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.

Kobe "Heartless"

Here's a video I found of Kobe. I thought "wouldn't it be sick if there was a Kobe Mix with Heartless playing in the backround?" so I typed it in and found my way to this one.

LD2k Presents: “The Incredible Bynum 2” (Ft. Silo)

Here's a new vid from LD2K to commemorate Bynum's return. The whole trailer back round is a bit tacky for me but hey, I love anything Lakers..

LAKERS vs NUGGETS (PRE-GAME REPORT)

Well what do you know? The Lakers are back at home to face the Denver Nuggets. Though not in the "Mile-High" city, ice runs through these Lakers' veins, as they get ready to serve that cold dish called "Revenge." Tonight they face the Nuggets in their 4th and final meeting of the season. And since that horrible road loss in Denver not too long ago. I know these Lakers are ready to play these guys. And if revenge wasn't bad enough for these Nuggs, they also have the privilege of welcoming Bynum back from his injury.

In the previous meeting between the two, the Nuggets took the win against the Lakers. And though neither team played anywhere near a good game, the Lakers were just a bit more off in their offense. Both teams shot horrible from 3, with the Nuggets shooting 14.3% from beyond the arc, while the Lakers shot 9.5%. They were also 29.8% from the entire field. Every Laker starter struggled while the bench did worse, only putting up a combined 7pts. You know what that mean't; Kobe to the rescue, but 31 attempts does not equal 31 baskets. He only hit 10 of them.

The Lakers always seem to do good in guarding Melo, but fail to hold off some of the others. J.R. Smith has been great comming off the bench and as of late, has been averaging 21ppg in his past five games. Chris Andersen isn't much of a scorer, but gives them great defensive energy off the bench. He grabs rebounds, and blocks shots, while still managing to keep a hand in your face. But the Glue and reason for their success has been Chauncy Billups. He can create for the team while also looking for shots of his own. But most of all he brings that defensive mindset to them.

Honestly, we don't have to change much on how we usually play them. If our offense clicks and we play some sort of defense, we should be alright. But one thing is definite; the bench needs to continue what they're doing. And if Bynum starts tonight, Odom will be that glue to hold the bench mob together.

Source: Bynum to return vs. Nuggets.

THANK YOU! What every Laker fan has been waiting for. Yes, Bynumite is back buddy. I'm sure every other team is shakin' in their boots. Or Sneakers... As they should be.

ESPN: Los Angeles Lakers center Andrew Bynum will return to action Thursday against the Denver Nuggets, according to a source close to the Lakers.

Bynum, the team's budding star at center, has missed the past 32 games after suffering atorn medial collateral ligament in his right knee Jan. 31 at Memphis. The source said Lakers coach Phil Jackson telephoned Bynum Tuesday night and told him he was going to be activated for Thursday's game.

Jackson has said recently that Bynum probably will start once he returns, a move that likelywill send Lamar Odom back to the bench.

Bynum has practiced with the teamsince the Lakers returned from theirseven-game road trip last week. After moving, twisting, running and jumping without hesitation in several practices, Bynum began lobbying Jackson to return.

Click here to read more.

LAKERS vs KINGS (POST-GAME REPORT)

LAKERS 122 - KINGS 104

The Lakers pull out an easy and for the most part, successful win against the once rivaled Sacramento, Kings on the road. But if you looked around in the crowd, you could have swore you were in Los Angeles. "There's nothing but Lakers fans here now. It's basically a home game for us. It really was. Things have changed quite a bit" said, Mr. Kobe Bryant.

The Kings came out firing and hit shot after shot making their first 4 three pointers and finished the first quarter shooting over 70%. But the Lakers quickly answered with a 40 point 2nd quarter while holding Sacramento to only 18. From then on the Lakers pushed through, and while Sacramento cut a Laker 24 point lead once, they never came closer than 10. Other than some brief mins from Pau, no Laker starter set foot on the floor in the fourth. Yes, it was that kind of night.

Pau led all scorers and finished with an imprssive 26pts and 12 rebs, on 11 for 16 shooting. And finally played less than 40 mins. Kobe had 22pts, 5rebs, 4asts, and 2stls despite not playing in the fourth. Odom was great with 15pts and 11rebs on hugely efficient 6 for 7 shooting. Can someone explain why this man only had 7 attepmts for the game?? Fish had a bad night with 3pts, on a horrible 1-6 shooting, while Ariza added a quiet 14 points.

The bench looked great and accounted for 42 points! It's honestly hard for me to say who performed the best out of the bench. Was it Luke's leadership with 9asts while also putting up 11pts? Shannon Brown's huge spark and energy with 9pts and 2stls? Or was it Sasha's 12pts and monster dunk on two or three guys? I have no clue, but who knew that the Machine was capable of making posters? That dunk was flat out NASTY! Made you put that "Ooooh" face on you.

Spencer Hawes led the Kings in scoring with 21pts, as in rebounds with 15 of those bad boys. Fransico Garcia seemed to hit everything early on in the game but just didn't get enough shot attempts and finished with 19pts. Forward, Jason Thompson also had a double-double of 18pts and 11rebs. Beno Udrih looked like he got in the paint everytime he wanted to but only finished with 14pts, and 6asts. Nocioni and Greene added 10 points a piece.

The Lakers starters did their job, and the bench did enough so the starter didn't do more tha they should and got a little more rest. But all in all they did something they haven't done in a while, and finished the game up really well. Up Next, some more revenge time against Melo and the Denver Nuggets.

Clips Put Scare Into Lakers, Lakers Barely Win

LAKERS 88 - CLIPPERS 85

The Lakers were doing great. They had a 19 point lead in the 4th quarter. kobe and Co. were sitting on the bench with ice wrapped around their knees. The fans were ready to celebrate. Then the lead was 10. Phil Jackson was upset and pulled the bench off the floor and reinserted the starters. Then the lead was 1. A total meltdown of the Lakers.

Kobe had 18 points on a horrible 5 of 15 shooting. Pau had 14 and 9 on 5-12 shooting. Unusual from the 1-2 combo but the final part of our "Big Three" did his part. Lamar Odom had 18 points and 10 rebounds on 60 % shooting.

The Bench Mob. After many praises in the beginning of the season, the bench has turned in a total 180. Their scoring output has decreased, their defense has lapsed, and they have been outplayed. A big factor may be that Lamar and Trevor usually come off the bench, which takes away massive firepower for the second unit. A silver lining is Andrew Bynum. Just days away, Bynum may fix all of our problems. He will put everyone back to their natural positions. He may start OR come off the bench. And he can add that defensive presence that has been lacking in the middle.

On a good note, the Lakers came out victorious. Good thing the Clippers don't know how to close out games. Kobe went to the free throw line and Pau hit the big shot to give us space. Thank the Basketball Gods Baron took a double pump awkward 3 pointer. It kind of reminded me of the Zack Randolph shot against Lebron and the Cavs.

Up next, "Road Revenge." Remember in the beginning of the season when we were blown out by the Queens? YES, the QUEENS! It's time to pay them back for many countless nightmares. Tip-off Tuesday at 7:30.

Lakers Earn Win No. 60

LAKERS 93 - ROCKETS 81

The Lakers earned win No. 60 at home in front of their fans against the Houston Rockets. This is the first time the Lakers hit the 60 win mark since Phil Jackson's first stint with the Lakers.

Kobe had a pretty efficient night going for 20 points on only 7-11 shooting. He also dished out 7 assists en route of the 12 point victory. Lamar had 9 points and 11 rebounds just shy of another double double, who has been a big threat against the Rockets and a big part of the season sweep. The matchup up of Pau and Yao was excellent. Yao's 16 and 10 was overshadowed by Pau's 23 and 10. Gasol also added 3 steals and a block to seal the deal against Yao.

Next up, rommates at the Staples Center, the L.A. Clippers.

Here Comes Bynum?

There has been much speculation that Lakers Center Andrew Bynum will return to close out the regular season. Some have said he will be on the court within the next two weeks. Some have pin pointed the date April 12 against the dreaded Memphis Grizzlies, the team where both injuries have plagued the young Center.



Is it too early to be excited?

Maybe. Last season, many were almost certain Bynumite would be playing during the playoffs and he obviously would have made a difference in our battle in the Finals. But the day never came, and neither did our party on Figueroa.

Maybe Not. This is a TOTALLY different injury from the one he suffered last year. It's the opposite knee and healed a whole lot faster. He actually participated in a small practice on Thursday.

Whether Bynum returns or not, the Lakers are clearly a better team than last year, but having our big man back would make us all the more better. Here comes Bynum!

Lakers End 7 Game Road Trip With Victory in Milwaukee.

MILWAUKEE(AP)

Kobe Bryant rebounded from a rough shooting night to hit his first seven from the field and score 30 points, Pau Gasol had eight of his 15 in the fourth quarter, and the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Milwaukee Bucks 104-98 on Wednesday night.

Lamar Odom added 20 points and 10 rebounds for the Lakers, who were playing the finale of a grueling seven-game road trip and coming off two straight losses.

Ramon Sessions had his first career triple-double for the Bucks, who fell four games out of the Eastern Conference's final playoff spot. Sessions finished with 16 points, 16 assists and 10 rebounds.

With Milwaukee leading by two early in the fourth quarter, Gasol dunked and was fouled, completing the three-point play to give the Lakers an 85-84 lead. Gasol would score three more points in an 11-2 run, putting Los Angeles ahead 93-86 on a free throw with just over six minutes remaining.

Richard Jefferson made a driving layup, but Gasol answered with a hook shot and Bryant converted a three-point play after being fouled on a layup.

A 3-pointer by Jefferson and a jumper by Charlie Villanueva cut the Lakers' lead to five with 2:39 left. Jefferson came up with a steal, but Sessions missed a jumper.

Sessions, who briefly left the game earlier in the quarter after colliding with the Lakers' Josh Powell, then made a pair of free throws with 52 seconds left to cut the lead to three.

Bryant missed a jumper, but Jordan Farmar corralled a long rebound and Bryant was fouled, putting the game away with a pair of free throws.

Jefferson finished with 29 points for Milwaukee.

Los Angeles shot poorly and showed other signs of fatigue in consecutive losses at Atlanta and Charlotte after beginning the trip with four straight victories, but played well enough Wednesday to finish the road trip 5-2.

Bryant was 7-for-7 from the field in the first half, making shot after shot despite being challenged by Bucks rookie Luc Richard Mbah a Moute, the team's best defender. But the Bucks, powered by Jefferson's 14 first-half points, took a 57-55 lead into halftime.

Bryant, who was 11-for-28 from the field in Tuesday's loss at Charlotte, finally missed a shot with 11:22 left in the third quarter, but was fouled on the 3-point attempt and made all three free throws to give the Lakers a 60-59 lead.

Bryant's first miss that counted came a few minutes later, clanking one off the front of the rim at the 9:56 mark. Milwaukee then went on an 11-3 run that began with three scores by Dan Gadzuric - a forceful dunk that left him holding his finger in pain, a turnaround jumper and driving layup.

Milwaukee led by as many as six points in the third quarter, taking a 70-64 lead on a fast-break dunk by Sessions with 6:10 left, and led 81-80 going into the fourth quarter.

Bobcats Stun the Lakers, Again.

What exactly is it about the Bobcats that’s made them the only other team not named “Boston” to have a winning record against the Lakers?

Does L.A. simply overlook them more than they do other troubled franchises? Do the Bobcats, like Portland and Utah, just save their top level of effort for the purple and gold?

Whatever “it” is, it happened again on Tuesday night in Charlotte (with Michael Jordan sitting courtside), as L.A. went down to the wire with the plucky ‘Cats, who were fighting for the East’s 8th playoff spot in front of the largest crowd in the four years of Time Warner Cable Arena’s four-year existence.

After a rather sluggish first three quarters, the intensity picked up for both teams in the fourth quarter, with the Bobcats holding a 68-64 edge thanks to a 15-4 run to close the third. Charlotte increased that lead to 10 with 7:46 remaining, only to see the Lakers’ starters reel off eight straight points thanks to some suffocating defense.

Just as the flow seemed to be going L.A.’s way, the Bobcats responded with an 11-0 run of their own to seal their season sweep of the Lakers. Funny how that works out against the orange-clad franchise, huh?

It didn’t help the Lakers that they were awarded only six free throws for the entire game, two of which came on technical fouls, while Charlotte attempted 22 foul shots.

“It’s a road game,” quipped Phil Jackson, who was similarly brief regarding L.A.’s offensive struggles, saying that his team “Couldn’t hit shots.”

Particularly Kobe Bryant, who struggled to get back into an offensive rhythm for L.A. in hitting only 7-of-21 through three quarters and 11-of-28 overall for his 25 points. Lamar Odom went for 18 and nine through three, but scored just a bucket and failed to grab a rebound in the fourth, while Pau Gasol was sluggish in an 8-for-17 performance. L.A. continued to get little production from its bench, which scored 11 points (four in the final minute) on 5-of-22 shooting.

Gerald Wallace had 21 points, 13 rebounds and four assists to pace the Bobcats, who saw six players reach double figures.

Meanwhile, Cleveland emerged from a home battle with Detroit with a win to go three games up on the Lakers with eight to play in the race for the NBA’s best record. Surely, the Lakers are ready to be done with the regular season battles in road arenas, and return to the friendly confines of STAPLES to host their first-round series.

But not so fast. First, L.A. closes out its seven-game trip with a Wednesday-night contest in Milwaukee.

Until then, a few numbers.

4
Second half points for Lamar Odom, who was terrific in the first half with 14 points, 6-of-11 shooting.

6
Free throws attempted by the Lakers, who absolutely couldn’t buy a foul.

7
Assists from Pau Gasol to lead the Lakers, though he struggled to an 8-for-17 performance from the field.

11
Bench points for the Lakers, six of which came from Luke Walton before garbage time hoops from Vujacic and Brown.

17
Shots missed by Kobe Bryant.

18
Offensive rebounds for the Lakers in the one category dominated by L.A., since Charlotte managed just six boards on that end. Also the number of Bobcats’ turnovers, which kept L.A. in the game despite their poor shooting.

38.9
L.A.’s shooting percentage entering the fourth quarter, continuing the team’s poor to quite poor performance from the field of late.

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