***LAKERS -vs- Rockets 11/18/12 Game Thread***

[SilverBullet]

✧Present to you by Lakers First and Kb24GoldenChild✧
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Rockets @ Lakers
Sunday, November 18, 2012
9:30 PM ET - Staples Center, Los Angeles, CA

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✰✰✰✰✰Lakers✰✰✰✰✰
Current Record:
4-5
Probable Starters:
Kobe Bryant ♕
[Last game: 31 points, 6 assists, 2 rebounds]
Pau Gasol ♔
[Last game: 16 points, 10 rebounds, 3 assists]
Dwight Howard ♖
[Last game: 18 points, 12 rebounds, 4 blocks]
Metta World Peace ♘
[Last game: 22 points, 6 rebounds, 3 block]
Darius Morris ♗
[Last game: 5 point, 6 assists, 1 rebound]
Injury Report:
Steve Blake (abdominal strain) is day-to-day.
Kobe Bryant (strained & bruised right foot) is probable.
Jordan Hill (herniated disc / sprained right wrist) is
probable.
Steve Nash (non-displaced fracture, left leg) is out.
2012-2013 Team Statistic:
Pace 95.2 (11th)
OFF EFF 104.9 (7th)
DEF EFF 97.6 (6th)
TO 53.9 (8th)

✰✰✰✰✰Rockets✰✰✰✰✰
Current Record:
4-5
Probable Starters:
Chandler Parsons ♛
[Last game: 19 points, 11 rebounds, 2 assists]
Patrick Patterson ♚
[Last game: 15 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist]
Omer Asik ♜
[Last game: 16 points, 16 rebounds, 1 block]
James Harden ♝
[Last game: 29 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists]
Jeremy Lin ♞
[Last game: 11 points, 11 assists, 6 rebounds]
Injury Report:
Carlos Delfino (groin).
2012-2013 Team Statistic:
Pace 96.1 (6th)
OFF EFF 100.6 (15th)
DEF EFF 100.9 (16th)
TO 52.5(15th)

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Team Stat Leaders:
Points Harden 26.7 Bryant 26.9
Rebounds Asik 13.2 Howard 11.2
Assists Lin 6.7 Bryant 4.8
Steals Lin 2.3 Peace 1.7
Blocks Asik 1.2 Howard 2.7

2012-2013 OVERALL NBA RANKINGS
★ ★ ★Points/Rebounds/Assists/Points Allowed★ ★ ★
Lakers 98.4(12th)/ 47.4(3rd)/ 20.7(21st)/ 94.1(12th)
Rockets 99.3(8th)/ 45.8(4th)/ 21.7(12th)/ 98.8(20th)

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Rockets-Lakers Preview

Though Mike D'Antoni has yet to coach the Los Angeles Lakers from the sidelines, his new
team already has started to adapt to his high-octane offense.
Even without the familiar face he expects to be running it.
The Lakers' most recent game appeared to show D'Antoni's arrival has made a quick
impact, and now he's expected to be on their bench for the first time Sunday night against
the visiting Houston Rockets.
"This is a great city to have an up-tempo, exciting game that has a legitimate shot to win
a championship," D'Antoni said Thursday upon taking over. "I can't ask for anything more."
A 1-4 start resulted in coach Mike Brown being fired, and Los Angeles (4-5) passed up the
possibility of bringing back Phil Jackson by hiring D'Antoni on Monday. The former Phoenix
and New York coach has been on crutches as he recovers from knee replacement surgery
earlier this month, delaying his arrival in Los Angeles.
D'Antoni ran practice Thursday for the first time, beginning the implementation of his
free-flowing style, but wasn't on the bench for a game against the Suns on Friday night.
Even with interim coach Bernie Bickerstaff still at the helm, the Lakers picked up their
offense and put some of D'Antoni's offerings into play en route to their highest-scoring
game of the season in a 114-102 win.
"Not as many post-ups," Pau Gasol said in describing the offense. "More transition and
quicker shots, I guess. ... We played pretty simple basketball and just played off each
other."
Los Angeles has gone 3-1 under Bickerstaff despite playing without Steve Nash. The
two-time MVP who had so much success running D'Antoni's Suns teams has missed seven
straight games with a leg fracture, and the team announced Friday he would miss at least
another week.
Despite his history with Nash, D'Antoni said he was looking forward to working with backup
point guard Steve Blake. However, the 10-year veteran has missed the past two games
with a strained abdomen and might not return Sunday. Darius Morris has totaled six points
and seven assists in two games as the starter.
The rotating point guard situation hasn't negatively affected Kobe Bryant, who is especially
looking forward to playing in D'Antoni's system.
"We're just getting started, but it will make a lot of things easier," said Bryant, who scored
31 points Friday. "Everybody kind of moves, the whole offense has to find their position."
Things haven't been easy for the Rockets (4-5).
Coach Kevin McHale is still away for a personal matter, and Houston has split the four games
he's missed. First-round pick Royce White also isn't with the team, upset with management's
"inconsistent" handling of him regarding anxiety issues.
The Rockets also are having problems putting teams away. They nearly wasted a 20-point
advantage in the second half against New Orleans in a 100-96 win Wednesday, and that
came between two defeats in which they blew seven-point leads in the
final four-plus minutes.
"It's frustrating. It hurts," Chandler Parsons said after a 119-117 overtime loss at Portland
on Friday. "... Something's got to change where we can close out games better so that
when we get these big leads we can keep them and extend them."
Parsons has averaged 19.0 points over the past three games, a stretch during which Omer
Asik also has stepped up with 16.7 points and 14.0 rebounds per game.
Asik now must battle Dwight Howard, who like the young Rockets center has posted three
straight double-doubles.
Jeremy Lin had his second double-double in a Houston uniform Friday with 11 points and
11 assists, but he's shot 30.3 percent from the field over the last four games.
James Harden scored 29 points Friday, but the Rockets fell to 1-5 when he fails to reach 30.

by Justin Einhorn Per ESPN
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Broadcast Information:
League Pass
CSN-H
TWC Sportsnet/TWC De
KSPN
WMFS
KBME
THE SCORE (Canada)

Online Streams:
LINK 1
LINK 2
LINK 3
LINK 4
LINK 5
LINK 6

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Did you know:
+At STAPLES Center, the Lakers are 16-9 all-time against the
Rockets.
+In 52 career games (47
starts) versus Houston, Bryant is now averaging 27.1 points per game, 5th highest
among all teams behind Charlotte, Golden State, Toronto and Portland.
+The two teams have
met 194 times in all with the Lakers holding a 130-64 series advantage (108-58 since
the Rockets moved to Houston).

Read Something:
Mike D'Antoni had them at hello
Lakers' Kobe Bryant leads annual Homewalk to End Homelessness
North America's fastest highway
Skydiving cats cause uproar

Watch Something:
Best Orgasm Ever
Guns in Space
Lady - Kenny Rogers
Fastest Pickpocket in the World

Practice Interviews:
Dwight Howard
Mike D'Antoni
Metta World Peace
Kareem Status - Unveiling Ceremony

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Game Thought

"It’s a match-up between the league’s two leading scorers, and it will be billed as such.
Kobe Bryant currently leads the NBA (26.9 points per game). James Harden is currently
second in the NBA (26.7 points per game). I noted, in his debut against Detroit, Harden
put up 15 shots in the first half. So, I expect Harden will look to get off early. The new
dynamic in Houston is a unique two point guard back court featuring Jeremy Lin and James
Harden, they both instinctively look to make touch passes rather than look for shots. The
Rockets can run their offense through either guard. I would like to add Chandler Parsons
has also started to make those touch passes, so unlike with Artest, the ball doesn’t stick.
Offensively, I expect a lot of high screens with Asik, and the guard looking to attack the
middle (the paint). Lin has a pattern of when he goes to his left, he looks to pass, and
when he goes to his right, he looks to score. On the year, Lin is shooting 50% at the rim
(20-40) and 50% from the corners (3-6). Lin is mediocre every-where else; 1-8 in the
paint, 4-15 between the lines (16-23 feet), and 5-24 above the break (3 pointers). In
essence, if Lin gets into the paint make him pull up before he gets to the rim. So, who fills
in the middle? Patrick Patterson. He is shooting 63% at the rim (17-27), 43% in the paint
(6-14), 45% from mid-range (14-31) and 31% in the corners (4-13). So, if Patterson
has a big night against Gasol, it’s not a fluke. He can shoot.

One last remark, the Rockets look to fast break on turnovers (ie. “two the other way”)."

✰JUST-MING✰

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Thank you GoldenThroat and JUST-MING for your awesome game thoughts.

[Isaiah]

Lets get to .500!!!

[pkflyers]

_________________
DISGUSTING:

[32]

Great job on the game thread! I have been waiting for the day since we started out 1-4 to get back to a .500 record. Hopefully we will be 5-5 after this game.
_________________
Nobody in the NBA can touch the Laker brand, which, like the uniform color, is pure gold.

[SilverBullet]

[vincentjohn]

I liken the Rockets as an upgraded version of the Suns. They have similar pieces Gortat/Asik Morris twin/Morris twin, Gragic/Lin, Beasley/Parsons, an Argentinean (Scola/Delfino) but then Houston has a major upgrade at shooting guard with James Harden. Thus as long as the Lakers can keep Harden in check and most notably off the free throw line, the game should be had.

[K2]

Great Gamethread post!

[E=MC²]

BLOW 'EM OUT!!!!

[SilverBullet]

[12]

What freaking ride is that in the orgasm video?! I wanna go!!

[32]

[SilverBullet]

[GP1_KB24]

Kobe bout' 2 light Harden up.

[pkflyers]

[SilverBullet]

[lakershead22]

I can't wait for this game

[0514]

Lets go Lakers ! gotta contain Harden though !

[8>24]

Win, but close.

[ssiknick833]

<----- Get ready Harden.
_________________

[legend825]

This is a very winnable game. No reason we don't go 5-1 out of these 6 games

[kobemania3-16]

MUST WIN.

[Comrades]

whatever it takes...GO LAKERS!!!!!!!!
_________________
"To GOD be the Glory!"

[knhellesky]

Lets go lakers !

[CandyCanes]

Looking forward to seeing Lin and Harden.
_________________
Damian Lillard shatters Dwight Coward's championship dreams:

[Qsmiff]

Kobe better bring his "I'm playing against an all-star" defense, or the beard is gonna bust him up for 20-30 points