Loss to Bobcats Illustrates Odom’s Value
Although Kobe Bryant put on one of his patented big-time shows in the Lakers’ loss to Charlotte last night, but it wasn’t enough as the Lakers fell to the Bobcats in triple overtime. Bryant had 58 points on 22-45 shooting, and it was the 14th time that Bryant has surpassed 50 in his career.
However, the statistic that jumps out at anyone looking at the box score is that no one else on the Lakers scored more than 14 points. Bryant had to literally carry the Lakers, and once he fouled out, Los Angeles was finished. The problem is that Lamar Odom is out until mid-February with an injury, and in his absence there really is no second offensive option. These Lakers without Odom are like the Lakers that took the floor immediately after they traded Shaquille O’Neal, and it looks like they could struggle until Odom returns.
The good news for fans is that they’ll get to see the most talented player in the world push for his offense, and Bryant is always exciting. Get your Lakers tickets at StubHub.com for a close look at just how good Bryant is.
Lakers-76ers once was one of NBA’s best rivalries
As the Lakers prepare to host Philadelphia on Sunday evening, thoughts turn to a time when the team’s games meant something. Of all the rivals of the Showtime Lakers, only the Celtics were bigger. Los Angeles faced the 76ers in the NBA Finals three times in the 80s, winning twice.
Those, of course, were the Lakers of Magic Johnson. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. James Worthy. Norm Nixon and later Byron Scott. Philadelphia was led by the incomparable Dr. J, Julius Erving. Henry Bibby, Moses Malone, Maurice Cheeks, the Jones boys, Bobby and Caldwell, and Doug Collins were on some of those teams.
In 1980, Johnson’s rookie year, the Lakers beat the 76ers in the Finals, four games to two. Abdul-Jabbar had to sit out Game 6 in Philadelphia and Magic started at center, scoring 42 points to lead Los Angeles to the clinching victory.
Two years later, the teams again met in the Finals. Again, the Lakers emerged with a win in six games. This was especially painful for the 32-year-old Erving, who had now lost in the Finals three times since coming to Philadelphia. Some wondered if he had enough left in the tank to earn a title.
They got their answer the next year. The team acquired Malone in the off-season and marched through the regular season with a 65-17 record. When they met the Lakers again in the Finals, it was a whole different story. Malone manhandled Abdul-Jabbar and the Lakers went down in a four-game sweep.
Things are certainly different today. Philadelphia did make it to the NBA Finals in 2001, losing to the Lakers in five games. But since that season, the 76ers have fallen on hard times. Earlier this year, they traded Allen Iverson to Denver. They are currently 8-21, last in the Atlantic Division, tied for the second-worst record in the league. Los Angeles is second in the Pacific, but may be a question mark for the postseason if they don’t get Lamar Odom back soon.
It’s a far cry from the old days.
Get your Los Angeles Lakers tickets at StubHub!
Kobe’s 58 points not enough as Lakers fall to Bobcats
With Lamar Odom out, possibly until the All-Star break, everybody expected Kobe Bryant to step up his scoring. But is that the best way for the Lakers to win? That’s the question after Friday’s triple-overtime loss to the Charlotte Bobcats.
In fact after the game, Bryant told reporters, “I don’t want to have to do that. It’s too tiring.”
Bryant actually fouled out of the game and his final two fouls may have cost the Lakers. Bryant fouled Derek Anderson on a 3-point attempt and Anderson made all three free throws to give Charlotte a five-point lead. Anderson later drew a charge on Bryant for his sixth foul.
Bryant took 45 shots in the game, making 22. No other Laker took more than 10 shots. “I was yellnig at them to run their offense and get away from that,” Lakers coach Phil Jackson told reporters after the game. “They just seemed to be going back to him all the time.”
It was the Lakers ninth game since Odom went down with his knee injury and Los Angeles is 4-5 in that period. They did finish their six-game road trip at 3-3 and return home on Sunday to host Philadelphia. With Phoenix having won two of three since its 15-game winning streak was stopped, first place in the Pacific Division could be slipping out of the Lakers’ reach.
Get your Los Angeles Lakers tickets at StubHub!
Kobe Learns to Lead
Lakers tickets are always in demand, but this year is starting to look like it could be special for the Lakers. The biggest reason for the Lakers resurgence to the top of the division standings is the newly-formed persona of the Lakers’, and perhaps the NBA’s best player, Kobe Bryant.
Bryant spent the summer recovering from knee surgery, and it appears that he used that time well. Bryant has always had a reputation as a gunner, and that’s more fact than fiction. Simply put, he was by far the best player the Lakers had, and after the departure of Shaquille O’Neal, Bryant took it upon himself to shoulder the offensive load.
However, Bryant spent some time reflecting during his rehab, and his approach to this season has been markedly different. Bryant is sharing the ball, increasing his assists and continuing to become known as one of the best defensive players in the NBA.
Will this trend continue? If it does, the Lakers will be dangerous come playoff time.
Lakers may be without Odom ’til All-Star break
The Los Angeles Lakers continued to try to keep up with the red-hot Phoenix Suns on Friday, defeating the New Jersey Nets on the road, 99-95. But as the Lakers head into their annual Christmas Day matchup with Miami, they got more bad news regarding Lamar Odom.
The Orange County Register reported that coach Phil Jackson said Odom’s sprained right knee could keep him out until the All-Star break. If so, Los Angeles would miss its second-leading scorer and leading rebounder for about two months - twice the original projection.
The Lakers are just 2-3 since Odom sprained the knee in a game at Houston on Dec. 12. They have fallen to second place in the Pacific Division, two losses behind the Suns. Phoenix had won 15 games in a row until losing in overtime to Washington on Friday night, 144-139. Gilbert Arenas scored 54 points in that game - the Lakers know well about Arenas. He scored 60 in an overtime win over Los Angeles last Sunday at the Staples Center.
Odom will definitely miss the Christmas matchup in Miami. It’s the third consecutive year the Lakers and Heat will play on Christmas Day - for some reason, television executives seem to like the idea of Kobe vs. Shaq for the holidays. However, Shaquille O’Neal will miss the game with his own knee injury.
Brian Cook and Vladimir Radmanovic have been getting the starts since Odom’s injury. Cook scored 11 points and grabbed 11 rebounds in 17 minutes in the win over the Nets. Radmanovic had eight points and five rebounds in 24 minutes off the bench.
Get your Los Angeles Lakers tickets at StubHub!
Lakers lose Odom, lead in Pacific
How quickly things can change. The Los Angeles Lakers finished off their homestand on Sunday with a 106-99 win over the San Antonio Spurs, then began a quick two-game, back-to-back Texas roadtrip with a 102-94 win at Houston on Tuesday.
Then, the good news came to a skidding halt. Lamar Odom sprained his right knee in the win over the Rockets. Odom was off to a career-best start but he’ll be sidelined now for at least a month and possibly longer.
The 6-foot-10 forward was hurt when he fell awkwardly while trying to shoot over Shane Battier less than two minutes into the game.
It’s a devastating injury for the Lakers. Odom was averaging a career-high 18 points and led the team in rebounding (9.1 per game) and assists (5.1). Further, Odom had carried the Lakers as Kobe Bryant recovered from offseason knee surgery.
A hint of what Odom’s absence means to the team came late in the win over the Rockets. The Lakers nearly blew a 93-66 lead, having to hold on by the skin of their collective teeth. On Wednesday, Los Angeles fell to Dallas, 110-101. Nobody stepped up to fill Odom’s big shoes. Bryant scored 33 to lead the Lakers but Luke Walton was next with just 13.
That loss dropped Los Angeles to 15-7, a half-game behind Phoenix in the Pacific Division. The Suns have won 12 in a row.
The team returns home on Friday to face the Rockets again.
Get your Los Angeles Lakers tickets at StubHub!
Lakers continue winning ways
Kobe Bryant didn’t play but it didn’t matter on Friday night as the Atlanta Hawks were the opposition. The result was a 106-95 win. The Lakers are now 13-6 heading into Sunday’s showdown with San Antonio at the Staples Center.
Bryant sat out with a sprained ankle, resting for the game with the Spurs. But lo and behold, Luke Walton stepped up with a career-high 25 points against Atlanta. Maurice Evans started in place of Bryant and scored 22, including a spectacular reverse layup while being fouled in the fourth quarter that made the highlight reels.
And Bryant’s absence didn’t keep away the celebrities. Lindsay Lohan brought the party to the Staples Center, perhaps thinking there was an AA meeting there.
Bryant hurt the ankle in Monday’s win over the Pacers but played in Wednesday’s loss to the Hornets. The woeful Hawks provided an opportunity to steal a night off for Kobe.
Sunday’s game sets up as a key test for Los Angeles. The Lakers have been feasting on home cooking of late. The Spurs game ends a stretch of 13 out of 14 games at the Staples Center (one was “at” the Clippers). Seven of the games were against Eastern Conference teams.
Now, the Lakers will follow up the game with San Antonio with a quick, two-game, back-to-back trip to Houston and Dallas. Several people have questioned just how good Los Angeles is and whether the Lakers are truly contenders. These next three games should give a hint.
Get Los Angeles Lakers tickets at StubHub!
Mamba goes off, Lakers hammer Jazz
The Lakers dropped a tough game in Utah last week. On Thursday, Kobe Bryant wasn’t going to let the Jazz get a repeat.
Bryant went off for a season-high 52 points to lead the Lakers to a 132-102 win over Utah at the Staples Center. Bryant scored 30 points in the third quarter alone. The performance was so impressive that Lakers coach Phil Jackson actually came off the bench and hugged Kobe when Bryant left the game in the fourth quarter.
The game seemed to announce that Bryant is fully healed following off-season knee surgery. It also seemed to be a statement to the Jazz, who came into the game with the league’s best record at 13-3. The Lakers, now 10-5 and in first place in the Pacific Division, expect to contend for the NBA championship again.
Bryant made 11 shots in a row from the floor, a stretch that bridged the second and third quarters and was 19 of 26 on the night (two of three from 3-point range). He also made 12 of his 15 free throws - Utah tried a version of hack-a-Shaq to try to slow him down.
Next up for the Lakers is a Saturday game against the Los Angeles Clippers. The Lakers have now won six of nine games in a stretch of 14 games where they leave the Staples Center just once (the game at Utah).
Get your Los Angeles Lakers tickets at StubHub!
Lakers coach Jackson fined for comments
Los Angeles Lakers coach Phil Jackson was fined $25,000 on Wednesday for his comments following the Lakers 114-108 loss at Utah on Nov. 24. Jackson is legendary for how he works the officials but his post-game comments were fairly mild. He was attempting to protect his 19-year old center, Andrew Bynum.
He probably earned the fine for saying, “The league throws out some referee corps that you’re dubious about to start with.”
Jackson was fined $50,000 in March of 2004 when he said that referee Bob Delaney was prejudiced against then-Laker center Shaquille O’Neal. The Lakers organization was also fined $50,000 for those comments.
Jackson’s fines for comments go back to his days as coach of the Chicago Bulls. During the 1998 Eastern Conference finals, Jackson was docked $10,000 for ripping the officials.
So what does the Lakers most famous blogger have to say about this? Oddly, Flea hasn’t updated his blog since last year’s playoffs.
Get Los Angeles Lakers tickets at StubHub!
Lakers rebound from loss to beat Nets
The Los Angeles Lakers returned home on Sunday night and defeated the New Jersey Nets, 99-93. The win was a nice turnaround after the Lakers traveled to Utah and fell to the Jazz on Friday, 114-108. That loss broke a four-game winning streak for Los Angeles.
The win over New Jersey was a team effort. Lamar Odom scored 21 points and Kobe Bryant added 19 but the two stars combined to shoot just 35 percent of their shots (14 of 40). The rest of the Lakers made 23 of their 42 shots for a phenomenal 55 percent.
It was especially sweet for Los Angeles to win in spite of Bryant being smothered by the Nets’ Jason Kidd and Vince Carter. Bryant made just eight of his 24 shots from the field.
The Lakers have so far taken full advantage of a stretch of 12 out of 14 games at home. And one of the road games is “at” the Clippers - also in the Staples Center. The Lakers have won the first five of that stretch at the Staples Center with Milwaukee up next on Tuesday. Then, Los Angeles hosts Utah in a rematch of last week’s game.
Andrew Bynum continued his solid play. The second-year player had six rebounds, three blocks and two assists although he scored just three points in his 19 minutes. He’s averaging 8.9 points, 6.4 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game - numbers the Lakers need with the loss of Chris Mihm to ankle surgery.
Get your Los Angeles Lakers tickets at StubHub!