LAKERS -at- CLIPPERS - 2/24 - Thoughts and :-(( ratings

 
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DancingBarry
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PostPosted: Sat Feb 25, 2006 12:19 am    Post subject: LAKERS -at- CLIPPERS - 2/24 - Thoughts and :-(( ratings

SlumpBusters II... The Lakers ended another team's free fall yet again as the Clippers snapped their five-game losing streak with a refreshing Cup o' Lakers.

Phil went to a Kwame-Mihm starting lineup to match up with the Clippers and our offensive execution turned to mud. The Lakers didn't score a field goal for the first half of the first quarter. After battling back to pull ahead at the opening of the third, a series of unforced errors and sluggish play did them in as the Clippers bolted ahead on a 26-7 run to control the game.

Once Kaman went down early, the Lakers could have brought in Cook to help open up the floor, but Phil kept him on the bench almost the entire first half. Lamar certainly seemed like he was on the bench the entire half, managing just 1 point and no assists in the first half.

The two MVP candidate did their things, the rest of the Clippers simply out played the rest of the Lakers. Radmanovic managed 19 points on 6-9 shooting as the Lakers left him wide open on the perimeter time after time. Luckily for the Lakers, a lot of other teams they are battling with lost their games tonight, as well.


Kobe -- -- He looked frustrated on more than a few occasions by some of the bonehead plays the Lakers were making. Kobe certainly had a few errors of his own, but he carries this team night after night. When he gets little help, some nights are especially tough. "We didn't play well," Kobe summed things up in the Daily News. "We weren't able to make shots. We didn't execute, and we didn't match their energy and effort." Kobe scored 39 points on 12-29 shooting (5-11 from three and 10-12 from the line). His scoring in February has dropped from the amazing 43.4 month he had in January to 30.3 points per game, while his assists have risen in that time from 4.1 to 5.5, not including this game. Tonight he also led the team with another 8 assists, but had 5 turnovers which all came in that third quarter. He started his scoring when he got hit on a jumper and made both FTs. He drained a long wing two. He went between the legs, blew past Mobley and scored a layup. He posted up and found Mihm cutting for a layup. He hit Mihm in transition for a dunk. He drained a three from about 27 feet. He hit another three a couple feet behind the line at the wing. He hit a three and wanted a foul on Livingston. He hit a baseline turnaround over the double team. After a brief rest, he came back in and was fouled by Livingston on a three attempt and made all three FTs. He attacked down the lane, probably traveled or got fouled, and powered in a layup. He scored an And-1 reverse layup off a feed from Walton. He left Cassell nailed to the floor on a hesitation move and drew a foul on Rebraca, he made one FT. He attacked and kicked to Smush for a three. Nice bullet feed to Smush who was streaking down court on the break for a dunk. He lost the grip on the ball in the corner for a turnover. It slipped out of his hand down the lane for another turnover. He tried to split a double team where there was no room to split, Brand stole the ball and dunked at the other end. To start the fourth, he poked a ball loose in the back court, got it back and dunked. He then drew an offensive foul on Mobley seconds later for another backcourt turnover. He drew a couple more fouls on Mobley shortly later. He attacked the lane and found Lamar for a dunk. After Sasha pulled down an offensive board and kicked it out, Kobe measured it and drained the three. He flashed to the post, then bounced out to the three line and knocked down another three. Naturally, he was going to take a three the next time down the court, he did and he missed on a forced three in which he was fading. He let Livingston dribble all the way down court for a layup after that. He missed another three, Sasha got it back and Kobe was fouled away from the ball, he hit one FT. He hit a baseline fade. He drew FTs attacking along the baseline. Kobe got tagged for another tech in this game, this one a meaningless double tech, his first since the Dallas game.

Odom -- -- Yeesh. Lamar finished with 8 points on 3-12 shooting and 9 boards. Lamar was able to impose his will on the last two teams, tonight was another story. With Kwame and Mihm clogging the lane early, Lamar had little room to work unless we went to weakside post ups or pinch posts, which we didn't. So, he staggered out of the gates with the rest of the team and didn't know how to get himself going. His only score of the first half, he grabbed an offensive board and was fouled on the putback attempt and he made one FT. In the second half, he attacked off the dribble and bricked a layup. He curled from the corner into the lane and flipped it up and in for his first field goal. He posted up Livingston, turned and dunked over him for the And-1, he made the FT. He dunked off a drive and dish from Kobe. He attacked the rim, drew a foul and bricked both FTs. "It didn't matter if Kobe had 60 and Lamar had 30, they beat our butts up and down the court," Lamar said in the Times. "That can't happen … a malfunction on both ends of the court, defense in particular. They got what they wanted all night."

Mihm -- -- Chris was the only Laker other than Kobe to get to double figures as he finished with 11 points on 4-7 shooting and 7 boards in just 26 minutes. Defensively, however, he had trouble with Brand, who would either hit jumpers over him or get past him for scores. Christ had 2 blocks in the game, he blocked Cassell on some nice help D early on. He scored a layup when his man doubled Kobe and Kobe found Mihm. He hustled out in transition and Kobe found him for a reverse dunk. He posted up Brand, drew the foul, hung with it and banked in a shot (very nice). He made the FT and Brand had to go to the bench with his third foul of the first half. He sank two FTs after drawing another foul in the post. Chris still looked much better physically in the game. That two-hand reverse on the break seemed to show his shoulder is now feeling much better.

Smush -- -- Smush had some serious brain lock plays tonight. A couple of unforced errors that typified some of our careless possessions. Smush finished with 8 points on 3-7 shooting, 1 assist, 4 turnovers, 0 rebounds, but a surprising 2 blocks. Nice recovery on Cassell to block his shot out of bounds on one, and later he blocked a three-pointer. Smush walked the ball up court and got a 8-second violation not paying attention on one of his unforced turnovers. He was called for a carry. He attacked hard off a screen and drew a foul getting into Rebraca's chest, he made one FT. He missed a pull-up on the break. He drained a wide open three from the corner. He had another brain lock, taking steps with no one around him 35 feet from the hoop. He busted out on the break, Kobe hit him with a bullet pass and Smush dunked. He sank a floater attacking to his right. He was getting ready to call a timeout and Cassell poked the ball from him for a turnover. Smush had an amazing -29 while on the floor tonight.

Kwame -- -- Kwame got the 0-5 and 0 points on the offensive end with his usual assault on the glass and sometimes the rim. He missed a series of post shots, never close, even on some point blank layups. He did have 3 assists, including one to Devean in the lane for a dunk. He and Mihm looked horrible executing our offense when they were both on the floor together. Defensively, he had his moments and probably should have been on Brand a bit more. He drew a nice charge on Brand, beating him to the spot on a drive.

George -- -- He still played with effort and determination despite not having the greatest of games. He scored 4 points on 2-4 shooting (0-2 from three), he had 4 boards, 2 blocks, but 5 fouls in 18 minutes. He dunked off a post feed from Kwame. To start the fourth, Kobe poked a ball loose in the backcourt to Devean and Devean tossed it back down court to Kobe for a dunk. After Kobe forced a second turnover, Devean hit a tough turnaround jumper, still turning as he shot from about 14 feet away. Nice offensive board, he drew a foul and then clanked both of his FTs.

Cook -- -- Finally, Phil put Cook in the game with a couple minutes left in the half. Cook immediately stirred things up hitting Cassell with a hard shot under the hoop. Cook got fouled on an offensive board at the other end and made both FTs. He ran the two-man game with Kobe and drained a three at the halftime buzzer to cut the lead to four and give the Lakers some momentum. Phil put him in to start the second half with Kaman out with the ankle twist. Cook hit a pull-up jumper off the dribble late in the game. He finished with 9 points on 2-3 shooting, 5 boards and 4 fouls in 17 minutes.

Walton -- -- He fouled his man as he was taking a long turnaround jumper, bad foul. He posted up and fed Kobe cutting baseline for an And-1. He bricked a sideline jumper. He didn't score in 7:32 of action.

Vujacic -- -- Sasha had his moments and led the team with a +10. He played with some intensity and got the Lakers some offensive boards. He finished with 4 points on 2-4 shooting, 3 offensive boards and 2 assists. Still, between him and Smush we are pretty quiet at the PG spot some games. He missed his first jumper, which always seems to be the case. He curled around a pick, pulled up and drained his next one from 17 feet straight away. He pulled up at the wing and knocked down the midrange jumper. Nice hustle for an offensive putback, he got tapped, he got it back and then kicked it out to Kobe who hit a three. He grabbed another offensive board and it led to Kobe FTs shortly later.

Green -- -- He attacked in the lane, spun and just missed. He clanked a jumper at the buzzer. He played just 2:31 and seemed generally active while he was out there.

Turiaf -- -- Some extended time for Ronny, getting 7:56 in the game. He was active on the boards early and pulled down 3. He missed a baseline jumper. He got fouled trying to putback in a miss. He got back in with 2 minutes left of garbage time. He got the ball in the post, made a nice head fake to lose his man, then he badly bricked a left-handed hook.

Phil -- -- Phil just seemed like his chi was off tonight. The Kwame-Mihm lineup to start the game had no rhythm. The team was out of position continually in the Tri and we weren't able to take advantage of getting Lamar or Kobe the ball in the post, not thinking the game. They went without a field goal for the first half of the first quarter. Once Phil took Kwame out for George they went immediately to the post with Kobe and the floor opened up more. Too bad they dug themselves in a hole at that point... No Cook until the last two minutes of the first half, in which he helped the Lakers go on a little 8-2 run. Phil started him in the second half... The Lakers started looking sluggish midway through the third quarter. The Clippers rattled off a 15-0 run, one of which was an Elton Brand dunk in which he turned to Phil and told him to call a timeout... Brand had 3 fouls in the first half. We didn't/couldn't make him work in the post in the second half to take advantage of the foul situatation... The Lakers shot .364 on the game. Some credit to the Clippers, but we also had some funky lineups out there that didn't know what they were doing in the Tri...
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