Lakers-Jazz Game 5: Quarter 1

Kobe hits a three pointer for the first points of the game and follows it up with a long two for an early 5-0 Lakers lead. Looks like his back is doing okay at this point. He's too much of a competitor to leave his team in the lurch, but hopefully he can pick his spots and not wear himself out.

As well as the Lakers have played in jumping out to eleven early points, the Jazz have stuck right with them on an array of dunks and easy layups. The Lakers have really struggled on defense the last few game and that trend can't continue if they want to move on to the next round.

After the first timeout of the game with seven minutes left in the first half there's a lot for the L.A. crowd to cheer for as they lead 15-8. The Lake Show tallied points from most of its starting five and Odom and Radmanovic have come out shooting. Odom's aggression was a big reason why the Lakers stayed close in Utah so his energy will be a key down the stretch.

Timeout commercial critique: The WNBA has awful commercials. I'm not saying that's the reason why I don't watch their games, but they don't help.

A flurry of Utah shots have tightened the score at 22-16 Lakers. Fortunately, Radmanovic discovered his shooting stroke and drilled two threes and now they lead 25-16. Damn the Lakers look good when their shooters are tickling the twine.

Commercial critique: The more commercials I see, the worse the House of Payne. Conversely, My Boys keeps looking better and better.

Kobe collects a weaksauce foul on a fine bit of flopping by Matt Harpring. Wasn't he supposed to be one of the genuinely tough guys in the league?

Utah completely kills the Lakers' momentum when Korver sinks Utah's first three off a Luke Walton turnover. Both teams bring in their bench players and I have to agree with Charles Barkeley's comments about their matchup. The starting five of each team have already proved themselves almost a wash, but the Utah bench has outplayed the Lakers' squad during the series. We'll see if Kobe and co. can turn that around.

Turnovers are now bringing the Jazz back into this contest. The Lakers lead has shrunk to 29-25 with Boozer shooting two from the charity stripe. He hits one of two and the Lakers end the quarters leading 29-26.

Looking forward, both teams are shooting well but the team that can raise its defensive intensity will have the upper hand. Hopefully, that'll be the Lakers.

Lakers-Utah Game 5 Count Down

The Lakers return to Los Angeles to face the Jazz for Game Five of their second round series in what figures to be the most important game of the playoffs so far for the boys in purple and gold.

The series sits at 2-2 but the Lakers have some formidable statistics on their side: only one team (Magic) has lost a game on its home court during the second round of the playoffs, and, even more favorable, Phil Jackson has never lost a playoff series in which his team has won the first game, which the Lakers did.

I'll be perched here blogging some observations at the end of each quarter. Feel free to join me for heavily biased commentary.

Defending Kobe’s MVP

Earlier today the NBA announced Kobe Bryant as the winner of the NBA's 2007-08 MVP award and I think I speak for most Lakers fans when I say it’s about freaking time.

Kobe gathered 1,105 points from the 126 sportswriters and broadcasters who sit on the MVP voting panel to best runner up Chris Paul who finished with 889 points.

The 216 point difference between KB24 and CP3 seems a little large for an MVP race that felt almost as controversial as a Democratic nomination election, but the contest looks more like a Huckebee beat down when you compare Kobe’s eighty-two first place votes to Chris Paul’s twenty-eight.

Despite this resounding win for Kobe, television and radio analysts harp repeatedly that Chris Paul was robbed. Now I agree that Chris Paul deserved serious consideration for the Maurice Podoloff Trophy but the main argument analysts fall back on – that Chris Paul did more with less help – is pure baloney.

First of all, Chris Paul has a fellow All-Star in his frontcourt in David West and a former three-time All-Star in the sharp-shooting Peja Stojakovic. Kobe Bryant? Nope, he doesn’t have a single other All-Star in the Forum Blue and Gold and the only former All-Star on the Lakers squad, Pau Gasol, played beside Kobe for barely a third of the season.

Furthermore, Kobe was the main constant on a squad that had few after losing Most Improved Player candidate Andrew Bynum to a season-ending knee injury midway through the year and adjusted his game to integrate Pau Gasol in the midst of the most competitive playoff race in NBA history. A race that the Lakers won, by the way. And lest we forget, a team can hardly do “more” than post the best record in its conference.

During that same period the Hornets also played well and finished second in the Western Conference, buoyed by the addition of Bonzi Wells, whose inclusion as a role player did not necessitate a dramatic change in Chris Paul’s style of play. No doubt CP3 and the Hornets also owe some of their success to the hardiness of their starting lineup, which avoided serious injury.

Obviously you can’t penalize Chris Paul for his good fortune in playing with another All-Star and a healthy supporting cast. But Kobe did more by leading his team to the better record and he also had less – fewer All-Stars and fewer healthy teammates. The MVP voting panel understood that the Chris Paul-does-more-with-less argument is phonier than a Hillary Clinton smile and that’s why Kobe received more first place votes – by a landslide.

The Madden Curse Lives

The fine people at ESPN profiled the many victims of the Madden Cover Curse which, according to reports, is about 248% more dangerous than the SI Cover Curse.

Check out the video game franchise's brief history of football despair.

Personally, I absolutely do believe the Curse exists and I have only the 49ers' ineptitude to thank that Madden's Evil Eye hasn't targeted any player wearing the red and gold. (I think I just jinxed Patrick Willis).

Kobe Jumps over an Aston Martin

... well, not really. But it's in the realm of possibility after the Black Mamba has proved himself capable of carrying the Lakers to the Pacific Division title despite a rash of injuries to Andrew Bynum, Pau Gasol, Trevor Ariza, Luke Walton, Vladimir Radmanovic, Derek Fisher, and of course Kobe himself.



The tightest Western Conference race in history isn't over yet and Sunday's Lakers-Spurs game will go a long way towards settling the final seedings.

If the playoffs were to start today, the Lakers would be playing the Mavericks in the first round -- a match up the Purple and Gold should look forward to. The Lakers hold a 3-1 advantage this season and all three wins have come after Jason Kidd's addition to the Dallas squad.

After the first several games of the season I had predicted a wash of a season for the Lakers but Kobe and friends have gone out and not only secured a playoff spot but also locked up the division title. That might not be as incredible as jumping over a car but it's pretty darn close.

Kobe Bryant Blog Day

Technically it's still Tuesday, March 11th on the west coast so I didn't completely miss out on the Kobe Bryant Blog Day. Somehow this movement escaped my attention until I stumbled upon the source of the Kobe Love-fest: Hardwood Paroxysm. I like their name and I love their Blog Day idea.

I don't have a direct point for this post (which is, most likely, par for the course) but on this day above others I'd like to explain why I follow the Lakers.

The short answer is Kobe. The long answer is Kobe Bean Bryant.

Ever since Kobe entered the NBA, he has been the physical incarnation of Lakerdom. That position was shared with a few other people you may have heard of but none of them played their entire careers in the Blue and Gold like the Mamba.

I remember reading those early Sports Illustrated stories about Kobe when he first joined the Lakers and I tuned in to watch him play. And I kept tuning in.

That first year we didn't get to see a ton of Kobe, but that didn't stop him from earning a berth in the All-Star game. Few people probably remember this, but during that game Kobe faced off against his Airness, Michael Jordan, in the closest thing to a one-on-one match anywhere in professional basketball.

If my memory is correct, Kobe had the ball and raced down the court on the far side with nobody but MJ between him and the basket. Kobe loped down the court and darted to his right before flashing a spin move that was equal parts brilliance and foolishness. Kobe missed the dunk attempt (or was it a layup -- my mind is too mushy to recall) but he did draw the foul. I remember Kobe smiled afterwards in appreciation of the moment and by then I was already hooked on his unique talent.

Obviously Kobe has seen his share of turmoil both on and off the court and that has understandably put off many people from accepting him. But the Ocho-uno he dropped on Toronto and the consistent brilliance he has displayed throughout his career have made even the most startling headlines regarding his personal life take a back seat to his incredible accomplishments in his professional one.

So here's to you Kobe Bryant.

Can I Make Celebration Now?

I think we're all just as surprised as you Eli. Congratulations.