<div align="center">@ <font color="navy">The New Jersey Nets (16-26)</font> @ <font color="purple">The Los Angeles Lakers (22-18)</font> Time: 7:30 PM Pacific Place: Staples Center TV: FSN, NBALP</div> <div align="center"><font size="5"><font color="navy">Net's Head Coach</font></font> <font color="navy">Lawrence Frank</font></div> <div align="center"><font size="5"><font color="navy"> Net's Projected Starting Lineup</font></div></font> <div align="center"> <font color="navy">(Jason Kidd, Vince Carter, Rodney Buford, Brian Scalabrine, Nenad Krstic) </font></div> <div align="center"><font size="5"><font color="purple">Laker's Head Coach</font></font> <font color="purple">Rudy Tomjanovich</font></div> <div align="center"><font size="5"><font color="purple">Lakers's Projected Starting Lineup</font></font> <font color="purple">(Chucky Atkins, Caron Butler, Jumaine Jones, Lamar Odom, Chris Mihm)</font> </div> <div align="center"><font size="5">Bench Factors</font> (<font color="navy">Travis Best</font>,<font color="purple">Brian Cook</font>) </div> <div align="center"><font size="5">Key matchup</font> (<font color="navy">Vince Carter</font>, <font color="purple">Caron Butler</font>) <font color="navy">Vince Carter:</font> 19.1 ppg, 3.8 apg, and 4.4 rpg <font color="purple">Caron Butler:</font>14.1 ppg, 1.6 apg, and 5.5 rpg</div> <font size="5">Keys to the Game</font> <font color="navy">New Jersey:</font> <ul> [*]Jason Kidd- Over the offseason, rumors where swirling that Kidd would be a Laker, well he isn't. Kidd must come in here and run this offense to perfection. The Lakers are going to be looking to avenge their last two losses and should come out with a fire in their eye on D. It is Kidd's job to put that fire out [*]Get Lamar into Foul Trouble- Lamar can't seem to stay out of foul trouble. If the Nets get him in it early, things will be much easier for them. Scalabrine isn't nearly as quick or as good as Lamar, but he is bigger. Give him the ball early and let him try to get some contact against Lamar. [*]Start Out with Surge- If the Nets come out with a flame in their eye early and score some easy buckets, that could be all they need to shut down the Lakers for the night. The Lakers are sliding, all they need is a horrible team to come in and beat them. [/list] <font color="purple">Los Angeles:</font> <ul> [*]Lamar- Is it that complicated Lamar? Stay out of foul trouble. You do your team no good by getting petty contact calls against you, give up the layup to your man that easily got away from you instead of drawing a foul on yourself and hurting your team. [*]Who Will Step Up Tonight?- What Laker will step up tonight in this game? Will it be Chucky? Caron? Lamar? or someone the Nets don't expect? Whoever it is, please do it. [*]Play with Passion- The Lakers are without Kobe and have lost two in a row. They are in danger of losing their playoff spot if they continue to slide. Come out strong on D and that will lead to some easy buckets on offense. [/list] <font size="5"> Prediction</font> L.A. should come out strong early in this one. They have lost their last two and do not look good right now. I think L.A. will come out to try to prove a point and win this one 101-89.
Please let this be a good game for us. Odom we need you so bad right now. This is the moment of truth for you. Lakers win by 10
Good points in your preview Kobe 8 Ball, especially the Lamar Odom one. He's been spending a lot of time in foul trouble the last few games. He was a non-factor in the Minny win, he got in foul trouble against the Sonics, and the other day he did the same against the Clippers. Lamar is complaining too, much to the referees and he's putting a target on himself. In those 3 games, he complained on being hacked on his drive, and the very next play on defense he got whistled for a foul. Lamar needs to realize he is the star on this team and the Lakers cannot win with on the bench. He's their best rebounder and playmaker, but he has to find a way to stay focused and on the court. The Lakers are playing against one of the weakest front court teams in the league. They better not shoot more than twelve three pointers tonight against a soft Nets squad. If the Lakers start bombing, it's going to lead right into Jason Kidd fast breaks off the long rebounds. The Nets have a terrible record, but they are in every game, and are slowly turning the corner, trying to get back in the playoff hunt. The Lakers have not won or lost three games in a row, let's hope they don't break that streak tonight. With a Laker loss, they could drop as far down as the 9th seed in the West. The Rockets, TWolves, and Grizzlies are hot right now, and are taking advantage of a struggling Laker team.
Vince dunked on Mihm and made a 360 lay up in traffic! MAN THAT WAS NICE! Vince just killed you guys in the 3rd. He single handedly kept the Nets in the game. Oh man, he schooled the whole Laker team in the 3rd. <div class="quote_poster">Quoting trenchteam:</div><div class="quote_post">Dunk on VC baby!</div> Looks like VC was the one dunkin and takin the opposing team to school
<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Vince Carter scored 18 of his 30 points in the third quarter, Jason Kidd had 15 points and 11 assists, and the short-handed New Jersey Nets beat the Los Angeles Lakers 109-103 Friday night. The Lakers, coming off losses to Seattle and the Clippers, have dropped three straight for the first time since Jan. 19-22, 2004. Los Angeles is 3-4 since Kobe Bryant sprained his right ankle on Jan. 13 in a victory over Cleveland. Caron Butler had 31 points and 10 rebounds and Chucky Atkins added 22 points for the Lakers, who have allowed 100 or more points in six of their last seven games. Lamar Odom, who scored a career-high 34 points against the Nets on Feb. 18, 2001 while he was with the Clippers, had 16 points, 13 rebounds and eight assists. </div> http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/recap?gid=2005012813
Odom's game would be really nice...if Kobe was in the lineup. I am starting to believe more and more that Caron is a better fit here, Kobe gets along with Caron a lot. He has taken him under his wing, meanwhile on the other hand, Lamar can't stay out of foul trouble. Things are starting to look very bleak, I am starting to lose some faith in a playoff spot...
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting AirJordan:</div><div class="quote_post">Vince dunked on Mihm and made a 360 lay up in traffic! MAN THAT WAS NICE! Vince just killed you guys in the 3rd. He single handedly kept the Nets in the game. Oh man, he schooled the whole Laker team in the 3rd. Looks like VC was the one dunkin and takin the opposing team to school </div> I just saw the highlights and OMG, that layup was sick That dunk was sick too.
VC was pulling off hlightlight reels like nothing. expect bitter raptor fans to start calling for his death. btw it was a terrible 3rd quarter indeed.
The VC layup was insane, and the look on Cook's face trying to draw the charge was priceless. I cannot believe the Lakers lost their third straight game. They let the second worst offensive team in the NBA score 109 points and shoot around 54% for the entire game. Players like Rodney Buford and Jacques Jones even lit up against the Lakers, including some clutch 3pointers at the end of the game. The Lakers outrebounded this team 55 to 28 and still managed to lose. The Nets took full advantage of the 17 Laker turnovers and pathetic defense. Vince Carter had a huge 3rd quarter, but the Lakers shut him down in the final quarter and had a legit chance at winning this game. In the closing minutes the Nets put Jason Kidd on Odom, and then rotated Jabari Smith over for the double team. NO LAKER cut to the basket or moved around. Everyone stood around and watched instead of getting open for Odom to find them for a wide open look. Ever since that win in Minnesota this team has played sloppy and forgot how to close out teams. The Lakers are relying too, much on their 3pt shooting and keep having to play comeback basketball because of it. Rudy T needs to get control of this squad and force his guys to play better defense. They've given up 100+ point their last four games and lost 3 out of those 4. If a player isn't going to play defense put him on the bench.
