Lakers lose and the Warriors are feeling giddy

With every mounting Laker loss, the Golden State Warriors are seeing their NBA Playoffs becoming a reality. The loss the Lakers had against the Suns and the Warriors victory over the Sacramento Kings have narrowed the gaps between the 7th to 9th ranked Western Conference teams.

Kobe mightily struggled against "Clothesline" Raja Bell (one of the players I absolutely hate). Kobe's output of 17 points was 14 below his average. Luke Walton picked up the slack (19 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists) but a pair of double-doubles by Amare Stoudemire and Shawn Marion was too much to handle. (It didn't help that reigning MVP Steve Nash had 26 points and 14 dimes.)

Speaking of Luke Walton, why isn't he mentioned in the Most Improved Player discussions? He raised his game over all. He is averaging roughly 12-5-4 from a meager 5-3-2. His mastery of the Triangle's intricacies have proven crucial, especially when he went down with an injury midseason, where the Lakers struggled.

Oh well, Kevin Martin of the Sacto Kings seems to be taking it home in a few weeks.