Lakers-Rockets: Lakers make a statement in 118-78 win

The Lakers came out aggressive and played with a much needed sense of urgency. The Lakers had to overcome and early deficit but took the lead by ending the first quarter on a 22-4 run.

Conventional wisdom said that after the fall that Lamar Odom took in the third game of the series that he wouldn’t play in this game. He not only played but played well and was a bit of an inspiration to the team scoring 10 points and six rebounds.

Andrew Bynum showed up and put up 14 points and grabbed six rebounds; meaning that it’s time to officially welcome him to the playoffs.

The Lakers played smart basketball using their size advantage and playing offense through the post. The Lakers defense was active, aggressive with timely rotations and much improved leading to a 35-24 lead after the first quarter.

The Lakers played the game at their pace and tempo and continued to increase their lead. The Lakers defense was solid and the team forced the Rockets into multiple turnovers the L.A. was able to score 1 points off of said turnovers. This allowed them to get out in transition and score20 fast break points.

The Lakers shooting was much improved in Game 5 compared to their Game 4 performance; the Lakers knocked down shots and continued to outscore the Rockets. The Lakers were clicking on all cylinders and ended the quarter on a 23-6 run, the score at halftime was 64-39.

The Lakers started the second half with the same aggression that the team begin the game with, the quarter began with an 8-0 run. The Lakers continued to pour it on and never looked back; the Lakers lead quickly became insurmountable.

The Lakers solid play continued throughout the third quarter, the score at the end of the quarter was an amazing 94-54. The Lakers put on the dominate performance that the team and their fans were waiting to see.

A performance so dominate that if the Lakers would’ve been completely shutout and held scoreless in the third quarter the Rockets would’ve still been down by ten points.

The Lakers showed the killer instinct that was missing earlier in the series and continued to score putting a tremendous amount of pressure on the Rockets. The Lakers received a contribution from everyone with seven players scoring 10 points or more.

The 40-point beat-down that the Lakers laid on the Rockets was the worse playoff loss in franchise history. It was the Lakers seventh 40 point win in franchise history, their first since the 1986 season. The Lakers now have the opportunity to close out the series with a win in Houston.

Photo Credit: Robert Gauthier & Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times

Oakland Raiders 2009 Training Camp Battles

There will be several positional battles in the Oakland worth watching. It is way too early to start making predictions as to what will happen without attaching the phrase “until proven otherwise” to it.

It appears that the Raiders will have a nice mix of youth and veterans and almost every spot. The first mini-camp of the year gave us all a glimpse of the new players. The main thing it did was give the coaching staff a chance to play with their new toys.

You can’t come away from it with any definitive answers, it is premature to do so but with that being said some people did. Look forward to one of the most competitive training camps you’ve seen as the team works toward respectability. Coach Tom Cable is prepared to right the ship and lead the team in the right direction.

Here are some of the highly anticipated training camp battles to look forward to:

LT Mario Henderson vs. Kalif Barnes
Mario Henderson played well in the opportunities that he had last year. In my opinion he should’ve started the remainder of the season after the week 2 game in Kansas City. He had a prominent role in all of the Raiders five wins last season. He earned the right to be the starter of the left side. Barnes was brought in to challenge him, he will have the opportunity to compete for the starting job but it is Henderson’s job and it will be up to him to remain the starter or lose it to Barnes. There is also a good chance that the loser starts on the right side.

RT Cornell Green vs. Erik Pears, Kalif Barnes and James Marten
Cornell Green was the starter on the right side last season but did not play well and didn’t cause anyone to forget about Lincoln Kennedy. He was the starter on the right side in the team’s recent mini-camp but it isn’t a mystery to say that the Raiders really want someone to take that position from him. You’ll see a tremendous amount of competition at the position Kalif Barnes, Erik Pears and James Marten.

WR Darrius Heyward-Bey vs. Johnnie Lee Higgins, Louis Murphy, Todd Watkins, Sammie Parker, Arman Shields
Al Davis wanted more targets with Raider speed for JaMarcus Russell to throw to. Al has his track team and a talented group of young receivers. The team has a total of 11 receivers on the roster right now. Obviously several won’t make the roster but more than likely five or six will the number of receivers carried on the roster. I’ll use a wait and see approach with this statement but I don’t think that Javon Walker will be on the active roster. He appears to be ready to go on I.R. Look for a talented young group of wide outs that will be able to make plays all over the field. You’ll see a few of the other receiver’s factor into the return game.

SLB Ricky Brown vs. Frantz Joseph, David Nixon
This position and the DT position are the two most neglected positions on the team and have been for a while. The team has started Robert Thomas, Ricky Brown and Sam Williams at the position. Robert Thomas is no longer on the team, Ricky Brown has returned from injury and Sam Williams was re-signed.
The team needs to have a lot of competition at the position between Ricky Brown, Frantz Joseph and David Nixon. The team should come out of training camp two or three deep at the position.

MLB Kirk Morrison vs. Frantz Joseph
Kirk Morrison has the starter in the middle for a few years now. He has been the team’s leading tackler for years. However, too many of his tackles have been after the runner has gained substantial yardage. This isn’t a knock on him or his play nor is it a demotion and speaks more of the problems the team has had at the DT position.

Frantz Joseph is a talented player and if he can show in training camp that he can play in the middle it would be better for the team to move Kirk Morrison to the SLB position. He played the SLB when he came to the Raiders. One of the reasons he was drafted was his versatility and showing he can play all three linebacker positions. This would allow the team to have three solid young linebackers on the field at the same time.

Frantz Joseph is a very versatile 6’2” 243 lb. linebacker that can play all three of the positions. He has what is known as natural violence which is trademark for a solid linebacker, he has takes on blocks very well and shows a lot a desire, effort, instincts and playmaking ability he has the ability to change the culture of a defense.

LDE Jay Richardson vs. Derrick Gray, Matt Shaughnessy, Stryker Sulak and Desmond Bryant
The team added depth at the position selecting three players at the position in the draft and one as an un-drafted free agent. All of the players mentioned won’t make the roster but this group will have brought healthy competition to the position. Jay Richardson is in his third year but hasn’t seized the position. Derrick Gray was an un-drafted player that came off of the practice squad last year. It appears that players were brought in to compete with and will have the opportunity to beat out Jay Richardson. Expect the team to come out of training camp two or three players deep at the position while the remainder will have a chance to make the team on special teams.

RDE Derrick Burgess vs. Trevor Scott, Greyson Gunheim, Slade Norris
Derrick Burgess is the starter and he is in a contract year so I fully expect him to have a good year but it all depends on him remaining healthy and injury free. Perhaps the team can use him more on passing downs as oppose to running plays to keep him healthy. Trevor Scott had a great first year and made an impact as a sixth round draft choice with five sacks. Greyson Gunheim came off of the practice squad to contribute and show the coaching staff what he could do. The unknown factor right now is Slade Norris he played both Defensive End and Linebacker in college right now he is being penciled in as a developmental pass rusher. Expect the team to come out of training camp three or four deep at the position.

TE Zack Miller vs. Tony Stewart, Darrel Strong, Branden Myers, Chris O’Neill and John Paul Foschi
Zack Miller is the unquestioned starter the reason this position is put down as a position that will have a training camp battle is due to the fact that Zack Miller is recovering from sports hernia surgery. He is scheduled to be ready for training camp but it also appears that the Raiders will run more two tight-end sets which will help improve the running game and provide more pass protection while allowing Zack Miller to be more involved in the passing game.

Brandon Myers was drafted for his size & blocking ability. Chris O’Neill is a talented player that is an excellent receiver and a decent blocker. The Raiders brought back veteran John Paul Foschi who was with the team from 2004-2006, he played fullback, tight end and on special teams. He is an excellent blocker and a good receiver over the middle and on the seam routes.

The article isn’t going to predict the Raiders regular season record either. The goal of this article is to point out a few of the training camp battles that will go down in Oakland, Ca.

I want to be realistic and with that concept in mind first things first I want to see the Oakland Raiders play better, be more consistent, show improvement and be far more competitive. These are all attainable goals for the team.

Al Davis wanted his track team at the wide receiver position and he has it. As a matter of fact the team’s got the height, weight, speed combination that they’re at every position with the exception of the offensive line & defensive tackle position where you need more power than speed.

Speed does you no good in the middle. Speaking of the middle the Raiders didn’t draft any defensive tackles which I didn’t agree with but it wasn’t my decision to make. This means that the team will count on the current players at the position and these guys have to get the job done or this will be the main need area in the 2010 draft.

New Defensive Coordinator John Marshall will not talk to the media but word has gotten out through Head Coach Tom Cable that the team will address their issues against the run with scheme and technique as well as that the team wants to be more aggressive on defense.

That could mean several things, however, try this on for size the Raiders playing multiple fronts. The Raiders are focusing alot on fundamentals, making sure players are in the right position. They're also adding a lot of pressure packages but focusing on the fundamentals, teaching them and coaching them is a welcome sign.

Keeping the 4-3 as their base defensive look but also showing a 3-4 look. I know some might scoff when that statement is read but a good way to mask the issues at DT is playing with less of them.

To be successful in the 3-4 you need a NT who is big enough to demand a double-team block as well as one willing to sacrifice himself and his body for the good of the team. I don’t feel that the team has that right now but the hope is that Terdell Sands can be a stop gap toward say a Terrance Cody next year.

The next step would be having the necessary linebackers to pull it off. This is all speculation but imagine this if you will: LDE Desmond Bryant, NT Terdell Sands, RDE Tommy Kelly, LOLB Thomas Howard, LILB Kirk Morrison, RILB Frantz Joseph, ROLB David Nixon, LCB Nnamdi Asomugha, RCB Chris Johnson, FS Hiram Eugene, and SS Mike Mitchell.

Reminiscing about the 1983 Los Angeles Raiders

As I reminisce about my favorite Raiders team of all time several thoughts come to mind, how satisfying 1976 was, providing equal vindication was the 1980 team but I have to talk about 1983.

Taking you back to a time prior to free agency in the NFL; this didn’t start until 1992 known as “Plan A Free Agency” which remains in the league today. Actually the first form of free agency was known as “Plan B Free Agency” which was the norm from 1989-1992.

Speaking of free agency, the Raiders acquired CB Mike Haynes from the Patriots mid-season to shore up the secondary and form one of the strongest CB duos in the league. Being awarded his contract in a settlement the Patriots received a 1st round pick in 1984 and a 2nd round pick in 1985.

The Raiders franchise that started in 1960 in Oakland had moved 343 miles south to Los Angeles in 1982. The team had won two super bowls prior to coming to Los Angeles so the expectations were high. The Raiders second year in Los Angeles started with a successful draft.

The 1983 NFL draft was one of the leagues best ever, when you factor in the performance of the players drafted. This is the draft that is widely thought of as the draft that produced the QB bonanza of Dan Marino, Jim Kelly and John Elway.

However the fact that 15 of the 28 prospects selected in the first round participated in at least one Pro Bowl makes a definitive statement in my opinion. The draft was 12 rounds in those days and the Raiders got a lot of production out of several their selections that year.

First Round pick Center Don Mosebar played 173 games, Second Round pick Nose Tackle Bill Pickel played 174 games, Defensive End Greg Townsend played 190 games, Wide Receiver Mervyn Fernandez played in 86 games and Wide Receiver Dokie Williams played in 74 games.

When you consider that the players selected in 1983 were in addition to the second year players selected in 1982 Running Back Marcus Allen, Linebacker Jack Squirek, Free Safety Vann McElroy. This provided the Raiders an excellent mix of veterans and youth.

That mix produced a team that put up 20 points or better every game of the year. In fact, the Los Angeles Raiders scored 442 points (27.6 points per game) third in the league and allowed 338 points (21.1 points per game) 13th in the league.

One of the more intriguing games of that year was a wide open high scoring week five game against the Washington Redskins, the Raiders came into the game undefeated. A game won by the Redskins 37-35, in which the Raiders rushed for 105 yards and Jim Plunkett passed for 372 yards and four touchdowns.

Redskins quarterback Joe Theismann passed for 417 yards and three touchdowns and Running Back John Riggins rushed for 91 yards and a touchdown. An impressive game seeing the Redskins score 17 points in the final six minutes of the game, but an interesting note about the game was the fact that two future Hall of Fame players Marcus Allen & Mike Haynes didn’t play in that game.

Even in defeat the Raiders knew that they could play with and beat the Redskins and to a man still wanted a piece of the Washington Redskins as well as another shot to prove their point. That chance would come in the Super Bowl in Tampa, Florida.

After posting a 12-4 regular season record, winning the AFC Western Division in the process, the Raiders earned a playoff appearance. In the post-season the Los Angeles Raiders outscored the opposition 68-21 by beating the Steelers and the Seahawks.

The outstanding playoff run led to a Super Bowl match-up against the Washington Redskins on January 22, 1984 at Tampa Stadium. The Redskins were winners of Super Bowl XVII.

The Redskins were favored to win the game by three. Due to their stellar play all season, a 14-2 record, setting a NFL record scoring 541 points (later broken by the 1998 Vikings & 2007 Patriots) and the fact that the Redskins had the top rated defense. Washington defense allowed the fewest yards against the run.

Not to mention Joe Theismann was the league MVP, the second rated passer in the league that year. He had WR’s Art Monk & Charlie Brown at his disposal in concert with RB John Riggins and the always dangerous, Multi-talented Joe Washington.

Former NFL player Bronco Nagurski performed the coin toss, Barry Manilow sang the National Anthem and fittingly Pat Summerall & John Madden were in the Broadcast booth for CBS Sports. A total of 72,920 fans were at the game with millions more watching on television.

What we all witnessed was a Raiders blowout, seeing as the Redskins came in as the favorites and left after a humiliating defeat it become known as ‘Black Sunday’ in reference to one of the Raiders colors.

History buffs will associate the name ‘Black Sunday’ with the 1977 novel written by Thomas Harris and the film with the same name in 1977. The win gave the city of Los Angeles its first NFL championship since the Rams victory in 1951.



The starting lineup for the Raiders:

Offense

QB Jim Plunkett
RB Marcus Allen
FB Kenny King
WR Malcolm Barnwell
WR Cliff Branch
TE Todd Christiansen
LT Bruce E. Davis
LG Charley Hannah
C Dave Dalby
RG Mickey Marvin
RT Henry Lawrence

Defense

LDE Howie Long
NT Reggie Kinlaw
RDE Lyle Alzado
LOLB Ted Hendricks
LILB Matt Millen
RILB Bob Nelson
ROLB Rod Martin
LCB Lester Hayes
RCB Mike Haynes
SS Mike Davis
FS Vann McElroy


For those who don’t know the Raiders played a 3-4 defensive front and not the four-man line that the team has played for years.

The Raiders took an early one touchdown lead off of a Jeff Hayes punt that was blocked by Derrick Jensen deep in Redskins territory and never looked back.

Early in the second quarter Jim Plunkett connected with Cliff Branch on a 50-yard pass to advance the ball to the Redskins 15-yard line. Two plays later; Jim Plunkett found Branch again for a 14-point lead. The Redskins put together a 73 yard drive but it stalled in Raiders territory and Washington had to settle for a 27-yard field goal.

The score was 14-3 and the Raiders drive stalled leading to a punt, Ray Guy did the honors and pinned the Redskins at their own 12-yard line with .12 seconds left in the half. Linebacker coach Charlie Sumner made a last second substitution and sent in LB Jack Squirek for Matt Millen.

The Redskins called the play that the Raiders were ready for and waiting on “Rocket Screen”, but Jack Squirek read the play intercepted Theismann’s pass and returned it for a touchdown to make the score 21-3 at halftime.

Going back to week five, the Redskins ran the same play to Joe Washington and it resulted in a 67-yard gain. The Redskins put together a nine-play 70 yard drive capped off by a John Riggins TD but Mark Moseley’s extra point attempt was blocked by reserve Tight End Don Hasselbeck making the score 21-9.

On the next drive Redskins CB Darrell Green was called for a 38-yard pass interference penalty while defending WR Malcolm Barnwell, setting up Marcus Allen’s 5-yard TD run. The next Raider drive Marcus Allen broke free on a 74-yard run the made the statement that this game was officially over.

You know about all the stars of the game but what isn’t mentioned enough are the unsung hero’s like Punter Ray Guy (who should’ve been inducted into the Hall of Fame years ago), Linebacker Jack Squirek, Special Teams player Derrick Jensen to name a few.


When I think of my favorite Raiders teams, several thoughts come to mind but I can’t forget the 1983 Los Angeles Raiders.

Photo Credit: Gary Friedman / Los Angeles Times

Forget what you’ve heard the Oakland Raiders are on the right path

The Raiders are putting together a competitive nucleus. Following free agency & the draft the Oakland Raiders still had holes to fill on the roster at Defensive Tackle, Linebacker and Fullback.

The Raiders have been besieged with criticism after drafting WR Darrius Heyward-Bey in the first round and then Safety Michael Mitchell in the second round. Both are talented players and the criticism is more of where the players were drafted then the actual players.

WR Darrius Heyward-Bey will unfortunately be the most scrutinized player from the 2009 Draft not named Matthew Stafford. Heyward-Bey and Michael Crabtree will be compared to each other their entire careers.

The decision was made to provide QB JaMarcus Russell with more weapons to open up the passing game which is needed but stopping the run in my opinion is just as big a need. The Raiders have a lot of speed and young talent at WR and a total of 11 players at the position. Several of them will not make the opening day roster. A serious question at the position has to be will Javon Walker?

Don’t be surprised if someone in the bay area just happens to chart both Darrius Heyward-Bey & Michael Crabtree’s receptions, yards per catch, yards gained after the catch, total yardage, touchdowns and dropped passes side by side.

Seeing as he was the first wide receiver drafted and selected in the top 10 to be a number one or go to wide receiver he will have to put up consecutive 80-catch seasons or better to avoid people glossing him with the bust label. I don’t feel that it is right or fair but seeing it happen will not surprise me.

He is a talented player that provides QB JaMarcus Russell a deep threat that fits the Raiders scheme and possesses all the tools to be a playmaker in silver and black.

The Raiders made a huge pick up in signing veteran fullback Lorenzo Neal, his blend of experience and toughness will make him a leader on this young team as well as vastly improve the Raiders running game. He has blocked for a total of 11 1,000-yard running backs in his career.

Check out the clips for reference, but disregard the bolts shown.

http://www.nfl.com/videos/nfl-preseason/09000d5d8013fba4/The-importance-of-Lorenzo-Neal

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Several people in the media have taken their shots at Al Davis and the Raiders for the draft as oppose to taking a wait and see approach before dooming the drafted players to failure. The fact of the matter is that the draft is in the rear view mirror at this time.

So after the draft the Raiders signed a group of un-drafted free agents to fill the above mentioned needs on the roster in LB Frantz Joseph, DL Desmond Bryant, S Jerome Boyd, LB David Nixon, G Jon Compas, WR Nick Miller, WR Shawn Bayes and TE Chris O’Neill.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nNstliEo4Hs LB Frantz Joseph

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U-IEZJdPEAM SS Jerome Boyd

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kRhZCByOJYw OLB David Nixon

The only exception was the defensive tackle position, although Desmond Bryant has played both positions on the D-line. This position has been neglected by the Raiders for far too long. To be specific, the Raiders have drafted a total of five defensive tackles in the last ten years and none of them are still on the roster.

Coincidently at a need position the Raiders have had the top defensive tackle prospect in the draft fall to them for the second year in a row and Al Davis declined to fill the need, in any round. This means that the Raiders are content with the four defensive tackles currently on the roster.

Head Coach Tom Cable stated the team has good defensive tackles and at issue is that they haven’t played like it. The statement made could be debatable, based upon past performance but the need to stop the run isn’t. The Raiders brought back Tommy Kelly, Gerard Warren, William Joseph and Terdell Sands.

The Raiders are content with the players at the position and these five veteran players are being counted on to get the job done. Terdell Sands reportedly appears to be a lot lighter than last year. My biggest concern on the team is the defensive tackle rotation. If the defensive tackles hold up the defense has a chance to improve. We’ll have to use a wait and see approach on the matter.

The Raiders did add one defensive tackle via free agency, Ryan Boschetti a little-used un-drafted free agent out of UCLA formerly with the Washington Redskins. He is a tenacious player with size and talent that will not be outworked by anyone.

The Raiders have ranked at or near the bottom of the league at stopping the run for the last six years. This trend has to stop and it appears to be a top goal for the coaches on the defensive side of the ball.

The intriguing news Raider fan’s is that it has been rumored that new defensive coordinator John Marshall through scheme and technique will address their issues stopping the run and play a more aggressive approach.

This could mean several things but just to know that the team has decided to stop playing with a conservative approach and plans to dictate to the opponent how the game will be played as oppose to the opposite happening.

Lakers-Rockets: The Lakers are dazed by the Rockets 99-87

The Rockets got the bad news on Saturday that Yao Ming has a broken foot and will miss the remainder of the NBA Playoffs; the team that suffered most was his absence was the Lakers. Los Angeles came into Game Four thinking that they had an advantage and that the Rockets would give the fame to them; little did they realize they had walked into a trap game.

The Rockets had lost their biggest player and in some ways were undersized and undermanned due to injuries but the way Houston played it didn't slow them down it set them free to open the floor and run.

The Lakers had an embarrassing effort and the team didn’t match the intensity or energy level of the Rockets and took a beat-down. The Rockets came out with a tremendous amount of energy; beneficiaries of a total team effort took a nine point lead and never looked back.

The Rockets destroyed the Lakers with the dribble penetration of Aaron Brooks, playing pick and roll basketball to perfection, and knocking down shots. The Rockets used excellent ball movement and made the extra pass to find the open.

Houston held a 16-29 lead at the end of the first quarter. The Rockets continued to increase their lead each quarter, at halftime the score was 54-36.

The only Rocket who didn’t knock down shots was Ron Artest. Aaron Brooks put on an excellent 30 point performance. Shane Battier had a solid 20 point effort knocking down five three point shots. The defense of Chuck Hayes, Shane Battier and Ron Artest were huge in this game.

The Rockets defense was solid again but offensively the dribble penetration, ball movement and lack of a defensive effort by the Lakers provided the several open shots and this game Houston took full advantage of the space being provided.

The Rockets were on fire and never took their foot off of the accelerator and continued to increase their lead which reached as high as 29 points at one point. The score at the end of the third quarter was an amazing 83-54.

The Lakers put up a modest effort in the fourth quarter to cut the 29 point lead down to 13 points toward the end of the quarter to make the final score closer but this game was already over. The outcome of this game was actually decided before halftime.

The second half of the game was sort of a variation of the same theme.
The Lakers were outplayed in every way and they’ll have to make some adjustments to be ready for Game five which will be in Los Angeles.

The Lakers took a beat down and in the process missed out on a golden opportunity to take a commanding lead in this series. This is now a three game series and the Lakers need to bounce back in Game five.

Photo Credit: Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times

Lakers-Rockets: Lakers top Houston 108-94 as the Rockets have a failure to launch

The Lakers made a definitive statement by bouncing back and winning Game Two of the series. That statement was confirmed on 5/8 as the Lakers took care of business, came out and played with a sense of urgency from the tip-off in Houston.

Los Angeles was playing this game without starting point guard Derek Fisher, but the Lakers and their fans got a glimpse of the future with Jordan Farmar starting. Led by a strong start by Kobe Bryant, who had 11 points in the first quarter and set the tone, Los Angeles started the game active and aggressive.

Both teams played well in the first quarter and almost played even the score was 30-28 at the end of the quarter. The Lakers got into a rhythm on both ends of the court, shot 60-percent from the field and had only one turnover.

The Lakers understanding what was at stake started to display excellent ball movement and excellent player movement and literally outplayed the home team. Los Angeles was able to knock down shots and started building momentum.

The Lakers gained the upper hand after the lead changed hands in the second quarter but the Rockets were right there at halftime with the score 50-48.

The Lakers took control of the game in the second half by continuing to outscore the Rockets and playing stellar defense. The Lakers held the Rockets to 14 points in the quarter on six-of-twenty five shooting from the field.

The Lakers continued to increase their lead which was 71-62 until Kobe Bryant’s 33-foot three point shot put an exclamation point on the Lakers dominance in this game and on the series in the final three seconds of the third quarter for a 74-62 lead.

The Lakers maintained their lead by outplaying the Rockets despite the 32 points scored in the quarter by Houston this game was already over. The Lakers scored 34 points in the quarter to seal the deal for a 108-94 win. The Rockets got 25 points from Ron Artest before he was ejected for a flagrant foul on Pau Gasol.

Yao Ming had a double-double with 19 points and 14 rebounds; he also finished the game with a sprained ankle that could unfortunately affect his performance for the rest of the series.

The difference in this game was the Lakers defense, forcing the Rockets into a poor shooting night and 17 huge turnovers. Another factor in Game Three was that the Lakers shot 55-percent from behind the arc going 11-of-20.

Kobe Bryant scored 30+ points in the playoffs for the 54th time; he has scored 3,928 career post-season points and passed Larry Bird (3,897) in the process. He had another stellar playoff performance filling out the stat sheet with 33 points (11-of-28), four-for-six from behind the arc, seven-for-eight from the free throw line and three huge blocks while leading his team to a crucial win that ended the Rockets nine-game home winning streak.

Kobe showing excellent leadership led his team to a big win and showed something that we already know he had in his arsenal the ability to score and defend as well as take over a game.

Jordan Farmar played an excellent all-around game in 32 minutes he had 12 points, seven assists, five rebounds and one blocked shot and most importantly only one turnover. Including the effort of Shannon Brown, the Lakers point guards scored 20 points.

The Lakers received an excellent performance from everyone as all of their starters were in double digits and also received a contribution from the reserves.

The win gives the Lakers a two-one advantage in the series going into Game Four on 5/10 that might be played with an injured Yao Ming. The Lakers have won six of the seven games that they’ve played against the Rockets this season. Game Four will be on ABC.

Photo Credit: Wally Skalij /Los Angeles Times

Lakers-Rockets: Lakers Bounce Back with 111-98 Win to Tie the Series

The Lakers knew what was at stake and understood the importance of winning Game 2 came out and played determined playoff basketball. The Lakers were able to raise their level of play and perform with a much-needed sense of urgency.

There was a bit of angst in the air in Los Angeles prior to the start of this game. The Lakers realized that they’re being challenged and planned to respond by being aggressive and active from the start.

The first half was really the tale of two different quarters of basketball. The Lakers, led by Kobe Bryant, came out of fire knocking down shots. Los Angeles with Lamar Odom in the starting lineup were able to play the game at their pace and control the tempo.

The Lakers shot 86-percent from the field, with Kobe Bryant scoring 15 points in the quarter, to include a 22-foot jumper to end the quarter and raced out to a 39-25 first quarter lead.

The Rockets were down by 14-points but clearly not moved. Houston came out and turned the table on the Lakers, tighten the screws defensively and sending in the reserves to change the pace of the game.

Houston’s reserves did that and more, they sparked the team into outscoring the Lakers 32-18. Carl Landry at one point had single-handedly outscored the Lakers in the quarter 16-14; he finished the game with a career-playoff high of 21 points off the bench. The Lakers shot four-of-14 as a team and saw the Rockets take the lead.

Rockets center Yao Ming was saddled with foul trouble, collecting three personal fouls in the first half. Ron Artest had another solid game scoring 25 points. Kobe Bryant’s three-point shot right before halftime tied the score at 57.

The Lakers are caught up in a dogfight and have to fight their way past a physical and determined opponent with the tools necessary to challenge them.

The second half saw the Lakers take the lead and push said lead up to as many as ten points three times in the quarter. There was a lot of talking back-and-forth among the players and before you know it tempers flared.

The score was 86-74, Lamar Odom fouled Luis Scola. Scola, Lamar and Luke Walton began jawing at each other and got in each others faces. Referee Joey Crawford in an attempt to maintain control of the game hit Lamar Odom, Luke Walton and Luis Scola with technical fouls.

Shane Battier knocked down the technical foul shot making the score 86-75. The game was physical all night but with less than .15 seconds to go in the quarter Scola came out to the top of the key to screen Derek Fisher who was guarding Kyle Lowry and Fisher wasn’t having it.

He met the screen with a combination of a forearm shiver and a shoulder knocking Scola to the floor. He was accessed a flagrant 2 foul and ejected from the game, he will more than likely get a call from the league office informing him of how long his suspension will be.

The move got him ejected but clearly inspired his teammates. Derek Fisher later stated that he wasn’t retaliating against Scola for the dust-up previously but the timing of the foul makes that debatable.

The game also had some drama on the sidelines at the end of the quarter, as Rockets guard Von Wafer for whatever reason exchanged words with Head Coach Rick Adelman, after catching a whiff of the madness coming out his mouth Adelman calmly sent him to an early shower.

The ejections didn’t stop there, with the Lakers up 94-84 in the fourth quarter Kobe Bryant and Ron Artest were locked-up, fighting for rebounding position underneath the basket. There was a lot of contact, it got physical and Ron Artest felt that Kobe hit him with an elbow in the throat.

He wasn’t happy about it and told the officials what had happened and then told Kobe about it. He was ejected for pointing at Kobe and gesturing toward his throat. He got in Kobe’s face and informed him that he was hitting the wrong person.

The Lakers went on to win Game Two 111-98. In the process of playing a tough, physical game the birth of a long playoff series emerged. Kobe Bryant finished the game with 40 points, his seventh career 40-point playoff game.

The Lakers responded to tie the series. Every game for the rest of the series will be physical, but this one saw Ron Artest & Derek Fisher ejected by the referees, Von Wafer ejected by his head coach and total of five technical fouls called.

The Lakers speed game was a huge factor in this game, the Lakers outscored the Rockets 20- five on fast break points. Pau Gasol had a solid game with 22 points and 14 rebounds.

I'd like to take this time to welcome the Los Angeles Lakers to the Playoffs. They'll need to play every game with the intensity shown tonight, without any players being thrown out.

The Lakers out-rebounded the Rockets, had more assists, less turnovers and blocked more shots. They were led by their All-Stars as Kobe & Pau combined for 62 points.

Ladies and gentlemen you might want to fasten your seat belts because it might be a rough ride but we have ourselves a series, Game Three will be in Houston on 5/8/09.

Photo Credit: Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times