Lakers End 2013 With Butt Whoopin From Milwaukee

The Lakers end the year with an all-time low in Staples Tuesday night. Pau Gasol was the Lakers' top performer with 25 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 blocks, but shot 9-23 from the field. Poor shooting was the Lakers' story this whole game as they couldn't take advantage against a mediocre Milwaukee Bucks team lead by Brandon Knight's 37 point outburst. Knight's 37 helped the Bucks pummel the Lakers 94-79 and to make matters worst only two other Laker players were in double figures. Nick Young was in the starting lineup chipping in 25 points, but shot 8-21 from the field and Kendall Marshall was the only Laker bench player in double figures with 10 points.

Final Score: vs. Milwaukee 94-79 [L]
Full recap: http://www.nba.com/lakers/gameday/131231_gameday_bucks

Highlights:

Next Game: vs. Utah (01/03)

This is the last blog post of 2013. Happy New Year to both the Raider and Laker family.

A Season In Review: 2013 Raiders

*Blog post was pre-written last night*

Final Record: 4-12 .250, 4th AFC West, Division Record: 1-5, Conference Record: 4-8, Inter-Conference Record: 0-4

Alright welcome in to a special post of the 2013 Oakland Raiders' season in review. This wasn't a part of my changes in the new format, but it's good to add this in because if you guys remember in my old format, I used to write a lengthy piece where I write a final word at the bottom of the recap of the final regular season game. Here, I just summarize the season, look back at all 16 games, which personnel needs to change, and address the Raiders' needs heading into the offseason and into the 2014 NFL Draft.

Going into this season, a lot of experts didn't give the Raiders a chance, they projected the Raiders to win one game or to win no games at all and tank for the #1 overall pick. The Raiders have even been penciled in as the worst roster in the NFL. Then you have the QB controversy of the Raiders where they named Terrelle Pryor as the starter, Pryor gets hurt, Matt Flynn has to step in for one game and flops, Flynn gets released, TP has a good game against the Chargers, regresses, gets hurt again, Matt McGloin starts, has one good game against an awful Texans team, loses the last 5 games, and TP starts in the finale and didn't do much for the offense. That is basically the story of our QB situation this whole season. Obviously you can pinpoint at how decimated the offensive line was at the beginning of the season and they only played just I think 4-5 games together. Also, our receiving corps were too young and they were dropping balls all over the place, even though I give the edge to McGloin because I thought he made guys like Andre Holmes, Rod Streater, and Mychal Rivera look like pro bowl receivers out there, but that doesn't mean I'm all in for McGloin as the quarterback of the future. Neither TP nor McGloin showed us that they are capable of carrying this franchise.

Week 1 against the Indianapolis Colts, the Raiders opened some eyes, everybody expected Andrew Luck and the Colts to just steamroll us, but Pryor did perform his best doing his damage on the ground and the defense was actually getting to Andrew Luck without a star pass rush. For the most part of the season, the defense actually kept us competitive, even though the offense was non-existent, the defense kept us alive to give the offense a chance. And not taking anything from what Pryor did in his 3 victories or what McGloin did in his one and only victory, but the defense won us most of the games because it came down to the final possession of the opposing offense in all 4 games and most credit was given to both Jason Tarver and Dennis Allen for mixing up coverage and all-out blitzing. Early, they made QBs like Luck, Roethlisberger, Alex Smith, and even Peyton Manning confused in our week 3 Monday Night game at Mile High and teased that hey maybe we don't need a pass rush. But like I said in my preview, the area of concern on the defense is mostly on the pass rush and it showed during week 9 against the Eagles and Chip Kelly's style of an up tempo offense because the defense couldn't get to Nick Foles and he was burning our defensive backs all game long setting a record tying record. At least I could weeks 1-8, the Raiders managed to compete with the kind of defense they had, heck they were in the conversation of being a top 10 defense in the league, but the rest of the season, they couldn't stop anyone, especially on 3rd down.

All season, the Raiders were like a tale of two halves, like they have been in the games. At times, the Raiders would start fast putting up point on the board in the first half and kept playing aggressive, but in the 2nd half game plan becomes more vanilla and more predictable than ever. Just like this whole season. The Raiders teased us that with the kind of team voided of talent they had, they managed to hang around with some of the playoff-contending/top tier teams of the NFL, but as the season goes on, it becomes the same old Raiders of throwing the white flag and calling it a season because the game plan became more predictable. Do I think the Raiders could've won more games? They could've. They were this close to upsetting Indy, they would've won against a terrible Washington Redskins team with a healthy Pryor, they should've earned an East Coast win against the Giants, could've won against Tennessee, could've won against Dallas in Thanksgiving. However, shoulda, woulda, coulda, they are what their record shows and that's why the Raiders finished at the basement of the AFC West, while the Broncos, Chiefs, and Chargers are enjoying their trip to the playoffs.

Personnel-wise, there are a lot of rumors that Reggie McKenzie and Dennis Allen and his coaching staff could be on the way out. I personally think that we need to see what they could do with a full roster. They've been thrown into a mess that was made by the Al Davis regime and later by Hue Jackson. Completely filled up in cap space and lack of draft picks that were traded away. 3rd season, I think is where they should be truly judged. They now have the money to spend on more valuable free agents and have a full load of draft picks. I am a firm believer of continuity, but if McKenzie and DA still couldn't get it done to build at least a competitive, rebuilding team and flop on the free agency and draft, then Mark Davis has every right to move on from them.

So what do the Raiders need to do in the offseason and the draft to be more competitive than the last two seasons in the McKenzie-Allen Era? We need a pass rush. Most people are calling for us to go after a franchise quarterback, but we need a pass rush badly on the defensive ends. If we can take Jadeveon Clowney in the first round, that would be good, but at the same time if we are going after Clowney, we gotta sign a veteran defensive end like a Jared Allen or somebody else that has more fresh mileage. Personally, if we're going to make a run at re-signing Lamarr Houston, we have to move him to his natural position at defensive tackle. First few seasons, Houston has not proven he can be a dangerous edge rusher in the league, but put him at DT along with Pat Sims and Vance Walker, he could do some serious damage in the run and pass defense. The linebackers corps is fine, I would love to see Kevin Burnett, Nick Roach, and Sio Moore play another season together this time with a capable defensive line to help them. The secondary, DJ Hayden has to get healthy and I would look at re-signing Tracy Porter, Charles Woodson, and a very capable strong safety to back up Tyvon Branch. Brandian Ross has played good for the most part in Branch's absence, but he got exposed at times and Branch's absent definitely hurt the secondary's potential to become good.

Offensively, the Raiders need to beef up the offensive line because the O-line has been beaten and bruised all season. Watson has to get healthy, Veldheer has to be 100% and re-signed, and we gotta sign serviceable backups for depth. The area the offensive line is most concerning are the guards. I'm not sold on Lucas Nix or Mike Brisiel or even Khalif Barnes as our offensive guards for the future. It would also help to get a couple of proven play makers. I thought the receiving corps of Holmes, Streater, Moore, and Rivera did a solid job all season, but the Raiders need a proven go to guy like a Hakeem Nicks or a Pierre Garcon in the offseason and heck if the Saints don't franchise Jimmy Graham, go for it. In the backfield, Jennings should be kept, McFadden should go. I'm done with Darren McFadden, you could put him in a system he can be successful in ala Hue Jackson's offense, he'll still find ways to get hurt on the field. Contract year for him this season, and McFadden didn't do anything to deserve a new contract. He even admitted he owed the Raiders a full season, but face it McFadden's time in Oakland is done, if we can sign him, good, but for cheap and make him a short yardage back. It wouldn't also hurt to replace D-Mac with Maurice Jones-Drew. Yeah I said it, but it does make sense because MJD doesn't want to re-sign with Jacksonville and he is from the Bay Area, born and raised in Oakland, which is another plus. It wouldn't make sense for him to go to San Francisco because it'll be difficult to split time with him and Frank Gore and Kendall Hunter has proven he can be a very capable backup. MJD to Oakland, I'm sure like Jennings, he can probably thrive with a change of scenery.

Well thank you Raider Nation, this is officially the last Raider-related post until March. I wish you all a Happy New Year and here's to the 2014 season.

Lakers Lose 5 Straight, Fall to Sixers

The losing roller coaster continues to run for the Lakers. Jordan Hill was the Lakers' with 18 points and 13 rebounds, but the Lakers couldn't pick up the victory in Staples falling to the 76ers 111-104. A lot of Laker players were in double figures, but shot poorly from the field. Jodie Meeks added 15 points on 5-12 shooting, Shawne Williams added 11 points and 10 rebounds on 3-8 shooting, and Nick Young continues his double figure performance off the bench scoring 26 points, but shot 6-21 from the field overall.

Final Score: vs. Philadelphia 111-104 [L]
Full recap: http://www.nba.com/lakers/gameday/131229_gameday_76ers

Highlights

Next Game: vs. Milwaukee (12/31)

Raiders Become Victim of History in Season Finale

Alright welcome in to the full recap of the Raiders season finale against the Denver Broncos where the Broncos have set the record for most points scored in an NFL season and Peyton Manning sets the record for most passing yards in a season, dismantling the Raiders in the Black Hole.

First of all if you're a Bronco fan, congrats on being in the record books or if you're just an NFL fan, you just witnessed history this game. But as a Raider fan, this was an all-out snooze fest. The Raiders couldn't score for the most part against this team, but once the Broncos pulled out all their starters, the Raiders managed to put up 14 points in garbage time. If you wanna know how boring this game is: I was talking to a friend of mine, also a fellow Raider fan and we're just embarrassingly laughing pointing out how boring and pathetic this game was. Other than that, glad the season's over and we could move on.

Some of the positives, those two drives TP had connecting to Streater and surprisingly, Nick Kasa. Yes those drives were during garbage time, but at least it gives the Raiders something positive to hang around. I'm even surprised Nick Kasa was on the active roster today and he caught his first TD pass as an NFL player. Congrats to him. Other than those two drives, TP didn't have an all-around good game, but the positive I can say about TP is that he didn't turn the ball over this game, the botched snap on the second Raider drive was all Wisniewski's fault. Other than that, not a lot of positives.

The negatives: just absolutely no heart playing this game. I was literally getting sick to my stomach when the CBS commentators, Kevin Harlan and Solomon Wilcots (although I think Kevin Harlan is a good play-by-play man because of his NBA coverage on TNT) kept talking about how good Peyton Manning and the Broncos are. Peyton Manning this, Peyton Manning that. The only time they talked about the Raiders is when they bring up their salary cap into the offseason. Yes I know off topic. But it did look like the Raiders wanted Peyton Manning and the Broncos to break the two records. No surprise that Peyton picked apart our secondary. I'll tell you this if Reggie McKenzie doesn't address the need of a pure edge rusher in either the draft or free agency, our defense will continue to suck. No matter how good the linebacker or secondary corps is, no defensive line with a pass rush, no defense.

Overall, just glad the season is over. It's pretty frustrating to see the last 3 games against our division rivals were all losses and even worse is that they're all in the playoffs. It's embarrassing. Anyway this isn't my last football related post. I'll be back on New Year's Eve to review the Raiders' season where I recap the whole season and address their needs heading into the offseason and I'll be back on February 2 to cover the Super Bowl. Anyways, thank you Raider Nation for following all 16 games on this blog. It was frustrating, but it was well worth it. I'll quick recap tonight's Laker game against the Sixers first before closing time for the blog. I'll see you guys later.

Week 17: Season Finale RAIDERS vs. Broncos Q-by-Q Reaction

4th Quarter:

Score: DEN 34 OAK 14

Two TDs in garbage time against Denver's 3rd String defense. Not impressive, but at least something positive to hang around this game and heading into the offseason. Stay tuned for the full recap.

3rd Quarter:

Score: DEN 31 OAK 0

2nd Quarter:

Score: DEN 31 OAK 0

And Peyton Manning breaks the all-time record for most passing yards in a season. Stay tuned for the halftime report or rant.

1st Quarter:

Score: DEN 14 OAK 0

The game is meaningless anyway, but it looks like that quarter, we're packing it in. Conservative playcalling on both offense and defense, botched snap by Wiz was terrible on the Raiders' second drive. What do we have to lose? At least take some risks and make Pryor bomb it at least once.

RAIDERS vs. Broncos Halftime Post

Score: DEN 31 OAK 0

Alright welcome in to the halftime and the last halftime report of the 2013 NFL regular season in a divisional game between the Raiders and the Broncos where the Broncos are just walloping on the Raiders in black hole 31-0 and setting all types of historical records.

I mean what's there to talk about in the halftime post? Nothing! This is a truly embarrassing game to watch. How this game is sold out is beyond me. Maybe we can thank all the people in orange in the stands flying from Denver for selling the Coliseum out. As a Raider fan, it is one of the most humiliating things where there's more fans of the opposing team in the crowd than the home team! Kudos to the Raider Nation who remained loyal and attended every home game to put up with this crap week after week! And I'm not done with this rant!

No positives in this half. The Raiders allowed the Broncos become the highest regular season scoring team in NFL history, they allowed Peyton Manning to break Drew Brees' record for most passing yards in a regular season. The offense is trash, the defense is trash. Losing 3 straight, 3 losses against divisional opponents to end the season, the most absurd way to end a season, losing 3 straight against division opponents. The Raiders were out-gained by the Broncos in yardage that 315-55! And it looks like the Broncos are not done yet, yeah they still want to blow up the history books, probably the most classless way because they already have the records and pretty much have the 1 seed locked up for the playoffs.

This halftime post is a waste of time. The Raiders have long lost their competitive spirit this season. The least they can do is at least make this a game, if they can. This is embarrassingly laughable to watch.

Lakers Fall to Jazz Late, Losing Skid Continues

The world continues to tumble upside down on this young Laker squad playing without their veteran corps of Kobe, Gasol, and Nash. Chris Kaman was the Lakers' top performer recording a double-double of 19 points and 10 rebounds filling in for Pau Gasol, who is receiving treatment for a respiratory infection. The Lakers fought hard, but the Jazz fought harder as they edged the Lakers 103-105 in Utah after a Derrick Favors putback dunk. Aside from Kaman, 2 starters and 3 bench players contributed in double figures. Jordan Farmar played better in his 2nd game back scoring 16 points and dishing 7 dimes and Jodie Meeks chipped in 13 points, but shot 4-15 from the field and missed the game winning shot. Nick Young lead all scorers off the bench with 21 points on 10-17 shooting, but fouled out this game, Xavier Henry added 12 points, and Jordan Hill recorded a near double-double with 16 points and 9 boards.

Final Score: @ Utah 103-105 [L]

Full recap: http://www.nba.com/games/20131227/LALUTA/gameinfo.html

Highlights:

Next Game: vs. Philadelphia (12/29)

Lakers Remain Competitive, Still Fall Short vs. Heat

Alright welcome in to your full recap of game 3 of the NBA's Christmas games between the Lakers and the 2x defending champion Miami Heat, where the Lakers played competitive all game long, but the Heat displayed why they are the champs as they used that very same championship formula to knock off the Lakers 101-95.

First and foremost to the Laker Nation, Merry Christmas. I know I did my greetings a lot in my Q-by-Q and halftime post, but in all seriousness I hope you guys are having a wonderful time with your family and unwrapping presents. Today reminds us that it's about the season of giving and as this day winds down, I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Onto the game, probably a game where I am not mad at all that we lost. Every analyst expected the short handed Lakers to just bow down to mighty Miami Heat, but I'm happy they didn't just lay down and call it a day, they fought, they fought hard, and they fought until the end. But at the end of the day, teams are measured by wins and losses and no moral victories and this still counts as a loss in the Lakers' book in the canon law of pro sports.

Let's start out with positives: Nick Young, 20 points on 7-18 shooting. It's pretty easy to forget that Young started 1-8 this game with his bucket coming from a 3, but in the 2nd half he came alive and took over. In the 3rd quarter, he drew fouls for both a 3 point play and a 4 point play, and fired the final shot in that quarter over LeBron to put us within 3. Young just has that "it" factor that he needs to work on and polish. He has the ability of stepping up in crunch time, if you remember his heroics in the final seconds of the 2012 1st round game vs. the Grizzlies as a Clipper, he hit clutch 3's to help the Clippers come back from a big deficit. If he can master that clutch ability, truly he'll be the next key holder once Kobe retires. Another positive this game Xavier Henry, 14 points on 5-8 shooting. Not only was X doing it offensively, but he defended well for most of the game generating 2 turnovers and pretty much contained the point guard duo of Mario Chalmers and Norris Cole and both those two are underrated defenders as well. Other positive performances: Pau Gasol, the Lakers' top performer with 13 points, 13 rebounds, and 3 assists and Jodie Meeks with 17 points with 2 steals; I thought they also created big buckets especially to keep us within striking distance of Miami's lead for most of the game.

Onto the negatives, the turnovers are still an issue. Against a team like the Heat, when you commit a turnover, your defense is dead meat when you see Wade and LeBron running the floor in transition. The Lakers committed a total of 17 turnovers, most of those credit to the Heat's swarming D, but the others just turned out to be dumb and boneheaded plays, especially in the 4th. The two Jordans, Farmar and Hill were negatives although I'll give Farmar a pass since he just returned after tearing his hamstring, but Hill, he's simply just not a player you want to put on the floor when the game's on the line in the 4th. J Hill was missing a lot of make-able jump hooks and not to mention he missed some critical free throws. I will still give him a positive in his rebounding numbers with 10 boards, but it's safe to say Hill was the weak link of the young bench mob this game.

Alright, I hope you guys enjoyed my full recap of this Christmas game. Like I said I wish you all a very Merry Christmas. I'm out, I'll see you guys later.

12/25: X-Mas Matchup LAKERS vs. Miami Heat Q-by-Q Reaction

4th Quarter:

Score: MIA 101 LAL 95

Not a bad effort. The Lakers played their hearts out this game, but it just wasn't enough to overcome the firepower of Miami's big 3. Merry Christmas and stay tuned for the full recap.

3rd Quarter:

Score: MIA 76 LAL 73

It's been a game of runs. This Heat team has been known to slack off thinking the opposite team is gonna wave the white flag after putting a barrage of points and generating turnovers, but they're letting the Lakers hang around and the Lakers have taken the advantage of every opportunity this quarter. As I said in my halftime post, Nick Young has to calm down and find his confidence in the 2nd half and Swaggy P has come alive at the right time.

2nd Quarter:

Score: MIA 51 LAL 46

A little run to spark heading into the locker room, but it doesn't erase how ice cold the Lakers were the whole quarter. Looks like Miami quit toying around and turned up the Heat, although as an NBA fan, that backboard lob from D-Wade to LeBron looked nice, no doubt, the highlight of this game regardless. Onto the halftime report.

1st Quarter:

Score: MIA 21 LAL 27

Merry Christmas everyone! A lot expected the Heat to steam roll the Lakers in the 1st quarter, but I liked the way how the Lakers competed. Sure they allowed dunks by LeBron and D Wade, but they go on a 10-0 run near the end of the quarter before Miami responded with 2 shots to narrow this lead to a 6 point game. Lakers just gotta keep their heads up and compete because there are 3 more quarters to go climbing this steep mountain.

LAKERS vs. Heat Halftime Post

Score: MIA 51 LAL 46

Alright welcome in to your special halftime report between the Lakers and the 2x defending champions Miami Heat in a Christmas Day matchup where the Lakers remained competitive most of the game, but the Miami Heat have picked it up in the 2nd quarter after a sluggish start in the 1st.

I'm gonna go off with the positives since I want to leave you guys on a short halftime spending time with family on this joyful day. Just the overall competitive nature the Lakers are possessing. In the 1st quarter alone, it looked like they were taking it to the champs with the Lakers' bench outscoring the Heat's bench and it looked like the more younger lineup of the Lakers were gonna get the best of them. On the bench Xavier Henry and Jordan Hill were positives this game so far with Hill tallying 7 points and already 5 rebounds and X with 5 points. In the lineup, Pau Gasol and Jodie Meeks were positives this game so far with Meeks scoring 10 points and Gasol getting 9 points, most of Gasol's buckets were needed because the Lakers were really cold in the 2nd quarter.

Onto the negatives, too many missed shots. The Lakers had a lot of open looks, especially in the corner beyond the arc and the Lakers just continued to hit bricks on that spot. Those are shots that are not easy to unlock open and the Lakers were penetrating the Heat's stout defense and finding open players in the corner 3s and they're just not making them. Another negative so far, Nick Young shooting 1-8 from the field scoring 3 points. Obviously him and Wesley Johnson have the daunting task of defending LeBron, but other than that, Nick Young has to calm down and regain confidence. Almost shooting the game out of reach and he's just gotta calm down, this is a Christmas game against the 2x defending champs on national TV and you can't start the game by falling flat with that kind of performance to start.

To say the game is out of reach by the 2nd half is an understatement. The Lakers have to play their hearts out on both ends of the floor to pick up a huge upset. Enjoy the rest of the game and enjoy the rest of Christmas Day. After the game, I'll be sure to shorten up the full recap.

Suns Hammer Lakers

The Lakers wrap up their two game road trip win-less running into a young and hungry Phoenix Suns team. Jodie Meeks was the Lakers' top performer scoring 18 points, 4 rebounds, and 5 assists on 6-15 shooting, but it was the Suns' game all game long lead by a 22 point burst by former Laker camp body, Gerald Green and Miles Plumlee recording a 17 points, 20 rebound performance to rout the thin Lakers 90-117. Pau Gasol recorded 10 points after missing Saturday's game on an illness, Xavier Henry tallied 13 points on a terrible shooting night, 3-12 from the field, and Nick Young continues recording double digit points off the bench with 19. The Lakers return home on Christmas Day in a daunting matchup against the 2x defending champion, Miami Heat.

Final Score: @ Phoenix 90-117 [L]
Full recap: http://www.nba.com/lakers/gameday/131223_gameday_suns

Highlights

Next Game: vs. Miami (12/25)

Raiders Fail to Spoil Bolts' Playoff Hopes

Alright welcome in to the full recap of the penultimate game of the season between the Raiders and the San Diego Chargers where the Raiders couldn't play the spoilers as they fell to the Chargers 13-26.

Very frustrating game overall. That last play where Reece had a chance to haul the ball in for a TD off an errant throw by Matt McGloin on 4th down, could've cut it to 6 and recover an onside, but it didn't happen so it was very frustrating to see.

This game there were no positives. Aside from Rashad Jennings and Andre Holmes. Jennings had 10 carries for 45 yards and Holmes had 5 receptions for 71 yards. You know it's weird when Darren McFadden is the Raiders' top performer with 4 carries on 8 yards and 1 TD. McFadden is likely gone by the end of the season, but hey if he's willing to accept less money, he could be used as short red zone situations, but the way he performed in his contract year, it is likely we won't retain him next season.

Onto the negatives, what an awful game in terms of penalties. 12 penalties for 73 yards. A lot of false starts, holding, illegal formation, taunting, the Raiders gift wrapped the Chargers with extended field position. The last play where Mychal Rivera line up in the line of scrimmage when the Raiders were driving for the final play hurt, the back to back penalties on Mike Jenkins hurt, Veldheer's false start and hold deep in our territory hurt. The Raiders of old have come back to possess these young players who are playing for a contract next season and it'll pretty much hurt their report card once we start re-evaluating talent by the end of the season.

Overall, short recap. Nothing I can say on where the Raiders did right this game. Denver is coming up next in the home and season finale. I don't know how John Fox is gonna manage the last game because they did clinch the AFC West, but it looks like he'll keep Peyton Manning on the field since the Patriots are keeping pace for the #1 seed. Hopefully the home sells out, if not, then that's understandable because there's nothing left to prove in the final game of the season. I'll see you guys on Christmas Day in the Lakers' home game against the 2x defending champion, Miami Heat.

Week 16: SPOILER ALERT RAIDERS @ Chargers Q-by-Q Reaction

4th Quarter:

Score: OAK 13 SD 26

Even though this season's out of reach, this loss hurts. Frustrating to watch overall, could be very well on our way to another 4-12 season with Denver coming up next for the season finale. Stay tuned for the full recap.

3rd Quarter:

Score: OAK 10 SD 20

Completely shooting ourselves in the foot this game. The penalties on Mike Jenkins this quarter were all bad. Just too many dumb penalties, too many dumb penalties.

2nd Quarter:

Score: OAK 10 SD 10

Failed cash in after muffed punt by Keenan Allen. Aside from that, discipline, discipline, discipline, we're gifting Chargers with some costly penalties. Onto the halftime report.

1st Quarter:

Score: OAK 0 SD 3

Not a lot of action this quarter and that's a good thing. The Raiders' D holds the Chargers to just a field goal. A fast start by the Bolts was expected, but the Raiders did a good job containing Ryan Matthews and the San Diego receiving corps, however not impressed with the offense. Jennings did work early, now McGloin and the rest have go to get it going.

RAIDERS @ Chargers Halftime Post

Score: OAK 10 SD 10

Alright welcome in to the halftime report of the divisional game between the Raiders and the Chargers where it is all deadlocked at 10 a piece.

A meaningless game for the Raiders and a meaningful game for the Chargers. Obviously San Diego is still alive in the playoff race with Miami suffering a shutout loss and so far, New England is dominating Baltimore 17-0. However, the Raiders are trying to play spoilers because after all, this is still a divisional game and this game and the next game against the Broncos are all for pride.

Some of the positives this game, the running game and the run defense. Rashad Jennings had 5 carries that half for 23 yards, I liked that beautiful power run he made after a screen pass by McGloin deep within our own endzone to get the first down. Darren McFadden 4 carries for 8 yards and a TD. Run DMC is likely gone after the end of this season, but if we can sign him for cheap, he'll likely be a short run situation and he's displayed that in his run TD this game. This is a Charger team that is underrated in the run defense and for the most part the Raiders have done a solid job running the ball against this team. The run defense only allowed 28 yards and a TD by Ryan Matthews and 11 yard run by Danny Woodhead. I've seen good penetration from our linemen, when Matthews is healthy, he's also an explosive runner, but the run D for the most part kept him in check aside from that TD obviously cashed in after a McGloin INT.

The negatives most of the game, the penalties. The Raiders committed 7 penalties for 39 yards in contrast to the Chargers 1 for 14 on a PI call. Like I said in my reaction we are gifting the Chargers with penalties, obvious neutral zone infractions by Jason Hunter and Pat Sims extending the defensive drive. The Veldheer penalties on offense were huge with a false start and a hold and that lead to the McGloin INT. Penalties hurt and are part of the game, but we don't want the Chargers to cash in on those penalties and luckily they're not shooting us yet.

It's all tied at 10. Chargers have the ball to start the 2nd half, just compete and strike a dagger to the Chargers' playoff hopes.

Lakers, Warriors Start Ugly, but the Dubs Pull Away Late

Alright welcome in to the full recap of the Lakers' divisional/geographical showdown with the Golden State Warriors where the Warriors get the better of the Lakers in Oracle despite both teams displaying sloppy play early in the game.

Most losses on back to back nights are understandable, but the Lakers in all honesty missed great opportunities because the Warriors were not playing their best tonight and the Lakers didn't cash in because they were shooting out of control and turning it over out of control.

The only positive I can think of this game is that we didn't make Steph Curry or Klay Thompson erupt this game like the last time we made a trip to Oracle Arena where Klay displayed an awesome shooting display. Other than that, Curry was held to 18 points on 33% shooting and Thompson was held to 17 points also on 33% shooting. Not the best game from the "Splash Brothers." At times, Lakers did a good job containing them and other times the Lakers were fortunate that they missed great, open looks. But other than that, solid defense on them, either those two erupt, the margin of defeat would've been much larger.

So onto the negatives: shot selection, turnovers, missed opportunity. Literally the same old crap. The Lakers committed a total of 24 turnovers, shot 33% from the field and 20% from beyond the arc. Awful, awful shooting display and basketball displayed by the Lakers, I literally wanted to throw up. The Warriors were gifting them with rare missed shots and boneheaded turnovers the majority of the game, but the Lakers were not accepting those gifts. Nick Young, though he finished with 20 points, his shot selection this game were horrible the same with Wesley Johnson, no field goals made for Wes because he was heaving low percentage 3's like there was no tomorrow all game long. Keep in mind both teams didn't shoot the ball well, but the Warriors' shot selection and ball movement is what made the Warriors pull away this game.

Overall, just a crappy game for the Lakers. Yeah Pau didn't play this game, Kobe didn't play and neither did Nash, but the team was young and athletic enough to run with the Warriors and they failed to rise to the challenge. The Lakers go back on the road for Phoenix, kinda a weird schedule because the Lakers had four straight road games, one home game, and back on the road for two. Then there's the Christmas Day showdown against the 2x defending champions in the Miami Heat and that'll not be a pretty Christmas to receive. I'll see you guys for that game, but stick around tomorrow because the Raiders have a chance to play spoilers against the playoff desperate Chargers in San Diego. I'm so getting my money's worth this weekend. I'll see you guys later.

12/21: LAKERS @ Golden State Warriors Q-by-Q Reaction

4th Quarter:

Score: LAL 83 GS 102

This game was pretty much sealed in the middle of the 4th quarter so nothing else to say. Stay tuned for the full recap.

3rd Quarter:

Score: LAL 57 GS 72

Sums up this quarter.

2nd Quarter:

Score: LAL 42 GS 46

Jordan Hill is finding the shooting range, everybody else:

Onto the halftime report.

1st Quarter:

Score: LAL 26 GS 27

Both teams come up sloppy to start the game, but both have committed a total of two turnovers. In my opinion, I think we got the edge because we were moving the ball so well, but when the Warriors started pressing in the half court, pretty much exposes our point guard position because Xavier Henry had a hard time fighting through a series of Toney Douglas press defense. Warriors hold onto the one point lead.

LAKERS @ Warriors Halftime Post

Score: LAL 42 GS 46

Alright welcome in to the halftime report of the game between the Lakers and the Golden State Warriors where the Warriors hold on for a four point lead heading into the locker room.

The first half was an all-out scrappy, defensive battle. Typically both teams want to start fast, but a first half defensive battle made it into a slop fest.

Let's start off with positives: Jordan Hill. Currently J. Hill is the Lakers' top performer and only player in double figures scoring 14 points and 5 rebounds on 6-8 shooting. Has he been hitting the gym because his shooting form so far looked improved. A reason why Mike D'Antoni doesn't like to integrate Hill in the lineup, let alone in his run and gun system is that he can't shoot outside the paint. But this game, the way I see it, he's been working on the shooting stroke and hopefully he keeps that up in the 2nd half. The other positive this game, the defense. This Warriors team likes to start fast, living and dying by the 3, but the Lakers have held the so-called splash brothers, Curry and Thompson to 12 total points. So credit to all the defense to containing them and they've generated some turnovers too, which is why this a four point game.

Onto the negatives, the whole team needs to step up. Wesley Johnson 0-3, Chris Kaman 2-9, etc, etc. Nobody outside of Jordan Hill can buy a bucket. Overall, 35% from the field, 20% from 3 point line, and a lot of questionable shot selection. That's really the only negative portion this game.

Short halftime report, not a lot of action in the first half. Jordan Hill, keep up the good work, the rest of the Laker squad, somebody find their shot and step up because it is likely the Warriors will pick it up in the 2nd and they are a very explosive team once they get it going in the half that matters the most.

Gasol, Young Carry Lakers Past T'Wolves

Alright welcome in to the full recap of tonight's game between the Lakers and the Minnesota Timberwolves where the Lakers defeated the T'Wolves at Staples, the Lakers' first game back home after a 4 game road trip.

First off what a game. It's always a good thing when teams win on complete team effort. Obviously some thing need to be issued after this game, but just an outstanding, balanced team effort the Lakers put on tonight on national TV.

Let me address the positives this game, the two players that are on my headline: Pau Gasol and Nick Young. Gasol was the top performer this game with 21 points, 13 rebounds, and 8 assists and Young came off the bench with 25 points. These two this game were shifting gears in the 2nd half, when Gasol was cold, Young stepped in, when Young was cold, Gasol stepped in, repeat. The negative for both is there 12 combined turnovers, but Young obviously corrected them in the 2nd half and I think didn't turn it over once. Gasol, most of his turnovers came from lazy passes and it was an uncharacteristic for a great passing big man like Pau. Young on the other hand, when he got cold, credit towards Luc Mbah a Moute for keeping him in check. Since his tenure in Milwaukee, Mbah a Moute has been one of those underrated defenders that could shut you down with his scrappy, hard-nosed style of play. Other than that, Young and Gasol came to play and did a heck of a job. Some under the radar positives, Shawne Williams and Chris Kaman. Williams and Kaman didn't have to score a lot off the bench, but they did a tremendous job cleaning the boards and providing that defensive spark. Kaman's block in the first quarter off a 3 on 1 fastbreak by the Wolves had a lot to do with our fast start and increasing momentum in the first and Williams was getting up getting after the ball. Other players in double figures: Xavier Henry, hats off to him for covering the pg spot the majority of this game scoring 21 points and Jodie Meeks contributing 17 points. Consider Meeks a hidden front runner for Most Improved Player, he didn't shot great from behind the 3, but he was penetrating, getting points off fast breaks the whole game and hopefully he keeps that up.

Onto the negatives, the turnovers I addressed in the halftime. However, after turning the ball over 13 times in the first half, the Lakers only committed 3 and that proved to be the difference maker this game, so bypass that. The true negative this game, the offensive rebounds. The Lakers were out-rebounded in 2nd chance points 22-6. The Lakers not boxing out and grabbing defensive rebounds cringe the hell out of me. Particularly when K-Love and Nikola Pekovic were being offensive rebounding machines giving the Wolves more life, no lie, I was about to tear my hair out. Can't allow 2nd chance points because that takes away some momentum and makes defensive sequences seem meaningless. But other than that like I said, Lakers got a break because the T-Wolves could not hit shots with 2nd chance points the whole game.

Overall, great team victory for the Lakers. I have all the respect for the Minnesota Timberwolves. No doubt, Kevin Love is one of the best power forwards in the game today, but the T'Wolves are just a few pieces away from contending for a playoff spot. The Lakers have the Warriors tomorrow in Oakland, Oracle is gonna be roaring so the Lakers can't sit on this win for long. Again, I have CSN Bay Area so I might do Q-by-Q, Halftime, and full recap posts, but a few relatives of mine out of state just arrived here in the Bay and we might have some occasion so I'll figure out a way to manage time. Regardless, I'll see you guys tomorrow.

12/20: LAKERS vs. Minnesota Timberwolves

4th Quarter:

Score: MIN 91 LAL 104

Great, great finish in this game. The offensive board killed us, but we were lucky enough that the Wolves couldn't buy a bucket. Major props to Gasol and Young for stepping up this quarter helping the Lakers pull away. Stay tuned for the full recap.

3rd Quarter:

Score: MIN 76 LAL 81

Somebody gotta at least stop K-Love. Didn't like the last sequence there where we can't grab a rebound. Other than that, Nick Young came alive this quarter doing it on both ends of the floor. Overall, great quarter for the Lakers, just gotta find ways to prevent 2nd chance points from the T'Wolves.

2nd Quarter:

Score: MIN 53 LAL 51

Started to get a little careless in this quarter. I didn't like that, too many turnovers. Wolves' 1st quarter slump is the reason why we trail by two. Onto the halftime report.

1st Quarter:

Score: MIN 26 LAL 35

I like the activity, I like the activity. Without Kobe or any of the point guards in the lineup, the Lakers needed to play desperation ball, and they've been doing that in the first quarter. I also like how Xavier Henry is holding his own in the point guard position, he doesn't need to change his game. Lakers generated 3 turnovers this quarter and just overall great energy and activity in the first.

LAKERS vs. Timberwolves Halftime Post

Score: MIN 53 LAL 51

Alright welcome in to the halftime report of the Lakers' game against the Minnesota Timberwolves, where the T'Wolves currently cling on to a two point lead.

A tale of two quarters, 1st quarter the Lakers showed signs of excellent activity on both sides of the ball, but in the 2nd quarter, they pretty much shut it down thanks to boneheaded turnovers.

I'll start with the positives: Nick Young, the top performer of the game in the half, scoring 13 points on 5-6 shooting. He did have a turnover fest in the 2nd quarter, but most of the game Swaggy P, his shot selection is questionable at times like Kobe's shots, but like the ESPN commentators say he could make a run at the Sixth Man award. He's been playing consistent coming off the bench providing that scoring punch resting the starters and he's showing it again by running the offense through him. Another positive for the game, for the most part, Pau Gasol, 8 points, 6 assists on 4-6 shooting, Gasol didn't have to be great this first half and give the youngsters a boost and that showed in two of his assists to Wesley Johnson off a Minnesota turnover and that Chris Kaman block came as clean as ever in the fastbreak, which is rare. I know off topic, but Gasol has done an efficient job so far this game.

On the limbo, Xavier Henry. In the first quarter, he showed signs of stepping up in the point guard position calling players to their offensive alignment and penetrating on the pick n roll to give players open looks. In the second, a much different story, giving turnovers away. The Lakers signed Kendall Marshall like a day before this game and if X continues to have problems facilitating at the point, then D'Antoni might consider putting Marshall in to make the offense more smooth. Statistically speaking, X had 13 points, 4-10 shooting from the field.

Onto the negatives and this is a still a main topic of concern: the turnovers. The 2nd quarter was mad ugly with turnovers. Young committed some, X committed some, even Gasol was committing some turnovers in that quarter. Lakers committed a total of 10 turnovers in that one quarter and have a total of 3. The turnovers get more ugly, the more likely the Wolves will pick up the pace.

2nd half is underway, the Lakers gotta bring more energy than they did in the first half or find that again as the game goes on. One quarter doesn't mean anything and the Lakers just gotta take care of the ball and make the necessary adjustments.

Kobe, Pau Turn Back the Clock in Win @ Memphis

The duo of Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol is back, for one game only and hopefully it continues. Gasol and Bryant lead the team with Pau being the Lakers' top performer with 21 points, 9 rebounds, 2 assists to go with 3 blocks on 9-12 shooting and Kobe tallying 21 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists on 9-18 shooting as they helped propel the Lakers to a 96-92 win over the Memphis Grizzlies wrapping up their 4 game road trip with a record of 2-2. Jodie Meeks had a bounce back game after a shooting slump scoring 13 points and Nick Young provided the scoring off the bench with 18 points.

Final Score: @ Memphis 96-92 [W]
Full recap: http://www.nba.com/lakers/gameday/131216_gameday_grizzlies

Highlights

Next Game: vs. Minnesota (12/20)

Lakers Couldn't Overcome Hawks' 35 Point 3rd Quarter Barrage

Jordan Hill continues to rebuild his confidence being the Lakers' top performer with 21 points and 9 rebounds on a perfect 8-8 shooting, but the Lakers couldn't hang with the Hawks as the Hawks' outscoring of the Lakers 35-19 in the 3rd and Kobe Bryant's lackluster shooting proved to be the difference makers in the Lakers' recent defeat 100-114 in Atlanta. Pau Gasol added 16 points and 10 rebounds and Nick Young and Xavier Henry were the bench's leading scorers with 23 points from Swaggy P and 18 points from X.

Final Score: @ Atlanta 100-114 [L]
Full recap: http://www.nba.com/lakers/gameday/131216_gameday_hawks

Highlights:

Next Game: @ Memphis (12/17)

Jamaal Charles Rips Raiders

Alright so welcome in to the full recap of Week 15 between the Chiefs and the Raiders, where the Raiders got ripped apart, kept it close though in the third, but gave all the momentum away after.

This game was frustrating to watch throughout. I mean, just wow. Our season is pretty much out of reach, but the Chiefs just came in and wanted to strike a dagger in the black hole. A lot to talk about in this recap, a lot to talk about.

Let's go with the positives. Like I said in my halftime, Rashad Jennings is a positive. Jennings is our top performer with 23 carries, 91 yards, 2 TDs. He had a couple of good runs. Whenever Olson calls a run up the middle, it's scary especially against this Chiefs front seven (even though they were not healthy), but Jennings plowed through the middle in much needed situations. Pryor was in at 3rd down and 10,  executed a running back draw and Jennings just bulldozed his way, fighting for yardage. Another positive, our receiving corps. I thought our receiving corps did well in the midst of playing with 2 interchangeable QBs. Rod Streater was targeted 9 times had 4 receptions for 59 yards, Andre Holmes, 4 receptions for 58 yards and a TD, Taiwan Jones 1 reception for a big 52 yard gain, Marcel Reece 1 reception for a big 45 yard gain, Denarius Moore 2 receptions for a 46 yard gain, and Mychal Rivera 3 receptions, 30 yards and a TD. Holmes particularly could develop into a big sized, go to receiver, talk about a clutch reception with a defender in his face and the sun in his face to set up a McGloin to Rivera TD drive. Particularly Holmes and Streater could be like 1 & 2 respectively, Moore as a deep threat, and Rivera could develop into a security blanket. For the most part this game, our receiving corps played well and at least it boosts some confidence in their developments.

Alright onto the negatives. Never speak too soon. After the Pittsburgh game, our defense was in the conversation in being a top 10 until the Philly game hit us and now this game. If you're a Jamaal Charles fantasy owner, pat yourself on the back for drafting him in the first round. If you're in the playoffs in the championship round, the better, if you're in the consolation round or out, well consolation, you're season's not over, just fighting for fifth place, but if you're out with Charles on your team, shame on you for not building your team well. I know I'm on the other end of the stick because my opponent has him, he's leading by 4 though I still have Cincinnati D on, but Charles covered up the majority of my opponent's lacking two Wide Receivers in his lineup. If you're wondering: 51.70 points in standard fantasy leagues. Other than that, the defense had no answer to contain Jamaal Charles. The last 3 games, dating back to 2012, we managed to shut him down and boy was he waiting for a breakout game against our D. But most of his TDs came from screen passes. Really? Summarizes our D this year not being able to cover simple plays, but just goes to show the lack of a star pass rush. Dating back to my preview, I said the pass rush is going to be an area of concern and 9 games later into this season, the void became bigger and bigger. The secondary can cover, cover, but no pass rush, the effort in the coverage is lost and this game showed today yet again. Another negative, the QBs. Discounting Marcel Reece's pass on a fake punt, Matt McGloin completed 18 of 36 passes for 237 yards, connecting 2 TDs and 4 INTs, Terrelle Pryor, 1 of 4 completions for 12 yards and 1 INT. The QB debate is settled that none of these 2 are the answer. Yeah Pryor has the better record, but most of his wins depended on the defense to win (Jacksonville was his only legit win), yeah McGloin has the better stats, but he's 1-4 as a starter. The reality that these two have in common is that none of them prove to be a franchise quarterback going forward for this team.

Dennis Allen has two more games, Reggie McKenzie has two more games. If the Raiders fall flat in both the San Diego and Denver game, a lot to talk about in the offseason. But if I were McKenzie, I would focus on this game to think about drafting either a star pass rush or a franchise quarterback and McKenzie has to choose wisely. I'll see you guys on Sunday for the San Diego game.

Week 15: THE OLD WEST RIVALRY II RAIDERS vs. KC Chiefs Q-by-Q reaction

4th Quarter:

Score: KC 56 OAK 31

Just lost for words on this game overall. Stay tuned for the full recap.

3rd Quarter:

Score: KC 49 OAK 31

A TD by Holmes and a TD by Rivera. Looks like the Raiders are building momentum, until Jamaal Charles, yet again scored and a fumble by Taiwan Jones to set up another TD. Momentum isn't built on one phase, it's built on all three phases of the game: offense, defense, and special teams. Our offense is the only one keeping us alive, but the defense and special teams isn't cutting it this game.

2nd Quarter:

Score: KC 35 OAK 17

Somebody please stop Jamaal Charles. Didn't like the conservative approach going into the locker room, still had time left to put together something positive, but didn't happen. Onto the halftime report.

1st Quarter:

Score: KC 21 OAK 3

Wow, what a pathetic start. Even though we put together a good drive at the end of 1st, what a trainwreck quarter. Allowing Jamaal Charles to run wild for 2 TDs, pick 6 by McGloin, just a bad overall quarter.

RAIDERS vs. Chiefs Halftime Post

Score: KC 35 OAK 17

Alright welcome in to your halftime report of the Chiefs-Raiders game where the Chiefs right now are dominating the Raiders 35-17.

Complete trainwreck, that's all I can say. Let's go with the positives right now, Rashad Jennings, welcome back. Jennings had 13 carries for 45 yards for 2 1-yard TD runs. If you're a fantasy owner who has Jennings started like I do (on two of my teams) he's giving some serviceable points with this performance. It doesn't look like much, but Jennings like Michael Bush before him can plow his way into the end zone on short yardage situations. Rod Streater and Marcel Reece are also positives, Streater had 3 receptions for 54 yards and Marcel Reece had 3 carries on 10 yards, 1 reception for a big 45 yard gain in the opening drive, and had 1 pass completion on a punt fake to Chimdi Chekwa.

Onto the negatives, a lot of negatives in this half. Is there a QB controversy? Apparently so as neither McGloin or Pryor are proving to be the answer. McGloin completed a whopping 8 of 22 for 151 yards and threw 2 picks and Pryor played one snap, but was stopped for a no gain. No team in the NFL is complete without a true franchise quarterback, with the way Pryor and McGloin played down the stretch in their several starts, none of them prove viable. Not hating, Pryor is a great athlete and Al's last pick, McGloin is a great underdog story, but depending on these last 3 games, the search for a franchise QB begins. Defense is another negative, can't cover a simple screen pass, which is why the Raiders couldn't find an answer for Jamaal Charles, because Charles had 6 carries for 16 yards for 1 TD, but had 6 receptions for 116 yards on 3 TDs.

Overall, just an awful 1st half. If Dennis Allen wants anything to save his job, he needs to have the team put up a good fight this game and the last two divisional games against the Chargers and Broncos respectively.

Lakers Grab Tight Win vs. Bobcats

The Lakers finally got a victory tonight with Kobe Bryant in the lineup. Bryant was the Lakers' top performer, arguably his best performance since coming back with 21 points, 7 rebounds, and 8 assists to help the Lakers close out the Bobcats 88-85 in a final 13-4 run in the 4th. Pau Gasol added 15 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 blocks, Jordan Hill had a bounce back game scoring 15 points and 9 rebounds, and Nick Young came off the bench with 13 points, but shot poorly again from the field.

Final Score: @ Charlotte 88-85 [W]
Full Recap: http://www.nba.com/games/20131214/LALCHA/gameinfo.html

Highlights

Next Game: @ Atlanta (12/16)

Lakers Wither From Explosive Thunder, Go 0-3 Since Kobe's Return

Alright welcome in to the full recap of the NBA Friday showdown between the Lakers and the Thunder where the Lakers just couldn't keep up with the the more dynamic and athletic Thunder to open up their four game road trip.

What else can I say? This was an old-fashioned rout. It's no secret that the Thunder are a top tier NBA team in the West and Durant and Westbrook are the best scoring duo in the NBA today, not to mention they also have the premiere shot blockers in the league in Ibaka.

Let's start with the positives, Pau Gasol was the Lakers' top performer with 14 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 assists on 6-10 shooting. Pau didn't play a lot of minutes, but I thought he looked good creating his own looks on his shot and again credit to Kobe Bryant getting him involved and Pau managed to cash in. Another positive our small forwards: Wesley Johnson and Nick Young. Defensively I won't judge them because when you're up against Kevin Durant, there's no chance of shutting him down with his long arms and size. Although Wesley Johnson did decent defensively tallying 2 steals and 1 block, but other than that, Johnson finished with 13 points on 6-13 shooting and Nick Young lead all scorers off the bench with 17 points and gave us needed buckets to cut down the deficit, well sort of because the Thunder just made it look easy on us.

On a limbo, Kobe Bryant tallied 13 assists, but chipped in 4 points and committed 7 turnovers, it's his 3rd game back and desperate times called for desperate measures because there's no depth at the point guard with Nash, Blake, and Farmar out. Xavier Henry scored 15 points, most of his points came from garbage time and on the charity stripe, but man he was getting hammered all game long while he was driving to the basket. His hard fall in the 2nd half caused by a foul on the Thunder's Steven Adams and that was mad ugly the way he landed on his head.

Onto the negatives, the 3 point shooting. The Lakers shot 7-25 from 3 point land, I mean both teams didn't shoot the ball beyond the arc well, so it's a negative for both teams, but the Lakers just clanked on 3s they needed to make a run because the Thunder were dominating in transition and both teams were moving the ball well, except the Thunder were simply better at that category with all the alley-oops and making the extra passes. Another negative Jodie Meeks, you can say Meeks was the scapegoat this game, finishing with 9 points, but shot a terrible 3-16. Meeks couldn't hit net and there was one play where he missed, Lakers get an offensive rebound and passed it to Meeks again and shot at that same spot, but still missed. Story of his career, he may have improved in some aspects of his game, but improvement is loss if you're not consistent. Shawne Williams, another negative, he had one or two good games this season, but he hasn't contributed big as a stretch four.

Overall, the outcome was expected. The Lakers have back-to-back nights and they play the Bobcats tomorrow and the Bobcats have been playing surprisingly well this season and add in to the fact that the Lakers have not had any luck in Charlotte since the Bobcats were first created, although they won last there season, but all-time, the record's not good. So the game tomorrow's not televised so expect a quick recap. The Raiders' home game against the Chiefs is sold out so I'll see you guys on Sunday for that game.

12/13: LAKERS @ OKC Thunder Q-by-Q Reaction

4th Quarter:

Score: LAL 97 OKC 122

This was an old-fashioned basketball ass kicking for us, especially against one of the NBA's top tier team on the road. Stay tuned for the full recap.

3rd Quarter:

Score: LAL 74 OKC 94

Game's pretty much out of reach, Lakers just gotta call it a game and worry about their second road game tomorrow against Charlotte and that's what D'Antoni just did pulling out Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol to start the 4th.

2nd Quarter:

Score: LAL 51 OKC 66

Just as expected, the Thunder would go off to a hot start, especially when they're at home. Lakers just don't have any answer to contain the Westbrook-Durant combo or the explosiveness of the Thunder, in fact nobody does. Onto the halftime report.

1st Quarter:

Score: LAL 28 OKC 38

Up 13-7, the Thunder took a timeout and that's when the explosiveness of the Thunder happened. We all know that this Laker team can't run up and down with the Thunder so they might as well take it slow and set the offense up. Transition D hurt us for the most part, the reason why we're down 10 is because Nick Young gave us a spark off the bench, scoring 2 straight 3s.

LAKERS @ Thunder Half Time Post

Score: LAL 51 OKC 66

Alright welcome in to the half time post of the Lakers-Thunder game where the Thunder put their undefeated home streak on the line this season and so far are proving why they're so deadly at home leading the Lakers by 15 at the half.

Some of the positives this game, even though we're down big: Pau Gasol. For the most part while he's on the floor, Gasol is leading the Lakers right now in scoring with 12 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 assists. He's calling for the ball, obviously Kobe is getting him involved. Speaking of Kobe, Kobe only chipped in 4 points, but is dishing out 7 assists, also committing 5 turnovers. The lack of a true point guard is starting to hurt us, talk about Steve Nash, Steve Blake, and Jordan Farmar out, Kobe has to put on a more conservative role while at the same time getting back to NBA form. For the most part, Kobe is playing ok. Other positives, I thought Wesley Johnson and Nick Young have played a good game so far, but Johnson's in foul trouble and Nick Young has not shot the ball well this game, but they made some points to give us a decent run on most of the game to cut the deficit.

Some of the negatives, 3 point shooting. I thought we've settled for too many 3 point shots and jump shots outside of the paint. Jodie Meeks is one of those on my redflags. Meeks played well attacking the basket early, but started settling for 3s and jump shots, which is why he only chipped in 6 points, but on 2-8 shooting. Another negative, no hustle to box out. Just too many second chances the Thunder are getting it's because the Lakers don't have someone other than Jordan Hill to get after the ball and clear the boards. That's going to hurt us all game long because the Thunder have a lot of athleticism.

There's no doubt, the Thunder are too good. The Lakers just have to keep playing and not let the Thunder go up tempo, if they do, expect a blowout.

Lakers Suffer 2nd Loss With Kobe Back vs. Suns

Even with Kobe Bryant back in the lineup, the Lakers are in a bit of a slump the last two games since his return. Pau Gasol was the Lakers' top performer with 19 points, 5 rebounds, and 3 assists, even though the Lakers put up a better, balanced effort this game, it still wasn't enough to overcome a young Phoenix Suns team lead by a 31 point barrage by Goran Dragic and another 22 points from Marcus Morris as they got the best of the Lakers this game 114-108. Kobe Bryant, showed signs of life in his 2nd game, scoring 20 points on 6-11 shooting (I did see his first dunk back this game from a friend who uploaded it). Jodie Meeks added 13 points, playing the 3 position over Wesley Johnson. The bench did what it did best, bringing energy and scoring lead by Jordan Hill and Nick Young who both scored 13 points and Xavier Henry, finishing with 12 points.

A 2nd loss against a winnable team hurts. It's not going to get any better because the Lakers have OKC on the road Friday. Lakers are going to have to scratch and claw their way out of December because they have a four game road trip, against Minnesota next Friday, Golden State on the road, and the Christmas game against Miami.

Final Score: vs. Phoenix 114-108 [L]
Full recap: http://www.nba.com/games/20131210/PHXLAL/gameinfo.html

Highlights

Next Game: @ Oklahoma City (12/13)

Raptors Spoil Kobe Bryant's Return Behind Performances by the trio of Johnson, DeRozan, and Lowry

Alright welcome in to the full recap of a special televised NBA TV game between the Lakers and the Toronto Raptors and the game where Kobe Bryant returned to the basketball scene since April after rehabbing from a ruptured Achilles injury. However, the Raptors stole the show all game long and the Lakers never lead to overcome the Raptors' fast start.

Alright first off I'm going to analyze Kobe's performance in his first game back. Kobe finished with 9 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists. Some of the positives from his first game back was that he was looking to facilitate more than to take over the game and score on his first game back. If it ain't broke, don't fix it and the Lakers have been on a roll on offense since his absence. Kobe could've gotten more assists, but some players were missing most of those shots, Pau Gasol and Nick Young included and they had really great looks too. I won't judge his shooting, Kobe is going to start off real rusty as he integrates into this season, but somewhere he'll find his form. His negative though this game, his turnovers. He committed a total of 8 turnovers because he was trying to do too much while facilitating, drawing double teams, attempting to drive into the lane to get players open and most of those resulted in turnovers. Aside from that, Kobe did little in his return that it's hard to judge him his first game back, but seeing him play for a long time, he'll rise from this and do better.

Now onto the positives, the bench. The great thing about our bench is that most of the players are young and athletic enough to hang around with a team's starting five. But man did the bench outperform the starters today. They combined for 71 points of the Lakers' 94 point total and they gave us a big spark to cut the lead. Nick Young was the top performer off the bench and the top performer of the game, scoring 19 points on 7-16 shooting, I thought he played exceptionally well. Xavier Henry finished with 17 points on 6-8 shooting, most of his point came from him slashing into the paint to score and that's what he does best, attack the basket. Jodie Meeks added 14 points, Shawne Williams added 10 points, and Jordan Hill added 11 points. For the most part, the bench hung around and did its job to provide that run and gun spark.

Onto the negatives: the Lakers' starting five. Already analyzed Kobe on my first paragraph so I'm not repeating what I said. But wow never have I seen the starting five play this lousy. The Raptors starting five just basically wiped the floor clean with our starting five. Amir Johnson, DeMar DeRozan, and Kyle Lowry just put on a clinic. Johnson finished with 32 points, we couldn't stop him in the paint, DeRozan had 26 points, and Lowry had 23 points. The Laker starters were outscored by the Raptor starters: 86-23, let me say it again, 86-23 the Laker starters were outscored by the Raptor starters. Another negative, the turnovers, turnovers killed us all game long. The Lakers committed 19 turnovers as opposed to the Raptors' 11 and it's gonna be the main topic all season long, the more the Lakers commit a lot of turnovers in a game, the more likely the game is out of reach. For the most part, we hung around because the Raptors outside of Johnson, DeRozan, and Lowry couldn't score, although Terrence Ross was in double figures off the bench, he didn't play a good game aside from his lucky circus half court shot at the end of the 1st quarter.

The starting five had an off game, they'll get it together, but for the most part they were lethargic the whole game and just couldn't keep up with the more athletic starting five of the Raptors. It's just Kobe's first game back, he'll answer the challenge and the team as a whole has to try to play a complete game on both phases of the starting lineup and the bench. The Lakers have Phoenix at home, but they have a daunting road game after against OKC and OKC has not lost a home game this season so far, so it's going to be a tall task to knock them off. Anyway, I got my moneys worth today, covered the Raiders-Jets game and covered this game, although it was frustrating that both ended without a W on the column. I'm out of here, I'll see you guys on Friday for the OKC game on ESPN. Like a best friend of mine says: you all stay classy now.

12/08: The Mamba Returns... LAKERS vs. Toronto Raptors Q-by-Q Reaction

4th Quarter:

Score: TOR 106 LAL 94

The return of the Black Mamba, but the Raptors stole the headlines. Not taking anything away from them, but it's obvious they were overshadowed by Kobe's return and wanted it more on the national stage. Stay tuned for the full recap.

3rd Quarter:

Score: TOR 73 LAL 68

Somebody call in the bench mob. They've been a big plus all season long, nearly closed out this quarter on a 10-0 run. But would somebody please find an answer for Amir Johnson? We're lucky DeMar DeRozan hasn't gone off, yet. Lakers have pulled within 5 heading into the fourth. Hopefully, the bench keeps this momentum because that was a huge spark this quarter.

2nd Quarter:

Score: TOR 51 LAL 47

The Lakers are coming back. A little nervous in the first quarter, but they're starting to regain their confidence. Kobe is also starting to get his mojo back one step at a time and a little scary moment in the last seconds when he was taking the last shot, slow to get up, but it's obvious based on his expression, that he'll be fine. Onto the halftime report.

1st Quarter:

Score: TOR 30 LAL 20

Sluggish start in the first quarter. Kobe's first stats since returning, 2 assists, 1 TO, 2 field goal attempts. I'm sure we'll see more once he's on the floor again, but Lakers are putting his minutes into precaution. This was a really sluggish and bizarre 1st quarter. A wrong Raptor player shot free throws instead of Kyle Lowry, I believe that player was Jonas Valanciunas who shot the free throws and Terrence Ross heaves one at the end of the 1st quarter, negating Nick Young's shot. 2nd quarter is underway, let's see what happens.

LAKERS vs. Raptors Halftime Post

Score: TOR 51 LAL 47

Alright so welcome in to the halftime report. A special game on NBA TV for the return of Kobe Bryant. However, the Raptors hold on to the lead in the 2nd half after a stunning fast start.

Onto the positives: too tough to highlight positives this game so far, but Nick Young and Xavier Henry off the bench. Both scored 9 points coming off the bench and Young and Henry made some buckets that brought the Lakers back to life. Overall, good defense is probably on the positive, despite how sloppy they looked offensively, their defense is letting them hang around, but only one particular area of that D I will be highly critical about in my negatives portion.

So my negatives, Pau Gasol and the interior D. From what I heard in the Lakers' commentators, that Pau is playing on an injured ankle. Gasol only tallied 6 points and 6 rebounds, but 3-9 shooting. I can understand that his jump shot is not 100% considering that bad ankle, but the offense has gotta find some way to get the ball on the inside to Pau for some easy buckets or better yet Pau has to try be more of a facilitator, try to get Kobe some shots to help boost some of that confidence for Kobe. The interior D is killing us right now, which is why we're in a hole early. Amir Johnson of the Raptors had 23 points on 10-13 shooting, most of his points were coming from the paint and considering we don't have a good interior D, we're making Amir Johnson look like a dominant low post player. Lakers have done a good job containing DeMar DeRozan and the Toronto's 3 point shooting, but they have to make them earn points in the paint now.

Overall, there's not too much to talk about after this half. The Lakers just got to keep hanging around and the Lakers got to get Kobe going while at the same time, monitoring how many minutes he plays in his first game back.

East Coast Jinx Continues with Loss vs. Jets

Alright so welcome in to the full recap of the Raiders-Jets game, where the Raiders still come up empty in the East Coast time zone. 2nd trip to MetLife Stadium and the Raiders still couldn't get it done.

This game was just a trainwreck to watch from the beginning. The Raider offense started heating up in the 2nd half, but the defense couldn't get the job done giving the offense another chance to cut deep into the Jets lead.

Some of the positives: Marcel Reece. Reece finished with 19 carries on 123 yards, connecting on a 63 yard rushing TD and finished with 2 receptions on 38 yards. All season, Reece has been the invisible man in the offense and with Rashad Jennings and Darren McFadden out this game, the playbook just blew up for him. Give the ball to Reece, like I said early, there's a reason he's nicknamed the "matchup nightmare." You utilize him in the offense, good things happened. Another positive, Rod Streater, targeted 10 times, finished with 7 receptions on 130 yards and he's joined Andre Holmes and Denarius Moore as one of our receivers to have 100+ yard receiving game. I said during Thanksgiving, Holmes was the first 100+ yard in a game, but I was wrong. Denarius Moore had a 100+ yard game in week 3 vs. Denver. So Streater joins both of them and we have a chance to develop that trio of receivers, but doesn't erase our need for a proven go to play maker at the wide receiver position. Matt McGloin, had a rough going early, but heated up, finishing with 18 of 31 completed passes, 245 yards, 2 TDs, 1 INT and rushed twice for 20 yards and I thought he played a good game in the midst of some controversy.

Onto the negatives, 3rd down defense has been a story of our season. No pass rush. The secondary can cover, cover all they want, but when there's no defensive linemen to put pressure on the quarterback, coverage is out of reach and gives the quarterback plenty of time to find a receiver. Special teams, another negative; allowing a blocked punt, missed 52 yard FG by Sebass, and could not recover the onside kick (even though it didn't matter already). But the biggest negative of all, coaching and management. Pulling out McGloin for Pryor early in the 1st quarter was one of the worst decisions I seen from a coaching staff since Tom Cable making the decision to start Bruce Gradkowski against the Dolphins after one bad game from Jason Campbell. McGloin deserved better, Pryor deserved better, just premature decision making by Dennis Allen and the coaching staff. It's obvious Pryor deserves another shot, but not this way as it did during the game. The season's out of reach, but the dysfunction is still there.

Record is 4-9, season's out of reach, but we're still mathematically in the playoff hunt. The last AFC wild card spot this season is a joke and expect a one and done on whoever gets that spot. But any given Sunday still applies, so an upset does loom on the home field division winners. The last 3 games are against division rivals, let's try to win out and head into the end of the season with something positive. Stay tuned for tonight because I will be doing Q-by-Q, halftime post, and full recap of the Lakers' game against the Raptors in anticipation for Kobe Bryant's return to the court. So hang around the blog because I'll be back at 6:30 PM.

Week 14: East Coast Woes Part 2: RAIDERS @ NY Jets Q-by-Q Reaction

4th Quarter

Score: OAK 27 NYJ 37

Another Sunday, another trip to the East Coast, another loss. Stay tuned for the full recap.

3rd Quarter:

Score: OAK 17 NYJ 30

It's about damn time Reece has a breakout game and being the focal point of the offense. The game is not out of reach yet. McGloin is doing a nice job, responding to his premature benching and is driving down the field. Just a TD to put us within 6, one defensive stop and we have a chance to take the lead. Still a lot of time left.

2nd Quarter:

Score:  OAK 3 NYJ 20

This is where the growing pains of a Raider fan begin again. Just a pathetic and embarrassing display in the 2nd quarter. Onto the halftime report.

1st Quarter:

Score: OAK 0 NYJ 10

All I can ask is: good lord how short handed are we in the running back position? I woke up a little late for the game like 15 minutes into it and first Raider drive I saw was with Taiwan Jones in the backfield. Looks like DA is starting his QB evaluation early pulling out McGloin for Pryor. Personally should've pulled out McGloin if he's really struggling, like multiple picks (a la Carson Palmer), but it's obvious he's not moving the chains. Pryor so far, looks pretty healthy, but I can see the lack of reps regressed his throwing mechanics.

RAIDERS @ Jets Halftime Post

Score: OAK 3 NYJ 20

Alright so welcome in to the halftime post between the Raiders and the Jets, where yeah pretty much the score above does not lie.

All I can say is, what a crappy half for the Raiders. A lot of dysfunction in that 1st half beginning from the offense to the defense to special teams, and to coaching. I mean wow, it's only typical that we break down like this in December. That is pathetic.

Onto the positives: what positives are there? There are no positives to highlight this game after the first half. I think only the INT by Kevin Burnett late in the first quarter and Marcel Reece's performance are the only positives this game. Reece had 10 carries for 40 yards and 1 reception for a big 26 yard gain. That's it like I said, what other positives are there to highlight?

I'm obviously getting a run for my money in the negatives. The offense is not moving, the defense is on the field too long, special teams have been disastrous and it all points fingers to the coaching. DA is playing WWE tag team with Terrelle Pryor and Matt McGloin in the first half. McGloin fumbles, couldn't move the chains, tag in with TP, TP at least moves the chains, but couldn't make spot on throws, you could blame lack for reps for that and it's his first game back, ironically since against the Giants at again, MetLife stadium. Anyway time to display my stats skills: Pryor and Mcgloin have combined 7 of 15 passes for 91 yards and an average of 45% completion, no TDs, 1 INT. Special teams, awful, Sebass missed a 52 yard field goal and a blocked punt on Marquette King returned for a TD.

Short halftime, but it is what is. This was a pathetic first half and embarrassing to watch. It's gonna be hard watching QBs interchange it's like the Tebow-Sanchez situation all over again and it's frustrating that the coaches would show signs of dysfunction this late especially they had this team motivated all season long to play hard (the Eagles game and the Cowboys game as an exception).

Furious 2nd Half Rally Lifts Lakers Past Kings

This game was supposed to air on NBA TV due to multiple rumors concerning Kobe's return, but NBA TV pulled it off it nationally televised lineup since Kobe made public that he was going to play Sunday when the Lakers take on the Raptors at home. From what I'm reading in a Yahoo Sports article, it seems that it was one heck of a game the Lakers played this season to get a W in front of an ever present hostile Sacramento crowd.

Alright let's get right to it. Pau Gasol was the Lakers' top performer with 19 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 assists, but he wasn't the central part of the Lakers' stunning run in the 2nd half, it was the role players. One of the players who played big this game was Jodie Meeks. Meeks also chipped 19 points, but had the touch from beyond the arc, shooting 5-6 from beyond. Two of Meeks' 3 pointers were big shots to give the Lakers a pull away lead against the Kings and managed to hold on 106-100. All starters were in double figures: Wesley Johnson added 13 points and was a pickpocket thief all game long adding 5 steals including one steal late in the fourth to set up a Nick Young jumper and Young came off the bench finishing with 14 points. Steve Blake added 13 points and 10 assists and Robert Sacre made his first start (second? I don't remember) tallying 11 points on on 5-7 shooting.

Final Score: @ Sacramento 106-100 [W]
Full recap: http://www.nba.com/games/20131206/LALSAC/gameinfo.html

Highlights

Next Game: vs. Toronto (12/08)

The game against the Raptors is possibly going to be aired on NBA TV, so in case, there'll be Q-by-Q, Halftime Post, and Full Recap. So after I post the full recap of Sunday's Raiders game against the Jets, stay tuned, hang around my blog or something, start a chat in any of my posts until 6:30 pm because I'll be working double time on Sunday. Hehe.