NUGGETS -at- LAKERS - 1/21 - Thoughts and :-)) Ratings

[DancingBarry]

Inside-Out... If there is a team as snakebit as the Lakers the past couple years, it might be the Denver Nuggets. And we saw more of that as Melo landed on Kobe's foot midway through the second quarter and rolled his ankle. While that certainly had an effect on the Denver scoring, it didn't play into the their defensive schemes. Early on in the game, the Nuggets doubled Kobe in the post on every touch and it led to inside-out offense which our shooters capitalized on in a big way on route to a 116-99 win.

Our top two scorers, Jordan Farmar and Derek Fisher, torched the Nuggets for a combined 47 points on 18-31 shooting. DFish was just on fire, going 6-7 from three. Kobe played the role of post presence, collapsing the D again and again as he worked out of the post. He continually looked for teammates and they answered the call. Kobe took just 7 shots for his 17 points, and he had 11 assists. Even that number seemed low as he was often the guy making the pass that led to the assist.

Phil had to take up some slack in this game for not having Ariza or Vlad available. He moved LO for a stretch to the SF and Kobe there at times. It's a tough balancing act, made tougher if either Kobe or LO get into foul trouble...which Kobe did early in the third. Phil gambled, bringing Kobe back midway through the third quarter with four fouls. Kobe didn't pick up another foul the remainder of the game.

With a huge rally at the end of the third and start of the fourth, the Lakers took a commanding lead. The game turned into Kleiza vs. the Tacos down the stretch. For some reason, Kleiza seemed uber aggressive in trying to deny the Laker fans their tacos. He missed a FT that could have done it. He then got rejected and stripped on a couple of other attempts as the Laker bigmen held the line.


Kobe -- -- Prior to the game, Kobe said, "The key for us now is to play smart basketball." He was commenting on the changes that come with the injuries. Kobe, indeed, played a very smart game from the tip off. The Nuggets sent doubles to him and Kobe kept his focus on getting into the post. This gave us the inside-out game we needed and opened up wide open looks for others. It wasn't just DFish capitalizing on it, the entire team did -- whether it was dunks or threes that it led to. It was so effective, we had 39 points in the first quarter and Kobe never even took a shot. He had some turnovers in this game, but a couple were pretty dubious non calls. Kobe also did a tremendous job playing with 4 fouls midway through the third quarter. That could have sunk us had he picked up a fifth. Kobe played 39 minutes, getting a little rest late in the game when it was out of reach. He said he expects his minutes will now have to go up with Trevor out and Kobe needing to slide over the SF more. The Stats: Kobe scored 17 points on 5-7 shooting (1-2 from three, 6-8 from the line) to go wtih 11 assists with 6 turnover, 5 rebounds and 4 fouls in 39 minutes. The Action: No scores himself early on because the Nuggets were doubling him on every possession, which resulted in a ton of inside-out play as Kobe worked the post and set the table. He scooped up a loose ball and went behind his back to Lamar for the dunk. Poor footwork defensively against AI and he fouled him. He took a quick corner entry in the post, drew the D and fed Ronny for the And-1. He went to the post, got the pass, attacked the middle and no-looked a bounce pass to Ronny under the hoop for a dunk. He went to the post again, Farmar cut behind the play and Kobe fed him for a reverse. He attacked from the wing and drew FTs, he made both. He took his first shot of the game, with 7:57 left in the second quarter (playing sensational, smart ball with how the Nuggets were defending)...the shot was a high arching turnaround on the baseline that just skimmed a little of the side of the backboard before going in. He posted up Kleiza in transition and hit the next time down. He got in the post in transition, took the pass and fed Kwame trailing for a layup. He had 6 points on 2-2 shooting to go with 5 assists in 19 minutes in the first half (he often made the pass that led to the assist). He was called for an offensive foul posting up, his third with 10 minutes left in the third. He spun into the lane, took contact and drew FTs at the front of the rim, he made one. He spotted Fish on the sideline and kicked out from the lane for a three. He picked up his fourth foul with 9 minutes left in the third when AI tripped (we had a 13-point lead when he sat). Back in at the 6:25 mark of the quarter and he quickly drained a wing jumper. He dribbled a ball off his foot out of bounds. He missed a three. Kenyon had hold of Kobe's arm and it was called a jumpball, weak, weak call. You could see him looking for the hot hand, he attacked to his right and kicked out to Fish for his third straight three. With the shotclock low, he attacked to his right at the wing, tucked the ball under his arm, drew the D, then went behind his back to Ronny cutting for the layup (that was so sweet). Kobe had 6 assists in the third quarter (9 points and 11 assists for the game). He got away with a travel and missed the elbow jumper. He drew FTs getting out in transition, he made both. Kobe iso'd on Von, spun and hit the wing turnaround. He then drew FTs on him from the same spot, getting into Von's arms, he made one. He swiped a pass on the other end. He faked like he was talking to someone behind the defender, then drained a wing three from the left side.

Lamar -- -- The poor shooting stats again seemed deceptive. Lamar played an aggressive, effective game. The number of freethrows are a reflection of that. Again, he got off to a quick start, which seems to be a sign of how he's going to play any night. LO missed the triple-double by three assists. The Stats: He scored 15 points on 4-12 shooting (7-9 from the line) to go with 7 assists and 11 boards in 39 minutes. The Action: He was called for a foul, late to get back with Fish on a break (if anyone else hustles we probably get possession). Not close on a 21-footer. He hit Kwame with an interior feed for a dunk. He cut off Kobe, took the pass, drew the D and hit Kwame again for the dunk. He attacked from the top of the key and scored a layup. He attacked down the middle and drew FTs, he made both. Great drive to his right, crossing up the Nuggets, but then he missed the layup...Kobe then got it back, went behind his back to Lamar and LO dunked. He snagged the loose ball, pushed it out, attacked to his left and scored the layup. He cleaned up a missed three by Farmar, attacked and scored the And-1, he made the FT. He worked the post and then found Ronny cutting for the dunk. Excellent first stint, he sat with 8:40 left in the second for the first time. He missed a three to beat the shotclock. He missed on a baseline attack, taking a lot of contact with no call. He got blocked, got it back and kicked out to Farmar for a three. Excellent first half with 11 points on 4-9 shooting, 6 assists and 6 boards in 21 minutes. He missed a three on a kickout from Kobe. He missed a runner off the glass, but the dribble penetration allowed Ronny to get the miss and get to the line. The Nuggets rotated to Fish as we swung the ball, so LO attacked the paint instead of passing and drew the foul, he made both FTs. Nice slash away from the ball, he took the pass and drew the foul at the rim, he made one FT. He had to force up a three to beat the shotclock and didn't hit rim (he wasn't aware that the refs didn't reset the shotclock when the ball had clearly hit the rim until he had to chuck it up there. The refs corrected their no-call, so I'm not sure that shot attempt counted for LO). He drew FTs pushing out the Mbenga rejection with speed, he made one.

Kwame -- -- I don't know if this was a bounce back game from Kwame, but he certainly played a lot better. Hard not to, for sure. Phil said the team did the right thing in continuing to give Kwame the ball again and again last game. He equated passing to trust. On a basketball-level, the pass is a communication of trust, he said. So, he was pleased with that aspect. On the other hand, he also said that they make a deposit with that pass and expect something in return. The post play by Kwame continued to be an adventure in futility. The rebounding Kwame gave, I liked. It seemed like he had a little extra "up" to his hops on both ends. He was much more effective on the glass and had a season high in rebounding. The Stats: Kwame scored 7 points on 3-7 shooting (1-2 from the line) to go with 11 boards (3 offensive), 2 assists, 1 steal, 2 turnovers and 2 fouls in 24 minutes. The Action: He missed with his left attacking in the post. He dunked on an interior feed from LO. Lamar found him again next time down for another dunk. He missed a 10-footer in the lane. Ugly post sequence, bricking badly off the glass. He cleared out on a post up and was called for the foul. He hit Luke from the post for a short jumper. He trailed behind the play, Kobe spotted him from the post and dished to him, Kwame caught and scored the layup in one motion while in the air. He charged on an attack from the left block. Better half of ball, he scored 6 points on 3-6 shooting, grabbed 5 boards and dished 2 assists with 2 turnovers in that half (still a bit of a disaster in the post). He overpowered Camby, pulled down a missed shot and was fouled, he made one FT. He got blocked in the post and wanted the foul. He reset the offense grabbing a missed three. He gave up a couple dunks to guys he was covering too tightly on the perimeter.

DFish -- -- Fish was the man tonight. He was absolutely on fire and made the Nuggets pay for doubling Kobe or going to the zone. There was a stretch in the third where he sank three straight from behind the arc. The 28 points was a new season high and 1 point shy of his career high. Defensively, he came up with a couple help D draws of charges to deny the Nuggets. Huge, huge game from DFish. The Stats: He scored 28 points on 10-16 shooting (6-7 from three, 2-2 from the line) to go with 1 board, 1 turnover and 1 foul in 31 minutes. The Action: He attacked the lane and drew FTs, he made both. He swished a long baseline jumper with his toe on the three line. He got tapped on an elbow jumper. He drained a wing jumper in quick offense. He drained a three when the Nuggets doubled the post. Next time down, another good passing sequence and Fish swished a three from the same spot. He swished a stepback baseline jumper working off Kwame. He swished a sideline three off another series of passes (again the Nuggets doubled Kobe in the post). He had 16 points on 6-8 shooting in the first quarter, sitting with 2 minutes left. Bad outlet, it was picked off and the Nuggets turned it into a three. He missed a sideline three. He beat Kleiza to the spot and drew a charge, you could see that one developing. He finished the half with 16 points. He missed on a drive in transition. He drained a sideline three on a kickout from Kobe. He missed a jumper from the right side. He drained another three from the left sideline on an inside-out sequence. Next time down, he rattled one down again from the same sideline. After a Farmar three, we came back down, Kobe attacked to his right and kicked to Fish on the right sideline this time for another three. (Those threes by Fish and Farmar helped the Lakers regain the lead that the Nuggets briefly had.) Rare offensive foul call on AI kicked his legs out on a three attempt to clip Fish as he contested. He missed a high arching wing jumper. Great job popping out behind a man in transition D to take a charge and erase a breakaway.

Luke -- -- With Melo's sprain, Luke was spared going against him in the second half. Good thing because that match up is very unkind to us. Luke struggled again in this game. His post play has been MIA. At one point in his career, that used to be the more reliable part of his game. Now he's struggling from inside and out. Phil has made a point that both Lamar and Luke have to elevate their games. LO has been responding. Luke needs to step it up. The Stats: He scored 4 points on 2-6 shooting to go with 5 boards, 3 assists, 1 block, 1 turnovers and 2 fouls in 26 minutes. The Action: He swatted dribble penetration on help D. Melo cleared out on Luke for an offensive foul. Luke picked up two fouls himself, his second one midway through the quarter and he had to sit. He got his hip past Kleiza on an attack from the wing and hit an And-1 runner, he missed the FT. He flashed to Kwame who was posting up, Luke took the pass and hit a short one in the lane. Luke had 4 points on 2-2 shooting at the half. He missed a midrange jumper after he was left open. He pulled down an offensive board and then hit Sasha for the three. He was swatted trying to work the post. Kleiza drained a three when Luke gave him too much room. He threw a pass away from the post. He clanked a stepback jumper from the post. Not close on a 18-foot jumper.

Turiaf -- -- Nice to see Ronny mix the shotblocking with a few more boards. He had a bit of a presence out there defensively, making a few players think twice about their attack. Offensively, he made some nice cuts away from the ball and capitalized on the attention others were getting. Ronny ran again at both PF and C in this one. The Stats: He scored 11 points on 4-8 shooting (3-3 from the line) to go with 5 boards, 2 assists, 1 steal, 3 blocks and 3 fouls in 26 minutes. The Action: He missed a jumper over Melo (needed to post him up on that match up). He swatted Melo who tried to throw down at the rim. He slapped a ball loose on D and it led to a bust out score for LO. He scored an And-1 when Kobe drew the D and fed him, he made the FT. He rejected AI and it led to a breakaway. Excellent cut down the lane when Lamar was posting up, Ronny took the pass and dunked. He picked up his second foul challenging AI (Phil left him in). He dunked when Kobe worked the post and drew the D. He satted Carter's penetration with ease. He missed an open FT jumper. Excellent recovery to his man to swat a return pass out of bounds, but he got scored on with an inbounds lob. He had 7 points on 3-5 shooting and 3 blocks in the first half. Kobe drew the D on an attack, Ronny cut behind the play, took the behind-the-back pass and scored with a second left on the shotclock. He got hammered on a throwdown attempt off a missed shot by Lamar, he made both FTs. He erased a Camby drive getting a piece of the shot (no block because it hit rim) and it ignited a breakaway. He got Carter to travel when he came over to try to swat. He missed a turnaround in the post.

Farmar -- -- With all the guys we have out, it's vital that we get Impact Farmar on the floor. He has been bringing his A game lately, tonight was no exception. His mix of perimeter shooting and attacks in the paint were part of the reason we were a +28 with him in the game. The small lineup with him and Fish out there killed the Nuggets in the second half, raining threes one after another during one stretch. The Stats: Jordan scored 19 points on 8-15 shooting (3-8 from three) to go with 2 assists without a turnover, 1 board and 2 fouls in 23 minutes. The Action: He swished a three on another inside-out sequence by the Lakers after getting in the game. He missed his next three, wide open. He got his man in the air and swished a long jumper. He cut baseline, took the feed from Kobe who was posting up and Farmar quickly reversed. He beat his man to a loose ball, reversed directions and attacked down the lane to score a layup. He missed a sideline three. Lamar kicked out to Farmar who drained a long three straight away with a few seconds left in the half. He had 12 points on 5-8 shooting (2-4 from three) in the first half in just 9 minutes. He sank a three over the zone. He missed a tough runner at the third quarter buzzer. He took the pass at the FT line against the zone, turned and hit the midranger. He hit the floor to recover a loose ball, then he missed a three on the other end. He attacked to his right, went high off the glass and got the score. He missed back-to-back threes.

Vujacic -- -- He came in with a couple minutes left in the first when we slid Kobe over to the SF. He was forced into the mix much earlier in the second half when Kobe had to sit with early foul trouble. Sasha played well, not like his previous huge game against the Nuggets, but he gave us some scoring punch off the bench. The Stats: He scored 9 points on 3-8 shooting (1-4 from three, 2-3 from the line) to go with 1 boards, 1 assist and 2 fouls in 16 minutes. The Action: He missed an open baseline jumper in transition. He attacked strong on the break and scored a layup. In for Kobe who had to sit and Sasha drained an open wing three a few seconds later. He missed a corner three attempt. Sasha drew three FTs on Kenyon, falling to the floor after launching the three (Kenyon stared at him, ticked at the soccer flop), Sasha made two FTs. He missed a corner three. He swished a wing 21-footer working off the weakside.

Crittenton -- -- Strong minutes from Crit on both ends. With Ariza going down, he and Sasha will get more run as we slide Kobe over to the 3. Good to see Crit play some steady ball while combining his usual touch of style to the game. He did a good job getting to the line. The Stats: He scored 5 points on 1-2 shooting (3-5 from the line) to go with 2 offensive boards in 9 minutes of play. The Action: He posted up and drew FTs on a spin move (those post skills will pay off bigtime in this offense, especially when he runs at PG instead of SG), he made one FT. He crossed over, was tripped to the floor and drew FTs, he made both. He ballfaked in teh lane, but missed the short one. He pushed out in transition, held the ball up high and scored the And-1 layup, he missed the FT.

Karl -- -- He got into the game with 3:19 left, going up against his dad's team for the first time this season. He didn't play great, but he did score. Afterward, he got a hug from a proud dad (even though he had lost). Coby said he was going to talk a little trash if the Lakers went up 3-0 against the Nuggets. George said, no doubt, he would, "He loves the Lakers," he said. With the game out of reach when Coby was in the game, George confessed, "I was probably more focussed in on him. When he shot the airball I was actually rooting for it to go in." The Stats: He scored 1 points on 0-1 shooting, 1-1 from the line to go with 1 rebound, 1 assists and 1 turnover in 3 minutes. The Action: Phil hoped he could get Coby in the game and maybe a score. He called his number late and sent Coby to the FT line to sink a tech FT as Dad watched (the senior Karl looked like he was smiling on the inside). He threw a behind-the-back pass away. He airballed a three.

Mbenga -- -- With a 19-point lead and 5 minutes left, DJ got in the game. What you want is shotblocking and rebounding from him. What you have to deal with is the foul-prone ratio per 48 minutes he usually comes with. He showed both of that in his brief 5-minute stint. Still, it's nice having an extra warm body off the bench right now. The Stats: He didn't score on 0-2 shooting, he grabbed 2 boards, had 1 steal, 2 blocks and 3 fouls in 5 minutes of action. The Action: He fouled AI trying to cover him on the switch. He missed a jumper badly, getting challenged, but he got his miss back. He erased Kleiza's drive with a rejection...that's what we need from him. He fouled trying to knock a pass away. He missed a hook from the post. He tried to draw a charge on Kleiza's attack when he switched on him and was whistled for the block. He swatted Kleiza again to save tacos.

Phil -- -- All these injuries and right when the Lakers had hit their peak. Now Ariza. Phil has really got his hands full with the rotations. And the schedule doesn't look very kind for the next 6-7 weeks.... With Luke picking up his second foul, we moved LO down to the SF and brought in Turiaf...The Lakers went on an 11-0 run in the first. We went to a Ronny, LO, Kobe, Sasha, Farmar lineup when Kwame sat... The Lakers led 39-29 after the first with Kobe not scoring, not shooting, but being the hub of the offense on a number of sequences. Lakers shot 60 percent in that quarter (even though they started the game 1-5)... The Nuggets went to a zone late in the half and the Lakers didn't slice it up like they should... The Lakers were hitting at a high pace (58 percent) in the first half, but unable to gain any huge separation. They led 67-57, with 19 assists in the half... Ever the gambler with Kobe, he sat him for a couple minutes when he picked up his third and fourth fouls early in the third quarter. He then brought Kobe back midway through the third when the Nuggets went on a run. Big call and it paid off... The Lakers struggled once again against the zone midway through the third. Phil subbed out Luke for Farmar and we started draining threes over the zone (Fish and Farmar with a combined four straight)... The hot shooting from three and the gamble to put Kobe back in the game helped the Lakers recover a 91-82 lead going into the fourth... The Nuggets were out of fouls with 9 minutes left in the fourth quarter... The Lakers pushed out to an 18-point lead with 8 minutes left in the game and cruised from there...

Game Flow -- LINK -- Check out the run the Lakers made at the end of the third and start of the fourth. Ronny and Jordan entered the game, and the small lineup of Farmar and Fisher took over.

Video Highlights -- LINK -- Highlights from TACH, including Kobe post-game interview.

[hoopschick29]

You're the man, DB!

Yay, I'm first!!
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So glad we gave you your flowers while you were here, Kobe.

[Downunder]

Thanks DB

Missed the game, it certainly sounds like one of their better games from the re-caps and highlights I saw

[Thedo]

great game. glad to see kobe leading the team with decisive play making.

thanks db

[dorki3_b0i]

man i was actually the first 2 read it but i wasnt logged on lol

[hoopschick29]

I really liked what guys did tonight.

Kobe committed to playmaking tonight, and it paid off. Guys made their shots.

Lamar was very active tonight. I could see his impact on the game (which is something I can't say very often). But he was visably engaged.

Kwame...ehh. Defensively he struggled against Camby, but overall he was par for the course IMO. That's a start.

Fish was the man tonight. He really stretched the Denver defense with his hot hand and made them pay for the heavy Kobe attention all night.

Luke...well can we say, 5 more years??

The bench continues to chug along and be very productive even in the wake of our injuries. Farmar is the key to that whole operation. He was fantastic. Sasha was good. Ronny was excellent.
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So glad we gave you your flowers while you were here, Kobe.

[DancingBarry]

[Siguy]

Luke's problem I think is that lately he's been matched up against bigger small forwards and that takes away all of his advantages. Marion was a brutal match up for him, and Kleiza is a much thicker, stronger guy.

Luke does his best work when the other team is hiding someone at the SF position. When that's not happening, it's almost silly to go into him at the post. On the other hand, Luke is very good at getting open for little 6 foot lay ins, but unfortunately he's not so good at making them.

Great recap and great game. Really helps relieve some of the pessimism welling up deep inside of all of us. One thing to worry about though is that most teams won't be stupid enough to guard Kobe in the post with the much smaller Anthony Carter. They'll use actual small forwards who Kobe won't be able to out muscle.

[Omar Little]

I'm chalking this win up to the Karl factor:

The nuggets used to be a tough matchup, but since we signed George's son, we beat them like a rented goalie. George doesn't even do his crazed whine and scream routine on the sideline.
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“We must always take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented.” ― Elie Wiesel

[George W Buss]

Mbenga is officially the most beloved Laker tonight with that last rejection

[melo061]

Lamar played an impact game but his shooting has been woeful. Only aspect of the game i'm disappointed well (well his defense has left something to be desired)

Kobe in the post= Good results. Period. We've seen it plenty.
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Perfect music.

[Shaber]

A win. Wohoohhh. What a relief!

[Mation]

Thanks DB.

Hopefully we can take this win and use it against the Texas two-step.

Kobe with some amazing passes and it sure helps to have your backcourt mates on fire like that. I wish Odom would take a couple steps forward on those three-point attempts. Seeing Luke on Melo isn't too promising, especially after this long stretch where Ariza will be out. Welcome Mbenga and good luck!

[Shaber]

Oh, one more - Von Wafer

[dirka dirka]

What I wanna know is....are the Lakers feet like extra big or something? First Bynum, then Ariza, and now Melo?
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[limchrc]

Thanks for the recap. Nice win with all the injuries.

[BigE32]

Thanks as always, DB. Kobe did a great job of facilitating. He got everyone on the floor open looks. Just a great job of getting everyone involved. Fish and Farmar were huge last night. Luke was disappointing again. I wasn't crazy when he tried to post up Kleiza. He needs to pick it up. Mbenga allowed everyone to have tacos with his nice block at the end. I liked how he ran the floor and protected the hoop. Hopefully, he'll learn from Kareem. His hook shot almost went in. He could provide a role on this team. I hope he stays b/c Mihm and Kwame are so injury prone. Nice win. We'll take any "W" we can get considering the amount of injuries we've sustained to our roster.

[Addicus]

Great recap DB. Nice analysis Hoopschick.

My younger cousin had asked me during the Cavs/Heat game who I thought the best player in the game was and I said Kobe. She asked if it was because I was a Laker fan and I told her it was because I was a basketball fan.

She then asked who was #2 and I said it depends on what you want/need? If it's to take over a game then LeBron.

She then asked what's the difference between Kobe and Lebron. Easy. Kobe is a complete player on both ends of the court. I then proceeded to show her that LeBron has a physical mismatch every game he plays in yet never is on the low post drawing doubles and kicking it out to teammates. He is a great passer but doesn't exploit his talents. He has potholes in his lawn.

How great was it to watch Kobe the very next game and do exactly what I was pointing out. Man, that was one great exhibition of basketball. The man single handedly controlled the whole tempo of the game and there was ball movement. This wasn't a Steve Nash / Chris Paul ball control type game. This was give me the ball on the post, pass to the open man who would swing the ball for the open shot type game. Basketball!

Even if the guys weren't hitting shots I felt the game plan by Phil Jackson was top notch. This team succeeds due to a post presence. Just like Magic and Michael before him, Kobe can be that post presence. I'm just glad Fish/Farmar/Lamar stepped up and we won.

Lamar did a great job of attacking the seams and making people pay. If the guy had a half decent jumper and could make a layup he'd be a 25 ppg scorer in this league easy without taking 15 shots per game.

Kwame caught the ball and finished well. I'm proud of him for doing that right. Now if he could grasp the concepts of the game while it's going on we may actually see some progress.

DJ cut it up tonight. Nice hussle. Good hands. Good defensive instincts. I say keep him and let Cap groom him. In 2 years we will have a grade A backup for Bynum.

Luke really needs to get healthy. Really. I mean before he reaches the last year of his monster contract. Really.

I have a feeling Critt is going to have a major breakout season next year whether Sasha is on the roster or not. Off season workouts will get him the strength he needs to complete some of those moves he makes. Reminds me of a young Kobe in that sense.

Basketball was meant to be watched either live or in HD. Thank you TNT.

Last - Has anyone noticed defenders just stand up like human pylons when DWade has the ball? I swear the refs give him all of the fouls AI earns.
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Stop crying and start doing.

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/addicusbrown

[Sage_10]

Good Stuff DB.
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"You Must Be Willing To Give Up That Which Can Be Lost In Order To Gain That Which Cannot Be Lost." - FORTUNE COOKIE

[Rick12322]

you da man, DB! Up until 1:12? don't you ever sleep?

We depended on Fisher and Farmar's hot shooting to win this while we didn't stop Allen Iverson, Allen stopped Allen. We were very lucky he had a bad shooting game.

All that said, I feel lucky and relieved we got the win. Some of Kobe's passes in that game were Magic-esque. I would like to see a lot more of that!

[20,000]

[orido86]

Thanks DB

[Dr. Laker]

As usual - good job.
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On Lakersground, a concern troll is someone who is a fan of another team, but pretends to be a Lakers fan with "concerns".

[BigEvil]

Did anyone else catch Luke throwing his towel in anger/disgust when Phil took him out of the game after getting a foul?

The most emotion I've ever seen out of him.

[John O]

It's been said by many others before but: outstanding job, DB! You style is really great. Sometimes it seems we are there watching the action. And you also manage to do a very exciting prose, especially on Laker wins (obviously!).

So that you know, there are instances where I get goose bumps reading your reports. So, you must be doing something really good. Boring it isn't for sure.

Keep up the very good work.