<div align="center"> <font color="purple">Los Angeles Lakers</font> (12-8) @ <font color="green">Seattle Sonics</font> (17-4) Date: Tuesday, December 14th Time: 7:00 PM TV: KCAL, NBALP Previous Games: Magic @ Lakers 105-98 (WIN) Celtics @ Sonics 98-84 (LOSS) Projected Starting Lineups <font size="1">(Rudy Tomjanovich)</font> <font size="1">(Chucky Atkins, Kobe Bryant, Caron Butler, Lamar Odom, Chris Mihm)</font> <font size="4">VS</font> <font size="1">(Nate McMillan)</font> <font size="1">(Luke Ridnour, Ray Allen, Rashard Lewis, Reggie Evans, Jerome James)</font> Factors off the Bench <font size="1">(Tierre Brown, Antonio Daniels)</font> Game MVPs LAKERS - <font color="purple">Kobe Bryant</font> Predicted Stats: 34 points, 11 rebounds, 8 assists SONICS - <font color="green">Ray Allen</font> Predicted Stats: 29 points, 8 rebounds, 6 assists</div> Brandon's Analysis Key word for the Lakers tonight: defense. Bigger word? Interior. No matter what, the Lakers cannot afford to give the Sonics' guards the lane for penetration tonight. Easy buckets for the Sonics include open jumpers and threes, so allowing Daniels and Ridnour to break into the interior defense and kick it out for a shot...well...it could be a long night for the purple and gold. Also, the Lakers need to keep Fortson out of this game. Put him in foul trouble before he grabs 10 boards in 20 minutes, because Mihm and Odom will have trouble against Fortson on the boards, and winning the rebounding game (especially when preventing second chance points) will be the first step in taking home a victory in Seattle. I really don't believe the Lakers will have an answer for Ridnour and/or Daniels. Again, I STRESS that Bobbitt should be playing in this game (although he's listed as injured, I don't believe he is). Otherwise, our backcourt defense comes from Kobe only, and that's not good enough to contain 3 or 4 good offensive players. Tierre will have to step up and match Daniels/Ridnour shot by shot, because his defense (as well as Atkins' defense) isn't good enough to stop them from penetrating numerous times throughout the game. The big matchup tonight will be Kobe vs. Ray (I bet you would've never guessed). We all know both Kobe and Allen will get theirs...but aside from that, how about Caron and Rashard? Tonight is the night for Butler to step up and play like a starter, instead of an NBDL player...because Rashard won't be so easy to push around. Brandon's Prediction The Sonics are going to open this game by shooting the lights out in Seattle, and will have the crowd in their favor at the same time. At the half, they'll go into the locker room with a five point lead. After the third, the Lakers may be down by as much as 10, but this will change late in the fourth, and it will come down to Kobe vs. Allen, and I believe that both will force this game into the last seconds, where Kobe will be the savior for Los Angeles and will make two crucial free throws to put the game away and give the Lakers a much-needed victory, 98-96.
This should be a good game; it?s a continuation of the Kobe Ray feud that has started this season. Is it just me, or does Kobe have a lot of beef, Nas, Shaq, Phil, Ray, he has got in to many conflicts before all these people also. But if I were the Lakers as of now I wouldn?t be focusing on inside defense and penetration, they Sonics don?t really have a true interior scoring threat or a person who thrives on penetration. What the Lakers need to focus on is perimeter defense; the Sonics are well known this season to be the best 3-point shooting team in the league. I expect the matchup between Kobe and Ray Allen to be a good one, but the Lakers will win this game and Kobe wil get the best out of Ray. Despite that Sonics win 112-99.
The only way the Lakers have the chance to win this game is by getting off to a fast start, If they allow the Sonics to get going early they will not comeback. The Sonics are too good of a shooting team. They play alot on confidence, when their confidence is high they rarely let up.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Silky Smooth:</div><div class="quote_post">This should be a good game; it?s a continuation of the Kobe Ray feud that has started this season. Is it just me, or does Kobe have a lot of beef, Nas, Shaq, Phil, Ray, he has got in to many conflicts before all these people also. </div> Nas? Kobe doesn't have a beef with Nas, Nas put him in his song in a negative aspect and suddenly Kobe has a beef with him? weird, Also I think you combo the Shaq-Kobe-Phil Fued in one, because frankly, they all did something to cause it, I like the Ray-Kobe fued tho, I mean they always put on a good game when playing which means good basketball.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Billa_Bong:</div><div class="quote_post">Nas? Kobe doesn't have a beef with Nas, Nas put him in his song in a negative aspect and suddenly Kobe has a beef with him? weird, Also I think you combo the Shaq-Kobe-Phil Fued in one, because frankly, they all did something to cause it, I like the Ray-Kobe fued tho, I mean they always put on a good game when playing which means good basketball.</div> Well it?s not necessarily a beef I guess, but what do you consider it then? I think its beef when someone has a problem with somebody else, and they say something about it. That means he has beef with Kobe. But if you don?t think that?s considered beef, I guess you could call it external conflict.
Anyway, Flip Murray and Potapenko are back for the Sonics tonight. Flip is a great scorer off the bench, and really only needs to play 10-15 minutes to be productive for us tonight. Play him at the pg with Ray at sg, and the Lakers are screwed. Kobe can only guard one guy. I also think that people are overestimating the Lakers' ability to exploit the lack on an interior for the Sonics. The only games where the Lakers own the paint is when Kobe decides to prove that he can dish like Nash. That's not going to happen on a night when he's trying to embarass Ray Allen. Unless Mihm learns how to create his own shot within the next couple hours, I don't see the Lakers owning the interior. Sonics win by at least 10 tonight. <font color="Red"><font size="1">Content removed. Let's keep it about the Sonics/Lakers, please. -Brandon</font></font>
The game, Lakers need to play a team game, get Odom involved, Caron needs to come out of his slump to help stop Rashard and the Lakers might be able to pull this off, Mihm needs to have a monster game like last sunday. <font color="Red"><font size="1">Content removed. Stick to topic, guys. -Brandon</font></font>
i think kobes going to have a good game...but i hope he doesnt get distracted to much by all the crap between him and Ray and try to go one on one to much. i think it'll be a close game but the lakers will win 109-102. <font color="Red"><font size="1">Content removed. There's a thread all about Malone already. -Brandon</font></font>
I think Mihm will have a game similiar to the one he had against the Magic where he will dominate do to the lack in interior big men that can actually do something on the Sonics team. I think for the Lakers to win tonight they NEED Odom to produce he can use his size so easily in this contest on Evans to over power him and get to the baskets I do not want to see this game become a Kobe and Allen shoot out. Let it be the battle inside the war not the entire story line of the game. I think that this could be the game where Butler breaks out Lewis is a much better offensive player then defensive player. In fact he is not great or good at all on defense compared to other players in the league. I think the main thing the Lakers have to do stat wise to win this game is dominate the board Seattle is 29th in the league in rebounds per contest when at home with only 39.14 while the Lakers are 14th in the NBA in rebounding when on the road with 41.75. What the boards and rebounding show is Seattles true weakness there inside game the Lakers should get many second chance oppurtunities in this game enough to win they can not settle for the jumper unless it is wide open they need to force the ball inside as much as they can. The Lakers also need to hold on to the ball the Sonics average 7 steals against opponents when at home so turnovers may kill us this game. Real Deal although I would like to see Kobe score as many points as you stated in your preview Im really hoping that he takes less shots I would not mind seeing him only score 22 points, but get into double digits in assists, because if he scores 34 points it will most likely be because it has turned into a Kobe-Allen game, and thats not what I think the Lakers need to do in order win. By the way nice preview
Lakers on the road against a top western team? No win for them. Ray Allen usually does better than Kobe. With Caron, Kobe, Odom, and the rest of the lakers struggling, I just dont see them winning. Seattle wins this one 101-95
If Odom steps up we will win if he doesnt we wont. And also if this turns into a Ray Kobe shootout we wont get out with a W unless Kobe shoots over 50%. If Kobe puts up a triple dounle we have a good chance of winning. Go Lakers!
I'm "watching" this game in a flash window....most significant stat of the first half is that the Sonics are +7 in assists (9-2). And the three is falling......
WTF is Tierre doing get him out of there all he is doing is penetrating and causing turnovers or throwing up airballs. Cmon Rudy.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Real Deal:</div><div class="quote_post">BOBBITT. I almost hope Atkins breaks his hip soon.</div> I dont know about Bobbitt man, he had a good preseason, so did Brown..but look how he is panning out, some players are not meant for this league, I really dont think Bobbitt would make any difference in this game... and As I type this, Tierre throws up another air ball...
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Kobe 8 Ball:</div><div class="quote_post">I dont know about Bobbitt man, he had a good preseason, so did Brown..but look how he is panning out, some players are not meant for this league, I really dont think Bobbitt would make any difference in this game... and As I type this, Tierre throws up another air ball... </div> I don't expect Bobbitt to score a single point. I expect him to play great defense and throw some assists...that's my ideal point guard right now.
Looking at the scoreboard and watching the play-by-play, it looks to me as if nobody is worth anything on this team but Kobe Bryant...so for those of you who continue to say that Kobe should get everyone else involved, pass to Odom more, etc...here's your proof that this is all Kobe's team, and nobody else is worth touching the ball. Odom misses a layup, then a tip in, then I read before that where he missed another lay in. Butler can't play a lick of defense, Atkins can't hit a shot to save his life, and Mihm just sucks on the boards and can't shoot, either.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Real Deal:</div><div class="quote_post">Looking at the scoreboard and watching the play-by-play, it looks to me as if nobody is worth anything on this team but Kobe Bryant...so for those of you who continue to say that Kobe should get everyone else involved, pass to Odom more, etc...here's your proof that this is all Kobe's team, and nobody else is worth touching the ball.</div> Yeah, but at the same time there's really no excuse for a guard to have zero assists. But it sounds like you are in the same boat as me, not really watching the game so we cant see if Kobe is actually passing and they just aren't finishing.
