Lakers Outlast Raptors in OT

40 posts, what a way to cap off a busy November. Anyway, the Lakers pulled off a huge stunner against the best team in the Eastern Conference. Kobe Bryant, he sure loves to set milestones against the Raptors, as he is the Lakers' top performer with a triple-double of 31 points, 11 rebounds, and 12 assists as he becomes the 1st player in NBA history to reach 30,000 career points and 6,000 career assists in the Lakers' thrilling 122-129 OT victory over the Toronto Raptors. The four other starters reached double figures as Carlos Boozer added 19 points and 9 rebounds, Wesley Johnson added 13 points, Jordan Hill recorded a double-double of 16 points and 12 rebounds, and Jeremy Lin chipped in 11 points despite shooting 3-11 from the field. Nick Young continued to pick up to be that scorer off the bench as he contributed 20 points on 6-11 shooting.

Final Score: vs. Toronto 122-129 (OT) [W]
Full Recap: http://www.nba.com/games/20141130/TORLAL/gameinfo.html

Highlights:

Next Game: @ Detroit (12/02)

ANNOUNCEMENT!

Alright, I gave myself a 1 hour break, watching the Patriots-Packers game, checking my Fantasy team. Now time for some big news. I'm sure all of us here are excited for the Battle of the Bay game and we're starting to talk smack to out Niner friends out there, even though we were embarrassed by what has transpired during the Rams game, but there isn't any other game where stakes are high for bragging right than when the 49ers face off against the Raiders for the Bay Area. So, on Friday for the first time, I will have a collaboration here on my blog with a good friend who I frequently collaborate with. Stillmattic of bleachzealot.blogspot.com has agreed to collaborate with me for this special Smack Talk post before the 49ers-Raiders game. We've had collaborations in the past particularly on his blog if you guys ever checked it out. We've had a Bleach Fantasy fight night, a Bleach Kombat fight night, and now currently we're having a BCC collab pitting all-female video game girls vs. all-female Anime girls.

So what are Stillmattic's qualifications as to why I've chosen him to collaborate with me? He's a newly converted 49er bandwagoner, err I mean fan. He used to be a Denver Donkey fan and then...nah I'm kidding man if you're reading this, I'm not going to put you on the spotlight. However, Stillmattic is starting to get where I am at, repping his team win, lose, or tie. He's starting to develop that passion for the 49ers. So if you ever come across his blog, be sure to trash his comments sections with "Niners suck." Ok no more jokes, but give him a warm welcome, Stillmattic and I go way back and I'm excited for this collaboration. Unlike our past collaborations on his blog where we pre-write everything, this collaboration is going to be 100% improv. I don't yet how this will work out, but we'll think of something before Friday, the rest of the details is all undisclosed. Anyway, Stillmattic if you're reading this again just like how you welcomed me to the Bleach Zealot for our first collaboration, I would like to welcome you to the True Raider Laker for this special post before the 49ers and Raiders square off. So, let's get it. Anyway, stay tuned for that and I'll see you guys later.

Raiders Lay Goose Egg vs. Rams

Alright welcome in to the full recap of the Raiders' matchup with the St. Louis Rams where it wasn't even close as the Rams put on a complete smackdown in St. Louis, routing the Raiders 0-52.

I'm still chuckling at that Matt Schaub pick 6 to add a little more icing on the cake to sum how this game went down. There is not much to talk about here. The Rams just decimated the Raiders this game from start to finish. If they at least tried more on offense in the 2nd half, this game would've been 0-100 or something like that if they at least tried, but their offense at least showed mercy after dropping 21 early on in the first and 17 in the second. The defense for the Rams still continued to play though and they generated a lot of turnovers in the 2nd half to make the margin much bigger than expected. But the Raiders, I don't know if there's a more derogatory word to describe this game other than "embarrassing."

The Positives

No positives. There were no positives once the first half was over and there are no positives now that the game is over. Game was pretty much out of reach when the Rams jumped to a 0-38 lead. Even if the Raiders were to put up garbage time like they usually would because Greg Olson is a moron not opening up the playbook early on, there would still be no positives to take away from this game. I don't if Latavius Murray playing would've made a difference because the Rams defense is just stout.

The Negatives

Everything. Everyone, everywhere, and everything was pretty much the negatives all game long for the Raiders. I'm just going to completely reiterate what I said in the halftime post. The defense couldn't stop anyone, the receivers couldn't get separation or catch a cold, the running game was completely ineffective, even if Murray was in, like I said, it wouldn't matter. Carr had a bad game, but we gotta live with him making those rookie mistakes since he's learning on the job. 1 pick, Vincent Brown ran the wrong rout, another pick was all Carr's mistake; he should've taken a sack and avoid the Rams more momentum with that INT. What's even worse is that the Rams were just calling screen plays, bubble screens and it burned the defense big time. How you go from shutting down the Chiefs screen game with Jamaal Charles on Thursday Night to not containing the Rams' screen game is beyond me.

Conclusion

This game was truly demoralizing after getting that emotional first win over the Chiefs last week, but then again, it shows the lack of talent we have on both sides of the ball. Even with all the free agent signings of proven veterans, there's a lot of regression of talent on the team. Well, next week should be fun though, despite the Raiders laying an egg here. It's the Battle of the Bay when the Raiders face off against the 49ers at O.Co. I was supposed to go to that game, maybe provide a special video of my reactions after every quarter, but they sold out real fast and it's a bummer because I would've attended my 2nd Raider game (my first one was the game against the Chicago Bears back in the 2011 season). Anyway, I'll see you guys for that game, but before that, I'll make a short announcement regarding a special Smack Talk post two days before the game with a guy who I frequently collaborate with on his blog. I'm sure you guys know who he is considering I've plugged our collaborations on this blog as well even though it's unrelated to what I cover. Other than that, I'll see you guys later.

Week 13: RAIDERS @ St. Louis Rams Q-by-Q Reaction

Q4:

Score: OAK 0 STL 52

Add more fire to the dumpster by putting Schaub in at garbage time and make him throw a pick 6 to help the Rams run up the score. Sigh, stay tuned for the full recap.

Q3:

Score: OAK 0 STL 38

Not much going on here. Though the Rams are seriously going after Carr hard. First he got sacked by Chris Long, then by Robert Quinn. The Rams put the foot off the gas on offense, but they have turned it on on defense.

Q2:

Score: OAK 0 STL 38

All Rams, all game long. At least we managed to stop them on one red zone possession, but Carr's two turnovers definitely put more Raiders in a world of hurt. Onto the halftime report.

Q1:

Score: OAK 0 STL 21

Thank goodness this quarter is over. The majority of the time, the Rams were having it their way. They haven't even attempted a long bomb, just bubble screens and a screen to the running back and that has just absolutely decimated the Raiders defense this quarter. A lot of it is just poor reads by the defense. Good quarter if you have Tre Mason, Tavon Austin, and Stedman Bailey on your Fantasy team, but overall, just a bad start for the Raiders.

RAIDERS @ Rams Halftime Post

Score: OAK 0 STL 38

Alright welcome in to the halftime post of the Raiders' 3rd NFC West matchup against the St. Louis Rams where the Rams put on a first half beat down on the Raiders 0-38

The Positives

Nothing. There are not a lot of positives to talk about so far into this game. The Raiders are just being completely flabbergasted by the Rams on all three phases of the game: offense, defense, and special teams.

The Negatives

EVERYTHING. On offense, defense, and special teams. From Carr's two INTs to George Atkinson III's fumbles on kickoffs to put the Raiders deep into their own territory, to the penalties, especially on the Marcel Reece false start when the Raiders were going on 4th and 1, and the pathetic effort by the defense to stop this Rams offense who are just running up, screen passing, bubble screening and not taking too many shots down the field. It's embarrassing to see.

Bottom Line

Oh boy, two more quarters to put up with this game, especially with the Rams playing at such a high level. This game could go 70+ to nothing if the Rams keep playing like this and if the Raiders keep playing like this. Nothing you can say how the Raiders can adjust. You just gotta hope that some miracle happens that somehow Greg Olson pulls his head out of his @$$ and starts taking shots with nothing to lose or if Jason Tarver can wake the F up and start calling aggressively on defense or if Sparano can start yelling at guys and light a fire under this team's @$$.

Lakers Fall to T'Wolves Late

The Lakers continue to free fall since their beat down against the merciless Mavs in Dallas last week. Kobe Bryant was the Lakers' top performer this game with 26 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists, but he missed a 3 pointer that could've been the game winner as the Minnesota Timberwolves held off the Lakers 120-119 behind 20+ point performances by Mo Williams, Thaddeus Young, and rookie, Zach LaVine. Wesley Johnson added 19 points on 7-10 shooting, Jeremy Lin added a double-double of 18 points and 11 assists, and Carlos Boozer added 15 points to round out the starters in double figures. Nick Young after 2-3 games falling below double figures in scoring off the bench, found some life this game as he added 16 points on 6-12 shooting.

Final Score: vs. Minnesota 120-119 [L]
Full Recap: http://www.nba.com/games/20141128/MINLAL/gameinfo.html?ls=slt

Highlights:

Next Game: vs. Toronto (11/30)

Lakers Come Up Empty in 4th Quarter in Loss to Grizzlies

Alright, welcome in to the full recap of the Lakers' matchup against the Memphis Grizzlies where the Lakers competed in the game, took it to the Grizzlies, but at the end, the Grizzlies' defense was a key difference as the Lakers had a chance to keep it close and regain the lead at times, but they couldn't as they fall to the Grizzlies 99-93.

First things first, if you read the recap of the Nuggets-Lakers game, there was a "questionable" denoted for this game. That's because I had a supposed evening dental appointment and I was unsure if I would make it home on time for the game, but I was able to cancel that appointment for another time not for this game, but for other undisclosed matters. Nonetheless, I was able to cover this game for you guys for the blog. Anyway, opportunity was knocking during that 4th quarter for the Lakers and they didn't want to answer and a lot of it had to do with too many missed shots, some shots were indeed ill-advised, but it's absolutely inexcusable for the Lakers to come up empty on nearly half of their offensive possessions for that quarter. Most of the possessions were indeed stopped by good
defense by Memphis, while others were just, you just want to put your head down in frustration.

The Positives

Ed Davis, 2 points, 8 rebounds, 3 blocks. The positives this game only came from the defensive side of the ball. Let's start with the rim protector off the bench, Ed Davis. Obviously, he was riled up for this game after playing with Grizzlies last year. The Grizzlies, known for their grit and grind style of defense didn't want to bring him back and he eventually signed with the Lakers. His stats may not impress most, but there's more than just offense. Davis did what we brought him in to do and that's protect the rim and grab rebounds and he did just that. 8 rebounds, 2 blocks came from one Grizzlies offensive possession, the other in the 2nd half that set up a Nick Young jump shot in transition. Defensively, Davis did what he was brought in to do.

Ronnie Price, 11 points, 5 assists, 5-8 shooting. As I said in the halftime post, Price is a pest. Not only was he the leading scorer off the bench, but he was another spark plug for the Lakers defensively. Even though the steal for a dunk in transition and a charge was all back in the 1st half, he was everywhere this game, D'ing up Mike Conley or executing the double team when needed.

The Negatives

Turnovers. Turnovers weren't a major factor until the 2nd half. Credit where it's due, the Grizzlies turned it up defensively and the Lakers couldn't anything going. They couldn't make the extra pass or give players open looks and it's all because how stingy and how quick the Grizzlies defense is. Turnovers are always a killer and they were one pitfall as to why the Lakers lost.

Missed opportunities. As I said before, the missed opportunities in the Lakers' offensive possession in the 4th was inexcusable. At one point, they were down 89-87, the Grizzlies couldn't get nothing on offense in one of those stretches and the Lakers had a chance to tie or take the lead and what happened? One missed shot after another and when the Lakers finally had it going, it was already too little too late as the Grizzlies were hitting their stride offensively to close this game out. Kobe tried to play hero ball, Lin tried to play hero ball, Nick Young also, our scorers didn't get nothing, nada and they let that opportunity slip away.

Conclusion

Well, looks like the Lakers are 2-3 since Nick Young returned to the lineup. I mean it was a competitive game don't get me wrong, the Lakers did everything in their power to take advantage of the Grizzlies grit and grind style of play by playing at a much higher pace than them, but the Grizzlies were able to make the necessary adjustments, there's an absolute reason why they're currently the best team in the West. Anyway, the Lakers remain home for the rest of the month against Minnesota and the best team in the East in the Raptors, then for the first week of December they go on a three game road trip like the one they had last week. Unfortunately none of those games will be nationally televised, the next game is not until Friday when the Lakers take on the Spurs in San Antonio. Anyway, I hope you guys have a wonderful Thanksgiving and I'll see you guys back on Sunday when the Raiders take on the Rams in St. Louis.

Another miscellaneous announcement, my collaboration with Stillmattic on his blog is just starting to take form. We started on Monday with our first matchup and tonight with the 2nd matchup. It's all-star battle between Video Game Female characters vs. Anime Female characters so hop onto his blog at bleachzealot.blogspot.com to come check out our recent collaboration.

11/26: LAKERS vs. Memphis Grizzlies Q-by-Q Reaction

Q4:

Score: MEM 99 LAL 93

Too many missed opportunities this quarter. The Lakers were down two at some point in this quarter and they couldn't capitalize on an offensive possession to either tie or take the lead and they just couldn't do either. Stay tuned for the full recap.

Q3:

Score: MEM 80 LAL 74

This where things start to get ugly for the Lakers. Credit where its due, the Grizzlies made some adjustments defensively and it's starting to work in their favor. The Lakers committed too many turnovers this quarter that allowed the Grizzlies to make a run and eventually capture the lead they hold onto now. Rebounding was also problem as Randolph was crashing the boards and being aggressive against Hill and Boozer.

Q2:

Score: MEM 46 LAL 51

Yet, another scary quarter. You expect that from the Grizzlies because gritting and grinding is the name of their game and they just grind it out until they put themselves back in the game. Luckily enough, the Lakers are mustering enough offense behind a very aggressive Jeremy Lin who is the first Laker in double figures this game. Onto the halftime report.

Q1:

Score: MEM 21 LAL 26

Well, that quarter wasn't so bad. At first, the Grizzlies were having their way, putting up easy shots in the paint and the Lakers couldn't get going, but Jeremy Lin wanted to get the offense going and he got it going. After the spark Lin gave, the Lakers fed on that and they shot a very good percentage against a gritty Grizzlies team. Down the stretch, it looked like the Grizzlies were going to tie it up with the run they're having, but Ronnie Price's and 1 pushed the Lakers lead by 5. Ed Davis had some good highlights too on defense with the 2 blocks.

LAKERS vs. Grizzlies Halftime Post

Score: MEM 46 LAL 51

Alright welcome in to the halftime post of the Lakers' matchup vs. the Memphis Grizzlies where the Lakers have the lead 46-51 at the half.

The Positives

Jeremy Lin, 13 points, 4 assists, 4-6 shooting. No doubt the top performer of the game so far. Lin has had an up and down season for the Lakers, first he'll put up a performance like this and then next game he would put up a dud. But luckily, the good Lin has shown up against a tough Grizzlies team. When the offense couldn't get it going, Lin stepped it up, putting a few high percentage shots and he's being aggressive clamping down the defense and finding the open man. Lin has played a good game so far.

Jordan Hill, 8 points, 4 rebounds, 4-8 shooting. Mr. All-Out Hustle will do his thing. Quite possibly his highlight of the night, a tough fadeaway over Marc Gasol. Keep in mind, Gasol played good defense against Hill and Hill just threw it up there and then it went in. Hill, despite the minimal numbers is playing a solid game, shooting the ball, posting up, and cleaning the boards.

Ronnie Price, 5 points, 4 assists, 1 steal, 1 block. Ronnie Price is a pest, enough said. He's not known for his offense, but what I like about him is that he'll stick on his man or he will read where the ball is going. Aside from Ed Davis' blocks, Price's play also sparks up the defense as he read the Grizzlies ball movement in one possession for the steal and the breakaway dunk and a few possessions later, he drew a charge and gave the ball back to the Lakers. Both Price and Davis brought the heat defensively off the bench, but Price mostly provided that spark.

The Negatives

Interior Defense. The Grizzlies were having it their way in the paint. Again, the Lakers are heavily undersized and the Grizzlies did a good job exploiting that with Gasol and Z-Bo's size. Luckily enough, the Lakers are shutting everything else down from the baseline jump shots to the three ball, but they are struggling defensively to keep the Grizzlies away from the paint.

Bottom Line

The Grizzlies like to play a slow tempo game and a way to counter that is to play at a high tempo and the Lakers are doing that at times with Lin assuming that mantle of being aggressive and turning up the offense. The Lakers need to keep doing just that and Lin has to keep up with the game he's currently playing right now.

Lakers Fall to Nuggets in OT

Kobe Bryant was the Lakers' top performer with 27 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists on 10-24 shooting, but the Lakers couldn't pull a victory as the Nuggets force overtime in LA and defeated the Lakers 101-94. Jeremy Lin added 17 points on 8-15 shooting and Robert Sacre, not Nick Young, was the leading scorer off the bench yet again with 13 points. Jordan Hill chipped in a double-double with 11 points and 14 rebounds, but shot 2-8 from the field while Wesley Johnson was a nonfactor in the offense, but was a factor in the boards, grabbing 12 rebounds.

Final Score: vs. Denver 101-94 (OT) [L]
Full article: http://www.nba.com/games/20141123/DENLAL/gameinfo.html?ls=slt

Highlights:

Next Game: vs. Memphis <= Q-by-Q, Halftime Post, Full Recap (Questionable)

Mavs Blast Lakers

Well, this week was fun while it lasted. The Lakers capped off their three game road trip in Dallas and it was not a welcoming sight by the Mavericks. Jordan Hill was the Lakers' top performer recording a double-double of 16 points and 10 rebounds and a perfect 7-7 shooting, but the Lakers were just manhandled by a Mavericks team that scored its highest point total and that point total is the highest the Lakers allowed so far this season in a 106-140 rout. Jeremy Lin was the top scorer this game with 18 points and Kobe Bryant, despite chipping 17 points, shot 6-22 from the field. Carlos Boozer added 12 points and the leading scorer off the bench is surpisingly not Nick Young, who just scored 5 points on 2-7 shooting. It was Robert Sacre who was the leading scorer off the bench with 10 points. The Lakers return home Sunday to face the Nuggets.

Final Score: @ Dallas 106-140 [L]
Full article: http://www.nba.com/games/20141121/LALDAL/gameinfo.html?ls=slt

Highlights:

Next Game: vs. Denver (11/24)

Streaks Snapped: Raiders Snap Losing Streak, Snap Chiefs' 5 Game Winning Streak

Alright, welcome in to the full recap of the Raiders' Thursday Night divisional matchup vs. the Kansas City Chiefs where the Raiders finally got that elusive win as they come from behind with a 20-24 upset victory over the Chiefs after blowing a 14 point lead in the 2nd half.

Holy crap, I'm going to have a heart attack! What a game and what better way to have a win under the lights, at night time, with the rain pouring down on the O.Co. We haven't won exactly in a year, it looked 0-16 was inevitable, but man the Raiders did it and to make even things more good, the Chiefs were riding a 5 game winning streak and were 1 win away from taking the AFC West division lead away from the Broncos, and the Raiders cashed in on the opportunity on a short week and then boom, caught the Chiefs off guard like fish in a barrel.

The Positives

Latavius Murray, 4 carries, 112 rushing yards, 2 rushing TDs. Hope Murray gets better after that hit he took from the Chiefs defense. Even though, he wasn't there to finish up the game to give us this first win, but his rushing TDs were instrumental to this win. Unlike McFadden and MJD, Murray knows how to use his vision to find the hole, make a sharp cut, get off the edge, and turn on the jets in the open field. Murray's spectacular game in the 1st half saved this game for the Raiders.

Marcel Reece, 8 carries, 37 yards, 1 reception, 8 yards. With Murray gone and McFadden and Jones-Drew being inefficient in the running game, Marcel Reece stepped it up when needed. Yes, Reece has been inefficient in the passing game, but give him the ball for run play and he'll use his size and speed to shake off tackles. I hate Olson's style of running up the middle, but putting Reece in those plays worked. He stepped it up big in crunch time.

Derek Carr, 18 of 35 passes, 174 passing yards, 1 passing TD. I am happy for Derek Carr. These last 10 games have been so hard on him, many skeptics were jumping early calling for his head, faulting him for every game lost, imploring the coaching staff to bench him with Schaub and McGloin, but Carr perservered through all the adversity and it has paid off. In that close loss vs. the Chargers, he threw a game-losing INT when he's trying to will us for the game winning drive, he learned his lesson and was patient, making the right adjustments, 2 QB sneaks on 4th down and on 3rd down to get the first down. He made a beautiful and I mean beautiful game winning pass to James Jones for the TD.

Defense. I still hate the "bend but don't break" philosophy of defense the Raiders are playing, but the defense bent, they bent, but they didn't break this game. The defense did a good job for the most part, containing Jamaal Charles, not letting Alex Smith beat them in the screen game. Guys like Tuck, Woodson, Moore, Hayden, and Mack were playing out of their minds. In the 2nd half, not so much, it looked like Tarver was calling plays not to lose, hence why they were in zone for the majority of the 2nd half, but they didn't break when it mattered. A couple of penalties there in that final drive, but the defense got a grip and they made the big stop for the big upset. Another mention, Charles Woodson becomes the first NFL player with 50 interceptions and 20 sacks, congrats C-Wood.

The Negatives

Special teams. Special teams weren't so special this game. You know the scenario with Denarius Moore and the muffed punt/fair catch, too many holding penalties on the receiving end, allowing the Chiefs return men to return a punt or a kickoff for a big return, giving the Chiefs good field position. One return set up the Chiefs to take the lead and the other almost set up to give the Chiefs a potential game winner (Janikowski should've boot that out of the end zone). Special teams were the only negative this game and almost singlehandedly gave the Chiefs the game and a lot of momentum.

Conclusion

Another negative, I want to bring up, that last Sio Moore sack when they were celebrating and the Chiefs managed to get into the line of scrimmage in a hurry for one final play on 4th down, it's a reminder that the game is not over till it's over. Moore got away with that with Justin Tuck pulling a veteran  move and calling timeout before the crucial 4th down stop. But other than that, I'll take this win. Too many moral victories, too many posts of me sounding like a broken record whenever the Raiders lose, but man it's good to have a W on the board even though it doesn't mean much at this point of the season. Detroit Lions, sorry guys, we'd like to join you in the 0-16 party, but we're going to respectfully decline that with an upset win against the now 7-4 contending Chiefs. The Raiders have a long rest now until November 30 when they go to St. Louis to play the Rams, who upset the Broncos just a week ago. That's another tough game, a tough place, and the Raiders are going to have their hands full to build a winning streak down the stretch. For now, I'll enjoy this win, good week to be a Raider and Laker fan (even though the Lakers still have Dallas this Friday to wrap up their road trip). I'll see you guys later.

Oh and since it's a win over a divisional rival:

Week 12: T.N.F RAIDERS vs. Kansas City Chiefs Special Q-by-Q Reaction

Q4:

Score: KC 20 OAK 24

The streak is OVER! Stay tuned for the full recap!

Q3:

Score: KC 10 OAK 17

Whoo boy, here we go again with another heart attack moment heading into the 4th. If only Mack had recovered that fumble when the flag was thrown against the Chiefs, it would've still been a 14 point Raider lead. Defense whiffed this quarter all because of the dumb zone plays. The refs seem to call penalties for us when we're playing D, but on O or on special teams, they call it against us.

Q2:

Score: KC 3 OAK 14

Highlight of the quarter: Latvius Murray's 90 yard rushing TD all the way to house. Lowlight of the quarter: Denarius Moore coughing up the football and almost killing some momentum and that hit on Murray. They said it, the Raiders have the lead for the first time heading into the locker and it's all thanks to Murray's TDs and the defense coming hitting the Chiefs hard in the rain. Onto the halftime report.

Q1:

Score: KC 0 OAK 7

There should've been a holding call against the Chiefs that last play on Brandian Ross. Anyway, before the Chiefs are currently driving down to the Raiders' territory, both offense and defense did a good job. The defense made good quick 3 and outs, Carr orchestrated a solid offensive drive capping off with a rushing TD by Latavius Murray. That Murray rushing TD was the first rushing TD the Chiefs allowed all season.

RAIDERS vs. Chiefs Halftime Post

Score: KC 3 OAK 14

Alright welcome in to a special Thursday Night Football halftime post of the Raiders' divisional matchup vs. the arch-rival Chiefs where the Raiders have the lead heading into the locker room for the first time this season.

The Positives

Latavius Murray, 4 carries, 112 yards, 2 rushing TDs. Whoever picked up Murray in Fantasy and started him, you guys are gutsy (I know I should've, but I was so enamored with Josh Gordon). Other than that, Murray, dating back to last week against the Chargers has provided a spark like no other in the running game. All I can say is, Murray is a stud, 1st TD off the edge, 2nd TD, putting on the acceleration back into the Raiders' own territory and taking it to the house for a 90 yard TD run. Hopefully he's OK after taking a hit from a Chiefs defender, should've been a leading with the crown of the helmet called.

Defense. Particularly on containing Jamaal Charles. Last season, the Chiefs lit it up when they played us at the O.Co and Charles had a big day in the Chiefs screen and they couldn't stop him. What a difference a year makes and the Raiders are all around Charles. Khalil Mack is putting a lick on him, Sio Moore, Miles Burris, even Charles Woodson getting in there. Defense came out swarming and came out swinging. Mack and Tuck are disrupting the Chiefs' screen game big time and Mack creating all kinds of pressure, laying out a hit on Alex Smith. D.J. Hayden's making plays too, he made quite a hit in one of the quarters I forgot, I think it was against Hemingway or Bowe. The defense is playing good so far.

The Negatives

Denarius Moore. D. Mo is likely gone after this season, he can't rekindle his rookie year in the passing game. With T.J. Carrie out yet again, he's taking punt returning duties. He did an OK job calling for fair catches, but he muffed a punt return, almost costed the Raiders some momentum. Not a lot of negatives so far this game other than penalties, but Denarius Moore's muffed punt or fair catch (whatever you call it) was a lowlight and almost killed our momentum had the defense not hold.

Bottom Line

Under the lights, in the rainy weather. This is what makes the Chiefs-Raiders game memorable. I still remember that 2002 game as a kid when the O.Co turf was all muddied up and everybody was getting their jerseys wet. What happened that game? The Raiders won. Let's hope the same result occurs and in order for that to happen, the same formula as the first half, run the ball and play hard nosed defense.

Lakers Rally Past Rockets

Alright welcome in to the full recap of the Lakers' game against the Rockets where the Lakers cap off their back-to-back road trip with another win, this time with a come from behind 98-92 victory over the Houston Rockets.

I can sigh in relief. The last few Q-by-Q's, Halftime, and Full Recap posts have been frustrating to cover because I sound like a broken record whenever my Lakers or my Raiders lose so far this season, but all I can say is the drought is over, my goodness. Countless times this game, it looked like the Rockets we're going to put us away, but they couldn't and the Lakers kept fighting, scratching, and clawing, and they got a win. There's one glaring omission though in this game, no Dwight Howard. A lot of Rockets fans will point to that as an excuse, but I'm disappointed Dwight didn't play, even though the outcome would've been a lot different had he been there for the Rockets. It's a great feeling to see a win against the Rockets, but it's bittersweet that it wasn't at the expense of Dwight, that would've been great icing on the cake, for all of us Laker fans that is.

The Positives

Kobe Bryant, 26 points, 5 rebounds, 7 assists, 10-28 shooting. The last few shots Kobe attempted and missed almost gave me a heart attack because when he makes those shots to try and play hero ball, we end up losing the game anyway. Yes he hasn't had the efficient numbers, yes his shot selection can be questionable, but you can't deny his will to win. Some of the shots Kobe made this game were instrumental to the Lakers' monster run. His "And 1" over Ariza was one of the turning points of the game. At the end of the day, Kobe doesn't care how many attempts he makes, he cares about finding ways to help the Lakers win whether to get his teammates involved or take it upon himself to light a fire under the team.

Jordan Hill, 16 points, 10 rebounds, 7-12 shooting. Hill found the sweet shooting stroke down the stretch. Some of the shots he made were also instrumental to the Lakers run. Like I said countless times, Mr. All-Out Hustle will give it 100% in rebounding and fighting for all the loose balls and on the defensive side, Hill was rebounding like crazy. In fact, let's involve Ed Davis in this category because both Davis and Hill grabbed some key rebounds that were detrimental for the Lakers to make run. However scoring-wise, Hill did the work and it benefited greatly.

Nick Young, 16 points, 6-15 shooting. We are officially 2-0 with Swaggy P this season! I did say when Young comes back, he's going to make a nominal difference providing that spark off the bench, but it won't translate to enough wins. Well, I'm enjoying that jinx for now. Kobe needed someone to take the load off of him in terms of scoring and Nick Young's return helped that. When the starting lineup seems gassed out the way they were this game, Nick Young provided that scoring to give a little kick into the offense and the result? The Lakers won two games by close margins and swept their back-to-back road trip. Thanks Swaggy.

Wesley Johnson, 9 points, 2 steals. His numbers may not be impressive, but Wes came up big in crunch time. When Kobe missed a shot that would've pulled the Lakers within 1, Wes crashed the boards, drew the foul, made two clutch free throws. The next sequence, he made a great steal on Harden and laid it up on the break and 1 while Harden was going for a chase down and that put the Lakers up by two. There's always that unsung hero in sports and Wesley Johnson was that unsung hero for the Lakers down the stretch.

The Negatives

Carlos Boozer, 12 points, 5-15 shooting, 13 rebounds. Boozer started well this game, scoring the Lakers' 8 of their 21 points in the 1st quarter, 2nd quarter, he made a layup and 1 and then all of a sudden it went down hill from there. Boozer was missing his typical jump shots in the 2nd half and couldn't finish his layups when the ball was fed to him. I didn't like the fact that he was getting pushed around by James Harden when he was posting him up and Harden is bad at defense. Boozer started off a great, but he finished with a dud.

3 point defense. The Rockets' 3 pointers were killing us all game long. Dwight Howard's out, the Rockets barely score in the paint, but they still got the offense going from beyond the arc. I could tell, the defense couldn't keep up with them because of their speed and how quickly they stretch the floor and set their feet from the 3 point line. The Rockets shot 15-38 in their 3 pointers while the Lakers only just shot 5-20. The reason why the Rockets' 3 point percentage is not as good as it should be with the way they were playing is game is because they started living and dying by it and they knew our defense was bad! But, glad they were able to miss some and it gave the Lakers opportunity, but that's an area we have to improve on, especially since we lack size, we gotta be able to handle teams that like to play small and stretch the floor.

Conclusion

Overall, I'll take the win despite the glaring fact Dwight Howard did not play. Like I said before, the Lakers did not quit. When they were missing shots and while the Rockets were making their shots, it looked like the Rockets were going to pour it on and pull away, but this has to be the identity that Byron Scott has to implement from here on out. They may not be a contender, but they're a team that can remain competitive and can hustle, scratch, and claw out of their way for a victory and whenever opportunity is around, they should cash it in and not squander it. Dwight Howard's absence gave an opportunity for the Lakers to upset the Rockets, it almost slipped away, but they got a grip and cashed in with a come from behind win. The next nationally televised Laker game is next Wednesday against the ever gritty Grizzlies, that's going to be tough, but before that, they have the Mavs on the road yet again and they're back home against the Nuggets. Expect quick recaps for those two games, but I'll see you back for the Memphis game.

*Another announcement, Thursday Night Football is tomorrow. The Raiders host their lone prime time home game against the divisional arch-rival Kansas City Chiefs. I hope we can get our first win of the season. It's been a year already since our last win and even though we solidify our top pick, we need a win to save us from further futility. It's been a good week so far, so I hope the Raiders don't mar this with another loss. I'll see you guys for that game tomorrow night.*

11/19: LAKERS @ Houston Rockets Q-by-Q Reaction

Q4:

Score: LAL 98 HOU 92

Wow, what a game. The Rockets couldn't put the Lakers down and as gassed out as the Lakers were in that 4th quarter, they willed themselves to an improbable victory. Wesley Johnson stepped up big this quarter! He crashed in to recover a missed shot from Kobe and got the steal and the and 1 on a fast break layup over James Harden. It's tough to win back-to-back road games, but the Lakers did it. Stay tuned for the full recap.

Q3:

Score: LAL 70 HOU 75

I said the Rockets tend to get hot. Majority of the 3rd quarter, James Harden got hot, the Rockets are hitting their 3's, it looks like they were going to run away with it. Luckily, free throws, offensive rebounding, making shots to kill some momentum have played a big part to put the Lakers within striking distance yet again. They have to cut back on the turnovers and grab some defensive rebounds because that's what sparked the Rockets' offense this quarter and it's why they're up 5, when they should've been up by a dozen instead.

Q2:

Score: LAL 49 HOU 51

Kobe got hot at the right time as the Rockets kept hitting 3's. Both Kobe and Boozer are the only Lakers in double figures, who better to step up with the two out of three players (Nick Young) that can flat out score? Onto the halftime report.

Q1:

Score: LAL 21 HOU 23

Dwight Howard's not playing? Well that's gotta be good news right? Not so much. Without Howard's presence, it enables the Rockets to play small and stretch the floor. The Lakers made 3's early on, but the Rockets were hitting 3's down the stretch to put them up by a basket. Boozer had a good quarter, scoring 8 early points, but getting shut down by James Harden on defense? C'MON MAN!

LAKERS @ Rockets Halftime Post

Score: LAL 49 HOU 51

Alright, welcome in to the halftime post of the Lakers' 2nd matchup against the Rockets where the Rockets have a two point lead at the half.

The Positives

Carlos Boozer, 11 points, 5-9 shooting, 9 rebounds. It was embarrassing to see Boozer get shut down against a mediocre at best defender at Harden, but aside from that Boozer had quick 8 points at the quarter, had a 3 point play in the 2nd quarter. Gotta give a lot of credit to Kobe for trying to get him involve. Boozer had a poor shooting against the Warriors Sunday night, but the other night he picked it back up and tonight, he's picking it up again as long as someone gives him the ball inside early.

Kobe Bryant, 13 points, 6-10 shooting. Ariza (come back to LA please) did a good job defensively in the 1st quarter against him. However, in the 2nd quarter, Kobe became Kobe when he's needed to provide the scoring. When the Rockets looked like they were going to build a big lead considering the way, they've hit 3's tonight, Kobe picked up the scoring slack and that's why the Lakers are only down 2.

The Negatives

3 point defense. The news that Dwight Howard is sitting out with a strained knee was surprising, everybody was slightly disappointed that there wasn't going to be another Kobe-Dwight drama like opening night. I saw it as opportunity for the Lakers to slash in the paint and try to score as much as possible in the paint without Dwight patrolling the rim. However, it also provides opportunity for the Rockets to play small and stretch the Laker defense and they've done a great job. Ariza hit some 3's, Beverly hit some 3's, and Papanikolaou was hot on a near perfect 4-5 shooting from beyond the arc. Byron Scott should make some adjustments to address that and try to counter their small ball by playing small ball as well.

Bottom Line

It's a competitive game. The Rockets have the tendency to get hot in the 2nd half, so the Lakers have to be aware of that. However, the Rockets offense in the last few games has been atrocious and with Howard out of the picture the Lakers can't squander this opportunity. They need to let Boozer and Kobe continue the scoring in the starting lineup, need to let Nick Young get going to provide the spark on the 2nd unit, and they need Hill or Lin to be X factors.

Swaggy P Returns, Kobe Reaches 32,000 Point Milestone in Lakers' Win vs. Hawks

It is indeed an awkward moment that two of the Lakers wins this season came from Eastern Conference teams (referencing in NBA Memes picture). In the Lakers' 114-109 victory in Atlanta, Kobe Bryant was the Lakers' top performer this game scoring 28 points, 4 rebounds, and 3 assists with an efficient 10-18 shooting as he reached the 32,000 point mark and is now 291 shy from tying Michael Jordan on the NBA's all-time scoring list. Carlos Boozer also had a big game with a double-double or 20 points and 10 rebounds on 10-14 shooting. Jordan Hill and Jeremy Lin joined Boozer in the double-double category as Hill scored 18 points and grabbed 10 rebounds while Lin scored 15 points and dished out 10 assists. Nick Young, Swaggy P, returned tonight after recovering from a thumb injury as he ignited the Lakers' 2nd unit off the bench with 17 points on a surprising 6-10 shooting from the field, not bad for someone just coming off of injury.

Final Score: @ Atlanta 114-109 [W]
Full Article: http://www.nba.com/games/20141118/LALATL/gameinfo.html?ls=slt

Highlights:

Next Game: @ Houston (11/19) <= Q-by-Q, Halftime, and Full Post Game Recap

Lakers Torched by Warriors

Alright welcome in to the full recap of the Lakers' divisional and geographical matchup against the Golden State Warriors where it's the 2nd meeting and it's the same old result as the Lakers get crushed by the Warriors 136-115.

To be completely honest, I didn't pay attention to the 4th quarter at all. It is what it is already, the Warriors were just dominating on both ends on the floor and they were scoring at will whether it was inside the paint with Bogut or outside from beyond the arc with the Splash Bros. The Lakers were just completely outplayed and outclassed by the Warriors this game.

The Positives

No positives. There was just nothing to take away from this game. Maybe Kobe Bryant being the top performer with 44 points, chucking up 34 shots and making 15 of them, but I just don't see any positives. It's usually in blowout games where I don't provide any positives, although there's always some that are bright spots in garbage time. But the Lakers, they were just thoroughly dominated.

The Negatives

Carlos Boozer, 6 points, 3-13 shooting. Well, we fed Boozer the ball and that's the most effective way to get him going is by feeding him the ball and let him score, but this game Boozer was just ice cold. He got it going somewhat in the 2nd half, but all game long, he was missing that he'd usually make those whether it was a 15-footer or a jump hook, he didn't make it a lot of them tonight.

Jeremy Lin, 0 points, 0-2 shooting. Lin got burned big time against Curry and credit to where it's due, he got held in check big time. Lin showed flashes against the Spurs on Friday, but for the 2nd time, he couldn't get it going against the Warriors.

Conclusion

Short full recap. It is what it is, the Lakers are just not talented enough to compete. Like I said on Friday, with Nick Young's return, the Lakers could get some spark with his scoring, but unlikely he's going to make a huge difference. Anyway, short full recap, but probably my laziest one considering I just did the Raiders game today. I'll get back on track on Wednesday when the Lakers take on the Rockets, but for now, I'm gonna call it a night. I got my money's worth today covering two games in one night. I'll see you guys later.

*I forgot to post another announcement while I was publishing this full recap. Starting tomorrow up until the week before Christmas, I will be collaborating with my friend Stillmattic on his Bleach blog again. If you guys haven't remembered its bleachzealot.blogspot.com. Don't panic, I will still cover the games, it's just that I will be doing double duty on this blog and on my friends' blog so I won't omit anything. Anyway, good night guys and stay classy.*

11/14: LA vs. The Bay '14 (II) LAKERS vs. Golden State Warriors Q-by-Q Reaction

Q4:

Score: GS 136 LAL 115

Waiting for this game to be over like...

Stay tuned for the full recap.

Q3:

Score: GS 115 LAL 79

After Lin stops playing defense on Curry...

This game is pretty much over and heading into garbage time quickly. This is going to be tough to endure as I want to just go straight to the full recap and call it a night.

Q2:

Score: GS 74 LAL 55

Kobe Bryant just has to do it all by himself. In other note what's with the Warriors hitting people in the face? First, they hit Hill in the face, then they hit Kobe in the face, quite a bizarre scenario during this quarter. The Warriors are just being the complete team right now, playing defense, scoring inside and outside, etc. Onto the halftime report.

Q1:

Score: GS 34 LAL 23

It's hard to switch channels constantly with this game and Walking Dead. Anyway, last game the Warriors hurt us with the splash brothers, this time they're hurting us with Andrew Bogut who is the only Warrior in double figures. In other words, Lakers are missing shots, the Warriors are not.

LAKERS vs. Warriors Halftime Post

Score: GS 74 LAL 55

Alright welcome in to the halftime post of the Lakers' 2nd matchup with the Warriors where the Warriors have a big lead, leading by 19 points at the half.

The Positives

Kobe Bryant, 28 points, 10-24 shooting. Kobe could indeed put up more shots if he has too, heck he might score 81 even if it takes a lot of wear and tear. Kobe had a bad game last Friday night against the Spurs, finishing 1-14, but understandably he had a viral infection and he looked much sharper in his jump shot tonight. That's the good news, the bad news, he's missed some free throws, but he's the only Laker right now to score in immense double figures.

Jordan Hill, 13 points, 9 rebounds, 4-6 shooting. Jordan Hill will keep doing his thing putting those kinds of numbers at the half. He's missed shots early, but he's picking it up, scoring on the inside and grabbing those rebounds.

The Negatives

Interior defense. This is the area of concern I was clamoring about since the season preview. Bogut had 15 points, Marreese Speights has 16 points off the bench plus a couple of lucky circus shots. The Warriors are just putting a hurt on our interior defense, they could've scored a dozen more in the paint if the Warriors stuck to scoring on the inside, but they do have Thompson and Curry to shoot those outside shots if needed.

Carlos Boozer, 2 points, 1-9 shooting. Boozer is just cold right now, he's just missing shots that he normally makes. I expect him to get going as the 2nd half rolls on.

Bottom Line

Like I said before, the Warriors are just playing like a complete team right now, scoring on the outside, scoring on the inside, and playing team defense. If the Lakers want to get back into this game, they have to get Boozer going as mentioned above if his shot can hit the stride and if they get Lin going. For now, the Warriors are just having their way right now and they expect to build that momentum going in the 2nd half. Just hope there's one game changing play or run in order for the Lakers to get back into this game.

Same Old, Same Old: Raiders Competitive, But Fall to Chargers

Alright welcome in to the full recap of the Raiders' divisional game vs. the Chargers where the Raiders remained competitive against a Chargers team that is just fresh off the bye week, but the Chargers managed to squeak out a win against the Raiders 6-16.

Well, we're the first team to go double digits this season...in losses. 0-10, water is wet. It's frustrating, but obviously we are just playing to secure the #1 overall pick. We played against a Chargers team that has loss 3 straight and straight off a bye, no surprise they were going to come out sluggish, but as usual, good teams find ways to win, even if it's ugly and bad teams find ways to lose and that was the tone that was set dating back to the Raiders' first possession this game during that pre-snap fumble.

The Positives

Defense. The defense gassed out last week against the Broncos, but what do you expect going up against a Peyton Manning-lead offense? In this game however, they kept the Raiders chances of potentially winning this game alive. The Raiders were putting Philip Rivers in a world of hurt this game. They were constantly pressuring, Antonio Smith managed to get him and do his patented Ninja Assassin sack celebration and Khalil Mack got to him. Without question, the highlight of the game for this defense was Mack's sack. He finally got that elusive first sack in his rookie year. You don't know how much we wanted him to get his first sack. Mack has been a disruptive force all season for us in both the run and the pass defense and for him to get that sack, his stock of winning Defensive Rookie of The Year just went sky high after this game.

Latavius Murray, 4 carries, 43 yards, 3 receptions 16 yards. Darren McFadden may have finished with double figure rushing yards, but he was a non-factor all game and so was Maurice Jones-Drew. Latavius Murray, though, gave this running game some hope for the future. Like I said in the 3rd quarter Q-by-Q reaction, we've raved about him as a potential late round steal, just unfortunate that he got hurt his rookie year and didn't see much playing time this year, but what do we have to lose with MJD and DMC being inefficient? Murray cashed in on his opportunity and showed some potential because it's just one game where he saw some extended playing time.

The Negatives

O-line. You wanna know why Derek Carr hasn't been sacked a lot of times with this O-line? It's because he has a quick release of the ball. This is definitely the first game where I was absolutely livid. Carr is having constant pressure in his face all game long and being pressured too much lead to two sacks from the Chargers defense. Every time, especially on 3rd down, it seems that the O-line just parted like the Red Sea and two or three defensive linemen would come chasing down Carr and to make matters worse, the receivers are not open.

Greg Olson's playcalling. Need I say more? Run up the gut, short pass, screen pass, PUNT. Conservative, vanilla, predictable, yeah I think that's enough to describe Olson's tenure as the Raiders' offensive coordinator.

Conclusion

At this point, I would sit Carr. I think we've got a good glimpse of him as the future franchise QB. If you look at the schedule down the stretch, the Raiders have the Chiefs on Thursday Night, the Rams, the Niners, Chiefs again in KC, the Bills, and the Broncos in Denver. What do all these teams have in common? They have bulwark defensive lines and they can get after the quarterback. Looking at that and the way the O-line played today, I would pull the plug on Carr. He's too valuable and he's taken enough punishment in his rookie year already. To make matters worse, the Raiders are on short rest as they play the Chiefs on Thursday. Just start Schaub or McGloin for that game, we've got nothing to lose. I'll see you guys for that game.

*On a side note, if you're also a Laker fan, I will be shortly posting up the Q-by-Q, halftime, and full recap posts for tonight's game against the Warriors. So just grab a quick bite or hang around because I'll be back in about two hours.*

Week 11: Division Game #3 RAIDERS @ San Diego Chargers Q-by-Q Reaction

Q4:

Score: OAK 6 SD 13

And the drought continues. Stay tuned for the full recap.

Q3:

Score: OAK 3 SD 13

Not a good quarter offensively for he Raiders in terms of starting field position, but Latavius Murray, in those last two runs, gave the running game some life. We've been raving about him for quite some time since he fell to our lap in the 6th round and labeling him as a potential steal. MJD and DMC have been inefficient, but Murray has given us some life.

Q2:

Score: OAK 3 SD 10

As bad as our offense is, the defense is doing a good job letting opportunity slip away from the Chargers. The Chargers had a lot of time in the world to put together a scoring drive in under 2 minutes and Nick Novak just missed wide left and they come up empty. Pretty good game so far. Onto the halftime report.

Q1:

Score: OAK 3 SD 7

The Raiders' first possession of the game was all bad as Carr was trying to make pre-snap adjustments and Wisniewski just snapped it prematurely. That turnover set up Rivers' TD to Floyd, you can't dig yourself a hole like that early. However, the defense is holding its own after that basically free TD and the offense got a little better too.

RAIDERS @ Chargers Halftime Post

Score: OAK 3 SD 10

Alright welcome in to the halftime post of the Raiders' divisional matchup vs. the Chargers in San Diego where the Chargers hold on to a one touchdown lead at the half.

The Positives

The defense. I hate the "bend but don't break" mentality, I think it needs to go by seasons end, but the defense is holding its own down there. The Chargers are gaining a lot of yards, but since the Malcom Floyd TD on the opening drive and aside from the two boneheaded offside penalties, the Raiders D hasn't broken down and they're not giving them any opportunity to score. The Malcom Floyd TD, obviously from the turnover on the first play of the Raiders' opening drive, but since then, nothing.

The Negatives

The offense. The pre-snap fumble on the opening drive, the running game not getting going, receivers not trying to get open, the o-line allowing some pressure in front of Carr's face. Greg Olson, I sound like a broken record asking this but when are you going to stop running McFadden and Jones-Drew up the middle every single time on a running play? Is it too much to ask for a pitch play and allowing them to run on the edge? It's literally the same old problems and it looks like it's not going to change as long as Olson has that play sheet.

Bottom Line

Like the last matchup we are playing the Chargers tough. The only difference is, the Chargers this time are coming off the bye and they look out of sync. "Opportunity" look that up in the dictionary. The Raiders did a good job not allowing that field goal in the final seconds to build that momentum, do not lose it, although the Chargers do have the ball in the 2nd. Let's see what happens.

Lakers Can't Keep Up with The Spurs

Alright, welcome in to the full recap of the Lakers-Spurs game where the Lakers kept this game a game in the first three quarters, but in the 4th quarter, the Spurs started to channel in their championship formula as they take down the Lakers 93-80 and bringing the franchise to its worst start at 1-8.

Probably the most backbreaking part of that quarter and the one that seal the deal, Boris Diaw's offensive rebounds that kept the Spurs possession alive and they scored. It is what it is, the Spurs are the defending champs, they never play down based on their level of competition, and Gregg Popovich is a future HOF head coach. The Lakers did make this a competitive game, but they gassed out and started playing recklessly trying to make something good happen. This Spurs team is riddled by injuries early on, but they still beat the us, it shows the amount of depth and team chemistry they have.

The Positives

Carlos Boozer, 19 points, 8 rebounds, 8-13 shooting. Boozer was the Lakers' top performer this game. The thing about Boozer is you have to feed him the ball early on in the post or put it where he can shoot an easy 15 foot jumper as he has a high arc on his release. I thought Boozer played a solid game, he single handedly kept the Lakers afloat with his offense in the 3rd quarter and played a decent game defensively, though he's not really known for his defense. Boozer will give us that kind of numbers, but at times he won't. He'll have bad nights once in a blue moon, but the primary way to get him going was to give him the ball to get him in rhythm and the Lakers evidently prioritized that this game.

Jeremy Lin, 15 points 5-11 shooting. Lin may have committed 2 key turnovers to Kawhi Leonard, but he was making aggressive plays one after another whether he was driving to the lane for a layup or clamping down the defense and finding the open man for a better shot. Defensively, I thought Lin did a good job keeping Tony Parker in check, well scoring-wise, Parker only scored 11 points, but was constantly finding the open man. Still, Lin did what he did best since his Linsanity days and he's got it going these last few games.

Jordan Clarkson, 8 points, 3-6 shooting. His numbers may be from garbage time minutes, but no matter what the score was, Clarkson was playing hard defensively and was active every time the Lakers were trying to set their offense. If Scott can give him more playing time, that'd be great. Clarkson's still a project, he needs polishing in his game and he can be a diamond in the rough for the Lakers' future.

The Negatives

Jordan Hill, 10 points, 11 rebounds, 4-13 shooting. Jordan Hill did his thing on the boards, hustling and tracking down every loose ball, but Hill's scoring woes continue. He was missing jump shot he usually makes and most of the shots he missed were off the back of the rim, off the front of the rim, he was just off this game. I gave him a lot of praise for improving that game during the Clippers and Warriors games, but these last few games, that jump shot of his is starting to fade out.

Kobe Bryant, 9 points, 1-14 shooting. I can't say that I'm a Kobe apologist, Kobe was awful this game. He did things right in other categories such as his rebounding and assists, but I haven't seen a shooting night this bad from Kobe since the New Orleans game 2 years ago shooting 3-21. I can't say this is a fitting end for Kobe's week since he became the all-time leader in missed shots, the week hasn't ended, but if you look at Kobe's field goal shooting: 10-26 against Memphis, 10-28 against the Pelicans, and 1-14 here against the champs. Most of his misses were due to the Spurs playing good defense and some of it just looked like errant decisions or he's trying to turn nothing into something. As Laker fans, we're used to that, but these last few games, Kobe's been playing ridiculous and that is not in a good way so to speak.

Conclusion

Stuff like this is gonna happen all season. The Lakers just don't have the talent right now to even consider playoff contention. I'm not too disappointed at this game, the Spurs are the Spurs and they will rightfully tear opposing teams a new one with pure team basketball. Moving on to another topic, rumors are swirling around that Nick Young is going to return on Tuesday when the Lakers are on the road against the Atlanta Hawks. Would Nick Young's return make a difference? Load-wise, it sheds off of the scoring from Kobe and provides the 2nd unit a scoring spark, but Young will make a nominal impact in terms of boosting the Lakers' chances of winning against good teams.  But first, the Lakers have a Sunday night game against the Warriors, that day is going to be a busy day for me considering I'm also doing the Raiders-Chargers game in the afternoon. Well, the more the merrier, I'll see you guys for both games on Sunday.

11/14: Showdown with the Champs (NBA version) LAKERS vs. San Antonio Spurs Q-by-Q Reaction

Q4:

Score: SA 93 LAL 80

The Spurs are just too damn good. Lakers gave them a run for their money in the first three quarters, then in the 4th quarter, the Spurs turned it up and started playing how defending champs should play. They are just too damn good. Stay tuned for the full recap.

Q3:

Score: SA 68 LAL 57

Kobe 0-10, man definitely not his night as a scorer, but pushing the right buttons as a facilitator. The Lakers are hanging around and Boozer had a big part in that being the only Laker in double figures right now and keeping this team afloat. The Spurs though, they do what they do best and that is to respond to a run the Lakers make to crack at an opportunity to get back in the game as expected of the defending champs.

Q2:

Score: SA 47 LAL 35

The Lakers are starting to beat themselves out there this quarter. I left out another negative that the Lakers are not finishing plays and that's one of the reasons why they're down 12. Defense started clamping down a bit and the turnovers started to became killers for every Laker possession. Onto the halftime post.

Q1:

Score: SA 29 LAL 22

Thanks for the freebie points Danny Green. Low scoring margin at the end of the quarter mainly because of the defensive activity both these teams are displaying. I like the defensive activity the Lakers came out of the game with. To slow this Spurs' offense, they had to play good and disciplined defense. As for the offense though, they have to play at the Spurs game by making the extra pass. There were 2 plays where Kobe made nice cuts, but the extra pass was too late.

LAKERS vs. Spurs Halftime Post

Score: SA 47 LAL 35

Alright welcome in to the halftime post of the Lakers' matchup with the defending NBA champion and 2x defending Western Conference champions, San Antonio Spurs where the champs have a 12 point advantage against the Lakers heading into the half.

The Positives

Defense. The stats don't show it at the end of the 2nd quarter mainly due to the Lakers' inability to finish plays and handling the ball, but I thought the defense played decent in this half. One known stat here is that the Lakers haven't given the Spurs any 2nd chance points, the Spurs just have 1 offensive rebound compared to the Lakers' 6. That's a pretty impressive stat and that's why this potent Spurs offense hasn't blown this game wide open, although they're on the verge. The Lakers are doing a good job finishing the defense, hustling for blocks or boxing out for the rebounds.

Jordan Hill, 10 rebounds. He's had downward slope shooting wise, but Hill just keeps keeping possessions alive one hustle play after another. There's a reason why I call him Mr. All-Out Hustle. Hill fought for offensive rebounding twice in this quarter in one possession, but the Lakers weren't there to capitalize.

The Negatives

Not finishing plays. Every time you make an excellent pass, the recipient has to finish the play and the Lakers aren't doing that on the offensive end. There were a couple of good cuts, good penetration and they just couldn't finish. This is how bad teams lose to good teams. The offense has a good possession with great ball movement and making the extra pass and they miss on a very makeable shot.

Turnovers. Another reason why bad teams lose to good teams. One key play is that Jeremy Lin turned the ball over twice to Kawhi Leonard, leading to easy dunks, although on the 2nd steal by Leonard, Clarkson did a good job wrapping him up, not giving an easy basket.

Bottom Line

How can the Lakers get back into the game? They have to go back to playing that disciplined defense like they did in the 1st quarter. The offense has to finish, that's how you keep up with this Spurs offense by playing at their game. Try and get Kobe involved also to spark this offense up just a little, but continue to play good sound basketball. Let's see what happens.

Lakers Fall to Pelicans

I really got to step up my game in delivering these quick recap posts ASAP. I've been procrastinating lately. The Lakers wrapped up their back-to-back road trip Wednesday and it didn't end on a high note. Kobe Bryant was the Lakers' top performer scoring 33 points, 4 rebounds, and 5 assists, but the Lakers couldn't pull against Anthony Davis and the Pelicans for their 2nd win of the season as they lose in New Orleans 102-109. The same players like the Memphis game on Tuesday were in double figures as Carlos Boozer added 16 points, Jeremy Lin added 15 points and both Jordan Hill and Wesley Johnson each scored 10 points.

Final Score: @ New Orleans 102-109 [L]
Full article: http://www.nba.com/games/20141112/LALNOP/gameinfo.html?ls=slt

Highlights:

Next Game: vs. San Antonio (11/14) <= Q-by-Q, Halftime, and Full Post Game Recap to resume

Kobe Sets Record For All-Time Missed Shots in Loss to Grizzlies

The Kobe skeptics and critics are in full force for this one. Kobe Bryant was the Lakers' top performer scoring 28 points, 7 rebounds, and 6 assists shooting on 10-26 from the field as he set the record for all-time missed shots in the Lakers 102-107 loss to the Grizzlies, surpassing John Havlicek, not a good record to be proud about. All 5 starters were in double figures as Carlos Boozer added 20 points, Wesley Johnson added 15 points, Jeremy Lin added 12 points, and Jordan Hill recorded a double-double with 13 points and 14 rebounds.

Final Score: @ Memphis 102-107 [L]
Full article: http://www.nba.com/games/20141111/LALMEM/gameinfo.html?ls=slt

Highlights:

Next Game: @ New Orleans (Tonight 6:00 PM Pacific Time)

Lakers Reel in First Win of the Season

Late post, but better late than never. Well, finally something positive to post about in this blog! Although, this game wasn't televised. Charles Barkley said that he "won't eat until a Lakers win a game." Well I guess the Lakers got the memo and they didn't want Chuck to starve to death. Jeremy Lin was the Lakers' top performer with 21 points, 3 rebounds, and 7 assists on 8-12 shooting to help the Lakers get their first win of the season and Byron Scott's first as head coach of the team in a 92-107 victory over the resurrected Charlotte Hornets. Four other Laker players besides Lin were in double figures. Kobe was Kobe, tallying up 21 points, Carlos Boozer added 16 points, Jordan Hill added 12 points, and Ed Davis came off the bench racking up 10 points.

Final Score: vs. Charlotte 92-107 [W]
Full Article: http://www.nba.com/lakers/gameday/141109_hornets

Highlights:

Next Game: @ Memphis (10/11)

Broncos Thrash Raiders After Slow Start

Alright, welcome in to the full recap of the Raiders' week 10 matchup against divisional rival, Broncos where the Broncos, after a slow start in the first two quarters, came back and routed the Raiders 41-17 lead by Peyton Manning's 5 TD passes.

Is this really a surprise anymore? I don't know if I should feel frustrated, embarrassed, disgusted because this is starting to be inevitable. I said in my conclusion last week against the Seahawks that unlike the Seahawks, the Broncos don't make too many errors on offense and 100% of the time end their drive on a TD. We've been showered with false hope yet again as the Raiders made this competitive early on looked like the upset of the season is going to happen, the late in the 2nd quarter came and the Broncos just poured it on.

The Positives

There were not a lot of positives here this game. In the 2nd half, I didn't see the same team that was hanging tough like in the 1st half. I don't see what is there to take away from this game. The only thing that made me happy just a little is that Mychal Rivera scored that garbage time TD because I started him on my fantasy team and he gave me a much needed score against my opponent. Yeah, this is not the time to talk fantasy or anything, but yeah, there's absolutely nothing to take away from this game.

The Negatives 

The offense. Greg Olson needs to go, definitively. Too many short passes, too many up the gut running plays, too much Carr being under center and not being in shotgun formation. This offense just makes me want to cry because they're not doing anything to move the chains! Derek Carr had a bad game today again, much to the delight of Carr skeptics, but this is the risk of starting a rookie in a really difficult situation. I was part of the #startthecarr movement and looking at it now, it's sad to see him put into this situation with no legit receivers and no running game.

Conclusion

I think this is going to be the shortest full recap I've ever put up. We're 0-9 and still no W in sight. The Raiders play the Chargers again next week. They played them tough at home, I repeat, "at home", but they're going up against the Chargers on the road in San Diego and we all know the Chargers are much different team at home. If you guys are asking me "why don't you stop covering the games? The Raiders are going 0-16 anyway," I cover the games because I love my team and I like talking about them. It's a rough going, but I do this out of shear passion. I'm still here, still riding with my team until they cease to exist, but it's difficult when they let you down week after week and season after season. Anyway, I'll see you guys for the Charger next week.

Week 10: Division Showdown #2 RAIDERS vs. Denver Broncos Q-by-Q Reaction

Q4:

Score: DEN 41 OAK 17

Nothing to see here. Stay tuned for the full recap.

Q3:

Score: DEN 41 OAK 10

Luckily, they're taking Manning in the beginning of the 4th quarter. Just an embarrassing performance, but this is hardly a surprise anymore.

Q2:

Score: DEN 20 OAK 10

What the heck just happened? The Raiders were riding some momentum after generating two turnovers from Manning and then all of a sudden, a INT by Carr, a missed tackle by Burris that lead to C.J. Anderson taking it to the house to give Denver a 3 point lead killed all the momentum the Raiders were riding from the first quarter to late in the 2nd quarter. Onto the halftime report.

Q1:

Score: DEN 3 OAK 3

Not a lot of action seen, but the defense is holding it's own out there against a very potent offense. D.J. Hayden is showing some progress yet again, picking off Manning on Denver's opening drive leading to a Sebass field goal. The Raiders can't afford to squader those kinds of opportunities. When you're facing against the Broncos, you have to start fast and those field goals need to turn into TDs, but it's too bad Olson's offense is so conservative.

RAIDERS vs. Broncos Halftime Post

Score: DEN 20 OAK 10

Alright welcome in to the halftime post of the Raiders' Week 10 divisional matchup vs. the Denver Broncos where the Broncos take a 10 point lead heading into the locker room.

The Positives

Turnovers. I'm not going to mention too much of the defense after that sequence of events late in the 2nd quarter, but I was riding high that hey maybe we have a chance. The Raiders managed to generate two turnovers, both of them from Peyton Manning. The first turnover, an interception by D.J. Hayden, leading to a Janikowski field goal, the 2nd on a tipped ball by Justin Tuck, setting up a Carr TD pass to Brice Butler. Those were basically the two highlights of that first half and it looked like Raiders were in it to compete.

The Negatives

Momentum killing plays. And then this happened. Leading by 4, Carr throws an INT near midfield. The defense was still doing a good job and it looked like they were gonna get Manning and the Broncos off the field again. On 3rd down, Manning screen passes to C.J. Anderson and takes it all the way to the house for a 51 yard TD catch and run. The Raiders can't let those plays happen nor can they give a good team any chance to shift the momentum and the Raiders are giving it to them and that's how bad teams find ways to lose.

Bottom Line

You just have that feeling the Broncos are gonna come out of the gate early on in the 2nd half. The Raiders can't be demoralized just yet after a poor effort of taking care of the lead before the half. They have to continue to play inspired football like they did early on. The offense, that has to get going. Greg Olson, what do you have to lose? We're 0-8, would it be too much to ask a little more creativity on the playcalling?

Lakers Fall to Suns, 0-5 For the First Time Since 1957-58 Season

When I said in my preview that the Lakers would be better this season, I would take some of that predictions back. Kobe Bryant was the top performer last night scoring 39 points, 9 rebounds, and 1 assist, but the Lakers yet again couldn't contain the Suns as 3 Suns players score 20+ points to rally and beat the Lakers 112-106, giving them their worst start since 1957-58 in the young NBA season. Jeremy Lin added 18 points and Carlos Boozer added 13 points. Jordan Hill has been hot the last two games shooting, but didn't follow up for a 3rd as he only chipped in 15 points and 15 rebounds on 4-10 shooting.

Final Score: vs. Phoenix 112-106 [L]
Full article: http://www.nba.com/games/20141104/PHXLAL/gameinfo.html?ls=slt

Highlights:

Next Game: vs. Charlotte (11/09)

Raiders Commit 3 Turnovers; Costly in the Long Run vs. Seahawks

Alright, welcome in to the full recap of the Raiders' 2nd NFC West matchup vs. the defending Super Bowl champs and former AFC West rival, Seattle Seahawks where the Raiders scratched and clawed back into the game in the 2nd half, but their 3 turnovers early on overwhelmed them at the end of the game as they fell to the champs 24-30.

0-8 and counting. This is probably one of the games we should've had. You consider the offense of the Seahawks, you see that they are too inconsistent. The defense did its job to exploit that, but as usual, bad teams find ways to lose and the Raiders committed costly turnovers, costly penalties and they let another opportunity squander to shock the experts and shock the NFL world to get that long lost W on the column against a good team, especially against the defending champs in their own house.

The Positives

Defense. Our offense couldn't get going early on and that put the Raiders in a massive hole. As bad as the defense is for the whole season, they've been playing a lot better. I think the personnel is starting to gel with Tarver's over the top defensive schemes, they've shown up and kept this team alive. Like I said, take away the Lynch TD's, which were capitalized on penalties, the defense kept Seattle's offense in check, allowing just 9 points on 3 field goals by Hauschka. The defender who stood out to me, 2nd year cornerback D.J. Hayden. I'm sure a lot of us are still pissed off that McKenzie reached for him early on two years ago in the draft. He's missed the first half of the season, but he showed some strides today. He almost had two picks that were unlucky: one where he could've taken it to the house and the other to keep the Raiders alive in the 4th. He had those two penalties, but you can't help his emotion to be on that field full time. He was rusty, but he showed great flashes of being that cover corner McKenzie envisioned out of him.

Mychal Rivera, 8 receptions, 38 yards, 2 receiving TDs. Rivera has sucked the last few games, he almost had a fumble this game. That took me back to his Week 2 fumble against the Texans and I was about to blow up, but luckily it bounced out of bounds. Rivera provided that security blanket for Carr this game. The rest of our receivers were held in check by Seahawks' LOB secondary or half of them since Earl Thomas and Richard Sherman played and Byron Maxwell and Kam Chancellor were out. Rivera's numbers may not be impressive, but he made critical plays to keep the Raiders alive.

The Negatives

Turnovers. Those turnovers hurt. I'll run you back to a couple, two of them were on Carr, a pick six to Bruce Irvin and another pick to Sherman and the fumble by Carrie on the kickoff that bounced into Hauschka's hands. Those proved to be a really big difference in this game and the Raiders shot themselves in the foot for that. Carr will make those kinds of rookie mistakes, especially playing on the road with a deafening crowd in the 12th man. A lot of Carr skeptics will call him out for that, but these are the growing pains we're going to endure until we surround Carr with a stellar running game and a #1 receiver that can make plays catch after catch.

Conclusion

Well this Halloween weekend blew. The Lakers lost twice, at home against the Clippers, on the road against the Warriors, and today the Raiders lose a tough one in Seattle. I'm not even 21 yet, but that kind of result makes me want to drink (I'm 20 btw). Anyway, it was going to be tough playing against that 12th man and the Raiders felt their presence, but they kept their head in the game. However, there are no moral victories in the NFL. I sound like a broken record saying that because the Raiders have come up empty the last few games dating back to last season. The Raiders have the Broncos next. It's another daunting task because unlike the Seahawks' offense, the Broncos know how to finish a drive with a TD thanks to Peyton Manning and his command of the offense. With the Raiders 0-8, it's likely that fans won't give a sh*t in attending games at the Coliseum. Let's hope that's not the case and sell that Denver game out for next week. If sold out, I'll see you guys for that game.