A-Town Stomped

The Lakers won a sleeper last night against a young Atlanta Hawks team and improved their league-leading record to 43-10. The Hawks came out firing—as any self-respecting team would against the top team in the NBA—escaping the first quarter with a one-point lead over L.A. But then Jordan Farmar (‘Half-Jordan’ because he’s half-black and half-Jewish) provided an offensive spark off the bench, which ignited the team to outscore Atlanta 62-36 over then next two quarters. The game was over shortly after halftime, and I started writing my first R&B hit.

Pau Gasol recorded a triple-douple, his first in Purple and Gold, before the third quarter was over. Pau’s 12 points, 13 rebounds, and 10 assists were joined by Deputy Lamar’s 20-rebound outburst. Kobe only scored 10 points—probably had his mind occupied by memories of the Shaqawockeez.

The game was so out of hand, that the third unit got to play the entire fourth quarter. Chris Mihm (yeah, he’s still on our team) got a dunk! We also got a chance to see the newest additions to the Laker Fam, Adam Morrison and Shannon Brown, in action. Brown had a sick, felony-level block that sent the bench (of starters) into a frenzy. The third unit was more of a rec-league children’s exhibition, as they could only throw together 11 points the entire quarter. As Adam Morrison dribbled out the clock to end the game, the expression on Kobe’s face was priceless: don’t y’all young cats like playin’ hoops? When I was in my third year I blitzed the rim every chance I got. Y’all acting like I won’t have you sent to the D-League…ask Smush Parker.

Next up: The Golden State Warriors. NorCal vs. SoCal. L.A. vs. The Bay

Halftime

The All-Star break marks the official halfway point in the NBA season, and although almost two-thirds of the games have already been played, most of the playoff picture is still taking shape.

The Lakers are soaring high at the top of the league, and most of their competition comes from Eastern Conference squads, like Boston, Cleveland, and Orlando. It’s great that the Lake Show is in the lead pack, but I hope that they keep an ear to the street in the West and don’t get too far ahead of themselves. I don’t think any team in the West will challenge L.A. for the top spot, but one disadvantage which that creates is that the rest of the pack will have a greater competitive mindset going into the playoffs. After being in the late-season dogfight and clawing for spots, teams like the Spurs, Jazz, Rockets, Hornets, Mavs, and Suns will be more than comfortable playing with a sense of urgency and even desperation. The Lakers need to stay sharp and stay hungry as a nation.

Some things to look forward to during the second half:

How the Lakers organize permanent roles in preparation for the Championship run – Will Lamar be utilized more as an initial threat? How often will the offense revolve around Pau in the post? Can the high-flying Bench Mob co-exist with the starters’ slower tempo?

Experimenting during games against non-playoff teams – Some of my favorite games to watch are against the Clippers, Grizzlies, and Thunder. Kobe practices harder shots, Luke Walton works on his scoring game, and the bench usually goes off! Keep an eye out for Lamar Odom dominating down low, too.

Hype around Kobe’s MVP run – Dwight Howard isn’t a dominant enough big-man, and Dwyane Wade’s team isn’t making the playoffs. It comes down to LeBron and Kobe.

Smooth Jazz put Lakers to Sleep

Once again, the Lakers had trouble going into Salt Lake City and coming away with a victory. The Jazz, with their 113-109 win over L.A., brought an end to the Lakers’ 7-game win streak. On the strength of 31 points and 11 assists from Deron Williams, the shiftiest pure point guard in the game, and bigtime shots from Mehmet Okur, the Jazz edged out L.A. in a thriller of a fourth quarter.

The Jazz are a team that we should keep on our radar. Even though they currently sit in 8th place in the West, they’re a good, young team that’ll be even better when Carlos Boozer and Andre Kirilenko return from injury. Deron William, C.J. Miles, and Ronnie Brewer are explosive, hungry, and tireless young stars, and Kyle Korver is a deadly perimeter shooter along with Okur.

I suspect the second half of the season will be quite different for the Utah Jazz.

So, what happened last night? I know there are no excuses for losing, but I just think the Lakers were ready to take the All-Star break and get some rest. After a six-game road trip out East that saw first a 61-point outbust from Kobe, then a game in Canada, followed by an overtime grind in Boston, and finally a Sunday afternoon trip to Cleveland where Lebron and the Cavs hadn’t lost, the Lakers finally got to come home and relax on Tuesday night against Oklahoma City. But then to tell them they’d have to fly out to Utah for a final road game against the Jazz before the All-Star break, they probably didn’t see the point in traveling again just for a one-game road trip.

Kobe seemed to be using the game as practice: working on his post-up game, jogging back on defense, attempting tougher shots than he was given or than he could’ve created. I mean, there were those hustle plays – I can remember off the top of my head three steals by Kobe that he then took to the hoop himself afterwards. Lamar stayed solid, hauling in 19 boards and making 2 big blocks. Pau also did some experimenting, knocking down a couple 20-footers while testing his range.
The Lakers have gotten to a point where they’ve already proven that they can win big games against the league’s elite when they come out with a sense of urgency. I hope that realization doesn’t prevent them from approaching every game with a high level of focus.

Radmanovic, We'll Miss You

Last night, the Lakers coasted to an effortless victory over the fledgling Oklahoma City Thunder, who, I think, will soon relocate to some other, more reasonable city. More on that later, but today I’d like to take a couple seconds to say farewell to one of my favorite Lakers, Vladamir Radmanovic.

‘Vlad Rad’ occupies a special place in my heart. He came to the Lakers in 2006, midway through their rebuilding years, and every part of me felt that he’d be a strong piece of the puzzle. Beyond the obvious—he’s a deadly perimeter shooter—Radmanovic did a lot to open up a futile Laker offense. In the two seasons prior to his arrival, the Lakers’ only option was to let Kobe try to win every game, while Lamar and the rest of the cast of new Lakers slowly learned the Triangle Offense. But when Radmanovic strolled into town, the Lake Show added a second dimension to its repertoire: the 3-point threat.

Now teams had to respect the perimeter, which opened up lanes for Kobe’s lust for penetration (wink). And when teams got a little too aggressive with KB24, double or triple-teaming or what have you, he could just dish it out to Vlad Rad and watch him rain threes. In the days before Pau and Bynum, when Chris Mihm, Ronny Turiaf, Kwame Brown, and Brian Cook were playing Hot Potato with the responsibility down low, Radmanovic provided just enough of a distraction for Kobe to steal some wins.

And now he’s being traded in a move by GM Mitch Kupchak to free up salary space sooner (trading Rad Man for two players whose contracts expire after this season). A valid reason, and I respect validity. But it kills me to see ‘real’ Lakers get sent away—Lakers who’ve helped bring our team back up from the doldrums, Lakers who endured the frustration of losing to the Suns in the first round two years in a row, Lakers who shivered as Kobe demanded to be traded for an entire summer and then came back in the autumn to demand that some of his teammates be traded for Jason Kidd or Jermaine O’neal.

After going through all of that, and then playing an integral role on this year’s league-leading squad, Vladamir Radmanovic should be branded a Laker for Life. When Los Angeles wins the title in a few months, I’m going to petition that Vlad Rad get an invitation to the parade AND a ring for his Laker work this season. AND I’m insisting that he be played by John Tuturo in the upcoming Michael Bay film, “From Fallen to Ballin’: Lakers in the Kobe Years.”

Here’s a list of my favorite things/memories of Vladamir Radmanovic

His fluctuating hair length
Him getting fined $500,000 for getting injured while snowboarding
How nobody ever questioned his Lakerness
Rocking headbands like the 70’s
Never making any steals or blocks, but ‘rotating’ on defense
Being good friends with Kobe

Farewell, Rad Man. You’ll always be welcome in Laker Nation.

Lakers Rock the Cavs in Cleveland. Kobe vs. Lebron Debate Finally Settled

The Cavaliers and the Lakers faced off Sunday afternoon at 3:30 EST, and I found myself literally running home before tip-off in my Saturday night outfit, crosstown through Harlem—a showdown like this REQUIRED for me to watch in HD on my 37” Vizio. It’s been a while since there was an NBA game in the regular season that has carried so much hype. The Lakers are the hottest team in the league, and they’re coming fresh off an overtime victory against a stacked Boston Celtics squad. And in the red corner, the Cavaliers were the only team that remained undefeated at home; stringing together 23 straight home wins at Quicken Loans Arena. But that was hardly what all the hype was about…

What else could possibly generate this much anticipation? A better question is ‘who?’

Hector and Achilles, Ali and Foreman, and now Lebron James and Kobe Bryant. Both of these young men dominate the court and the debates over who is basketball’s best player. You’re reading a basketball blog, so you already know that, but the timing couldn’t have been any better for this match-up to occur, and for this debate to play itself out. Both of these players put up ridiculous numbers at MSG last week—Kobe dropped 61 points on the K-nicks, while Lebron scored 52, dished out 11 assists, and grabbed 10 boards against the same K-nicks team (but the NBA took Lebron’s triple-double away retroactively because he didn’t actually get his 10th rebound, Yoink!). That set the stage for yesterday’s face off in Cleveland.

The head-to-head match up was easily won by Kobe. He made 5 more shots on 3 fewer attempts than Lebron, all while playing six fewer minutes since he was battling illness. There were also numerous occasions where Kobe went at Lebron 1-on-1, inviting the larger James to Tango, and hitting shizzots in his fizzace. I’m in no way insinuating that King James isn’t near Kobe’s level, but he was only 25% from the field against the Lakers, who give up over 100 points a game, while Kobe was almost twice as effective against the Cavs and their league-leading scoring defense. Advantage Kobe. Lighting up the scoreboard against the K-nicks is one thing, but composing a solid performance against an elite team, when home-court advantage in a possible Finals match up is on the line, in front of a national audience requires…”G.” What is G? G is overcoming flu-like symptoms and ballin’ regardless of opposing teams’ win streaks; isolating and posting up against Lebron James and putting the ball in the basket; G is doing what it takes to overcome a 10-point halftime deficit on the road. Lebron witnessed G.

Welp, Werewolf Bar Mitzvah is admittedly a Lakers Blog, and I would be remiss if I stayed on the Kobe/Lebron tip and neglected to talk about the team as a whole. The Lake Show once again displayed its second-half tenacity during Sunday’s 101-91 beatdown of yet another Eastern Conference frontrunner. Going into halftime down by 10, mainly because of Mo Williams’ 18 first-half points and contributions from Wally “Sir-bee-ack,” some sort of inspirational speech (think Varsity Blues) propelled the Lakers to a dominating final two quarters. For the second game in a row, Lamar Odom flexed his swagger in the second half, scoring 15 points and grabbing 10 boards in the third quarter alone. Lamar’s activity around the rim is obviously difficult for teams to deal with, and he’s been exploiting defenders off the dribble. Soon, teams are going to have to bring in three separate defensive specialists to deal with Lamar, Pau, and Kobe and the distinctive offensive threats they each pose. L-O, finished the game with a season-high 28 points and 17 rebounds. Way to step up.

The Lakers bench played another great game, and actually preserved the lead against the Cavs’ starters in the start of the fourth quarter. Although they were only 8 of 22 from the floor, the Bench Mob hit the shots when they mattered most and kept the intensity hella-high while the starters recharged. They also shut down Mo Williams in the second half, holding him to 1 point. The All-Star game isn’t for everyone. Stop cryin’ like a little Mo.

On paper, this win is just one of many for the Lakers, kinda like a million dollars for Bill Gates. But it went much farther than just being a piece adding to the sum. This win showed that the Lakers can take $500,000 in the middle of a recession, with an injured and sickly staff, after being away from home for several games, in the toughest market to win in, and flip that 500K into a cool million…all while King James keeps trying to take it away. Yup, exactly like Bill Gates and a million bucks.

Horus

PS – Instead of Knicks, I use the spelling 'K-nicks' in order to point out the truth. The K is silent and it stands for Kobe, the King of New York. Have some.

Lakers Drop Celtics in Heated Overtime Shootout

Last night, the Lakers proved why they're the best team in the League. They played a tough, physical game; they were able to fight down the stretch; didn't let the crowd take them out of the game; and they stole a victory from the defending champion Celtics.

In just their third game without Andrew Bynum, who'd started every game this season, the Lakers proved that they could take on the League's toughest teams even when they're hampered by major injuries. Stepping up the most has been Lamar Odom. He's a terror off the dribble, and at 6'10", he's always a match-up problem for defenders. In Andrew's absence Lamar's also stepped it up on defensive end and in rebounding. His 20 points against Boston came on only 10 attempts, and his late free throws won the game for L.A.

My column isn't a recap station, so I'll leave the descriptive analysis to links to other sites. A good write up is the February 6 page of espn.com's Daily Dime.

I'll tell you what I saw from my futon. I saw a Los Angeles Lakers team that found a way to win using all the weapons it had. Kobe unleashed a barrage of threes that pulled them back in the game. Pau played tough inside, grabbed 14 boards, and caused Garnett to foul out. Lamar did his thug-dizzle and won the game for us. Fisher played well and Jordan Farmer was smooth as eggs as a backup. The best part about all of these individual components is that they have an astute sense of timing.

They toughed it out. Nobody played a particularly good game, but when the final buzzer sounded, they knew they'd be on top because they wanted it more. And what makes this so critical is that the Lakers lacked a similar level of heart and desire during the finals last season. To see that hunger in them now is inspiring, and I hope it's lifted the bar in the locker room.

Kobe Scores 61 to Set MSG Record in Lakers Victory

Of all the Broadway shows, grand museums, chic galleries, and lavish nightclubs that New York City has to offer, there was no better ticket in town Monday night than a seat in Madison Square Garden as the Knicks tried to slowdown the Lakers.

Not only were the fans treated to this year's chapter of one of the great NBA rivalries, but they also got to watch history in the making. And who better to make history than Kobe Bryant? In the Lakers' 126-117 win, Kobe reeled in a Garden record 61 points and shot a perfect 20-for-20 from the free throw line. Hats off to Kobe, who was showered with "MVP" chants during every trip to the charity stripe, and received a standing ovation after breaking the MSG scoring record. It was hard to tell who the New York City crowd liked more: The Lakers or Kobe Bryant?

If there was one word that best described Kobe, that word would be "kangamangus," but luckily there are several words that describe him, and the one I'll focus on here is "grounded." After ballin' outta control in the 'world's most famous arena' in the biggest city in America, one might expect a 30-year old hoops star to be giddy with excitement and disbelief, like a long-shot hall monitor that won Prom Queen. But no. During the post-game press conference, Kobe appeared unfazed by his performance, focused on where the team stood, and seemingly embarrassed by the attention he was getting—almost as if his greatness is a distraction for the team and their championship mission. All he mentioned about his performance was that he was 'feeling good during warm ups.' Either he's unimpressed by scoring 20 points less than his career-high, or he's just that mature and humble, but probably a combination of the two.

Writing then reading between the lines, those of us who watched it witnessed something else take place last night. We saw a man set out on a mission, work his tail off, chase history, and make the tackle in the end. It's not easy to beat the Knicks—they're a strong young team with a great coach in D'Antoni. But still, they'd been beaten 25 times already this season. You could tell from the first shot he took, that Kobe wasn't looking to merely do something that had been done 25 times since November, his sights were set on achieving a feat that hadn't been matched in 25 years: scoring 60 in Madison Square Garden.

And whether or not scoring 61 points against the Knicks is applause-worthy, one thing is for sure: this exhibition of ability, force, and determination was a rare flash, seldom seen these days in the great performances of Lance Livestong, Tiger, and Jason Bourne.

Kobe Diem!

Welcome Back to Werewolf Bar Mitzvah, 2009 Edition

Okay, now that football season is officially over—props to the Pittsburgh Steelers for winning the Super Bowl, to Plaxico Burress for capping himself in the leg through his sweatpants at a nightclub, and to the Detroit Lions for not winning at all in 2008—we can being to focus more seriously on NBA basketball.

We’re practically at the All-Star break, and so far this season has been a second act of last year’s play. The usual suspects occupy the top spots in the standings and the playoff picture at this point is a carbon copy of post-playoff ranking of a year ago.

The Lakers currently stand atop the Western Conference, 5 games above second-place, and their frontrunner status gives this journal a completely different feel from last year—one peppered with higher expectations, more determined opponents, and an intense sense of volatility, similar to watching Kanye West live and wondering what crazy things he’s gonna say or what type of heartbroken robot he going to morph into.

So, to re-introduce us all to Werewolf Bar Mitzvah, I’ve invited guest-writer and life long Lakers fan, J.K. Rowling, to write the welcome and preface for this year’s season. If you like or love the Lakers or Harry Potter, or any noun-verb combination of those words, then you’ll enjoy our first entry…..


There are whispers of a Kingdom in a land far far West, where the Sun spends her final moments of each day, before retiring to a cold, dark slumber. It is said that each night, when the Sun retreats below the horizon, warriors of Purple and Gold descend on the coastal Kingdom, riding in on waves that charge like royal stallions, to protect it from foreign

invaders. Its land is fertile and lush; its tropical weather and scenic landscape are the envy of Eden; the women, with their unrivaled beauty, grace, and finesse, are more than deserving of the myriad of monuments erected in their honor. But the purest, most complete measure of the wealth of this western Kingdom lies in the strength and valor of its warriors. Nightly they vanquish foes as fans cheer on in amazement, like Gladiators of old—these warriors of whom we speak are the Los Angeles Lakers…

With a history so rich in excellence that the very logo of professional basketball depicts a silhouette of one of its former captains, the legacy of the Los Angeles Lakers runs deeper and stronger than any order of men who’ve ever touched a basketball. Along with acres of Championship banners spanning six different decades, waving proudly in the rafters of the hallowed Staples Center are the jerseys of legendary Laker heroes from dynasties past—now forever immortalized in the Hall of Fame. This pantheon of heroes includes the all-time leading scorer, the highest-scoring single game performer ever, a man called Magic, and men appropriately named West and Worthy. Speaking volumes on the greatness of this organization is the fact that Chick Hearn, long-time broadcast commentator of the Lakers, was inducted to the Hall of Fame, merely for being the bard who sang the valiant tales of these beloved heroes.

But history is history, and we shall leave it for veterans to reminisce upon and for scholars to quarrel over. The purpose of our abridged jaunt down memory lane was to construct an idea of the lineage and pedigree embedded in the souls of the main characters in this four months’ traffic of our stage. Beginning now, and culminating with another NBA Championship in mid-June, we will follow the daily progress of the 2008-2009 Los Angeles Lakers as they, once again, attempt to fill the NBA history books with tales written in ink of Purple and Gold. Welcome aboard, friend. Our journey is about to begin…

Here's to you, Los Angeles

Well, by this point you already know...the Lakers' season has come to an end. It was a disappointing way to finish the season; I guess anything less than perfection would be a disappointment to true fans like us.

I'll still applaud Los Angeles' efforts and their adherence to their character and unique style of play. I was never surprised by how they played--neither when they shined nor when they stunk. They're the Lakers I know, and that in itself, gives me a certain welcoming comfort.

We can sit here and argue about which team is better, and who made better trades, and who has a better shot, and anything else you can think of. But hey, it's already said and done. The Lakers came two games short of winning a title, and they'll have to wait til next year for another shot.

What I'd like to do is to share with you an observation I made about fanhood. Okay, well, for a little background, I'm a Los Angeles native, who moved to New York earlier this year. I was in high school for the Lakers three-peat, in college for the emergence of Kobe, and in Korea for the reloading phase. Well, I've been hitting up the same sports bar in NYC to
catch the Lakers games this season, and I usually get a pretty good crowd of friends to join me--some of them Lakers fans, some of them just buddies of mine.

Alright, well Game 6 was a must win for Los Angeles. This was, for all intents and purposes, the most important game of the year for the Lakers. So, as per my usual, I invited all of my buddies to watch the game with me at our watering hole of choice. But unlike my usual, only a few people showed up this time.

Big up to my companion (you know who you are), M. Larson, JJ from Eagle Rock (Nicole too), and my favorite bartender. Y'all showed up and supported the cause. Thanks for pickin' up the slack when our personnel was low.


There's a difference between fellow fans and friends. Fans are great to watch a game with here and there, but when the dust settles and you're either cheering your face off or holding you face in you hands, I'd rather have my friends at my side anyday.

I've been a huge Lakers fan since I was a child. Since before Nick Van Exel was pushing officials around. This Lakers playoff blog was my first literary journey and I'm glad Los Angeles kept my experience alive so long. I'm proud of the Lakers, and I'm dedicating this blog to them, my friends, and to the readers.


Well, that's the final chapter of this volume. Another might turn up for U.S.A. Basketball and our Olympic conquest. We went undefeated last summer during FIBA Americas, and we're looking to repeat that feat for the world to see. Stay tuned.

This time around, we're gonna have to take the silk road to Olympic Gold. The Games start on 08/08/08 in Beijing; a place where Lakers Nation has already flown its flag. See below.


Lakers fans out there, hold your heads up high. We've come a long way from being bumped out of the playoffs in the first round by the Suns a year ago. We won a Western Conference Title, night after night we watched the best show on Earth, and we got to see Kobe win the MVP award. There's a lot to cheer about from this season, and next season will be another championship run.

Stay humble. Stay hungry.

Signing off for the last time in a long time,

Horus

Lakers Fend Off Boston, Stay Alive

The Lakers jumped out to another huge lead in the first half, but this time fought all the way down to the wire to win and keep their championship dream alive.

Paul Pierce tried his best to bury the Lakers, but his 38-point effort proved to be too much of a one-man show. The Lakers big 3--Kobe, Pau, and Lamar--each had over 19 points, and their free-throw shooting in crunchtime solidified the victory.

Now with the series heading back to Boston, the Lakers have their work cut out for them and history at their fingertips. Although Game 5 wasn't a blowout, Kobe and the Lakers played with a Debonair style that gave the impression that they were more comfortable and confident with their position than the frenzied Celtics. Even after Boston claimed a lead in the fourth quarter, they seemed to force more shots and committ uncharacteristically silly fouls.

Los Angeles is playing like a team determined to win; the Celtics are just trying not to lose.

More analysis later. I have a real day-job and I'm pretty busy this morning.

Laker Nation Stand Up!!!

Exclusive WBM Report: Kobe & Phil BFFs

Dear Phil,

Thank you for all of your help. You’ve provided me with so much knowledge, wisdom, and perspective. You’ve allowed me to unlock so many of my talents, and you’ve helped me cultivate them into brilliance. Lord only knows where I’d be without you.

You have touched my life in such way that cannot be communicated; only experienced. When I have a son, I’ll name him after you. Phil Megazord Genghis Bryant.

Dear Kobe,

You are my Sistine Chapel. You have returned the favor by being the most extensive project a coach has ever undertaken. You’re like a son, a pet stallion, a tornado, a lawsuit, waterfall, a dissertation, a new pair of socks, the Himalayas, a mother-in-law, and acid reflux. You are so many things to me, but most importantly, you’re my best friend.

Without you, I’d be just another successful coach. Someone like Greg Popovic, Pat Riley, or Rudy Tomjanovich. They’re great guys and they’ve won some titles, but you, my Kobe bear, allow me to transcend the coaching bridge into a zone known by only a few: Shakespeare’s English teacher, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Basil Hallward, etc.

Kobe, in addition to meditation, yoga, and Mario Kart Wii, you complete me.

Lakers Blow Big Lead. Down 3-1.

Now, I’ve played and watched a lot of basketball in my day, but never have I seen a team play so well in one half, then proceed to crap all over the court in the second.

The Lakers played brilliant basketball in the first half of Game 4, but gave up a 24 point lead to lose by 6. The 97-91 loss was the final pardon Los Angeles gets, as each game is a must-win from here on out. If the Lakers’ play in the rest of the series in any way resembles their play (or lack thereof) in Game 4, then I don’t think they’ll stand much of a chance.

But it’s not over.

If being embarrassed at home doesn’t light a fire under their asses, then I don’t know what will. They need to re-center their focus, play complete games, and play championship basketball.

Game 5 is not until Sunday night, but I’ve already been given an advance copy of Phil Jackson’s pre-game speech, unedited for the lucky readers of Werewolf Bar Mitzvah:

Phil Jackson: Guys, we have to win this game. That’s the bottom line. We’ve been a mediocre Western Conference team for three years, and this year we fought and clawed our way to the top. It wasn’t a smooth road either. We had trade rumors marinating from the end of last season well into the start of this season, and we’ve had enough injuries to set up our own M*A*S*H* tent. But regardless of the adversity, we persevered. Our journey through the playoff--

Kobe Bryant: Has anyone seen my lucky goat’s head?

Phil Jackson: --our journey through the playoffs has had its ups and downs. But we’ve been able to ride the waves and weather the storm. But gentlemen, we’re not in the playoffs anymore. This is do or die. We need to play perfect basketball starting now. We’re playing for a championship, and just keeping our head above water won’t be good enough. We can’t just drift like a piece of wood; we need to be the speedboat—

Kobe: Oh word? I got 6 of those. Holla.

Phil Jackson: We can’t have our destiny delivered to us. We need to go out there and claim it. It doesn’t hurt me to say this, so I’m just gonna throw it out there: I’ve coached much better teams than this one. Surprise surprise. I’ve also coached much better teams than the Boston Celtics. My point is that we have our strong points and we have our weak points, and so do the Celtics. We have to expose and exploit their weak points using our strong points—

Pau Gasol: Mira, coach. How will we know what our strong points are? You gonna tell us?

Phil Jackson: Our strong point is named Kobe Bryant. He wears #24. Kobe, you had a grip of assists Thursday night, even when your teammates sucked in the second half. Why the fuck do you pass the ball? I don’t want you passing the ball that much tonight.

Kobe: Okay. Sasha and Luke forgot to feed my pandas this weekend and Ling Ling got a tummy ache. I wasn’t planning on passing to them anyway.

Phil Jackson: Great. Now that we have the game plan memorized, let me tell you a little story…Two little mice fell in a bucket of cream. The first mouse quickly gave up and drowned. The second mouse, wouldn't quit. He struggled so hard that eventually he churned that cream into butter and crawled out.

Kobe: A bucket of cream? Who the hell leaves buckets of cream lying around?

Phil Jackson: You’re missing the point. I’m saying that we’ve gotten ourselves into a mess of a situation and only WE can get ourselves out. It’s gonna take a lot of effort, but we cannot accept the alternative. Team let’s get out there and win this series! One game, one team! What are we gonna do!!??!!

Kobe: Eat Spaghettios!

Lakers vs. Celtics vs. REFEREES

Once again the officiating was appalling. The refs exercised too much influence over the game and I think they penalized Boston in a way that seemed blatantly contrived.

On a day when former NBA ref, Tim Donaghy, testified that officiating crews had altered playoff games by order of NBA officials, the refs in Game 2 didn’t make a strong case for the assumed objectivity of their guild. They called so many weak fouls both ways that it really limited the intensity of both teams. Almost every time two players from opposing teams went up and fought for a rebound, it was called a foul. That just led to more stars sitting on the bench in foul trouble, and teams being in the bonus halfway through each quarter. Not to say that there’s anything wrong with those circumstances, but the glaring inconsistency of calls during the most important games of the year is marring what was supposed to be a historic series.

Now, I don’t usually make political statements in my Lakers Blog, and I’ll try not to with this post. But the lack of regulation in NBA officiating, highlighted by lop-sided high-profile games like Game 2 and last night, and by obvious missed calls like Derek Fisher’s apparent foul on Brent Barry at the end of Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals, echoes the problems of unchecked authority outside of the arena of sport. There seem to be no repercussions for law/rule enforcers who themselves act outside the rules. Police can shoot over 50 times at Sean Bell, or 41 times at Amadou Diallo (both unarmed), kill them, and still be acquitted of all charges.

A dereliction of duty in this case, as recent officiating has done more to determine the outcome of games rather than serve its purpose of maintaining the rules of them. Yes, the two are related and are going to overlap, but even a child could see who the refs were helping in these games. I don’t think NBA referees will be reprimanded for killing the spirit of the games they’re supposed to be facilitating.

The Finals would be a lot better if they were officiated in the same way as all the rest of the games. C’mon, NBA…you change the rules in the ninth inning.

Three's a Charm for Los Angeles

Lakers fans breathed a sigh of relief Tuesday night, as Los Angeles defeated Boston and stayed undefeated on their home floor in the post-season. The 87-81 victory was a testament to the will of this Lakers team and a classic win for the Kobe Bryant-led squad.

From the first possession, Kobe set the tone by driving relentlessly and repeatedly to the hoop. His aggression sometimes outpaced his concentration—jumping too high, dunking too hard, shouting too loudly at overzealous referees—but the message was clear: “We’re going to muscle our way to a win and nothing’s gonna stop us.”

The Lakers were the aggressors for most of the game, going up by as many as 11 and getting to the free throw line 34 times. They shot an embarrassing 61% from the stripe, but that was enough to slay the beast and the 4th quarter free throw shooting was vintage clutch.

Los Angeles’ defense was the foundation of the victory. The Laker D forced Boston to shoot only 35% from the field and held them to just 81 points. 81 points! Kobe Bryant can score 81 points all by himself, and that’s all that the Eastern Conference's best team could muster? Kobe was instrumental in the strong defensive effort, guarding Paul Pierce in crunchtime and holding him to 6 points all game. Pierce, who was the Celtics’ leading scorer in games 1 and 2, was helpless against KB24’s wise and constrictive defense.

Phil Jackson made some changes defensively to start the game, which proved problematic for Boston. Putting Kobe on Rajon Rondo allowed Kobe to roam freely and provide more help against the Celtics big men who dominated Game 2. It took a while for Rondo and his buddies to adjust to Phil Jackson’s new scheme, and by that time, the Lakers had opened up a sizeable lead.

The big story of the night was Kobe’s 36 points. He was literally unstoppable. Setting the tone in the first quarter with 11 points, and charging hard in the fourth quarter to slam the coffin on the Celtics, Kobe controlled the game and wrote the script the way he wanted it. Whether it was Rondo or Ray Allen guarding him, Kobe met little resistance on his ‘put the ball in the hole’ campaign. The shots he made and the opportunities he created for his teammates in the fourth were the stuff of legends. After the “Kobe Bryant Halfcourt Trap” strategy for Boston proved as prostrate as FEMA after Hurricane Katrina, Kobe made Ray Allen’s 1-on-1 defense look infantile. I’m not saying Kobe’s a god, but he made Jesus Shuttlesworth look well…worthless. Boston, if double teaming him doesn't work, don’t make it worse by taking help away; triple team him!

The Lakers went back to their conventional style of victory: Let Kobe score a grip of points and hope a few other guys step up when he’s out to lunch. I’m obviously liking this Lakers win and I’m hoping that Thursday’s Game 4 brings more of the same. I’ll keep you posted.

Stay humble, stay hungry.