<div align="center">@ <font color="purple">The Los Angeles Lakers (28-27)</font> @ <font color="green">The Boston Celtics (29-28)</font> Time: 4:30 PM Pacific (tape delay) Place: Fleetcenter TV: KCAL, NBALP</div> <div align="center"><font size="5"><font color="purple">Lakers' Head Coach</font></font> <font color="purple">Frank Hamblen</font></div> <div align="center"><font size="5"><font color="purple"> Lakers' Projected Starting Lineup</font></div></font> <div align="center"> <font color="purple">Chucky Atkins: 13.4 ppg, 4.3 apg, 2.7rpg Kobe Bryant: 27.6 ppg, 6.7 apg, 6.1 rpg Caron Butler: 14.4ppg, 1.7 apg, 5.3 rpg Lamar Odom: 15.5 ppg, 3.5 apg, 10.3 rpg Chris Mihm: 10.5 ppg, .6 apg, 6.8 rpg</font></div> <div align="center"><font size="5"><font color="green">Celtics' Head Coach</font></font> <font color="green">Doc Rivers</font></div> <div align="center"><font size="5"><font color="green">Celtics' Projected Starting Lineup</font></font> <font color="green">Delonte West: 4.7 ppg, 1.2 apg, 1.3 rpg Ricky Davis: 15.0 ppg, 2.9 apg, 2.8 rpg Paul Pierce: 21.8 ppg, 4.1 apg, 6.8 rpg Antoine Walker: 20.7 ppg, 3.7 apg, 9.5 rpg Raef Lafrentz: 11.3 ppg, 1.2 apg, 7.3 rpg</font> </div> <div align="center"><font size="5"><font color="purple">Bench</font><font color="green"> Factors</font></font> (<font color="purple">Jumaine Jones</font>,<font color="green">Al Jefferson</font>) </div> <div align="center"><font size="5"><font color="purple">Key</font><font color="green"> Players</font></font> (<font color="purple">Kobe Bryant</font>, <font color="green">Antoine Walker</font>) Projected Stats <font color="purple">Kobe Bryant: 28 points, 9 assists, 7 rebounds</font> <font color="green">Antoine Walker: 24 points, 4 assists, 11 rebounds</div></font> <font size="5">Keys to the Game</font> <font color="purple">Los Angeles:</font> <ul> [*]<font color="purple">Defend</font>- The Lakers have lost their last thier last 3 games because they simply can't play defense. They need to get back in transition, defend the 3, and stop easy baskets. It really isn't that hard. [*]<font color="purple">Season Over?</font>- I said last preview, the Lakers needed to beat the Knicks to make the playoffs...I am holding to that, but the Lakers don't have to. Come in here and play with F'ing urge and want to win. [*]<font color="purple">Production From EVERYONE</font>- Chris Mihm, Lamar Odom, Chucky Atkins, Caron Butler, Jumaine Jones, Tierre Brown, and the rest of the gang all need to step up and help Kobe out. [/list] <font color="green">Boston:</font> <ul> [*]<font color="green">Attack From the Start</font>- They are going up against a deflated Laker team. If they come in here early and hit their shots, play D, they will leave with a win. [*]<font color="green">Antoine</font>- He has looked great so far with the Celtics. He should be able to take it to Lamar who has struggled all year with players bigger than him. [*]<font color="green">Run</font>- Lakers haven't been able to stop the run lately, if they can get out and run, they can turn this into a long night for the Lakers. [/list] <font size="5">Random Movie Quote*: </font> Mike Lowery: It ain't exactly a pool, man. It's like a big-ass puddle wrapped in blue plastic. *Idea stolen from Supersonic <font size="5"> Prediction</font> Well, the Lakers have lost 3 in a row..why not make it 4? My confidence in them has been shattered lately...Boston wins 105-100.
A team on the rise versus a team on the decline. The Lakers are playing one good quarter per game and that's it. The Lakers struggled in Staples against the Celtics a few days ago, and now the Celtics have Antoine Walker for the Lakers to deal with. The Celtics are going to destroy us with the pick and roll all night long. The Lakers are frustrated and Kobe emphasized it tonight slamming the ball at the end of the game and yelling at Luke. The Lakers have only lost 3 games once this season, but they are in a position to lose 4 games in a row and drop to .500. The Lakers are playing themselves out of the playoffs instead of taking a stronger position against the struggling TWolves. I also felt the Knicks game was a must win, and my confidence took a hit in the team after that loss. After the Celtics it doesn't get any easier with the Mavs (twice), the Pacers, and then the Clippers. Conceivably the Lakers could lose all four of those games as well. I think we'll find out early on if the Lakers have given up on themselves yet, or if they start to play with urgency. If the Lakers win the first half and keep the Celtics under 50, I'll have hope they make the playoffs, if not expect a Laker Lottery thread started Thursday morning.
So far lakers lead end of the 1st 30-27. It would be more but with 30+ secs left jumaine fouled Peirce while he was shooting a 3 AND1, he made the basket and the foul for the 4pt play....costly. They have been covering pretty well, and putting a hand up in the shooters face. A couple forced turnovers as well. Kobe has 17 in the first on 6-8 shooting from the floor Chucky has 9 pts Lamar and Caron both with 2 each. Mihm left eary with 2 quick fouls as usual. early second qtr...35-29 lakers..... Lakers had a chance to go up by 10, but jumanji dribbled the ball out of bounds, which is his 3rd mis-cue of the game thus far. Lakers have played pretty good defense, best ive seen in a while. making the celts force shots and they are contesting those shots, and have a few team blocks. They are getting out on the break also. Mid 2ndd qtr... lakers lead 42-37.....the refs are starting to control the game, there has been 3 looseball fouls they missed,funny it was cook 2 times and odom once who didnt get the call. Walton is in and should have 3 assists, missed layups give him 1. Cook has had a bunch of rebounds but a few were stripped from him HOLD ON TO THE BALL LAKERS! 2:35 left in the 1st half, lakers are up 49-45, Chucky with the AND1, this is his 2nd or 3rd AND1...hes attacking the basket and playing with alot of heart. Caron's defense has stepped up huge so far and the lakers have controled this half, but havent been able to capitolize with a huge lead. Ricky davis is killing LA with the pick and pops. 11-2 run for Boston to close the half......celtics lead 56-51...i LOVE watching my lakers fall apart at the end of qtrs...LOVE IT!!!!<sarcasm> Ricky davis has 19 first half pts/ Peirce has 16 Kobe with 21 Chucky with 12 After another half of lakers basketball im thoroughly sick to my stomach 79-77 Lakers LEAD! end of 3rd qtr.... Lakers played much better that qtr then the 2nd, they are still fouling a bit too much tho. They need to outscore the celtics in the 4th for a victory..duhh! Come on Lakeshow
Marcus Banks killed us off the bench. No one can check him on team. Caron is struggling again tonight. The Celtics are already past the 50 point halftime mark, so the Lakers defense better show up, otherwise it's over if the Celtics hit the century mark.
LA Sh!%^ing the bed again..... Down by 6 with 6 minutes or so to go. All i have to say, if they lose this game.... i dont think ill be watching "Laker Basketball" for a while. SMH@ the Cakers....... Lame-er Odumb is by far the softest laker of all time! Chucky atkins is the only person playing hard out there (has the last 9 laker points) including Kobe. This is by far the worst defensive game kobe has played in a long time, ricky davis is doing whatever he feels like. Antione Walker aka Antione Foreman, is killin Lamar. Makin me so sick to my stomach. Welp, another GREAT LOSS by the Cakers..... im so disapointed in this team losing to a BUM celtic team. Ricky Davis, a streetballer....dismantled Kobe and the lakers Defense, Paul Peirce was himself....and Antoine Foreman killed the LA frontcourt. I cannot describe just how sick i am of this team, NO HEART! Mitch KupCake and the Loss Angeles Cakers....nice fit.
our season is over,bryant missed a three for the tie. we had a chance but we missed hte lsat shit agian. there is our season.4 losses to Bulls* teams
Yup..no playoffs for us. We can't play D. That is what gets you wins in the playoffs. Kobe and Chucky are the only two players worth keeping, becuase they are the only two players that give a sh it out there. Lamar is soft, Caron hasn't been the same since trade rumors swirled his way. Offseason moves: -Push for that Boozer trade...take offers for both Lamar and Caron. Get a better PG and move Atkins to the bench. -Fire Kupcake...get a new GM in here. -Hire Phil..possibly give him the GM job also...
How the hell does Kobe score 17 in the first quarter...and then score 9 points throught the rest of the game?
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Kobe 8 Ball:</div><div class="quote_post">How the hell does Kobe score 17 in the first quarter...and then score 9 points throught the rest of the game?</div> Including ZERO in the 4th quarter. Apparently he aggravated his ankle sprain and was limping around. It's possible Kobe is both physically and mentally drained at this point in the season. As great as he is, it appears Kobe has hit a wall. He's gone through a lot of off court business the last couple of weeks, just got back from an ankle injury, and being on the road and in a 4 game losing streak just drains a person. The Lakers made the same mistakes again, defense & turnovers in crunch time. The Lakers also resorted back to their 3point flurry, launching 23 shots and only shooting 23 free throw attempts. The Celtics were able to have 6 more field goal attempts than the Lakers and 6 more free throw attempts. The Lakers allowed the Celtics to have 26 assists and only 5 turnovers the entire game. Allowing that type of turnover ratio to any team in the league is going to lead to a loss. When a team continues to make the same mistakes, you have to start questioning the coaching. The Lakers have a talented team and are not playing the level of basketball the coach should demand and expect from them. Having to re-learn how to play defense is a cop out by the players, but that's when a coach has to dig into his players and punish them for not listening. Hamblen needs to start preaching defense, and if the starters are not responding put them on the bench and give someone else a try. However, it's hard to put the blame on Hamblen, because he was put into this situation unwillingly, and he himself has said the Lakers need a real head coach like a Phil Jackson leading this team. The players are walking all over Hamblen, because they know he's a temporary solution, so they aren't giving him the extra effort and executing the basic fundamentals on the court.
