Published: Jan. 4, 2012 at 1:36 AM

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Read More: Los Angeles Clippers, Los Angeles Lakers, Los Angeles Kings, Houston Rockets at Los Angeles Lakers, Jan 3, 2012 7:30 PM PST

The Los Angeles Lakers will host the Houston Rockets on Tuesday night, in the midst of a busy time at Staples Center. The Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers along with the Los Angeles Kings of the NHL all have extended road trips at the beginning of February, dubbed the “Grammy road trip” as the venue prepares to host the annual music awards. That, coupled with an extra dense NBA schedule thanks to the lockout makes for many home games in January.

Tuesday is the sixth of 17 consecutive days with a sporting event at Staples Center:

• Thursday, December 29: Lakers beat the New York Knicks 99-82
• Friday, December 30: Clippers lost their home opener to the Chicago Bulls 114-101
• Saturday, December 31: Lakers beat the Nuggets in the afternoon 92-89, and the Kings beat the Vancouver Canucks 4-1 at night
• Sunday, January 1: Clippers beat the Portland Trail Blazers 93-88
• Monday, January 2: Kings lost in a shootout 2-1 to the Colorado Avalanche
• Tuesday, January 3: Lakers host the Rockets
• Wednesday, January 4: Clippers host the Rockets
• Thursday, January 5: Kings host the Phoenix Coyotes
• Friday, January 6: Lakers host the Golden State Warriors
• Saturday, January 7: Kings host the Columbus Blue Jackets
• Sunday, January 8: Lakers host the Memphis Grizzlies
• Monday, January 9: Kings host the Washington Capitals
• Tuesday, January 10: Lakers host the Phoenix Suns
• Wednesday, January 11: Clippers host the Miami Heat
• Thursday, January 12: Kings host the Dallas Stars
• Friday, January 13: Lakers host the Cleveland Cavaliers
• Saturday, January 14: Clippers host the Lakers

That’s quite a run of games at Staples Center for more than two weeks. And don’t worry, even though there isn’t a game on Sunday, January 15, the Lakers and Clippers each make up for it with home games on Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Monday, Janaury 16. January is a busy sports month at Staples Center

Tuesday’s 7:30 p.m. PST game will be televised by Fox Sports West. For more Lakers basketball news and information, be sure to read Silver Screen and Roll.

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Published: Dec. 28, 2011 at 1:43 AM

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What do you guys think about this.

With the Los Angeles Lakers’ season underway, the quest continues for NBA Championship number 17.

Led by Kobe Bryant, could this shortened 66-game season be the one that brings the trophy back to it’s proper home in Los Angeles?

Lakers’ fans at home and across the country can enjoy each and every game this season through various television broadcasts.

Check with your service provider for station listings in your area.

Note: All start times Pacific

January

Sun 1, Los Angeles Lakers at Denver Nuggets, 5 p.m. (KCAL, NBA League Pass)

Tue 3, Houston Rockets at Los Angeles Lakers, 7:30 p.m. (FS West, NBA League Pass)

Thu 5, Los Angeles Lakers at Portland Trail Blazers, 7:30 p.m. (KCAL, TNT)

Fri 6, Golden State Warriors at Los Angeles Lakers, 7:30 p.m. (FS West, NBA League Pass)

Sun 8, Memphis Grizzlies at Los Angeles Lakers, 6:30 p.m. (FS West, NBA League Pass)

Tue 10, Phoenix Suns at Los Angeles Lakers, 7:30 p.m. (FS West, NBA League Pass)

Wed 11, Los Angeles Lakers at Utah Jazz, 6 p.m. (KCAL, NBA League Pass)

Fri 13, Cleveland Cavaliers at Los Angeles Lakers, 7:30 p.m. (FS West, NBA League Pass)

Sat 14, Los Angeles Lakers at Los Angeles Clippers, 7:30 p.m. (KCAL, NBA League Pass)

Mon 16, Dallas Mavericks at Los Angeles Lakers, 7:30 p.m. (TNT)

Thu 19, Los Angeles Lakers at Miami Heat, 5 p.m. (TNT)

Fri 20, Los Angeles Lakers at Orlando Magic, 5 p.m. (KCAL, ESPN)

Sun 22, Indiana Pacers at Los Angeles Lakers, 6:30 p.m. (FS West, NBA League Pass)

Wed 25, Los Angeles Clippers at Los Angeles Lakers, 7:30 p.m. (FS West, NBATV)

Sat 28, Los Angeles Lakers at Milwaukee Bucks, 5:30 p.m. (KCAL, NBA League Pass)

Sun 29, Los Angeles Lakers at Minnesota Timberwolves, 4 p.m. (KCAL, NBA League Pass)

Tue 31, Charlotte Bobcats at Los Angeles Lakers, 7:30 p.m. (FS West, NBA League Pass)

Sources:

All data provided by NBA.com

Paul Rados is a Cleveland based freelance sportswriter and Featured Contributor for the Yahoo! Contributor Network. Follow him on Twitter @PSRados or leave him a message on Facebook. For a complete look at his freelance work please visit his Blog.

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Read More: Matt Barnes (F – LAL), Devin Ebanks (F – LAL), Los Angeles Lakers

The Los Angeles Lakers have had a tumultuous last few weeks, but the team gained some sense of stability on Friday as head coach Mike Brown named Devin Ebanks the starter at small forward. Ebanks, a second year wing out of West Virginia, was in a close battle with Matt Barnes for the starting spot in practice and eventually won out with the season opener less than two days away. Here is the story from Andy Kamenetzky:

Brown opted to go with Ebanks, despite the forward’s lack of NBA experience. As a rookie in the 2010-11 season, Ebanks averaged just 5.9 minutes and 3.1 points per game and appeared in only 20 contests before suffering a season-ending stress fracture on his left tibia in March.

However, Ebanks’ improvement was immediately evident during a strong training camp, and he scored eight points in less than 13 minutes on Wednesday during the Lakers’ second preseason game against the Los Angeles Clippers.

“I learned about it today after practice,” said Ebanks. “I’m just ready to go out there and play now.” Brown thought Ebanks “did a nice job.”

There are players around the league the Lakers would rather have than Ebanks, but it may do the team some good to get some fresh legs on the court. LA has aged in recent seasons and Ebanks may be able to provide a nice spark, especially on the defensive end of the floor.

For more on the Lakers, head on over to Silver Screen and Roll.

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Last season, the Los Angeles Lakers added veteran point guard Steve Blake to the roster in hopes of bolstering their three-point shooting.

To the Lakers’ dismay, their plan didn’t yield the expected results.

After playing in all but three of the Lakers’ 82 games during the 2010-2011 season, Blake only managed a three-point percentage of 37.8 (73 of 193). Although it was one of the better percentages from a Laker that season, it wasn’t what they were hoping to get from the seasoned triggerman. When all was said and done, the Lakers had finished the regular season with a disappointing 34.6 shooting percentage from beyond the arch (17^th in the NBA), and with little help from Blake.

Before signing with the Lakers, Blake turned in season percentages of over 40 in two of the previous three years (the third season was 39.5 percent). Once the 2010-2011 season was over and only 37.8 percent of his long shots had found the bottom of the net, it’s safe to say that there was some displeasure with his performance.

Through the Lakers’ first two preseason games of the 2011-2012 season, Blake has looked much better from long range. Not only has he connected on six of his ten shots from deep, but his 20-point performance against the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday proved that he still has the ability to be a scorer.

It’s a bit irrational to think that Blake would maintain anything near the 60 percent three-point shooting that he’s had this preseason. However, there’s a definite possibility that he can rebound from last year’s unimpressive showing and provide a spark for the Lakers’ offense.

Especially with the aging Derek Fisher expected to see less playing time as the Lakers’ starting point guard, Blake has a terrific opportunity to prove that he can be the signal-caller on offense. In order to do that, he will need to show some consistency from beyond the arch as well as the ability to stick with younger, quicker point guards on defense.

Once the NBA Lockout ended, the Lakers went out in search of a three-point ace who could help elevate the less-than-impressive outside shooting numbers from their previous campaign.

This preseason, the Lakers went out and signed veteran shooting guard Jason Kapono in hopes of alleviating some of pain that the team felt from beyond the arch last season. Although it’s hard to deny that Kapono is a threat from three-point land, he doesn’t offer much else beyond that which makes him nothing more than a situational shooter.

During the 2011 NBA Draft, the Lakers drafted sharpshooter Andrew Goudelock out of the College of Charleston. Although many teams considered him a huge project, the rookie shooting guard has exceeded expectations this preseason and as of right now still has a spot on the roster. If he can continue to grow as an NBA player while maintaining his excellent stroke and range (3-5 from deep during the preseason) he could definitely be an option for the Lakers as a three-point threat.

The Lakers need an answer to their three-pointer woes and they need it fast. Whether it comes from Blake, Kapono or Goudelock, it will be an essential step in finding their way back to the playoffs this season.

The one promising sign: the Lakers finished the preseason with the third-best three-point percentage in the league with 47.5. Keep in mind, though; the rehearsal means nothing if you can’t perform when the final score actually matters.

If Blake can continue playing and shooting with the same confidence that he displayed on Wednesday night, there’s a real chance that he could be a difference-maker for the Lakers on offense this season.

Gil Alcaraz IV is a Los Angeles native who was born into a family of diehard Lakers fans. For more Lakers coverage, follow him on Twitter..

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There were five Los Angeles Lakers hopefuls who got an early Christmas present today in the form of a severance check.

In a release via Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak, the team announced Thursday that they have waived training camp bodies Zach Andrews, Chris Daniels, Gerald Green, Elijah Millsap and Malcolm Thomas.

Although you probably haven’t heard most of those names and only saw one of them in action during the Lakers’ two preseason games, all five have been working hard throughout training camp in hopes of earning a spot on the roster. Unfortunately for this group of youngsters, there time is up as members of the Lakers’ squad.

Andrews, a 6-8 power forward, spent the last year with the Lakers’ D-League affiliate, the Los Angeles D-Fenders, before joining the purple and gold this preseason. After playing abroad in Spain, Bosnia, Turkey and Japan, he averaged 11.1 points and 8.9 rebounds per game during his short stint with the D-Fenders.

Daniels, the ninth overall pick in the 2011 NBA Developmental League Draft, spent the last few years playing abroad in Korea. During his short stay with the D-League Erie BayHawks, Daniels averaged 16.2 points, 11.4 rebounds and 2.2 blocks per game.

Green, a four-year NBA veteran and the 2008 NBA Slam Dunk Contest Champion, was originally drafted by the Boston Celtics in the second round of the 2005 NBA Draft. Although he was expected to come in as the replacement for Shannon Brown, his short appearance in the Lakers’ second preseason game against the Los Angeles Clippers wasn’t enough to impress the coaches into giving him a job.

Millsap, the younger brother of Utah Jazz power forward Paul Millsap, was originally drafted by the Oklahoma City Thunder after entering the 2010 NBA Draft as an early-entry candidate. He started his D-League career with the Tulsa 66ers before he was traded to the D-Fenders, where he averaged 23.2 points, 7.7 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 3.5 steals as a do-it-all guard.

Thomas, a rookie out of San Diego State, ended his time as an Aztec as the school’s second leading shot blocker. During his collegiate career, he averaged 11.4 points, 8.1 rebounds and 2.02 blocks. He was sent down to the D-Fenders for one game during training camp, but was immediately pulled back up prior to the Lakers’ first preseason game.

With the Lakers showing these five players the door, the team’s roster has been whittled down to the maximum 15 players, including rookies Darius Morris and Andrew Goudelock. Considering that opening day for the regular season is only three days away, don’t expect to see much more roster movement over the next week or so.

Gil Alcaraz IV is a Los Angeles native who was born into a family of diehard Lakers fans. For more Lakers coverage, follow him on Twitter @GilAlcarazIV.

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While everyone talks about Chris Paul and Kobe Bryant, Blake Griffin has gone into the shadows but even though it is preseason, he called attention to himself as the Los Angeles Clippers beat the Los Angeles Lakers for the second consecutive game.

Blake Griffin is involved in the community. Here he plays with Marines on the Camp Pendleton marine Base.
photo by:Sgt. Vitaliy Rusavskiy Wikimedia Commons

Blake Griffin lit up the outgunned Lakers for 30 points and put on a clinic as the Clippers won 108-103 in the second consecutive matchup between the Staples Center roommates. Griffin’s highlight play of the night was an emphatic slam as he drove the lane unchallenged off a Chris Paul bounce pass.

Griffin and Paul played like they have been together for years on offense but the key to this game was defense and turnovers and this could be a theme for both teams all season. The Lakers turned the ball over 22 times under pressure and they must work on their ball protection moving forward.

Griffin and Chris Paul showed how they will be unstoppable this season with several ESPN highlight moments against a Lakers team without their superstar Kobe Bryant. Bryant sat out the game with a wrist injury that could lead to missed regular season games.

Derek Fisher played in his first game since dealing with months of negotiations to settle the NBA lockout and the rust showed but he did make some impressive plays. When Fisher and Kobe get on the floor together the Lakers will be a different team but the question all season will be a simple one: Can Derek Fisher hold up with the back-to-back games.

Were there any positives arising from the Lakers second consecutive loss in their own arena? One positive was watching Derek Fisher play well at times after a long layoff with limited practice. Aside from Fisher producing in his 24 minutes on the floor, the Lakers and head coach Mike Brown will have a tough time finding many positives in this game.

Metta World Peace (Ron Artest) is looking like a deer in the headlights in his first two games but he never plays well in meaningless games. Once Artest plays ten game in the regular season, Mike Brown and the Lakers coaching staff will know where they stand. Don’t figure in Artest as a strong sixth man off the bench, he can’t handle the pressure.

Christmas Day will provide answers to the Lakers season. Their patchwork lineup, without Chris Paul and Lamar Odom, must prove the critics wrong. If Kobe Bryant misses the first ten games of the season it could be the end of the Lakers hopes for 2012. A ten game stretch without the Lakers top producer in a shortened 66-game season will crush the Lakers.

*Todd Jacobs is a Southern California native and a longtime Los Angeles Lakers fan dating back to the days of Wilt Chamberlain and “The Logo” Jerry West.

Sources:

ESPN Clubhouse: Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers news and notes.

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The first matchup between Kobe Bryant and his Los Angeles Lakers and Chris Paul and his Los Angeles Clippers ended in a blowout by the Staples Center step children. Let the overreaction begin. The Lakers fans are up in arms that the Clippers blew out their team and now the local Los Angeles radio show hosts will have a week’s worth of material to keep them busy before Christmas.

Chris Paul
Photo by: L.A.’s Finest Wikimedia Commons

This is the best thing that could happen for the Lakers and Kobe Bryant. Let the Clippers fans celebrate their preseason win over the Lakers. The preseason is for getting players acclimated and learning the nuances of new defensive and offensive schemes.

The Clippers came into the game looking to impress their fans and prove they will be a force to be reckoned with in the NBA and the Pacific Division. The Clippers looked good for the first preseason game of the season and they did mesh well but the Lakers have a veteran team and they were looking to give young players. like Darius Morris, experience.

Chris Paul showed that he will provide the Clippers a creative aspect they have lacked in the past. Combining Paul with Chauncey Billups and Blake Griffin could prove a formidable combination but Paul’s biggest help could be an afterthought for most.

Center DeAndre Jordan only scored six points but made his presence known and helped create pressure to bring the ball down the court. Jordan blocked four shots and matched up well against Gasol and Bynum. Jordan will play a huge role in making Chris Paul effective this year but he won’t get much credit.

What about fans coming from the game questioning whether Kobe Bryant has lost a step. They may have missed several of Kobe’s signature off-balance shots that miraculously fell through the net or they may have ignored watching Kobe hustle back on defense every minute he was in the game.

Bryant is competitor and when the season heads down the stretch, he will be there. Bryant says he doesn’t read the stories about the Lakers or himself and this might be true but he will use the attention being lavished on Paul to motivate himself.

Will Chris Paul take over Staples Center this season? Don’t bet on it. Kobe Bryant has ruled the Staples Center since it opened and he will take back his title as top dog in Staples soon enough. Don’t panic Lakers fans. The season begins Christmas Day.

*Todd Jacobs is a native Southern California resident and longtime NBA and Los Angeles Lakers fan.

Sources:

Prime Ticket: Los Angeles Lakers vs Los Angeles Clippers

ESPN Clubhouse: Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers news and stats

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Leave any suggestions in the comment box.

To say that the Los Angeles Lakers have had a rough start to this shortened 2011-2012 season is an understatement.

They lost out on the Chris Paul sweepstakes – to the Los Angeles Clippers. They were forced to trade disgruntled power forward Lamar Odom to the Dallas Mavericks and got what seems like nothing in return. Their best preseason acquisition at this point is Josh McRoberts, who’s nothing more than a bench talent at this point. They haven’t found their point guard of the future (sorry Darius Morris but it’s too soon to tell) and Metta World Peace has been demoted to the bench. To top it all off, the uncertainty surrounding the newborn Mike Brown era is a tad unsettling.

Get the point? Good.

Now, the Lakers’ All-Star shooting guard Kobe Bryant is dealing with some personal issues of his own that have the potential to put an even bigger strain on this season.

Bryant’s wife, Vanessa, has filed for divorce citing “irreconcilable differences”. Vanessa signed the divorce papers on Dec. 1, with Bryant signing his response on Dec. 7.

“The Bryants have resolved all issues incidents to their divorce privately with the assistance of counsel and a Judgment dissolving their marital status will be entered in 2012,” the couple said in a statement. “We ask that in the interest of our young children and in light of the upcoming holiday season the public respect our privacy during this difficult time.”

Known by many as an unfaithful man after his 2003 sex scandal, Bryant has had his fair share of issues throughout their 10-plus years of marriage. With their marriage ready to meet its demise, the entire Lakers community is wondering how the team will be affected by his personal turmoil.

During the 2010-2011 NBA Playoffs, fellow Laker Pau Gasol struggled on the court while juggling private matters of the heart. He looked timid when he was out on the floor and created a weak spot in the Lakers’ lineup. Bryant’s divorce is making fans reminisce on the ugly performances that resulted from Gasol’s off-court issues.

However, if history repeats itself, Bryant shouldn’t have any trouble making his opponents feel the same pain that he’ll be suffering from. Back in 2003, Bryant was on a mission to prove that he could overcome any obstacle that life placed in his path. While jumping back and forth between court hearings and Lakers games, he victimized opponents with his torrential downpour of pain-filled daggers.

More than anything, Lakers basketball will give Bryant an opportunity to take his mind off of the divorce. The problems of life that weigh on an athlete/sports fanatic are momentarily forgotten when they’re in the heat of battle. I don’t expect this situation to be any different for Bryant, who should thrive under these taxing circumstances.

The rest of the NBA best be wary; Kobe is losing his wife while building up aggression in the process. Don’t be surprised if he explodes when the regular season arrives and leaves a smoldering trail of opponents’ ashes in his wake.

The Lakers probably won’t end the season with the best record in the league or even earn one of the top seeds in the Western Conference, but I expect this latest Kobe drama to do more good than harm from a basketball standpoint.

Gil Alcaraz IV is a Los Angeles native who was born into a family of diehard Lakers fans. For more Lakers coverage, follow him on Twitter @GilAlcarazIV.

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There is the quick update of the day.

What began as a local brushfire when the Los Angeles Lakers were swept by the Dallas Mavericks in last year’s playoffs has mushroomed out of control and only Dwight Howard can save the franchise now.

It all started back when rumors swirled that in-fighting led to the Lakers’ downfall against the Mavericks. Many believed that the only solution was to set dynamite to the two-time champions’ roster, and it wasn’t long until this theory became a tumultuous reality.

Less than a week after the NBA Finals had ended, every Laker not named Kobe was on the block. Deals involving Lamar Odom for Monta Ellis, Pau Gasol for Kevin Love, and Odom for Andre Igoudala were alleged, and although none of the moves would go down, there was a growing sense that revolution was in Lakers’ near future.

Then, L.A. hired Mike Brown as head coach—without consulting Kobe Bryant. Kobe had endorsed former teammate and long-time assistant coach Brian Shaw, but was circumvented by Jim Buss, the Lakers’ owner’s son and new sheriff in town.

Extra kindlewood for the flame.

Fast forward to the end of the NBA lockout and the Lakers were, again, making headlines. The front office tried to deal Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom for superstar PG Chris Paul, but the trade was blocked by NBA Commissioner David Stern.

Chaos ensued.

Gasol and Odom were fuming, which ultimately led to the Lakers trading Odom to in-Conference rival Dallas for… a trade exception. And now, an incensed Kobe Bryant has grown tired of diplomacy.

When recently asked if he thought the Lakers were going to be as good as last year, Kobe snidely replied: “”No … I think we’re terrible … we’re going to be worse.” Kobe added that the chances for success with the current roster were “none,” and joked that he wanted to be traded to Miami.

Make no mistake about it, Kobe is furious—with good reason.

The solution to this disaster? Dwight Howard. Trading for Chris Paul improves the Lakers brand, but makes L.A. smaller and puts more pressure on the front office to make future deals.

Trading for Howard, however, is an unambiguous and immediate plus. And unless Kobe has specifically stated that he doesn’t want to play with D12, the Lakers need to make this move before the trade deadline or they risk squandering Kobe’s last few years and perhaps even losing Bryant to this uncontrollable wildfire.

Now, Steven A. Smith recently said on his radio show that the Lakers would not give up both Pau and Andrew Bynum for Howard, only one.

This is ridiculous.

Jim Buss’ apparent obsession with Andrew Bynum is starting to border on delusion. In the five years this kid has been in the league, he has spent almost half the time injured and most of the other half not meeting expectations.

Sure, he bulked up and yes, he had a phenomenal stretch in 2009-10, but who are the Lakers kidding? Bynum is simply not that much more valuable than Lamar Odom. Odom scores 15 points and grabs 10 boards and more importantly, he actually plays—Odom has only missed four games in the last three years.

The Lakers were about to give up Gasol and Odom for CP3, and yet they won’t give up Bynum and Gasol for the most dominant big man in the NBA, who just so happens to be 25 years old?

All of the sudden they care about front court depth, after donating one of the most versatile power forwards in the game to the defending champions?

I’ll put it this way, if the Lakers don’t trade for Dwight Howard, prepare for a messy conclusion to the Kobe era in L.A..

And the Mamba doesn’t deserve to go out that way.

More from the Yahoo! Contributor Network:

Top 5 Reasons Dwight Howard will join the Los Angeles Lakers

How the Los Angeles Lakers can land Dwight Howard

Chris Paul rumored to be coveted by Lakers, Celtics and Knicks

Top 5 Most Likely Trades for the Los Angeles Lakers

Top 5 Reasons LeBron James is still better than Kobe Bryant

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The Los Angeles Lakers began the 2010-2011 season as the two-time defending NBA champions. It was not too much of a stretch to imagine this team winning a third straight title as they did from 2000 to 2002. While the Lakers fell short of that goal these five moments illustrate that the squad was a good team and by most standards they had a good year. After all, 57 wins against 25 losses and a division title in the regular season is a good year.

SEASON OPENER

The season opener is also a high moment for a team, especially when the team is the defending NBA champions. That means ring ceremony; the players receive their championship rings from the 2009-2010 season and the team hangs the championship banner. October 26, 2010 marked opening night in Los Angeles and the Houston Rockets provided the opposition. In the first half Houston made it clear it was not going to give the game to the champs. The teams went into the locker room with Houston leading 62-51. The Lakers came out strong in the third quarter and cut the lead to 5 going into the final quarter. In the end the Lakers prevailed 112 to 110 in a fitting tribute to the prior season. Pau Gasol lead the way with 29 points and Kobe Bryant chipped in 27.

OPENING WIN STREAK

It is always good to get any season off to a strong start and the Lakers started 2010-2011 like they were not going to lose. They ran off seven straight wins and on Tuesday November 9th the Minnesota Timberwolves arrived in Los Angeles with the Lakers looking for their eighth straight win. The Lakers were up to the challenge and carried the day with a 99 to 94 victory. Kobe Bryant lead the Lakers with 33 points. The Lakers would lose game 9 in Denver and the next game at home but then respond with 5 straight wins to run their record to 13-2.

ANDREW BYNUM RETURNS

The Lakers had been playing without its big center Andrew Bynum for the first 24 games. So it naturally was a high point in the season when he returned for game 25 on December 14th against the Washington Wizards. Although Bynum did not start and played only 17 minutes scoring 7 points, his return was huge. The Lakers needed his size and talent if they were to challenge again for the championship. The Lakers won the game 103-89 to extend the season’s record to 18-7.

RECORD WIN

On January 11 2011 the Cleveland Cavaliers with a record of 7-30 arrived in Los Angeles to meet the Lakers who were 27-11. No one expected the Cavaliers to win but the margin of victory exceeded anyone’s expectations. The first quarter ended with the Lakers up 27-12 and that turned out to be just the beginning. At halftime the Lakers lead 57-25 and fans wondered if this could be a record; one for the fewest points scored against the Lakers since the shot clock went into effect. The Cavaliers did improve slightly in the second half but still could only manage 57 points for the entire game, a figure which matched the Laker output in the first half. The final was 112-57 and it is unlikely a team will match that low figure anytime soon. LakersUnivere.com noted the 57 to be indeed a record low against the Lakers since the advent of the shot clock. Seven Lakers scored in double figures and 11 of the 12 players on the team scored. Nine players played at least 16 minutes so the Lakers took advantage of the big win to hand out playing time all around.

KOBE’S RECORD SCORING

One continuing theme of the season has been the movement up the list of all-time scorers in NBA history by Kobe Bryant. He started the season in 12th place and on March 8th in Atlanta against the Hawks he scored 26 points to reach 27,423 for his career according to LakersUniverse.com. This put Kobe at number six and any further movement will have to wait until the 2011-2012 season. The team won the game 101-87 to improve to 46-19 on the season.

NOTE: I have followed the Lakers my whole life. From Jerry West to Magic Johnson to Kobe Bryant with all the other great players they have been and continue to be a truly great franchise. The Lakers have won sixteen titles; five as the Minneapolis Lakers and eleven in Los Angeles

Sources:

The Official Site of the Los Angeles Lakers http://www.nba.com/lakers/

Basketball-Reference.com Los Angeles Lakers http://www.basketball-reference.com/teams/LAL/2011.html

LakersUniverse.com Season Details 2010-2011 http://www.lakersuniverse.com/seasondetails/2010_2011_season.htm

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Gotta run!.

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. (AP)

Even Kobe Bryant can’t figure out why the Los Angeles Lakers apparently are trading Lamar Odom to one of their biggest rivals.

”To be honest with you, I don’t like it,” Bryant said Sunday when the Lakers showed up for their third day of training camp knowing their top reserve probably will be shipped to the Dallas Mavericks for nothing but a trade exception.

”It’s tough to lose Lamar,” Bryant added. ”Pau (Gasol) is still here, and we’re all thankful for that. It’s hard when you’ve been through so many battles with players to just see them go somewhere else. It’s tough.”

Neither team formally announced a trade early Sunday, but Dallas coach Rick Carlisle and star Dirk Nowitzki both essentially confirmed the deal, acknowledging their excitement about adding Odom to the defending NBA champions’ roster without losing a player in return.

Odom wasn’t at the Lakers’ training complex Sunday, and his teammates aren’t thrilled to know he’s probably on his way to Dallas, which swept the Lakers out of the second round of the postseason last spring.

”Especially to them,” Bryant said. ”We were supposed to come back and get them back. It’s tough. … Do I think we got too little? Who did we get? I don’t think Mark Cuban is protesting this trade.”

Bryant and Derek Fisher don’t know what to make of their front office’s aggressive pursuit of Chris Paul followed by an apparent change of focus toward Orlando center Dwight Howard, who has requested a trade from the Magic, after the NBA blocked a megatrade for Paul on Thursday. Odom didn’t attend the Lakers’ first two days of practice after the team attempted to include him with Gasol in that three-team trade for Paul.

”As a basketball player, it confuses you as to what your focus should be,” Fisher said. ”I’m very disappointed and frustrated for (Odom and Gasol).”

Although Bryant expressed his faith in general manager Mitch Kupchak, he would prefer to have Odom in camp as the Lakers regroup from last season’s failed attempt at a threepeat.

”You’re talking about the sixth man of the year last year,” Bryant said of Odom, who averaged 14.4 points, 8.7 rebounds and 3 assists while playing in all 82 games last season. ”He played lights-out. I don’t understand the criticism of reality shows and this. I don’t get that. He had his best season last year, clearly wasn’t a distraction, played his (rear) off. I don’t get where that comes from.”

Odom starred in a reality show last season with his wife, Khloe Kardashian, clearly enjoying his celebrity at the main intersection of sports and Hollywood. Kardashian tweeted obliquely about her excitement when news of the apparent trade surfaced Saturday night.

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