Live from Staples- Lakers vs. Spurs
The tiebreakers require a lot of math, and I think we all know that's not really my bag. But suffice to say, good things happen if the Lakers win.
No Manu for SA, if you haven't heard already.
BK with the first.
FIRST QUARTER:
Early 5-0 lead for the Spurs, as Duncan dropped in a Parker miss, then on the next trip good ball movement left Finley with a great look at the basket from downtown, which he converted.
Two trips later, Parker hits a jumper and the lead is 7-0 San Antonio. At the 9:39 mark, Odom draws a foul on Oberto, and finally the Lakers get some points. He makes both FTs, and the Lakers are down 7-2.
9:12- Kobe drives, and gets hacked by Oberto. That's two on Fabricio, who has to head to the bench. Kurt Thomas comes in for him. He makes one of two, and the deficit is at four.
8:40- Great play by Kobe as the double comes at him on the right baseline, he finds Lamar coming across on the other side for the pass and the easy dunk. That's something the Lakers have done extremely well over the last few games- when the double comes to Kobe, they make them pay by giving him an outlet and putting the ball in a good position to score.
7:50- Kobe gets caught in no man's land, leaving Bowen wide open for a three. 24 can't let that happen. The guy does one thing offensively, and you know that if he's left open, he'll make it. Guearding Bowen isn't a tough defensive assignment in the sense that he's a dynamic scorer or that sort of thing, but he does require you to stay home on him. Can't play center field and expect to get away with it.
6:13- Spurs up 12-9.
5:39- Parker starts way beyond the three point line, and slices to the hoop for an easy layup, prompting a timeout from PJ. No screens were set, though Thomas came out to offer, but eventually there was just enough space for Parker to exploit. 14-9 SAS.
Ime Udoka in for the Spurs, replacing Finley.
3:50- Bad break for the Lakers, who give up a bunch of offensive boards to the Spurs, the last off what was a clear push of Gasol from Duncan to gain space. Ball goes back out, eventually back to Duncan, who has the easy dunk.
3:15- Great steal from Gasol, who is able to take the ball in and dunk it, showing some handle and quickness as well. Of course, when you're seven feet tall, it doesn't take too many dribbles to get to the basket. 17 up.
1:03- Nice two man game with LO and Kobe. Odom came out to set the screen, but when the double came hard on Kobe slipped it, and Kobe passed him the ball quickly over the top of the double. Odom had an easy path to the hoop, and was able to make the and one, drawing the contact on Thomas.
22-19 LAL.
:54.1- Double T's on Udoka and Sasha.
END OF THE FIRST- LAL 25, SAS 23. Good start for the Lakers, who are doing a good job limiting the Spurs from the floor (40%), and are taking care of the ball (three TOs, one of which came on the first possession of the game). A controlled effort, and one they need to keep up.
AK with the second.
SECOND QUARTER
10:30 - An easy dunk blown by Ronny. He won't get too many chances laid out on a plate better than that one. But a minute later, he redeems himself with a 19-footer.
8:57 - Ronny fouls Duncan, putting him at the line for the and one layup. Freebie goes down, putting the Spurs back up by a bucket. A bucket immediately matched when Turiaf cans a 17-footer.
7:40 - Despite the hands of Kobe and Turiaf in his face, Damon Stoudemire hits a fall away jumper from 15 feet. And when I say "fall away," I mean, dude literally fell on his ass after letting fly. I fon't know how he managed to get that one to stroke nylon, but kudos to Mighty Mouse.
7:25 - Ronny continually works down low against Duncan, bacing down for further position, then hits a cutting LO with a dump off pass right under the bucket.
6:10 - With the shot clock winding down, Pau puts up one in the paint against TD, who swats the attempt right into LO's mitts. With two ticks remaining, Odom's got no choice left but hoisting from 20 feet. Money. As they say, timing is everything.
5:10 - Pau creates a new Laker opportunity after blocking Duncan's shot and corralling the loose rock. Unfortunately, the chance gets wiped away after Kobe picks up an offensive while driving and shuttling the ball to Luke for three.
4:02 - Kurt Thomas picks up his third foul. That's a good break for the Lakers. Oberto's also got a trio, so more pressure on Duncan to take either LO or Gasol without joining their ranks. The Lakers should work to pick up at least TD's second before the half ends.
2:52 - Another missed dunk for the Lakers, this time by Gasol. But Vlad Rad's there for the richochet, then finds Walton camped out behind the arc. Money ball from disdtance. The Laker lead is bumped up to six.
1:18 - Parker drives past Fish at the top of the circle, then negotiates Pau's presence in the paint with a dipsy doodle, scooping layup that originates with block hands on the rock. I hate to see it, but really nice play.
32.4 - Tim Duncan's not the easiest guy to put a body on, but LO didn't provide nearly enough of a challenge, which allowed TD to snag Bowen's errant four footer and make right the wrong.
11.5 - Working the Lakers' final possession with a full shot clock for the half, Kobe lets time wind down, and down, then finally darts towards the goal, slipping past a wall of defenders and knifing the layup through some daylight and into the basket. But the Spurs answer layup for layup with Tony Parker, which concludes the opening 24 minutes with a 51-51 tie. The San Antonio shooting percentage took a serious (41 to 52) jump during this frame, which canceled out the 43-50 increase experienced by the Lakers. That same defensive awareness from the first quarter needs to come back into play again. It will all begin with containing Tony Parker, who's doing too much scoring (18 points) and assisting (5) for everyone's good. BK will be here to oversee whatever adjustments come in the third.
THIRD QUARTER:
Lakers oepn up a quick three point lead, 56-53. As always, the first few minutes of the quarter are important. If the Lakers can get some space, and perhaps more importantly avoid going down a few, they'll be set up well for the fourth.
9:30- Still 56-53.
8:30- Great patience from the Lakers. Kobe posts to Odom, who passes out, and Kobe feeds it back in. LO backs his man down, then pops it out to Kobe, who passes up the shot deep in the clock and feeds a wide open Fish for the triple, which he buries. Great use of the shot clock, and not settling for a shot while there was still a little more time to squeeze out oa better one.
7:35- 59-55 LAL.
7:22- Great pass from Fish on the perimeter, falling away, to Gasol underneath for the easy dunk. Another example of passing up an available shot for a better one. Popovich calls a timeout. Overall, the Lakers have come out in the quarter and shown a ton of patience. They're playing the same controlled game, generally free of mistakes, and not giving the Spurs anything to feed their attack. They're not getting bomb happy from distance, they're taking care of the ball, and they're getting it inside.
The defense as a whole has been reasonably solid, too.
7:21- 61-55 LAL.
6:55- LO gets Udoka on his back in the post, backs him down, and makes the easy feed to Pau as the help comes. Easy dunk. Lakers up by eight.
5:40- Two straight threes from Derek Fisher help the Lakers push the lead out to nine, then after Kobe misses a three, Fish hits Radmanovic cutting down the lane for the dunk. Fair to say this has been a productive frame for him. 70-59 LAL.
They force a 24 second clock violation on the next SA trip. The intensity on the court, and in the building, is growing. Momentum is definitely on LA's side right now.
2:56- Kobe fouls Bowen on the three attempt and there's a Lakers TO on the floor. On the previous trip down, though, Kobe made a great feed to Gasol underneath, again, dishing as the help came on his drive to the open man. The Lakers have clamped down on San Antonio in the third, holding them to 2-12 from the floor, while shooting 8-14 on the offensive end and picking up six dimes on the eight buckets. It's worth noting as well that the Lakers have only one TO in the quarter. Put it all together, and it's easy to see where the nine point lead has come from.
Farmar and Walton in after the TO.
Bowen makes the first, misses the second, misses the third. Lakers up 72-64.
1:10- Lakers up 76-64, with Duncan going to the line after drawing a foul on Gasol in the post. Overall, the Lakers have done a great job on TD today, who is only 5-15 from the floor. And of course, any time he's on the line, it's probably a good thing for the other team.
Duncan makes one of two. lakers up by 11.
END OF THE THIRD: Kobe caps off a killer Q3 with a triple at the buzzer off the long outlet from (I believe) Gasol off the rebound on the other end. Overall, the Lakers take control of the game (up by 12, 79-67) by outscoring the Spurs 26-14- the 14 part is particularly good- shutting down San Antonio and taking excellent shots on the other end. This was the sort of quarter they needed to gain the advantage, and that they didn't get Friday night against the Hornets.
Big Q for Fish, who had nine points, and Kobe, who had six.
AK with the fourth.
FOURTH QUARTER
The Lakers kick off the frame with some great team D, forcing San Antonio to continually swing the ball around in a unfufilled attempt to find a good shot. With a second left, Finely puts one up with Walton's hand blocking his vision. No go. Fantastic work on five purple and golders' (Turiaf, Walton, LO, Sasha, Farmar) part.
10:57 - More lockdown in effect, this time in the form of a Turiaf swat of Might Mouse's layup.
9:26 - Not as effective a defensive display this time, as Finley blows past Farmar in fairly quick fashion, then floats the layup in before Ronny can react to challenge.
7:32 - Farmar goes coast to coast (and behind the back) after retreiving Parker's missed six footer, eventually using his off arm to create a little more space and put the reverse layup home.
6:40 - Good work underneath the bucket by Walton, who keeps at it while trying to snag first Turiaf then his own miss. The activity eventually draws Bowen into a loose boul foul and creates a new Laker possession where LO eventually slams home another Walton miss.
5:09 - Farmar sets up Turiaf for an emphatic dunk that pushes the Laker lead to 24, Pop to call time out, the crowd to go absolutely beserk and Kobe to get up off the bench and meet Turiaf for an giddy shoulder bump. Whole team's pretty damn fired up, as well they should be.
Interesting note: This LO-Sasha-Turiaf-Farmar-Walton fivesome is the same one that blew the doors open against the Clips on Thursday and finally put them away. While it was certainly an achievement on that night, it was also against a decidedly less competitive squad. Doing it against the Spurs, however, raises a few more eyebrows.
With just over two minutes to play, Mom emails me. Her message? "That's it. Game over. Love Mom." Remember, you heard it here first.
1:11 - Ira Newble hits his first trey ball as a Laker. Similar to the Kennedy assination, everyone will recall where they were when they heard the news.
Demarr Johnson's three ball pushes the Spur points to 85, which doesn't do them a whole heck of a lot of good, since the Lakers have 106 of their own. Great defensive second half for the Lakers, who held San Antonio to a paltry 32 points during that pair of frames. From Tony Parker to Tim Duncan to "name you Spur," weren't nobody on the opposition able to get much going. On the flip side, a very balanced Laker attack (six players in double figures) doubled their first half tally, took exceptional care of the ball and killed the Spurs on the boards. Ain't much to complain about. More to come later. Big win. Thanks for being a part of it.
Some type of losses has to occur in the WC for the Phoenix to matchup against the Utah!
I've taken a look at the standings and I see Houston vs Phoenix which is not really good!
Phoenix has to find a strong matchup in the playoffs like either N.O or Utah! and thats because I would love to see them bouncing from the playoffs early
Posted by: Houston | April 13, 2008 at 03:03 PM
hey sunny that's not true. Kb24 likes to win and this is the happiest he's been with a team for quite some time. he doesn't even care to have lead in scoring unless he has 2 . the man just wants to win!!!!!!!! i've said it b4 not just because i'm a lakerfan, but kobe always comes to mind as the #1 playr in the league that earns every penny he makes. he comes to play every game to bad it cannot be said for some players in the league(expecially some lakers) no need to call em out though!!!!!!
KB24 MVP08
Posted by: vi lakerfan | April 13, 2008 at 03:03 PM
Sunny,
You a hater. Kobe has been cheering his teammates on since the season started. You know Kobe has changed because when this la team is down, he does not go into his mode where he starts doing everything. Kobe usually goes off in the third quarter when he feels like his teammates are not giving it that all.
This weekend was a big for the lakers, especially battling for the MVP with Paul. Old Kobe would have tried to state is claim for the trophy, instead he stayed with his teammates even when the pressure was on against the Hornets.
I was pleasantly surprised that Kobe did not try to put his cape on in that hornets game. Kobe's leadership has soared this year, and he wins and loses with his teammates. Last two season, every win was on Kobe and the loses too.
Posted by: wow | April 13, 2008 at 03:04 PM
one more to go, then the real season starts....
just because that victory was so sweet, i'm gonna repost this:
for all the whiners about defense(not really the problem in the NO game, it was all the missed jump shots leading to runouts and fast break points for the Hornets, not lack of defense...), the 1986-87 Lakers that won the title over the hated Boston Celtics allowed 108.5 points a game.
point total is NOT the measure of defensive success. the chamionship lakers team in 1987 was the ranked 7th best defense out of 23 teams and it allowed .467 opponents fgp. currently, the Lakers have the 7th ranked defense out of 30, and allow a paltry .446 shooting percentage.
this team IS championship caliber, make no mistake, however the games still need to be played and the team needs to get healthy. God palys a role as well, because no team wins a championship without at least SOME good fortune, even in the face of overwhelming odds.
still, no reason to cry, the team scores 112.8 points(as opposed to 1987's 117.8) a game and is 3rd in the league in points scored(as opposed to 1st in 1987). the last time i checked, the winning team scores more points than the opponent, whether it's more or less than 100. we're in good shape against ANYone, as long as we play OUR game(yeah, ok, i'm not on the team, but i was born in LA so it's "mine").
we're in good shape, considering Pau is coming off of an injury, Kobe's missing a finger, AB's kneee hurts, Luke's ankle got retweaked, Ronny's had a sore ankle for a bit, etc. this next week before the playoffs should give the team a moment to catch it's breath and then go all out. as i've mentioned before, PJ plays a SYSTEM. the players, once they know the system, are plug and play, for the most part. guys coming back from injury, should require only a momentary adjustment to regain timing, and then everything should be GO.
i'm really looking forward to these playoffs. it should be entertaining, at least!
here's the sources for the stats:
http://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/LAL/1987.html
http://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/LAL/2008.html
Posted by: man | April 13, 2008 at 03:05 PM
Gasol plays Duncan as well as any player in the L. I think Pau actually has the highest BB IQ in the Laker team and he uses it against Duncan.
I think this is the number one reason why the Lakers own SA and will beat the Spurs in a 7 game series.
Fish also defends Parker very well and Fish knows the Spurs as well as anyone (remember Oh-Four?).
I know they were missing Gonobili tonight but the next time we meet SA will be in the WC Finals (if the Spurs go that far), and by that time, we'll also have AB and TA. I think TA w/d be a good matchup with Ginobili.
Posted by: LakerinBC | April 13, 2008 at 03:07 PM
Unbelieveable but the lakers opened up big leads against elite teams in the west. If you told me that the lakers would have lead 30 points against the hornets, I would call you crazy. Then the lakers opened up a big lead against the spurs. They've stepped up this last two games. Its unfortunate we did not keep that lead up against the hornets. However, we won two big games.
Posted by: wow | April 13, 2008 at 03:08 PM
Yes! This is a very satisfying win.
Lakers lakers lakers Go.
Kobe Pau Lamar Fish and Sasha!
Posted by: Lakergurl | April 13, 2008 at 03:08 PM
Bench Mob played great last two games gaining confidence for playoffs! P.S I will not hesitate to give any of the BM a swift kick in the a$$ when warranted!! That includes Luke, Farmar, and who ever PJ brings in game! Go WCC!!!
Posted by: chuck23 | April 13, 2008 at 03:10 PM
It's just great to see our Lakers play well on both ends of the floor, especially in the second half. Had we played like this in the second half against the Hornets that game wouldn't have been close. My concern is that Rad has played really bad in past few games. Hopefully he can bounce back and give us something when he's in there because he needs to give us more as a starter. Go Lakers!!!
Posted by: Nemaia Faletogo | April 13, 2008 at 03:10 PM
Yeah, what's with this "without Ginobili" garbage? Did Bynum and Ariza play under different names today or something? Both teams had key people out. And the Spurs got smoked, end of story.
I see the Spurs acting like the Lakers when Shaqass was running the locker room. They are taking shortcuts, their road record is bad, their Western Conference record is bad and they are trying hard to act like it doesn't bother them. They are dismissing the home-court like Shaqass used to.
If they run in to Phoenix, they are in big trouble.
Posted by: Jman449 | April 13, 2008 at 03:11 PM
So...Lakers broke the Sunday/Lakers\ whites curse now right?
Posted by: Hansoulfood | April 13, 2008 at 03:12 PM
Tuesday is no cakewalk. Sacramento is still playing, and they have already beaten us recently at Staples.
Give SAC credit, they have at least played hard consistently against everyone in the race, unlike a garbage organization like Portland who only gets up for the Lakers while scoring 65 points against SA.
Posted by: Jman449 | April 13, 2008 at 03:15 PM
It's good to start the week with a Big smile. Thanks Lakers.. The Glory is nearly come..
Posted by: trio | April 13, 2008 at 03:15 PM
Lakers need to beat the Kings to finish the season strong and to enter the postseason with some serious momentum. Lakers also need to re-establish dominance at home, especially if they finish as the top seed. It's all about peaking and playing your best basketball come playoff time. Go Lakers!!!
Posted by: Nemaia Faletogo | April 13, 2008 at 03:20 PM
If the Lakers win the West, they will not have to travel until 4/25/08.
That's nearly 2 1/2 weeks of not flying, of not sleeping in hotels.
That's nearly 2 1/2 weeks of living in one time zone, sleeping in your own bed.
After all of the end season road games (which led to fatigue), the Lakers will be energized as a result of not having to travel for 2 1/2 weeks (and hopefully strong bench play).
Posted by: passionate Lakers fan | April 13, 2008 at 03:20 PM
My unpopular thought . . . Perhaps Bynum is being a wimp. In his interview he didn't say anything specific about reinjury possibilities. He said he was uncomfortable landing evenly. So?
[Actually Bynum was interviewed and said he did not get clearance from the Dr to do so. The Dr told him if he tried to play he could cvause peremanent damage to his knee. Do you want that? Also Bynum said he wanted a long career].
Kobe said, even if you are hurt, if you can contribute anything to the team, you owe it to them to get out there and play. I have a feeling that if Kobe had what Bynum has, he'd be out there. Don't you all agree??
[ No Kobe said to Bynum take all the time you need to heal]
If we beat SA without Big Baby Bynum, (ooooh those are fighting words) it will be a statement for the ages. The powerhouse saber will have changed hands. If not, we WILL establish ourselves when Bynum feels really one hundred and ten percent.
COME ON BYNUM!!!!
GO LAKERS!!! FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT!!!!
[No argument there].
Posted by: JohnnyP | April 13, 2008 at 12:39 PM
Posted by: JustaLakerFan | April 13, 2008 at 03:22 PM
WTF?!
Did you see that, "Sergant Peppers Band" jacket on LO?
Yeesh!
Posted by: passionate Lakers fan | April 13, 2008 at 03:23 PM
Haha the best thing about Natalia and Gianna's MVP signs - the My Little Pony stickers!!! I remember those. *nostalgia*
E
Posted by: Emma | April 13, 2008 at 03:24 PM
OBSERVATION ON BYNUM:
I doubt if Bynum will make an apperance this year, I can't fault him for being very very cautious, kid has not even signed a contract supposedly waiting for him end of this season worth $80 mil for 5 years. How would you feel if you were in the same situation with 80 mil waiting...
TRADE BYNUM NEXT YEAR!!
KAPISH...
The Mob Boss
Posted by: The Mob Boss | April 13, 2008 at 03:26 PM
WITH BOWEN COVERING KOBE WHY DON'T WE ISOLATE AND POST RAD ON FINLEY????
Posted by: Jay Jay | April 13, 2008 at 12:40 PM
I think we should. I have not seen this so I can't say he can or can't post up.
But he has the height and should be easy to dominate smaller player.I have seen him dunk on dive and drives so he can finish. I think he could dunk low or do turnaround J down low.
It would add value to his game and give the opponents something else to think about.
Another Laker option that would have to be covered or worried about by opponents.
Posted by: JustaLakerFan | April 13, 2008 at 03:27 PM
AK,
The "LO-Farmar-Turiaf-Farmar-Walton" linup?
I was watching the game and I'm sure I'd've noticed if Farmar checked into the game a second time when he was already on the court...
Posted by: Sharper | April 13, 2008 at 03:37 PM
A D-Fish KABC 7 interview=professionalism.
A Smush KABC 7 interview=talking about the Smushcalade.
What a difference at the point (both on and off the court).
Posted by: passionate Lakers fan | April 13, 2008 at 03:43 PM
Kobe has recently gotten into the bad habit of committing offensive fouls AFTER he passes the ball.
Posted by: PurpleHeart | April 13, 2008 at 01:26 PM
Ya I noticed that too. However maybe he is being physical on them like they have been on him.
Posted by: JustaLakerFan | April 13, 2008 at 03:50 PM
http://www.zapateiro.com/tvc/truck.htm
NBA 00:00 Miami Heat - Cleveland Cavaliers y 03:00 Houston Rockets - Denver Nuggets con Sopcast
ok
Posted by: zapatero | April 13, 2008 at 03:55 PM
Sunny,
Are you a Lakers fan, because if you are you should really shut up about Kobe cheering only because cameras are on him. I've seen Kobe congratulating teammates plenty before.
Posted by: laker hopeful | April 13, 2008 at 04:18 PM
Unbelieveable but the lakers opened up big leads against elite teams in the west. If you told me that the lakers would have lead 30 points against the hornets, I would call you crazy. Then the lakers opened up a big lead against the spurs. They've stepped up this last two games. Its unfortunate we did not keep that lead up against the hornets. However, we won two big games.
Posted by: wow | April 13, 2008 at 03:08 PM
The difference in the two games was that the Lakers stuck mainly what worked and attacked the rim insread of jacking up 3 point bricks to let NO back in the game.
Posted by: JustaLakerFan | April 13, 2008 at 04:20 PM
Vlad might be one of the worst forwards in the NBA at posting up down low. He would have trouble posting up Earl Boykins. So no, let's not use it as one of our options.
Posted by: The Dude Abides | April 13, 2008 at 04:31 PM
I'm all for the Kobe for MVP thing, but I think that there should also be an MVP of the latimes Lakers blog which is the player that gives us fans the most to talk about. Kobe might be up there, but since he will most probably getting the real thing I'm not gonna consider him for the award. My top three choices:
1. Luke Walton
2. Sasha Vujacic
3. Lamar Odom/ Vladimir Radmanovic (Couldn't decide)
Posted by: laker hopeful | April 13, 2008 at 04:33 PM
Jay Jay,
“WITH BOWEN COVERING KOBE WHY DON'T WE ISOLATE AND POST RAD ON FINLEY????
Because Vlade does not have a good post-up game. He doesn’t really have any back-to-the-basket moves. Like most NBA players of today, Vlade is much more effective playing outside behind the 3-point line where he has easy options of either shooting a 3, driving to the hoop, or passing the ball. The only time Vlade scores down low is when he cuts to the hoop, receives a pass, and has a wide-open lane to the hoop.
Lamar is actually our best post-up player because of his height and length and a wide repertoire of strong back-to-the-basket moves, including a great little jump hook. When we have Drew, Pau, and Lamar in the game at the same time, Lamar is going to end up being the critical mismatch with a smaller player trying to guard him. Lamar may actually end up being our 2nd scoring option in the future due to the mismatches.
In reality, there are very few NBA players who have a strong low post game with the result that most teams are unable to take advantage of size in their favor. Actually, continually feeding the ball down low to try and take advantage of a player size mismatch is probably the best move any of us could make right now. That’s why Steve Nash and other offensive star NBA players who are liabilities on defense are rarely tested.
Tom
Posted by: LakerTom | April 13, 2008 at 04:40 PM
YEAH, BABY!!!! I LIKE IT LIKE THAT!!!!
One more game and The Show can wrap up the Western Conference!!! WOW!!!!
Posted by: bronxlakerfan | April 13, 2008 at 05:03 PM
That play where Kobe was whistled for the offensive foul on the pass off is one that the NBA seriously needs to consider changing its way of calling. Kobe gave up the ball and took two more steps before making contact. The ball was long gone!!! The ball was already in Luke Walton's hands BEFORE contact was made!! Another bad call is when a player leaves his feet and the defensive player runs under him to draw the charge. Those plays are nothing more than flops and at best should be no-calls,IMO.
Anyway, I'm PUMPED at the Laker performance today. Each and every Laker that played significant time contributed something positive. I'm even going to give Vlad Rad a pass! His awe inspiring dunk prevented him from posting a donut in the scoring column! LOL!
GO LAKERS!!! THIS IS OUR TIME AND OUR YEAR!!!!
Posted by: bronxlakerfan | April 13, 2008 at 05:20 PM
Just a quick question on the playoff seedings:
1. Lakers get #1 seed outright if they beat the Kings, and Houston loses a game.
2. Houston gets #1 seed and Lakers #2 if they tie at 57 wins, and Hornets lose another game and the division.
What happens if Hornets, Lakers and Houston all tie. Lakers #1, Hornets win the division and #2 seed, Houston #3. But if #3 Houston meets #1 Lakers later, do they get homecourt b/c of tie-breaker against the Lakers?
I know really, really confusing. I'm not even going to bring up the possibility of a Spurs, Hornets, Lakers, Houston, 3-way tie.
Posted by: Jon | April 13, 2008 at 05:45 PM
On a game where Lakers retain the No 1 seed and blew out an elite only 280 posts. But when we lost to Blazers, there wer 500 blazing posts.
It means that passionate laker fan is happy so nothing to complain. The need only one post for compliment but a hundred for venting like my posts as well.
Congratulations for a job well done
But, but, Ginobli did not play.....haha! no satisfation even on a game well played!
Posted by: Edwin Gueco | April 13, 2008 at 05:48 PM
WITH BOWEN COVERING KOBE WHY DON'T WE ISOLATE AND POST RAD ON FINLEY????
Posted by: Jay Jay | April 13, 2008 at 12:40 PM
I think we should. I have not seen this so I can't say he can or can't post up.
But he has the height and should be easy to dominate smaller player.I have seen him dunk on dive and drives so he can finish. I think he could dunk low or do turnaround J down low.
It would add value to his game and give the opponents something else to think about.
Another Laker option that would have to be covered or worried about by opponents.
Posted by: JustaLakerFan | April 13, 2008 at 03:27 PM
The Lakers tried a couple of times to post Rad on Finley only to have Rad miss a shot, pass out or turn it over. Fact is Rad doesn't have a back to the basket game and misses too many easy shots around the basket for someone with a nice touch from outside. He's pretty much a catch and shoot guy and not much of anything else. Along with Luke and Sasha, Rad has the ugliest drives to the basket. It's very surprising to me how guys that have played basketball as long as he has haven't developed a better mid range game and ability to drive to the basket. I think this is what makes Ginobili the most dangerous European player because of his ability to attack the basket and hit step back threes. This was also the case with old timers like Drazen Petrovic and Sarunas Marcelonis(spelling?)
Posted by: Nemaia Faletogo | April 13, 2008 at 06:06 PM
Great victory tonight BLOG CRUE. Expect Artest to continue his audition on Tuesday.
Go NUGGETS!
Colorado loves the Lakers!
Posted by: Hugo Boss | April 13, 2008 at 06:26 PM
Great victory tonight BLOG CRUE. Expect Artest to continue his audition on Tuesday.
Go NUGGETS!
Colorado loves the Lakers!
Posted by: Hugo Boss | April 13, 2008 at 06:26 PM
LAKERS ROUT SUNS STATEMENT GAME…NOW #1 SEED IN WEST!
Stand proud, Lakers! That was a great statement game and grand display of championship caliber play by the Lakers in routing the San Antonio Spurs 106-85 this afternoon. After a 1st half tie, the Lakers came out in the 3rd quarter and put the clamps on the Spurs defensively, turning a close game at the half into a true blow-out that allowed MVP Kobe Bryant to take off the entire 4th quarter to rest and cheer his teammates.
This game reminded me a lot of the recent big win in Utah, where the Lakers adjusted and dominated the Jazz after almost blowing a big lead to the Mavs in the previous game. Today, the Lakers repeated the double header win against elite teams by again adjusting and dominating after almost blowing a 30-point lead in their victory over the Hornets on Friday. The team just keeps getting better and better.
Now in control of their own destiny (as far as I can tell), the Lakers need to close out the regular season against the Kings on Tuesday with their 58th win. That win coupled with any loss by Houston would give the Lakers the Western Conference regular season title and home court until the NBA Finals, where either Boston or Detroit would probably get home court advantage due to a better record than the Lakers.
To defeat the Spurs, the Lakers followed the same formula that has resulted in success all season: running offense efficiently, aggressively attacking the basket, controlling the boards, and playing tough defense.
Offensively, the Lakers ran their triangle offense and inside-outside game to perfection, shooting 50% from the field and 53% from behind the 3-point line while posting 26 dimes on their 33 baskets. They attacked the basket earning 38 points in the paint, controlled the boards 51 to 36, and played great defense, holding the Spurs to 42% overall shooting including just 29% from beyond the arc and just 32 points in the 2nd half.
Led by Kobe’s 20 points in 3 quarters, the Lakers had 6 players in double digit scoring including Lamar with 17, Pau and Fish with 14 each, Farmar with 11, and Ronny with 10. Pau and Lamar also both had double-doubles with 14 and 11 rebounds respectively. Kobe’s 5 assists were team-high. Sasha and Luke also played well, scoring 8 and 7 points respectively. The only real no-show again was Vlade, who had his 2nd disappointing game in a row. Hopefully, he will do better Tuesday against the Kings. No way that Vlade remains our starting small forward, despite his 3-point shooting prowess, unless he can show up every day. That is why Lamar must be the starter, even though he is not as good a 3-point threat, because he is a far better scorer, defender, and rebounder.
This game should have sewn up the MVP vote for Kobe IMO. His cheering his teammates from the bench in the 4th quarter will have sealed the deal. I predict that Kobe will win his 1st NBA MVP award and he will express his gratitude on having such great teammates that he was able to win the award, which is really a team award in its truest sense. Congratulations, KB24. And those “Daddy for MVP” awards that Kobe’s little girls were holding up were priceless. The competition is over and Kobe has finally won MVP.
Had the Lakers lost this game, they would have probably ended up having to face Shaq and the Suns in the first round without Andrew Bynum. Now, if they cinch the #1 seed by beating the Kings while the Rockets lose 1 of their last 3 games, the Lakers will be in the opposite bracket from the Hornets, Spurs, Suns, and Mavs and will face the Nuggets, then the winner of the Jazz and Rockets series, which is a cakewalk compared to finishing with the #2 or #3 seed. The Nuggets, Jazz, and Rockets are the 3 easiest teams for the Lakers to beat in the playoffs.
Aside from home court advantage and the karma and confidence of winning the Western Conference, finishing as the #1 seed also means that the Lakers will not meet the Spurs, Suns, Mavs, or Hornets until the conference finals, which means that we will have approximately 5 weeks (each series lasts around 2 weeks) to fully recover from his knee injury and get healthy and ready to play. I actually think that Andrew should be ready to go by the time the 2nd round of the playoffs begin in 3 weeks. The Lakers should be able to defeat the Nuggets and then either the Jazz (my pick) or Rockets without Andrew Bynum. By the time we have to face the winner among the Hornets, Spurs, Suns, and Mavs, Andrew Bynum will surely be rolling.
Tom
Posted by: LakerTom | April 13, 2008 at 06:35 PM
TIME FOR THE NBA TO CONSIDER SEEDING THE BEST 16 TEAMS REGARDLESS OF CONFERENCE…
It’s going to be a real shame that the Warriors will likely win 50 games but be left out of the playoffs for several terrible east coast teams that don’t deserve to be in the playoffs. Screw the left coast. It’s time the NBA seriously considering seeding the best 16 teams regardless of conference or division. It would be a mega version of March madness. It would also be better in the long run for the losing Eastern Conference teams as they would then be in the lottery with a chance to get an impact player to help them improve the team. If the NBA seeded the top 16 teams right now, here is who the playoff teams would be:
01. E - Celtics
02. E - Pistons
03. W - Lakers
04. W - Hornets
05. W - Spurs
06. W - Jazz
07. W – Rockets
08. W - Suns
09. W - Mavs
10. W - Nuggets
11. W - Warriors
12. E - Magic
13. E – Cavs
14. E - Wizards
15. E - Raptors
16. T – Blazers or 76ers
As you can see, the net effect other than reseeding everybody is that the 50-win Warriors make the playoffs from the west in lieu of the Hawks with their losing record in the east and the Blazers tie the 76ers with a .500 record for the 16th and last spot in the reseeded playoffs. The Hawks would not be in playoffs but would have a shot at a lottery pick, which would be better for them than another first round loss.
Reseeding would give us a far better and more competitive and interesting playoffs.
Tom
Posted by: LakerTom | April 13, 2008 at 06:39 PM
I was reading the recap of the game and it said that if lakers are in a 3 way tie with hornets and rockets, they would be 3rd???...that doesnt make sense cuz they tied the series with hornets and have a better conference record so wouldnt they be 2nd in that case!
Any thoughts?
Dana
Posted by: DK24 | April 13, 2008 at 07:09 PM
KOBE DESERVES THE MVP, HE HAS PLAYED TEAM BALL AND HAS ACTUALLY BEEN BETTER BY TRYING TO DO LESS, MVP FOR KOBE AND THE LAKERS HAVE TOO MUCH TALENT TO LOSE THIS YEAR WITH OR WITHOUT BYNUM, GREAT TO BE A LAKER FAN AGAIN
Posted by: jon | April 13, 2008 at 07:27 PM
Nemaia,
"It's very surprising to me how guys that have played basketball as long as he has haven't developed a better mid range game and ability to drive to the basket. I think this is what makes Ginobili the most dangerous European player because of his ability to attack the basket and hit step back threes."
Ginobili is Argentinian, although he played pro ball in Europe.
I think is is pretty common for players who are dominant in one area of the game to be lazy and not develop the rest of their game. Shaq is a perfect example of that.
Posted by: exhelodrvr | April 13, 2008 at 08:38 PM
Dana,
I am not totally sure here either. Disregarding any division affiliations, the Lakers would be 3rd in a HOU-NO-LAL 3 way tie, as the first tiebreak is the record among the tied teams. Houston would be 4-3 (2-2 vs. NO, 2-1 vs. LA), NO would be 4-4 (2-2 each), and LA would be 3-4. Thus LA would be #3.
What I'm not sure about is that the division winner is supposed to be crowned first. HOU and NO are tied atop the division which means NO wins the tiebreak (better division record). However, if I understand correctly, the 3 division winners and the next highest team should be seeded 1-4 regardless of division winner status. If they then re-seed based on those rules among HOU, NO, LA, and UTA, then it should be HOU -> NO -> LA (via tiebreaks), then UTA. What's interesting here is that HOU would lose their division but win the conference, based on tiebreakers.
Now, what if HOU must finish below NO for the seeding based on division status? Logic here wouldn't hold; NO is ahead of HOU, HOU is ahead of LA, LA is ahead of NO.
I have no clue how this would work if SA, NO, HOU, and LA all finish with identical 56-26 records...
Hopefully, the Lakers will just beat the Kings and win the conference outright!
Posted by: Mike | April 13, 2008 at 09:10 PM
Put up 20 points from Manu Ginobili and the lakers still win by 6!
Posted by: classic | April 13, 2008 at 02:57 PM
Not really. Let Pau and Kobe play the 4th and those twenty are negated.
Posted by: JustaLakerFan | April 13, 2008 at 11:49 PM
Vlad might be one of the worst forwards in the NBA at posting up down low. He would have trouble posting up Earl Boykins. So no, let's not use it as one of our options.
Posted by: The Dude Abides | April 13, 2008 at 04:31 PM
Have you seen Vlade post up Boykins or anybody? No, I don't think so, so don't say he can't.
A player HAS to continue to improve and add value to their game and team. Other wise they get cut or traded. So to say don't use that option is to say don't improve your game.
No let him practice it and when he gets it down use that option and add another threat. That way if his 3 pt shooting is off any given night he can do something else.
Posted by: JustaLakerFan | April 13, 2008 at 11:54 PM
The Lakers tried a couple of times to post Rad on Finley only to have Rad miss a shot, pass out or turn it over. Fact is Rad doesn't have a back to the basket game and misses too many easy shots around the basket for someone with a nice touch from outside. He's pretty much a catch and shoot guy and not much of anything else. Along with Luke and Sasha, Rad has the ugliest drives to the basket. It's very surprising to me how guys that have played basketball as long as he has haven't developed a better mid range game and ability to drive to the basket. I think this is what makes Ginobili the most dangerous European player because of his ability to attack the basket and hit step back threes. This was also the case with old timers like Drazen Petrovic and Sarunas Marcelonis(spelling?)
Posted by: Nemaia Faletogo | April 13, 2008 at 06:06 PM
So 3 times this game and you determined he can't. I don't buy it. He may be weak at it for not trying or practicing post up game but I think he can get it.
He showed he can drive and dunk, pass rebound and tap out balls when he does not get rebound all of which he never did before consistently. He is doing it more now and just as easily learn to post up.
Just needs to decide like every other player to put his time and work in to improve. He has one huge advantage in that he has Kareem in the fold who could help him on his post moves. He needs to get Kareems help.
Posted by: JustaLakerFan | April 14, 2008 at 12:03 AM
Man I love this can of wupazz gives us. First we take over #1 and then when we open can of wupazz we automatically open can of trollbgone spray. Worked great these last couple of days.
No troll sightings anywhere.
Posted by: JustaLakerFan | April 14, 2008 at 12:09 AM
http://www.zapateiro.com/nba/jean.htm 01:00 NBA Atlanta Hawks - Orlando Magic 04:30 Los Angeles Lakers - Sacramento Kings en directo com wmp
Posted by: zapatero | April 15, 2008 at 02:47 PM