Lakers defeat Boston on Kobe Bryant's shot with 7.3 seconds left
The Lakers pulled out a 90-89 victory over the Boston Celtics today at TD Banknorth Garden because of the last-second offense by Kobe Bryant and the offense and defense by Ron Artest.
But it wasn’t until Ray Allen missed a three-pointer just before time expired that the Lakers escaped with a victory, improving to 5-2 on this eight-game trip that ends in Memphis on Monday night.
Bryant made a jumper over Allen with 7.3 seconds left for a 90-89 Lakers lead that turned out to be the winning basket.
Bryant, who scored 19 points, remains 28 points shy of tying Lakers legend Jerry West (25,192 points) for the all-time scoring lead in franchise history.
Lakers Coach Phil Jackson has tied Pat Riley for the most wins in franchise history with 533 regular-season victories.
The Lakers started out strong against the Celtics, opening a 13-point lead in the first quarter by scoring 30 points.
Then the Lakers seemed to play with less energy, less effort, all the things the Celtics began to demonstrate.
Over the second and third quarters, the Lakers scored a total of 36 points and they went into the fourth quarter trailing, 73-66.
The Lakers pulled to within 87-86 on two free throws by Bryant with 1:39 left.
After Rajon Rondo (21 points, 12 assists) missed a shot, the Lakers failed to get the defensive rebound.
Kendrick Perkins grabbed the offensive rebound and the Celtics called a timeout with 1:20 left.
Allen was fouled by Derek Fisher with 1:04 left. Allen made both free throws for an 89-86 Celtics lead.
Artest scored on a drive to pull the Lakers to within 89-88 and then made a big defensive play.
Paul Pierce was called for an offensive foul on Artest, turning the ball over to the Lakers with 25.7 seconds left.
That’s what the Lakers got Artest for, to defend players like Pierce.
-- Broderick Turner, reporting from Boston
Photo: Lakers guard Kobe Bryant cuts off a drive by Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo, who looks to pass, during the first half Sunday afternoon. Credit: CJ Gunther / EPA
In big games you get to see what your team is made of. We may get out of focused sometimes, we often don't play the best D we can. But we don't give up, we got poise when we need it and we win.
Go Lakers! Proud of my team tonight!
Posted by: Faith | January 31, 2010 at 03:21 PM
Lakers are 5-2 on this trip, not 4-2.
That was one lucky-azz shot by Artest, but we'll take it.
Bynum was sensational in this game...that dunk in answer to KG's crap talking was oh so sweeeeet!!
Tough, gritty win in a place where it's hard to win!
GO LAKERS!!!
Posted by: bronxlakerfan | January 31, 2010 at 03:25 PM
yep, nice game for Artest.
nice game for Andrew, too.
this is a good confidence booster for the whole crew.
Posted by: mud | January 31, 2010 at 03:25 PM
Good day Laker fans!! I only got to see the first quarter and last 3 min of this one (Took the MIL to a late lunch for her B-day). What I liked was both teams coming out a bit chippy and forcing the refs to dictate how much tough play was going to be allowed. The Lakers (thanks to Artest) mixed toughness with finess and did the job for the most part in the first. After that it seems like they got lost for a bit. For some reason these guys seem to forget about the 3 point shooters for long streches during games. Thank goodness they remembered them in the last 7 seconds of this one.
So, is it me or did Bynum look like he is starting to wake up and play? Bench play looked good (from what I'm seeing on the recap). If it weren't for the ABC staff it would have been the perfect Sunday afternoon. I sure miss Chick...
Posted by: Jolly Rancher | January 31, 2010 at 03:34 PM
Lakers big men (Andrew + Pau + Lamar) - 37 points, 26 rebounds, 5 blocks
Celtics big men (KG + Perkins + Sheed) - 21 points, 21 rebounds, 1 block
Posted by: Long Time Laker Fan | January 31, 2010 at 03:35 PM
Congratulation to the Lakers for a fine win.The Celtics look old.
Posted by: Green Leprechaun | January 31, 2010 at 03:36 PM
Oops...I forgot the part of taking the MIL out for lunch..so much for the perfect afternoon!
Posted by: Jolly Rancher | January 31, 2010 at 03:36 PM
Hoping we get better at securing offensive rebounds. Play good D & then give up a rebound..
PJ did great making adjustments and the team executed them well.
Posted by: lakersrydeordie | January 31, 2010 at 03:37 PM
Artest set the tone today with his physicalness. He did not do that against the Cavs; hopefully, this is a sign of great things to come. He did not have a great shooting night, gambled for steals a couple of times, but he played great defense for the most part.
Point guard play: Fisher made open shots. Great. Farmar played with controlled aggressiveness. Great. Farmar leaves Eddie House: BAD.
BYNUM is a BEAST.
Posted by: Tom | January 31, 2010 at 03:38 PM
Way to play! That's what I'm talking about. That's how to get the Bynum bashers to zip it! Our D the last 5 minutes was key. Ray Allen and KG looked old today.
Kobe still doesn't get the calls and Gasol gets manhandled in the paint by the Thug Perkins, but justice prevails. Who the heck did Pierce think he is with that push-off, Michael Jordan? MJ is the only one who gets away with that junk. Him and maybe DWade.
Posted by: rdlee | January 31, 2010 at 03:39 PM
Great win, despite bad laps in coaching.
Posted by: 2 Phatt | January 31, 2010 at 03:41 PM
Pau did not play that bad. He had some wrong ball decisione, but he kept fought all night and actually helped minimizing energies of the Celtics in the end with an obscure work that was precious albeit at Times kind of rusty and dirty.
Artest today showed us all why is great to' have him.
Amazing responses from Drew to' all the detractors.
And once again, out from all the critics, again Kobe proved there's a reason for which no matter what I would ALWAYS let him have the last shot. Always.
This was a typical Lakers game: absurd at points, and then defying all logic, something turned MAGICAL.
Following this team requests strenght and faith. I never give that up even when like today the guys drove me insane.
This has been a milestone game: the way we didn't let it go was awesome and all of the guys took part in this.
All of them
I am happy, proud, and GRATEFUL for another emotional, priceless gift from the one and only, the amazing Los Angeles Lakers.
Just believe.
Always.
Night!!! It's sexual celebration right here now ;)
Posted by: ZairaAmaterasu | January 31, 2010 at 03:41 PM
We played good but we gotta keep a lead im kind of tired seeing every team we face come back. thats all we gotta work on this was LAL basketball at its best and i applued Andrew cause i have been rough on him saying he is to soft well he shut me up today and im glad he Punched that ball down Garenttes mouth cause Garnett will never shut his fat mouth. and ray allen chewing on that gum i wana smash his face with a shovel lol haha HATE CELTICS BOOO
LAKE SHOW
Posted by: brandon | January 31, 2010 at 03:46 PM
What happened to the no hand checking rule? Ray Allen committed about four fouls on Kobe's last shot with no call. Blind Bennett Salvatore sure has the right initials....BS!
Posted by: bronxlakerfan | January 31, 2010 at 03:47 PM
Give all credit to Big Drew. He is the key. Get him the ball more often.
Posted by: Doug | January 31, 2010 at 03:48 PM
Hey Green Leprechaun, classy post.
Posted by: Art -FL Laker Fan | January 31, 2010 at 03:51 PM
What a fun game. Tight. Chippy. Kobe wins it by a hair on the road.
Neither team is at their best right now. Lakers started strong, folded like a cheap suit in the second quarter, but battled back. Both teams played tough team D. Rondo played a great game and Tony Allen played hard and well to get the Celtics back in it. Bynum carried the Lakers early and Kobe closed the deal.
Highlights? Artest and Pierce getting into it before the tip. Bynum's dunk in response to Garnetts' trash talk. Kobe's sweet game winner.
Lakers had to battle for this one in the fourth quarter, which makes it a great win.
Tom Daniels
Posted by: Tom Daniels | January 31, 2010 at 03:53 PM
Zaira-
no Pau didn't play badly, he's always a pro, and he even had some hilight plays and yet....
he had a bad game. too many balls that he would normally get a hand on were lost that directly led to Celtic points. he'll be fine. everybody has a bad day.
Posted by: mud | January 31, 2010 at 03:54 PM
Repost: Drew 19 and 11, in 33 minutes, versus a supposed physical front line. Just saying. Keep him out of Memphis.
Posted by: Mark G | January 31, 2010 at 03:33 PM
Posted by: Mark G | January 31, 2010 at 03:54 PM
Great come back in the 4th Lakers!
Always a good day when we beat the Celtics, especially in Baaahston.
No letdown tomorrow.....come out fired up and end this trip on a very positive note. Much of the good feeling about today is washed away if they lay an egg in Memphis.
Go Lakers
Posted by: Laker Fred | January 31, 2010 at 03:59 PM
bronx-
that really was a terribly reffed game. it really stinks when the game becomes enter-taint-ment...the way games are called is so inconsistent, it's hard to not see bias.
complaining about refs isn't just about which team benefits though. ultimately, the games less fun, if it's seen as less than fair competition.
Posted by: mud | January 31, 2010 at 04:00 PM
Bad laps in coaching? Does that mean the Lakers need a new crew chief?
Posted by: 356man | January 31, 2010 at 04:01 PM
One of the greatest 'clutch' players of alltime was Jerry West. When Jerry played, I always wanted the ball in his hands. Most of you never got to see him play, but Jerry was something else. With Kobe, it is no different.
With Kobe just a few points behind, the Lakers legacy lives on and the fans benefit from great players, and super teams. Congratulations to the purple and gold and hopefully we'll be celebrating another banner year.
Posted by: JR Jake | January 31, 2010 at 04:03 PM
Good Afternoon Charles...Good Afternoon Everyone...
great win...gut check win...Dynasty win....
despite some real lame turn overs, crappy freethrowing (no high 5's for misses damn it), some ill advised shots and possessions, and fricking Boston getting a lot of lucky bounce offensive rebounds we still pull out the victory...
and overall we did not play especially well, definitly not the near the best we can play and we still pull out the victory...and that is a real good thing...a real good thing, as it were, seemingly indeed...
Bynum showed up big time---showing the league and the fricking Celtics he is a force to be dealt with...thought he should have played more, especially when they went on their run, Bynum was sitting and I was wondering where he was Phil....
Bynum's dunk on Garnett was simply outstanding---where can I buy the poster?
Artest was huge, if for nothing else than the mind games which started at the tip off---that little pregame pushing and shoving led to that offensive foul on Pierce at the end I thought...
I thought Pau played pretty tough overall, had some lapses, but definately did not back down and rose to the challange, as did all the Lakers facing a hostile crowd and an aggressive physical team...
Van Gundy's statement about Garnett getting away with the most illegal screens in the history of the NBA was indeed spot on, and right after he says that, next posession, Garnett gets away with another blatant illegal screen...
everytime someone makes a basket, Mark Jackson says it's a big time play, I can't take much more...
but it did seem the usual dripping blatant Laker hatred was missing in the commentators commentating, kind of refreshing actually...
I HATE THE FRICKING CELTICS WITH ALL MY HEART, SOUL AND BEING...NOBODY, AND I MEAN NOBODY HATES THEM MORE THAN I, NOT EVEN JERY WEST...
" you can radiate everything you are, you can radiate everything you are..."
" Get out the bloody piano you stupid furry bucktoothed gits! Get out! Gott in Himmel. Get your stinking tail out of my face."
AS ALWAYS, AS EVER, YET ANOTHER GREAT DAY (AND CHAMPIONSHIP SEASON) TO BE A LAKER FAN !!!
GO LAKERS !!!
Posted by: Floyd | January 31, 2010 at 04:05 PM
Any other refs out there? In 3 man, who is watching the ball on that rebound Perkins tipped to himself (the one that hit the camera). I just started doing three man before I retired and I'm not sure who has that responsibility. The trail normally watches the ball on a shot...but not sure about a tipped rebound.
Who was the ref under the basket on that play? Missed a blatant push on Bynum - arms fully extended - right in front of him. What the heck was the official looking at? Terrible officiating on a potential game changing play.
Another really bad call - Brown plays tremendous defense on Allen, then strips the ball - the refs reward Allen. That is not how officiating is supposed to work - even if there was contact - which at best was minimal - calls should be made to protect the spirit of the play/game. Shannon clearly bested Allen on that sequence.
But all in all - not a bad game by the officials. I think they had the right idea - make calls early on the cheap shot stuff the Celtics are famous for. That early foul on Perkins made a statement. I'd like to see more of that - especially with Boston. I like to see physical play, but guys like Wallance and Perkins play dirty if they are allowed to get away with it.
Posted by: dkwsfo | January 31, 2010 at 04:07 PM
Great win....horrible calls by none other than Salvatore. What a joke of a ref.
Posted by: PGold | January 31, 2010 at 04:12 PM
I do not believe that at this time any other team can beat the Lakers if they always bring there A game with exception of Kobe. Kobe is Kobe, he will always leave everything on the course regardless who they play. In the back of the Lakers players they always believe they can beat you after last year. However they are not Kobe, sometime the switch does not work........
Posted by: JAY WOO | January 31, 2010 at 04:23 PM
The 2 most unpopular players in the blog in recent weeks won the game for the Lakers versus the hated Celtics. Drew and Ron ron set the tone right from the get go, indeed even before tip-off as Artest showed he won't be bullied by Pierce right in Boston.
This is the best team in the NBA when healthy. Artest has not been healthy since Christmas but he's now rounding back into form. Pre-Christmas , Artest was in the running for DPY. He showed exactly what LA got him for - the physical attitude needed against East Coast teams.
Bynum has not been all that healthy all year either and he had a minor funk in the Philly game after not being selected to the AS but the kid showed true grit today. He made Garnett look like the old man that KG has become.
Kobe of course is just about the least healthy player playing major minutes in the NBA the last couple of months and I really thought he was going to shoot us out of the game, but like in the Dallas game, Mamba can strike the last blow even when it's not his day.
Our PG position is still weak as shown how Rondo ran circles around the Lakers all day. Sure Rondo is an All-star but the Lakers lack balance right now since the PG position is so weak compared to the other 4 positions. If we can trade Ammo's expiring contract and Sasha, or Luke, for even a decent defensive PG, I'd feel better. Remember, it was Kwame's expiring contract plus bench players and picks that led to Pau Gasol. And there are teams still trying to clear cap space for the summer like when Memphis was dumping salary 2 years ago.
Posted by: LakerinBC | January 31, 2010 at 04:24 PM
Someone said Kobe nevers gets the calls. LOL. You can call a foul on just about every play, and that offensive foul against Pierce was weird. Yeah he extended his arm, but Artest goes flying 30 feet into the stands like that was Shaq doing a 2 handed push. Pierce didn't even need to do that as he already had separation even though Artest was hand checking him just like Allen did to Kobe at the end and Kobe subsequently pushed off him. There's no consistency with the refereeing.
Garnett looked hurt. I'd shut him down until he proves he's either 100% healthy or it's playoff time.
Good win for the Lakers, but the rest of the regular season and first 3 rounds of the playoffs are just formalities until the Lakers/Cavs Final. Wake me in June.
Posted by: JimH | January 31, 2010 at 04:24 PM
These refs must have had money bet on this game!
Posted by: pops | January 31, 2010 at 04:26 PM
more thoughts or so, seemingly....
LTLF: say it again, say it proud:
Lakers big men (Andrew + Pau + Lamar) - 37 points, 26 rebounds, 5 blocks
Celtics big men (KG + Perkins + Sheed) - 21 points, 21 rebounds, 1 block"
great stat as always LTLF---great to have you back...also your response to Vman's incoherent babbleing was outstanding indeed Sir....
and speaking of Vman, how does your foot taste? how's that side dish of crow, with the humble pie for desert? did you invite Tom (not to be confused with Laker Tom) for dinner as well?
you two can't be real people, got to be someone at the LA Times trying to stimulate the blog, because nobody can know as little about basketball as you two...and if you two have the unmitigated audacity to call yourselves Laker fans I think you need to reacess your bearings to say the least. as it were...you make me feel soiled...
Never,
thanks for the timely reverse curse (don't talk about it)---I may be one of only ones who truely understand your posts...
GO LAKERS !!!
Posted by: Floyd | January 31, 2010 at 04:27 PM
Powell and Mbenga were huge today. Ammo was clutch as always and it's good to see Luke logging such heavy minutes.
How do you spell DEEPEST BENSCH IN THE NBA? l.A.K.E.R.S.
Posted by: Mike Tyson | January 31, 2010 at 04:33 PM
I agree with Floyd, the commentators were surprisingly pro-Lakers. Thanks to Van Gundy for calling out Garnett's illegal screens. The Celtics' illegal screens were a major factor in their 2008 championship over the Lakers. Major.
The refs seemed to be on the ball versus all the illegal tricks the Celtics have been using on defense the last 3 years. Which tells me one thing - David Stern has decided that it will be Lakers versus Cavs this year. Mark my word.
Posted by: LakerinBC | January 31, 2010 at 04:37 PM
BLOG CRUE
I had to go for a run after the game just to chuck-chill-out.
Colorado loves our World Champion Lakers!
Posted by: Hugo Boss | January 31, 2010 at 04:48 PM
Man is it hard to get a win in Boston. Hats off the the Celtics for showing us how to play defense. It sure didn't feel like we went to the FT line more than the celtics.
Lakers usually lose when they have <20 assists, and get outrebounded. Chalk this one up to luck, good defense by Artest and Kobe (Ray Allen 2-10? 0-6 on 3's??)
Is it obvious to anyone else that Bynum is only good for 7 or 8 minutes, then he lopes around and is 2 steps slow? Why did PJ not use his bench earlier and give the bigs breathers?
Was that sasha playing in the 1st quarter? WTF?
Excellent drive by Bynum, now lets see Odom do the same! like Christmas 2008 against the Celtics.
I hope this tough win motivates out bigs to stay in the weightroom, they will need it.
Thanks Kobe all is right in the world when the Lakers win.
Posted by: taino | January 31, 2010 at 04:48 PM
Last year, Lamar Odom stood up to KG and punked him in Boston. This year, it was Andrew Bynum. The Celtics are so busy trying to intimidate their opponents and the referees that they forget to play basketball. Their defense is still very good, but the mystique is gone.
Posted by: bronxlakerfan | January 31, 2010 at 04:52 PM
Kobe is just amazing. He has a so-so game and then, just when it REALLY counts, puts it away. You have to love it.
Posted by: michael | January 31, 2010 at 05:03 PM
Glad to see Bynum left in during crunch time.
Posted by: never | January 31, 2010 at 05:05 PM
uh, Tyson old chap- how do you spell bench?
Posted by: watching from home | January 31, 2010 at 05:12 PM
Two observations:
Drew needs more minutes and more touches. If he stays healthy he will be absolutely dominant offensively in a year or two, IF Kobe will allow it to happen. I think Drew becomes a bit frustrated because he knows he is rarely going to even touch the ball even though he will shoot a high percentage if he is gone to steadily. That frustration manifests itself in lack of effort at times.
Mitch needs to try and pull the trigger now on the Hinrich trade if Chicago will do it to give him time to mesh with the team and Fish time to get used to playing with the second unit. It is obvious that the Lakers need an upgrade at PG badly and if that upgrade does not happen, it is going to be difficult to win it all. If Hinrich could be traded for Ammo, Farmar, and Powell and the Lakers stay healthy, no one would be able to touch them. OPEN THE WALLET JUST A LITTLE WIDER JERRY, WE NEED HINRICH!!!
Posted by: Bopper | January 31, 2010 at 05:20 PM
Very big WIN!! What a poorly played 2nd & 3rd we have to do better than that to repeat. Bynum has to punish little guards like Rondo when they come in the paint, my hats off to Rondo without him the Celts would have never been in it. Give him a couple more years and he won't backdown from taking big shots at the end. The Lakers played good team ball against a tough defense but Kobe is the only person in this league that is going to stop Kobe, I hope that finger hurries and heals. A win tomorrow and going back home with 6-2 road trip are the things that make REPEATERS
Posted by: Darrell Noiz | January 31, 2010 at 05:25 PM
Why all the celebrating against an older team that totally outplayed us, and we simply lucked out., BTW Cleveland is the power now in the EAST, or have you forgotten, we are 0-2 against them. We need an outside shooter in the worst way.
Posted by: VMan | January 31, 2010 at 05:30 PM
Bynum delivered the Boston Celtics to Kobe while Gasol was bothered, bewildered and got lost in translation of his "Caramba, nobody is calling fouls". Frankly, he was lost at TD Gardens.
Bynum score board: 9-3 since NY Post story and 5-2 in this road trip.
This was a pendulum game, Lakers led by 13 lost it in the 2nd Q against the 2nd team. Celtics led by 11 and lost it with their erratic performance in their home court. As usual, Kobe sealed the deal. That is no longer a surprise, he is the great CLUTCH, the great ASSASSIN and the great SELF HEALER.
Lakers weakness is a good PG who can slow down Rondo. Lakers strenght is Artest and Shannon Brown. They stopped shooting those threes and went for inside game, slashing, dunking and say NO to ugly Perkins & KG. I give credit to the leprechauns, even though they appear old they can still intimidate kids with their dirty tricks. Artest showed his own tricks he learned from Nicholson, a slight push from Paula sent him careening towards the crowd like those cowboys at Universal Studios. hahaha!
I think we owe this game too on Chickie baby, he lobbied the great Laker Fan that we would rather give in to the Raftors than absorb a painful loss to the leprechauns. Puffing Red A. maybe cursing Ray Allen, and could be his last few games as a Celtic.
Posted by: Edwin Gueco | January 31, 2010 at 05:30 PM
Not one word in that story about the player of the game...Andrew Bynum! Yes, Kobe made that last shot to wrap it up, but the Lakers never would have been in that position if Drew hadn't played as well as he did. Every time he was taken out, the Celts went straight to the hoop and scored. His presence in the paint was the difference in this game and it's about time he got some recognition.
Drew has finally made it through a January with two healthy knees and now the sky's the limit. I'll still be holding my breath through the Memphis game but it's obvious that he's figuring out how to function in the offense with Pau on the court. Let's give the kid some credit!
Posted by: aztronut | January 31, 2010 at 05:31 PM
Zaira,
S***** celebration tonight? LOL. Purple and Gold Forever!!!
Posted by: Nemaia Faletogo | January 31, 2010 at 05:35 PM
I usually avoid Lakers games in the winter hoping to save my energy (and blood pressure) for the last 3 months of the season. Except when (these) Celtics are on the calendar. A few thoughts:
- Shannon Brown looked lost in the first half today but played much better in the second half.
- As usual, "just some dude" plays lights out v. the Lakers. Tony Allen was that guy today. Had he hit his average, LA would have won this game by 3-4 buckets. The dude, flat out, can-not-play, but was hitting everything he threw up today. Made me sick.
- Our Test took Pierce out of the game before tip-off. Beautiful.
- For the second year in a row in the Garden, KG opens his mouth and hurts his team. Last year, it was getting in the face of Odom, who proceeded to torch him and lead the team to a win. This year, it was his turn to tick off Bynum by yip-yapping after one of his inconsequential baskets, and then Socks rolls him, looks back at him, and all he could do was look away. Loved it.
- Kobe looks really tired.
- I think the Lakers are getting a handle on the matchups with these guys. The assignment switches and overall defensive matchups made sense all day.
- Rondo exposed the weakness at PG. He got to his spots almost at will, found all the guys he needed to find at the right time. That worries me.
- LA did a great job for the most part of taking away a primary Celtic offensive weapon -- the transitional three. Pierce, Allen, House et al. seemed to have a hand in their faces on every such opportunity.
- Had LA left its starting 5 in a little longer towards the late 1st Q/early 2d Q, it might not have been close.
Posted by: Peace | January 31, 2010 at 05:36 PM
Taino - I thought it was odd that Sasha was out there for that long, that early, as well. He came in when Ron sat because of early fouls... Kobe moved up to the 3. Sasha seemed to do okay, didn't really make any obvious boneheaded plays that I could see, wasn't chucking up shots or anything. And then he never came back in after that. Phil works in mysterious ways.
Posted by: dave m | January 31, 2010 at 05:39 PM
the lakers best win of the year! way to nut it up l.a.! that's the type of win you couldn't come up with in cleveland. great team effort. not a pretty game, but more like a playoff game. bynum, was an absolute beast today. i guess he's trying to show the other coaches he belonged on the nba all-star team. he'll get there, i'm sure next year. congrats to p.j. on his new wins record as a laker coach.....oh well, he tied with riles for the moment. wins like these are why we'll repeat as nba champs! i love l.a......we love it!
Posted by: lakeshowinphx | January 31, 2010 at 05:45 PM
Would be glad to hear Simmons change his mind regarding choosing Nowitzski over Kobe as a clutch shooter (heard the podcast Bill, stupid, stupid remark.) all Kobe Haters must learn this one lesson: Never Doubt The Mamba. Player of the game: ANDREW BYNUM!!! Special props for him shutting up that Green Bald Headed Lunatic with that crazy Dunk! He never uttered a word the rest of the game....ahhh, gotta love it!!! Go Lakers!!!
Posted by: Cap's Goggles | January 31, 2010 at 05:46 PM
Here's my favorite post so far -->
Just believe. Always.
Night!!! It's sexual celebration right here now ;)
Posted by: ZairaAmaterasu
Oh yeah, baby! They were saying yesterday over at FB&G that no one remembers the regular season games. OH YES WE DO! A victory in Boston is worth 2 in Cleveland!
Let's go Lakers, keep the momentum flowing and let's keep winning!
Posted by: SCinRB | January 31, 2010 at 05:49 PM
VMan,
I agree with your post, however the Magic were 2-0 against us last year in the regular season as well, but we handled them pretty well in the finals. For some reason I'm still not sold on the Cavs coming out of the East(I pick the Magic or Hawks).
The Lakers still have a lot to improve upon and are still looking for that chemistry since adding Artest and Pau and Drew playing more together now. It's all about defense for us because we have plenty of guys who can score. Defense is the key and the Lakers played some down the stretch in our win over the Celtics today.
Posted by: Nemaia Faletogo | January 31, 2010 at 05:50 PM
Have no clue what you guys are celebrating about. Quit watching the score...there is more to this game than who wins at the buzzer. Boston was way too physical for the Lakers and when they were executing the Lakers did not look good. Ray Allen hits the shot and everyone is whistling a new tune. You guys need to watch what is happening in the game and not just on the scoreboard !!
Posted by: DFish | January 31, 2010 at 05:59 PM
Vman,
These are just season games. The real NBA starts starts at the playoffs, the Cleveland Cavaliers always own the season, then disappear during the playoffs. Knowing Ainge, he will make some changes before Feb. 18th and I think Celts will remain as a strong contender in the East. Bragging rights, well we won. The truth about it Lakers were out hustled by the scrappy Celtics p&r. For two quarters, some Laker players were just bystanders until we finally fought back in the 4th.
Just because we won, it doesn't mean all problems were solved. They have to review the tapes again tonight on the way to Memphis. It is about time for Gasol to do some double job by delivering the Memphis game, he knows all the bounce, the corners and the atmospheric pressure of that court. Marc cannot intimidate su hermano (viejo).
Posted by: Edwin Gueco | January 31, 2010 at 06:03 PM
Lakers all the wayyyyyyyyyy.Where was the wheelchair? Hahaha.
Posted by: huy nguyen | January 31, 2010 at 06:06 PM
We just defeated the third best team in the East, not such a big deal in my fortune cookie to me...I expext us to make the finals vs Cleveland, and we all know how that series has gone so far. Too many Non Contributors on this roster, Sasha, Walton, Morrison, Mbenga. Time for Kupchack to add a player to that bench, and soon.
Posted by: JAY WOO | January 31, 2010 at 06:14 PM
I hope y'all are happy now, there's a sub zero breeze blowing through my apartment and all the neighbors are outside staring at the shattered computer monitor laying in the lawn. Yup, you guys had to go and insist that we could trade for 'a good defensive pg who can defend rondo,' and so i had to throw my computer out the window, as promised.
ok, here's the thing- due to current nba rules, it isn't possible to stop a pg from penetrating off the dribble, no matter how fast you are. chris paul can't guard chris paul. rajon rondo sure as heck can't guard rajon rondo, or the equivalant. and a fast pg sure as heck doesn't do you any good against a pick roll, let alone the celtic's vaunted 'moving screen and roll'
you know what we need? good team defense. the kind where you rotate to cover the guard instead of having a guard to stay in front of him all time. The defense that believe it or not, we actually play pretty well. sure, we gave up a couple of drives to rondo. but everybody will and has done that. Over the course of a game, we got a lot of stops. we would have had even more stops if we got more offensive rebounds. The celtics missed a lot of baskets, and i like to think that if we hadn't had any players on the floor, they would have made more, so we must have had something to do with it.
ok, y'all can go back to your usual blame appionted and/or sexual celebrations, I just had to vent.
and now i have to go and buy a new monitor. sigh
THE LOVE IS PRETTY SURE pHRED IS KIDDING ABOUT THAT.
HE DEFINITELY WOULD HAVE OPENED THE WINDOW BEFORE HE THREW OUT HIS COMPUTER, IT IS FRIGGIN COLD IN SOUTH DAKOTA
IT IS ALL ABOUT THE LOVE
GO LAKERS!
Posted by: phred | January 31, 2010 at 06:15 PM
*blame appointing. sorry. harder to proof read on this much smaller back up monitor and all.
Posted by: phred | January 31, 2010 at 06:17 PM
MM
The Vman comment above is not THE Vman. I'm flattered. I though I flew far enough under the radar to avoid that sort 'o thing.
Laker TOm, think we'll be looking back at this game as a grow up game for Andrew. I'm thinkin' he'll build on this one and step up from there. How hi, is up to him.
Posted by: VMan | January 31, 2010 at 06:32 PM
Edwin - I could agree more about Pau, one of my favorite players but he really did look off balance and lost for important sections of the game. Late in the 4th, one of the ABC guys questioned why Pau was on the bench and I thought, are you not seeing the same game I'm seeing?! At any rate, Phil put him in at the very end, for the most important part... and that's our coach for ya - he who walks with 10 rings.
Posted by: dave m | January 31, 2010 at 06:43 PM
Guys
A new post is up. Just for people wanting to plan out which thread they want to post. I plan to have a post tomorrow in the early morning, mid morning (around 9:30-10), a post around noon and a post around 2.
Hope that helps.
MM
Posted by: Mark Medina | January 31, 2010 at 06:44 PM
>>>Why all the celebrating against an older team that totally outplayed us, and
>>>we simply lucked out., BTW Cleveland is the power now in the EAST, or
>>>have you forgotten, we are 0-2 against them.
Yep. Bynum's outstanding play was totally lucky. And Jordan Farmar's aggressive offense when he came in? luck. Refs giving Celtics the ball several times when it should have been the Lakers (e.g. Perkins hits it out of bounds, Perkins hits it off the camera behind the board, etc)? Luck. The Lakers bigs out scoring, out rebounding, and out blocking the Celtics bigs? Pure luck. Kobe only hitting 8 of 20 and Artest hitting 4 of 12? Luck.
Cleveland is the power in the LEAST.
Orlando beat the Lakers twice during the regular season last year. So what?
The truth is that the Lakers got pretty lackluster play from Kobe, Pau, and Ron Artest, and got almost no calls from the refs, but still eked out a victory against one of the top teams in the East on the road.
So what about in the playoffs when Pau and Kobe and Ron have better nights?
Posted by: Long Time Laker Fan | January 31, 2010 at 06:44 PM
Vman - My mistake. I got the troll's IP address and blocked him.
MM
Posted by: Mark Medina | January 31, 2010 at 06:45 PM
Dave M, Exhodlovr, onthebus and all defected to BSPN along with the K-bros??
A friend told he sees their comments there a lot ;)
Posted by: Kobefan in Cupertino | January 31, 2010 at 06:50 PM
I'm in total agreement with Jolly Rancher. The ABC announcers should keep their mouths shut if they're not calling the game. Growing up with the Lakers from the 60's and listening to Chick calling the games was a true gift. I miss you Chick and the rest of these fakers can just shut up.
p.s. Anyway, anytime the Lakers beat the Celtics it's a wonderful day!
Posted by: Steve Gaspar | January 31, 2010 at 07:10 PM
NINE GAMES . . . EIGHT DOWN, ONE TO GO
I suggested what seems like a season ago that we suspend judgment until the Lakers finished off a series of nine games that started with Orlando at home then followed by this eight game trip ending in Memphis. Report card time is almost here.
I suggested that we grade the team in three categories.
1. TOUGHNESS (which we would see when playing the top teams in the East, ORL, CLE, BOS).
2. FOCUS (which we would see when playing the four sub-500 teams on the road trip).
3. ENDURANCE (which we would see in the 2nd games of back-to-backs as well as how they finished trip in Memphis).
Leading into this NINE GAME stretch, the Lakers were dealing with health issues (Artest/Pau/Kobe) and posted an unimpressive 8-5 record since the Christmas Day loss to Cleveland. I thought we all were getting too jumpy in our judgments (What?! US bloggers here?!! No way!) and asked for this body of work to be completed before we passed judgment on the Laker's championship aspirations.
So, we are on the cusp of completing this NINE GAME stretch, all happy to sleep tonite with visions of this victory over the dreaded Celtics dancing in our dreams. Finish off Memphis tomorrow (please, don't lose and PLEASE don't LOSE BYNUM to injury!!!) and grades will be due.
For the record, Lakers are now 6-2 in this NINE GAME stretch.
~2 wins, 1 loss against the East Leaders
~3 wins, 1 loss against the East sub-500 teams (I throw Toronto in that category)
~2 wins, 0 loss in 2nd of back-to-back (but still have Memphis game on Monday to complete this category).
Grades are due by midnight Monday, following Memphis game.
Mike
Posted by: LakerMike | January 31, 2010 at 07:15 PM
You know that the Lakers have been hurting for quality road wins when beating a team that's lost 3 in a row and 6 of its last 8 is called "the win of the season".
Posted by: LA Guy | January 31, 2010 at 07:29 PM
Kobefan - I wouldn't call it defecting, just visiting old friends across the cyber universe. Plus, they promised nobody would even know!!
Posted by: dave m | January 31, 2010 at 07:32 PM
"The real NBA starts starts at the playoffs, the Cleveland Cavaliers always own the season, then disappear during the playoffs. "
What are you talking about? A Lebron James team has lost a home playoff series ONCE, ever, and they were just 2 shots away from winning that series in 5 games. Every other time they've lost they've been the underdogs.
"Cleveland is the power in the LEAST."
Cleveland is 18-5 against the Western Conference this year, and that's with more road games than home games. If they were in the West they'd still have the best record in the league.
Posted by: LA Guy | January 31, 2010 at 07:34 PM
Kobe listed with 0 steals? didnt he strip pierce that one play? and intercept a pass?
Posted by: MJ23G | January 31, 2010 at 07:59 PM
a good win against a very good team on the road.
celtics played all out. so did the lakers. each had good quarters, and bad ones. good to see artest establishing himself in this bitter rivalry. would rather have him on our side than facing him.
in the end, the lakers were one point better. beating the celtics is ALWAYS a good thing...and never gets old.
an old friend once reminded me championships are won in june, not january.
with that being said, today was a great practice playoff game. it wasn't pretty, but it was a victory against our rivals at their house. much better than a beautiful, hard fought loss.
let's go lake show!
Posted by: tha show | January 31, 2010 at 09:08 PM
Hahaha,
No way guys, can you believe it! We actually have a Cavaliers troll on the Blog! Hahaha, welcome to the Blog LA Guy. Remember to be respectful and you will be respected. Good point on the 18-5 record against the western teams, I'll give you that, they are having a good year. Now, about that game of the year quote, all I have to say is this: 1) anytime we beat our eternal rivals, it's a game of the year, especially those stinking Celts, and 2) when the Cavs actually win a finals game, we'll take that comment more seriously hahaha. Once again, welcome to the Blog
Posted by: Cap's Goggles | January 31, 2010 at 09:34 PM
If Andrew stays healthy and keeps playing the way he is it is difficult to see anybody beating them and that includes Cleveland. It seems Kareem is having a big influence on Andrews game. The longer these guys play together the better that they look and by playoff time they will be difficult to beat in a short series. If the Lakers can beat the Celtics with Koby not at his best, what does that tell you? Shannon Brown might not of had a great day today but he is a great pickup for the Lakers and should be around for a long time. Will the Lakers keep Farmar next year?
Posted by: Allen | January 31, 2010 at 10:07 PM
Good try Cap's - I've been posting here for four years and, as my name states, I'm an LA guy. When did you start posting, if you think that I'm new and that I'm a "Cavaliers Troll"?
Posted by: LA Guy | January 31, 2010 at 10:39 PM
Hey DaveM
thanks, I am just not used to Sasha even getting in the game, and the biggest game of the year he gets in before our steady #7 (farmar) & #8 (brown) players?
I think PJ just likes to surprise people and make them wonder. Wasn't it great to see PJ argue some calls rather than keep his chair warm?
Hey Bynum...feels good don't it!! Nobody can stop you, not even hatchet face Perkins....that guy makes the Chief (Parrish) look handsome.
Bynums emphasis on strengthening 'his base' this past summer definately paid off.
We are never getting punked again by the celtics, that monkey's gone...but how unusual is it for the celtics NOT to get the hometown call in the last minute of the game? Does Stern/Nike want the lakers/cavs in the finals or what?
PS - anyone still want to have kept Ariza over Artest?
PSS - Hey Kobe your shoe hot!
Posted by: taino | January 31, 2010 at 10:41 PM
JAY WOO
>>>Non Contributors on this roster, Sasha, Walton, Morrison, Mbenga.
Sasha has been playing very well lately. I honestly think the Lakers are showcasing him trying to increase his trade value. He's currently over 40% on 3's, and his pestering defense is well known by pissed off opposing players throughout the league. With only 1 more season at 5.5 million, he's difficult (though not impossible) to trade. Remember, Mitch was able to trade Radmanovic (who sucks much harder and has a worse contract than Sasha) and got Shannon Brown out of the deal. It's not inconceivable that Mitch could turn Sasha into a decent role player (or if Buss is willing to pony up, maybe Sasha could be part of a deal for a decent PG).
Walton was injured for half the season so he's still getting his game back. He's had a few good games and a few bad games. He'll be back on track and playing a reasonably good 10-15 minutes backing up Artest by playoff season. Recall that Walton shot 80% for the entire finals series vs Orlando.
MBenga is pretty weak, but not nearly as weak as the one guy you didn't mention - Josh Powell. Powell has been absolutely putrid this season. He's pretty much a total liability when he's on the floor. Same thing with AmMo.
Posted by: LongTimeLakerFan | February 01, 2010 at 10:30 AM
WOW!!!!! kobes shot was incredible he was well defended and found away to get his team the "W" great shot... Great win.
Posted by: ernie lopez | February 01, 2010 at 12:22 PM