BEATTLES: You Say Goodbye - I say Hello!

Sunday's All- Star Game was a success. Andrew Bynum
and Kobe Bryant represented our Lakers.
The West against the East and once again, West won. (barely).
Smiles on all the players faces so it was such fun watching.
Bryant did get hurt and was bleeding but was alright.
He continued playing after a quick fix. He made 27 points
and now has passed Michael Jordan as the career scoring leader in this game.
His overall point total to 271 with our 152-149 victory.
Bryant made his 14th overall All-Star appearance and 13th in a row.
Kobe alsopassed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (251 points)and Oscar Robertson (241).
He is a fourtime MVP of the All-Star NBA game.
Andrew Bynum had a bad knee that kept his minutes on the floor limited.
Friday he had an injection in the knee and so it was pre-arranged
he would be playing only a few minutes on Sunday.
The first All-Star game in Orlando in 20 years, East not even close
in the first 2 1/2 quarters. They played in the 2 year old Amway Center.
It is one of the finest arenas in the league.
Back in 1992, we remember well that memorable game with
Magic Johnson being MVP and feeling he ought to retire having
contracted the HIVvirus. That was wrenching to learn, 3 months before.
Kevin Love, by the way, the night before the All-Star game,
made 17, 3 pointers in a contest and so on Sunday displayed
the big trophy presented to him. This then, was a very refreshing
display of sportsmanship and we do applaud you.
Next game for our Lakers will be coming up on Wednesday in
Los Angeles Staples Center, against Minnesota. (My home state!)
Babs Wells

ADD AND SUBTRACT

Last years' playoffs hurt.
Going back to Dallas brought
out our fears and our attempts
to win big time. Well, we did.
Grateful for our seasoned
players, we scored and won.
Lakers lifted the injury to ego
last Wednesday evening in a show
of determination and united plays.
For one night at American Airlines
Center in Dallas Texas, our victor
Bynum's dunk in the closing moments
propelled the Lakers to a 96-91 win
over the Mavericks, their second of
the season over the team that
eliminated them from the playoffs
en route to the NBA title last spring.
The Lakers then, also won their second
game in a row and their fifth in their
past six games heading into Thursday
nights' game with Oklahoma City.
Gasol scored 24 points and grabbed nine
rebounds, Bynum added 19 points and a
team leading 14 rebounds with Bryant
and Derek Fisher each scoring 15 points.
It was a fun game to see with our Lakers
team playing away from home.
Thursday's game was a far different one.
Oklahoma City's Thunder players were
much younger and had a more athletic
club to kick it up a notch and pull
away in the second half at Chesapeak
Energy Arena. Watching our Kobe Bryant
out on the floor, it appeared his energy
was being saved for Sunday's All Star
game instead, down in Florida in Orlando.
He joked around with his team, conversed
with the ref's, chatted with Mav's coach,
made faces and clowned around so much
it was evident that the road trip was
catching up to him and his game was off
but showing seemingly far more levity.
It appeared that OKC wanted a much greater tempo instead
for play but the Lakers wanted it slow.
The Thunder pulled away from the Lakers
with a determined second-half surge and
cruised into a 100-85 victory.
And so we look forward now to Sunday's game
in Florida for the All-Stars to entertain us.
Yes, Lakers face the Thunder twice more.
However both those games will be played
at Staples Center, so relax and enjoy
The All-Star game this coming Sunday.
Babs Wells

YES!!!!

We're the Lakers, alright..down by 27
points one night and then up by 30
the next night! Left Phoenix with a
bad taste in our mouths but relished
the win over Portland last evening
playing against the Trail Blazers.
Derek Fisher and Kobe Bryant made jump
shots. Kobe got frustrated over whether
or not Kupchak would be trading Pau
Gasol and made his feelings known.
It is still in consideration.
Kobe made 28 points and Steve Blake
came off the bench to make 5, 3 pointers!
Lakers led 29-7 after one quarter in
which Portland only made 3 of 17 shots.
At halftime the score was 52-30.
Andrew Bynum made 14 points and 19
rebounds. Pau had 16 points and 12
rebounds and Steve Blake made 17 points.
Final score for last nights game: 103-92.
We have our work cut out for us, however.
The next two games are back to back with
both games played on the road. First one
is against the NBA champion Dallas on
Wednesday and Western Conference leader
Oklahoma City on Thursday. Oh mama!!
Well suit up kids, it's time to hit
the road and load up the cannons!
Babs Wells

FIRST THERE WAS ONE AND THEN THERE WAS NONE

Friday's game in Staples Center was great.
Kobe had 36 points and Andrew Bynum added
17 points to lead the Lakers to a 111-99
win over the Phoenix Suns. Matt Barnes had 17
points also and Derek Fisher added another 12.
Pau Gasol had 13 rebounds and 10 points.
Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping attended
the game capping a 4 days visit to the U.S.
He entered the arena on a red carpet during
the second quarter and observed the proceedings
from the second tier of luxury suites above
the official scorer's table & players' benches.
Bryant scored at least 40 in each of his
previous two games against Phoenix, including
a 48-point effort on the Lakers' 99-83 win on
January 10, also in Staples Center.
That was his highest-scoring game in the
NBA when not making a 3-point shot.
And so now we start another story entirely.
Sunday's game left us scratching our heads.
"Wha happen?" The Lakers started by giving
up 63 points in the first half (18-13) with
the Suns (13-19). Then they erased a large
chunk of Phoenix's 27-point lead in the 3rd.
quarter while holding them to only 39 points
in the second half. Kobe scored 32 points,
grabbed 7 rebounds and had 5 assists.
Pau added 17 points and 12 rebounds and
Andrew Bynum had 16 points with 10 rebounds.
For some reason, coach Mike Brown stated
that "we did not come out with the mental
focus to compete defensively. It was flat
and seemed to stay that way throughout the
whole first half". Steve Blake has guided
a rejuvenation second unit since his return
from a sternum/rib injury being out for 13
games.Fisher has played a greater role while
Blake was recovering. His backups were
rookies, Andrew Goudelock and Darius Morris.
Our score for Sundays game was dismal. We
just were far too lackluster and it ended
better than it began..but score was 102-90.
We have some very competitive games coming
up too so we sorely need to get on the
band wagon again. Playing at home today
against Portland and then back on the road
against Dallas with next, back to back in OKC.
These ought to be three games worthy of our
attention, certainly. We're off and running!!
Babs Wells

ONE PLUS ONE EQUALS TWO

Well, our game against Toronto could
easily have panned out differently.
We now have lost 3 on our road trip
and we have won 3 also. And so it
was with Toronto on Sunday. In the
Air Canada Center, we played against
the Raptors. Not all that good while
on the road, it was a nerve-jangling
stretch run. Lakers led by as many as
18 points during the first quarter,
shot 70% (14 of 20) and held the
Raptors to 30.4% shooting (7 of 23).
Losing our rhythm, we lost the lead.
With 2:11 left to play, the Lakers
looked like they were finished.
Bryant ignited their comeback, moments
later. Lakers were trailing 90-86 when
Kobe swished a 3-pointer, stole the
ball and passed it to Metta World Peace
(AKA) Ron Artest. He was able to get in
a layup that gave us a 91-90 lead.
We were countered with a jumper to then
put them ahead 92-91 with 16.9 to go.
Bryant delivered again by sinking a
fadeaway jump shot from the corner that
made it 93-92 with 4.8 seconds left.
He then sank a free throw in the alloted
five seconds and the buzzer sounded for
our score Sunday night: 94-92. Exciting!
Tuesdays' game against Atlanta found both
teams seemingly had heavy legs. The exhausting
road trip for us plus all of the times changes
did not allow us too much time to find strength.
After some moments of uncertainty on the floor,
the Lakers finally found their rhythm and pulled
away for an 86-78 victory in the first game home.
Poor starts and poor shooting have hurt the Lakers,
who are 5-10 on the road but at home have played
with more confidence and a better sense of purpose.
Andrew Bynum scored 13 or his 15 points. Pau Gasol
scored 11 of his 20 points in the second half.
Kobe Bryant finished with 10 points and Metta World
Peace, got in a super 3 pointer before half-time.
So now we have a game to play on Friday at home
against Phoenix with another Phoenix game, in Phoenix
on Sunday to play and so we are hopeful for more wins'!
Babs Wells

KNICKS? NIX!

Big Apple...right? Big dud this
time around for us, sad to say. Lin
had the floor and the spectators
looked up in awe it would appear.
We lost big time but we might be
able to redeem ourselves in Toronto.
Kobe makes the claim that it really
is not about points for him but rather
about rings. He states that the Lakers
are going through a rough time right now
although eventually they will get it right.
Score for Fridays' game against the New
York Knickerbockers was 92-85.
Former Lakers coach Phil Jackson is in
the news. At 66, he is sitting down
and writing another book. He already
wrote "Sacred Hoops" and "The Last
Season" plus he collaborated with the
photographer, Andrew Bernstein on a
coffee table book entitled "Journey
to the Ring." This newest offering is
"Eleven Rings", a memoir due next
year. Jackson retired after his chase
for a twelfth title that ended with
a loss to Dallas, last May. He is a
member of the Hall of Fame and had
the most championships in league
history and .704 winning percentage.
He won five titles while with the Lakers
and six titles when he was with the
Chicago Bulls. Toronto, playing this
morning before heading back home again.
I am not going to probably be able to
report on this game today however as
my youngest one is visiting us from
Oregon and I would really like to
concentrate on some good eats and
conversations with her this time.
If, however, it deems possible, I
will certainly attack the keyboard
and fill you in on today's game.
Until next time meeting you here
then, I will sign off for now.
Babs Wells

SO PROUD OF YOU

Purple and gold and Celtic greens.
Yesterday's game is what this is
really all about. Playing fair,
being competitive, acting as a
solid unit. All of this came in
to the game and then some..even
coach Mike Brown felt inclined
to give our Andrew Bynum a kiss
on his forehead! Game went in
to overtime with scores being tied
all through-out the entire game.
Pau Gasol, at age 31, did his
level best to show us his long
legs and long arms. He scored 25
points and had 14 rebounds, plus
3 assists, shooting 12 for 20.
Kobe Bryant shot 27 points and
stated that "each player really
knows each other so well that
we almost know what is coming
before it takes place."
The Lakers ended a two game
losing streak, won for only
the fourth time in 13 road
games so in doing so, gave
themselves a chance at a
winning record on their 6
game trip. They are at 2-2
with games tonight against
New York and Sunday against
Toronto. Kobe said "any game
we win now is our best win
of the year". Our Lakers
defense was certainly far
better and even our offensive
plays were pretty good too.
This then, was the fourth
consecutive regular season
victory over the Celtics in
Boston. Ending score was 88-87.
Will be fun to see just what
all of this might bring to
the table for the next two
road games. We'll be watching!
Babs Wells

KOBE PASSED SHAQ

Kobe Bryant got the 24 points needed
to pass Shaquille O'Neal and move
into fifth place on the NBA's all-
time scoring list. He hardly missed
during the exciting first half last
night playing in Philly against the
76ers. This is the town Kobe attended
High school in and many of his fans
were there cheering him on. Unfortunately
the opposing team began double teaming
and triple teaming him so that in the
second half, it was far too difficult to
make many basket attempts. After leading
for most of the game, it was near impossible
to find ways to play against the 76ers
and therefore Kobe missed 9 of his 10
shots in the fourth. He did, however,
make 29.4 points so now has 28,601
career points to his name.
Lakers coach, Mike Brown, must have
been unhappy watching on T.V. from
his hotel room. Brown was suspended
for the game and also fined $25,000.
Bryant went 8 for 14 from the floor
and made 4 of 6 - 3's in the first
half of the game so at the break
the score was 50-46. Kobe already
has more championship rings than
Shaq. He now has more points too.
The final score in Philadelphia
was 95-90 and it was understood even
from before the game that afterward
Philly-cheese sandwiches would be
devoured. Nothing like those for sure!
Now on to Thursday's game with Boston.
Babs Wells

ONE WIN, ONE LOSS, ONE EJECTION

Seems our Lakers took advantage of the
tired Nuggets team and won their
first of six road trips. The score was 93-89.
A sluggish team met our players on their
own court. Lakers built an early 11-point
lead and did not fade late besides.
Fridays' win in Denver marked just the
third win of the season for the Lakers
away from Staples Center. Andrew Bynum
scored 22 points, Kobe Bryant added
20 and Pau Gasol made 14 points and 17
rebounds. A far different scenario took
place in Utah. Our Lakers were slow and
clearly affected energy-wise. We faltered
in the fourth quarter against the Jazz
and lost the game, 96-87. Kobe scored
26 points and Gasol made 24 points with
16 rebounds but now we have dropped to 3-8
on the road. What was the most disheartening
aspect of the game against Utah, is that the
coach, Mike Brown, was ejected from the area.
Replays of the game show that he did make
contact with the official, Zach Zarba.
He refused to comment on it however. He
first was restrained but continued in his
anger and manner plus he then evidently did
touch the official which is strictly taboo.
Brown was given two technical fouls besides.
So now we play on Monday against Philadelphia
and hope with the rest in between games that
we can strut our stuff once more.
Our good luck wishes go with you boys!
Babs Wells

SHOW NO MERCY

Charlotte Bobcats had quite a hard
time on Tuesday night at Staples Center.
Our Lakers were in good form.
The Lakers played with ruthless
efficiency and looked like the
team we had known of before, and
loved! Led by Kobe Bryant, the
Lakers charged in front of the lowly
Charlotte Bobcats in the opening
seconds of the game. They built
a 24 point lead by halftime and
completed by winning big.
Their ending score was 106-73.
The starters were even able to
go and sit down to take a rest
while the bench played instead.
It is going to get a bit tougher.
Their road plays include the
Denver Nuggets, Utah Jazz, Phila-
delphia 76ers.,Boston Celtics,
N.Y.Knicks and the Toronto Raptors.
Oh boy...this is one tough trip.
Winning over the Bobcats was only
their 13th. win in 22 games.
At home, their games have been
11-2 but on the road, 2-7.
Bryant scored 24 points playing
Charlotte, but were all made in
the very first half of game played.
All in all, Kobe played only 28
minutes on Tuesday night.
Gilbert Arenas has been contacted
for playing with us in order to
not strain Derek Fisher (37) in
role of point guard as Steve Blake
is still out of circulation with
an injured rib/sternum problem.
We ought to mention here, one new
player on our team...Andrew Goudelock.
He has been doing an outstanding job.
He averaged 11.3 points in his
past three contests as Fisher's backup.
And so we pack it up and head out
on the road. Need to focus now & play.
Babs Wells