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Archive for January, 2008
January 31, 2008 at 12:01 pm · Filed under Uncategorized
The media has been hyping this massive ‘nine games in 13 days’ road trip since the summer time, and… well,
they were right. This trip could alter the outcome of the season.
8,713 miles will be traveled over the next 15 days, and we can all thank the Grammy’s for providing the Lakers with their longest roadie since the 1960-1961 season… I guess the Grammy’s do matter to some people, but it’s really no reason to take over the second greatest arena in the history of Los Angeles for half of February.
Speaking of great arenas in Los Angeles (Gilbert excluded), why couldn’t the Lakers have broken up this bad boy and played a couple at the Fabulous Forum? I mean, aside from the Faithful Central Bible Church’s occupancy on Sundays, the next scheduled event at the Forum doesn’t happen until the 19th when Iron Maiden comes to town. So it would never happen, but I KNOW there is a good percentage of people that would pay good money to see the Lakers recreate a little bit of Show Time in Inglewood… even if it entails the Celtics come in and drop 20 on a bunch of dudes wearing dolphin shorts… just saying.
Okay, schedule time! (all times pacific)
Thursday, January 31; 4:30pm
@ Detroit Pistons
Coming off of a win over the second-worst team in the east, the Lakers must now navigate the second-best in the east. With a 32-13 record, the Pistons have proven themselves as contenders among their right-coast peers. With visions of the 2004 Finals still lingering around LA, it’s not a stretch to say that the Pistons make the faithful cringe. Who to watch out for: Richard Hamilton, who’s averaging 19 PPG on 50% from the field is having another hot season, plus with the latest Lakers injury, it looks like Sasha might have the task of defending Rip. I’m not demeaning Sasha here (who could after Tuesday’s performance?), but he is certainly no four-time All-Defensive Team player. We’ll see how this one pans out, but this should be the test of the trip.
Friday, February 1; 4:00pm
@ Toronto Raptors
The Lakers take the show up to America’s hat for their contest with the 25-20 Raptors, Eh? All jokes aside, the Raps are in second place in the Atlantic Division, and they happen to have this guy named Jason Kapono. Yeah, that guy from UCLA with the spiked hair… LA natives may recall Kopono’s supreme abilities in under coach, Steve Lavin at the ‘CLA, as well as his fall to mediocrity in the 2003 draft, and maybe even his cheap shot at the Euros coming into the league (threatening to change is name to Jason Kaponovitch). Nevertheless, it doesn’t really matter how good Kapono is, it’s all about how cool he is… and he’s pretty cool. I guess shooting 51% from three-point land gets you some ‘good’ points too though… Who to watch out for: I would be a fool not to say Chris Bosh. Leading the team in points (22.7) and rebounds (9.1), CBosh is the man of the house.
Sunday, February 3; 9:00am
@ Washington Wizzards
Ah yes, the second 9:00am start of the season… The first was against the Knicks at basically their lowest point the season thus far, and we all remember that almost-comeback win… This game provides a good diversion from the 9,000 hours of Super Bowl pregame shows going on Sunday… and a reason for me to wake up before 11 on a weekend. The Wizards (which remains the stupidest name in all of professional sports) do have a winning record, at 24-20 despite missing Gilbert Arenas since mid-November. Who to watch out for: Caron Butler (cough. 04-05 season) might be out this game with a hip flexor sprain, so I’m going to say Antawn Jamison. Antawn is keeping pace with his career statistics, with 21 and over 10 a game.
Tuesday, February 5; 4:30pm
@ New Jersey Nets
Jason Kidd still wants to be traded, and I still don’t like him. Nothing much has changed over here at VHP, but stuff just might be at the IZOD Center. Jason Kidd may not even be a Net by the time this game rolls around… and, could you really blame him? He’s getting old, and he’s sitting on a 19-23 team. …He’s also leading the team in rebounds. Who to watch out for: Richard Jefferson seems like a classy guy. I honestly don’t know for sure, but he really pulls it off from the looks of things from an outsider. Jefferson also has the highest scoring average of any opponent this far into the trip.
Wednesday, February 6; 4:00pm
@ Atlanta Hawks
The ATL is home to some great things, but a playoff contender in the NBA? What? With a 18-24 record, the Hawks are currently sitting in the seventh playoff spot. If there’s one thing we know for sure about this club, it’s that they have youth. With young guys like Al Horford and Marvin Williams busting from the seams, combined with the hair of Josh Childress, the horizons are bright for the Hawks. Who to watch out for: With some milage under his belt, Joe Johnson has the leadership abilities to run this offense… and drop 21.3 a game.
Friday, February 8; 4:00
@ Orlando Magic
Leading the Southwest Division with a record of 29-18, the Magic have turned a few heads this season, and after Hedo took down the Celtics on ABC last Sunday, the Magic are getting the exposure they deserve. Orlando doesn’t seem like much of basketball city… come to think of it, Orlando doesn’t seem like much of a city at all. In my skewed view of the world (the same one that pictures Outback Steakhouses and Kangaroos lining the streets of Sydney, Australia), I picture Orlando as nothing but decadent colonial mansions, PGA-caliber golf courses, and Disney World… But that’s just me. Orlando has a big time ball club on their hands, and I hate to admit it, but they’re fun to watch. Who to watch out for: Dwight Howard… before he dunks on your face.
Sunday, February 10; 12:30pm
@ Miami Heat
I bet ABC was really excited to recreate the Christmas Day match-up from the past few years when they scheduled this game earlier in the season. Well, the injury plagued Heat now happen to be the worst team in the league, and even when D-Wade and Shaq are in the game together, they can’t seem to find any cohesiveness. Pat Riley is at an all time low in his career, and I really don’t see that changing anytime soon. With that said, I enjoy watching any game with Shaquille O’Neal in it, however, he has been suffering from this thing called ‘carrying a 325 lb. frame as a 35 year-old NBA center.’ Who to watch out for: The injury bug. All of the Heat’s statistical leaders, save Ricky Davis, have injury notes (as of 1/31).
Monday, February 11; 4:00pm
@ Charlotte Bobcats
The Bobcats are yet another mediocre team, flirting with the bottom of the East’s playoff rankings. With a record of 18-28, the Cats suffered some season-long injuries earlier in the season in Adam Morrison and Sean May. Emeka Okafor has stayed par with his career average, around 13 and 10, but he really hasn’t developed into the big-time F/C that I was expecting would happen by his third season in the league. Who to watch out for: Gerald Wallace is nearly doubling his career average in PPG this season.
Wednesday, February 13; 5:00pm
@ Minnesota Timberwolves
Finally! A Western Conference game. The T-Wolves are one of two teams to yet to have eclipsed the 10-win mark… coincidentally, the Lakers also play the other team on this road trip (Miami)… That’s all the more reason for the Lakes to capitalize on the quality of teams that they’ll see over the next few weeks. Wolves fans have honestly had nothing to be happy about since the departure of their franchise man, but that goes without saying that they do have a little bit of talent to build on. This team seems like it’s full of under-achievers… but who am I to comment on that? these guys just dropped 16 on Chicago… Who to watch out for: Al Jefferson, without a doubt. Jefferson is leading the team in scoring, with 21.2 PPG and rebounds, with 12.2 per game. The future looks bright for Al, who is easily putting up the best number of his career since being traded in the Garnett trade.
Well, there it is. Nine game in 13 days, over 15 travel days. This road trip WILL test the Lakers… They have a huge opportunity to grow even closer as a team, but at the same time, some key losses could tear them apart.
10 Comments
January 25, 2008 at 11:40 pm · Filed under Uncategorized
Hitting up the Buick Invitational on a day off sounds like fun right?
…Well, since attending a PGA event where El Tigre is present doesn’t really accommodate to a college budget, I set out to stick it to the man today.
$15.00 Parking? Forget it.
$30.00 Admission? Forget it.
NO, I didn’t see Tiger.
NO, I didn’t catch a glimpse of Elin Nordegren.
BUT, I did have a somewhat fulfilling day that included blisters, walking, blisters, and walking.
In an effort to forgo paying the steep charges for parking, I chose to park at the Torrey Pines State Reserve Beach; for free.
I set out for what I thought would be a short, yet brisk nature walk through the reserve’s trails and onto the course… you know, like a half mile, tops.
Oh, how I was wrong.
My short walk turned into this:
Yeaah…
(#*^%$$%$Course@#$#%A&$^
That’s Troy Matteson, I guess he was leading after his first round.
Anyway, Tiger has the lead now with a -7 on the day, and a -12 overall… and I still have blisters.
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January 25, 2008 at 10:05 pm · Filed under Uncategorized
What we’ve been hearing for the past two weeks is "the Lakers are reverting to last season’s style of play." …Well, after watching tonight’s game, the sentiment has changed to "the Lakers are reverting to last game’s style of play."
Yet another post-Shaq era famous third quarter collapse claimed yet another Lakers win tonight, as they fell to the Mavericks 112-105. In an all too similar fashion to Wednesday’s third quarter where six and a half minutes passed before the Lakers managed to score a point, some four minutes passed under the same circumstances tonight.
The Lakers overcame a 17 point deficit to bring the game within five points, but it wasn’t enough to get over the hump… obviously.
Kobe scored 40 points on 11-19 from the field, and arguably played one his most athletic games of the year, pulling down 10 rebounds and scaring fans a couple times with some near-injuries.
Lamar and Luke, though getting into some foul trouble made a miniscule impact tonight. Luke only took ONE shot en route to scoring four, and Lamar took nine, scoring four.
Jordan Farmar finished close to his career high, with 18, D-Fish scored 11 with foul trouble, and Kwame finished with 10 and 3.
DJ Mbenga doubled his Lakers playing time tonight, with five points, four rebounds, and a decent defensive presence in 15:53 on the floor. This makes me put the "scenario" hat on. After Lamar’s horrific performance tonight, how does starting Ronny at the four, and letting Odom come off the bench sound? I’m not saying that this will happen. I’m not even saying this necessarily should happen, BUT, what are the Lakers fans thinking? Personally, I cringe every time Lamar takes a three, and after yelling at Phil tonight, something might happen with his role on the team… but I doubt it.
The Mavs posted some huge numbers, with Josh Howard and Dirk BOTH finishing with 26 and 10. Devin Harris scored 18, Jason Terry posted 15, and Brandon Bass scored 10.
The Lakers are now 2-3 in the post-subluxation era, and go on to play the Cavs, Sunday at 12:30 pm. This weekend marks the beginning of ABC’s Sunday basketball. Woo!
Box Score [Fox Sports]
9 Comments
January 22, 2008 at 1:29 am · Filed under Uncategorized
Well, the short handed Lakers threw a little bit of a wrench into equation tonight.
After quite possibly the worst week (in terms of losing players) of the season (or the past few seasons, for that matter), The Lakers, anchored by Derek Fisher are messing with us once again.
Tonight’s 116-99 victory over the Nuggets provided proof of the Andrew Bynum Theory. ‘When someone other than Kobe is hot (usually Bynum, but tonight, D-Fish) the Lakers will win.’ This, (obviously) allows the Lakers to exploit the defense’s special attention to Kobe, and… RESULTS. Who would’ve thought?
Fisher scored one off from his career high tonight, with 28 points. Jordan Farmar stepped things up, contributing to the bench mob’s 40+ points, with 19. Kobe did his thing, scoring 17 points and dishing out 11 assists. Lamar put up 15 and 11, and Ronny Turiaf added 11. Oh yeah, Kwame didn’t do too bad tonight, posting 7 and 11.
Carmelo Anthony managed to score 13 points before going down hard on Kobe’s shoe, on what is most likely going to be an ankle sprain (x-rays were negative). Allen Iverson scored 24, LINAS Kleiza added 21, Marcus Camby put up 18 and 12, and Kenyon Martin contributed with 16 and 11. Odd stat of the night? Anthony Carter: ZERO points and 14 assists.
I don’t really know what to say about tonight’s game… I think everyone in LakerNation is expecting the worst, especially going into the huge road trip at the end of the month, and tonight we were treated to what can happen. Tonight, we saw the best game of the post-subluxation era… is there more to come?
Post-Game Locker Talk [Lakers.com]
Heartwarming picture of the night?
Los Angeles Lakers’ Coby Karl, left hugs his father, Denver Nuggets
coach George Karl
(AP Photo/Gus Ruelas)
Tonight marked the third time in NBA history that a father coached against a son. Yep, and Coby Karl aired out a three and tossed a behind the back pass into the lap of a Denver assistant. Nevertheless, we love Coby Karl.
28 Comments
January 21, 2008 at 5:25 pm · Filed under Uncategorized
Yep, this just in: Lakers’ Trevor Ariza out 8 weeks with broken foot.
Trevor reportedly fractured his foot in practice Sunday, and now joins the likes
of Andrew Bynum, Chris Mihm, and Vlad Rad on the sidelines.
Ariza averaged 6.5 PPG in in 24 games in Los Angeles. Ariza’s defense and athleticism quickly got me on his side, and I think countless others can agree.
Oh yeah, remember that guy I brought up a couple of days ago; DJ Mbenga? Well, the Lakers signed him to 10-day today. Mbenga averaged just over 1 and 1 in a handful of games with Golden State.
Slshusker had this to say about Mbenga in the comments of my previous post: Having watched ‘Beng in Dallas, I’ll say this, the guy is good for 1.6
points and 1.6 rebounds and that’s it. There’s a reason two teams have
let him go and it has nothing to do with his being a good guy. He
hasn’t delivered.
The Lakers play host to the Nuggs tonight at 7:30 PM… This is really starting to look like last season.
[edit: 5:08 PM]
I just got off the phone with my mom, and apparently Ariza’s injury was covered on some of the local news outlets last night. Being in San Diego, I had no clue until teh internetz did, so maybe it wasn’t ‘just in,’ but it’s still newsworthy… and borderline emotionally crippling to some of us…
Lakers’ Trevor Ariza out 8 weeks with broken foot; Mbenga signs [Fox Sports]
Welcome, DJ Mbenga!!! [LA Times Lakers Blog]
6 Comments
January 18, 2008 at 3:06 pm · Filed under Uncategorized
The Los Angeles Times is reporting that, while still talking with Chris Webber’s people, The Lakers may be closer to a deal with the recently waived, DJ Mbenga.
Mbenga, who attended last night’s game, averaged 1.6 points and 1.9 rebounds in a 16-game stint with Golden State. The 7-0, 255 undrafted center has a career average of 1.3 PPG and 1.1 RPG.
Phil Jackson has alluded to the use of 10-day contracts, and I cant help but believe that Mbenga would be tested with one before any season deal were to go down. Mbenga definitely isn’t the fix that the Lakers need, but I think his presence might make a difference.
This also comes with the news that Vlad Rad isn’t close to coming back. Vlad said
"Nothing good, man," when asked how he was doing last night. Radmanovic underwent an MRI on Wednesday that confirmed tendinitis and a sprain in his right ankle.
Bynum doesn’t like waiting game [LA Times]
15 Comments
January 17, 2008 at 10:26 pm · Filed under Uncategorized
Suns (26-12) @ Lakers (26-11)
Halftime Score
Suns 56, Lakers 43
Halftime thoughts
There was part of me that had hope that the Lakers’ two practice days after that almost-infamous Sonics game would have knocked some sense into these guys. Nope. Tonight is the night that all of the doubters finally grasp the worth of Andrew Bynum. The Lakers, without Bynum, are being taken advantage of on both ends of the court. Not having that second option available s allowing the Suns to put more pressure on Kobe, allowing him to only 13 points on 12 shots through the half. Kwame still hasn’t waken up, and I would love to see if any of the people who have backed him in the past few days are still around. From missing lay-ups that Andrew would have muscled down, to simply playing in his usual lackadaisical demeanor, it is now clear that the Lakers need to follow through with some type of move to bring a defining presence down low. I’ll take C-Webb.
Third Quarter
12:00 - I’m really agitated for some reason.
11:40 - The Lakers had more turn overs than field goals in the second quarter..
11:22 - Kwame dropping the ball YET AGAIN. This is great.
11:01 - Borris Diaw is on fire; 4-4 FG
10:40 - Make that 5-5.
10:32 - Kwame makes a free-throw! Misses the second. 44% on the season.
10:22 - Lamar looks so off.
10:04 - Kwame travels!
9:36 - KWAME MISSES A DUNK!!! this is awesome.
9:09 - Kwame loses the ball. BOOS RAIN ON STAPLES!
8:46 - Kwame touches ball, Kwame gets booed. My kind of crowd.
8:20 - KWAME MISSES A LAY-UP!!
7:50 - KWAME WITH THE TURN OVER!
7:17 - I challenge ANYONE to defend Kwame in the comments.
7:17 - "Nobody named Pookie gettin’ in my Fave Five"
7:17 - It really is time to replace Kwame Brown. I almost feel sorry for him… Then, I realize he’s getting paid $9,000,000.
6:54 - Kwame is still in. It’s a big F-you from Phil!
6:28 - Kobe is getting involved… This needs to continue if the Lakers plan on doing anything.
5:43 - The Suns should be up by about 200 right now… Instead, 66-50.
4:23 - Barbosa nails a heavily contested three. 3-4 from the field with 8 points.
3:50 - Turiaf coming off the bench = THANK YOU!
3:35 - There you go, Turiaf nailing a J. Tonight is really legitimizing my "Start Ronny" campaign.
2:22 - Craig Saeger not disappointing in wardrobe.
2:05 - Pete Sampras at the scorer’s table?
1:52 - Kobe nailing the three. He’s got 21 on the night. This could be something…
Through three
Suns 79, Lakers 60
12:00 - Still agitated.
12:00 - "Chilly 43-degree night."
11:35 - Sasha hooking it up.
11:02 - Lamar misses two straight lay-up on a potentially momentum-shifting possession. Lamar for Marion. Now.
10:34 - Sasha cuts the deficit to13… eh..
10:23 - Amare in foul trouble… Kobe resting.
10:07 - SASHA FOR THREE! 10 point game!!
10:07 - www.kwamebrownsucks.com … beat me to the punch.
9:22 - Eight point game! Thanks Lamar.
8:12 - Jordan Farmar in the house! 83-73.
7:44 -Borris Diaw is 8-12 for 18 points.
6:51 - Farmar throwing down some low post moves.
6:37 - Farmar nails the three. Nine point game… All of this without Kobe in the game.
6:01 - Time out. Kobe should be coming back in right here, and trust me, if he’s hot, this will get dangerous.
4:43 - Raja Bell with a huge three. 94-80
4:23 - Kobe counters with a three.
3:57 - "Dangerous Encounters; Undercover Hippo"
3:28 - Farmar with the three. It’s unreal that the Lakers are still in this game.
2:45 - Kobe with a nice three; 99-86.
1:55 - Farmar with the steal and the deuce. Eight point game.
1:34 - Barbosa with a dagger.
1:27 - Kobe counters with a three.
1:03 - 102-94. It’s hammer time.
0:46 - Lamar misses a lay-up, gets the rebound, gets fouled. Makes both!
0:24 - Borris Diaw nails the three on a beautifully executed play. The Suns have an eight point lead… It’s just about over.
0:19 - Sasha gets the basket. Six point game with Steve Nash heading to the line… Gets the first… Gets the second.
0:00 - That shaped out to be an admissible loss without Andrew.
0:00 - Lol @ Steve Nash "We suck."
Final Score
Suns 106, Lakers 98
Post Mortem
I’m almost okay with the fact that the Lakers walked out of this game with just an eight point loss. It makes me feel better about some of the upcoming match-ups over the next couple of months. What I’m not okay with is the fact that the Lakers just might have won this game if it weren’t for the sloppy play of Kwame Brown ($9,000,000). Kwame is officially a cancer. I never thought I would stoop to that level of ‘hating,’ but it’s basically impossible to produce down low when Kwame is in the game. I say this as Charles bashes him on the post-game.
Let’s take a flashback to remind us why we don’t like Kwame:
10:04 - Kwame travels!
9:36 - KWAME MISSES A DUNK!!! this is awesome.
9:09 - Kwame loses the ball. BOOS RAIN ON STAPLES!
8:46 - Kwame touches ball, Kwame gets booed. My kind of crowd.
8:20 - KWAME MISSES A LAY-UP!!
7:50 - KWAME WITH THE TURN OVER!
Oh yeah, did I mention the $9,000,000?
Credit to Kobe and Sasha for bringing the deficit to six points at one point in time. I really don’t have much more to say. This style of play is draining to watch.
Leaders | Seven Suns saw playing time in this game, six of which finished in double figures. Leandro Barbosa posted 22 off the bench, Shawn Marion scored 20 points and puled down 18, and Borris Diaw scored 19 on 9-13 from the field. Raja Bell scored 16, including a huge three to basically bag up the game, Amare also scored 16 in addition to his seven boards. Steve Nash scored 13, but picked up the slack in the assists column, dishing out 20.
Kobe scored 30 points after being shut down for much of the first half, Lamar put up some good numbers, with 19 and 19, and Jordan Farmar posted 16. Sasha Vujacic pulled some almost-heroics, scoring 10 points, but it wasn’t enough to contain the now Pacific Division leading Suns.
[The Lakers are now 2-3 in game live blogged on VHP]
12 Comments
January 14, 2008 at 11:38 pm · Filed under Uncategorized
Is it just me, or do Lakers games seem like they take a lot longer when the style of play is not conducive to team productivity?
The Lakers took a page from the 2006-2007 season tonight, nearly losing to a 9-28 team in a city that, in a short time will no longer be home an NBA team. Is it really any surprise that Kobe scored 48 points on 44 attempts? This was last year’s team doing what last year’s team did best; rely on Kobe.
Please please please don’t take this as Kobe hating. I completely acknowledge the fact that he was solely responsible carrying this team tonight, and with the pressure on, and him still ailing from the upper-respiratory infection, he stepped things up and got the W in OT. Take this as either Bynum loving… or Kwame hating; you choose.
Lakers 123, Sonics 121 | Kobe, of course, lead the charge with 48, Ronny scored 14, Jordan Farmar and D-Fish both put up 12. Our buddy Kwame Brown managed to pull a 10 and 10 game, which was honestly more than I expected.
The Sonics lit things up offensively, anchored by an unlikely top-scorer, 2003 Kansas grad, Nick Collison, who posted 24 points and 18 boards. Rookie Kevin Durant chimed in with 19, Wally Szczerbiak scored 18 on 3-4 from 3pt, Kurt Thomas had 16 and nine, and Jeff Green posted 14.
The only excuse that I can find for tonight’s forecasted sub-par preformance is the back-to-back games. Give Phil a few days to coach some sense into these guys, then I’ll start prognosticating. Speaking of "a few days," the Lakes face the Suns for round three of the season series on Thursday. How’s that for timing?
4 Comments
January 14, 2008 at 3:46 pm · Filed under Uncategorized
Official Press Release:
"After MRI tests and an examination by team doctor Steve Lombardo of the Kerlan-Jobe Orthopaedic Group earlier today, it has been determined that Lakers center Andrew Bynum suffered a subluxation of the patella and a bone bruise of his left knee in last night’s game. Bynum is expected to be out a minimum of eight weeks. Bynum is expected to make a full recovery."
There we have it. The final verdict is a "subluxation of the patella and a bone bruise of his left knee." This is not nearly as bad as we expected when we saw Andrew on the floor unable to put any weight on his left leg, however, after seeing his post-game interview, we thought that just maybe it was a sprain.
The Lakers now face the daunting task of starting Kwame Brown. I could go on for another week about my (and just about everybody else’s) dislike for Kwame, but I won’t waste your time. These next eight weeks will extremely trying on the Lakers, especially heading into a nine games in 14 days road trip at the beginning of next month. There’s no doubt that Ronny Turiaf will need to step up his game at the 5 coming off the bench.
There is also hope among Laker nation that some type of trade could possibly go down to either ship Kwame out, or beef up the center position, however no rumors have surfaced as of now, and I realistically don’t see anything coming to fruition at this point in time.
Lakers fans… these next two months are going to be a grind.
More on Patellar Subluxation (via knee1.com): The patella, or kneecap, rests on the groove between the femur and the tibia. Subluxation is a partial dislocation, which occurs when the patella slides partially off track.
4 Comments
January 13, 2008 at 9:13 pm · Filed under Uncategorized
[8:07 PM]
Andrew Bynum went down with 8:52 in the third quarter. As of now, no information has come out of the locker room, but we do know it is his left knee. He was down for quite some time, and once he did get up he wasn’t able to put any pressure on it.
[8:17 PM]
The LA Times Lakers Blog, live-blogging from Staples Center: "To say the energy has gone out of the building a little would be an understatement."
[8:22 PM]
Patrick O’Neal just reported that an X-Ray was taken and came out negative. The staff says it is most likely a sprain, but Andrew will get an MRI tomorrow morning. The MRI always provides a more precise and clear picture, so it now turns into a waiting game.
[8:40 PM]
Yahoo Sports (via TICKER) reports: With just under nine minutes left in the third, Bynum went up for a rebound. As he came down, his left foot landed on top of teammate Lamar Odom’s foot, causing his left knee and ankle to turn awkwardly. [story]
[9:01 PM]
Bynum’s departure nearly lead to the Lakers’ demise tonight. After blowing a comfortable lead going into the final minutes, Kwame Brown bricked a dunk on a potential three-point play with just seconds left in the game. The Lakers took a one point lead going into the final Grizz possession where, ironically enough, Kwame nearly blew the game again by clearly fouling Kyle Lowry on what would have resulted in free throws and potentially the win… I say "what would have" because, thanks to the horrific officiating all night, there was no foul on the play. The Lakers got a gift tonight on the wings of what has to be the lowest point, morale-wise thus far in the season. Final Score: Lakers 100, Grizzlies 99. | Leaders: Kobe Bryant: 37, Lamar Odom: 10 and 10, Andrew Bynum: 10 and nine, Jordan Farmar: 10. | MEM Leaders: Mike Miller 27, Pao Gasol: 21 and 18, Rudy Gay: 11.
[9:40 PM]
Good news out of the locker room:
There you have it. It’s really starting to look like a sprain, but we’ll get the final verdict tomorrow morning pending his MRI.
[I will keep you posted as information surfaces]
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