Lakers - The Evil Empire (2006-07 Season)

[selwyth]

Lakers 109
Spurs 108

Significant SA roster changes:
- Drafted Seth Davis, a PG who is a good shooter.

Lakers Squeak Out Another Close Victory after Comeback

After starting their season with mixed results against 3 fast-breaking teams, the Lakers hoped for some success when they visited the SBC Global Center to face the slower-paced San Antonio Spurs. The game was filled with tension from the start, when Laker Kobe Bryant was booed when he was warming up (he did not start) and thereafter whenever he touched the ball. Bryant had made a 3-pointer at the buzzer during last season's playoffs to send a critical Game 3 between the Lakers and Spurs to overtime. The Lakers eventually prevailed in that encounter, and the fans showed that they did not forget it. They will not be forgetting this game in a hurry, either, as the Lakers-Spurs rivalry becomes more and more storied and defined by clutch shots late in the 4th quarter.

For the second consecutive game, Bryant did not start to rest his sore shoulder, and the Spurs went off to a flying start, taking a 37-27 lead by the 1st quarter, going 4 for 5 from three-point territory. Tony Parker handed out 7 assists in the 1st quarter alone, and eventually finished with 9. But the Lakers slowly worked their way back into the game, with Lamar Odom picking up Bryant's scoring slack and sixth man Brian Cook turning in another good shooting performance off the bench with 13 points. The Spurs' halftime lead was 62-53.

The Spurs broke away in the third quarter, leading 81-64 with 1:50 remaining in the period. A flustered Rudy Tomjanovich called for a timeout, and the Lakers responded, closing the quarter with a 6-0 run. At the start of the 4th quarter, the Lakers continued their rally, with Odom drawing 3 shooting fouls to start the quarter, making 4 of 6 free throws to bring the score to 74-81. Odom continued his strong play, scoring 12 points in the first three minutes of the 4th quarter, but once again, Bryant took control late in the game.

With 2 minutes remaining, TJ Ford made a lay-up to tie the score at 102. Thereafter, it was a shooting battle between Bryant and Parker, which went back and forth. Parker made a jumper to restore the Spurs' lead at 108-106, with 23.5 seconds remaining on the clock.

After the timeout, Bryant handled the ball and drove with 13 seconds remaining on the clock, as the fans booed, fearing another repeat of that playoff game. Bryant, however, dished it out to an open Luke Walton on the perimeter. The 3rd-year forward took his time and launched a 3-pointer that silenced the home crowd.

"I knew they'd want to stop me, after my jaw-dropping shot against them last season. Plus I had my sore shoulder, so I decided to dish it," Bryant said after the game of the game-winning play. "Props to Walton for his shot, but I want everybody to realize that I too would have made that shot hands down. I sink it over double teams all the time, and the only reason I didn't take the game-winning shot was because of my shoulder. Walton has to thank me for finding him in open space and letting him be the hero for once."

The game was not over yet, however, with 10 seconds remaining on the game clock. Argentinian Manu Ginobili tried a desperation 23-footer which did not go in, and Robert Horry's tip-in at the buzzer fell short.

"Ginobili has to realize that HE SUCKS," Lakers GM Selwyth had to say after the game. "Like I said after that playoff game, he bellies-up in the clutch. We told Bryant to school him when the game was close and he did, burning Manu for 4 straight points. Then at the buzzer, he thinks he can make that contested clutch shot? Seriously, when they turned to Manu for the game-winning basket, I knew we were going home with the W. He simply can't cope under pressure."

Tony Parker had 25 points, Tim Duncan had 24 points and 17 rebounds, and Ginobili had 20 points for the Spurs. Odom led the Lakers with 32 points, and Bryant posted 15 points and 7 assists off the bench. Chris Mihm, in his first game back from injury, posted career highs of 16 rebounds and 6 blocks.

"We really like the way Mihm is developing as starting center," Tomjanovich praised him after the game. "It was tough, but we decided to put Mihm in the starting spot instead of Grant because of his rebounding and blocking abilities, which help trigger fast-break opportunities. And he showed today that he can excel in that role, doing well against Duncan."

The Lakers climbed back into the game largely by taking advantages of mis-matches at the power forward position. The duo of Odom and Cook outscored the San Antonio duo of Robert Horry and Malik Rose 45-8.

Walton's game-winning 3-pointer was the only shot he took in the entire game.

"I showed great confidence that he could come through, and gave him a great pass," Bryant said. "He owes me big time. He'd better hook me up with some white chicks for 'consensual sex' or I'm cutting short his free ride on my team."

The game-winning play:

[Donatello]

awesome dynasty. hilarious

[selwyth]

Intra-LA Trade Leaves Sour After-taste

11/22/2005 - "We basically traded the white poster child of Los Angeles basketball for the ugly white child of L.A. ball. Or in other words, The Great White Hope (and won't fulfil that destiny, nope) for The Great Big Dope (because he looks like he's on dope)."

Those were Lakers GM Selwyth's comments in relation to the newest basketball trade in Los Angeles. The Lakers have traded Luke Walton to the Clippers for Chris Kaman. Expectedly, Kaman has been traded after complaining of his playing time. Kaman's starting spot on the Clippers line-up has been taken over by rookie Sadiku Choi, and that has not sat well with the 3rd-year center. Walton's departure, however, comes as a surprise as he is a fan favorite among Laker fans, though the most shrewd of them might have seen it coming.

"I warned him after that game," Kobe Bryant explained, referring to the Lakers-Spurs game on November 10, in which Bryant fed Walton the ball for the game-winning 3-pointer. After the game, Bryant had publicly announced that Walton must "show his gratitude" and "pay his dues" by getting Bryant acquainted with a few white women, including his girlfriend. "Luke never came up with the white chicks. He pissed me off, and I told Selwyth about it."

"I am fully behind Kobe in this matter," Selwyth spoke of the trade. "Luke has too much of a superstar ego - look at the way he ignored Kobe, a senior member of the team, after his undeservedly lucky shot. He refused to co-operate with hsi teammates, failed to hook us up with white chicks, and basically just flat-out endangered our team morale. For all these reasons, we had to let that idiot go."

Of Walton's skills, Selwyth had a quick opinion.

"He is a sorry excuse for the son of Bill Walton," he affirmed. "I am surprised we kept him as long as we did."

Those comments came in spite of the Lakers signing Luke Walton to a 5-year deal in the off-season. With the Lakers trading away Caron Butler last season and giving both Devean George and Walton 5-year contracts, it had appeared that the Lakers were focusing on the latter two as long-term prospects, only for Walton to be dealt after just 7 games into the season.

"I'm not too happy about losing Luke," Lakers coach Rudy Tomjanovich said. "But it is probably for the best. We have great depth at the small forward position even after the trade. George is consistent as a starter and [Jumaine] Jones' athleticism fits our game better than Luke's style. [Brian] Cook and [Lamar] Odom can also play at the position, so we are still very well-covered there."

"I think Luke being traded away, 5-year contract nonetheless, illustrates a very important thing to my teammates," Bryant said. "You do what I say, and don't piss me off."

Walton and his girlfriend were both unavailable for comment.

Kaman is expected to start, pushing Chris Mihm down to a reserve role once again, despite him posting career numbers in the early season.

"Too bad for Mihm," Selwyth commented. "When you're on a team as deep as this, you know you're going to be the waterboy."

As for how the trade would affect both teams, Selwyth provided an assessment. "It's good for the Clippers in the short run, because Luke can draw in the girls to fill their empty seats. But after a while, when they realize that Luke sucks and the Clippers still suck, the Clippers will be back to what they always have been: also-rans in the Lakers' wake. Meanwhile, we will turn Kaman into a beast. You win championships with beasts, not with handsome princes, and the Clippers will soon learn that."

[selwyth]

Kaman Watch

12/11/2005 - It has only been 4 games since Chris Kaman's... re-arrival at Staples Center, and he is proving to be a steal in the Walton-Kaman trade. The center, reveling in his starting spot, has posted double-doubles in all 4 games, and provided a presence on the boards which the Lakers were sorely missing: he grabbed 12, 11, 21 and 13 rebounds in the Lakers' last four games.

"We are really happy with Kaman's performance thus far," coach Rudy Tomjanovich said. "His rebounding is a great foundation for our running game, and he has been slowly creeping up the scoring and blocking charts too."

"You know, I kinda feel bad about ripping the Clippers off," GM Selwyth said. "Oh, who am I kidding? All along, I've said that Clippers suck, and now I can tell you that they're stupid. Somebody like Kaman not in the starting line-up? That only happens when he plays for a team as ignorant of talent and potential as the Clippers."

[ShivaSquad]

lol good stuff keep up the humorous recaps

"me likey"

[selwyth]

Lakers (7-4) 126
Mavericks (5-6) 114

Significant Mavericks roster changes: starting PF Maciej Lampe. Strange 8-player rotation which causes players like Devin Harris to be benched and Jerry Stackhouse to play the entire game.

Lakers Prevail in High-scoring Blitz

12/12/2005 - Quick, who is the Lakers' best 3-point shooter at the moment? Not Chucky Atkins, the reigning 3-point shootout champion, or Kobe Bryant, but Devean George.

After a 5-6 effort last night against Denver which helped the Lakers to victory, George followed up his hot shooting from beyond the arc with with a 5-7 effort earlier tonight against the Dallas Mavericks, en route to 25 points. Kobe Bryant scored 29 and Lamar Odom scored 28, and Chris Kaman finally did not post a double-double, but had a respectable game with 12 points, 8 rebounds, 6 assists and 6 blocks.

George made the Lakers' first two baskets of the game, both 3-pointers, and scored the last Laker points with his fifth 3-pointer. He is now shooting at 54% for the season, and is filling up the slack in Bryant and Atkins' shaky outside shooting early in the season.

"I feel really great with my shot at the moment," George said. "I worked really hard on it in the off-season, and the results are plain to see."

"We gave him a 5-year contract," GM Selwyth noted. "And I think that was a wake-up call for him to step up."

The game promised to be a high-scoring affair, with both teams boasting of fast, streaky players, and eyeing a substantial run in the post-season, and did not disappoint. The Lakers outscored the Mavericks 43-31 in the final quarter to pull away for the win, including a game-turning 18-0 run when the Lakers were down 97-105 midway in the period.

"We come back so often for wins, it's not funny," Selwyth commented. "We never lie over and play dead, but keep struggling, just like Vanessa [Bryant]."

Dirk Nowitzki had 21 points and 12 rebounds, Michael Finley had 28 points, Jason Terry had 25 points, and Jerry Stackhouse had 20 points for the Mavericks.

[selwyth]

Thank you for all the positive feedback so far (and all the withheld negative feedback).

Micchy_boy: Cordell Bowie is really good. Can't shoot for nuts, but excellent penetrator. Loses anybody with a crossover.

[selwyth]

Lakers (13-4) 87
Magic (7-6) 102

Significant Magic roster changes: Drafted PF Kebu Benjamin (75) with 1st overall pick, who starts at center. Team rating 99.

Lakers Awestruck by Magic

1/15/2006 - After seven consecutive wins down the stretch, the Lakers have finally met their match in Orlando. Kobe Bryant only made 12 of 31 shots, and missed all 8 of his 3-pointers, as the Lakers fell behind 21-41 early in the 2nd quarter, and never reduced the deficit to a single digit.

The Lakers' defense, which had been so impressive last week's game, in which they held the Portland Trail Blazers to 6 points in one quarter, was virtually non-existent. Steve Francis had 27 points, Cuttino Mobley had 24 and Hedo Turkoglu came off the bench to add 16. Bryant posted 27 points to lead the Lakers, and Lamar Odom had 18.

"I don't care," Bryant said of his abysmal shooting performance. "I will continue to shoot as the wind moves me. I have to stay aggressive in order for the team to win. And if that means forcing shots, I'll keep doing that."

The Lakers were hampered early when sixth man Brian Cook was injured early in the 1st quarter. He was unable to return in the game, and caused a scare for Lakers management, which had feared a shortage of big men, with Cook joining Chris Kaman on the injured list.

"Cook is fine. The 2-week break will help him recover in time for our next game," announced coach Rudy Tomjanovich. "Kaman will also be back by then, so we'll be ready to build up another streak."

"Is that true?" GM Selwyth said when he learned of Kaman's impending return. "That's awesome. Chris kicks ass!"

The other Chris, Chris Mihm, posted a double-double in Kaman's absence. Starting in place of the injured center, he scored 11 points and pulled down 11 rebounds. He is expected to lose his place in the rotation again with Kaman's return.

"Tonight was just a fluke," Selwyth said of the loss. "We will rebound, and be at the Finals once again in June. Can't predict the same for the Magic, since they suck, and this was a fluke, but it will be nice to beat another Florida team in the Finals again. All teams in Florida suck."

[ShivaSquad]

"We come back so often for wins, it's not funny," Selwyth commented. "We never lie over and play dead, but keep struggling, just like Vanessa [Bryant]."

omg HAHAHA that is such a smart, and hilarious joke!

[selwyth]

Lakers (13-5) 92
Bobcats (6-6) 93

Significant Bobcats roster changes: Drafted SG Tashiko Mah (71), who starts. Signed C Samuel Dalembert, PF Keon Clark, PG Damon Stoudemire, PG Nick Van Exel, C Elden Campbell. Team rating 87.

Bryant Thwarted By Mah-vellous Performance

Kobe Bryant ran, dunked, shot from all over the court and did just about everything to post 37 points and 8 assists and be named Player of the Game, but in the end, it was the clutch play of defensive assignment, rookie Tashiko Mah, who helped snatch the victory for the Charlotte Bobcats in a late-game thriller.

The game had started out well for the Bobcats, which led 19-15 after the 1st quarter and 39-36 at the half against the visitors. The Lakers stormed back in the 3rd quarter, taking the lead for the first time in the game through Bryant's 3-point play. The Laker lead at the end of the period was 69-63.

The Bobcats only played harder, however, scoring the first two baskets of the fourth quarter to set the tone. But they almost looked out of it when Bryant made a huge running 3-pointer with 1:55 left to put the Lakers up 88-87.

Mah, despite his professional inexperience, responded, scoring off a lay-up to restore the Bobcats' confidence. He scored 11 of his 17 points in the 4th quarter. The last 2 came with 23.2 seconds remaining, when he received a pass from Damon

Stoudemire and slammed it home on a spectacular dunk to put the Bobcats up 94-93. On the Lakers' last play, Bryant killed time before dribbling into the paint. His kick-out found Devean George, who fired off another pass to Lamar Odom. Odom appeared confused as time ran down, throwing a hasty pass back to Bryant. Mah jumped into the lane and stole the pass as time expired, capping off a huge clutch performance by the rookie and icing the win for the Bobcats.

"F*** George," Lakers GM Selwyth said after the game. "It wasn't Odom's fault. George was open after Bryant found him the pass. He should have drained the shot. Now the game all turned into a stupid waste."

The loss was the Lakers' 2nd in a row. The Lakers have not defeated the Bobcats since the birth of the franchise last season.

"I think it's great," observed Bobcats coach Bernie Bickerstaff. "We're the only franchise who can boast of an unbeaten record against the Lakers, and that's something to be proud of."

"He said that? HE SAID THAT?" Selwyth responded when notified of Bickerstaff's comments. "How dare he mention the Bobcats and the Lakers in the same breath?! F*** the Bobcats! And f*** Charlotte! He thinks he's so good with his half-assed team and one-trick ponies huh? Tell him what: I'm sorry we won't see him in the NBA Finals for, like, another 10 years, because we'll be there and we'll be lifting the Larry Walker trophy, not some lame team with a gay mascot. Vanessa [Bryant] will let me take it up her a** before the Bobcats finally win a championship!"

Stoudemire paced the Bobcats with 24 points, Mah added 17, and Nick Van Exel scored 14 off the bench. Bryant had 37, and Odom had 16 for the Lakers. Chris Kaman, in his first game back since his broken-nose injury, sported a protective eye-piece to protect his nose bridge, and was thoroughly outplayed by Charlotte's Samuel Dalembert. He only posted 6 points and 7 rebounds, compared to Dalembert's 10 and 12.

"We hope this was just an off-day," commented coach Rudy Tomjanovich. "But if Kaman doesn't realize that he has to kick into gear immediately, we might be re-activating [Chris] Mihm from the inactive list."

[selwyth]

It's the 2005-06 All-Star Break! Statistics and Standings on first page updated.

[brad feet]

so this is what your dyansty title is all about.... this is great stuff, you're gifted with great humor man.... keep it up....

[selwyth]

Rookies
C Peter John Ramos, WAS (58, 32nd overall pick)
PF Kebu Benjamin, ORL (79, 1st overall)
SF Howard Robertsson, DEN (56, 28th overall)
SG Kim Wong, PHI (67, 16th overall)
PG Eustace Hunt, NY (62, 19th overall)

PF Alex Nelson, GS (74, 4th overall)
SG Takashi Mah, CHA (71, 3rd overall)
PF Anfernee Mack, NJ (59, 26th overall)
C Sadiku Choi, LAC (65, 11th overall)

Sophomores
C Rafael Araujo, TOR (60)
PF Dwight Howard, ORL (75)
SF Luol Deng, CHI (69)
SG Ben Gordon, CHI (72)
PG Sebastian Telfair, POR (60)

SF Andre Iguodala, PHI (74)
PF Emeka Okafor, CHA (71)
C Robert Swift, SEA (55)
SG Junior Harrington, DEN (58)

Rookies 108
Sophomores 111

The Future is Big, Very Big

2/17/2006 - The Rookie Challenge was touted as a battle of power forwards, and it lived up to the hype. For the Sophomores, Dwight Howard scored posted 18 points, 11 rebounds and 5 blocks to be named Rookie Challenge MVP, while Emeka Okafor scored 16 on 80% shooting and had 5 blocks off the bench. Rookie power forwards Kebu Benjamin, Alex Nelson and Anfernee Mack also had good games despite limited minutes, with 1st overall pick Benjamin leading the pack with 20 points and 10 rebounds.

Not that the game was solely about the big men. Howard Robertsson from the Mavericks and Kim Wong from the 76ers scored 22 and 21 points respectively to lead the Rookies, and Eustace Hunt from the Knicks also added 16. The Rookies could not match the Sophomores' balanced attack though, which had 7 of 9 players in double figures for scoring (Howard, Okafor, Ben Gordon scored 18, Sebastian Telfair had 16 points and 7 assists, Luol Deng had 11, Andre Iguodala had 10). It all made for a high-paced, frenetic game which went down to the wire.

After passing the Rookies on a Telfair lay-up midway in the 1st quarter, the Sophomores led for the entire game, easily maintaining an 8 to 10-point lead for much of the game. But a little bit of complacency nearly reared its ugly head near the end.

Late in the 4th quarter, the Rookies used a 9-0 run to close a 94-107 gap to 103-107 with 2 minutes remaining. The Rookies got within 1, and the Sophomores required Ben Gordon to sink a pair of free throws with 10 seconds remaining and sharpshooter Kim Wong to miss his 3-pointer at the buzzer before being assured of the victory.

There was no doubt who looked the better team though. The Sophomores thrilled the crowd with nifty passes, plenty of fast breaks and jaw-dropping dunks. The stat line told the story: 27 total assists, with Howard the only Sophomore who did not rack up 2 assists or more. The Rookies were not to be outdone, however. On a Rookie fast break, Eustace Hunt missed a driving lay-up, only for a trailing Peter John Ramos to slam the miss back with authority. Kebu Benjamin, who has defied basketball logic with his height at center (he is 6'8") for the Orlando Magic, showed why he is the most exciting rookie this year, gathering 5 offensive rebounds, many of which came off athletic tip-ins and put-backs.

But the true star of the show was Howard. Left out of the starting lineup last year and often overshadowed by draftmates like reigning Rookie of the Year Iguodala and rival Okafor, Howard earned his place in the starting lineup this year despite posting less impressive statistics than Okafor. He rewarded the NBA's confidence in him by turning in a dominating performance, quashing any lingering accusations of conspiracy from outraged fans.

[selwyth]

For your reference, here are the results of the 2005 rookie draft (a little late, yes)

1. ORL - PF Kebu Benjamin (79)
2. CHI - PF Aivar Tsyplykov (69)
3. CHA - SG Takashi Mah (71)
4. GS - PF Alex Nelson (72)
5. MIL - PG Denzel Galbraith (72)
6. SEA - PF Fred Galan (68)
7. PHO - Hakeem Runyakore (69)
8. ATL - SF Rodrick Wolf (68)
9. WAS - PF Kantigi Pierce (63)
10. POR - PF Bonzi Traylor (67)
11. LAC - C Sadiku Choi (65)
12. UTA - SF Logan Fortner (68)
13. MIN - PF Ricardo Varner (63)
14. CLE - PG Kwami Adetoun (65)
15. MIA - PF Tommy Badu (62)
16. PHI - SG Kim Wong (67)
17. DAL - SG Boris Strong (66)
18. TOR - PF Ryan Langdon (59)
19. NY - PG Eustance Hunt (62)
20. MEM - PF Andrew Kwok (65)
21. DET - SG Adeleke Zwaal (66)
22. NO - PG Nicodemus Abraham (65)
23. BOS - SG Vinny Stewart (62)
24. SA - SG Seth Davis (61)
25. HOU - PG Dion Millar (63)
26. NJ - PF Anfernee Mack (59)
27. LAL - PF Mitch Dickerson (58)
28. DEN - SF Howard Robertsson (56)
29. IND - C Nicklas Nemecek (61)
30. SAC - SG Katashiko Yeung (67)
31. CHI - SF Sebastian Lenard (63)
32. GS - PF Jonah Higgs (60)
33. MIL - PF Paul Tshibaka (59)
34. CHA - SF Trevor McDonald (57)
35. SEA - PG Muenda McKey (58)
36. PHO - C Kwame Wheeler (59)
37. ORL - C Jonathan Galanov (60)
38. ATL - PG Ohini Faye (60)
39. WAS - SG Godfrey Washington (59)
40. POR - C Declan Barlow
41. MIA - C Bashiri Long (54)
42. LAC - PG Abram Justice (59)
43. UTA - PF Ferdinand Akinwande (59)
44. MIN - C Keith Traylor (57)
45. CLE - SF Moses Dissing (59)
46. PHI - PF Simba Rider (57)
48. TOR - PG Balwin Woods (58)
49. NY - SG Aivar Welpi (57)
50. MEM - PF Terrell Hunt (58)
51. DET - PG Jack Samson (65)
52. NO - SF Filbert Todd (61)
53. BOS - PF Hersey Hobb (55)
54. SA - PF Emery Smart (56)
55. HOU - SG Takahiko Hsu (56)
56. NJ - PF Darren Farrell (54)
57. LAL - PG Cordell Bowie (57)
58. DEN - PG Dorgan Steele (57)
59. IND - PG Jason Ellis (54)
60. SAC - SF Kevin Thomas (57)

[selwyth]

Western All-Stars
C Yao Ming, HOU (83)
PF Tim Duncan, SA (93)
SF Jerry Stackhouse, DAL (77)
SG Kobe Bryant, LAL (95)
PG Tony Parker, SA (80)

PF Kevin Garnett, MIN (99)
PG Sam Cassell, MIN (73)
SG Michael Finley, DAL (83)
PF Dirk Nowitzki, DAL (87)
PF Kenyon Martin, DEN (82)
C Marcus Camby, DEN (71)
SF Mike Dunleavy Jr, GS (69)

Eastern All-Stars
C Shaquille O'Neal, MIA (92)
PF Jermaine O'Neal, IND (85)
SF Ron Artest, IND, IND (82)
SG Paul Pierce, BOS (90)
PG Stephon Marbury, NY (87)

C Ben Wallace, DET (83)
PG Gary Payton, BOS (71)
SF Ricky Davis, BOS (74)
PF Antoine Walker, ATL (83)
PG Jason Kidd, NJ (87)
PG Kirk Hinrich, CHI (72)
SG Jamal Crawford, NY (77)

West 105
East 106

East Prevails in Thriller

2/19/2006 - For long stretches of the All-Star Game, it appeared that the West had all the talent. It had the East's number from the get-go, leading 40-28 midway in the second quarter and 80-54 with 4 minutes left to play in the 3rd.

But not at the finish. The East rallied after closing the deficit to 87-69 at the start of the 4th quarter. In a 4-minute space, it used a 17-1 run to close a 101-83 deficit to 100-102. Kobe Bryant sank 2 free throws to give a 104-100 lead with 15.9 seconds remaining, but the East was not out of it yet.

Forward and All-Star Game MVP Jermaine O'Neal made a 3-pointer over Tim Duncan to bring the East to within 1. Then when Tony Parker only managed to sink 1 of 2 free throws, Paul Pierce took the ball and sank another 3-pointer as time expired, giving the East the victory. It was the first time in the game the East ever took the lead.

Kobe Bryant led all scorers with 26 points, and added 4 assists. Dirk Nowitzki had 17 off the bench, Tim Duncan had 14, Yao Ming had 12 points and 11 rebounds, and Kevin Garnett came off the bench for 11 points and 6 assists. Stephon Marbury posted 24 points to pace the East, Jermaine O'Neal had 19 points and 10 rebounds, Pierce had 14 points, including the game-winner, Ron Artest and Shaquille O'Neal both scored 12 and Jamal Crawford scored 11 off the bench.

[selwyth]

Hornets (3-13) 84
Lakers (15-7) 136

52-point Blowout Generates Laker Momentum

3/7/2006 - Kobe Bryant was unstoppable against the Hornets, making a lights-out 18 of his 20 shots, including 5 of 6 from beyond the arc, to post 41 points, 13 assists and 4 steals to lead the Lakers to a record blowout against the Hornets. He was given ample support from Chris Kaman (21 points, 17 rebounds), Brian Cook (18 points, 12 rebounds) and Lamar Odom (16 points, 9 rebounds)

Baron Davis, who had 26 points and no assists, and David Wesley, who scored 18 points, led the Hornets in a colossal exercise of futility. The game steadily went downhill when the Hornets missed their first 6 shots, were held to just 5 points in the first 7 minutes of the game, and were reduced to spectators as the Lakers raced away with the lead, capping the game with a monstrous 46-19 final quarter.

Granted, the Hornets are a cellar-dwelling team this season, but the manner of the Lakers' victory has generated a lot of buzz in the locker room of a championship repeat.

"We are the best," GM Selwyth said emphatically after the game. "When was the last time you heard of a 52-point victory? No other team is capable of doing what we did to the Hornets: utter, complete humiliation."

Bryant was modest of his astounding shooting performance.

"You know, it's not that good," Bryant commented. "Usually, I'd hit all of my shots in practice, drive past everybody, and still have the energy to go home and hump my wife silly, so she never realizes how many girlfriends I have. But yeah, 90% from the field, I can live with that. And you guys ain't seen nothing yet."

[TheGuRu]

Hornets (3-13) 84
Lakers (15-7) 136

52-point Blowout Generates Laker Momentum

3/7/2006 - Kobe Bryant was unstoppable against the Hornets, making a lights-out 18 of his 20 shots, including 5 of 6 from beyond the arc, to post 41 points, 13 assists and 4 steals to lead the Lakers to a record blowout against the Hornets. He was given ample support from Chris Kaman (21 points, 17 rebounds), Brian Cook (18 points, 12 rebounds) and Lamar Odom (16 points, 9 rebounds)

Baron Davis, who had 26 points and no assists, and David Wesley, who scored 18 points, led the Hornets in a colossal exercise of futility. The game steadily went downhill when the Hornets missed their first 6 shots, were held to just 5 points in the first 7 minutes of the game, and were reduced to spectators as the Lakers raced away with the lead, capping the game with a monstrous 46-19 final quarter.

Granted, the Hornets are a cellar-dwelling team this season, but the manner of the Lakers' victory has generated a lot of buzz in the locker room of a championship repeat.

"We are the best," GM Selwyth said emphatically after the game. "When was the last time you heard of a 52-point victory? No other team is capable of doing what we did to the Hornets: utter, complete humiliation."

Bryant was modest of his astounding shooting performance.

"You know, it's not that good," Bryant commented. "Usually, I'd hit all of my shots in practice, drive past everybody, and still have the energy to go home and hump my wife silly, so she never realizes how many girlfriends I have. But yeah, 90% from the field, I can live with that. And you guys ain't seen nothing yet."

r00fers r00fles! roflmfao!!

Nice review. Kobe killed them in that game! lol about above statement also

[Liv]

I can see the connection between the style of thread title and the text included, but what... A laker-hater? Come on, Ive not seen such a overpraising of your own players in any other friggin dynasty here... A disappointment really...

And those immature lines your guys keep on "saying" are just a jewel of a crap on the crown of this dynasty.

[tc]

Thanks for the rookies' ratings, haven't done much scouting, and those who I have happen to be terrible.

[Seraph]

Excellent writing bro

[selwyth]

I can see the connection between the style of thread title and the text included, but what... A laker-hater? Come on, Ive not seen such a overpraising of your own players in any other friggin dynasty here... A disappointment really...

And those immature lines your guys keep on "saying" are just a jewel of a crap on the crown of this dynasty.

This is the funniest post in this thread.

[ShivaSquad]

I can see the connection between the style of thread title and the text included, but what... A laker-hater? Come on, Ive not seen such a overpraising of your own players in any other friggin dynasty here... A disappointment really...

And those immature lines your guys keep on "saying" are just a jewel of a crap on the crown of this dynasty.

This is the funniest post in this thread.

haha tru tru... dude selwyth is writin it for fun not to be... mature

who likes maturity? please..! i think its funny, every time i read a recap i laugh out loud... maybe that means im immature, and if it does, then so be it! at least im happy

as a wise man once said: "The hidden treasure in life is happiness."

[Liv]

Well perhaps we then just have a different understanding of what fun is. For me it is not fun where old manager screws Kobes wife gets slammed, and Shaq and Kobe keep talking about their women.

Apparently you people have no understanding of a woman. This immature bullshit, which here is supported by youths and teens who really seem not to know difference from insult to joke, is a disgrace.

But hey, good that you youngsters feel good about it.

[ShivaSquad]

Well perhaps we then just have a different understanding of what fun is. For me it is not fun where old manager screws Kobes wife gets slammed, and Shaq and Kobe keep talking about their women.

Apparently you people have no understanding of a woman. This immature bullshit, which here is supported by youths and teens who really seem not to know difference from insult to joke, is a disgrace.

But hey, good that you youngsters feel good about it.

shut up. (sir). <<< hey look im all proper with periods. cause im mature. see? im mature! now lets go see what vanessa is doin...

[selwyth]

Woohoo, I've finally started a flame war! Was wondering when it'd happen.

Sorry, FDesign, that you don't appreciate what I'm doing, but I prefer to put my point across by satire and tongue in cheek. I want to do something besides just summarizing box scores and plays, so why not portray a caricature of my impression of the NBA and Lakers? With my low-picture and bandwidth-friendly policy, I need a hook besides flash and glitz. So why not poke some fun while I'm at it?

This is purely satire. Of course I know women, of course I know people, of course I know about the real world out there. But I also know I am not a journalist, not a columnist, not somebody who needs to present the facts as is without any slant. I can have a little fun, and exaggerate and fabricate, much like a caricature artist or sketch performer in a satiric play would do.

Personally, I view it as a great achievement that I got you to read this "immature bullshit" through and feel strongly enough to comment about it. And from the moment you questioned why I kept over-exaggerating and over-praising my players' exploits, I knew you had missed what I was trying to do.

In a nutshell, view it as tongue-in-cheek satire, view it as a great big joke, view it as puerile humor. Heck, view it as immature bullshit.

Just view it.