Lakers' Blake expected to play in Game 2
Steve Blake practiced Monday and said he would play in Game 2 on Wednesday in the first-round playoff series against New Orleans.
The Lakers guard missed three games because of chickenpox. He can only help the effort to stop Chris Paul.
Paul torched the Lakers for 33 points, 14 assists and seven rebounds in Game 1, earning a piece of history with his performance.
It was only the fifth time that a player had that many points, assists and rebounds in the playoffs, and the first time it ever happened on the road. Oscar Robertson reached those levels twice, and Magic Johnson and Walt Frazier each did it once.
"We just have to be more attentive," Lakers Coach Phil Jackson said. "Support. It's about helping our guards out."
The Lakers weren't fretting about Pau Gasol's on-court disappearance in Game 1. Gasol had eight points, made two of nine shots and took only six rebounds in almost 38 minutes.
"He's an All-Star player," Jackson said, quashing the concept of Gasol's struggling again in Game 2. "He's pretty good."
Neither Gasol nor Kobe Bryant spoke to reporters Monday.
-- Mike Bresnahan
Photo: Lakers guard Steve Blake drives to the hoop as Atlanta Hawks' Marvin Williams, left, and Jamal Crawford, right, try to stop him during the fourth period at the Staples Center Feb. 22, 2011. Credit: Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times
hopefully blake can contain jarret jack, considering he probably won't be guarding paul most of the time. lakers can't have scrubs like willie green and jack killing them, the bench is the real issue.
Posted by: jerseylakersfan | April 18, 2011 at 03:21 PM
Private Jack Robin,
re: keep shooting 3's mamba .. 33% will get u real far...
http://scores.espn.go.com/nba/boxscore?gameId=310417013
says Kobe was 1-2 from 3-pt land. When I took math, that was 50%. How
do you get 33% ?
you wrote: Pau's short 10 foot shots r like putbacks.. high percentage .. short rebounds if he misses dat u can get 2nd chance on.. pau needs more touches.. get adjusted in post and final moments he takes over and finishes teams off.. no one can stop pau on the post..
my response: so, if he's not getting any offensive rebounds ... how do you
expect him to get any putbacks?
Posted by: hobbitmage | April 18, 2011 at 03:28 PM
private Jack Robin,
fyi, no offensive rebounds is completely in line with having piss poor
position. Which is completely in line with being complacent.
Which is completely in line with the things that Bynum, Odom, Gasol,
Fisher & Phil Jackson has actually complained about.
Odd how that all comes together isn't it?
Posted by: hobbitmage | April 18, 2011 at 03:32 PM
Not sure if this is good news or not.
Trey was playing quite well IMO, and probably has more upside in the long run.
But frankly guys, life really sucks right now. I couldn't sleep with the whole black Friday thing that went down, and I was really just hoping to watch some Lakers and make the world feel okay again...
And then they let me down.
Feels like should just check-fold life right now
Posted by: Tim-4-Show | April 18, 2011 at 03:35 PM
@NUGGETS COUNTRY ... LOL. I was thinking of you and hoping you were not getting too upset about the game since I thought I might have a damn heart attack or stroke screaming at Phil to bench Gasol. We were only about 50 feet away and I have a very loud voice and good timing for silent moments. I do swear I think I saw Pau look my way once when I was screaming but he probably thought it was ouchhhhhh. I did see Vic, however, dressed for a blizzard while we were all sweating.
.............................................
@BAKO LAKER FAN... “Also, as a new poster I know I should not do this, how can Laker Tom honestly bash Gasol for one bad playoff game here and there when his pet player, by the way I actually really like Bynum too, has been a no show in two of the three finals runs.” LOL. I felt entitled after I spent a valuable weekend and $600 to fly down and watch Game 1 in person. As far as I am concerned, Pau and Lamar each owe me $300. I still support Pau but his effort and Lamar’s yesterday point blank sucked. This was not one of those matchups that Pau dreads; it was a matchup that favored him greatly. It was also symptomatic of his effort in big games all season. Hopefully, that will change beginning tomorrow. Then maybe I – and Kobe and others – will get off his back.
.............................................
TOM
Posted by: LakerTom | April 18, 2011 at 03:43 PM
This is a good news to say the least. The Lakers really need Blake in this series, especially defensively. I hope everyone of the Lakers players are MAD, not DOWN. So are the Lakers fans. 4 straight wins to finish in 5!
Posted by: LakerPeace | April 18, 2011 at 03:43 PM
Posted by: hobbitmage | April 18, 2011 at 03:12 PM
Not into martial art or wrestling, that is for the grunts. Fly fishing keeps me in excellent shape and know it is all about catch & release!!
Posted by: oxymoron | April 18, 2011 at 03:49 PM
Laker Tom,
I think you should write to them and ask for a refund of your $600.
Who knows, may get lucky...
Posted by: Art | April 18, 2011 at 03:54 PM
Where are all the people that thought acquiring CP3 would be detrimental?
There may not be a better acquisition (obv. in a fantasy world where we can obtain anyone we want)
Posted by: Tim-4-Show | April 18, 2011 at 03:56 PM
Pau has to operate in the low post. With Drew's emergence Pau/the Lakers have decided he should stand 15 feet out and hit open jumpers. Not entirely a bad idea. Except it takes him out of rebounding positioning AND gets him out of the fray, he doesn't get into the intensity and physicality of the game.
Spotting up makes some sense but also has to go into the low post, get some touches and get in the flow of the game. That means (a) he has to go down there and (b) his teammates have to throw him the ball.
In game 1, standing around on offense seemed to lead him never getting his head in the game.
Posted by: Tom Daniels | April 18, 2011 at 03:59 PM
Pau has to operate in the low post. With Drew's emergence Pau/the Lakers have decided he should stand 15 feet out and hit open jumpers. Not entirely a bad idea. Except it takes him out of rebounding positioning AND gets him out of the fray, he doesn't get into the intensity and physicality of the game.
Spotting up makes some sense but also has to go into the low post, get some touches and get in the flow of the game. That means (a) he has to go down there and (b) his teammates have to throw him the ball.
In game 1, standing around on offense seemed to lead him never getting his head in the game.
Posted by: Tom Daniels | April 18, 2011 at 03:59 PM
The Lakers should go after Landry in the offseason just so they don't have to play him in the playoffs. He is a stud against them.
Posted by: Tom Daniels | April 18, 2011 at 04:00 PM
The Lakers should go after Landry in the offseason just so they don't have to play him in the playoffs. He is a stud against them.
Posted by: Tom Daniels | April 18, 2011 at 04:00 PM
Portland gets 2 foul calls in 4th Q, while Mavericks get 19 and make 18. And Portland's coach Mc Millen gets fined $35.K by Darth Vader for mentioning this statistic.
Somebody's got to take David to the woodshed.
Posted by: hopalong | April 18, 2011 at 04:02 PM
What does this mean for my new favorite play Trey Johnson?
What do we play for? RINGS!!!
Lakers Today... Lakers Tomorrow... Lakers Forever.
GO LAKERS!!!
Posted by: Jon K. | April 18, 2011 at 04:05 PM
hopalong,
The Heat attempted 39 freethrows against the 76ers.
The 76ers? 16 attempts.
It's bullcrap.
There's no excuse for it.
What do we play for? RINGS!!!
Lakers Today... Lakers Tomorrow... Lakers Forever.
GO LAKERS!!!
Posted by: Jon K. | April 18, 2011 at 04:07 PM
Blake will be on the active roster means T. Jonhson is out? I hope NOT. The Lakers should take either Smith or Ratliff out of the 12 men active roster and T. Johnson in throughout the playoffs.
Posted by: LakerPeace | April 18, 2011 at 04:15 PM
Not every game with imbalanced foul and free throw numbers in unfairly officiated. Denver shot more free throws than OKC last night but it was OKC that got the most important call.
Posted by: Bay to LA | April 18, 2011 at 04:23 PM
Some good basketball news, the Lakers could not continue to rely on Derek Fisher to eat up extra minutes while trying to teach Trey Johnson the offense on the fly. Hopefully some NOH players have not had the chicken pox or the vaccine so the Lakers can make this a really easy series. Wait for the bounce back on Tuesday and lets get this playoff series in the books so the Lakers can play the Mavs in a fun series. It should be fun to send Mark Cuban home without the Larry O'brien again.
Posted by: Bako Laker Fan | April 18, 2011 at 04:25 PM
Only two teams in the playoffs played really well so far, Memphis and Hornets.
Posted by: LakerPeace | April 18, 2011 at 04:26 PM
NBA Refs, worst in Pro Sports.
Posted by: D(erek)J(eter) | April 18, 2011 at 04:30 PM
Refs decided the Celtic/Knicks game and the Thunder/Nuggets game, jeeeesh!
Posted by: D(erek)J(eter) | April 18, 2011 at 04:31 PM
Laker Tom, after I posted I read that you were actually at the game and felt a little bad for the comment. I will give it up that Pau played very poorly and the fact that I am biased toward my second favorite current Laker, but to call him soft when he really has shed that title is unfair. It was one game, he usually provides a consistent number two scoring for the Lakers with plenty of boards and even a block or two for good measure. Pau runs the offense from the high post and while he is not a premier defender he is also not a slouch. Just think he could be like other European big men, I am thinking of Dirk, who would be unable to defend anyone. Finally, give it up to New Orleans for playing a great game, over 50% shooting and I think three turnovers, and just know that the NOH are probably incapable of bringing that level for the rest of the series.
Posted by: Bako Laker Fan | April 18, 2011 at 04:51 PM
Oxymoron,
happy to do what I do. glad you're happy to do what you do.
Posted by: hobbitmage | April 18, 2011 at 05:19 PM
@Jon K and Lakerpeace
Phil has to see that Trey can provide more than Ratliff and Smith out there combined. I'm sure someone on the coaching staff will demand that Johnson be left on the roster since our two Ents provide little more than fouls on the defensive end.
@DJ
I think they decided more of the outcome in the Knicks/Septics game. Duranchula and Westbrook both were bombing from the outside for most of their damage and when they did attack, I felt that most of the time they did get fouled.
Posted by: mclyne | April 18, 2011 at 05:37 PM
@TOM DANIELS … “Pau has to operate in the low post. With Drew’s emergence Pau/the Lakers have decided he should stand 15 feet out and hit open jumpers. Not entirely a bad idea. Except it takes him out of rebounding positioning AND gets him out of the fray, he doesn’t get into the intensity and physicality of the game.”
…
Excellent points, Tom. The Lakers defensive game plan obviously calls for Drew to stay near the rim to intimidate, change, and block shots and dominate the boards. And that makes perfect sense since Drew is the biggest, longest, and toughest of the Lakers big men as well as the slowest. The issue of whether the Lakers are a better team with Pau at center has long been settled without question.
…
When Drew is in the game and posting up, balanced floor spacing in the Triangle Offense will put Pau on the opposite low block or pinch post. In fact, his cuts in and out should involve those two positions. Thus when Pau receives the ball, he is facing the basket, giving him options to pull up and shoot or put the ball on the floor and drive. And that is good because that takes advantage of Pau’s strengths.
…
The problem comes when Pau just stands there because his man can then double down or under Drew. Drew is no longer a black hole where ball and player movement ceases the minute he catches the ball. He now realizes that the ball can’t stop because that is usually followed by the players stopping. Thus, Drew is now looking for cutters and open shooters as much as he is looking for his own shot.
…
Yesterday when Drew had the ball down low, Pau just stood there instead of cutting to get position in the low post or popping up from the opposite low post to get a easy jumper. Combine that with Kobe having to pick up the scoring slack due to Pau’s and Lamar’s no shows and you get what we saw against the Hornets yesterday – a stale, poorly balanced, inefficient, one-on-one offense with few assists.
…
My other issue is that Pau played center for almost half the game without Drew because of the latter’s foul difficulties. Pau had plenty of opportunities to post up down low but opted again to float on the perimeter and, when challenged even by a mediocre defender, to settle for an unconfident midrange jumper, which is a sign of some serious personal issues or a lack of competitive fire and resolve.
…
Bottom line, my take is that Pau’s problems are not related to any change in his role. They reflect some dissatisfaction with the team or issue in his personal life. This not showing up for the start of the playoffs literally as well as emotionally has me worried more than any other Lakers issue at this time. Yes, it was only one game but any fool can see the pattern and the deteriorated play like I can.
………………………………………………….
TOM
Posted by: LakerTom | April 18, 2011 at 05:48 PM
mclyne,
In the very critical time very late, Thunder went up in the net and tapped ball in for 2 points (huge at the time), that's a violation (goal tending). Really turned that game around. NBA Refs, worst in Pro Sports.
Posted by: D(erek)J(eter) | April 18, 2011 at 06:12 PM