Kermit the frog always said it isn't easy being green. Hoping that will be the case on Thursday evening when our Laker team play the green Boston Celtics! We had fun it sure looked like on the Phoenix Suns' home court yesterday though. beating them 111-103. Kept the lead almost throughout the entire game and then they began creeping up steadily during the fourth quarter to give us a few minutes of warning. Kobe Bryant saved the day with his 3 pointers and not easy shots many of them either having to wriggle around Amare Stoudemire. Derek Fisher came to our rescue as well. The Suns were within a far more fearful range as the score showed 91-82 and then it became 99-96. Ron Artest made 25 points which was a noticeable help.Andrew Bynum had 10 points and Lamar Odom scored 6 points with 12 rebounds. Our team kept up the pressure and handled the Suns zone with greater ease than in previous games. Back in the 2008 Finals, we lost to the Suns big time. Ever since then it has been a real bone of contention. Nothing comes close to feeling so bad as losing in the Finals and now we have the opportunity for redemption..From 1959 through 1969 the Celtics beat the Lakers in the Finals 7 times. However 2009 had our Lakers winning the Title in the Finals. Obviously with these two teams there is great rivalry. So now it appears we are on a collision course for yet another meeting in the Finals.Quite a challenge certainly. To become World Champions we must be diligent in our defense and watch those fouls.Wondering how the green will match up now with our purple and gold? Babs Wells

Fluke...Websters states fluke, an accidentally good or successful stroke of good luck and so we introduce to you Ron Artest. Score last night was 101 to 101 and then Kobe Bryant put forth his efforts for a winning basket..not to be so with 3.5 seconds left Ron grabbed the ball and heaved it toward the hoop with almost everybody yelling"No..no...no !" let it go into overtime and we will play another 5 minutes but..oh my! Ron's heave to landed square into the hoop and he made that basket count as buzzer went off! What a fluke that was! At each quarter's end, our team was ahead but the Suns kept pouncing and it looked very much as if they just might win this game at Staples center even with their coach ill (ate something that went totally against him). This had been a very important game and one we really wanted badly to win with our Western Conference finals. So our ending score was 103-101 with smiles all around. We claim that the NBA cares by the way and indeed they do..so today we make some other statements that are worthy of note..we care about our environment and we care about the folks around us so right now we take a moment of silence to remember a dear man we have lost with the passing of Art Linkletter..T,V. funny man..born 97 years ago as Arthur Gordon Kelly & at age 7 was adopted into a family with the father being a preacher, thus his name became Linkletter . Later on having married his sweetheart, they had 5 children and he called them his "links". Starting in radio, he went on into T.V. with one of his famous shows being "kids say the darnedest things". (also made in to a book that was on shelves ranking as 15th. top seller among non fiction books. Remarks made by youngsters were hilarious & one of these included: "Did you see Santa this year?"Answer: "See him? I fixed him a bourbon and water !!" We will miss Art around. Another interesting note is this: Widow of famed Bob Hope, Delores Hope, just turned 101 years old ! Good for you girl! So now our Lakers take themselves on for another game although this one is to be in Phoenix. If need be for 7th. game, then back to L.A. Babs Wells

Pete and repeat..Sunday game with Lakers against the Phoenix Suns
and Tuesday game with Lakers against the Phoenix Suns. Both games
we lost. First one The score was 118-109 and with last night it was 115-106.
Not easy to write articles for this reporter to type up for you but there
you have it. Defense missing surely. Yes, we need more practice times
to be a helping factor to concentrate on a win maybe with our up-
coming game to play on Thursday? We will wait it out and see.
Phil Jackson is still playing it safe to say he will have to get his Dr.to
tell him the verdict for optimum health before he makes a statement
about whether or not he will remain coaching again for our Laker team.
Some other contenders for the job are: Byron Scott, Brian Shaw, Karl
Rambis, Mike Krzyzewski and Mike D'Antoni as viable options for
consideration but most of us eagerly await the decision in hopes of keeping
Phil Jackson remaining as coach for our Laker Team. This last game even Lamar
Odom made the comment that we were sadly lacking in defense and gave
the Suns kudos for playing such a good game in Phoenix at their home.
Their crowd was on their feet when so many 3 pointers were made and even
with our Kobe Bryant landing 3 pointers himself, he just could not pull it off
enough for a win.The Suns' zone defense was merely too difficult evidently
to figure out and we lost.Now what is around the corner with a 2-2 win
on our hands? No panic yet but we need to figure out our strategy in order
to make the final numbers pan out in our favor on homecourt this week.
Babs Wells

California poppies..a sea of oranges and gold..so if you squinted a little while watching last nights' basket ball game at Staples Center, you would see those oranges and gold scooting across home court and yes, resembling our California poppies just a wee bit! What a game for our Lakers to play against the Phoenix Suns. Two players sporting eye injuries..Suns Steve Nash and our Pau Gasol and yet neither one allowed their injuries to even once interfere with their plays. Scores were tied at 2 or 3 times during the game so it led us to begin to wonder and then our boys started scoring big time. Jordan Farmar made a 3 pointer, Pau Gasol made it look so easy scoring 29 points. At one time during the score being tied, when Kobe Bryant was sitting out for awhile on the bench he made the statement "I'm old...what do you expect?" (ha!) Anyway, Bryant scored 21 points & added 5 rebounds but no steals. The Lakers entire offense operated like a smooth machine during Wednesdays' game. Bryant made the final pass a fitting one too, when he tossed the ball to Gasol at midcourt. Gasol held the ball until the final buzzer sounded and once again our Lakers won the game! Score? Lakers 124 -Phoenix 112. We now have a 2-0 lead in the Western Conference finals. Gold poppies, lets' pull off another win Sunday! Babs Wells

Treading softly early on in the first quarter, finally our Lakers decided to step up the pace. Jumping into the water with both feet we found our tempo and even realized the bench was watching carefully to add to the game. Jordan Farmar, Sasha and Lamar Odom were instrumental in helping us win points. Derek Fisher guarded Steve Nash with a set purpose and it worked great. Ending the first quarter on home court at Staples center in L.A., it was a sure thing we had the game pretty much in our pocket with the Phoenix Suns left in the wake. Kobe Bryant made 40 points and Lamar made 19 points with 19 rebounds. Amare Stoudemire of the Suns, tried to make shots but Pau Gasol of our Lakers was always right there to block. He himself made 21 points. We absolutely ran away with the game. We won 128-107. We will get the opportunity to play again in these playoffs with the Phoenix Suns on Wednesday evening. Fun game to watch! We'll see how this next game fares for us too. Babs Wells

Paul Newman was instrumental in projects I have just recently learned about. Seems his proceeds from race car driving to his various kitchen offerings (salad dressings and so forth) have been funding 7 different camps. The 6th one is actually just a short drive away from my own home by Lake Hughes..it is situated in a tree lined camp and is where youngsters with disabling and life threatening diseases along with family, can stay for a week plus everything without any charge. They have fun and learn skills to use in their own handicapped lives. A full medical staff is there during camp times and Getty has given art works and artifacts for its' beauty as well. It is called "The Painted Turtle" and can be found at 17000-Elizabeth Rd.,Lake Hughes,CA 93532 #661-724-1550. www.thepaintedturtle.org The Vineyard church folks of the Antelope Valley has a keen interest in this "The Hole in the Wall Camps" It is reported our basketball team "The Lakers" have donated $100,000 toward this project. I felt it was worthy of note to see just some of the many activities our NBA is a part of. Lakers will be meeting now on Monday with the Phoenix Suns at our own Staples Center, L.A. Although we do have tall players on our team, the Suns ambitious endeavors with such devotion for unified play and their speed + youth playing on the courts will give us a very good and lively game to watch. See you then. Babs Wells

Lakers now have 6 days in which to splash around and relax while the Suns shine their rays and worry over the upcoming games that will be played in the playoffs. With Steve Nash in Phoenix tending to his swollen eye (had 6 stitches taken) and no, the Suns are not up to the speed of the Spurs or the Mavericks either. So now we will see what is looming ahead (and on home court at that) for our next game scheduled for play on Monday. Andrew Bynum will be able now to get some rest for his torn meniscus knee. Last Mondays' game with the Utah Jazz head coach Jerry Sloan up on his feet claiming our Kobe Bryant is likened to "Miss America" in that he seems to get what so ever it is he wants.Interesting comparison? In game 4 of the Western Conference semifinal series at Energy Solutions arena the drama unfolded as our Laker team won 111-96 playing Utah. Kobe Bryant seemed to control the flow of the entire game with Derek Fisher making his shots to the boo's in the poor mannered Utah crowd. They evidently were disgruntled for their former player going back to L.A. So Derek dug in his heals and proved to one and all what a great man he is. The change in teams happened as you recall in order for his daughter to receive better medical care when Dr's. diagnosed her having cancer of the eye. Some Utah fans were so discourteous as to be overheated, rowdy and pathetic. Pau Gasol has now been dubbed Mr. reliable and that he is with his 7 ft. stature.He makes the game of basketball seem like a back yard lark almost. He has such a quiet style and gets the ball inside the hoop so often when it is sliding around and looking as if it refuses to fall. We rely on our Pau quite a lot! Recovering now for a few days reprieve, we soon tackle the Phoenix Suns who resemble the Jazz in their speed and savy at point guard. So.. ready, set, go! Babs Wells

babsbaby

one..un..ein..uno..all spell out one and that is the magic number
for yesterdays' game in Utah winning in last seconds by the 3 pointer
former Utah player gave us. Derek Fisher came to the rescue so
we won 111-110 !!! Was a difficult game to watch from the coach
point of view, a real nail biting game to watch for Laker fans.
Kobe Bryant scored 35 points with his Dad, Joe, in the audience
to watch and to cheer him on. Pau Gasol lent 14 points to the game.
Andrew Bynum played very little. Ron Artest gave us 20 points as
well as our Derek Fisher scoring 20 points also.
Earlier there seems to have been a few moments of wonder regarding
Ron Artest on twitter becoming a tad upset with coach Phil Jackson.
Ron attended a funeral so made a delay with the team practice but it
all got ironed out alright. In a frenzied atmosphere in Utah with game 3
we had an absolute classic with 20 lead changes in the second half.
The folks in the stands were up on their feet during most of the game.
We give a nod of approval to Derek Fisher with a hats off salute.Good work!
Babs Wells

Home court? Jack Nicholson's lucky purple shirt? Dustin Hoffman in the stands paying allegiance to our team? Dunno..but we won! Pau Gasol was right where he needed to be so baskets became completed. Kobe Bryant was certainly back in form. Andrew Bynum, even with knee troubles, took command and allowed four points to be added to our total. Ahead at one time by 15! Got behind a few points in 4th quarter, but Utah Jazz just could not catch up. They were missing two of their tall players however, Mehmet Okur and Andrei Kirilenko, so the odds were in our favor and Lakers won 111-103. Carlos Boozer (Utah) and Wesley Matthews seemed to not be a match for our Ron Artest though. It has been mentioned before, but it really is looking as if coach Phil Jackson would like to remain in L.A. with the Laker team. Dr. Buss is still not making a statement to that fact and at the larger payroll numbers of $12 million annually for Phil, perhaps it is one reason that it is being carefully considered for a new contract. The Lakers have been the class of the NBA for the majority of Dr. Buss' 30 years ownership, winning 9 titles & reaching the finals 15 times. Yes, this large amount of money paid out yearly for Phil is huge, but we feel he is worth it guiding our team to 4 NBA titles & 6 appearances in the finals. Seems the last thing we should do is to mess around with that just to save money. Star power and great players have proven to be a winning plan. Hopefully Dr. Buss sees it this way as well. Thanks for reading. Any comments any one of you would care to make here? Babs Wells

Cable problems caused concern. Unable to see our Lakers in playoff game at Utah but gleaned info. from the newspaper + the computer in order to put together an article to read all the same. Yes ! We won ! 104-99! Well, seems we had quite a good lead actually but then let it slip away..In the 4th.quarter Kobe Bryant put forth energy and allowed the spectators to see his magic take place. He made 11 points in the final 4 minutes of the game and made 31 points in entire game. Andrew Bynum played 24 minutes in Sunday's game even with a small tear in his right knee meniscus. He had 8 points & 10 rebounds. Pau Gasol got 25 points and 12 rebounds so all in all it made for a most exciting game to watch. Wish we could have done so! A footnote: coach Phil Jackson won 103rd. play- off game with L.A. passing Pat Riley for Franchise lead! Asking your indulgence for a minute today however to give you a little Kudo Korner glance into my own immediate family..two weddings took place this last wk.end for this gal to be a part of..my heart patient grandson Jason wed his longtime pal, Jennifer on Saturday in a gorgeous (every little girl's dream) wedding here locally. Even with winds whipping up, everything could not have gone better..all the love in that country club dining room was noticeable + the enjoyment we all felt for this important occasion was evident throughout. Following day in Simi Valley, another wedding..a pretty garden celebration took place...my oldest daughter Paula said her vows in a most scenic setting, with her partner of 6 years, Henry. Tears flowed at both events of course and happiness was in the air at both of these May weddings. Jason & Jennifer now leave for their cruise to the Caribbean while Paula and Henry go away for three weeks to walk & observe, vacationing in Europe. So thought I would just share a little tidbit here today with my readers. Thank you for indulging me. Now comes our Laker team meeting with Utah Jazz once more (on home court) Tuesday.Hope to see it!! Babs Wells

Three little words: "Thank you Pau"! With only 1/2 of a second to go, Kobe attempted to make a basket and it instead made a ringer so .."Ta...Da..!" Pau sunk it! Game at Target center in O.K. City. Fans there went wild and seems they even gave credit where it was due and applauded our team at games end! Good touch! Ron Artest guarded Kevin Durant like he has been doing through out these playoff games.This of course was the last game for Oklahoma this year so now our Laker team plays Utah on Sunday.Phil Jackson (coach) was all smiles last night and proud of his boys. Thank you fellas for good entertainment! Score was a cliff hangar..ended at 95-94 Babs Wells