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Archive for December, 2010
Another Laker Debacle in Houston
12.02.10
Lamar Odom drives past Shane Battier.
The streak continues…now it’s at four. And it’s not the kind of streak the Lakers were hoping for, it’s a streak of losing. The team’s problems continued Wednesday night in Houston, as the Rockets rallied in the fourth quarter, and beat the Lakers 109-99 at the Toyota Center
The Lakers haven’t lost this many games in a row since April of 2007, when they were a team barely scraping to make the playoffs, not the two-time defending NBA champions. But that’s the reality of the situation right now and certainly nobody in the league is going to feel sorry for them.
Kobe Bryant led the Lakers with 27 points, to go along with four rebounds, four assists, and four steals. But really Lamar Odom had the best night for the Lakers, scoring 25 points on 11-16 from the floor, and grabbing 11 rebounds.
In what has been a familiar theme for the Lakers during this stretch, their defense let them down again when they needed it most. Leading by nine midway through the final quarter 89-80, the Rockets got hot from the three-point line, led by Shane Battier who was the hero late.
Battier scored 11 points in the final 2:30 of the game, including two three-pointers that put the Rockets up 105-99 with under a minute left. Bryant attempted to get the Lakers back in the game with some desperation three-pointers but was unable to connect, and the Rockets made foul shots down the stretch for the win.
Kevin Martin led the Rockets with 22 points, Battier scored 17, including 4-6 from beyond the arc. Luis Scola added 14 points, and 9 rebounds.
Pau Gasol, who again looked tired from all the heavy minutes he has been playing, complained of a tight hamstring in the second half, but did finish out the game for the Lakers. It was a struggle all night for the Spaniard however, as he managed a season-low eight points and nine rebounds in just under 39 minutes.
The lone bright spot for the Lakers on this night was the play of the bench. Matt Barnes was a spark in the second half, particularly in the fourth quarter when they Lakers went up by nine. He scored 14 points and grabbed eight rebounds. Shannon Brown added 11 points.
The Rockets shot a sizzling 50.6% from the field, and 10-22 (45.5%) from the three-point line. The Lakers, who were over 50% for much of the game, shot just 45.5% from the field and hit only 5-16 (31.3%) of their three-point attempts. The Rockets also played without center Yao Ming, and point guard Aaron Brooks, both recovering from leg injuries.
The Lakers try to get back on track Friday at home against the struggling Sacramento Kings. And with the way thing are going, nothing looks like a sure thing anymore.
Lakers Sudden Skid Reaches Three
12.01.10
Kobe Bryant bottled up in Memphis.
It wasn’t that long ago the Lakers started the year 8-0, and discussions began to creep up how this team might challenge the Bulls’ magical 72-10 record. Now just ten games later, the team is searching for answers, as they have dropped three straight following Tuesday’s 98-96 loss in Memphis against the Grizzlies.
In a recurring theme over the last week, the defense continues to struggle, allowing yet another sub-.500 team to shoot well, as Memphis hit 48.8% from the field, and 8-12 (66.7%) from the three-point line, and seemingly scored at will down the stretch of the game.
The struggles also continued on the offensive end, as the Lakers, once leading the league in scoring at over 112 points per game, now have scored less than 100 in their last four games, shooting another miserable 43.6% from the floor, and an even worse 7-22 (31.8%) from the three-point line.
Kobe Bryant led all scorers with 29 points, but again struggled with his shot, hitting just 9-25 from the field. He did also had seven rebounds and five assists. Pau Gasol continues to play too many minutes, as he logged just under 45 on Tuesday, scoring 15 points and grabbing 14 rebounds, despite shooting just 5-13 from the floor.
Despite all the issues, the Lakers trailed by only two at halftime 51-49, but fell down by as many as 13 in the fourth quarter, before a late rally got them back in the game. Ron Artest hit a three-pointer to cut the lead to 98-94 with just over a minute left.
After the Lakers scored to make it 98-96, they were able to force a Grizzly turnover with 14 seconds left in the game, and decided not to call timeout to set up a play. Bryant dribbled up court and drove to the middle of the lane, but lost the ball in mid-air and was forced to pass out to Ron Artest, who had his last ditch attempt blocked by Rudy Gay to seal the win for the Grizzlies. Artest finished with 12 points.
Mike Conley scored a season-high 28 points on 10-13 shooting, inciuding 4-5 beyond the arc. Rudy Gay only had 14 points, but had six big blocks, including the one on Artest as time ran out. The Grizzlies had six players score in double-figures, and turned the ball over only seven times.
The loss dropped the Lakers to 13-5, and they are now shockingly sitting in fourth place in the Western Conference, 2 1/2 games behind the San Antonio Spurs, who continue to play very well at 15-2.
The Lakers conclude their short two-game trip on Wednesday in Houston, in the second of a back-to-back set. The Rockets are without center Yao Ming, and most-likely without starting point guard Aaron Brooks, both out with injuries.
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