Lakers Dispatch Shorthanded, Scrappy Blazers in 5

Final Score: POR 122 LAL 131 - Lakers Advance 4-1

The NBA resumed today after a couple day suspension of the playoffs in the wake of the teams' boycott this past Wednesday, showing solidarity after the shooting of Jacob Blake in Wisconsin. The Lakers returned to play and locked in business as usual to top the shorthanded Trail Blazers 122-131, completing the "gentleman's sweep" and advancing to the semifinals for the first time since 2012.

Crazy week in the NBA, but we're glad that the players convened and agreed to finish the NBA season in the bubble as planned. At the same time, we're aware that some things are bigger than basketball. Politics and social justice aside, the Lakers took care of business tonight. But, credit to the Portland Trail Blazers. Damian Lillard is out. They only played a 9-man rotation tonight. However, they still hung in there and didn't lay down without a fight. Respect to them. 

With that said, the Blazers did look like they were going to spoil this close out game. The Lakers got Anthony Davis going early as he scored the first 8 points for the Lakers, but they looked out of rhythm to start. Until LeBron James reentered the game at the 3:59 minute mark, things settled down for the Lakers a little bit. They pulled away a little bit in the third quarter, but the Blazers wouldn't go away. By the time the 4th quarter hit, they had chances to tie or take the lead. CJ McCollum went off for 36 points tonight. Carmelo Anthony turned back the clock with 27 points. He showed that he's still a deadly midrange shooter. Gary Trent Jr. and Anfernee Simons stepped up in lieu of Dame Time. 

Despite this, the Lakers powered their way through. Literally, it was LeBron, AD, and the defense that helped close out this game. In close out games, the teams rely on their stars to show out big and tonight's game was proof. AD topped the scoring charts with 43 points, adding 9 rebounds. As I mentioned previously, he scored the Lakers' first 8 points of the game. He was already in double figures before Q1 ended. LeBron James notched his triple-double with 36 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists and was aggressive as usual. 

The supporting cast struggled offensively, except KCP and Dwight Howard. They had double figure points with 14 and 11 respectively. Alex Caruso had the highest field goal percentage off the bench with 60% on 3 of 5 shooting. But, it was the team defense that carried them. KCP added 3 steals. Caruso notched 4 steals and a block. He was the defensive player of the game tonight. Kyle Kuzma had some key defensive stops despite the horrendous shooting and 5 personal fouls. Let's be honest Melo took Kuz to school for the most part of the game. You can tell, this team fed on the greatness that LeBron and AD displayed tonight. As the 4th quarter winded down, the Blazers just looked gassed. At the 1:56 mark, Blazers coach Terry Stotts waved the white flag, taking all the starters out and calling it a season.

As I mentioned before, respect to the Blazers for not laying down without a fight. Scary at the same time, but the Lakers handled it well to avoid a surprising Game 6 thanks to the two-man powerhouse of the King and the 'Brow and a stifling defense. Now, we look ahead to the next round. It is likely that the Houston Rockets and they're 3-point barrage are next on the list. They'll be another tough opponent, especially with the timely return of Russell Westbrook to take some load off of James Harden. As if Lillard and McCollum were a handful in the backcourt, what more with two former MVPs in that 1 and 2 positions respectively? I'll be watching that Houston-OKC series closely and the 2nd round preview will follow immediately if the Rockets close out in Game 6 on Monday. 

In special closing, I want to acknowledge the NBA for paying tribute to three great men we lost this week. Lute Olson, one of the greatest coaches in college basketball history passed away on Thursday, Clifford Robinson, Trail Blazers legend passing away to cancer today, and of course the gutwrenching news last night on Chadwick Boseman, aka the Black Panther / King T'Challa and his 4-year fight with colon cancer that hasn't been disclosed until his passing. It's crazy we lost these people for three consecutive days this week. Honestly, 2020, this year never ceases to surprise me. It's like each month there's gotta be a tragedy or something that is of significance that negatively affects our society. It also reminds us that cancer is still something of significant issue that predates all of the crazy stuff going on in 2020. And it's something that hits close to home for me having family and friends that lost the good fight to or are currently fighting this incurable ailment. I ask all of our researchers to please, please expedite on a formula for a cure. RIP to everyone mentioned. I'll see you guys later.

Lakers Embrace "Mamba Mentality" in Game 4 Rout

Final: LAL 135 POR 115 - Lakers Lead 3-1

This game was absolutely incredible and a great way to cap off a two-day celebration of the late, great Kobe Bryant. On this day of 8/24, the Lakers donned their Black Mamba-themed jerseys and embraced the "Mamba Mentality" on the floor. They took no prisoners tonight, dominating the hapless Blazers from start to finish to take a commanding 3-1 series lead.

Oh my goodness, this game was like being on "Cloud 9." If any Laker fan knows how Kobe Bryant played the game, he had that killer instinct and wanted to rip the hearts out of opponents time in and time out. Tonight, Kobe was guiding the Lakers in spirit. 

To see how this all unfolded, Lakers jumped onto a 15-0 start at the first quarter. Portland couldn't buy a bucket until at the 7:52 mark. The defense made them work hard to earn a bucket. The offense was clicking tonight. LeBron was aggressive. AD was aggresive. Kyle Kuzma, KCP, and Danny Green were firing on all cylinders from three. For the entire 48 minutes of play, the Lake Show put on a clinic on both ends of the floor.

Portland never stood a chance and you could tell by their visible frustration by the 2nd quarter. Combined with their sloppy play and lack of rhythm on offense, they looked intimidated by the Lakers' defensive intensity. The only thing that kept them alive was that Jusuf Nurkic was crashing the boards. But for the most part, they were held in check. You know it's even worse for them when Dame and McCollum, their star backcourt tandem fail to score 20+ points. Lillard once again battled injuries in the third quarter and at that point, Blazers needed to wave the white flag because they had nothing going to get themselves back in the game.

Final stat lines: LeBron James was magnificent tonight with 30 points, 6 rebounds, and 10 assists. Through three quarters, he was in attack mode and absolutely gashed and demoralized the Blazers' defense tonight or lack thereof. AD followed with 18 points. It was reported that Davis sustained some back spasms in 3rd quarter and was ruled out for rest of the game. Lakers erred on the side caution, especially when they had the game under control. Danny Green chipped in 14 points with three 3-pointers. KCP had 12 points. Kyle Kuzma lead the bench in scoring with 18 points and Dwight followed with 13 points. Javale McGee, Alex Caruso, and Markieff Morris also contributed small details to impact the game for the Lakers. Special shout out to them. It was an all-around team win.

And on this day of honoring Kobe, there was an "Easter Egg" in the first quarter and almost another one at the end of the first half. At the 4:30 mark of the first quarter, Lakers scored 24 points and held the Blazers to 8 points. It's a coincidental nod to the two jerseys that Kobe wore in his 20-year career with the Lakers. We almost had another one at the end of the first half, when the Lakers dropped 80 points, one point shy of matching Kobe's career high of 81 points against the Raptors back in 2006. I'll admit, I was greedy and yelling: "please score a three or get an 'and 1' to hang 81 at the half!" Honestly, with the way this game was going, it was a good time to be a bit of a homer. But, this is something Hollywood can't even make up. I'll say it again, this game was incredible and a surreal experience, especially when you reflect on the significance of Kobe Bryant's legacy.

With this game in the books, the Lakers are now one win away from advancing to the Conferencr semifinals since 2012. Don't expect the Trail Blazers to go down quietly. They'll fight to the end with their backs up against the wall and the Lakers must be wary of that. The message is simple: take care of business and close out in Game 5 on Wednesday night. I'll see you guys later.

TrueRaiderLaker Productions Return: Kobe Bryant Tribute Wallpaper

It's been awhile since I've done a TrueRaiderLaker Productions standalone post. But, lately I've been getting back to the swing of things on the Photoshop end. I wanted to do something simple. So, I worked on yet another Kobe Bryant-themed wallpaper since 2016 and fitting that I share this in between today, his actual birthday and tomorrow, which was officially declared "Kobe Bryant" day in Orange County, CA.

Nearly six months later after the death of Kobe, Gigi, members of the Altobelli and Chester family, Christina Mauser, and pilot Ara Zobayan, it still hasn't sunk in to accept the reality that these people are gone. Kobe's death especially left a huge black hole not just within the Lakers, not just within the NBA, but in the sports and entertainment world in general. Not many athletes today were fortunate enough to witness Michael Jordan in his prime. But, they were fortunate to witness Kobe Bryant. He was arguably the closest player we've seen to Michael Jordan in terms of skill and mentality. Five rings say it all.

This is free to download off the blog. Save and share. We haven't forgotten about you Kobe and never will. #24Ever #8toInfinity

Dimensions: 1366 x 768

LeBron Attacks, AD Finishes Strong in Game 3 Win

 Final Score: LAL 116 POR 108 - Lakers lead 2-1

Now, that's how you take back "home court!" The Lakers overcome an ugly first half and some horrendous free throw shooting and dominate in the 2nd half to beat the Blazers 116-108 in Game 3. Lakers take the series lead at 2-1 and regain home court advantage.

We always hear the old saying in sports: "it's not about how you start, but how you finish." I'll just jump right into the negative. The free throw shooting was atrocious tonight. 28/43 from the line. Anthony Davis accounted for most of that. He has been terrific from the line all season long, making 88% of his free throws. Tonight, he was 50% from the line. AD was off to a really slow start, but luckily it wasn't that long till he got going in the 2nd half. Lakers were able to get the win despite this. At the same time, they left a lot of points out there on the table.

Now, we get to the highlights of this game. LeBron James hasn't been great in the bubble, but tonight he showed that he's still one of the best players in the world. 38 points, 12 rebounds, 8 assists, 11-18 shooting, the King took over early on in this game to get the Lakers going. The offensive flow was a little discombobulated in the first half. When LeBron got into attack mode, that's when the offense started to find its spark. The Blazers' defense had no answer. And just when they think they do, he finds a cutting Alex Caruso, Kyle Kuzma, or Dwight Howard and AD roaming in the paint, expecting a lob. 

As I mentioned before, it didn't take long for AD to shake off his slow start. Coach Terry Stotts decided to deploy a two-big lineup with Hassan Whiteside and Jusuf Nurkic to slow down the 'Brow. But on the other end, the Blazers' defense was having trouble to stop LeBron. AD took advantage and went off in the 3rd quarter. On top of the key, he was automatic. Despite some horrendous free throw shooting, AD's stat line mad up for it with 29 points, 11 rebounds, 8 assists and 11-18 shooting. As I mentioned before, when you get a dominant, balanced performance from LBJ and AD, the Lakers are hard to beat. 

The bench once again outperformed the Blazers' bench. I mentioned this so many times, this is a given advantage for the Lakers. Alex Caruso lead the unit with 10 points and 7 assists. He's been consistent on defense doing a great job harassing Damian Lillard. The scoring and facilitating was a great sign of encouragement since he's been dormant on that end. Kyle Kuzma chipped in 7 points, Dwight Howard grabbed 10 boards. 

Speaking of defense, it was masterful in the 4th quarter. Portland shot 6/21 during that quarter. They didn't hit a 3-pointer. Dame still went off besides the injury to his index finger on his non-shooting hand with 34 points. But, Dame Time didn't make it in time down the stretch. The last one minute of the fourth quarter was an incredible sequence of defense with Danny Green and AD throwing block parties late. It's a testament on how the Lakers' defense came up big tonight, especially down the stretch of the game.

Ah, if only this game was in the Moda Center with the Blazers fans filing for the exit after this game. Games 2 and 3 were terrific turnarounds for the purple and gold. We keep criticizing the starting lineup that Frank Vogel has on the floor. But, if it ain't broke don't fix it. And, this lineup works at the moment. Other side notes, Rajon Rondo was active tonight, but then immediately was inactive after some back spasms at shootaround. Honestly, as much as Rondo is valuable to the 2nd unit, it's best to keep him of the rotation at this point while Vogel's current rotation is getting the Lakers wins. Despite the win, this series is far from over and the Lakers have to continue to step on the gas. Next game is on 8/24 aka "Kobe Bryant Day." To honor the late, great Kobe, the Lakers must instill some of that Mamba Mentality and rip Portland's heart out to take a commanding 3-1 lead during that day. I'll see you guys later.

Lakers Rout Blazers in Game 2 to Even Up Series

Final: POR 88 LAL 111 - Tied 1-1

Alright, time to talk about this game! The Lakers respond with their backs against the wall early on in this first round matchup. And they do it in a big way, dominating and demoralizing the Blazers in an 88-111 victory to tie the series up and one game a piece.

It's been awhile since I covered a Lakers playoff win. I said in the last recap, the Lakers must treat this game as a "must-win" even if it's early on in the series. This Portland team is a dangerous squad for a first round opponent. Tonight, we saw a well-rounded win. The Lakers turned up the defensive intensity. They were more aggressive offensively. Role players stepped it up. This is just a great way to respond after giving the first game away and to snap a 7-game losing streak in the playoffs for the Purple and Gold.

Anthony Davis is the unanimous MVP for this game. He lead the Lakers with 31 points and 11 rebounds, first player to score 30+ pts and grab 10 rebs in playing under 30 minutes since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Last game, despite the 28-point effort in the loss, AD was inconsistent in the field goal percentage, shooting 8-24 from the field. Tonight, he shot an efficient 13-21. For the most part, AD did work inside the paint with 16 points in the paint at the first half. In the 3rd quarter, his 3-point game got going and helped balloon the Lakers lead to 30 points, which was the largest in this game. 

Second takeaway from this game, the role players stepped it up. Javale McGee got some great looks inside courtesy of the ball movement and court vision from LeBron James. He finished with 10 points and 8 rebounds. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope showed up to play tonight with 16 points, including four 3-pointers. Honestly, it's a love-hate relationship with KCP because he's so streaky. But after dropping a "triple-single" last game, he stepped up as the third option outside of LeBron and AD. LeBron only had 10 points, 7 rebounds, and 6 assists, but he drew a lot of attention to set up teammates nicely for high percentage shots. He was also active defensively with 2 steals.

Speaking of steals, Danny Green leads the Lakers in that category with 4 steals. He still shows value as a defender, but his offense still needs to catch on. Defensively, they put the clamps on Portland's star backcourt tandem. Dame Time was held in check to 18 points. McCollum struggled with 13 points. Dame exited the game in the 3rd quarter with an injury to his index finger. Even if he returned, it wouldn't have made much of a difference. The Blazers are reliant on their backcourt to drop buckets. Tonight was an example of how ineffective the Blazers' offense can get when Dame and CJ are not on their A-game.

Overall, this was a fantastic bounceback win from the Lakers. It's been a theme dating back to the season prior to the suspension, the Lakers are much better when Anthony Davis dominates. LeBron had pedestrian numbers, but he didn't have to be great either, especially when the role players step their game up. Now granted, I still don't like the starting lineup. I still don't like the fact that Dion Waiters is still playing minimal minutes even though he's the Lakers' leading scorer and facilitator off the bench. But, it is what it is. On a side note, it was nice to see J.R. Smith in the rotation and put up buckets, finishing with 11 points. I am thoroughly impressed with this win. It's just a matter if the Lakers can maintain this kind of consistency, especially from the role players as the series shift to Game 3. Lucky for them, they're not playing in front of a rocking Moda Center in Portland. Injuries aside, AD did sustain some minor back and ankle problems this game, but he seemed fine the rest of the way. Damian Lillard's injury to his index figure is something to look out for, which could be a huge break for the Lakers and a tough one for the Blazers. Game 3 is up next on Saturday! I'll see you guys later.

Dame Time, Blazers Spoil Lakers' Playoff Return

Final Score: POR 100 LAL 93 - Trail Blazers lead 1-0

Welcome in to the recap of Game 1 of Lakers playoff basketball. Lakers started slow out of the gate, made a furious comeback, but it wasn't enough to slow down Damian Lillard, CJ McCollum, and the Portland Trail Blazers as they draw first blood in this playoff matchup.

As I said before, the Blazers will not make this easy. You have a team playing with a sense of urgency since the restart, a team playing better than what they're record shows vs. a team that is still trying to find their way back into the swing of things. First things first, yes this game was a fight to the bitter end. But, when you get into a slow start against this team, they'll make you pay for it eventually. 

For the most part, the first half was a brutal start for the Lakers. Their offensive struggles have been magnified even more this game, which I'll get into later. Up until the 8:27 mark in the 2nd quarter, Lakers showed signs of life. The things that worked this game was that the Lakers dominated the points in the paint and they drew a lot of fouls inside to get to the free throw line. The two-man game of LeBron and AD was on point inside, but outside and in crunch time was a different story. In the first half, Lakers scored 26 points in the paint compared to Portland's 14 points. Bench production was a positive with 25 combined points. Kyle Kuzma lead the way with 14 points off the bench. Portland only plays 3 men off the bench. As I said in the preview, they've play an 8-man rotation in the bubble. This will be the biggest mismatch that the Lakers must exploit in this series.

The negatives, the 3-point shooting is still a major problem. But before I get into that, the Lakers started shooting 20% from the field in the first quarter before getting up to 36% shooting at the half. But the woeful field goal percentage accounts to the 3-points shooting that hasn't been on point during this restart. Tonight, Lakers shot 5/32 from beyond the arc. I thought the corner 3 was Danny Green's sweet spot? He finished 2-8 from three's, but most of his misses came from the corner. Some of them wide open and he missed them. Anthony Davis may have lead in the scoring with 28 points and dominated inside, but he attempted five 3-pointers and missed all of them. LeBron James went 1-5 from downtown, despite a triple-double and so did Kyle Kuzma. Kentavious Caldwell-Poop went 0-5. Alex Caruso went 0-3. Markieff Morris saw extended action off the bench and was the only player that shot 100% from 3-point land. But, that's not saying much.

Missed free throws were also magnified from this game. It was 89-87 in the 4th quarter and the Lakers had two chances from the line to tie the game up behind their superstar duo. LBJ and AD missed both of their attempts and left four points on the table. But, it wouldn't have mattered. Dame Time lived up to his moniker in the 4th quarter and the Blazers close out the game on an 10-4 run. The Blazers had four players in foul trouble this game. But when they backcourt tandem of Lillard and McCollum are firing on a cylinders, they pretty much cancel out Portland's flaws. As I mentioned in the preview, the Blazers' defense is suspect. But tonight, their defense came up big headlined by Hassan Whiteside providing that spark with 5 blocks. A side note I should point out, Dion Waiters only played 1 minute this game even though he has engineered consistent production off the bench since this restart. I don't know how he fell out of the rotation tonight, but I should see him on that floor to spark the offense, especially for Game 2.

I know many of the Laker faithful will sugar coat this 1st game. "It's the first game, we'll be back." "Orlando pulled a stunner over Milwaukee earlier today, don't feel bad." But, there's no sugar coating it. The Lakers will have their work cut out in this series. This is a legit, scary team that they're facing for a first round matchup. And the fact that the offensive struggles are still magnified after 8 seeding games, there is still cause for concern. The Lakers clinched the #1 seed, but they haven't played like one up to this point. You can't expect to outscore this Blazers team by shooting under 40% from the field and chucking up 32 3-point attempts and making just 5 of them. You just can't! We need to see better in Game 2 Thursday night. It's early in the series, but the Lakers have to treat Game 2 as a "must-win." I'll see you guys later.

Lakers Playoff Preview: First Round vs. Portland Trail Blazers

Welcome in to the first ever Lakers playoff preview on this blog. It's been awhile. I've covered the Lakers' playoff runs from 2011-2013, but not exactly in this capacity to where this blog is at now. They always say the road to a championship is never easy. And the Lakers' are running into a legit first round opponent in their return to the postseason: the Portland Trail Blazers, lead by the explosive Damian Lillard.

I'm going to come clean here first. I rooted for Brooklyn on Thursday. Tough miss by Caris Levert on that one and especially heartbreaking for the 8-0 Phoenix Suns. I rooted for the Grizzlies yesterday. But, this matchup seemed inevitable. The Lakers will be facing off against a team that is better than what they're record and seeding shows. 

Though the Lakers took the regular season series over the Blazers 2-1, it wouldn't be a fair assessment considering a lot has happened in the four months since the NBA suspended. Dame, CJ McCollum, Melo, Jusuf Nurkic, this Portland team is a squad that shouldn't be taken lightly. When you look at the Trail Blazers in the bubble, they played with their backs against the wall in every game. While the Lakers were casually strolling through these seeding games, these Blazers were scrapping and clawing to get to the playoffs. Dame Time was a man on a mission, averaging 30 points a game since the restart. They have Nurkic back to strengthen their front court with Hassan Whiteside and Zach Collins. Looking at their games, Terry Stotts has been playing an 8-9 man rotation and it has worked for them. Gary Trent has showed up big in the bubble to provide a spark for Portland's 2nd unit.

From a Lakers standpoint, the defense is going to be a point of emphasis in this series. The backcourt is going to have their hands full with Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum. If there's ever a time where Avery Bradley's defensive presence is going to be missed, it's this series. KCP, Danny Green, Caruso, and Dion Waiters are going to get their work in guarding this tandem. However, while Portland's offense is a well-oiled machine, their defense has been suspect throughout the seeding games. And that's something that the Lakers must exploit with LeBron and AD running the show. 

Dame going off is inevitable. There's nobody that can defend him when he's on a scoring rampage. But, his efforts won't matter if the Lakers can manage to hold down CJ McCollum, Carmelo Anthony, and everyone else. Melo's presence has given this Portland team a third scoring option outside of their back court. Jusuf Nurkic has been a beast inside. While the Lakers have AD, Javale, and Dwight, we can't underestimate Portland's front court with Nurkic, Collins, and Hassan Whiteside coming off the bench for defense and blocks. They will be Portland's X-Factor alongside Gary Trent Jr. providing a scoring spark off the bench. Onto the Lakers' side, without question, Kyle Kuzma will be the X-Factor from here on out. We need to see Kuz in that lineup with the LBJ-AD duo and possess some consistency in scoring and defense.

The Lakers can't afford to be involved in a shootout with the Trail Blazers, especially when they're this hot. You look at the Lakers' offense during these games, it hasn't been pretty. It looked like they don't have their legs under them. LeBron looked old at times. AD had three good games, but was overly passive during these seeding games. Rotations looked discombobulated when you have Frank Vogel fiddling with what works. The three-point shooting was inconsistent. The Lakers better be sharper and they need to be locked in because this Finals road will be a grinder. 

Overall, this matchup has 6-game series written all over it with the potential to be a 7-game series. The Blazers have played more games up to this point and the Lakers must err on the side of caution in the "double-edged sword" of having an extended rest. Like I said, they looked flat at times in the bubble, they can't afford to fall flat as the games do matter now. But, who knows? The Blazers might not have any energy after fighting for their playoff lives throughout. We'll see how this unfolds. Game 1 is on Tuesday. I'll see you guys then and GO LAKERS!

Lakers Wrap Up Seeding Games with Loss vs. Kings

Final: SAC 136 LAL 122 [L] (52-19)

Literally, this is how I felt about the game...

The Lakers wrap up their 8th and final regular season game with a meaningless loss over the Kings 136-122. Not much to talk about this game. Sacramento was scorching hot from threes as Buddy Hield went off for 28 points. No AD, no Kuz, no Caruso, and no KCP for the Lakers today. 

Outside of LeBron playing for just the first half, finishing with 17 points, we get an extended look at the role players. Dion Waiters lead the team in scoring with 19 points. J.R. Smith saw extended action with 11 points. Quinn Cook added 12 pts to round out the bench. Markieff Morris and THT (Horton-Tucker) each added 14 points, filling for AD and Kuz.  

Like I said before, this game was a final tuneup before the playoffs. Sacramento is out of the play-in bid for the 8th seed and the Lakers didn't have to play their full rotation. 

Now, we get to the play-in tournament for the 8th seed. That's the only negative in this bubble because the Lakers have no idea who they'll be playing in the first round. By all accounts, Portland is the team to look out for. The best case is if the Phoenix Suns somehow sneak into the playoffs. The Suns have their work cut out vs. Dallas today, but likely the Mavs will rest some people since they locked up the 7th seed. Blazers, Spurs, Grizzlies, Suns, it'll be interesting how this unfolds. I'll see you guys come playoff time.

Lakers Tune Up, Kuz Wins It vs. Nuggets

Final: DEN 121 LAL 124 [W] (52-18)

The Lakers snap their 3-game skid in the bubble as they defeat the Nuggets 121-124 in a potential playoff matchup.

This! This game right here was what we wanted to see from the Lakers as the playoffs inch closer. There's no sugarcoating that despite clinching the #1 seed in the West, the Lakers have been underwhelming, especially on the offensive end. We needed to see signs that the Lakers are ready to face a tough road to the championship. We saw glimpses in the Indiana game. Tonight in what is literally a dress rehearsal for the purple and gold, we saw very encouraging signs.

The only negative I can pinpoint was the free throw shooting this game. Lakers shot 60% from the line if I heard correctly from Kevin Harlan. All I can say, the Lakers hit those free throws in crucial. With the playoffs coming, pressure free thow shooting will be at a all-time high and it's a fixable issue.

Let's move on to the positives because there was a lot tonight. The LBJ-AD duo was on point this game. Anthony Davis shook off the horrendous 8-point performance and bounced back with 27 points, 6 rebounds, 3 steals, and 2 blocks. The AD we saw out there was the AD we were accustomed to seeing. He was active on both ends of the floor. He made the right reads to cutting teammates when Denver elected to double team him. Last but not least, he was a man among boys during that first half. LeBron James notched a double-double with 29 points and 12 assists. Keep in mind, he was playing with a sore groin. These last two games, I think we're seeing encouraging signs that LeBron is slowly getting his jumpshot and 3-point shooting back. 

Like I said before, the Lakers will go as far as the LBJ-AD duo can take them. The Lakers are hard to beat when this duo balance out their performances. To me, that was the missing link for the Lakers in this bubble. Some nights Anthony Davis goes on and LeBron goes off. Vice versa, LeBron goes on and AD goes off. Shaq said it best in pregame, for a dynamic duo to work, both players have to be on their A-Game. One can't take the night off while the other does all the work. Tonight, we saw a brilliant and balanced performance from the King and the 'Brow.

Some other positives, 3-point shooting improved this game. Lakers have been shooting under 30% percent from deep. Tonight, they shot over 45%. Danny Green struggled for the most part of the game, but be picked in up in the 4th quarter. The bench was productive with an aggressive effort from Dion Waiters leading with 12 points. Markieff Morris and Dwight Howard chipped in with an "8+8" in points. Kyle Kuzma joined LeBron and AD in the 20+ pts club with 25 points and the game winner. I liked what I saw from Kuz tonight. He was aggressive and efficient, shooting 68% from the field.

The last play was a great design from Frank Vogel out of the timeout. Credit where credit is due. He had LeBron inbound to AD. Nuggets were late with their defensive rotation. They were caught in between doubling AD or containing LeBron in motion, which allowed Kuz to cut in between and get himself open for the corner three. 

After this game, I'm gonna say it is likely the Lakers may have found a rotation that works. I know it's pretty small for a sample size. But you have LeBron, AD, McGee, Kuzma, and Green as the starting 5. Coming off the bench is Waiters, Caruso, Morris, and Howard. Discounting Horton-Tucker, the Lakers may have a 9-man rotation that works at the moment. Against the deeper teams, obviously they gotta find some way to incorporate KCP, Quinn Cook, and Rondo when he gets back. But AD and Kuz can play extended minutes. Morris is a plug and play at the 4 & 5 spots. Dion and Caruso can interchange as primary ball handlers when LeBron rests. There's gotta be an "aha" moment in Frank Vogel's mind after this game. 

Of course, that's just a small sample size. The Lakers still got a little more kinks to work out. Going into the final seeding game against the Kings, that would be a game where the role players get an extended look, get some shots in, and fine tune before playoff time. Sacramento is out of the running for the play-in tournament for the 8th seed. Rest LeBron. Limit AD to just one half of play. It's time to start looking ahead to the first round. By all accounts, Portland is the team to look out for. Memphis and Phoenix are inexperienced. San Antonio is not the almighty contender they once were under the great Gregg Popovich. The Blazers will be a handful and could likely give the Lakers a tough first round matchup. I'll see you guys later.

LeBron, Quinn Cook Shine in Loss to Indiana

Final Score: LAL 111 IND 116 [L] (51-18)

In a parallel universe, this would be the final score in the 2000 NBA Finals with Reggie Miller's Pacers winning against the Kobe-Shaq Lakers in 6. All jokes aside, the Lakers drop another game in the bubble. At least they made this a game, that's all I can say.

LeBron James and Quinn Cook showed out for this one. 'Bron racked up 31 points and Cook came off the bench and scored 21 points. 3-point shooting has been the Achilles heel for the Lakers since entering the bubble, shooting under 30%. This game, it was better but not much and we got Cook to thank for that as he shot 5-9 from deep.

I didn't get to see much of the game. By the time I tuned in, the Lakers built a 59-54 lead at half. Looking at the highlights though, it was tight throughout. In some spurts, the Pacers made a run for it, especially at the end of Q1. But, the Lakers stormed right back. It was tight throughout the 2nd half. But, Indiana pulled it out at the end. If Fantasy Basketball was still around, T.J. Warren would've won folks a lot of championships. He's averaging 35 PPG in this bubble.

The biggest headline in this game was that Anthony Davis only tallied 8 points with 3-14 shooting. Stan Van Gundy noted that AD struggled with Indy's double team this game. Not too mention, he tried to play "hero ball" in the final seconds of the 4th. I'm hoping this is the case that AD threw this game away just to avoid injury. 

The Lakers will go as far into the playoffs as LBJ and AD can take them. Literally, they are the offense. Teams will take note of this come playoff time on how to slow down Anthony Davis. Like I said, we can hope he's not showing much of his cards at this point. 

Overall, effort was good this game, but there's still a lot of work to be done. Remember when Frank Vogel coached the Pacers to the #1 seed in the East in 2014? They struggled in the playoffs against teams they should've beaten with ease before succumbing to Miami in 6 in the Conference Finals. We hope that this is not the case because the playoff road is looking tough for this team. They got two more seeding games to iron things out with Denver and Sacramento up next. I'll see you guys later.

Lakers Fall to Rockets

Final Score: LAL 97 HOU 113 [L] (51-17)

Another day, another loss in the bubble. The Rockets' 3-point barrage was on display tonight. For the Lakers, not so much. It was difference tonight as the Lakers wrap up the back-to-back set with a 97-113 loss.

Well, I can say that the effort was a little better tonight. The Lakers used their size and pounded the Rockets' small ball lineup inside. Frank Vogel shuffled the lineup a bit. Kyle Kuzma was the beneficiary of that lineup change, leading the Lakers with 21 points. Talen Horton-Tucker got extended action, leading the bench with 10 points. I liked the fearlessness tonight from THT. Great 2nd round find from the Lakers' scout team.

Prior to this game, there's some speculation that the Lakers were playing the seeding game. Everybody said they threw the OKC game away, but they'll get back on track to beat the Rockets. No LeBron James and Anthony Davis barely playing tonight, that just made the scenario much harder. Especially when the team is shooting 2/19 from 3-point land against a team capable of shooting 3s regardless of the attempts! 

The Lakers did make it competitive when they cut the lead to 89-94 in the 4th. However, the Rockets are that type of team to let opposing teams in the game before they soul crush their momentum with dagger 3s. That's how confident that team is with their shot. I don't see that same confidence in the Lakers. 

We can try to downplay that the Lakers are on cruise control since they clinched the #1 spot. But as I said last night, teams gotta use these seeding games to "sharpen the blade" a bit. There's a major difference in resting down the stretch of a normal 82-game season vs. resting after a 4-month layoff after a league suspension. 

Admittedly, the Lakers are trying to get back to early-March form when they were playing at a high level. Shooting under 40% from the field, 30% from 3-point land, and averaging under 100 points per game in the restart? Not a good look, especially when you got the Clippers and the Bucks regaining form. Portland is also regaining form with Dame dropping a 40-piece on the Nuggets tonight. High chance that the Lakers will see them in the first round with Memphis fumbling that 8th seed away. The Lakers gotta get right. I could care less if they lost the rest of the seeding games. If they continue to play like this, it's a cause for concern. There is no magic on/off switch for the Lakers to flip. Start fine tuning your game guys and get right! The Indiana Pacers are up this Saturday. I'll see y'all later.

Thunderstruck: OKC Routs Lakers

Final Score: OKC 105 LAL 86 [L] (51-16)

I'm just going to run through this game really quickly. The Thunder stormed on the Lakers this game and never looked back in a wire-to-wire 105-86 game.

I didn't pay too much attention to the game. At this point, the Lakers had nothing to play for after clinching the #1 seed in the West. They can throw in the rest of the seeding games. But, they were flat tonight. Only three players were in double figures. Too many fouls. They shot 5-30 from three point land. I'm not worried about this loss. But, the effort was brutal on both ends of the floor. OKC easily dictated the pace of the game. They didn't allow the Lakers to run the floor to get the offense going. They were the more physical team and a team with a bigger sense of urgency for playoff positioning.

Overall, not much to say. Lakers have nothing to lose at this point. But, this should be a time to "sharpen the blade" a bit come playoff time. Teams had a long layoff before the restart and we're seeing some players take a long time trying to find their rhythm back. Teams shouldn't completely go on cruise control. This doesn't mean asking for wins, but we need to see signs of readiness as we draw closer to the postseason. We can hope for a better effort tomorrow against the Rockets. You can bet the Lakers will likely see them again in the 2nd round. I'll see you guys again tomorrow.

Lakers Silence Jazz; AD Bounces Back

Final Score: LAL 116 UTA 108 [W] (51-15)

Great bounceback win. After getting clamped down by Toronto on Saturday night, the Lake Show shook off that loss with a 116-108 win tonight over the Utah Jazz. This win tonight ensures the Lakers' stranglehold over the #1 seed in the West.

This game was more like it. Saturday night, the Lakers looked too sluggish and had no answer to the Raptors' hot start.  It almost looked that way again at the start of this game when the Jazz jumped to a 7-0 lead. Both teams went back and forth in the 1st half. But, the Lakers turned it on in the 2nd half and answered every run by Utah with clutch buckets.

Hands down, Anthony Davis was tonight's MVP this game. The man took only 7 shots in the loss against Toronto. Tonight, we saw a more aggressive AD. Despite the 2-7 start from the field, he never stopped being aggressive. Rudy Gobert had no answer for him, especially from the perimeter. AD finished with 42 points, 12 rebounds, 4 assists, 3 steals, and a block.  Those are two-way player-esque numbers. The defensive stats reinforce his contention for DPOY. 

Overall, I liked the activity here from the Lakers. They had active hands on defense. The team had 12 steals in total. They were picking the Jazz's pockets. The flow of the offense was better here tonight. LeBron got assertive in the 4th and took over when AD needed a breather. Danny Green didn't settle from 3-point land and attacked the basket for higher percentage shots. They had to make it interesting down the stretch when the Jazz made one last push. But, they pulled it out with the W. OKC and Houston are up next on a back-to-back. How about the Rockets in this restart though? They're defying all odds so far with their super small ball lineup. They will be a nuisance on Thursday's match up. I'll see you guys later.

Raptors Clamp Down on Lakers

Final Score: LAL 92 TOR 107 [L] (50-15)

This game was brutal to watch. The Raptors take the 2-0 sweep of the Lakers in a dominating 92-107 win.

How the tide has changed. LeBron has owned the Raptors in the East. Since joining the Lakers out West, Toronto is now 4-0 against a LeBron-led team. LeBron James lead the team with 20 points and 10 rebounds. Better output, but it didn't have that much impact on the game. The other only positive here was the production from the bench. The Lakers dug themselves a big 13-0 hole. As soon as Kyle Kuzma and Alex Caruso subbed in, the offense got some spark to cut it to a 23-21 lead at the end of one. Kuz lead the bench in scoring with 16 points. Dion Waiters and Caruso followed with 12 points and 11 points respectively.

As for the negatives. The slow start at the game was a harbinger of many things to come that went wrong for the Lakers. Anthony Davis was held to 14 points after dropping 34 points in the opener against the Clippers. Danny Green had 7 field goal attempts and he missed all of them. Lakers paid $30 million for a streaky 3&D shooter. Turnovers at crucial times were prevalent. If there's any evidence that Avery Bradley's defense is missed, Kyle Lowry dropped 33 points and 14 rebounds. Lakers back court had no answer for him. Outside of Pascal Siakam, Toronto may have another star in development with OG Anunoby. He showed out big with 23 points from 8-9 shooting.

Overall, I gotta tip my hat to the Raptors on this one. They played well.. They clamped down on the Lakers with their swarming defense tonight. All this talk about Milwaukee and the two LA teams, we can't forget that the Raptors are the defending champions until they're dethroned. They could very well be the 2004 Detroit Pistons all over again. They don't have stars, but they're a scrappy, physical team with a lot of heart. That's the epitome of a championship team right there. 

As for the Lakers, if I'm Frank Vogel, there's gotta be some lineup changes after this debacle. KCP has been ineffective as a starter, but plays better off the bench. I would consider plugging Caruso in the starting lineup since he plays well with LeBron and is a better defender. Danny Green is a conundrum because J.R. Smith just got here. I'd keep Waiters on the 2nd unit. But, Frank Vogel has gotta switch things up with the rotation. Forget this loss and lock on to the Utah Jazz for Monday. I'll see you guys later.