Pre-Game Ramble: Lakers Play Jazz

Here we go again, the last time we played Utah on November 24th we could not win despite entering the fourth quarter with a 88-82 lead. They got outscored by the Jazz 32-20 in the final period, resulting in the 114-108 defeat. And with that the Lakers currently trail their season series with 0-1 after splitting the season series with the Jazz (2-2) last year for the first time since the 2000-01 season. The Jazz and the Lakers have now met 137 times in the regular season, 119 times since the Jazz moved to Utah. However, in their last 10 home games at Staples Center, the Lakers are 8-2 against the Jazz. Former Laker (and forever basketball god for his .04 second shot) Derek Fisher, currently a member of the Jazz, played eight seasons with the Lakers, ranking among the leaders in franchise history for 3-point field goal % (5th/.368) and 3-pt. field goals made (6th/449).

Lakers School the Nets: 93-99

Remember the good old days back in grade school when playing basketball was fun? Remember squirming in your seat just itching to play, waiting for the bell to ring, just so you could go out and play some basketball, and have some fun? Well, that's what it looked like to me out there tonight... the Lakers were just a bunch of kids out on the playground, and finally having some fun.

Jordan Farmar came and played hard with his first game back after two games in the "nurses office" with a sprained ankle, which didn't look like it was bothering him that much, especially in the 4rd quarter where he scored 8 of his 11 points. He had 11 points in 16 minutes and (3 for 5 from downtown). Jordan was just playing like any other kid out there on the blacktop.

Kwame Brown must have had his Wheaties this morning, because he decided to come off the bench and play recess with some energy, scoring 13 points, 9 rebounds, and a pocketful of 'hall passes' in 25 minutes tonight against the Nets. Kwame gave the Lakers that lift in the third quarter. Good job Kwame, you get a gold star for your effort.

LUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUKE! is what the 6th grade girls would be cheering as Luke Walton was 1 of 6 Lakers in double digits with 10 points, and 2 for 2 from beyond the golden arch making him the most accurate 3 pointer in the whole school? (ahem, I mean, league). When asked whether or not that that was a distinction he would ever own in this league, he replied,"No, you know, that's the thing I've been working on most since I got here is my {3 point} shot, so it definitely feels good, to see it paying off now." Speaking of 'old school', Walton's roommate and good friend at University of Arizona, Richard Jefferson, battled against each other under the basket tonight, in addition, one of Walton's private shooting coach from U of A is on the coaching staff of the Nets.

Wow, some of you reading this are wondering when I was going to get to Kobe. Well, as Kobe played well, (19 points, 10 assists (season high) and 6 rebounds), it was the bench that came out to play tonight.

You know, it was supposed to rain in L.A. tonight, but it rained 3 pointers instead. Lakers get an A+ for a job well done tonight and just like those kid's out on the playground, they came to have fun.

Lakers are 8 and 1 at the Staples Center as they get ready to play the Bucks on Tuesday.

Pre-Game Ramble

Los Angeles Lakers vs New Jersey Nets

Okay, after the loss on Friday, the Lakers need to get back on track. Here are a few facts to chew on before tonights game. This will be the 65th meeting between the Lakers and the Nets. Two of the Lakers last three games with the Nets have gone to overtime (nine overtime games in the series history). The last five games between the Lakers and the Nets have been decided by an average of 4.4 points with Los Angeles over the Nets. Additionally, Luke Walton and the Nets Richard Jefferson were roomates and played three years at the University of Arizona together while Shammond Williams played st the University of North Carolina alongside Vince Carter.

Starting tonight: Lamar Odom, Luke Walton, Andrew Bynum, Smush Parker, & Kobe Bryant.

The Tunnel Series: Post Game Wrap-up

Lakers: 1st place in Pacific Division!

The block always gets a little excited when we play some neighborhood ball, but remember the rules: We own the driveway, stay out of the garage, and no crying home to your mommy when we kick your butts!

Okay, do I really need to recap this game? I could, but wouldn't that just be taunting those poor teary eyed, losing kids, with their heads hanging low as they walk back home? And that would be mean, and I just don't have the heart to do that.

But if I did, what would I tell you? Well, I could tell you that Kobe hit a season-high 40 points (20 in the first quarter, 5 rebounds, 5 assists & 18 free throws), I could tell you that the Lakers Defense really showed up tonight, I could tell you that Kwame Brown had a double double, I could tell you that this was the first 4 game winning streak of the season, and I could tell you Luke Walton hit a 3 with 26 seconds left making the score 103-96.

I could tell you all this, but I won't, I'll just tell you that the final score was 105-101, that we have bragging rights, and that the Lakers are indisputably the best on the block.

Star Search
(a new section that will be added in new posts, a list of all celebrities attending the game. Whenever possible, I wll try and get a picture of them and upload to this blog site live, directly from the game)

Rick Fox
Jeremy Piven
Micheal Epps
Patrick O' Neil
Denzel Washington
Tommy Lasorda
Jack Nicholson


Have questions or comments? Please leave a comment by clicking "comments" below, e-mail me if you are having problems, this blog is a work in progress! Let me know how I can make it better.

Thanks,
Ace

The Tunnel Series: Pre Game Ramble

Just a few items before things get started. Tunnel Series, what's this? Well, the LA Clippers and the LA Lakers share the Staples Center Arena, and more specifically the tunnels leading to the court, so I dub this the Tunnel Series (Thanks , Mom, for coming up with the name). Now on to the Pre-Game Ramble...The Lakers and Clippers split their season series 2-2 for the season for the second straight yesr and for only the third time since the Clippers moved to Los Angeles. Overall, the Lakers have lost just 2 series in franchise history (1992-93 & 1974-75) to the Clippers. In their last 16 games, the Lakers are 11-5 overall against the Clippers and 8-2 in their last 10 home games. Former Clipper Lamar Odom played with only 2 members of the current Clippers (Elton Brand & Corey Maggette) while current Clippers head coach Mike Dunleavy led the Lakers to a 101-63 record in two seasons (1990-92) including a Western Conference Championship in 1990-91.

Caption Contest

What's wrong with this picture?

Seems to be a very confused Lakers fan.

Best caption wins.

Let's keep the taco theme going from yesterday..winner gets 2 free taco's from Jack In The Box!

Get ready for tomorrow's Game against the Clippers...

In L.A. We Eat Our Tacos With Frothy Lattes

For the uninitiated, the headline might seem a little cryptic...allow me to translate. As part of a promotion by Jack In The Box, when the Lakers win and hold the opponent to under 90 points everyone in the Staples Arena is treated to a coupon for two free tacos. And that's what they did tonight in the 87-72 win over the Bulls. And what about frothy lattes? Well, coach Phil Jackson compared the Chicago Bulls tonight to a Latte, all froth and no substance.

So, as Lakers fans washed their tacos down with frothy lattes in La La Land tonight, we ask ourselves a few burning questions: Have the Lakers found their rhythm? Has Lamar found his Mojo? Will Farmar be able to play after tweaking his ankle tonight? and will Lakers fans be eating tacos on Tuesday night against that other L.A. team, the L.A. Clippers. The Lakers can't afford to fall asleep at the wheel; wake up and smell the coffee, because the Pacific Division first place Clippers aren't so frothy anymore.

Lakers have won 7 out of 10...Let's take a look at the schedule:

Tuesday vs Clippers
Friday at Utah
Sun, Nov 26 vs New Jersey
Tue, Nov 28 vs Milwaukee
Thu, Nov 30 vs Utah

9 of the next 10 games at Staples Center

We want to see the Clips and Lakers play! (Just one regular season game together). Tough schedule, Utah has the best record in the NBA. Milwaukee and New Jersey also tough, a must for the Lakers to accumulate some wins.

Pre-Game Ramble

The Lakers get a little practice in before tonights game.

L.A. LAKERS VS. CHICAGO BULLS

Hey Laker Fans, here at Staples Center and thought I would give you something to chew on before tonights game against the BullsThe Lakers split their season series with the Bulls 1-1 last season for the third time in the last four years. This will be the 130th meeting between the two teams. In their last 15 overall games, the Lakers are 10-5 against the Bulls (5-5 over their last 10 meetings). At Staples Center, the Lakers are 5-2 against the Bulls all-time and have won 7 of their last 10 in Los Angeles.

Starting tonight: Lamar Odom, Luke Walton, Andrew Bynum, Smush Parker, and Kobe Bryant.......Good Luck Lakers!

Kobe: Youngest Player To Reach 17,000 Points

There was something in the air before I entered the Staples Center tonight. Was it the fact that the last time these two teams met, Kobe scored an incredible 81 points in one game? Could be, but it was another potential record that loomed, hovering in the air at Staples, there was speculation that Kobe may reach a milestone number tonight; the youngest player ever to reach 17,000 points...and he did.

Not only did Kobe help usher in a "W" for the Lakers, but he did it with a game high of 31 points tonight, (and a double double, his first of the season), topping off his career total to 17,024. Kobe also had 7 assists, who said in an interview right after the game that getting everyone involved was important,"that was what was going to keep us going, to get everyone involved, every body's a threat, and down to key situations, hopefully I can deliver for us." And deliver he did, and the crowd was definitely involved, too. When Kobe was asked about how he liked the new "Lights Out", he said "Oh, I love it, love it, it adds a certain romanticism to Staples Arena."

Although the defense left a lot to be desired, the offense was enough to get it done, kicking it up a notch in the third quarter. Another problem was turnovers, come on guys...19 turnovers? Turnovers mixed with the bad defense equals a recipe for disaster. Final score was 100 to 107, and by all accounts Lakers need to be grateful. There is a lot of depth on this team, so come on Phil, I know you're experimenting with different combinations, but let's find one that works and go with it. It seems like in past games when a player is getting hot, you take him out, let him play if it's working.


Another notable performance was from UCLA rookie Jordan Farmar, who said,"I'm just trying to do my job" and that he did with 7 tonight and 4 assists, with only one turnover in limited minutes. When the Lakers were really struggling in the second half, his performance was crucial, hitting 5 consecutive points, 1 a tres and the other a duece. Smush also came out strong at the beginning of the game.

Ok, so now the Lakers need to find their rhythm, because they are going to have games every other day (thanks Dad, for reminding me of that before the game). Sunday against the Bulls, and right back here at Staples on Tuesday. Lakers have taken the first 6 of 9, and the next game is at Staples at 5:00 on Sunday. Oh yeah, Lamar where were you tonight? And a message for Bynum, get ready for Ben Wallace on Sunday, he's no slouch. Also, the return of Kwame Brown.

"Lights Out" To Continue All Season

Lights Out To Continue All Season

Based on the response of our fans, we have decided to make the focused lights from Lights Out a permanent part of the Lakers fan experience. When we conceived of our Lights Out promotion centered around changing the lights inside STAPLES Center, we had some trepidation about how it would be received by our fans. The response has been overwhelming positive. Specifically fans mentioned the harkening back to the Forum atmosphere and also their appreciation of making the game the center of the action. In addition, our players are also excited about the change. They feel that the uniqueness of the arena lighting gives them an additional home court advantage.

Currently the lights are set up on temporary mounts, which we had to do in order to give us a chance to gauge your interest before committing ourselves to a long term course. As we explore how best to set up these lights as a permanent fixture inside STAPLES Center, we may have some games that require us to play under the old lighting set-up. We ask for your patience while we make this work for all our fans, in all the arena levels and through the broadcast.