Showing some love for my NBA team!

I just had to brag about my favorite NBA team ever! I knew this game was going to be rather difficult for the Los Angeles Lakers but man this was a true nail biter! :-/ All in all, the only thing that mattered in the end was the "W"

Now if we can only win 4 out of 7 games in the finals, that is "if" the Boston Celtics can make it, hehehe! Here's to the purple and gold faithfuls!

2009 NBA Final Predictions

My final prediction is.............The Los Angeles Lakers become the 2009 NBA Champions!!!! After a long hard season I believe that the Lakers will indeed prevail yet once again. I've been a Los Angeles Lakers fan my whole life and I have seen them defy the odds. They have played with guys injured and with tragedies that happened off the court but make no mistake, they have NEVER given up!! This is one team that fights to the end and works the hardest out of any team in the NBA! It's time to root on our purple and gold and watch them yet again defy the odds and win another NBA Championship. Now with Andrew Bynum back in the lineup this team is more stronger and hungrier than ever. Goooooooooooooooooooo Lakers!!!!!!!!

~Lori Fender

Lakers Trade Chris Mihm........

The Los Angeles Lakers have traded center Chris Mihm to the Memphis Grizzlies in exchange for a conditional 2nd round pick in the 2013 NBA Draft, it was announced by General Manager Mitch Kupchak.


Mihm, currently in his 5th season with the Lakers, is averaging 2.0 points, 1.9 rebounds and 5.8 minutes in 18 games this year. His best campaign came in the 2005-06 season, when he averaged 10.2 points and 6.3 rebounds per game.

“The last two years have been difficult and frustrating for Chris in coming back from his ankle injury,” said Kupchak. “But Chris has handled himself with true professionalism the entire time. With the depth of our roster, especially at the center position, Chris has not had the opportunity to play that he deserves. At this point in his career, and especially as someone who will be a free agent this summer, we felt it was in his best interests to go to a team that would give him a chance to play. Chris has made significant contributions to our team over the past five years. We’d like to thank him and wish him the best of luck for the remainder of his career.”



You can ask any player or coach for the Lakers and one thing rings loud and true....everyone loved Chris Mihm. Most of the players said that he was a hard worker, a great teammate, and a terrific all around guy. After having ankle surgery myself I know how hard it can be to get back to your "old-self". It takes a long time to get back to par and often times you are never the same. I've heard of some athletes that had ankle injuries and surgeries that never truly got back to their game. I hope that isn't the case for Chris Mihm. I hope he is able to continue a great career in the sport of basketball and I hope to see him on the court playing great basketball that he is capable of playing. Good luck Chris and may you accomplish all you set out to do! We'll miss you over in Lakerland!

Lakers End Cavaliers 23-0 Home Streak

Even though Kobe Bryant was very sick with flu like symptoms it was the Cleveland Cavaliers that looked like they were sick and were suffering from something unknown.


Some Fun Facts
• The Lakers became the first team in NBA history to win back-to-back games, both on the road, against teams with .800-plus win percentage at least 40 games into the season.
• The Cavaliers lost a home game for the first time since April 16, 2008 against the Pistons in the final game of last year.
• The Lakers finished their road trip with a perfect 6-0 record. The last time the Lakers finished a road trip at least 6-0 was in the 1999-00 season which was the first year of their three straight NBA titles. :) The last team to go at least 6-0 on a road trip was the Mavericks during the 2006-07 season.
• The Lakers held the Cavaliers to a low scoring 30 points in the second half.
• Lamar Odom led the Lakers with 28 points and 17 rebounds, both season highs. Odom had 15 points and 10 rebounds in the third quarter when the Lakers outscored the Cavaliers 31-16 after trailing by 10 at the half.

With Bryant suffering from the flu, Lamar Odom scored a season-high 28 points -- 15 in the third quarter alone and Pau Gasol scored 18 as the streak-busting Los Angeles Lakers dominated the second half and handed Cleveland its first home loss this season, 101-91 on Sunday to complete a 6-0 road trip and it was one heck of a road trip for sure!! The Los Angeles Lakers kept their hard working attitudes in check and won some huge games even with their big center out for a few months due to a serious injury and with their star player, Kobe Bryant so ill he could hardly stand up on the court.



Bryant was not himself. The superstar vomited before the game, shivered with chills throughout and needed intravenous fluids at halftime. But Odom picked up the offensive slack, helped contain LeBron James on defense, and was the biggest factor in the Lakers outscoring the Cavaliers 50-30 after halftime.



"That was one of the best games he's played for us," Lakers coach Phil Jackson said of the enigmatic Odom. "He's had some spectacular games, but that was a terrific game. It was the total package of his game. He broke people down with his speed and quickness to the basket and got some easy shots."


It's been a tough few days for Cleveland. First, guard Mo Williams was bypassed for the second time as an All-Star. Then, James had his apparent historic triple-double in New York downgraded by an NBA review, and now, the Cavaliers have had their invincibility at home stripped by the road-weary Lakers.


"You have to give the Lakers credit," said James, who scored 16 but missed 15 of his 20 field-goal tries. "I missed a lot of easy looks that I usually make."


The Cavaliers came in 23-0 at Quicken Loans Arena, but were stopped by the Lakers, who are gaining a reputation for stopping streaks. They ended Boston's 19-game winning streak on Christmas Day and halted a 12-game run by the Celtics earlier this week. This was Cleveland's first loss at home since Game 5 against Washington in the first round of last season's playoffs. "I didn't want it to happen," James said. "But I'm glad it's over."



The Lakers weren't intimidated at all in one of the NBA's rowdiest arena and went undefeated on a road trip that also included stops in Minnesota, Memphis, New York, Toronto and Boston. Los Angeles' trip started rocky with center Andrew Bynum injuring his knee against the Grizzlies, but it couldn't have ended any better. Beginning with Bryant's record setting 61 point performance against the Knicks, the Lakers have gone 4-0 without Bynum. They didn't commit a turnover in the final 19:28 against the Cavs.


"We're playing for perfection, Odom said, and in order to do that, it takes a lot of energy, focus and commitment to winning and doing whatever it takes. We got production from everyone."



Odom, who added a season-best 17 rebounds, was unstoppable in the third, when the Lakers outscored the Cavaliers 31-16 and turned a 10-point deficit into a 82-77 lead entering the fourth. "I never play the game for stats," Odom said. "It's all about winning."


Cleveland's crowd was at a playoff pitch from the outset for one of the most anticipated games of the season, a matchup of the league's top stars, both leading MVP candidates, and two of the NBA's best teams. But the game never materialized into a Bryant vs. James affair as Odom completely stole the spotlight. Great job Lamar!

NEXT LAKERS GAME: Oklahoma City Thunder @ Los Angeles Lakers Tues. Feb. 10th 7:30 PM (PST)

Lakers Beat Celtics Again If Even By 1 In OT!!

Ray Allen just got knocked on his back and was still laying down on the court when the Los Angeles Lakers began hugging and chest-bumping under the 2008 NBA Championship banner that was earned at their expense. This was one heck of a game this past Thursday night! My husband and I sat on our couch oohing and ahhing and begging the Lakers to take them down again for the second time this season. You could just see how bad the Lakers wanted this game and especially on the road in Boston.

"I wish we would have come here last year with this kind of attitude," said Pau Gasol, who scored 24 points and 14 rebounds Thursday night to lead the Lakers to a 110-109 overtime victory over Boston.

The Lakers have recovered since their last visit to Boston, a 131-92 loss in Game 6 of last year's NBA Finals.

In a rematch of an NBA finals in which the Celtics out muscled the Lakers to the title, Lamar Odom made a pair of free throws with 16 seconds left in overtime and Los Angeles held on with physical defense against Paul Pierce and Allen that prevented either All-Star from getting off a clean shot.

The loss snapped the Celtics' 12-game winning streak and dropped them to 0-2 against the best in the West. Boston trails the Lakers by percentage points for the best overall record in the NBA, and would lose a tiebreaker for home court advantage in the finals -- if they both make it back.


Kevin Garnett banged his fist on the table in agreement, and then interjected a reminder that seemed to be intended for the locker room across the hall: "We're the champs, man." Well, he may be right because they did win the Championship title last year, however, this is 2009 and so far we have the best record in the entire NBA as well as the West and we will show everybody who is THIS YEAR'S champs! Get ready Boston because the Lakers are ready and willing to take you down!!


Kobe Bryant scored 26 points and had 10 rebounds to help the Lakers take a five-game winning streak into Sunday's game against Cleveland. L.A. also snapped Boston's 19-game winning streak on Christmas Day and sent the Celtics into a 2-7 skid that is the worst stretch of the New Big Three era.















"These games are tough, and they're emotional games and then you play the next night," said Celtics coach Doc Rivers, whose team plays the New York Knicks on Friday night. "We'll try to muster it up and see what we have."

Pierce scored 21, and Allen had 22, but they both missed off-balance shots in the final seconds. Allen was knocked to the court at the buzzer while Boston fans clamored for a foul call, but none came. Rivers was unhappy about the non-call and about the refereeing in general. "I thought it was a hand check; he pushed him the whole way," Rivers said, according to The Boston Globe. "The officials say they don't call the game different from the first quarter to the end of the game, and if that's true, Ray should have been on the free throw line."

All I have to say about that is cry me a river.......build me a bridge........and get over it!!

Does Doc Rivers really think that he and his team are so special that they should get all of the calls to go in his favor? Please!! Last year in the finals the Celtics were getting calls that completely looked staged and the Lakers along with their fans wanted those calls that were CLEARLY fouls but didn't get the calls to go in their favor. So you have to just continue playing the game of basketball and hope that your teams gets the calls.


It was the Lakers' first visit to Boston since a 131-92 embarrassment in Game 6 of the NBA finals that clinched the Celtics' unprecedented 17th league championship. L.A. got a small measure of revenge on Christmas, but even then Boston played a more physical game. "Coming down the streets, staying at the same hotel, I was up last night thinking about the game -- wondering how my teammates would respond. It all came back," Bryant said. "Enough is enough. We were able to match their physical play."


There were two double-technicals -- one of them after Bryant and Rondo were pushing and finger-pointing in the third and enough shoving to pass for a playoff game, but both teams were tired when it ended. Garnett, who missed the previous two games with the flu, scored 16 before fouling out with 4:22 left in the fourth quarter.

Rivers said he felt the officials let the game get out of control in the second half. "I just thought there was a lot of chippiness. It was funny. Thirty seconds into the second half, I yelled out on the floor and said, 'Guys, there's elbows. Clean it up.' I thought we're the retaliators tonight a lot and we got the call obviously."

Bryant, who scored 61 and 36 in his previous two games, hit three 3-pointers in the fourth quarter, the last with 1:30 left in regulation and with Paul Pierce in his face he made it 101-100 and that gave the Lakers' their first lead of the half. But after Pierce made one of two free throws with 30 seconds left, Bryant tried to shoot over Pierce again and banged it off the rim. After a timeout with 7.7 seconds left, Pierce dribbled the clock down before Bryant poked the ball away. Eddie House got it and put up a sideways, one-handed 3-point attempt at the buzzer that wasn't close.


One thing was for sure...this game was more like a playoff game and the players as well as their fans really got into it. With hands clinched my husband and I stood up at the end and gave a big BOOYAH!!!!! It was definitely a great basketball game. I am hoping this year the end result will be completely different and it will be the purple and gold bringing home the championship!! :)


The next HUGE matchup will be today (Sunday) at 12:30 PM (PST) against the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Cavaliers are the only undefeated team at home in the NBA at 23-0. So this is one game you won't want to miss for sure! GOOO LAKERS!!!!!

Kobe Bryant Shines Against The New York Knicks

The mood for the Los Angeles Lakers was rather bleak after just finding out how serious Andrew Bynum's injury was. The Lakers just learned that center Andrew Bynum has a torn MCL and will be out for approximately two to three months. Kobe Bryant decided to try to lift the mood for the Lakers and he put on a classic and historic scoring display at Madison Square Garden. Kobe Bryant knew with Andrew Bynum being out that he would have to kick it up a notch to get his team going, and he also knew that potential taunts from Spike Lee and Mike D'Antoni could be facing him as well. That gave him plenty of incentive to deliver a special night at Madison Square Garden and he unleashed the biggest game the present building has EVER seen!

Kobe Bryant scored 61 points Monday, breaking the record for a game at the current Madison Square Garden. Bernard King had 60 points for the Knicks on Dec. 25, 1984. Bryant surpassed that mark by hitting two free throws with 2:33 left.

Most Points By Player At Current MSG (Either Team)
61
Kobe Bryant
Feb. 2, 2009
60
Bernard King
Dec. 25, 1984
55
Michael Jordan
March 28, 1995
55
Bernard King
Feb. 16, 1985
52
Jamal Crawford
Jan. 26, 2007


Bryant broke the current arena record with 61 points, and the Los Angeles Lakers looked plenty potent without Bynum in a 126-117 victory over the New York Knicks on Monday night. "It's a blessing to do what you love and to have moments like this," Bryant said. Bryant teased and pleased a sold-out crowd that took turns booing him and saluting him with "MVP!" chants during an electrifying performance. He passed Michael Jordan's opponent record of 55 points at the present building, known as "Garden IV," when he hit three free throws with 3:56 remaining, then bettered Bernard King's mark of 60, set on Christmas Day 1984, with two more foul shots with 2:33 to play. Bryant, who also finished with the highest-scoring game in the NBA this season, left to a loud ovation after the 24th 50-point game of his career. It was also his fifth 40-point game here, where the Knicks played their first game in February 1968.


Kobe On Point
Kobe Bryant recorded his fifth career 60-point game on Monday night, the second most in NBA history behind Wilt Chamberlain's 32.
Most Points By Kobe Bryant
81
Jan. 22, 2006*
65
March 16, 2007*
62
Dec. 20, 2005*
61
Feb. 2, 2009*
60
March 22, 2007*
* -- Won game


It saved him from a rough night with Lee, the director and Knicks superfan he is working on a project with. "On a lighter note, I'm going to review this documentary I'm doing with Spike Lee tonight after the game and I didn't feel like sitting next to him and hearing him talking trash about the Knicks, so that was added incentive as well," Bryant said. "Seriously. He's going to get an earful tonight."


D'Antoni might, too. He's a rival from past postseasons when he was coaching Phoenix and playfully sparred with Bryant as an assistant with the U.S. Olympic team this summer. Bryant said not to underestimate his desire to quiet the coach. "We tried to do the rope-a-dope a little bit where he might shoot himself out, but he didn't," D'Antoni said. "He just kept on going."




Pau Gasol added 31 points and 14 rebounds in the Lakers' first game since losing Bynum, their starting center, for eight to 12 weeks with a torn medial collateral ligament in his right knee. They'll be fine without him if Bryant plays the way he did Monday, going 19-of-31 with an array of tough jumpers, powerful drives to the basket and perfect foul shooting. He also hit all 20 free throws.

"He was on fire from the start and finished the game almost the same way," Lakers coach Phil Jackson said. "That was a remarkable performance." Jackson also was the coach when Michael Jordan set the previous Garden record for most points by an opponent with 55 for Chicago on March 28, 1995. He recalled that Jordan was playing in just his fifth game in 22 months. "He wasn't really totally himself as a player yet," Jackson said. "We just stuck him in the post." He added, "Both remarkable performances."




Bryant said he didn't know Jordan owned that record. "But I watched the game, actually, when he had that game," he said, "just oohing and aahing and just marveling at the performance, as I'm sure we all were."

Bynum was hurt Saturday at Memphis when Bryant missed a driving shot, then crashed into his leg. The center isn't expected to need surgery and said he was confident he would return in time for the playoffs.



Fun Facts
• Los Angeles has now won four straight vs. the Knicks and is 3-0 on its current six-game road trip.
• The Knicks lost their first of three straight games vs. opponents with a record more than 25 games above .500, the first team in league history to face such a stretch. They'll play Cleveland (37-9) and Boston (40-9) in their next two games.
• Kobe Bryant scored 61 in the Lakers' first game without Andrew Bynum this season.
The Lakers reached the NBA Finals last season despite losing Bynum for the final 46 games with an injury to his left knee, but they missed his inside presence when they were overpowered by Boston in six games.

Gasol and Odom were too big for the undersized Knicks, but the Lakers will get a truer test of where they are without Bynum when they visit the Boston Celtics and the Cleveland Cavaliers later this week. Let's hope that all the players for the Los Angeles Lakers step up to the plate and give the top two teams in the East a run for their money. Go Lakers!!

Bryant's night quickly became the talk of the league.
"I've never had a night like that," said Heat guard Dwyane Wade, who scored 32 in Miami's win over the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday night. "You could tell, just watching the highlights, he had a pep in his step and he was on a mission. With Bynum out, he's going to have to do a little more, and I think he understands that. I mean, 61 points, that's Kobe -- that's all you can say." Hearing Wade, Heat rookie Michael Beasley became wide-eyed. "Kobe scored 61?" he asked. "You serious?"

Lakers Victorious Against The Warriors

Kobe Bryant explained why the Celtics had a letdown and the Lakers didn't following the rivals' intense game several days earlier. "They had won 19 straight games, so they were due for a couple of bad ones," Bryant said Sunday night after scoring 31 points in Los Angeles' 130-113 romp over the Golden State Warriors. "For us, we just wanted to move on. We were ready to go. We knew what we had to do, so it was pretty easy for us to switch gears and come out and perform."

FUN FACTS
• The Lakers scored a season-high 130 points and tied a season-high 10 3-pointers as they won their 13th straight home game.
• The Lakers are 16-0 when Kobe Bryant attempts 20 shots or fewer (9-5 in games he attempts more than 20 shots).
• There have been seven games in which a team has scored over 130 points this season and Golden State has allowed over 130 points in four of those games.

While the Lakers breezed to a win in their first game since a 92-83 victory over the defending NBA champions on Christmas Day, the Celtics stumbled again the following night and lost 99-89 at Golden State. They were able to get back on track Sunday, however, pounding the Kings 108-63 at Sacramento.

Bryant understands the momentum changes. "It's a long season, so people go through emotions and things,"he said. "It's just an energy thing, because it's such a long season. I don't think people truly understand how long it is, because of the travel and things like that. So you have ups and downs."

Warriors coach Don Nelson said even before playing the Lakers that they were the league's best team. After the loss, he obviously had no reason to change his mind. "They have the whole package and they have a chance to win the whole thing this year," he said. He considers Bryant's expanded role a big part of that. "Kobe now has a grasp on the game like no other player and he controls it when he wants to," Nelson said. "He makes the players alongside him succeed and he is a real leader out there. "He has the whole package going for him; he is not just the best player in the league but, probably the best leader," he said.


Derek Fisher added 19 points in the win and Sasha Vujacic had 17. Pau Gasol continued to show his leadership and had 13 points, nine rebounds and seven assists, and Center Andrew Bynum chipped in with 13 points and 10 rebounds.

Jamal Crawford returned to the Warriors' lineup after missing two games with a groin strain and scored 22 points. Marco Belinelli and Brandan Wright had 14 points a piece, and Andris Biedrins had eight points and 17 rebounds.

"Our defense wasn't even close to what we had against Boston and it definitely showed," said the Warriors Stephen Jackson, who scored nine points. "We didn't approach the game the same way we did the Boston game. We had more intensity, were up for that game and we weren't today."

Los Angeles took control with a 37-point third quarter that increased the lead from 65-58 at halftime to 102-85 heading into the final period.

Key notes of the game: The Warriors finished with 17 turnovers that Los Angeles converted into 31 points. The Lakers had 16 turnovers that were turned into 17 points. The Warriors are still without leading scorer Corey Maggette (19.1 ppg), who has missed 12 games with a strained hamstring. The Warriors and Lakers split four games last season. This was the first game between these two teams this season. The next game that they face each other is in Golden State on Wednesday January 7th @ 7:30 pm (PST)

Next Lakers game is Friday January 2nd vs the Utah Jazz @ 7:30 PM (PST)

Gasol & Bryant Lead Lakers To Snap Celtics 19 Games Winning Streak

For Los Angeles the six-month wait is finally over. The Los Angeles Lakers can put the anguish of losing the NBA Finals to the Boston Celtics and the embarrassment over the way the series ended behind them.

Fun Facts
• Phil Jackson became the sixth coach in NBA history to win 1,000 career games (the fastest to do so) and tied Jack Ramsay with 11 wins on Christmas Day, which is the most all-time.
• The Celtics' 19-game win streak was snapped, they had also won 10 straight on the road before this game.
• The Lakers won the game in the final three minutes as they finished the game on an 11-2 run. Pau Gasol scored seven of those final 11 points and finished with 20 for the game.
• The Lakers franchise won its 20th game on Christmas, which ties the Knicks for the most all-time.

Kobe Bryant had 27 points, nine rebounds and five assists. Pau Gasol scored seven of his 20 points in the final three minutes, and the Lakers used a strong finish to beat Boston 92-83 Thursday, snapping the Celtics' franchise-record 19-game winning streak. The game was the first between the teams since the Celtics romped to a 131-92 victory in Game 6 of the Finals last June to win their first championship in 22 years and league-high 17th title. The Lakers blew a 24-point second-quarter lead in Game 4 at Staples Center to fall behind 3-1 -- a deficit that's never been overcome in the Finals. These two teams have been archrivals since the 1960s, having met 11 times in the Finals, with the Celtics going 9-2.

"We've been waiting for that opportunity for a long time, and we won," said Lakers guard Sasha Vujacic, who scored 10 points. "I don't like them at all. A lot of people called us softies or whatever. It doesn't matter at all. We know what we can do."

On The Fast Track:
Phil Jackson became the sixth NBA coach with 1,000 wins. He is the fastest to reach the milestone as well, getting number 1,000 in his 1,423rd game, surpassing Pat Riley (1,433 games).

Fastest to 1,000 CoachingWins, NBA History
Games
Phil Jackson
1,423*
Pat Riley
1,433
Jerry Sloan
1,662
Larry Brown
1,761
Don Nelson
1,789
Lenny Wilkens
1,837
* -- Won 1,000th game Thursday



"Last year, they won the championship. This year, it's our year, we want to take it all the way."
The victory was the 1,000th for Los Angeles' Phil Jackson, enabling him to become the sixth NBA coach to reach that milestone. The 63-year-old Jackson has a career record of 1,000-423 in 17-plus seasons as coach of the Chicago Bulls and Lakers. He became the fastest to win 1,000 games, surpassing Pat Riley, who did it in 1,434 games.

"It's amazing. I mean, he's one of the greatest coaches of all time," Celtics coach Doc Rivers said. "I can guarantee you that I won't win 1,000 games because I won't be around that long. It's just an amazing number. When you throw up 1,000 wins, that says a lot."

The Celtics entered with a 27-2 record -- the fastest start by a two-loss team. They were in pretty good shape when Kevin Garnett dunked off a feed from Rajon Rondo to put them ahead 81-79 with 3:57 remaining. But the Lakers went on a 13-2 run to finish the game and finish the game very strong I might add!!

"Give them all the credit," said Boston's Paul Pierce, who had 20 points and 10 rebounds but was scoreless in the fourth quarter. "We just have to play better down the stretch."


Pau Gasol continued to make the Celtics pay whenever they decided to double-team Kobe Bryant in the second half because they chose the wrong person to leave open. Gasol missed his first four shots, and showed frustration at times. But he made all three of his shots and all three of his free throws in the fourth quarter for nine of his team's 21 points. "We were pretty physical," said Gasol, who had three rebounds, five assists and three blocked shots. "We were able to contain them, keep our poise and finish the game off. I had to make sure I took it to them and not settle for easy jumpers. I'm glad I was able to get over that hump of a slow start. "It shows we can beat anybody. Hopefully, we'll build on it."


Jackson said the Lakers played excellent defense in the fourth quarter, when they held the Celtics to 16 points. Boston shot 8-of-19 and was 0-for-7 on 3-pointers in the final period.
"I'm really happy with Pau," Jackson said. "He stepped up in that fourth quarter and we really needed him."

Lamar Odom had 10 points and seven rebounds for the Lakers (24-5), who won their 12th straight game at home, where they're 15-1. Andrew Bynum, who missed most of last season and the playoffs with an injured knee, had nine points and seven rebounds.


Garnett shot 11-of-14 in leading the Celtics (27-3) with 22 points and nine rebounds. Ray Allen scored 14, but went 2-of-11 after making his first three shots. Rondo was held to six points, shooting 3-of-11, but had 12 assists.

"They played great, give them credit," Rivers said. "For a team that has been phenomenal down a stretch of games, I didn't think we were very good tonight. We've been as composed as any team that I've seen in a long time, and I thought quite honestly that we lost it a little bit at the end."

A 15-foot jumper by Gasol with 2:48 left snapped an 81-all tie and put the Lakers ahead for good. Allen's 3-pointer failed, and Gasol scored from close range off an assist from Bryant with two minutes left, putting Los Angeles up by four and sending the crowd of 18,997 into a frenzy.
Garnett answered with a jumper to draw the Celtics within two, but Gasol's three-point play with 1:28 left put the Lakers on top 88-83. Gasol then blocked a 3-pointer by Allen, setting up Trevor Ariza for a dunk that gave Los Angeles a seven-point lead with 1:12 to go. Bryant's basket completed the scoring.

"It was my first Christmas game, and I'm obviously blessed to be here," Garnett said. "There's a reason why teams are playing on this special day, so it had a playoff energy and a playoff atmosphere to it, absolutely. It's tough when you lose against anybody. We probably took a step back, but hats off to a good Laker team. Pau made big shots when he had to and Kobe put stress on the defense."

The Lakers played without backup point guard Jordan Farmar, who underwent knee surgery Wednesday and will be sidelined approximately eight weeks. ... The game marked the first time in NBA history that two teams met with so few losses (seven) this late in the season. ... The game was the 10th straight for the Lakers on Christmas. They have an overall record of 20-15 on Christmas including 11-6 at home. It was the Celtics' first game on Christmas since 2002. They have a 10-15 record, going 9-15 on the road and 1-0 at a neutral site. They have never played at home on Christmas.The game was the first on Christmas between the teams since 1970, when the Lakers won a 123-113 home decision.

Next matchup: Sunday December 28th against the Warriors @ 6:30 PM (PST)

Lakers win 10th straight at Staples Center

Playing a bunch of teams with losing records isn't exactly bringing out the best in the Los Angeles Lakers. But for the most part, they're winning. Kobe Bryant had 26 points and five assists, Pau Gasol added 18 points, 11 rebounds, six assists and three blocked shots, and the Lakers pulled away in the fourth quarter to beat the struggling Minnesota Timberwolves 98-86 on Sunday night. Though the Lakers remain hot at Staples center, there's still room for definite improvement. They need to work on a much more solid game which begins with strong defense!

Fun Facts
• Los Angeles has won 13 of its last 15 and 10 straight at home.
• The Lakers, the NBA's highest-scoring team, failed to score 100 points for the first time in their last 15 games.
• Minnesota has lost nine in a row and is 0-4 since Kevin McHale took over as interim coach.

Andrew Bynum added 14 points and nine rebounds, and Trevor Ariza scored 14 points for the Lakers. The Lakers have played seven of their last eight games against teams with losing records and lost to 2 of them, Indiana and Sacramento. Though I am a die hard Lakers fan, the Lakers have been a little disappointing lately as they haven't been all that impressive in several recent victories. They've been playing with a lackadaisical attitude and a very lazy defense. This just isn't their style at all! They're usually more aggressive and rebound much better than other teams but lately I just haven't seen it as much. This makes me worrry as we get ready to play much better teams coming up soon, including taking on the Boston Celtics Christmas day. We have to work on our defense and our rebounding skills so that we can be ready to play the harder teams.

The Lakers have won 13 of their last 15 games, and their 20-3 record is the second-best in the NBA behind Boston's 22-2 mark. They beat the lowly Timberwolves despite being out rebounded 53-46.


"We held a team under 100 points. We limited our turnovers to 10, which is good," Lakers coach Phil Jackson said, looking at the bright side. The Lakers forced 17 turnovers while committing 10, and shot 44.7 percent to Minnesota's 36.1 percent. "It could be," Jackson replied when asked if his team was playing down to the level of its competition. "Our offense was pretty stagnant tonight. We're trying to find a combination out there that can give us better spacing. "Right now, it doesn't seem like our quickness or our execution speed that I like is there. Sometimes the ball stays on one side of the court too long or we're just not executing."


The Timberwolves trailed 76-70 before a basket by Ariza and four straight points by Bryant gave the Lakers a 12-point lead with 4 1/2 minutes remaining. Minnesota didn't threaten after that. "We can't hold a lead. These guys (Bryant and Gasol) have to come back into the game in the fourth quarter. That's awful," said Lamar Odom, who had six points and 10 rebounds. "We want to play the same way all the time. That's what great teams do. "It's only December, but we can play a lot better."




Al Jefferson had 20 points and 13 rebounds to lead Minnesota, but he shot 8-of-24, missing 15 of his last 19 shots. Craig Smith added 18 points and eight rebounds, and Ryan Gomes scored 13 for the Timberwolves (4-19), who lost their ninth straight game and fourth in a row since Kevin McHale took over as coach last Monday.

"The guys are going to go out there and fight and scrap. I know that," McHale said. "We've just got to go out there and play a style of ball that will fit this team and stick with it. I don't think that right now, we are able to do that.
"Right now, we are not mentally or physically prepared to push the ball, push the pace for a long time." The Timberwolves have the NBA's second-worst record and are 2-10 on the road, but they led 57-54 with 6 1/2 minutes left in the third quarter after scoring eight straight points. But a 3-pointer by Bryant, a basket by Odom and five straight points by Luke Walton gave the Lakers a seven-point lead, and they were on top the rest of the way. It was 69-62 entering the final period.

"We were in a great position to win," Jefferson said. "I just missed a lot of shots. I think we just need to get that first win [under McHale] and everything else is going to fall into place for us."


Game notes:

The Lakers entertain the New York Knicks on Tuesday night before beginning a four-game road trip Friday in Miami. After the trip finishes Dec. 23 in New Orleans, the Lakers return home to host the Boston Celtics in their long-awaited Christmas Day matchup. The Lakers have won eight of their last nine games against Minnesota and five straight over the Timberwolves at home. Minnesota's losing streak is its longest since they dropped 12 in a row to finish the 2006-07 season and begin the 2007-08 campaign. ... The game was the first in Los Angeles for Minnesota rookie Kevin Love since he decided to leave UCLA and turn pro after his freshman year. "He's getting better all the time," McHale said. "He really brings a lot of energy, a great basketball feel. I think he's been tremendous, he's played very well." Love had two points and 10 rebounds in 21 minutes. ... The Lakers were held under 100 points for the first time in 15 games. They've scored at least 100 in 19 of their 23 games. The Timberwolves have reached 100 just once in their last nine games and eight of 23 overall.

Next matchup: Tuesday December 16th vs. Knicks @ Staples Center 7:30 PM (PST)

LA Lakers Perfect Against the Suns, 2-0

Wednesday night's game for the Los Angeles Lakers was by no means an easy task. They struggled like crazy and their intensity just wasn't quite as it usually is. Their defense was rather stagnant against the Phoenix Suns and the Los Angeles Lakers battled like crazy to put the short-handed Phoenix Suns away.

FUN FACTS:

• The Lakers defeated the short-handed Suns who played without Shaquille O'Neal and three traded players in Raja Bell, Boris Diaw and Sean Singletary.
• Without O'Neal in the middle, Pau Gasol had a field day. Gasol scored 28 points and made 11 of his 14 shot attempts from the field.
• Kobe Bryant scored 18 -- the third time this season Bryant has had under 20 points (all Lakers wins).
• Phoenix drops to 13-10 on the season. Last season the Suns didn't lose their 10th game until Jan. 5.

Pau Gasol scored 28 points, Bryant had seven of his 18 in the last 6 1/2 minutes, and the Western Conference-leading Lakers struggled to a 115-110 victory Wednesday night.

Andrew Bynum added 17 points and 11 rebounds, Sasha Vujacic scored a season-high 15 points and Derek Fisher had 13 for the Lakers (18-3), who were coming off a lethargic 113-101 loss at Sacramento on Tuesday night and didn't clinch this victory until the final minute.

The Suns (13-10) played without Raja Bell, Boris Diaw and rookie Sean Singletary, traded to Charlotte earlier Wednesday for Jason Richardson, Jared Dudley and a 2010 second-round pick.

Phoenix also was without former Lakers star Shaquille O'Neal, whose 92-year-old great-grandmother died this week. O'Neal was in New Jersey for funeral services and hopes to return in time to play Friday night against Orlando. O'Neal scored 35 points Tuesday night -- his most in nearly three years -- in a 125-110 victory over Milwaukee.

"That's what always happens when a team has eight to nine players," Bryant said. "They always come out with a lot of energy. We did a good job down the stretch."

The Lakers held off the Suns by making 17 of 22 foul shots in the fourth quarter including eight of 10 in the last 30 seconds. But their defensive difficulties continued as they have allowed the opposition to score 100 or more points in seven of their last 10 games.

"Our record is great," Bynum said. "But the way we're playing, we're not going to beat the good teams." Gasol agreed, saying: "We're not playing our best. Most of the time, I think we can do a lot better defensively. We're giving up a lot of points. We have to consciously every single game go out there and be focused on our defense. We know we can score. We also know that if we want to get to the next level, the championship level, we have to be consistent on our defense. It's something that we haven't been doing very well."

Lakers coach Phil Jackson said he thought the Suns brought the best out of the Lakers. "We weren't playing our best when we started the game, but we eventually had to play," Jackson said. "Maybe not the best, but we had to play well enough to win."

Matt Barnes had season-high totals of 25 points and 10 rebounds to lead Phoenix. Grant Hill scored 23 points, Amare Stoudemire had 21 points and 11 rebounds, and Leandro Barbosa added 18 points for the Suns. Steve Nash shot 2-of-12 and was held to seven points and nine assists. "It was a huge challenge for us," Stoudemire said. "We didn't have our guys tonight and were short-handed, but we all knew what we had to do. For us to go out and compete, it took a total effort from everybody. We came out with a lot of energy and intensity and played well despite having only eight guys out there playing. So we can accept that. We were happy with the way we played."

Barbosa scored five straight points early in the fourth quarter to give the Suns an 86-85 lead. But a basket by Gasol and two more by Lamar Odom put the Lakers ahead 91-86, and they led the rest of the way. It was 91-90 when Bryant made a 3-pointer and Odom added two free throws to give the Lakers some breathing room. The Suns weren't closer than four points after that.

"We gave ourselves a chance to win that ballgame, so I was pleased with what I got," Suns coach Terry Porter said. "It is always difficult being short-handed, but in this league, that happens sometimes. You just have to have someone else step up." Barnes scored 10 points during an 19-6 run that gave the Suns a 76-74 lead, their first of the game. Nash's 3-pointer his first field goal in nine attempts put Phoenix on top. The Lakers led 82-81 entering the final period.

With Gasol and four reserves on the floor, the Lakers scored 10 straight points early in the second quarter for a 39-27 lead, which was the largest of the game for either team. But the Suns hung tough, getting as close as three points before Los Angeles settled for a 53-48 halftime lead. Bryant was hardly noticeable in the opening 24 minutes, shooting 2-of-7 for four points but he wound up coming around and lead his team to victory. It was nice to see Paul Gasol have such a good game and score 28 points for the night against the Suns.

Next matchp: Friday December 12th vs. the Sacramento Kings 7:30 PM (PST)