<div align="center"> Memphis Grizzlies: 10-15 Los Angeles Lakers: 13-10 Date: Monday, December 20th Time: 7:30 PM TV: FSN, NBALP Previous Games: Nets @ Grizzlies 89-84 (WIN) Wizards @ Lakers 120-116 OT (LOSS) <font size="1">(Mike Fratello)</font> C - <font color="deepskyblue">Lorenzen Wright</font> PF - <font color="deepskyblue">Pau Gasol</font> SF - <font color="deepskyblue">James Posey</font> SG - <font color="deepskyblue">Mike Miller</font> PG - <font color="deepskyblue">Jason Williams</font> <font size="1">*stats unavailable until Sunday's Clippers/Grizzlies game</font> <font size="4">VS</font> <font size="1">(Rudy Tomjanovich)</font> C - <font color="Purple">Chris Mihm</font> (10.9 PPG, 6.2 RPG, 0.4 APG) PF - <font color="Purple">Lamar Odom</font> (14.5 PPG, 10.4 RPG, 2.6 APG) SF - <font color="Purple">Caron Butler</font> (13.2 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 1.4 APG) SG - <font color="Purple">Kobe Bryant</font> (27.7 PPG, 7.6 RPG, 7.3 APG) PG - <font color="Purple">Chucky Atkins</font> (10.9 PPG, 2.6 RPG, 3.6 APG) GRIZZLIES - <font color="deepskyblue">Bonzi Wells</font> Predicted Stats: 18 min, 10 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assists LAKERS - <font color="purple">Tierre Brown</font> Predicted Stats: 16 min, 8 points, 2 rebounds, 3 assists GRIZZLIES - <font color="deepskyblue">Pau Gasol</font> Predicted Stats: 24 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists LAKERS - <font color="purple">Kobe Bryant</font> Predicted Stats: 29 points, 10 rebounds, 11 assists </div> The Grizzlies' season has been less than fabulous so far in Memphis, and the same can be said about the Los Angeles Lakers, who are coming off a heart-breaking loss to the Wizards Friday night, after picking apart the Sacramento Kings the previous night. Although Kobe Bryant recorded his fourth triple-double of the season, the Lakers found themselves at a disadvantage once again, due to the one thing that they've yet to grasp this season: defense. If 48 minutes of an exposed weakness wasn't enough, the last five minutes were...when it mattered most. The Memphis Grizzlies have a connection...and I'm not talking about dial up. The great passing skills of Jason Williams will be tested against the Lakers on Monday for the second time this season. In their first meeting, J-Will dropped 17 points, with 6 side orders of assists, in only 24 minutes of playing time...and Memphis ran away with the win at home, 110-87. Let's not avoid the other details, that include the Grizzlies shooting 10% better than the Lakers, where Kobe went a nasty 4-19 from the field. Best in the West? Not in this game. Don't expect a poor performance from Kobe in this meeting. The Lakers are stepping it up each game, even if it's a little at a time, and Kobe's shooting has improved as well. Against the Grizzlies, you can bet on a fifth triple-double by Bryant, unless Stromile Swift is given significant minutes in the paint. Otherwise, Los Angeles will work on ball distribution in the first half, and Kobe will take over the game in the 3rd quarter. As far as the 4th goes, it will depend on how well the Lakers' defense holds up against Pau Gasol and James Posey. If the Lakers keep a nice 8-10 point lead going into the 4th, Kobe may rest up, and Rudy T will go with Jumaine Jones and possibly Sasha Vujacic before the game comes to a close. If the game is close, or they trail the Grizz, Kobe will look to get Atkins involved from beyond the arc, as well as himself and hopefully Lamar Odom...who was very effective in the win versus the Kings on Thursday. Tierre Brown and Bonzi Wells will be the "Who Dat" players of the game, the sixth men for the Lakers and Grizzlies. Brown may be tossed into the game to run with Earl Watson, while Wells will be great off the bench if the Grizzlies wanna run late in the first half, or if they need an above-average defender to make a stop in the 4th. Don't make fun of their first names, because it may be their last names (on their jerseys) that you'll be seeing most of, as both Tierre and Bonzi can beat their defenders to the hoop. As a team, both the Lakers and the Grizzlies need to avoid turnovers. The Lakers are very successful on the fast break, especially when it's caused by the opposing team's turnover...while the Grizzlies can easily take advantage of the numerous TO's that the Lakers seem to rack up nearly every game this season. This may be the biggest factor of the game, and could determine the winner of this fight in Los Angeles. The Grizzlies are going to have to get Mihm in foul trouble, then work on Lamar Odom, before they have a good chance of winning this one. Memphis has no answer to Kobe whatsoever, but they can keep everyone else on their toes defensively, and if they expose the Lakers' defense early, they'll be on the Lakers' tails the entire game. However, Rudy Tomjanovich may place Odom on "high-priority" tonight, and Kobe should get close (or end up with) a triple-double. Odom scores 17 and pulls down 10 boards as the Lakers steal one away in the name of revenge, and hold the Grizzlies to under 100 points, 95-88.
Memphis sucks, that is all, Go Posey, somehow find your way to the Raptors Seriously though, I'd go Lakers by 7, the Lakers are at home, and Memphis hasn't been doing that great, they've been okay, it isn't a pushover game though, but we'll see.
well the lakers better win or else..... the game with the wizards should've been ours so hopefully they will bounce back from that loss
I won't make any predictions, just say that Memphis played (and won) tonight and will have to play a team with fresher legs than their own.
Thanks for having my back on tonight's game Real Deal, very appreciated..... I don't know what to believe on this Jekkyl/Hyde Laker team. Last week, I enjoyed watching our team just demolish and humilate the s*** out of the Sacramento Kings, then they return home and completely choke against the Washington Wizards. I think what we have to do is have a replica of a performance against Sacramento. Team unity, teammork on both sides of the floor, crashing the boards with a sense of willingness to get to each and every rebound, getting Lamar Odom in a flow offensively with aggressiveness and determination, and the ability to play defense since we just CHOKED previously in our last game. If we can accomplish these tasks, the Lakers should win by no better than seven.
Great job Real Deal ... your previews are getting fancier and fancier appearance wise, lol ... I think it will come down to how well Battier and Posey fair against Kobe...if they can frustrate him, and Jason williams runs circles around Atkins, I can forsee a long night for the Lakers.
Did someone kidnap Kobe and masquerade as him? Kobe with 8 pts only with 6 minutes left!!! Kobe, you gotta step up, NOW
Kobe has been forced to take some horrible shots tonight, the ball movement is horrible..this is just disgusting..we will not make the playoffs playing like this.
I'm watching the 4th quarter..the lakers are just shooting terrible..and I thnk they are being outrebounded pretty badly. Kobe isn't shooting that nicely either 2-14 ...well he's usually reliable but not tonight. It was a good game though stromile swift made some nice dunks! We can't blame kobe though ...he's passed the ball around and would have had 10 more assists if jumaine and chucky ,and butler made the open 3's. IT's not good when they shoot blanks in the 4th. 33% just doesn't cut it but I think they should use butler more on offense. He shot well and is very consistent at the ft line.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting drm2dnk:</div><div class="quote_post">I'm watching the 4th quarter..the lakers are just shooting terrible..and I thnk they are being outrebounded pretty badly. Kobe isn't shooting that nicely either 2-14 ...well he's usually reliable but not tonight. It was a good game though stromile swift made some nice dunks! We can't blame kobe though ...he's passed the ball around and would have had 10 more assists if jumaine and chucky ,and butler made the open 3's. IT's not good when they shoot blanks in the 4th. 33% just doesn't cut it but I think they should use butler more on offense. He shot well and is very consistent at the ft line.</div> drm2dnk...great post. I didn't get to see this one...but I'm disgusted. I don't have much to say...other than that Kobe needs to take a couple of days off and work on his shot all day long in the gym, along with every other Laker. Terrible shooting...I'm upset over this one.
You can eliminate about 7 of Kobe's missed shots because of shot clock running down and having to hoist up off balande shots. Just disgusting play, this team has no desire right now. We came out strong, but couldn't finish to save our lives.. The haters are going to have a field day with this one...hate away
Well you can't expect Caron Butler to make 3's... it's almost like Wade shooting a 3, except slightly better. Kobe... bad game. Odom... amazing. He is not just a role player, he is the 2nd man in charge. This is a strong duo and the Lakers have to exploit this. If 1 of them is doing bad then feed the other one, stop giving Kobe the rock to take bad shots, 2-14 just doens't cut it... even if he takes shot clock winding down shots, feed Odom since he's on fire???
Terrible shooting all around. They played solid defense, but couldn't make a shot for anything. One of the final Laker possessions with Caron Butler and everyone else shooting bricks said it all.
That game was boring lol Lakers take too long to get into their offense, forces them to take bad shots, seems like their's too much time to set up, and too much stand still dribbling in many games, that wasn't a nice game though...reminds me of the Raptors games last season except even that team shot better and passed the 85 points barrier.
og15 just shed some light on me, I never realized how long the Lakers took to set up plays. That is the major reason Kobe is forcing up shots with 3 seconds left, the more and more we lose, the more and more I want Atkins out of L.A. and the more I am favoring an acquistion of Jason Kidd.
