Andrew Bynum’s Record-Tying Block Party

Andrew Bynum’s 10 blocks against the Denver Nuggets in Game 1 were a stark reminder that he’s very tall, and very good. Oh, and Bynum also registered the first postseason triple double in Lakers team history since Magic Johnson did it in 1991. From the LA Times: “Bynum had 10 points and 13 rebounds, and tied an NBA playoff record with 10 blocked shots as the Lakers cruised past Denver, 103-88, at Staples Center. ‘It makes us a championship-caliber team,’ Kobe Bryant said of Bynum’s second brush with team history this month. Game 2 in the best-of-seven series is Tuesday at Staples Center, assuming the Nuggets show up after their shots were blocked 15 times. Bynum had 30 rebounds a few weeks ago against San Antonio, making him one of only five Lakers to hit the mark. On Sunday, he broke the team playoff record of his former mentor, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who had nine blocks in 1977 against Golden State. Bynum said the day before Game 1 that ‘L.A. expects us to do big things.’ This would suffice. Bryant had 31 points Sunday, but Bynum’s effort nudged him aside. It was only the second time in NBA playoff history that a player had a triple-double including blocked shots. Hakeem Olajuwon had 11 points, 11 rebounds and 10 blocked shots against the Lakers in 1990. On one third-quarter play, Bynum spiked a ball into the courtside seats, stopping Kenneth Faried with such ease that he seemed almost guilty accepting a congratulatory hug from Pau Gasol. Faried had his shot blocked three times, but that was nothing. Ty Lawson and Al Harrington were each blocked four times by the Lakers, who had 11 more as a team than Denver. ‘If he continues to play like he did … being the type of monster he was today, patrolling the paint, we’ll be playing a long time,’ Lakers Coach Mike Brown said. No pressure there. ‘It’s not pressure,’ Bynum said. ‘It’s just the truth. If I come out and play defense, this team is a lot better.'”