<div align="center"> </div> <div align="center"><font color="Black">Sacramento Kings </font> <font color="Black">(7-4)</font> @ <font color="Purple">Los Angeles Lakers </font> <font color="Purple">(7-5)</font> </div> <div align="center">Time: 7:30 p.m. PT Location: Staples Center TV: ESPN, National TV</div> Season Series: 0-0, First matchup of the year Previous Games: Rockets @ Kings 102-96 W Bucks @ Lakers 100-96 W Last 10 Games: Kings 7-3 (Won 6) Lakers 6-4 (Won 2) Head Coaches: Rick Adelman/Rudy Tomjanovich Probable Starters: Mike Bibby/Chucky Atkins Doug Christie/Kobe Bryant Peja Stojakovic/Caron Butler Chris Webber/Lamar Odom Brad Miller/Chris Mihm Sixth Men Bobby Jackson/Brian Cook Injury Report Kings No injuries to report* Lakers Slava Medvedenko Devean George Jumaine Jones Brian Grant Sasha Vujacic <div align="center">Players To Watch </div> <div align="center">Mike Bibby & Kobe Bryant</div> <div align="center">Bibby: 16.9 pts, 4.70 rebs, 6.0 assists, 1.00 steals Bryant: 28.1 pts, 6.90 rebs, 5.8 assists, 1.25 steals </div> <u>Emo's Laker Analysis</u> Continuing Offensive Contributions: In our wins against the Chicago Bulls and the Milwaukee Bucks in consecutive nights, our Los Angeles Lakers are at their best when all five starters are in double figures, and contribute their best effort when in fact Kobe Bryant creates with the basketball instead of using his selfish mentality to be the hero all the time. When we play within our offense, everybody is involved and every individual has a role to play. When we drift away from our plan, people stand around like spectators wondering whether or not to interfere with someone else's playmaking ability. This is our hated archrival we're going at Friday night. If there's no team unity in this game, ball movement, and teamwork going around amongst each other, we're finished. It's that simple. Crashing The Boards: We face a tough task of a Western Conference foe with a bigger frontcourt than what we currently have. Vlade Divac gets to play against his former team, but the problem is he only played five minutes against Milwaukee, so who knows if he'll be able to provide his muscle in our weak interior? This is when Chris Mihm and Lamar Odom have to be at their best yet again in this category. We need their athleticism to get to the basketball, aggressiveness, and most importantly their determination to box out thoroughly to win a fair share of the glass. We were outrebounded 47-35 in our last performance that resulted with what was a Laker victory, but we're still winless against healthy Western Conference teams at full strength. On top of that, we need to score more points inside. It's nice to know you have an opportunity to knock down a wide open shot, but if our star player Kobe Bryant is shooting 40.1% from the field, we're not doing a decent job. Strong penetrations to the basket forcing the Kings to draw contact will result in efficient free throw shooting for an easy two. Cutting Down On Turnovers: Only 10 against Milwaukee. Whew. If we continue to not make little mistakes in key offensive possessions, we should be just fine for 48 minutes straight. Laker Transition: The Kings through the years of this rivalry were always used to seeing our slow halfcourt offense in which we'd have to wait for Shaq to get down the court for our #1 option, now with Rudy T's run and gun style, TAKE IT TO THEM! Run them out of the gym to provide force for early breathers on their bench. Defense, Defense, DEFENSE!! We know the Kings are a offensive minded team with little need of the basic fundamental of defense, but here's a quick stat for everybody to know. When our Lakers hold opponents below 100 points, we win basketball games. When we give up more than 100 points on ANY given night so far, we lose. We need all 12 guys on our floor to put a body on someone, if it means fouling one King after another hard to put them on the line to shoot for it, so be it. <u>Emo's Laker Prediction 11/26/04</u> This is by far in this young NBA season, the biggest game of the year for our Lakers. I keep feeding this stat to you guys, but fellas we have yet to beat a top Western Conference foe this season. We're still winless in that category. Why not play the best basketball we could ever play in front of 18,997 fans at the Staples Center against our hated archrivals? I expect our guys to come out early in the 1st quarter, and playing the best basketball we could ever play in 12 games this season. For all our new Laker newcomers that know nothing of this rivalry and are experiencing it for the first time, Kobe will have each and every one of those guys fired up mentally, and ready to do some great damage Friday. I'm going with the Lakers by 15. And yes, a great way to have some leftover turkey watching the team WE Laker fans love to hate. <div align="center">Happy Thanksgiving everyone!</div>
Great Review! this will be a very nice game, a very nice game! i agree lakers will play the best game ever! (for this season) i say lakers by 6, that is if the score the first basket, who ever scores the first basket will win.
If the Kings don't underestimate the Lakers due to the fact that Shaq is no longer around, the Kings should take this game by an easy 11 points. However, if they do underestimate the Lakers which I believe they will do, Kobe and the gang will make them pay. But honestly, I think this game could go either way. But I'm going to have to go with the Kings on this on. Kings by 11. Also, for some reason I have a feeling Kobe may go for 40+ in this game, but then again who can?t go for 40+ on the Kings?
L.A. will win this one, the crowd will push them through, mark my words. I think the key matchup will be Caron V. Peja, can he contain him on defense and will he have a good offensive game? Yes he will and it will put the Lakers over the edge. Kobe will have his 28 pts, 5 assists and 5 rebounds, Odom will have his contributions. I take L.A. by 5
OMG Emo, this must be one of the greatest Analysis that i've ever read here. Great preview. My favorite part <div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">The Kings through the years of this rivalry were always used to seeing our slow halfcourt offense in which we'd have to wait for Shaq to get down the court for our #1 option, now with Rudy T's run and gun style, TAKE IT TO THEM! Run them out of the gym to provide force for early breathers on their bench.</div> But this is how the Kings play, or am i wrong here. Also you talked about defense. Good call. You need one of the best defense from our guys if you wanna win. Defense is the main focus against the Kings. Kobe knows how important these games are. If you win against the Kings you be the love of every Laker fan. This is what we need to shut all the haters up. My prediction on this one is: Lakers by 3. This game will be close but somehow we gonna make it.
I don't know about this one. I believe it's going to be close. Whether or not the Lakers win will not come down to defense, it's going to come down to offensive execution. When the Lakers play unselfish ball, they win. Simple as that. If they play selfish and just try to isolate their men off the dribble, they're doomed. They need to move the ball around and find a good shot. They have people who are capable of doing this in Kobe and Lamar when they isolate. But, in order for them to win, the key will be execution. If they can't play team basketball tonight, the Kings will take them. However, since I believe they will play as a team, I take the Lakers by 5 in overtime.
Like i have said on the Kings forum,this is a must win for both teams here.The Lakers haven't beaten any decent teams this year,and are strugglin a little bit in the NBA Pacfic conf in standings,so if the Lakers win it would be a big boost in my opinon...However the Kings need to beat some rivals in order to show that we are the best in the Pacfic.we have beaten the Suns given them 1 of 2 losses so far this year,and if we beat the Lakers this would help boost our confidence in the race for the NBA Pacfic. However like i suspect this will be a closely contested game between the 2 teams.it won't be a Laker Blowout like some people here have predicted(Emo,yes this means you LOL)Or a Kings blowout..this will be a game determined by the last minute,so it's possible that the game will go into overtime here. Too close to call for who will win,but we all know who i want to win
This is really going to be a close game, but a nice one too. Like Emo said, one of the Lakers's weaknesses is shooting inside, so we have to improve that to win the game. Plus, I would love to see Kobe put up some big numbers. What a great game to end Thanksgiving. Lakers by 4.
I take the Lakers by five. Kobe realizes how important this game is, and with all the criticism he's recieved, he should lead the Lakers nicely to another win.
Vlade Divac has been preparing for this game. This is a rivalry game so I think Kobe and the Lakers will come out with intensity and win it. Lakers by 6.
So far this year the Kings have not rebounded the ball very well at either end of the court. Since the same is true for the Lakers, a key for the upcoming game will be to gain an advantage in this area. Turnovers will also be something for the Lakers to be careful with since the Kings normally strong at converting turnovers into points. The Lakers will also need to perform better at defending the high scree roll. My prediction is that the Lakers perfom well in these areas and will win if the shoot the ball decent from the perimeter. I expect a very emotional, closely fought game. the lakers bigs will be inspired to play their best for vlade. vlade's been absolutely great in the lockerroom and especially key (along with kobe) in the development of chris mihm. vlade's also possess valuable knowledge of the game tendencies of the kings, especially that of peja, bibby and christie. this knowledge can be very helpful in how our guards and bigs deal with the kings', high screen and roll plays. I expect mike bibby to have an excellent game.
I can't predict this match, but the kings were definitely strong last year, this year haven't watched them but i hope that we whoop their ***, even though i think it will be really hard for both teams to win, if every member of the lakers does what he's supposed to do, we should win... but the kings are good at breaking down defence...
These two teams always go hard at it against each other. The Kings have a good guy to defend Kobe in Doug Christie, and meanwhile the Lakers have nobody to guard Webber and Miller. Both Webber and Miller have range and would draw Odom/Mihm away from the hoop. On offense, expect Odom to use his speed and length to beat Webber off the dribble and draw fouls. I expect a quiet game from Kobe, but a big one from Odom. Kings by 3.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Cody 7k:</div><div class="quote_post">I take the Lakers by five. Kobe realizes how important this game is, and with all the criticism he's recieved, he should lead the Lakers nicely to another win.</div> i argee :mrgreen:
I expect Kobe to have a big game as well. Christie is a good defender but the Kings aren't as a team so Kobe has his chance. Of course he needs to get his teammates involved but he must also produce well offensively and defensively duh. But a very effient game by at least shooting 50% and we all know that he's gonna get to the line at least 10 to 15 times. Hopefully his freethrow funk is over with as well. I predict the Lakers to win by 2 in a thriller.
maybe we'll see a cluch shot by kobe, that would be great! i wish i could watch the game, but its like at 1:00 in the morning.
I don't know if anyone is aware of this... But the Lakers have had a few days off, so hopefully the Lakers will be more prepared than ever. I expect Caron, Lamar, and Vlade to step up big in this game. Kobe Bryant should have a bad shooting night, that's usual for him, but hopefully i'm wrong.
