The Official Los Angeles Lakers thread

[LAKERS_FAN89]

Lakers Overcome by Rockets
Los Angeles trailed by only one at the half before being outscored by 13 in the third quarter of a 102-77 loss in Houston on Wednesday. Kobe Bryant led five Lakers in double figures with 20 points, while Smush Parker added 12. Andrew Bynum, who continues to start in place of injured center Kwame Brown (sprained ankle), collected 11 points and 11 rebounds for his fifth double-double of the season. L.A. hosts Orlando on Friday.

[LAKERS_FAN89]

next game......Jan 12  Lakers vs. Orlando   
7:30 pm (TV: NBALP, FSN) (Radio: KLAC-AM 570/KWKW-AM 1330) 

[Citizen-Y]

Man those dirty refs! :mad:  Only letting you guys shoot 25 free throws compared to Houstons 10! 

Maybe if your team shot better than 34% from the field you guys might have done a little better.

Or play defense.

[GangstaBoogy]

^of course the Rockets are only gonna get 10 free-throw attempts, they're a jumpshot shooting team.

[Citizen-Y]

^of course the Rockets are only gonna get 10 free-throw attempts, they're a jumpshot shooting team.

42 points in the paint vs 32 points in the paint, advantage Houston.

Your team had a shit night, the blame doesn't fall on the refs tonight.

[Now_Im_Not_Banned]

^^It doesn't, but there were still some terrible calls made tonight...

[Stone Cold is Bout It, Bout It]

This shit is fucking depressing....We took 10 steps back on this road trip. No one showed up on this 2 game road trip

And when the fuck is Vlad going to step it up?...he's pissing me off.   ...Can't wait til Lamar & Kwame come back.

[LAKERS_FAN89]

The Lakers look to start a new win streak as they host the Orlando Magic tonight at STAPLES Center. The Lakers lead the season series 1-0, defeating the Magic in Orlando. They have won 4 in a row against Orlando

[GangstaBoogy]

We have to play against Dwight Howard without Kwame 

[LAKERS_FAN89]

2006-07 Stats at a GlanceThe Orlando Magic are streaking again, and so is forward Dwight Howard.

Howard enters off the best game of his career as he looks for a seventh straight double-double when the Magic visit the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday.

The 6-foot-11, 265-pound Howard has been the catalyst during the current five-game winning streak for Orlando (22-14). He's added to his Eastern Conference-leading total of double-doubles in every game of the run after notching his 29th in monster fashion in a 91-76 victory at Golden State on Wednesday.

Howard had a career-high 30 points and a season-best 25 rebounds - one off his career high - to help Orlando end a four-game road skid. It marked his fourth game this season with at least 20 points and 20 boards.

"I was nervous," Howard said. "I'm just glad we got the win. ... I've been trying to push myself in practice to get every rebound, every block, trying to score every time and also getting my teammates involved - and try to implement that in a game."

The Lakers have won nine straight home games against the Magic, dating back to 1996, and 14 of the last 16 meetings overall after a 106-93 victory on Dec. 29 at Orlando. Howard was limited to 12 points and eight rebounds - the only game of his last 13 he's failed to notch a double-double.

Los Angeles (23-13) will probably use either center Andrew Bynum or forward Brian Cook to defend Howard.

Bynum had a difficult time for Los Angeles in a 102-77 loss at Houston on Wednesday despite finishing with 11 points and 11 rebounds. The 7-footer was on the receiving end of several of 40-year-old Rockets center Dikembe Mutombo's five blocks.

"Andrew needs to learn from him (Mutombo) and talk to him when he can to get some pointers," Lakers guard Kobe Bryant said. "I always went out of my way to talk to the great players when I got in the league to learn things from them and he can do the same."

Bryant was held to 20 points - eight below his season average - and went 6-for-18 from the field for the Lakers, who were held to a season-low point total. Bryant suffered a minor groin strain in the second quarter and left the game with 3:33 left after playing 34 minutes.

Bryant said after the game the injury was "tight," but said he would be ready to play on Friday.

"I will let it chill and I should be fine," said Bryant, who is averaging 19.8 points over the last four games on 38.7 percent shooting, including 3-of-15 from 3-point range.

The Lakers have had their ups and downs this season and this week was no different. They ended Dallas' 13-game winning streak on Sunday before suffering losses at Memphis and Houston on consecutive nights.

"We had a four-game win streak and now we are hitting a low and we have to get out of our funk," Los Angeles forward Luke Walton said. "It (stinks) that we are not playing well and we have to get this thing together."

Orlando could be without forward Trevor Ariza, who suffered a sprained medial collateral ligament in his right knee Wednesday in the first half. The Los Angeles native is two points shy of reaching 1,000 for his career.

[ecrazy]

Turiaf = Posterboy

[LAKERS_FAN89]

yeah lakers won

109 to 106

[wcsoldier]

Fortunately, we got a guy who can takeover in the 4th .... but thanks God by the end of January we'll have Lamar then Kwame.. coz damn how many offensive rebounds we gave up in key moments

[GangstaBoogy]

If we could play the Orlando Magic every night, Smush Parker would be an All-Star.

26 points, 4 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals.

[LAKERS_FAN89]

props to Smush Parker