Bynum Injury Update.

This injury just kills me. Right when them man establishes himself as a monstrous center, something stupid like this always seems to happen. I just hope it's nothing too serious. GET WELL SOON BYNUM!

ESPN.com

MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- Los Angeles Lakers center Andrew Bynum left the game against the Memphis Grizzlies in the first quarter Saturday night with a sprained right knee.

Lakers officials said X-rays were negative and further tests will be done Sunday in New York. The Lakers play the Knicks on Monday night.

The injury occurred at about the 7-minute mark of the first quarter under the Lakers' basket. Kobe Bryant was drove to the basket, missed the shot and crashed into Bynum's right leg. Bynum immediately grabbed his knee.

The two were on the ground under their basket as the Grizzlies went to the other end. After Los Angeles gained possession, they called time out. Bynum was helped to the locker room with Los Angeles leading 13-11.

Bynum missed the final 46 games of last season with a left knee injury he suffered against Memphis on Jan. 13, 2008.

I thought Jim Hill made a great point after the locker interview. "The most important part f that interview was seeing him smile." And it's true, it shows that he's okay. And when asked if he remains optimistic, Bynum replied "I have to be optimistic."

LAKERS vsGRIZZLIES (POST-GAME REPORT)

LAKERS 115 - GRIZZLIES 98

A fortunate win, but an unfortunate situation for the Lakers tonight. Andrew Bynum scored 7pts before going down mid-first quarter, after Kobe fell and crashed into his right knee while attempting a lay-up. All eyes were on Drew as he yelled through pain while clutching his knee. A look of disappointment and worry on every Laker face, especially Kobe who felt responsible for the injury. But as much as some can put blame on Kobe, you really can't. It was just an accident that no one saw coming. You can't blame Kobe anymore than you can blame Odom for what happened to Bynum last year.

As I was watching, it felt like deja vu as it was reminiscent of last years injury which involved Bynum awkwardly landing on Odom's foot. Luckily it isn't that bad... so far. X-rays were negative but it's still not conclusive on the injury. Good thing was, that Bynum admitted to it feeling better than last years injury" and is able to apply pressure to the affected leg.

After the timeout to take Bynum off the floor, the Lakers seemed disgruntled. As Stu described, they were playing in stunned mode. With the thought of an injured Bynum in the locker, it was obvious their minds were somewhere else while on the floor. But coming out of the first half down by 6pts, they came focused and held the Grizzlies to only 37pts in the second half. Kobe led all scorers with 25pts, 7asts, and 3stls. But in the absence of Bynum, Pau stepped up in a big way and added 24pts, 8rebs, and 4ast on 9 of 14 shooting. Fish had 14 while Lamar had 13 combining 11for 13 shooting.

The Gay-Mayo tandem was present tonight in which the Lakers failed to defend them a little better. Young Gasol and Conley both had 13 a piece, but it was their forwards who were the difference tonight with both Arthur and Warrick making big plays for them, both with 11pts. It was problems for the Lakers when the Grizzlies would push the ball down the court like they had done before. Coach Hollins pushed like he said they would, but the "hard-nosed defense"? Maybe one minute spurts of it, but I hardly saw anything "hard-nosed" about their defense. Hold a team to 37pts in a half, then we'll talk.

The Lakers collected themselves when they needed to and stepped up where there were holes. Question is, how long can they hold this off? We're probably in for last years starting line-up with the exception on Luke instead of Vlad. I'm sure Odom wouldn't mind starting. Look for Mihm and Powell to have more minutes and for Odom to come out with the double-doubles again. Up next, high scoring New York Knicks.

LAKERS vs GRIZZLIES (PRE-GAME REPORT)

The Lakers continue on with their 6 game road trip. One win down, five to go. Today's victim, is the team Kobe and friends decided to turn around from their 2 game losing streak back in late December, the Memphis Grizzlies. Again another sub 500. team, but again, we know our Lakers and leave it up to them to make a sure thing blow-out into a good close game.

The Grizzlies have been in a rut losing 11 straight games. But with new coach Lionel Hollins, they hope to make a turnaround. "I am implementing a style that I play, and that style is to be a hard-nosed, defensive team, aggressive, turnaround and push the ball back up the court," he said. "We want to pressure full-court." It's pretty much the same style they played back when they played us, but I guess more tougher? Here's one thing I remember that was killing us in the previous game against the Grizzlies. They pushed the ball down hard, every opportunity they had. We missed a shot, they pushed. We make a shot, they pushed harder. And with two 7-footers out there, the Lakers just could not set their defense up by the time they came down with the ball.

Other than young Gasol, Memphis has no real threat in the paint, which means what? FEED IT INSIDE! With Bynum playing like a beast and a brotherly rivalry against the Gasols', it's just meant to be in the paint! The Gay-Mayo tandem killed the Lakers last time accounting for almost half of Memphis' total points, if we can hold at least one of their numbers down, it'll be allot easier. Hakim Warrick can be problems if you don't put a body on him, he's pretty athletic. Coach Hollins also hopes to start Conley and give him more freedom to make plays. Which means this team can be a little bit more unpredictable.

The last time the Lakers played the Grizzlies, not every Laker was playing up to par, so it was left to Kobe to save the day. With everyone healthy now, and playing well together, we need not to rely on Kobe tonight.

LAKERS vs TIMBERWOLVES (POST-GAME REPORT)

LAKERS 132 - TIMBERWOLVES 119

May I please add somthing before I start this report. I've never been a fan of Minnesota's jersey when it read "Timberwolves" but now, it just looks more stupid, from the "Wolves" logo, to the lighter color way they went with. It just looks bootleg.

The Lakers start off the road trip with a win tonight over the T-Wolves. In the 1st half, Minnesota tried to pull a sneaky, sneaky and changed the lead a couple times, or at least came close to it. Come 2nd half, the Lakers' bench(along with some starters) held and extended the lead to 20pts, only to have it cut down to 10 late in the game. Eventually they took the win by 13 points.


Kobe led the Lakers in scoring with 30pts, 8rebs, and 5asts. But it was Big Drew who had yet another big game with another double-double of 27pts, 15rebs, and 2blks(not to mention the many shots he altered). In my opinion, he outplayed Al Jefferson who had 34pts, 13rebs, and 4blks, but played 12 more minutes than Bynum who had hardly even played in the 4th. As opposed to Jefferson who pretty much played the whole game, only resting 6 minutes. Both Lamar and Farmad had 10pts a piece. Pau had a pretty good game with 21pts and 9rebs. I thought he'd explode tonight, but still a worthy performance from the big guy.

As I mentioned, Jefferson(who as people would say, got snubbed out of the All-Stars) led the T-Wolves and all scorers with 34pts. Randy Foye added 27pts and 5asts for his team, but got pooped on when he attempted to guard the Black Mamba. Pau's former teammate Mike Miller put up 11pts, 6rebs, and 6asts. Kevin Love who had 14pts, and 9rebs, shows promise of a forward/center that can possibly do good things in the future. He just plays with a good Basketball I.Q. and plays with hustle and fundamentals.

It was a good game with most of the minutes blanced pretty evenly, which was smart on Phil's part for giving more rest to his starters considering they have a back-to-back playing Memphis. Up Next is the Grizzlies who acquired a new coach since the last meeting. If the stick with the same game plan they used against the Lakers last time; pushing their offense early before the defense can set up, it can be big problems for the Lakers.

LAKERS vs TIMBERWOLVES (PRE-GAME REPORT)

The Lakers start out their 6 game road trip starting with the Minnesota Timberwolves and will end with Boston on Thursday, and Cavaliers on Sunday. Before we start reminiscing about the Christmas game and how we beat the Celtics. We've got a game tonight and it shouldn't go unnoticed.

The T-Wolves started off the new year winning 10 of their 13 games in January, turning a team around whose record at the beginning of the season was 6 wins and 25 losses. The person to thank for that is Center, Al Jefferson who's playing his mind out this year avaeraging 23pts and 11rebs. They've also got shooter Mike Miller and Rookie Kevin Love. And with other sleeper players, this team can just sneak up and win on you. But of course they weren't able to sneak up on the Lakers when they last played.

The Lakers just took a horrible loss to the Bobcats before entering this road trip. Frustration over that game should fire up the Lakers, most importantly, Kobe. Pau had a terrible game, and I expect him to pick things up after playing so poorly, that's just the man's style. Bynum, well what can I say, the man is a beast. Game plan is the same for evry team we play, and all the Lakers got to do is FEED IT INSIDE! If you can't get it inside, then swing the ball, the other big guy is bound to be open. There's a reson we put two 7-footers out there, USE IT!

Last time the Lakers were outrebounded 53-46. Which gave the T-Wolves a chance in the game. So yeah, FEED IT INSIDE and CRASH BOARDS! They should come out with a win after tonight, I don't see them losing unless they decide to have yet another horrible game, which I doubt.

LAKERS vs BOBCATS (POST-GAME REPORT)

LAKERS 110 - BOBCATS 117

Well, that sucked. After being up 6 in the first overtime I really thought we had the win, but for some reason, the Bobcats really matchup well against us.


Tonight the Lakers fell short of a win against the Bobcats by 7 points. Kobe tried to do everything he could. 38 points, 8 rebounds and 5 assists. But he fouled out when the team needed him the most, when the final horn sounded. Andrew Bynum had a magnificent night, and showed up when Kobe was sidelined. 24 points on 10-14 shooting, 14 rebounds and 6 blocks. Maybe he's lobbying for an all-star appearance. One thing I have noticed lately is that when Bynum has a big game, Pau doesn't, and vice versa. Well, that was definitely the case tonight. Pau had 10 points and 7 rebounds, but was a horrible 4 of 16? Mr. Efficient, Consistent, Purple Spain come back! We need you now more than ever! I'm looking forward to both of our bigs have extremely big games TOGETHER on the 6 game road trip, let's hope Phil mentions it during practice. D Fish played well with 14 points and 6 assists, but did a horrible job on Raymond Felton, the guy was 1 assist shy from a triple-double. Trevor Ariza wasn't available after suffering a concussion for the first half. He is listed day-to-day and is expected to join the Lakers on the road trip.

It was a great game to attend, but a hard loss to swallow. I guess Michael Jordan finally made some good decisions up there in Charlotte, but I'm pretty sure when Mike's watching next time when the Lakers come to visit, Kobe's going to drop 40 on them and leave with a W. I guarantee he won't foul out. Up next is a big 6 game road-trip ending at Cleveland and Boston, I am confident we will come back with the number one spot in the NBA.

LAKERS vs BOBCATS (PRE-GAME REPORT)

The Lakers meet the newly faced Charlotte Bobcats tonight at Staples Center and try to improve to 24-3 at home. Ever since Larry Brown's team departed with Jason Richardson, they've been playing some great basketball. The addition of Boris Diaw and Raja Bell has brought offense and hard nose defense to Charlotte. In fact, the Bobcats have won 5 of their last 7 games. Although they fell short against the Pacers in their last game.

With D.J. Augustin out there isn't much help in the PG position, but Raymond Felton always seems to go off against the Lakers. He was actually a big part of the Bobcats win in Staples in their last meeting which was last season. I wouldn't be surprised to see Phil throw Trevor Ariza at him during games, though he will be on Gerald Wallace majority of the time. Some great matchups to look forward to tonight are Bynum vs Okafor and Gasol vs Diaw. Diaw has actually come into his own ever since playing in Charlotte. He's putting up big numbers and is being way more aggresive. Let's see if Pau can shut him down tonight. Bynum did a magnificent job on Tim Duncan this past Sunday, tonight he faces another great defender and scorer in Okafor. Another great test for BYNUMITE, yes, the first Bynumite sighting on dailydynasty!

This is the last game at home before the 6 game road trip. You have to believe that the Lakers want to jump on them early, and send a message to the NBA that we're coming to town, well, 6 towns. Lakers send us home with tacos tonight with a big win. We'll be attending and will have plenty of pictures up, LET'S GO LAKERS!

LAKERS vs SPURS (POST-GAME REPORT)

LAKERS 99 - SPURS 85

A rematch of a game the Lakers lost by one point to the Spurs just a couple of weeks ago. This time around, the Lakers are complete and healthy, San Antonio just couldn't keep up with the depth of Los Angeles. As the two top teams in the west met Sunday afternoon, it was obvious why the Lakers remain the No. 1 in the west(6 games ahead of Spurs).

It was the young star(Bynum) versus the veteran(Duncan). Bynum was just too much for Duncan to handle. Though Duncan finished with 15pts, and 8rebs, it was well below his average of 20pts, and 10rebs. Bynum put up 15pts of his own with 11rebs, and 4blks in only 24mins. And also held his own on the other end without much help down the block when defending Duncan. This game meant allot for Drew to play and have a good game against his "favorite player", Mr. Duncan.

Tony Parker led the Spurs with 19pts, but both Parker and Duncan sat out the fourth when Popovich realized this game was over. Manu also held under his average with 9pts and 8rebs, and was just off. The last time Lakers played the Spurs, Matt Bonner and Roger Mason attempted a combined nine 3-pointers and hit 5 of them finishing with a total of 28pts. This time around they attempted another nine open 3-pointers and hit only one, and only scoring a combined 11pts.

Kobe led all players in scoring with an easy 22pts. Pau as usual quietly added 16pts and only grabbed 5rebs, but made up for it with 4asts(one sweet over-the-shoulder to L.O.). Lamar only had 6pts but managed 10rebs and made some great defensive plays that led to more offense. Ariza added 17pts coming off the bench and again was the catalyst for the Lakers.
Jordan Farmar made his first appearance after missing 18 games due to an injury and surgery, but made a very quick recovery. The time table for his return was set after the All-Star game, but like a superhuman came back almost 3 weeks early. His return was no gradual come back. No my friends, "Ear" Jordan played like he never left and added 14pts of his own on 5 for 7 shooting to help the Lakes break open the game in the second half.

With Farmar back, Fish gets rest and we gain speed again when we face the more quicker PGs in the league. This game reminded me of the Lakers we saw at the beginning of the season. Excellent defense with even more excellent offense. Like I said before, they just need to keep it up with consistency. Up next we face the wild Charlotte Bobcats who are athletic and unpredictable. And with the acquisition of Diaw and Bell, just makes them that much better than the last time we played them in the preseason.

LAKERS vs WIZARDS (POST-GAME REPORT)

LAKERS 117 - WIZARDS 97

The picture says it all. It was an old fashioned blow-out as the Lakers beat the Washington Wizards. It was a night when the Lakers' offense was clicking and running smoothly with 35 assists, and at one point, shooting over 70% in the first half.

You know it's a blow-out when Phil unloads the bench playing everyone(except for Mbenga) more than 5 minutes. Speaking of the Minute Men, the bench accounted for 53 of the Lakers 117 total points, with four of them in double-digits. Bynum continued his monstrous play from the previous night and put up 25pts, 14rebs, on only 28 minutes of playing. Pau had a quiet 18pts and 6rebs. Odom had an aggressive 16pts while Ariza and Sasha had 10pts each. Kobe only had 11pts, and 5asts, but who needs a high scoring Bryant when u got 6 other Lakers in double-digits.

The Wizards are just not the same team without Gilbert Arenas on the floor. Though this team can be dangerous, they lack the consistency, and leadership that Arenas brings. Former Laker Caron Butler put up 12pts, and 6asts on 5 for 10 shooting. Antawn Jamison gave the Lakers problems early on in the game and added 19pts and 5rebs, but it was rookie JaVale McGee who was their catalyst off the bench who had 18pts and 9rebs. It was just an awkward and awful
game for the Washington Wizards, as they take yet another loss.

It was the Lakers defense and smooth running offense that won the game for them. They just need to continue and carry on their intensity as they go on to face the San Antonio Spurs. A game that Jordan Farmar might be able to play in since his injury in the first game against the Miami Heat.

LAKERS vs CLIPPERS (POST-GAME REPORT)

LAKERS 108 - CLIPPERS 97

First off, congratulations to Andrew Bynum on an excellent performance. A new career high in scoring with 42 points, also chipping in 15 boards and 4 big blocks. Great job Drew!

The Lakers, unsurprisingly, topped the Clippers tonight on a "road" game at Staples center. Andrew Bynum was the first Laker other than Kobe Bryant to score 40 points in a game since Shaquille O'Neal. Our young center has showed much promise and tonight, exactly what he can do.

“If feels very good, to go out there and play the way I did,” the 21-year-old center said. “I was able to get a lot of easy buckets. Kobe was Kobe Nash out there tonight. The ball was coming my way a lot. I was able to just get a lot of touches and get comfortable.”

“I didn’t know how many (points) I had, and that’s just the truth,” he said. “The fans were yelling for me to get 40. And then once I got the dunk, everybody was on their feet cheering.”

Regarding Bynum, Kobe Bryant said: “The more you play, the better you get. He’s going to continue to progress. It’s great for him. I was more pleased to see how he controlled the lane.”

Mamba also had another career night, posting his 2nd triple double in 3 games. 18 points, 10 rebs, 12 assists. MVP is written all over that. Lamar Odom also had a great outing with 19 points and 9 boards. We were at the game tonight and noticed a lot of aggression from the LakeShow throughout the game, it might have been an undermanned Clipper team, but the Lakers also have a lot of rhythm going into the next games. Even Luke Walton, returning to the starting line-up since his injury, scored 11 points and added 2 steals and 2 blocked shots. It seems like our team gets deeper and deeper. Jordan Farmar is expected to be back as soon as Sunday for the Spurs game, then we can see our team at full strength again. Next up, the visiting Washington Wizards with Kobe's old pal, Caron Butler.

Cavs Blog: Kobe better than LeBron

John Krolik of Cavs The Blog, obviously a huge Cavaliers fan(hence the blog site), is probably the only person I've heard admit that Kobe is a better player than LeBron James. Thank you John!

Cavs: The Blog

Resolved: That Kobe Bryant is better than LeBron James.

Kobe beat LeBron when their teams played-hence, Kobe deserves the MVP. When LeBron’s team beat Kobe’s 5 times in a row, that was an unrelated phenomena to this one, as Kobe won the MVP that season. Hence, we are forced to conclude that Kobe is the better player.

Last year, it was clear that when LeBron said Kobe was the world’s best player, Kobe was the better player. This year, when Kobe said LeBron is the MVP, Kobe is the MVP, as Kobe has a much better midrange game than LeBron. Hence, Kobe Bryant is better than LeBron.

John's notes on the game:

-Kobe was gritty. He made plays. He hit some great shots. He played hurt. Not a dominant performance, but an eminently admirable one.

-We had no answer for Gasol. None. He absolutely murdered us.

-Sasha Vujacic is the devil. Not only is he annoying on defense, but he can steal a run when he gets hot.(HAHAHA!)

-Achilles’ Heel: Derek Fisher. He’s such a good guy you won’t see that printed, but he kills this offense sometimes.

-Ugh, this game was anti-climactic. We got flat-out outplayed. Rejoice in the fact that that’s something that barely ever happens this year.

LAKERS vs CLIPPERS (PRE-GAME REPORT)

The Lakers play on a road game tonight, only to find themselves back in Staples Center just down the hall from their normal lockers. Yes it's another Laker - Clipper game. I honestly think they should bring back The Great Western Forum, just for the Lakers.

The Clippers just recently snapped their 12 game losing streak on Saturday, only to go back to losing against the T-Wolves on Monday. But you can't really blame them. This team since last meeting, has been plagued wit injuries. Losing 4 of their 5(possible) starters in Baron Davis(tailbone), Chris Kaman(foot), Zach Randolph(knee), and Marcus Camby(ankle). And in their absence, the younger guys have been stepping up. Sophomore, Al Thornton leads the way for this L.A. team doing almost everything. Rookie, Eric Gordon and 3rd year player Mardy Collins have been doing it for their frontcourt. But it's still not enough with the toll of this team's injuries.

The Lakers on the other hand just came off a huge win against champ contenders, Cavaliers. Kobe after dislocating his right ring finger still wants to play reguardless of the pain or the team the Lakers are playing. Warrior status right there son! In the two previous games against the Clippers, the Lakers beat the L.A. rivals by margins of 38pts in the first, and 18pts in the second game. Of course at the time they didn't have Zach Randolph yet, but I guess they won't have him tonight either.

Injury prone Clippers will start DeAndre Jordan and Brian Skinner in the absence of their original injured bigs. Which is just lovely since we have Bynum and Pau. Same gameplan tonight, feed it inside! It's a problem for every team that goes up against the Lakers. So why not exploit it? I can't see the Lakers losing this one, though the Clips may get close condidering they're a sub-500. team. Lakers take a win tonight.

Farmar back this suday?

Looks like "Ear" Jordan will be back quicker than we expected. Ahead of schedule are we?

HOOPSWORLD.com

Lakers reserve guard Jordan Farmar might practice Friday or Saturday and could be available to play Sunday against San Antonio.

Farmar, who is averaging 7.9 points and 2.2 assists a game, has sat out 15 games because of torn cartilage in his left knee.

Sasha Vujacic suffered a sprained right ankle against Cleveland, but he practiced Tuesday and is expected to play tonight.

Kobe will play through the pain.

ESPN.com

The Los Angeles Lakers are going too good for Kobe Bryant to take a break.

Despite dislocating the ring finger on his shooting hand in a 105-88 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday, Bryant said that he will play through the pain and try not to miss any time, according to the Los Angeles Times.

"These [injuries] are things that you just don't want to do anything with that hand, let alone play basketball or pound the ball or dribble it or shoot it," Lakers coach Phil Jackson said, according to the newpaper. "It's a lot of difficulty, but it's a trademark of who Kobe is."

Bryant got his finger caught up on LeBron James trying to steal a ball. After the play ended, a grimacing Bryant went to the sidelines and had the finger put back in place by the trainer. He finished the game with 20 points and 12 assists in 41 minutes, but he called the pain "probably the most I'd ever played with," according to the Times.

Bryant, who is third in the league in scoring at 27 points per game, missed practice on Tuesday and was wearing a splint.
Bryant played with a tendon injury in his pinkie last season. Although he said this injury hurt more, he was glad that it wasn't worse.

"It's not fractured or anything like that. I'm happy," he said, according to the L.A. Times. "I just made a stab at the ball and I think I caught it at the right angle. I just felt it slide out of place. At that point, I felt like I had done something much worse than what actually happened."

Farmar back before All-Star break?

L.A Times

Lakers guard Jordan Farmar took part in a series of shooting drills and punctuated it with a dunk half an hour before Monday's game.

Ahead of schedule? Sure looks that way.

"I don't even know what the schedule is," Farmar said, smiling. "But I feel good."

Farmar has missed 15 games because of torn cartilage in his left knee that required surgery last month. He is supposed to be back near the All-Star break, which is more than three weeks away, but his rehabilitation is going well and the Lakers are cautiously optimistic about an early return.

Farmar is averaging 7.9 points and 2.4 assists in 19.6 minutes a game. The hard-charging reserve was injured after stealing the ball and going in for a layup Dec. 19 against Miami.
His return would cause instant relief for Derek Fisher, who had averaged 39.3 minutes in his last nine games before Monday.

"We know we have to get Fish off the floor a little bit," Lakers Coach Phil Jackson said.

The Lakers have experienced a spate of injuries in recent weeks, though Farmar is their last player still on the sidelines.

LAKERS vs CAVALIERS (POST-GAME REPORT)

LAKERS 105 - CAVALIERS 88

A battle of the two best teams from the east and the west, and the leaders of the west came out on top. Just check the scoreboard. Need I say more? The Lakers snap their 2 game losing streak with a win over the No. 1 team in the NBA, the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Lakers, since acquiring Gasol last season, have not lost more and two consecutive games.

There was an early scare in the first quarter when Kobe dislocated his right ring finger while guarding LeBron James. It being a big game and Kobe being Kobe, Gary Vitti just popped that finger right back in its socket and Kobe went on and played through the pain(mind you that he still has a torn ligament in the pinky of that same right hand). The battle between the reigning MVP and this years favorite to win, continued through the night as they both went at it scoring, while at the same time shutting each other down. Though Lebron won the scoring column with 23pts and adding 9rebs and 4asts, Kobe showed exactly why he’s the reigning MVP and put up 20pts while dishing out 12asts! Ladies and gentlemen, Kobe Bryant is a facilitator.

The Lakers did what I thought they should, and exposed the Cavaliers’ lack of size in the paint. Early on in the game they dumped it down to Bynum and Gasol to do some work down low, and the Lakers’ size and length was an obvious advantage. Pau led the Lakers in scoring with 22pts and 12rebs, shooting 11 of 13 from the floor. Bynum aggressively muscled in 14pts and 6rebs(but the kid really needs to work more for the rebounds). Vujacic had a great game tonight who also had 14pts. But it was Ariza’s small, but significant plays that really helped the team tonight.

D-Fish and Sasha did a pretty good job on Mo Williams who scored 16pts, 6rebs, and 5asts.(I know its still high, but I expected for Mo to go off in this game). Pavlovic added 12pts(who the duck?), while Verajao put up a measly 10pts who was bothered by the length of Pau and Drew. This win shows that the Cavaliers still need more improvement in their bench. When LeBron is off the floor, the Cavs seem to struggle and really don’t have anyone else to lead them. Mo Williams is good, but is incapable of being the go-to-guy when the Cavs are LeBron-less.

Lakers show up when they need to, and I guess it does take back-to-back losses for them to wake up. Finally playing the whole 48 minutes of the game and winning the rebound battle with 44, 3 more than Cleveland. They just need to continue that type of play with intensity and consistency. And if they do… Unstoppable.

LAKERS vs CAVALIERS (PRE-GAME REPORT)

Well, whether the Lakers are ready or not, the Cavs are here in Los Angeles to come and play. After two back-to-back, nail biting losses with some questionable calls in both games. The Lakers face the other team battling for the top spot in the NBA. Nope! Not the Boston Celtics... the Cleveland Cavaliers.

The Lakers’ offense is never anything to be worried about. When some struggle, others step up. But the past several games, they’ve been playing some spotty defense. What happened to that spark? What happened to that hunger and intensity? Does it take back-to-back losses to bring back a fiery Kobe Bryant? Whatever it was, they need it back, and they need it now.

The Lakers are now forced to play the full 48 minutes of defense. If they don’t they have the possibility to face the consequence of another loss. The acquisition of Mo Williams during the summer, the defensive mindset LeBron founded in the Beijing Olympics(not to mention the man can score at any given moment), and a tad bit improvement of his surrounding cast, you got a team who are serious contenders for this years’ Championship.

LeBron James is a player who demands a double team. He’s too fast for the stronger defenders and too strong for the faster defenders. If he doesn’t get a shot up, he’ll find the open man. And with shooters that can shoot, and bigs that can finish around the basket, this team can be very hard to stop. Delonte West and Anderson Varejao have proven that they can both put up numbers. Ben Wallace, though not known for his offensive abilities, can be a strong defender.

There’s only one thing that the Cavs Lack. Cleveland lacks size down in the paint, whereas the Lakers have at least 5(maybe 6 if Lamar is down) players who are able to play the center position. So like every team we play, the Lakers must pound the inside all day. Soon after, double teams will come to cover our bigs and then they can use the perimeter game as a second option. Like I said, offense, no problem. Defense is what they need.

Everyone just needs to stay in front of their man. Play hard and smart(non-emotional) defense and I think the Lakers can come out with a win. For some reason I feel Lamar’s length and speed would be able to bother LeBron’s ability to score. Eh, I guess we’ll see.

LAKERS vs MAGIC (POST-GAME REPORT)

LAKERS 103 MAGIC 109

It looked like we were going to win another one at home by a few points. With 1 minute left we actually had the lead. Kobe had a beautiful triple-double tonight, his first since 2005, but the LA Lakers fell short of a win. The Orlando Magic, the best road team in the league, continued their road streak. Too bad it was against our Lakers.

Defense wins championships. We haven't been playing any defense. Jameer Nelson had 15 points in the 4th quarter. Is his middle name Kobe or Air because Jameer Nelson should not score 15 points in the 4th quarter. The Magic basically capitalized on our weaknesses and took advantage of our mistakes. Dwight Howard is a great player, he finished with 25 points and 20 boards. Sometimes there's not much you can do against a player like this, but Andrew Bynum only grabbing a measley 3 rebounds? Inexcuseable.

Some good things that came out of this loss tonight was VladRads shooting and Lamar's driving to the basket. When a team capitalizes on our weaknesses, we must capitalize on our strengths. Vlad was 5-8 from the three point land with 15 points, with all the weapons this team has, teams take a little less notice to Vlad. And everybody knows once he's on, he's on. Let's hope he keeps shooting at a good percentage. But like everybody knows, when he's off, he's off. Lamar was driving to the basket, getting to the line, and finishing. It looked like L.O. finally realized that no one his size can stop him on the dribble and is athletic enough to meet him at the rim. Maybe this will be his breakout game and add a little more venom in our team. Next up? A preview of what might be the NBA Finals. Los Angeles Lakers vs Cleveland Cavaliers.

LAKERS vs SPURS (POST-GAME REPORT)

LAKERS 111 - SPURS 112

"Ring, ring, ring" This is Daily Dynasty calling for a Wake-Up call for the Los Angeles Lakers. The Lakers split the road games with a loss in San Antonio. How did they lose this game? Was it the foul called on Fish during Roger Mason's game winning shot? Or was it the travel called on Ariza when bumped by Manu Ginobli? Should Kobe taken the last shot instead of giving it up?None of the above. WAKE UP L.A.! We can blame the whole game on the questionable call towards the end. But it all comes down to one thing the Lakers failed to do. DEFENSE. If they had played just a little more defense, just a tad bit more(even closing on an open 3-pointer), it would have been a different game.

This was a good test for the Lakers. Though splitting the road games, they did a good job on playing tough back to back games while plagued with injuries. It's a tough loss, a very tough loss, and though I'm sad for it, I'm also kind of glad. Our past several wins were a bit shaky, and I hope this loss wakes the Lakers up. The Lakers need these losses to remind them to put more effort on both ends of the floor. Up next, some more revenge on the Orlando Magic. Who now is only half a game behind us. After this loss, I expect to see some fire in some eyes, especially playing a team they've lost to before.

LAKERS vs ROCKETS (POST-GAME REPORT)

LAKERS 105 ROCKETS 100

Another nailbiter for our beloved Lakers tonite at the Toyota Center in Houston. Former Laker Von Wafer had a career night scoring a career high of 23 points. Kobe spoiled that with a three with 27 seconds left. Mamba dropped 33 points along with 7 rebs and 4 assists, but he did take 32 shots and only made 13 of them. All that didn't matter because he hit the game winner, as usual. Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol had a tough scoring night only scoring 11 a piece. Yao Ming's length disturbed them a little bit, but their shots just weren't falling down. Lamar Odom is back and contributed well on his first outing since his injury. 10 points with 4 rebs and 4 assists and a block, great to see L.O. back out there. Trevor Ariza couldn't miss a shot tonite. Well, he missed A shot tonite. 6-7 shooting ending with 14 points, 5 rebs, 3 assists, a steal and a blocked shot. He also outjumped Yao on a critical jumpball which gave us momentum to win the game. Vlad Rad did pretty good, but his defense is why PJ took him out. 12 points on 5-6 shooting, 2-2 perfect beyond the arc, and also chipped in 6 rebounds. Vlad should capitalize on his starting role and play hard defense like he did in the beginning of the season. There was a caller on am570 after the game saying if RadMan played defense like Trevor Ariza, he would be an "all-star." I'm not sure about all-star, but I am sure that he needs to play defense.


Lakers end the Texas Two-Step tomorrow against the Spurs. This is the first meeting between the teams since last year's Western Conference Playoffs. I'm sure they have something to prove. We should already know what to expect from this team, they just added Roger Mason and George Hill in the line-up. Other than that, it's the same Spurs from 2,000 years ago. Watch out for a low scoring game, hopefully we jump on them early so we can get Fish some rest. It's pretty tiring chasing Tony Parker around, ask Eva. Bynum and Gasol have another star postman to deal with in Tim Duncan. They need to get their offensive rhythm going again so that Duncan will fatigue on defends and suffer on offense. I can't wait to see the 6th man matchup between Manu Ginobli and Lamar Odom. Will Lamar step up to the challenge? Or will Manu get the best of him? Tip off at 6pm!

LAKERS vs ROCKETS (PRE-GAME REPORT)

The Lakers start their Texas Two-Step tonight with the Houston Rockets. Tracy McGrady and Ron Artest will be out suffering from injuries. It shouldn't be a problem, right? Andrew Bynum has a tough matchup against the tallest player in the league, Yao Ming. He is also one of the best centers we have. Very high basketball IQ, ability to shoot, pass, and rebound. His weakness is when he gets roughed up, let's hope Bynum goes strong to the rack and continue with his great play and consistency. Pau should come back strong tonite and continue his efficiency. His 18 rebounds against the Heat is what really made me not worry about him, he will take his shots tonight.

Jeff Van Gundy says that the Rockets are the team to beat in the west. Their record states otherwise. The Rockets are 24-15, which isn't bad at all. But the Lakers are the first team in the west with 30 wins and only 6 losses. Without their star players tonight, the Rockets look for other options on the scoring end and will throw Shane Battier all over Kobe. Don't think Kobe doesn't remember how everyone says Battier is the new "Kobe-Stopper." Look for Kobe to just school Battier tonite. Houston, we have a problem.

LAKERS vs HEAT (POST-GAME REPORT)

LAKERS 108 - HEAT 105
"Damn, no free tacos, but I'll take the win." said Ant(a friend of ours). Yes Ant, we shall and will take that win. The Lakers take the win from Miami in this game that came all the way down to the wire. It wasn't too pretty but yes we'll take it.

Like I've said before, it's great that this Laker team is deep. When our stars' shooting is a tad below the norm, there's others on this Laker team that WILL step up. In this game, it was the big man, Mr. A-Train Bynum himself who managed to get himself 24pts and 6rebs, and was the man who pretty much clinched the win for us on the put-back off of Kobe's missed shot. I knew he would take care of business. VladRad also had himself a game with 18pts on 6 of 10 shooting.

Though Kobe had a bit fewer points than were used to, he still managed 19pts while dishing out 7 asts(which I thought he was doing way too much in the 1st half). And even with a combined 9-28 for Pau and Fish, they both pulled double-doubles with 14pts, 18rebs(yes, 18rebs) for Pau, and 13pts, and 11asts for D-Fish.

The Lakers were able to keep Wade from scoring a bit less than 35, but that man still conjured 27pts and 9asts. Beasley was hot shooting that mid range and added 23pts to his Heat scoreboard. But other than those two, I honestly didn't care or worry about those other Heat players, even Marion.

It was again a mixture of some players stepping up, and our rebounds, and chances at the line that helped up with this win. But the Lakers need to start playing a more cleaner game, with less turnovers. Up next is the boys in Texas, where the guys from NASA report their problems to. Yes, Houston my friends, Houston.

Odom Update.

LA Daily News

Lamar Odom did not practice Saturday and will not play tonight against the Miami Heat. A bone bruise in his right knee continues to cause him pain. He cannot jump or run or stop or start as he usually does, so he cannot play.

"It doesn't have the strength I want it to have," Odom said. "I can play with pain. My life is painful. I'm living it, you know what I'm saying? So, a knee? It's not ready. It's not stable enough."

Odom plans to accompany the Lakers on their two-game trip to play at Houston on Tuesday and San Antonio on Wednesday. But he was uncertain whether he could play in either game. He said he would travel in order to continue treatment "twice a day and try to get back on the court. ... I can't help (the team) from the bench"

Odom attended Friday's game against the Indiana Pacers but did not make an appearance on the Lakers' bench. He spent most of the time in the training room getting treatment.

He said he did not wish to be seen by Lakers fans.

"I'm still sad about my injury," he said. "I haven't gotten over it yet."

He was injured when he collided with Chris Paul of the New Orleans Hornets late in the second quarter of the Lakers' loss Tuesday. His left foot got tangled between Paul's legs. His right leg bore the brunt of his weight as he and Paul crashed into each other.

"It was crazy what happened," Odom said as he explained how he was injured. "But it could have been worse. ... Freaky, freaky, freaky"

Asked about his progress, or lack thereof, Odom said, "I can take stationary jump shots, but that's it. It gets fatigued really fast, too."

LAKERS vs HEAT (PRE-GAME REPORT)

In the Last meeting between these two teams, Kobe had a chance to tie the game with a shot up as the time expired, only to have the ball go in and out. Kobe and Wade went back and forth in an effort to win the game for their team. But it was Dwayne Wade's will to win who came out on top and snapped the Heat's 3 game losing streak.

At the time of the last game, the Lakers we all healthy, till of course early in the fourth when Farmar was injured. But could we be able to beat a team who has already beaten us, while we were complete? Of course got dammit!

Here's where I think we went wrong last meeting. First off, the Heat did not have any inside presence, and we failed to feed it to our bigs effectively. Our Offense should begin in the paint(I mean isn't that how the triangle works?) and not to mention, our bigs have been showing up in a big way lately. And secondly, Wade will be Wade and that man will score, but to allow him to drop 35 on us? Blasphemy! Last time I saw a little zone, which is good. But this is where Bynum and Pau really need to step up. Penetration from Wade is inevitable but when he gets in there, Bynum and Pau MUST contest every single shot.

The Lakers bench really, really needs to step up. With 3 players out, the starters play more minutes because we have yet to see some production off the bench(with the exception of a few). Ariza chooses to come off the bench, which is why Phil only started him once. Sasha has been making some really stupid decisions lately, offensively and more frequent, defensively.

The starters on the other hand(with the exception of VladRad), have been playing well. Fish is always Fish but Pau and Bynum are playing like monsters. Kobe has found that bounce in his step and is choosing his shots. And with that being said, I think tonight will be a shootout between the captain of the teams.

PJ takes shots at the Machine and Space Cadet

Lakers coach Phil Jackson took some shots at reserves Sasha Vujacic and Vladimir Radmanovic on Friday.

Both players have been asked to provide more minutes because of injuries.

"We just had to come to the conclusion that Sasha's just an emotional player that plays by the seat of his pants, and that's about it. He just doesn't have a brain," Jackson said Friday. "He's just out there whacking away and working really hard. He's not using his head out there at times. We're working with him, hoping that he will."

The coach knocked Radmanovic as well, who is starting, but wasn't Jackson's first choice.

"He really hasn't merited starting, there's no doubt about it," Jackson said. "Now with Luke [Walton] and Lamar [Odom] out for that time period, I really think we're almost forced to use him for those early minutes in the ballgame and hoping he can give us something in the process."

via Yahoo!

LAKERS vs PACERS (POST-GAME REPORT)

LAKERS 121 - PACERS 119

Ok so I said we'd win by 20 tonight, I meant 2. There was no defense from both teams throughout the game. I mean both teams shooting at 60%, you've got to be wide open. The Pacers tested the Lakers weakness in spreading the floor with a big man shooting 3's. They prospered. Troy Murphy scored 24 points and was 6 of 9 from the 3 point line like he does it all the time. Danny Granger scored 28 points but fouled out in the 4th quarter trying to swipe at Kobe. Who does that? Know your rank Granger! Kobe, Kobe, Kobe. Our MVP did it again. 3 rebounds shy of a triple double. 13 assists (season high) and 36 points, including the game winner over Jarret Jack (Ne-Yo) with 3 seconds left. Which eventually led to an inbound play in which Jeff Foster looked like Luke Walton with INDECISION written all over his face. Thank the Laker Gods it went in his hands.

Our bigs came through tonite. Mr. Efficient doing it big again. 9-13 from the field with 21 points and 11 rebounds. He is making fantasy basketball a lot easier for me. Andrew Bynum followed Pau with 20 points of his own shooting 80% only taking 10 shots. Imagine if both of these guys took 20 shots a game? We got a little something from everyone off the bench tonite. Trevor Ariza was perfect from the line and ended with 10 points. Josh Powell got some decent minutes off the bench and showcased some of his skills with 10 points 2 boards and a steal. Sasha had 8 points but took 12 horrible shots, he needs to take a little more time and read the floor better to back up at the 1 spot.

This starts the revenge weekend. A victory over the Pacers is a given, they haven't won at Staples EVER, although it took a little extra push to get the W. Next up, Miami Heat. I know Kobe accepts the challenge from Dwayne Wade and wants to get a little revenge after losing in Miami a couple of weeks ago. If it goes down to the wire and Kobe takes the last shot again, my money says Kobe drains nothing but net, but let's hope it doesnt' go down to that. We have to feed the bigs inside again since the Heat have lack of post men. Thank you in advance Miami for our 30th win. =)

LAKERS vs PACERS (PRE-GAME REPORT)

The day of our 2nd year anniversary, my girlfriend and I were having a beautiful day. My girlfriend and I went out to dinner and were headed to a wonderful play "Wicked" at Pantages. On the way to the musical my heart was broken. While listening to AM570, I envisioned the Lakers dropping a 15 point lead. I heard Marquis Daniels miss a layup at the buzzer and I heard Troy Murphy get the tip in. The Pacers won 118 - 117 to our beloved Lakers.

Look for our Lakers to get revenge tonight and not lose any type of lead. This is the only team that beat both the Lakers and Celtics. The C's blew them out the next time they met, let's hope to do the same tonite. Pau and Bynum were monstrous on the inside against the Warriors, let's hope they can do the same tonight. Trevor Ariza is day-to-day. Meaning day-to-day he just keeps getting better. 17 points and 9 rebounds, if he can come through with that every night, just give us the O'Brien already. Kobe is just Kobe, amazing shooting recently, shooting better than 50 percent in the last 5 or 6 games, the man is just nuts. The bench mob really have to come through tonite with or without bench leader Lamar Odom who is out with a bone bruise to the right knee. Without Odom, Farmar, and Walton, our passing really goes out the window. So while spreading the floor it would be nice to see RadMan and Sasha get their assist game going on.

Mike Dunleavy is back for the Pacers, this will be his 2nd game back after suffering from a knee injury. In his debut he scored 14 pts in 20 minutes off the bench. Danny Granger has been playing out of his mind and there is no doubt in my mind that he will be in Pheonix this february for the all-star game. Let's throw Kobe and Ariza at him because he doesn't play well on the road with top notch defenders in his grill. Look for the Lakers to send fans home with tacos tonight and win by 20. Payback is a ... Yes, it's true.

Sir Charles takes Leave of Absence.

Obviously not Laker news but my favorite sports analyst from NBA on TNT won't be there for now. LEAVE BARKLEY ALONE!

ESPN.com
PHOENIX -- Charles Barkley is taking a leave of absence from the broadcast booth.

The announcement by Turner Sports came Friday, hours after police said the 45-year-old former NBA star was legally drunk when police arrested him Dec. 31 on suspicion of drunken driving in Scottsdale, Ariz.

Test results show Barkley had a blood-alcohol level at .149, nearly twice the legal limit of .08 in Arizona.

While waiting for results of the blood test, TNT considered suspending Barkley if the results showed his blood-alcohol content was over the legal limit, a source told ESPN.com.

Barkley will be off the air for a minimum of several weeks and no return date has been set, a person familiar with the situation told The Associated Press. The person requested anonymity because he was not authorized to discuss it.

LAKERS vs WARRIORS (POST-GAME REPORT)

LAKERS 114 - WARRIORS 106
The Lakers were caught again in a close game, but they were able to close out the fourth despite being down by 3 points at the beginning of the quarter. There were numerous lead changes and game ties, and flashbacks of the game the prior night gave them the motivation to push through the deficit and win the game in Oakland. And even with some injuries to some significant players on both teams, it was still a high scoring game.

Kobe again effortlessly scored an easy 21pts, 5rebs, and 5asts. But it was Purple Spain who redeemed himself from last night's poor performance. Pau put up a monstrous 33pts, and a career high 18 rebounds, and 8 of them were offensive. I think he even dislocated Brandan Wright's shoulder as Pau dunked through his arm. Bynum also had some anger to release with another double-double of 18pts, and 11rebs.

Ariza was 6-10 from the field and chipped in 17pts and 9rebs. Ariza a knockdown shooter? Sasha had 12pts but was only 3 for 13 from the field and only hit two 3-pointers from 8 attempts. VladRad was a bagel. There was a Sun Yue sighting, but after 3mins with a turnover and a block, he never set foot on the floor again. I will say that Josh Powel impressed me last night. Despite having only 4pts and 4rebs, they weren't easy rebounds to begin with.

Though only scoring 12pts, Andris Biedrins also had 17rebs, 8asts, 3stls, and 3blks. So much for limiting his rebounds. Jamal Crawford added 25pts and 9asts but had to throw up 26 shots to get those points. Corey Maggette who seemed to never miss had 19pts and 6rebs, but fouled out in the fourth quarter.

The Difference in this game was the Lakers' 51 rebounds, and 27 made free throws. And even though the refs let the guys play through some physical play(especially the no-calls on Kobe), the Lakers were able to get to the line. Up next is some revenge as the Lakers host the Indiana Pacers.

Injury to Odom is not serious.

Associated Press

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. -- Tests showed Lamar Odom's right knee injury is not serious, and the Los Angeles Lakers forward is day to day.

Odom, injured late in the second quarter of Tuesday night's 116-105 loss to New Orleans, was examined by team physician Dr. Steve Lombardo on Wednesday. An MRI revealed a bone bruise in the knee.

Odom did not travel for Wednesday night's game at Golden State, but could return as early as Friday when the Lakers play host to Indiana.

The 29-year-old forward scored 12 points in 13 minutes before being injured Tuesday. He is averaging 8.8 points, 6.1 rebounds and 26.2 minutes per game

LAKERS vs WARRIORS (PRE-GAME REPORT)

Coming off a disappointing loss to the New Orleans Hornets. The Lakers head north to Oakland to face the Golden State Warriors once again. In the last meeting between these two teams, it was strictly offense. With both teams at the time being the top two scoring teams, they both broke over a hundred without breaking a sweat.

With Monta Ellis still injured, and Stephen Jackson just recently injured, they still got plenty of offensive firepower. And with Corey Maggette back in the line-up, gives them another scoring option. Last time Jamal Crawford was able to score 22 points on us and Andris Biedris was able to grab an easy 17 rebounds.Kobe scored an easy 31pts and added 4asts, and 4stls in the last meeting. Fish scored 19pts while Pau and Bynum had 13pts a piece. Sasha took advantage of increased minutes and was able to score a season high 17pts.

Though the Lakers won the rebound battle last meeting, need to crash boards tonight and limit Biedris rebounds. With the Lakers dropping like flies, more people from the bench need to step it up offensively and more than ever, defensively.

L.O. Update

Lamar Odom hyperextended his right knee tonight against the Hornets while chasing down Chris Paul for a layup and landing awkardly on his planted foot.

He is said to have an MRI tomorrow morning and will not be on the charter flight tonight with the team going to Oakland.

There is no official report yet, but as soon as the news comes in we'll be sure to relay it. Stay tough L.O.!

Lakers interested in another former Laker

I was just talking to my buddies about this the other day, I think we need someone familiar with the offense and who will definitely play and get solid minutes.

Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak and coach Phil Jackson remain quiet on what, if anything, the team plans to do about fortifying the backcourt situation that was weakened when guard Jordan Farmar went down with a knee injury.

Farmar routinely wanders onto the court, after the Lakers’ practices, but in all likelihood he won’t be ready to play again until after next month’s All-Star break.

Team spokesman John Black recently said that the team would not sign anyone simply to sit on the bench. But sources close to the team told me that the Lakers are keeping a close watch on the status of former Lakers guard Chucky Atkins, who is with the Denver Nuggets.

Atkins has played in 14 of Denver’s 36 games and is averaging 1.9 points and 2.0 assists. Denver has been dumping players and purging their roster since last summer to avoid a hefty luxury tax hit. They have made more deals than a harried swap-meet merchant.

It is possible that the Nuggets might trim the roster ever more before Saturday, when all NBA contracts become guaranteed for the season.

via OC register

LAKERS vs HORNETS (POST-GAME REPORT)

LAKERS 105 HORNETS 116

Kobe Bryant played out of his mind tonight. Too bad he didn't continue into the 4th quarter. 39 points, 4 rebs, 7 assists. All in vain. Tonight the Lakers lost to the Hornets.

David West was remarkable with 40 points and 10 rebounds. Chris Paul has proven again how truly talented he is. 32 points, 15 assists and 0, yes ZERO turnovers. These 2 pretty much took the game from us. Pau Gasol didn't show up in the first half shooting 0-4, he finished with 10 pts and 8 rebounds. Andrew Bynum was somewhere hiding with 7 points and 8 rebounds. Unacceptable play from our bigs tonight, there are no excuses. Lamar was getting off to a great start with 12 points, but hyperextended his knee from a bad landing before halftime.

A great game to watch, until the final buzzer sounded. It still stings. It looks like the Lakers get comfortable after winning streaks. Maybe it was because we beat NOH on their home court twice, but tonight you can definitely tell that the Hornets wanted to prevent that from happening at Staples. I still don't believe they can beat the Lakers in a 7 game series, I still don't believe they are good enough to contend for a championship. They did have a great game, when I say they, I mean Chris Paul and David West. Kobe will mark the next time he meets Chris Paul and drop 50 on him that day, mark my words. Next up, our old pal Ronny with the team named after him, the Warriors.

LAKERS vs HORNETS (PRE-GAME REPORT)

The 1st and 2nd place teams in the western conference face-off tonite. The Los Angeles Lakers are looking to improve there record to 28-5 and maintain the number one spot in the entire NBA. The Hornets, on the other hand, are trying to earn their first win against the Lakers tonite to try and at least split the season series. This is the third meeting between the teams. The Hornets seem to be frustrated with the Lakers defense and even if L.A. doesn't contain all-star Chris Paul, they try and slow him down as much as possible. Los Angeles is determined to have home court advantage throughout the playoffs. It may be an excuse, it may be me talking from a bitter mouth, but I truly believe that if we had homecourt last year, we would be the reigning champions. “It’s obviously important to have home-court advantage, so we look at it as a challenge to achieve that goal,” reigning league MVP Kobe Bryant said. The LakeShow is 15-1 at home. Winning 2 in NOH isn't a very simple task, winning at Staples? "There's no place like home!"

Shaun Livingston Anyone?

Livingston had a devastating injury, and hasn't found any type of playing time for the Heat. But before his injury he was a great scoring point guard. I think he would be perfect for the triangle and would add depth and length to our already strong bench. Sound-off!

According to a report published by the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, the Miami Heat informed guard Shaun Livingston last night after the team's loss to San Antonio that he has been released.

An official announcement is expected on Tuesday morning.

According to the report, Livingston's release is more because of luxury tax reasons rather than his health. He had been attempting a comeback from a gruesome Feb. 26, 2007 knee injury that left him with a dislocated left kneecap and three torn ligaments.

Livingston seemingly had grown increasingly frustrated over his lack of opportunity, displaying disappointment over his nightly spot on the inactive list.

With the release, the Heat could utilize the vacated roster spot on a 10-day contract with another player or hold it open for a return by center Alonzo Mourning, who is rehabilitating from a Dec. 2007 knee injury.

Via South Florida Sun-Sentinel

LAKERS vs BLAZERS (POST-GAME REPORT)

LAKERS 100 BLAZERS 86

Our Los Angeles Lakers are now the number one seed in the NBA. At 27-5, the Lakers own the best record throughout the league. Thanks to Boston and Cleveland for losing, and thanks to Portland for our W. Our 6th straight win since our Florida "hiccup." Our 15th straight win at home.

“It’s obviously important to have homecourt advantage, so we look at it as a challenge to achieve that goal,” Bryant said. “Obviously we have a long way to go. It’s a great opportunity. We have quite a few home games here, so we look forward to trying to stretch this out a little bit. We have plenty more gears to go to. Plenty more. I haven’t even played in third gear yet.”

The Mamba hasn't played in third gear yet, but has been playing out of his mind! I can't wait until he hits the clutch and shifts during the playoffs. He had another great night with 26 points off of 11-19 shooting, 2 rebs and 3 assists.

“They came out with the momentum in the third quarter and took over the game,” LaMarcus Aldridge said. “A lot of guys had open shots. We just didn’t make them. Kobe kind of took over and did what he does.”

Pau Gasol had another efficient night on 7 of 9 shooting for 19 points, 5 rebs, 2 assists and a steal. He was also 5 of 6 from the stripe. Luke Walton was out of the line-up with an injured foot, Trevor Ariza took his place. Ariza didn't make a field goal but added to his stat line from every aspect. 4 pts, 5 rebs, 2 assists, 2 steals, 2 blocks, and many deflections which led to steals. Sasha had a great night with 11 big points, shooting 50% beyond the arc. Radmanovic took advantage of getting playing time today and scored 16 big points off the bench. What's great about Vlad off the bench is that when he is called on, he's not afraid to step up and knock down shots. Keep them coming Vlad. This Greg Oden (10pts, 4rebs), Andrew Bynum (4pts, 10rebs) matchup isn't so exciting, they pretty much cancel each other out. Let's hope Drew can elevate his game especially against the more veteran bigs in the league, we need him ready June.

Next up are the New Orleans Hornets. I do think Chris Paul is an excellent player, and could be the best point guard in the league. I just don't think they have the rest of the tools to really compete. Peja Stojacavic is back and is apparently healthy, lets see if that makes a difference. Let's look for the Lakers to give them deja vu from a couple weeks ago with a big win, because honestly, despite the New Orleans being 2nd place in the west, I think the Hornets are OVERRATED.

LAKERS vs BLAZERS (PRE-GAME REPORT)

Coming off an awesome win over the Utah Jazz, the Lakers once again host the Portland Trailblazers, who gave the Boston Celts’ their 5th loss of the season about a week ago. Even without Brandon Roy, Portland was able to pull out a “W” against Boston. For this Portland team, when others need to step up, they have the players to do so.

The last time these two teams met, Greg Oden’s NBA debut was ruined due to an ankle injury early in the game, when he awkwardly landed on Fisher’s foot. Back in the line-up and time to settle in, Oden has developed into a big presence in the paint. If not offensively, then defensively. The match up of Bynum and Oden was one that was anticipated by fans of both teams. With Bynum’s game somewhat decreasing(mainly offensively), and Oden’s somewhat increasing, it can mean trouble for the Lakers.

With Roy out, Portland still has many other offensive options in Outlaw, Blake, Aldridge, Oden, and newly acquired Spain Olympian Rudy Fernandez who also made his NBA debut against the Lakers. Rudy, a possible contestant for this year’s slam dunk contest, has shown some athleticism getting to the basket and is also a pretty good shooter. Outlaw and Aldridge are guys who seem to stay away from the paint and score around the perimeter.

All guys the Lakers can handle defensively. Blake on the other hand can possibly give us problems, with the Lakers trouble in guarding the point. But if Lakers use the strong-side zone and execute correctly, Blake can be funneled to our big guys who can deny him penetration. And since Oden and Prezbilla not able to shoot the mid-range shot too well, our bigs stay down low.

Look for Kobe to have a big game tonight(who seems to always shoot the Blazers to death). Bynum needs to man up and show some aggression and intelligence(that jump hook may not work against Oden). Pau, just needs to be Pau. Fish needs to turn the defense up a little tonight. And the rest just need to do their job and the Lakers will be fine. I don’t expect anything less than a win.

LAKERS vs JAZZ (POST-GAME REPORT)

LAKERS 113 JAZZ 100

los angeles (AP)

Sure, Kobe Bryant scored 40 points, but it was Trevor Ariza’s quick hands that saved the Los Angeles Lakers.

Ariza came up with two of his season-high five steals in the last 2:22 and scored two fast-break baskets to help the Lakers beat the Utah Jazz 113-100 Friday night for their fifth straight win and 17th in 18 home games.

“Two plays in a row Trevor changed the game,” Lakers coach Phil Jackson said. “He anticipates well. He’s a cobra out there and he just strikes.”

Ariza had a dazzling 19-second stretch in which he swiped the ball, scored on a fast-break driving layup, got fouled, got another steal and scored on a layup. With 34 seconds left, he dunked on a fast break off a pass from Pau Gasol.

“I got in some passing lanes and I made some big plays,” Ariza said. “If we want to win, that’s how we’re going to do it, on the defensive end.”

Ariza finished with 12 points, nine rebounds and the five steals.

“He was making great plays,” Jazz coach Jerry Sloan said. “We put it right out there for him to get. I think I could’ve gotten a steal on those two.”

Gasol added 21 points, giving him 10,001 for his career, and had 11 rebounds for the Lakers, who were coming off a four-day break.

Mehmet Okur had 21 points and 13 rebounds for the Jazz, who have lost four of their last six and three in a row on the road, where they are 7-11. Ronnie Brewer added 20 points, and Deron Williams had 10 points and 12 assists.

“I thought we gave ourselves a chance,” Williams said. “We have a chance to beat them once we get healthy and once we get everyone back and start playing like what we are capable of.”

Paul Millsap extended his streak of double-doubles to 17—longest active in the NBA—with 16 points and 17 rebounds despite playing with a strained left leg ligament that had kept him out of Utah’s three previous games.

Bryant was 12-of-14 at the line and the Lakers were 32-of-42 overall.

Down 15 points to start the fourth quarter, Utah outscored the Lakers 11-2 to get within seven. Lamar Odom’s driving dunk gave the Lakers back their double-digit lead only to see Utah take it away again.

The Lakers didn’t help themselves when Bryant missed two consecutive shots and Odom turned the ball over before Andrei Kirilenko scored off his own steal to draw the Jazz to 97-93 with 2:59 remaining.

Jackson said Bryant “tried to do too much” in the fourth quarter and Gasol didn’t get established inside like he did in the first half.

But it was all Los Angeles in the final 2:38. Ariza grabbed an offensive rebound and scored off Derek Fisher’s air ball to keep the Lakers ahead 104-93. Bryant hit a late 3-pointer and Ariza dunked to dismiss the team they played in last season’s Western Conference semifinals, where the Lakers won in six games.

Bryant said Ariza makes a huge difference for Los Angeles defensively.

“Defensively is the part that is kind of sticking out for him right now, but he is a good, well-rounded player,” Bryant said.

The Jazz whittled a 13-point deficit to three points on C.J. Miles’ 3-pointer with 5 1/2 minutes left in the third. They opened the quarter by outscoring the Lakers 19-8, helped by five in a row by Brewer.

But the Lakers repelled the threat. Andrew Bynum’s one-handed block sent Williams sprawling to the court, then Williams missed and Miles committed two consecutive turnovers while the Lakers kept converting on each possession.

By the end of the third, Los Angeles extended its lead to 81-66 with a 17-4 run during which the Jazz was held without a field goal and Sloan and Williams received technicals during separate timeouts.

Bryant rested the first 5 minutes of the second, with the Lakers building their largest lead of 20 points as he watched from the bench. He made his presence felt upon returning by scoring off a driving dunk and hitting a 3-pointer that made it 53-33. Gasol scored the Lakers’ final four points that sent them into halftime with a 57-43 lead.

The Lakers built a 17-point lead in the opening quarter behind 55 percent field-goal shooting. The Jazz hit just 8-of-22 with Okur scoring 10 points while playing all 12 minutes.