I agree with lakersmr. Denver has revealed itself to be a bunch of cheapshot scumbags. That shot on Luke had me out of my chair calling 911. Someone had to report that felony. Surely the league will review the play and call it what it was, flagrant. I'm shocked PJ put the starters back in after taking them out in the 4th. Seems way too dangerous.

GO LAKERS ! ! !

Repost from Yesterday. RIngs very true today.

*DING*

Wanna Get Away.

Southwest Airlines introduces Free Drink Flights from the Pepsi Center in Denver Colorado $99.00 one way to anywhere but here.

Now your free to move about the country!

TWoody

Thanks for the info Fairweather Fatty. Here we go again we will be taken for a ride on Ariza's expectation, allowed to practice again, next time, we hear not yet fully recuperated, another two weeks more. These are the subjects of our commentary from Jon K, Nemeaia Faletogo and others insist that these injured players should show up. These are the playoffs, the dream of every NBA player to be in the off-season and have a chance of going for the Championship.

Look at the Houston Rockets, they're hobbling with all kinds of knee injuries from T-Mac, Battier, Rafer Alston but they rise up to the occasion and fighting back against a superior team, Jazz in Utah. The other players before you, Willis Reed, Isiah Thomas dragging one foot, they still play. It is the heart of a warrior.

Nuggets, well they are still standing tho' its already the 11th round, Lakers has to deliver the knock punch on Monday. Vlad and Walton gave a good D in muzzling Anthony, even Reggie Miller and Coach Fratello noticed those small things. Lakers are winning back in big numbers because of the small things like passing the ball and managing the time effectively, moving without the ball and finishing it, timely 3 pts rescue from Fisher and Sasha when Nuggets were rallying, LO, Pau and Kobe confuse the defense of the Nuggets they just have no answer and that's the source of their frustrations. And to top it all, Mbenga presence to let Pau get a much needed rest, he rebouds, he blocks and show his presence in the post. Those are small things needed and when accummulated they result to resounding victory.

As we go forward, competition becomes tougher, Ariza and Bynum are the insurance. They have to show up with Spartan spirit ready to aid their teammates against all odds. These are not the time to have cold knees, talk of long vacation, thinking of long career, thinking of contracts adjustment. This is the time to play in the big league, GET UP AND BE COUNTED.

Rockin and Rollin, The Lakers I'm extoling
When we go bowling the score is high

Righting the wrong, when we play as one
The whole league set alight

There's a thing called fate, and a thing called great
We're number one and its meant to be

Where shooting the lights out, there can be no doubt
As birds sing their songs and we wish to be free

Our d is magic, the result is just tragic
If we put our mind to it they'll all fall aside

Our weapons gone gatlin she check the stats and
You'll understand just why we've got pride

Its their disaster as we start to play faster
So hoist 'em up high and we'll all take sail

As I'll say go Lakers and if there are any takers
The universe will open and good will prevail

GO LAKERS!!!!

agreed Luke is playing better, but he is not playing like last year. He has adjusted his game and is playing differently. Last year he passed first and moved the ball. This year he was slow because teams were laying off him and daring him to shoot. Meanwhile his passing lanes were being cut off. He's finally taking that personally and making them pay by hitting his jumpshots and taking it to the hoop.
btw, if Denver keeps up the dirty play I fear Gasol may end up on the DL. The Lakers oughtta have mbenga knock Naranja out. Stone Cold.

Edwin,

Usually you are just overly pessimistic, but now you are really pissing me off. Do you really think Andrew and Trevor are not playing because they do not want to? Really? Seriously get a clue. They are not playing because the Lakers (the people paying them millions of dollars) don't want them to. Period. As for your examples of players playing hurt (T-Mac, etc.) those guys are on teams that cannot possibly advance without them. To put it another way they go home anyway, so why not play. The Lakers are playing great (25-5 with Pau) without them so there is no need to do something stupid. Seriously your constant contrarian viewpoint is cute, but sometimes it is just ignorant....

Pslakerfan,

Thank you for the reminder that I pissed you off. I am not running a popularity contest here. Whatever is our opinion will stay as is, I will not adjust my viewpoints just to please you or anybody here. We have our own free speech to comment on any players. I respect bloggers and fellow fans like you to air their viewpoints. You made your point and that's fair enough. My objective is different from yours, we want to seal the deal on the standpoint of future challenges.

I am not a contrarian, nor a pessimistic nor an overly optimistic, I'm all of the above if you have followed my posts from the start. It changes based on situations, what we're saying that in future competitions, Drew and Ariza should try to show up. You don't like that posture, that's fine. I mentioned T-Mac and Battier are still playing eventhough they are hurt and their courage is admirable. I will take the hit and for an unpopular stand but my opinion will stay as is.

check this out....

http://sports.espn.go.com/broadband/video/
videopage?
videoId=3370008&n8pe6c=1&categoryId
=2459788

For me the real challenge for Lakers lies ahead.
Nuggets is the worst team in playoffs right now. Look at the other series... there is competition. Even eastern teams with much lower rate than Denver are fighting hard in playoffs (Hawks, Raptors, Sixers,..etc).
Please be all prepared for Jazz, Spurs and Hornets.

1) Phil put Kobe and the A Team out there in the 4th because he knows that Denver can get hot and totally change the momentum of both the game and the series. He wanted to not only beat them but to destroy their confidence. Mission accomplished. That's why Phil has 9 rings (soon 10), and you guys are blogging.

2) To all you "Lukomir Waltmanovic" yokels...he's "Luke Skywalker" now. And don't you forget it.

3) Ariza in round 2, baby! Start looking at those catalogs for championship rings.

>>>Knowing that at some point we're going to be be forced to play
>>>better defense,

Actually, the Lakers ARE playing good defense in this series. They're limiting
the fast break points by Denver, they're not fouling them much, and they're
swarming Iverson and Melo, who are the only two really effective offensive
players.

At some point they will have to work harder on offense, though. There's no
way San Antonio or Utah will play swiss cheese defense like Denver is.

exhelodrvr,

I was looking at your comment about Kobe....

Is Kobe not allowed to have an off shooting night?

As a Kobe fan, I'd like to tel you that he's perfect, but
he's not and many people besides yourself understand
that and cut him some slack.

Go Lakers!
Go Kobe!

Ummmm...Dang.

Brutal.

Kobe and Pau even blocked their attempts at lob passes. One each.

It was painful to watch at one point. We simply killed them.

--Fearless

Edwin Guerco,

The news regarding Trevor Ariza is very encouraging. I hope we're not disappointed (again.) I don't think we will be. It's been so long for just a broken foot. It has to get better eventually and I think that time is now.

JohnnyP,

I'm hoping we broke the spiritual backs of the Nouguts with this game and they will just allow destiny to unfold itself. However, I am concerned that as bunch of immature thugs, they won't have the grace and maturity to allow that and will instead try to injure our players in Game Four. I mean, they may actually think "Let's take them down with us." Kobe better protect his finger, let me just tell you that.

pslakerfan,

I didn't think Edwin Guerco was being overly pessimistic. His disappointment mirrors my own. Players are supposed to play hurt, especially in the playoffs. That's one of the things that defines a true competitor. Kobe needs surgery, but he's playing.

Personally, I think that the Lakers management/training staff is being overly conservative (especially after past events of ruining NBA Hall of Famer Karl Malone's career through misdiagnosis and bringing him back to court too soon) right now. I think Trevor really wants to play RIGHT NOW, though. Andrew Bynum, I think really wants to play, but is under pressure from his mother and personal management and training staff to not push things, because he's on the verge of a long-term, max-approaching contract, and they don't want to risk all that money if an additional injury occured.

GO LAKERS!

By the way, my two favorite most suprisingly positive things in this series?

The play of Luke Walton and The Banger Mbenga. Both are playing great and making the most of their minutes.

GO LAKERS!

Quotes from the Nouguts...

"Iverson had no answers on this night.

“I’ve been in a lot of playoff series,” he said. “I don’t think I’ve ever been this frustrated.”

Neither has Anthony.

“In my five years here, this is the first time I’ve felt like this,” Anthony said. “This one hurt. It hurt bad.”"

Either they're going to lay down their heads for Game Four or they're going to try to hurt our players.

GO LAKERS!

I'm inclined to give the Lakers more credit than I am to say that the Nuggets quit. The Lakers made them quit. The Nuggets have no leadership, either on the bench or on the court. George Karl has totally lost that team and probably has for a long time prior to this series. The so-called leaders of the Nuggets squad, Iverson and Anthony, don't even make eye contact with their coach during timeout strategy sessions. The Lakers took advantage of a weak willed team that is truly dysfunctional.

The Lakers, on the other hand, refused to be baited into playing the Nuggets' game. There was no retaliatory actions from The Show, despite numerous hard fouls and delibeate attempts to hurt Fisher, Sasha, Kobe and Luke. Kenyon Martin has shown his true colors and deserves to be suspended for his "unnatural" reaction to having the ball stripped from him by DFish. He wound up and deliberately hit Fish in his face AFTER the ball was lost. Playoff basketball is supposed to be physical, but the Nuggets, as a team, crossed the line into dangerous , dirty play. That includes Najera and Nene, both of whom employed dirty fouls as part of their games.

This Laker team has matured a great deal. The reacquisition of Fish and trading for Pau has upgraded the talent level and basketball IQ immmeasurably. And speaking of Bball IQ, Luke Walton has played very well and is a huge part of the second unit success during this series.

I thought PJ managed the game very well. He brought the starters back in with about 5 minutes left in the half and they were able to push out to a 7 point lead at halftime. Vlad Rad hit a big 3 to strech the lead from 3 to 6 during that period. Vlad also was instrumental in Carmelo's poor afternoon. He would not allow Melo to finish at the rim without being contested and subsequently Carmelo never developed any rhythm until it was too late. Vlad's size presented Melo with a problem.

Kobe, Pau and Fish set the tone with a controlled, brainy and determined effort. When Denver made an 8-0 run in the middle of the 3rd quarter to cut the Laker lead to 10, Fish came back with eight points of his own via two 3's and a layup to shut the door. His 2nd 3 in that sequence put the Nugs in a hole from which they never recovered and seemed to cut the heart right out of them.

One more to go and the Nuggets will be fishing on the Colorado River!!! It's all over but the shouting!! GO LAKERS!!!!

On the play of Radmanovic:

I'm actually very happy that Rad is having a bad series in the first round. Vlad
is a very streaky shooter... he doesn't stay hot all the time and he doesn't stay
cold all the time. I'd much rather see him have a bad shooting series in the first
round and then heat up when the Lakers need him more for San Antonio or
Boston or Detroit.

pslakerfan,

I didn't think Edwin Guerco was being overly pessimistic. His disappointment mirrors my own. Players are supposed to play hurt, especially in the playoffs. That's one of the things that defines a true competitor. Kobe needs surgery, but he's playing.

Personally, I think that the Lakers management/training staff is being overly conservative (especially after past events of ruining NBA Hall of Famer Karl Malone's career through misdiagnosis and bringing him back to court too soon) right now. I think Trevor really wants to play RIGHT NOW, though. Andrew Bynum, I think really wants to play, but is under pressure from his mother and personal management and training staff to not push things, because he's on the verge of a long-term, max-approaching contract, and they don't want to risk all that money if an additional injury occured.

GO LAKERS!

Posted by: Jon K. | April 27, 2008 at 08:26 AM

You should really try reading your last two paragraphs again. My point was that management was keeping Andrew and Trevor off the court and that it was not their decision.

In your first paragraph you agreed with Edwin that they should play hurt like Kobe is, and then in your second paragraph you totally proved my point by saying that management is being overly cautious and that Trevor and Andrew really want to play.

My exact point was that they wanted to play but weren't being allowed to, so what is your final conclusion. Is it that they should suck it up and play (assuming it is up to them, which it isn't) or that management is being too cautious and they have no choice.

For the record Kobe is hurt, Andrew and Trevor are injured, big difference....

PS. Don't answer angry you might get deleted........lol.

exhelodrvr,

I find it odd that you are so easily critical of Kobe Bryant (our MVP) and yet passionately defensive of Gary Vitti (the guy who ruined Karl Malone's best chance at getting a ring.)

It's odd.

GO LAKERS!

Thank you Jon K for understanding where I coming from. I would not be surprised that we have irritated our fellow fans here for insisting on changes that they do not adhere.

It is OK to have difference of opinions, it is healthy for the blog. On the contrary, it will be a good policy among us not insult the messengers on those opinions. Majority who are blogging on this site are Laker fans and if we start labeling people, we only promote misunderstandings and divisiveness. Perhaps, talking thrash is the modicum of communication in one's household or looking down at other bloggers is just their ways but here, we don't know each other. We all come from different backgrounds, different sensitivities, different locations from all parts of the world, still at the end of the day - "It takes one to know one" . If in my previous posts I chastised LakerTom, Jon K, Faith, EX, AZ, Vman, Mamba24, Fatty and many others, I have no qualms of saying it for I've been in communication with them for sometime, I do it in jest for the sake of entertainment not to be personal and insult a fellow Laker fan. I make commentaries too on other posts but it is not my policy to insult a fellow blogger. He is a "privileged fan" who spent time to join us, not making money out of this blog but just expressing his own passion. Besides that, he is not a public figure. Well, I just want to air my side, that whatever opinions expressed, it would be nice in this blog to practice proper decorum and mutual respect than tearing one another. There are no right opinions or wrong opinions, only the course of time will judge the right one.

Let bygones be bygones, let's move on towards our common goal: JUST GIVE US CHAMPIONSHIP BABY!

Re John Denver, I think he actually died running into California. Sorry.

I was out all day yesterday and had to record the game. Didn't listen to any news or talk to anyone before watching. While I'm very pleased with the outcome, it was almost a letdown. Our guys played a good game, but Denver just gave it away. No heart, no effort. Pathetic.

Lakers need to shut this thing down tomorrow. Put the Nuggets out of their misery with a mercy shot.

Best of all possible worlds, Denver doesn't even play its starters. In game three they actually showed this sort of thinking makes sense to them.

I don't think that Denver, as JonK says, will "try to hurt us." These guys all know eachother. Carmello doesn't seem to take the game personally at all. It's just that when they get frustrated, they lash out instinctually.

Herein is where good sportsmanship comes in. Rubbing our dominance in their faces with jabbering and finger waving increases their humilation and makes them more likely to flail in frustration. Thoug I know Denver makes it difficult, the Lakers should show they are a classy group and respect their opponents for fair play and trying hard.

This may be their best way to avoid injury. It is better than having Mbenga beat people up. And it sets a good tone for our nation.

GO LAKERS!!!

pslakerfan,

Okay... okay. I guess I need to improve my reading comprehension skills when not supplemented by caffeine. You make a valid point.

GO LAKERS!

Keeping the starters in late in the game was wise - if Denver makes a run and the score gets close, even if they still lose, it gives them some momentum for Game 4.