Riot wrote:Initial D wrote:I thought Kobe's work ethics would change but seems like he hasn't.
Kobe is actually one of the most hard working superstars in the game.
Damn right,
he's trying to step up his game even at his level.
Riot wrote:Initial D wrote:I thought Kobe's work ethics would change but seems like he hasn't.
Kobe is actually one of the most hard working superstars in the game.
LA Times wrote:It's Only Two Games, but Smush Is a Smash
It could be his name, but more likely it's the flair with which he plays and the results he has produced early in the season.
Either way, Laker guard Smush Parker is quickly becoming a star, and he has the car to prove it.
Parker, second on the team with a 20.5 scoring average in his first two games, drives a 2004 silver Cadillac Escalade he has dubbed the Smushcalade.
"Because it's all Smushed out," he said.
But the vehicle is being worked on and probably won't be ready until the Lakers return from a four-game trip Nov. 14, Parker said.
For now, he has borrowed a Nissan Altima from a cousin.
"It's going to feel odd driving a Nissan Altima to the Staples Center," Parker said. "I might have to hitchhike."
He leads the Lakers with five steals and has only two turnovers, despite a sometimes flashy style he learned growing up on playgrounds in New York City.
Coach Phil Jackson said the key is whether Parker can continue to play at that level.
"We just hope he can sustain it, "Jackson said. "He's going to go around the league a couple of times … and we hope he has the strength and physical ability to contribute as he's contributed so far."
Parker, who is 16 for 26 from the field, including five for 12 on three-point attempts, said he's up for the challenge.
"I'm ready," he said.
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Jackson said he might activate forward Luke Walton for tonight's game. Walton has been sidelined for nearly a month with a torn left hamstring but practiced Friday and Saturday.
"We'll see what it's like [this morning] and make a decision," Jackson said.
The news came as a surprise to Walton, who said Friday he hoped to return sometime during the upcoming trip. Still, if Jackson asks today, Walton will answer the call.
"If he says he wants me to play a couple of minutes, I'm up for that," Walton said.
"If he says he was planning on playing me 40, I might try to talk him out of it."
FoxSports wrote:He was way, way better Sunday night.
Kobe Bryant scored 12 of his 37 points in the fourth quarter, Mihm had 20 points and 13 rebounds, and the Lakers beat the Denver Nuggets 112-92 Sunday night.
The game was a rematch of the season-opener four days earlier in Denver, which the Lakers won 99-97 on Bryant's 20-foot jumper with 0.6 seconds remaining in overtime. Bryant scored 33 points in that game and 39 in a 122-112 loss to Phoenix the following night.
Mihm, who totaled 10 points and three rebounds in the first two games, had 12 points and seven rebounds in the first period to help the Lakers (2-1) take a 34-20 lead.
The Nuggets weren't closer than five points after that.
"I think tonight I played hard and smart, which was big for me," Mihm said. "As a team, the guards did a real good job of getting the ball into us. We came out the aggressors and got the job done."
Lamar Odom added 20 and eight rebounds for the Lakers on his 26th birthday.
"We feel like we have a team that can do some things defensively and make our opposition extremely uncomfortable, and that is what we try to do," said Bryant, who also had eight rebounds and five assists. "Defense is the key to winning ballgames in this league. It was a good all-around performance by us."
The Nuggets (1-3) certainly couldn't say the same.
"Defensively, they had a lot of control. We had no control," Denver coach George Karl said. "We're fine, we're a very good team. The Lakers stole one and kicked us in one. We've just got to start filling in the holes, hopefully staying together and building confidence.
"The one thing about the first half, we didn't play together. We are going to have to be more team-oriented and aggressive."
The Lakers shot 51.2 percent and outrebounded the Nuggets 46-32. Denver shot 36.4 percent in the second half and 42.3 percent overall. Both teams committed 20 turnovers.
"I liked the energy that we had to start the game," Lakers coach Phil Jackson said. "We got it going again in the third quarter and finished with inspirational play."
Carmelo Anthony led Denver with 21 points and six rebounds. Andre Miller added 20 points and six assists and Kenyon Martin scored 17 points for the Nuggets.
"We didn't play team basketball," Denver's Earl Boykins said. "Sharing the ball. Making good decisions. We didn't do that tonight."
Miller made a three-point play to open the scoring in the fourth quarter, drawing the Nuggets within six points. But the Lakers went on a 12-4 run for a 90-76 lead with 8:36 to play. Laron Profit capped the spurt with a 3-pointer - his only points in the game.
Bryant scored six points in a span of 33 seconds to make it 102-85 with 4:11 remaining.
The Lakers outscored the Nuggets 9-2 to begin the third period for a 62-46 lead. It was 76-62 when Anthony made a three-point play and Voshon Lenard added a four-point play 21 seconds later to draw the Nuggets within seven. Los Angeles led 78-69 entering the final period.
The Lakers led 53-44 at halftime thanks mainly to a 54.1 percent shooting performance and a 20-12 rebounding advantage.
Bryant scored five straight points to snap a 10-all tie and put the Lakers ahead for good.
Notes
The Lakers have won seven straight games over Denver at Staples Center, and 15 of the last 19 overall against the Nuggets. ... It appears Lakers F Luke Walton will return to action during the team's upcoming four-game road trip, which begins Tuesday night in Atlanta. Walton, who injured his left hamstring Oct. 11 in the preseason opener, returned to practice Friday and said he's doing fine. "There's a chance he'll play by next Friday," Jackson said. ... Karl, suspended for the season's first two games for violating rules that forbid contact with players not eligible for the NBA draft, smiled when asked how he handled his absence. "Very poorly," he replied. "Once game-time came around, it was miserable. I broke a rule, and I hurt my team because of it." Karl returned Friday night, and the Nuggets beat Portland 107-68. They were 0-2 under assistant Scott Brooks.
Phil Jackson in The Last Season wrote:I learned that my house by the beach in Los Angeles had been robbed.
The only irreplaceable item taken was an engraved watch given to me by Michael Jordan.
Kamenetzky wrote:Straight From Phil
Sunday's 20 point win against the Nuggets was extremely impressive. Chris Mihm came out strong, and sustained a high level of play throughout. Lamar Odom contributed what the Lakers hope will be a typical Odom game- 20/8/4. Smush Parker added 5 assists and again protected the rock (no turnovers). Oh yeah, that Kobe guy bested his 36 ppg scoring average with 37 points on 16-31 shooting. L.A. outscored the Nuggets 34-20 in the first quarter and never relinquished control.
Not a bad night's work at the gym.
The only real negative was a third consecutive poor (in this case, really, really, poor) showing from Kwame Brown. Laron Profit isn't supposed to be the most productive guy the Lakers got in the Butler deal.
Phil Jackson had a fair amount to say. Here's a sampling from the pre and post game press conferences:
Pregame
On Smush: "He didn't last the season in Cleveland. They had a roster bulge right there at the point guards, and then he got a reputation as perhaps not being able to handle the ball in the point guard situation, distributing it well enough. We knew that our system didn't really rely on that as much and so it was a great fit and we were fortunate to get him. I've never had a player like him. There's been various players that have played an exciting role, but he has a little style that's simply enjoyable to watch."
On measuring progress: "I'm really interested in seeing how they respond to this (Sunday's) game. This is a game with which we've had three days to come back with another opponent and make adjustments. Usually, it's the team that loses that has a chance to come back with the fire and the vigor and all that other stuff, and how they match that, because Denver can play with a lot of intensity... and we're going to have to match that.
On the younger guys: "Yeah, this is a difficult time, because we've been playing daily. Sometimes you have a shootaround and then a game, and everybody plays, gets into a rhythm and has a role to play out there on the floor. Then the season comes and suddenly time is limited... and they get a little bit rusty because they haven't had that chance to play. So I can't tell you right now. I'm hoping that they stay tuned in- they understand that. But they're real young, and we have guys that have to find how to be pros and how to do that job.
On how much of the O the team is capable of running: "25 percent, perhaps."
Postgame
On Mihm's effort, and its importance: "We like everyone to play the best games they can play on every night, but the basic structure of this league is the stars give you four out of five nights, they can play a stellar game. That's why they're great players. The workers are guys that fill in those spots that are so important in our league. If they can bring that level up to performances every other game or two out of three, or whatever, that's where we become a great team and not just an average team."
On Mihm's adjustments: "The important thing is adjustments that players as veterans make. They see a game, they play a game, they come back the second time and they improve on the game that they had the first time. I thought though Chris had some important moments for us at the end of the game in Denver- free throws, running some screen and roll offensive opportunities with Kobe and one time he attacked the rim and had to kick the ball out and we ended up getting a three point shot from Smush that really was a big play. So he contributed to the win, and I know that he was attentive to what we were trying to accomplish in the two days between the last game against Phoenix when we could focus on the last Denver game and make adjustments."
On developing team chemistry: "As a coach, sometimes it's difficult. You're trying to get all eight cylanders to work together, and sometimes only three or four are working. And tonight I was real conscious, and we talked alot about our bench and how we played against Phoenix, and the bench should come out and find a way to get in the flow. So I was alternating the bench positions, and trying to see who could come up there and give us some energy... I thought Laron did, and Sasha did the second time out in the fourth quarter. That was good for us. Brian Cook found a way to get a couple hoops... so that was good for us, and I'm hopeful that we can go on this road trip and come back .500... go 2-2 on this road trip in four games..."
On the starters, developing a flow: "I'm still feeling out how these starters are going to fit together. There still a ways away from fluid play... but it was better tonight... the offense is something that sets the tone for the game. Because the rhythm that you play at and the ability to move the ball to create that rhythm sets up a flow pattern. We had that for a few moments during the course of the game and it was very nice to watch. We like that. It also gives you the ability to rebound and get back on defense..."
Blokeman wrote:Kwame and Mihm could probably share the workload and then Kobe,Parker and odom put 20-25+ points on the board each night the lakers would be cruising towards the NBA PLAYOFFS!!
Jae wrote:J-Smoove you're always going on about bandwagoners but you're probably the biggest bandwagoner here. Just shut the hell up, you support about 19 different teams.
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