Al Jefferson's Big Night Helps Bobcats Beat Lakers

Pau Gasol was the Lakers' top performer with 24 points, 9 rebounds, and 2 assists on 9-17 shooting, but his performance was a complete opposite to his Bobcats counterpart, Al Jefferson. The former Utah Jazz player put one of his dominating performance against the Lakers scoring 40 points and 18 rebounds, even though the Lakers tried to rally, Jefferson's big night ultimately put the Bobcats over the Lakers 110-100. Jodie Meeks added 19 points, Ryan Kelly added 13 points, Kendall Marshall chipped in 10 points and 12 assists, and Nick Young was the leading bench scorer with 21 points, but then again, his shooting woes continue to manifest itself as he shot 8-22 from the field this game.

Final Score: vs. Charlotte 110-100 [L]
Full Recap: http://www.nba.com/games/20140131/CHALAL/gameinfo.html

Highlights:

Next Game: vs. Minnesota (02/04)

Lakers Fall to Pacers

The Lakers come back from their 7 game Grammy road trip in a showdown with the top team in the NBA in the east, the Indiana Pacers. Pau Gasol was the Lakers' top performer with 21 points, 13 rebounds, and 2 assists, but the Lakers couldn't keep pace against Indiana's bulwark defense as it took the Pacers a complete team game to go over the Lakers 104-92 since Pacers star player, Paul George was in the a shooting slump this game. A lot of Laker players were in double-figures in the point category, but didn't shot well. Jodie Meeks added 21 points, but shot 7-16 from the field, Kendall Marshall tallied 11 points and 13 assists, but shot 5-11 from the field, and Ryan Kelly added 10 points, but had an awful shooting display this game. Jordan Hill and Nick Young were leading scorers off the bench as Hill had 10 points and 12 rebounds on 5-10 shooting and Young had 12 points and his shooting woes continue, shooting 5-16 from the field.

Final Score: vs. Indiana 104-92 [L]

Full Recap: http://www.nba.com/games/20140128/INDLAL/gameinfo.html

Highlights

Next Game: vs. Charlotte (01/31)

Super Bowl XLVIII Preview: Seattle Seahawks vs. Denver Broncos

Alright welcome in to your preview for Super Bowl XLVIII between the NFC champion, Seattle Seahawks and the AFC champion Denver Broncos. We are just now one week away from Super Bowl Sunday and I can't wait for it to get started! Here, I will analyze both of the teams' roster, their season, and I'll give you my final prediction.

No doubt, both the Seahawks and the Broncos are two of the best teams in the NFL right now, both respectively the "Best in their West." The Seahawks of course winning the NFC West and claiming the #1 seed and the Broncos winning the AFC West and claiming the #1 seed in their respective conferences. To add in a little trivia, this is also known as the "Weed Bowl" due to the fact that both Colorado and Washington are two of the states in the U.S. that legalized marijuana.

Let's start with the Seahawks, hands down the #1 defense in the league aided by their elite secondary lead by Richard Sherman, Earl Thomas, Byron Maxewell, Walter Thurmond, and Kam Chancellor. Sherman this year, another great year, obviously showing why he's the league's premiere shutdown corner. Aside from the Seahawks' Legion of Boom secondary, the defensive line, linebacking corp, just so many depth from that position. The edge rushing triplet of Cliff Avril (one of Seattle's biggest signings), Michael Bennett, and Chris Clemons have torn it up this season, especially up at home feeding off the energy of the ever-boisterous 12th man. The linebacker corp too with Bobby Wagner, Malcolm Smith, KJ Wright, and Bruce Irvin, another solid year as usual for these linebackers. Offensively, the dynamic duo of Russell Wilson and Marshawn Lynch, one of the best 1-2 QB/RB punch in NFL with Wilson's ability to extend plays with his feet to give his receivers more time aided by Marshawn Lynch's "beast mode" power running style and that's been their formula all season, run the ball with Lynch, pass/run with Wilson. Obviously with what Wilson has to work with, he doesn't have that great of a receiving corp. Percy Harvin's been hurt all season, only played two games, they lost Sidney Rice for the rest of the season and Golden Tate, Doug Baldwin, Jermaine Kearse, and Zach Miller have been erratic this season. I'm thoroughly surprise that Zach Miller has not been getting more touches because in his time here in Oakland, he proved he can be a solid security blanket for QBs, and they were just not finding him at all this season. Also a negative, Seattle has been one of the most penalized teams, but they're lucky enough penalties don't cost them games. Pete Carroll has done a masterful job keeping the team's composure in check in the midst of all the penalties.

With the Seahawks, at home they've been great, on the road they have not been impressive. Two of their losses on the road came against legit teams in San Francisco and Indianapolis. Even worse, they almost lost to Houston and St. Louis, even also to Tampa Bay on their own floor if it weren't for their defense making great plays. They started off great this season, especially with the impressive 7-34 thrashing they put up against the Saints in Seattle and then things just started cooling down for this Seattle team from there and they almost gave up the division and the #1 seed to the Niners. With the Seahawks, the offense lately has been ultra conservative just handing the ball to Lynch and depending on the defense to make plays and it was evident in the divisional round against the Saints and then onto the NFC Championship against the Niners. With Harvin, no doubt they can be a dynamic team, but his lengthy absence to the team makes the trade a complete bust and made the offense more one-dimensional than it looks. Heading to the Super Bowl, Seattle won't have the 12th man and they need to treat it as an actual road game without the 50/50 split in the crowd.

For the Broncos, Peyton Manning, Peyton Manning, and Peyton Manning. Back when he signed in Denver in 2012, as a Raider fan, I know that the Broncos were going to dominate the west as long as he's under center and they did. Since Manning arrived, the Broncos have compiled a total 26 wins and 6 losses, and back-to-back #1 seeds. Obviously the loss against Baltimore stinged them a lot, and they added a few weapons snagging away Wes Welker and turning Julius Thomas into a star Tight End. The receiving corps of Welker, Julius Thomas, Demaryius Thomas, and Eric Decker proved to be real estate coverage for Manning because every hasn't found an answer to stop Denver's four horsemen receiving corps. No doubt, Denver this season has proven to be the best offense in NFL history with Manning setting a ridiculous amount records and for his age, putting up unbelievable numbers. My opinion, Peyton Manning will go down as one of the best quarterbacks to ever play the game and it's arguable for sure and he's hands down a first ballot hall of famer. No to mention, Knowshon Moreno is a very capable go to guy in the backfield and he's also put up great numbers for Denver's running game. On the defensive side, they've been decent. Jack Del Rio has always been an underrated defensive coordinator. The defensive line and the linebackers, they've been notorious for stopping the run and getting after the quarterback. Of course, the Broncos are missing some key players. The injury of Ryan Clady on the offensive line, of course and their star rusher Von Miller on the defense and both have left huge voids for the team.

The Broncos, unlike their NFC counterpart in the Seahawks have been consistent all season long and they've beaten the teams they needed to beat. As much as I hate them with a passion, credit where it is due, John Fox has got them to bring their A game on all 16 games. Their objectives basically were to win games and break records. And like I said, the offense has been a juggernaut with Manning under center. They've kept defenses on their heels and opposing secondaries couldn't find any way to stop them no matter many different looks they give Manning to see. Heading to the Super Bowl, the pressure is all on Manning to do it again in the big game like he's done all season long. If he does, it just makes his legacy a lot legendary.

Some matchups we're looking at here is Denver's #1 receiving corps vs. Seattle's #1 secondary, Denver's finesse running game vs. Seattle's power running game, Manning's ability to keep defenses guessing vs. Wilson's ability to extend plays with his legs. A lot of tough matchups here, but it's all going to come down on who musters enough offense and which defense give up less. It'll basically come down to who gets after the quarterback the most and who can run the ball. Denver's D all season long has not faced a very physical running back and they'll get that in Marshawn Lynch and Seattle's D has a very legitimate chance at keeping Moreno in check. Denver's receiving corps is going to have to go through a tight Seattle secondary. Look for both team's kickers, Matt Prater (DEN) and Steven Hauschka (SEA) to be key factors too. As tough as it is, I'm picking Seattle to win it, not because I hate the Broncos, but Seattle has a legitimate chance to wreck Peyton Manning in the pocket. Seattle's secondary will play physical with Denver's receivers and look for the Wilson-Lynch duo to muster just enough for Seattle to win its first Lombardi trophy.

Final Score (projected): SEA 27 DEN 23

Lakers Wrap Up Grammy Road Trip With Loss in New York

Alright welcome in to the full recap of the Lakers road game vs. the New York Knicks where the Lakers wrap up their 7 game Grammy road trip falling short against Carmelo Anthony and the Knicks 103-110.

Like I said before, it's been an ongoing trend for this Lakers team on the road. They hang in there, keep games competitive, down to the wire, but at the end of the day, they fall short. It's been evident in their games against Chicago, Miami, and now against New York.

Let's go with the positives: yes Pau Gasol and Jodie Meeks have made critical turnovers down the stretch to give the game away, but it doesn't take away their all around performance this game. Gasol notched yet another double-double with 20 points and 13 rebounds. In the midst of the Lakers getting defeated almost every game, Gasol has been putting up numbers consistently for this team. This game, he was finding his shot in the paint, settling for less outside jumpers. He could've had more points, but credit where it's due, Tyson Chandler pretty much contained him in the paint and that's part of the reason why the Knicks won this game. For Jodie Meeks, he was the Lakers' bright spot at the 3 point shooting. He got hot in the 3rd quarter helping the Lakers around and he finished with 24 points on 8-13 shooting, his best shooting display on the road. Although he did make a couple boneheaded plays this game, he was a straight up ball hawk getting after it. Another positive: Manny Harris. Harris performed his best game as a Laker this season scoring 18 points on 6-9 shooting from the field. I said Mitch and the Laker organization have to give this guy another shot, and they spare him for another 10 days. Just seeing him on TV for the first time, he can find his shot and he can create shots for his teammates because the guy can penetrate and he showed me that this game and obviously he was going up against his former Michigan Wolverines teammate in Tim Hardaway Jr. Other than that, Harris, solid contribution off the bench, he's going to have to continue to play his tail off to earn a long-term contract and stay with the team for the rest of the season.

Onto the negatives, just terrible defensive rotation and critical turnovers down the stretch. Bad angles whenever Hardaway Jr. and J.R. Smith were penetrating on the paint. Like I said, we can live with Melo going off, but unless the other Knick players are bailing him out, we have to contain them. Raymond Felton, Smith, Hardaway Jr., and Iman Shumpert helped Melo out and stepped up to make the shots when it counted the most off our missed defensive assignments. Another negative, Nick Young, when is the slump going to end? I don't know. Young had only 13 points on 5-11 shooting, he didn't do much this game and he's gotta get back to putting up double digit numbers while shooting at an efficient percentage. Kendall Marshall, another negative, after constantly putting up double digit assists numbers, he didn't do much as well scoring just 12 points and dishing out 5 assists, he just wasn't himself this game, and he'll find a way to bounce back.

Overall, the good news is that this road trip is finally out of the way, the bad news, the Lakers with this loss are now second-to-last in the Western Conference. Down the stretch, highly unlikely the Lakers have a chance, so it's just all about playing for pride at this point on and try to get the highest draft pick possible. Not a big fan of tanking, but it's one of the viable options the Lakers have to take. So pretty much, a risk-reward type of thing. Well this wraps up today's game coverage. I will be back to give you guys my Super Bowl XLVIII preview between the Seattle Seahawks and Denver Broncos.

01/26: Hollywood vs. Broadway LAKERS @ New York Knicks Q-by-Q Reaction

4th Quarter:

Score: LAL 103 NYK 110

Same story for the Lakers during this Grammy road trip, they stay competitive, hang around, but at the end of the day, they fall short. The Lakers finish their Grammy road trip with a 2-5 record. Stay tuned for the full recap.

3rd Quarter:

Score: LAL 81 NYK 83

Jodie Meeks heated up this quarter. Basically our only 3 point threat this game as he's shooting 6-8 beyond the arc. A lot of bad transition D this quarter and it turned into a 3 point shootout. We're lucky enough to be down by 2.

2nd Quarter:

Score: LAL 47 NYK 51

Melo's starting to find the range. Credit where it is due, the Knicks responded back from the Lakers' late surge last quarter. We'll live with the four point deficit at the half. Onto the report.

1st Quarter:

Score: LAL 25 NYK 22

Nice surge late in the first quarter. First time seeing Manny Harris in action and he's contributing early. Pau Gasol having 8 quick points in the quarter, he's finding his shot. We'll live with Melo going off, but we gotta contain the other Knick players and we're doing it so far generating a couple of turnovers. Wesley Johnson also with 2 sweet fastbreak dunks this quarter, he should be a dunk contest nominee. Good quarter, hopefully the Lakers keep it up.

LAKERS @ Knicks Halftime Post

Score: LAL 47 NYK 51

Alright, welcome in to the halftime report of the Lakers' game against the Knicks where the Knicks have captured the four point edge going into the half against the Lakers.

Very competitive game. That's the main theme for the Lakers' all road trip long, just stay competitive and most of the time they've fell short. They're in a four point deficit, but it's not too much to overcome.

Let's go with the positives: Pau Gasol 12 points on 6-9 shooting at the half. All I can say is thank goodness he's getting his touches in the paint, where he is most effective at. He can make a mid-range jump shot here and there, but once he's in the paint, he can be unstoppable. Which brings up to my next positive, the paint. Most D'Antoni teams have been notorious for living and dying by the 3, but majority of the Lakers' points here so far have come in the paint and they've outscored the Knicks in the paint like 22-9 something like that I can't remember. Another positive, we limited the turnovers and generated a couple even though the margin of 5 turnovers compared to the Knicks' 8 doesn't sound too much and the Lakers managed to cash in on most the Knicks' turnovers on fastbreak. I'd say I'd give Manny Harris a positive too, 7 quick points off the bench and creating shots for his team, the guy can penetrate and hopefully Mitch considers extending his contact because his contract of 10 days with the team ends after this game.

Onto the negatives: we basically have no answer for Carmelo Anthony. Melo has 20 points in 2 quarters, but at least we're not letting him erupt. Ryan Kelly is having a tough time defending him in the starting lineup and he picked up 3 quick fouls. That's an obvious problem because we know Kelly cannot hang with Melo all game long. Another negative, the 3 point shooting. Only Jodie Meeks has provided 2 3-pointers, but overall the Lakers are shooting 16% from beyond the arc. Wesley Johnson aside from the two sensational dunks has gotta limit his 3 point attempts and focus on cutting to the basket for easy shots. Nick Young also has gotta re-discover some of his shooting grove because the last few games, he's been shooting awful despite still putting up double-figure numbers.

Overall, like I said, we can live with Melo going off, if we can contain the rest of the Knicks' squad, then the chance of getting this win to savor this road trip becomes better. The Lakers just gotta keep playing and keep feeding Pau in the paint and take high percentage shots when necessary.

Lakers Fall to Magic, Finish 0-2 in Florida Road Trip

Another competitive road game, another loss. Kendall Marshall, all-around was the Lakers' top performer with 19 points and 14 assists on 7-14 shooting, but the Lakers were again outplayed in the final minutes from the Magic as three Magic players had 20+ point performances. Tobias Harris' 28 points and 20 rebound performance, Arron Afflalo's 23 point performance, and Jameer Nelson's 22 point performance helped lifted the Magic past the Lakers 105-114. Pau Gasol added another double-double with 21 points and 11 rebounds and Ryan Kelly had his bounce back game after a dismal display in Miami scoring 15 points on 5-8 shooting. Jodie Meeks added 17 points and Nick Young came off the bench with 16 points, but his shooting slump continues as he shot 6-16 from the field. The Lakers wrap up their Grammy road trip Sunday, heading over to the Big Apple to take on Carmelo Anthony and the Knicks. That game will be televised, so expect a Q-by-Q, halftime post, and full recap.

Final Score: @ Orlando 105-114 [L]
Full Recap: http://www.nba.com/lakers/gameday/140124_gameday_magic

Highlights

Next Game: @ New York (01/26)

Lakers Put Up Competitive Battle Against Heat, Same Results as X-Mas Day

For those expecting a Q-by-Q reaction, halftime, and full recap of this game, I forgot to tell you guys that I have a night class from 6:30-9:30 every Thursday so I apologize for not announcing earlier. Anyway, the Lakers travel to Miami where they have won there since 2008. Once again like the X-Mas showdown, the Lakers took it to the 2x defending champs, yet again, they fell short. Pau Gasol was the Lakers' top performer with 22 points and 11 rebounds on 9-15, but couldn't give the Lakers the W as Chris Bosh's 31 point performance and LeBron's double-double performance put the Heat over the Lakers 102-109 without Dwyane Wade. Only two Laker players joined Pau in double figure point categories as Jodie Meeks added 22 points on 7-13 shooting and Nick Young came off the bench with 19 points, but shot 8-20 from the field.

Final Score: @ Miami 102-109 [L]

Full Recap: http://www.nba.com/games/20140123/LALMIA/gameinfo.html

Highlights:

Next Game: @ Orlando (01/24)

Lakers Fall Short vs. Bulls on Taj Gibson's Game Winner in OT

Truly a hard fought, yet heartbreaking loss for the Lakers looking to build on momentum. Pau Gasol was the Lakers' top performer recording a double-double of 20 points and 19 rebounds, but the Lakers fell short of getting their 3rd straight win as they lose on a buzzer beating layup by Chicago's Taj Gibson 100-102 in overtime. Jodie Meeks added 16 points, Ryan Kelly added 13 points, and Nick Young added 31 points off the bench.

Final Score: @ Chicago 100-102 (OT) [L]
Full Recap: http://www.nba.com/lakers/gameday/140120_gameday_bulls

Highlights:

Next Game: @ Miami (01/23)

Lakers Top Raptors For Second Straight Win

The Lakers are starting to re-gain their groove into this road trip. Nick Young was the Lakers' top performer. Coming off his 1 game suspension after taking a swing at Suns' rookie Alex Len, Swaggy P came back with a vengeance scoring 29 points on 7-13 off the bench to help the Lakers win their second straight game against the Toronto Raptors 112-106, avenging their previous December loss in Kobe Bryant's first game back. Pau Gasol added 22 points and 9 rebounds and Ryan Kelly has came alive this last few games scoring 17 points in his first start. Jodie Meeks and Kendall Marshall, didn't have good shooting nights, but did just enough for the team with 11 points from Meeks and 10 points and 11 assists from Marshall. The Lakers look to extend their streak tomorrow as they travel to Chicago for a daunting matchup against the Bulls

Final Score: @ Toronto 112-106 [W]
Full Recap: http://www.nba.com/games/20140119/LALTOR/gameinfo.html

Highlights

Next Game: @ Chicago (01/20)

Announcement: I won't do my Super Bowl XLVIII preview directly after the championship games today, it'll be available directly after the Lakers' road game against the Knicks to wrap up their Grammy road trip.

Lakers Earn 2nd Victory of the Year Over Rival Celtics

Despite how terrible the Lakers have been playing so far season, there's nothing better than to beat the team you love to hate. Pau Gasol was the team's top performer with 24 points, 13 rebounds, and 6 assists shooting 9-15 from the field as the Lakers go to Boston to beat their old nemesis Celtics 107-104, spoiling Rajon Rondo's return after tearing his ACL last season. Jodie Meeks added 17 points and Wesley Johnson added another double-double with 11 points and 11 rebounds. Kendall Marshall had his bounce back game scoring 19 points and dishing out 14 assists while Ryan Kelly had his breakout game as a Laker in his rookie career scoring 20 points off the bench.

Final Score: @ Boston 107-104 [W]
Full Recap: http://www.nba.com/games/20140117/LALBOS/gameinfo.html

Highlights:

Next Game: @ Toronto (01/19)

Lakers Drop To Suns

The Lakers start off their Grammy trip off the wrong foot and the losing slump just can't go away. Pau Gasol was the Lakers' top performer with 24 points, 9 rebounds, and 5 assists, but it couldn't solve the Lakers' woes as the Suns beat the Lakers 114-121 in a testy game where an altercation between Nick Young and Suns' rookie, Alex Len got ugly, leading to the ejection of both players. Wesley Johnson added 22 points in his return to Phoenix. Jodie Meeks added 14 points, Kendall Marshall continues to distribute efficiently scoring 10 points and 13 assists playing against the team that drafted him in the 1st round, and Chris Kaman added 18 points off the bench.

Final Score: @ Phoenix 114-121 [L]
Full Recap: http://www.nba.com/games/20140115/LALPHX/gameinfo.html

Highlights:

Next Game: @ Boston (01/17)

Lakers Fall to Cavs on Last Home Game Before Road Trip

So close where the Lakers were in an attempt to get back on track in the midst of a tough Grammy road trip ahead of them. Nick Young was the Lakers' top performer off the bench with 28 points, 1 rebound, and 6 assists, but the Lakers couldn't get the victory as they fell to the Cavs 120-118 behind Luol Deng's 27 point and a perfect 5-5 beyond the arc performance earning head coach Mike Brown his first win in LA since being fired by the Lakers' management a year ago. Jodie Meeks added 26 points, Wesley Johnson added 17 points, and Kendall Marshall, bad shooting night, only scoring 10 points on 4-11 shooting, but displayed great facilitation dishing out 16 assists. Pau Gasol was questionable this game after suffering an injury Friday night against the Clippers, but played tonight scoring 20 points and 12 rebounds.

Final Score: vs. Cleveland 120-118 [L]
Full Recap: http://www.nba.com/games/20140114/CLELAL/gameinfo.html

Highlights

Next Game: @ Phoenix (01/15)

Clippers Hammer Lakers in 2nd Regular Season Meeting

Alright welcome in to the full recap of the game between the hallway rivals, the Lakers and the Clippers in the 2nd battle of LA for the 2014 season where the Clippers cruised past the Lakers and gave them their worst defeat of the season.

All I can say is: what a beatdown. This was hilariously bad, the way the Lakers performed coming out of the 2nd half. Early on, it looked like a competitive game, 2nd quarter, Clips start pulling away, 3rd quarter, they blew our asses out of our own building.

Where to start off, there are no positives this game. As a co-tenant when you get your ass beat by another co-tenant in your own place and that co-tenant that got his ass handed to him built that house out of sheer stones and bricks while the other one just free loaded on you for many years until he got off his ass to do something relevant, then that is flat out embarrassing. That was an example of how this game went. Allowing an ass-kicking so bad on the same floor you play on is unacceptable. Like I said in my halftime report, it's about being mentally tough to overcome multiple injuries, but the Lakers didn't show any fight, they didn't show enough heart to at least compete. As a Laker fan, it was frustrating and it was embarrassing to see, but at the same time I couldn't stop smirking because the Clippers were just mauling us that 3rd quarter and they didn't let up all game long and that was the knack for the Clippers that they couldn't play a full 48 minutes of basketball and they showed that today. Yet, I'm skeptical because yes we're hilariously bad, but can the Clips put up this kind of effort against the higher elite teams? I don't know because I don't follow them.

Just going to do a player overview because the whole team was negative. Kendall Marshall, top performer this game with 16 points and 10 assists on 6-11 shooting played a decent game so he's out of the list. Pau Gasol 10 points on 5-15 shooting, trash, Wesley Johnson finishing with 14 points on 5-11 shooting, played well in the first half, but didn't translate well in the 2nd. Robert Sacre, 14 points, his points came off of garbage time and he didn't do much, Jodie Meeks 11 points on 2-10 shooting, trash, Nick Young 11 points on 3-14, godawful display off the bench from Nick Young so far this season, Jordan Hill, goose egg in the point category, dead silent, Chris Kaman, 6 points, thought he looked good early on, then he wanted to shoot for posters, Ryan Kelly 5 points, didn't do much. Goes to show the effort displayed. Yes let the injuries play into a factor, but the injuries are always a part of the game, so why bother to bring them up?

If you're a Clipper fan, at least you're pleased that the Clippers displayed intensity on both ends for a full 48 minutes, even without their glue in Chris Paul on the floor, players managed to step up and contribute. But here in Laker Land, this trend is going to continue for a long period of time until we get most of our players back. I did say in my preview 4 months ago, the Lakers still had a chance to at least sneak into the playoffs as the last seed, but with these many injuries, it's best to swallow some pride and admit that hey we suck this season. The 2004-2007 Lakers with Smush Parker, Kwame Brown, Chucky Atkins, Vlad Rad, etc. could've put up a more respectable performance in this game. Overall, this was a bitter game to watch all the way and the Lakers, it doesn't get anymore harder because after the game against Cleveland on Sunday, the annual Grammy road trips start and the lineup of opponents is brutal to look at. I'll wrap this up and I'll see you guys later.

01/10: BATTLE LA II: LAKERS @ LA Clippers Q-by-Q Reaction

4th Quarter:

Score: LAL 87 LAC 123

4th quarter was just all stat padding in garbage time. Stay tuned for the full recap.

3rd Quarter:

Score: LAL 60 LAC 101

What a crap fest the Lakers displayed this quarter. Scoring only 8 points compared to the Clippers 31. Game's pretty much over. Going to let the 4th quarter wind down and full recap this embarrassing beat down.

2nd Quarter:

Score: LAL 52 LAC 70

Even without CP3 in the lineup, the Lakers, you can credit the injuries, but they're being outhustled by the Clippers. What our bench did to them the 4th quarter on opening night, they're returning the favor with this tremendous start without their floor general. Onto the halftime report.

1st Quarter:

Score: LAL 25 LAC 43

Wow what an atrocious start. 18 points on 9 turnovers from the Clippers. Lakers just continue to beat themselves on turnovers and it's a nuisance this season. Massive hole this team has to climb as the 2nd quarter begins.

LAKERS @ Clippers Halftime Post

Score: LAL 52 LAC 70

Alright, welcome in to your 1st halftime post for 2014 where the Lakers take on hallway rival, Clippers and so far, Lob City is taking it to the Lakeshow 52-70 without Chris Paul on the floor.

The Lakers, we all know that they've been on a downward spiral dating back to the loss against Golden State on December 21, most of it due to injuries, lack of depth, etc. It's unfortunate to see the Lakers in this kind of state and the trend continues.

Let's go with the positives, Kendall Marshall, scoring 12 points on 4-7 shooting and dishing out 4 assists. Marshall, the last few games, has been displaying decent performances facilitating well and scoring, especially shooting from the outside. He made a couple shots this game to keep us within striking distance before the Clippers responded with stifling defense and generating turnovers to score easy points. Another positive, Wesley Johnson scoring 14 points on a perfect 5-5 shooting. Wes has also been playing solid as of late, the numbers don't reflect it, but he's finding ways to be efficient and I like his activity as always and especially displaying that efficiency this game finding open lanes for easy baskets and taking high percentage shots when necessary.

Onto the negatives, the turnovers. I sound like a broken record bringing that negative up every game, but it's becoming annoying every game. D'Antoni's gotta keep preaching for this team to take care of the ball, especially lacking point guards. The Clippers were scoring at will, generating flash photography as well off those 9 turnovers the Lakers committed in the 1st quarter. Another negative, foul trouble and it's obvious the Clippers are getting more physical in the paint to generate those fouls. Again, lack of a true rim protector and it's affecting this outcome.

The 2nd half is underway. This current trend is not about physical toughness, but about mental fortitude and the Lakers if they're not contempt about tanking have to display some mental toughness to fight through a huge hole with a patchwork lineup that has been displayed in the Lakers' current downward trend.

Lakers Cap Off Back-to-Back Texas Trip with Loss to Rockets in Houston

Dwight waited for the 2nd matchup and got what he wanted against the Lakers the 2nd time around. Pau Gasol was the Lakers' top performer scoring 21 points, 12 rebounds, and 3 assists, but the Lakers lost control of the game in the 2nd half lead by Dwight Howard's 20 points and 13 rebound performance and James Harden's 38 point outburst as both performances helped the Rockets beat the short-handed Lakers 99-113. Jodie Meeks added 21 points and Nick Young, probable for tonight's game, bounced back scoring 25 points off the bench. Both Wesley Johnson and Jordan Hill added 10 points in the starting lineup and on the bench.

Final Score: @ Houston 99-113 [L]
Full Recap: http://www.nba.com/games/20140108/LALHOU/gameinfo.html

Highlights:

*To be posted*

Next Game: @ LA Clippers (01/10)

Short-handed Lakers Help Mavs End Home Losing Streak

The Lakers couldn't catch a break with a depleted, injury-ridden roster. Jodie Meeks was the Lakers' top performer this game with 24 points, 4 rebounds, and 6 assists and played the most minutes out of the entire roster with 41 minutes, but the Lakers couldn't overcome their depleted status as the Mavs took advantage of the Lakers' short roster under Dirk Nowitzki's 27 point and 7 rebound performance to beat the Lakers 97-110 ending a home victory drought. Kendall Marshall added 18 points on 7-10 shooting, Wesley Johnson added 17 points, and Pau Gasol recorded a double-double with 15 points and 13 rebounds. Miscellaneous, Nick Young, constantly putting up double-figure point performances off the bench, that streak came to an end as he was just held to only 2 points, understandably he left the game due to a back injury causing the Lakers more problems with no roster depth to cover the injuries.

Final Score: @ Dallas 97-110 [L]
Full Recap: http://www.nba.com/games/20140107/LALDAL/gameinfo.html

Highlights:

Next Game: @ Houston (01/08)

Nuggets' 2nd Half Dominance Pummels Lakers

Just when the Lakers were getting things going with Friday's win, they come back down to earth. Pau Gasol was the Lakers' top performer scoring 25 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists, and 3 blocks, but the Lakers were simply outmatched team-wise as the Nuggets outscore the Lakers in the 2nd half 77-54 to beat them in Brian Shaw's return to LA as head coach 137-115. Jodie Meeks added 23 points, Robert Sacre added 15 points shooting a perfect 6-6 from the field, and Nick Young came off the bench with 21 points.

Final Score: vs. Denver 137-115 [L]
Full Recap: http://www.nba.com/games/20140105/DENLAL/gameinfo.html

Highlights:

Next Game: @ Dallas (01/07)

Lakers End Win Drought vs. Jazz

If there was any New Year's Resolution that the Lakers needed, it is to get a victory to end their 6 game losing streak in their first game of 2014. Pau Gasol was the Lakers' top performer this game, recording a near triple-double with 23 points, 17 rebounds, and 8 assists to go with 3 blocks as the Lakers get back on track in a much needed win over the Utah Jazz 99-110 at Staples, avenging their heartbreaking defeat against the very same Jazz team in Utah back in December 27. There's a new Marshall in town as Kendall Marshall had the game of his life in a Laker uniform. With no point guard to back him up, Marshall carried himself in the position all game long scoring 20 points and dishing out 15 assists on 8-12 shooting from the field playing a valuable 40 minutes. Nick Young started ugly, but finished strong chipping in 16 points on 6-14 shooting and Jodie Meeks added 18 points completing the double-figures category for the starters. Wesley Johnson was the Lakers' leading bench scorer scoring 11 points and shooting a perfect 5-5 from the field and Shawne Williams added 10 points.

Final Score: vs. Utah 99-110 [W]
Full Recap: http://www.nba.com/games/20140103/UTALAL/gameinfo.html

Highlights:

Next Game: vs. Denver (01/05)