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New Lakers blog: ocregister.com/blogs/lakers is a post from: Lakers blog

“It’s unlikely that we’ll make any trade with any of our principal players,” Kupchak was quoted as saying. “To make another change at this time of the year being behind the eight-ball like we are, I think that would just make it more difficult. The talent is there. We have to find our way.”

It’s no secret the Lakers have struggled this season with injuries, chemistry and coaching changes, firing Mike Brown after a 1-4 start , flirintg with Phil Jackson and eventually hiring Mike D’Antoni. Some have suggested the roster is too old to keep up with teams such as Oklahoma City. Kupchak said age is not an issue.

“Old? If you’re looking to make excuses, I suppose,” Kupchak said. “I put this team together with Jim Buss. We don’t think they’re too old. We have great experience. When I look at our team and I make a list of things that may contribute to our record to date, age is not one of them. I think seven or eight games from now we’ll have more answers. We’re trying to get into the playoffs and make a run.”

Kupchak continues to back D’Antoni, who has not quite figured out how to win with a lineup that includes All-Stars Kobe Bryant, Steve Nash, Howard and Gasol.

“We’re very happy with Mike D’Antoni,” Kupchak said. “I think when he took the job I think he thought Nash [fractured left leg] might be out a week or two. Not two months. Getting everybody on the same page took a little longer than expected. Not to say it’s been smooth sailing, that’s for sure.”

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No trades coming, according to Mitch Kupchak is a post from: Lakers blog

It was barely enough for the Lakers to avoid another devastating setback and edge the lowly Detroit Pistons, 98-97.

Pau Gasol, even though Howard mocked his lack of lift on an earlier dunk, got up just high enough to distract Detroit’s Andre Drummond on a last-second alley-oop chance for Detroit — and led the Lakers with 23 points and 10 rebounds.

Metta World Peace wasn’t afraid to assert himself physically even in the house where he endured his most infamous moment going into the stands to fight in 2004 — bringing the energy on a day when relieved Lakers coach Mike D’Antoni said after surviving: “These are playoff games for us.”

Kobe Bryant’s alley-oop inbounds pass from midcourt to Earl Clark before and Bryant’s steal and hammer slam on Pistons guard Brandon Knight after halftime triggered two wild– and rare — team-bonding moments of celebration. In another poor shooting outing as Bryant tries to prioritize teammates’ shots over his own rhythm, Bryant powered to the basket for the go-ahead three-point play with 1:09 left.

“My heart’s racing right now,” D’Antoni said afterward.

The Lakers escaped with the victory without Howard, who rested his sore right shoulder. The Lakers have now won consecutive games with Gasol but without Howard, even though they were 0-3 earlier this season without both.

Despite Detroit missing newly acquired point guard Jose Calderon because of work visa delays and appearing to have its spirit broken in the third quarter, the Lakers did what they do lately and lost focus after starting well. They blew an 18-point lead because they couldn’t keep up with jitterbug Will Bynum,who kept going to the rim — which left Bryant thinking about how “they think twice about that” if defensive stalwart Howard is standing in the paint.

Still, Bynum’s shot from the paint over Gasol went in and out, and the Lakers held on even though Steve Nash — who had been 39 of 41 for the season on free throws — missed two in the final seconds with the Lakers ahead by one point. Nash’s relief at not costing his team a much-needed victory in the chase for a playoff spot was undeniable.

“I choked two up there,” Nash said. “A win is a win, but I take a lot of pride in being a fourth-quarter player and making shots, particularly free throws. I take responsibility there, and I didn’t come through for the guys tonight. But luckily it didn’t kill us.”

Nash did register 11 points and 10 assists and executed two key plays with Gasol for the Lakers’ only late points besides Bryant’s three-point play. Howard got to save himself for a tougher opponent Tuesday in Brooklyn — though he’s not sure he’ll play then either — as the Lakers will try to reach 3-1 on their season-long seven-game trip.

– Reporting from Auburn Hills, Mich.

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Lakers 98, Pistons 97 is a post from: Lakers blog

“It feels a little bit better, but still sore,” Howard said Sunday. “Certain movements hurt, and I don’t want to go there in any pain or go out there thinking about it too much.”

Howard aggravated the torn labrum Wednesday in Phoenix. It wasn’t the first time, and the pain fades after each aggravation, but Howard remains leery of another incident.

“It’s still not there yet,” he said. “I’m not going to try to rush myself back and have the possibility of hurting it again. There’s no need for that.”

Howard had a platelet-rich plasma injection into the shoulder Saturday. That treatment isn’t expected to provide immediate relief, but Howard’s shoulder has naturally felt better in days after each aggravation. The tear isn’t going to go away whether he takes a game, a week or the rest of the season off, as I detailed in my column Saturday about how the injury could be a positive for Howard — particularly in earning respect from Kobe Bryant, who played through a labrum tear in the 2003 NBA playoffs.

“Me and Kobe play two different positions,” Howard said. “The position I play, I use a lot of force coming up — whether that’s going up for a dunk or a shot. Hook shots, all that stuff, is this motion right here. It’s a lot of that. Playing in the post is doing this a lot.

“All that stuff, you need your shoulder stable for it. It’s a little bit different than, I would say, a guard position. You’ve got guys 260-270 you’re holding off. You’ve got to be really strong in your shoulder and all that stuff.”

Howard said it hurts him raising his arm up and especially backwards: “A lot of movements I’d be doing in games, trying to block shots, stuff like that.” Lakers coach Mike D’Antoni acknowledged that Howard should try to work on not bringing the ball down so low under the basket, which is how opponents have hurt the shoulder repeatedly. Howard said he needs to be in a “stable” position to decrease the chance for aggravation.

D’Antoni said previously this seven-game trip will be the “telling tale” of the Lakers’ season. About Howard not playing Sunday, the third game of a previously 1-1 trip, D’Antoni said it was “his call.” About the labrum tear, D’Antoni said: “It’s not going to go away.”

Howard can try to strengthen the muscles in the shoulder to decrease the possibility of aggravation. Asked about playing in Brooklyn, when he would be more needed to go up against All-Star center Brook Lopez and the 28-19 Nets, Howard was noncommittal.

Asked if he is viewing offseason surgery as an increasing possibility, Howard said: “I don’t even want to think about surgery.”

– Reporting from Auburn Hills, Mich.

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Dwight Howard (shoulder) not playing in Detroit is a post from: Lakers blog

“It was a good feeling,” Gasol said after his cameo as a starter Friday night for the Lakers because of Dwight Howard’s injury absence. “Like the good ol’ days.”

Gasol smiled after he said it, but it’s clear that he hasn’t let go of his desire to be, as he said before his demotion, “a star starter.”

“I was able to start, play more minutes and get into a flow,” Gasol said of his 22-point, 12-rebound outing.

Lakers coach Mike D’Antoni has opted for Earl Clark’s energy to start games, and it has helped the Lakers — although Clark fizzled in the second half Friday night. D’Antoni didn’t think Gasol’s good outing against Minnesota was any surprise, saying: “Pau’s played well the whole time.”

Gasol said the pain from his knee tendinitis has decreased lately, rating it a six or seven on a pain scale of 1-10, but said the pain from plantar fasciitis in his right foot has increased, rating seven or eight.

Gasol promised to keep fighting through his hurt feelings and hurt body, saying: “It’s been a rough season so far. There’s no way around it. But stay with it; keep playing. You never know when things can change direction.”

– Reporting from Minneapolis

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Pau Gasol calls starting ‘a good feeling’ is a post from: Lakers blog

“He’s cool,” World Peace said Friday night. “He’s good people.”

It turns out their schedules aren’t working out, but World Peace said they’ve met once previously and get along well.

“I’ve spoken to him quite a few times,” World Peace said.

– Reporting from Minneapolis

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Metta World Peace still friendly with cup thrower is a post from: Lakers blog

Gradually rebuilding their belief that they are a winning team, the Lakers handled the Minnesota Timberwolves, 111-100, on Friday night. It snapped an eight-game road losing streak for the Lakers, and now those glances Kobe Bryant has begun stealing at the Western Conference standings might start to become more pleasant.

“You kind of want to have in your mind’s eye what’s going on,” Bryant said. “But we’ll catch up.”

The Lakers failed to get back into the playoff picture by losing every road game in January, going 0-7, the first time in franchise history they’ve gone through a calendar month that poorly on the road. But for a team that has tried so many times to restart the season in a new direction, the Lakers chalked up a much-needed victory over a Minnesota team that has won only once in its past 12 games.

The Lakers had much better rhythm and spacing to their offense with Pau Gasol starting in place of Howard at center, playing their best offense of the season and drilling 3-pointers and building a 29-point lead. The defense wasn’t good without Howard, but Gasol was activewith 22 points, 12 rebounds and three blocks.

Bryant and Steve Nash also picked up Howard’s slack everywhere on the court.

Bryant again opted not to carry the Lakers with his scoring, but he filled another void by tying Gasol for the team lead of 12 rebounds, including a key put-back off a missed Gasol jumper midway through the fourth. Bryant had eight assists and Nash had seven in a resurgence for him. Nash also had 17 points, hit all three of his 3-point shots, added seven rebounds and two blocks while not committing a turnover in 37 minutes.

Nash said the key for the Lakers is to move forward and overcome the tendency to “lose our tempo” while playing. Minnesota’s zone defense did just that after the Lakers’ hot start, but Bryant cited improved execution in helping the Lakers persevere.

Bryant also pointed out the fine work of his old pal Pau.

Said Bryant: “Nothing that Lakers fans haven’t seen for the past five years. … This is the Pau who helped us get back-to-back championships.”

– Reporting from Minneapolis

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Lakers 111, Timberwolves 100 is a post from: Lakers blog

Howard is being called day-to-day by the Lakers, as he will rejoin the team in time for the game at Detroit at 10 a.m. Pacific time Sunday. Whether he plays then in what will be the third game of the Lakers’ crucial season-long seven-game trip will be decided at that point. The Lakers have another day off Monday before playing Tuesday at Brooklyn.

“As soon as the pain goes away, he’ll play,” Lakers coach Mike D’Antoni said.

The Lakers were 0-3 in games this season without Howard, who sat out losses at Houston, at San Antonio and vs. Oklahoma City. But Pau Gasol missed all those games also while he was recovering from a concussion — leaving the Lakers with overwhelmed rookie Robert Sacre up from the NBA Development League to play center.

Gasol was healthy and influential in the Lakers’ strong start Friday. He missed his first two shots, opportunities created by Steve Nash first and Kobe Bryant second, but Gasol heated up thereafter. Earl Clark, whom the Lakers discovered during that January stretch when Howard and Gasol were hurt, and Gasol each scored 13 points in the first half to lead all scorers.

Gasol  hasn’t been happy to move into a bench role to make room for the athletic Clark in the starting lineup, but Gasol got the start a center Friday night.

The Lakers did miss Howard on defense, as expected. Gasol blocked two first-half shots, but Minnesota shot 52 percent from the field in the first half. The Lakers compensated for Howard’s absence by packing the paint more, allowing more open 3-point shots — and despite Minnesota being a bad 3-point shooting team of historic proportions, the Timberwolves made six of nine 3-point shots in the first half. The Timberwolves came in shooting 29.5 percent this season on 3-pointers; Charlotte last season was the only team in the past 10 NBA seasons to shoot worse than 30 percent for a season.

– Reporting from Minneapolis

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Dwight Howard to undergo PRP shoulder therapy is a post from: Lakers blog

“Just got to deal with it as much as I can,” he said late Wednesday night after the Lakers’ loss to Phoenix.

Howard said that the shoulder pain on previous occasions has abated the day after, which he hopes will be the case again. Accordingly, the Lakers are expecting him play Friday in Minnesota, and Kobe Bryant said the labrum issue is one that will go on all season but with which Howard can learn to deal.

“I’m going to try as much as I can, but I don’t want to cause more damage to my shoulder,” Howard said.

Asked about possibly resting the shoulder for a week, which he did after the initial injury, Howard said:  “I don’t want to, but we’ll see.”

Howard’s injury is not the common tear in the labrum itself that has sent many athletes into surgery and months of recovery. Howard has explained his injury as a tear only in the sense of the labrum tearing away from the bone in his shoulder.

Howard said: “I won’t lose my spirit, and I’ve just got to continue to do whatever I can to get my shoulder strong.”

– Reporting from Phoenix

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Dwight Howard dealing with more shoulder pain is a post from: Lakers blog

They still are.

Dwight Howard’s shoulder couldn’t be handled with enough care Wednesday night, and the Lakers’ burgeoning optimism was stuffed by a come-from-ahead, 92-86 loss to an also-ran Phoenix Suns team that came in lamenting the offseason departure of Steve Nash to the Lakers.

Howard aggravated the labrum tear away from the bone in his right shoulder with 6:57 left in the game when he was stopped from going up for a shot under the basket by Phoenix’s Shannon Brown. Howard sat out the rest of the game with an icepack on the shoulder. He has said he will have to deal with possible aggravations while trying to strengthen other parts of the shoulder to compensate for the injury.

The Lakers led, 78-73, when Howard went out — and they lost the poise and flow that marked their past three games — all victories. The Lakers got stagnant — it didn’t help them that Pau Gasol played almost the entire second half because of Earl Clark’s foul trouble and then Howard’s injury.

The Lakers allowed a season-high 27 points to Phoenix’s Michael Beasley, whom the Lakers pursued ardently in trade last season.

Nash’s homecoming to Phoenix had the early spotlight — including a video tribute from the Suns to thank him for his contributions over 10 years and two stints with the team. Nash also spent the early part of the day seeing his three kids, who still live in Phoenix with his ex-wife.

“It’s a special, special place,” Nash said.

But as has been the case lately, Nash ceded his ball-handling role to Kobe Bryant, who piled up nine assists in the first three quarters. Nash didn’t have an assist until 3:26 remained in the third quarter, and that gave the Lakers a 64-51 lead — as the same plan worked well again for the Lakers in seeking their fourth consecutive victory.

Instead, Bryant had no assists against two turnovers in the fourth quarter … and the Lakers crumbled with no offensive structure to lose their eighth consecutive road game. It was the first game on the Lakers’ season-long seven-game trip.

“All things come to an end,” Nash said before the game, referring to his years in Phoenix. But the Lakers’ road losing streak will have to wait at least until Thursday night in Minnesota.

Nash had said before the game that he wasn’t focusing too much on his Phoenix return as the Lakers tried to maintain “this little bit of momentum.”

“We’re pretty deep in trying to turn our team around right now, so it’s pretty consuming,” Nash said.

Lakers coach Mike D’Antoni stepped back from the current grind long enough to express his fond reflection on his past success coaching Nash in Phoenix.

“You couldn’t ask for four years that was better than that,” D’Antoni said.

He also said: “You take it for granted how they clicked and how good it was and how much fun it was to watch them every day. You kind of take it for granted after a while. You’re chasing the championship and you’re chasing this, and you forget what we have was good. And sometimes you should take care of it a little bit better; probably didn’t do that.”

By night’s end, it was back to current reality and current problems for D’Antoni, who was already lamenting pregame that Gasol was somewhat miffed after the victory Tuesday night about not playing the final minutes.

“Well, you know, ‘all for one’ didn’t last a whole lot, did it?” D’Antoni said with a dark chuckle.

Gasol wound up getting more minutes than he needed in the second half Wednesday night. He had Bryant wound up combining for 10 of the Lakers’ 20 turnovers. Nash posted another Derek Fisher-like line: 11 points, two assists, two turnovers.

– Reporting from Phoenix

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Suns 92, Lakers 86 is a post from: Lakers blog