Time: 7:30 p.m. Location: Arco Arena TV: ESPN ---------------------- Probable Starters: Gary Payton/Mike Bibby Kareem Rush/Doug Christie Devean George/Peja Stojakovic Brian Cook/Brad Miller Slava Medvedenko/Vlade Divac ---------------------------------- Injury Report: Lakers- Rick Fox-Out Shaquille O'Neal-Out Karl Malone-Out Kobe Bryant-Out Kings- Chris Webber-Out ------------------- Keys to the game: Lakers- The keys for Los Angeles is they'll have to go with the exact gameplan they went with 2 nights ago. Gary Payton will have to get not only himself going, but the rest of his teammates involved at all times. He'll also have to keep his team motivated too because with a young squad being displayed tonight against a raucous Arco crowd, things could suddenly get out of control. Slava Medvedenko will have to display a replica of a performance like he had 2 nights ago. He'll probably have to take a large number of shots tonight, and also have a fair share of both offensive and defensive rebounds. I've heard Brian Cook should start tonight, and he has taken advantage of his minutes well since Karl Malone has been injured. Devean George will definitely have to break out of his first half slump and start making some shots. Also, he'll have a tough job to guard Peja all night. Something he's not really used to doing. My last key: Defense. The Lakers held a high-scoring team, the Denver Nuggets to 71 points. And with Sacramento's high powered offense, they'll really have to play solid defense for 48 minutes total. Kings- The keys for Sacramento is they'll have to take advantage of the Lakers injuries. Since Shaq, Malone, and Kobe are out nursing their injuries, their frontcourt should have no problems having their way in the paint. Peja will have to get jumpstarted early to get this offense rolling. And with Rick Fox out, (normally the man that guards him) he shouldn't have a problem either. Plus, with the Lakers poor perimeter defense, it could be a long night for Los Angeles. And who can forget about Mike Bibby? We know what he can do when he comes off screens and is open for a shot. The new acquisition, Brad Miller has really stepped up his game to a new level, and his stats tell the story: (15.0 ppg, 10.60 rebounds) If somebody doesn't play solid defense on this guy, he can explode for a triple-double. And he does rank #2 in the league in that category. Laker Fever's prediction- I was very impressed with the Lakers blowout win in Denver two nights ago, but if you look at the Kings offense. They are filled with so many weapons..and are playing excellent basketball right now. This game won't be a blowout, but the Lakers will keep it close to the finish. Kings by 10.
Kings by 18... I think they'll smash the Lakers... 'Though I thought the Nuggets would crush them too... But the Lakers make no chance without Shaq & Kobe... The Mailman is still out... It'll be a long game for L.A.
I think the Kings will really work the Lakers. Everybody saw how Denver went in unprepared and lost badly, the Kings will be ready for this. Kings by 15+.
Lakers looked great the other night, but there's no way their coming out with a win tonight. Kings are way too powerful for the Lakers lineup right now, Kings by 15.
I know you guys took a tough Nuggets team at home but this one is in arco.If Kings play like they have been lately at home,then it should be a 20+ blowout.If Shaq is still out of course...
I would love to predict a Laker win but it just isn't likely without Shaq and @ Arco. Kings win by 13 but the Lakers do the best they can!
I forgot to mention that almost the only way the Kings could lose is if they TOTALLY underestimate the Lakers. The Lakers need to shoot a high percentage, knock down their free-throws, and Phil Jackson needs to find the right rotations. Horace Grant is doubtful to play tonight, so that means one less bigman. Hopefully Jamal Sampson can put up a nice game..
Damn. I have to say queens by at least 10. No kobe, shaq or malone tonight. GP isnt gonna get it done alone
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting sactown_dyme:</div><div class="quote_post">Kings by 12. If you don't come to ARCO with all you got, forget about it.</div> Yep, and obviosly we didn't come to Arco with ALL WE HAD, 3 injuries to our superstar players. :mrgreen:
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Kosarkas:</div><div class="quote_post">Kings by 6. </div> With all the Laker injuries and the King's style of play, how could you predict under 10? The Kings won by 20, as expected. Talk about gettin' in that ass...
The Kings bench is arguably better than our current starting 5. We simply didn't have the firepower to keep up with the Kings and they eventually pulled out of reach. The only positive I can take from this game is the way Kareem Rush played. He not only shot the ball well from outside, he started taking it to the hole, similar to the way he did in college. The Lakers played a sloppy game and looked intimidated out there. Errant passes, rushed shots, and no post game at all.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting lakeshow:</div><div class="quote_post">Damn. I have to say queens by at least 10. No kobe, shaq or malone tonight. GP isnt gonna get it done alone</div> Last time I checked, there wasn't any team in the NBA called the queens
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting sactown_dyme:</div><div class="quote_post">Last time I checked, there wasn't any team in the NBA called the queens </div> Dont beleive me? Ask shaq. He'll tell you its true :mrgreen:
