Lakers Focused On Winning Game This game has more significance than just the Lakers and New Orleans Hornets playing each other and trying to hold on to their tenuous playoff spots. When the Lakers meet the Hornets tonight at the New Orleans Arena, it will be the first professional game played in this city since Hurricane Katrina devastated it last August. ... "Sports sometimes heals the soul," Lamar Odom said. "Everybody needs sports. Hopefully we can go down there and give them a good show." The show is important, but the Lakers also need a victory. "Of course we need to do that," Odom said." -- Riverside Press-Enterprise Turiaf: I'm Like The Energizer Bunny After playing in four consecutive games, rookie forward Ronny Turiaf has not taken off his sweats for the Lakers' last three. "We've played some tough teams and I'm a rookie," Turiaf said. "I'm still a little behind, still learning ... I have to get the confidence of the coach. He was comfortable with me in there against Orlando, Boston and [the Clippers]. I'm just trying to get better so when I get called up again, I'm ready. ... I'm like the Energizer Bunny, my battery just goes." -- Los Angeles Times Jackson Sees Potential One practice into his two-day career with the Lakers, Jim Jackson knows this much about his new team: The distance between the Lakers and the top teams in the league doesn't necessarily come down to talent. ... "(The Lakers) have a lot of talent, just (not) the maturity level from the standpoint of basketball players having gone through things." The key is gaining that experience, a process Jackson deems essential and ongoing. "(We're) not far away, yet far away," Jackson said. -- Los Angeles Daily News
KG is great! But if 'The Kid' wants to be 'The Man' he needs to get on the block, writes Chris Broussard. can you post that article
