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.

Lakers Weekly Roundup (10/22-10/27): Opening Week

There are only four words to build you up for excitement at this point of October: "The NBA is back!" There's nothing like it. One thing for sure is that the NBA knows when to schedule marquee matchups to get fans hyped. This season, we officially mark the end of an era: the end of the superteam. The league blew up with so many big moves this past offseason. No more Big 3's or Fantastic Fours. It's now the era of the dynamic duos. Just like in the good old days.. Of course, the Lakers are no exception. Championship aspirations are once again sky high for this team with the acquisition of Anthony Davis. Paired up with LeBron, this duo is projected to be a dominant force. Let's see how they fared in opening week shall we?

10/22: @ LA Clippers 102-112 [L] (0-1)

HIGHLIGHTS

Didn't I say the NBA knows when to schedule marquee matchups? Nobody cared that the Pelicans-Raptors went to OT to see the anticipated battle of LA. LeBron and his new partner-in-crime in Anthony Davis vs. Kawhi Leonard and the Clippers. No question, the Clippers shattered the fabric of the NBA realm when they acquired Kawhi Leonard and Paul George. But, let's not forget the city of LA still rules under purple and gold domain. The Lakers proved their dominance early-on this game, feeding Anthony Davis in the paint. The Clippers had no answer to guard Davis as they fell behind early 13-2. That was all the Lakers had to show for this game. The Clippers countered by sending in their sparkplugs, Lou Williams and Montrezl Harrell. Their instant offense brought the Clippers new life. Kawhi Leonard put up Michael Jordan-esque numbers starting in the 2nd quarter. The guy's midrange was unstoppable that game and he abused KCP. The Lakers continued to run Davis inside until it became predictable for the Clippers defense to figure out. Aside from Danny Green's explosive 3rd quarter, the Clippers had this game on ice and they didn't even have Paul George! Last year, proved they had some depth. Combine that with star power, they're a team to look out for. The 4th quarter was already lost when AD and LeBron combined for only 2 points. The Clippers may have won the battle, but the war has only just begun. We'll see on Christmas when both teams are at full strength

10/25: vs. Utah 86-95 [W] (1-1)

HIGHLIGHTS

After the debacle on opening night, questions arose on LeBron and AD's piss-poor 4th quarter. Moreso on LeBron's end. They say father time is catching up. It was time to push the panic button. I have something to say: it's only one game. Yes, I would've loved that win, but we still got 81 more games to go. The Lakers get another test on opening night against a Jazz team that is expected to make a deep playoff run. It was a slugfest for most of the game. That was expected. Remember the notion that father time is catching up to LeBron?  Well, the King bounced back with a near triple-double of 32 points, 7 rebounds, and 10 assists. Davis struggled for the most part against Rudy Gobert, but still got the job done with 21 points and 5 blocks on the defensive end. Frank Vogel actually experimented with AD at the 5 and it worked out as the Lakers more activity on the defensive end. Speaking of defensive end, it was a lot better this game. They made Utah turn the ball over 22 times. Troy Daniels lead all scorers off the bench with 15 points. His 3-point shooting gave a lot of momentum for the Lakers to close this out. The Lakers made this interesting in garbage time though when Dwight committed a flagrant foul on Georges Niang. That was the only blemish. But hey! KCP scored a point today! And we have the GOAT, Alex Caruso back! Lakers are 1-0 when those two things happen.

10/27: vs. Charlotte 101-120 [W] (2-1)

HIGHLIGHTS

Early on this game, I could not believe what I was seeing. Why in the world are we playing down  to the Hornets level? That team is not even expected to be good this year by letting Kemba Walker go the easily for an overpaid Terry Rozier! The first half was bit too close for comfort. But then, they started pulling away in the 3rd quarter and eventually the 4th quarter. One thing's for certain, AD had the 3-point game rolling and notched his first double-double with the Lakers with 29 points and 14 rebounds to go with 10 blocks. And never thought I would mention this guy's name again: Dwight Howard lead the bench with 16 points, 10 rebounds, and 4 blocks. Opening, he was a little too pedestrian. Against Utah, he picked up some activity. This game is where we actually saw shades of the old Dwight. At least compared to 2012-13, Dwight knows his role and clearly, he owes Laker fans like myself a lot if he wants to fully clear his name. He's made the most of it. LeBron James had 6 points in the first half, but he picked it up in the 4th quarter to pretty much put this game on ice. There was not a lot of load for LeBron to shoulder since he was perfectly setting up AD and Dwight for easy shots in the paint. Those big men did a lot of work inside and it wore down Charlotte's interior defense to pull away from this game.

Lakers Weekly Roundup (03/31): Oh, Now They Start Winning?

*Some NSFW language*

A few more games after this week remain. It's a time where good teams start resting their star players sitting comfortably in their playoff spots and where bad teams start picking up G-League players to showcase their potential in making the team. The Lakers have long been eliminated from the playoffs, but they still play on as the NBA demands it. It was a March to forget about as the Lakers took so many L's that they doomed their playoffs hopes. Now ever since they were eliminated, they started playing better. Let's be honest here, they played against teams that are tanking or have no shot at the playoffs whatsoever this week. As they pile up meaningless W's, they are on pace to break their win total from last year, despite finishing under .500 yet again, which is a big disappointment considering they went from 26 wins to 35 wins in Luke Walton's first two years as Head Coach. And more likely than not, he's fired by season's end. Let's get to the bottom of this week's Lakers Weekly Roundup.

03/26: vs. Washington 106-124 [W] (33-41)

HIGHLIGHTS

Lance Making Jeff Green Dance

You know? Games like this makes me wish that the NBA had an option to flex out games that are not worthy for national television. Kinda like what the NFL does. I mean, nobody wants to see two NFL teams with losing records headlining a Sunday Night game. It's understandable why this was nationally televised from the get-go. The Wizards were projected to be playoff team this year and LeBron James has made the Lakers relevant again and must-see TV. Now, these are two teams out of the playoff hunt and riddled with injuries. This game was easy pickings for the Lakers when Washington's only offense this game came out of Bradley Beal,  who's on an all-around tear these last few games. Beal had 32 points this game, but the Lakers beat the John Wall-less Wizards on an all-around team win. Ironic to say considering they tried to tear this locker room apart. But, it was all fun and games here. Lance Stephenson had the highlight of the night this game crossing up Jeff Green and making the Laker bench and Staples Center lose their minds. Even though Green clearly stepped on Lance's foot and slipped. With the game well out of reach, the Lakers debut their recent G-League tryout, Scott Machado, signed to a 10-day deal.

03/27: @ Utah 100-115 [L] (33-42)

HIGHLIGHTS

Back-to-back set, so no LeBron here. The Lakers were bound to lose this game. It's always a hostile crowd in Salt Lake City. With the Lakers having nothing to play for, the Jazz were well within reach of a playoff berth if they win this game. The Jazz took care of business behind a stellar game from Joe Ingles. John Stockton was reincarnated as an Aussie this game as Ingles carved up the Lakers with his passing, racking 14 assists and making Rudy Gobert and Derrick Favors look good. Congrats Jazz, you've clinched a playoff berth. Nothing more to say here.

03/29: vs. Charlotte 115-129 [W] (34-42)

HIGHLIGHTS

Hornets fans, you have to implore his Airness to give Kemba Walker some help. The guy does so much for this team, but he's surrounded by a shit supporting cast. Lucky for the Hornets, they play in the East and their playoff hopes are still faintly alive. But, the Lakers dampen those playoff hopes a bit with this win as LeBron continues his shutout in head-to-head matchups against Kemba. I just found out that he has a 28-0 record all-time against him. That should be good enough for LeBron. Now, let's shut him down for the rest of the season.

03/31 @ New Orleans 130-102 [W] (35-42)

HIGHLIGHTS

Following up from the last post, the Lakers announced prior to this game that LeBron James will not play the rest of the season. I'd say it's a wise move. The guy has a lot mileage with 8 straight finals appearances and he hasn't been 100% since the groin injury in December. The playoffs are well out of reach, so there's no reason to push him to play out the remainder of the season.

Now that's that, time to give the Pelicans another beating for helping sabotage the Lakers' chemistry. Funny enough, the Pelicans listed Anthony Davis as probable for this game, then they ruled him out at the last minute. Honestly, who'd be stupid enough to play their disgruntled star player at this point of the season? To smite the team that tried to trade for him? Okay. Activate Alex Caruso's bald spot! Before we get into that, this was a revenge game for Rondo against his former team and he showed out with 24 points, 12 assists, and 2 steals. McGee also contributed with 23 points and 16 rebounds. But, it was the brilliant shooting of Alex Caruso and Reggie Bullock off the bench this game to help blow the Pelicans. Caruso lead the bench with 23 points to go along with 6 assists and 4 steals. He's been nothing short of solid when given the opportunity to go off the bench. But, we gotta give credit to the Laker defense in the 2nd half to spring the hot shooting. I was checking the plays on the Yahoo Sports app and they forced the Pelicans to turn the ball over like crazy to ignite the rout. Well, I'd say this probably the Lakers' last easy W this season. They got five more games against playoff contenders in the West (Golden State, Portland, OKC, Utah, Clippers). They'd be lucky to catch some of those teams resting players. Probably the team that won't likely rest players are the Warriors as they are neck-and-neck with the Nuggets for the #1 seed in the West. I probably won't be doing weekly roundups the rest of the way. I'll be heading straight for the annual Season-in-Review post. Anyway, here's to a strong finish to the season!

Lakers Weekly Roundup (01/13): Great Start, Terrible Finish

Stocks, cryptocurrency, they haven't had a strong finish to the end of last year. There'll be days they'll do good, but not by much to recoup huge losses in the market that has no end in sight. That's pretty much how I feel about the Lakers right now. Their stock has taken a tumble in the coming weeks since LeBron James went down and it has no sign that'll it'll get better in the long run. Their free fall from 4th to 8th speaks for itself. It's not just LeBron though. The young Lakers couldn't find a way to string together an inch of consistency and it's been chronic ever since the spotlight was on them since the decisive Christmas Day win against the Warriors. Enough of me repeating myself in the last 2-3 Weekly Roundups. Here is the Roundup for the week of 01/13.

01/07: @ Dallas 107-97 [W] (22-19)

HIGHLIGHTS

After the suckage that was last week, Luke Walton challenged Lonzo Ball and Brandon Ingram to "play with more energy." Let's be honest, Zo and B.I. stunk in the absence of key players during the last two games. They were especially horrible in the ugly loss in Minnesota where Ingram was held to 13 points while Zo dropped a goose egg. They answered the call as the Lakers traveled to Dallas. They do get a big boost with Kyle Kuzma coming back. But he shot 4-20 from the field, which is a typical stat line coming back from an injury. It wasn't all sunshine and rainbows to start as the Mavs built a lead to as many as 15. But, the Lakers came back and we saw "Eldest Big Baller" and "SlenderIngram" play with more sense of urgency. B.I. lead all scorers with 29 points while Zo followed suit with 21 points with a wet jump shot included. The Mavs tried to scratch and claw back, but like Luka Doncic's floater, they couldn't stay in the game. Big road win for the Lakers to stay afloat in the playoff race.

01/09: vs. Detroit 100-113 [W] (23-19)

HIGHLIGHTS

The Pistons have the reigning Coach of the Year in Dwane Casey, a talented roster, yet they still remain as the Motor City's biggest disappointment second only to the Lions. Blake Griffin returns to Los Angeles in what seem to have been ages since he played under the bright lights of LA. But tonight's showing at the Staples Center? KuzMania. Well let me tell you something brother, what cha gonna do when KuzMania runs wild on you? After an ugly 4-20 showing, Kyle Kuzma put the Lakers on his back, dropping 41 points. Truly he's the 2nd coming of Kobe Bryant by notching no assists this game. #MambaMentality. You know this night was unfortunate for the Pistons as Andre Drummond goaltends twice and KCP's shot goes in off the top of the backboard. The only negative was that they broke the hearts of Lakers fans in attendance with a last second stores (Tacos from Jack-in-the-Box are just 99 cents, jeez). On another note, Michael Beasley has yet a solid outing off the bench. 13 points the other night against Dallas and 19 points against the Pistons. Not to mention, it was his birthday. Way to turn back the clock you Beasley!

01/11: @ Utah 95-113 [L] (23-20)

HIGHLIGHTS

There's the Lakers I know who are so dependent on LeBron James to baby them and bail them out. It is written history though, the Lakers tend to struggle in the Mormon state. Utah shot the lights out of the Lakers this game. As Donovan Mitchell scorches this team and puts Javale McGee on a poster, I guess you can say that he's back to ROTY runner-up form. 41 points from Kuz the last game, only 11 points here. Foul trouble on Zo and Hart. The Jazz dominated this game from start to finish.

01/13: vs. Cleveland 101-95 [L] (23-21)

HIGHLIGHTS

I had a hunch if there was a team that would help end Cleveland's streak of infamy, it'd be none other than the Lakers.  They got away with one in the last meeting when LeBron returned to Cleveland prior to Thanksgiving Day. Even Luke Walton told this team to be wary of the Cavs. They did not get the memo as they rewarded the hapless Cavs with a win, ending their 12-game losing streak. Free throws yet again played a crucial role in derailing the Lakers' comeback. 4/12 from the stripe in the 4th quarter is completely unacceptable even by standards of one of the worst FT shooting teams in the league. It also doesn't help that they completely sucked from beyond the arc. KCP, nothing but bricks. Josh Hart, nothing but bricks. Kuz didn't even hit a three until the final seconds of the 4th. Clearly, something needs to change here as inconsistency has clearly put a rear naked choke hold on this team. I guess you can say: "CLEVELAND! THIS IS FOR YOU!"

Lakers Weekly Roundup (11/25): "Too Close"

*Some NSFW language*

Improbable, ugly wins happen in sports all the time. They always have us asking "how in the literal fuck did we win this game?" It's even worse when the opposition is a mediocre team, but they keep it interesting because the game is too close. Like, this game should've been a blowout. Or when a team makes far too many mistakes, yet they still pull a W out of the hat against the oppositions. It's ugly, but a win is a win.  You win far too many close games. But unfortunately, too many close games can lead to an eventual defeat down the road. This pretty much sums up the previous week for the Lakers. This is your Lakers' weekly roundup.

11/21: @ Cleveland [W] 109-105 (10-7)

HIGHLIGHTS

The King returns to his former domain  of Cleveland, Ohio. Unlike 2010, LeBron was showered with a little bit more adoration in his homecoming in a different uniform. As I said, the man delivered his promise of a championship to the city in four tries against the OP Warriors. Cleveland, you should be forever grateful for that. Onto the actual game though, the Lakers struggled to find their footing against a previous mediocre Cavs team to the point they were down double digits heading into the fourth quarter. Jordan Clarkson was on a mission this game, not only to prove to the Lakers, but to prove to LeBron himself how much he's grown. It was a not too shabby game from our Fil-Am buddy as JC notched up 20 points and 5 assists off the bench. Unfortunately for the Cavs, they could've used LeBron to close out this game. Cause literally LeBron had deja vu and had to carry this Laker team to victory. He was the leader in the top statistical categories. Points - LeBron, 32 points. Rebounds - LeBron, 14 rebounds. Assists - LeBron, 7 assists. Cleveland, that was for you. On the bright side, at least the Cavs notched some surprising wins against Houston and Philadelphia following the aftermath of this game.

11/23: vs. Utah [W] 83-90 (11-7)

HIGHLIGHTS

What a turnover shitfest this game was. Look away casual NBA fans if you don't like low-scoring games unlike us who've grown up to 80's-90's BBall. Clearly, both teams missed dessert on Thanksgiving night that they decided to make up for it with turnovers. The Jazz committed 19. The Lakers? 23 turnovers. Usually, when the Lakers commit more turnovers than the opposition, they'd usually lose. But, that wasn't the case this game as they showed that they can play defense and hold opponents under 100 points. On the flip side, they did catch a break as last year's Rookie of the Year runner up, Donovan Mitchell had a rib contusion in the 2nd quarter and never returned. Who's gonna pick up the slack? Ricky Rubio? He only had 7 points and 3-12 shooting. For the Lakers, it wasn't just King James who got all the headlines. "Slender Ingram" was unleashed this game with 24 points and was in attack mode all game long. The 2nd straight time the Lakers bailed themselves out from another ugly victory.

11/25: vs. Orlando [L] 108-104 (11-8)

HIGHLIGHTS

With all these sloppy, close wins, the Lakers were due for a loss if they continue to keep cockteasing us that things are trending upward. That came to fruition this game. For the Magic's next trick? They make the Lakers disappear in front of their faces for the rest of the season. Serves the Lakers right for allowing the Magic to blow the game open by the end of the fourth quarter for being so nonchalant and careless with the lead. This will be just like the game in Cleveland right? Wrong! Oh, they did rally in the fourth, but I could not comprehend the shot selection down the stretch when the game was all nodded up at 104. Like why the hell are you guys jacking up threes? You could've just drive to the hole and if you draw some contact, you could make your free-oh that's right they shot 50% from the free throw line this game. A rally would've happened if it weren't for this team's free throw atrocity. I guess that's why they wanted to go for the knockout blow from deep. KCP's threes, way short. LeBron, drive to the hole! You're a 200+ pound freight train! Settles for an ill-advised step back three. On a positive note, McGee had a block party today with 7 blocks this game. Unfortunately, that wasn't enough to stop Nikola Vucevic from dominating this team again like last week.

Jazz Dismantle Lakers to Clinch Playoff Berth

*Stats Courtesy of NBA.com*

Final Score: vs. Utah 112-97 [L]
Full article: http://www.nba.com/games/20180408/UTALAL#/recap

Next Game: vs. Houston (04/10)

Highlights: *Courtesy of MLG Highlights*

The Lakers starting down 16-4 right out of the gate was all I needed to see out of the highlights. They made it entertaining for the most part in the third quarter. But, Utah played like they were on a mission yesterday. They needed this win to ensure a playoff spot in the Western Conference and they accomplished that. And unfortunately for the shorthanded Lakers, they were in their way. Donovan Mitchell and Joe Ingles shot the lights out for the Jazz. The Laker defense had no answer. Jae Crowder also provided some spark for Utah's 2nd unit. There was not much to say. The only positives was that Josh Hart went off for 25 points. He even met Donovan Mitchell at the rim for a block in the first quarter to give Laker fans something to cheer about. Tyler Ennis scored 22 points to lead the bench. Julius Randle chipped in 17 points and 7 rebounds. Only those three were in double figures for the team in this loss and a wire-to-wire victory for the Utah Jazz. Two more games left for the Lakers to close out a season with an improved record. The Rockets have the number 1 seed on lock. I see no reason why any of their starters should play tomorrow. Then, the Lakers close it out on the "road" Wednesday against the Clippers. At least getting one out of those two games should give the Lakers one more win to hang their heads on after improving from last year's win total. I will see you guys for both games!

Lakers Roundup Commentary: @ Utah; vs. San Antonio

*Stats courtesy of NBA.com*

Going up against playoff-hopeful teams in the West is not always easy if you're shorthanded. The Lakers failed their first try in Utah to play spoiler on the Jazz's hopes on Tuesday. But, they succeeded in dinging San Antonio's playoff hopes just a bit in an OT win last night. This is your Lakers round up commentary on the blog.

04/03: @ Utah 110-117 [L]
Full article: http://www.nba.com/games/20180403/LALUTA#/recap

Highlights: *Courtesy of Rapid Highlights*

Last game against the Kings displayed a mundane performance from the Lakers all season long. But fortunately, they bounced back really quickly against the Jazz, despite the losing effort. The Lakers started strong out of the gate. Kuzma started perfect in the first quarter and he along with KCP did most of the damage here. Kuz finished with 26 points while KCP racked 28 points. They played a big part in the Lakers' final desperation run before falling short at the end of the game. Utah's backcourt duo of Donovan Mitchell and Ricky Rubio dominated this game for the Jazz. We all know Mitchell is a stud rookie. But, Rubio is showing he can be a scoring threat to go with his passing prowess. The defense had some fits whenever Rubio would come off screens. The Lakers never knew if he was looking to score or read the defense perfectly to set up a nice pass to roller like a Gobert or a Derrick Favors. Overall, the Jazz's back court was on fire this game. The Jazz have been on an unbeliveable run after a slow start to the season. It was interesting to note that Luke Walton elected to let Randle play point for a majority of the game. His performance was a little of a mixed result with 9 assists to 5 turnovers to go with his 12 pts-12 rebs performance.

04/04: vs. San Antonio 112-122 (OT) [W]

Full article: http://www.nba.com/games/20180404/SASLAL#/recap

Highlights: *Courtesy of MLG Highlights*

Talk about a nightmarish trip to La La Land for the San Antonio Spurs. They lose a heartbreaker the other night against the Clippers and the Lakers broke their hearts again in overtime last night. They haven't clinched a playoff spot yet since the West is very congested outside of the 1-3 seeds. This win was an example of great physical and mental fortitude from the Lakers. They were coming off a tough loss in Utah. They had to travel home while the Spurs are still LA, waiting for them. All signs pointed to the Spurs having the advantage. But clearly, Kyle Kuzma and the Lakers had other plans. Kuzma was in clutch mode when the game went to OT to help the Lakers seal the win. He finished with 30 points. He also accomplished a nice feat becoming the first NBA rookie with 1,200 points, 450 rebounds, and 150 made 3-pointers in a player's rookie season. ROTY (Rookie of the Year) may be out of the picture for Kuzma with Ben Simmons likely running away with it, but he's already won our hearts. KCP made a big three-pointer in that overtime as well that provided the Lakers a good cushion with the lead. He finished with 21 points. Keep in mind, the Lakers didn't have Julius Randle nor Brook Lopez on the floor. Luke didn't elect to put them out there since the lineup rotation with Kuz, KCP, Hart, Frye, Zubac, Ennis, and Caruso was working down the stretch. Lakers got a nice surprise performance from Channing Frye with 19 points off the bench; it goes to show that he's still got it when it comes to scoring and being a spot up 3-point shooter. Ennis also made some big buckets to keep the Lakers within striking distance. Luke also made a nice adjustment defensively doubling on LaMarcus Aldridge. We all know if you leave Aldridge one-on-one, he's gonna spot up and shoot. The Lakers doubled him and forced him to kick it to other Spurs players to step up and make a play. With this win, the Lakers sweep the season series against the Spurs for the first time in a long time. It'd shock the NBA world if the Spurs miss the playoffs because of tough losses like these. They haven't missed the playoffs since Gregg Popovich was first hired by the Spurs back in 96-97!

Lakers Clamped Down by Jazz

*Stats courtesy of NBA.com and Yahoo Sports*

Brandon Ingram was the Lakers' leading scorer with 16 points on 7-14 shooting to go with 4 steals in the Lakers' 81-96 loss to the Jazz last night. Jordan Clarkson was the only player who joined Ingram in double figures with 15 points off the bench. On a side note, Larry Nance Jr. grabbed 10 rebounds in this game.

Final Score: @ Utah 81-96 [L]
Full article: http://www.nba.com/games/20171028/LALUTA#/recap

Next Game: vs. Detroit (10/31)

Highlights: *courtesy of Ximo Pierto*

The game was closer than what the final scoreboard indicated, especially in the 2nd half. The Lakers pulled in as little as within one point from the Jazz on one occasion. Once again, I saw the 2nd unit consisting of Kuzma, Clarkson, Hart, and Randle was effective yet again and was one of the reasons why the Lakers were still in the game. Another reason was that B.I. was looking to attack the basket. Again, this is a recurring theme that Ingram is at his best when he's looking to attack the basket. On a side note, Lonzo Ball knocked down three 3-pointers in this game. Despite the field goal percentage, that has gotta be encouraging to see as Ball finds his outside shot. The Lakers stayed competitive through 3 1/2 quarters. Utah had the 3-point game clicking and they moved the ball better than the Lakers down the stretch. Donovan Mitchell is turning out to be a stud for the Jazz. He showed out when the Lakers played the Jazz in the preseason and in regular season action, he did it again. Along with Ricky Rubio, Mitchell provided the Jazz the spark to seal the deal over the Lakers. 

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. 

The Night That Was: Kobe Bryant Drops 60 in Finale

This game will certainly be one of those games you tell your grandchildren about. It's 9:04 AM in the West Coast, in the Bay Area and I'm still hyped after watching this game and covering this game with you guys on the blog. The Bay Area is hyped for another thing though. The Warriors breaking the '95-96 Bulls' record and setting the mark at 73-9 and kudos to them, Last night was hands down the best night for basketball fans regardless of which game you watched. Last night was special for me as a Laker fan as Kobe rode into the sunset, guns blazing, and willing the Lakers to one last victory. The NBA put this video together as noted above this post of every field goal Kobe made and the last two free throws to put him at 60 points in the Lakers' 96-101 win over the Utah Jazz. The funny thing is I remember when Kobe became the youngest player to reach 30,000 points, his first points were from the free throw line and it all came full circle last night that his last points in the NBA would be again from the free throw line. Like I said, a fitting end to an illustrious 20-year career.

Goin' Out Mamba Style: Kobe Scores 60, Notches Win in Final Career Game vs. Utah

Welcome in to the full recap of the Lakers' matchup vs. the Utah Jazz, the final game of Kobe Bryant in his 20 year career where Kobe goes out in style, the only way that Kobe know when to go out. Kobe went out guns blazing, putting up one more 60 point game and rallying the Lakers to a 96-101 win.

There are so many adjectives to describe this finale: amazing, awesome, fantastic, legendary, unbelievable. I said it during the season, Kobe Bryant was not the same player as he once was, but you can't deny the competitive drive and the will to win. The heart of a champion was still beating (a reference to my old Kobe vignette) and Kobe delivered one final performance for the ages. 60 points, hitting the go-ahead jumper for the Lakers to get the win against the Jazz who were already eliminated from playoff contention with Houston's win today, but they still competed their butts off. Hats off to them. But you can't write a better ending than this.

(+)

Kobe Bryant, 60 points, 22-50 shooting. Are you kidding me? 37 years old. A major achilles injury, multiple knee and shoulder injuries throughout the season at the twilight of his career. He struggled all season long and he puts up this kind of performance in his final game! As a longtime Laker fan, we know Kobe is capable to pull off a performance like this, but at 37 years old! I guess Father Time allowed him to go off for this one game. Every shot Kobe put up, I was on my feet like I was a kid/teenager during his prime and during the championship years. Yes he started slow, yes he missed a lot of shots, but he single-handedly got this team to a victory. His arsenal was on full display, blowing by defenders, hitting impossible shots, hitting impossible three pointers, something Kobe did night in and night out during his prime. Awesome, vintage performance from the Black Mamba! And I enjoyed every moment of it.

Jordan Clarkson, 12 points, 7 rebounds, 6-10 shooting. I emphasized this on my halftime post that the Lakers' young players have to find a way to get involved. This storybook ending wouldn't have been possible without guys like Clarkson, who has been the overall constant among the young three of the Lakers. Clarkson made a couple of big buckets, clutch rebounds to give the Lakers and Kobe Bryant a shot at a victory. That and he honored Kobe with a 360 dunk of his own in the third quarter. Props to Clarkson for answering the bell.

Larry Nance, Jr., 8 points, 6 rebounds, 3-3 shooting. I've always looked at Nance as a high energy guy for the Lakers off the bench. When he gets involved, the Lakers get a spark. Nance displayed a couple of highlight dunks to rile up the Staples Center crowd and give the Lakers new life and he hustled his butt off out there to get to the ball. Solid play from Nance.

(-)

I am going to let the negatives fly. Despite how bad the Lakers started off this game and how they were down for the most part, getting the win for Kobe was all that matters. If they did lose, of course there would've been negatives to note out. But, I'll let this pass.

Conclusion

For the Lakers, this season has been atrocious from the start, but us Laker fans were rewarded at the end to see Kobe Bryant have the game of his life one more time. His performance tonight brought us nostalgia. It brought us happiness, joy, and at the same time, tears that he's going to be gone next season. I've had a lot of memories of Kobe from my childhood to my teenage years and now to my adulthood. I've witnessed him rally the Lakers to a victory in game 4 of the 2000 NBA Finals without Shaq on the floor,  drop 81 points against the Raptors, nail a game winner against the Phoenix Suns during the 1st round of the 2006 NBA Playoffs, drop 61 points at MSG, nail a 3-pointer in J.R. Smith's face in front of a hostile Denver crowd during the '09 Western Conference Finals, hit a total of 6 game winners during the '09-10 season, hit two free throws despite a ruptured achilles against the Warriors, and most of all, I've witnessed him help deliver 5 championships to the Lakers. He's added one more performance to my memories and I'll look back at this game for a long time. Thank You Kobe Bryant for giving me a lot of memories as a Laker fan. Someday, numbers 8 and 24 will be hung from the rafters and Staples Center will unveil a statue of you doing one of your most disrespectful poster dunks on another player (it could be Dwight). As tough as it was to see you play the last couple of seasons since the awful achilles injury, whether we've watched you live or on TV, there's no doubt that I and the rest of Laker Nation have enjoyed every single moment of you being on the court whether it's at Staples Center or on the road.

Thank You!

What are your memories of Kobe Bryant's 20-year career? Share in the comments below. A Season in Review post for the Lakers' 2015-16 season will be posted up sometime this week or next week depending on my schedule. I'll see you guys later. 

Kobe! Kobe! Kobe! Kobe! Kobe!

04/13: Farewell Kobe LAKERS vs. Utah Jazz Q-by-Q Reaction

Q4:

UTA 96 LAL 101

Allow me to clear my throat for a bit...KOBE!!!!!!!!!! You cannot write a storybook ending to an illustrious career better than this! 60 points, the most scored by any NBA player this season and a win to go out on top. That 60 points though, who else to do it by the Black Mamba! He's done it before and for the first time in a long time, he's done it again! He also showed that clutch ability too, hitting the go ahead jump shot in the final minute to pretty much seal the deal for the Lakers. Laker Nation, I am going to remember this performance for a long time. A fitting end to a great career. Thank you Kobe! Stay tuned for the full recap.

Q3:

UTA 75 LAL 66

37 points and counting for Kobe Bryant! The good news is that the Lakers are still in this game. I said in my halftime post, I thought the rest of the team was kind of hesitant in the first half to take a shot and resorting to Kobe to take those shots since it's his final game. They woke up a little bit this quarter. Jordan Clarkson pulled a little Kobe move with a 360 dunk on the break during the quarter. D'Angelo found his shot a little bit. Small steps, but Kobe is continuing to turn back the clock in his final game. One more quarter.

Q2:

UTA 57 LAL 42

It's understandable that it's Kobe's last game and they're giving him every shot that he gets, but the young guns of the Lakers need to find a way to step up their game. The only time they showed up was when Kobe created a turnover in the final minute, passed to Russell, and Russell passed it to Randle for the easy dunk. The players have to find a way to get themselves in this game. More to come in the halftime report.

Q1:

UTA 21 LAL 19

Talk about a tale of two halves this quarter. Both teams could not buy a bucket. The Lakers started 0-7 from the field. Kobe looked like he had some early jitters, starting 0-4, but man did he turn back the clock mid-quarter with a couple of jump shots, 3 pointers. Byron Scott let him play the full quarter. Let's see how many minutes he play the next quarter. Lakers managed to capture the lead briefly, but Utah came storming back for a two point lead.

LAKERS-Jazz Halftime Post

UTA 57 LAL 42

Welcome in to the halftime post of the Lakers' matchup and Kobe Bryant's final game vs. the Utah Jazz where

(+)

Kobe Bryant, 22 points, 7-19 shooting. It's his farewell game and deservedly so, Kobe has the spotlight in this. However, the first quarter the Lakers started 0-7 and Kobe accounted for 4 of those first 7 shots. The haters like that, but then Kobe Bryant started to heat up in the mid-quarter, putting up a vintage sequence down the stretch, hitting five shots, one from deep (3 points). He's also blowing by defenders, which is impossible for a normal 37 year old coming off from an achilles injury three years ago. Overall, I thought the Laker offense came alive once Kobe got it going after an 0-4 start from the field.

(-)

The supporting cast. I said it in the Q-by-Q reaction in my 2nd quarter post, it's understandable that they're giving Kobe the ball to delight the Staples Center crowd, but they have to find a way to step up. Julius Randle, 2 points, D'Angelo Russell 4 points, and Jordan Clarkson 4 points. The future of the Lakers hinges on these three and it's starting off like a repeat the last time they played the Jazz when the Jazz blew them out in Utah a few games back.

Bottom Line

The adjustments are self-explanatory. The other thing I forgot to note out is that they held Rodney Hood to 2 points. Last time, they let Hood burn them for 30 in a half and they've done a good job keeping him in check. But, the Jazz are playing team ball. The Laker young guns have to find a way to make this game about them even though this about Kobe playing his final game. They have to get involved. Even if Kobe is having his way with his vintage performance in the first half, we don't know how long that will last and that should urge the other players to find their game. We'll see how the final chapter unfolds.