Lakers Hold Off Nuggets

*Stats courtesy of NBA.com and Yahoo Sports*

The Lakers made a temporary stop at home before heading out to their annual Grammy road trip and put it to good use tonight. D'Angelo Russell returned to starting lineup and stuffed the stat sheet tonight with a double-double of 22 points and 10 assists to go with 7 rebounds, leading the Lakers to a 116-120 shootout victory over the Nuggets. Nick Young lead all scorers on the team with 23 points and Timofey Mozgov added 12 points to go with 6 rebounds and 3 blocks to round out the starters. Lou Williams lead the bench with 21 points and added 7 assists and 2 steals (Sixth Man of the Year) and Ivica Zubac followed suit with 17 points and 6 rebounds (he's continues to be terrific off the bench).

Final Score: vs. Denver 116-120 [W]
Full article: http://www.nba.com/games/20170131/DENLAL#/recap

Highlights: *Courtesy of Ximo Pierto*

Next Game: @ Washington (02/02)

Lakers Wrap Up Road Trip with Loss to Jazz

Welcome in to the full recap of the Lakers' matchup vs. the Utah Jazz where the Lakers wrap up their 3-game road trip, but they lose another close one, falling to the Jazz 88-96 off back-to-back sets.

One, two, three strikes, you're out. That's this road trip in a nutshell. There's no surprise that this is the narrative the Lakers. They can't find ways to win on the road. I did hear Marv Albert concluding tonight's broadcast that the Lakers are like 5-26 in road games this season. Exhibit A why this should be a point of emphasis for this young team to build around.

(+)

Bench. Lou Williams had 20 points. Jordan Clarkson had 16 point. And Ivica Zubac had a double-double with 16 points and 10 rebounds. I wouldn't say much with Sweet Lou and JC. They've been relatively consistent off the bench this season, but they did start slow this game and picked it up as the game rolled on. Zubac had another solid outing in back-to-back sets. Tonight, he had a much better game. Last night, I thought he was having a tough time being aware of the ball coming to him and he didn't have a good night field goal percentage-wise. Tonight, his awareness was sharp and gave out his best effort against an up and coming elite rim protector in Rudy Gobert. Gobert did have the last laugh on the block on Zubac to end the game, but it's a mere blemish on Zubac's performance tonight.

Timofey Mozgov, 9 points, 9 rebounds. He was non-existent last night against Portland. There's no sugar coating that. His 3rd quarter play tonight though was impressive. Derrick Favors' flagrant foul in that quarter got the big man going. There were some glimpses Mozzy took Gobert to school in the post, he was putting moves and almost put Utah's All-Star snub in a poster for a dunk. But, that was Mozgov's 15 minutes of fame. Still positive though.

(-)

Energy. Like I said in the 3rd quarter, the Jazz were playing with more intensity and energy than the Lakers this game. You can factor in the back-to-back effect, which is understandable. The start, trailing 2-12 exemplified that the Lakers spent a lot of their effort in Portland last night. It's a good thing the Jazz missed a couple shots and made some careless turnovers to prevent this game from being ugly.

Jose Calderon, 0 points, 0-3 shooting. I'll give him credit for the pass to a cutting Mozgov on a fast break when Mozgov got fouled. But at this point, I'd rather have Marcelinho (Marcelo Huertas) starting at the point guard position. Get well soon D'Lo. This is where you're sorely missed.

Brandon Ingram, 0 points, 0-6 shooting. Like I said last night, this week is a bitter end to what was a solid January for Ingram. Tonight, we  just didn't see the assertiveness that he developed during the course of this month on display during this stretch. Growing pains.

MVP

Ivica Zubac, 16 points, 10 rebounds, 6-11 shooting

Zubac has been nothing short of solid since he was brought back to the active roster from the D League. His upside makes him a better option than Mozgov and Tarik Black at this point of the season.





Conclusion

Well, the silver lining in this road trip is that the Lakers were much competitive on a back-to-back set. That's something you don't see everyday. One game, the Lakers will spent most of their energy and then the next day, they'll get run out of town. That was not the case tonight. Sunday's performance against Dallas was absolutely disgraceful, but they partially redeemed themselves with better competitive performances against Portland last night and tonight against Utah. Still, it is essential that the Lakers develop a formula to win games on the road. The Grammy's are just around the corner, so the Lakers will have their annual 6-7 game road trip in early February. They'll have plenty of chances to figure things out. Let's just say that this stretch was the pre-test. The long Grammy road trip in February will be the true test. It is not only essential for the Lakers to win games on the road, but it is essential for the development of the young core. Well, it was fun while it lasted covering two straight Laker games aired on national TV. As usual, Quick Fact Checks will follow, but the Lakers do have a televised matchup on ESPN against the hated Celtics on Friday before the Super Bowl. Until then, I'll see you guys next Friday for that game.

01/26: LAKERS @ Utah Jazz 2nd Half Open Thread and Discussion

The 2nd half of the Lakers-Jazz matchup. As usual, leave a comment below to share your thoughts on the half.

Q4

LAL 88 UTA 96

That last block by Rudy Gobert is self explanatory on how this game went. The Lakers tried to make one last push after the steal by Jordan Clarkson to cut the deficit to four, but they missed a couple of shots down the stretch and the Jazz were able to capitalize with dagger shots. George Hill's three after Clarkson's steal and score pretty much was the dagger. Lou Williams did have a three to cut the deficit, but just wasn't enough. Lakers finish 0-3 on this road trip. Stay tuned for the full recap. 

Q3

LAL 60 UTA 70

A tale of two halves this quarter. I said in my 2nd quarter discussion, the starters need to pick up the pace and they did exactly that. Deng got a couple of buckets in and Mozgov had a brief run after Derrick Favors committed a flagrant foul on him. It looked like momentum was gonna swing in the favor of the Lakers. However, Rudy Gobert hosted a block party to get the Jazz going. I said in the comments, the Jazz played with more intensity down the stretch this quarter than the Lakers. The Lakers were completely blanked out during the Jazz's run until Zubac hit a couple of free throws and then Lou Williams drove to the basket to put the Lakers within 10 points. Let's see if the Lakers have a run of their own. Or will they fizzle out like last night in Portland?

01/26: LAKERS @ Utah Jazz 1st Half Open Thread and Discussion

Welcome to the 1st half open thread and discussion of the Lakers' matchup vs. the Utah Jazz to end a 3-game road trip. Leave a comment below to share your thoughts on the half.

Q2

LAL 41 UTA 44

Strong finish from the Lakers this quarter. The Jazz love to play a slow pace style of basketball, but they're missing a couple of shots and turning the ball over. Once again, the bench is to be a factor in making the Lakers stay within striking distance, despite a slow start. Lou Williams extended the quarter, drawing fouls, which was beneficial for the Lakers to get back into the game. But, Ivica Zubac stood out from the bench unit. He filled the stat sheet last night against Portland with a double-double, but he finished 5-15 from the field. He looks a little sharper here as players are finding him in the screen and roll, Larry Nance, Jr. in particular was finding him with pretty extra passes. So far, the Lakers have exploited the Jazz's slow pace. Deng and Lou had a pair of quick steps to burn their defender before they get set. Jordan Clarkson showed off some explosive moves to the basket, but he just couldn't finish. The Lakers need more output from the starters outside of Nick Young. Young leads the starting unit with 8 points. Everybody else, not so much. Overall, the team has their work cut out for them if they want this game to be silver lining in what is a forgettable three-game road trip. The 2nd half will open up shortly. 

Q1

LAL 16 UTA 23

As expected, the Lakers would come up very sluggish after a very tough loss in Portland last night. The Jazz got off to a hot start behind Gordon Hayward and Rudy Gobert, but they've slowed down considerably down the stretch for the Lakers to get going and go from 2-12 to 16-23 to finish the quarter. Nick Young, like Lou Williams last night, picked up the scoring load for the team, hitting a pair of threes to cut the Jazz's double-digit lead. I was surprise Luke Walton didn't put Sweet Lou immediately, but Swaggy P's strong showing when the Lakers were lacking energy this quarter made up for it. 

Lakers' Losing Streak Against the Blazers Continues

Welcome in to the full recap of the Lakers road matchup vs. the Portland Trail Blazers in a back-to-back set where the Lakers had a chance to rain on the parade of 40th anniversary of the Blazers' lone championship season and snap their 10-game losing streak against the franchise. But, they found a way to lose again, falling to the Blazers 98-105.

Too many blown opportunities in that fourth quarter. Honestly, the Lakers have to be completely sick to their stomach losing to the Trail Blazers yet again. The Lakers had momentum when Lou Williams drained three straight 3-pointers. Then again when Nick Young hit back-to-back three pointers for the tie and the brief lead. But, they couldn't score two! They couldn't score two! Are you kidding me? Too many chances they could've ballooned the three point lead, but they missed a lot of shots down the stretch. A better effort than Sunday's outing against the Mavs, but this is more frustrating because the Lakers still couldn't figure out a way to close out on the road.

(+)

Lou Williams, 31 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals, 10-20 shooting. Just another day in the office for Sweet Lou. His fast start in the first quarter was the needed spark to put the Lakers back in the game when it looked like Portland was about to blow them out. In the fourth quarter again, it looked like the Blazers were gonna blow out the Lakers, but Sweet Lou drains three straight 3-pointers to bring momentum back to the Lakers. He missed a couple of key shots for the Lakers take the lead, but scoring-wise, he carried the scoring load for the team all night long with the exception of Clarkson because the starters weren't doing anything.

Jordan Clarkson, 22 points, 3 rebounds, 8-15 shooting. Some nights, Clarkson will settle for outside shots. Some nights, he'll attack the paint. When he finds a balance, that's when JC's at his best. That was on display tonight. Clarkson hit a pair of threes and found open lanes to drive towards the basket. This was one of Clarkson's better games this month.

Nick Young, 15 points, 5-10 shooting. The only starter who did anything. It was a relatively quiet game for Swaggy P tonight. He got off to a good start in the first quarter, hitting his first two shots. He didn't show up until the fourth quarter where he drained two straight 3-pointers for the tie at 91 and to put the Lakers up 94-91 before the team folded late in the fourth.

(-)

Julius Randle, 8 points, 5 rebounds, 4-9 shooting. All you had to do was make a few layups Jules. I'm one of the few who defends Randle's game because of his potential, but I won't deny he's a living enigma. Tonight he resorted back to the out of control Randle we know. He seriously has to improve on his ball handling. Randle's 4th quarter showing tonight exemplified boneheadedness on his part.

The rest of the starters (except Nick Young). Timofey Mozgov, 0 points. Jose Calderon, 0 points and a potential spot on Shaqtin' a Fool for passing the ball to the side referee. Luol Deng, 4 points, 2-7 shooting in his return. Garbage. There's no other way around it.

Brandon Ingram, 0 points, 0-5 shooting. My goodness, Ingram came crashing down hard this week. He's been playing well this month. I don't know if it's because Deng returned to the lineup, but not the way for Ingram to close out the month of January with two bad performances.

MVP

Lou Williams, 31 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals, 10-20 shooting

At this rate, Sweet Lou is going to get all the MVP honors for every Laker game I cover that's on National TV. This guy deserves Sixth Man of the Year honors.




Conclusion

An embarrassing blowout loss on Sunday. A frustrating loss tonight. I don't know how tomorrow's game @ Utah is gonna unfold. But, closing out on the road seriously needs to be a point of emphasis for the Lakers at this point of the season. It's a young team, there's growing pains. However, I'm looking at the veterans on this roster who know what it takes to close a game out on the road to step up and show the young players the ropes on how to win in a hostile environment. I don't know the Lakers' current road record, but the struggles are evident. They have to learn and the veterans need to take charge. They get another shot tomorrow in Utah. The Jazz have dropped a pair of games lately, but they're always a tough outing on their home floor. I'll see you guys tomorrow night for that game.

01/25: LAKERS @ Portland Trail Blazers 2nd Half Open Thread and Discussion

The 2nd Half of the Lakers-Blazers matchup. As usual, leave a comment below and share your thoughts on the half.

Q4

LAL 98 POR 105

The quarter down the stretch got me like...

Stay tuned for the full recap.

Q3

LAL 75 POR 83

Well, luckily that last basket by McCollum did not go in. The Lakers are down eight, but there was not much to take away from this quarter. This quarter was all Blazers not just scoring-wise, but they kept the Lakers in check defensively. In the official box score, the Lakers only put up 17 points this quarter. However, the margin is surmountable. Let's see if the Lakers can put out a better effort to close the game out. 

01/25: LAKERS @ Portland Trail Blazers 1st Half Open Thread and Discussion

Welcome to the first half open thread and discussion of the Lakers' road matchup vs. the Portland Trail Blazers. Will the Lakers finally snap the losing streak against the Blazers? Leave a comment below and share your thoughts on the half.

Q2

LAL 58 POR 59

Now, that was a better half than the garbage in Dallas. Although, there were some glimpses in this half where it looked like the Blazers were going to pull away behind Lillard and McCollum, but the Lakers found ways to respond and keep themselves within striking distance. Mr. Dependable, Lou Williams is carrying this team once again, leading all scorers with 16 points. An aggressive Sweet Lou to start is a big time benefit for the Lakers. He went full throttle in the first half to get the Lakers some points to get back into the game. The bench as a whole outscored the starting unit. Jordan Clarkson is in double figures with 11 points. Ivica Zubac is almost in double figures with 8 points. The bench players were the game changers to keep this from being a blowout. Lillard and McCollum, there's no stopping them, but if the Lakers neutralize every other player, they have a chance. In the last game in Portland, Allen Crabbe stepped in and provided that extra scoring power for the Blazers. The Lakers did a nice job containing every other player. The closest scorer tonight among Lillard and McCollum is Evan Turner and Mason Plumlee is following closely. The Lakers can't afford to let any Trail Blazer not named Lillard and McCollum go off in scoring like they did earlier when Crabbe went off for 20 points off the bench. Overall, nice way for the Lakers to bounce back from an embarrassing performance on Sunday, but there's still 24 more minutes to go. The 2nd half open thread will open up shortly.

Q1

LAL 31 POR 30

Sweet Lou putting the team on his back early on. When the score was 16-24, I'm sure we had the sentiments of "oh, here we go again." Because that's where the part the Blazers just make a run. Then, the bench comes in. Tarik Black showed his hustle energy to finish the quarter. Lou Williams did his thing in providing the scoring off the bench. The bench pretty much took over the quarter to provide the spark to bring the Lakers back into the game and for the lead to end the quarter. You never know what we're gonna get out of this Laker team. Here's hoping they stay consistent through the next three quarters.

Raiders Hire Ex-Chargers DC John Pagano as Defensive Assistant Coach

The Raiders continue to make moves in regards to the current coaching staff. First they promote Todd Downing as Offensive Coordinator and moving Jake Peetz to quarterbacks coach after releasing Bill Musgrave. They fired defensive backs coach, Marcus Robertson. This is probably the Raiders' biggest addition to the coaching staff besides Mike Tice when Jack Del Rio was hired in 2015. Today, they add John Pagano to the defensive coaching staff. Pagano had a long time tenure with the San Diego Chargers (now the Los Angeles Chargers), most notably being their defensive coordinator. His defenses were very underrated. We've seen it first hand whenever the Raiders played the Chargers with Pagano as the DC. Most of those games were tightly contested. He did a solid job last season despite all the injuries. The Chargers were co-leaders in interceptions with 18 INTs. He also helped mold Joey Bosa into arguably the unanimous Defensive Rookie of the Year this season. Interesting fact that he and Jack Del Rio worked together as coaching assistants of the New Orleans Saints under renowned head coach, Mike Ditka, so there is some familiarity involved. I said in my "Season in Review" post that Ken Norton, Jr. needed a mentor to show him the ropes on how to game plan defensively and make adjustments. I thought Gus Bradley would be the ideal candidate because Norton is trying to implement Seattle's system. However, John Pagano is another solid alternative. With this hire, there's absolutely no excuse for KNJ to fail in his third year as a DC. He has two proven DCs to rely on now with Pagano on board. It's likely that Pagano will have majority input on defensive personnel and scheme. Del Rio wants to solely focus on being the head coach. That's a logical assumption. John Pagano could also be the Raiders' contingency plan at DC if KNJ were to fail again. This is a very good hire that could season up the defensive unit. There is talent on the defense, but they were not playing to their strengths because of KNJ's ineptitude. That should change with the addition of John Pagano to the coaching staff. 

Lakers Put On Pathetic Display in Dallas

Both the AFC and NFC Championship games today for the NFL almost made me forget about this game. Well, I wish it really did. Did Byron Scott come back to coach one game or something? The last time I was checking this game, the Lakers were down 59-99. I'm thinking to myself: "this has got to be some kind of glitch." But that was really the score. I don't know what happen, but this took me back to when the Lakers got blown out by 48 points against the Jazz last season. After that game, I ranted and was just angrily typing about stuff in sight. 48 points, worst loss in franchise history. They surpassed that this afternoon by one point. 49 points is now the Lakers' worst defeat margin in franchise history. Terrible, absolutely terrible. On a scale of 1-10, how hungover were they after defeating the Pacers Friday night? I'm sure they rode that really high coming into this game. One win after 5-6 losses. Celebrate good times right? Not when they put up a performance like this to start the road trip. In fact, this stretch is exactly like the Byron Scott days. They lose a couple of games, some via blowouts, win one, and then get their butts handed to them on a silver platter. No fight, no effort, no defense. I thought they were through with that garbage last year and will find ways to compete. I couldn't imagine the worse things that could happen when they go on a back-to-back sets against Portland and Utah. This team has a promising young core, some veterans, and a good developmental coaching staff, but today's performance was an absolute atrocity of the highest order. Jordan Clarkson and Lou Williams, the only players in double figures with 10 points and 15 points off the bench respectively. Even they didn't shoot the ball well today. This was unacceptable and if I'm Luke Walton, looking ahead, I expect better effort than the garbage that was put on display today.

Lakers End Skid with Win over Pacers

Welcome in to the full recap of the Lakers' home matchup vs. the Indiana Pacers where the Lakers notched a much-needed win beating the Pacers 96-108 to snap their current losing skid.

Great way to end the home stand on a high note. In the Lakers' recent skid, they've been lacking in some effort during those last few games and half of those games resulted in blowouts. Tonight, they played a very solid game with great effort on both sides of the ball against Paul George and the Pacers. 

(+)

Lou Williams, 27 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 7-15 shooting. There's no denying, Lou Williams is the best player and the best scorer on the team. He had a couple of three pointers that almost went in, but didn't to put him at the 30 point mark. Sweet Lou did what he did best tonight: shooting threes, drawing contact, driving to the basket. He should be in the conversation for Sixth Man of the Year by the time this season ends.

Brandon Ingram, 15 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals. I said it in the Portland game last Thursday, Ingram is doing a great job being more assertive to NBA play. I'm very impressed with the way he's playing this month. He's being more aggressive. His 3-point game is slowly, but surely beginning to connect. I personally think with the way Ingram played in place of Luol Deng this month, he should get a shot at starting from here on out because he's been producing the last few games since being inserted into the starting lineup. He filled the stat sheet again tonight.

Julius Randle, 16 points, 5 rebounds, 7-13 shooting. During the skid, I keep seeing Randle being held to single digit. Even though I don't react much with the Quick Fact Checks, I was concern about Julius' recent slump. I was like "this guy should be stuffing the stat sheet." I liked Randle's energy and effort tonight to shake off the slump. I liked the aggressiveness and hustle that he displayed tonight. It's a matter of consistency for Randle. He's more than capable of double-doubling every single game.

Nick Young, 15 points, 5-13 shooting. I was sure that when Nick Young landed awkwardly on his foot, he was questionable to return. It's a good thing I'm no doctor. Swaggy P was raining threes all game alongside Sweet Lou and I thought he did a great job containing Paul George defensively. PG13 was relatively quiet until he stat padded when the game was well out of reach with 21 points. I gotta credit Clarkson as well. Both him and Young did well defending PG13.

Tarik Black, 8 points, 13 rebounds. I really like Black's effort. This dates back to last year, but Byron Scott didn't want to give him playing time. He's making the most out of it with the playing time. He was known for cutting and dunking and rebounding, but he showed more than that tonight with the jump hooks and the facilitation of the basketball.

(-)

There was really not much I can complain about here. The Lakers did a fine job negating mistakes tonight against a good Pacers team.

MVP

Lou Williams, 27 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists, 7-15 shooting

Sweet Lou has been nothing short of amazing since coming to the Lakers. It was another day in the scoring office for him tonight against the Pacers.




Conclusion

Overall, great win from the Lakers, especially to snap the losing streak. The Lakers wrap up a 3-game home stand. Now, they face a 3-game road stand after this. Road games for the Lakers have been relatively unfriendly to them this season. This road stretch ahead is no joke. They play at Dallas on Sunday and play at Portland and at Utah on back-to-back sets. The Mavs, Blazers, and Jazz have the Lakers' number this season. Tough outing, but if the Lakers repeat this effort from tonight, anything can happen. Of course, D'Angelo Russell's status needs to be updated. Again, it's reported he has a mild MCL sprain, so it's likely he'll miss this road stretch. The Lakers need to be at full strength. That means Larry Nance, Jr. has to come back and hopefully, D'Lo makes a speedy recovery. It's a fight to the finish for that 8th seed for the playoffs in the West, but we're more focused that the Lakers finish strong by season's end. But again, great win against the Pacers. Gotta see if the Lakers can build some consistency as they take on a 3-game road stretch. The back-to-back against the Blazers and Jazz are gonna be televised on ESPN and  TNT. So I'll see you guys on Wednesday and Thursday for those games.

01/20: LAKERS vs. Indiana Pacers 2nd Half Open Thread and Discussion

The 2nd half of the Lakers-Pacers matchup. As usual, leave a comment below the post to share your thoughts on the half.

Q4

IND 96 LAL 108

Losing skid is over! The Lakers played with more effort and energy out there than the Pacers did. Pretty much, this whole 2nd half, the Lakers took this game over. They allowed Indiana to get back in for a bit, but they mustered enough to get the win. Players getting injured early on, but they endured. Stay tuned for the full recap. 

Q3

IND 75 LAL 86

Didn't like the way the Lakers ended that 3rd quarter. The team was playing sloppy ball and forcing up shots when they built up a huge lead, but luckily Nick Young's three quelled that talk for a bit. Overall, solid quarter for the Lakers. Solid quarter for Brandon Ingram especially. 10 points this quarter from him to go with 15 points. Sweet Lou, Young, Clarkson, Black, and Randle contributed as well to give the Lakers some cushion against this Pacers team. Like I said though, they allowed the Pacers to creep back in down the stretch. They have to clean that up to close this game out.

01/20: LAKERS vs. Indiana Pacers 1st Half Open Thread and Discussion

Welcome to the 1st half open thread and discussion of the Lakers' matchup vs. the Indiana Pacers. Leave a comment below and share your thoughts on the game.

Q2

IND 53 LAL 51

Down by two against a red hot Pacers team? Not too shabby. Although the Pacers did gain some life in this quarter and it looked like they were about to pull away, but good job on the part of the Lakers to hang around. In this first half alone, Julius Randle has put up more numbers than the last few games. He's been relatively quiet in the Lakers' recent skid, but he's gaining that aggressiveness back tonight. It's the consistency that needs to be addressed in Randle's game. Of course, the big negative here, D'Angelo Russell and Nick Young go down. Russell's foot got caught with Randle and his knee bent awkwardly. ESPN reports that it's a sprain MCL. So, most likely he's not going back to the game. Nick Young landed awkwardly on his foot as he was about to shoot before the shot clock expired. He went down for a bit and no question he's questionable to return. But, like I said, the Lakers are hanging around despite the injuries. You never know if that's going to take its toll late in the game with the losses of both D'Lo and Swaggy P. But the fact of the matter, they have to keep up with this effort that they put up so far. For sure, this is probably the closest they've trailed in this recent skid and they have to keep competing and try to make PG13, Al Jefferson, and the Pacers miss shots. The 2nd half will open up shortly.

Q1

IND 24 LAL 27

Well, the last thing the Lakers want to start off is two players going down. D'Angelo Russell accidentally contacts Julius Randle and his knee lands awkwardly. They said that it's a possible MCL sprain, which makes him questionable to return. Then Mozgov gets shaken up midway through the first, which is why Tarik Black and Ivica Zubac saw action earlier than expected. Despite all that, the Lakers are still competing. The Pacers turned the ball over a couple of times, which was opportune for the Lakers. Julius Randle got to a fast start and Nick Young and Lou Williams drained a couple of threes. Brandon Ingram continues to make good use starting. He's been terrific lately. Overall, encouraging quarter to see despite the early injuries. 

Lakers' Losing Skid Continues vs. Nuggets

*Stats courtesy of NBA.com and Yahoo Sports*

With no end in sight. Lou Williams was the Lakers' top performer, racking up 24 points, 4 rebounds, and 7 assists off the bench, but the Lakers could not come back from a massive hole they dug themselves in the 1st half. Good comeback, but they still fell to the Nuggets 127-121 to put their losing streak at 5. Three other bench players were in double figures as Jordan Clarkson racked up 19 points, Tarik Black put up 14 points and 8 rebounds, and Ivica Zubac grabbed a double-double with 11 points and 13 rebounds. Zubac looked pretty good when I saw the highlights even though the Lakers were trailing for the most part of the game. For the starters, Nick Young lead all scorers with 22 points and Brandon Ingram chipped in 15 points to go with 5 rebounds and 3 steals.

Final Score: vs. Denver 127-121 [L]
Full article: http://www.nba.com/games/20170117/DENLAL#/recap

Highlights: *Courtesy of Ximo Pierto*

Next Game: vs. Indiana (01/20) <= Open Thread and Full Recap Posts

Lakers Drop Another Loss vs. Pistons

*Stats courtesy of NBA.com and Yahoo Sports*

"Another one." As D.J. Khaled would say. Lou Williams was the leading scorer for the Lakers with 26 points off the bench, but the Lakers let a win slip away as the Pistons pull out 102-97. Jordan Clarkson added 16 points off the bench. For the starters, D'Angelo Russell was the only starter in double-figures, racking up 20 points and adding 7 rebounds. Julius Randle grabbed 10 rebounds, but added a measly 2 points.

Final Score: vs. Detroit 102-97 [W]
Full article: http://www.nba.com/games/20170115/DETLAL#/recap

Highlights: *Courtesy of Ximo Pierto*

Next Game: vs. Denver (01/17)

Lakers Put Up Little Resistance vs. Clippers

*Stats courtesy of NBA.com and Yahoo Sports*

Last three games including this, all blowouts. Not something you want to see out of this team, which is very frustrating. Jordan Clarkson lead all Lakers with 21 points off the bench to go with 4 rebounds and 3 assists, but the Lakers could not handle a semi-full strength Clippers team as they get blown out again 97-113. Brandon Ingram was the 2nd leading scorer, chipping in 14 points to go with 5 rebounds and 5 assists. Meanwhile, ugly games for the starters as Lou Williams and Nick Young were the only the starters in double figures with 13 points and 11 points respectively.

Final Score: @ LA Clippers 97-113 [L]
Full article: http://www.nba.com/games/20170114/LALLAC#/recap

Highlights: *Courtesy of Ximo Pierto*

Next Game: vs. Detroit (01/15)

San Antonio Beatdown

*Stats courtesy of NBA.com and Yahoo Sports*

U-G-L-Y!!!!! Julius Randle lead the Lakers with 22 points, 6 rebounds, and 5 assists. However, the Lakers were at the mercy of the Spurs as they get smoked out of San Antonio 94-134. Jordan Clarkson lead all scorers off the bench with 14 points and Lou Williams followed, chipping in 10 points.

Final Score: @ San Antonio 94-134 [L]
Full article: http://www.nba.com/games/20170112/LALSAS#/recap

Highlights: *courtesy of Ximo Pierto*

Next Game: @ LA Clippers (01/14)

A Season in Review: 2016 Raiders

Raider Nation, welcome to the annual "Season in Review" post for the 2016 Oakland Raiders season. In case you're new to this blog, I usually post these when the season is completely over. I reflect on the regular season in general and address team needs in the offseason. Let's get to it!

If you've ever ridden a roller coaster in your lifetime, it's a nerve-wracking and heart-pounding experience right? There's the ascension, there's the drop, some loops, a stoppage, another drop, more loops, and finally, the ride's over. That is the 2016 season of the Oakland Raiders in a nutshell. This 2016 incarnation of the Raiders will be remembered as the "comeback kids" or the "Carr-diac kids" because of late game heroics from Derek Carr and the offense. Jack Del Rio has developed the reputation of "Blackjack Del Rio" because of his tendency to go for it all on 4th down or go for a two point conversion to win the game. 

Coach Del Rio said it best in the post game celebration Week 1 vs. the New Orleans Saints. Last season, the Raiders learned how to compete. This season, they learned how to win. As I said in last year's "Season in Review" post, they were competitive all season long, but they just couldn't figure out how to close teams out. This year though, they figured out how to win by any means. And they've given us so many heart attacks, strokes, and high blood pressure. But, it was worth it. In the Week 1 game against the Saints, the Raiders were down by as many as 17. We all thought, "this is gonna be a loss, Superdome crowd is just too much for this team." But the pride and poise of Carr gave us reason to believe they would come back and they did it off a ballsy two point conversion to win the game 35-34. We could all agree on this, the opening win against the Saints in New Orleans set the identity of this team. They were not going to go down easily and they were going to find a way to break some hearts. That's the reason they started 5-0 on the road and why most of their margins of victory were very close. Now granted, you can make the argument that they could've lost those games too. But, a win is a win as long as the odds are in favor of the Raiders and that was the case for the most part of the season.

Unfortunately, luck (no Andrew Luck pun intended) couldn't stay on the side of the Raiders for long. Derek Carr got hurt late in the season against the Colts. When I found out because I could barely keep track of the game all day, it was devastating as a fan knowing we might've lost the franchise quarterback for the season. Most people thought it was unreasonable to keep Carr in the game because the Raiders were leading big. I thought it was the right call because they are up against Andrew Luck and the Colts who are fully capable of coming back regardless of the score. You saw it. They scored quickly after the Raiders put up their fifth TD of the game. So, I highly understood why they kept Carr in. It was a freak injury and unfortunately, they are part of this game. The collapse the last two weeks showed that Carr was the heart and soul of the team and in all honesty, he should've been in the MVP conversation for carrying the Raiders all season long. Without Carr, the Raiders surrendered the AFC West division to the Chiefs and they got an early playoff exit against the Texans.

There's absolutely no reason to be mad about how the season ended. Most experts had the Raiders making the playoffs at 10-6 as a wildcard. I had the same sentiments and I had them sneaking into the Wild Card as the 6th seed. They exceeded expectations going 12-4 and the 5th seed! By midseason, everybody had them going to the Super Bowl to face the Dallas Cowboys. In my opinion, that would've been some Super Bowl draw. You got a team who has a rookie QB-RB combo that's surpassing expectations going up against a team that's trying to cap off one of the greatest turnarounds in history behind a fearless quarterback! But, injuries just crushed the Raiders' aspirations. That doesn't take away that this season was a successful season. Teams that start to win will go through these growing pains, but they will gain experience and take it all the way.

It seems after the early playoff exit, the Raiders have started to make some moves in the coaching personnel. Coaches have contracts too, so every time a coach is let go, they make it seem like they're fired, which is not the case. On Tuesday, the Raiders announced that they will not retain Bill Musgrave and QB coach Todd Downing will be promoted to the Offensive Coordinator position. This is a change I can live with. You guys know my stance about Musgrave that I don't think he's the long term answer, but considering how good the offense was, it's understandable to keep him for continuity. This is not a major change considering it's an "in-house" move. Downing had a lot more to do with Carr's development into a superstar franchise quarterback. That should mean they will retain the same system with a couple of wrinkles, but Carr will ultimately be pulling the strings in the offensive game plan.

On the flipside, the Raiders will retain Ken Norton, Jr. as the Defensive Coordinator. In my honest opinion, I thought they should've let him go after a disastrous outing this season. I guess someone can make the argument that the defensive side had a lot of new starters, which I can understand. But, I think he might need a little mentoring on how to game plan, call plays, and making in-game adjustments as a DC. This where I think that  the Raiders should consider bringing in Gus Bradley as a possible defensive consultant after being fired by the Jaguars if they were to retain KNJ. If many of you don't know before taking up the head coaching position, Gus Bradley was the DC when the Seahawks' defense reached its peak in 2012. Considering KNJ wanted to bring the same system to the Raiders, I feel that Bradley could be that mentor to show him the ropes on how to properly run the scheme because I think Norton is sometimes in over his head when it comes to the playcalling. You'd think he'd learn some things in his first year last season, but clearly he hasn't this season, which resulted in poor defensive alignments and execution. But, I'll give KNJ this: without him, we wouldn't be having Malcolm Smith or Bruce Irvin on the team right now. Who's next in the linebacker corps to go from Seattle to Oakland this offseason? Bobby Wagner? K.J. Wright? Although, they'll be pretty pricey to sign.

Now onto the offseason needs. Personally, I think the Raiders are set on offense. Although, they do need to shore up the Right Tackle spot because obviously, that was a huge mess this season with 4-5 different starters. I wouldn't be too concerned about Left Tackle considering that Kelechi Osemele could eventually take over for Donald Penn. The Raiders could use another big play receiver to take pressure off of Coop and because Crabtree is getting older, he could be relegated into the slot if the Raiders choose not to keep Seth Roberts. Other than that, offense should stay put.

On the defensive side, yes there's still some pieces needed in order for the unit to be dominant. Most notably, they need a DT who can stop the run and rush the passer and an every down "Mike" who can play both the run and the pass. I think they also need an upgrade at weakside linebacker since Malcolm Smith racked up a lot of tackles, but couldn't cover the Tight End. The secondary definitely didn't perform up to expectations. I think they need to restructure Sean Smith's contract and consider moving Reggie Nelson to the Strong Safety spot. Simultaneously, they need to think about replacing them long-term since they're getting older. But, a dominant front seven masks the secondary woes, so it's important to upgrade with a run/pass DT and "Mike." Also, we'll see what's going to be the status of Aldon Smith in March. I believe he has the right to sue with the players' association if Roger Goodell continues to drag his feet. I don't want to go on about NFL policies, but this one-year suspension policy is an absolute joke. What's the point of having a 60-day reinstatement window if you're not going to use it as a deadline to reinstate or not reinstate a player? Seriously.

Overall, we can finally say "there's next year" in a positive light. It hasn't been the case for the last 14 years, but a foundation and a culture is in place. If Reggie McKenzie doesn't win Executive of the Year for what he did the last 4-5 years and if Jack Del Rio doesn't win Coach of the Year, there's definitely something wrong. They deserve to be in the conversation for what they did to rebuild the Raiders back to greatness now and towards the future after over a decade of hot garbage. We are building some optimism now Raider Nation. Last year, they learn how to compete. This year, they learn how to win. Next year, they learn how to go all the way! This is only the first chapter in the return to greatness for the Silver and Black. Thank you guys for following this blog in what was a really fun season. Here's to more fun and more double-digit wins in 2017!

Lakers Steamrolled by Blazers

*Stats courtesy of NBA.com and Yahoo Sports*

Reality came crashing down once again. Luol Deng was the top scorer for the Lakers with 14 points to go with 6 rebounds, but the Lakers were overwhelmed by the backcourt duo of Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum, dropping yet another game to the Blazers 108-87. Brandon Ingram lead all scorers off the bench with 11 points while Lou Williams added 10 points. Julius Randle and D'Angelo Russell were held in check tonight as Randle scored only 6 points despite grabbing 10 rebounds while Russell racked up 9 points, missing all seven of his 3-point shots despite racking up 8 rebounds, 6 assists, and 3 steals.

Final Score: vs. Portland 108-87 [L]
Full article: http://www.nba.com/games/20170110/PORLAL#/recap

Highlights: *courtesy of Ximo Pierto*

Next Game: @ San Antonio (01/12)

Lakers Vanquish Magic

*Stats courtesy of NBA.com and Yahoo Sports*

D'Angelo Russell recorded near triple-double numbers, leading the Lakers with 17 points, 8 rebounds, and 7 assists including 3 steals to power the Lakers to victory over the Orlando Magic 95-111. Three other starters were in double figures. Julius Randle was one rebound short of a typical double-double with 19 points and 9 rebounds. Timofey Mozgov was also a rebound short of a double-double, racking up 15 points and 9 rebounds while shooting a perfect 7-7 from the field and Luol Deng chipped in 11 points in his 2nd game back. Brandon Ingram is on fire as of late as he lead all scorers off the bench tonight with 17 points. Lou Williams tallied 10 points off the bench despite a horrid shooting night (3-12 from the field).

Final Score: vs. Orlando 95-111 [W]
Full article: http://www.nba.com/games/20170108/ORLLAL#/recap

Highlights: *courtesy of NBA Conference*

Next Game: vs. Portland (01/10)

Raiders Bounced Out of Wild Card Round vs. Texans

Welcome in to the long-awaited full recap of the Raiders' Wild Card matchup vs. the Houston Texans where the Raiders make their postseason debut for the first time since 2003, but headed for an early exit as they lose to the Texans 14-27.

Raider Nation, this team deserves a standing ovation. I will stand up for a moment and clap for this team on one heck of a magical season that we'll remember. It was a season full of heart attacks, high blood pressures, and being driven to the point of insanity, but it was all worth it for double digit wins and a playoff berth. I could be mad that this team lost its first playoff matchup in a long time, but this team earned their stripes, gritting and grinding throughout the whole season in order to break 14 years of utter mediocrity and dysfunction. Unfortunately it didn't end well the last two weeks. But, this Raiders team will be remembered as the team that broke the playoff curse.

(+)

Defense. The defensive unit as a whole played well. Yes they allowed three touchdowns, but what else can you do when the offense couldn't generate anything and are turning the ball over? I said in my preview that the defense has to blitz Brock Osweiler. Surprisingly, Ken Norton Jr. listened to what needed to be done in order for the defense to step up for Connor Cook. He blitzed! He actually blitzed. And it worked a majority of the time. Brock was rushing on his throws because of the pressure. The defense tried to put their offense in good position, forcing three and outs the majority of the game. When they were on the field for too long, that is when the Texans started to score. Khalil Mack lead the unit with 11 tackles. He was doing what he did best, stopping the run and putting pressure on Osweiler. Some turnovers would've been appreciated. They had a couple of chances, but the ball was going the Texans' way.

Jalen Richard, 5 punts, 68 return yards. Richard didn't do his damage in the run game, but he did so in the return game. His 37 yard punt return was probably the highlight of the game because if it weren't for that, the Raiders would've been shut out through three quarters. Richard did all he can to put the Raiders in good field position, especially on that return where he bounced off a defender and took it to Houston territory. That helped set up the Raiders' first score of the game off a TD run by Murray as the Raiders went no-huddle on offense.

(-)

Wide receivers. This position being non-existent was just what Connor Cook and the offense needed. When Andre Holmes is the leading receiver with 50 yards and the only receiver to have a TD, that's when you know the receiving corps didn't do good. Michael Crabtree had 33 yards and a couple of drops. Amari Cooper only 10 yards and had a drop off a deep ball from Cook. Most of these were mistimed or underthrown passes by Cook. That's what happens when you have a rookie who hasn't seen any first team reps until now. That results in a drop in production by the receivers. Then again, Houston's secondary is underrated.

Running game. The Texans' run defense only allowed one rushing TD by Murray. Murray and Washington each had a nice run of 10 yards or more, but everything else was non-existent. It couldn't get any worse for Cook as the run game was stagnant. Texans just kept stacking the box and they predicted every run play that the Raiders called and executed. Their run defense is one of the best for a reason and there's nothing that the offense can do because they needed it to take pressure off Cook.

O-line. When I looked at the notification that Donald Penn was out, I knew that the offense would be in big trouble. Menelik Watson could not hang with Jadeveon Clowney at the left tackle spot. Austin Howard let Whitney Merciless get by him with ease to get to Connor Cook. To make matters worse, Rodney Hudson went down for a bit. Jon Feliciano had to take over at Center. The Texans were licking their chops that because they could blitz with ease. Luckily, Hudson returned late in the game to avert disaster or we could've seen a lot of pre-snap penalties and Connor Cook on the ground.

MVP

Jalen Richard, 5 kick returns, 38 yards, 5 punt returns, 68 yards

It's hard to decipher who was the MVP of this game, but the way Richard he played today, he deserves MVP. Cook needed good field position to work with and Richard had a couple of good returns to put the offense in position to score.

Conclusion

As I said before, it's a bitter end to the season. We've had a magical run, but unfortunately injuries just had to crush aspirations of going deep in the playoffs. But, Raider Nation this is just the beginning. All winning teams have steps. They win, they get playoff experience, and they are ready to compete for a Super Bowl. Unfortunately not most teams have that formula. Most of them are one and done. But, Reggie McKenzie, Jack Del Rio, and even Mark Davis have rebuilt this roster and re-established this program to compete long-term. They're putting this team to become something that matches the likes of the Green Bay Packers, New England Patriots, Seattle Seahawks, Baltimore Ravens, etc. Those teams continue to think long-term and build through the draft. Look what that got us. Khalil Mack and Derek Carr in 2014. Amari Cooper in 2015. Karl Joseph in 2016. They've found some awesome value picks in the middle-later rounds rounds and diamonds in the rough in the undrafted free agent market, such as Marquette King in 2012, Latavius Murray in 2013, Gabe Jackson and T.J. Carrie in 2014, and DeAndre Washington, Vadal Alexander, James Cowser, Jalen Richard, Darius Latham, and Denver Kirkland in 2016. The future is bright Raider Nation and they will get better with this loss. With everyone healthy, especially Derek Carr, they will be in position to make noise and go all the way. Don't take this loss personally. I know I'm not. This is just the first chapter of the Raiders' return to dominance. The later chapters will get better from there. But, this season has been special. It really was. And I am privileged to have covered and witnessed a playoff game for the Silver and Black. I was only 9 when the Raiders made their last playoff appearance until now. This means a lot. With the way this team is trending upwards, I'm excited for next season to arrive. Thank you Raider Nation for following me on this wild ride of a season. I will post up a Season in Review post some time next week and I'll be back for Super Bowl LI, so I'm not quite done with football yet. But I'll see you guys next season.

2017 NFL Playoffs: Wild Card Weekend - RAIDERS @ Houston Texans 2nd Half Open Thread and Discussion

The 2nd half of the Raiders-Texans matchup on Wild Card weekend of the 2017 NFL Playoffs. As usual, leave a comment below and share your thoughts on the game.

Q4

OAK 14 HOU 27

Sorry guys, I'm gonna have to take myself out early in this 4th quarter. I have somewhere to be in a few minutes, but the open thread will still be available until the end of the game. Regardless what happens in this game, it has been a magical season to remember. This is just the beginning after breaking a 14-year playoff drought. I'm proud of this team for bringing the greatness of the Raiders back. I'll be back for the full recap in a couple of hours. 

Q3

OAK 7 HOU 20 

This was a brutal quarter to watch. None of the teams put up points, but the Raiders couldn't put up anything to swing the momentum in their favor. Connor Cook is getting rattled out there. With the O-line banged up and the receivers getting shut out, this offense is a sitting duck out there. The defense is doing its job, but they're getting winded out there for being on the field too much. If this score holds up, this is going to be a moral victory here. 

2017 NFL Playoffs: Wild Card Weekend - RAIDERS @ Houston Texans 1st Half Open Thread and Discussion

Welcome to Wild Card weekend of the 2017 NFL Playoffs. This is the first half of the Raiders' road playoff matchup vs. the Houston Texans in NRG Stadium. Leave a comment below and share your thoughts on the game.

Q2

OAK 7 HOU 20

The first half of this game is what you expect with a rookie quarterback in Connor Cook. The Texans' defense are giving him all kinds of exotic looks and as a result, too many underthrown passes by Cook and he threw a pick on a screen pass to Jadeveon Clowney. But, the playcalling isn't helping either. Musgrave once again is playing it safe establishing the run and calling quick passes that result in nothing. On the score by Tay Train, they started being aggressive with a no huddle, which worked! They can't let the Texans defense substitute because they have too much talent and depth on that side of the ball. Defensively, they are being gassed out, but they had a great start. I think Ken Norton Jr. read my preview that the Raiders needed to blitz and they are bringing the heat on Osweiler. I think Houston's offense is starting to figure the blitzing pattern out, but then again, the Raiders' defense is being gassed out because of quick, conservative possessions. Bill Musgrave has to consider opening up the playbook more and try to look for the Tight Ends more please? Because obviously the Texans' secondary have Coop, Crab, and Roberts covered. The 2nd half will open up shortly. 

Q1

OAK 7 HOU 10

Nice start on defense, but slow start on offense until the last drive. I said this in my preview, Ken Norton Jr. has to open up the playbook and blitz Brock Osweiler. So far, Osweiler can't handle the pressure and the Texans' offense couldn't figure them out. Offensively, conservative as usual to start. They started deep into their own territory and disaster happens. Cook throws an INT, which sets up Lamar Miller's easy TD. But now Musgrave ends his conservative stuff, implements no huddle and it ends up with a Tay Train TD. They need more of that to get back into the game. 

Lakers Return Home and Douse Heat

*Stats courtesy of Yahoo Sports and NBA.com*

Luol Deng returned to the starting lineup and lead the Lakers with a double-double of 19 points and 14 rebounds to power a Lakers victory against his former team 100-127. D'Angelo Russell racked up 19 points to go with 6 rebounds, 5 assists, and 3 steals and Julius Randle added 15 points and 6 rebounds to round out the starters. Lou Williams lead all scorers off the bench with 24 points (I told you last night, he'll break out of his slump). Brandon Ingram continues to trend upwards, tallying 17 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 assists off the bench and Tarik Black also added a double-double with 10 points and 11 rebounds off the bench.

Final Score: vs. Miami 100-127 [W]
Full article: http://www.nba.com/games/20170106/MIALAL#/recap

Highlights: *courtesy of Ximo Pierto*

Next Game: vs. Orlando (01/08)

Lakers Drop Lead, Game vs. Blazers

Welcome in to the full recap of the Lakers' road matchup vs. the Portland Trail Blazers where the Lakers drop another tough one on the road, losing to the Blazers 109-118.

The one thing I'm hoping from this Lakers team is that I hope they take all these road games where they blow a lot of leads to heart and work on protecting a lead. This game added to those road woes where the Lakers come out guns blazing, they build a lead to close out the first half, and they feel good about. Then, in the 2nd half, they forget to play their game and disaster happens. It's growing pains.

(+)

Julius Randle, 17 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 steal. Not the greatest of games for Randle, but he still in some way puts up monster numbers, recording yet another double-double. He got off to a good start tonight, didn't do much until late in the 3rd quarter. Randle woke up in between the 3rd quarter and 4th quarter and started to take the game over. There was nothing Mason Plumlee or anybody else defending could do against Randle's power and versatility.

Brandon Ingram, 11 points, 4 rebounds, 1 block. Trust me when I say this, Ingram will break out eventually before the season wraps up. He's slowly finding his range from beyond the arc, notching a pair of three pointers tonight. Ingram's starting to be more assertive on both ends on the floor, which is encouraging to see. As fans, we gotta stay patient.

Jordan Clarkson, 21 points, 3 rebounds, 2 steals. Clarkson continues to make his case for Sixth Man of the Year. Last game, he was great at attacking the basket on the Grizzlies' stout defense. He replicated that tonight and found the range from 3-point land.

(-)

Screen and roll defense. The Lakers just gave up way too many easy baskets for the Blazers. The Blazers were cutting in the lane with ease tonight against the defense. Three easy baskets by Plumlee to start summed up how bad the Lakers defended the Blazers' screen and roll game. Then, Harkless, Crabbe, and Turner got into the action. They kept catching the defense sleeping all game.

Lou Williams, 10 points, 3-8 shooting. Sour night for Sweet Lou. His shot wasn't going through tonight and he made some quick momentum-changing turnovers. Williams' scoring has taken a nosedive as of late. But, he's a veteran. He'll find ways to break out of the funk.

D'Angelo Russell. Don't get me wrong, D'Lo finished off strong with a 22 point performance, but his three point game was not there tonight. He attempted eight 3-pointers, he missed all of them and he made a pair of silly turnovers to start the game. Nonetheless, inconsistency is evident in Russell's game. He went to the post up game late to get going, but it was too little too late. He should've continued to play that game and try to draw contact as he did in the first half, getting to the free throw line to get first series of points.

MVP

Julius Randle, 17 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists, 1 steal

The man is a beast. Like I said, numbers weren't too impressive, but he displayed tonight why his rare combination of strength and quickness make him hard to defend. 

Conclusion

The Lakers will learn soon enough. If they want to win on the road, they have to put their foot on the gas for a full 48 minutes. It's too bad Damian Lillard just had to return tonight for the Blazers after missing a couple of games. But, like I said, I hope the Lakers take these games into consideration. If they want to win and be good on the road, they have to bring the effort in the 2nd half and play their game. Nonetheless, this is part of the growing pains this season that we have to endure. This young squad will get it sooner or later. They return home tomorrow on a back-to-back set vs. Miami. Hey, if Portland can win tonight after a tough road loss to the Warriors last night, the Lakers can certainly rebound against the Heat. I'll see you guys later. 

01/05: LAKERS @ Portland Trail Blazers 2nd Half Open Thread and Discussion

The 2nd half of the Lakers-Blazers matchup in the Moda Center. As usual, leave a comment below to share your thoughts on the game.

Q4

LAL 109 POR 118

Growing pains. This has been the narrative for the Lakers all season long on the road. They play well in the first half, but in the second half, they get lackadaisical with their game. Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum did their damage, but Evan Turner stepped up for the Blazers, making it much more difficult for the Lakers defensively to close this game out. Road woes continue here for the most part. Stay tuned for the full recap. 

Q3

LAL 84 POR 84

I noted this in the comments, 2nd half performances on the road have been tough for the Lakers all season long. This quarter should come no surprise. I thought they got too careless and that's the unfortunate part of this process. The Blazers storm right back and eventually took the lead, but Julius Randle helped the Lakers tie it up. He's been quiet since the first quarter. It's time for him to take control and use that size, power, and speed to take this game over. 

01/05: LAKERS @ Portland Trail Blazers 1st Half Open Thread and Discussion

Welcome in to the first half open thread and discussion of the Lakers' Thursday night road matchup vs. the Portland Trail Blazers. Leave a comment below to share your thoughts on the half.

Q2

LAL 62 POR 53

Impressive 2nd quarter for the Lakers until the later stages of the quarter. They couldn't quite replicate their performance against the Grizzlies Tuesday night, but this'll do. How about Brandon Ingram? This might be the breakout game that we've been waiting for, but I'll hold that in for a bit. But, I think he's starting to be more assertive and tonight is a good start. He's starting to find the range a bit from the three point land and he's being aggressive on both sides of the ball tonight. With Luol Deng out, he'll be getting a lot of opportunity to build up confidence in his shot and abilities. Randle and Mozgov got off to a good start to get the offense going and Clarkson turned it on off the bench, attacking the basket and also doing it on the defensive end, notching 2 steals. They're going to need more of those stats defensively. Lillard and McCollum will have their way, but they gotta stop giving up easy baskets. They are being too over committed on one Blazer and another player cuts behind them for an easy deuce. That was apparent with Mason Plumlee and guys like Crabbe and Harkless. The Lakers need to defend the screen and roll better while continuing to play unselfish, aggressive basketball like the game against the Grizzlies on Tuesday. The 2nd half will open up shortly.

Q1

LAL 24 POR 29

The Lakers had a rough start early on this quarter. Down 0-6, a pair of turnovers to start, these are signs of a young team. But, they started to come on offensively with Mozgov and Randle being aggressive. I thought Russell was also aggressive. He was drawing all kinds of contact from the Blazers' defense to get to the free throw line. Defensively, the issues are still apparent. Damian Lillard showed no signs of rust, returning from injury and starting perfect from the field. But, they allowed three easy by Mason Plumlee as a result of over committing on the double team. Lakers end the quarter down by five, so there's still plenty of time to get in this game. This is especially important now that Lillard is on the bench and C.J. McCollum is off to a slow start.

Raiders AFC Wild Card Preview: @ Houston Texans

Raider Nation, we've been waiting for this moment for a long time. Welcome in to the preview post of the Raiders' 2017 Wild Card matchup vs. the Houston Texans at Houston. First time for everything, but I'll be helped big time considering the Raiders did play the Texans this season in a 20-27 victory down in Mexico City. I'll be placing a lot emphasis on the Texans because hey, "know the enemy."

Considering a regular season matchup between these two teams happened, there shouldn't be any surprises. But, the teams will make little changes to their game plan than last time. Definitely there'll be a big time adjustment on the Raiders' sideline since Connor Cook will be starting at quarterback. 

In all honesty, the Texans are better than what most people give them credit for. Yes, they have an anemic offense having a quarterback problem with Tom Savage and Brock Osweiler. But they've had success with their running game. Lamar Miller posted an 1,000 rushing yards campaign in his first year with the team. Their defense is criminally underrated. And the fact that they've done so without J.J. Watt all season is pretty impressive. Luckily, the Raiders don't have to worry about Watt, but Jadeveon Clowney has been coming into his own late this season and he's slowly, but surely living up to the hype as the #1 overall pick in 2014. Whitney Merciless is another pass rusher that the Raiders also need to account for. Romeo Crennel, the Texans' defensive coordinator, is probably salvinating on Connor Cook starting and will obviously put together an exotic defensive game plan to confuse the rookie out of Michigan State.

During the regular season meeting with the Texans, the Raiders looked really flat. But remember, they were coming off a bye and a big Sunday Night victory over the Broncos. Also, Mexico City has a very ridiculous altitude below sea level. They couldn't run the ball early on and full credit to the Texans' run defense for stopping the run game. Vince Wilfork can still eat up space and the Texans held opponents under 100 yards rushing per game during the season. However, the Raiders did beat them in other ways. Carr was able to find Murray and Richard out of the back field and they burned the Texans' defense with the half back screen game. Of course, Olawale had that big TD to tie the game up on the wheel route. Defensively, the Raiders were being gassed and they couldn't off the field on third down. It seemed like every third down play, Osweiler found C.J. Fiedorowicz over the middle for a first down and from there, the Texans continued to gash the run D with Lamar Miller. But, bend but don't break, the defense made critical stops when needed.

Everyone says it, the playoffs are a whole different ball game in the regular season. The Raiders put themselves in this position to on the road and possibly, go all the way. For Connor Cook, a Wild Card game as his first professional start is gonna put some pressure. Ball security and game management is going to be crucial for him. He made a couple of turnovers in the Broncos game, but those will happen when a rookie steps in against one of the best defenses in the league. As I said before, the Texans' defense is underrated, but they are beatable. 

Offensively, the offensive line is going to be a big time key for this matchup. Although, Penn and K.O. went down last Sunday, hopefully the initial prognosis is minor and that they'll be ready to go Saturday. If it stands, Penn, Osemele, Hudson, Jackson, and Watson have to impose their physicality against a stout defensive front and keep Cook clean all game long. Cook is going to need the run game to function so that he won't have too much pressure. That starts with the O-line to push around defensive linemen and create big running lanes. Murray, Richard, and Washington need to have the best games of their careers rushing-wise. They're very capable pass catchers out of the backfield, but if they can run through the Texans' stout D-line, it's going to make them harder to cover. The Raiders have relied on Coop, Crab, and Roberts in the passing game, but the Texans' secondary have been decent in keeping receivers in check. So Bill Musgrave, for Pete's sake, get Walford and Rivera involved as much as possible. They're going to help Cook big time. Then again, Walford and Rivera have to do their part to catch the ball since the Tight End position has been anemic all season long with their drops. 

On the defensive side, it's time for Khalil Mack and Bruce Irvin to feast. Mario Edwards, Jr. already has two games in to knock off some rusts after being out for the majority of the season. Hopefully, we see Stacy McGee back in action to help bolster the defensive front. Also, Karl Joseph returns to reinforce the secondary. The pieces are in place for Mack and Irvin to wreak havoc on Osweiler. Osweiler ran over this defense and threw the ball at will. But now, he's facing a much stronger front. The key is that Ken Norton Jr. needs to call his best defensive gameplan as a coordinator. Honestly, he owes us with all the shortcomings all season long despite having better talent to work with than his first year. Place major emphasis on containing Miller, Hopkins, and especially Fiedorowicz and any other Tight End over the middle. Bring the heat on Osweiler and blitz!

This should be exciting. First playoff game in a long time. If the Raiders execute a great gameplan and follow any of the keys I mentioned on both sides of the ball, they have a very good chance of winning. It's time for them to stop moping about Carr's injury. Obviously, their heads weren't in it in the biggest game of their lives last Sunday with the AFC West up for grabs. Believe in Connor Cook and win this game by any means! I'll see you guys on Saturday.