The Starting Five

Another 2-2 series. Lamar Odom has a bruised lower back and is questionable. The Lakers have to  play like they want this or Ron will see to it himself the his team steals yet another game. How the hell are they gonna get past Denver if there is minimal effort? What’s Phil Jackson have up his sleeve?

Ron Ron is adding something physically unique to the Rockets and the Lakers have their hands full dealing with the Rockets do everything player. They also have to deal with the Atom like Aaron Brooks. There’s no one on the Lakers roster who can stay with AB.

Crazy but did the box score really say Aaron Brooks 34 points and Kobe Bryant 15? Really? I wonder what T-Mac is going though? What do you think? They better get it in or the Lakers will be fishing with the rest of the NBA cats who have done their best disappearing act. This has to be a crazy experience for Rick Adelman as well because his teams historically haven’t played enough defense to get it done. We’ll see tonight.

Kobe’s gonna go off.

Here we go. Lakers win opening tip. Pau Gasol with a rebound. Gets fouled. Passes to Bynum for the deuce.

Artest drives baseline. Misses. Hayes with rebound. Makes.

Kobe misses two over Battier.

Brooks hits long jumper.

Kobe gets doubled off pick and roll turns it over.

Artest drives on two Lakers misses…gets rebound and makes.

Bynum is two for two.

Ron artest with 5 after the make.

Lakers with two turnovers.

Houston 9-4. 9:27.

Gasol blocks Hayes.

Hayes gets ball, scoops up and under Gasol.

Fisher misses but Bynum with the bang back. He has six.

Brooks blows by Fisher again.

Fisher drives…misses.

Kobe hits.

Artest pulls up and misses. out to Battier. Shot miss. Scola with the long rebound. Brooks misses. Rebound to Beans. Kobe drives on Battier and gets the foul.

Kobe to line. Houston 13-8.

Crowd shouts MVP.

Kobe hits first.

Then the second.

7:30 in first.

Scola gets shot blocked.

Kobe with rebound, out to Ariza who gets fouled by Brooks.

He hits two.

Artest hits a long jumper. He’s hot early with seven.

Foul by Chuck Hayes. Problems with no depth on bench. 6:35 left as Adelman calls timeout.

Rockets lead 15-11. Let’s see how they handle early adversity.

Gasol makes one and misses one

Battier with jumper.

Artest misses three.

Kobe rebounds and puts in a pretty left lay up.

Ariza picks and slams home a two handed banger. Damn he reminds me of Richard Dumas.

Lakers on 12-5 run the last 8:30.

Fish posts up Brooks but misses.

18′s. 4:22 left in first.

Fish picks up a foul.

Lamar Odom in and crowd erupts. He’s back is banged up but he’s in there.

Brooks misses. Gasol with his fourth rebound.

Kobe with a sick Mike like layup. He has 8.

Scola with the big boy move down low. He’s deceptive folks. Another player you must see in person to understand his effectiveness.

Kobe the first to double figures. He’s four of five.

Lakers lead 23-20.

Rockets turn it over.

Time out.

2:49 left in the first.

Back to the action. Rockets turn it over to Kobe. He scores an easy open court jumper. he has 12.

Another Rockets turnover. Kobe looked like he went over Ron Ron’s back. Ball to Rockets.

Artest looking for his shot, rims one out.

Lamar Odom hits a three.

14 point swing.

Lakers 27-20.

Scola works hard for a up and under.

Gasol with the bang.

he’s confident.

Ron misses wide on a three.

Trevor Ariza hits a three…up ten. Ariza with six.

Five seconds left in first.

Farmar with foul on Brooks. Brooks has to have a big game for the Rockets to have a shot because of their size advantabe.

He hits both free throws.

Farmar hits a dagger three at the buzzer!!

Lakers close quarter on 23-6 run.

35-24 after the first.

Lakers with 11 fast break points.

Gasol backs Brian Cook down for two.

Does it again but picks up the foul on Cook.

Gasol hits two.

He dishes to Odom on the curl in the lane. Odom gets fouled.

Off his block of Wafer, Sasha Vujacic bangs one in the open floor. Lakers up 19.

Von Wafer hits  three after the missed lob to Farmar.

Gasol hits underneath.

Lowry hits as well.

The offense is going through Gasol. Farmar misses jumper.

Wafer explosive in the open court. Scores.

Lamar Odom gets a offensive rebound off his own miss and makes the put back.

7:54 in the second. Lakers lead 47-33 as Scola hits two free throws.

Chuck Hayes has to step up on defense. No excuses. He bodies up Gasol and gets the three second violation.

Brett Barry Misses a three and so does Wafer. Rebound to Odom…Gasol with a big man move.

Turnover Rockets.

Kobe with a three

Lakers lead 52-33 with 6:23 left in second. Timeout.

Rockets get nothing down low. Kobe backs down Battier and gets fouled. Timeout.

5:37 left.

Kobe to the line. Misses first…hits second.

Lakers by 20. 53-33.

Rockets have missed six consecutive shots.

Shannon Brown rebound. He scores off secondary break. He has five.

Chuck Hayes with 6 after basket.

Brown misses. Rebound to Scola.

Battier misses three. Kobe with turnover off his knee.

Another Rockets turnover. Bryant with the make.

Battier fouls Bynum.

The Rockets miss Yao bad. Real bad.

Bynum to line. Makes first. Lakers lead by 23. Makes second.

3:14 left.

Another turnover. Damn. This is incredible. Houston is way outta sorts.

Timeout.

Lakers by 24 with 3 left in the half.

Looks like a blowout, but you never know…especially after the last game. The Rockets have to iso Brooks and Artest or something or gonna get slapped like Rafer did House.

Walton into Kobe with the Mike like fallaway. He has 17.

Brooks misses a three.

Kobe Bryant makes another three!!

He has 20.

Nine nothing run by Los Angeles.

Scola stops the bleeding with an inside shot attempt and gets fouled.

Lakers 64, Rockets 37. 1:20 left in half.

Walton drives, dishes to Josh Powell, gets it back misses. Houston turns it over again, Bryant misses a three and so does Artest.

Brooks gets banged on the drive.

Houston is 4-22 in the second quarter. Rockets down 27.

17 seconds left.

Brooks at the line. Hits two.

Los Angeles 64, Houston 39.

Kobe misses hanger at the buzzer.

Lakers with 64 points at the half. Damn.

Kobe speaks of the adjustments made on Aaron Brooks…saying they just had to pay more attention to him and limit his open looks.

Lakers with 19 fast break points.

Second half.

Rockets begin with a Hayes miss.

Lakers begin with posting up Fisher. He sees Bynum on the cut after the Scola help. Hits a bucket plus the foul.

Brooks misses  runner. They’ve missed 8 consecutive shots.

Ariza with the miss.

Brooks gets fouled by Kobe.

He has ten as he drives the lane and scores.

Kobe scores. He has 22. Scola posts up Gasol and makes a baby hook. He has 10.

Kobe gets doubled, dishes to Ariza, who drives and scores plus the bang. He converts.

Ron Artest scores at the shot clock buzzer. He’s 4-12.

Kobe drives and gets blocked by Battier. Brooks to the rim and gets fouled. Goes to line.

Bynum picks up second.

He makes first and then the second.

McGrady looks disinterested.

Lakers lead 72-47.

Kobe misses, Bynum with the rebound. Bynum scores and gets fouled. Makes free throw. He has 14 and 6 rips.

Artest misses a three. The Rockets have no offense. None.

Rockets are 3-16 from beyond the arc.

Lakers are 5-8.

Gasol gets fouled by Hayes. Hits both from the stripe.

Lakers lead by 30.

Rockets can’t hit shit.

Another free throw opportunity by Gasol.

Yao is on the bench mouthing expletives.

Gasol hits one of two.

Artest finally gets inside. Misses, but Landry converts off the put back.

Artest on the break.

6:54 left in the third. Lakers by 29.

Rockets miss.

Kobe gets called for an offensive foul but the drive and make was just sick with three Rockets defenders.

Brooks scores. He’s found some space and has 14.

Artest with his first foul defending the pick and roll.

Kobe hits two. He has his number.

Brooks drives and gets fouled by Fisher. To the line.

Timeout. Lakers lead by 31…81-50.

Ariza misses two free throws.

This game sucks.

Rockets another turnover on the shot clock violation.

Ariza turns it back.

Brian Cooks throws it off Shane Battier’s shin. 11th turnover.

Kobe hits a jumper. Kobe has 26. Gasol with 14 and 12.

Bynum with 14.

Brooks is still aggressive. Misses a drive.

Cook gets blocked.

Odom gets a dish from Gasol in the lane, gets fouled, misses first makes second.

LA 83, Rockets 51.

Ariza picks up his first foul bowling over Landry.

Landry to the line. 3:14 left in 3rd.

Landry misses first. Hits second.

83-52.

Kobe gets blocked on the double. Brian Cook and Ariza get tied up. Jump ball. Timeout 2:38 left in third.

Houston hasn’t scored from the field in a long ass time.

Landry goes baseline damaja!

Offensive foul?

Gasol with a left handed little something.

85-52 Lakers.

Brooks with a long miss. Shane Battier with the follow.

He has 5.

Farmar hits a 3 from the wing.

Kobe with a sick over the head pass to Odom on the break, Artest isn’t having it and fouls LO.

Kobe out with a minute left in the third.

LO hits two.

Lakers are 6-11 from beyond the arc, Rockets are 3-22.

Ariza with the sick baseline bang that rolls around the rim three times. Will be on SportsCenter.

Lead balloons to 40…

Ridiculous.

Rockets finally score a field goal.

Lakers score.

Brent Barry hits a three.

Wafer scores off a drive.

Josh Powell scores off a baseline 18 footer.

Lowry misses an open three.

Walton with an offensive foul.

91-68 Lakers after timeout. 8:59 left.

Farmar hits one of two. Wafer drives and gets fouled. Makes the free throw.

99-63.

One more point and it’s taco time for the Staples Center faithful.

Landry with the hook inside.

Scola has 12 and 13 rebounds after the lay up.

Sasha with wild shot. Bodies all over the place as Wafer drives and gets pushed down. This game needs to be over.

7:15 left as Von hits the first and the second.

Back to thirty. 99-69.

Rockets on 8-0 run before Powell gets a slam in the middle.

Barry hits a three…his second of the game.

Powell drives left and gets fouled by Lowry. Hits first and the second.

Collins comments and says he’s not spoken to Sixers. Says he spoke to Phil Jasner. He wanted to clarify he has not spoken to the team. Didn’t this happen with the Chicago job?

He says he still has family in the area, and loves the Sixers because he obviously played here but says he doesn’t understand why folks rush to report a story before it’s right.

He apologized to Ed Stefanski for the misunderstanding.

I guess that leaves Avery Johnson. Ed if you are smart, you would hire the little general. He is just the coach this team needs…plus I wanna talk to him in press conferences and crack up…funny dude but knows his stuff.

I should have went to work. Damn this game suuuucks!

Kobe has sat out 14 fourth quarters…including this one. H’s able to rest.

James White is in.

Diallo Tyson gets his wish as DJ Mbenga gets in.

Luke scores his fourth point.

107-74 as Landry gets a putback.

Shannon Brown scores inside.

James White misses a jumper.

I wanna see a James White dunk from the three point line.

Mbenga gets on the stat sheet with a rebound.

111-76.

Powell scores.

2:44 left.

Jordan Farmar gets the foul and the bucket after goal tending.

Timeout.

Mbenga gets a dunk. All twelve Lakers have scored. Series high in points. Kobe led with 26.

Lead is 40 again.

118-78.

Final.

I have no idea what the Rockets can do to get back in this. Lakers lead 3-2. Their size advantage is the key factor. Phil Jackson went for the heart early but posting up Gasol, which subsequently put foul pressure on the Rockets big men.

Back to Houston on Thursday.

Damn I’m glad that’s over

Be Peace.

Box score:

HOUSTON ROCKETS
STARTERS	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	OREB	DREB	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF	+/-	PTS
Shane Battier, SF	29	2-7	1-4	0-0	2	1	3	0	0	1	0	3	-28	5
Luis Scola, PF	31	4-10	0-0	4-4	5	8	13	4	0	0	2	4	-13	12
Chuck Hayes, PF	17	3-6	0-0	0-0	3	1	4	0	0	0	0	5	-8	6
Ron Artest, SF	29	4-15	1-7	0-0	1	3	4	1	1	1	4	3	-25	9
Aaron Brooks, PG	30	4-11	0-3	6-6	0	1	1	2	0	0	2	2	-32	14
BENCH	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	OREB	DREB	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF	+/-	PTS
Brent Barry, SG	19	3-5	2-4	0-0	0	4	4	1	2	0	3	1	-12	8
Brian Cook, PF	19	0-7	0-4	0-0	2	5	7	1	1	1	3	2	-28	0
Von Wafer, SG	13	4-9	1-3	4-4	0	0	0	2	0	0	1	0	-8	13
James White, SG	6	0-6	0-1	0-0	1	0	1	0	0	0	1	0	-7	0
Kyle Lowry, PG	18	1-7	0-3	0-0	0	2	2	4	0	0	0	2	-8	2
Carl Landry, PF	28	4-6	0-0	1-2	2	1	3	0	0	1	1	3	-31	9
TOTALS		FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	OREB	DREB	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF		PTS
		29-89	5-29	15-16	16	26	42	15	4	4	17	25		78
		32.6%	17.2%	93.8%	Team TO (pts off): 18 (20)
+/- denotes team’s net points while the player is on the court.
LOS ANGELES LAKERS
STARTERS	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	OREB	DREB	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF	+/-	PTS
Pau Gasol, FC	33	5-9	0-0	6-8	5	8	13	3	1	3	0	1	+32	16
Trevor Ariza, SF	24	5-8	1-2	2-5	0	2	2	3	3	0	2	1	+23	13
Andrew Bynum, C	20	5-6	0-0	4-4	3	3	6	0	0	0	0	2	+10	14
Kobe Bryant, SG	31	10-19	1-3	5-6	0	4	4	3	1	1	4	3	+30	26
Derek Fisher, PG	18	1-6	0-1	0-0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	2	+9	2
BENCH	MIN	FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	OREB	DREB	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF	+/-	PTS
Lamar Odom, PF	19	2-3	1-1	5-6	3	3	6	1	1	0	2	0	+31	10
Josh Powell, FC	16	4-7	0-0	2-2	1	2	3	1	0	0	1	1	+5	10
Luke Walton, SF	21	1-2	0-0	2-2	0	6	6	3	2	0	1	3	+17	4
Shannon Brown, SG	17	3-7	1-2	0-0	0	4	4	0	2	1	0	1	+13	7
Sasha Vujacic, SG	14	1-5	0-2	0-0	0	1	1	0	0	1	0	3	+3	2
D.J. Mbenga, C	6	1-3	0-0	0-0	0	2	2	0	0	1	1	0	+7	2
Jordan Farmar, PG	22	4-7	2-2	2-3	0	2	2	6	1	0	1	1	+20	12
TOTALS		FGM-A	3PM-A	FTM-A	OREB	DREB	REB	AST	STL	BLK	TO	PF		PTS
		42-82	6-13	28-36	12	37	49	20	12	7	12	18		118
		51.2%	46.2%	77.8%	Team TO (pts off): 13 (10)
+/- denotes team’s net points while the player is on the court.

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