Tag: Los Angeles Lakers (Page 22 of 48)

      Gasol and Bynum pivotal in Lakers’ win over Thunder

      April 18, 2010 /

      I had a feeling the Lakers were going to come out and play the best basketball they had in months. Actually, most fans probably demanded it, considering the team had been playing with the intensity of a turtle. In defeating the Thunder 87-79 on Sunday, it looks like they’re back on track.

      It was clear from the opening drive that the Lakers knew how important this game was. In the first quarter, the defending champions chose their shots wisely, consistently looking for the open man and finding him. For the first time all year, Kobe Bryant, Derek Fisher, Lamar Odom, Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum ran the offense as a team, and it effectively stunned the Thunder when it mattered most. Kobe wasn’t worried about putting up numbers, and distributed the ball with an ability we often forget he contains. He routinely fed the ball down low to the big men, Gasol and Bynum. Both were aggressive, yet Bynum was a pleasant surprise after missing the last 13 games. The two combined for 32 points and 25 rebounds as the Thunder struggled to neutralize them.

      Still, the Thunder did play well defensively overall — the team just couldn’t match the Lakers on the other end of the court. I could say Artest and Kobe shut down Kevin Durant, but that wasn’t the case, as the scoring champion still tallied 24 points. While that’s seven points under his league average, it wasn’t greater than the differential in their loss. Instead, their 3-point shooting and weakness down in the post caused them problems. The Thunder were only 2-16 from behind the arc and were blocked nine times.

      And now, a prophetic death knell for the Thunder: Laker coach Phil Jackson has never lost a series after winning the first game. He’s 45-0, in fact, and should feel confident about this one given his team’s recent performance.

      NBA, NBA Finals

      Durant played right into Phil’s hand

      April 15, 2010 /

      What in the hell am I talking about, you ask? If you haven’t heard, Phil Jackson told the press that Kevin Durant gets too many calls, and the 21-year-old responded by saying that he felt disrespected.

      Rumors & Rants says that Durant fell into the Zen Master’s trap.

      Look man, I know you’re a great player, hell the whole world knows you’re a great player and Phil Jackson is definitely aware of the kind of player you are. You think he just tossed that line out there to be disrespectful? Dude, the guy is the Zen master. He’s won 10 championships. He didn’t do that by just randomly disrespecting opponents. He’s planting a line in the media to get you to respond and you allowed yourself to be played. You jumped right in to his game.

      What you should have done was respond with something like this: “Well that’s his opinion. He’s a great coach, he’s earned the right to express his opinion.” Bingo, end of discussion. Instead of a throw-away story that would have died after a day or two, now this is going to balloon up and become THE story of the Thunder’s first round matchup with the defending champions.

      Now it’s on your shoulders to prove him wrong. Now everyone will be focused on how you play and how you respond if the officials don’t give you the kind of calls you’ve become accustomed to. And now the officials are going to be in the spotlight and will be criticized one way or the other for how they call the games.

      Instead of just disappearing this has become a full-fledged incident. Jackson knew exactly what he was doing and you became his latest patsy.

      No arguments here. We’ll see if Durant plays better, worse or the same now that he and Jackson are at odds.


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      Fantasy Basketball, NBA, NBA Finals, News, Rumors & Gossip

      Your quick and dirty NBA Playoffs preview

      April 15, 2010 /

      The matchups are set and the first round starts this weekend. In the East, the top four teams — Cleveland, Orlando, Boston and Atlanta — seem like good bets to advance, while in the West, I wouldn’t be shocked if the bottom four seeds — Utah, Portland, San Antonio and Oklahoma City — were to make the second round. Here’s a quick look at each series:

      EASTERN CONFERENCE

      Cavaliers vs. Bulls
      It’s not often that a team that had a 10-game losing streak end in mid-February recovers and makes the postseason, but that’s exactly what the Bulls have done, winning 10 of their last 14 to capture the final playoff spot in the East. Chicago has the tools to make this a series, and with Shaquille O’Neal coming back from a long break, there’s a chance this could go to six or seven games. But in the end, Cleveland should have plenty of firepower to put the Bulls away.

      Celtics vs. Heat
      If there’s going to be an upset in the East, this will probably be it. The C’s have limped into the playoffs, losing eight of their last 13 games. Meanwhile, the Heat went 18-4 in February and March, but were just 4-3 against teams with winning records. Boston swept the season series despite Dwyane Wade’s terrific numbers (34-5-9, 50% shooting), so if anyone else steps up, the streaking Heat have a good shot at stealing the first or second game and gaining control of the series.

      Hawks vs. Bucks
      If Andrew Bogut were healthy, I’d pick Milwaukee, but the Bucks are going to have a tough time winning a seven-game series against a pretty good Atlanta team that has won 13 of its last 19 games. The Bucks’ defense could keep the games (and the series) close, but the Hawks should have enough to move on.

      Magic vs. Bobcats
      Orlando is peaking at the right time, going 19-3 in February and March. However, one of those losses was at home against Charlotte. The Bobcats are playing well too — they’re 16-7 over their last 23 games. Both teams are excellent defesively; they’re tied for first in defensive efficiency (points per 100 possessions), so expect a few tight games. But Orlando just has too much talent.

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      Fantasy Basketball, NBA, NBA Finals

      Blazers lose Roy, edge Thunder, avoid Lakers

      April 13, 2010 /

      It was a busy Monday for the Portland Trail Blazers. First, they learned that Brandon Roy has a torn meniscus in his right knee that will require surgery. The doctors said it can’t get any worse, so he is going to try to play on it, but there’s no telling how effective he’ll be.

      The Blazers rallied to beat the Thunder on Monday night, effectively avoiding a first round matchup with the Lakers in the process. Marcus Camby posted 30-13, while Andre Miller added 22-4-7 and four steals in the win. The loss means that OKC will meet L.A. in the first round, which should be a fun matchup.

      If the Blazers win their final game (against Golden State), they’ll assure themselves of the #6 seed. It’s not clear how Portland will fare with a hobbled Roy. He has had a very good start to his career, but one of the concerns coming out of college was how his knees would hold up to the rigors of an NBA season. This is terrible timing for a Blazers team that was gelling at just the right time. Portland has won 18 of its last 23 games and seems/seemed poised to pull a first-round upset in the postseason.


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      NBA, News

      Seven burning questions heading into the NBA Playoffs

      April 8, 2010 /

      There is always a lot riding on the playoffs, but this year there is even more drama surrounding the NBA postseason. Here are seven big questions that will be answered over the next few months.

      1. Will the Cavs win the title?
      2. Will that keep LeBron in town?
      These two questions are joined at the hip. There are some who believe that a Cavs title ensures that LeBron will re-sign, while others believe that if he brings a title to Cleveland, it gives him an out. The general consensus seems to be that if the Cavs fail to make the Finals again, it will increase the chances that LeBron signs elsewhere this summer. There’s no denying that LeBron seems to be a loyal guy, but will that loyalty outweigh the prospect of playing with Chris Bosh in New York, or join a talented Bulls team in Chicago? Only he knows. But I have a hard time seeing LeBron returning to Cleveland if the Cavs don’t make the Finals again.

      3. Can the Lakers get it together?
      The Lakers haven’t exactly instilled their fans with a sense of confidence heading into the postseason. They lost three straight games in early March, then rattled off seven straight wins, and have since lost four of their last six. Andrew Bynum still isn’t playing and Ron Artest isn’t exactly fitting into the Lakers’ triangle offense. Chemistry has never been this team’s strength — they are by far the most talented team in the West, which is why they won the title last year. But can that talent offset this team’s disjointedness? Unfortunately for the Lakers, they aren’t going to draw a cupcake in the first round; the Spurs, Blazers and Thunder are all capable of giving the Lakers all they can handle.

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      NBA, NBA Finals

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