ESPN: Needing victories to make up ground in the playoff race, the schedule fell perfectly for the Charlotte Bobcats: The mighty Los Angeles Lakers came to town.
Continuing perhaps the most unlikely dominance of one team over another in the NBA, the Bobcats got 21 points and 13 rebounds from Gerald Wallace and used stifling defense to beat the Lakers 94-84 on Tuesday night and move within one game of the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.
Raymond Felton added 16 points, D.J. Augustin scored 14 and Boris Diaw had 12 assists as the Bobcats frustrated Kobe Bryant and completed a season sweep of the Western Conference leaders, who have lost six of seven to Charlotte over the past four seasons.
“We match up real well with them,” explained Wallace after the fifth-year Bobcats set a franchise record with their 34th win. “We kind of force Kobe into taking a lot of tough shots, and kind of get him out of the way he wants to do things offensively. At the same time, we’re able to attack them and take advantage of their weaknesses.”
Failing to reach 100 points in consecutive games for the first time since November, the weary Lakers dropped their second straight with one game left Wednesday in Milwaukee on their seven-game, 13-day road trip.
The Lakers are in Charlotte to face the Bobcats at the Time Warner Cable Arena. Los Angeles will be looking to redeem themselves from playing by far, their worse game of the season. The Lakers offensively, settled for way too many jump shots and as a team couldn’t knock down said shots with any consistency.
Perhaps it could’ve been the effect of a subpar Kobe Bryant, due to injury, or something caused by being in the midst of a long road trip. The team is grinding on the road but the Lakers couldn’t match the energy level of the Hawks in the third quarter.
Gasol wants more looks and I completely agree with him!
NBCLA: “I don’t know why we were so out of whack and missing so many shots,” Gasol added. “Unfortunately, we lost a game that we definitely would have like to have won. Our outside shots weren’t going down, so we should have gone inside a little more.”
Translation: Give him the damn ball! Alright, that’s probably a stretch. This isn’t Shaquille O’Neal spelling out his career field goal percentage and demanding to get his 20 touches per game or else — but it is a valid point.
The Lakers have consistently gone away from Gasol during games where he’s producing, which, especially in the second half of the season, has been just about all of them. He’s made 72 of his 109 shots over the last eight games — yep, 66 percent. So why not pound it inside a little bit more, especially on an afternoon when nobody else seems to be able to get anything going?
We don’t know the answer, and it probably puzzled Phil Jackson as well. One of the downfalls of having a group that’s as talented as the Lakers is that everyone thinks that they can step up and take the game over in time to save the day. But most of the time, they can’t. Usually, it’s Kobe Bryant that fills that role, and fills it more competently than almost anyone in the league can.
During games where Kobe isn’t quite himself, however, maybe it’s time the Lakers start to rely more on Pau Gasol. Because clearly, he’s more than ready to deliver.
Good to know they’re focusing on the right things. I think video is the best thing for this team.
Pasadena Star News: Lakers coach Phil Jackson held a video session that lasted for about 90 minutes and then the team worked out for another 90 minutes or so on the practice court at the Time Warner Cable Arena, home of the Charlotte Bobcats.
“Execution,” Jackson said when asked about the focus of the video session.
No, Jackson did not wish to put his players to death in the wake of their worst game of the season Sunday in Atlanta. He merely pointed out ways to improve before they return to the court tonight to face the up-and-coming Bobcats.
“It’s always about execution,” Jackson said.
The Lakers were out of sync for most of Sunday’s 86-76 loss to the Hawks. They had season lows with 13 points in the first quarter and 76 in the game. They also shot only 35 percent from the floor.
About the Bobcats
Charlotte leads the all-time series, 5-4, and joins Boston as the only teams in the NBA with winning records against the Lakers.
The Bobcats beat the Lakers, 117-110, in double overtime on Jan. 27 at Staples Center.
Jackson, asked what he remembered about the game, said, “Nothing.”
The president recently gave his thoughts on the NBA.
Caucus: His prediction: Cleveland would play the Los Angeles Lakers. No Celtics-Lakers rematch, in other words.
The president did not predict a winner, but was effusive about the Lebron James-led Cavaliers. “I’m telling you, those Cavs,” Mr. Obama marveled. “They’ve only lost one game all year at home. Thirty-five and one.” (Actually 33 and 1, as of Friday.) “And they have home court advantage. That’s pretty impressive.”
I’ve got to be honest with you guys, the regular season is starting to bore me. Am I alone on this one? I’d imagine I feel a lot like Jack Black does while he’s eating dinner. Regular food just doesn’t taste as good when you know the desert is coming out next. I mean, nothing washes down a platter of ribs like a pound of cake, right Jack?
Here’s what we know about the Lakers:
They won the West by a landslide.
They blew their chance at home-court throughout by losing to Philly and Atlanta.
They really could care less about the remaining nine games on their schedule.
Of course, they’d never say that, but we all know actions speak far louder than words. I could spend this article writing and re-writing the same things you’ve been reading and re-reading, but where’s the fun in that? If I wanted to be repetitive, I could always take a job writing for the CW.
Instead, let’s build from what we talked about in last weeks’ OOB: Emotional Lakers Fans.
Hoopsworld: While the Los Angeles Lakers battle through their longest road trip of the season, back in Los Angeles injured center Andrew Bynum nears a return.
Bynum partially tore his right MCL on January 31st in Memphis against the Grizzlies. The original timetable for recovery was said to be 8-12 weeks.
According to his website AndrewBynum.com, Bynum has progressed to the point where he is “playing 2 on 2 and 3 on 3, while waiting on the team to return.”
Following standard recovery protocols, Bynum’s next step towards recovery would be to test himself in a 5 on 5 scrimmage… typically the final step before a player is back on the active roster.
The Lakers are scheduled to play the Charlotte Bobcats and Milwaukee Bucks on back-to-back nights on Tuesday and Wednesday. Coach Phil Jackson wouldn’t be likely to hold a full practice on Thursday.
The team’s next home game is on Friday against the Houston Rockets, likely without Bynum. If, however, he can get in a full practice on Saturday, April 4th… perhaps the Lakers will be able to get him on the court against the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday.
That assumes that Bynum’s knee responds well to the increase in activity. A delay might take him to April 9th against the Denver Nuggets Or even as late as the Memphis Grizzlies on the 12th.
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ESPN: Needing victories to make up ground in the playoff race, the schedule fell perfectly for the Charlotte Bobcats: The mighty Los Angeles Lakers came to town.
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