LAKERS -at- TWOLVES - 12/4 - Thoughts and :-)) Ratings

[DancingBarry]

Injured, Sick, and Taking Care of Business... Kwame down, Turiaf out, Bynum sidelined with the flu ... Kobe in bed all day with the flu ... but the team pushed through it all and blew out the sad 2-14 Timberwolves 116-95.

Bynum had IV fluids in the locker room, while Kobe suited up and did his thing. "It's tough, but as the leader of this ballclub, you've got to be able to come out and play through that, set the tone early," Kobe said. "It's just a challenge. Another challenge. You do whatever it is you have to do to get yourself ready to play."

With Mihm and LO as our main centers, our bigmen had to play conservatively to stay out of foul trouble. The shift in the roster opened up more minutes for guys like Ariza and Crittenton. Trevor scored 15 points to go with 4 steals and 4 assists in 27 minutes. Nice to see him finally get some quality run and he showed a glimpse of what he can bring to the team.


Kobe -- -- He had the flu bug and was hacking throughout the game. Still, he was able to lead the team in scoring, assists and tie Ariza with steals. Not only that, he gets the No. 2 NBA TV play of the night with a 360 dunk. Very good, well-rounded mix to his game on both ends. Now, he can go back to sleep and try to find some energy for the next one. The Stats: He scored 20 points on 6-12 shooting (2-5 from three, 6-9 from the line), he had 3 boards, 5 assists, 4 steals and 4 turnovers in 29 minutes. The Action: He missed a baseline turnaround. He attacked off the screen and finger-rolled over the front of the rim. He drained a three from the sideline. He attacked in semi-transition and drew FTs, he made both. He traveled in the post, then picked up a tech. He picked up a loose ball, probed and banked from the left side. He drew FTs off a quick first step, he made one. He sank a wing pull-up three in transition. He missed another three from the same spot a couple plays later. He swiped a pass and quickly outlet to Vlad for FTs. He threw a pass away against the zone. He was stripped trying to finish in transition for a turnover. He poked a ball loose on help D to ignite the break. He jumped the passing lane, stole the pass, got pushed and missed the layup, he missed both FTs...we then got it back and he quickly hoisted up and missed a long three. He knocked a ball loose from behind, busted down court and got it back for the uncontested 360 dunk. He had 15 points on 5-9 shooting in the first half. He got stripped trying to post up. He gave the official next to him the stink eye when another official had to make the obvious foul call on a slap, he made both FTs. He attacked, drew the D, hung and found Fish in the corner for the three. He attacked, drew the D and hit LO for the open jumper. He missed a wing three in transition. He attacked and kicked to Vlad for the three. Iso'd against Buckner at the wing, he headfaked and banked in the And-1, he made the FT.

Lamar -- -- He played both the PF and C spots tonight. He had to play cautiously offensively since we couldn't afford any offensive fouls with the depleted lineup. So, his passive perimeter game actually worked out alright for us. Thankfully, he was able to knock down a few jumpers. He'll need to produce a bit more in the next one, but it wasn't needed tonight. The Stats: He scored 9 points on 4-10 shooting, had 9 boards, 4 assists, 2 blocks and 3 fouls in a team-high 36 minutes. The Action: He swished a wing jumper on his first attempt halfway through the first quarter. He missed a long jumper from the corner. He pulled up off the pinch post and bricked badly. He attacked and hit the pull-up floater from 10 feet out. He picked up his third foul, phantom foul and had to sit with 3:49 left. He sank a baseline jumper to start the second half. He missed a fade on the baseline. He attacked Madsen off the dribble and drew FTs, he made one. He missed an open three. Horrible pass in the post that was easily picked off. Excellent battle with Madsen for a rebound, LO one-handed it out of bounds and chucked it off Madsen to save a possession. He drained the 19 footer off the kickout from Kobe. He got stripped on the attack at the end of the quarter and wanted a foul. He swatted Brewer trying to finish on the break.

DFish -- -- Average game from Fish, again another team that plays into Fish's hands defensively. He can go under screens and pack the paint defensively against Telfair, who isn't going to kill you from the perimeter. Fish, Farmar and Crit combined for 28 points and 8 assists at the PG spot. The Stats: He had 7 points on 3-5 shooting (1-2 from three), 2 boards and 1 assist in 19 minutes. The Action: He missed a bank from 10 feet. He knocked a ball off his man for a turnover. Horrible pass at Mihm's shins for a turnover. He hit an off-balance elbow jumper. He hit a corner jumper with his foot on the three line. He sank a corner three when Kobe found him in the corner. He missed a wide open wing three.

Luke -- -- Luke got the start as Lamar had to fill in at both C and PF. Okay game from Luke, having to slide between the 3 and 4 spots. Although, he had a couple poor defensive sequences. He didn't do anything special, but at least gave you production. The Stats: He scored 10 points on 5-8 shooting, 4 boards, 1 assist and 1 steal in 23 minutes. The Action: He missed a wide open corner three. He blocked a jumper. He flashed to the lane, took a pass and hit a turnaround. Gomes killed him off the dribble for an uncontested layup. He blew an uncontested, horrible looking layup with his left on the break. In at PF and he drew a charge on Jefferson in the post. He then drained an 18-footer from the right side on the other end. He finished the break, filling the lane when Crit pushed it up and dropped it off to him. Some weak reactions defensively on the pinch post. Good job to poke a ball loose from his man and track it down. He grabbed the pinball pass as it bounced around players, spun away from his man and dunked. He lulled Walker to sleep, spun, took the hand check as he picked up his dribble and hit the And-1 in the paint, he missed the FT.

Mihm -- -- "I felt pretty good out there tonight," Chris said after taking the previous day off and having some treatment on his ankle. He did an excellent job not getting into early foul trouble and playing it safe against Jefferson. He stayed on his feet defensively, not biting on fakes and it paid off. We couldn't afford to lose our bigman with Bynum, Kwame and Turiaf all out. He played it cautiously, but smart. Jefferson had 12 points on just 5-14 shooting. The Stats: He had 11 points on 5-9 shooting, 7 boards, 2 assists and 5 fouls in 33 minutes. The Action: Good activity on the offensive glass to get the Lakers another possession after Fish missed. Smart work on the corner sequence to draw a foul by sealing his man well. Chris got his first foul 4 minutes in, crowding Jefferson on the shot. He hit a jumphook on the other end. Poor help D when LO lost his man on a handoff and we gave up an uncontested layup (Mihm generally stayed with his man whenever the TWolves ran that pinch post). He swished a 12-footer from the left side. He one-armed in an And-1 alley-oop from Kobe in the middle of the lane, he made the FT. Stu: "Chris is off to his best start in a couple of years." He had 7 points and 5 boards in the first quarter. With the offense stalled, he went to work and hit a jumphook after faking to his right. He picked up his second foul trying to challenge dribble penetration wtih 8:22 left in the first half. He sat, getting some rest after a long stint. He picked up his third foul with 47 seconds left in the half and had to sit again. He had 9 points and 5 boards in the first half. He missed a short one off the glass. He missed a jumphook. He picked up his fourth foul with 2 minutes left in the third and Phil sat him for Vlad. He swished a 10-foot jumphook in the lane. He picked up his fifth with 7:39 left and Phil sat him for LO. He came back in late. Long minutes tonight to fill in for his teammates, and he gave us a serviceable effort.

Farmar -- -- It's nice when a game like this seems like an average type of outing for Farmar. He was aggressive offensively, hitting jumpers and finding teammates. I think he settled a bit too much for the three. We saw a little of him and Crit on the court late in the game. The Stats: He scored 13 points on 5-9 shooting (3-6 from three), he had 5 boards, 4 assists and 1 foul in 20 minutes. The Action: He got a three to drop after it hit the front rim and bounced up high and in. He missed a three short, instead of attacking and open seam. He missed a shot high off the glass on the break. He missed a three from the left wing. He charged trying to attack off the dribble. He hit Vlad with the return pass on the two-man game for a jumper. He sank a three from the top of the key. Next time down the court, he hit the three from the sideline. He found Sasha for three on the break. He busted out on the breakaway and scored an easy layup. He drained a wing jumper.

Radmanovic -- -- Not much of a game from Vlad, although it is nice in these kind of situations that he can move from SF to PF when we've got trouble. He struggled from three range again, but was still able to give us a little offense. The Stats: He scored 9 points on 3-7 shooting (just 1-4 again from three and 2-4 from the line), he had 3 boards and 2 assists in 25 minutes. The Action: He drew FTs in transition and made one. He missed a three. He scored a layup when Ariza pushed out the break and found him. Horrible pass at the top of the key, telegraphed and picked off. He swished a wing three immediately after coming into the game in the third. He swished the 17-footer working the two-man game with Farmar. He missed a three. He got rejected in the paint. Crit attacked the paint, drew the D and fed Vlad for FTs, he made one. He missed an open three.

Ariza -- -- A lot of minutes tonight which not only helps him, but also his teammates and Phil understanding how he's going to fit. With LO spending time at C and guys like Vlad and Luke at the PF for long stints that opened up the minutes. He showed his slashing and finishing ability on the offensive end and also his active hands and anticipation on the defensive end. He had a little trouble with Walker's size in the post, other than that a very effective, efficient game. He was most effective in those semi-transition situations where he had some space to get to the rim and finish with his length. Impressive stat line. The Stats: He scored 15 points on 5-5 shooting (5-6 from the line), 5 boards, 4 assists, 4 steals and 1 block in 27 minutes. The Action: In to start the second quarter. He took an inbounds, curled off the Mihm screen to his left and scored a layup. Good D, not getting sold on the fake, then spiking the alley-oop attempt to the ground to ignite a Laker break away. He drew FTs trying to finish in transition, he made one. He went for a steal, didn't get it and it led to Mihm's second foul. Intercepting a pass to Sasha as Trevor cut down the lane, he then kicked it out to Sasha for the three. Very nice sequence on the other end, he swiped a pass, pushed up the break, cut to the middle, then fed back to Vlad for the layup (that forced a TWolves timeout). He swiped another pass on help D in the post and ignited the break. He drew FTs filling the lane behind Crit on the break, he made both. He had 5 points, 3 assists and 3 steals in the second quarter. In with under 3 minutes left in the third, he swished a 17-footer off a jab-step at the top of the key. Great help D for Lamar in the post, rejecting Smith from behind. He took the long outlet, slashed past defenders and scored at the rim. The Wolves attacked Ariza in the post with Walker on several possessions, getting scores. He drew FTs when LO found him, he made both. He got caught mucking up the Tri and it stalled the offense and we had a 24-second violation. He scooped up a Vlad rejected shot, attacked and finished with his left. He knocked a ball off his man for a turnover. He slashed to the rim in transition and scored a layup. He swiped the ball in the paint.

Vujacic -- -- Sasha was the point-a-minute man off the bench with his aggressive offensive game. He's giving the team more offensive spark off the bench this year than prior seasons. With his defensive issues, that's what he needs to do. The Stats: He scored 16 points in 16 minutes on 5-9 shooting (3-3 from three and 3-3 from the line), he had 2 assists and 1 block. The Action: He airballed a wide open jumper on his first attempt. He cut to the ball, attacked, yelled and banked in the And-1 with his left, he made the FT. He swished a three working the high pinch post with Vlad on the weakside. He swatted Telfair on the baseline. Poor matador help D giving up a layup with a soft reach. He swished the wing three on the kickout from Ariza. He had 9 points at the half. He missed a good look at an 18-footer. He got blocked trying to create in the lane. He drained a wing three on the break with Farmar. He hit Farmar busting out for a layup. He missed a wing jumper. He attacked off the pinch post, took contact and drew FTs, he made both. He scored a reverse, cutting off Crit who found himself trapped in the post.

Crittenton -- -- Enjoy the minutes. Phil did give him his first stint in the first half, but look for Phil to still play it conservatively with Crit's minutes. Javaris still showed a sample of some of his skills...the passing, handles, pushing of the break and ability to create for himself and others. The Stats: He played 12 minutes and had 6 points on 3-7 shooting, 3 assists, 1 steal, 1 turnover and 1 foul. The Action: He came in midway through the second quarter. He missed a baseline jumper. He pushed up the break and Fed Ariza for FTs. He attacked, drew the D and hit Mihm who blew the dunk. He stole the ball, pushed out the break again, looked off the D and dropped it off to Luke for a layup. He missed a reverse layup (teammates need to crash the boards when he attacks because he will draw the D and not always finish). He threw down a reverse two-hander on an uncontested breakaway. Telfair thought he'd try to reach on Crit, so Javaris blew past him into the paint and hit the teardrop. He hit Kobe on the bustout for the 360 dunk. With 6 seconds left in the half, he took the inbounds, attacked the lane, hung with some contact and scored the layup around a couple defenders (very nice). Excellent 6-minute stint. Late in the game...He was trapped in the paint, but flipped it to a cutting Sasha for the layup. He missed a long jumper from the right side. He spun around his man, pushed past a help defender and flipped it to Vlad in the paint for FTs. He lost the ball trying to create. He hit Ariza in transition for a score. He got swatted trying to finish in the lane.

Phil -- -- Phil must have been sweating it out before the game with all the injuries and sick ballers we have. You don't want to drop one to the TWolves... Thankfully, the Lakers came to play. The Lakers led 30-24 after the first quarter, getting a few threes to drop and 7 points, 5 boards from Mihm in the quarter... He ran Mihm for a long 16-minute stint, asking him how he felt and letting him go until Mihm picked up his second foul. He then brought in Lamar to play center... Ariza all 12 minutes of the second quarter, Crittenton the final 6 minutes. Both played well... The Lakers shot 56 percent (24-43) in the first half. The TWolves shot 43 percent (16-37). The Lakers had just 6 turnovers to the TWolves 12. We won the break 14-5. The Lakers led 62-46 at the half... The coaches said it was one of the best overall first halves they played this season. TWolves make that possible... They led 86-68 after trading baskets with the TWolves all third... With under 3 minutes left, Phil went to the Critt/Farmar lineup... The Lakers shot 54 percent for the game... He got some decent rest for the guys, but the next game is going to be a tough one with the issues we have...

[KOBE 2.0]

Who's faster in you're opinion Critt or Farmar?

[AndrewBynum17]

thanks DB.

Anyone know btw how they got the flu?
_________________
www.andrewbynum.com

[DancingBarry]

[DancingBarry]

[jbjb]

[A Mad Chinaman]

Thanks DB

A Crit/Farmar/Kobe/LO/? lineup might be an effective ilneup?

[KOBEhastheMAGIC]

[Vadorojo]

[Sage_10]

good win
_________________
"You Must Be Willing To Give Up That Which Can Be Lost In Order To Gain That Which Cannot Be Lost." - FORTUNE COOKIE

[Shaber]

ESPN lists Trevor as the best Laker

Welcome aboard young fellow

[Al-Mbarak8]

[Thugnomoe]

good read DB...

[prisma8slg]

thanks DB
_________________
"I define success by championships, by winning..." Kobe Bryant

"I've seen it all. Sasha dunked on somebody," Kobe Bryant said. "I'm ready to retire now."

[limchrc]

Thanks for the recap. Nice win.

[Cardom]

[lakers2626]

How was Critt's D last night?

[Rick12322]

[20,000]

[20,000]

[Tanlentueux]

thanks for the recap !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[wolfpaclaker]

Ariza + Critt.

It is the the worst defense in the NBA, so I can't give them too much credit for killing them the way they did.

Props to Kobe for playing with the flu .. not to mention play well.

Pretty much everyone played well. Again though, it was against a very bad team so that may have had something to do with it.

[Klone_dd]

You have to beat up on the dregs of the league, especially with so many ill/injured. Glad the Lakers had enough to do it and to give some players like Critt and Ariza some PT.

I'll be very impressed if they are able to pull tonight's game out. The Nugs will be looking for a little payback. Melo vs Sasha, round 2.

[Brand New]

Thanks DB.
As for the game it was nice to see guys like Ariza and Crittenton.Ariza just played good that it made me think why Phil hadn't played him a lot.I expected a blowout and we blowout the T-pups.

[Muad'Dib]