Lakers-Celtics earns highest rating in 4 years

The Christmas Day game between the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics was the highest rated regular-season NBA game in four years. The rematch of last season's NBA finals earned a 5.3 fast national rating on ABC, the network said. The rating for the Lakers' 92-83 victory, which snapped Boston's 19-game winning streak, was 51 percent higher than the 3.5 mark for last year's late Christmas game between the Lakers and the Phoenix Suns. The early game on Thursday between the...read full article

For now, end is not in sight for Lakers

Their record is fine, but they're not thinking about moving into the lead at his point in the season. After 30 games, they're focused on other things. To be sure, gaining home-court advantage for the playoffs remains a goal for the Lakers, but it's not something they're concerned about just now. "We can't let it be the sole driving force of what we do this season," Lakers coach Phil Jackson said. "It really has to be about measuring the season, how guys are playing, the minutes they're playing, how to sustain the effort and to keep as many players playing well as...read full article

Kobe Bryant, Phil Jackson give Lakers an 'A'

The schedule's rare break results in a 'disconnected' practice, but both Lakers star and coach see the big picture as positive.

What a weird, wacky thing the NBA schedule can be. As sure as the Lakers rushed back from a four-game, five-night trip to play the Boston Celtics on Christmas Day, they are in the midst of the NBA equivalent of a bye week, with four full days between a romp over Golden State and, gasp, another game on...read full story

BDL NBA Power Rankings: Look who's looking up

The BDL NBA Power Rankings combine two parts champagne with one part flippant observation to create the most unbalanced ranking possible, and to offer the least accurate look at the state of the NBA on a weekly basis. If you disagree with your team's spot, go crazy in the comments or spit venom via email.

1. Los Angeles Lakers — Finally got their revenge in a win over the Celtics last Thursday in a game that was overshadowed by the Mavericks/Trail Blazers classic that followed later that night. Pity, because this plucky bunch of unheralded go-getters easily deserve a Christmas laurel and hearty handshake. Really, the Lakers should be ranked higher. [Kelly Dwyer]

2. Cleveland Cavaliers — A thousand words ...read full article

Bryant earns weekly honor

Who says he’s slowing down? Kobe Bryant, the reigning MVP, was named Western Conference Player of the Week for games played last week. Bryant led the Lakers to four consecutive victories last week, averaging 30.0 points on 54 percent shooting, along with 5.5 rebounds and 4.0 assists. He scored a game-high 27 points, nine rebounds and five assists, as the Lakers defeated Boston on Christmas Day, 92-83, snapping the Celtics’ 19-game winning streak.

What will Laker fans remember about '08?

The year started with Phil Jackson surpassing late Celtics president and coach Red Auerbach with his 939th victory. It would be the first, but not last, time the stench of Auerbach's legendary cigars would be remembered in 2008. The Lakers continued to collect victories with ease and Kobe Bryant, an unhappy camper before the season, seemed overall pleased with his teammates and how the season was progressing. Eleven days into the New Year, the Lakers had won 15 of 18 games and moved a half-game behind first-place Phoenix in the...read full article

NBA Haier Play of the Day

Kobe, Paul, and KG: Our first caption contest

This is a great picture. Kobe Bryant, Kevin Garnett, and Paul Pierce was getting heated up during the Christmas game between the rivaries. We had no idea what they were saying to each other...that's why we are gonna have a "Caption Contest". Write a comment and let's see who could come up with the best "Caption"

Kobe Bryant is the Lakers' standout film student

The team's video staff must stay on its toes to feed the MVP's huge appetite for footage of opponents.

There are few things more important to Kobe Bryant before a game than his portable DVD player. It goes wherever he goes before tipoff. On the padded table in the trainer's room. On the floor for a pregame stretching routine. Perched in front of his locker. The Lakers' 10-time All-Star stares at his 10-inch screen, watching basketball clips of the players he'll be...read full article

Blake, short-handed Trail Blazers beat Celtics

Steve Blake had 21 points, LaMarcus Aldridge added 20 and the short-handed Portland Trail Blazers beat the Boston Celtics 91-86 Tuesday night, sending the NBA champions to their third loss in four games. Playing without All-Star guard Brandon Roy, the Blazers snapped a seven-game losing streak against Boston and pulled into a tie atop the Northwest Division with Denver. Reserve forward Travis Outlaw had 17 points for Portland and Greg Oden added 13 points and 11 rebounds despite injuring his ankle in practice Monday...read full article

Sasha After Shootaround = Success

Lakers.com is fully willing to take credit for Sasha Vujacic’s best home games.

We can’t explain exactly why it works like this, but when Sasha sits down with us after shootaround before home games, he balls out.

During Sunday’s beating of Golden State, Vujacic was 6-of-10 from the field and 4-of-7 from three for a season-high 17 points, plus a season-high six assists, two boards and a steal … Not to mention only two turnovers while serving as the backup point guard in the absence of Jordan Farmar, and some tough defense against smaller guards on the perimeter. Not coincidentally, he appeared on Lakers.com that...read full article

Kobe Bryant shows off his new Nike Shoes

PER Diem: Dec. 30, 2008

It has become the Year of the Great Divide.

Four teams -- the Celtics, the Cavs, the Lakers and the Magic -- are running roughshod over the league, with a combined record of 103-20. Each of the four projects to win at least 58 games and has had 100 percent Playoff Odds for several days now. Beyond them, there's a yawning gap before we get to the contenders for No. 5. The Hawks moved into the fifth spot in the Power Rankings after Monday's 109-91 win over the Nuggets, but the Hawks' 104.3 rating is well behind the fourth-place Magic's...read full article

Don Nelson thinks highly of Kobe Bryant

Golden State coach calls Lakers star a 'complete player.'

The compliments flowed out of Golden State Coach Don Nelson's mouth after he witnessed another performance by Kobe Bryant on Sunday night. Nelson watched how Bryant shared the basketball, how he trusted his Lakers teammates, how he was willing to embolden them. And that impressed Nelson...read full article

The Lakers Schedule Wallpaper

Keep the Lakers on your desktop and never miss a game with the Lakers Schedule Wallpapers. This month's wallpaper celebrates the Lakers Christmas day win over the Boston Celtics.

Routine is good for Lakers in win over Warriors

Nothing special about this one. Nothing to send chills down spines or make palms sweaty. Nothing to make anyone take special notice. The Lakers took care of business Sunday night by beating up on the defenseless Golden State Warriors, 130-113, in front of a sellout crowd of 18,997 at Staples Center. Nothing surprising whatsoever about the Lakers' final win in 2008. Kobe Bryant led the Lakers' march to an all-too-predictable victory by scoring 31 points on 9-for-15 shooting. He also made all 10 of his free throws and had four assists and three rebounds. He did not play in the fourth quarter. "He's not just the best player in the league," Golden State coach Don Nelson said of the NBA's reigning MVP. "But he's also probably the best leader, the way he leads these guys and directs them and lets them succeed. "He could get 50 points any time he wanted, I am sure. ... Kobe makes (the Lakers) better. You...read full article

Mihm wants to remain a Laker

Chris Mihm has read the reports, and hopes they are false. He said Sunday he has no desire to pack his bags. He hopes to stick with a winner rather than move halfway across the country to play with a team with a losing record. But the Western Conference-leading Lakers reportedly are willing to trade the 7-foot Mihm to the Milwaukee Bucks to re-acquire backup guard Tyronn Lue. They need help in the backcourt after Jordan Farmar underwent knee surgery last week. Lue could serve as Derek Fisher's backup, a role he held earlier in this decade. Mihm almost certainly would play a greater role with the Bucks, scoring more points in more minutes than with the Lakers. He said he would gladly swap points and minutes for a championship ring with the Lakers, however. "I'm happy here," he...read full article

Lakers have Sasha, why make a trade?

With Farmar out, give the shooter more minutes.

Not just because Jordan Farmar, with the added kick of youth in his recovery, is such a hard worker that rehab will more likely go better than worse. Not just because Derek Fisher is a lot smarter than your average 34-year-old pro athlete about managing himself and his minutes.
Not just because Milwaukee showcased Tyronn Lue for the Lakers on Saturday night and he couldn’t stick with Allen Iverson or hit a single shot in seven attempts. The Lakers should go with more Sasha just because life is so much more interesting with him. Sasha Vujacic licks his fingers and wets down his eyebrows before shooting free throws. He has lip-reading conversations with courtside fan David Beckham way across the Staples Center floor...read full article

Ronny Turiaf gets a warm welcome in return to Staples Center

The energetic Golden State forward plays against his former teammates with the Lakers and receives an ovation from the L.A. fans.

Ronny Turiaf, the energetic face of the Lakers' reserves in seasons past, walked into a different locker room on Sunday, the one that's 100 feet down the hall from his old one at Staples Center. He is in his first season with Golden State after signing a four-year, $17-million contract during the off-season, increasing his annual salary by more than five times what he made with the Lakers last season. But he still misses his old locker room, and its inhabitants. "I talk to them on a daily basis," he said. "I know for a fact they miss me too." Turiaf, 25, was the main name to leave the Lakers last summer, signing an offer sheet with the Warriors that was not matched by...read full article

Lakers retain enough of the Christmas spirit

Although lacking the fever pitch of Dec. 25 win over Celtics, they avoid a letdown to easily defeat Warriors.

So, there was no letdown by the Lakers. Instead, they forged ahead, leaving behind the hyped Christmas Day game against the NBA champion Celtics, living in the now and not Thursday's big-time win over Boston. The plan was for the Lakers to build on the momentum of the Boston win, to jump over Golden State on Sunday night, which they did in throttling the Warriors, 130-113, at Staples Center. This was the same Warriors team that upset the Celtics on Friday night in Oakland. The Lakers took notice of that and vowed not to let it happen to...read full article

Another impressive victory for the Lakers

They do something Sunday they have rarely done this season: dominate a bad team.

We now return you to our regularly scheduled program. With all the excitement about the Christmas game, a prelude to the hoped-for Finals rematch, nobody bothered to explain what happens between now and June. The Lakers will play a lot more games, that's what will happen. With only 30 in the book, that leaves 52, 49 against teams other than Boston and Cleveland. Fittingly, the rest of the Lakers' lives started Sunday with ragtag 9-22 Golden State. In other words, the Warriors were exactly the kind of team the Lakers had been waltzing with deep into fourth quarters before getting serious enough to play hard...read full article

Sasha Vujacic gets shot at the point for Lakers

Known more for being a shooter, the guard has received more minutes running the show in the absence of Jordan Farmar.

The Lakers have a void at point guard because of an injury. In Sasha Vujacic's eyes, he is capable of filling that role. The Lakers have a need for a backup point guard because Jordan Farmar had surgery on his left knee for torn cartilage and will be out for eight weeks. Vujacic pointed out he came into the NBA as a point guard. He also pointed out how in Lakers Coach Phil Jackson's offense there is a two-guard front in which both guards can facilitate the offense. "Phil knows that I can play at that position," Vujacic said. "I really feel...read full article

Lakers vs Celtics Christmas Day Pau Gasol's Awesome 3 Point Play

Pau Gasol didn't do well in the first 3 quarters against the Celtics but made it happen in the final 3 minutes of the game when it counted the most. He scored 7 points and blocked 2 shots during those last minutes pushing the Lakers to a 92-83 victory. Watch the Lakers fans reaction.

Lakers vs Celtics Raja Rondo Injury fake?

Remember when Paul Pierce faked his injury at the NBA finals last year? When Raja Rondo got hit by Pau Gasol to the chest and fell to the floor...the fans started to boooooooo!!! Watch the reaction of the fans.

Lakers cruise past Golden State

Kobe Bryant has 31 points and Derek Fisher adds 19 to lead the way.

Kobe Bryant scored 31 points, Derek Fisher added 19 and the Lakers rolled to a 130-113 victory over the Golden State Warriors on Sunday night. There was no letdown by the Lakers after their intense Christmas Day victory over Boston in the teams' first meeting since the NBA finals last summer, won by the Celtics.

Sasha Vujacic had 17 points, Pau Gasol had 13 points, nine rebounds and seven assists, and Andrew Bynum chipped...read full article

Lakers vs Warriors Highlights

Lakers #1 Fan of the Night vs Celtics on Christmas Day

I thought I was the Lakers #1 Fan until I saw her. She was like this all night. Although we were sitting at the 300 section (What they call...Noseblead section), It wasn't that bad because she was next to us.

The Craziest Basketball Dunks

I was at the Staples Center in Los Angeles for the Christmas Game between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Boston Celtics. During Halftime...they had a show with the best dunk team out there. They performed some crazy dunks.

Kobe’s Shot Counter

With 29 games in the books and 24 wins for the Lakers, here’s a question about Kobe Bryant: How many shots should the MVP take for the Lakers to have the best chance of winning?

It’s a tough question, because different games have completely different flows, and demand completely different things from various players. Perhaps the best way to answer it is to ask assistant coach Brian Shaw, who played with Bryant and now coaches him. We’ll get to that in a second, but the other way to shed some light on the issue is to crunch a few...read full article

Injury Report Jordan Farmar

One of the knees in question belongs to Jordan Farmar, the Lakers' backup point guard, who tore the lateral meniscus in his left knee last Friday night in Miami. Farmar twisted the knee while going in for a layup and has been unable to play since. An MRI revealed the tear, and after some opinions were shared, the decision was made to clean it up with surgery.

Each knee has a pair of menisci, lateral or towards the outside of the knee, and medial, or on the inside. The two disc shaped structures provide some stability to the knee joint, but mainly serves as soft cushioning material between the tibia and the femur that helps to absorb shock in the joint. The problem is that the material must be pliable in order to serve that purpose, so sometimes when the knee is twisted awkwardly, the tissue can tear.

There are all different kinds of meniscus tears in athletes, and just as many surgical options on how to fix them. Some players won't even feel them initially, only becoming symptomatic after months or years of chronic exposure. Obviously that's the best case scenario. Some are so small that they can just be removed (a partial menisectomy) and the frayed ends shaved down to maintain a smooth surface. Others can tear so badly that knees become locked at certain angles because the tear impedes movement of the two bones. In these cases you...read full article

Lakers' Pau Gasol tries to flex for success

Forward doesn't want to be called soft again.

Pau Gasol rocked back and forth on his giant feet, smiling, pleasant, distracted.

"You have somewhere else to be?" I said.

"After this interview, yes," he said.

"Where?" I said.

"The weight room," he said.

I gasped. I froze. I could not have been more shocked had Pau Gasol told me he...read full article

Letdown is a concern for the Lakers after beating Celtics

Lakers know that playing the Warriors won't have the same excitement, but it's still a game they need to win.

They survived the hype by playing with intensity in a much-anticipated showdown on Christmas Day on national television. Now the Lakers must move past that, move past a stirring victory over the NBA champion Celtics, move past ending Boston's 19-game winning streak. The Lakers play the Golden State Warriors tonight at Staples Center and that has to be their focus, their drive toward keeping the momentum built not only on having defeated the Celtics but on keeping their three-game winning streak alive.

"I don't know if any game ever matches just the excitement, the pomp and circumstance of Christmas afternoon," Derek Fisher admitted. "I mean, the fans were there at 1 o'clock and the game was at 2. So tomorrow nobody is going to be there at 5:30 [for a 6:30 game]. It's just different. We understand that." The Lakers can look at how the Celtics lost to the Warriors on Friday night in Oakland as an indicator of what...read full article

Lakers can't make these clutch free throws

Asked by Coach Phil Jackson to shoot 75% at the line in practice, Lakers players fail twice, resulting in their being put through extra conditioning drills.

By Broderick Turner 
December 16, 2008

All Lakers Coach Phil Jackson asked of his players at practice Monday was for them to make 75% of their free throws, pretty much what they have averaged as a team this season.

But twice the Lakers failed and Jackson sent them on military-style drills, with the players running along the outside of the court for more conditioning, more pain and anguish...read full article