<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">The Lakers digested every disturbing detail of their most recent loss to the Clippers again Wednesday, Coach Frank Hamblen making his team endure two hours of film and a clear-the-air session before embarking on a season-long six-game trip. Grievances were declared and solutions discussed among a group of Lakers who are on the brink of making the wrong kind of history. If the playoffs began today, they would commence without the Lakers for the first time since 1994. We just have to win ballgames," said Hamblen, whose team is half a game behind the Denver Nuggets for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference. "The big thing about it is, we want to stay together as a team and not get fragmented." That could prove tricky heading into what Hamblen called a "monster" trip, a stretch of six games in nine days beginning tonight against the Dallas Mavericks. Four of the six games are against teams that would currently qualify for the playoffs, including the Southeast Division-leading Miami Heat. "This trip can help extend our season or shorten it," forward Lamar Odom said. "Right now, we're in a great position. Everyone is counting us out, saying they think we're not going to do it. It's the perfect time right now for us to sneak back up on a couple of these teams to try and get our spot back."</div> Source
Well, in two weeks from today.... LA will be facing Denver, in what could be the most important match of the year to date. As for now, every game is the most important.
