Lakers - The Evil Empire (2006-07 Season)

[selwyth]

Lakers (0-1) @ Mavericks (1-1)
Lakers 108
Mavericks 105

Significant Mavericks roster changes: Rookie Aidan Duke (52) starts at Power Forward

Dallas, Texa. - Six players scored in double figures for the Lakers as they narrowly held on to defeat the Dallas Mavericks.

The strange thing was that Kobe Bryant played a limited role in the clutch. With slightly less than a minute to go, Chris Kaman sank a jumper with the shot clock expiring to tie the score 103-103. After the Mavericks failed to score on the other end, Bryant found Kaman with a pass into the paint as the latter laid it up for the go-ahead basket.

The Mavericks found the net through Michael Finley after a timeout to tie the score 105-105 with 27 seconds to play. Then followed one of the most remarkable clutch plays in recent memory.

TJ Ford received a quick inbound pass from Devean George, then sped down the court like a rocket as the Mavericks tried to set up their defense. Ford took the ball into the paint on the one-man fast break and came up against Dirk Nowitzki. Not shying away from the challenge, David took on Goliath and converted the game-winning play. Ford went up for the layup, was fouled, and found the basket anyway to set up a 3-point play.

Amid the boos and jeers, Ford calmly sank the free throw to put the Lakers up 108-105. There was still time for the Mavericks though, and the game was not iced until Jason Terry missed 2 consecutive 3-pointers.

"It was a great game. It shows how we needn't always go to Kobe in the clutch, something that let us down in the NBA Finals last season," said coach Rudy Tomjanovich.


Ford hits Odom with an alley-oop pass from half-court.

Ford, after a dismal regular season last year, woke up during the post-season and became more aggressive off the dribble, averaging 7.8 assists during the Lakers' playoff run. He posted 13 points and 10 assists against the Mavericks.

"During the playoffs, we changed our offense to flow it through TJ instead of Kobe," explained GM Selwyth. "And that has made all the difference with the increased amount of touches he has. He is able to create and dish, and finish on the fast break more."

"I think it's great that the team doesn't depend on me so much now. We have TJ to handle the ball and I can do what I like best: cutting, running, getting open, knocking down the jumper and draining 50," said Bryant. "Make no mistake though: this is still my team."

Devean George scored 19 points to lead the Lakers, Lamar Odom had 16 points, Bryant had 14 points, Chris Kaman had 12 points and 16 rebounds and Brian Grant had 11 points off the bench. Jason Terry led the Mavericks in scoring with 23 points, Dirk Nowitzki contributed 21 points and 12 rebounds, Michael Finley had 16 points and Jerry Stackhouse had 11 off the bench.

[HonorGlow]

Hey Selwyth...just wondering if you got my request for your end of season pstat?

[selwyth]

I sent it earlier today. Did you receive it? I couldn't earlier because of my Internet problems.

[ShivaSquad]

fun recaps, good reads. this dynasty is very interesting to read

its also good that FA sign in other teams, cause ppl were tleling me that the comp doesnt make any moves... u didnt edit any files did u?

[selwyth]

I didn't edit anything besides pumping Brian Cook's 3-point rating and shooting range up in the first season.

Chicago's really strong in this season now, with Al Harrington and Kareem Rush added to the lineup.

[selwyth]

Lakers (3-1) vs Hawks (5-2)
Hawks 55
Lakers 98

Significant Hawks roster changes: 7'0" SF Rodrick Wolf (71) starts after Al Harrington's contract was not renewed. Lorenzen Wright was signed at the beginning of last season and starts. Troy Murphy plays behind Antoine Walker. Team rating 90.

Los Angeles, Cali. - The Atlanta Hawks figured to slow the Lakers' uptempo game down, but the game plan backfired in the worst possible way, as the Hawks were held to one of their worst scoring performances ever in a 55-98 loss.

"We can play fast, we can play slow, we can beat you at your own game," said Kobe Bryant. "And that is why we are going to regain that NBA Championship."

The stingy Laker defense caused the Hawks to shoot a paltry 31.2% from the field and commit 14 turnovers, compared to the Lakers' 50.0% and 8 turnovers. Sophomore forward Rodrick Wolf was the only Hawk in double figures, leading the Hawks with 20 points and 3 steals.


Kaman was unstoppable in the low post against the Hawks' undersized centers.

Bryant led the Lakers with 22 points, and Chris Kaman and Lamar Odom each had 16 points. Kaman also had a field day rebounding the Hawks' misses, grabbing 15 rebounds for the game. Second-year guard Cordell Bowie had another noteworthy performance off the bench, scoring 12 points on 5-for-5 shooting and also recording 4 assists and 4 rebounds.

[HonorGlow]

...I'm finally writing 2005 on my cheques!

...from the annals of the 2005 Birdie Project: (info)
selwyth's Los Angeles Lakers 2005-06 end of season Birdie Breakdown:



So after a decade in the league, Kobe Bryant still has 'the goods'- clearly the runaway
team MVP with a weighted Birdie score of 25.12- and yet another 'reversible' Live Card is enabled.

'reversible Season-Two Live Card preview':


Birdie Board? We should call it the selwyth board:
This Dynasty is currently ranked #3 on the 2005 Birdie Board.

For the complete 'Birdie Breakdown' AND to see Bryant's Two-Year reversible' Live Card click here.

selwyth: Thanks again for your rapid fire pstat submissions! I see that you're now on the '06-'07 season so let's see who dominates this year! Of course, let me know when you finish halfway...Congrats again on breaking the Top 10!

[selwyth]

I'm a big fan of Charley Rosen's columns on Foxsports.com, so here's my imitation. I'm thinking it can help you guys get acquainted with my players and how I play, especially with the growing number of unfamiliar rookies and players as the years roll by.

[selwyth]

The Return of Showtime?

Any running team needs a creative playmaker at the point who can create for both himself and his teammates.

Magic Johnson did it with the Lakers in the 80s, and that example is obvious in today's game. The league's top running teams: Phoenix, Seattle and Memphis all have an explosive point guard directing the action.

For a little more than two seasons after Shaquille O'Neal's departure from Los Angeles, the Lakers claimed to field a streaking team, but it was a misnomer. More often than not, the team was slowed on the break and required Kobe Bryant's solitary trips down the lane to bail them out. TJ Ford arrived with the Lakers a little more than a year ago, but played a bit part, content to sit back and leave the hard work to his more famous running mate.

Not anymore. After last season's NBA Finals disappointment against the Detroit Pistons, Laker management vowed to regain the crown, and the steps taken were drastic. The entire Laker offense was reworked to flow through Ford, a speedy, talented guard who had been grossly under-utilized. The result this year is Ford's breakout season: he is leading the league in assists per game (9.8) and playing the best basketball of his career. The way he marshals the Laker fast break has many putting his name in the same sentence with the great point guards of the past, including Magic himself.

The successor to the best Laker point guard ever? A visit to Seattle (5-9) might reveal much about the young guard, who is matched up with Luke Ridnour, the other great natural point guard of the 2003 draft. For the record, the Lakers prevailed in the contest 105-101 to improve to 7-2, ahead of Thursday's crucial showdown against their 7-1 rivals, the Sacramento Kings.



Offense

One thing's certain: the entire Laker offense does revolve around Ford after all. When he was not bringing the ball down the court at blinding speed during a fast break, he handled the ball at the halfcourt, finding his teammates open looks en route to 11 assists. The assists were evenly distributed too, with Chris Kaman, Lamar Odom, Devean George, Kobe Bryant, Brian Grant and Brian Cook all getting easy baskets from Ford's passes. Odom also threw down a sweet pass for a spectacular alley-oop dunk on the break.

He may be impressive on the break, but Ford really shines in halfcourt situations. The Lakers gave him plenty of picks to drive and dish, and his teammates routinely fought to get open for his dimes. A couple of isolations were also called for Ford on the left side.


The good: Ford fakes out Ridnour with a crossover so badly that he loses his balance, allowing Ford to nab the easy basket.

But if he is good at getting his teammates to find the basket, he has his own trouble scoring. Ford, literally, has a non-existent jumper. All his 5 field-goal attempts were lay-ups. To his credit, he never forced the issue except at the start of the 2nd quarter when, after making a difficult driving lay-up to score the Lakers' first points of the period, he drove into the paint on the next two possessions and threw up lay-ups under high pressure that missed, when a kick out might have been the better idea. His lack of shooting range also allowed his defenders to play him for the drive, negating his explosive first step and taking much away from his ability to create.

Also, let's not forget his penchant for making mistakes. He committed a season-high 4 turnovers in the game, all off silly errors. He minced an easy pass to Odom that went out of bounds, committed a backcourt violation while handling the ball and was stripped twice by double-teams, one after allowing himself to be shepherded into the corner.

Defense

Ford is reputed to be good at stealing the ball with his quickness, but it was not on showcase here. The closest he got to creating a turnover was knocking away a Rashard Lewis pass that Bryant gathered up.

What was disturbing, however, was Ford's repeated attempts to snatch the ball away. He even tried a couple of times in the backcourt, giving Ridnour plenty of space to run, leading to lay-ups and wide-open looks. When he was not making ill-timed lunges, he was getting nailed by picks or conceding plenty of space for straightaway jumpers.


The bad: Ford is too slow in getting rid of the ball after the double team.

Maybe he was complacent with the Lakers coasting to a victory in the second half? Perhaps that can explain why during the last 2 minutes of the game, the Sonics used a 9-0 run off 3 consecutive 3-pointers to pull within 2 points of the Lakers at 99-101. 2 of the 3-pointers came from the player Ford was guarding (Ronald Murray, then Ridnour). Against Murray, the 6'1" Ford gave up too much height and space and against Ridnour, he was punished after a missed lunge at the ball gave Ridnour the open look. Go figure.

Ridnour scored 18 and Murray scored 11, both on roughly 50% shooting. Not a good defensive show for the former Texas Longhorn.

Despite his shortcomings, Ford has definitely stepped it up this season. He is far more aggressive, taking the rock to the basket at every opportunity. Though he is not adept at finishing at the rim, he is definitely fully capable of getting his teammates to chip in. On defense, he can become an asset instead of a liability by using his hands less and using his feet more to stay with the dribbler.

Will Ford's increased role in the team be the difference-maker in getting the Lakers to the championship they missed out on last year? Time will tell, but for now, the answer is a very shaky "yes".

[selwyth]

I adjusted the minutes played (multiplied by 4/3) since I play 9-min quarters.

[Mark.]

Yay!! I was looking foward to your next update. Well written, im not familiar with Charley Rosen's Colums, but this is nice.

Can we expect some more updates soon??

[selwyth]

Thanks. Definitely more updates soon. I was just more intent on playing than updating for the last couple of days. Good to see that somebody cares

[selwyth]

Lakers (7-2) @ Kings (7-1)
Lakers 96
Kings 106

Significant Kings roster changes: 6'2" 2nd-year guard Katashiko Yeung (rated 70, last draft pick in the 1st round, whom I had planned to draft as 2nd choice) starts at SG.

Sacramento, Cali. - Not even a niggling knee injury could slow Brad Miller down, as he made 14 of his 17 shots and led the Kings with 28 points and 12 rebounds to their first victory over the Lakers in two years. All Sacramento starters scored in double figures.

It might be early in the season, but the gravity of this matchup was not lost on both sides.

"You could have called it the Pacific Division Title Match," observed Kings coach Rick Adelman. "And it looks like we're winning this year."

"Screw them," said GM Selwyth. "They can win this game and talk baloney about winning the division. Come the playoffs, they're the ones who're going to choke and get schooled by us on the finer points of basketball. Rick [Adelman] can't coach under pressure, and their players all falter in the clutch."

The Kings trailed 46-51 at the half, but came out flying, using a 10-0 run to restore the lead. Then Miller was forced to leave the court after injuring his knee on a mid-air collision with Lakers guard Kobe Bryant. The Kings then appeared to lose momentum, as Bryant scored from 6 free throws and fed Chris Kaman for an assist to help fuel a 10-2 run that brought the Lakers into the game once more. The Kings were eventually too hot to handle though, using a strong 3rd quarter in which they shot 62.7% from the field to outscore the Lakers 37-24 in the period and cruise home with the win. The Lakers tried to come back in the last 2 minutes from an 8-point deficit, but 4 Kings' offensive rebounds in the crucial stretch sealed the victory.


The Lakers hit a brick wall for most of the game, as shown here by Cordell Bowie.

Peja Stojakovic and Mike Bibby each added 18 points for the Kings, with Stojakovic shooting 4 for 5 from three-point land and Bibby handing out 7 assists. Chris Webber and Katashiko Yeung both scored 15. Bryant paced the Lakers with 26 points, and Chris Kaman posted 18 points and 15 rebounds.

[selwyth]

I need some input here.

I just traded Jumaine Jones (63) to the Heat for Michael Doleac (54, salary equalizer) and a 1st-round draft pick (first time ever in NBA Live I obtained a draft pick, woohoo!). Then I traded Michael Doleac (54) and Chris Mihm (58) to the Bucks for Desmond Mason (rated 70, they needed a center real bad). These are saved and cannot be undone.

And then I saved the game, played around and found out that I could trade Chris Kaman (63), Desmond Mason (70) and Demian Beranek (53) to the Rockets for Yao Ming (85).

Should I do it?

[Mark.]

I would just keep D-Mase, I dont wanna see Kobe with another dominant big man, plus I like D Mase and he will make your team more exciting.

Nice update btw

[Mick]

Do it! Make the trade. There is noting like turmoil to keep a team on it's toes. And if Yao doesn't work out you can always trade him away for another dominant player. Maybe.

[selwyth]

Three-way Deal Leaves Lakers in Driving Seat

Los Angeles, Cali. - Earlier today, a three-team deal between the Los Angeles Lakers, Milwaukee Bucks and Miami Heat was finalized. The trade saw Laker forward Jumaine Jones leave for the Heat and center Chris Mihm suit up for the Bucks, in exchange for the arrival of forward Desmond Mason from the Bucks and a first-round draft pick from the Heat.

The trade, which also saw Michael Doleac move from the Heat to the Bucks, is another feather in the cap for Lakers GM Selwyth, who has vowed to take all steps necessary this year to help the Lakers regain the NBA Championship. Having given the ultimatum earlier in the year, Selwyth traded Jones away after the forward had been a minimal influence off the bench, averaging only 3.3 points in 9 games and scoring 0 points in each of the Lakers' last 3 games. This was in spite of Jones getting a 4-year deal in the off-season.

"You suck, you leave," explained Selwyth.

Mihm had not played a single game this season after a career season last year. He will definitely find more playing time in the Bucks lineup, where he is projected to be a starter.

Desmond Mason, like Jones, has been a bench player, starting only one game this year for the Bucks, when starter Keith van Horn was injured. He has been a major force from the bench, however, averaging 8.5 points and 4.1 rebounds. He has struggled to find minutes with the Bucks though, with ex-Laker Caron Butler also competing for playing time at small forward besides van Horn. He brings raw athleticism to the Lakers' bench, but not as much versatility as Jones had. His expiring contract will also bring the Lakers, who are in a contract year, more options in the summer. All but five Lakers will be looking for contract-extensions in the coming off-season.

The rumor has been that the Heat and Bucks had been gunning for a trade all season long with difficulties. The Bucks, who do not have a single natural center in their roster, and the Heat, who have been playing Dorell Wright out of position at small forward, wanted to trade their depth at small forward and center respectively, but had trouble finding a mutual salary and interest match. In stepped the Lakers, who were eager to jettison Jones after a poor series of outings, and deal Mihm, who has been shut out of the Laker rotation this year.

"We came in to resolve the situation," said Selwyth. "And I made our team even better off, if that was even possible. I'm just the best GM out there right now."

The Heat took a gamble by trading away their first-round draft pick. Miami is currently languishing at bottom place in the Southeast Division with a 6-7 record, and could rue the loss of an addition from this year's strong draft class come summer.

"We have to turn it around," said Heat coach Stan van Gundy. "The Lakers think they've got a steal with this draft pick, but once we're back on top again, it'll just be another late first-round pick for another role player."

[selwyth]

I have decided not to do that trade since:

1) Odom can barely find enough shots without Yao in the mix.
2) Yao is too slow.
3) Not too realistic: Rockets just signed Yao to a 7-year contract.
4) Giving up a lot of depth.

[SkipToMy_Lou]

Just started reading this dynasty, and it is great

Keep up the good work...

[selwyth]

Lakers (10-4) @ Pistons (12-8)
Lakers 117
Pistons 113
(overtime)

Significant Pistons roster changes: Ben Wallace left town to join New Orleans. Rasheed Wallace starts at center, Tayshaun Prince starts at PF, and Ronald Dupree starts at SF. Severely lacking a center. Team rating 93.

Auburn Hills, Mich. - Just a little over half a year ago, fans worldwide watched as Lakers star Kobe Bryant choked in the clutch during the NBA Finals, missing a crucial 3-point shot that would have tied Game 3 against the Pistons. Instead, the Pistons held on for a hard-earned victory and the 2006 NBA Championship.

Tonight, in the first Lakers-Pistons meeting since that game, Bryant responded to the criticism and niggling questions of what could have been that have been nagging at him for the past months by producing one of the finest clutch performances in recent history. He scored 8 points in the last 20.7 seconds of regulation time as the Lakers roared back from an 85-93 deficit to tie the game at 93 and send the game to overtime.

"To all who doubt me and get me down, and all who think I'm past my prime, I've got two words, no, make that four: shut the f*** up," Bryant said after the game. "I'm still the best there is, and still nailing those shots when the game's on the line, and this year we're taking back what is rightfully ours from those thieves."

The game had looked lost for the Lakers after Piston Ronald Dupree made two free throws for the 93-85 lead, with slightly less than 24 seconds to play in the game. The Lakers took a timeout, as coach Rudy Tomjanovich threw on sharpshooter Mickael Pietrus in search of a miracle.

It came, but not from Pietrus. Bryant took the inbound pass, dribbled the ball for a few seconds and launched a straightaway 3-point shot that found its mark. It was his first 3-pointer of the game, having missed all his previous seven efforts.

"I deliberately missed the other 3-pointers," claimed Bryant. "So those Pistons would let off me, and I could nail them with the clutch shot when they least expect it. And it made the game more interesting, didn't it?"

Bryant then stole the inbound pass and made a quick lay-up to bring the Lakers within 3. The Pistons then had trouble inbounding the ball again, with a long pass from to Chauncey Billups that failed to find Rasheed Wallace and went out of bounds. Lakers called another timeout to set up a play with 14.5 seconds left in the game.

In almost a replica of the previous 3-pointer, Bryant took the ball and shot another straightaway 3-pointer that tied the game and silenced the crowd with 4.1 seconds left. There was still time for the Pistons, though, and the Lakers could only take a relieved breather after Tayshaun Prince's desperation 3-point shot missed, and Rasheed Wallace's tip-in fell short at
the buzzer, sending the game to overtime.

Devean George scored the first points of overtime to give the Lakers their first lead of the game. The Lakers went on to make all 7 of their shots in the overtime period to secure the win. Bryant did not attempt a single shot in overtime, but most importantly, shut Richard Hamilton, his opposing number, down. It was his pair of back-to-back stellar defensive efforts on Hamilton, then 2 subsequent passes into the paint to Chris Kaman for 4 points that swung the game to 111-108 in favor of the Lakers and gave them the lead for good. Bryant also made 4 key free throws in the dying seconds of the game to ice the victory.

"Kobe is a phenomenal player," said a jubilant Selwyth after the game. "Unlike that ugly man in the mask who only knows how to run and make unimportant jumpers, Kobe steps up big time when we most need him. And he doesn't need some mask to hide his ugly face."

The Lakers, in their last game before the All-Star Break, had fallen far behind early, missing their first nine shots as they trailed 3-17 at one point and 15-25 at the end of the first quarter. They relentlessly chipped at the lead though, and managed to stage a comeback against the Pistons, who had lost four straight prior to this game.

The Pistons sorely missed defensive stalwart Ben Wallace, who left the Pistons in the summer, as the Lakers grabbed a season-high 56 rebounds and attempted 26 free throws, compared to the Pistons' 9. Chris Kaman and Lamar Odom each pulled down 16 rebounds. Kaman also added 24 points against the Pistons' weak interior defense, and Odom added 19. Bryant finished the game with 27 points, and George scored 16, while TJ Ford scored 12, but only recorded 3 assists.

The Pistons' backcourt of Billups and Hamilton was prolific, taking a total of 59 shots, with Billups laying claim to 32 points and Hamilton to 31. Rasheed Wallace scored 22 points and grabbed 15 rebounds.

[kibaxx7]

Great recap, like any other recap in this dynasty. Keep it up Selwyth...!!!

[selwyth]

The 2006 rookie draft class:

Draft Depth: Average
1. GS - PF Alonzo Dickerson (66)
2. MIL - PF Kim Ishito (66)
3. PHI - PF Antawn Tchami (60)
4. WAS - C Takashi Hayashi (61)
5. POR - SF Gerard Baldwin (69)
6. NO - PF Basil Musil (61)
7. LAC - PF Von Dixon (61)
8. CLE - SG Denzel Hill (58)
9. TOR - SG Patrick Wilson (59)
10. PHO - SF Newton Swanson (61)
11. HOU - C Ridley Betts (58)
12. ATL - SG Nick Perham (57)
13. UTA - SG Adelaja Elliot (60)
14. NJ - PF Chris Gibson (55)
15. DAL - SG Othella Walton (55)
16. CHI - PF Guy Clark (49)
17. SEA - SF Noam Gamlin (60)
18. ORL - PF Brett Mason (55)
19. DEN - PF Haji Kwan (56)
20. CHA - SG Emmanuel Odelein (55)
21. BOS - SG Ellery Sellers (54)
22. NY - PG Kim Billings (60)
23. MIA - PF Furious Gibb (57)
24. IND - PG Leo Muller (55)
25. SA - C Nweke Cummings (53)
26. MEM - SG Horatio Denman (55)
27. SAC - SF Gary Ollie (55)
28. LAL - SG Rasheed Taber (53)
29. MIN - SF Scot Wingate (54)
30. DET - SF Morris Ashmore (54)
31. GS - PF Kim Chang (51)
32. WAS - PF Walter Choi
33. POR - PF Christopher Tian (55)
34. NO - PF Crispin Wilkinson (54)
35. PHI - Rumeal Goldwire (51)
36. LAC - PF Tierney Embrey
37. MIL - PF Mugo Thiam (56)
38. CLE - PF Cy Simpson (54)
39. TOR - SG Ludovic Samson (54)
40. PHO - PF Eric Long (50)
41. HOU - C Mikkel Kovalev (53)
42. ATL - C Kojo Leung (51)
43. UTA - SG Korleone Kesper (54)
44. NJ - C David Petera (52)
45. DAL - PF Aidan Duke (52)
46. CHI - PG Jon Christian (54)
47. SEA - C Emery Kellet (50)
48. ORL - PG Doran Sundstrom (52)
49. DEN - SG Howard Ledyard (53)
50. CHA - SG Ephraim Wolf (53)
51. BOS - FORFEITED
52. NY - SF Okeke Casey (49)
53. MIA - SF Renjie Fong (52)
54. IND - PF Dee Dee Ragsdale (56)
55. SA - SG Shammond Dickerson (52)
56. MEM - SG Damon Caswell (51)
57. SAC - PG Christopher Vuu (48)
58. LAL - SF Demitri Ninimaa (50)
59. MIN - PF Monty Quinton (51)
60. DET - C Ernie Mills (48)

[selwyth]

Note: I simmed the Rookie Challenge since I got bored playing with players I didn't know, and none of my players made the cut. Kobe Bryant got invited to the 3-point shootout but for some reason, the game kept crashing when I tried to load it, so I had to sim it.

Rookie Challenge Line-ups
Rookies
C Takashi Hayashi, WAS (61)
PF Kim Ishito, MIL (66)
SF Gerard Baldwin, POR (69)
SG Horatio Denman, MEM (55)
PG Kim Billings, NY (60)

PF Aidan Duke, DAL (52)
PF Alonzo Dickerson, GS (66)
C Ernie Mills, DET (48)
PG J. Hawkins, BOS (54)

Sophomores
C Sadiku Choi, LAC (63)
PF Kebu Benjamin, ORL (78)
SF Rodrick Wolf, ATL (72)
SG Takashi Mah, CHA (73)
PG Denzel Galbraith, MIL (69)

PF Tommy Badu, MIA (64)
PF Alex Nelson, GS (73)
SG Kim Wong, PHI (67)
PF Freddie Galan, SEA (68)

All-Star Game Line-ups
East
C Shaquille O'Neal, MIA (91)
PF Kebu Benjamin, ORL (78)
SF Vince Carter, TOR (89)
SG Jamal Crawford, NY (78)
PG Stephon Marbury, NY (87)

C Zydrunas Ilgasukas, CLE (70)
PF Rasheed Wallace, DET (86)
SF Grant Hill, ORL (73)
SG Michael Redd, MIL (81)
PG Kirk Hinrich, CHI (75)
SF Ron Artest, IND (78)
PF Jermaine O'Neal, IND (87)

West
C Yao Ming, HOU (85)
PF Kevin Garnett, MIN (99)
SF Rashard Lewis, SEA (80)
SG Ray Allen, SEA (88)
PG Jason Terry, DAL (77)

C Stromile Swift, MEM (75)
PF Dirk Nowitzki, DAL (89)
SF Mike Dunleavy Jr, GS (71)
SG Tracy McGrady, HOU (90)
PG Steve Nash, PHO (81)
PF Paul Gasol, MEM (87)
PF Kenyon Martin, DEN (83)

All-Star Weekend Roundup

Three frantic days of All-Star action are over, and the teams are ready to return to NBA action once again. For Desmond Mason, newly crowned Slam Dunk Champion, the second half of the season promises to be much sweeter.

"My win was awesome," he noted. "Hopefully, Laker management will keep my performance in mind and get me more minutes of hot one-on-one action."

Mason triumphed in the Slam Dunk Contest against New Jersey forward Richard Jefferson, Denver forward Kenyon Martin and Houston guard Tracy McGrady. In the final round, Mason recorded three flawless dunks for a perfect 150 score to beat out Martin, who also posted perfect 50's on his first two attempts, but faltered during his last dunk. Even Martin's breathtaking 720-degree effort could not best Mason on the day.



Mason's athletic first dunk of the final round.


The red arrow shows where Mason's bloodied head struck the backboard.

Mason landed his third perfect dunk, a toss to the shot-clock followed by a ferocious high-flying dunk that left him hanging with his armpit in the basket, in spite of suffering a mild concussion to his head during his second dunk. The second dunk, which had Mason doing a complicated cradle windmill, saw him strike his head against the backboard while putting the ball through the hoop.

"It hurt, yes. But that's me. I'm a fighter," said Mason later of the fiasco, which had produced a slamming sound that shocked the entire arena into silence. "I pick myself up and go for the win even when blood's just flowing out of my head. Blood 'n guts, baby. Blood 'n guts."


Tracy McGrady goes on a kamikaze mission, but Shaquille O'Neal still sets up and converts the three-point play anyway.

The All-Star Game on Sunday also saw its fair share of breakneck, fast-paced action culminating in sick, high-flying dunks. The highlight reel included Kenyon Martin converting two consecutive 360 alley-oop dunks Shaquille O'Neal throwing a rare alley-oop pass that was also converted. The game also featured not one, not two, but three buzzer-beaters, all made by the West. Steve Nash made a three-pointer to end the 1st quarter, Rashard Lewis made a meaningless basket to end the game, and the most spectacular of them all: Dirk Nowitzki stole the ball from Jamal Crawford in the West's paint and threw up a full-court heave that miraculously found the basket to end the 3rd quarter.


Steve Nash finds ex-running mate Dirk Nowitzki on the fast break, only for him to blow the open dunk spectacularly

The East eventually prevailed 119-114 after outstanding defense down the 4th-quarter stretch helped overcome a late 102-110 deficit. Shaquille O'Neal, who posted 19 points, 15 rebounds and 5 blocks, was named MVP. The East also saw its fair share of contributors, with Vince Carter scoring 34 points, Stephon Marbury adding 13 points and 7 assists, Michael Redd raining in 14 from the bench, and 2nd-year forward Kebu Benjamin having a good debut, scoring 16 points. Steve Nash came off the bench to lead the West in scoring and assists with 27 and 6 respectively, Kevin Garnett added 21, and Dirk Nowitzki added 15.

[selwyth]

Season standings and statistics on first page updated.

[selwyth]

Lakers (15-6) @ Bulls (12-9)
Lakers 88
Bulls 90

Significant Bulls roster changes: Signed SF Al Harrington, C Peter John Ramos (All-Rookie Team 1 last year) and SG Kareem Rush in the off-season. Drafted PF Aivar Tsyplykov with 2nd overall pick and PG Xavier Mutunga two years ago, who are both 1st-choice backups at their respective positions. Team rating 99.

Chicago, Illi. - Ben Gordon made a huge 3-pointer to break a late 84-84 tie, and Kobe Bryant couldn't answer at the other end, as the Lakers sank to their second successive loss.

After the 3-pointer, with the game clock at 35.8 seconds, the Lakers went for 2 points, but Chris Kaman could not make the lay-up. Nevertheless, after TJ Ford stole the ensuing inbound pass, Kaman, who had lingered in the paint, made an emphatic dunk to bring the Lakers within 1 with 17.8 seconds left.

The Lakers then immediately fouled Ben Gordon to send him to the charity stripe. Gordon only made 1 of 2 free throws, opening the game for the Lakers as they inbounded the ball from a timeout with 15 seconds left in the game and needing to score to overcome an 86-88 deficit.

Bryant rose up to shoot a potentially game-winning 3-pointer and missed. Kirk Hinrich then made two free throws to ice the victory. Kaman scored a meaningless basket at the buzzer.


Bryant makes this contested 3-pointer over Gordon, but missed a separate crucial one late in the game.

"That midget's got nerve," said Bryant of Gordon. "It's just too bad he'll never come to anything since he's way too short to play on the wings. He'll get his heroic days, like today, but he'd better count them. They won't come easy. And definitely not while I am still playing and dominating the shooting guard position."

Bryant's 29 points led all scorers, with Kaman chipping in 19 points and 11 rebounds, and Lamar Odom contributing 18 points. Gordon paced the Bulls with 23 points, while Eddy Curry was unstoppable in the pivot, collecting 19 points and 13 rebounds off some spectacular power plays.

The game was the Lakers' first against the Bulls after the latter signed Kareem Rush in the off-season. Rush, an ex-Laker, had been involved in an ugly dispute with Laker management while on the Laker roster and was off-loaded in the summer with no love lost between the two. Rush played 4 minutes in the game and finished with fat zeros across every column in the box score.

"I was disappointed at not being able to contribute more," said Rush of the game. "I wanted to show the Lakers how good I really am and slap Selwyth in the face. They deserve nothing more. Still, I'm happy with the win. This team is so much better than the Lakers, especially with me over here now."

Laker GM Selwyth disagreed. "I think it was evident today why we didn't like him. Rush sucks, and he was a total non-factor today. He showed disrespect for us and for that, he will be deprived of our many championship rings in the years to come."