<div align="center"> @ <font color=""Purple"">Where: Staples Center When: Sunday, April 16th 12:30 pm Pacific</font> <font color=""blue"">Suns Starting Lineup:</font> <font color=""Blue"">PG: Nash SG: Bell SF: Marion PF: Diaw C: Grant</font> <font color=""Purple"">Lakers Starting Lineup:</font> <font color=""purple"">PG: Parker SG: Bryant SF: Walton PF: Odom C: Brown</font> <font color=""Purple"">Kobe Bryant hopes to lead the Los Angeles Lakers to a playoff berth and send the Phoenix Suns a message. The Lakers on Sunday can become the seventh team in the Western Conference to secure a postseason berth with a victory over the Suns, who will be the second seed and are expected to rest reigning MVP Steve Nash. Los Angeles, which would face Phoenix in the first round were it to finish seventh, is 0-3 against the Suns this season. Bryant broke Elgin Baylor's franchise record for points in a season after dropping 50 on Portland in a 110-99 triumph here Friday. It was the sixth 50-point performance of the campaign for Bryant, who leads the league in scoring at 35.1 points per game. While the Lakers have won three straight games, the Suns have lost four of seven, including a 110-102 setback at Golden State on Friday. Shawn Marion collected 31 points and 12 rebounds in the setback. Nash did not play. </font> <font color=""Purple""> Nobody in a Suns uniform can stop Bryant one-on-one. D'Antoni knows Odom is passive, and that he may not be a threat against the Suns, so this needs to change immediately. Odom and Kwame need to have a monster game against these smaller players. I expect another triple double from Odom and a double double from Kwame. Odom should attack the weak side, while having Kobe to his right, waiting to hit an easy jumper or drive hard to the rim. If Parker can keep Nash away from Bryant, and if Lamar can draw some attention from his defenders, Kobe will run these guys to death, and the Lakers will win this game, 106-102. Look for Kobe to have a great game as he does every game</font> </div>
Steve Nash might be a late scratch in this game. He didn't play against the Warriors the other night, and might rest again. I hope he plays though, because I want the Lakers to beat the actual team they are going to face off against in the playoffs. The last game the Lakers tried to establish Kwame in the post, but he failed to deliver. However, he's rebounded nicely and has played strong the last two games. I expect the Lakers to try going to him early again today to put pressure on Diaw and Marion on defense. If he's struggling the Lakers are going to have a tough time winning.
another nice preview empra! good job. as of now, lakers are just dominating. hopefully they dont get lazy because the suns can shoot like crazy. anyways, i am now a firm believer that we can upset the suns in the playoffs. they have absolutely no presence down low
<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post"> another nice preview empra! good job. as of now, lakers are just dominating. hopefully they dont get lazy because the suns can shoot like crazy. anyways, i am now a firm believer that we can upset the suns in the playoffs. they have absolutely no presence down low </div> Steve Nash isn't playing, neither is Raja Bell (good defender on Kobe), so this isn't really the greatest game to compare with. However, it's good to know that the Lakers have secured a playoff berth (pertaining they don't implode in the second half) and are capable of beating the Pheonix Suns if they play as well as they have been over the final stretch of the season.
^yeah, i now, but it is still impressive to get a 20+ point lead against the suns. anyways, the suns are slowing edging back, and we lead by 13. but we will not lose this game. kobe will not let us lose
yep. just one point away and just say bye bye to taco bell. anyways, great win by the lakers, and if sacto loses tonight, we clinch the 7th spot. btw, i wish i could shoot like shawn marion
LA wins...unfortunately I don't live in LA and was obviously not at the game so that means no free Taco's for me... So it seems to me that the MVP race has come down to Kobe and Nash, I hear other names being thrown around but those are the main 2...hopefully people will realize that it's the point gaurds JOB to create plays for his teammates and just because someone does what he is supposed to be doing doesn't make him MVP. I honestly don't see that much of a difference between Steve Nash and Chauncy Billups..
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Brian:</div><div class="quote_post">yep. just one point away and just say bye bye to taco bell. anyways, great win by the lakers, and if sacto loses tonight, we clinch the 7th spot. btw, i wish i could shoot like shawn marion</div> Lol, he shoots like a girl. George was impressive, Kwame was doing well at first but missed those layups in the 3rd quarter. Odom was close to a triple double although he had an average game. Kobe was Kobe. Nice win for us to give us a playoff spot.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Brian:</div><div class="quote_post">btw, i wish i could shoot like shawn marion</div> I've seen elementry school kids shoot that way Up by 20+ points the majority of the game, surprised we didn't see D. Green get some playing time. I'm so glad B. Grant is gone, he was stinking up the entire game. Good win by the Lakers today even if they weren't playing against Nash and Bell.
I seriously don't get how Shawn Merion shoots like that...I mean the fact that the ball actually goes in is incredible, as is the fact that it doesn't get blocked every time...he shoots it from his waist area... I also don't get house scouts and execs and trainers haven't asked him to reconstruct his shot...
The Lakers should give a gift for holding opponents below a certain amount of points for each quarter. It would probably make the crowd more active throughout the game.
Lakers get a playoff spot, Kobe goes for 40, and everyone at the Staples Center gets free tacos. Does it get any better?
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Bobcats:</div><div class="quote_post">Lakers get a playoff spot, Kobe goes for 40, and everyone at the Staples Center gets free tacos. Does it get any better?</div> Lakers Playoffs Success
