Lakers Set Record For 3's, Top Kings in Wild Shootout

Looking at the score alone, I can tell this was some game where defense never played a factor until the final seconds. Pau Gasol was the Lakers' top performer with 22 points, 5 rebounds, 6 assists, and 2 blocks to help the Lakers pull out a wild one against division rival Kings 122-126 in LA on a night where the Lakers tied a franchise record for most 3's with 19. Jodie Meeks also tallied 22 points scoring all 8 of his field goals including 3 from beyond the arc. Wesley Johnson added a double-double with 12 points and 12 rebounds to go with 3 blocks and Kent Bazemore joined him also tallying 12 points. Jordan Farmar and MarShon Brooks came off the bench with huge scoring as Farmar added 30 points connecting on 8 of 10 shots beyond the arc and Brooks added 23 points on 9-13 shooting.

Final Score: vs. Sacramento 122-126 [W]
Full Recap: http://www.nba.com/games/20140228/SACLAL/gameinfo.html

Highlights:

Next Game: @ Portland (03/03)

Lakers Go 0-2 in Back-to-Back Road Trip vs. Grizzlies

The Lakers wrap up their back-to-back road trip racking up yet another loss to this dismal season. Pau Gasol was the Lakers' top performer with 17 points, 10 rebounds, and 3 assists, but the Lakers couldn't rally on the Grizzlies' already large lead as the Lakers yet again remained competitive, but wound up losing 103-108. Wesley Johnson added 18 points and made valiant efforts defensively adding 4 blocks. Jodie Meeks added 19 points and Kent Bazemore still continues to impress with 14 points despite playing the small forward position. Jordan Farmar and MarShon Brooks were leading scorers off the bench as Farmar tallied 16 points and Brooks tallied 14 points (also continuing his solid showing since being traded).

Final Score: @ Memphis 103-108 [L]
Full Recap: http://www.nba.com/lakers/gameday/140226_gameday_grizzlies

Highlights:

Next Game: vs. Sacramento (02/28)

Lakers Walloped by Pacers

"An impromptu full recap for a televised Laker game can be eligible if either I make it in time for the 2nd half or when the game is still 5 minutes within the 2nd quarter if I have to miss a televised Laker game for an appointment, a night class, or for any other personal stuff I have to deal with. If I were to miss the entire game or I make in time, but it's already in the 4th quarter or in the final minutes of the 4th, the game is already ineligible for an impromptu full recap and will undergo the quick recap procedure since I first created this blog in 2010." - MechG on the impromptu full recap rule

Alright this is the official rule for an impromptu full recap if I were to miss a Laker or a Raider game for legitimate reasons, but somehow I make it in time for the 2nd half or when the game is still early in the 2nd or something. I will further elaborate this rule later on in the future. Today's game was a fan night game, which I was aware of, but I had an appointment with a dermatologist followed by an acne extraction with an aesthetician that happened 10 minutes before game time. 

Anyway, the Lakers have a back-to-back road trip and their first opponent is against the best team in the East in the Indiana Pacers and the results were surprisingly close, but Indy turned on the jets at the right time. Kent Bazemore was the Lakers' top performer this game (he's continuing to prove me wrong since I called him a throwaway piece in trading away Steve Blake to the Warriors) as he scored 23 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 steals, but the Lakers were outmatched again against Paul George and a super stacked Pacer team 98-118. Wesley Johnson added 15 points and 5 rebounds on 6-10 shooting, Pau Gasol and Jodie Meeks each added 13 points with 9 rebounds and 4 blocks to go with Gasol and 5 rebounds and 3 steals to go with Meeks, and MarShon Brooks was the bench's leading scorer with 11 points. Kendall Marshall, looks like the regression bug finally bit him as Marshall just only dished out 4 dimes and 0 points, unless he got injured (which makes matters worse), which is why he didn't play too much this game. The Lakers have another challenge awaiting them in Memphis against the surging Grizzlies. 

Final Score: @ Indiana 98-118 [L]

Full Recap: http://www.nba.com/games/20140225/LALIND/gameinfo.html

Highlights:

Next Game: @ Memphis (02/26)

Lakers Fall Short vs. Nets

I didn't know that this game was pulled out from ESPN in favor of the Rockets vs. Suns game. Well at least that saved me enough time yesterday. First off, Jason Collins made his debut last night in a Nets uniform as the first openly gay NBA player and I want to acknowledge and congratulate him for that. He didn't do much yesterday, but he reminds along with upcoming NFL draft prospect, Michael Sam that it doesn't matter of sexual orientation, if you can play in the pros, you can play in the pros and unfortunately not many of us see eye to eye with that concept, which is one of the major cons being a pro sports fan.

Anyway now that that's out of the way, the Lakers couldn't follow up from their win against their arch rival Celtics, Sunday night. Pau Gasol, 2nd game back, was the Lakers' top performer with 22 points and 11 rebounds, but the Lakers' run fell just short to the Nets 108-102. Jodie Meeks added 19 points on 7-13 shooting and Kent Bazemore made his first start as a Laker scoring 17 points as both joined Gasol in double-figures. Jordan Hill and Nick Young were the top scorers off the bench as Hill racked up 11 points and 8 rebounds and Nick Young returned with the team scoring 10 points. I'm starting to notice a little regression in Kendall Marshall's game as he only dished out 7 assists and scored 2 points.

Final Score: vs. Brooklyn 108-102 [L]
Full recap: http://www.nba.com/games/20140223/BKNLAL/gameinfo.html

Highlights:

Next Game: @ Indiana (02/25)

Laker Bench Mob Steps Up in the 4th for Furious Rally vs. Celtics

Alright welcome in to the full recap of the game between the Lakers and the Celtics where the Lakers pry a victory away from their arch enemy, Celtics on a 38 point 4th Quarter barrage to avoid an extension of their worst home skid at 9.

I'm gonna be fair. I'm not going to be like a homer saying it was a great game and big win for the Lakers, but the game put me half asleep. Probably the worst Friday night double-header ESPN showcased in a long time, the first being the Bulls and the Nuggets that ended in a Bulls blowout and then this game. The 4th quarter, when our new guys Kent Bazemore and MarShon Brooks started to carry the Lakers, that's what woke me up for this game and it was great finish, but it doesn't hide the fact that the majority of the game was a snooze fest.

Let's start off with positives, our bench mob. As inconsistent as they've been all season long and fighting injuries, they've provided decent numbers to prolong more rest for our starting lineup. I've mentioned them before and I'll mention them again, one more round of applause for our newcomers from the Warriors, Kent Bazemore and MarShon Brooks. Bazemore had 15 points, 3 rebounds, 4 assists, and 2 steals on 5-10 shooting and Brooks had 14 points on 7-11 shooting as well as adding 3 steals. Like I said last Wednesday, I thought Bazemore was just a throw away piece in the deal for the Warriors to acquire Steve Blake, but he showed us this game that he was more than just a cheerleader off the bench, he can attack the basket and he can show flashes that he can shoot. For Brooks, he had the most with the chip on his shoulder considering he was traded three times this season, first to traded to Boston in the offseason for the blockbuster deal sending KG and Pierce to Brooklyn, then traded to Golden State early in the season for the Warriors to acquire Jordan Crawford, and finally traded to LA before the deadline. Brooks did a great job getting it going in the 4th to make the Lakers' momentum soar sky high to beat the Celtics. Great debut for the Killer B's 2.0, although it's too early to crown them. Rest of the bench mob, Farmar with 8 points, 2 big 3s in the 4th, Kaman with 16 points and 8 rebounds, made big shots, and Jordan Hill with 10 points and 12 rebounds to go with 3 blocks. I told you guys at the end of the 3rd quarter, Hill's block on Olynyk in the final seconds was going to build momentum and it did. For the starting lineup, Pau Gasol 16 points and 7 rebounds in his return and Jodie Meeks also added in 16 points, but had rough going from downtown, both are still trying to recover from injury and they contributed decent numbers for the starting lineup.

Onto the negatives again I'm beating a dead horse, the turnovers. The thing that was making me mad was that the Lakers were forcing long passes all game long and some of the long passes were awful, luckily the Seahawks' Legion of Boom secondary wasn't playing otherwise they would've picked off those awful long passes all game long. I like that they wanted to run and not let the transition D get set, but long passes from full court create a high percentage of turnovers. More negatives this game, Wesley Johnson and Kendall Marshall. Marshall facilitated well, displaying fundamental point guard basketball, but he was one of the main culprits in the turnovers category leading the team with 4. Obviously the Lakers traded away Steve Blake to determine Marshall's long term future with the Lakers, he'll have terrible games, it's natural. Wes Johnson 1 point, 4 fouls, c'mon man you were playing so well the last few games, don't get overconfident and complacent now.

Overall, good win for us Laker fans, it was good, not great. No greater way to honor Jerry Buss' death anniversary late than beating the hated Celtics. So for us Laker fans good win, for NBA fans, awful loss since you guys had to deal with 2 crappy double-header games on ESPN. I'll see you guys on Sunday for the game against the Nets. Gonna have to find a way to split time with that and the new Walking Dead episode.

02/21: THE RIVALRY (at its low point): LAKERS vs. Celtics Q-by-Q reaction

Q4:

Score: BOS 92 LAL 101

Hallelujah! As ugly as it was this game, always happy with a win, especially against the ugly leprechauns from Boston. RIP Dr. Jerry Buss, always great to honor him by beating the Celtics, even though this game happened three days after his death anniversary. Great first impression from Kent Bazemore and MarShon Brooks! Stay tuned for the full recap.

Q3:

Score: BOS 74 LAL 63

All NBA teams be like (and I'm a Raider fan too)...

Still a close game though, but obviously the Celtics outplayed the Lakers this quarter. Hopefully that block by Hill on Olynyk at least gives us some momentum to make a run heading into the 4th.

Q2:

Score: BOS 46 LAL 44

Brooks and Bazemore have scored their first few points as Lakers, but Bazemore has been more effective. Boy was I wrong about him being a throw away piece in the Steve Blake trade. This quarter overall though: ugly on both sides. Onto the halftime report.

Q1:

Score: BOS 28 LAL 19

We see Kent Bazemore and MarShon Brooks in action late in the quarter since the Lakers acquired them from Golden State prior to the trade deadline. Good to see Pau Gasol is back, but right now Boston is just playing better ball than the Lakers not because of Rondo, but because of Jeff Green as he's the only player out of both teams to reach double figures in points. Low scoring first quarter, it's obvious both teams are rebuilding and I gotta endure this for 3 more quarters. I would've cared more if this was game 7 for the championship or something.

LAKERS vs. Celtics Halftime Post

Score: BOS 46 LAL 44

Alright welcome in to another ESPN televised game between the Lakers and their old nemesis from the east, the Celtics where the Lakers have battled back after sluggish start, but the C's have the two point edge in this recent meeting of the two historical rivals.

Come to think of it, this could be a short halftime post. Overall, just a boring game to watch.

Onto the positives, there are not a lot of positives, but Pau Gasol and Kent Bazemore have been positives. Welcome back Gasol as he's the only Laker player so far in double figures with 10 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 blocks. Yup, Gasol is still a Laker even after the trade deadline. He's been the guy all season long to look up to put up efficient numbers. My opinion, he's still one of the best big men and power forwards in this game, but it's hard to rank him that this season considering how crappy this Laker team has been. Other than that, nice to have him back. Another positive, Kent Bazemore, yeah he's shooting 3-7 from the field, but 7 points in his first game as a Laker is not a bad start. Personally, I haven't seen highlight of him a lot considering the Warriors barely use him, but from what I'm hearing, he's a slasher. Yeah he's known for his cheerleading, but he's contributing at least and I thought Brooks would contribute more, but again it's just one game and both players are gonna compete hard to earn a spot. Kendall Marshall and Jodie Meeks, positives as well with 5 points and 5 assists by Marshall and 9 points by Meeks, they've been playing well all season.

Onto the negatives, can I just say that the kind of turnovers the Lakers are committing look like a football game? They're just going for the long pass on the break and the Celtics have done a good job to get back on defense and have good awareness on the ball. This whole game so far is a negative. Just imagine if this was the finals and both the Lakers and Celtics are playing this kind of bad basketball?

Overall, this is a lazy halftime post. I'm trying to sugarcoat at how boring this game is to keep myself interested, but it is what it is. One more half, hope the Lakers at least pull this out against the Celtics, especially since this is Dr. Jerry Buss' death anniversary week.

Dwight Howard Triumphant in Return to LA + Thoughts on the Steve Blake for Kent Bazemore and Marshon Brooks Trade

Alright welcome in to the full recap of tonight's game between the Lakers and the Rockets where the Rockets made Dwight Howard's return to LA a successful as they throttled the already short-handed Lakers 134-108 for their 8th straight victory.

First off it's great to be back after a long layoff for Q-by-Q, halftime, and full recap posts. Of course spent a lot of time watching All-Star weekend, great break, but fun while it lasted. Meanwhile, not so fun for the Lakers' 1st game after the break. Obviously the hype surrounding Dwight's return. He needed something to prove much to the dismay of many Laker fans including myself and credit where it's due, he did a hell of a job, just like he did last season in his return to Orlando since being traded to LA and he's continuing that trend.

Some of the positives this game. I'm serious this game was pretty hard to keep up with, since pretty much the outcome was already set. It's difficult to pick who's the top performer this game in between Wesley Johnson and Kendall Marshall, but I say Wesley Johnson deserves to be the top performer for the Lakers this game. Johnson 24 points, 7 rebounds, on 7-13 shooting. Like I said in my halftime post, he's been playing a lot better. Aside from the Chicago game, he's put up decent double figure numbers dating back on the road against Minnesota, Feb 4, Johnson has been averaging 16.6 PPG shooting around 52% down the field (I checked the stats, thank you very much). In a previous recap, I said Johnson is athletically gifted, the only thing he needs is confidence and the last few games, he's been confident alright. Anyway, Kendall Marshall, 20 points and 16 assists. Marshall wasn't doing all that well this until garbage time, shooting wise, but he's been constant all season long tallying up double-figure assist numbers. The Houston D respected his game and they've find ways to contain him resulting in 4 turnovers committed by Marshall. Jodie Meeks aside from his highlight play early in the 1st, he didn't do much too until garbage time, so his return game is somewhere in the border.

Onto the negatives this game, again it's like I'm beating a dead horse, the turnovers. Literally almost 20 turnovers this game, sure Houston had their share in committing boneheaded turnovers, but the Lakers committed too much, too many that they pretty much sealed their own outcome early. Nothing I can else say. Another negative, Chris Kaman. Obviously, Dwight Howard was having his way against Kaman and I'm sure Dwight liked it. After making his first shot, Kaman started missing 4 consecutive shots including an air ball. The Lakers' interior defense was getting abused all game long and it was evident in this rout.

For a little bonus in this full recap, I'm going to talk about the Steve Blake trade. Obviously the trade deadline is tomorrow at 12:00 PM Pacific time, so GMs around the NBA are shopping around like it's Christmas Eve. So the Lakers traded Steve Blake to the Golden State Warriors for Kent Bazemore and Marshon Brooks. It's tough to see Blake go because the guy was really a tough, hard-nosed competitor. His tenure in LA was pretty rocky considering he was so lost in Phil Jackson's triangle and in Mike Brown's "I have no idea what I'm doing" offense until he found his groove back under D'Antoni's system. But this trade, it's obvious the Lakers needed to get younger. Not so sure about Bazemore, I'm sure he's just throw-away piece in the deal, but for Marshon Brooks, like I said, it's a way for the Lakers to get younger. Brooks has fallen off since his rookie year in the Nets' final season in New Jersey and he's another 1st round cast off. This season is audition season and we'll see if Brooks can adjust the sail of his pro career with the Lakers. Steve Blake to the Warriors obviously helps improve the Dubs' bench. They have a solid lineup in the Splash Bros (Curry and Thompson), Iggy, Lee, and Bogut, but what has derailed them this season is lack of bench play and Blake can provide decent numbers off the bench for them, not to mention, they traded for Jordan Crawford early in the season to provide more scoring off the bench. With the Blake trade, it adds more depth in the back court for the Dubs and improves their bench play just a little bit, not a lot.

Overall, thanks for reading the full recap. The Lakers got a rivalry game against the Celtics on Friday. Both made the finals, 4 years ago and they're on the same path rebuilding to reclaim glory in their respective franchises. Hard to believe that. I'll see you guys on Friday for that game. It feels good to be back.

02/19 Dwight's Return: LAKERS vs. Houston Rockets Q-by-Q Reaction

Q4:

Score: HOU 134 LAL 108

Garbage time, but the score is less painful to look at. Stay tuned for the full recap.

Q3:

Score: HOU 104 LAL 75

Just-end-this-game-already.

Q2:

Score: HOU 64 LAL 43

It's the same story for the Lakers all season and with Dwight's return, you can tell he was really amped up for this game with the he's playing in this game so far. Stay tuned for that halftime report.

Q1:

Score: HOU 32 LAL 22

Long layoff since I did a Q-by-Q reaction so I'm gonna shake off some rust. We're giving Dwight an earful in his return, hell I was booing in front of my TV, but I gotta say he's handling it well owning our non-existent rim protection. Jodie Meeks had a flashy welcome back play with and 1 off the backboard and the lucky bounce. Lakers were able to hang around, but things got pretty ugly once Chris Kaman missed 4 consecutive shots. We're with 8 players since we traded Steve Blake to the Warriors, but it's a steep mountain to climb against one of the hottest teams in the West.

LAKERS vs. Rockets Halftime Post

Score: HOU 64 LAL 43

Alright welcome in to the halftime post between the Lakers and the Houston Rockets where the Lakers are yet again undermanned and being dominated by high powered Rockets 64-43.

Like I said before, it's been a long layoff since I've last made a Q-by-Q and a halftime post so there's going to be a little rusts in my posts. Other than that, I don't feel any disappointment because I've seen this from the Lakers all season long to the point where I don't care how they are performing because it's a lost season anyway.

Some of the positives this game so far, Dwight-oh wait, he's not with the team anymore. But to make a joke this is the best he's performed at the Staples Center than last season as a whole donning the purple and gold. All kidding aside, there is not a lot of positives going into the 2nd half. But so far, Wesley Johnson is one of the positives, he should be the top performer at this half with 15 points and 6 rebounds on 6-8 shooting. Dating back before the All-Star break, he's been performing better putting efficient double figure point with the exception of the Bulls game on my birthday, but Johnson's been stepping up the last few games in scoring since Nick Young and Jodie Meeks were out. Although he's been having an off night shooting, I'll count Kendall Marshall as a positive, though he has 7 points, he dished out 7 dimes and generated 3 turnovers. The Rockets have put their attention on defense on Marshall, I believe he's like the only player on the Lakers the Rockets respect to defend hard on.

The negatives this game, a lot of negatives. That 2nd quarter was probably the sloppiest I've seen all season long considering both teams like to run and gun, but the Rockets do it efficiently. But for the Lakers, turnovers. Not to beat a dead horse, but there were just awful passes, lazy passes, and lack of awareness of holding on to the ball and we know the Lakers can't run with the Rockets' transition offense. Then you got guys like Chris Kaman and Ryan Kelly firing air balls, which makes matters worse. Not sure if I was seeing the Lakers or the Bobcats 2 years ago where they were constantly air balling each game.

Overall, this season's lost, the Lakers have to keep fighting. At this point, we are what our record shows already. It's just a matter of keeping games close and don't get blown out at home at the expense of Dwight Howard and the Rockets.

Lakers Choke on Lead in the 4th, Couldn't Upset Thunder

I actually watched the final 3 minutes of the game as soon as I got home from Programming class, but it was already way out of eligibility for an impromptu full recap. The last game before the All-Star break turned out to be a surprising good one for the injury-ridden Lakers and the best in the West in the OKC Thunder. Kendall Marshall bounced back from a off-game against Utah Tuesday night as he was the Lakers' top performer with a near triple-double with 14 points, 7 rebounds, and 17 assists. The Lakers were in full control the first 3 quarters of the game, but Kevin Durant and the Thunder decided it was time to stop screwing around in the 4th. Durant's near triple-double of 43 points, 12 rebounds, 7 assists helped the Thunder avert a scare against the Lakers 107-103, you can add critical turnovers and missed throws at the end into the equation to the Lakers' loss. Chris Kaman added his 3rd straight double-double with 19 points and 10 rebounds, but missed a critical free throw to tie it up down the stretch and Wesley Johnson also added 19 points on 8-13 shooting. Steve Blake added 13 points, but also missed a critical free throw to keep it at a one possession game, Shawne Williams added 15 points and 9 rebounds, and Jordan Hill lead the bench with 10 points.

Final Score: vs. Oklahoma City 107-103 [L]

Full Recap: http://www.nba.com/games/20140213/OKCLAL/gameinfo.html

Highlights:

Lakers' Home Drought Continues with Embarrassing Loss to Jazz

Looks like the Lakers are just homesick. Chris Kaman had another great outing as he was the top performer 25 points, 14 rebounds, 4 assists, and 3 blocks, but the Lakers couldn't find the groove at home as they fell to the Jazz (still feeling the emotions after upsetting the Miami Heat) 96-79. The Lakers lead the Jazz 16-27 at the end of the 1st quarter, but Utah stormed back in the 2nd outscoring the Lakers 32-10, pretty much setting the tone for the rest of the game. Only 2 other Lakers were in double figures besides Kaman as Wesley Johnson added 15 points on shooting 50% from the field and Shawne Williams added 11 points also shooting 50%. Kendall Marshall, after contributing efficiently since playing more minutes, had his worst outing this season scoring only 7 points and 7 assists and shooting a whopping 3-13 from the field.

Final Score: vs. Utah 96-79 [L]
Full Recap: http://www.nba.com/games/20140211/UTALAL/gameinfo.html

Highlights:

Next Game: vs. Oklahoma City (02/13)

Chris Kaman Has Career Day, But Lakers Still Fall Short vs. Bulls

Alright welcome in to a condensed post game recap of yesterday's game between the Lakers and the Chicago Bulls where the Lakers, never lead, had a couple of runs, but they just fell short against the Bulls 92-86. If you guys saw my announcement, yesterday, I was not going to cover this game because I was gonna be with family the whole day as I was celebrating my 20th birthday, but I did watch the game with them on ABC and I'll provide with as much of my perspective on the game.

So 1st quarter, both teams were not doing so good, but like 2 minutes into the first quarter, the Bulls started to get it going hitting 5 straight shots to put the Lakers within a 10-0 hole. As soon as I saw that score, I was like man this is gonna be an automatic loss because the Lakers early on were not buying a bucket, they were erratic in taking care of the ball, I mean they were just flat. It's not until mid quarter where they ended the drought on a floater by Robert Sacre and the Lakers put enough points in the first to make this watchable as the Bulls just lead by 11 at the end.

2nd quarter, the Lakers were starting to respond back, like Kendall Marshall had a great all-around game, he was hitting some threes to make the game close, it was more of a low-scoring affair in the 2nd, but the Bulls came away with 52-46 lead.

2nd half is underway, 3rd quarter, if you're looking at it there's a pattern. The Bulls completely dominated the Lakers, even without Derrick Rose and Carlos Boozer on the floor and considering the Bulls traded Luol Deng to the Cavs, Coach Tom Thibodeau has this team playing hard this game, Taj Gibson and Kirk Hinrich, it was their show this quarter and Chicago ended the 3rd leading 77-62, but the game is still close. Steve Nash left the game like mid-quarter after trying to draw contact off the break from Kirk Hinrich, resulting in a clean steal and another turnover for the Lakers.

4th quarter, the Bulls started to put the foot off the gas pedal a little bit, but the Lakers couldn't hit anything until down the stretch. Jordan Hill and Chris Kaman were the headlines this quarter, coming up with big buckets and like I said Marshall , he was having an efficient game from downtown, making big 3s down the stretch. Down by 6, Blake makes a key steal, passes it to Kaman, Kaman finds Wesley Johnson for an easy dunk to cut the Bulls lead to 4. Lakers had a chance this game, they come up with another defensive play, but Steve Blake makes a critical turnover on a pass intended for Kaman and that pretty much sealed the game. Credit where its due, Bulls' Joakim Noah, made a couple of key defensive plays and D.J. Augustin made critical free throws to put it in the bag.

Some of the positives this game, Chris Kaman, he was the Lakers' top performer with 27 points and 10 rebounds off 13-23 shooting. If you think about it, Pau Gasol, out, no more Dwight Howard, who was going to score inside the paint? It had to come between Kaman and Hill and Kaman answered the call with the game he had yesterday. Mike D'Antoni had no other choice because the Lakers needed something inside, Sacre is not contributing in big minutes, D'Antoni has no faith in Hill, so he had no choice but to play Kaman extended minutes and he was contributing big down the stretch. Like I mentioned, Hill also had a great game from inside scoring 15 points and 9 rebounds, so who contributed big? The non-D'Antoni guys and with Gasol out for a great amount of time (who knows) and Sacre failing to contribute, it'll probably force D'Antoni's hand to give either Hill or Kaman the nod in the starting lineup. Another positive this game, like I said before, Kendall Marshall as he recorded 13 points and 11 assists, he was our only guy that was giving us efficiency from beyond the arc.

Some of the negatives this game, it's been a stereotype for any Mike D'Antoni-coached team, defense. The Lakers didn't even try to play defense until the final stretch of the game, poor transition, pitiful in closing out, as much of a low score game it was, they couldn't stop a scrappy Bulls team playing without Rose, playing without Boozer, playing without Deng, it was pretty pathetic to watch. Another negative this game, Steve Blake. Blake shot 3-12 from the field and committed 5 turnovers, his shot selection was very questionable this game, in an essence, he was forcing the issue trying to draw a couple fouls and he gave the ball right back to the Bulls the most. Overall, it was just nightmarish game for Blake, he's been somewhat efficient all season long before the injury back in December, but just horrible. Another negative Ryan Kelly, after having a couple of good games, he dropped a goose egg this game leading to him benched indefinitely in favor of Shawne Williams. Kelly just still has a lot to learn, Lakers have a pretty legit chance in turning him into an efficient stretch 4, but this was one tough road block for the rookie out of Duke.

Overall, it's not a surprise anymore. It's obvious that the Lakers are playing for the lottery this season, how they are still televised nationally is beyond me because this season has been a downer overall, heck they are even losing ratings on their Time Warner Cable channel because of poor play. If you ask me to compare the 2004-05 Lakers to this season's Lakers, I'll say the 2004-05 Lakers still had more talent to make the playoffs than this year's Lakers (even though both didn't make it), but with a healthy Kobe and Lamar Odom and if Coach Rudy T stayed a full season, they would've had a chance. This season's roster is just void of talent to see who's going to make the cut next season. The Lakers have two games left before the All-Star break against Utah and OKC. At best, the Lakers have a chance to win against the Jazz, I don't wanna even think about what the Thunder are going to do to this depleted roster on Thursday night at the Staples Center. I'll see you guys after the All-Star break.

Announcement Concerning Covering Lakers vs. Bulls on ABC Tomorrow

As you guys are fully aware, tomorrow's game between the Lakers and the Chicago Bulls is nationally televised on ABC, yet at the same time, tomorrow's also my 20th birthday. As much as I would like to celebrate my b-day with you guys covering tomorrow's game on my blog, I want to take this time to spend time with family because they apparently have something planned tomorrow. I will still watch the game, I don't know if it'll be me at home while entertaining some of my family members or watching up in a restaurant (provided if I have a clear view). So no Q-by-Q, halftime post, if I see enough of the game while not getting distracted tomorrow, I will potentially have a impromptu-styled full post game recapping the game on the blog. Anyways, feel free, to greet me after seeing this post.

Lakers Top Sixers To Close Out 3 Game Road Trip

At least the Lakers had a 9 man rotation this game. The Lakers wrap up the 3 game road trip on a high note as Steve Blake was the Lakers' top performer again with 14 points, 4 rebounds, and 8 assists in his 3rd game back as the Lakers beat the 76ers 112-98 in Philly. Steve Nash, celebrating his 40th birthday today, didn't look 40 this game as he finished with 19 points on 8-15 shooting and dishing out 5 assists. Wesley Johnson continues his positive play chipping 17 points and generating 5 steals while Ryan Kelly had a near double-double with 15 points and 8 rebounds. Chris Kaman and Jordan Hill were leading scorers off the bench as Kaman scores 17 points and 8 rebounds on 7-14 shooting and Hill finishes with 14 points and 6 rebounds on a near perfect 6-7 shooting.

Final Score: @ Philadelphia 112-98 [W]
Full Recap: http://www.nba.com/games/20140207/LALPHI/gameinfo.html

Highlights:

Next Game: vs. Chicago (02/09)

*Still ruminating whether or not I should do a full Q-by-Q, halftime, and postgame recap on that day because I will be celebrating my 20th birthday as well on that day, we'll see what happens or I'll make an announcement tomorrow*

Lakers Limp Out of Cleveland With Win

Talk about the Lakers put in a handicap match against the Cavs with a full 10 man rotation. Pau Gasol, out, Jordan Hill, last minute out, Jodie Meeks out, Steve Nash, not playing, Nick Young, left the game with a knee injury, Jordan Farmar, left the game in the middle of the 4th with leg/calf cramps, Chris Kaman, fouled out, Robert Sacre, fouled out, but still played because the Lakers were a player short already, and yet they still do the improbable in the midst of a wasted season. Steve Blake was the team's top performer this game recording a triple-double with 11 points, 10 rebounds, and 15 assists to help the Lakers pull off an improbable win in Cleveland 119-108 despite all the injuries. Ryan Kelly had his 2nd breakout game as a Laker scoring 26 points on 8-16 shooting. Wesley Johnson is starting to play a little better as he recorded yet a second near double-double with 20 points and 9 rebounds and Kendall Marshall came off the bench with 12 points and 7 assists. Jordan Farmar finished with 21 points and 8 assists on 5-8 shooting and Robert Sacre and Chris Kaman, who both fouled out finished with a combined 23 points with 10 points from Sacre and 13 points from Kaman off the bench.

Final Score: @ Cleveland 119-108 [W]
Full Recap: http://www.nba.com/lakers/gameday/140205_gameday_cavaliers

Highlights

Next Game: @ Philadelphia (02/07)

Nash, Blake Return, Still Can't Help Reeling Lakers vs. T'Wolves

We gain some, but we lose one. The Lakers traveled to Minnesota with Steve Nash and Steve Blake returning to action, but without Pau Gasol after he was diagnosed with yet another injury. Manny Harris left a lasting impression with his last day in the purple and gold as he was the Lakers' top performer off the bench scoring 19 points and 8 rebounds on 8-11 shooting, but even with the Steves returning, they couldn't stop the outburst of the Kevins. Kevin Love had a monster game with 31 points and 17 rebounds and Kevin Martin scored 32 points on 13-26 to help the Wolves pull away from the Lakers 99-109. The Laker bench did most of the damage with Wesley Johnson recording a near double-double with 15 points and 9 rebounds and Nick Young scoring 24 points, but still couldn't find the range shooting 4-12 from the field while being 13-14 from the charity stripe. Robert Sacre was the only starter in double figures with 14 points. For the returning Steves, Steve Nash finished with 7 points and 9 assists while Steve Blake didn't score finishing with 5 rebounds, 6 assists, and 3 steals and just attempting 2 shots.

Final Score: @ Minnesota 99-109 [L]
Full recap: http://www.nba.com/lakers/gameday/140204_gameday_timberwolves

Highlights

Next Game: @ Cleveland (02/05)

Seahawks Pummel Broncos For Super Bowl Win

Alright welcome in to a special post-Super Bowl full recap between the Seattle Seahawks and the Denver Broncos where the Seahawks have proven the old saying in sports that defense wins championships thrashing the Broncos and shutting down their #1 offense commanded by Peyton Manning in a shocking 43-8 rout to capture their first Lombardi trophy in just two Super Bowl appearances all-time.

Let me just say this first and foremost, I hate the Broncos, as a Raider fan they're #1 in the AFC West rivals I love to hate, but as a spectator of the game, that was stunning to watch to see that offense get shut out for the most part of the game. I predicted in my preview that this would be a closely contested game and I see the Seahawks pulling out a tight one, but in reality, they dominated all game long and full credit to coach Pete Carroll for preparing the Seahawks for such a virtuoso and flawless performance.

Ok let's start this out, usually I would start with the losing team. For the Broncos, like I said it was magical ride for them, but it was a nightmarish stop for them tonight. Their lone bright spot this game, Demaryius Thomas, he literally carried the rest of the offense. Thomas had a perfect 13 of 13 receptions for 118 yards and a TD and I could've sworn I heard that's like a Super Bowl record for a receiver, something like that. Anyways, Seattle matched him up with Byron Maxwell the rest of the game and sometimes they would put Richard Sherman on him, but Thomas did a hell of a lot of work for Denver's stout receiving corps. Wes Welker comes from behind secondly with 8 receptions for 84 yards, but Thomas was Manning's only reliable target the whole game, in the short passes, in the catch and run plays and he was the bright spot for them. Other than that, the rest of the team gets a big negative. As much as I respect Peyton Manning, it was obvious he didn't bring his A game tonight and that's what he will be remembered for, being a great regular season QB, but couldn't get it done when it matters the most. No doubt he's a first-ballot HOF, but his legacy just took a hit after this game. Manning had 280 passing yards, 34 of 49 completed passes, 1 TD, and 2 INTs, Manning finished with tonight. Aside from Manning, the running game couldn't get it going, Knowshon Moreno was held to just 17 yards on 5 carries and was out the rest of the second half with a back injury, credit to all the world to Seattle's defense for keeping him in check. Another negative, costly penalties; though the Seahawks commit more than them (after all they're the most penalized in the league), the Broncos have committed more critical penalties and ultimately that costed them some outstanding drives when Manning was turning it up with the no huddle. Let's throw it out there, Champ Bailey, I think it's time for him to call it a career because he was getting burned by Seattle's youthful and speedy receivers. A lot of respect for Champ, but it's time to retire or consider a permanent role at free safety.

For the Seahawks, there's a lot to talk about for the champs. They have dominated in all aspects of the game: offense, defense, special teams, you name it. Let's start out with the Super Bowl MVP of the game, Malcolm Smith, the first defensive Super Bowl MVP since safety, Dexter Jackson of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers (yes I had to bring that up and that loss is still painful), he had 5 solo tackles, 4 assisted tackles, and that 1 pick 6 to return it for 69 yards. His interception (also the quick safety at start of the game), pretty much set the tone the rest of the game and transformed the crowd from a 50/50 split to a pro-Seattle crowd. Aside from the MVP, the defense from the front 7 to the Legion of Boom secondary just choked out the Denver offense despite losing Sherman during the game, though it didn't matter anyway since Seattle had it in the bag. I also said in my preview, the Seahawks have a chance to knock down Manning and they did it a bunch of times. The Ryan Clady absence was felt the most for the Broncos because Chris Clemons and Cliff Avril pressured Manning a lot this game followed by tight coverage from the LOB, just an absolute sick-em style of defense the Seahawks were playing against the top offense. On offense, Russell Wilson, he is just too good guys, he is just too good. Wilson completed 18 of 25 passes for 206 yards connecting 2 TDs to Jermaine Kearse and Doug Baldwin, he didn't play like a 2nd year man in the biggest stage of them all, he played like a veteran. Wilson stood firm in the pocket, ran when receivers were covered up well, ate up most of the clock majority of the game to put Denver's defense on the ropes early and leaving Manning off the field. Another positive, Percy Harvin, he was the dark horse this game. When Seattle made the trade to Minnesota, they added another dimension to this team; it's unfortunate he got hurt most of the season turning the trade into a bust, but he reminded the whole world what he can bring to the table on the national stage. Harvin 2 catch and run passes for 45 yards and just like Jacoby Jones' kickoff return last year, had a kickoff return for 87 yards, leaving the Seahawks soaring sky high for the rest of the game. The negatives, the negatives don't even matter because Seattle just completely had the game in their hands.

Overall, congratulations to the Seattle Seahawks for their first Super Bowl title for the city of Seattle. The Denver Broncos, this is a tough pill to swallow for them after a record-setting year. The loss against Baltimore last year was a heartbreaker, this one in the big game, is just a dagger straight to the heart and it just got ripped out. Also, congratulations to Zach Miller and Tom Cable for getting that ring. You both are missed greatly by the Raider Nation. Anyways, thank you guys for following my Super Bowl coverage and for the 2013 NFL Season. I'll see you guys next month again for free agency and in April for Draft Day. You all stay classy now.

Congrats Seattle Seahawks Super Bowl XLVIII Champions!

SUPER BOWL XLVIII: Seattle Seahawks (NFC) vs. Denver Broncos (AFC) Special Q-by-Q Reaction

4th Quarter:

Score: SEA 43 DEN 8

A complete, dominating performance from the Seahawks to capture the first Lombardi trophy for the city of Seattle. For Denver, a complete stunner, yet still a fantastic season for them. Stay tuned for the full recap.

3rd Quarter:

Score: SEA 36 DEN 8

Denver is finally on the board, but Seattle just exploded this quarter both on offense and special teams ignited by a 87 yard kickoff return by Percy Harvin and a TD by Jermaine Kearse. Just when Denver is down and down, they finally put together a solid drive ending with a TD pass to Demaryius Thomas from Peyton Manning. It's impossible, but with the kind of offense Denver has, this can probably start an improbable comeback in Super Bowl history after that positive drive.

2nd Quarter:

Score: SEA 22 DEN 0

The #1 record setting offense in the league, shut out in the first half? Seattle has completely put Peyton Manning and the rest of the Broncos in shock with their tough, hard-nosed style of defense. More analysis to come in the special Super Bowl halftime report.

1st Quarter:

Score: SEA 8 DEN 0

1 quarter in the books and wow did Seattle jump to a fast start. Get Peyton Manning off the field has been the key to stopping this Denver powerhouse and the Seahawks have controlled the clock all quarter, Russell Wilson is looking as comfortable as ever in his first Super Bowl appearance. Luckily, the Bronco D is stopping them in key red zone possessions, which is why it's a low score game than it should be.

SB XLVIII: Seahawks vs. Broncos Halftime Post

Score: SEA 22 DEN 0

Alright welcome in to a special Super Bowl Sunday halftime post between the NFC champion, Seattle Seahawks and the AFC champion, Denver Broncos where the Seahawks and the Legion of Boom are taking it to the record setting Broncos in a stunning 22-0 score heading into the half.

For the Seahawks, the positive all game long, all season long, the defense. A lot has been questioned whether or not the defense of the Seahawks can hang around with the fast-paced offense of the Broncos and they are proving that they can for a full 60 minutes. Starting out with a safety as the first play of the game (don't know if it was jitters from the Broncos' O) and following it off with two picks from Kam Chancellor, which the Seahawks capitalized on with a 1 yd TD run by Marshawn Lynch and Malcom Smith, who returned it for a 69 yard pick 6. The secondary is absolutely taking it to Denver's outstanding receiving corps (just ask Wes Welker as he played the same secondary last season as a Patriot). More positives this game, Russell Wilson passing for 94 yards, completing 9 of 14 passes and Percy Harvin, 2 carries for 45 quick yards on the ground. Harvin may not have played all season with the team, but he was opening up lanes for Kearse, Tate, Baldwin, and Harvin's return couldn't come at a great time. The negatives, Seattle doesn't have anything yet, aside from a couple blown red zone opportunities to put more hurt on the Broncos. Other than that, Seattle has played a clean and complete game so far.

For the Broncos, what just happened? In the regular season, this was the highest scoring offense in the league, but in the big game, they leave this half with a goose egg. Peyton Manning is on a limbo so far, unless he can really get it going in the first half, he started finding form finishing the half with 104 passing yards and completing 17 of 23 passes, but he did have that 2 picks. However the lone bright spot this game is Denver's D, Seattle would've continued to bring the pain on the Broncos, but the Denver Broncos defense have held them to a couple field goals. Denver's receiving corps is starting to get it going, Demaryius Thomas had a perfect 7 of 7 receptions for 47 yards, we still have yet to see Richard Sherman matched up against him since Byron Maxwell has been on him the majority of the game. Wes Welker another perfect 3 of 3 receptions for 26 yards, Julius Thomas targeted 4 times had 3 receptions for 19 yards, and Eric Decker no catches and credit goes to Sherman for shutting him down. Negatives, Denver cannot risk to turn the ball over any longer if they want to have a chance to win this game and cut back on costly penalties because they've made a couple of them when they were in Seattle territory.

The Seahawks they cannot stop on this lead, they just need to remind themselves that this is a 60 minute game and there are 2 more quarters. They are a young team and they are at risk of greatly blowing this, so they just gotta continue to play aggressive and they have to get Marshawn Lynch going as Russell Wilson has done a solid job taking care of the ball and controlling the clock. For the Broncos, they need something big such as a big second half by Knowshon Moreno, that running game has to get going to open up the playbook for the Peyton Manning and the Broncos. We'll see what happens in the 2nd half.