NBA Selling Lakers' T-Shirts in Celtics Green

Let's say you're a Lakers fan. You're feeling pretty good about yourself, considering the beat-down L.A. gave to the Spurs on Sunday, and to celebrate, you decide to head on over to NBA.com and shop for some new gear. You click on "shop." You click on "Lakers." You click on "Mens." You click on "T-Shirts." And then, you're completely horrified. Because at that point, staring you in the face is this monstrosity: a St. Patrick's Day version of a Lakers' t-shirt, in all of its disgusting Celtics' green glory, and with a freaking shamrock on the sleeve to match. You've got to be...read full article

NBA Power Rankings: Lakers, Celtics Back On Top

The big bad twosome that dominating the top of Outsider's power rankings in 2008 is back at the top for the first time in '09. Orlando dropped three spots to number four after topping my rankings last week, while the Miami Heat have surged into the top 10 for the first time this season.

1. Los Angeles Lakers (35-8) - Fresh off a 14-point spanking of the rival Spurs, the Lakers are now completely healthy and getting big-time contributions from Gasol and Bynum to go along with Kobe. At this point, the West is pretty much theirs to lose.

2. Boston Celtics (37-9) - The C's couldn't have had a much better week after...read full article

Lakers are good, but we still don't know how good

Here's an interesting question: What would this Lakers team be like if it was really playing well? It has definitely been an amazing season around here. Well, an amazing four weeks anyway. Not that there hasn't been a disappointment or two for hard-core fans, who hoped the Lakers could be unbeaten going into the Christmas game against the Boston Celtics. Now even Vic the Brick understands the Lakers aren't likely to get 80 wins. For one thing, there's that Feb. 5 game in Boston . . . and the one three days later in Cleveland. They also have two...read full article

Mark Heisler's NBA rankings

Cavaliers move into the top spot. They're better than the Lakers . . . right now.

MEET THE NEW BOSS
1. CLEVELAND (29-6) Hardly as talented as Lakers, may not be better at the end -- but they are now. (2)
2. LAKERS (29-6) Future bright as long as they score 111 -- after allowing 110 a game in last three. (1)
3. ORLANDO (29-8) Just beat Hawks home and home, 106-102 and 121-87, separating men from boys in East. (4)
4. BOSTON (29-9) What's everyone so upset about? They're still a lock to...read full article

Bryant's late surge gives Lakers win

Kobe Bryant made a tiebreaking jumper with 3 seconds left and scored the Lakers' last 11 points, giving Los Angeles a 121-119 victory over the Indiana Pacers on Friday night. Bryant finished with 36 points and 13 assists. After his turnaround jumper, the Pacers took a timeout but were unable to get off a shot before the final buzzer. The Lakers improved their home record to 19-2 and remained tied with Cleveland for the best overall record in the league at 29-6. The Cavaliers beat The Celtics 98-83 in Cleveland earlier Friday to improve their home mark to...read full article

Lakers Are Now the Best: It's Official

With their win against the Portland Trail Blazers, after the Celtics lost at New York and the Cavaliers lost at Washington on Sunday night, the Los Angeles Lakers claim the top spot with a league-best 27-5 record. Boston (29-6) and Cleveland (27-6) are now looking up to the Lakers' best record in the league. Kobe Bryant played for just 33 minutes and scored 26 points, Pau Gasol added 19 points in 28 minutes, and Los Angeles beat the Portland Trail Blazers 100-86 Sunday night for its sixth consecutive victory and 15th straight at...read full article

NBA Power Rankings: New Year, New Number One

It's been two weeks since the last edition of my power rankings, where the East's mighty trio of Boston, Cleveland and Orlando took the top three spots. But that was last year, and now that 2008 has come and gone, it's time for a new leader: the Lakers. There was plenty of repositioning elsewhere as well, including the Detroit Pistons re-entering the top-10 for the first time since mid-November.

1. Los Angeles Lakers (27-5) - Technically the Lakers are still a half-game behind the Celtics for the NBA's best record, but after L.A. beat Boston pretty convincingly on Christmas Day, then downed both Utah and Portland by double digits, there's no question who should be #1.

2. Cleveland Cavaliers (27-6) - LeBron couldn't rally the Cavs past the Heat last week on his birthday despite dropping 24 of his 38 in the second half, and I can...read full article

NBA Power Rankings: Lakers at the Top

The Los Angeles Lakers top the power rankings this week because they now have the best record in basketball. With the Celtics and Cavs stumbling a bit in the East, L.A. has stayed consistent and moved into the prime position. Bet on the Lakers this week at Bookmaker.com! Despite losing four of their last six games, the Boston Celtics are still among the elite in the NBA. The biggest problem for them in this mini-slump has been offensive production off of the bench. Is signing Stephon Marbury the answer to that problem? The Cavs are now...read full article

Lakers defeat Blazers, claim best record in NBA

I go to the Bahamas for a week and look what happens. The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Portland Trail Blazers Sunday night, 100-86, to claim the best record in the NBA at 27-5. The best record in the NBA? What happened to the Boston Celtics? When I left on Dec. 26 Boston had just suffered their third loss of the year. I get back and suddenly they've lost to the Golden State Warriors, Blazers, and the New York Knicks!?!? I need to go on vacation more often. Anyway, not much to say about the game tonight except that we need to...read full article

Year begins with much unresolved in the NBA

The Times' NBA columnist takes a look at what some familiar names might want in 2009.

It's getting harder to get a meaningful resolution out of our NBA heroes. Not that it will keep me from persisting, as long as I have a column due that week.

David Stern: I don't hear you pestering me about seeding anymore. We could have the Lakers and Celtics in the Finals again! Did you see that 5.3 rating we got for Christmas? Higher than the average Fox got in prime time for the NLCS?

Me: You're not rooting, are you?

Stern: Moi? Just to show how nonpartisan I am, I put some Army...read full article

CHRISTMAS DAY GIFT EXCHANGE

The Lakers thrilling win over their rival Boston Celtics was only part of Christmas Day celebration at The STAPLES Center. Before the game, the Lakers brought their annual "A Season of Giving" to a festive close with two very special events. The first event was a holiday reception for a local boys home. The Lakers continued their tradition of hosting 50 guests from Its Time For Kids, at a pre-game holiday reception in the Wachovia Room of the STAPLES Center. Each guest was treated to a catered lunch, and a bag of Lakers...read full article

NBA Power Rankings: Lakers leap to the top of the charts

1. Lakers (25-5, last week: 2)
Two reasons they're back on top: They played their 'A' game on Christmas in snapping Boston's 19-game winning streak, and the Celtics lost three of four on the West Coast.
2. Boston (28-5, LW: 1)
They were due to lose in L.A., but getting beat by Golden State (without Jamal Crawford and Corey Maggette) and Portland (minus Brandon Roy) bordered on inexcusable.
3. Cleveland (26-5, LW: 3rd)
LeBron James wanted to go 14-0 in December. The Cavs didn't reach his goal, going 12-2 (with only losses at Atlanta and at Miami), but it still wasn't a bad month...read full article

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

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"

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

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

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

"Kobe is not the best player in the world...I am."

Paul Pierce said "Kobe is not the best player in the world...I am."  Get out of here Paul.  You're not even the best player in you're team.  When you didn't have Kevin Garnett or Ray Allen...you couldn't even make it to the playoff.  Kobe took his team to the playoff with Kwame Brown!!  Oh...did I mention that you don't have a gold medal.  The country didn't even want you to play for them.  Get out of here Paul.  We'll see this Christmas who the best player in the NBA is.