Laker Nation

“He’s a strong kid and he’s got a big heart,” Pau Gasol said of Andrew Bynum. “I trust his will to fight through this.” And by through this, Gasol meant the hyperextension of Bynum’s surgically repaired right knee. Yes, he stepped on DuJuan Blair’s foot, fell to the ground and sat there for a time, grabbing his knee…again. It’s a [...]

…and the hits just keep on coming, don’t they? If the coaching staff and team have some master plan behind this FOURTH 3+ game losing streak, I wish they’d share it with the rest of us because falling prey to five teams in a row after winning 17 of the previous 18 games is nothing but a mystery. Maybe this [...]

Before the game, a Lakers commercial on KCAL-9 said, “Our belief is unwavering. Our spirit – unbreakable (pun intended?). Our mission – to win it all…again.” Belief? Overconfidence might be more like it. Spirit? Looks like laziness the last few games. The mission? Still in sight though the last week has made the vision a bit blurry. For the second [...]

Alright, who flipped the switch back to off? Someone tell that guy that the season’s not done yet. There is nothing like a 0-3 losing record to make that 17-1 start post-All-Star break practically forgettable. After that unbelievable beginning to the second “half” of the regular season, with the Lakers beating to a mushy pulp every team who got in [...]

With six seconds left in the game, and the Jazz up by just one point, Kobe Bryant had the ball…and it slipped from his hands. It was, in its very essence, the most appropriate ending to a game wrought with sheer carelessness and foolery. They lost to the Denver Nuggets on Sunday in much the same way they did tonight; [...]

Tinsel Town? More like Turnover Town. After a 9-game winning streak, which included a triple overtime victory against Phoenix and a come-from-behind win against Utah, the Lakers post-All-Star break record is now 17-2. It’s nothing to scoff at, but with their exceptional play of late, and coming in today against a short-handed Denver team, the Lakers could have won this [...]

Nine wins in a row – finally! After two 8-game winning streaks, the Lakers finally broke free and snatched that ninth one from a Utah Jazz team who is still clearly trying to maneuver their way through this tumultuous season. With the nearly simultaneous exits of longtime coach, Jerry Sloan, and All-Star floor leader, Deron Williams, the Jazz have now [...]

Everyone was battling for something. The Lakers were fighting to maintain their #2 seed in the West while the Mavericks were fighting to take it. Lamar Odom versus Jason Terry for the Sixth Man of the Year Award. Pau Gasol and Dirk Nowitzki in the Best European Big Man race…okay, there’s no such category but it’s a battle nonetheless. The [...]

…or, well, night. With the Hornets’ David West out, along with his 18.9 ppg, 7.60 rpg and 2.3 apg, New Orleans needed to dig deep to win this game and found they stood in shallow waters compared to the Lakers’ ocean. Andrew Bynum, the team’s superstar since the All-Star break, found himself in foul trouble, but despite his absence for the [...]

They may play in the same arena, and they may have an exciting new young star who can dunk up a storm, but when it comes to ruling Staples Center and the city of Los Angeles, the young Clippers are no Championship Lakers team. Blake Griffin (22 points on 9-16, 6 rebounds, 4 assists) may be able to throw down [...]

Well thank goodness Andrew Bynum comes back on Friday. Maybe with him will return the Lakers’ defense. Tonight was an exciting offensive show for the masses, but the defending champions turned what could have been a quick victory in the third quarter, into a long-winded night…and we watched, agonized and loved every last second of it. Their 89-68 lead with less [...]

Kobe Bryant dribbled baseline and faded away for a jumper over Portland’s Brandon Roy to give the Lakers a five-point lead with just over 30 seconds left in the game. He punched his fist down as he turned to the Laker faithful, yelling words probably not allowed on this blog, and grabbing his jersey like he didn’t know what else [...]

Andrew Bynum, slammed his body into Minnesota’s Michael Beasley as he drove to the hoop. Beasley hit the ground so hard he bounced. Moments later, Kobe Bryant was called for a reach-in foul, and in the process was knocked in the jaw so hard by Martell Webster that he, too, fell to the floor. Neither situation turned into an altercation, [...]

Why, after getting behind by just six points at the half, did the Lakers return to the floor like they were down 30, Chris McGee asked Lamar Odom after the game. “Because we knew we could’ve played better,” Odom said. If there’s one thing that signals the home stretch of the long regular season, it’s the Lakers’ recognizing some accountability. [...]