LAKERS 2-0 KINGS| Lakers blow by Kings in Game 2

[Isaiah]

PLAYER ANALYSIS

LaMarcus Aldridge
Season: 12.3 PPG, 7.0 RPG, 1.6 BPG
Playoffs: 7.2 PPG, 5.8 RPG, 1.33 BPG

Aldridge had a good rookie year during the regular season and was the main main in the middle for the purple-and-gold this year, and finished 3rd in the Rookie of the Year voting. He was Western Conference Rookie of the Month on multiple occasions, and has provided solid rebounding and defense to go along with his scoring. However, an injury slowed him late in the regular season, and that might have cost him the award. He has slowed down in the six-game series against the Hornets, due to the injury, and his numbers have gone down as a result. However, he score 16 points and pull down 9 rebounds in the Game 6-series-clinching-win. Eyes will be on his performance in the semi-finals.


Kenyon Martin
Season: 14.1 PPG, 7.9 RBG, 1.64 BPG
Playoffs: 14.3 PPG, 7.2 RPG, 0.50 BPG

He has been a revelation for LA since acquiring him from the hated rival Kings on the trade deadline. They lost only 3 regular season games after that. He has been a strong force inside, a contrast to previous starters Al Harrington, picked in the draft, Anderson Varejao and Etan Thomas, one of three who Martin was traded for. He has continued his solid presence in the playoffs, scoring has risen, though his blocking has gone down due to the style of play of Antawn Jamison, who mostly takes fadeaway jump shots. Nevertheless, Martin has been a quality pickup for this already loaded team.


Josh Howard
Season: 15.6 PPG, 7.6 RPG, 3.3 APG
Playoffs: 11.0 PPG, 5.8 RPG, 3.5 APG

Josh Howard has been a solid third option this entire season, and has accepted his role. His numbers during the season were no doubt spectacular, and he has also provided himself as an extra rebounder to help the Laker big men with his long arms. He also likes playing the passing lanes, get steals and plays lock down defense. His numbers in the playoffs have gone down because he started the playoffs with an injury. Nevertheless, he has continued to play solidly for his team.


Kobe Bryant
Season: 24.5 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 6.5 APG, 52.9% FG
Playoffs: 29.2 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 5.5 APG, 57.8% FG

Kobe is Kobe. And will always be. However, this time he's being more efficient. During the regular season, his scoring was down. However, he averaged 6.5 assists per game, showing that he indeed trusted his teammates. And he knew that he needed to preserve himself during the course of an 82-game season. Finishing 2nd in MVP voting, he has turned it up a notch in the playoffs, his assits are down by own, he is rebounding more, and his scoring has gone up five points. He is taking charge of the offense as of late. However, he is shooting 57.8% from the floor in the process. The way things are going, the immediate future looks pretty good for him and the team.


Steve Nash
Season: 17.9 PPG, 6.9 APG, 90.4 % FT
Playoffs: 16.0 PPG, 8.5 APG, 91.4% FT

Steve Nash, the "partner in crime" of Kobe Bryant in this backcourt tandem. His numbers during the season and playoffs don't really show what an impact he has made on this team. He has organized the offense well whenever the team's performance is down, he provides a lock down on defense against the opposing point guard, and, he has provided that excitement needed by the fans of Los Angeles with his up-tempo style of play. He also shoots a phenomenal 90% from the free throw line, which tells of his clutch play.


JR Smith
Season: 5.2 PPG, 59.9% FG
Playoffs: 6.2 PPG, 52.0% FG

JR Smith has been a solid backup whenever Kobe Bryant is in need of a breather. He maintains the high-contact style of play with his electrifying dunks, looking to pump up both the team and the crowd. He is not afraid of contact, and can pull of on a jumper when needed. He also shoots a high percentage, showing he makes the most of what he has. His scoring and playing time in the playoffs has risen, showing that he does have the trust of Phil Jackson.


Tyrus Thomas
Season: 4.8 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 53.8% FG
Playoffs: 5.8 PPG, 2.8 RPG, 76.2% FG

Tyrus Thomas has really struggled a lot when starting and is more comfortable coming off the bench. Nevertheless, he has really been solid starting for Josh Howard and being his backup for most of the season. Recently, however, he has been called on to be the backup of Kenyon Martin, with Phil Jackson saying he needed "another athletic defender" for Antawn Jamison during the Hornets series. He shoos a high percentage, and is never afraid to throw one down on the opposition and finish a break.


Jordan Farmar
Season: 3.4 PPG, 1.2 APG, 47.1% FG
Playoffs: 6.0 PPG, 2.3 APG, 40.6% FG

The Lakers "point guard of the future" is learning from one of the best teachers, Steve Nash. Though not that good statistically, he has steadied the offense with his more slow-down tempo, reminding the other players not to rush things on offense. His numbers have gone up in the playoffs with increased productivity off the bench, gaining the trust of Phil Jackson at times during clutch moments.


Andrew Bynum
Season: 3.8 PPG, 4.0 RPG, 1.08 BPG
Playoffs: 10.7 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 1.17 BPG

Andrew Bynum struggled off the bench during the season, and did a better job starting. LaMarcus Aldridge went down with an injury, and Bynum's number have shot up. Now in the playoffs, he has learned to put up good numbers EVEN when still backing up Aldridge. His scoring has gone up, so has his rebounding, and has defended better. Only time will tell as to how good he can be.


Anderson Varejao
Season: 3.4 PPG, 4.1 RPG, 0.72 BPG
Playoffs: 2.0 PPG, 1.0 RPG, 0.33 BPG

Anderson Varejao has been reduced to a spectators role recently, with Tyrus Thomas' emergence as Martin's backup, Varejao hasn't gotten much playing time. The only power forward left from the Lakers' draft, he has shown he can put up solid numbers occasionally.


Rasual Butler
Season: 1.7 PPG, 2.2 RPG, 1.2 APG
Playoffs: 1.8 PPG, 0.3 RPG, 0.5 APG

Signed as a roster fill-in when Josh Howard went down, not a lot can be said about Butler. He didn't play much during the season, and is starting to get playing time in the playoffs as Howard's main backup. He can provide timely hits and play lockdown defense when needed.


Leon Powe
Season: 2.0 PPG, 0.9 RPG, 65.5% FG
Playoffs: 3.0 PPG, 1.0 RPG, 90.0% FG

Signed when LA was lacking a big body, he came along. And though his numbers don't show, he can put up good numbers when needed. When given extended playing time, Powe has produced, scoring double figures each time.


Allan Ray
Season: 1.2 PPG, 0.2 RPG, 36.2% FG
Playoffs: 4.0 PPG, 0.0 RPG, 60.0% FG

LA's last pick in the fantasy draft, this guard from Villanova hasn't played much during the regular season. He is a big scorer, but does not have a lot of opportunities to show. However when called upon, Ray can score at will. He is starting to get minutes in the playoffs. With his shooting up, all we can do is watch this unfold.

[Pr1kolaz]

very nice dynasty ! Hope you win the title !

[Isaiah]

hey thanks for stoppin' by. good luck in urs too

[Isaiah]

An Old Rivalry Revisited

Lakers. Kings.

Last time these two teams met in the playoffs was in 2002, the year the Lakers won their 3rd straight championship, and in the process drove a dagger right to the heart of this Sacramento franchise.

More recently, the Kings finished a distant 5th to the Los Angeles Lakers in the regular season, with a record of 42-40. They thought they had found a new cornerstone of the franchise with Kenyon Martin, but then the Lakers got involved again. LA, in desperate need for a big man and lots of "soft" bodies to ship, most were just emergency aquisitions, pulled off a deal for Martin in a package deal. So gone from the Kings was Martin, in came Etan Thomas, Lee Nailon and Chris Duhon.

Coming off a greuling six game series with the Hornets, the Lakers now know never to underestimate a low seed. And with the Kings and their fans, they know for sure that this team will not die fast.


UNIFORMS EXCHANGED

KENYON MARTIN
14.3 PPG
7.2 RPG
0.5 BPG

ETAN THOMAS
18.7 PPG
11.4 RPG
1.43 BPG

CHRIS DUHON
2.6 PPG
1.3 RPG
1.6 APG

LEE NAILON
2.5 PPG
1.0 RPG
1.5 APG

KINGS LINEUP

Marcus Camby
Etan Thomas
Antoine Walker
Raja Bell
Shaun Livingston
Chris Duhon
DeMarr Johnson
Derek Anderson
Bryon Russell
Devin Brown
James Singleton
Lee Nailon
Adonal Foyle
Jahidi White

[Cornerthree]

Amazing ending of the series, Game 5 buzzer-beater looked very good....

Good luck in Game 1 against Sacramento Queens, hope you can take the homecourt advantage...

[Isaiah]

LAKERS 106
KINGS 105
F

BRYANT WILLS LAKERS TO VICTORY

LOS ANGELES- The other Lakers played uninspired, flat. But that wouldn't stop Kobe Bryant from taking the team on his shoulders as he scored the Lakers' final 15 points for a 106-105 victory in Game 1 of the Western Conference semi-finals.

BOX SCORE
LAKERS
KINGS

[Marquis]

Oh good victory by one point. Kings roster looks pretty weird for me and they don't really look very powerful so you have all the opportunities go to conference finals

[Isaiah]

still, the way 07 is played, anything can happen. still..thanks for ur support! i hope i can just get this series over with.

[Isaiah]

LAKERS BALANCE CREATES SERIES IMBALANCE

BOX SCORE
LAKERS
KINGS




LOS ANGELES- The Sacramento Kings once again got a dose of how deep, and balanced, the Los Angeles Lakers are.

With six players in double figures, and three more scoring at least 7, the Los Angeles cruised past the Sacramento Kings, 112-95, to gain a 2-0 advantage in the Western Conference semi-finals.

Steve Nash led the scoring with 19 points and 6 assists. He scored 10-of-10 free throws, and shot 3-of-5 from the field. All those three shots were three-pointers. Kenyon Martin got out of his recent slump to score 16 points. Kobe Bryant scored only 13 points - exactly the same number as Jordan Farmar. And the center tandem of of LaMarcus Aldridge and Andrew Bynum totalled 23 points and 19 rebounds.

Los Angeles also shot 24-of-33 from the foul line, in contrast to the Kings, who shot 15-of-17.

Raja Bell got the best of his nemesis Bryant to score 25 points to lead Sacramento. Chris Duhon scored 21 against his old team. Etan Thomas scored only 4 points, and Lee Nailson scored only 3.

Games 3 and 4 will be at Arco Arena. If necessary, Game 5 will be held back here in Los Angeles.

GAME PICTURES

[nba_baller]

dont lose

[Isaiah]

i hope i dont Arco is a tough place to play in

[Cornerthree]

No. looks xboxish... big body, small head...

Anyways good win, Kings don't look very strong and seeing that you already have a 2-0 lead, you should take this one easily, don't mess up. Good luck!