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yeah the jailblazers nice fit
Go Purple and Gold, just don't go to the lottery.
The game sucked, Lakers rule.
yeah the jailblazers nice fit
last night was the worst I've seen Kobe in a long time. But that's what happens when you have to work your ass off for every shot. When Shaq was in LA, the game came to Kobe, he didn't need to force anything, although occasionally he would. Now Kobe has to work for everything and he's not that great of a shooter (his form is extremely flawed).
In 02-03 while Shaq was injured Kobe had something like 9 straight 40 point games, but the Lakers continued to loose, that's why Kobe is a great player, but he's no Shaq.
kobe should go back to working on his rap album
Shaq feeling sweet as Heat sweeps Kobe, Lakers
O'Neal scores 25 points as Miami wins 11th straight; Bryant, Wade exchange words
Heat center Shaquille O'Neal blocks a shot by Lakers guard Kobe Bryant on Thursday. Miami went on to win 102-89.
The Associated Press
Updated: 12:08 a.m. ET March 18, 2005
MIAMI - Shaquille O’Neal wants nothing to do with Kobe Bryant. And Bryant soon may not want anything to do with Shaq’s understudy in Miami.
Dwyane Wade — pumped up by a comment Bryant made as the first half expired — scored eight of his 27 points in the fourth quarter, and O’Neal had a 25-point, 12-rebound game that helped lift the Miami Heat to a 102-89 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday night.
It was the 11th straight win and a single-season record 14th straight at home for Miami (51-16), which moved nine games ahead of Detroit in the Eastern Conference standings and within percentage points of San Antonio (49-15) for the league’s best record.
“We just look at this game as another game,” said O’Neal, who enjoyed a season sweep at his former teammate’s expense. “We wanted to stay focused and our guys did a beautiful job of not letting anything enter into the locker room that would break our focus.”
Bryant, according to Wade, told Miami’s second-year guard “Stop crying” as the teams were preparing to leave the court following a first half in which Wade was often agitated over non-calls.
“I don’t want to say what I said,” Wade said. “I told him that I wasn’t talking to him, for one. And for two, I pretty much told him a lot of stuff. I don’t want to get into it.”
His play did the talking. Wade added eight rebounds and five assists, then he pumped his fist in exultation as the final seconds wore down.
Bryant had 21 points in the first half but missed his first nine shots after halftime and finished with 26 points on 8-for-23 shooting. Chucky Atkins had 23 for the Lakers, who dropped their third straight and fell 1½ games behind Denver for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference.
“I think we’re at our best when the odds are against us,” Bryant said.
Keyon Dooling scored eight of his season-high 17 points in the fourth quarter for Miami, which outscored the Lakers 33-22 in the last 12 minutes — even though the Lakers connected on six 3-pointers in the final 10:03.
“Keyon was obviously fabulous, and Dwyane and Shaq were very, very good again,” Heat coach Stan Van Gundy said.
It was the Lakers’ first visit to Miami since last summer’s trade sending O’Neal to the Heat for Caron Butler, Lamar Odom and Brian Grant — all key players in last season’s run to the East semifinals. There was plenty of hype, although it paled to the mania surrounding the Heat’s 104-102 Christmas win in Los Angeles.
And the crowd’s reaction, both to Bryant and the former Heat trio, went as expected.
There was a quick, loud chorus of booing when Bryant was introduced as a starter, and more catcalls and chants followed virtually every time he touched the basketball. He and O’Neal barely acknowledged each other before tip-off but extended hands halfheartedly in the center circle.
“I didn’t say anything,” O’Neal said. “Got nothing to say. I’m a married man; I don’t need a relationship with another man.”
Nothing but long cheers rained down from the sellout crowd when Odom and Butler were announced. And when Grant checked into the game midway through the quarter, Eddie Jones was the first player from either side to greet him, giving a quick hug.
There were plenty more embraces at the final buzzer, including one where Bryant wrapped his arms around Wade. But by then, only one team was smiling.
“It’s not about individual achievements, individual accomplishments,” Bryant said. “It’s about us believing in each other, trying to do something everybody says we can’t do.”
Bryant started quickly, scoring seven of the Lakers’ points in a 9-2 game-opening run. Yet the Lakers missed 12 of their final 15 shots of the quarter, and Dooling’s 3-pointer with 0.1 seconds left gave Miami a 25-20 lead after the opening period.
That shot sparked an 11-2 run by Miami, with Dooling hitting two more jumpers in the first 2:48 of the second quarter to help Miami to a 33-22 lead.
Over the first 18½ minutes, Los Angeles was getting scoring from just two players — Bryant and Odom. They hit nine of their first 14 shots, while their teammates were a combined 1-for-18.
But the Lakers still stayed close, with Atkins scoring eight points in a three-minute span late in the half to help draw his team to 47-45 at the break. And it stayed a two-point margin, with Miami up 69-67 entering the fourth — even though Bryant only managed a pair of free throws in the third quarter.
“We played well for 36 minutes tonight,” Lakers coach Frank Hamblen said. “Unfortunately, the game is 48.”
Notes: Odom was a little disoriented coming out of the visitors’ locker room before a pregame shootaround. “Which way’s the court from here?” he asked. ... O’Neal, a self-described leprechaun, vowed to pinch anyone not wearing green on St. Patrick’s Day, but Wade defied his center’s edict. “You won’t catch me wearing no green,” he said. ... Many celebrities were in attendance, including hip-hop mogul Sean “P. Diddy” Combs, Florida Marlins outfielder Miguel Cabrera and actor Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson — a former University of Miami football player.
© 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
KOBE SUCKS!
Can you please post again when your medication wears off.
Everything I said in my earlier posts still stand....
1 Year makes a player in all eyes....too bad...All of these comments that Kobe can't lead his team...yadaddada...whatever....they are still in the playoff hunt and he's been injured all season, missing 14 games, plus changing coaches and systems mid stream. This year is a transition....and everyone is spouting that Kobe sucks...whatever. They have an unbalance team and is no stronger than the Cavs personal wise because of that.
What cracks me up is that many people, including myself, said that the Lakers were McGrady West without a premier big. You guys offered up Lamar as Scottie and said that Mihm was better than Wennington & Purdue.
Did you forget what I said so long ago?
Sad thing is, it's going to be less victories most likely due to Kobe with the ankle issue. However, even with him...they ain't playing no better than sub .500 ball.LakerFraud is more like it. Get used to McGrady in LA because that is all you'll be seeing from EMPLOYEE 8 . His game is going to suffer hardcore without a dominant interior big and if you're one of those fools that say he is the next Jordan, TAKE A BIG LOOK AT THE TALENT ON THE FLOOR. You may or may not have a Pippen in Odom, but you lack a Horace Grant, Dennis Rodman, Charles Oakley type and a killer shooter like Steve Kerr or John Paxson type. Until Meeatch can find players that have that skill set, I'm feeling 42-47 games won MAX.
1) Kobe doesn't suck.This year is a transition....and everyone is spouting that Kobe sucks...whatever.
2) Kobe had NO IDEA what it would be like playing without Shaq.
3) Kobe will struggle for the rest of his stay in LA to lead the Lakers anywhere near a top 4 seed in the WC.
Kobe is a good player, but he is nowhere near one of the top 5 in the NBA.
Alas the luxury of having to play with a dominant big man. Even though Kobe seems very ordinary at times, he's still a top 5 player in my book. He just seems to lack the intangibles to be a leader.
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