Phoenix 98 LA Lakers 99 Lakers lead 1st round series 3-1
With the Lakers down by 5 with 12 seconds left in regulation, my girlfriend asked me if the Lakers were going to win. I said it didn't look like it this time. After Smush Parker, who had been shooting horribly all game long, made a 3-pointer at the 0:07 mark, I told her, "well, now they have a ghost of a chance." The ghost became reality when Smush made a great steal from Steve Nash that resulted in a Kobe Bryant layup to unbelievably send the game into overtime.
But OT would be another adventure. Again the Lakers played from behind. Again they were down 3 with 15 seconds left. So instead of trying to the game with a shot behind the arc, the Lakers went for a quick layup by Kobe and hoped for a steal or missed free throws. Again the unbelievable happend. Steve Nash was trapped bringing the ball over mid-court, and then tied up by Luke Walton. Luke then easily tipped the jump ball to Kobe who hit a jumper as time expire to give them the 1-point win!
Needless to say, as all this was occurring, my subdued demeanor changed. To my girlfriend's amazement, I started yelling and screaming. I was so loud I scared the cat. As the game ended I spang up from the sofa and did a sumersault over the ottoman.
The Lakers got themselves into this predicament because they didn't dominate the rebounding like they had the last two games and made a lot of turnovers. Phoenix made the most of their multiple opportunities. This time they were the ones with the 89 shot attempts to just 77 for the Lakers. You could say the Lakers won this one at the free throw line where they hit 24-31. Phoenix was 13-15.
But whatever. It's all good now. I was almost going to call this The SMUSH-shank Redemption!
Lakers lines
Kobe finished with 24 points on 9-14 shots with 4 rebounds, 8 assists, and 7 turnovers
Lamar Odom had 25 points on 7-16 shots with 8 rebounds, 5 assists, and 4 turnovers
Kwame Brown scored 12 with 10 rebounds
Sasha Vujacic add 9 points off the bench
Deavean George had a 11 points (9 big ones in the 4th)
Brian Cook hit some timely shots for 7 points
Phoenix lines
Steve Nash scored 22 points on 9-22 shots with 11 assists
Shawn Marion had 20 points on 7-13 shots with 12 rebounds
Boris Diaw added 21 points on 9-16 shots with 8 rebounds and 7 assists
Tim Thomas came off the bench to score 12 point with 7 rebounds.
Miami 87 Chicago 93 1st round series tied 2-2
Key Moments: Things were looking good for the Bulls after a 12-0 run in the 3rd quarter gave them a 13-point lead. But Miami followed that up by closing the period 7-0, then going on a 22-12 run in the 4th to gain a 1-point lead. Chicago stopped them right there with a 6-0 run to regain the lead for good.
Key Players: Kirk Hinrich scored 21 with 4 rebounds and 9 assists. Andres Nocioni had 24 points with 7 rebounds. And Ben Gordon added 23 points. For the Heat, Dwyane Wade scored 20 points and had 10 assists. And Antoine Walker scored 21.
Cleveland 96 Washington 106 1st round series tied 2-2
Key Moments: A 40-17 run, from 8:12 of the 3rd quarter to 6:13 of the 4th, erased the Wizards 13-point deficit and gave them a 10-point lead. They survived a small run from the Cavs and got the win.
Key Players: Gilbert Arenas scored 34 points (20 in the 4th quarter) with 5 rebounds and 6 assists. Antawn Jamison scored 22 with 10 rebounds and 5 assists. And Caron Butler scored 21 and had 6 rebounds. For Cleveland, LeBron James finished with 38 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, and 7 turnovers. Ronald Murray scored 19 off the bench.
San Antonio 84 Sacramento 102 1st round series tied 2-2
Key Moments: The Kings used a 18-5 2nd quarter run to separate themselves from the Spurs, then really put the gameaway by starting the 4th with a 22-7 run.
Key Players: Bonzi Wells shot 9-11 for 25 points, and grabbed 17 rebounds and 3 steals. Brad Miller scored 19 with 2 blocks. For San Antonio, Tony Parker scored 22 and Tim Duncan finshed with 17 and 8 rebounds.
Apr. 29, 2006
New Jersey 97 Indiana 88
1st round series tied 2-2
Key Moments: A 20-6 run in the 1st quarter followed by a 16-6 run in the 2nd were all the Nets really needed.
Key Players: Vince Carter with 28 points, 6 rebounds, 7 assists, and 6 steals. Nenad Krstic scored 21 with 8 rebounds. Richard Jefferson added 22 points. And Jason Kidd had 10, 6, and 8. Jermaine O'Neal lead Indiana with 22 points and 7 rebounds.
Dallas 94 Memphis 89
Mavericks lead 1st round series 3-0
Key Moments: Dirk Nowitzki hit a 3-pointer with 15 seconds left in regulation to send this one to OT. That's when their 14-6 run put the game away.
Key Players: Nowitzki finished with 36 points on 12-25 shots, 9 rebounds, and 5 assists. Chucky Atkins lead Memphis with 20 points.
Detroit 104 Milwaukee 124 Pistons lead 1st round series 2-1
Key Moments: The Bucks pulled away from the Pistons with a 23-6 run to start the 3rd quarter.
Key Players: Michael Redd scored 40 (15 in the 3rd) on 14-21 shooting. T.J. Ford had an interesting game with 7 points, 7 rebounds, and 15 assists. And Mo Williams came off the bench to score 20 points in 18 minutes. For Detroit, Chauncey Billups scored 26 points with 6 rebounds and 6 assists.
LA Clippers 100 Denver 86
Clippers lead 1st round series 3-1
Key Moments: The Clippers gradually pulled away until they had a 23-point lead. The final blow was their 20-7 run that spanned the 3rd and 4th quarters.
Key Players: The bench was big for the Clippers. Corey Maggette scored 19 with 6 rebounds, and Shaun Livingston scored 16 with 6 boards and 6 assists. The Nuggets were lead by Carmelo Anthony's 17 points, 11 rebounds, and 4 assists.
Apr. 28, 2006
The Defense Continues!
Phoenix 92 LA Lakers 99 Lakers lead 1st round series 2-1
The Lakers again stuck to their game plan, and held the Suns to 92 points. A fastbreak offense will only succeed if you try to run with them. The Lakers aren't playing their game. The only chance Phoenix has in this situation is to hit a lot of 3-pointers. They did hit 5 of 8 in the 1st quarter, 4 of 4 by Tim Thomas. But they hit only 5 of 15 the rest of the way. Thomas was 0 for 3. You live by the three, you die by the three.
Leading most of the way, the Lakers could never stretch it beyond 8 points. The Suns kept fighting back, and took 3 point lead after a 22-12 run in the 3rd quarter. With the Lakers again leading by 7 in the 4th, the Suns 6-1 run reduced it to just 2. But the Lakers outscored them 7-2 in the last 4:50 of the game to seal the win.
A key team stat was the Lakers' 53 reounds to Phoenix's 34. And even more impressive was the 16 to 3 edge in offensive boards. Rebounding can be considered great defensive weapon. The opponent can't score if you limit their opportunities. And as a result the Lakers had far more oppotunities. They took 94 shots and made 39, while the Suns took only 78. Although hitting only 42%, the Lakers made 34 2-point hoops to just 24 by Phoenix. That's a 20-point margin that won the game for the Lakers.
Very balanced team effort, as all the starters scored in double figures but no one over 20. Not even Kobe!
Lamar Odom had 15 points, 17 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 blocks.
Kwame Brown scored 13, grabbed 11 rebounds, made 5 nice assists, and made 3 blocks.
Luke Walton had a solid game with 17 points and 10 rebounds.
Smush lead the scoring 18 points.
Kobe finished with 17 points (9 in the 4th), 5 rebouonds, 7 assists, and 4 steals.
And Brian Cook had a big impact in his 11 minutes of play, scoring 9 and grabbing 7 boards.
All the Suns' starters also reached double figures.
Steve Nash scored just 3 in the first half, but finished with 17 points, 7 rebounds, and 11 assists.
Tim Thomas scored 18 and grabbed 6 boards.
Shawn Marion lead them in scoring with 20, and had 7 rebounds.
Cleveland 97 Washington 96
Cavs lead 1st round series 2-1
Key Moments: The Cavs 11-3 run late in the 4th quarter gave them a 2 point lead with 30 seconds to play. Gilber Arenas' 3-point-play gave the Wiz a 1 point lead at the 0:23 mark. The game was won on LeBron James jumper at 0:05.
Key Players: James finished with 41 points on 16-28 shots. Zydrunas Ilgauskas had 15 and 8 rebounds. The Wiz were lead by Arenas' 34 points, and Caron Butler added 20 and 11 rebounds.
San Antonio 93 Sacramento 94 Spurs lead 1st round series 2-1
Key Moments: The Spurs used a 12-2 run in the 3rd quarter to come back from 14 down, swapped runs with the Kings through the 4th, then won on a 3-pointer by Michael Finley at 0:41.
Key Players: Tim Duncan scored 29 points with 12 rebounds and 6 blocks. Finley finished with 17 points. For Sacramento, Ron Artest had 22 points and 12 rebounds. Mike Bibby had 25 and 7 assists. And Bonzi Wells scored 19 with 14 rebounds.
Apr. 27, 2006
New Jersey 95 Indiana 107 Pacers lead 1st round series 2-1
Key Moments: The Pacers' 20-5 3rd quarter run didn't keep the Nets down, their 27-13 run in the 4th did.
Key Players: Jermaine O'Neal scored 37 points, hitting 12-15 shots, grabbed 15 rebounds, and blocked 4 shots. Anthony Johnson scored 12 of his 25 points in the 4th, and also finished with 5 rebounds and 8 assists. New Jersey got 25 points each from Vince Carter and Richard Jefferson.
Miami 90 Chicago 109 Heat lead 1st round series 2-1
Key Moments: A 28-15 run to finish the 3rd quarter gave the Bulls a 16-point lead going into the final period. And they never looked back.
Key Players: Kirk Hinrich scored 15 of his 22 points in the deciding 3rd quarter, and finished with 11 assists and 3 steals. Ben Gordon scored 13 in the 3rd, on his way to 24 points. Andres Nocioni had 19 and 9 rebounds. And Luol Deng came off the bench to score 21 and grab 8 rebounds.
LA Clippers 87 Denver 94 Clippers lead 1st round series 2-1
Key Moments: A seesaw battle wasn't decided until the Nuggets scored the final 5 points during the last 2 minutes of play.
Key Players: Marcus Camby scored 12 with 14 rebounds, 3 assists, and 2 blocks. Carmelo Anthony finished with 24 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 assists. The Clippers got 20 from Sam Cassell, 17 from Elton Brand, and 23 from Corey Maggette off the bench.
Apr. 26, 2006
LA Lakers 99 Phoenix 93
1st round series tied 1-1
Key Moments: A tight 1st quarter ended with the start of a 19-0 Lakers run that lasted until 6:16 of the 2nd. The Lakers never gave up the lead or were tied again. But it wouldn't be that easy. The Suns' 20-6 run early in the 3rd quarter reduced a 17-point lead to just 3. The Lakers responded going 8-0, and managed to hang on to a 7-point edge going into the final period. A 6-0 spurt by the Suns was the only run of the 4th, and reduced the lead to 3 again with just 1:51 to play. The Lakers managed to outscore them 7-4 from that point on to preserve the win.
Key Players: Kobe Bryant scored 29 points (12-24 shooting) with 10 rebounds and 5 assists. Lamar Odom contributed 21 points (9-12) with 7 rebounds and 5 assists. And Sasha Vujacic was big off the bench with 11 points. The Suns were lead by Steve Nash's 29 points (10-17), 7 rebounds, and 9 assists. Raja Bell stepped up to score 23 (8-15).
Comments: Defense was the key tonight. Holding the Suns to 34% from the field for the first half was a major accomplishment. But as they heated up in the 2nd half, a mix of defense and some timely shooting helped the Lakers get the win.
Milwaukee 98 Detroit 109 Pistons lead 1st round series 2-0
Key Moments: The Bucks responded to the Pistons big 1st quarter with a 12-3 run early in the 2nd to reduce the lead to just 2 points. But that was immediately followed a 12-0 run by Detroit that seemed to take the wind out of Milwaukee.
Key Players: Tayshaun Prince scored 22 with 7 rebounds and 4 assists. Chauncey Billups had 20 and 6 assists. And Rip Hamilton added 18 and 8 assists. Antonio McDyess was big off the bench with 13 points and 7 rebounds. Milwaukee was lead by Michael Redd's 29 points on 10-18 shooting.
Memphis 79 Dallas 94 Mavericks lead 1st round series 2-0
Key Moments: Easy. A 24-7 explosion by the Mavs in the 2nd quarter, after which nary a growl was heard from the Grizzlies.
Key Players: Dirk Nowitzki lead the scoring for Dallas with 31. Jason Terry added 16, 7 rebounds, and 9 assists.
Apr. 25, 2006
Washington 89 Cleveland 84
1st round series tied 1-1
Key Moments: After swapping big runs to start the game, it became a tight contest. The Wizards got the lead for good afer a 20-9 run in the 4th quarter, and hung on to win by 5.
Key Players: Gilbert Arenas lead the Wiz with 30 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists, and 4 steals. Caron Butler and Antawn Jamison added 21 each, with 9 and 6 rebounds respectively. For Clevleand, Drew Gooden had 24 points and 18 rebounds. Lebron James scored 26 with 9 rebounds.
Comments: With all the stats being fairly even, Washington won this game by hitting 5 more 3-pointers than Cleveland.
Indiana 75 New Jersey 90 1st round series tied 1-1
Key Moments: The Net's 13-2 run that spanned the first two periods got them the lead for good. Then their 17-5 3rd quarter run put the game away.
Key Players: Vince Carter scored 33 on 12-20 shooting, with 5 rebounds and 5 assists. Nenad Krstic scored 20 and grabbed 10 rebounds. Richard Jefferson added 21 points.
Sacramento 119 San Antonio 128 Spurs lead 1st round series 2-0
Key Moments: The lead went back and forth, within a 10 point range. It came down to a 3-pointer by Brent Barry to send the game into a overtime that was then dominated by the Spurs.
Key Players: Manu Ginobili scored 32 points on 10-20 shooting with 9 assists. Tim Duncan had 14 points and 13 rebounds. And Tony Parker finished with 22 and 10 assists. The Kings were lead by Shareef Abdur-Rahim, who came off the bench to score 27 points (12 in the 4th quarter) and grab 9 rebounds. Bonzi Wells had 28 points and 12 boards. And Kevin Martin scored 26 and 8 rebounds.
Apr. 24, 2006
Chicago 108 Miami 115 Heat lead 1st round series 2-0
Key Moment: After the Heat built a 20-point lead by the late 3rd quarter, the Bulls 20-6 run narrowed the gap to just 4 with 1:15 left in in the game. But five straight points by Miami was all it took to put the game away.
Key Players: Shaquille O'Neal scored 22 points with 7 rebounds and 3 blocks. Dwyane Wade had points 21 scored with 7 assists, 4 rebounds, and 2 blocks. And Jason Williams added 22. Chicago was lead by Kirk Hinrich's 29 points and 7 assists, and Andres Nocioni's 30 points and 6 rebounds.
Denver 87 LA Clippers 98 Clippers lead 1st round series 2-0
Key Moment: This one was pretty much over after the Clippers lead 38-13 at the 9:14 mark of the 2nd quarter. The Nuggets couldn't overcome such a fast start.
Key Players: Elton Brand had 19 points, 11 rebounds, and 3 blocks. Cuttino Mobley had 21 and 5 assists. Sam Cassell added 13 points and 11 assists. And Corey Maggette was productive off the bench with 12 points and 6 rebounds in 18 minutes. Marcus Camby did his best for Denver with 16 points, 14 rebounds, and 4 blocks.
Apr. 23, 2006
LA Lakers 102 Phoenix 107 Suns lead 1st round series 1-0
Key Moments: The Suns went on a prolonged 39-23 in the first half, that spanned the 1st and 2nd quarters, to gain a 14-point lead. The Lakers responed in the 3rd with a 19-9 run that tied the game, and had a 1-point lead early in the 4th quarter. Phoenix's turn to have a 19-9 run, after which the Lakers could only close to within 3 of the lead.
Key Players: Tim Thomas lead the way for Phoenix with 22 points and 15 rebounds. Steve Nash added 20 and 10 assists. For the Lakers, Luke Walton was surprisingly effective with 19 points and 6 rebounds. Lamar Odom scored 21 with 14 rebounds. Kobe Bryant scored 22 with 6 rebounds and 5 assists.
Comments: Although Kobe didn't have his usual explosion of points, the Lakers did score enough to win. A little more defense during the Suns big runs early and in the 4th quarter would have been nice. And the Lakers can shoot better than 42% from the field and 24% from 3-point range. Their rebounding edge of 47-36, including 15 offensive, kept them in the game.
Indiana 90 New Jersey 88
Pacers lead 1st round series 1-0
Key Moment: With no more than a 6-point difference the whole game, all it took was a 6-0 4th quarter run to give the Pacers a 2-point lead the wouldn't let go of. During that final 6:05 of the game, the Nets manage a few ties, but lost by 2 on two Anthony Johnson free throws. Richard Jefferson missed a game tying jumper at the buzzer.
Key Players: Fred Jones, comming off the bench, was the Pacers most effective player with 15 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists in 27 minutes. And Stephen Jackson had 18 points and 8 rebounds. The Nets were lead by Vince Carter's 31 points, 13 rebounds, and 6 assists. And Nenad Krstic scored 22 with 6 rebounds.
Milwaukee 74 Detroit 92 Pistons lead 1st round series 1-0
Key Moment: Although the Pistons had big runs in each of the first three periods, it was their 19-4 run in the 4th quarter that ended a Bucks comeback and put the game away.
Key Players: Rasheed Wallace scored 22, Rip Hamilton add 21, and Ben Wallace grabbed 17 rebounds with 2 blocks and 2 steals.
Memphis 93 Dallas 103 Mavericks lead 1st round series 1-0
Key Moment: A 25-6 Dallas run, that spanned the late 3rd quarter to the mid-4th-quarter, was too much for the Grizzlies to overcome.
Key Players: Dirk Nowitzki scored 31 points and grabbed 11 rebounds for the Mavs. Jason Terry added 20, while Erick Dampier has 12 points and 12 rebounds off the bench. Memphis got 24 and 7 rebounds from Pau Gasol.
Apr. 22, 2006
Washington 86 Cleveland 97 Cavs lead 1st round series 1-0
Key Moment: A 24-7 run by the Cavs in the 1st quarter. The Wizards never saw the lead again.
Key Players: Lebron James triple double dominated the game; 32 points, 11 rebounds, and 11 assists. Off the bench, Donyell Marshall scored 19 and grabbed 7 rebounds. For Washington, Gilbert Arenas lead the way with 26 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 assists.
Sacramento 88 San Antonio 122 Spurs lead 1st round series 1-0
Key Moment: The Spurs squashed the Kings as the entire 1st and 2nd periods were one big 73-39 run.
Key Players: Tony Parker had 25 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists. Nazr Mohammed added 18 and 8 rebounds. And four other Spurs were in double figures.
Chicago 106 Miami 111 Heat lead 1st round series 1-0
Key Moment: After a 9-0 run by the Bulls to start the 4th quarter, the Heat responded with a 8-0 run to retake the lead and kept it.
Key Players: Shaquille O'Neal had 27 points, 16 rebounds, and 5 blocks. Dwayne Waded scored 30 with 11 assists. For Chicago, Andres Nocioni had 18 points and 16 rebounds. And Ben Gordon scored 35.
Denver 87 LA Clippers 89 Clippers lead 1st round series 1-0
Key Moment: A 10-0 run by the Nuggets from 4:00 to 1:07 of the 4th tied the game. But the only scoring in the final minute were two free throws by Vadimir Radmanovic to give the Clippers the win. Carmelo Anthony missed two jumpers as time ran out.
Key Players: Elton Brand had 21 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists, and 4 blocks. Sam Cassell added 19 with 7 assists. For Denver, Andre Miller scored 25 with 6 assists. And Anthony finished with 25 and 7 rebounds.
Apr. 19, 2006
A Winning Note
New Orleans OKC 95 LA Lakers 115
The Lakers needed a win to solidify the seventh seed in the playoffs, while the season was already over for their oppenents. Just as the Lakers are on a big upswing going into the postseason, the Hornets can only look forward to next year. And minus two key players, they were made quick work of by the Lakers tonight.
It was close for the first 7:22, when Luke Walton went out with an injury. Then began the Laker explosion with a 16-4 run to close out the 1st quarter. It continued in the 2nd with a huge 33-13 run, and the Lakers lead by 27 at the half. The startes played through the 3rd quarter, leading by as much as 36 points. The 4th was extened garbage time.
Kobe Bryant finished the game with his season average of 35 points. He hit 13-26 shots, with 5 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 steals. Kwame Brown had a strong game with 19 points, 8 rebounds, and 2 blocks. Lamar Odom had 6 points, 7 rebounds, and 6 assists. Smush Parker added 10 points and 4 assists. The Lakers got an amazing 43 points off the bench; 12 from a hot shooting Brian Cook, 10 from Devean George, 7 from Jim Jackson, and 6 from Ronny Turiaf. And it was nice to see Chris Mihm back out on the court for 14 minutes.
Apr. 16, 2006
We Want Tacos!
Phoenix 89 LA Lakers 109
With the outcome no longer in doubt late in the 4th quarter, the fans rooted the Lakers to keep the Phoenix Suns from scoring 90 so they could win some tacos. As a result of good defense, allowing the Suns to shoot only 37% from the field, the Lakers sent the crowd home extra happy. Granted, Steve Nash and Raja Bell did not play. But the Lakers did what they were supposed to do, particularly in a game that locked them in the playoffs.
Making a statement from the start, the Lakers began the game with a 16-1 run (7-0 by Kobe Bryant). The starters played the whole 1st quarter and all contributed to the 13-point lead. The second unit kept it going with a 13-1 run to start the 2nd. Kobe had 27 points at halftime and the Lakers lead by 21.
In the 3rd quarter, the Lakers again had an early 7-0 run to get their biggest lead at 26. But the Suns wouldn't quit and went a 27-14 run that lasted most of the period. Phoenix shot 50% in the period, the only one in which they hit better than 33%. Leading by 13 again to start the 4th, the Lakers turned on the defense again, preventing any runs by the Suns.
Kobe finished with 43 points on 11-28 shots and 20-23 free throws, with 8 rebounds and 5 assists. Even without a triple-double, Lamar Odom was still impressive with 14-points, 11 reoubnds, and 7 assists. Luke Walton had maybe his best game as a starter with 8 points, 10 rebounds, and 6 assists. Smush had 12 points, 8 rebounds, and 3 assists. And Kwame Brown scored 10 points and grabbed 7 rebounds. The bench combined for 22 points and 13 rebounds.
Apr. 14, 2006
Wake Up, Go To Sleep, Then Wake Up Again
Portland 99 LA Lakers 110
A brief 8-2 run by the Trailblazers at the start of the game seemed to wake the Lakers up. They responded with a 32-8 run to dominate the 1st quarter and take an 18-point lead. Their 36 in the period included 10 from Kwame Brown, 9 from Kobe Bryant, 7 from Smush Parker, and 6, 5 rebounds, 5 assists from Lamar Odom.
But this wealth of offense seemed to just put them back into a relaxed state. While they slumbered in the 2nd quarter, mostly with the second unit on the floor, Portland went on 19-2 run to reduce a 21-point lead to just 4.
Kobe came out after halftime determined not to let his team lose. He scored 17 in the 3rd as the Lakers barely held the lead, then added 18 in the 4th as they finally put together another big run. A 7-0 Blazers spurt early in the final period got them within 1 point of the lead, and was followed by the Lakers 15-4 run that put the lead out of their reach.
It was an encouraging win for a couple of reasons. It was one they should win, and they got very good performances from their 3 key players. Kobe hit 17-28 shots for 50 points, with 6 rebounds and 5 steals. After a season of "nearly" making one, Lamar Odom had his second triple-double in a row, with 16 points, 12 rebounds, and 12 assists. And Kwame Brown scored 20 on 7-9 shooting, and grabbed 9 rebounds.
What is not so encouraging is that, despite winning, they allowed the Portland Trailblazers to score 99 points on 51% shooting. So, rather than using defense to beat one the poorest offensive teams in the league, the Lakers just out-offensed them. Defense will win you more games than offense. Particularly come playoff time.
Apr. 11, 2006
The Defense Effect
Golden State 100 LA Lakers 111
At the 3:42 mark of the 2nd quarter of tonight's game, the Warriors had shot 54%, scored 52 points, and were leading by 6. Clearly, the Lakers needed to play some better defense. And that's what they did. The result was a 33-8 run that spanned halftime, until 7:45 of the 3rd quarter. From the start of the run to the end of the game, Golden State shot just 31%.
As they say, good defense generates good offense. The Lakers exploded for 95 at the end of the 3rd, after which most of the starters rested. Kobe Bryant scored 31 points, hitting 10-22, with 4 rebounds and 5 assists. A very good game from Smush Parker, who had 18 points on 6-13 shooting, with 6 rebounds and 4 steals. And Kwame Brown was impressive, achieving a double-double by halftime, finishing with 15 points and 15 rebounds. He was just beating the opponents bigs up and down the court.
But this game belonged to Lamar Odom, who finally shook the "nearly" and actually had a triple-double; 15 points on 7 of 10 shots, 13 rebounds, and 10 assists. Some more games like that in the playoffs would be very nice.
Apr. 9, 2006
Clipping The Clippers
LA Clippers 83 LA Lakers 100
After two straight losses and in a tie for the 7th seed for the playoffs, the Lakers needed as many wins out of their five remaining games as they can get. And they got a big one tonight by beating the 5th seeded Clippers.
In the 1st quarter they were lead by Lamar Odom (7pts, 3reb) and new starter Luke Walton (6pts, 4reb). The Clippers lead by 4, getting all but 2 of their points from Sam Cassell and Elton Brand. Kobe Bryant then took over in the 2nd with 15 points as the Lakers put together a 14-1 run. But they gave some back and only lead by 5 at the half.
After a 9-3 Lakers run early in the 3rd quarter, the Clippers tied the game with a 13-4 run of their own. The Lakers managed to salvage a four point lead behind Luke (7pts) and Lamar (6pts, 6reb) again. Kobe once again took over in the final period with 17 points as they finished the game with a statement making 20-6 run.
The teams stats were fairly even. The Lakers shot 45% (37-82) while the Clippers shot 43% (34-79), and both shot 75% from the line. The Lakers lead by 2 in both rebounds (43-41) and assists (20-18). The only noticeble difference was the Lakers hitting 8-29 (28%) 3-pointers while the Clippers hit just 3-16 (19%). But I think the key was containing Cassell and particularly Brand after the 1st quarter.
Lamar had a very good game against his original team with 23 points on 9-17 shooting, 15 rebounds, and 3 assists. Kobe finished with 38 points while hitting 14-27 shots, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists. Luke celebrated his start with 13 points on 6-10 shots and 7 rebounds. Kwame Brown added 9 points and 8 rebounds, and Smush Parker 8 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists. The only scoring off the bench was 9 by Brian Cook.
Apr. 7, 2006
No Start To The 4th
LA Lakers 96 Phoenix 107
Last night the Lakers didn't appear ready to begin the game, and found themselves down by 18 early on. Tonight they managed to stay in the game through three periods. But that's when they didn't look ready, as they gave up a 18-4 run to begin the final quarter, and gave up any chance of winning.
There were two common themes in this game; a lack of consistent defensive effort, and too much reliance on Kobe Bryant's offense. Kind of sums up the season really. The 3rd quarter was the only one in which the Suns failed to score 20 or more, and the Lakers cut a 12-point lead down to 1. But the defense didn't stick. And while Kobe scored 51 points, only two other Lakers reached double figures.
Kobe got his 51 while hitting 19-33 shots, with 5 rebounds and 3 assists. Lamar Odom scored 17, grabbed 11 rebounds, dished 5 assists, and had 2 steals. Smush Parker had 14 points with 3 rebounds and 4 assists. No other Laker more than 4 points.
As a team, they scored 96 on 45% shooting from the field and 72% from the line. But Phoenix hit 50% on their way to 107 points, and hit all of their suprisingly low 5 free throw attempts. I guess you don't need too many of those when you make half of your shots.
Apr. 6, 2006
Playing From Behind
LA Lakers 108 Denver 110
The Lakers never had a lead in tonight's game until overtime. They were always down. Sometimes by a little, but mostly by a lot. You can say that they fought back, but came up short. If they had just been ready to fight at the start, they wouldn't have needed to fight so hard all night long.
Right off the bat, the Lakers allowed the Nuggets to go on runs of 15-9 and then 16-0. They were down by 18 in the 1st quarter. They made their first comeback with a 20-7 run in the middle of the 2nd quarter, but then gave up a 9-2 run and trailed by 9 at the half.
The two teams mostly traded hoops in the 3rd quarter. And even though Kobe Bryant scored 15, they only made up one point on Denver. Still withing striking distance going into the 4th, and after giving up another 5 quick points to the Nuggets, the Lakers made their 2nd come back with a 16-4 run. Down by one, they were only able to achieve a tie during the last half of the 4th. They managed a couple of 1-point leads during the OT, but couldn't get enough stops to put a run together. A desperation shot at the buzzer for the win was missed by Luke Walton.
That was too bad, because Luke was the leader off the bench with 12 points, 7 rebounds, and 6 assists. Kobe finished with 42 points and 8 rebounds. Lamar Odom added 16 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists. And a very nice effort by Kwame Brown with 15 points, 13 rebounds, and 4 assists.
Apr. 2, 2006
We Love 3rd Quarters
Houston 88 LA Lakers 104
Today's game started with a 9-0 run by Houston, mostly behind an unstoppable Yao Ming. Even though he continued his onslaught for most of the first half, the Lakers responded with some good shooting and trailed by just 1 point after two periods. Despite Ming's 20 points and 10 rebounds, it was encouraging the the Lakers outshot the Rockets 58% to 47%. All they needed to do was defend Yao a little better.
As is sometimes said in football, the best defense is a good offense. For the second game in a row, the Lakers had a big 3rd quarter. Kobe Bryant came out on fire, scoring 22 points on 9-13 shots. And the Lakers 25-12 run to start the period took the Rockets out of their rhythm. Kwame Brown, who single covered Yao in the first half, kept bodying the opposing center and got some double team help. As a result Yao scored only 5 in the period and the Lakers increased their lead to 18.
The Lakers finished shooting 55% and the Rockets 44%. As a result, the Lakers lead the assists battle 25 to 18, and had only 5 offensive rebounds to the Rockets 12. When you shoot like that, you get more assists and you don't need or have the opportunity to get your own rebounds. It also didn't hurt they they shot a surprising 85% from the freethrow line (11-13), and hand only 11 turnovers. In the end, Houston had no one outside of Ming that hurt the Lakers, and he was pretty much silenced in the 3rd.
Kobe finished with 43 points on 19-32 shots, 3 rebounds, 6 assists, a steal, and 2 turnovers.
Lamar Odom had 21, 6 rebounds, a block, a steal, and 3 turnovers.
A real nice game by Smush Parker with 15 points, 5 rebounds, 10 assists, a steal, and 2 turnovers.
Kwame Brown totalled 10 points, 3 rebounds, an assist, and a block, in addition to some nice defense.
Off the bench, Luke Walton scored 10, grabbed 6 rebounds, made 2 assists, a steal, and a turnover.