a Round Two return for Ariza, knock on wood. 

So the news isn't ideal, but it's not horrible, either.

BK

Luke Walton tossed out the reminder after Wednesday's Game 2 win over the Nuggets: "Remember Phoenix," he asked?  Oh yeah.  That.  Walton, of course, is referring to the 2006 first round matchup against the Suns in which the Lakers built up, then lost, a 3-1 series lead.  Those sorts of memories prevent overconfidence, and hone the "killer instinct."  Of course, there are some fundamental differences between that series and the one in which the Lakers currently find themselves, the most important being that now, the Lakers are clearly the better team. They've got Kobe Bryant coming off one of his best games of the season (and there are a lot to choose from), a scoring and passing smörgåsbord that simultaneously buried Denver's chances of stealing a win at Staples and showed the variety of ways Bryant can control a game. 

Speaking of which, the Lakers are hoping to control the next two games in the Mile High City, and a little more D won't hurt (though it's worth noting the work LA has done on Carmelo Anthony).  On the other end of things, a little composure would be a bonus for the Nuggets.

I had to drive straight from Laker practice to Dodger stadium for tonight's game (I know many of y'all consider the Blue a low priority right now, but we're still getting the green to cover them), meaning there wasn't a ton of time for a nitty gritty breakdown of today's practice via the art of wordsmithing.  Fortunately, today's practice was removed of those little quirks BK and I live for (save the oddly amusing sight of Kurt Rambis using the space age treadmill), meaning you're not missing anything along those lines.  More importantly, the report may be short on typed words, but it's long on Lakers yakking.  Lot o' iPod captured copy.  A feast for the ears, if not necessarily the eyes.

One quick note: Ronny Turiaf, who's been tagged with the "tonsillitis" label, said he's feeling a little better thanks to some "great medicine" from the doctor he was en route to visit.  One catch, however.  The ailment has made talking a difficult proposition.  As anyone who's spent time around arguably the most outgoing Laker will agree, it's hard not to find that a little ironic.  At any rate, he's guessing Saturday's game will be a go. 

... but mostly, we'd like to thank you guys, who voted us to two (two!) top honors in the Hardwood Paroxysm NBA Blogger Awards: First, for Best Pacific Division Blog, Reader's Choice, and then for Best Western Conference Blog, Reader's Choice. 

It's indicative of the community we have here that so many of you guys took the time to click on our behalf, and take so much pride in the site.  We certainly appreciate it.  Click below for a view of our "hardware."

AK and BK

Well, here you go.  All the highlights from Kobe's big Wednesday, including the dimes (way to put in the dimes!).  I'm always amazed at how quickly people put this stuff together.

BK

Similar to the wild colors enjoyed by those acid dropping hippies in 1967, last night's 122-107 win over the Nuggets featured Kobe Bryant visuals that felt like they couldn't possibly be real.  The second game in this series kicked off with 24 in immediate attack mode, the aggressiveness coming in part to offset his teammates' collective inability to knock down shots.  Bryant was also looking to offset the continual trash talking on the part of his opponents, who seem incapable of learning they'd be better off shutting their yaps.  Kobe notched 20 first quarter points on 8-10 shooting, the foundation of a half that would wrap up at 25 and come within a eyelash of hitting a franchise record. 

From there, Kobe did more than just light up the scoreboard, taking on the role of facilitator in brilliant fashion. His second half included eight assists, with common beneficiaries being Pau Gasol and a very effective Luke Walton.  Taking a cue from their leader, the Lakers moved the ball at a dizzying pace, accumulating enough assists (33) that they could have loaned a few to Denver (who certainly could have used them).  From there, it was a fourth quarter feeding frenzy.  19 points off double crossover drives and three pointers that appeared to measure about 40 feet.  Kobe then put away his six shooters, ironically marking a time when Denver was the team appearing short on bullets for the box score.  The MVP voting is already over and done, but last night's game did serve to defend those marking their "X" beside Kobe' moniker.  Whether you're talking domination, versatility or putting a stamp on his own team, it was an evening clearly owned by The Mamba.   

It was kind of like Game 1, in the sense that the Lakers received a superlative performance from a star player and won going away while down the stretch the Nuggets dissolved like Hammer's career.  But Wednesday night's 122-107 win also had some unique features, namely the 49 points and 10 assists from Kobe Bryant, who rebounded in the biggest way from a disappointing effort on Sunday.  The Nuggets threw the kitchen sink at 24, doing everything from working him one-on-one against Kenyon Martin or Linus Kleiza to zoning up the purple and gold to doubling him to get the ball out of his hands... and it's fair to say that none of it worked.  Early on, Kobe was red hot, drilling jumpers George Karl would call "undefendable."  Later, in a critical stretch of the third, Kobe became a distributor (five helpers in the quarter), tearing apart the Denver zone and giving his mates a host of easy looks.  Late, he was a lot a bit of everything, racking up 19 points on 6-7 from the floor while still logging three dimes. 

Just as they did on Sunday, the Lakers showed that they are clearly the better team.  More disciplined, more composed, more versatile. The Nuggets are talented enough to make the Lakers play- remember, Denver did win 50 games in a brutal Western Conference- but as long as the Lakers stick to what they do well, they're the better team. Tonight, while the effort wasn't necessarily even for all 48, LA did more than enough to get the job done.

AK with the breakdown below.

BK

What's more exciting than Game 1 playoff action?  Game 2 playoff action!  Especially when Jeffrey Osborne sings the National Anthem.

AK with the first quarter.

FIRST QUARTER

10:57 - After seeing the first Laker possession evolve into a series of start stop passes and LO eventually putting up a prayer to beat the 24 second clock, Fish swipes the ball from K-Mart, then puts up a jumper just inside the arc.  Money.  The Laker bench doesn't have to wait too long before getting to sit down.

10:36 - I'm not sure I've ever seen a ball spin around the rim as many times before going on down as the layup Melo just sank.  I don't love seeing the Nuggets score a bucket, but still, it was kinda cool.

The big news before the game?  Ronny Turiaf is not in the building.  He's just that sick.  So rather than have him hanging around and germing up the locker room, Ronny's at home. Given that he barely played in Game 1 and the Nuggets don't throw a cavalcade of bigs at the opposition, for Ronny to be unavailable doesn't necessarily mean a fundamental change in how the Lakers do business tonight.   But if Pau Gasol finds foul trouble or the Lakers, for whatever reasons, need to go bigger, the backup center roles will be manned by DJ Mbenga and Chris Mihm.  LA has enough versatility built into the roster to go with a variety of lineups, but don't be surprised to see either one get a little bit of run. 

Beyond that, the goal is to continue doing those things the Lakers felt they did well on Sunday- ball movement and inside play, to name two- while shoring up those things they didn't like, most of which revolved around issues of defensive consistency.  Jackson reiterated that they considered the result of Game 1 to be positive, but not necessarily the performance. 

Good stuff in anticipation of tonight's Game 2 on this afternoon's Purple, Gold, and Blue podcast, courtesy of Nuggets blogger Jeremy Wagner of Pickaxe and Roll.  We talk about Denver's insertion of Linus Kleiza into the starting lineup for Anthony Carter, K-Mart on Kobe, if there's anything the Nuggets can do defensively to stop the Lakers, and more.  For those of you allergic to baseball, that talk begins about 40 minutes in. 

Some thoughts:

• Nene is a possibility to play limited minutes tonight, which could be a boost to the Nuggets if he's mobile enough to make a difference.  Obviously Denver needs all the size and strength they can get, and Nene provides some of that. 

PROGRAMMING NOTE:  Tune in for Purple, Gold, and Blue at 11 am.  Our guests will be Jeremy Wagner of the Nuggets blog Pickaxe and Roll, as well as LAT baseball writer Kevin Baxter.  Click the show widget on the side of the page, or go to www.nowlive.com. 

The Lakers are expecting to see a few heading into this evenings Game 2 (7:30 pm PST, TNT) against the Nuggets of Denver.  The biggest would be the decision to go big, which means Linas Kleiza subbing in for Anthony Carter.  Theoretically, the taller lineup allows George Karl to continue putting Kenyon Martin on Kobe while not giving up as many mismatches in the paint.  Among dudes going batty with the free space in the paint was Lamar Odom, who's basically had his way in most games since Pau Gasol's arrival (and has some T-shirts to help fans... wait for it... gear up for the postseason).   There should also be some zone heading the Lakers' way, which could very well lead to more outside shots from a quiet game 1 guy like Derek Fisher.   As for the Lakers, they're feeling relaxed and loose heading into this contest, but that shouldn't be confused with complacency.  The Lakers are well aware of their coach's 17-0 clip after going up 2-0, which is why they're looking to maintain the current position of their two dozen feet.

Screw the buzz over Kobe Bryant's statement yesterday that he never wants to exchange his Lakers jersey.  For that matter, screw the adjustments Denver will be making to allow power forward Kenyon Martin to continue guarding #24 (and Lawrence Tanter to continually say "Kleiza").  For my money, neither comes close to matching what I consider the most intriguing development to emerge during these playoffs pertaining to The Mamba. 

Dude actually considers the Four-Hundred Five Freeway to be a pleasant commute. 

Excuse me while my head does a Navin Johnson.

Sorry, but that's nothing short of insane to me.  Kobe reiterated his opinion, but added a caveat. "Except when it's bumper to bumper."  So in other words, he's doing a lot of weekend joyriding between the hours of 2:30-5:15 am?  Wrong.  Smiled Kobe, "On a Sunday.  '63 Impala, baby.  Top down.  Shades up.  I'm cruising."  Cruising the SD during daylight hours?  Seriously?  I asked Kobe if there are details missing.  Perhaps his wife or a daughter in the passenger seat?  A buddy riding shottie.  Hell, even a mannequin next to him.  Whatever it takes to get carpool lane access?  "No, man.  It's just me in the slow lane, man.   Nice and smooth." 

Damn.  If Kobe's really managed to figure out a way of making that freeway anything less than a headache inducing nightmare, that oughta be enough to land him the MVP trophy in and of itself.  Only a very special player can do that. 

George Karl is going big.  In an effort to limit mismatches on the floor, he announced today that Anthony Carter will be replaced in the lineup by Linus Kleiza.  The move isn't unexpected, given the way LA dominated the post on Sunday.  From the Denver Post:

While that offensive production was welcome, Karl seemed more concerned with taking measures to stop a Lakers attack that scored 29 of its 46 field goals in the paint.

"I think it's a matchup thing," Karl said. "I just don't think I want to give (Lakers coach) Phil (Jackson) as many postups and mismatch situations as he has in the lineup at the beginning of the game. I think I can make one or two changes and get that taken care of pretty quickly."

In their understandable haste to find a way to prevent NBA most valuable player candidate Kobe Bryant from blowing up, the Nuggets gave power forward Kenyon Martin the task of defending him. While that ploy was largely successful — Bryant shot just 9-of-26 from the field — it left the Nuggets vulnerable on the inside.

Whenever a Laker penetrated to the basket, that left center Marcus Camby to try to pick up the man with the basketball. That, in turn, left a bigger Laker open for easy baskets. More often than not, that man was Pau Gasol, a 7-footer who scored 36 points, mostly on easy layins.

"I don't think he took more than two shots from outside the lane," Martin said.

The report also indicates that Karl will keep Kenyon Martin on Kobe.  Honestly, I don't think the change will hurt LA that much offensively- I can't believe Karl would have let Waltmanovic exploit the Carter mismatch on the post for very long in Game 2, and despite the added length, when the Lakers move the ball, they can score on anyone- but it'll force them to pay more attention defensively, as Kleiza is a far more potent scorer than Carter. 

BK

I only caught the tail end of yesterday's conversation between Kobe and members of the media in which he said he "absolutely" (quoting Kobe) wants to stay with the Lakers, and is "open to finishing his career with them" (quoting the report).  I missed the stuff about drop top Impalas and grading Mitch Kupchak, but did manage to hear some interesting bits.  It's obviously good news to hear Kobe say he is, once and for all, happy in Los Angeles, and doesn't want to go anywhere.  That's been the assumption for a while now, but it can't hurt to hear it explicitly expressed.  And while there will likely always be some disconnect between how Kobe and management perceive the events of the last few seasons and the most recent offseason, if everyone is now pushing in the same direction, does it really matter?

I'm sure we'll all continue to debate what happened this summer, what led to it, and what's happened since, just as people still discuss the dissolution of the Threepeat teams.  The important thing for Lakers fans is it now seems highly unlikely that those two debates will be joined by a third, regarding the end of Kobe's career as a Laker.  Not anytime soon, at least.   

Another award goes into the NBA's official books.  This time it's Defensive Player of the Year and... big shock... the trophy will reside in Kevin Garnett's living room.  Both easy to see coming and well deserved.  Aside from the individual lockdown KG has always exhibited, he proved his worth on that side of the rock by demanding his new Celtics squad ape his prioritization from minute one.  Period.  Dudes like Ray Allen and Eddie House putting a heavy emphasis on their D?  Doesn't likely happen without Garnett's presence and instant cred.

Congrats are also in order to Kobe Bryant, who placed within the top 5 vote getters, trailing just Garnett, Marcus Camby, Shane Battier and Bruce Bowen. 

AK 

Not that Kobe Bryant and the Lakers just made recent acquaintances, but considering how rocky the relationship had grown, any developments over the past season would basically qualify as being, at the very least, reintroduced.  And Judging by Kobe's statements yesterday, he was impressed by Mitch Kupchak's handshake.  Bryant said yesterday what Lakers fans have been dying to actually hear, that he's perfectly content to remain a Laker until he finally hangs up his sneaks for good.   He also gave the highest of marks to Mitch Kupchak, the same GM he wanted to swap out for Jerry West.  Hell, even Adam West.  Kobe broke down in greater detail some of the reasons behind his displeasure, the biggest beef possibly being the blindside trade of close amigo (and helluva player) Caron Butler.  That the swap was followed by a couple seasons without a move of matching impact made it sit even worse.  But as it turns out, that lack of motion came in large part to front office patience, which Kobe now recognizes.   Between correctly identifying the young players worth believing in and finding just the right player to grab in exchange for Kwame Brown's contract, Kupchak has provided Kobe a chance at title contention for several years to come.

What's Spanish for "Kobe ain't looking to relocate anytime soon?" 

While the events leading up to this sea change statement were anything but predictable, that Bryant now feels this way was about as easy to call as Denver eventually imploding during game 1.  All kidding aside, where is Kobe gonna find as good or better a situation (and if this aspect is important to him, while making close to the same amount of loot)?  Beyond that, Kobe does look happier than he's been in a long time.  As well he should be.  The season may have began looking like a Brothers Grimm story, but it's wrapping up as the biggest fairy tale this side of Snow White. 

I'm running out to catch a movie with my lady (if anyone's curious about "Forgetting Sarah Marshall," I'll lend a review in a few hours), so I'll have more thoughts later.  But in a nutshell, I'm happy for Laker fans, the Laker organization and Kobe himself.  Bottom line, I want all three parties to be happy.  It's looking like that could be case for quite some time.

AK

It's amazing what a number one seed in the playoffs will do for a team's popularity, at least as measured by the amount of media at practice.  The rush has started, as the assemblage of cameras, TV personalities, and scribes has probably tripled, and will only continue to grow as the Lakers work their way through the playoffs (yes, feel free to knock on wood).  It certainly makes things a little less intimate.  But despite all the attention, it was more or less business as usual in El Segundo this afternoon.  Dudes getting their work in, trying to shore up any holes exposed.  The reserves playing a little half court ball to stay sharp.  Andrew Bynum launching half court shots just for fun after everyone was off the floor.  That sort of thing.

A couple housekeeping notes: 

• Ronny Turiaf was sent home today, still battling whatever bug (or, as PJ called it, "disease") was bugging (ha!) him yesterday. 
• DJ Mbenga took a knee in the ribs in the aforementioned half court game, and was down on the floor for a while.  He eventually got off the floor, and was taken to the hospital for x-rays.  When we know something, we'll pass it along. Obviously it always sucks for someone to get hurt, but if you're looking for a silver lining, should Mbenga have to miss some time, given their current foe things will have to go very wrong during games for the Lakers to need him.  If the Nuggets had more bodies up front, it could be at least a slightly different story.
• For what it's worth, Kobe categorized the "DUI" chants towards Melo as "uncalled for."
• PJ, in reference to integrating Andrew Bynum, seemed to indicate that it was a longshot that the scenario would even be a consideration (i.e., he won't be back in the playoffs).  He wasn't specific as to whether he meant this round, or next, or the one after, but overall, I'll say what I've said all along- don't expect him back anytime soon, and until he's on the floor and running, assume he won't be playing at all.  No point in getting your hopes up.

Click below the jump for clips of George Karl, Allen Iverson, and PJ.  Apparently, our first go with Phil was all of 10 seconds long.  I can assure you he spoke for at least 20.

BK

Award season is now officially upon us, kicked off the announcement that the Spurs' Manu Ginobli won the Sixth Man of the Year award.  Wasn't tough to see this coming, considering el hombre averaged nearly 20 ppg off the pine (making him the team's leading scorer by percentage points), was often the team's go-to dude in final possessions and played at an All-Star level throughout 2008.  Thus, it's hard to get slack jawed over the news.

That said, the actual vote count does reveal a pair of interesting tidbits.  First, Jordan Farmar earned a second place nod, plus a pair of third placers.  Also, Ginobli received 123 out of a possible 124 first place votes... and assuming I'm doing the math right, was left off the ballot entirely by whichever writer gave the overall nod to Leandro Barbosa.  Similar to when a few writers excluded Kobe from their sheet in 2006 (I can easily accept them voting for someone else, but not putting him in the top 5?  Seriously?), it would be lying on my part to declare that anything short of a head scratcher.

AK

Give this much to Pau Gasol.  When he finds himself in prime position to end a fruitless streak of playoff games, dude don't eff around.  Carrying an 0-12 clip into yesterday's brouhaha against Denver, El Spaniard brought his A-est of A-games to help manufacture a 128-114 victory.  36 points on 14-20 shooting, 100% at the stripe (8-8), 16 boards, 8 dimes, 3 swats, an outcome reminiscent of the big man assistance Kobe Bryant used to receive back in the day.  Gasol's ability to take over the paint came in large part due to George Karl's decision to have power forward Kenyon Martin guard Kobe, a tactic that made life tough on the Mamba, but sacrificed a vulnerable paint to Gasol's talents.   

Lamar Odom found oodles of opportunities offered inside en route to his 17/14 tally.  Even small forwards were able to capitalize on the mismatches K-Mart's assignment created, as Luke Walton poured in 16 off the bench, often posting up smaller Denverians now forced to guard him on the blocks. Throw in a fantastic display of team-wide ball movement and the Nugs spent much of the game on their heels. 

UPDATE, 9:40 pm):  Woohoo!  After some technical struggles, we finally have video.  Scroll down to the bottom of the page for the new sights and sounds. 

One thing we all knew when the draw was finally set?  However many games the top seeded Lakers would have to play against #8 Denver, none of them would be boring.  Sunday afternoon's 128-114 win for the purple and gold was certainly no exception.  Nearly 200 shots from the floor, five technical fouls, a flagrant, and an ejection (the bulk tagged to Denver, not exactly a surprise since they're hardly the Lords of (Self) Discipline).  Still, when the final horn sounded, the Lakers were well in control, thanks to a punishing inside game led by Pau Gasol (36 points) and Lamar Odom (17).

LA established control early, building up as much as a 10 point lead in the first before giving six of those points back in the final 40 seconds of the quarter.  In the second, Denver made a push against an overmatched second unit, erasing the Laker lead and putting them down by as much as eight.  But over the final six minutes before the break, LA methodically chipped away at the Denver lead behind strong work from Gasol and (gasp!) some stops and forced turnovers on the other end.  In the third, LA blew the doors off the game, going up by 19 and allowing them to glide to a 1-0 series lead.

Was it art?  Not really.  Was it pretty good?  Yep.  A 14 point victory against a 50 win team isn't the worst thing in the world.

Click below for the breakdown. 

It's not just live blog action, it's playoff live blog action!  Fortunately, just like the Lakers, we've been working under near-playoff conditions for the last month, and should be good to go. 

Camby, Iverson, Melo, Carter, Martin start for Denver.  Pau, Vlad, Kobe, Fish, and LO for LA. 

BK with the first.

FIRST QUARTER:

We start with some honest, playoff style man hugging at center court before the tip.  Camby wins the tip for Denver, AI takes it up with Kobe on him.  That's one matchup to watch, the other being Vlad Rad on Melo. 

The amount of players hanging in front of their lockers before the game was considerably fewer than normal, so there's not much to report in the way of Laker roster folk news.  Save a brief convo with Trevor Ariza (who'll be getting another update about his foot's status on Friday), didn't really see anyone around for more than a brief hey.  I guess they put on their "game faces" on in the back rooms during the postseason.  But Phil Jackson did his usual pregame chat with us scribe types and as usual, he wasn't hurting for one liners.  When asked about his past observation that these Laker squads don't play well in early games, Phil quickly responded with, "No, Shaq's in Phoenix now."

Cue laughter.

Because the Western Conference has been more crowded than a New York subway at rush hour, the Lakers have been forced to endure playoff-esque games for the last month or so.  Today, though, the simulation ends and the real postseason begins.  And given where they were only a few months ago and the improbable path they took to get here, to enter the playoffs as a real, live #1 seed is quite an accomplishment, one the Lakers feel they're well equipped to handle going forward.   LA knows they have a challenge facing the fast paced Nuggets, and Denver knows they have a challenge facing Kobe Bryant, who is itchin' to win in the postseason again.  Of course, the Lakers go deeper than 24, whether it's Pau Gasol, Lamar Odom, playing for things far bigger than himself, or Sasha Vujacic, who played well enough this year to earn a nickname... or at least one that didn't poke fun. 

The Lakers hope to limit the Nuggets attack to Melo and AI, keeping guys like JR Smith and Linus Kleiza from heating up. 

More by way of previews, this time via the folks at Pickaxe and Roll, a top notch Nuggets blog with a top notch name.  As part of a "blog swap" between PA'n'R and SportsHubLA, we discussed the idea of "Three ways to beat, and lose to, the _______."  Here is the report on Denver.  The quick and dirty summary of the larger piece, plus some additional thoughts, in the link follows below: 

The Lakers were back on the floor in El Segundo Friday afternoon after taking two days off to rest and recoup after an end to the regular season that was played, by necessity, at playoff intensity.  Phil Jackson had his scout team getting up and down the floor to try and simulate the Sonic the Hedgehog pace of the Nuggets- make no mistake, Denver plans on trying to pile up enough points to short circuit the Staples jumbotron- but there isn't really anything a team can do to simulate Allen Iverson and Carmelo Anthony.   Jordan Farmar did his best to imitate the former on Friday, and Vlad Radmanovic prepared to guard the latter.  However you frame the debate, defense is going to be a question mark for the Lakers heading into the playoffs, whether it's Denver or (knock on wood) whatever teams they see down the road.  Of course, consistent effort on that end has hurt the Nuggets as well.  For that matter, a lack of consistency in just about anything has hurt the Nuggets this year. 

Beyond AI and Melo, many observers call JR Smith the X Factor for Denver.  For the Lakers, it's likely Lamar Odom, who has blown up since the arrival of Pau Gasol, and is playing the best basketball of his tenure in LA, perhaps in his career. 

BK already tossed out a few thoughts on the Lakers' upcoming foe, but I wanted to add an additional two pennies' worth.  Just for funsies. 

• I wouldn't be surprised if Denver gets physical with the Lakers early and often.  The Lakers have sported a team-wide tendency this season to get frustrated when played in bump-heavy fashion.  Especially if it goes uncalled, which tends to create a focus more about bitching to the refs than keeping their heads in the game.  But ever since Kobe was forced to keep quiet and avoid getting suspended with a 16th "T," his teammates have also yapped considerably less of late.  Coincidence?  Absolutely not.  The team has often taken The Mamba's lead along these lines.  Thus, it's important that he set an example (especially for his less playoff experienced mates) by playing through some unwhistled contact.
  
  Should the physicality I'm predicting present itself, I'm expecting Pau Gasol to be the most frequent recipient.  We've seen guys like Joel Przybilla and Erick Dampier frustrate the hell out of Gasol working him in such fashion.  Between Kenyon Martin, Marcus Camby, Nene and Eduardo Najera, the Nuggets offer plenty of frontcourt dudes willing to aggressively body him.  Save Camby, however, they'll all be giving up tons of length to the Spaniard, so if he can remain calm and roll with it, Gasol should be able to get the best of the matchups. 

Isiah Thomas being removed of his coaching duties by the Knicks would likely not rank in top 100,000. 

I'm not sure whether it was the 56-108 record accumulated.  Or the bazillion dollar payroll that's produced more players bought out (see Rose, Jalen), dead weight (see James, Jerome), ill-matched (see Curry, Eddy/Randolph, Zach), or redundant (see roster, entire) than useful. Or the sexual harassment lawsuit. Or the drama with Starbury.  Or the fact that he's the only person who could make our current president look popular in New York by comparison. But whichever of the oodles of reasons new Knicks Prez (and Zeke's former Pacers boss) Donnie Walsh decided to cite, it was enough to show Thomas the door.   

Oddly enough, Thomas will remain on the Knicks payroll in a title-free role offering "input" to Walsh.  I guess every once in a while, outside advice is helpful when deciding between chicken salad or a burger for lunch.
 
By the way, for those with ESPN Insider, here's a breakdown of the Isiah era rosters.  Few things in life tend to shock me.  This is beyond shocking.

AK

If you're looking for any more signs that the Lakers are hot heading into the playoffs, forget that they've won eight of nine.  How about this one?  During yesterday's day off, Pau Gasol not only passed his California driver's exam, but scored an impressive 35 of 36 on the written.  Damn fine work.  But it will take more than a deep understanding of this state's rules of the road to knock off the Nuggets in the first round of the playoffs.  With that in mind, here is some audio from Thursday afternoon's pre-film session media powwow.  AK and I can't make it to practice today, but I'm willing to guarantee you there won't be much spoken that's wildly different than what was said on Thursday.

• Pau Gasol: Download pau_gasol_4.17.mp3
• Derek Fisher (good stuff in here not just about the playoffs, but also how his perspective is different heading into this year's postseason, given all that was going on in his family at this point last year):  Download derek_fisher_4.17.mp3
• Lamar Odom:  Download lamar_odom_4.17.mp3
• Luke Walton: Download luke_walton_4.17.mp3
• Phil Jackson: Download phil_jackson_4.17.mp3

BK

The showdown commences on Sunday, but for now, all these flag bearin', horn honkin', Kobe cheerin' fans can do is wait for the Lakers and Nuggets to finally square off.  And read a boatload of articles about the series, of course.

The upside of, as Carly Simon would warble, anticipation?  Your Purple and Gold got to catch up indulge in some seriously needed down time (although in Kobe's case, there's less stress over a recent playoff monkey).  From there, it's all about prepping for the serious octane that fuels Denver's potent O.  It's kinda like playing the '06 and '07 nemesis Phoenix Suns, minus one large difference.  There ain't no bad blood between these two squads (yet, at least).  Of course, good will on the court doesn't guarantee hospitality away from it, which is why George Karl has opted to take his squad back to the Rockies in between games, a decision Marcus Camby... well... kinda hates. 

But despite the most favored status of the Lakers over Denver- even without an all growns up Andrew Bynum- according to Yahoo!'s Kenny Smith, SI's Marty Burns, or the four letter network folk, it would be a mistake to expect an cakewalk.  Going purely by crunched numbers, the Lakers aren't necessarily the safest of bets for the gold.  But assuming they are in the finals and you're looking for a low risk, high reward wager, put a fivksi on LO or Pau for finals MVP.

Seeing as the first round of the NBA playoffs is scheduled to take about four months, we'll have plenty of time to discuss any number of big issues, but here are some quick and early thoughts on the Lakers vs. Denver and the playoffs in general:

• Round one against the Nuggets is as good a matchup as the Lakers could have asked for, considering every team in the draw hit the 50 win mark. Not a lot of cupcakes to serve up for sacrifice.  But the Nuggets, more than any of the other seven teams in the W.C. playoffs, have the ability to beat themselves, saving the opposition the trouble.  As I mentioned yesterday, the Nuggets are more likely to win one game by 25 points than four by five.
• Turnovers, turnovers, turnovers.  If the Lakers keep 'em low, Denver won't have a chance. 
• The Lakers, despite their tendency to get triple happy, still pound the ball down low, meaning they can both score on Denver and limit their pace up and down the floor.
• Should Denver go zone, I hope the Lakers try to break it with Pau in the post creating lanes for everyone else rather than by shooting over it. 
• It won't be a sweep.  Right now I'm leaning towards Lakers in five, though there's a part of me that thinks six is a better number.  Along those lines, I'd be surprised if most of the series in the W.C. didn't go six or seven. 

Not because the Lakers are guaranteed to be locked in an epic, seven game struggle (though the Nuggets do present a challenge).  We mean it literal