Mini-scrimmage highlights
The Teams
Blue squad: Trevor Ariza, Jordan Farmar, DJ Mbenga, Ira Newble, Vlad Radmanovic
White squad: Coby Karl, Chris Mihm, Ronny Turiaf, Luke Walton, Sasha Vujacic
(The starting unit, save Vlad Rad on a limited basis, got the day off)
Best Play Runner Up
Walton's over the shoulder alley oop to Mihm, who throws down a one-handed dunk
Best Play
Walton's layup gets swatted by Mbenga, but the ball lands in Turiaf's hands. Ronny throws what's just short of a touch pass cross court to Karl, who hits a catch and shoot from behind the arc.
Final result? Turiaf converted two at the stripe, securing victory for the white team. Newble called shenanigans, claiming you can't end on free throws. "You can today," retorted Phil Jackson with a smile.
If I managed to make an intersquad scrimmage between bench players sound considerably more exciting than it actually was, my work here is done.
As previously mentioned, Lamar Odom was given the day off due to his starting status. But he did engage in some Q&A with the writerly types on hand. As they surrounded him, Turiaf squeezed past the throng, then congratulated LO. "Good practice today," laughed Martinique's Favorite Son, who then ordered Lamar to drop and give him five. Always a team player, Odom hit the deck and pressed the floor for a quintet of pushups. "We got a little inside joke going," explained LO. "I owe him 20 pushups or whatever. Another camaraderie thing, I guess. Silly boy stuff." But don't mistake the post-practice frivolity for a cavalier attitude towards tomorrow's action in Utah. As mentioned yesterday, LO referred to Game 5 as "the most important game of my life," a description that would fit every NBA contest he participates in until he's either popping champagne or making his vacation plans. I asked Odom if he's ever felt that way before towards another game or if this situation was unique enough to create a brand new feeling.
"Maybe a couple of years ago, when we had some playoff experience. But I don't know, it's something that I guess the city of L.A. feels. When I walk out for the layup line, to see the stands completely full before the ball even goes up was incredible. As a team, we just have that special feeling that we can win any basketball game that we play in." If that description sounds somewhat fate-centric, it's only because it came from a guy not afraid to wish upon a star. "When I was about six or seven years old, I always thought it was my destiny to win a championship or at least play for one," mused Odom. "It's something that I always dream about and continue to dream about."
Speaking of dudes dreaming, Trevor Ariza has nursed some serious visions since January of dressing out for a professional roundball affair. At long last, he's clear to practice without restrictions, but that's not necessarily a stone cold guarantee for PT. Phil Jackson said Ariza looked "good" today in practice, much more comfortable than during Tuesday's workout, but there's still a large issue of conditioning. "By his own admission, he thought it would take him a week (to get into game shape)," said Jackson, who added that the newly healthy small forward probably wouldn't play tomorrow. Unfortunately, there's also something of a catch-22 involved, at least from the player's perspective.
"I have no idea until I get in there," noted Ariza when asked how close he was to "game shape." "It's totally different from practice than in the game." Ariza added that he hasn't been specifically told by PJ to be ready tomorrow. But, as I joked, Phil also didn't mention anything about specifically not being ready. "He didn't say that, either," chuckled Ariza. The smart money is for Ariza to remain on his toes, as Phil's often been known to suprise players in these situation. For what it's worth, Ariza "feels" like he could play right now, if nothing else without experiencing some serious pain. And bottom line, just knowing that some run is now even a possibility means all the difference in the world. "I can't even describe how happy I am or explain it. This is big for me."
AUDIO
- Phil Jackson: Download phil_jackson_practice_051508.mp3
- Lamar Odom: Download lamar_odom_practice_051508.mp3
- Trevor Ariza: Download trevor_ariza_practice_051508.mp3
AK
Mamba, Please add me to the "crush the jazz fans: badnwagon. Actually. add me to all of the bandwagons. Where you go I shall follow. Thanks
#4, vic would be tickled pink to know he is hornored on this blog. I am sure he will have plenty of High Coos for the boys tonight.
Posted by: lakergirl1980 | May 16, 2008 at 09:31 AM
Mamba24, I'm in on that classless Utah fan bandwagon. We still owe em for the Shaq era sweeps, but I'd rather just beat em because it will effectively end all worthwhile professional sports in the state of Utah. They can go back to doing whatever it is they do while still being bitter have-nots.
#4
Posted by: #4 | May 16, 2008 at 09:33 AM
Edwin Gueco"Nicely done Mamba24, your poem-rap is great. You are a bridge between the elders
(Robert Frost) and the youth (Dr Dre)."
AW no, I was going more for a cross between Daffy Duck
Bugs Bunny. LOL! Thank you sir.! I shall strive to never
let you down.
LAKERGIRL1980:"Lakers will do just that. Can you feel it? YES WE CAN
I CAN FEEL IT!!! And thank you mam you are to kind!
Faith:"Is it me or did Lakerville get up on the right side of the bed today?"
No it's me also and Laker Nation was to excited to sleep. We have not been
to bed since Wed. game. LOL!
THE D:"I'll never understand U-tards. Then again, I see no reason to to try to understand them."
HEY, HEY! it's called U-Turds where I come from. LOL! And understanding is not necessaryi
in fact if you try you will become as loony as they are.
Posted by: mamba24 | May 16, 2008 at 09:35 AM
Hey Mamba... Got room for me on both the Spirit Crushing and Ending Tonight bandwagons? I'd love to go for a ride on both!
Wooooo hooooooo
Posted by: magicman | May 16, 2008 at 09:36 AM
*__________________________*
Crush the spirit of the classless
Utah Jazz fans BANDWAGON
*---------------------------------------*
(01) Tim-4-Show - Owner
(02) Jon K. - Owner & Driver
(03) Mamba24 - Spirit crushed checker
(04) “Pig” Miller – Director of washing out fans mouth with Salt Lake water
(05) The Outlaw - Will eject any Utah fan who showers debris
Posted by: Mamba24 | May 16, 2008 at 09:37 AM
Status of the players in answer to above posts:
Bynum can't play without doctors' clearance on his bruised patella.
Mihm can play but not that good based on PJ's assessment. If he plays, he could be hurt by Boozer or Millsap with the shoving and pushing that may disable him for a long time.
Too bad, two 7 footers always mentioned by LakerTom in his posts but they could not contribute. Vladimir, a small time hero in Game 5, never get any accolades. plenty of scorn and some people wished him to be goner. Blog unite, love all laker players from top to bottom. We have all many wishes but only one aspiration - Championship.
Posted by: Edwin Gueco | May 16, 2008 at 09:38 AM
does anyone remember Greg Foster? He of the the cut-throat taunting gesture aimed at Lakers' bench oh-so-many years ago? The U-tards LOVED that guy...that night. Then, somehow, we ended up with him, traded him for Lindsay Hunter, traded him for Kareem Rush(ed three pointer...missed), traded him for second round pick (Bobcats), that became Turiaf (if memory serves). So, then, how about a Rony victory dance in Salt Lick City, to close the circle, exorcise the demons, what-have-you...
Posted by: karyanr | May 16, 2008 at 09:40 AM
Jumping the gun: Present!
Good morning Charles, Mamba, Faith, Fam,
I feel like we have no reason to believe we will win tonight and yet...I just can't shake the feeling that the Azz are done.
I say rest Kobe. We won't need him tonight. ;-)
I would request membership on the Oil The Machine bandwagon.
Also, Mamba, excellent poster Phred requested he be put on one of the bandys -- I forget which -- and he has yet to be included. Review and correct, please, sir.
Posted by: Jesterguru | May 16, 2008 at 09:41 AM
RF: "Can any team win on the road in the West?"
My theory about this is that it's a combination of two things.
Youth (both in age and as a unit). Utah and NO have "young" teams who play a lot better at home than they do on the road. The Lakers and Celtics have new "key" pieces as well as a lot of youth on their supporting casts.
Equality (in terms of talent level). Most of the remaining teams are pretty evenly matched so home court plays a bigger role in breaking that equality.
Posted by: lakers_sth | May 16, 2008 at 09:41 AM
Mamba24, include me on the bandwagon on the classless Utah fans. I will gate crush their famous Tabernacle Choir with an out of tune melody, I Love LA. lol
Posted by: Edwin Gueco | May 16, 2008 at 09:42 AM
*_______________________________*
The 'MACHINE" is primed and ready
to rumble Bandwagon
*---------------------------------------------*
(01) Magic Man - Owner & Driver
(02) Mamba24 - Chief Mechanic
*_______________________________*
UTAH FANS, YEAH, WHAT ARE THE
GOOD FOR ABSOLUTELY NOTHING
SAY IT AGAIN YEAH - BANDWAGON
*_______________________________*
(01) Edwin Starr - Owner
(02) Mamba24 - Director of Give peace a chance
Posted by: Mamba24 | May 16, 2008 at 09:46 AM
lakeraholic,
giggidy-giggidy alll right!
Rest Kobe indeed lol. It's going to feel so good to crush the spirits of the Jazz and their fans on their home court. This is what Lakers playoff basketball is all about.
Go Lakers!
Posted by: Faith | May 16, 2008 at 09:51 AM
If you guys want a pulse of what Jazz fans are saying around here, this article says it all. It's a fantastic read.
http://www.sltrib.com/sports/ci_9279068
Also, check out the comments section. Jazz fans sure are crying a lot. And their arguments are baseless and teeter on homerism..
Anyways, I'll be at the game again tonight cheering on our boys. Should be a fantastic game, as long as its called evenly...
Posted by: SamBSLC | May 16, 2008 at 09:52 AM
lakergirl1980, as crazy as Vic the Brick is, I love the guy. His outward persona is what I feel on the inside for the Lakers. We all need to channel our inner VTB tonight!!
FEELIN YOU, Vic the Brick, FEELIN YOU!!
Posted by: #4 | May 16, 2008 at 09:55 AM
SamBSLC
You are one brave soul.
Last game at Utah. TV kept showing 2 Lakers fans standing about 12 rows back.
One had a bandana on.
Was that you?
Posted by: Fairweather Fatty | May 16, 2008 at 10:04 AM
Haha, nope...I'm the dude in the White Rambis Jersey..Lol...
It's funny because everybody comments on my Rambis jersey, as they've never seen one before...dudes are like, "hey, are you that guy wearing that Rambis jersey from last season?" I'm like yea, I've been to every Jazz/Lakers game here for the last like 15 years, and have been sporting the Rambis Jersey for 2+ now. Rambis is a stud...I guess I should mention he signed it about 3 months ago, pretty sweet. :)
Posted by: SamBSLC | May 16, 2008 at 10:14 AM
Kudos to SamBSLC. I actually think the people of Utah are nice, but they are a bunch of homerific axe holes when it comes to the Jazz.
Posted by: #4 | May 16, 2008 at 10:14 AM
*__________________________*
Crush the spirit of the classless
Utah Jazz fans BANDWAGON
*---------------------------------------*
(01) Tim-4-Show - Owner
(02) Jon K. - Owner & Driver
(03) Mamba24 - Spirit crushed checker
(04) “Pig” Miller – Director of washing out fans mouth with Salt Lake water
(05) MagicMan – Director of crushed spirit disposal
(06) Edwin Gueco – Will gate crush the Tabernacle choir
(07) #4 – Director of sanitizing crushed spirit work area
*_______________________________*
The 'MACHINE" is primed and ready
to rumble Bandwagon
*---------------------------------------------*
(01) Magic Man - Owner & Driver
(02) Mamba24 - Chief Mechanic
(03) JesterGuru – has secret jet fuel for The machine
*_______________________________*
Lakers End IT Tonight BANDWAGON
*_______________________________*
(01) TOAD - Owner
(02) LakerTom - Driver
(03) MAMBA24 - Faithful sideKick
(03) DREW - Will use same broom used in last round
(04) # 4 - Director of Round 2 win 4
(05) Chick4Ever - His voice alone can defeat the Jazz.
(06) SemiLakerGirl - Director Round 2 Win number 3
(07) FEARLESS- Toad's personal assistant in charge of all things Homer.
(08) lakersrydeordie – Stopped the Mailman from delivering period!
(09) JustAnotherMambaFan – Director of team dinners – makes sure Kobe
Picks up the check
(10) Janaya – Director of Positive Vibes
(11) WhiteMamba24 – Made Stockton retire.
(12) FairWeatherFatty - Grease monkey that keeps these wheels a turning!'
(13) Tully Moxness – Director of Class
(14) PIG”MILLER – Director of making the finals Trophy shine like the Sun.
(15) Laker Bandit - BandWagon Advance Man
(16) KobesBad - Kobe's personal Security
(17) JesterGuru - Director of Sweep Enforcement
(18)Laker Legacy – Will wear throwback Jersey to victory parade
(19) TWoody – Loaned Kobe the money to buy dinner for the team
(20) Jamie Sweet – Director of No Look Passes
(21) , JoninJAPAN(INCANADA) – Director of TACOS
(22) Hugo Spain – Beat Paul Gasol in Horse
(23) Jeff – In charge of Feeding Sasha insults to say to Kolvar
(24) MagicMan – Director of End Certification
*_________________________________*
"Jeff Aho and GUNNER should get together in
a room and kick each other in the balls for 20
minutes and then try to decide how it is Kobe's
fault that their balls hurt" BANDWAGON
*___________________________________*
(01) Exhelodrvr - Owner
(02) PslakerFan - Driver
(03) Mamba24 - ROFLMAO!
(04) StrangerInTheNight – do be do be doo
(05) BocaLakerGurl – made both of them honorary Laker Girls
(06) MarkyTheArky – Locked the door
(07) MagicMan – Turned them both into rabid wombats
(08) KobesBad – Laughed so hard he strained his back
(09) SimiLakerGirl – Sprayed water on them to separate them
(10) Jon K. - Provided the steel-toed boots.
(11) JustALakerFan – Submitted their names to MMA.
(12) Phred – Somebodies gonna pay for letting him miss all the fun
Posted by: Mamba24 | May 16, 2008 at 10:14 AM
just for fun..
http://www.ocregister.com/multimedia/lakers_quiz/
have a great day!
Posted by: isang | May 16, 2008 at 07:29 AM
I think question 7 is wrong...
I always thought it was Kobe that knew 5 languages... not Ronnie...
Anyways... Close out tonight boys n girls... Loving this season... After all those 1 and done seasons...
Posted by: Cdub0512 | May 16, 2008 at 10:17 AM
Fatty: JUST DO IT!
Lakers will do just that. Can you feel it? YES WE CAN
Posted by: lakergirl1980 | May 16, 2008 at 09:23 AM
Hi, I'm Barack Obama. And I approve this message
Posted by: Fairweather Fatty | May 16, 2008 at 10:26 AM
Quick shout out of thanks to Mamba24 for keeping track of all things Bandwagon related. I, for one, appreciate your joy, love, and energy. May The Machine hit a huge 3 in your honor tonight sir.
Posted by: magicman | May 16, 2008 at 10:29 AM
Isang: 100% for me!
Posted by: PsychedLakerGirl | May 16, 2008 at 10:42 AM
LIGHTS OFF! Those lights have been off for 2 years, and you're just now complaining? Personally I LOVE IT and it should stay off. It sets LAKERS games apart from everybody else.
Of course I dont live in CA so Im not attending the games, I'm watching on NBA League Pass and they look a ton better with the lights off then any other game. Not to mention if it's in HD!
Posted by: Jeremy | May 16, 2008 at 08:49 AM
Jeremy,
Here's why I, personally don't think the "light out" thing doesn't help us. Have you noticed when we go to other arena and behind the board you can see all those fans with plastic sticks or other stuff waving at the free throw shooters just to make them miss. In LA we don't have that, there's no pressure at all to the opposing team to miss free throw. Just my take on this!
PS: It's over tonight, we've been the better team the whole series. If you disagree, just look at the margin in the score boards for all the games the DIAZZ won.
Mamba from the east coast
Posted by: Mamba24Fan4Life | May 16, 2008 at 10:44 AM
Good morning Laker family around the Globe,
I have a feeling we can steal one tonight in SLC. Go Lakers!
Posted by: Rick Friedman | May 16, 2008 at 08:19 AM
Rick,
I like to be more assertive on this. We don't need to steal a game when we are good enough to just Take it.
No stealing just outright taking it from the crybabies. LOL.
Posted by: JustaLakerFan | May 16, 2008 at 10:46 AM
I got a 90%. I also missed the language question, also choosing Kobe. I'm not sure how many languages Kobe speaks, but I know it's at least 4. But Ronnie must speak 5. Good for him. I wouldn't doubt that. Once you've learned one romantic language, the others come quite easily.
Posted by: Long Live Chick | May 16, 2008 at 11:19 AM
Luke, your getting blocked in practice and the game, please start dunking the ball!!!
Posted by: Lakers Legacy | May 16, 2008 at 02:36 PM