<div align="center"> <span style="font-size:24pt;line-height:100%">@</span> December 15, 2006 - 10:30 pm ET<span style="color:#FF0000">Game on ESPN</span></div><span style="color:#FF0000">Houston Rockets</span> <span style="color:#000000">(14-8)</span><span style="color:#000000">PG</span> <span style="color:#FF0000">Rafer Alston</span> <span style="color:#000000">SG</span> <span style="color:#FF0000">Luther Head</span> <span style="color:#000000">SF</span> <span style="color:#FF0000">Shane Battier</span> <span style="color:#000000">PF</span> <span style="color:#FF0000">Chuck Hayes</span> <span style="color:#000000">C</span> <span style="color:#FF0000">Yao Ming</span> <span style="color:#000000">Key Bench Players:</span> <span style="color:#FF0000">Bonzi Wells, Juwan Howard, Dikembe Mutombo, Vassilis Spanoulis</span> <span style="color:#6600CC">Los Angeles Lakers</span> <span style="color:#FFCC00">(15-7)</span><span style="color:#FFCC00">PG</span> <span style="color:#6600CC">Smush Parker</span> <span style="color:#FFCC00">SG</span> <span style="color:#6600CC">Kobe Bryant</span> <span style="color:#FFCC00">SF</span> <span style="color:#6600CC">Luke Walton</span> <span style="color:#FFCC00">PF</span> <span style="color:#6600CC">Vladimir Radmanovic</span> <span style="color:#FFCC00">C</span> <span style="color:#6600CC">Kwame Brown</span> <span style="color:#FFCC00">Key Bench Players:</span> <span style="color:#6600CC">Maurice Evans, Jordan Farmar, Ronny Turiaf, Andrew Bynum, Brian Cook</span> Injury Report<span style="color:#000000">HOU:</span> <span style="color:#FF0000">Tracy McGrady will not play (back spasms)</span><span style="color:#000000">HOU:</span> <span style="color:#FF0000">Kirk Snyder will not play (recovering from right hand surgery)</span><span style="color:#FFCC00">LAL:</span> <span style="color:#6600CC">Chris Mihm is out for season (ankle surgery)</span><span style="color:#FFCC00">LAL:</span> <span style="color:#6600CC">Lamar Odom will not play (sprained right knee)</span> Who To Watch Out For<span style="color:#FF0000">Yao Ming</span><span style="color:#000000">Season Stats: 26.1 ppg, 9.6 rpg, 2.0 apg, 2.0 bpg</span><span style="color:#6600CC">Kobe Bryant</span><span style="color:#FFCC00">Season Stats: 26.6 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 4.5 apg, 1.5 spg</span><span style="color:#6600CC">Luke Walton</span><span style="color:#FFCC00">Season Stats: 13.0 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 3.8 apg, 54% 3FG</span> Rookie Watch <span style="color:#000000">HOU:</span> <span style="color:#FF0000">Vassilis Spanoulis</span><span style="color:#000000">Overall Selection: Undrafted</span><span style="color:#000000">Season Stats:</span> <span style="color:#FF0000">3.3 ppg, 0.9 rpg, 1.3 apg</span> <span style="color:#000000">HOU:</span> <span style="color:#FF0000">Steve Novak</span><span style="color:#000000">Overall Selection: 32</span><span style="color:#000000">Season Stats:</span> <span style="color:#FF0000">2.5 ppg, 1.2 rpg</span> <span style="color:#FFCC00">LAL:</span> <span style="color:#6600CC">Jordan Farmar</span><span style="color:#000000">Overall Selection: 26</span><span style="color:#FFCC00">Season Stats:</span> <span style="color:#6600CC">6.5 ppg, 1.8 rpg, 2.4 apg</span> <span style="color:#FF0000">Houston's X-Factor</span><span style="color:#FF0000">Shane Battier</span><span style="color:#000000">Season Stats: 8.7 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 2.8 apg</span><span style="color:#FF0000">He needs to play his best defense tonight on Kobe Bryant. I don't know how else to put it. Nobody can stop Kobe, but Battier needs to at least disrupt him.</span><span style="color:#6600CC">LA's X-Factor</span><span style="color:#6600CC">Kwame Brown</span><span style="color:#FFCC00">Season Stats: 8.9 ppg, 6.3 rpg, 1.1 bpg</span><span style="color:#6600CC">Kwame is a pretty good low post defender. He needs to really play his best defense tonight. This isn't any average center he's dealing with tonight, he's dealing with the tallest and the best center in Yao. He needs to step up and play good defense on him, without getting into foul trouble.</span> <div align="center">Key Matchup vs. <span style="color:#FF0000">Shane Battier</span> <span style="color:#000000">vs.</span> <span style="color:#6600CC">Kobe Bryant</span></div><span style="color:#000000">IMO, Kobe Bryant is the best player in the entire world right now. Battier will be matched up with Kobe defensively, and he's a pretty good defender. We'll see how well he plays Kobe tonight.</span> CelticBalla's Extra Thoughts/NotesI was really looking forward to seeing Kobe vs. T-Mac, and it makes everything even worse now that Odom is out as well. Oh well, watching Kobe is always a treat, and Yao is the best center in the NBA, IMO. This should still be a solid game. CelticBalla's PredictionI think this will be a good game, but I think the Lakers will take it. They always play well at home, Kobe is getting it going now, and Houston has no T-Mac. Yao will do his damage, but I think LA will come out with the W.
Oh my god, am I the only BBW member watching this game? This game is unbelievable! Yao has been excellent, Kobe has almost 50 points. This is going into double OT! Wow, all of you guys are missing out big time.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (Lakaboy42 @ Dec 15 2006, 10:45 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Kobe might as well have had a triple double, Kwame missed two OPEN layups in a row.</div>Yeah, I know...Kwame made me so made with those layups he missed, but Kobe still played incredible with or without a triple double with his 13th carear 50 point game. Smush played pretty well tonight as well. I watched the whole game minus the first quarter and all I can say is...what a comeback! :dribble:
Lakers are really putting it together I've been thinking they are a serious sleeper and a possible contender. Smush is playing as good as ever, walton is becoming the perfect role player bynum has potential to have a good year and of course kobe is kobe and odom couldnt be asked to do anything more. I really like this team right now and I think they'll go deep.
<div class='quotetop'>QUOTE (mavsfan1000 @ Dec 16 2006, 04:48 PM) <{POST_SNAPBACK}></div><div class='quotemain'>Yeah I watched the ending. It made me sick to my stomach.</div>And that is the difference between kobe and Dirk. When the pressure is on Dirk, he wilts. Kobe rises to the occasion. Down 21. Dirk would've given up. Not kobe.Shane battier said it best. Kobe bryant is one of the greatest players of all time.But honestly, the defense late in the game was amazing. Smush had an outstanding game particularly defensively. Kwame seriously needs to die, if you can't make a lay up then dunk it. Damn it.
Yeah even the game the mavs won it never seemed like the Lakers were out of it. The lakers seem to be really streaky throughout a game. No safe leads against them.
