Opening Night NBA recaps
Booooooooo! 45 points. Yaaaaaaay!!!
By Holly MacKenzie
One is the loneliest number….Allow me a moment to wallow as I reflect the first time in my life where I did not watch opening night with a slew of friends. Moving is fun, but it is always difficult to find a group of friends as great as the ones you left behind. I have met some amazing people here yes, finding some die-hard hoop heads, I’m still working on that! Regardless, the NBA season is upon us! Yeahhhh for that.
As for the Lakers…Hearing Kobe booed at Staples was like…experiencing my first high school break up all over again. How could something so sweet turn out like this? Ugh. Of course, by the end of the evening, he had those same critics eating out of the palm of his hand. Maybe a miracle can happen and he can work the same magic on the Lakers front office? Quick look outside, anyone see a rainbow? Maybe some pigs with wings? I am holding out hope because that is what a fan does, right? Kobe and the Lakers breaking up is like…Well, it leaves me at a loss for words, which does not happen often, trust me. And also, the irony of the Lakers losing by 2 after the inadvertent tip in on the Rockets basket by Walton was not lost on me in the 2-point loss. I felt like it was a lesson for kids watching. “See kids, every single play does matter”. As for the season opener with the Spurs and Blazers? LaMarcus Aldridge did his thing. Would have been nice to see him grab some more boards, but hey, I wanted an encouraging game from the Blazers and I got it. Outshooting the Spurs was a nice way to start the season, especially when Brandon Roy had such a bad outing. Seeing my boy Darius Washington make the final roster for SA, and actually get in for 11 minutes (and hit a three!), was a nice little highlight as well. And of course, I couldn’t be a Canadian basketball fan if I didn’t mention the game of Matt Bonner last night. Whether we love him or love to hate him, this former Raptor makes me smile. Okay, enough commentary, here are the recaps.
San Antonio 106 Portland 97
After getting their rings the San Antonio Spurs appeared to have been blinded by the bling as they gave up a 16-point lead in the 1st half and went into the 4th quarter up only 4. They got down to business in the final quarter however, and got their execution on track to outscore the Blazers 25-20 and finish the game with a 9 point victory. Tim Duncan, fresh off of signing a contract extension that will keep him with the Spurs until 2011 (and probably the end of his career), led the defending champions with 24 points and 13 rebounds while last year’s finals MVP Tony Parker added 19. When their offense needed a boost Brent Barry was there to connect on some three-pointers and finished the game with 12 points. Manu Ginobili added 16 points, helping to double the Spurs 4 point lead early in the 4th quarter by scoring consecutive baskets. For the young Portland team, LaMarcus Aldridge came up big with a game-high 27 points while Joel Przybilla had a double-double with 13 points and 10 boards. Reigning rookie of the year, Brandon Roy had a rough opening night shooting only 2-10 from the floor to finish with 7 points in the game. It was an encouraging first effort for the Blazers, and the start of defending their title for the Spurs.
Utah 117 Golden State 96
In a rematch of the Western Conference semi-finals, the end result was the same. The Utah Jazz defeated the Warriors last night by a score of 117-96 behind a huge game from Carlos Boozer with 32 points and 15 rebounds. Deron Williams added 24 and Paul Millsap had a double-double with 16 points and 10 boards. 2nd year Ronnie Brewer excelled in his new spot at starting shooting guard, finishing with 18 points on 8-14 shooting. Stat-stuffer Andrei Kirilenko was all over the board for the Jazz with 9 points, 9 boards, 8 assists and 5 blocks.The Warriors who were without Stephen Jackson just could not control the Jazz. Baron Davis led the way for Golden State scoring 25 points and dishing 10 assists, Mickael Pietrus and Monta Ellis each had 17 and Kelenna Azubuike added 11, starting in Jackson’s place. Utah outrebounded the Warriors by 19 (56-37) and also had 13 more shot attempts than Golden State.
Houston 95 L.A. Lakers 93
After an off-season where many wondered whether Kobe Bryant would be in a Lakers uniform for the start of the season, even the sprained-wrist didn’t stop him from starting the season in a big way. Kobe finished with 45 points to lead all scorers on opening night in the Lakers loss to the Rockets. The Rockets were led by their big two, Tracy McGrady (30 points) and Yao Ming (25 points, 12 boards). Derek Fisher had 17 points in his return to the Lakers, none bigger than his final two. In a game that featured the Rockets ahead for most of the contest the Lakers rallied back, in the final minutes to tie the game on a long two-pointer (feet were on the line), by Derek Fisher. In the 13-0 run, the Lakers were led by Kobe Bryant and his 18-points in the quarter. Just as it looked as though the Lakers were going to pull off the upset, Shane Battier rises up and knocks down the biggest shot of the night, a three-point dagger to put the Lakers behind by three again. With 1.3 left on the clock, Kobe gets fouled, makes the first, and intentionally misses the 2nd, the ball winds up in his hands, but he is stripped (fouled?), by Alston and game over. Kobe had a career high in ft attempts with 27, but made only 18 as a result of the wrist-sprain.
153 Responses to “Opening Night NBA recaps”
Oct.31 at 8:03 am
andrew says:
first on first!!
Oct.31 at 8:04 am
Captain America says:
Kobe and Laker fans could learn from KG and T’Wolves fans. KG will get a standing O when he comes to town in Feb. ‘08
Oct.31 at 8:05 am
Captain America says:
Matt Bonner, beauty, eh.
Oct.31 at 8:07 am
Captain America says:
Look out for Portland once Oden returns next year.
Oct.31 at 8:20 am
The Best Yet says:
Kwame and Luke’s blunder…classic.
Oct.31 at 8:21 am
Keith says:
Funniest thing I heard in the Spurs/Portland game was Marv Albert saying to Mike Fratello following his Baseball analogy: “Bizarre references to football last week, which…made no sense”
Oct.31 at 8:33 am
white hot eboy says:
Since the Spurs game put me to sleep, I saw none of the Lakers game. While it sounded like a fantastic ending, 24 shooting 27 free throws should put some silence on the D-Wade critics. 27 fta’s? Opening night? Ridiculous. Oh and for anyone that remembers, I told everyone Kobe would go for about 50. Not too hard to predict. Keep it up 24, you’ll be burned out by New Years.
Oct.31 at 8:34 am
Bryan says:
I only watched the first quarter of the laker game before I fell asleep but I did see Kobe get in Tmacs shorts big time.It was nice.
Oct.31 at 8:42 am
white hot eboy says:
Shia, your sentence structure makes 24 seem like he was replaying that fateful night in Colorado.
Oct.31 at 8:50 am
white hot eboy says:
I like how the Lakers two future HOF centers combined for 5 points and 2 rebounds in 28 minutes. Wasn’t there a moron here that thought Bynum would average 15 & 8? Oh, that was Shia. Sorry.
Oct.31 at 8:50 am
Bryan says:
I was gonna make a joke but that would be in poor taste..
Oct.31 at 8:51 am
Bryan says:
It’s game one lets call it a season,Eboy.
Oct.31 at 8:51 am
Bryan says:
Oh and I didn’t say he would I said he could.f*cker.
Oct.31 at 8:55 am
Keith says:
Cap America…what did you mean by “Kobe and Laker fans could learn from KG and T’Wolves fans.”?
Oct.31 at 8:58 am
Bryan says:
Martell Webster and Lemarcus Aldridge looked real good last night..I dunno if webster can keep it up though.
Oct.31 at 8:59 am
Holly MacKenzie says:
I thought it was going to be a decent year for Bynum too, Eboy. Guess I am moron #2, sadly. ahahha. Come on Laker big men. Seriously.
Oct.31 at 9:00 am
Bryan says:
GAME ONE.OF 82!
Oct.31 at 9:01 am
Keith says:
Aldridge made the game look incredibly easy last night. Hitting outside shots and inside post moves. That’s tough to do, especially when you’re up against the Spurs and Timmy D. I’m expecting big things from him.
Oct.31 at 9:05 am
Cheryl says:
You guys thought the Spurs/Blazers was boring? I really enjoyed watching Timmy and the boys pick up where they left off in June and am real excited by the potential of the Blazers. They were right there with the best team in the league, and certainly didn’t allow them to sleepwalk to a win. How could you call that game boring? And I caught a little of the Lakers/Rockets and was not impressed with the Rockets at all. I fell asleep–did Stevie Franchise even play? That’s a team that won’t give the West too much to be scared of. Also caught a bit of the Deron Boozer show. They’re gonna be good again this year. AK looked amped. That’s all I have to say about that.
Oct.31 at 9:05 am
Bryan says:
Aldridge looked huge too, I don’t remember him being that big last year…And like I said I only caught the first quarter of the Laker game but Kwame Brown looked half competent out there for the first few minutes, I saw him make a nice pass to Walton which led to an assist on a Turiaf layup.The Lakers offense looked pretty crisp too, like they were actually starting to get it.
Oct.31 at 9:06 am
white hot eboy says:
Shia, in case you didin’t notice, almost every Laker’s game this year will be in the same vein. Kobe has to do almost everything and the rest of the team does less than nothing. In case you haven’t been watching for the last 3 years, not much has changed for them. And won’t as long as the team’s talent level stays as low as your witty comeback level.
Oct.31 at 9:09 am
white hot eboy says:
Opening night, at home, with emotions bubbling, you would expect a team’s best effort. And the Lakers fans got it. And they still lost to a flawed team, as Cheryl noted. And Shia, are we to assume that you are rooting for the Lakers this season and distancing yourself from the Halloween horrors known as the Knicks?
Oct.31 at 9:10 am
Holly MacKenzie says:
eboy is right… for every superstar the opposing team has, kobe’s gotta produce as much. Last night the Rockets had McGrady AND Yao… and the Lakers had Kobe. Dude is the best player out there, but he can only do so much.. and he will burn out/get injured/get frustrated.. well, the last one has happened already.. it is only a matter of time before the other two seriously happen as well. That is why I understand Kobe’s frustration with the Lakers. Not saying I agree with how it has all gone down, but our big men made me so angry last night. Wow. Also, Odom was in a car accident on the way to the arena. he was disgnosed only with a minor concussion, but still makes me nervous. Trouble just follows that guy, I pray he gets healthy soon!
Oct.31 at 9:11 am
Holly MacKenzie says:
Cheryl,
I enjoyed the Spurs/Blazers game as well. I loved seeing the Blazers do so well. Esp with Roy having a tough game. That has to be encouraging for their fans.
Oct.31 at 9:12 am
white hot eboy says:
And Shia, if were working off averages, Bynum needs to get about 32 & 14 next game to stay on track for your prediction.
Oct.31 at 9:12 am
Bryan says:
My loyalty always lies with the knicks first…This is how I decide who I’m rooting for.I’ve been following most of these players since high school or college or their rookie years.I’m a fan of the knicks and then I’m a fan of players and whichever team has more players I like, I root for in that particular game.
Oct.31 at 9:14 am
Bryan says:
Or he could get exactly 15 and 8 over the next 81 games.
Oct.31 at 9:16 am
white hot eboy says:
The Spurs are just ruthlessly efficient and so good. And Holly, 24’s game is off the charts ridiculous and him having to do EVERYTHING to make them at least competitive is way too much to ask of him at this time. There are just too many other great teams and players for him to be able to will the Lakers past their platuea of talent and make them a true threat to any of the “big” 4 or 5 teams in their conference. They can pull off a win or two by chance, but taking a series is next to impossible for this group. And that’s why 24 should move on. To give him a chance to shine in a new enviornment. And maybe will someone else’s team to greatness.
Oct.31 at 9:17 am
Bryan says:
If Isiah knew how to coach the Knicks would be good with their players there is no reason they shouldn’t do well in the east.
Oct.31 at 9:19 am
white hot eboy says:
Keep dreaming, Shia. And not of a freshly waxed Bumblebee, either.
Oct.31 at 9:21 am
Bryan says:
I f*cking hate the spurs.I liekd seeing Aldridge manhandle that Fabricio.But Tim Duncan is just amazing.
Oct.31 at 9:23 am
Bryan says:
Liked*…it’s gonna be one of those days for me I think..
Oct.31 at 9:27 am
Joel O's says:
The Knicks players? When your best player’s off-court contributions - making cool shoes affordable, or rather, making affordable shoes cool - vastly overshadows his oncourt contributions… you’ve either got the reincarnated second coming of Mother Teresa on your squad, or your team just really, really sucks.
Oct.31 at 9:28 am
CoolWhip11 says:
Enough with the Spur jock-riding. They’ve never repeated remember.
Oct.31 at 9:28 am
Keith says:
Brandon Roy had a tough game being guarded by 94 year old Bruce Bowen but all credit to the Bowen collector, he did a tight job. As for Duncan - the man is reliable. That is all I will say.
Oct.31 at 9:38 am
Joel O's says:
To repeat, you have to WIN it first. They’ve already won 4 in the last decade, and even if they don’t repeat this year, they may just pick up another one or two before Duncan retires.
Oct.31 at 9:39 am
white hot eboy says:
The Spurs have never lost one, either.
Oct.31 at 9:41 am
H to the izzo says:
The NBA,where Tim Duncan will not stop happening
Oct.31 at 9:46 am
Bryan says:
Winning a championship every other year isn’t so bad who cares if they never repeat.
Oct.31 at 9:47 am
Bryan says:
You know all these websites try and entice you to online colleges with pretty girls in skivvies laying on beds looking at laptops..I wonder how many people think that their “classroom” is gonna have a pretty girl like that and sign up right away.
Oct.31 at 9:48 am
H to the izzo says:
See that Kirilenko almost got the most unnoticable triple double ever
Oct.31 at 9:48 am
white hot eboy says:
Including you? Probably a small handful.
Oct.31 at 9:50 am
Bryan says:
I did not sign up for online college.I am gonna be a campus guy.
Oct.31 at 9:52 am
Holly MacKenzie says:
what the hell kinda online colleges are you looking at shia? did you check to see if they are accredited? I’m guessing no. ahah
Oct.31 at 9:52 am
Holly MacKenzie says:
what the hell kinda online colleges are you looking at shia? did you check to see if they are accredited? I’m guessing no. ahah
Oct.31 at 9:53 am
Holly MacKenzie says:
weird.. how did that happen?
Oct.31 at 9:54 am
Bryan says:
No like on myspace and yahoo they have a link that says “online colleges are cool” and it’s always some hot girl laying in her undies.Holly is on the Shia bandwagon now..haha That made me crack up.
Oct.31 at 9:55 am
H to the izzo says:
See that even Holly is calling you Shia now,Nate
Oct.31 at 9:57 am
Bryan says:
How the hell did I become nate ? I forgot..
Oct.31 at 9:59 am
Holly MacKenzie says:
aahah sorry shia.. i mean bryan.. i mean.. where did the nickname come from? I am so out of the loop with this stuff!
Oct.31 at 9:59 am
white hot eboy says:
Shia, be proud. You have more nicknames than any other poster here.
Oct.31 at 10:00 am
white hot eboy says:
Give her the Shia history, Shia. I would like to hear it myself again, too.
Oct.31 at 10:01 am
H to the izzo says:
Eboy,Tarzan Cooper Jesus Shuttlesworth whatever else he was would have something to say about that
Oct.31 at 10:01 am
Logan says:
the lakers got back into the game only because of Kobe in the 4th. there was no defense, no rotation….its hard out here for us laker fans…..and this is just game 1!! BTW, if Bynum ‘develops’ into a post threat, Dwight and Amare will be owning the post on their respective conferences…
Oct.31 at 10:02 am
Logan says:
and there is no way that kid becomes better than them…i mean, don’t you need to catch the ball first to shoot???? sorry, just a pissed laker fan here…
Oct.31 at 10:04 am
white hot eboy says:
Izzo, I was referring to other’s nicknames for him, not ridiculous made up ones from someone’s own mind.
Oct.31 at 10:05 am
Holly MacKenzie says:
woahhh i dont think anyone thinks bynum will ever become better than howard or amare that isnt just wishful thinking that is straight up delusional.
Oct.31 at 10:05 am
Bryan says:
When I first posted here Eboy looked at my myspace page and the picture I had made me look like Shia Lebouf I guess.
Oct.31 at 10:08 am
white hot eboy says:
You guess? Come on, young man, you were going for stunt double work on the Transformers sequel. And Holly, he knew it was true, beacuse after a short while, he changed his picture so that when you see his default picture when you click on his name, in his picture now he looks like some ghey male dancer in a Village People revue.
Oct.31 at 10:10 am
Bryan says:
I disgreed that I looked like Shia ,then I was Brad Pitt’s retarded brother Stu for some reason…Then I was Nate and I have no clue where that came from.The meineke man of Leboufdom, HardcoreEmoMan because someone called me emo and I took exception.I got a million of em.
Oct.31 at 10:11 am
white hot eboy says:
Just look at his image today, he looks like a very butchy twink. Izzo should have questions about that terminology.
Oct.31 at 10:11 am
Holly MacKenzie says:
ahaahaha never a dull moment around here.. i love it.
Oct.31 at 10:11 am
white hot eboy says:
See, Shia, you are loved.
Oct.31 at 10:13 am
Bryan says:
Damn why do I gotta look ghey? F*cked up man.
Oct.31 at 10:17 am
Cloud S.Y Louis says:
Kobe’s doing everything he can to make the team better, 45pg,8rb,4apg,4steal,1block….so what can ya guys expect him to bring,he juz didn’t get the help he deserve, luke&brown……LOL….ya CLASSIC
Oct.31 at 10:17 am
H to the izzo says:
Eboy,Twink as in Twink Twink?
Oct.31 at 10:20 am
Holly MacKenzie says:
don’t be a poser shia.. get some candid shots up there!!
Oct.31 at 10:21 am
Holly MacKenzie says:
yah.. kb was the leading rebounder… sheesh. this season may cause my hair to go grey….okay not really, but it will be frustrating.
Oct.31 at 10:26 am
Carmen says:
KOBE! DON’T GO! LA LOVES YOU!
Oct.31 at 10:27 am
Bryan says:
I have a couple of candids in there holly.
Oct.31 at 10:30 am
Holly MacKenzie says:
sorry bryan.. im not good with navigating myspace.. its all about the facebook up here in Canada.
Oct.31 at 10:31 am
white hot eboy says:
Twinkle, twinkly little Shia.
Oct.31 at 10:33 am
Bryan says:
facebook sucks..My page is private anyway so you couldn’t see unless you were my myspace friend.
Oct.31 at 10:33 am
H to the izzo says:
*Confused*
Oct.31 at 10:33 am
Holly MacKenzie says:
eboyyyy you make me laughh
Oct.31 at 10:34 am
Holly MacKenzie says:
what are you confused about izzo
Oct.31 at 10:37 am
white hot eboy says:
Glad to amuse you, lady.
Oct.31 at 10:38 am
H to the izzo says:
Fooking everything at this stage Holly
Oct.31 at 10:45 am
Holly MacKenzie says:
ahah i seriously do laugh out loud at this site.. and i HATE using msn “lingo” but its true. izzo every time I write that name I think of one of the guys on my schools team that we call Izzy. Just some background on him (even though you didn’t ask!), hes from brazil and his cousin is Nene. I’ve got high hopes for him. hes had two nice double double games as of late.
Oct.31 at 10:51 am
white hot eboy says:
Holly, that’s more production than Izzo has in an entire season with is team.
Oct.31 at 10:52 am
H to the izzo says:
How I long to change my name.And Holly since we’re on the topic of information that wasn’t requested,everytime I write Holly I get reminded of an ex,she wasn’t very interesting,that’s all I remember
Oct.31 at 10:53 am
white hot eboy says:
Oh, and back to basketball, I told you about Ronnie Brewer. Dude is going to be monstrous with the Jazz this season.
Oct.31 at 10:54 am
white hot eboy says:
We should all exchange screen names one day and post as the other person. I would like to be Shia, since all I’d have to do is call people fu*ers all day. Maybe on April Fools Day.
Oct.31 at 10:59 am
Bryan says:
haha that made me laugh out loud for real.Is that all I do ?
Oct.31 at 11:05 am
white hot eboy says:
Well, not all the time. But it is your stock response when someone pisses you off.
Oct.31 at 11:08 am
Holly MacKenzie says:
HAHAHAHAH sorry I remind you of not so pleasant memories Izzo. Someone mentioned I Used to Love H.E.R. yesterday and I’ve been listening to it ever since. Never underestimate what you are going to get out of a morning on slamonline! “and what i loved most she had so much soul” love that song
Oct.31 at 11:17 am
Wiznack says:
What’d you guys think of D-Wade’s new T-Mobile commercials with Barkley? Hilarious
Oct.31 at 11:21 am
Allenp says:
I just wanted to note that Bryan blamed Isiah’s lack of coaching acumen for the Knicks’ struggles to win with their talent, but didn’t credit Isiah the GM for actually assembling the talent. Strange that.
Oct.31 at 11:25 am
Holly MacKenzie says:
have a good day guys.. I’m heading out. BIG night on the schedule tonight!! Can’t wait.
Oct.31 at 11:27 am
H to the izzo says:
AllenP:You honestly want to give Isiah credit for his GMing abilities?!
Oct.31 at 11:29 am
white hot eboy says:
Holly, enjoy your day and the games. Till tomorrow….
Oct.31 at 11:34 am
Bryan says:
Girls named holly..One kicked me in the nuts once.
Oct.31 at 11:43 am
Bryce says:
For all you Bynum haters - you might have missed that he was fined and penalized for showing up a half hour late for gametime. This of course effected his ability to get 15 and 8. RONNIE BREWER B*TCHES!
Oct.31 at 11:44 am
white hot eboy says:
That just shows his stupidity, Bryce.
Oct.31 at 11:45 am
Bryce says:
And aren’t there rules against old men having screen names…
Oct.31 at 11:48 am
white hot eboy says:
It depends on what you consider old, and then the content of the posts come into play and then others who hate figure into it…..so I’m not sure.
Oct.31 at 11:48 am
Bryce says:
Facebook > Myspace
Oct.31 at 11:50 am
Bryce says:
I’m just f*cking with you eboy…you’re the man for getting ronnie brewer in tarzan’s league which by the way I have to chance at now that Bibby went down
Oct.31 at 11:52 am
white hot eboy says:
Ronnie is beastlike. In a good sort of way.
Oct.31 at 11:55 am
H to the izzo says:
I found Eboy’s MySpace,if I had one we could be like totally friends.
And I remember watching Brewer at Arkansas and thinking he could be a defensive beast one day but didn’t think his offense would improve so much
Oct.31 at 11:57 am
Bryan says:
Facebook sucks dude.
Oct.31 at 11:58 am
RV says:
Kobe wasn’t fouled on that last play, he barely even had possession. I don’t think I’ve ever seen him complain about so many no calls that really weren’t fouls. He should have done his homework and realized the refs said they were going to protect the Bigs from the smaller guys who jump into them from now on. Superstars better realize that the refs won’t bail you out (as much) from now on.
Oct.31 at 12:00 pm
jbn74sb says:
I have neither the time nor the inclination to read all of the above comments. My thoughts:
1. Kobe looked okay, and if anything should have shot more free throws. He got quite a few questionable no calls.
2. The Lakers played without Odom, their second best overall player and best rebounder, and a matchup problem for nearly every team in the league, but especially the Rockets. WHo do they put on him?
3. The comeback was sweet, but my heart wasn’t in it. Watching the game last night was like sleeping with a super hot ex. It was fun and all, but you realize it’s time to move on.
Oct.31 at 12:04 pm
white hot eboy says:
I don’t like emo-Bodie.
Oct.31 at 12:06 pm
white hot eboy says:
And Izzo, I feel like I have a stalker.
Oct.31 at 12:07 pm
Myles Brown says:
Kobe should’ve made the free throws he took and they’d have won.
Oct.31 at 12:09 pm
RV says:
Cheryl, the Rockets had their impressive moments in the preseason. I disagree about them not scaring anyone in the west. Its only the first game, the rotation wasn’t set until the last preseason game. Scola is still adjusting so he didnt play much. Francis isn’t playing because he was beat out for the job. This is because James/Alston/Head worked their butts off during the summer and are in great shape. Steve came in looking to play himself in shape and that affected his play in practice. Their biggest problem is turnovers, over half are careless and unforced. Once their offense becomes more routine/familiar they should be a lot better.
Oct.31 at 12:11 pm
jbn74sb says:
Myles - Yeah.
eboy - I’m never emo, a definition of which I’ve still not heard. I’m either happy or pissed.
Query - It sucked not having the local broadcast last night. Where was Half-Pipe? And why was Crittendon in street clothes?
Oct.31 at 12:13 pm
RV says:
I agree Myles, normally I would point that out, but with his sprained wrist I figured he had an excuse.
Oct.31 at 12:17 pm
white hot eboy says:
Well, Bodie, then I don’t like you as a self-hating Lakers fan, then.
Oct.31 at 12:21 pm
Reggie Evans says:
Tough to win when your own team scores points for the opponents.
Oct.31 at 12:22 pm
Chief says:
Kobe 45 was awesome but when Walton and Kwame are scoring on themselves you know this franchise has to work on something.
Oct.31 at 12:25 pm
jbn74sb says:
Aside from his dunks, that was Kwame’s best shot of the night.
Turiaf sure threw a couple of beastly dunks down. Dude can get up.
Oct.31 at 12:39 pm
Bryan says:
Yeah I didn’t realize Turiaf could get up like that.
Oct.31 at 12:43 pm
MD4040 says:
Look the Kobe soap opera is gonna be on course for the Emmy that TNT’s Inside the NBA usually gets unless the show is cancelled immediatley with a Kobe trade. On the other hand they could just off him like a Law & Order victim dujour for the good of all basketball fans everywhere.
Oct.31 at 12:54 pm
Phil B says:
as the token blazer fan, the game was quite encouraging. i can tell myself stuff like “well had brandon played well, we would have won.” oh well. lamarcus was awesome offensively against timmy d. needs to board more though.
Oct.31 at 1:02 pm
jay says:
yeah i was wondering why crittenton, sasha or radman didnt get any minutes. Luke was very slow on defense, mcgrady got majority of his points on Luke, Kobe had mcgrady on a lock and you could just see him getting frustrated over that. The rockets looked very sloppy, forcing passes in clogged lanes, they got stripped by almost everyone who played for the lakers. Kobe had an excuse for not making all of his ft’s but the rest of the team, it was inexcuseable.
Oct.31 at 1:04 pm
white hot eboy says:
The Blazers will be rough with Odom next year, btw.
Oct.31 at 1:45 pm
RV says:
Can someone post a picture of the Lakers’ bench last night? I swear they had a few Beatles suited up for the game
Oct.31 at 2:01 pm
jbn74sb says:
I thought Luke actually did pretty well last night, considering the fact that he was guarding one of the best scorers in the NBA for much of the night, and has always been known as a poor defensive player.
Sasha was the lone Beatle suited up for the game. Coby Karl has heart, and I’m glad he made the team, but he looks like an albino lizard.
Still shocked that Half-Pipe and Critt were inactive. Since Mihm is not ready to perfrom at his HOF level, deactivate him, and do the same if you’re going to sit Sasha.
Oct.31 at 2:18 pm
jay says:
i wasnt really feeling Luke last night. & LOL at Coby Karl looking like an albino lizard. I read somewhere that vlade had a bad throat or something, but i dont know why Crit didnt get any minutes. & what little minutes Cook got, he did horrible, just as expected.
Oct.31 at 2:18 pm
Tarzan Cooper says:
kobe shot 13-32, yikes. preview of every game this year, kobe shoots alot! and doesnt even want to look for the pass.
Oct.31 at 2:19 pm
Tarzan Cooper says:
after the first quarter the rockets looked great. bonzi!!
Oct.31 at 2:21 pm
Tarzan Cooper says:
no mention of martell webster? implying that kobe was hacked after the missed free throw is bs. it was obvious skip poked it away, kobes reaction was nashish in his extreme flopping. slam should really let me do some recaps, i would do much better. baron had 5 steals too.
Oct.31 at 2:28 pm
RV says:
I picked up Webster on my fantasy team, hopefully he’ll be consistent the whole year and Coby is only a tan away from being a Beatle
Oct.31 at 2:32 pm
jbn74sb says:
Kobe did not get fouled on the last play.
He did, however, in addition to taking a lot of shots, lead the team in assists, rebounds, steals, and blocks, as well as turnovers.
The assist stat is surprising when one considers that his teammates shot 19-44, which is only a slight improvement over his percentage. Thing is, as bad as the Lakers played, if Kobe shoots his usual FT percentage, they win. Without Lamar Odom, who the Rockets have nobody to guard.
Oct.31 at 2:33 pm
jay says:
also when Kobe was hacked on the 3 pointer he tried to take, the ref blowed the whistle a little late, like quarter of a second, that should’ve been an inbound, instead of a Ft.
Oct.31 at 2:36 pm
jay says:
jbn you cant really blame Kobe for not shooting all his Ft’s, you could clearly see the pain on his face because of his wrist.
Oct.31 at 2:42 pm
Tarzan Cooper says:
1 laker loss, and bodie is already talking “if”s. wilda$$ chuck hayes would do ok guarding odom.
Oct.31 at 2:45 pm
white hot eboy says:
jay, i’d expect more from you. A free throw take less effort than forced jumpers and long threes. There is no excuse for missing the free throws except for lack of focus when you are a good free throw shooter like 24.
Oct.31 at 2:50 pm
jbn74sb says:
I agree, eboy, as to Kobe needing to hit about 5 more FTs.
Tarzan - Are you kidding? Chuck Hayes played a grand total of 26 minutes without Odom, and let Turiaf, who can’t and doesn’t handle the ball, double his own point total. Odom would roll him up and smoke him.
Although, for the record, Battier’s foul of Kobe is a continuation play in the NBA.
Oct.31 at 2:55 pm
Bryan says:
I liked what I saw out of the Lakers last night.
Oct.31 at 3:00 pm
The Notorious King says:
kobe is the most effortless scorer since Wilt
Oct.31 at 3:01 pm
jay says:
eboy as i said before he had a bad wrist, and it was pretty clear. it was definitely not lack of focus. same reason i think he missed alot of shots that he usually can make it with his eyes closed, he was unable to create the same smooth motion because he couldnt fully bend his wrist, also wen he bumped into yao, that damaged the wrist then as well.
Oct.31 at 3:11 pm
Tarzan Cooper says:
bodie, with wild@ss chuck hayes on odom, yao would still be guarding the rim, and we all know turiaf has no business taking jumpshots. battier fouled kobe cryant on the floor. but kobe cryant’s flailing after fouls was amazing, he almost hit chuck hayes in the face a la manu, from last year, but he missed cuz chuck isnt foreign.
Oct.31 at 3:18 pm
jbn74sb says:
Turiaf and Odom wouldn’t be in the game at the same time, nitwit.
Oct.31 at 3:23 pm
RV says:
no way that foul was continuation, Battier stuck his arm in as kobe caught the ball and then Kobe turned to shoot. Its like a fade away, if the foul is on the catch, refs don’t allow a player to turn and shoot.
Oct.31 at 3:24 pm
RV says:
I do think his wrist bothered him, but only he knows if it was bad enough to mess with his shot, if it was then he shouldnt have shot the ball so much
Oct.31 at 3:28 pm
Tarzan Cooper says:
actually bodie, odom is the starting 3, turiaf the 4. but that will happen when odom is healthy. you dont even know the starters of your own team, nitwit.
Oct.31 at 3:28 pm
jbn74sb says:
You’re right, RV. Because letting Kwame, Cook, and Maurice shoot more would have been better. My god…
Also, Kobe did not make another move on that play. Under the rules, faulty though they may be, the play was continuation. He caught the ball, got fouled, did not make another move, and shot.
Oct.31 at 3:30 pm
jbn74sb says:
The Lakers, when everyone is healthy, will usually start Fisher, Kobe, Luke, Lamar, and a center. Turiaf will be an energy guy off the bench.
Oct.31 at 3:31 pm
RV says:
to clarify my post, refs don’t allow continuation if the player didn’t catch the ball as he was turning or going into his move. In kobe’s case he caught the ball first, then turned.
Oct.31 at 3:39 pm
jay says:
that play was continuation, and if they would’ve let that play continue, id let fisher take the shot, since he was hitting the mid range well. jbn who do you think they will or should start at center?
Oct.31 at 3:40 pm
jbn74sb says:
But he got fouled after he caught the ball. Had he been fouled before he caught the ball, as you appear to be suggesting, it would have been a dead ball fall, and would have gotten FTs and the ball.
Oct.31 at 3:42 pm
Tarzan Cooper says:
no bodie, obviously you havent been paying attention to what your team has been saying. lamar is the starting 3 and turiaf the 4, with probably kwame starting, unless he steals another cake, and phil benches him while calling him a pu$$y
Oct.31 at 3:44 pm
jbn74sb says:
Depends on matchups, Jay.
Last night, they needed Kwame to try to D up Yao, who is just too polished and big for Bynum to handle.
Also, the refs still give Bynum cheap fouls that they don’t call on Kwame.
However, Bynum should start when they can get some offense out of the center matchup.
When the Lakers get Odom back, they will have a good second unit, with Farmar/ Critt, Maurice, Half-Pipe, Turiaf, and Bynum. Last night, the Rockets bench killed the Lakers.
Oct.31 at 3:45 pm
jbn74sb says:
Tarzan - not going to happen. Turiaf is too foul prone to start, and the second unit needs his energy and offense. And Odom can’t guard most 3s.
Oct.31 at 4:00 pm
jay says:
actually what Tarzan said, could possibly happen. I heard Phil talking about starting Odom at 3 and Turiaf at 4 and luke coming off the bench. Odom said he is comfortable playing 3, and luke said he didnt mind coming off the bench. I think he would be good leading the second unit, lets see how that works, if it ever happens.
Oct.31 at 4:07 pm
Tarzan Cooper says:
it is not a possibility, it IS going to happen.
Oct.31 at 4:13 pm
jbn74sb says:
Yeah. It was talked about. As was Kobe playing the facilitator role this season.
Oct.31 at 4:56 pm
albie1kenobi says:
thank all the deities for the return of the nba.
spurs is the team to beat this season. manu looked really refreshed, parker is playing like he wants to keep his finals MVP trophy, and timmy robot is just being himself. everyone else falls neatly in line behind them.
i enjoyed the opener a lot, and just want to say death to all who still thinks spurs are boring. parker had his ridiculous speed and handle (saw that 1 on 4 fastbreak layup he dropped that he had no business to even attempt?), and manu had two or three behind the back passes and a driving dunk. how are those boring?
blazers played a tremendous game. i thought it’d be a snore fest (a la last year’s season opener, ahem, eboy) because oden isn’t playing. this team is about 2 years from making the playoff, or they may even make it when oden joins the team next year. they will be back to a perennial playoff team sooner than you think, even in the mighty west.
lakers are screwed. kobe was already visibly frustrated in the 3rd quarter. it’s him forcing the issue every time down the court. there’s a big possibility that they won’t make the post season.
as for the rockets, i like the quickened tempo, but the team is still trying to figure out the rotation and offense. the team was down 16-5, but the strength of the bench (comparatively anyway) was what truly won the game for the rockets. they almost had an awesome collapse at the end though. tsk tsk. with how things are rolling in houston, i have no idea how steve francis even fits in the picture, so i’m not sure why the rockets even signed him (esp after drafting aaron brooks). trade bait? who’s gonna take him?
Oct.31 at 11:41 pm
RV says:
jbn, you did pick the worse of the worse last night, Kobe could have passed to luke, fisher (who was shooting very well) and others, not just kwame, maurice or cook. He could have created shots for others. He did shoot a bad percentage, assuming the wrist was the problem, he could (and should) have replaced 5-6 of those shot attemps with drives to the hoop looking for a foul or a pass to an open man. Its one thing to keep shooting when your shot is off and hope it comes on on the next attempt, but the wrist wasnt going to heal with more shot attempts.
Nov.1 at 12:47 am
RV says:
whats the rule (literally) on continuation? Shane had his hand in there as soon as Kobe caught the ball , Kobe then turned and shot. The “move” you say he didnt make was turning around. If he catches as he’s turning then he’s began his move already and the only thing left is to shoot. Thats continuation, but he had yet to turn. Otherwise, any player attempting a pass can jack up a shot if he’s fouled since he “didn’t make another move”. The key is if the player is within his move and not if he made another.