LAKERS4LIFE

Nuggets Dominate Kobe and the Lakers in Denver

2009-11-14T15:02:00.000-08:00

Did anyone else feel like last night's game against the Denver Nuggets was a flashback of game four in Denver in the Western Conference finals last year?

The Nuggets seemed to come into this game with a solid game plan to keep Kobe Bryant in check and limit the Lakers scoring in the paint. And that is exactly what they were able to do on Friday night at home as they held Kobe Bryant to just 19 points and zero points in the second half. Yes, I said zero points in the second half for Kobe.

On Thursday night in Los Angeles the Lakers just dominated the Phoenix Suns in every which way as they were able to contain the Suns high powered offense and absolutely annialated Phoenix in the paint even without Pau Gasol.

With the absence of Gasol, which might last all the way up to Christmas, Kobe Bryant has changed his game by taking more of a Michael Jordan approach by getting into the post. As MJ started to get older in his career he changed his game by using his unguardable turnaround in the post instead of slicing his way through the defense and playing above the rim.

In a way to make up for the absence of Gasol in the paint Kobe has taken a page out of MJ's book and has started to dominate using the post game, but he wasn't that successful against the Nuggets on Friday night as Denver took Kobe completely out of the game in the second half and ultimately beat the defending champion Lakers 105-79.

The Lakers were able to hang with the Nuggets in the first half as they went into halftime down just two points 58-56, but the second half was another story altogether as the Denver Nuggets took over and held the Lakers to just eight points in the third quarter.

Carmelo Anthony played well with 25 points, but it was JR Smith and rookie Ty Lawson's contribution off the bench that really sparked the Nuggets in the second half. Smith finished the game with 20 points and Lawson added 13 points and six assists to lead the Nuggets to victory.

Kobe Bryant was held to just 19 points in this game, which is a season low, but perhaps the biggest stat was Kobe not scoring a single point in the second half.

Andrew Bynum had a decent game despite being defended well all night long as the big kid finished the game with 19 points and 15 rebounds. Ron Artest also had a fairly decent game with 11 points of his own hitting 3 for 6 from deep, but he ended up only shooting 4 for 11 from the field.

Obviously the Lakers win streak was going to end at some point in time, but losing like this their new rivals in the Denver Nuggets has got to sting!

It will be interesting to see how Kobe Bryant and company rebound from their worst loss of the season.

Kobe Bryant Gets Cover of NBA2K10

2009-09-16T11:14:00.000-07:00

Last year's NBA2K9 was arguably one the best NBA video games in a long time! It hard to best games previous due to the fact that a new one comes out every single year, but the 2K franchise has been making excellent NBA games going all the way back to 2000 when it revolutionized the sports gaming industry with NBA 2K.

I still remember playing NBA 2K all those years ago on my Sega Dreamcast of all things and absolutely loving it, so much so that my thumbs and eyes were killing me after playing for hours on end.

NBA 2K9 had the same effect on me last year and even now before 2K10 comes out. The features are awesome, the gameplay is superb and rivals that of the Madden of the NFL. Madden is by far the best of all the sports gaming franchises with such a huge following, but I believe in the upcoming years we might see the NBA 2K franchise compete with Madden.

This year is special for all sports gamers and especially Los Angeles Lakers fans as the defending NBA champs superstar Kobe Bryant graces the cover of NBA 2K10!

Usually when any player graces the cover of any sports game the developers pay extra attention to making sure the player (Kobe Bryant) and his team (Los Angeles Lakers) are paid close attention to and are as authentic as humanly possible.

So Lakers fans and sports gamers who love basketball games we are all in for a treat as NBA2K10 looks to be the best basketball game yet!

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Lakers Free Agency: Lamar Odom Signs Four Year Deal with Lakers

2009-07-30T15:16:00.000-07:00

The Los Angeles Lakers finally got there man despite rumors of Lamar Odom signing with his former team the Miami Heat.

It looks like Dwyane Wade visiting Lamar Odom in LA wasn't enough to convince to make the move back to Miami, but the Lakers were pretty damn close to losing their forward.

It took some time, but the Lakers were finally able to convince Lamar Odom to resign with them for $33 million dollars over the next four years with an option for the fourth and final year of the contract.

Let the repeat talk begin! As if getting Ron Artest wasn't enough for the Lakers to have a legit shot at repeating next season, Lamar Odom resigning for the at least the next three seasons drastically improves their chances of winning the West for the third straight season and making another run at a title.

Not saying the Lakers won't have their fair share of competition in the Western Conference next season as the San Antonio Spurs have improved by adding Richard Jefferson and the Denver Nuggets can only get better with Chauncey Billups getting more comfortable with his new team. The Lakers will have their work cut out for them in their championship defense next season, but I have to say that keeping Odom and adding Ron Artest definitely makes the best team in the NBA that much better coming into next season.

It should be interesting to see how the Lakers involve Ron Artest and how they plan to distribute minutes between Odom and Artest. If anyone can figure out a way to make it all come together it is Phil Jackson!

Lakers Free Agency: Lamar Odom Favoring the Heat

2009-07-27T13:54:00.000-07:00

First the Los Angeles Lakers lost Trevor Ariza to free agency as he decided to sign with the Houston Rockets, but the Lakers made a great move in snatching Ron Artest away from the Rockets even though some fans seem to have preferred to have Ariza back instead.

Personally, I like Ariza, but Artest brings a much needed toughness to the Lakers which has eluded the Lakers since the Shaq/Kobe dynasty was broken up. So in the end the Lakers have improved despite losing their best young defender by adding a proven veteran who thrives on both sides of the floor.

When the offseason began both Phil Jackson and Kobe Bryant said that resigning Lamar Odom and Trevor Ariza was very important and the number priority for the Lakers along with keeping point guard Shannon Brown. Well, the Lakers were able to keep Brown, lost Ariza and now look to be on the verge of losing Lamar Odom as well.

When contract talks began with Lamar Odom and the Los Angeles Lakers things seemed promising, but Odom was asking for about $10 million a year. Odom played great last season, if the Lakers didn't have Odom on the roster they most likely wouldn't have even gotten to the NBA Finals, but despite Odom's impressive play he has been a underachiever the majority of his career in LA.

That being said the Lakers never seem to know what Odom they are getting with every passing game and that makes people like Lakers owner Jerry Buss hold back from paying the big money for a long period of time. Honestly, I can't blame him. I love Odom and I hope they can come to an agreement, but Odom can be extremely inconsistent at times.

The story now is that Odom is getting an offer less than what Buss originally offered the forward and because of that Odom is leaning more towards signing with his former team the Miami Heat.

Reportedly, Dwyane Wade is taking this matter into his own hands by flying out to Los Angeles to bring him back to Miami. Pat Riley is also supposed to be in Los Angeles at the same time, but it is uncertain that Odom is the reason he is there.

So the way things are looking right now I get the feeling we have seen the last of Odom in a Lakers uniform unless either Kobe Bryant takes matters into his own hands as well and talks Odom into winning some championships or Jerry Buss gets the stick out of his ass and pays Odom what he wants.

Lamar Odom heading back to Miami is by no means set in stone, but unless the Lakers step it up I don't see Odom ending up anywhere other than Miami playing alongside Dwyane Wade.

Lakers Free Agency: Shannon Brown Accepts Two Year Offer for $4.2 Million

2009-07-07T11:02:00.000-07:00

It looks like the Los Angeles Lakers are making all the right decisions this offseason. They may have missed out on the Trevor Ariza sweepstakes, but adding Ron Artest and keeping guard Shannon Brown it without a doubt a step in the right direction.

Now Shannon Brown isn't a huge piece to the puzzle in LA, but he can definitely be key next season as he continues to develop and become more familiar with the Lakers triangle offense.

The terms of Brown's new deal with the Lakers will have the young guard making $4.2 million over the next two seasons.

If the Lakers have any position in doubt over the next few years it will be at the point guard position. Derek Fisher isn't getting any younger, Jordan Farmar seems to have fallen out of favor with Phil Jackson and Shannon Brown seems more like a two guard instead of a true point guard.

When the draft came along I thought the Lakers would have addressed this problem by drafting another UCLA guard in Darren Collison, but in somewhat of a smart move the Lakers sold their first round pick to the New York Knicks to save some money to sign players like Lamar Odom, Ron Artest and now Shannon Brown not to mention have enough money to keep Kobe Bryant.

So even though this isn't a huge signing for the Lakers, keeping Brown in LA was definitely a smart move and could pay off over the next two seasons.

Lakers Free Agency: Lakers to Offer Lamar Odom 3 Years $25 Million

2009-07-04T14:51:00.000-07:00

It has been a huge week for the Los Angeles Lakers as they have made one major change and tied up some loose ends by making sure Kobe Bryant and Phil Jackson were going to stay.

The two biggest questions this offseason for the Los Angeles Lakers, besides Phil and Kobe, was were they going to sign both Trevor Ariza and Lamar Odom. Well, we know now that Ariza is out of the picture after signing with the Houston Rockets, but Odom's future with the Lakers is still up in the air.

Personally, I think Lamar Odom is a pivitol piece of the puzzle and is a must sign, but after the Lakers added Ron Artest into the mix who is as versitale as they come and a great defender Lamar's value may gone down a bit.

One problem the Lakers will face next season if they do end up signing Lamar Odom is how will the change up the roster. Both Artest and Odom are legitimate starters for any other team in the NBA, but who starts and who starts will be the big questions to start next season.

Regardless of their possible roster problems, the Lakers are still very determined to sign Odom for at least three years. The offer that is reportedly on the table right now for the forward is three years and $24-25 million. It is a considerable pay cut for Odom, but in long run two or three more championships is well worth the cut in pay.

One good thing to come out of this recent development in Lakerland is that they are doing what they can to keep Odom in LA.

Will Odom accept the Lakers' offer? I think he will, but with you never know.

Phil Jackson Return to Lakers: 99.9% Assured

2009-07-03T11:25:00.000-07:00

I think we all know that Phil Jackson will be returning to the Los Angeles Lakers coaching staff next season regardless of what he has said and the fact that no decision has officially been made, but as of today, the same day that Ron Artest is officially a Laker, Phil Jackson is said to be 99.9% assured to return next season as the Los Angeles Lakers head coach.

It is no secret that Phil Jackson's body is starting to breakdown, it is painful just to watch him walk and to think he travels with the team throughout their 82 game season and into the playoffs where the Lakers have gone the distance the past two seasons, that has to wear on him.

Yes, all Phil has to do throughout the game is sit on his ass. Yes, Kobe seems to be taking over most of the coaching duties on the bench lately, but Phil Jackson's job is no easy task and can be extremely draining for an ex-athlete who's body just doesn't agree with him anymore.

Is it time to take it easy? Probably, but I can't blame the guy for wanting to stick around with the Lakers team his has right now. The Lakers will be competing for a title for at least the next five years until Kobe starts to show signs of age.

One thing we might see as the result of a Phil Jackson's return to the bench is the hall of fame coach only coaching home games and leaving the away game duties to Kurt Rambis and Brian Shaw as a way to limit travel and usher in a successor to arguably the best NBA coach all-time.

Whatever the case may be I am sure we will see big Phil coaching the Lakers for at least one more season.

Lakers Free Agency: Ron Artest to the Los Angeles Lakers!

2009-07-03T10:36:00.000-07:00

It's official! Ron Artest is now a member of the Los Angeles Lakers after agreeing to a three year deal for about $18.7 million which could stretch out to a five year deal for about $33.5 million.

A lot of people will say that signing Trevor Ariza who is still very young at 24 years old might have been the smarter decision between the two, but I disagree as Artest brings a much needed physical presence and toughness that the Lakers have been lacking ever since they were dominated by the Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals.

Trevor Ariza may be a young up and coming player in this league, but you know exactly what you are getting with Ron Artest as he comes to play night in and night out. Not saying that Ariza doesn't give it his all, but I believe Artest is the missing piece of the puzzle for an already great Lakers team.

All the Lakers have to do now is sign Lamar Odom before teams start offering him deals that he can't refuse. With this team intact the way it is right now, the Lakers should repeat next season pending any other moves other title contending teams like the San Antonio Spurs, Cleveland Cavaliers and the Boston Celtics might make before next season.

As of right now the only deal I see making a huge difference is Rasheed Wallace landing in either Boston, San Antonio or maybe even Cleveland.

It should be interesting to see what these teams do in response to Artest going to the Lakers and making them an even better team than last season.

Ron Artest Will Be Signing with the Lakers

2009-07-02T16:05:00.000-07:00

Wow! Things seem to change very quickly in the NBA these days as at the beginning of the day we heard that Ron Artest was meeting with LeBron James in LA to talk about coming to Cleveland, but now it appears Ron Ron might have been in LA to talk to the Lakers about signing with them and LeBron James came there to talk him out of it.

Most Los Angeles Lakers fans will probably be pissed off about Ron Artest signing with the Lakers, but those were the same fans that hate Artest after his dust up with Kobe in the second round series with the Houston Rockets.

I'll admit, I thought Artest was a punk for getting in Kobe's face, but he threw no blows and just let Kobe he wasn't going to take his elbows in the paint and I can't say I blame the guy. The Lakers need an enforcer like Artest, that is the one thing this team has been missing for quite some time.

Granted, Artest does bring some baggage, but he also brings a tireless work ethic and the total package in terms of a great defender and a player that can be a force on offense as well.

If Ron Artest does sign with the Los Angeles Lakers like he has said he will do, that will most likely, if not definitely mean that Trevor Ariza will be going elsewhere.

When I heard that the Lakers were not going to offer Ariza anything more than the mid-level exception of $5.6 million I thought they were making a huge mistake, but after learning that Artest intends to signing with the Lakers it is starting to make perfect sense.

Although some people may disagree, signing Artest over Ariza is the right move. Ariza is a great young defender with a bright future, but Artest can great lockdown defense at multiple positions and is without a doubt a much better offensive player.

So even though it will be tough to see the hometown boy Ariza go to Cleveland or Houston, it is all for the best in order to make another run at a title for the Lakers next season.

Nothing is set in stone, and God knows Artest changes his mind like the wind blows, so this could just be rumor, but I am telling you that signing Artest is move in the right direction!

Trevor Ariza Might Be Headed for Cleveland

2009-07-02T11:50:00.001-07:00

After the Los Angeles Lakers won their 15th NBA title against the Orlando Magic there were a few players on the team that had to come back next season for the Lakers to remain the most dominant team in the West if not the entire NBA.

The most important player was Kobe Bryant of course, but there were two other free agents that were a MUST sign for the Lakers, at least in Kobe's opinion. The first is Lamar Odom who really stepped it up in the playoffs for the Lakers. Odom is really a freak of nature, he can play both the inside and outside game and has the ball handling skills to bring the ball up the floor. The other key free agent is Trevor Ariza who showed that he can be a major factor on any team in the league after the impressive performances all season long and most especially in the postseason.

Ariza's defense and new found confidence shooting from beyond the arch has made Trevor a key ingredient in the Lakers gameplan. Not only is he as athletic as they come, but he is only 24 and has a very bright future ahead of him.

Even though Ariza showed how valuable he can be to the Lakers, enough to where Kobe thinks it is extremely important they resign him, Mitch Kupchak and company have not offered Ariza anything more than the mid-level exception which is about $5.6 million a year.

As of right now, Ariza is not a happy with the way the Lakers are handling his situation and is actively fielding other offers from other teams.

Here are some of the other teams that have their eyes on Trevor Ariza:

Cleveland Cavaliers, Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Clippers, Toronto Raptors and the Portland Trailblazers

The Cavs seem to be the most interested in Ariza, but I won't be surprised to see the Clippers or the Blazers pull the youngster away from the Lakers.

I hope the Lakers can find out a way to make Ariza a better offer because I believe losing him to contender could be devastating, but if they do lose him there is an outside chance the Lakers could go after Ron Artest who they wanted to deal for last season.

Derek Fisher Hits Clutch Threes to Win Game Four of the Finals

2009-06-12T12:39:00.000-07:00

He has done it again! Derek Fisher has hit another big shot to win another big game in a big time clutch situation!

Robert Horry may be the one Lakers legend with the most clutch shots in the big time playoff game situations, but Derek Fisher is catching up especially hitting two extremely clutch three both in regulation and overtime in the Los Angeles Lakers game four victory in Orlando. These shots weren't as crazy as 0.4 back in the day against San Antonio, but they great shots that had me jumping out of my seat!

In beginning of game four, both teams were playing sloppy and the Lakers got in foul trouble very early in the first quarter, so much so that both Josh Powell and DJ Mbenga saw playing time in the first quarter.

As the game pressed on the Orlando Magic began to take complete control and went into halftime with a commanding 12 point lead over Kobe Bryant and company.

The second half had a similar feel to it, but once Trevor Ariza and Kobe Bryant started to get going the lead disappeared and the Lakers were back on track. Kobe wasn't as impressive as he has been in other games only hitting 11 for 31 shots from the floor, but he still put up a game high 32 points, dished out eight assists and ripped down seven boards.

Trevor Ariza on the other hand was absolutely on fire from beyond the arc hitting 3 for 4 from deep and getting the Lakers back in the game. Ariza finished the game with 16 points, nine boards and two steals.

Pau Gasol also had a decent game by his standards with 16 points of his own and 10 rebounds. Lamar Odom wasn't so fortunate as he struggled all night long with nine points off the bench on 4 of 10 from the floor.

It was Hedo Turkoglu who lead the way for the Orlando Magic scoring a team high 25 points on 8 of 13 shots. This guy continues to become more of a go-to guy for the Magic as he seems to be able to hit shots in clutch situations with great consistency.

As for Dwight Howard, he continues to struggle putting up big numbers in the scoring column, but he is a beast we it comes to rebounding the basketball as he ripped down 21 boards against the Lakers in game four. Besides Howard and Turkoglu it was Mickael Pietrus that stepped up his game to shoulder the scoring load with 15 points.

Not only did Pietrus pick up the scoring in place of Rashard Lewis, who had a miserable night with only six points on 2 of 10 shooting, but he was at the cause of some physicality at the end of game four when Pau Gasol went for a break away layup.

The game was virtually over when Pau went up for dunk to basically end the game and Pietrus comes over and crashes into Gasol. As a result of the obviously dirty play by Pietrus he was given a Flagrant one. I am sure it was just some frustration coming out of Pietrus, can't blame the guy really having to guard both LeBron James and Kobe Bryant in consecutive series, but it was a dirty, uncalled for play when the game was pretty much over and done with.

Will it turn out to be a Luis Scola and Ron Artest type of hatred? I doubt it, but I wouldn't be surprised to see Mickael Pietrus on the floor a few times in game five.

Regardless of the little schuffle between Pietrus and Gasol at the end of the game the Los Angeles Lakers have taken full control of this NBA Finals after their game four victory 99-91. Personally, I think this series is over, but the Magic might have enough left to send this series back to LA for a game six.

NBA FINALS GAME 4 HIGHLIGHTS

NBA FINALS GAME 5: Los Angeles Lakers @ Orlando Magic Sunday, June 14th 5pm PST

Lakers Go Up 2-0 in the NBA Finals Before Heading to Orlando

2009-06-08T16:11:00.000-07:00

Game one may have been a 25 point blowout, but game two was another story altogether as the Orlando Magic kept up with Kobe Bryant and company and were one missed layup away from heading back to Orlando with the series tied up at one win a piece.

Neither the Los Angeles Lakers or the Orlando Magic played well in game two. Both Dwight Howard and Kobe Bryant had off games and to be honest, game two was as sloppy a game I have seen in the playoffs. It was just turnover after turnover for both teams, obviously the Lakers forced a bit more turnovers then the Magic did, but both of the teams superstars turned the ball over seven times. Kobe shot wasn't falling and Dwight Howard was still unable to get his game going in the paint.

The one positive that the Lakers can take to Orlando for game three is that they are up 2-0 and the role players like Trevor Ariza and Lamar Odom are still on their game. Kobe may have had a forgettable performance in game two, even though he scored 29 points and dished out eight more assists, but the supporting cast stepped up yet again to keep the Lakers ahead in the series before heading to the Magic's home floor for the next three games.

The Magic on the other hand also have some positives from game two as Rashard Lewis (34 points) and Hedo Turkoglu (22 points) were able to get going shooting the basketball. They still have serious problems, especially at point guard, but at least the Magic shooters started to get going.

The one thing that impressed the most about the Magic in game two was Stan Van Gundy's inbounds play to Courtney Lee which could have potentially won the game and changed to outcome of the series. It was the perfect play, but just a couple of inches off the mark for Lee.

Ultimately though, I think this series will be over in one of the three games in Orlando with the Lakers winning it all, but I don't . If the Magic have a shot at winning one of these three games it will be game three in their first game at home.

I still believe the Lakers could pull off the sweep, but if the Magic shooters and Dwight Howard get going early in game three the Lakers will be in trouble. Game three, in my opinion, could be the most entertaining game of the series.

NBA Finals Game 3: Los Angeles Lakers @ Orlando Magic Tuesday, June 8th 7pm PST

Lakers Win Second Straight Western Conference Title

2009-05-30T15:13:00.000-07:00

Everyone knew the Los Angeles Lakers were more than capable of reaching the NBA Finals at the beginning of the playoffs, but once they ran into a tough defensive minded Houston Rockets team the future didn't look so bright.

Even though the Lakers struggled against both the Houston Rockets and the Denver Nuggets after convincingly beating down the Utah Jazz in the first round, every single time they have been tested in the postseason thus far they lived up to the hype and proved they are still the best team in the NBA.

Game five in LA wasn't exactly a convincing win and the Lakers did show they still had parts of their game to polish, but in game six they came ready to play in Denver which is one of the most hostile environments in the NBA today for any opposing team of the revamped Denver Nuggets.

Not only were the Lakers up for the challenge they faced in Denver in game six, but they played better in the face of yet another game seven then I have personally seen them play in the playoffs so far. Kobe Bryant was just on his game from start to finish, Pau Gasol had a great game and Lamar Odom hadn't cooled off after his impressive game in LA. The Lakers could have beaten anyone on Friday night with the way they played. Just beautifully executed basketball!

Everyone keeps talking about how Kobe and LeBron James need their supporting cast to step up and get the job done when called upon and although LeBron still needs help in that department, Kobe's supporting cast showed why they are the best bench in basketball right now as everyone on the Lakers bench and the starters stepped it up.

It always starts with Kobe (35 points, 10 assists and 6 rebounds), but everyone one had a piece of this Western Conference Finals victory with Trevor Ariza (17 points, 3-4 from deep), Lamar Odom (20 points, 8 rebounds), Pau Gasol (20 points, 12 rebounds) and even Luke Walton (10 points) getting involved in the 119-92 win against the Denver Nuggets to advance to their second straight NBA Finals.

Now that the Lakers have their rhythm back and are looking as dominant as ever they will be awaiting their next opponent as the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Orlando Magic battle it out in game six of their series Saturday night. If the Magic take game six then the Lakers will have home court advantage, but if the Cavs manage to pull off two more wins with one on Saturday and another on Tuesday will see the dream NBA Finals match up between LeBron James and Kobe Bryant.

Game one of the NBA Finals will be played on Thursday, June 4th regardless of the outcome, but if the Cavs win they will have home court and the first game of the series will be played in Cleveland.

2009 NBA Western Conference Finals Preview

2009-05-18T22:02:00.000-07:00

The series against the Utah Jazz wasn't that much of a challenge, the Houston Rockets took the Lakers the distance and now Kobe Bryant and company will face perhaps their toughest challenge yet this postseason against a very young and talented Denver Nuggets team in the Western Conference finals.

There has been one trend that has continued to bother the Lakers throughout the postseason and that is containing the opposing team's point guard. In the first round Deron Williams was able to do basically anything he wanted to do, drive to the basket, shoot from outside and get his teammates involved, but the lack of a supporting cast was the Jazz downfall.

In round two the Houston Rockets up and coming point guard Aaron Brooks just blew by Lakers defenders virtually at will. None of the Lakers point guards could stay in front of Brooks and as a result he turned out to be the X-factor in the series for the Rockets. The Houston defense also was a huge part of taking the Lakers the distance, but the Lakers defensive problems at the point has turned out to be a big problem in the postseason.

The Western Conference finals will most likely be the same old story with the Lakers guards trying to contain Nuggets point guard and floor general Chauncey Billups. In my opinion, no other point guard in the postseason thus far, with the exception of Rajon Rondo, has been as dominant at the point than Billups.

Chauncey Billups is a match up nightmare for any opposing team as he is as versatile and cool as they come at the point guard position. Hitting the outside shot, no problem, making the smart play every time down the floor, no problem. Not only can Billups penetrate with the best of them, but he is also a deadly shooter who can hit from anywhere and is one of the best free throw shooters in the NBA today.

Even though the Lakers will struggle against Billups at the point and Carmelo Anthony, the Nuggets will have some their work cut out for them in the paint dealing with Pau Gasol, Andrew Bynum and Lamar Odom. Bynum hasn't really been a 100% during the playoffs, but he did start to come on strong at the end of the Rockets series. Gasol has also struggled, but just like Bynum he came through at the right time.

The defensive match ups will be interesting in this series as both teams have some very talented defenders. The Lakers have Kobe Bryant and Trevor Ariza who will probably match up with Billups and or Melo. Ariza has consistently proven he is a defensive stopper and Kobe's defense is as good as any in the league.

As for the Nuggets, they have Kenyon Martin, Chris "The Birdman" Anderson and Nene Hilario. Martin is the most versatile of the three as he can pretty much guard any position, but will probably be focused on the huge task of guarding Kobe Bryant. The Birdman has quickly turned into one of the premier shot blockers in the NBA today with an uncanny knack to get 5+ blocks on any given night. Nene is good post defender who could give Pau and Bynum some problems in the paint.

All and all, we are in for one hell of a Western Conference finals in my opinion! I think the Lakers will take it in six games, but I would not be surprised to see the Nuggets take this series the distance if they can keep playing the way they have played in the playoffs so far.

This series should be an up and down the court thrill ride as both teams thrive on fastbreak offensives. The Lakers and the Nuggets have great team defense when properly motivated, but I think we shall see some very high scoring games with two of the best offenses in the NBA battling to see who can score the last bucket!

Lakers Comeback with a Vengeance in Game Five with a 40 Point Blowout of the Rockets

2009-05-13T14:32:00.000-07:00

You can never count this team out! No matter how much the media or certain fans bash the Los Angeles Lakers they keep coming back and proving that they are a championship caliber team!

Game four was an absolute disaster for the Lakers. I would say 80% of Lakers fans thought this series was over when they heard the Yao Ming was out for the rest of the postseason, but the Rockets had no intention of quitting or backing down from the Lakers and took game four in convincing fashion.

That momentum didn't last long for Houston though as game five was another story all together.

Talk about a team effort! Game five wasn't just a Kobe Bryant show like it has been when the Lakers have won their previous games in this series, this time it was a collective effort by all the Lakers!

Seven Lakers scored in double figures on Tuesday night including Lamar Odom who was not even going to play after he wasn't feeling right during lay up drills before the game. Kobe Bryant was the top scorer of course with 26 points on 10 or 19 shooting, Pau Gasol was next in line with 16 and both Andrew Bynum and Trevor Ariza after that with 14 and 13.

Jordan Farmar had his best game of the postseason thus far with 12 points off the bench, but Derek Fisher was the only Laker to really struggle shooting the basketball as he went 1 for 6 from the field.

Not only was the Lakers offense firing on all cylinders in game five with everyone getting involved, but there defense was also top notch as they force the Rockets into 17 turnovers throughout the game mainly due to Ariza's presence and his three steals. Luke Walton and Shannon Brown also had a couple steals of their own.

Needless to say the Lakers are somewhat reborn after this huge 118-78 victory over the Rockets! I am sure the Rockets will come out with a much stronger effort in game six back in Houston, but I think the Lakers will still be able to close them out and head to the Western Conference finals for the second straight season.

NEXT LAKERS PLAYOFF GAME: LOS ANGELES LAKERS @ HOUSTON ROCKETS GAME 6 Thursday, May 14th 6:30pm PST on ESPN

No Yao Ming, No Problem for the Rockets in Game Four

2009-05-11T12:32:00.000-07:00

Just when you thought the Los Angeles Lakers would finally be able to take over the series against the Rockets and start looking toward the Western Conference finals they drop game four with their worse loss of the playoffs.

Kobe Bryant was definitely not on his game, the Lakers supporting cast failed to step up yet again and the Rockets capitalized despite not having Yao Ming.

Coming into game four you would have thought the Lakers were ready to take over the series with the news of Yao Ming's foot injury keeping him out the rest of the postseason, but it pretty much had the complete opposite effect and was just what the Rockets needed to keep in this series.

Yao Ming is obviously a huge part of the Rockets offense and defense. He is a force inside of the paint on both ends of the floor and believe it or not he is Houston's best free throw shooter, but the Rockets were able to win 99-87 without the big fella in a must win situation at home.

Once I heard that Yao was out I thought it was Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol's time to shine. With no Yao or Mutombo in the paint Bynum and Gasol should have had huge offensive numbers in game four, but that just did not happen. Pau did actually step it up a little with his team high 30 points and nine rebounds, but Bynum put up and ugly goose egg with no points, one board and three personal fouls in 12 minutes.

It was open season for the Rockets though as everyone seemed to get in on the action, except for Ron Artest who had a horrible night shooting the basketball as he only made four out of 19 from the field for eight points, but he did have 10 boards and six assists.

Aaron Brooks was the leader for Houston on Mother's day as he light up the Lakers for a game high 34 points. Brooks hit four for nine three pointers was perfect from the charity stripe hitting 6 for 6 and pretty much kept the Lakers on their heels all night long. He continues to be a match up nightmare not just for Derek Fisher, but all of the Lakers point guards in this series.

Shane Battier also got in on the action hitting five three pointers finishing with 23 points and keeping Kobe Bryant in check holding the former MVP to just 15 points on the night.

One major concern for the Lakers going into game five will be the heatlh of Lamar Odom. LO left game four after hitting the floor hard and heading to the locker room with back spasms. His availability is still uncertain for game five in Los Angeles.

Needless to say, the Lakers have to make some serious changes and regain the sense of urgency they had in game three or else this series will end up going seven games and LA might not be the team advancing to the Western Conference finals this year.

LAKERS PLAYOFF GAME 5: HOUSTON ROCKETS @ LOS ANGELES LAKERS Tues. May 12th 7:30pm PST on TNT

Lakers Win Extremely Physical Game Two Over Rockets

2009-05-07T10:31:00.000-07:00

Wow! That is the one word that comes to mind after watching that intense game three from last night in Los Angeles. Not because the game was close or that it was won by a last second shot from Kobe Bryant, but because these two teams looked like they wanted to kill each other!

At one point during game two last night I completely forgot they were even playing a playoff basketball game. Bodies were flying, tempers were flaring and players were either getting sent to the locker room by the coach or thrown out by the refs.

We all knew coming into this series that it had the potential to be an extremely physical series due to the history between these two teams and the fact that the Houston Rockets are a defensive minded team. I figured that we would see a Kobe Bryant and Ron Artest showdown like we saw in the regular season, but not a confrontation that was about to go to throwing blows at each other.

Obviously the confrontation between Kobe and Artest didn't get that far, but it was pretty damn close before Ron-Ron got tossed for getting in Kobe's face and looking like he was going repeat his explosion in Detroit from a few years back.

Ron Artest and Kobe Bryant weren't the only players getting crazy in this game, both Derek Fisher and Luis Scola also got into it. Scola had some words with Lamar Odom after a somewhat hard foul from LO, but the two were broken up and that confrontation ended there. No one more than a couple minutes after LO and Scola got heated Derek Fisher landed the hardest pick I have ever seen on Scola which took him off his feet.

The hit on Scola gave Fish a little nick on his head, but it ultimately resulted in a Flagrant 2 and a one game suspension for Fisher.

All the fighting and rough stuff aside, the Lakers and Kobe Bryant showed they have no intentions of getting knocked out early in their championship campaign. At times the Lakers still struggled hitting shots and playing defense, but they definitely had a different kind of intensity in this game two.

Kobe Bryant was the story besides all the dust ups in game two. In game one it took Kobe 30+ shots to get to 30+ points and that is exactly what the Rockets intended. They knew he would get his points, but they wanted to turn him into a jump shooter and limit his penetration. Game two was a completely different game for Kobe as he light up Houston for 40 points on 16 or 27 shooting. Pau Gasol also rebounded from a disappointing game one with 22 points and 14 rebounds.

Not only did Kobe score 40, but he did it against the very good defender in Shane Battier. Every shot Kobe put up he had a hand in his face and was well contested. Battier's plan in guarding Kobe was not to block his shot, but to disturb every shot he takes and Battier couldn't have played better defense on Kobe in game two, Kobe was just playing better offense.

As for the Rockets Ron Artest continued to dominate on offense by hitting open shots and scoring on every opportunity he was given. Before he was thrown out because of his confrontation with Kobe, Artest had scored 25 points hitting 4 for 7 from deep and was pretty much scoring at will on the Lakers.

Unfortunately for the Rockets, Kobe ended up being just too much for them to handle once the dust settled and the Lakers went on to win 111-98 and tie up the series at one piece before heading to Houston for game three.

One thing is for certain though going into game three and that is the Rockets are playing much better team basketball right now. They much more efficient on offense and are playing the best defense on the Lakers I have seen this year in my opinion.

The series will only get tougher as the series shifts to Houston without Derek Fisher. If the Lakers expect to advance to the Western Conference finals they will need to do it will solid team play and not depend on Kobe to bail them out every single game.

NEXT LAKERS PLAYOFF GAME: LOS ANGELES LAKERS @ HOUSTON ROCKETS Friday, May 8th 6:30pm PST

Rockets Upset Rusty Kobe and Lakers in Game One

2009-05-05T19:19:00.000-07:00

Was Kobe Bryant still under the weather? Were the Lakers just rusty because of too much time off between games? Were the Rockets just the better team on Monday night?

There will be tons of questions about game one in this seven game series between the Houston Rockets and the Los Angeles Lakers, but I think it comes down to the fact that the Lakers were a little rusty and the Rockets are for real.

No matter what part of the Rockets game you look at in game one they played the Lakers exactly the way they set out to. Yao Ming was a force inside that the Lakers had absolutely no answer for. The Rockets forced Kobe Bryant to take 30+ shots to score over 30 points and controlled every aspect of the game all night long. Kobe finished the game with game high 32 points on 14 of 31 shooting and eight rounds. The Lakers are 2-7 in games where Kobe takes 30 or more shots. Both Shane Battier and Ron Artest harrassed Kobe all game long and forced the former MVP to take bad shots and limited his drives to the basket.

The Rockets out scored the Lakers in every quarter except for the second quarter where both teams scored 22 points. At times it looked like the Lakers were going to mount a comeback with steals and good defense, but they just couldn't capitalize on the Rockets mistakes.

The biggest problem for the Lakers in game one which really didn't happen much in the Jazz series was the bad shooting. Los Angeles shot an ugly 2 for 18 from three point range which will just never get it done and is very uncharacteristic of Lakers outside shooting. Not only could Lakers not hit three all night long, but even mid range shots seemed to be a challenge as well with Pau Gasol, Derek Fisher and Kobe Bryant struggling with their shot.

I really don't see this happening again in any game left in this series, but one thing is for certain the Lakers will have their work cut out for them if they want to advance to the Western Conference finals.

The Rockets on the other hand are riding high after stealing home court advantage away from Kobe Bryant and company. Houston did have a little scare late in the game when Kobe Bryant and Yao Ming knocked knees in the paint when Kobe attempted to drive to the basket. Once the two players collided Yao fell straight to floor and grabbed the same knee he had surgery on recently. Needless to say every single Rockets fan attending game one and watching from home held their breathe as Yao was noticibly in pain holding his knee on the floor.

Anyone that has played basketball for a long period of time like myself knows what it is like to knocks knees like that on occasion. When this happens usually only one player gets hit with the pain, but it only lasts about five to ten minutes and then you are ready to go again. So I knew Yao would be back on the floor in no time.

Just like any great competitor, Yao Ming came back out only a few minutes after he went into the tunnel headed to the locker room and finished the game with 28 points, 10 rebounds and two blocks. Ron Artest also had an impressive game with 21 points and seven assists.

Kobe Bryant struggled all night long with his shot. The Black Mamba started to get hot to finish the game, but it was just too little, too late and the Lakers ended up losing game one in LA 100-92.

I still think the Lakers have what it takes to win this series, but the Rockets defense will really test the Lakers high powered offense as the series presses on.

LOS ANGELES LAKERS NEXT PLAYOFF GAME: HOUSTON ROCKETS @ LOS ANGELES LAKERS WEDNESDAY MAY 6TH 7:30PM PST

Los Angeles Lakers Playoff Tickets under $60 at StubHub!

Get Los Angeles Lakers Round Two Playoff Tickets for Under $60

2009-05-03T15:43:00.000-07:00

Sounds crazy considering that the Los Angeles Lakers playoff tickets are amongst the most expensive in the NBA, but it is true! You can get your Lakers playoffs tickets for under $60 bucks and with the way Kobe Bryant and company are playing right now that is worth every penny!

We are in for one hell of a second round match up with the Lakers taking on Yao Ming and the Houston Rockets!

The Lakers will without a doubt be favored to win this series in five or six games, but nothing is more exciting as a Lakers fan than seeing Kobe Bryant light up Ron Artest for talking all that trash. Not only did Kobe light up big mouth Artest for 37 points last time Ron-Ron decided to open his mouth to the Black Mamba, but after Artest said that Brandon Roy was the best player he had ever played against and the only one to drop 40 on him you better believe Kobe took that as an open challenge!

Los Angeles Lakers Playoff Tickets under $60 at StubHub!

Ron Artest Thinks Brandon Roy is the Best Player He Has Played Against

2009-04-30T18:24:00.000-07:00

Here we go again! Ron Artest talking out of his ass once again!

I will agree that Brandon Roy is one hell of a player that will be one of the top five players in the NBA in the near future, but to say that Roy is better than Kobe Bryant or LeBron James right now is just ridiculous.

The Houston Rockets will most likely advance to the second round against the Los Angeles Lakers. The Blazers played great last game, but with the series shifting back to Houston for an elimination game I think this series is over.

With that being said why would Artest say something like that?

"Brandon Roy is the best player I have ever played against."

If the Rockets win and advance to the second round they will face the Lakers so why would you say something like that before you go up against arguably the best player on the planet in Kobe Bryant who thrives on trash talk much like Michael Jordan did back in the day?

Yeah, it isn't directly talking trash to Kobe, but it is definitely challenging the Black Mamba to prove that he is the best player in the league right now and I get the feeling that he will be looking forward to making an example of Artest.

Not only is that incredibly stupid to give a player like Kobe something to prove, but you would have thought he would learned his lesson after Kobe burnt him in the regular season for 37 points while Artest was talking trash.

Anyways, get ready Lakers fans because no matter what match ups the Lakers end up with in the second round it will be entertaining! We are either going to see the Lakers try to overcome their problems at the Rose Garden in a heated seven game series or we will see Kobe put on a scoring display and shut up Artest for good, if that is possible.

Ron Artest Talking Nonsense

Lakers Playoff Injury Update

2009-04-30T17:57:00.000-07:00

The Los Angeles Lakers are still playing the waiting game as they wait to see who they will face in the second round, but with this time to spare the players with injury problems have some time to rest up and get healthy for there upcoming series against the Portland Trailblazers or the Houston Rockets.

In the first round of the playoffs the Lakers had some notable injuries. Not huge injury problems, but enough to affect the starting lineup and an important bench player.

The two injuries on the top of the list was Luke Walton and Trevor Ariza who both suffered ankle sprains. Apparently Ariza's ankle sprain wasn't as bad as first thought as he really didn't miss any playing time, but Walton on the other hand had to sit.

Although Luke will most likely be available to play in game one of the Lakers second round series, he has suffered a partially torn deltoid ligament in his left ankle. Sounds more serious than it is, but it is enough to limit his minutes and effect the Lakers bench rotation.

So even though Luke Walton is a bit banged up the Lakers should come into the next round of the playoffs relatively healthy, rested and ready to go!

Lakers Take Game Two Over Jazz

2009-04-22T00:28:00.000-07:00

The Lakers are now up 2-0 headed into Salt Lake City where the real test will begin against the Utah Jazz. Tonight the Lakers started with a very strong first half once again, but had a somewhat forgettable second half with their turnovers and bad defense.

The Lakers came out of the gates firing on all cylinders in the first quarter scoring an unheard of 41 points and continued their surge throughout the second quarter, but once the second half began the Lakers defense disappeared and the Jazz's versatile point guard Deron Williams started to take over.

Even though Deron Williams finished the game with a game high 35 points and was damn near unguardable the entire game, the Jazz were never really in contention to win game two. The point margin between the two teams bounced back and forth all night long with the Jazz about two possessions away from tying it up, but they never fully closed the gap.

Although Williams was the only Jazz player to give the Lakers serious trouble on the defensive end of the floor, Carlos Boozer also added a double-double with 20 points and 10 boards. Four other Utah players also scored in double figures, but had horrific shooting nights with the exception of Paul Millsap and Andrei Kirilenko who missed only three shots between them.

So besides Williams going off the Lakers kept the Jazz's supporting cast relatively in check much like they did in game one, but the problem remains the same as they struggle to keep playing with the same intensity in the second half.

The Lakers need to improve on their play in the second half, but they still played one hell of game with seven players scoring in double figures!

Shannon Brown and Trevor Ariza continued to play at a high level in game two as Ariza scored 13 points (3 for 3 from deep), dished out nine assists and Brown added 12 points off the bench shooting 2 for 3 from beyond the arc. If these two keep stepping it up the Jazz and whoever the Lakers might face in the second round and beyond will be in some serious trouble.

Kobe Bryant added a team high 26 points while dishing out nine assists. Kobe took more of a distributor role in this game as he set up his teammates throughout the second half and then turned on in classic Kobe fashion in the second half. Pau Gasol also had a good game scoring the basketball adding 22 points.

Although the Lakers are up 2-0 against the Jazz they are not out of the woods yet as the Jazz play as good as anyone at home. I think the Lakers have potential to pull off the sweep, but they will be challenged in game three as the Jazz will almost certainly play better on their home floor.

Win Lakers Playoff Tickets for Tomorrow Night's Game 2 Against the Jazz!

2009-04-20T13:15:00.001-07:00

No strings attached, no gimmicks just a contest to win two tickets to tomorrow night's game 2 against the Utah Jazz at the Staples Center!

WIN TICKETS TO THE LAKERS/JAZZ GAME #2, Tuesday 4/21/09 @ 7:30pm, Staples Center

WHO: You and all your friends can enter to win 2 tickets for a Lakers Playoff Game.

WHAT: Win a pair of tickets to the Lakers Playoff Game, Round 1 - Home Game #2.

WHERE: Staples Center, Section 330, Row 6

WHEN: Tuesday, April 21, 2009 @ 7:30pm

Details: A pair of tickets to the Lakers-Jazz game on Tuesday, April 21 located in section 330, row 6 will be awarded to the winner of our drawing that will be conducted on Tuesday, April 21 @ 8:00am. There will be only one winner and the winner will be chosen at random.

RULES OF THE DRAWING:

1. Entry must be complete, including Full Name and valid email address!

2. Entry must include phone number!

3. Message must include the phrase "I Want Tickets".

4. All entries must be submitted by email through this page and received at LA-Sportsfan@pacbell.net by 11:59pm pdt on April, 20, 2009

There is no purchase necessary to enter this drawing and is limited to one entry per person. Incomplete and duplicate entries will be void, including the original entry and ineligible to win.

The winner will be contacted Tuesday morning, April 21, 2009 @ 9:00am and arrangements for ticket delivery will be made at that time.

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Lakers Take Game One Against Jazz

2009-04-20T12:07:00.000-07:00

One down, 15 wins to go!

The Lakers winning the first game of their first round playoff series with the Utah Jazz seemed like is was a forgone conclusion. After the Lakers beat down the Jazz in the last game of the season Utah knew what they were in for, but although the Lakers were up by 22 points going into the third quarter the defense started to slip and let the Jazz back into a game that was thought to be out of reach.

The bench play for the Lakers was superb. Lamar Odom and Shannon Brown came up big for the Lakers throughout the game and kept the Jazz on their heels all afternoon.

It is becoming more and more apparent that Phil Jackson is getting comfortable with Shannon Brown backing up Derek Fisher instead of Jordan Farmar. It may just be that he feels Brown is a better defensive match up to Deron Williams who always causes problems for the Lakers or that Brown is just the better back up. Farmar only played four minutes to Brown's 22 minutes on the floor.

Whatever the case may be Brown is getting more minutes and making the most of it by contributing on both ends of the floor. Brown only scored nine points on Sunday, but they were all from beyond the arc going three for three from deep. He also had three assists, two rebounds and a steal.

Trevor Ariza was the key to this game in my opinion though as he was draining threes and making smart plays throughout the game. Ariza finished the game with 21 points while shooting 8 for 10 from the floor and 3 for 4 from deep.

Kobe Bryant was the leading scorer for the Lakers of course adding 24 points to go along with his team high eight assists. Pau Gasol also had a great game on both ends of the floor adding 20 points, nine rebounds, four blocked shots and two steals.

Paul Milsap, Deron Williams and Carlos Boozer were the big contributors for the Jazz. Boozers lead all scorers with 27 to go along with his nine boards. Williams played the way and he can by dishing out a game high 17 assists while adding 16 points. Milsap continues to show his worth as he also added 15 points and eight rebounds off the bench for Utah.

It was definitely a team effort for the Lakers on Sunday and as long as they keep playing the way they are playing I could see this series being a sweep. They have some problems to fix on the defensive end, but if they play they way they did in the first half I don't see anyone beating LA in the playoffs.

Kevin Garnett Might be Done for the Year

2009-04-16T13:14:00.000-07:00

I can't say I didn't see this coming with Kevin Garnett playing a game here and there, but never fully recovering. This is a forgone conclusion in my opinion I just think it is too painful for Doc Rivers to bear.

Kevin Garnett has been a huge part of the Boston Celtics success over the last two seasons and now it looks like they will keep him in street clothes for the playoffs due to his knee injury that just seems to not be getting any better.

Although this puts a huge smile on every Laker fans face this could end the Celtics hopes of even getting back to the NBA finals. If they do decide to keep KG on the bench for the playoff then I think it will pretty much end the Celtics season or any hopes for getting past the Orlando Magic or the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Even with KG healthy I didn't think they could get past LeBron James and the Cavs, but now that he will almost certainly be done for the year the Magic have just been bumped up to number two in the East in my opinion.

The Celtics may have a great defense, but without KG in the paint LeBron James and Dwight Howard will be virtually unstoppable against the defending champs.

Honestly, the only thing that disappoints me about this is the fact that we will not see a finals rematch between the Lakers and Celtics. And if the Celtics somehow do get there without KG that is all we will hear about if the Lakers beat them.

So even though that sucks, the potential of seeing Kobe Bryant vs. LeBron James in the NBA finals this year is looking more and more likely if things stay the way they are!