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Archive for February, 2008

TLN’s Game Preview: Lakers vs. Blazers

Published by MackCombs on February 26, 2008 in Mack's Game Preview. 35 Comments

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Mack’s prediction, the Blazers will win in L.A.; Against the Clippers.

The Blazers, however, will not defeat the Lakers. Even their own center, Joel Przybilla, doesn’t have high hopes. When asked about playing against the Lakers he said, “They’ve maintained strong play throughout the year. We need to get some wins, and it would be a good one for us to start there, but we know it will be very hard to get that done.” He doesn’t sound too confident. Maybe he doesn’t think this time around the Blazers will win, but maybe next time they will.

Sorry Joel, probably not next time either.

Tonight’s match up is the first of four the Lakers have with the Blazers this season so it will be interesting to see how they play each other. Personally, I don’t think the Blazers have a chance. One reason is because their star player, SG Brandon Roy is out with a sprained ankle. Roy says he initially sprained it against Dallas on February 13th, but aggravated it midway through the third quarter in Sunday’s beat down against the “BAH-ston” Celtics. With the injury to Brandon Roy, Nate McMillan will be trying a new lineup, again helping the Lakers’ cause. He will be running with Martell Webster at the two and the up and coming Travis Outlaw taking over the 3.

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Lakers: Your 2008 NBA Champs

Published by David Brickley on February 25, 2008 in DBrick's Take. 114 Comments

The Los Angeles Lakers will win the NBA championship.

I just wanted to put it in wording, make it official and let everybody know that this is not a possibility, nor is it a estimated guess, but it’s fact.

When it’s all said and done and the dust settles David Stern will walk to the middle of the floor and say. “Ladies and Gentlemen, I am proud to announce your 2008 NBA Champion, the Los Angeles Lakers!”

I was trying to look at this Lakers team from a different perspective, a non fan, and a person that doesn’t have a bias. Trying to figure out the negatives of this team, something you can say that would be a legit argument why the Lakers can’t win the NBA championship…

There isn’t any.

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Bryant: “Now we’re dangerous, very dangerous.”

Published by Chris Manning on February 25, 2008 in Articles. 14 Comments

Funny how things work out. The summer saga was one for all Lakers fans to get nervous about. No “trades” to improve team, a disgruntled superstar and an unfortunate series of events. Today, we’ve traded for one of the best fowards in Gasol in the league, and Kobe is lovin’ every minute of it. Kob said it best, “

SBSUN: “No, I didn’t envision this (last summer), absolutely not,” Kobe said. “It worked out for the best. I didn’t want to leave here. Everything happens for a reason, and I’m very thankful that things worked out here.

“All the young players stepped up and have played extremely well. I think Pau coming here was just icing on the cake. Prior to him coming him we were a very good team. Now we’re dangerous, very dangerous.”

Phil on Kobe’s ejection - a jokester on a joke

Published by Chris Manning on February 25, 2008 in Kobe Watch. 12 Comments

This one had me laughing. Phil chimed in on Kobe’s ejection from the Seattle game…

Inside SoCal: Here’s how Phil Jackson saw the ejection of Kobe by referee Brian Forte, the son of long-time NBA official Joe Forte, courtesy of beat writer Elliott Teaford:

“You don’t know what the action was down there, but there were a couple of situations where we got caught in the position where guys were coming over the back, and we were complaining about it at halftime, about rebound situations that were not called. Seattle is an aggressive team. They’re going to go get those balls if they’re free.

“I told (Bryant) he shouldn’t jump on Junior. His dad might carry a grudge against him. That’s nepotism in our league. That’s Joe Forte’s son. He’s got a little bit of the red-ass as we say.”

Lakers win 8th in row despite Kobe’s ejection

Published by Jim Murdoc on February 24, 2008 in Postgame Comments. 18 Comments

Kobe is hit with two technicals after arguing a foul should have been called while L.A. led Seattle by 31 points. What were your thoughts on he getting T’d? Sound-off in the comments!

ESPN: On another night, maybe Kobe Bryant bites his tongue and shrugs off what he believes was an undeserved technical foul.

Up 31 points late in the third quarter, Bryant’s ejection mattered little for the Los Angeles Lakers.

Bryant scored 26 points, handed out 10 assists and got his first ejection of the season, in the Lakers 111-91 win over the SuperSonics on Sunday night, their season-high eight straight victory.

And his reward for such an efficient effort: watching the final 16 minutes from the locker room after getting tossed by Brian Forte.

“I’m disappointed, but I’m not going to comment on the official. I don’t want to get fined anymore,” Bryant said. “Watch the replay.”

While Bryant’s ejection became a secondary chapter, the main focus is the surging Lakers, who moved back on top of the Western Conference and now have their longest streak since winning 11 straight near the end of the 2003-04 season — the last time they reached the NBA Finals.

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Happier Bryant steps up game

Published by Jim Murdoc on February 24, 2008 in Kobe Watch. 10 Comments

Philadelphia Enquirer: No wonder the rest of the NBA seems so ticked at Memphis general manager Chris Wallace these days.

When the best player in the league starts to really believe he can win a championship, it may not matter how much the West has loaded up.

Yes, Dallas got Jason Kidd last week, and Phoenix got Shaquille O’Neal, and San Antonio got Kurt Thomas, and New Orleans got Bonzi Wells and Mike James. But none may have the impact of Pau Gasol’s going from the Grizzlies to the Lakers. Not just because Gasol has stepped in for the injured Andrew Bynum, with seeming ease. But also because of the impact it has had on Kobe Bryant.

Was it just eight months ago that Bryant seemed to be in the midst of a nervous breakdown, demanding general manager Mitch Kupchak’s head on a pike and a one-way ticket out of town for Bynum? Now, with Gasol playing an able Robin, Bryant is Batman, averaging 28.1 points per game and emerging as the favorite to win his first league most valuable player award.

That is the backdrop to the rest of the regular season and the playoffs. If the West is the conference to beat, the Lakers look as if they are the team to beat.

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Their winning way…

Published by Jim Murdoc on February 24, 2008 in Random. 4 Comments

I thought this would be well worth posting. An interesting statistic I learned about recently really made me happy. The Lakers have either won or tied in 20 of the last 24 quarters. That is amazing.

That means we aren’t winning these games by having “Hot” streaks. We are consistently playing good ball over 48 minutes. We are playing as the better team as opposed to a hot team. Nice.

Video: Phil Is Your Father

Published by Kam Pashai on February 24, 2008 in Random. 30 Comments

Sports song writer Ryan Parker has made another Lakers related tune. This one is quite funny! Notice the close resembalence between Phil Jackson and Pau Gasol. Could it be?

Check out more from Ryan Parker at RyanParkerSongs.com.