Hi
With this news ... The Lakers chances of doing anything in the playoffs look pretty slim
Kobe Out "indefinitely"
With this news ... The Lakers chances of doing anything in the playoffs look pretty slim
Kobe Out "indefinitely"
New Album & The Beginning of Basketball Season
- Thread starter Ron Party
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most definitely. injuries are teams' biggest enemies. d rose was in round 1 against the pacers when the dreaded acl happened and they got beaten in that round. the team that stays intact and healthy without injuries to their starters will be the champions. talking bout the heat, so far this run they have been healthy and most teams have their ups and downs including players like howard, pau, rondo and melo. pro sports is a tough place to be.
steve williams
Site Founder, Site Owner, Administrator
I would not be surprised to see him play Friday. Tough loss last night but they played uninspired through the first half and only rallied too late for the win
Well, the Clippers lost to the Grizzlies last night to fall back to 4th in the Western Conference.
Having won 6 of the last 7 games from the Grizzlies, I thought the Clippers had the Grizzlies number - but not last night.
Gizzlies couldn't miss a shot and there was a lid on the basket when the Clippers shot.
Having won 6 of the last 7 games from the Grizzlies, I thought the Clippers had the Grizzlies number - but not last night.
Gizzlies couldn't miss a shot and there was a lid on the basket when the Clippers shot.
steve williams
Site Founder, Site Owner, Administrator
Kobe getting day of treatment on sprained ankle
I'm assuming he will play tonight
By GREG BEACHAM (AP Sports Writer)
Kobe Bryant says Dahntay Jones' dangerous defense left him with a sprained left ankle, and the NBA agreed.
Now, the Los Angeles Lakers are hoping the injury doesn't keep their star away from a playoff push for long.
Bryant spent Thursday getting several hours of treatment on what he called the worst sprained ankle of his 17 NBA seasons, hoping to be healthy for Friday's game at Indiana.
Although the Lakers offered no update on his condition after saying Bryant was out ''indefinitely,'' the NBA acknowledged Jones should have been called for a foul on the play that left Bryant crumpled on the court in Atlanta.
The fifth-leading scorer in NBA history was hurt when he landed on Jones' foot with 4 seconds left after attempting a potential tying jumper in the Lakers' 96-92 loss to the Hawks on Wednesday night.
Bryant rolled on the ground and eventually left the court in anger and pain, furious about Jones' questionable tactics in sliding underneath him while Bryant hung in the air.
Bryant tweeted about it Thursday, including a hashtag: ''cleanupthegame.''
The NBA later said video replay confirmed Bryant was fouled.
''After review at the league office, video replay confirmed that referees missed a foul call on Jones as he challenged Bryant's shot and did not give him the opportunity to land cleanly back on the floor,'' said the statement on the NBA's web site. ''Bryant should have been granted two free throws.''
Bryant tweeted that his ankle was ''still very swollen. Treatment all day.'' The Lakers had the day off Thursday in Indianapolis, the final stop on their three-game road trip. As some Lakers players meandered in and out of the team hotel, Bryant was not seen.
Bryant's shot would have tied the game if he made it, which means the no-call played a role in costing the Lakers a valuable victory in their playoff push. With 17 wins in 23 games before their loss to Atlanta, the Lakers (34-32) are a half-game ahead of Utah (33-32) for the eighth playoff spot in the Western Conference.
The team and Bryant did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
While some Los Angeles players, including Dwight Howard and Metta World Peace, walked around Indy, trainer Gary Vitti was scheduled to treat Bryant in the afternoon and again in the evening. Team spokesman John Black said the Lakers wouldn't have an update on his condition until Friday, although Bryant tweeted a photo of his swollen ankle.
Although the team announced Bryant was out indefinitely, those familiar with Bryant's toughness won't assume he's missing any games until Kobe says so.
Los Angeles faces the Central Division-leading Pacers on Friday before returning home to host Sacramento on Sunday.
Bryant is an uncommonly durable player who hasn't missed a game this season. He is the NBA's third-leading scorer with 27.5 points per game, keeping the Lakers afloat during a tumultuous year including the early firing of coach Mike Brown, a prolonged skid, All-Star center Dwight Howard's struggles to fit in with his new team, and the death of owner Jerry Buss.
Although Bryant has played through countless minor injuries to his ankles in recent years, he was particularly upset at Jones' tactics after this fall. Bryant thought Jones moved underneath him while Bryant was in the air for a potential game-tying fadeaway jumper, leaving Bryant with nowhere to land.
Bryant coined another hashtag for it - ''dangerousplay'' - and later tweeted: ''He knows what he did and anyone with half a brain can see it. I don't want it to happen to anyone else!''
Bryant and Jones have a history, too: Jones blatantly stuck out his leg to trip Bryant during Game 4 of the 2009 Western Conference finals while Jones played for the Denver Nuggets.
Bryant's new injury even got him thinking about an infamous foul by Jalen Rose 13 years ago. The Indiana guard purposely stepped underneath Bryant on a jumper and injured Bryant on the landing in Game 2 of the 2000 NBA finals.
When Jones tweeted that Bryant was partly to blame for sticking out his legs on his jumper, Bryant responded with his own interpretation of his style: ''17yrs. Countless fades. This has happened TWICE. Jalen and now.''
Bryant - a relatively new arrival on Twitter - eventually reverted to his usual game face.
''I've cried foul play enough Big boy pants time for me,'' Bryant tweeted, recalling the phrase he used earlier this year to encourage teammate Pau Gasol to get tough. ''what else is this thing for? Political correctness? Ha.''
Bryant has an almost preternatural ability to play through pain, shrugging off strained knees, tweaked ankles and broken fingers to play with his usual artistry and grace while becoming the leading scorer in Lakers history. He even got a concussion and a broken nose in the 2012 All-Star game, but returned for the Lakers' next game with a mask.
Bryant routinely plays with sprained fingers, still hitting his array of creative outside shots. Although his teammates usually laugh at the idea any injury could sideline Bryant for a significant length of time, he's not impermeable to pain.
Bryant sat out eight of the Lakers' final 10 games of the regular season last spring to rest a bruised shin for the playoffs. He also missed five games with a sprained left ankle in February 2010, and missed four more late in the season to rest an assortment of injuries.
Bryant isn't the Lakers' only injury concern. Starting forward Earl Clark also sprained his right ankle during the first half in Atlanta, but the Lakers said Clark didn't break any bones, and he expects to play Friday.
Gasol has missed 17 games for the Lakers while sitting out since Feb. 7 with an injured foot. The four-time All-Star is tentatively expected to return next week, likely reclaiming a starting spot from Clark.
I'm assuming he will play tonight
By GREG BEACHAM (AP Sports Writer)
Kobe Bryant says Dahntay Jones' dangerous defense left him with a sprained left ankle, and the NBA agreed.
Now, the Los Angeles Lakers are hoping the injury doesn't keep their star away from a playoff push for long.
Bryant spent Thursday getting several hours of treatment on what he called the worst sprained ankle of his 17 NBA seasons, hoping to be healthy for Friday's game at Indiana.
Although the Lakers offered no update on his condition after saying Bryant was out ''indefinitely,'' the NBA acknowledged Jones should have been called for a foul on the play that left Bryant crumpled on the court in Atlanta.
The fifth-leading scorer in NBA history was hurt when he landed on Jones' foot with 4 seconds left after attempting a potential tying jumper in the Lakers' 96-92 loss to the Hawks on Wednesday night.
Bryant rolled on the ground and eventually left the court in anger and pain, furious about Jones' questionable tactics in sliding underneath him while Bryant hung in the air.
Bryant tweeted about it Thursday, including a hashtag: ''cleanupthegame.''
The NBA later said video replay confirmed Bryant was fouled.
''After review at the league office, video replay confirmed that referees missed a foul call on Jones as he challenged Bryant's shot and did not give him the opportunity to land cleanly back on the floor,'' said the statement on the NBA's web site. ''Bryant should have been granted two free throws.''
Bryant tweeted that his ankle was ''still very swollen. Treatment all day.'' The Lakers had the day off Thursday in Indianapolis, the final stop on their three-game road trip. As some Lakers players meandered in and out of the team hotel, Bryant was not seen.
Bryant's shot would have tied the game if he made it, which means the no-call played a role in costing the Lakers a valuable victory in their playoff push. With 17 wins in 23 games before their loss to Atlanta, the Lakers (34-32) are a half-game ahead of Utah (33-32) for the eighth playoff spot in the Western Conference.
The team and Bryant did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
While some Los Angeles players, including Dwight Howard and Metta World Peace, walked around Indy, trainer Gary Vitti was scheduled to treat Bryant in the afternoon and again in the evening. Team spokesman John Black said the Lakers wouldn't have an update on his condition until Friday, although Bryant tweeted a photo of his swollen ankle.
Although the team announced Bryant was out indefinitely, those familiar with Bryant's toughness won't assume he's missing any games until Kobe says so.
Los Angeles faces the Central Division-leading Pacers on Friday before returning home to host Sacramento on Sunday.
Bryant is an uncommonly durable player who hasn't missed a game this season. He is the NBA's third-leading scorer with 27.5 points per game, keeping the Lakers afloat during a tumultuous year including the early firing of coach Mike Brown, a prolonged skid, All-Star center Dwight Howard's struggles to fit in with his new team, and the death of owner Jerry Buss.
Although Bryant has played through countless minor injuries to his ankles in recent years, he was particularly upset at Jones' tactics after this fall. Bryant thought Jones moved underneath him while Bryant was in the air for a potential game-tying fadeaway jumper, leaving Bryant with nowhere to land.
Bryant coined another hashtag for it - ''dangerousplay'' - and later tweeted: ''He knows what he did and anyone with half a brain can see it. I don't want it to happen to anyone else!''
Bryant and Jones have a history, too: Jones blatantly stuck out his leg to trip Bryant during Game 4 of the 2009 Western Conference finals while Jones played for the Denver Nuggets.
Bryant's new injury even got him thinking about an infamous foul by Jalen Rose 13 years ago. The Indiana guard purposely stepped underneath Bryant on a jumper and injured Bryant on the landing in Game 2 of the 2000 NBA finals.
When Jones tweeted that Bryant was partly to blame for sticking out his legs on his jumper, Bryant responded with his own interpretation of his style: ''17yrs. Countless fades. This has happened TWICE. Jalen and now.''
Bryant - a relatively new arrival on Twitter - eventually reverted to his usual game face.
''I've cried foul play enough Big boy pants time for me,'' Bryant tweeted, recalling the phrase he used earlier this year to encourage teammate Pau Gasol to get tough. ''what else is this thing for? Political correctness? Ha.''
Bryant has an almost preternatural ability to play through pain, shrugging off strained knees, tweaked ankles and broken fingers to play with his usual artistry and grace while becoming the leading scorer in Lakers history. He even got a concussion and a broken nose in the 2012 All-Star game, but returned for the Lakers' next game with a mask.
Bryant routinely plays with sprained fingers, still hitting his array of creative outside shots. Although his teammates usually laugh at the idea any injury could sideline Bryant for a significant length of time, he's not impermeable to pain.
Bryant sat out eight of the Lakers' final 10 games of the regular season last spring to rest a bruised shin for the playoffs. He also missed five games with a sprained left ankle in February 2010, and missed four more late in the season to rest an assortment of injuries.
Bryant isn't the Lakers' only injury concern. Starting forward Earl Clark also sprained his right ankle during the first half in Atlanta, but the Lakers said Clark didn't break any bones, and he expects to play Friday.
Gasol has missed 17 games for the Lakers while sitting out since Feb. 7 with an injured foot. The four-time All-Star is tentatively expected to return next week, likely reclaiming a starting spot from Clark.
steve williams
Site Founder, Site Owner, Administrator
Possibly.. They are a very good team .. The best in the NBA with the best player in the NBA at this point in time and one of the best ever. I hate that team
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steve williams
Site Founder, Site Owner, Administrator
My short answer....NO
no matter how good they are and they re very good indeed, IMO the game has changed so much in the past 40 years that "on any given day, any team is vulnerable"--eg SAS getting blown out of the water a few days ago by Portland
no matter how good they are and they re very good indeed, IMO the game has changed so much in the past 40 years that "on any given day, any team is vulnerable"--eg SAS getting blown out of the water a few days ago by Portland
winning the next 14 games straight out of 17 games remaining to tie the lakers '72 record? i think not too. and it would be really really amazing for them to achieve that. the thing is, miami has not had an off-night in this 20 game winning streak. they would trail the game in the 2nd or 3rd but somehow they push the button in the 4th and win the game. it means their rotation is pretty nifty and well oiled. they get their starters to rest and when they come back they close the game. the older teams have a difficult time doing that. that's where their advantage lies, aside from having a super player probably in the peak of his career right now. and their swinging the ball around to spot the open 3-shooter, that tires the heck out of opponents. they get to meet the celtics in a couple of days, and yeah, steve, i am hoping that the c's will win by only 1 point.
steve williams
Site Founder, Site Owner, Administrator
Huge win by the Lakers. Kobe was a non factor and came out after the first. However in his absence D12 comes up huge and proves how dominant he can be without Kobe in the game. Hopefully he can continue like this because he was dominant tonight.
perhaps howard need to feel that he's wanted in the court, like he needs to know he's the go to guy and not anyone else. there were rumors even before the move to la that he didn't want to play second fiddle to kobe. and this is the tough part for la to succeed with a take over the game guy like kobe and a i want to ball in my hands guy like dwight. you need to devise a 10 play set ala football to 'share' the plays between these 2. but i've always felt that if the lakers were to meet miami in june, which was why howard came in the first place, howard would be just the guy to bother james in his drives to the hoop. i cannot think of a center now who can bother james in the inside game more that dwight - the real dwight.
I'd buy a T-shirt with that phrase.
Living in Dade (also known as D-wade) County, it may not be the prudent choice
.. For once Miami has a winning professional sports team. Forget the Marlins they are not yet perceived as Miami's team.and will not win anything the way they were destroyed and not rebuilt. The Dolphin haven't won a Superbowl in a century and may not until the next ... Miami fan are becoming real basketball fans thanks to Pat Riley however much that I hate what he did to Stan Van Gundy, he built a winner and continue to surround his superstars with efficient, versatile and productive role players.
It's hard for me to mumble praises bout Pat Riley, he being an ex-Laker and all, and now the architect of the hated Heat, but I have to say this guy is brilliant and excels in his job. While nothing was surprising in the Lakers' showtime titles, what was commendable was the job he did in NY turning a doormat season into a title contender in a couple of years with basically the same lineup. And well, firing Stan and moving down to bring yet another ring to his fingers, what can we say. I saw him in practices with the Heat when James and Bosh came in and he was directing plays to Spo and even showing something to Spo on his laptop. It's pretty clear he has input on the way the game is being played by the Heat. He is like a 'sage' uttering some wise sayings to his disciple.
kobe may have found a new role as assistant coach in this game and howard seems to be agreeable. following the footsteps of chris paul?
following the footsteps of chris paul?
kobe may have found a new role as assistant coach in this game and howard seems to be agreeable.
Love him or hate him.. Kobe is a winner and a fierce competitor. Anything he can do to win.
well, i can say that i only 'hated' him in those 2 years of boston-la finals a few years ago. i didn't really hate him in the shaq era, and if he could buck ALL odds to beat the heat in the here and now, i would actually 'love' him. all these in the context of sports.
The Celtics get a shot at trying to end Miami's 22 game win streak tomorrow. Excellent 'drama'. Ray Allen comes back to Boston. The Garden will be full of emotions as there is no love lost between these 2 teams. Bad news is Garnett may not play due to some injury. Let's see if the leprechaum in the logo shows up.
steve williams
Site Founder, Site Owner, Administrator
Watched the Lakers beat the Kings yesterday and they continue to look like a very good tea and now being 1/2 game out of the 7 spot and a chance to even claim the 6th spot anything is possible in the last 4 weeks of the schedule. Phoenix tonight where a win will tie them for the 7 spot.
I still feel that the Nuggs can be the spoiler team in the West. They have now won 11 in a row
I still feel that the Nuggs can be the spoiler team in the West. They have now won 11 in a row
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