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Los Angeles Lakers coach Phil Jackson has been fined $35,000 for public comments about the officiating, it was announced today by Stu Jackson, NBA Executive Vice President, Basketball Operations.
Jackson made his comments yesterday during the Lakers’ off day media availability.
The Los Angeles Lakers are down 0-3 to the Dallas Mavericks. You generally never count the defending champion Lakers out of anything, but in this case there’s no reason to think they are going to win the next four games and advance to the Western conference finals.
But if you ask Kobe Bryant about it, would you expect him to accept defeat? Should he? Of course not. Kevin Ding of the OC Register reports:
Kobe Bryant described himself as “very confident” Saturday, even with the Lakers staring at a 3-0 series deficit against the Dallas Mavericks.
“Just relax and play,” Bryant said.
Bryant huddled with friend and fellow captain Derek Fisher after Game 3 (included in my column about the Lakers’ late-game choking is them not leaving the locker room till more than an hour after the game) and after a night’s sleep stuck with his belief that the Lakers could minimize mistakes and build new momentum.
I’m thinking the Lakers win the next game. Maybe even two. But I think the Mavs win the series in five or six games. Probably five.
The AP reports:
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Kobe Bryant knows the deal. His Los Angeles Lakers are down 0-3 to the Dallas Mavericks and none of the 98 NBA teams facing that deficit have ever come back to win a series.
Yet Bryant also knows his team has won the last two championships, and reached the finals three straight years. And that his soon-to-be-retired coach has won a record 11 championships and has never been swept in his 20 years on the sideline.
Bryant also realizes how close his team is to leading this series 2-1. They blew a 16-point lead in the opener, losing only in the final seconds, and on Friday night they fell apart down the stretch again on the way to a 98-92 loss…
The Lakers have mostly themselves to blame for being in this predicament. Leading by seven with 5:05 left, and having controlled the game throughout the second half, they got sloppy on defense. They gave Dirk Nowitzki, Jason Terry and Peja Stojakovic wide open shots, and that turned things around in a hurry…
Missing the suspended Ron Artest, Jackson gambled with a starting lineup featuring 6-foot-10 Lamar Odom at small forward, alongside 7-footers Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol. The Lakers logically pounded the ball inside with great results. Even Bryant started getting into the paint, making his first layup of the series…
Dallas’ superstar scored 32 points, making 12 of 19 shots. With the Lakers’ big guys crowding the lane, he went back to his roots and got comfortable behind the 3-point line, burying 4 of 5. He only attempted four free throws, but made them all…
Terry scored 23, including some of the points that helped ice the victory in the closing minutes. Stojakovic scored 11 of his 15 in the final quarter. Jason Kidd added 11 points and nine assists.
Bynum had 21 points and 10 rebounds. Odom scored 18 and Bryant scored 17. He had only four points in the final quarter.
Gasol had 12 points and Shannon Brown provided a spark off the bench with 10.
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Ron Artest of the Los Angeles Lakers has been suspended one game without pay for swinging his arm and striking the face of the Dallas Mavericks’ J.J. Barea, it was announced today by Stu Jackson, NBA Executive Vice President, Basketball Operations. Artest’s contact has also been classified by the NBA as a Flagrant Foul Two.
The incident occurred with 24.4 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter of the Mavericks’ 93-81 victory over the Lakers at Staples Center on May 4. Artest will serve his suspension tomorrow when the Lakers visit the Mavericks at American Airlines Center for Game 3 of the Western Conference Semifinals.
InsideHoops.com editor says: I can’t argue with this. Artest basically ran at Barea and smashed him.
Read fan reaction and discuss your own opinion in this forum topic.
David Lassen of the Press-Enterprise reports:
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Based on the boos of the Staples Center crowd, Pau Gasol is taking the brunt of the blame for the Lakers’ 2-0 deficit in their playoff series with Dallas.
Gasol was the target boos in both the third and fourth quarters as he struggled through a 13-point night in which he was just 5 of 12 from the field and 3 for 6 at the foul line.
“I was kind of surprised by that,” Phil Jackson said, “but it’s tough out there.
“(He) missed open shots, missed a layup that was blocked at the rim because he didn’t dunk it. There’s some things that obviously didn’t look good out there for Pau. But he worked. He was one of the guys who looked tired out there.”
While Andrew Bynum had a more effective night — with 18 points and 13 rebounds — Gasol’s problems kept the Lakers from fully exploiting their inside game.
The AP reports:
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Dirk Nowitzki scored 24 points, Shawn Marion added 14 and the Dallas Mavericks stunned the erratic Los Angeles Lakers 93-81 in Game 2 on Wednesday night, taking a 2-0 second-round lead over the two-time defending champions with consecutive road wins.
Jason Kidd scored 10 points for the Mavericks, who pushed the Lakers halfway to playoff elimination with Nowitzki’s stellar shooting, another steady defensive performance, and a decisive 9-0 fourth-quarter rally.
Kobe Bryant scored 23 points for the Lakers, who hadn’t lost the first two games of a playoff series since the 2008 NBA finals—also the last series they lost. Only three NBA teams have come back to win a best-of-seven series after losing the first two at home, where the Lakers sent them off with boos and jeers…
Andrew Bynum had 18 points and 13 rebounds for the Lakers, who haven’t been able to control the paint with their usual vehemence against the Mavericks’ three 7-footers. Pau Gasol had 13 points and 10 rebounds, but appeared tentative for long stretches while struggling to contain Nowitzki…
Gasol’s struggles have been the Lakers’ biggest mystery of the postseason. The Spanish All-Star 7-footer barely contributed to Los Angeles’ tough six-game victory over New Orleans in the first round, and he came back from a quiet opener against Dallas with another mediocre game, getting booed several times by the home crowd.
InsideHoops.com editor says: This is wild. The Lakers look like a slower, more plodding version of their championship selves, and there’s every reason for the Mavericks to truly believe in themselves in this series. One game at a time, though… Jose Juan Barea provided a big spark that doesn’t show on the stat-sheet. He penetrated almost at will for a stretch, causing havok that helped the Mavs keep the game under control… Kobe isn’t making teammates better. He took 20 shots for 23 points, did have five steals, but dished just one assist… Bynum put up 18 with 13 rebounds and continues to make a difference… The Lakers shot just 41.0 percent, but the big shocker was that they hit just 2-of-20 from three-point range… It’s hard to give up on the champs just yet. I’m thinking maybe they steal Game 3 in Dallas. The problem is, there’s no reason right now to really predict that. The momentum lies with the Mavs.
Live fan discussion of this game took place in this forum topic.
By Scott Spangler
The Dallas Mavericks visit the Los Angeles Lakers tonight for Game 2 of their second round series. Here are some keys for both teams:
For Los Angeles
Pound the ball inside
Kobe Bryant is a wonderful player, but the Lakers are most effective when Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum are getting their touches. Gasol is an excellent interior passer and works well in the high-low game. For the record, Bynum shot 70 percent against the Mavericks in three games this year, though not so well Monday as his touches were limited. Look for that to change this evening.
Tyson Chandler is a very good post defender, but can be foul-prone. Everything will be determined by how tight or loose referees Bennett Salvatore, Monty McCutchen, and Bill Spooner call things early. We expect the Lakers to force whistles from the tip.
More Odom, Less Artest
Lamar Odom is a matchup problem in general. Six-ten forwards who can spot up or floor the ball are funny that way. But he is a particularly tough cover for Dirk Nowitzki, who really isn’t adept at defending in space. Forcing Dirk to expend energy would certainly make it tougher on the other end of the floor.
The way Ron Artest is going right now, Dallas can afford to cut him loose in halfcourt sets. At the very least, more second-half clock for Odom would give Rick Carlisle plenty to worry about.
Slow it down
The Mavericks want to run. More than any remaining playoff team, they want to get out and get easy buckets. The Dallas guards are small and operate better in space. The Lakers must control the glass and the pace. Phil Jackson is usually adamant about limiting run-outs. If he has his way, this game will be played at a snail’s pace.
For Dallas
Work towards making the Lakers one-dimensional
Kobe is going to get his. Should he get really hot, it’s not the end of the world (see G1). The problem comes when Gasol is getting touches and starts to feel it, or when Bynum is working effectively in the paint. The Mavs must pick something they can live with and try like hell to take away everything else.
Also, should Derek Fisher and Ron Artest start knocking down open looks, do not overcompensate. Those guys are not heavy lifters. Stick with the defensive gameplan and do not panic.
Get out and run
With the Lakers doing everything they can to get this game to a crawl, Dallas must fight to get it going up and down. The Lakers’ length is a problem to the Mavericks. They want to negate that disadvantage with Jason Kidd and the running game. The bucket is a lot more accessible with Bynum and Gasol trailing the play.
Help Dirk!
Dallas has the edge in depth and they’re loaded with big-game experience – Jason Kidd, Shawn Marion, and Peja Stojakovic. Someone else must step up again in G2, and it doesn’t necessarily have to be Jason Terry.
What’s more, the Lakers have problems with scoring guards. This is where the Mavericks can offset some other deficiencies. J.J. Barea has played well against the Lakers in the past. He could very well be a factor this evening.
Have an opinion? Share it with other fans in this forum topic.
By Scott Spangler
While watching the Dallas Mavericks open against the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference semifinals Monday night, it was easy to pick out the headliners. Even someone just crawling out of a time capsule, never having heard the name “Dirk,” could observe this gangly sharpshooter with the golden locks and quickly identify the talent as otherworldly.
As for the Lakers, after Kobe Bryant, we look down the LA front line and see Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum. This would be an embarrassment of frontcourt riches for, oh, 25 other NBA clubs. But for this organization, it’s simply two more in a long line of outstanding big men.
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Dallas counters with an interior presence of its own – a presence this club hasn’t known since the late 1980s with James Donaldson and Roy Tarpley. In his first year with the Mavs, Tyson Chandler has restored that sort of stability inside.
The Lakers past history boasts the likes of Mikan, Chamberlain, Abdul-Jabbar, and O’Neal… a basic who’s-who of franchise centers.
In contrast, Chandler might very well represent the best center Dallas has ever had.
I can barely recall Ralph Drollinger, an original Maverick who enjoyed a six-game NBA career. And in the mid-80s, there was Wallace Bryant; probably best remembered for blocking the shot of MVP Moses Malone late in a game to help secure Dallas’ first-ever win over the Philadelphia 76ers.
Growing up as a Maverick fan, I always thought Pat Cummings was a fine NBA center. But I was a preteen who thought of girls as gross and bathing as unnecessary, so I recommend you consider the source. Cummings brought the lunch pail every night, but if I am being honest about it, he barely qualified as a journeyman forward.
Fast-forwarding to the Donaldson era, Maverick fans rejoiced because this was a brute that would toss bodies about and rebound the basketball. Until this past summer when Dallas traded for Tyson Chandler, James Donaldson was widely regarded as the best big man in franchise history.
So when Chandler placed third as the NBA’s Defensive Player of The Year a couple of weeks ago, I could not help but to crack a smile and think of the first playoff game in Maverick history. The Seattle SuperSonics came into Reunion Arena to kickoff a best-of-five series. My father and I made that one, sat nosebleed, and watched Jack Sikma run Kurt Nimphius through the torture chamber all night.
Silly me, I had this crazy notion Kurt could slow down a seven-time All-Star.
Twenty-five years later, the Mavericks have a legitimate middle man. Not a power forward masquerading as one, but a real center. Tyson Chandler won’t ever be confused with Wilt Chamberlain, but he’s a far cry from Ralph Drollinger.
And he is something Dallas has lacked in the Dirk Nowitzki era. Shawn Bradley, Raef LaFrentz, Erick Dampier were all unable to deliver. Chandler gives this team real belief that it can unseat the two-time defending champs.
It is not just belief, confidence, or swag. Actually, it’s all of that AND the toughness to back it up.
Read fan reaction and discuss your own opinion in this forum topic.
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The two-time defending NBA Champion Los Angeles Lakers have announced the preseason schedule for the 2011-12 season, along with ticket purchase information. The eight-game preseason slate includes games against the Atlanta Hawks, Sacramento Kings, Utah Jazz, Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Clippers.
The back-to-back champions will kick off the 2011 preseason on October 9 when they take on the Warriors at the Save Mart Center in Fresno. The Lakers will then return to Southern California where they will play back-to-back sets of games against the Hawks and Jazz before heading to Las Vegas, Nevada to face the Kings on October 21 at the Thomas and Mack Center.
The Lakers will conclude the 2011 preseason with games against the Clippers on October 25 in San Diego and October 27 in Bakersfield, CA.
Below is the complete 2011 Los Angeles Lakers preseason schedule:
DATE – OPPONENT – LOCATION – TIME (PT)
Oct. 9 Golden State Warriors Fresno (Save Mart Center) 7:00 pm
Oct. 12 Atlanta Hawks Ontario (Citizens Bank Arena) 7:00 pm
Oct. 15 Atlanta Hawks STAPLES Center 7:00 pm
Oct. 16 Utah Jazz STAPLES Center 7:00 pm InsideHoops.com
Oct. 19 Utah Jazz Anaheim (Honda Center) 7:00 pm
Oct. 21 Sacramento Kings Las Vegas, NV (Thomas and Mack Center) 7:00 pm
Oct. 25 Los Angeles Clippers San Diego, CA (Valley View Casino Center) 7:00 pm
Oct. 27 Los Angeles Clippers Bakersfield, CA (Rabobank Arena) 7:00 pm
The AP reports:
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Dirk Nowitzki scored 28 points and hit two go-ahead free throws with 19.5 seconds left before Pau Gasol and Kobe Bryant made a crucial turnover, and the Dallas Mavericks rallied for a 96-94 victory over the Los Angeles Lakers on Monday night in Game 1 of their second-round playoff series.
Nowitzki had 14 rebounds for the Mavericks, who dramatically came back from a 16-point deficit in the second half of the perennial playoff teams’ first postseason meeting in 23 years.
Bryant scored 21 of his 36 points in the second half for the Lakers, but he fell down while trying to get the ball from Gasol with 5 seconds to play. After one free throw by Jason Kidd, Bryant missed a 3-pointer just before the buzzer…
Gasol had 15 points, 11 rebounds and seven assists for the second-seeded Lakers, who lost their second straight series opener. Their loss to New Orleans two weeks ago was much more surprising than this loss to the playoff-tested Mavs, but the Lakers’ lack of poise down the stretch should be scary to anybody anticipating a threepeat…
Lamar Odom scored 15 points for Los Angeles, which nursed a small lead throughout the second half until Nowitzki scored in the lane with 40 seconds left to trim the deficit to 94-93. After Jason Terry swiped the ball from Bryant, Gasol fouled Nowitzki on the Mavericks’ inbounds play, allowing the 7-footer to give Dallas its first lead since the second quarter.
InsideHoops.com notes:
The Mavs bench was HOT. Jason Terry shot 6-of-10 for 15 points. Peja Stojakovic was 4-of-8 for 10 points. Jose Juan Barea shot 3-of-6 for eight points. Corey Brewer shot 2-of-4 for five points. And Brendan Haywood hit his only shot attempt for two points. Overall, the Dallas bench hit 16-of-29.
Tyson Chandler, the anchor of the Mavericks defense, was solid with 11 points, nine rebounds and three blocks.
As for the Lakers, Bryant scored 36, but did it on 29 shots and only got to the free throw line five times, making four attempts. Pau Gasol only scored 15, but his 11 rebounds and seven rebounds were respectable. Odom off the bench had 15 points and 12 rebounds. But Ron Artest in 31 minutes tossed up bricks, shooting 1-of-8 for two points and more turnovers than assists.