Lakers, Without Kobe, Lose Third Straight

The Lakers were game last night, and they staged a late rally against the host New York Knicks, but in the end, they dropped a decision to the home team by the score of 99-94.  The Lakers, trailing for most of the game, closed the gap to get within two points, but the Knicks held them off and handed the Lakers their third straight loss.

The Lakers had to play without the suspended Kobe Bryant, and Lamar Odom stepped up with a big night, scoring 25 points to go along with 9 rebounds and 6 assists, but it wasn’t enough.  The Lakers get an immediate chance to redeem themselves in Boston tonight, and most would bet that we’ll see a fired-up Kobe Bryant taking it to the Celtics.

If you’d like to see any future Lakers games, head to StubHub.com and grab some Lakers tickets.

Bryant to Miss Game vs. Knicks

Kobe Bryant is not happy, but the NBA doesn’t care.  Bryant was suspended for one game for what he claims was an inadvertent elbow to the head of the Spurs’ Manu Ginobili the other night, and Bryant wanted to have an immediate appeal with the league since the team was already in town to play the New York Knicks.

However, the league didn’t budge, as that would have stepped outside the normal process for suspension appeals.  Therefore, basketball fans in New York will not get to see Bryant in-person this year, as tonight is the Lakers’ only visit to Madison Square Garden during the regular season.

If you’d like to see Bryant return to the court, you can certainly do so by logging onto StubHub.com and checking out the available Lakers tickets.

Lakers Suffer Ugly Defeat

Just a few days after an uplifting victory over the Dallas Mavericks, the Lakers suffered through a terrible night last night in Houston, and injury was added to insult after the game.  The Lakers shot only 34.8% from the floor in their 102-77 loss to Houston, and Phil Jackson was ejected in the third quarter.  Overall, it was a miserable effort, and one that was deflating to the team.

What was potentially even worse, however, was that Kobe Bryant sustained what’s being reported as a strained groin in the second quarter, and he left the bench before the end of the game after scoring 20 points on only 6-18 shooting.  It’s unkown how long the injury will have an effect on Bryant, but anyone who’s been active understands how painful a groin injury can be and how long it can linger without the proper rest.

If you’d like to see the Lakers attempt to get back on track, log onto StubHub.com and choose from any of the available Lakers tickets.

Lakers Coach Offers Thoughts On Kobe

The comparisons have been in place since Kobe Bryant entered the NBA directly from high school.  Kobe has been deemed by many to be the “next Michael Jordan,” and at times he’s accepted that comparison while other times he’s rejected it.  In an insightful piece on CNNSI.com, Lakers assistant coach Tex Winter, who was in Chicago with Jordan, offered a detailed comparison between these two great players.

Winter believes that the talent level between the two is comparable, but he’s beginning to worry about Bryant’s health, as carrying the load for his team for so long takes a tremendous toll on the body.  This is particularly true of Kobe, as his ankle is giving him problems and he was unable to train normally in the offseason while recovering from knee surgery.

It’ll be interesting to see how Kobe’s career plays out in comparison to His Airness, but he alone makes Lakers tickets worth the effort to obtain.

Lakers Suffer a Potentially-Costly Blow in Win Over 76ers

The Lakers continued to notch wins last night, with their latest victim being the Philadelphia 76ers, but their roster was depleted even further for a yet-to-be-determined amount of time when C Kwame Brown suffered a sprained ankle during the game.  Anyone who’s played basketball understand that ankle injuries can be extremely difficult to overcome, as cutting and changing directions are perhaps the most important athletic skills needed to compete at any level.

Even though no one knows for sure how long Brown will be out, the Lakers will have to turn to the extremely young Andrew Bynum in his absence.  Bynum has shown promise, but he’s far from a seasoned veteran, so the team should expect some ups-and-downs during his extended playing time.

However, Bynum’s newfound experience could pay dividends in the long run in relation to the Lakers’ depth.  He’s already a fan favorite, and anyone using Lakers tickets will be sure to root him on towards fulfilling his massive potential.