Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images
The (38-17) Los Angeles Lakers are in North Carolina to face the (23-31) Charlotte Bobcats.
The Purple and Gold suffered their first loss of the Grammy road trip and it appeared that they didn’t put in a full day’s work.
They lost to a team that was struggling, losing nine consecutive times to teams with a winning record. They allowed the Magic to shoot a high percentage from behind the arc as well as allow Dwight Howard to dominate in the second half. Had they just knocked down all of their free throws it would have been a six-point game.
The one positive to take away from the loss in Orlando is that the Lakers STILL have not allowed 100 points in five road games.
The Lakers have an opportunity to redeem themselves and start a new streak today. They’ve struggled mightily against the Bobcats. Phil Jackson said that the Lakers have not won in Charlotte in five years. The way the Purple and Gold have struggled against the Bobcats that statement is understandable.
The Lakers last win in Charlotte was on Feb. 11, 2008. The Bobcats have won seven of their last nine games against the Lakers, including three wins in Los Angeles. The Lakers split the season series with the Bobcats last year.
The surprising thing is that, under Phil Jackson, the Lakers are 3-7 against the Bobcats. The Lakers beat the Bobcats 99-97 on Feb. 3, 2010 at the Staples Center snapping a three-game losing streak.
In 11 career games, Kobe Bryant has averaged 30.7 points against the Bobcats. The Lakers acquired Shannon Brown and Adam Morrison from the Bobcats in exchange for Vladimir Radmanovic.
The supposed principle in the trade, Adam Morrison is out of basketball, but Shannon Brown has developed well and has become an integral part of the Lakers bench. There will be a Kwame Brown sighting today. I will answer your question in advance; yes, Kwame Brown is still in the NBA.
The Lakers have to limit the impact of Stephen Jackson, Gerald Wallace and Shaun Livingston. They need to shut down two of the three.
The Lakers have to be consistent in their play. They have to stop the dribble penetration of the guards, communicate and do a good job defending the screen and roll plays. Also, get back in transition, rotate out to open shooters, extend their defense out to the three-point the line.
They need to establish both Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol in the post. They need to give both enough touches to dominate the painted area. They need to play aggressive on both sides of the court.
Starters
Lakers: D. Fisher, K. Bryant, R. Artest, L. Odom and P. Gasol
Bobcats: D.J. Augustin, S. Jackson, G. Wallace, B. Diaw, K. Brown
Tip-off: 4:00 PM PST
Television -
- Los Angeles: KCAL 9 (Joel Myers & Stu Lantz)
- Charlotte: FS South (Steve Martin & Del Curry)
Radio -
- Los Angeles: AM570 KLAC (Spero Dedes & Mychal Thompson)
- Charlotte: WNMX 106.1 (Scott Lauer)
Injuries -
Lakers:
- Matt Barnes (Torn Lateral Meniscus, Right Knee) Out
- Theo Ratliff (Left Knee Surgery) Out
- Devin Ebanks (Sore Knee) Questionable
Bobcats:
PG D.J. Augustin (Sprained Left Wrist) Game-time Decision
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