NBA's Questionable Calls: Suspending Dwight Howard & Letting Rajon Rondo Walk

This is officiating???

The NBA just made two series altering rulings: (1) the suspension of Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard for elbowing Samuel Dalembert of the Philadelphia 76ers in the head and (2) letting Rajon Rondo of the Boston Celtics walk after his blatant hard foul of the Chicago Bulls' Brad  Miller. Here are the fouls, in YouTube fashion:



Did you see the fouls? Pretty rough play by the 21st century NBA standards. It was like watching WWE Smackdown.

In Howard's case, as TrueHoop said, he should have been automatically ejected in the game. This is clear in the NBA rulebook. Dwight Howard only got a technical and went on to play that game where he dominated the 76ers throughout. I can understand 76ers coach Tony DiLeo's frustration-- the rules are there but the NBA officials' response time was clearly unacceptable.

The case of Rajon Rondo is even more appalling: He fouled Brad Miller with no intention of going for the ball. Look at the replay. Rondo made a dirty play and hacked Miller from behind. Miller went on to miss the two free throws and cost the Bulls the game. I'm shocked that Celtics coach Doc Rivers "praised" Rajon Rondo for the unsportsman-like foul.

By the looks of it, the Celtics got an assist from the league WWE-style and the Magic will be playing at a Game 7. NBA: Where Amazing (Bad Calls) Happen.


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Lakers Eliminate Jazz in 5 Games

After three quarters, the Los Angeles Lakers looked like it was going to waltz in to the second round of the 2009 NBA Playoffs.

But the Lakers hung tough and managed to eliminate the pesky Utah Jazz in Game 5 of their first round match-up, 107-96.

The Lakers were dominating for most part of the game, but as if wanting more excitement in the game, the Lakers gave the Jazz an opening in the fourth quarter and saw their 19-point lead trimmed to six with three minutes to go. The Lakers closed the game out by outscoring the Jazz 12-7 in closing minutes of the game.

Kobe Bryant led the Lakers with 31 points, but I think was Lamar Odom who played a more efficient and effective game, with 26 points and 15 rebounds. Pau Gasol had another double-double with 17 points and 11 rebounds. Trevor Ariza had another strong home game, with 12 points and 50% shooting from downtown.

While the Lakers did win the series, I observed that they still have yet to show the "killer instinct" that basketball pundits wanted to see from them from the start. The Lakers lost leads and did not play consistent defense in the five games of the series. It did expose that the Jazz still have a lot of work to do to improve, but I think the Lakers did not get a test of "nastiness." On the plus side, the Lakers showed that they can dictate the pace of the game and dominate the game with offense. Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol, and Lamar Odom proved to be the Lakers' core in the post season, with Trevor Ariza and Shannon Brown giving good support.

The Lakers are now awaiting the winner of the Houston Rockets-Portland Trailblazer, with the Rockets leading 3-1 as of this writing.


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Trevor Ariza & Luke Walton Injured

The Los Angeles Lakers' pair of small forwards are hobbling in the playoffs.

Trevor Ariza and Luke Walton, key players in the Lakers' rotation in the playoffs, have suffered injuries that may limit their effectiveness in the post-season. Ariza is struggling with an ankle injury, while Walton has been confirmed to be out at least a week with a torn deltoid ligament.

What the Lakers could do is play Lamar Odom more on the small forward position or give more playing time to Adam Morrison, the third player in the Lakers' small forward depth chart.

In any case, the Lakers' goal of closing the Utah Jazz in Game 5 of their first-round NBA Playoff series got a little tougher.


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My Top 3 Kobe Bryant Playoff Moments

NBA.com has a new feature where you can create a video playlist of the Top NBA Playoff Moments. I've compiled my Top 3 Kobe Bryant Playoff moments.

Check it out, you may be able to make a playlist for all the teams (well, except the Portland Trailblazers).


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Kobe Leads Lakers Over Jazz in Game 4

After taking 24 shots and making only 5 of them in Game 3, Kobe Bryant took the same amount of shots and made 16 of them to lead the Los Angeles Lakers over the Utah Jazz in Game 4. In their first round match-up in the NBA Playoffs, the Lakers now have taken a 3-1 edge over the Jazz.

Kobe's scoring burst started in the first quarter where he scored the Lakers' first 11 points. He continued his offensive display en route to 38 points and more than doubled his scoring output in the Lakers' loss in Game 3. Lamar Odom and Pau Gasol both had double-doubles, with Odom getting 10 points and 15 boards and Gasol finishing with 13 points and 10 rebounds.

Coach Phil Jackson made some adjustments for this game. He started Odom at the power forward position and slid Gasol into center. Andrew Bynum, who started in the first three games of the series, was moved to the bench. Bynum had struggled in the post-season thus far, averaging 6 points and 3 rebounds, plus the foul trouble that had plagued him in Game 1 & Game 3.

For the Jazz, the return of center Mehmet Okur from injury did not help them at all-- he did not score in the game and missed all his shots. Deron Williams and Carlos Boozer continued to buoy the Jazz, but they let the Lakers score 40 points in the second quarter and they were clamped down in the third. By the time the final quarter started, the Jazz were facing a 19-point deficit.

The series shifts back to Los Angeles for Game 5 on April 27. I have no doubt that the Lakers are looking to eliminate the Jazz on that game and, as past games in Staples Center would suggest, I believe they will do so.


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Lakers Lose Game 3

As the series moved to Utah for Game 3 of the Los Angeles Lakers-Utah Jazz match-up, I knew the complexion of the game would change.

Boy, was I right.

It was a big turnaround for the Lakers: There was no big first quarter explosion, no blistering shooting display, and no victory.

The Lakers lost 88-86 on a jumper by Deron Williams with 2 seconds left in the game. Kobe Bryant clanged a potential game-winning three ball and the Lakers lost the right to talk "sweep" in this series.

Like I said, Game 3 was played in way the Jazz wanted it-- defense-oriented, low-scoring, and, well, nasty. The Lakers struggled in the first quarter and mustered only 17 points. In the previous two games, the Lakers scored 30 and 41 points respectively. The Jazz made sure the Lakers never get into an offensive groove and they they were able to slow down Trevor Ariza and Shannon Brown, offensive sparks in the games in Los Angeles.

There were also other issues the Lakers faced: Kobe tried to shoot himself out of the Jazz defense and the result was 24 shots, 5 less than the whole Laker bench. The Jazz are probably pleased with themselves by stifling Kobe and making him shoot 21% from the field. Andrew Bynum never really got a chance to play with the foul trouble again. This is the second time in three games that Bynum had 5 fouls. Perhaps, his playoff inexperience is starting to show.

Last year, the Lakers lost Game 4 of their second round match-up against the Jazz. If the Lakers doesn't start to shoot well and defend better, the series will be 2-2 when they go back to Los Angeles.


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Lakers Ward Off Jazz in Game 2

The Utah Jazz played much better basketball in their series against the Los Angeles Lakers, but as the final buzzer sounded, they still found themselves in the losing end of the 119-109 score.

The Lakers now find themselves two games ahead of the Jazz, thanks the Lakers' offense. The Lakers shot 86% from the field in the first quarter en route to a 12-point lead. The Lakers' superb shooting display in the first half kept the Jazz from tying the series, especially when the Jazz responded in the second half.

Kobe Bryant had an efficient 26 points, along with 9 assists and 6 rebounds. Trevor Ariza sustained his surprising start in the playoffs with a perfect shooting clip from beyond the arc (3-for-3) and 9 assists. The Lakers frontline of Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum combined for 14-for-22 shooting and six blocks. Shannon Brown is turning out to be the Lakers' super-sub with 12 points and hitting 2 threes.

I see Game 2 as a throwback to the Laker teams of the Shaq-Kobe Dynasty because they were again exposed by a shifty point guard. Before it was Mike Bibby and Tony Parker-- now it's Deron Williams. Williams had a do-it-all game with 35 points, 9 assists and 4 steals and he was complemented by Carlos Boozer (a double-double).

But what makes the game characteristic of the 2008-2009 Lakers is the squandered lead. The Jazz cut the Lakers' 20 point lead to three points late in the fourth quarter until a a few baskets and a Trevor Ariza three-ball sealed the Jazz' fate.

This game was a good test for the Lakers in the playoffs because it showed that they can avoid meltdowns and keep their composure when their opponents inch-in to them. Hopefully, the lessons they learned here in Game 2 will translate to better mental toughness in future games.

"Nastiness" is the buzzword for the series thus far and Game 2 has picked up several notches in the nastiness scale. Who knows how nasty things can get in Utah this April 23.


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Lakers Need To Improve Defense in Playoffs

When the regular season ended, the Los Angeles Lakers' win-loss record read 65-17, good for #1 seed in the NBA's Western Conference and #2 over-all.

To get that record, the Lakers relied on offense (third in the league in team scoring and second in team field goals made) and execution. I think nobody will argue that the Lakers found a successful formula for the regular season, but for the playoffs? 

The Lakers has only played one game in the NBA playoffs so far, and and I think their first game is one of habit-- that they still relied on offense to win the game. They out-executed the Utah Jazz in the first half, but did not defend well in the second, which led to a mini-Jazz comeback. Lakers coach Phil Jackson has expressed his dismay of the Lakers' defensive effort on that game's second half.

I'm not saying that the Lakers should scrap their offensive sets, but they should definitely shore up their defense. If not, we may see what the Lakers discovered last playoffs: In a playoff match between defense and offense, defense wins.


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Lakers Silence Jazz in Game 1

The Los Angeles Lakers beat the Utah Jazz 113-100 in Game 1 of their First Round match-up at the 2009 NBA Playoffs. Kobe Bryant led the Lakers with 24 points, 8 assists and 2 steals and Pau Gasol had 20 points, 9 boards and 4 blocks.

Kobe and Gasol were expected to dominate the Jazz as they have done in the past, but the surprise breakout performance belonged to Lakers forward Trevor Ariza, who scored 21 points on 8 for 10 shooting and conencted on all but one of three point attempts. Almost everyone expected Ariza to play more of a defensive stopper role, and I think his surprising offensive burst stunned the Jazz, who struggled offensively as a team.

The Jazz didn's put much of a fight in the first half, as they were down 62-40 in halftime. Deron Williams did his best John Stockton impersonation with 17 assists for the game, but he struggled mightily on the floor (29% shooting from the field). Forwards Carlos Boozer & Paul Millsap were the only jazz players who had anything going for them, combining for 42 points.

While the Lakers did win in a convincing fashion, several members of the team did not have quality games. Andrew Bynum was limited to 20 minutes because of foul trouble and erstwhile bench sparkplug Jordan Farmar rode the pine most of the game. Farmar's lack of minutes is an indication that Lakers coach Phil Jackson is preferring Shannon Brown to come off the bench and assume the role former Laker Devean George used to play off the Lakers bench.

Game 1's usually dictate the series (winners of Game 1's usually end up winning the series) and and if this game is any indicator for the Lakers-Jazz match-up, it's going to be a short series with the Lakers coming out on top.

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I'd Still Want a Lakers-Celtics Match-up in the Finals

Just a quick thought: A lot of people seems to be primed for a Los Angeles Lakers-Cleveland Cavaliers match-up in the Finals. (Just look at the commentary on ESPN & Sports Illustrated). But not for me: Give me an L.A. Lakers-Boston Celtics finale.

You'd probably be saying: "Yeah, you like the Celtics because Kevin Garnett was injured." But even if that weren't the case, I'd like to see the Lakers avenge last year's debacle.


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Los Angeles Lakers in the 2009 NBA Playoffs

I'm finally back to blogging after a busy week, and in the last seven days two things happened in Lakerland: regular season was finished and the Los Angeles Lakers are going into the 2009 NBA Playoffs against the Utah Jazz in the first round.

With the 82-game marathon over, the Lakers can now concentrate on winning the NBA championship. They wanted home court advantage throughout the playoffs, but the Cleveland Cavaliers edged the Lakers by a game to get that privilege. Number One on the Western Conference ain't bad, but this is the place the Lakers were last year.

The Utah Jazz aren't as week as experts perceive them to be. They are physical and they have the usual Kryptonite against the Lakers: The Jazz has a superb point guard who can play the pick and roll (and more). I have no doubt the Deron Williams will give the Lakers fits, so I want to see Jordan Farmar and Shannon Brown pick up the defensive intensity.

Kobe Bryant may not be this season's MVP, but he definitely will be the best player in the series. He has found success playing against the Jazz this season. The better thing now is that Kobe has two seven footers in the paint to dish out to when he's double (or triple) teamed: Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum.

The keys to this series? This can turn out to be one of the more physical series in the first round, I expect Jerry Sloan to rough up the Lakers with defense and pressure. But this could be short series because the Lakers have the inside presence and the game's best closer to overcome the challenges the Jazz can muster.

My prediction: Lakers in 5.


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Kobe Bryant's MVP Chances Look Slim

As big as a Laker fan I am, I can see the writing on the wall that Kobe Bryant is the dark horse for this season's Most Valuable Player award.

The clear-cut favorite is NBA darling LeBron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers. I say so because LeBron's resume this season fits the MVP voters' requirements:

1. Team success - LeBron has led the Cavs to the best record in the league so far;
2. Individual stats - LeBron is averaging 28 points, 7 rebounds and 7 assists. This is probably one of the best stat lines since Oscar Robertson's triple double average in the early 1960's;
3. X-Factor - I think a lot of voters think LeBron's time has arrived. A lot of folks primarily attribute the Cavs' success to LeBron's play and leadership.

Kobe, on the other hand, is in the MVP discussion, but not so high on many llists. Because...

1. Team success - Kobe has led the Los Angeles Lakers to the 2nd best record in the league so far;
2. Individual stats - Kobe is averaging 27 points, 5 rebounds and 5 assists, which is superb by NBA standards.  But for MVP considerations, it's weak compared to LeBron's stat line;
3. X-Factor - A lot of people argue that Kobe has a stronger supporting cast (Pau Gasol, Lamar Odom, Andrew Bynum) compared to LeBron's posse (Mo Williams, Anderson Varejao, Zydrunas Ilaguskas), thus his contribution to the Lakers success is diminished. Also, I get the impression that if you take away Kobe and LeBron from their respective teams, the Cavs will be crippled severely.

So there, I have several reasons to believe that Kobe has a long shot to get this season's MVP award. And I think it's a shame because the Lakers have had the best team success this season since the dynasty years.

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Damn You Portland Trailblazers!

It's now official: My most hated team this regular season is the Portland Trailblazers.

My hatred for them started early this year when one shmuck of a Blazer fan blogger (*cough*blaze of love*cough*) went on a tirade against the Los Angeles Lakers, particularly when Andrew Bynum went down. Then the Blazer dealt the Lakers one of their worst losses of the season. Then the latest is the Lakers crushing loss to the Trailblazers.

The reason why I consider the loss big is that it all but puts the nail on the Lakers' hopes of getting the best record in the league. With the Cleveland Cavaliers win over the Sixers and the Blazers win over the Lakers, the Lakers are now one and a half games behind the Cavs with two games remaining in the schedule.

Damn you Portland Trailblazers!!!


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Bynum Return a Success

Andrew Bynum's return to the Los Angeles Lakers lineup was a success!

Bynum played 21 minutes in a 116-102 win over the Denver Nuggets. He also scored 16 points and grabbed 7 rebounds.

In a potential late playoff matchup, Kobe Bryant led the Lakers with 33 points and Pau Gasol had a monster game with 27 points and a career-high 19 rebounds (11 on the offensive glass).

As expected, Lamar Odom came off the bench, but played starter minutes (35 minutes). Trevor Ariza did start, but played only 17 minutes.


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Lakers Bench Comes Alive in Win

I kinda expected that the Los Angeles Lakers would be going away with a victory over the struggling Sacramento Kings, but not with Kobe Bryant, Lamar Odom and Pau Gasol playing limited time in the forth quarter.

Instead, we see Luke Walton dishing and scoring, Shannon Brown playing great energy and Sasha Vujacic bringing the house down with a monster jam over two Kings. (That last one is not a joke-- Sasha did slam the ball on the grill of two Kings).

The scoreboard read 122-104, and the Kings did not offer much resistance in the fourth. It's good that the bench mob took care of business because the Lakers will be facing the tough Denver Nuggets in Los Angeles in a potential late playoff match-up two days from now.

With the win, the Lakers gave closed the gap between them and the Cleveland Cavaliers to a half game for the best record in the NBA.

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Bynum Return Imminent

Reports that Los Angeles Lakers center Andrew Bynum will be returning to the team's lineup this week after missing a chunk of regular season games since January 31.

If Bynum does return to the lineup this week, it's going to be against the Denver Nuggets on April 9. He will have four games to get back into game speed and bring the interior presence the Lakers have been missing since his injury.

I just hope the Lakers will find a way to balance the offense and defense when Bynum gets back because that would mean Lamar Odom most likely is going back to the bench.


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Lakers Survive Clippers Scare

Geez, the Los Angeles Lakers must be bored this time of the season.

The Lakers were up by 19 early in the fourth quarter, but they became listless the rest of the way. This let the Los Angeles Clippers go on a 18-0 burst to cut the lead to one point a couple of minutes left in the game. Thanks to free throws by Derek Fisher, Kobe Bryant and a clutch layup by Pau Gasol in the final minute, the Lakers escaped with a 88-85 victory.

The game was supposed to be bench practice for the Lakers as the reserves got extended playing time in the first half. Heck, even DJ Mbenga took a 3-ball attempt! But the Clippers, led by Eric Gordon, Baron Davis, and Fred Jones made a game out of the match and breathed down the Lakers necks. It went down to the last possession and, in true Clippers fashion, Davis clanged an ill-advised off-balance 3 at the buzzer.


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Lakers Sweep Rockets for the Regular Season

The Los Angeles Lakers notched their 60th win of the season with a victory over the Houston Rockets, 93-81.

Reigning NBA MVP Kobe Bryant played facilitator for most of the game, scoring 20 points efficiently and dishing out 7 assists. Pau Gasol led the team with 23 points.

With the win, the Lakers have swept the Rockets for the regular reason in all of their four meetings of the season and have gained ground on the Cleveland Cavaliers for the best record in the NBA (The Lakers now only trail the Cavs by one game). If the Lakers can get the best record, that will be huge for their title chase.

The growing concern for the Lakers now is the poor play of the bench. Only reserve center DJ Mbenga provided a spark off the bench. Luke Walton, Jordan Farmar, Sasha Vujacic, and Josh Powell all combined for a measly 13 points and shot 18% as a unit. Seeing Luke Walton blow jumpers and Jordan Farmar make defensive lapses really irks me because I've seen these guys play at their best.


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Lakers Stuff Bucks

Finally, the grueling 7-game road trip for the Los Angeles Lakers is over and it was punctuated with a 104-98 win over the Milwaukee Bucks.

The Lakers finished the trip with a 5-2 record, which is not bad by normal NBA standards. But for a team that's chasing the Cleveland Cavaliers for the best record in the NBA, that's a crushing record. They are trailing the Cavs by 2 and a half games as of this writing, even with the win over the Bucks.

The good thing about this game is that Kobe Bryant snapped out of his shooting funk and scored a game-high 30 points on 10 for 19 shooting and a perfect 9/9 from the stripe. He also added 8 rebounds and 4 assists to his stat line. Pau Gasol had a quiet 15-point game.

Speaking of Gasol, why did Phil Jackson let him play 42 minutes?!? Fatigue is already playing a huge factor in the Lakers' play in the road trip and Gasol is one player the team needs to be fresh come playoff time.


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Lakers Lose to Bobcats.. Again!

I'm guessing the Los Angeles Lakers are glad they only meet the Charlotte Bobcats twice a year.

The Lakers lost again to the middling Bobcats in Charlotte, and it shows that match-ups do matter in the NBA. The Lakers are leading the Western Conference and second in the league in terms of wins, but have found little success in beating the Bobcats in recent years. The Bobcats hold a 5-1 edge against the Lakers in their last 6 meetings.

Why are the Lakers ineffective against the Bobcats? Well, fatigue may be a factor for this game as the Lakers failed again to score more than 90 points (The team is one of the better offensive teams in the league). Kobe Bryant shot poorly again (11 for 28) and the team followed suit, with a 39% shooting clip as a unit.

Another is the personnel involved-- the Bobcats play with energy and inspired ball against the Lakers. Players like Gerald Wallace, Boris Diaw, a rejuvenated Raja Bell seem to give the Lakers defense fits.

The Lakers, in my books, is now in a slump-- they are tired from the road travel and have lost two in a row. The timing couldn't be worse because they have now fallen behind the Cleveland Cavaliers further. The Cavs are peaking at the right moment, sheesh.

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