Preview: Lakers @ Blazers 12/13/03 @ Day/Date: Saturday, 12/13/03 At: Rose Garden Time: 7:00 pm(PT) TV: Local Portland Trailblazers: 10-10 Quick fact: Blazers have been very solid at home this season winning all their games at home as they stand at a 10-2 record in the Rose Garden, and a 10-10 record overall. Previous 3 games - December 7th, Loss 93-79 @ Memphis High Pts: Z. Randolph 29 High Reb: Z. Randolph 13 - December 9th, Loss 91-93 @ Houston High Pts: Z. Randolph 31 High Reb: Z. Randolph 11 - December 10th, Loss 102-77 @ San Antonio High Pts: R. Wallace 23 High Reb: D.Davis 13 Los Angeles Lakers: 18-3 Quick fact: Lakers have done most of their damage at home, but this time they will hit the road where they are 5-3, with those 3 games all coming to road losses. Previous 3 games - December 4th, Win 114-103 @ Dallas High Pts: K. Bryant 32 High Reb: S. O'neal 19 - December 7th, Win vs Utah High Pts: K. Bryant 19 High Reb: S. O'neal 15 - December 9th, Win 98-90 vs New York High Pts: K. Bryant 21 High Reb: S. O'neal 15 Probale Starters Frontcourt Shaquille O'neal/Dale Davis Karl Malone/Dale Davis Deavan George/Rasheed Wallace Backcourt Kobe Bryant/Jeff Mcinnis Gary Payton/Damon Stoudamire Keys to the game Blazers - Have to hit those outside shots, Portland won't get much inside with defenders like Malone and Shaq in there. - Have to take advantage of being at home, control the tempo of the game, play solid defense. Lakers - Play your game, don't let being on the road bother you, run the offense and the transition like we always do and the Lakers should be fine. - Give the ball to Shaq, and let him eat through the defense, run the transition early, jump out to an early lead, and maintain the tempo for the rest of the game. Current Team Leaders Blazers - Points: Zach Randolph (22.5) - Rebounds: Zach Randolph (11.0) - Assists: Assists: Jeff Mcinnis (5.0) Lakers - Points: Kobe Bryant (21.8) - Rebounds: Shaquille O'neal (11.7) - Assists: Gary Payton (6.4) Key Match-up Zach Randolph vs Karl Malone This match-up can get phyiscal The 'X' factor Will the Blazers be able to shut down Shaq Daddy? My predictions Lakers win in a close one where the leads change a lot in the game. I take the Lakers by 4.
Great preview, To me though, the Lakers shouldn't really give the ball to Shaq most of the time because the Portland defense will just double team as many times as possible, and they'll eventually figure out how to stop us. I say to share the ball with our other superstars, and hopefully everybody can have the same amount of touches and an equality of points among our other scorers. Just makes their defense much more confused and their coach more mind boggled.
I'm not fan of either these teams of course but this match-up is always good to watch.Lakers seem to have struggled at the rose garden the last few years in the regular season.Randolph is playing like a beast.Although you can afford for him to get his points inside as long as the Blazer guards don't get going early.Yet another round between Kobe and the so-called "Kobe stopper" I managed to see the Blazers on thursday they looked quite bad.However being back at home they could play the way everyone knows they can.You being on a back to back could be a problem.
This is a great preview, and I think this should be combined with the other Maverick and Laker thread...
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting MVPlaya:</div><div class="quote_post">This is a great preview, and I think this should be combined with the other Maverick and Laker thread...</div> What would the point in that be? You need different topics for each game thread.Otherwise the forum pages will never get filled up.It is harder for people to find.
What do you mean what would the point be, this thread and the other are basically the same. Just this has a good preview. You just need one thread for each game...
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting MVPlaya:</div><div class="quote_post">What do you mean what would the point be, this thread and the other are basically the same. Just this has a good preview. You just need one thread for each game...</div> How is it the same when Lakers are playing two different teams? You need a new thread for every preview for different teams.Not hard to understand.
right now the Lakers are leading 74-73 with 2:43 left in the third Kobe- 19pts on 5-10 from the field, 3 baords, 6 assists Shaq- 14 pts 7 boards Malone- 14pts 8brds Gp- 10pts 4 assists Wallace- 21pts 4brds Randolph- 17pts 9boards
Blazers get the win 112-108 Damon Stoudamire was the key late on with back to back threes.25 points 8 assists for him.Don't know whats has happened to your defence.Lakers couldn't stop Wallace and Randolph inside.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting allnet:</div><div class="quote_post">Blazers get the win 112-108 Damon Stoudamire was the key late on with back to back threes.25 points 8 assists for him.Don't know whats has happened to your defence.Lakers couldn't stop Wallace and Randolph inside.</div>Lakers lose two straight?! I like it.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Rudeezy:</div><div class="quote_post">Lakers lose two straight?! I like it.</div> I do too, I watched Dallas destroy them last night and my Blazers take them out tonight, what a good weekend !!
Tough loss for the Lakers. There shouldn't be any excuses for lettin this one go... 2 straight losses? They should bounce back their next game against the Nuggets. Interesting game, Kobe VS Carmelo, seems like a easy win for the Lakers but Nuggets are a great team.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Purple N Gold:</div><div class="quote_post"> My predictions Lakers win in a close one where the leads change a lot in the game. I take the Lakers by 4.</div> Wow, you jynxed your team lol jk but thats pretty weird that you got the score difference right. You gonna do a preview in for Nuggets and Lakers game?
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Trail_Blazer76:</div><div class="quote_post">Take this Shaq mommy! </div> here ya go...i like this one much morel....i cant believe we lost that game...Stoudamire killed us...good game by Kobe though
Blazers controled this one from start to finish.Something is wrong if anyone thought Lakers deserved to win this game.Patterson was so active.So many dunks.Why? because he is an energy bunny.Too quick for the old guys to keep up.Thats why Lakers will struggle with teams who have fast pace guards along with teams who run well as a team.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting allnet:</div><div class="quote_post">Too quick for the old guys to keep up.Thats why Lakers will struggle with teams who have fast pace guards along with teams who run well as a team.</div> We won't "struggle" against teams who run well, that's insane to say that. Portland may have came out with the win against us, but just check it out! Lakers 18-5(#1 in Western Conference) Portland 11-10(not in a playoff seed) This loss shouldn't concern Laker fans, Portland has played well at home, we'll get the next one against Denver.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Purple N Gold:</div><div class="quote_post">We won't "struggle" against teams who run well, that's insane to say that. Portland may have came out with the win against us, but just check it out! Lakers 18-5(#1 in Western Conference) Portland 11-10(not in a playoff seed) This loss shouldn't concern Laker fans, Portland has played well at home, we'll get the next one against Denver.</div> 4 out of 5 Laker losses came against teams who love to get up and down the floor Hornets Grizzles Mavs Blazers So that kind of proves my point about the running teams.Lakers can play very lazy defence when facing these kind of teams.They slack off at times. Why are you pulling out the standings of where Lakers and Portland are for? what has that got to do with anything?
