Caught in the Web: Reactions to Lakers' 106-90 Game 5 victory over New Orleans Hornets
Game stories
--The Times' Mike Bresnahan focuses on Kobe Bryant's spectacular performance in the Lakers' 106-90 Game 5 victory Tuesday over the New Orleans Hornets.
--The Orange County Register's Kevin Ding didn't notice anything wrong with Bryant's ankle.
--The Riverside Press-Enterprise's David Lassen credits the Lakers' reserves in the second quarter.
--The headline in a report Daily News' Elliott Teaford calls Bryant's play inspired.
Notebooks
--The Times' Bresnahan reports that the Lakers will not offer new contracts to about 20 key employees on their player-personnel side after the season.
--The Press-Enterprise's Lassen details Ron Artest winning the J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award.
--The Times-Picayune's Art Thompson II explains how the Lakers put the Hornets on the verge of elimination.
Sidebars
--The Times' Broderick Turner noticed that Bryant didn't walk with a limp to the postgame interview room.
--The Times' Lisa Dillman details Chris Paul's up-and-down play.
Columns
--The Times' Bill Plaschke wonders why Bryant didn't take an MRI.
--The Times' T.J. Simers credits the Lakers' team effort.
--ESPN.com's J.A. Adande looks at how Bryant didn't lose a step.
--Sports Illustrated's Sam Amick jokes Bryant wanted to keep the details surrounding his sprained left ankle vague because "he wanted to keep the surgically inserted spring a secret.
--The Daily News' Vincent Bonsignore details how Bryant played through the pain.
--NBA.com's Scott Howard-Cooper looks at the reverberating impact Bryant's dunk had on the team.
--Yahoo! Sports' Johnny Ludden think the Lakers fed off the energy from Bryant's dunk.
--ESPN Los Angeles' Dave McMenamin believes it's best to trust Bryant with his medical decisions.
--The Register's Jeff Miller explains how the Hornets look up to Bryant.
--The Daily News' Jill Painter and ESPN Los Angeles Ramona Shelburne argue that Bryant's dunk helped the Lakers regain control of the series.
--The Press-Enterprise's Gregg Patton believes Bryant takes pleasure out of proving people wrong.
--The Times-Picayune's John Reid says the Lakers now control the series.
--Lakers.com's Mike Trudell provides a running diary of the game.
--Fox Sports' Billy Witz looks at the message Bryant sent with his dunk over Emeka Okafor.
Blogs
--ESPN Los Angeles' Andy Kamenetzky breaks down the Lakers' win over New Orleans.
--Silver Screen and Roll's DexterFishmore believes that the easy storyline -- Bryant's play -- was the correct one.
Tweet of the Day: "Great headline for Lakers/Hornets on ESPN.com right now: Don't Get It Twisted." -- thechrispalmer (ESPN the Magazine's Chris Palmer)
Rick Friedman Reader Comment of the Day:"That Kobe dunk?....It was a life-changing moment for me....I will never be the same again. I think,.... I'm.....I'm ...I'm starting to cry." -- Fatty
-- Mark Medina
E-mail the Lakers blog at mgmedin@gmail.com
Photo: Even with a bum ankle, Kobe Bryant throws down his second dunk of Tuesday night, this one coming in the third quarter of the Lakers' 106-90 victory over New Orleans at Staples Center. Credit: Harry How / Getty Images
Kobe's "Resurrecton" came in 3 days later!!!! Jesus risen from the dead, why Kobe needs MRI?
Posted by: LakerPeace | April 27, 2011 at 11:24 AM
I don't want to look ahead, but the Grizzles are 3 -1 against the Thunders in their regular season series.
Posted by: LakerPeace | April 27, 2011 at 11:29 AM
- Everything seems backwards in this Bizarro series. Artest has become our most consistent player, Bynum is healthy, Fish is making layups, the bench has become an asset, and Phil has valiantly resisted his uncontrollable urges to put his son Luke in any of the games. Posted by:
LAKER TRUTH | April 27, 2011 at 11:20 AM
truth.
Posted by: soshibo | April 27, 2011 at 11:35 AM
Great Friedman for Fatty!!!
Posted by: Magic Phil | April 27, 2011 at 11:37 AM
- Everything seems backwards in this Bizarro series. Artest has become our most consistent player, Bynum is healthy, Fish is making layups, the bench has become an asset, and Phil has valiantly resisted his uncontrollable urges to put his son Luke in any of the games.
Posted by: LAKER TRUTH | April 27, 2011 at 11:20 AM
-
That could be the RCOD as well!
Posted by: Magic Phil | April 27, 2011 at 11:38 AM
The Grizz are for real. Really impressive, OKC-Memphis series will exciting.
Posted by: jette | April 27, 2011 at 11:39 AM
Posting a funny Tweet from: KingJames LeBron James
This is hilarious, the interviewer's face is priceless http://bit.ly/hDB0l8 shout out to @takeasheet.
Posted by: Anne | April 27, 2011 at 11:41 AM
I don't want to look ahead, but the Grizzles are 3 -1 against the Thunders in their regular season series.
Posted by: LakerPeace | April 27, 2011 at 11:29 AM
=====
That's meaningless.
And you are right. Don't look ahead because the Spurs aren't dead quite yet, much like the stinky Magic aren't dead quite yet.
Posted by: KobeMVP888 | April 27, 2011 at 11:52 AM
I don't want to look ahead, but the Grizzles are 3 -1 against the Thunders in their regular season series.
Posted by: LakerPeace | April 27, 2011 at 11:29 AM
---
The close out game is usually the most difficult, especially for a team like MEM that has never won a playoff series...
Posted by: The Snake | April 27, 2011 at 11:53 AM
Great leadership by Kobe last night. Now that’s how you make your teammates better.
Fabolous and Ne-Yo – Make Me Better (#1 Rap/#2 R&B/#8 Pop)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zyz1oAHY-_g
Posted by: LRob | April 27, 2011 at 12:14 PM
@Fatty - congrats on the Friedman.
@Peace/MVP/Snake - Either way...Pop's Fun-n-Gun Spurs are living on borrowed time cause they can't beat OKC. Pop knew better than to construct his team around 3pt shooting.
Anyone have insight into GS firing Keith Smart?
Posted by: LRob | April 27, 2011 at 12:30 PM
Congrats Fatty-baby, grown-ups don't cry except Lebron.
Posted by: Edwin Gueco | April 27, 2011 at 12:31 PM
@Lakertruth.. Good points but let's not go overboard on the dfish making all his layups part.. Haha
Posted by: yellofever | April 27, 2011 at 12:35 PM
Everything seems backwards in this Bizarro series. Artest has become our most consistent player, Bynum is healthy, Fish is making layups, the bench has become an asset, and Phil has valiantly resisted his uncontrollable urges to put his son Luke in any of the games.
Posted by: LAKER TRUTH | April 27, 2011 at 11:20 AM
-
That could be the RCOD as well!
Posted by: Magic Phil | April 27, 2011 at 11:38 AM
Funny and true...honorable mention for sure. I think I even saw Blake hit a shot...wow that is bizarro. Luke will be needed before it's all said and done...he will shine!
Nice job last night Lake Show, had me very worried after that first quarter...sheesh! Next up...close out game baby!
Posted by: Kobeayashimarue | April 27, 2011 at 12:45 PM
@Lakertruth.. Good points but let's not go overboard on the dfish making all his layups part.. Haha
Posted by: yellofever | April 27, 2011 at 12:35 PM
------------
R O F L
Posted by: soshibo | April 27, 2011 at 12:50 PM
@Magicphil.. How goes it! But unfortunately lakertruth may never win an ROCTD!! Prerequisites include being in MMs good graces and being part of the exclusive GHF club!!
Posted by: yellofever | April 27, 2011 at 12:53 PM
LT,
Nice love for Drew on an article in ESPN Insiders on franchise players that are effective on offense and defense. Here's an excerpt...
He's 23 years old and has posted a PER over 20 over the past four seasons. He is one of the game's best shot-blockers and already has anchored two championship teams. In the context of on-court efficiency and impact outside the box score, Bynum is the best center in the NBA not named Howard, and he also may be the most overlooked.
Look at what he's done to the Lakers' defense, especially in the playoffs. With Bynum on the court in the postseason, the Lakers have allowed just 101.3 points per 100 possessions against Chris Paul and the Hornets. When Bynum sits, the Hornets drop 117.2 points per 100 possessions. Along with Howard and Garnett, Bynum is the only big man this season to rank in the top 15 percent in each of the three defensive metrics. He's about as efficient as it gets on the block, and he'll only refine his game as he enters his prime in the next few seasons. The only obstacle standing in his way? The health of his knees. Oh, that and Kobe's regular hijacking of the offense.
-----------------------
I didn't like the comment about him "anchoring" the two ships or the jab at Kobe.
Posted by: LRob | April 27, 2011 at 01:04 PM
>>>The Times' Bill Plaschke wonders why Bryant didn't take an MRI.
And I wonder why Bill Plashke doesn't visit a proctologist... he's clearly an...
Posted by: LongTimeLakerFan | April 27, 2011 at 01:20 PM
I enjoyed the Bonsignore article on Kobe, especially some comments by Magic.
Excerpt…
"This is what you do. You know your body better than anyone. You know what you can take and not take pain wise. You know the moves you can make, the ones you can't. You figure it out and make the best of it.
"He'll know if he's hurting the team - he'll know," Magic said.
And whether or not Kobe was doing further damage, he'd figure that out too.
"He'll know if he's hurting his body," magic said. "But right now he feels good, and if he feels good you've got to go with that. Until something on the floor happens to say otherwise."
"His greatness is he has a high tolerance for pain. His greatness is he'll fight through things," Magic said. "When you're a competitor you fight through things. He knows this is an important game, that we have to go up 3-2."
Posted by: LRob | April 27, 2011 at 01:22 PM
It is a bit ironic that the training staff did such a great job on Kobe right after being "trimmed" in cost-cutting moves. Does anyone know how to pronounce Yrjovuori?
Posted by: MH Jones | April 27, 2011 at 01:24 PM
MM PLEASE you give the RCOD to Fatty?
Did you bother to read his previous post?
Let me enlighten you
Tim-4-Show, Sorry Tim, but Kobe was faking the injury, everything. From the crutches, the limps, to the first quarter slow moving stuff. It was all an act from this movie star want-a-be.
Don't you see WHY Kobe refused to get the MRI? It would show that NOTHING was wrong with this 'glory-hog of a selfish ball player'.
This guy makes me sick. Please, folks! Don't let yourselves be fooled by 'Me-Kobe's antics!
Fatty - Who's auditioning for a LA Times staff writer job
Posted by: Fatty | April 27, 2011 at 08:01 AM
________________________
So now he comes back with a sarcastic bite COMPLETE with tears and you buy it.
DISGUSTING
Posted by: Troll Man | April 27, 2011 at 01:25 PM
MM
SERIOUSLY
MODERATION STILL?
YOU ARE THE BIGGEST PARTY POOPER
Posted by: Troll Man | April 27, 2011 at 01:28 PM
"Artest and Fisher hittin shots, nice. Fisher making layups, whoa! That ugly first quarter falls on Phil Jackson shoulders 100%. Also let's be real, the refs were very nice to the Lakers last night.
Posted by: Magia32 | April 27, 2011 at 07:02 AM "
Yeah the refs called a game that fit very well into the Lakers strengths and weaknesses. I thought the tone was set early when Artest got away with elbows twice in the first couple minutes. It showed they were going to let the Lakers play physical and they responded. I had to laugh when Kevin and Reggie kept calling them inadvertent. Has anyone on the Hornets not taken one of Ron's elbows this series?
They made great adjustments to how the game was being called. When they saw they could get away with holding and bumping Paul on the perimeter, they did it more often and it really limited what he could do. It worked great but I don't think that approach will be as effective on the New Orleans home court in game 6. The bench was huge last night as well but bench play is another area that's tougher to count on in road games. Game 6 should be a tough one.
On a side note, is there any punishment expected for Shannon Brown's elbow swing? He lost his mind on that one.
Posted by: Bay to LA | April 27, 2011 at 01:30 PM
I know Fatty took an extended vacation but i never recalled him being a Kobe hater.
Posted by: Troll Man | April 27, 2011 at 01:30 PM
Troll Man,
I believe Fatty was being sarcastic, making a jab at the LA Times' writers.
Posted by: LAKER TRUTH | April 27, 2011 at 01:33 PM
http://bleacherreport.com/tb/b9ab0
snippet:
Brown and the rest of these Los Angeles Lakers saw the fury in Kobe’s eyes, and they understood.
Raise up or sit down, Kobe was telling them. The Lakers’ listless season had lurched precariously close to the edge. This quarter, this game – all of it was a referendum. And one violent dunk was all Kobe needed to send his message.
Posted by: hobbitmage | April 27, 2011 at 01:34 PM
Was Fatty being sarcastic in both posts?
Was that a shot at MM?
I'm so confused.
Posted by: Troll Man | April 27, 2011 at 01:37 PM
For the Kobe Doubters/Haters:
http://bleacherreport.com/tb/b9ab0
snippet:
Said Bryant: “We aren’t all built the same way.”
He’s right, of course. Few players have been better at managing pain, at adjusting their bodies to cope with whatever ails them. Kobe learned to shoot with a broken finger. He severely sprained the same left ankle in Dallas earlier this season and didn’t miss a game. In last year’s first-round series with the Thunder, his right knee was so swollen it eventually needed to be drained. With the series tied 2-2 and the Lakers facing a critical Game 5, he volunteered to guard Russell Westbrook(notes). The Lakers won in a rout.
“If he plays,” Derek Fisher(notes) said, “he’s going to be Kobe.”
said Island Priest/Staples24/Kobefan: He's a ballhog!
to see Kobe's response to said "haters": http://bleacherreport.com/tb/b9ab0 "hit
play"
Posted by: hobbitmage | April 27, 2011 at 01:39 PM
Great TEAM win last night!
I still can't beleive those two throw back Kobe dunks, two days after spraining is ankle pretty badly. Kobe cannot be stopped.
Where are all of the Fish haters today? That's right, they can't say a damn thing about is great play on both ends of the floor.
@Fatty
Congrats on the Friedman!
Was that Patton Oswalt interviewing Ron-Ron in the previous thread?
Posted by: mclyne | April 27, 2011 at 01:42 PM
Moderation?? Really? No wonder the PSP came back from taser training to find so few comments today.
Thanks
PSP Intern
Posted by: Practice Season Police | April 27, 2011 at 01:48 PM
Troll Man - Fatty's not a hater. His post was not to be taken seriously - it was a jab at the hate the LAT writers have been directing at Kobe. You must have forgotten to turn on your sarcasm font detector.
Posted by: justanothermambafan | April 27, 2011 at 01:49 PM
Thanks JAMF, LT
for a moment I thought I was in an alternate universe
So kudos to MM for not letting Fatty's jabs at the paper influence his decision
Posted by: Troll Man | April 27, 2011 at 02:00 PM
My two cents for the playoffs part II:
I wasn’t too worried about home court advantage before the playoffs except against one team and that is/was the Boston Celtics. Of course we have that advantage and that is the beauty of this year’s playoffs, we will have home court advantage throughout these playoffs. Because I still feel after two weeks it will be:
Celtics vs Lakers
I have since the beginning thought the Perkins trade was wayyyyy overblown and hyped as the demise of the Celtics. In fact I was blown away by it but didn’t feel strongly one way or another as I saw both sides of the trade. Have saying that, the only team it will hurt them against is the Lakers :), but before they get there they need to get past the Heat and I think in that case it was the right trade. The Heat or The Bulls are NOT getting past Boston people.
The Heat are a good team with 2-1/2 great players, there time will come but it won’t be this year. The Bulls have 1 great player, 2 great role players, and Boozer whom I don’t not quite sure what to label. Same thing, time may come but not this year.
The Magic will come back and beat ATL, but The Spurs will NOT come back and beat Memphis. ZBO and company are the real deal and are set to compete for years to come. Joe Johnson will go down as one of the worst contracts in the history of the NBA. After the Magic get past ATL don’t be surprised if they get past Chicago, that is my bold prediction.
Dallas, Dallas, Dallas. I think this is a great and complete team that can compete with any team in the NBA except for the Lakers. Sucks for them.
Portland; awesome, young, and a healthy Brandon Roy and Greg Oden from winning it all. Sucks for them.
OKC; Good young team same for them as for The Bulls and Heat not buying the hype. In fact my second bold prediction is Memphis over OKC. That is how much I love this Memphis team. Would you trade Pau Gasol for Marc and ZBO? I would!
How bout those Lakers? Right where I thought they would be about now, shifting the gears (not flipping the switch) slowly and methodically with an even more engaged Ron Ron and a healthy Bynum. Gasol was sick and had a couple of bad games, stop with the dumb trade talk about anyone on the Lakers not named Shannon. LOL
Three Time World Champions 2011
Posted by: NBA4ever | April 27, 2011 at 02:00 PM
On a side note, is there any punishment expected for Shannon Brown's elbow swing? He lost his mind on that one.
I was wondering the same thing. I would guess a fine is coming, but could be a 3 game suspension from Herr Stern, you just never know now a days. Reggie Miller was right when he said Brown should counmt his lucky stars to have wiffed on that one...nutz
Posted by: Kobeayashimarue | April 27, 2011 at 02:03 PM
Fatty-baby, you got misunderstood again. You should always put an * when it's a jocular post. You now get two awards: Friedman & Joke Only from Fatty
Posted by: Edwin Gueco | April 27, 2011 at 02:04 PM
re: Kobe being a ballhog.
http://www.ocregister.com/sports/-298141--.html
snippet:
He plays hurt, he plays well, and he inspires his team to rally around him
It dates all the way back to his first championship in 2000, when he played on a sprained left ankle (sound familiar?) after sitting out a Game 3 loss to the Indiana Pacers. Shaquille O'Neal fouled out in overtime of Game 4, and Bryant carried the Lakers to the finish of that game with a performance that O'Neal even admitted he re-watched on video that summer as a pure fan.
snippet:
Bryant's killer instinct is unique, too.
If Bryant didn't prove his killer instinct by not letting up in his 81-point game, he certainly has in his NBA championship runs – more so since he has became the undisputed leader of a contending team.
The past three postseasons, the Lakers have walked into 11 arenas with the opposing team lying on its deathbed for the first time, facing elimination. Ten times, they've killed.
snippet:
the Lakers have been otherwise sensational at closing out series, and a lot of it has to do with the guy who long ago said, "There are only two killers in this league," at a time when Michael Jordan was still playing.
[ question: does this make him an arrogant ballhog Island Priest? ]
snippet:
Bryant pulled back the curtain regarding that nature after the Lakers' Game 5 victory Tuesday night, speaking warmly about "little brother" Trevor Ariza, whom Bryant gave his private shooting program when they were Lakers teammates. ("I used it like it was the Bible," Ariza said.)
"It's tough to muster up that rage to play against him," Bryant said.
And then Bryant just added in the next breath: "Got a job to do. Got to take him out."
[ weren't there comments about him not being a team player? ]
re: why the offense should go through Kobe first.
snippet:
That's how it can work both ways: The other Lakers can feed off Bryant's killer instinct, and Bryant's killer instinct can be maximized by the quality of the other Lakers.
That combination is why the Lakers have been so devastatingly effective in making TNT's "Win or Go Home" advertisement more than an idle threat to their opponents.
[ for you kobefan & Island Priest ]
sens la! sens la! PRENDS LA!!!
Posted by: hobbitmage | April 27, 2011 at 02:06 PM
Hi folks, long time no post. Something I haven't seen covered in the articles around the game- Lakers weathered a nearly 90% opening quarter by the Hornets. To be fair, I didn't think that was bad defense- the Hornets were just knocking down shots off the P&R. Lakers had good aggressiveness and still, NO kept hitting.
But...the Lakers hung in there and then upped their game. I think it demoralized the Hornets to have a 90% quarter and not have more of a lead. Considering how well NO shot last night (almost 50%), I think it goes to show that the Lakers, playing at the top of their game, can win any game no matter how well the opponent is shooting, as long as their bigs show up.
Don't get me wrong- Kobe (and the bench) provided the energy and his 19 is nothing to sniff at, but those second-chance points....that can and should happen all the time. "Black Swan" Pau and healthy Beast Bynum should do that every game, and even if they don't get the board it leaves another big busy so that Barnes or Artest or Blake can swoop in and grab the board. Also- notice that the Lakers couldn't always get the ball into Bynum or Gasol in the post (understandable, the Hornets and any other team will pack the paint to neutralize the Lakers' size) but they stayed active on the offensive glass anyway.
IMHO- Bigs consistently fighting for the offensive board = 3 peat.
13 to 3peat
Posted by: LakersFanInExile | April 27, 2011 at 02:06 PM
@LROB ... Thanks for your comments. Always appreciate your feedback positive or negative. As for the EFF stats, I actually think they are the best simple stat to judge relative performances by players on a team or in a series. Right now, CP3 is obviously the MVP of this series with the top rated EFF in the playoffs. Reflective of their uneven play to date, note that Drew at #20 was the highest ranking Laker as far as EFF goes.
...
Compared to +/- stat, I think EFF is the better gauge of how a player played compared to his teammates. As for the Ron vs. Pau discrepancy, I think the perception that Ron has played better than Pau is definitely true even though in raw stats Pau has a higher EFF. The reality is that Ron has outperformed what he did during the regular season while Pau has underperformed compared to the regular season. Pau also was able to pad his stats with more minutes than Ron.
...
Thanks for the article on Drew’s defensive impact. Can’t disagree with your comments about Drew anchoring the last two ships or the jab at Kobe. Drew contributed but was not healthy enough to support a claim of anchoring the defense. This year is certainly different as Drew has definitely anchored the defense. As for Kobe, yes he does hijack the offense at times, mostly when needed, but in the end, like yesterday, like Phil, I trust Kobe to make the right adjustments for us to win. Last night was a superb series changing effort by Kobe and proof he is far from being over the hill.
...........................................................
TOM
Posted by: LakerTom | April 27, 2011 at 02:07 PM
There's no way that was Fatty.
Posted by: Tim-4-Show | April 27, 2011 at 02:22 PM
Kobe is the best player for the whole NBA teams
Posted by: Marcos Gomez | April 27, 2011 at 02:27 PM
"Where are all of the Fish haters today? That's right, they can't say a damn thing about is great play on both ends of the floor.
Posted by: mclyne | April 27, 2011 at 01:42 PM "
Fisher stuck to his strengths last night. Other than the one late in the shot clock, his shots were so wide open that a miss on any of them is a letdown. Those are the shots he needs to stick to be effective on offense. If he did this more consistently you wouldn't hear much from the Fish haters.
Posted by: Bay to LA | April 27, 2011 at 02:30 PM
"On a side note, is there any punishment expected for Shannon Brown's elbow swing? He lost his mind on that one.
I was wondering the same thing. I would guess a fine is coming, but could be a 3 game suspension from Herr Stern, you just never know now a days. Reggie Miller was right when he said Brown should counmt his lucky stars to have wiffed on that one...nutz
Posted by: Kobeayashimarue | April 27, 2011 at 02:03 PM "
When I saw it, I immediately thought of Trevor Ariza's swing on Demar Derozan last year. Derozan stole the ball away and Ariza swung an elbow and missed. Ariza was called for a technical, ejected, and suspended for the next game.
Posted by: Bay to LA | April 27, 2011 at 02:33 PM
" If he did this more consistently you wouldn't hear much from the Fish haters."
Bingo.
I'm one of the most critical of DFish, and I was the first this morning to acknowledge an excellent game by him last night.
Posted by: Tim-4-Show | April 27, 2011 at 03:31 PM
People always wanting to pronounce the Lakers dead. Even when they still have home court advantage. Incomplete sentences, but not incomplete thoughts. My specialty.
Posted by: Benjamin | April 27, 2011 at 03:40 PM
Did Kobe "PIERCE" the Hornets?
Posted by: Iceberg | April 27, 2011 at 03:42 PM
"Did Kobe "PIERCE" the Hornets?
Posted by: Iceberg | April 27, 2011 at 03:42 PM "
I don't think so but it's a reason why I'd prefer ALL injuries to be downplayed. Paul Pierce obviously didn't overcome paralysis in a few minutes, he wasn't that injured to begin with.
It just now comes out that Pau had an illness the past few days. We suspected something like that was going on but he didn't complain about it or publicize it. I respect that and would like to see more of it.
Posted by: Bay to LA | April 27, 2011 at 03:51 PM