The offseason.

The Lakers are the reigning NBA champs. Weeks after capturing their 15th title, major moves have been made in LA. We would like to apologize on behalf of DailyDynasty for slacking but hey, we've been soaking in the victory like the rest of the fans. But it's back to business.

Rumors were spreading through LA that the Lakers couldn't afford both Trevor Ariza and Lamar Odom, both vital parts and keys to the 09 championship. The rumors turned into truth. After Ariza's agent lost at playing lowball with Mitch Kupchack and Trevor was sweet talked by the Rockets staff, TA3 decided to join the Houston Rockets for a similar contract offered to him by the Lakers. Maybe a gift, maybe a curse. During the same week a long time rumor also came true. Ron Artest will be donning a purple and gold uniform along side Kobe Bryant an Pau Gasol towards defending their NBA title. Wearing #37 in honor of the late Michael Jackson, Artest looks to provide the same defense as Ariza and a much more polished and senior offense to the triangle. Many think of Ron Ron as a wild card, but in joining the Lakers, the NBA were all surely in a panic. We will update with all of the player movement within the next week. More drama surrounded Lakerland when rumors of Lamar Odom were getting serious.

Another rumor was floating around about the covenanted Lakers Sixth Man leaving, would it come true? Dwayne Wade of Miami was tweeting away asking Lamar to come to the Heat and finish off his career with him. Pat Riley who has always spoke highly of Lamar and loves him as a person also made a trip to LA with Wade to try and finalize a deal with Lamar after having contract issues with the Lakers. Things were definitely not going well when Dr Buss pulled off any deals that were offered to Lamar off the table. Could we lose another forward and championship peice to free agency again? In the end, the Candyman turned down a 5 year deal with Miami and a last minute 5 year lucrative deal with Portland to accept a new 33 million/4 year contract with the Lakers to help defend their title.

It may have been loss in Trevor, but most would call it an upgrade with Ron. The Candyman is back and Lakerland is peaceful. I know it's early but can we say it together? Repeat!

Powell & Mbenga Back for 2009-10.

Yeah buddy! Looks like JPeezy and Congo Cash will be joining the Lakers for another run at the Championship!

Lakers.com: Power forward Josh Powell and center D.J. Mbenga will remain on the Lakers’ roster for the 2009-10 seasons after L.A. opted not to terminate their respective non guaranteed contracts by the July 1 deadline, according to Lakers spokesman John Black.

Powell and Mbenga each had a year left on their contracts, and since neither was acted upon, the 6-10 and 7-0 post players are guaranteed through the coming season.

Click here to read full article.

LAKERS 2009 NBA CHAMPIONS!

NEED I SAY MORE?!?

Lakers are the 09' Champs!
105 games and 7 holes in my wall later, Lakers come out Victorious.
Oh by the way. Kobe also won Finals MVP!

Finals: Game 2 Highlights.

In case you missed it last night. Here's the highlights of Game 1 of the NBA Finals. Check it out and watch the Lakers do some damage.

Lakers pull out win.. Barely.

Lakers pull out a win in a close game in OT that could have gone either way. Game 2 easily could have been won by Orlando with a brilliant play drawn up by Stan Van Gundy for a Courtney Lee lob with 0.06 seconds left in the fourth quarter. Unfortunately for the rookie, he came up short. And aside from a 3 point play by Howard and a three from Lewis, OT was all Lakers. Experience in the Lakers part took over and won the game.

Game 2 started off really slow. Both teams finishing with 15pts at the end of 1st, which is the lowest combined score in the first in NBA Finals history. And aside from the last minutes of the 4th quarter and OT, it never really picked up. For the first time this season, I'd have to say that the Lakers' defense was better than their offense. And even then I can't say they played great D. I will say that Magic played a much better game on both ends, but still wasn't enough.

Most people would say Odom was the best player on the floor last night. He did a bit of everything. Shot very efficient and finished with 19pts, 8rebs, and 3blks. But in my opinion, I thought Gasol had a better game. Pau was effective as usual but for the second game did well in defending Howard. Gasol also had 7 crucial points in OT. Odom was great offensively and at times made great defensive plays. But altogether, his defense was spotty. Time after time he left Lewis open for threes and was pretty much the reason why the Magic held on for so long. Now you can make the argument that he was helping on Howard, but many times it was because Lamar was ball watching.

Kobe had a mediocre game. I can't say that he played poorly but the man did have 7 turnovers and did make some stupid plays. He passed to Shannon when Shannon wasn't there and didn't pass to Odom when he was completely open. But then again if Kobe didn't get blocked and made that shot he wouldn't have got criticized for it. It would have just been classic Kobe. Right?

Orlando's Big three came out Big in last night's game. All three shot the ball very well, passed, rebounded well, and made the right plays.. most of the time. But the lack of contribution from the rest of their team resulted in their loss. The fact that they missed 7 free throws and turned the ball over 20 times doesn't help them either. They had horrible guard play and at times didn't play with one. I will say that Hedo did a great job in defending Kobe. I also thought Reddick did a way better job defending Kobe than Pietrus and Lee did.

The Lakers now head to Orlando for Game 3. And if they hope to win the title there they better tighten a few things up. A couple of screws seemed to have gone loose in the Lakers defense. They also need to crash boards again like they did in Game 1. We'll see how well they bounce back in Game 3 on Thursday.

Resilience.

One word has been used to describe the Orlando Magic. Resilience. Resilience is defined as "the capability of a strained body to recover its size and shape after deformation caused especially by compressive stress." In other words, regardless of what happened in Game 1, the Magic have the ability to bounce back after their horrible loss to the Lakers. The Lakers should have the same outlook. Kobe had the right idea when asked about the game, he simply said to "forget about it."

Orlando has been down in most of the Playoffs but always found a way to come back. In the first round, Philly up 2-1 in the series, Orlando came back and even closed out the series Howard-less. They faced elimination twice in the 2nd round against the Celtics but won two straight to advance to the Conference Finals. And then ultimately got past the No. 1 seeded Cavs in six games. Which could have easily been a sweep.

Now they look to bounce back after being dominated by the Lakers. I'm pretty sure they won't be held under 30% shooting, and I doubt we'll be able to hold Dwight to just only one basket this time around. I feel that Orlando will come out with great energy and put out a lot of effort.

The Lakers only need to do what they did in Game 1. We can't afford to lose a game. Kobe will not allow it. They need to come out with the same energy and effort they did in the first game. Keep Howard as far from the paint as possible. Close out on the shooters and rotate. But most important they need to control the boards. If we do all that then it doesn't matter how much the Magic have improve the past couple days. If the Lakers play to their potential, they're unbeatable.

Odom: "I expect to be a Laker."

Well, there you go Laker fans. My favorite Laker, Lamar Odom, AKA "The Goods", and newly named "The Candyman" is here to stay.

L.A. Times: “I love it here. . . . It would take an offer that I couldn’t refuse for me to leave here, and I don’t think that’s happening,” Odom says. “I expect to be a Laker.”

“Yes, yes, he should be back on this team, we need him badly,” said Pau Gasol.

Finals: Game 1 Highlights.

In case you missed it last night. Here's the highlights of Game 1 of the NBA Finals. Check it out and watch the Lakers do some damage.

Magic pull "Disappearing Act"

The Orlando Magic showed up in Game 1 with a trick up their sleeve. They pulled a "Disappearing Act"(which I got from Sportscenter by the way) as the Lakers dominated and took the first game of the NBA Finals. Winning by 25 points made it the sixth largest margin of victory in Game 1 of the NBA Finals since the Bulls over Blazers by 33 points in 1992.

From the player introduction, you can tell each one of the Lakers starters were focused. The look of Kobe's eyes were imprinted on theirs. They were hungry, intense, and energetic on both ends of the floor. Aside from some sketchy play by the Lakers early in the 2nd quarter, everything else was seamless. Even Stan Van Gundy's brother, Jeff said that he couldn't point out any Laker who played poorly.

Kobe set a career Finals high of 40pts, 8rebs, and 8asts. In doing so he became the fourth player in NBA history to reach 40, 8, & 8, along with legends like M.J., Shaq, and Jerry West. Kobe was driven and on a mission. He got in the lane whenever he wanted, and made contested jump shot after contested jump shot. I could have swore he got fouled on every attempt. The man wanted that game and he took it. Plain and simple. "I just want it so bad, that's all," Bryant said. "I just want it really bad."

You can't credit the win completely on Kobe. Aside from everyone else doing their part on the offensive end, it was the Lakers superb defense that takes the cake. Bynum did awesome on Dwight, and when he got beat, he took the right fouls. Bynum along with Pau, held their position. And when Howard got by, one of the Laker helpers came to meet him at the rim. Howard was limited to only one basket the entire game. He picked up the rest of his points at the line. Orlando's big three(Dwight, Rashard, and Hedo) altogether had only 33pts on a combined 6 for 27 shooting. That's flat out horrible from your top contributors.

The Lakers stuck with the game plan. They helped on Howard when they needed to, but when Howard dished it back out, the Lakers did a great job on closing. And best of all, what I thought would be most important; the Lakers dominated in. They absolutely dominated the boards. Out rebounding Orlando 55-41. Even if the Magic do improve, if the Lakers can continue to play like this? This series is over in 4 games.

Lil' Wayne "Kobe Bryant"

Like I said before, not a big fan of him but Weezy's new song is named after our very own Kobe Bryant. A few months ago Lil' Wayne said Lakers would take it this year, even over his good friend LeBron's team. Good lookin' Weezy.

Click here to listen to Lil' Wayne's "Kobe Bryant"

Source: Nelson to be active for Magic

Looks like Jameer"kat" will play after all. A little desperate are we Magic? He can play the whole game for all I care. LETS GO!

ESPN: LOS ANGELES -- Orlando Magic point guard Jameer Nelson will be activated Thursday for Game 1 of the NBA Finals against the Los Angeles Lakers, but no decision has been made yet on playing time, an NBA source told ESPN's Rachel Nichols.

During the past few days, Magic general manager Otis Smith has told Nichols that the Magic have never been considering whether Nelson would be in the starting lineup. The question is how many minutes Nelson would get coming off the bench.

The All-Star point guard participated in a full team practice Tuesday for the first time since tearing the labrum in his right shoulder Feb. 2. Players said Nelson looked "terrific" during the practice.

"I expect to see him out there at some point in the series," backup point guard Anthony Johnson said earlier this week.

Nelson had what was then called season-ending surgery Feb. 19. His rehabilitation was supposed to take at least another two months.

"I'm not saying I'm any tougher or stronger than anybody, but I've been known to do some amazing things sometimes," Nelson said Tuesday, as he again lobbied for playing time.

Video: LD2K's "The Kobe MVP Series" [Jams]

The last of LD2K's MVP Series videos. A collection of Kobe's nasty dunks of last season. This one is worth watching all the way through. And the dunk I was waiting to see came as the last one. Check it out!

Finals: Match-Ups.

Biggest match-up is the obvious one. One that centers on, well.. the Centers. Bynum since coming back from injury has been a bit irrelevant in the Playoffs. After a small tease in his comeback game against the Denver Nuggets in the last games of the regular season, he's almost not there mentally, and pretty much physically. I'm not sure if the new knee brace he's been using has really limiting his movement, or if he's just flat out scared of re-injuring it.

Whatever the reason is, he better man up.. literally. Bynum now has to face one of(if not) the premiere Center(s) in the NBA. In this series or any of the previous ones, we're not looking to have Bynum there as an offensive presence, but more of a defensive one. Bynum has to body Dwight up. Beat him to the spot and not let Howard get in good position to score. And if he is in a position to score, make it tough for him. Foul him if you have to, make him earn his points. It's never good for Big Drew to be in foul trouble, but knowing when to make the correct one is important. But if all we needed Drew for is fouls, we might as well put Mbenga in. IQ is the difference. Sorry D.J.

Next one to worry about is Rashard Lewis. The Power Forward who isn't one. He's a 6'10 Forward who's able to shoot the three, drive it in, and post. A task for starting Center/Forward Pau Gasol. Pau is fast and agile, and has shown he can close on a three shooter. But what is he going to do when that three shooter has the ability to drive? I think he'll do OK. Anyway the task also falls on Odom when he comes in for Bynum. I think he has a better chance at guarding him and can also switch off with Ariza to guard Hedo, when needed. Only question is, "how long do we let Bynum or Pau guard Dwight and Lewis before they sub?"

Hedo to me won't cause to much ruckus for the Lakers. I think after guarding a rough Melo, Ariza and Kobe won't have to much trouble with him. Though the Lakers might put to much emphasis on Lewis and Dwight, and may forget about Hedo. Lee and Pietrus on the other hand may be trouble. But not offensively. These two, especially Pietrus, look to stop, or at least slow down the Mamba a bit. They say these guys held LeBron down, but that man averaged +30, 8, and 8 in the series. And you call that slowing him down? I can't imagine what Kobe can do to these guys.

I don't see any other match-up problems for us so I won't bother for the rest. Game plan is for Bynum to hold down the paint. Or whoever else is down there, needs to guard it. Stay home on shooters, cause we all know the Magic can shoot the lights out. Try and keep our bigs out of foul trouble. But the biggest thing to is to control the boards. If we can manage to do half of that, we should do fine.

GAMEDAY.

Rewind back to October of 2008. Lakers were the heavy favorites to take the trophy this year. And was 7-0 to start the season. A couple of months later, they were criticized as not having that same spark. They then proved to everyone that they still got it, with a impressive win against Boston on Christmas day. They were again tested in a six-game road trip in February, ending with the East's top two seed in Boston, then Cleveland. They swept that trip. They rose to every big challenge the regular season brought to them. And then the made the Playoffs.

As the No. 1 seed in the West, you would think they would have the easier road. Instead they were tested in every series. First, facing a young, quick, and athletic Utah team that can really put up numbers. In which they finished in 5. Then, an "in your face" tough defensive minded Houston team. They struggled but got through it in 7. And finally met, which seemed to be a mixture of Utah and Houston. Denver played a physically defensive game while scoring on you at every angle. But their lack of experience proved detriment, causing them to fold under the pressure late in games. And eventually the Lakers took it in 6 games to advance to the NBA Finals.

Today, a few hours from now is Game 1 of the Finals against the Orlando Magic. The only team the Lakers failed to overcome. But since they last played, changes have been made on both teams. Bynum is back after missing half the season due to injury. Ariza is starting and newly acquired Brown has made Phil's rotation. Jameer who torched us in both games this year has been out for half the season. Former Rocket Rafer Alston replaced Nelson in a trade for former Laker Brian Cook, and helped Magic continue to be contenders.

Every step of the way in the road to the Finals, the Lakers have been tested. And to me, seemed like they had the hardest road to get there than any other team. In the regular season, as well as the Playoffs. Out hustled by the Jazz, out muscled by the Rockets, and out played by the Nuggets. If they were looked at as soft before the Playoffs began. They weren't anymore after playing those three teams. I'm glad they were put through hell. All that was just practice. Practice till the Finals where the Magic look to test them one more time.

Video: LD2K's "The Kobe MVP Series" [And 1's]

Looks like LD2K is going nuts making video after video. Well continuing on with his MVP series, here's one on Kobe's And 1 plays. Again, a little long around 27mins.

Pietrus' plan to stopping Kobe.

When I first read this I couldn't stop laughing. I mean what do want the man to do? I respect Pietrus as a player and sort of wish we would have picked him up in the off season. Something tells me my opinions on Pietrus will change during this series.

ESPN: “The only thing I can do is try to minimize his touches in the fourth quarter,” Pietrus said, according to the Sentinel. “He’s a tremendous player and those guys you can not stop them. So maybe I can say, ‘Hey, stop, Kobe! Yo! Stop!’ Maybe that’s the only way I can stop him. ‘Stop for a minute!’“

Update: Nelson to play in NBA Finals.

Well, looks like the man who torched the Lakers in the regular season is ready and willing to play against us. Out for the rest of the season, ay? Not too confident to win without Jameer"kat" Nelson in your line-up, Orlando?

ESPN: Orlando Magic players say Jameer Nelson will play in the NBA Finals, even though the All-Star point guard and his coach remain publicly pessimistic.

Nelson participated in a full team practice Tuesday for the first time since tearing the labrum in his right shoulder Feb. 2. While Nelson and coach Stan Van Gundy still said it won’t be determined until game day, players said Nelson looked “terrific” and expect the point guard to be on the court against the Los Angeles Lakers.

“I expect to see him out there at some point in the series,” backup point guard Anthony Johnson said.

Video: LD2K's "LIBERATION: The Ballad of Kobe Bryant."

Well, what do you know? Another video from LD2K! Check it out!

President Obama picks Lakers.

Big time basketball fanatic, President Obama give his input in the outcome of this years Finals.

NBA.com: Barack Obama was on his way to the Marine One helicopter on the South Lawn on Tuesday when a reporter shouted a question. The topic: Who is going to win the NBA championship, the Los Angeles Lakers or the Orlando Magic?
Said the smiling president: “Lakers in six, I think.” In sports terms, that means the Lakers will win the best-of-seven series in six games. The series begins Thursday.

Jackson feels Lakers are ready.

Even if they weren't, Phil wouldn't let you know. But it's nice to know that the Lakers are ready for the Magic.

Yahoo! Sports: The Los Angeles Lakers were not prepared to win a championship against the Boston Celtics last June. However, head coach Phil Jackson says the team will be ready this year, according to the Los Angeles Daily News.

Video: LD2K's "The Kobe MVP Series" [Three's]

For some reason, a bunch of videos has come out in the past couple of days. Primarily one's just about Kobe. Here's a continuation of LD2K's MVP Series. This one is a bit lengthy at a little over 24 minutes. Well worth checkin' out.

KOBE vs DWIGHT - SALVATION

One more days guys, I know you're all excited as we are. Here's a little something to get you a little more pumped!

Video: LD2K's "The Kobe MVP Series" [Defense]

Another LD2K video. Here's one without the stupid dubbed over voices, or the "trailer" type videos. It's a collective highlight video of Kobe's defensive plays of the 07-08 season. Enjoy!

Video: LD2K's "Kobe: Carpe Diem"

Here's another video by Ld2K. Check it out!

ESPN Analyst's Say:

This is something I've always wanted to post up but never could figure out how. ESPN does this for every series and if I knew how I would have done it a long time ago. Anyway, check it out. Looks like Hollinger is finally a Laker fan.

FINALS: Here we come!

Isn't it funny how things turn out? Just a week ago, everyone "swore" the Lakers were done, especially after a poor Game 4 performance in Denver. I, of course wasn't one of them, I was nervous but I knew we'd make it. And several months ago(Jan. 16, 2009 to be exact) after a loss to the Magic at home, I was asked, "Are you worried if we meet Orland in the Finals?" I replied, with a quick "We're not seeing Orlando in the Finals." Why? "Because they're not making it to the Finals."

Fast forward to May 30th 2008. Game 6 in the Eastern Conference Finals, and the Magic knocks out the Cleveland Cavaliers. A series that the Magic could have sweeped. And a couple of weeks before, the Cavs were undefeated in the Playoffs entering the Conference Finals with fresh legs. But now the destined and highly anticipated Kobe & LeBron match-up is over and done with. Orlando is to face our Los Angeles Lakers who has made it back to the Finals for a second, consecutive year. Something that hasn't been accomplished by any team since the Detroit Pistons in 04' and 05'

Yes, the Lakers are back in the Finals and now every ESPN analyst wants to be a Laker fan when just a week ago, they said Lakers would not make it past the Nuggets. Jokes on you ESPN. But now that the Lakers don't have to face the Cavs, nor the Boston Celtics(which either would have been epic), will these Lakers take it easy? Or will they carry on their intensity of the final games of the Denver series and finally be seen as a consistent team? I guess come Thursday, 6PM Pacific time, we'll see.

Western Confrence Champs!

Before Game 6 even started. In the pregame show, they showed a shot of Kobe stretching out before he stepped on that hardwood. One thing was obvious, that man was focused. And this time around it wasn't just the man rockin' the number 24, the rest of the Lakers also had that same focus and composure. While the Lakers played some of their best playoff basketball; Denver did the exact opposite.

The Lakers started the first half great and ended it with a strong 13 point lead after a Kobe corner three. And instead of classic Laker ball where they gave up the lead, they pushed it even more showing "No Mercy" which were the exact words of the Captain Mamba. They didn't relax after a 20 point lead, not even when they reached 30 at one point. They played hard, persevered, and rubbed in the Dirty Nuggets' face on their home floor. Sorry for you!

Every Laker played great. As a team they shot 57% from the field and an impressive 56% from three. And what was even more impressive was that the Lakers were 100% from the free throw line, hitting all 24 shots. While the Nuggets shot a pretty good 44%, it just wasn't enough. The Lakers stuck with the same game plan they used in Game 5. Wait for the double and find the open man. They moved the ball well. And at times when J.R. Smith seemed to bring Denver closer, the Lakers showed their patience and composure and kept up with the plan.

After this grueling 6 game series, it's finally over and the Lakers were able to push through as victors. When everyone thought they would crumble under the pressure of the Nuggets physicality and toughness, the Lakers answered back. Who knew that having the number 1 seed in the west would be the hardest road? Isn't the number 1 seed supposed to have the easier one? Now the Lakers are only four wins away from reaching their goal of becoming NBA Champs.

Last trip to the Mile High City.

Game 6. The Lakers travel to Denver one last time this post season in hopes to end this tough series against the Nuggets. All the pressure is on Denver now. They need to win the next two games in order to get past the Lakers. But let me remind you that this LA team hasn't lost a back-to-back since late March.

The Lakers only need this one win. One win in order to make it back to the Finals this year. And an extra four more wins to become Champs. But lets not get too ahead of ourselves. Like we've been doing all season, we're taking it one game at a time. And when the Lakers are able to muster up one more win. Off to face the Cavs. Oh wait, Magic maybe?

In the first four games of the series, the Media pestered the Lakers as being too soft to contend with the physically defensive, Denver team. But what Kobe and friends showed in Game 5 was a mental and physical toughness, which sort of dumbfounded the Nuggets. But now arises that all too familiar question, "Can the Lakers play this way consistently?" In my opinion, yes.

Time and time again the Lakers go into this slump only to come out with resilience. But I think what happened in Game 5 was different. Now I could be wrong. But I think that something clicked in them. They way they play not only looked different, but felt different. I look to see a different Laker team from now on. Game 6 belongs to the Lakers.

Zac Efron cares about the NBA.

Zac Efron seen here in the black Members Only jacket attends one of many Laker games.

Thisisleicestershire.co.uk: Zac Efron endured a nail-biting evening supporting the LA Lakers in the NBA finals.

The heartthrob, who is used to shooting hoops as Troy Bolton in the High School Musical films, stayed courtside this time and was on the edge of his seat as the Lakes took on the Denver Nuggets in the fifth game of the NBA Western Conference final in Los Angeles.

Zac was willing his team to win while devoted Lakers fan Jack Nicholson was also cheering from the sidelines, but the stars need not have worried.

NBA all-star Kobe Bryant helped The Lakers claw their way to victory by 103 points to 94 to take a 3-2 series lead.

With just two games left, the Nuggets now face a do-or-die situation at home to keep their championship hopes alive.

Game 5: HIGHLIGHTS.

In case you missed las night's game, or you just feel like watching the Lakers do some damage, here some of the highlights.

Questions, Answered.

If the Lakers still had any frustration from the first four games of the Conference Finals, it was gone after last night's game. Lakers took every one's questions about their passion and toughness and answered it in Game 5. Though in my opinion still didn't play to their full potential, did just enough to beat out the Denver Nuggets.

The Lakers for once in this series beat the Nuggets without getting outplayed. Because let's face it, their first two wins they almost didn't deserve. And this time around Kobe didn't have to carry this team towards a win. It wasn't even a starter who was the hero in this story. It was none other than the Lakers' sixth man Lamar Odom who came into the game aggressive and ready to play.

But you can't give Odom all the credit, though he didn't score much, it was Shannon Brown's monster dunk over the "Birdman" that lit the stadium up and sparked a Lakers run to take the fourth quarter, in which every quarter before the 4th ended in a tie. A game that resulted in a tie the first three quarters hasn't occurred since 1964. The Lakers clicked offensively and at one point had a great defensive spurt holding the Nuggets 1-12 in field goals from the end of the 3rd to the beginning of the 4th.

Even with a win and a well played game, the Nuggets still look for reasons why they lost. I used to have respect for Denver coach George Karl, but that fat fucker is annoying me. "I thought they got the benefit of the whistle," said Karl. It's our home court of course we go the benefit you idiot. It's also funny that the Nuggets(and only the Nuggets), seem to be the only ones complaining about the calls in the game. Even when every other analyst called it a great game.

Hopefully this win for the Lakers not only gives them confidence, but also lowers the self-esteem of the Nuggets(which I doubt). Either or, Denver is going to respond and come out hard in Game 6 and the Lakers need to be ready to respond back.

Frustration.

We would like to apologize to our readers(if there are any still) for the absence of our bloggerings. You have to understand, with all this non-sense going on with the Lakers, the motivation is just not there. Secondly, this is a blog, is it not? This isn't The Lakers Nation where you can't say "fuck" or "shit", this is the Dynasty dammit! And I'm gonna fuckin' vent!

What happened? Where are "our" Lakers? Our "Championship caliber" Lakers? I see them there, but I swear when I watch them play, I feel like we're back in 2006! No energy. No effort. No passion. And most of all, no heart. Except of course, Kobe. Who game after game, seems to bear them on his back and push through. And unfortunately, all that weight bearing is starting to show. Fatigue is starting to hit the 30 year old.

I'm not going to throw a bunch of stats and bullshit on here. I just need to say some things. I as a fan, I'm frustrated, disappointed, pissed the fuck off, and left with a cut-up, sore right hand from putting holes in my bedroom walls out of the moods listed. I mean what the fuck? The Lakers can beat this team.

The Denver Nuggets? Are you fuckin' kidding me? Melo(who I do respect) was nowhere till he learned a thing or two from Kobe in the Olympic games. Billups? I can't really say much, the man has been in the Conference Finals 7 years straight. Who the fuck is Dahntay Jones? To trip and push Kobe intentionally? THE AUDACITY! We all know J.R. Smith can score, but can he shut the fuck up once in a while? No need for all that hootin' and hollerin' after every made basket, you arrogant fuck! I'm not even gonna start on Birdman, Martin, and Nene.

It would be easy for any Laker fan to feel "fed up" with this inconsistent team. It would be easy to up and quit on them, but don't. I repeat! DO NOT QUIT ON THEM! This isn't the damn time to be losing faith in your team. True, they haven't been passionate on their play. So why should we? Because it's your team! Got dammit man! We shouldn't give up on them. Not now. It's Championship or Bust this year, am I right? Well as far as I know, this series isn't close to being over yet. And come 6pm tonight. The Lakers will give you the reason why you shouldn't quit.

Video: "MBENGA!"

So I was bored lookin' for some sweet Laker vids, and I think I've stumbled on the greatest one ever. CHECK IT OUT!

Lakers 1 Win Away From Western Conference Finals.

GAME 2

The Lakers bounced back from a stunning loss carried by Kobe and his 40 points. A game full of drama, 5 technicals, 3 people leaving the game, and D Fish suspended one game for leveling Scola. Kobe and Artest get into a scuffle after Artest accused Kobe of throwing an elbow into his throat. Lakers win 111-98.

GAME 3

Lamar Odom was called upon to start, and shined in his calling. 16 points with 13 rebounds. Along with him was Jordan Farmar adding 12 points and 7 assists in his first start of the season due to the suspension of Fisher. Kobe added his 33 points and 6 rebounds to put away the rockets and take a 2-1 lead. Ron Artest was, in my opinion, wrongfully accused of a flagrant 2 and was AGAIN thrown out of the game. It didn't change the game at all, Lakers win 108-94.

GAME 4

A Mother's Day Massacre. The Rockets came out the gates running, and run they did. With Yao Ming out for the rest of the post season for a hairline fracture in the foot, the Rockets whole gameplan changed. And it hurt the Lakers. Pau had 30 points and 9 rebounds, but Kobe had a horrible 15 points on 7 of 17 shooting. And let's face it, no Laker played defense. The final score doesn't indicate how blown out we were getting. Rockets steal one at home without Yao 99-87.


GAME 5

The Lakers looked like the Lakers tonight. They played their game and at their tempo and the Houston Rockets just could not catch up. Kobe only needed 3 quarters to put up 26 points. Obviously major adjustments were made. Aaron Brooks was held to only 14 points after scoring a career high 34 in the previous matchup. Ron Artest shot a horrible 4-15, and the Lakers played defense, hustled, and just flat out played hard. That's all we need to win games, we have all the talent, just PLAY HARD! Lakers get the W smothering the Rockets by 40 points which ties the worst playoff loss in franchise history. Houston, you have a problem. 118-78

Don't Panic.

On a day that Lebron James wins MVP, the Orlando Magic defeat the Boston Celtics in game 1 (barely), the swine flu zips through L.A. county - the Los Angeles Lakers fall short against the Houston Rockets 92-100.

It was a horrible game from the start. I know Kobe's sick, but his field goal percentage wasn't, neither were his shot selections, wow. Way to show Lebron, Mamba. The Lakers were 2-18 from beyond the arch, shot an ugly 44% from the field, and it didn't help much that Ron Artest and that kid Aaron Brooks were just having there way with us. There is no way that Brooks should be getting lay-ups like that, there's no excuse. I respect Yao Ming's game, and I honestly believe that he is the best Center in the NBA right now (Dwight Howard can't shoot the ball and has only one post move), but he has been stopped on several occasions. Especially by the Lakers.

Look for Kobe to suck it up and come out big on Wednesday for game two. The Lakers will look a little crisper and have their stroke going because the shots taken in game one were just DISGUSTING. Hopefully the refs are actually paying attention to this game. A guys half of his face is bleeding and you didn't call a foul. Now you want to give them all the calls in the world? Come on fellas. And Lakers, play some defense! Lakers should win big at home and knot this one at 1-1.

LD2K's "Failure 2 Launch" Video.

Again, not too big of a fan of LD2K's "trailer" style video. But hey he does make some pretty sick vids.

Kobe misses Sunday's practice.

Kobe listed as day-to-day for a sore throat. Nothing too serious so I'm pretty sure he won't miss Game One against the Rockets. C'mon now, it's Kobe, he has to play.

LakersBasketBlog: Kobe Bryant missed Sunday afternoon’s practice with a sore throat, according to Lakers spokesman John Black. Bryant, who averaged 28.3 points on 53 percent shooting against second-round opponent Houston in the regular season, is listed as day-to-day.
Black said that Bryant will be re-evaluated on Monday, and that last season’s MVP will attend shootaround should he feel better in the morning.

Lakers/Rockets Playoff schedule released.

Inside the Lakers: The Lakers learned the identity of their second-opponent tonight, and it’s the Houston Rockets, who defeated the Portland Trail Blazers, 92-76, in Game 6 and took the series, 4-2.

Ron Artest scored 27 points and Yao Ming had 17 points and 10 rebounds to help the Rockets win a playoff series for the first time since 1997. Both will be key figures in the next round for the Rockets.

The Lakers beat the Rockets, 4-0, in the regular season.

Here’s the schedule (times are PDT)…

Game 1, Monday at Staples Center, 7:30 p.m., TNT.
Game 2, Wednesday at Staples Center, 7:30 p.m., TNT.
Game 3, May 8 at Houston, 6:30 p.m., ESPN.
Game 4, May 10 at Houston, 12:30 p.m., Channel 7.
Game 5, if necessary, May 12 at Staples Center, TBA, TNT.
Game 6, if necessary, May 14 at Houston, TBA, ESPN.
Game 7, if necessary, May 16 at Staples Center, TBA, TBA.

Bynum wants Yao in the 2nd Round.

Looks like the young fella is a bit hungry for some PT. Against Yao at that. I would be too, having only played around 77 minutes in the whole first round. Now he's up against a slower but more stronger Center.

SLAMOnline: “It makes me very hungry,” Bynum said. “I can’t wait to go out there against a challenging player like Yao Ming. I know I’m going to play better just because it’s a big guy I’m going to go up against.”

Artest says Roy is better than Kobe and LeBron.

Sorry, sorry, sorry for that long absence. Some of us have been busy but let me assure you we'll continue our Lakers blogging.

Well here's an interesting vid of Artest saying that B-Roy is better than Kobe?? I'll let this one slide Ron cause we all know you don't know what the hell you're talking about sometimes.

UPDATE: Bynum Good for Game 3.

NICE! Happy to know he's good good for the game. And that it has to do with the brace more than anything else.

Lakers.com: “The soreness has a lot to do with the brace,” he said. “I have to wear it because the ligaments are still healing, but at the same time it kind of changes my mechanics a little bit.”

Phil Jackson, after Wednesday’s practice, said that it wasn’t so much knee pain but fatigue behind Bynum’s struggles after a fantastic 5-for-5 start in Game 2, and Bynum admitted that he grew “a little bit tired” later in the game.
Yet heading into Game 3, Bynum said he’s feeling just fine.

“I’m feeling good, I’m ready to go,” said the young center. “It’s a late game for us tonight so I got my trainer here, we’re going to do a little workout and then hit the court.”

More on Bynum's knee pain.

O.C. Register: Phil Jackson was asked after practice about Andrew Bynum’s acknowledgement that he’s having pain on the outside of his right knee, which Bynum said was in his iliotibial band.

Jackson was aware of the problem but said: “I don’t think that it’s anything that is structural.” Jackson suggested that the brace that Bynum is wearing might cause his knee to move in such a manner that exacerbates this sort of thing.

“We’re keeping an eye on it,” Jackson said.

Bynum has played the final four regular-season games and now two postseason games since tearing the medial collateral ligament in his right knee. Jackson said Bynum’s dramatic fade after a torrid start to Game 2 was partly because of Utah’s double-teaming and Bynum’s fatigue.

“He’s working a little bit too hard to get ready for the game,” Jackson said of Bynum’s pregame workout.

The Lakers worked on offensive adjustments at practice and will address some defensive things at their shootaround Thursday in Salt Lake City before Game 3.

LAKERS vs JAZZ: GAME 3(PRE-GAME REPORT)

Well, it was fun winning at home. Now the Lakers carry on to Game 3 in one of the most hostile stadiums in the NBA, the Energy Solutions Arena in Utah, for win number 3. Away, the Jazz are a horrible team. They seem to struggle on the road. But at home, they're a .800 team with a record of 33-8 on their floor. Last year's second round run against Utah, the Lakers gave a game to the Jazz, but eventually won the series in game 5 at home. This time around it feels a bit like deja vu. Winning the first two games and now going back to Utah in hopes to hold on for another win.

Utah has to be one of the most loudest(or THEE loudest) arena in the NBA. When the Jazz go on a run you swear your speakers will pop on your TV from the screaming fans in Utah. And those screams do make a difference. Hypes up their players and brings down the opposing teams. "I think our fans will give us a lift there and give us a little boost, but they can't run the floor for us," Utah coach Jerry Sloan said. If the Lakers can keep the crowd out of the game, it'll be a huge plus for us.

The Jazz are still having problems with Kobe. They tried to double him and they end up giving an open look to another player. The let him go one-on-one and he easily scores over them. Only left to try against us is the Zone, and the Lakers are horrible against the zone. Unless of course we hit them with raining threes! And now that they realize Kobe isn't the only one who can hit shots, they have to stay stuck on their man(more notably Ariza and Brown) leaving the paint a little more spacious.

The Lakers still have the D-Will problem. Denying him the ball is damn near impossible. He has to have the ball or their offense is nonexistent. Keeping him from penetrating, doesn't work. Will we try the zone? I'm not sure that's the best idea. They also need to do a better job on the boards. Utah is a much smaller team yet they crash the boards. Our average is down the regular season. Other than that we just need to continue to play how we have been playing and we'll be alright.

Okur out another game due to injury.

Luck for us, this guy is still stuck on the sidelines. His presence keeps our bigs stuck on him when he jumps out past the 3-point line(and he can hit those). Leaving the lane a little more open. Well, sorry for you!

ESPN: Utah Jazz center Mehmet Okur will miss Game 3 against the Los Angeles Lakers with a hamstring injury that has kept him from playing in the first-round playoff series.

The Jazz said Okur did not participate in the team shootaround Thursday morning and would not play later when the Jazz host the Lakers, who lead the best-of-7 series 2-0.

Okur is Utah's second-leading scorer at 17 points per game and third on the Jazz in rebounding. He has not played since straining his right hamstring last Monday in a regular season game against the Clippers.

Lil' Wayne "Lakers are winning the NBA Finals."

I'm not a big fan of Weezy, but he does have some good things to say about the Lakers. This just makes me hate him less. Haha.

This Is 50: “Just so no one gets it twisted: the Lakers are winning the NBA Finals. Now that KG is out, the C’s aren’t gonna go anywhere, which is a shame. You always like to have the defending champs in there to fight like hell to hold on to their crown. Doc Rivers doesn’t want to believe it. And as competitive as KG is, I can’t imagine even being around him right now — how frustrated he must be because all he wants to do is get out on that court. He’s probably breaking stuff in his house, he’s so mad.

Anyway, so now we’re looking at a Lakers versus Cavaliers final, and that’s going to be amazing. Kobe won’t get the best of LeBron, but the Lakers will get the best of the Cavs. I’ll be rooting for the Lakers, and LeBron already knows that. So it’s not like I’m gonna show up in a Kobe jersey and make ‘Bron Bron cry. He knows I’ve been a Laker fan my whole life so it’s all good. That don’t mean he likes it, but he ain’t gonna cry when he sees me at the games screaming for Pau Gasol and Trevor Ariza.

But LeBron will be OK. He’s gonna win the MVP this year. That will be his consolation prize. Phil Jackson and the Lakers will walk away with more rings, but LeBron will get his trophy.”

Brown wants to return next year.

NICE! But then again, who wouldn't want to return as a Laker? And I'm pretty sure he will. But I can't say I could say the same for Morisson.

Daily News: Certainly, the backup guard hopes to be back with the Lakers for 2009-10.

“Things have a funny way of working out,” he said the day before the Lakers played host to the Utah Jazz in Game 2 of their opening-round playoff series Tuesday night at Staples Center. “I definitely hope I’m here next year. At the same time, I’ve got to go out there and handle my business from now on.”

Click to read full article.

Bynum: Pain on the outside of his knee.

I thought I saw him grab at it a few times last night. At one point he was really slow in getting back in the offensive set. Hope things are alright.

O.C. Register: Bynum said after the Lakers’ Game 2 victory that he has some pain on the outside of his right knee. He said it was an irritation in his iliotibial band but isn’t a major concern. He said it’s “going to be there for a little while.”

Bynum described his current health as “pretty good” six games into a return from a torn medial collateral ligament in his right knee. Assessing both the state of his body and his game, he said he is “feeling overall about 95 percent.”

LAKERS vs JAZZ: GAME 2(POST-GAME REPORT)

LAKERS 119 - JAZZ 109

There you go! Now it feels like the Playoffs. The Lakers take another win to improve 2-0 in the series against the Utah Jazz. The Lakers are 37-1 when leading 2-0 in a seven game series. But round one is far from over. "We're not thinking about it being over at all," Bryant said. "We're thinking about Game 3."

Aside from giving up 29 points in the first quarter, the Lakers had a near flawless first as they shot 86%, 18 for 21 from the field. Which is the best shooting quarter in the NBA playoffs since official play-by-play tracking began in 1998. Where was the "Nasty"? Defense? What defense? The Jazz only had one foul in the first. And probably had a couple more in the 2nd. Was that the Nasty? The second quarter started slow but the Lakers brought the lead up to 20 till the Jazz went on a 9-0 run to end the quarter.

The second half was when they started to bring the Nasty. The third was odd with both teams going back and fourth but eventually finished even with the Lakers still leading by 11. In the fourth things started to heat up. And with a 5 point surge by Boozer, the Jazz only trailed by 3. But careless pass by Utah ended with a 2-1 break with Odom and Ariza. Kobe had some clutch shots towards the end but it was Ariza's dagger 3 with less than a minute that sealed the game.

Kobe led the Lakers with 26pts and 9ast. Pau followed with 22pts and 6rebs on an efficien 9-11 shooting. Ariza also had 9 assists himself while also adding 13 points. Odom was huge off the bench shooting 8-9 for 19 points. Shannon Brown continued his great play from game one and chipped in 12 points off the bench. Bynum still seems to stuggle a bit who finished with 10 points while playing 31 minutes. Seven Lakers finished in double digits including all 5 starters.

D-Will(whom Charles Barkley calls a 'stud') didn't have another 17 assist night. He had only 9asts but compensated it with 35pts shooting 6-11 from three. Boozer finished with a double-double of 20pts and 10rebs. Brewer had himself an annoying 14pts. Korver added 12 points while Kirilenko added 10. Paul Millsap who was pretty much their back-up center for Jarron Collins, had 13pts and 7rebs off the bench, playing 36 minutes.

Everything was pretty even, both had 30rebs, 6blks. The Jazz only had two more fouls than the Lakers did. But there was a total of 39 turnovers in this game with the Lakers having 3 more than the Jazz did. The Lakers just need to give a little more effort on the defensive end and take care of the ball more. Up next, Game 3 @ Utah. I don't see this being an easy game for us.

Bynum dating Rhianna?

No wonder this man hasn't been focused. He has other things on his mind! Damn you Rhianna! Give us our Andrew back! Well at least if Chris tries anything, she's got Bynumite at hr side.

Music-News.com: The 'Umbrella' singer - whose on/off boyfriend Chris Brown has pleaded not guilty to assaulting her - enjoyed an intimate dinner with Los Angeles Lakers' star Andrew Bynum at Mastro's Steakhouse in Beverly Hills on Friday (17.04.09).

A source told gossip website X17online: "They looked very couple-y, sitting real close to each other in the car."

This is the first time Rihanna, 21, has been spotted out with a man since she and Chris decided to take time away from each other to reflect on their relationship.

Click to read full Article.

LAKERS vs JAZZ: GAME 2(PRE-GAME REPORT)

Game one wasn't so pretty. It wasn't what most of us expected. Game two should be good. After some disappointed Phil and some put down by the media of not putting a good enough effort in the game, I expect them to turn things around and prove them wrong. "I didn't like the way we carried ourselves at the end of the game and the start of the second half," Jackson said. "There's a tendency for this team when they do that to let up in the third quarter. I don't like that. It's about playing hard all the time and playing with purpose." I couldn't agree more.

Both teams weren't happy with the way they played, obviously. Jazz coach Jerry Sloan, stated he wants them to play "Nasty." But not in the way you might think, not in a way that it might injure players, “You want to be like an old nasty fly,” Sloan said. “Be a pain in the butt to somebody, but you can’t be a pain in the butt if you’re not on ‘em. That’s all I was talking about. It wasn’t anything bad. Maybe it kind of sounded that way, like we’re trying to do something crazy.” They're a physical team to begin with and foul more than most average teams. Now they want to annoy us?

The first thing Lakers need to do is keep D-Will from penetrating. The majority of their offense goes through him. Stopping him solves most of our problems. It decreases success of Jazz's offense, decreases the number of offensive rebounds they get, and keeps him from giving our bigs foul trouble. Phil has toyed with the idea of using a zone but admits that it might not go so well with their lack of experience in playing that kind of defense. So how do we stop him? I have no idea. Only thing I can think of is to keep the ball out of his hands. Or maybe try funneling him like we usually do but it comes back to the foul trouble predicament.

It's all up to our guards and the old Zen Master to solve this problem of ours. I'm confident that they will. Look for Andrew to redeem himself from the last game. And continued play from the bench and ex bench mob Ariza.

LAKERS vs JAZZ: GAME 1(POST-GAME REPORT)

LAKERS 113 - JAZZ 100

Game one of the first round for the Los Angeles, Lakers was just... OK. It was a bit weird for me. I woke up mid-way through the first quarter, mildly cheering while still laying down. And eventually I got more and more hyped as the game went on getting louder and louder. Same "WOO's" and "AHH's" and "WHAT?!? Where was the foul?" You know the same ol' stuff. But this is a Playoff game, and I couldn't help but just treat it as a regular season game.

It didn't feel right. Other than the Playoff decal they stuck on the hardwood, it just didn't have that playoff atmosphere. Not only were the fans just giving it an average effort to cheer on our beloved Lakers, but the Lakers themselves played like it was just another game. Don't get me wrong, the first half was beautiful, but the second half was mediocre as if this were another game played somewhere between late October and early April. Anyway back to the Review.

Kobe started off dishing the ball to his team, gaining assist before he started giving out facials to the Jazz. And although Kobe Led the team with 24pts and 8asts, it was Ariza and Brown's energy that lifted them. Ariza finished behind Kobe with 21pts while Shannon Brown added 9pts on 3-4 shooting. Pau nearly had himself a double-double with 20pts and 9rebs. Lamar had himself a good game with 13pts and 8rebs off the bench on 5-8 shooting. He needs more attempts if you ask me. Early fouls put Bynum in trouble who only had 7pts, and 3rebs.

D-Will had himself more assist than he had points with 17asts and 16pts. Struggling from the field, he then started getting in the paint creating shots for his team or got fouled in the act. Boozer, I don't know how but managed to put up 27pts and 9rebs. Millsap chipped in 15pts and 8rebs on a limited 25mins. The rest of the team was a bit irrelevant. There were moments when Kirilenko had great defensive plays but ruined them with turnovers.

If the Lakers would have continued the way they played in the first half, it would have been an easy blow-out. Their lacking on the defensive end. Jazz absolutely killed us on the boards, dominating on the offensive rebounds 20-7. The rest need to follow what Ariza and Brown are doing.

Okur may not play in Game one.

As if the Lakers didn't need anymore help in the first round, the Utah Jazz's starting center may not even play the first game. Who knows, maybe he won't play in the first round at all. Sorry for you!

Salt Lake Tribune: In a telling move, the Jazz recalled rookie center Kosta Koufos from the D-League - the Utah Flash are in the middle of the playoffs - to provide some low post depth in case Okur can’t go. Siler said that from what he learned after Utah’s practice, he wouldn’t expect Okur to play because he simply “Can’t do any running.”

Video: Kanye's "Amazing" NBA Playoffs

Heres a video Mr. West and the NBA collaborated on. It's pretty good, though I don't agree with it ending with the Celts'. I mean yeah they won it last year, but so what. I doubt they're making it to the Finals this year.

Kobe will not undergo ANY finger surgery

To be honest, I totally forgot about his torn ligament in his pinky, not to mention his dislocated finger. But I guess since it doesn't bother him, fuck it right?

Sports Illustraded: And the finger surgery he put off twice to ensure he would not miss any Lakers or Team USA games? He says the procedure is permanently off. He recently stopped taping the finger for games and, according to his prognosis, there are no plans for an operation.

“I don’t see any point,” he said. “It doesn’t bother me at all, so …”

Jordan Farmar; Day-To-Day with Foot Pain.

Entering the Playoffs we might be one Point Guard short. Even though Shannon Brown has seem to have taken the back-up guard spot behind Fish; I feel that we need everyone healthy. Get better soon Farmar.

Lakers Basketblog: Lakers spokesman John Black said that Jordan Farmar has been experiencing pain in his right foot lately, and was sent to see Dr. Phil Kwong on Friday.

X-rays, a CT scan and MRI all came back normal; Farmar is listed as day-to-day with tendonitis.

Jerry Sloan not too confident for Playoffs.

It's official, First round against the Jazz. Looks like Coach Sloan of the Utah Jazz isn't so happy to play the Lakers in the first round. See you Sunday.


LAtimes:

“We didn’t give them much of a battle, knowing we have to play them again,” said Utah Coach Jerry Sloan. “It looks pretty bleak. . . .

“They have a terrific team. They have guys who can pass the ball, do about anything you ask a team to do. They’ve got guys who can make big shots, who just know how to play the game, make the game look simple. . . .

“We’re just like a little dent in the road, far as they’re concerned. They’re very comfortable playing against us and obviously should be.”

Click to read full article.

Bynum lifts Lakers into tie for third-winningest season in team history

LAKERS 125 - JAZZ 112

ESPN.com: The 82-game grind is over for the Los Angeles Lakers. Now comes the time of the season this storied franchise exists for. Andrew Bynum scored 22 points in his best effort since returning from injury and the Lakers defeated the Utah Jazz 125-112 Tuesday night to close the regular season as the third-winningest team in franchise history.

They tied the 1986-87 team with their 65th victory, trailing only the 1971-72 team (69) and 1999-00 team (67).

"Sixty-five wins with some of the injuries we've had is an accomplishment," Kobe Bryant said.Pau Gasol added 20 points and nine rebounds, Bryant and Lamar Odom had 16 points each, and Sasha Vujacic 15 points for the Lakers, who won their sixth in a row at home.

Deron Williams had 25 points and 13 assists for the Jazz, and reserve Andrei Kirilenko added 20 points to go with 16 points by Carlos Boozer and 14 by Ronnie Brewer.

Bynum added four rebounds and three assists in his fourth game back after missing 32 games because of a torn right knee ligament."I'm definitely excited," he said. "I think my adrenaline is going to carry me through the first game.

"The Lakers open the playoffs this weekend against the Jazz, who ended their schedule in the eighth and final Western Conference playoff spot."We didn't give them much of a battle and knowing that we're going to have to play them again, it looks pretty bleak," Utah coach Jerry Sloan said. "Hate to say that, but it's one of those things.

"The Lakers improved to 16-3 all-time against Utah at Staples Center, winning the last six in a row against the Jazz at home.

"There's a whole new season starting. Everybody's healthy, so we'll get everybody on the same page and see what it's all about," Sloan said. "We're just like a little dent in the road as far as they're concerned. They're very comfortable playing against us, and obviously they should be.

"The Lakers already clinched the top seed in the West to secure home-court advantage throughout the conference finals. But Cleveland edged them for the league's best record, guaranteeing LeBron and Co. home court through the NBA finals if they get there.

"We had two goals," Vujacic said. "Finish first in the regular season and we didn't do that, but we have the ultimate goal and that's most important. We have 16 games ahead of us to win.

"Los Angeles took the game's first double-digit lead, 94-83, on Jordan Farmar's 3-pointer to open the fourth quarter. It was part of a 13-2 run that included treys by Bryant and Vujacic and pushed the Lakers' lead to 104-85.

They never looked back, with Bryant going to the bench to rest up for what he hopes is a repeat trip to the NBA finals.

The Lakers started the third quarter on a 12-4 run, with Bryant assisting on 3-pointers by Trevor Ariza and Derek Fisher, to go up 68-59.But the Jazz answered with a 15-7 spurt, including nine in a row, and closed to 75-74. Williams scored six and Brewer added five.

The Lakers responded over the final 2:42, outscoring the Jazz 16-9 to take a 91-83 lead into the fourth period. Bryant scored six points and assisted on another 3-pointer, this one by Shannon Brown.

Both teams shot better than 50 percent in the first half, when the Lakers were whistled for 17 fouls that led to Utah shooting 21-of-29 from the free-throw line. In all, the Jazz took 47 foul shots. "That's ridiculous for a team to give up," Lakers coach Phil Jackson said.Los Angeles trailed by eight points twice in the second quarter before recovering to lead 56-55 at halftime. The Lakers closed the first half on a 20-11 run, including nine by Vujacic and five by Odom while Bryant watched from the bench after playing just 10 minutes in the half.

LAKERS vs GRIZZLIES (POST-GAME REPORT)

LAKERS 92 - GRIZZLIES 75

The Lakers ease on to another win in Los Angeles, against the Memphis Grizzlies. No Laker played more than 32 minutes and no one scored more than 18pts in this evenly played game by the Lakes. I'm sure everyone was a bit nervous as the Grizzlies went on an 8 to 0 run to start off the game. After the little quick run from Memphis, the Lakers went on a 23 to 7 run for the rest of the first quarter. And from then on, it was all Lakers.

Bynum continues his great play and after 3 games, he remains consistent and finished with 18pts to lead the Lakers and 5rebs(in which I wish he had more). Pau wasn't as effective in scoring but still managed 12pts. He also has been cleaning up the boards and picked up 13 in last night's game. Kobe had one of his more efficient games with 16pts, 7rebs, 4asts, 2stls, and 1blk, on 7-9 shooting. Ariza had one of better games considering that he's been struggling on his offensive game. He finished the night with 12pts and 3stls.

O.J. Mayo had a game high 20pts on 8-14 shooting and was 4 for 4 from three. Rudy Gay was terrible and had 10pts on a horrible 4 for 13 shooting(WOW!). Marc Gasol was banging down low with his brother Pau and had himself 14pts, 8 rebs, and was 6-6 from the line. And other than Warrick with 12pts, no other Grizzlie was worth mentioning.

The Laker bench was great, minutes were evenly scattered and the starters had their rest. Though I wish that Pau would have had a little more rest. Up next, our last game of the regular season, and possibly the first round match-up for the Lakers; Derron Williams and the Utah Jazz.

Kobe on Portland in the Playoffs.

After Lakers lose, Kobe wants Portland in the Playoffs. I don't blame him, I said the same thing. I want them in the playoffs and I want the Lakers to crush em! I'd FUCKEN love it!

LAKERS vs BLAZERS (POST-GAME REPORT)

LAKERS 98 - BLAZERS 106

Yahoo: Kobe Bryant sat, his knees wrapped in ice, with his chin in his hand. He was pondering the Lakers’ latest loss to the Trail Blazers at the Rose Garden.

He came up with a myriad of possibilities, but in the end he shook his head.

“Even when we’re having championship runs, we usually come up here and get our butts kicked,” Bryant said. “They play us tough here.”

Brandon Roy had 24 points and eight assists, and the Blazers beat the Lakers 106-98 on Friday night. It was Portland’s eighth straight victory over Los Angeles at the Rose Garden.

Bryant scored 32 points for the Lakers, but in the final minute alone he missed a key 3-pointer, had a crucial turnover and was off on another 3. The sellout crowd collectively held its breath as each shot was launched.

“We had to fight it out,” Roy said.

The Lakers played without coach Phil Jackson, who didn’t travel with the team because of pain in his lower right leg, and fell 1 1/2 games behind Cleveland for the best record in the NBA and home-court advantage throughout the postseason.

Assistant Kurt Rambis replaced the 63-year-old Jackson. The Hall of Famer will rejoin the team for practice on Saturday and isn’t expected to miss any more games. The pain and swelling in his leg is caused by plantar fasciitis.

Portland remained tied with San Antonio for fourth place as it tries for home court in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs.

“To us, they look like a playoff team every time we come up here,” Bryant said. “They’re extremely well coached, Brandon Roy is a fantastic player and they have great complementary players around him. They’re very good.”

The Blazers held a narrow lead throughout most of the fourth quarter. Bryant pulled the Lakers into a 91-all tie with 5:15 to go, but Steve Blake answered with his own jumper for the Blazers.

Roy’s pull-up jumper with 3:18 left put Portland ahead 99-96. After Bryant made a pair of free throws to narrow it again, Blake hit another long jumper to give the Blazers a 101-98 lead with 1:57 left.

Blake made one of two free throw attempts with 42 seconds left to make it 102-98 before Bryant made a bad pass on the other end.

Rudy Fernandez also managed just one of two free throws but Travis Outlaw pulled down a key rebound when Lamar Odom missed a jumper and made a pair of foul shots to make it 105-98. After Bryant missed a 3-pointer with 11.9 seconds to go, Outlaw made one more in the final seconds for the final margin.

Portland was coming off a 95-83 victory over the Spurs on Wednesday during which the Blazers erased a 19-point deficit. Because the Blazers won the series with San Antonio, they’ll hold the tiebreaker should both finish with identical records.

“These last two wins were huge for us and for our confidence. We beat the Spurs, and we feel good about how we match up with the Lakers,” Roy said. “This says a lot about our team. If we play in the playoffs like we played tonight, I like our chances against anybody.”

The Lakers beat the Blazers twice this season at Staples Center, but Portland took the first game at the Rose Garden, 111-94. The victory was memorable because of a scary injury to Fernandez.

Fernandez was fouled hard by Trevor Ariza on a fast break and was carried from the arena on a stretcher, his neck in a brace. He was hospitalized overnight.

Ariza was booed by the sellout crowd at the Rose Garden, but he still didn’t have quite the negative reaction reserved for Bryant.

Fernandez and Roy hit consecutive 3-pointers, and Outlaw added a reverse layup to give the Blazers a 32-25 lead early in the second quarter.

Bryant sparked a turnaround with a 3-pointer that gave the Lakers a 42-38 lead. His two free throws extended the lead to 50-40 late in the half.

But Portland went on a 9-0 run late that closed the Blazers to 50-49. Sasha Vujacic hit a 3-pointer to make it 53-49 for the Lakers at the half.

The Blazers reclaimed the lead and stretched it to 83-77 on Greg Oden’s dunk.

LAKERS vs NUGGETS (POST-GAME REPORT)

LAKERS 116 - NUGGETS 102

In last night's game, the Lakers looked good, played good, and won beautifully. The Nuggets looked good, and also played good, but just did not have enough to compete with a complete Laker team. As the two top teams in the west faced each other, it was obvious that no other team in the conference can compete against the Lakers

The game started off good, and everything was pretty much even thanks to a buzzer beater shot by J.R. Smith. But in the second half, it was all Lakers as they outscored them 60-46 winning the game by 14. And they're the No. 2 team in the west? HA!

The hype of the night was the return of Andrew Bynum. And what a return it was. The man hasn't played for 32 straight games and it looked as if he never left. He started off with 3pts and 4rebs in the first half and finished with 17pts, and 7rebs while only playing 21 minutes. Phil only asked him to defend and rebound, and not to worry about scoring. Obviously Phil got more than he asked for.

Kobe led all scorers with 33 point on a pretty good 11 for 19 shooting. I honestly don't remember him missing any. The third of the Lakers big three; Pau Gasol had himself quite a night and finished with 27pts and 19rebs. 11 of those rebounds came on the offensive end making it a career high for him. Fish and Ariza didn't have as good of a game as the rest of the starters but with the bench doing they're job of with 22pts who were led by Lamar, the glue that holds the bunch.

The Nuggets had a good game themselves. Melo led them in scoring with 23pts, but it was J.R. Smith who gave them energy and production with 19pts coming off the bench. Nene and Billups chipped in 17pts a piece. Billups also had 8 assist for them. Chris "Birdman" Andersen, who is second in the league in block right behind Howard, had 1 point, 8rebs, and zero blocks. Sorry for you. Every other Nugget was pretty much a no show.

If it ever came down to it and the Lakers faced the Nuggets in the conference Finals, I have all the confidence that we'll see it to the Finals. The starters played great as well as the bench. Minutes are important towards the end of the season and the starters have been relieved of many of them. Up next, Brandon Roy and Portland Trailblazers.