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