No Bad News Yet
I almost felt like I could have written this blog yesterday. The Los Angeles Lakers have not disappointed yet and last night they held on to their current winning streak with their victory over the Miami Heat. The final score of the game was 106-88 and the Heat had to walk away defeated by the best team in the West. The Lakers now lead the San Antonio Spurs, Phoenix and New Orleans. Kobe Bryant and Jordan Farmar were the particular superstars in last night’s game, with Farmar scoring an incredible 24 points and Bryant with 21. There is no doubt that the Lakers are determined to hang on to their lead and from the looks of it, they have nothing to worry about. If they win their next game they will tie their current winning streak with that of 2004.
Although the Los Angeles Lakers were cautious initially because of Bryant’s pinkie injury, it appears they they worried needlessly because Bryant, who has taken the court by storm is scoring baskets right and left. And Bryant looks oh so cool while doing so. A particular photograph caught him in mid-air, doing what can only be described as the “C” in the song “YMCA,” although this was a full-body C, nothing to snuff at. As the Lakers keep kicking XXX this blog may actually start to get boring, although all Lakers fans should definitely not be complaining. The Lakers are number one. Be sure not to miss their next game with your pair of Los Angeles Lakers tickets from Stubhub.com.
Lakers Turn Their Winning Streak in the Direction of Miami
Miami is in the eye of the prominent Los Angeles Lakers, who have recently been tearing it up on the court. Now Kobe Bryant and the Lakers will go for the double digits- in a hopeful win against the Heat. Thus far the Lakers have nine consecutive wins under their belts…er…jerseys, much to the help of their star player, Kobe Bryant. Bryant is currently averaging 29 points, 5.6 assists and 5.3 rebounds during the winning streak. As it stands, this is L.A.’s longest winning extravaganza since 2004 when they proudly won an impressive eleven games in a row. We’ll have to see if they can match, or better yet beat their 2004 run. This evening will be a telltale sign if they are able to hold off of the Heat on the court.
The Heat recently just wrapped up an 11 game slide when they finally managed an 107-86 victory over the Sacramento Kings on Tuesday. They might be powered up and stoked about coming out of the hole tonight, so they may very well show the Lakers “what for.” But the intimidation is running high, especially with Kobe Bryant looming over their heads. Nevertheless there is no doubt that Miami will turn up the “Heat” on the court tonight and it is bound to be an exciting game. See if the Lakers can hold on to their strength this evening, tune in and if you can, get your pair of Los Angeles Lakers tickets from Stubhub.com.
The Unstoppable Los Angeles Lakers!
Well they have done it again, although it should not come as a shock to fans, who have been keeping tabs on their teams’ impressive successes over the past few weeks. Last night’s game against the Portland Trailblazers saw yet another win for the Lakers, who have the incredible Kobe Bryant on their side. Bryant got 11 of his 30 points in the fourth quarter-ending the match on an impressive high note. He also added nine rebounds and seven assists to his victorious night. This is the ninth straight victory for the Lakers, with the final score at 96-83. Lakers Coach Phil Jackson was quoted in the Canadian Press as saying, “The real value of a super plaer is that he makes other players better. You can see the apparent emphasis of Kobe’s game to get other people involved and make the rest of his team better.”
Indeed Bryant has been a shining star for the Lakers, even suffering through the trouble his aching pinkie finger has caused. It is a true testament to his dedication perhaps to remain an all-star player in the league. The Trailblazers were already not doing well on the court, so their loss might not have come as a surprise, however it had to have been damaging to the motivation of the Blazers’ team members. It’s hard going up against one of the best teams in the West. Of course who knows how long a winning streak can last. We all know that it certainly can’t last forever, but now that the Lakers are at the top of their game, we should enjoy the spotlight for a while! Be sure to get your Los Angeles Lakers tickets from Stubhub.com.
Lucky Number Nine?
The Los Angeles Lakers are set to take on the Portland Trailblazors tonight and things are looking up for the Kobe Bryant-blessed team. Of course Bryant himself, although still showing his star-studded skills, was ejected for the first time this season after a confrontation with a referee during their game against the Seattle Supersonics. Bryant really had no reason to sulk though after he mastered 21 points and ten assists in only 26 minutes before he got the ole “heave-ho” from the court. Bryant had his own sentiments about his shove out of the game. He was quoted on USA Today as saying, “I’m disappointed, but I’m not going to comment on the official. I don’t want to get fined anymore. Watch the replay.” Perhaps a little irked, we’ll say.
Their upcoming game against the Trailblazers doesn’t have the Lakers too concerned. The Blazers have lost seven of eight games and are now in 10th place in the West-plus they are without one of their star players, Brandon Roy, who suffered an ankle injury during a game against Boston and is thus unable to compete. They most likely are still hurting from last season’s run against the Lakers, where they ended up winning their first two games against L.A., but lost out when the Lakers won in a 116-111 overtime victory. Kobe Bryant scored 65 points during that game, the most ever scored against he Blazers. Of course this is all speculation, we will see how each team handles itself tonight. Be sure to get your Los Angeles Lakers tickets from Stubhub.com.
Los Angeles Lakers Mean Business on the Court!
The Los Angeles Lakers expertly dominated the Seattle Sonics the other night and there is no denying, that even with a fractured pinkie finger, Kobe Bryant really knows how to play rough on the court. He overpowered the doomed Sonics with his scoring and his amazing passes throughout the game and helped drive the Lakers to an impassable lead over the Sonics. Bryant was able to score eleven points in the first quarter and walked away with 21 on 8-for13 shooting. He also doled out ten assists in 26 minutes. There is no denying that the Laker’s first-hand man has talent, even if his pinkie finger is giving him trouble. Of course before leaving for the night, Bryant got himself in trouble when he picked up a technical foul from referee Brian Forte. He picked up yet another foul after he continued yelling at the appalled referee.
The Lakers left the game with a lead of 88-57 when Bryant left with four minutes left in the third. The Los Angeles Lakers are certainly dominating the court with all of their superstar skills and they sent the Sonics home whimpering. Kobe Bryant has once again proved his celebrity status and has carried his team to yet another notable win. If you want to see some great plays by some phenomenal players, be sure to get your pair of Los Angeles Lakers tickets.
Check Out Basketball-Reference.com for Lakers Number Crunching
Everybody knows that the Lakers are on a role with their new Gasol-ene fueled lineup. Who needs Shaq-Diesel, right? But just how good are the Lakers right now? What kind of numerical evidence can you give to support the Lakers’ offensive and defensive prowess? Where do the Lakers rank among NBA teams in terms of effective free throw rate? What king of production can Luke Walton give you on a per-minute basis? All can be answered if you look for it at the basketball stats playground called basketball-reference.com.
Right now the Lakers have an offensive ranking of 3rd and a defensive ranking of 7th, according to basketball-reference. You can get box scores really easy at this site, and you can see a ton of stats that they don’t have without a special Insider Pass at ESPN. There’s also ZERO fluff- no pictures, no moving advertisements and no sensationalist sports writing. It’s pure numbers, pure basketball stats, pure Lakers.
We’re big fans at the Lakers Blog.
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Kobe Gets Better of Shaq, But Fans the Big Winner
Did you catch the Lakers game last night? The Lake Show was able to pull off a victory over the Phoenix Suns in Arizona 124-130. It was a highly anticipated matchup, with Shaq meeting Kobe’s Lakers for the first time since his trade to the Suns. These two teams have a history of meeting in the playoffs, and Shaq and Kobe- well, you probably know all about the drama there. Kobe scored 41 points, while Shaq had 15 and 9 rebounds. While the stats and the scoreboard give Kobe the edge in this one, the real winners are the fans, who will get to watch a really tight playoff race in the West, and what might be the best group of playoff teams in decades this summer in the postseason.
A few thoughts on the so-called game-within-the-game. Shaq is not the same player he was when he and Kobe were winning championships in LA, so comparing stats does not really tell the whole story. A 15-9 effort in 29 minutes of play, with the up-and-down pace of the game, while trying to keep with the younger, faster Pau Gasol: that’s a really good game for the big, old fella. Everybody is anxious for these two teams to meet again, and hopefully, we’ll be treated to another long playoff series between the Lakers and the Suns in a few months.
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Shaq is Back-This Time Against the Lakers
Shaquille O’Neal is shining brightly with the Phoenix Suns-and he’s about to give the “what for” to his old team, the Los Angeles Lakers. The Suns are doing particularly well on the court…perhaps thanks in part to the big bulky O’Neal who, and let’s be frankly honest here, does not quite fit in with the rest of the of the shorter, speedy little crowd on the team. According to an article by the Associated Press, “O’Neal has no desire to be a star with his new team, saying that the roles of superstars belong to Nash and Stoudemire.” O’Neal has also noted that he is more like a senior adviser to the younger guys. In fact, he’s labeled himself as “the old guy with the long beard, like in basic karate movies.”
The question is: will he have the right moves and will he channel the right power to overtake the Lakers, who he admits, is a very real tough Pacific Division foe. Apparently Shaq will be in the game for about twenty minutes, as he will be in the starting lineup. We will see if O’Neal can show his fellow teammates how to use the force within them. Either way, it’s bound to be a great match…with two teams that both have mastered their technical skills on the court. Be sure to catch the upcoming game, and get your pair of Los Angeles Lakers tickets as soon as possible.
Lakers And the Hawks Go Head to Head-Or Hand to Hand
Things are heating up on the NBA courts. The Los Angeles Lakers are scheduled to face off the Atlanta Hawks tonight at the Staples Center, which leads everyone to wonder who will walk away the winner? The Lakers are currently the favorite with 35-17, while the Hawks are hanging a bit behind with 21-28. Not to mention that Atlanta has lost three of its last four games to the Lakers. The Hawks are relying on their newly acquired point guard, Mike Bibby to help them out of their rut. Of course Bibby comes with a hurt thumb, so that might indeed hamper their game. Or perhaps we can just forget the entire showdown and have an all-out hand wrestling match between Bibby and Kobe Bryant, who is busy nursing his aggravated pinkie finger.
But let’s not digress, these are big times. The Lakers are only one and a half games behind the Phoenix Suns for the first place position in the Pacific Division. They are aiming to keep their high status on the court and take it up yet another level by crushing the Hawks. Of course the Lakers are relying heavily on the master skills of player Kobe Bryant, who currently leads the team in scoring. His pinkie finger might change all that though. Bryant has announced that he is determined to play through the injury, rather than opting for the surgery that would place him securely on the sidelines for six to eight weeks. Keep tabs on the team with your pair of Los Angeles Lakers tickets from Stubhub.com.
President’s Day Lakers Blog Spectacular!
Since today is President’s Day, the Lakers Blog is going to hit you with a spectacularly presidential blog. Here are the top five Lakers players, both past and present, whose names remind us of President’s Day. We got the players from the Lakers player archive at basketball-reference.com.
TOP TEN LAKERS PLAYERS BY PRESIDENTIALNESS OF THEIR NAME
10. Nick Van Exel (like Van Buren…)
9. Don Ford
8. Jim Jackson, Phil Jackson
7. Trevor Wilson
6. Bob Harrison
5. Magic Johnson
4. Brian Grant
3. Bob Harrison
2. Kermit Washington
1. Norm Nixon
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