Missed this one tonight, but the Lakers got the Win! They defeated the Suns 91-85. Check DancingBarry's review:
DancingBarry's Thoughts and Smiley Ratings
It's kind of strange to see Kobe take no shots in the first half. Then again this whole season has been very strange. He's definitely trying to send a message that this team will sacrfice for each other to win ball games.
Big game for the Lakers on Thursday against the Clippers.
P.S. I'll have a special post that should be up late tonight...stay tuned.
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
Sunday, February 10, 2013
Lakers at Heat (2/10/13)
The Lakers dropped the final game of their annual Grammy road trip 97-107 to the defending champion Miami Heat.
I missed the first half of the game today, but was able to glean some tidbits by watching the second half. It's a well known fact that the Lakers are built on their size. They're rarely going to beat a team on athleticism, and especially not a team like the Heat. Unfortunately for them most of their size is back in LA recovering from injury (Gasol and Hill). The big man that they do have playing isn't close to 100% and needs surgery himself. Not that anybody will feel sorry for them, it is what it is. The Lakers were heavily out rebounded by the Heat leading to many second chance points.
This game was pretty close to the storyline of the Lakers vs Heat game back in LA earlier in the year. It was close until about the final 3 minutes in the 4th when the Lakers' turnovers got the Heat out in transition for easy scores. And that was the ball game.
They finish up the road trip 4-3 which isn't bad, but it's not great either. And they need great right now. Their next opponent is Phoenix on Tuesday. The Lakers need to put this one behind them and just focus on getting that next win.
I missed the first half of the game today, but was able to glean some tidbits by watching the second half. It's a well known fact that the Lakers are built on their size. They're rarely going to beat a team on athleticism, and especially not a team like the Heat. Unfortunately for them most of their size is back in LA recovering from injury (Gasol and Hill). The big man that they do have playing isn't close to 100% and needs surgery himself. Not that anybody will feel sorry for them, it is what it is. The Lakers were heavily out rebounded by the Heat leading to many second chance points.
This game was pretty close to the storyline of the Lakers vs Heat game back in LA earlier in the year. It was close until about the final 3 minutes in the 4th when the Lakers' turnovers got the Heat out in transition for easy scores. And that was the ball game.
They finish up the road trip 4-3 which isn't bad, but it's not great either. And they need great right now. Their next opponent is Phoenix on Tuesday. The Lakers need to put this one behind them and just focus on getting that next win.
Friday, February 8, 2013
Lakers at Bobcats (2/8/13)
WOW! Talk about a roller coaster of emotions! This game was the epitome of just that, as the Lakers get the come back win 100-93 over the Bobcats.
In the first half they were flat. Dead on arrival. The ball/player movement we've enjoyed for the past 8 games or so was gone. It made the Lakers offense stagnant and predictable. Turnovers were prevalent, and the Lakers found themselves in a 12 deficit at the half. Kobe had only taken 2 shots and had 0 points.
The start of the second half included more of the same. With about 6 min to go in the 3rd the Lakers found themselves on the wrong side of a 20 point hole. Then Earl Clark, Jodie Meeks, and Antawn Jamison went to work. By some hustle and effort, they clawed the Lakers back into the game by scoring 9 straight points. Their energy then carried through to the rest of the team. They kept chipping away and took the lead with about 4 min to go in the 4th.
From there it remained a close game, but the Lakers had too many weapons for the Bobcats. The end of the 4 quarter tonight shows the potential of how good this Lakers team can be when they play within their roles. Kobe Klosed the game offensively, and Dwight closed it defensively. Remember how Kobe had 0 points in the first half? He ended up with 20 for the night with 14 of those coming the 4th. He had a key block on Ramon Sessions down the stretch. Dwight Howard locked up the Bobcats best perimeter shooter (Mullens) in the final minutes. He got beat on a head fake, but gave a second effort and was able to distract him enough to miss. Dwight also had great contests and blocks at the rim when the Laker guards got beat off the dribble.
Notables:
The Good:
- Role players with critical contributions tonight. Jodie had 14 pts. Clark had 17 pts and 10 reb. Antawn had 9 pts.
- Nash was aggressive offensively. Scored 17 pts.
- Dwight woke up. You cant tell he's no where near 100%. But he didn't quit.
- Kobe picked the Bobcats apart in the 4th.
- Critical win
The Bad:
- Falling behind by 20 to the Bobcats is never good. Even if they are our kryptonite.
- Utter garbage first half
I hope this game can be a microcosm for the entire Lakers season. They'll need to put forth even more effort as they will be without the Spaniard for the next 6-8weeks. And they've got the defending champion Heat up next. Talk about another difficult task. The Lakers will have to figure out how to beat the Heat's pressure defense.
The best way to beat pressure?....Attack it.
In the first half they were flat. Dead on arrival. The ball/player movement we've enjoyed for the past 8 games or so was gone. It made the Lakers offense stagnant and predictable. Turnovers were prevalent, and the Lakers found themselves in a 12 deficit at the half. Kobe had only taken 2 shots and had 0 points.
The start of the second half included more of the same. With about 6 min to go in the 3rd the Lakers found themselves on the wrong side of a 20 point hole. Then Earl Clark, Jodie Meeks, and Antawn Jamison went to work. By some hustle and effort, they clawed the Lakers back into the game by scoring 9 straight points. Their energy then carried through to the rest of the team. They kept chipping away and took the lead with about 4 min to go in the 4th.
From there it remained a close game, but the Lakers had too many weapons for the Bobcats. The end of the 4 quarter tonight shows the potential of how good this Lakers team can be when they play within their roles. Kobe Klosed the game offensively, and Dwight closed it defensively. Remember how Kobe had 0 points in the first half? He ended up with 20 for the night with 14 of those coming the 4th. He had a key block on Ramon Sessions down the stretch. Dwight Howard locked up the Bobcats best perimeter shooter (Mullens) in the final minutes. He got beat on a head fake, but gave a second effort and was able to distract him enough to miss. Dwight also had great contests and blocks at the rim when the Laker guards got beat off the dribble.
Notables:
The Good:
- Role players with critical contributions tonight. Jodie had 14 pts. Clark had 17 pts and 10 reb. Antawn had 9 pts.
- Nash was aggressive offensively. Scored 17 pts.
- Dwight woke up. You cant tell he's no where near 100%. But he didn't quit.
- Kobe picked the Bobcats apart in the 4th.
- Critical win
The Bad:
- Falling behind by 20 to the Bobcats is never good. Even if they are our kryptonite.
- Utter garbage first half
I hope this game can be a microcosm for the entire Lakers season. They'll need to put forth even more effort as they will be without the Spaniard for the next 6-8weeks. And they've got the defending champion Heat up next. Talk about another difficult task. The Lakers will have to figure out how to beat the Heat's pressure defense.
The best way to beat pressure?....Attack it.
Lakers at Celtics (2/7/13)
Poor effort from the Lakers in this one. They looked like they were sleep walking through this one. Can't afford those types of games at this point. They got blown out by the Celtics 95-116. Check DancingBarry's review:
DancingBarry's Thoughts and Smiley Ratings
They'll get another chance in Charlotte tonight.
DancingBarry's Thoughts and Smiley Ratings
They'll get another chance in Charlotte tonight.
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
Lakers at Nets (2/5/13)
No Howard. No Peace. No problem. The Lakers get the win tonight over the Nets 92-83. And it was much needed too because the Houston Rockets won as well keeping the Lakers at bay in the standings for the time being.
Earlier in the day the NBA suspended Metta World Peace for "striking" Pistons' player Brandon Knight in their previous outing. It was a bogus suspension basically based on Peace's reputation. The Lakers adjusted by placing Jamison into the starting lineup. They even played Clark at center when Pau twisted his ankle late in the fourth quarter. The versatility of a player like Clark is just invaluable. The guy was everywhere yet again! Can't say enough about his play ( 14 points, 12 rebounds).
The Lakers got this win as a team. Gang rebounding, passing, and communicating defensively. This game had it all. Just watch how the team huddles after a foul call. They look like a college team out there, but in a good way. The undoubted play of the game came with about 2:50 to play in the 4th with the game tied. Kobe had the ball with the shot clock winding down. The old Mamba drove the lane and threw down a nasty one handed poster dunk all over Gerald Wallace and Brooke Lopez (with his injured elbow)! It brought Lakers and Nets fans alike to their feet.
Notables:
The Good:
- Good scrappy team road win
- Clark continues to deliver
- Contributions from everyone who played
- Team confidence continues to grow
The Bad:
- Gave up too many offensive rebounds
- Another injury. SMH.
Hopefully the Lakers can get at least Pau or Dwight back for the game against the Celtics on Sunday. The have definitely found something here...
Earlier in the day the NBA suspended Metta World Peace for "striking" Pistons' player Brandon Knight in their previous outing. It was a bogus suspension basically based on Peace's reputation. The Lakers adjusted by placing Jamison into the starting lineup. They even played Clark at center when Pau twisted his ankle late in the fourth quarter. The versatility of a player like Clark is just invaluable. The guy was everywhere yet again! Can't say enough about his play ( 14 points, 12 rebounds).
The Lakers got this win as a team. Gang rebounding, passing, and communicating defensively. This game had it all. Just watch how the team huddles after a foul call. They look like a college team out there, but in a good way. The undoubted play of the game came with about 2:50 to play in the 4th with the game tied. Kobe had the ball with the shot clock winding down. The old Mamba drove the lane and threw down a nasty one handed poster dunk all over Gerald Wallace and Brooke Lopez (with his injured elbow)! It brought Lakers and Nets fans alike to their feet.
Notables:
The Good:
- Good scrappy team road win
- Clark continues to deliver
- Contributions from everyone who played
- Team confidence continues to grow
The Bad:
- Gave up too many offensive rebounds
- Another injury. SMH.
Hopefully the Lakers can get at least Pau or Dwight back for the game against the Celtics on Sunday. The have definitely found something here...
Monday, February 4, 2013
Lakers at Pistons (2/3/13)
Don't look now, but the Lakers are playing much better basketball lately. They were able to eek out a road win on Super Bowl Sunday against the Detroit Pistons 98-97.
Sure there are still issues they need to correct (blowing double digit leads), but they now know how they want to play. They want a balanced offensive attack through ball movement/player movement, and they want to run when there's an opportunity. They also want to defend through communication and versatility. Even in the absence of Dwight Howard for the last two games, they have been able to do just that.
Earl Clark has been and was phenomenal in the game. He seems to be everywhere and do everything. He grabs rebounds, gets blocks, hits threes, and slashes to the hoop. Pau filled in for Dwight and looked like the Spaniard of 2010. If it weren't for a couple of Clark and Nash (uncharacteristically) misses a the charity strip, this game wouldn't even have been as close as it was.
Notables:
The Good:
- Consistent contribution from Clark
- Pau being the real Pau
- Jamison off the bench
- Synergy between Nash and Magic Mamba
The Bad:
- 4 missed clutch free throws
- Lacking interior defense (no Dwight)
- Don't like the Nash/Blake back court lineup (too small defensively)
- 18 point lead cut to 0 at one point
The Lakers now need to develop a killer instinct. With the adjustments they've made they can now build leads more efficiently. They have to learn to protect them and give teams no hope of coming back.
Sure there are still issues they need to correct (blowing double digit leads), but they now know how they want to play. They want a balanced offensive attack through ball movement/player movement, and they want to run when there's an opportunity. They also want to defend through communication and versatility. Even in the absence of Dwight Howard for the last two games, they have been able to do just that.
Earl Clark has been and was phenomenal in the game. He seems to be everywhere and do everything. He grabs rebounds, gets blocks, hits threes, and slashes to the hoop. Pau filled in for Dwight and looked like the Spaniard of 2010. If it weren't for a couple of Clark and Nash (uncharacteristically) misses a the charity strip, this game wouldn't even have been as close as it was.
Notables:
The Good:
- Consistent contribution from Clark
- Pau being the real Pau
- Jamison off the bench
- Synergy between Nash and Magic Mamba
The Bad:
- 4 missed clutch free throws
- Lacking interior defense (no Dwight)
- Don't like the Nash/Blake back court lineup (too small defensively)
- 18 point lead cut to 0 at one point
The Lakers now need to develop a killer instinct. With the adjustments they've made they can now build leads more efficiently. They have to learn to protect them and give teams no hope of coming back.
Saturday, February 2, 2013
Lakers at Timberwolves (2/1/13)
Could the Lakers make it 20 straight wins over the Timberwolves? Or would their 8 game losing streak on the road prevail? Something had to give, and fortunately they got the road win 111-100. Check DancingBarry's review:
DancingBarry's Thoughts and Smiley Ratings
The Lakers let the Wolves cut a 29 point lead down to 4 by using a zone defense, but the Lakers finally figured it out and won the game. Dwight Howard was back in LA getting PRP performed on his shoulder. Hopefully he will be cleared to play tomorrow against Detroit. He is currently listed as day-to-day.
This new Lakers identity of unselfish play and ball movement is working. Gotta keep it up Lake Show!
DancingBarry's Thoughts and Smiley Ratings
The Lakers let the Wolves cut a 29 point lead down to 4 by using a zone defense, but the Lakers finally figured it out and won the game. Dwight Howard was back in LA getting PRP performed on his shoulder. Hopefully he will be cleared to play tomorrow against Detroit. He is currently listed as day-to-day.
This new Lakers identity of unselfish play and ball movement is working. Gotta keep it up Lake Show!
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