Lakers Weekly Roundup Week 3: Keeping Up Momentum

The Lakers continue to stay hot after their opening loss to the Clippers. Start slow, finish strong has been the mantra for this Laker squad in all of their wins so far this season. Whether they can sustain this trajectory remains to be seen as the season progresses. Let's see how they fared this week?

11/05: @ Chicago 118-112 [W] (6-1)

HIGHLIGHTS

This had "trap game" written all over it. The first half pushed that narrative when the Bulls were up big. They were firing all cylinders from three. The Lakers usually go off to a slow start, but pick it up in the 2nd half. But down 48-65 in the first half? Quite a mountain to climb. But, LeBron accepted the challenge as he literally was the only player showed up and kept the Lakers afloat. Then the amazing run, lead by Alex Caruso, Quinn Cook, Dwight Howard, and Kyle Kuzma happened as the Lakers stormed back to take the lead and take control of the game for good. Anthony Davis had some hometown butterflies this game, but made up for it in the final minutes of the fourth quarter with a dagger 3 and an alley oop jam. LeBron once again triple-doubled with 30 points, 11 rebounds, and 13 assists. If there was a key to the Lakers' three-game road sweep, it was that LeBron had a triple-double in all three games. Meanwhile Quinn Cook and Kuzma lead the bench with 17 points and 15 points. This game, it did look like Kuz was getting his rhythm back. Once he gets back to form, look out.

11/08: vs. Miami 80-95 [W] (7-1)

HIGHLIGHTS

Unlike the last few games, the Lakers said "to hell with a slow start, let's get off to a fast start." And they got off to a fast start indeed in the first quarter. The key thing here was that Miami was coming off a shootout win over the Phoenix Suns while the Lakers had a few days to get ready for this game. The Heat still managed to make it tough on the Lakers with their patented 2-3 zone defense. You wonder why they've been a tough opponent for the Lakers in the past 10 years? That 2-3 zone gave them all kinds of fits. But, the Lakers managed to find a crack in that 2-3 zone, by having LeBron, AD, and JaVale McGee attack the middle as quickly as possible. LeBron knows this defense very well since his Heat playing days so of course he knows how to solve it. He and AD put the team on their back and dominated inside to give the Lakers' their 7th straight win.

11/10: vs. Toronto 113-104 [L] (7-2)

HIGHLIGHTS

Honestly, did you expect Toronto to lay down? They are the defending champs for a reason and will be known that way throughout the season until further notice. The travesty behind the Lakers' 2nd loss was that the Raptors were shorthanded this game. No Kyle Lowry. No Serge Ibaka. But, they still managed to beat the Lakers with solid defense and better overall offense thanks to big performances from Fred VanVleet and Pascal Siakam. This was supposed to be a revenge game for Danny Green, but he was a non-factor this game. LeBron had another triple-double, but the numbers were very pedestrian: 13 points, 13 rebounds, and 15 assists...on 5-15 shooting. Age concerns are in play once again for LeBron  when he has two shots blocked by Chris Boucher. Add insult to injury, the Clippers just beat the Raptors in Toronto's back-to-back stint against the LA teams. Alright Doc you know what to do. Manage Kawhi's load will ya? In all seriousness, this loss can be considered good for the Lakers to stay level-headed in this still way too early season.

Lakers Weekly Roundup (03/17) - Tank for Draft Pick Mode Activated

*Some NSFW language*

Oh, hi guys! You're still here checking on the status of the LakeShow. Well, let's just say that after a shitty start to March, arguably the most important month for playoff-aspiring teams, the Lakers' playoff hopes are dead. If you've been living under a rock these last few days, Lonzo Ball is shut down for the season. Brandon Ingram (best wishes to him), shut down as well. LeBron James? Held to a minutes restriction and will sit out on back-to-back nights. And why even bother? This roster is so shorthanded that it's filled with nothing more but players who barely get any playing and G-Leaguers.

In this week, LeBron returns out to the East one last time. The Lakers embark on their 5-game road trip to the East Coast that will culminate on Tuesday against the Bucks. No more dramatic intros, let's jump right into this week's Lakers' Weekly Roundup.

03/12: @ Chicago 123-107 [W] (31-36)

HIGHLIGHTS

Congratulations Lakers, you've finally won a game in March. But, not like it matters anyway. This is a Bulls team that's not even good and is still in rebuild mode. I'll give the Lakers credit. Chicago had an 18 point lead in the first quarter. Then the Lakers stormed right back en route to a victory. This is all powered by big games from LeBron, Kuzma, and surprisingly, KCP. LeBron lead the team with 36 points. This game was literally LeBron in "showoff mode" as he wowed the United Center crowd with some exhibition-esque dunks off the break.

03/14: @ Toronto 98-111 [L] (31-37)

HIGHLIGHTS

Following the victory against Chicago, that's the Lakers' last freebie W as they go up against The North, one of the top two teams of the East. The Raptors have freed themselves from LeBronto earlier this season. Now, the Raptors' next task is to liberate the actual city of Toronto from remnants of LeBron during the last few years. Despite LeBron's 29 points, the Raptors' depth proved to be too much for the wounded Lakers. At least Alex Caruso had a great game off the bench with 16 points.

03/15: @ Detroit 97-111 [L] (31-38)

HIGHLIGHTS

LeBron this, LeBron that. I am ESPN at this point, but we get a break here on back-to-back nights. LeBron is held out to once again, "Load Management." But that doesn't stop LeBron from hogging the spotlight as he's shown laughing on the bench and wiping himself with a handkerchief. To be honest, I wasn't sure what he's laughing at. Maybe it's the sad realization that he'll be missing the playoffs for the first time since 2005. Trust me, I'd be laughing too if I saw Mike Muscala starting or having a lineup of Andre Ingram, Isaac Bonga, Alex Caruso, Mo Wagner, and Johnathan Williams on the floor this game. It's like I'm watching the South Bay Lakers. Not to poke further fun, Caruso had a good game again off the bench and Andre Ingram has won the hearts of Lakers fans with his inspiring two-game performance last season. But, the final result was expected as Detroit is literally fighting for their playoff lives in the East.

03/17: @ New York 123-124 [L] (31-39)

HIGHLIGHTS

Ah yes, the game that will forever etched Mario Hezonja's name into Knicks lore. The Knicks have their own rendition of "The Block" as Hezonja came up with a key block on LeBron James in the final seconds of the game. After that, I'm probably convinced that Father Time is catching up to 'Bron. LeBron put up 33 points this game, true. But, 0-6 from 3-point land! I've been saying this all this time, his field goal stats are inflated because he attacks and plays bully ball inside. You force him to make an outside shot, he'll tend to struggle. To be swept by the East's punching bag, there's no greater shame to summarize the Lakers' 2nd half meltdown of the season.

Lakers Weekly Roundup (01/20): Drama and Heartbreak

*Some NSFW language*

What a week it was after the Lakers had a tough loss against the lowly Cavaliers. Since that game though, they managed to regroup and string together some competitive games against teams that are far beyond their status. With playoff implication on the line, it was clear that the Lakers needed to play with more urgency, especially since LeBron James' status is still up in the air. Though, Laker Nation received good news that he's slowly progressing from the groin injury. And Rondo should be close to coming back as well. The Lakers are still beyond .500 and have to protect their winning record so far. Let's see how they fare in this Lakers Weekly Roundup.

01/15: vs. Chicago 107-100 [W] (24-21)

HIGHLIGHTS

Luke Walton channeled his inner Owen Hart by shaking up the starting lineup a bit. "Well, enough is enough and it's time for a change!" After a stunning loss against the then-winless Cavaliers, what could possibly go wrong going up against a team that's also on a losing streak? Well for the first half it certainly looked like things would go wrong as the Bulls were neck and neck with the Lakers. Seriously, the Lakers were once against lackadaisical to start right out of the gate. However, things settled down in the 2nd half as the LakeShow assumed control of the game. Zo breaks out of the funk with a triplet of threes to highlight his 19 points, 8 rebounds, and 6 assists night. B.I. took over the game, finishing with 16 points. Svi knocked down a pair of threes. Kuzma with a double-double with 16 points and 12 rebounds. All was good from the middle of the third quarter to 1 minute left in the 4th. Yes, the Lakers almost went full melt down in the fourth quarter as Chicago continued to fight on an 11-0 run. Free throws reared its ugly head, but not much. The Lakers closed out a game in the fourth quarter. No LeBron. No Rondo. A shakeup in the starting lineup. You name it. In other news, Hell has officially frozen over. Unfortunately for Laker fans and Staples Center attendees, a team in the Central Division has to ruin your chances of getting free tacos yet again.

01/17: @ Oklahoma City 138-128 (OT) [W] (25-21)

HIGHLIGHTS

I couldn't be anymore proud the way this team performed this game whether they won or lost. That was the gutsy Laker young core I remember that kept their heads in the game last year. OKC had the upper hand early on, but it was the Lakers bench that brought them back from a big deficit to start. Ivica Zubac was a monster inside the paint with 26 points and 12 rebounds. I guess you can he Steven Adams'd Steven Adams this game. Despite the inspired performance, this game could've easily been marred a pair of bullshit calls against the Lakers, such as the out-of-bounds call when a Thunder player clearly touched it last. Or when Westbrook put up a second late after Lonzo fouled him before the act, which the refs still awarded him three free throws to tie the game in regulation. However, the Lakers wouldn't be denied as Lonzo Ball, Kyle Kuzma, and Zubac took the game over in OT to close the Thunder out without LeBron. Without Rondo. Add Westbrook going full Westbrick down the stretch to aid in the Lakers' big victory. And yet Paul George still chooses to go with stat-padding shot chucker. Don't come asking to play in the Purple and Gold when your contract is up and you wind up empty-handed in OKC, Paul.

01/19: @ Houston 134-138 (OT) [L] (25-22)

HIGHLIGHTS

Hot start from the Lakers this game. They've pummeled the Rockets in the first half. James Harden has not shot the ball well. Keep this advantage Lakers.

*2nd half* Once again, the Lakers  couldn't get away from the injury bug as Lonzo Ball had to be carted off with an ankle injury. Down goes another playmaker. The defender clearly tangled with Zo and there should've been a foul call. If that was Harden, he would've gotten the call and two free throws. Luke Walton lets the refs  know it at the cost of being ejected for the rest of the game with assistant coaches Brian Shaw and Jesse Mermuys taking over head coaching duties.

*4th quarter* Okay, the Rockets had a monster 3rd quarter since Zo got out of the game and Coach Walton got ejected. But, things are getting settled as Lance Stephenson hits a couple of clutch three-pointers. Zubac has been unstoppable in the paint and hitting clutch free throws. It's such an anomaly that the Lakers, one of the worst free throw shooting teams in the league, are perfect from their free throws. Just don't foul and-*Eric Gordon hits game-tying three* Well, that's the worst case scenario. Gordon hasn't played a game in awhile and he just pulled a Marcus Paige in the National Championship game two years ago. The Lakers have ran the gauntlet in this tough stretch. They came off a grind-it-out win against the Thunder two days ago. Can they do it again?

*OT* And this is why I don't like it when the Lakers let better teams hang around after regulation. Do you remember those two home games against the Warriors last season? Eric Gordon came alive. James Harden, bad shooting night at all, reminded the league why he's MVP and a magnet for the refs and their whistles. Brandon Ingram though came alive and kept the Lakers within striking distance. Rockets missed some critical free throws. And-*KCP airballs three* How the hell did you not give the ball to Ingram in that situation? I was mad, but I won't overreact. KCP had a great look for the go-ahead three. He just didn't have his feet and legs balanced enough.  If he makes it, he makes it. If he doesn't, well he gets crucified. But still, that was the most questionable possession that game. Lakers have another chance though. *Kuz loses the ball out of bounds* And he had B.I. wide open inside the key for a game-tying dunk. We can blame Kuz's butter fingers, but the Rockets had their hands on the ball to disrupt the inbounds play and Kuz had on-ball pressure all over him. You can't completely blame him for that. Clearly, I have a dissenting opinion cause I don't know, I actually saw the game? Seriously, everybody's blaming everyone and calling for some trades and some heads after this.

The Lakers played well enough this game. The number one rule is that you don't let a good team hang around beyond regulation. They will burn you since they have enough firepower and talent to muster a win if extra time is allocated. That's why I mentioned the home games against the Warriors last year. Lakers had a chance to put them away, but the Warriors just had too much firepower to pull away in OT. Speaking of the Warriors, they are in town tomorrow night as the NBA's Thanos arrives in Wakanda (Staples Center) with all Infinity Stones in tact and there's no Thor (LeBron), Rocket Racoon (Rondo), and Groot (Zo) to come in and provide the reinforcements. And open thread is back for tomorrow night!

Lakers Top Bulls Friday Night to Open Road Trip

*Stats courtesy of NBA.com*

Brandon Ingram lead the Lakers in almost all categories with 25 points, 9 rebounds, and 5 assists to help the Lakers rally past the Bulls 108-103. Brook Lopez added 17 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 blocks and Julius Randle racked up 14 points and 6 rebounds to round out the starters. Jordan Clarkson lead the entire 2nd unit in scoring with 19 points.

Final Score: @ Chicago 108-103 [W]
Full article: http://www.nba.com/games/20180126/LALCHI#/recap

Next Game: @ Toronto (01/28)

Highlights: *Courtesy of Rapid Highlights*

This was one of those back-and-forth type of games and a matter of which team had more run in them down the stretch. And it turns out, the Lakers did with their defense and Brandon Ingram taking over with the game on the line. Before we go further in detail B.I., the team was very impressive late in the 1st and 3rd quarters of the game. The defense to offense transition was brilliant and it looked like the Lakers were gonna pull away. Unfortunately, the Bulls 3-point game was working for the most part and it allowed Chicago to make a series runs on their own. There's no denying that the Bulls have so many players that can shoot from deep. Mirotic, Valentine, and Markannen can shoot. Zach Lavine has been impressive since his return and score at will at any time. They're better than what their record indicates despite this season being a rebuild season. Markannen's missed dunk off Lavine's miss in the final minute of this game was huge and the Lakers were able to hit a couple of free throws to put this game on ice. When the game looked like momentum was going to the Bulls, who better than Ingram to step up and put the team on his shoulders. I'm very impressed that he's embraced the role of "the closer." You talk about the aggressive move to the basket for the and 1 and to take back the lead and the pull up jumper outside the key to give the Lakers a 101-97 lead. He's developing that clutch gene. Also, Brook Lopez had a great performance against twin brother, Robin this game. This game is exactly what I want to see from Lopez. Many forget he was an underrated low post big man before he developed the three point shot. I'd like to see him post up and score in the paint more and less camping out on the three point line as exhibited here when he dominated the Bulls' defense inside.

Lakers Overcome Slow Start to Beat Bulls

*Stats courtesy of NBA.com and Yahoo Sports*

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope was the Lakers' top performer with 21 points to go with 8 rebounds and 3 steals as the Lakers rally from 19 down to beat the Bulls 94-103. Kyle Kuzma lead all scorers on the Lakers with 22 points while adding 5 assists. Brandon Ingram added 17 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists to round out the starters. Jordan Clarkson lead all scorers off the bench with 12 points despite struggling from the field on 3-8 shooting and Julius Randle notched a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds.

Final Score: vs. Chicago 94-103 [W]
Full article: http://www.nba.com/games/20171121/CHILAL#/recap

Next Game: @ Sacramento (11/21) <-- b="">Open Thread and Full Recap cancelled. I'll be out with a couple of buddies during the game, but I'll provide a Quick Fact Check and Commentary.

Highlights: *Courtesy of Ximo Pierto*

This game was a textbook example of a slow start, strong finish. In the first half, the Lakers looked lifeless out there. Probably they didn't take Chicago too seriously and toyed with them. The Bulls were outhustling them on both ends of the ball. They were firing on all cylinders especially from beyond the arc. They were the aggressor during that first half. However, 2nd half different story. The Lakers turned up the intensity on the defensive end. Julius Randle didn't have sexy numbers on the stats sheet, but his energy on that floor gave the Lakers the spark to ignite a monster run in the 2nd half. Randle had a nice defensive block on Bobby Portis and then ran on the opposite end of the floor for the layup and the and 1. Textbook defense to offense. The Lakers were due for a big game from KCP and he delivered. He was big especially in the 4th quarter with clutch three point shots and defensive stops. So far, this game was the Lakers' big comeback of the season after being down 19 points. This game exemplified the themes of the Lakers this season of tightening up and picking up the pace after a slow start. Except, this took one took a little longer than usual as it took them the 2nd half to get in rhythm and rekindle their incumbent team identity.

Lakers Fall to Bulls in Kobe's Final Game in Chicago

Kobe Bryant made a name for himself in Chicago when he matched up against the GOAT (Greatest of All Time), Michael Jordan and 20 seasons later, he bids farewell to Chicago going up against his former teammate and best friend, Pau Gasol. I saw Pau's introduction on SportsCenter and boy, do I sure miss those times. Nonetheless, in his final game, Kobe Bryant racked up 22 points on 8-20 shooting, but Gasol's got the best of him as his 21 point performance helped the Bulls beat the Lakers, 115-126. Three other starters were in double figures last night. Julius Randle had a fantastic game, racking up 22 points and 12 rebounds, Jordan Clarkson added 20 points, and D'Angelo Russell finished with 15 points. Brandon Bass lead all scorers off the bench with 13 points and Lou Williams was the 2nd leading scorer off the bench with 11 points.

Final Score: @ Chicago 115-126 [L]
Full article: http://www.nba.com/games/20160221/LALCHI/gameinfo.html?ls=iref:nba:scoreboard

Highlights:

Next Game: @ Milwaukee (Tonight, 5:00 PM Pacific Time)

Lakers Dismantled by Bulls

Welcome in to the full recap of the Lakers' matchup vs. the Chicago Bulls where the Lakers add another game into the loss column this season in a 114-91 rout courtesy of the Bulls in Pau Gasol's return to LA.

As DJ Khaled would say: "another one." Young mistakes by this young Lakers squad doomed them at the start with a lethargic effort on both sides of the ball against the Bulls. With the up and down season, the Bulls have had, they wanted this game more. The Lakers played a nonchalant game all night long until they saw an old and broken down Kobe Bryant run full court defense on Jimmy Butler and received a little pep talk from Byron Scott on their heart and toughness. No surprises here, the losses continue to keep coming.

(+)

Julius Randle, 14 points, 8 rebounds, 4-8 shooting. Evaluating Randle's game, he is clearly good on the fastbreak and when he's attacking the rim, but the one thing he needs to work on is his mid range jump shot. Aside from that, Randle almost chipped in another double-double if he got two more rebounds, but I liked his activity on defensive boards as all 8 of his rebounds came from the defensive end. Even though he attempted one mid range jump shot, he reverted back to where he's comfortable with, especially in the third quarter where he's attacking in open space or in the paint using his power and speed. Randle deserves "Top Performer" honors in this one.

Nick Young, 14 points, 5-10 shooting. Swaggy P has returned! Well not quite, but someone needed to take the place of Lou Williams this game and provide the scoring. The Lakers started to build up some momentum in their offense when Young came in as he hit his first three shots. He had a decent game. It's nothing special, but he did his job out there providing some much needed scoring off the bench.

(-)

D'Angelo Russell, 3 points, 1-7 shooting. Even though Russell had a bad shooting night against the Mavs Tuesday night, he still managed to put up a decent stat line with 12 points off the bench. This game though, Russell checked out, physically and mentally. This is just another set of growing pains in having a young rookie. I keep track of Russell's stat line and he has recorded double-figure point totals for the majority of this month and once he has a string of solid performances, he's going to cool down at some point. Tonight was a primary example as he took some bad shots and of course, committing two inexplicable turnovers in the 1st quarter leading to 4 easy points for Jimmy Butler.

Points in the paint. I can't wait till the Lakers get a true rim protector since Hibbert checked out in his tenure with the Lakers. Most of the Bulls' shots in the paint came from Pau Gasol doing his thing in the post and giving players some opportunities with his brilliant passing and some offensive rebounding.  Butler and Rose attacked the rim at will this game also, which inflates the points in the paint stat line. The Lakers' interior defense just had no chance and the Bulls took full advantage of the team's weakness in the paint whether it was allowing Jimmy Butler or Derrick Rose to the rim or the Bulls feeding the ball inside to Gasol.

Conclusion

Overall, there's not much to conclude about this game. The Bulls thoroughly dominated this game with their offense and defense. The loss just piles up towards the Lakers' efforts in their tank job to get a top three pick. It was nice to see Kobe and Pau give one last embrace to each other before tip off. No matter what happens, Gasol earned his place in Laker history, contributing to three straight finals appearances and back-to-back titles. Those glory days will return, but it takes time and the Lakers just need to rebuild the team the right way by letting their young draft picks develop and build chemistry together. It's definitely a good test of endurance and fortitude. Next week, I will not cover the Lakers' game next Thursday against the Pelicans on TNT. I'll be focused squarely on setting up my coverage for Super Bowl 50. Just letting you guys know ahead of time. I'll see you guys later.

01/28: LAKERS vs. Chicago Bulls Q-by-Q Reaction

Q4:

CHI 114 LAL 90

The broken record above symbolizes another Lakers game on national TV, another loss. Stay tuned for the full recap.

Q3:

CHI 90 LAL 71

Despite the Bulls continuing their dominance here this quarter, it's been the Julius Randle show this quarter. His game right now is attacking the rim on the open floor as displayed with his dunk early in this quarter. Randle is turning in a solid stat line right now, closing in on yet another double-double with 14 points and 8 rebounds. 4th quarter is expected to be garbage time for the Bulls, but let's see if the Lakers have one last run in them because in the last few games, 4th quarter turns out to be a spark plug for the Lakers to turn a game from a blowout to a competitive game.

Q2:

CHI 58 LAL 40

Better effort from the Lakers this quarter, but it's still not good enough. Nick Young, coming off the bench, provided some spark for the Lakers offense and they pulled within 12 at one point of this quarter. However, the turnovers, the points in the paint are killing them right now and the Bulls continue to have their way with them. Onto the halftime report.

Q1:

CHI 32 LAL 15

Without Lou Williams in the starting lineup to provide scoring, the Lakers' offense is just stagnant. That was an atrocious display of offense. In fact, both teams struggled to find offense until the Bulls finally hit their stride when Aaron Brooks came off the bench. To make matters worse, two consecutive turnovers to give Jimmy Butler 4 easy points. I highly take back what I said about D'Angelo Russell's play off the bench in the quick recap against the Mavs. First, taking some questionable shot selections, then mishandling the ball twice. He has to do better job and the rest of the team has to do a better job, point blank.

LAKERS-Bulls Halftime Post

CHI 58 LAL 40

Welcome in to the halftime post of the Lakers' matchup vs. the Chicago Bulls where the Bulls lead 58-40 at the half.

(+)

Nick Young, 8 points, 3-3 shooting. Nick Young has escaped Byron Scott's depth chart purgatory. Young equals his same point total that he finished with in Tuesday's game against the Mavs with 8 and he may look to get more to assimilate himself back into this rotation. And I think that's a good thing, especially since Lou Williams is out this game. The Lakers need instant scoring to get the offense going because Kobe Bryant is not in the condition he was once in to pick the slack. Swaggy P is coming back.

(-)

D'Angelo Russell. 3 points, 3 turnovers, 1-3 shooting. I take back what I said about Russell's solid play in the game against the Mavs because of his 4-12 shooting I neglected to include and the reason why he got benched in that game in the 4th was that he was taking bad shots. This game, although he did improve his passing in the 2nd quarter, two consecutive turnovers to Jimmy Butler in the 1st quarter is inexcusable and it's an example of lazy play on Russell's part. Two of his misses in the game had to do with him forcing up a shot to deliver a quick answer to Chicago's easy scoring onslaught, but it failed big time. He needs to mentally check himself into this game.

Turnovers. I'm starting to beat a dead horse with this one as it's a recurring negative. It's a big reason why this Laker offense has been stagnant to start this game. Too many bad passes and one example of poor shot clock awareness in the 2nd quarter as the Lakers couldn't deliver a shot attempt in time.

Bottom Line

The good news is Chicago has been an enigma all season long. They do good against good teams, but they do poorly against bad teams. The hopeful scenario is that the Bulls' offense starts getting stagnant and they start playing conservative with their defense. The Lakers have to find some way to get the whole offense going and they need to try to make some key defensive stops to get back into this game. Let's see what happens.

Lakers Edge Bulls in Grueling 2OT Victory

Alright welcome in to the full recap of the Lakers’ matchup vs. the Chicago Bulls where the Lakers pull off a wild 2 overtime victory in Pau Gasol’s return to the Staples Center, defeating Gasol’s Bulls 118-123.

First off about not posting a formal reaction in the first quarter, I apologize for that. I was running a little late, running a family errand at that time, but man, it’s a no problem now considering this game went to two overtimes. So if anything like that happens again, I’ll have a disclaimer posted that I’ll be late. Consider that similar to Game 2 of the 2014 NBA Finals, where I completely messed up the schedule and just covered the 2nd half. Now onto the game, this may not be a significant win. At this point in the season, with Kobe shut down after having surgery in his torn rotator cuff and the Lakers tanking for a top pick, this wasn’t a flashy game of the season, but this was a test. The Lakers’ life after Kobe Bryant is like the equivalent of a zombie apocalypse, how is the team going to survive? Blowing the lead in the closing seconds of the 4th quarter, heading to OT, likely the Bulls were going to win because the momentum was swinging in their favor. This was a test physically and mentally of closing a game out in crunch time without one of the best closers in the game and this Laker squad passed the test.

The Positives

Jordan Hill, 26 points, 12 rebounds, 11-22 shooting. Jordan Hill, you can’t stop him, you can only hope to contain him. Hill has shown potential that he can be a dual threat player this game. He can beat you inside with his post up and jump hook, he can take a big man out and shoot an open jump shot. He didn’t do these kinds of things the last time the Lakers played the Bulls. Gasol and Noah straight up gave him a hard time, but this game, he was a lot more aggressive in the paint both offensively and defensively and doing his thing living up to the Mr. All-Out Hustle nickname I coined for him on this blog. J. Hill was a machine (no Sasha Vujacic not you) this game and he played exceptionally well.

Wayne Ellington, 23 points, 9-19 shooting. Ellington may have started slow, but he finished strong when he was needed the most in the game. The last few games, even though it was just two games in, he has filled in admirably with Kobe Bryant out for the season. Tuesday night, he scored a career high, 28 points; this game, he fell short of that mark by five points, but it wasn’t about that. Ellington played hard when it mattered the most. I loved the way he fought, especially when he forced a jump ball from Jimmy Butler after hitting a shot on the other end. He’s gotta keep it up.

Jordan Clarkson, 18 points, 6-15 shooting. I wasn’t too happy that he was given the assignment of facilitating in crunch time in the 4th quarter, especially when the Bulls defense was turned up and they were setting hard traps. Byron Scott should’ve known better not to put a rookie of Clarkson’s caliber in those kinds of situations, but I guess it’s for learning experience and we fans will have to endure that. Other than that, Clarkson matched his point total of his career high Tuesday night despite shooting at a lower percentage, but he made up for hitting big time free throws down the stretch. He’s still a project in the works and this game should serve as a learning experience that he’ll play against teams that play hard on defense and are decent in transition when creating a turnover.

The Negatives

Foul trouble. The Lakers committed a total of 27 fouls. It wasn’t a concern in the first half. The Lakers can live fouling Gasol or Noah so long as they don’t foul Rose or any good free throw shooters. The 2nd half though, the fouls started piling up and that was one of the factors that got the Bulls back into the game. As the Lakers were missing shots and getting back on defense, they just couldn’t stop fouling. Only Robert Sacre fouled out, but honestly, Sacre has no business being in that starting lineup, despite playing a solid game. The fouls were a little close at the end of the game for both teams, but the Lakers were committing most of them when the game was still in regulation.

Coaching adjustments. Again, referring back to putting Jordan Clarkson on those situations where the Bulls trapped him and scored quick points off transition. When that happens two or three times in the winding minutes of the game, you just gotta call timeout, take the rookie and put in an established ball handler like Lin in those situations. Okay, putting Lin and “established ball handler” doesn’t mesh well in the same sentence, but Lin is a 4 year veteran while Clarkson is in his rookie season. Obviously if those turnovers cost the Lakers the game, it’s demoralizing for a rookie. Bad coaching move by Byron Scott to keep Clarkson in there while the Bulls just trap away and hope for a turnover.

Conclusion

Like I said before, this was a test that the Lakers needed to pass in order to prove that there are players willing to answer the call in crunch time without Kobe Bryant. Despite all the blown big leads, the fouls, the turnovers, and getting the offense disrupted by a scrappy and swarming defense, the Lakers kept their head in the game. They’re not thinking about tanking like the last nine games. The tone was set that the Lakers can survive a post-apocalyptic Kobe Bryant period. Even though it was just one game, it was a good team victory against a great team. Anyway, the Lakers start off their Grammy road trip again, it’s that time of the month and they start it off against the New York Knicks. To nationally televise that game on Super Bowl Sunday, who does that? To be honest, I actually don’t know if I will cover that game considering I got invited to a family luncheon on that day and it’s at an 11:00 AM start. Stay tuned for announcements on that, but I will do the Super Bowl XLIX coverage considering it’s at a late start time, that’s priority #1. Pretty hectic, so stand by if there are changes to made from now the Sunday afternoon. I’ll see you guys later.

01/28: Pau Gasol's Return to LA: LAKERS vs. Chicago Bulls Q-by-Q Reaction

OT2:

Score: CHI 118 LAL 123

Despite the blown lead, the Lakers perservered big time, especially against a really good Bulls team. Jordan Hill and Wayne Ellington headlined this quarter and basically the whole game. Kobe Bryant gone, Nick Young still out, the Lakers needed to learn to close out regardless of experience in the clutch and aside from a couple of meltdowns, they found a way to win and end a long streak of losing + tanking. Stay tuned for the full recap.

OT:

Score: CHI 106 LAL 106

Oh man, I was holding my breath when Derrick Rose shot that step back. That's the same move that killed the Warriors on Tuesday night. Big bucket from Jordan Hill to tie up the game. He hasn't shot outside the paint until now and it couldn't have come at a better time. 2nd OT, gonna be up here all night if we want to.

Q4:

Score: CHI 98 LAL 98

It was 89-98 late in the 4th. Unbelievable for Byron Scott to put Clarkson in that position to advance the ball half court when the Bulls are known to trap. The defense trapped Clarkson hard and resulted in quick point off of his turnovers. Oh well, overtime in the Staples Center. The Lakers have come this far and blowing this game in extra time would put a lot of effort to waste.

Q3:

Score: CHI 76 LAL 80

And here come the Bulls. This is slowly reminiscing of that Wizards game on Tuesday. The Lakers have a big margin of a lead, then it gets evaporated in the 2nd half. The same thing is happening again. They were leading 15 points at one point this quarter and after all that, it was all Bulls. On the last play, Clarkson should've given it up to Lin for the final shot of the quarter, rookie mistake.

Q2:

Score: CHI 48 LAL 59

D. Rose had that shot, but luckily enough that missed. 1 quarter missed, but that's okay. From what I'm hearing, the Lakers are putting up a tremendous effort against the Bulls. The bench is much better than last Tuesday's and they're one of the reasons why the Lakers have an 11 point advantage. Onto the halftime report.

Q1:

Score: CHI 19 LAL 28

*Disclaimer: posting from my mobile. I may be running a little late. I'll still cover the game, but pretty good chance I might miss a good chunk of the first quarter. I'll be back soon hopefully.*

LAKERS vs. Bulls Halftime Post

Score: CHI 48 LAL 59

Alright, welcome in to the halftime post of the Lakers' matchup with the Chicago Bulls where the Lakers lead against Pau Gasol, Derrick Rose and the Bulls 48-59 at the half.

The Positives

Bench mob. No Nick Young? No problem. Tuesday's game against the Wizards was atrocious for the Lakers' bench with the exception of Ed Davis, but here tonight I'm seeing great balance in terms of contribution from the bench. Carlos Boozer has 14 points, Jeremy Lin, Ed Davis, both with 8 points. Everything is going right, Lin being aggressive and pushing the tempo, Boozer, being aggressive inside, Ed Davis being aggressive in the paint as usual, bench mob is doing much better without Nick Young's scoring.

Jordan Hill, 11 points, 5-10 shooting. From what I'm hearing on the sidelines, Hill is adjusting his game in the inside rather than the outside. If you recall the Christmas, Hill was just settling for jump shots and not taking it to Pau Gasol and Joakim Noah on the inside. Now, Hill adjusted and he is holding off his own against the Bulls' inside presence. That dunk and 1 in that late 2nd quarter was awesome and speaks for how Hill is performing this game so far.

The Negatives

Foul trouble. Lakers have 11 fouls compared to the Bulls with 3 fouls. You can't try to contain Gasol and Noah any better when they're posting or if D. Rose is driving to hoop. The foul trouble is a minor negative for now and the only one I can pinpoint considering I'm just posting on one quarter.

Bottom Line

The Lakers haven't trailed at all this game, but they can't let their guard down. Last game they had a pretty comfy lead against the Wizards before they rallied back to beat the Lakers in the 2nd half. Lakers have to remind themselves this is a 48 minute game. They have to continue this kind of effort and most important of all CLOSE OUT, especially against this Bulls team that is just coming off a grueling OT win against the Warriors in this back-to-back set.

Pau Gasol Triumphant; Helps Bulls Beat Lakers on Christmas Day

Alright, welcome to a Christmas special full recap of the Lakers’ Christmas Day matchup with the Chicago Bulls as the Lakers, kept it close for the most part, but they started gassing out while the Bulls started turning it on as Pau Gasol stuck it to his former team to lead the Bulls to a 93-113 victory in Chicago.

First off as usual, Laker Nation, Raider Nation, Merry Christmas! I hope you guys are enjoying a wonderful time with your families, near or far in the greatest time of the year and I hoped you guys enjoyed kicking it back and watching a set of good NBA games. As for this game though, it’s been a tough sled for us Laker fans in Christmas games. After this game, the Lakers have officially lost 4 of their last 5 games on Christmas Day. It’s just tough luck, but they ran into a very tough team in the Eastern Conference. A healthy Derrick Rose, the size of Gasol and Noah, and the Bulls’ stalwart defense was just too much for the Kobe Bryant-less Lakers. Especially, Gasol, I'm sure he was motivated to battle his former team and delivered a performance we miss so much from him when he donned the purple and gold as he racked up a double-double of 23 points and 13 rebounds. Let's get right to the game.

The Positives

Ed Davis, 13 points. 14 rebounds, 3 blocks. Ed Davis did a surprisingly masterful job against Joakim Noah down low in the post defensively. If Noah got going with the way Gasol played, the Bulls’ margin of victory would’ve been much larger. The pick and roll game with Davis was still there, he managed to get some looks in the paint. Despite the large rebounding disparity between Davis now and Noah and Gasol, Davis managed to hold offensively and defensively it boxing out and giving the Lakers possession or 2nd chance opportunity. Keep in mind, he outrebounded both of them 9-7 in the 1st half of the game alone.

Wesley Johnson, 19 points, 9 rebounds, 2 steals. The top scorer for the Lakers, Wes’s shooting efficiency still needs a lot of work. However, he provided with much needed buckets for the Lakers to keep it close, despite the Bulls pulling it out all the way once the 4th quarter was under way.

Carlos Boozer, 14 points, 7-11 shooting. The return to Chicago, Boozer didn’t quite have an impactful game that he needed to ensure the Bulls missed his presence on the team, but Nick Young was put on ice this game, Lin didn’t have an efficient, who’s going to be the one to step it up? Boozer answered that bell and provided the scoring off the bench and needed shots for the Lakers to be within striking distance for the most part of the game. Not sure if Bulls fans were chanting “boo” or “Booze” when he was making some of his baskets, but more likely “boos” because I know Bulls fans didn’t like his production considering he would go on a slump in games.

The Negatives

Nick Young, 3 points, 1-6 shooting. He was bound to have some of these games and not live up to his “Swaggy P” nickname. Like I said before, the Bulls defense put him on ice for the majority of the game and it benefitted big time. After his first field goal, Nick Young never heard a splash from his shot ever again. The Bulls game planned for Kobe Bryant, but they took that gameplan and picked on poor little Nick Young.

Jordan Hill’s jump shot. After the Clippers game back in October where Jordan Hill can from outside of the key, I was thinking “man he improved a lot on that shot.” Then after that, it started slipping away from him. Chris Webber said it best tonight. Hill should come back in the summer and hit 500 jump shots a day or something like that. Credit to the Bulls size, Hill was wise enough not to revert to his game in the post and try beating him with his jump shot, but it didn’t happen. He had a nice highlight where he got blocked by Noah and he got it again and manage to sink it in his face. Overall, Hill had a decent game, just that his jump shot wasn’t so great.

Conclusion

When everybody said the Lakers were better without Kobe, I was like “slow down, this team tends to regress the next game after beating a good team like the Warriors the previous game.” It wasn’t that type of regression this game. Sure they started slow, but they took baby steps to get right back into this, but too many baby steps will surely leave someone far behind and the Lakers took too many baby steps this game. The Bulls exploited that and at the end, they showed why they pose the biggest threat to teams like Toronto and Washington. Anyway, the Lakers can’t hang their heads down over this. They have a back-to-back game tomorrow facing off against the new look Mavericks since they made the trade to get Rajon Rondo. Well, this is the last Q-by-Q, Halftime, and Full Recap posts for Lakers basketball for the year. I’ll see you guys in January. I’m going to wrap up everything for this year after the Raiders-Broncos game, so stay tuned for that. Anyway, Merry Christmas guys and I’ll see you guys later.

12/25: Christmas Day Matchup LAKERS @ Chicago Bulls Q-by-Q Reaction

Q4:

Score: LAL 93 CHI 113

Well, it was only a matter of time the Bulls were going to start dominating in crunch time. In the 3rd quarter, they've started to manhandle the Lakers in the paint and this quarter, the three ball started going in and the defensive activity of that team just got its switch flipped. In his first game out of a Lakers uniform, Pau Gasol got his former team big time. Good show of respect from Pau to walk over to Kobe and share a little embrace, but he did what needs to be done and get his new team a W. Stay tuned for the full recap.

Q3:

Score: LAL 77 CHI 83

I did say the Lakers were gonna have to pick it up offensively at some point and they did. First cutting the lead to four, then to two, then four again, now they just gotta find a way to try and capture the lead. However, the Bulls' size definitely hurt the Lakers this quarter. Pau Gasol has found the touch, scoring and rebounding and boy do we miss that in Laker land. Nonetheless, still a six point game and the Lakers are still hanging in there.

Q2:

Score: LAL 47 CHI 58

It would've been better if the Lakers just cut it to a single digit, but we'll live with that Jimmy Butler shot to end the quarter. Other than that, aside from the fact that the Bulls outperform the Lakers in the field goal department, the Lakers have done a good job responding. At first, the Bulls were up 38-52, looks like it's they're going to pull away, but the Lakers just keep scratching and clawing to make the Bulls' lead a lot more manageable. Onto the halftime report.

Q1:

Score: LAL 24 CHI 27

Great follow up from Wayne Ellington after a missed shot to end the quarter. So, the Lakers are playing without Kobe Bryant again and unlike the Warriors game, they were off to a slow start. Derrick Rose was hot early on till he started missing his next two shots, then Pau started to pick it up, but the Lakers keep fighting and managed to climb back to cut the Bulls' lead to three. So far, Gasol is getting the best of the Lakers while Boozer just came in and just only attempted one field goal against his former team in his return to Chicago.

LAKERS @ Bulls Halftime Post

Score: LAL 47 CHI 58

Alright welcome in to the halftime post of the Lakers' Christmas Day matchup with Pau Gasol and the Chicago Bulls where the Bulls have the upper hand with a 47-58 lead at the break

The Positives

Ed Davis, 8 points, 9 rebounds, 1 block. Ed Davis is a rebounding machine. I think I may have to relinquish Jordan Hill's nickname of Mr. All-Out Hustle to Davis now because that's what he's been doing. He's managing to hold his own down low against the size of Gasol and Joakim Noah, he's out-rebounded both of them by two, Noah and Gasol just combined for 7 rebounds.

Ronnie Price, 7 points, 3-4 shooting. Like I said in the Warriors' game, Price is mostly known for his scrappy defense, but not so much for his offense, but this is the second game in a row that he's had an efficient night scoring and shooting the ball. He's following it up quite well, picking up the offensive slack and moving the ball when needed.

The Negatives

Nick Young, 3 points, 1-3 shooting. Is this the first time Swaggy P has been held to a single digit game by halftime? It's a testament to the Bulls' defense because they were planning for Kobe Bryant and when they found out he was not playing, they shifted that defensive gameplan to Nick Young and they're letting him have it.

Bench play. It's not just Nick Young who's had a off game currently, but the bench as a whole. Lin managed just 2 points on 1-5 shooting. Only Carlos Boozer seems to be shooting the ball well on the 3-5 field goals, but hasn't picked up the scoring and rebounding. Compared to the Bulls bench, the Laker bench is being outscored at a close margin 18-13.

Bottom Line

Slow start to begin with for the Lakers, but they are picking it up steadily. Now, the offense has got to pick up and hey have to start playing defensively like they did against the Warriors. The only catch is, they have to contain the Bulls' 2 bigs, but they've done a good job of that so far, allowing only Gasol to put up double figure points. Let's see what happens.