Los Angeles Lakers Blog – Page 126 – NBA Blog

Lakers edge Suns in 3OT

The AP reports:

Kobe Bryant scored a season-high 42 points, Ron Artest got five of his 18 points in the final 2 minutes of the third overtime, and Los Angeles outlasted Phoenix for a 139-137 victory Tuesday night in an enormously entertaining rematch of last season’s Western Conference finals.

“I wish we would have put them away when we should have,” said Lamar Odom, who had a season-high 29 points and 16 rebounds while playing over 55 minutes filling in for suspended center Andrew Bynum. “But we found a way to win, and that’s all that matters…

“We really needed this game,” said Phoenix’s Channing Frye, who had a career-high 32 points and 14 rebounds. “This one hurts.” …

Gasol added 24 points and 13 rebounds in just the Lakers’ fourth triple-overtime game since they moved to Los Angeles in 1960. The Lakers hadn’t hosted a triple-OT game since 1969.

The stakes were higher for the 10th-place Suns (35-34), who are scrapping to return the playoffs. Steve Nash had 19 points and 20 assists, while Marcin Gortat added 24 points and 16 rebounds in the Suns’ fifth loss in seven games.

Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson thinks city will lose Kings

The AP reports:

Sacramento’s Mayor is already preparing for life without the Kings.

In a strongly worded blog posted on his website Tuesday night, Mayor and former NBA player Kevin Johnson wrote the franchise’s possible relocation to Anaheim “feels like a slow death” and this “will likely be the Kings’ final weeks in Sacramento after 26 years.”

Johnson met with Kings owners Joe and Gavin Maloof last month and has believed since that the Kings will leave after this season.

After years of not receiving public dollars to build a new arena in Sacramento, the Maloofs began discussions with Anaheim officials about relocating the franchise to Orange County. An attorney representing the Kings also filed for at least four federal trademarks registrations: Anaheim Royals, Anaheim Royals of Southern California, Orange County Royals and Los Angeles Royals.

Andrew Bynum suspended two games for foul on Mike Beasley

Andrew Bynum of the Los Angeles Lakers has been suspended for his actions during a game on Friday, March 18, it was announced today by Stu Jackson, NBA Executive Vice President Basketball Operations.

Bynum has been suspended for two games without pay for his Flagrant Foul, Penalty Two against Michael Beasley of the Minnesota Timberwolves. The incident occurred with 6:16 remaining in the fourth period of the Lakers’ 106-98 victory at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.

Bynum will serve his suspension when the Lakers host the Portland Trailblazer at 9:30 p.m. EDT/6:30 p.m. PDT at the Staples Center today and on Tuesday, March 22 when the Lakers host the Suns at 10:30 p.m. EDT/ 7:30 p.m. PDT.

Man with knife arrested on Staples Center court

The AP reports:

Police engaged in a roughly 20-minute standoff Saturday with a knife-wielding man on the floor of Los Angeles’ Staples Center, where the Los Angeles Clippers and Cleveland Cavaliers were set to play later in the day.

Police tackled and apprehended the man after the face-off on the court near the visitors’ bench area.

Some spectators for the 12:30 p.m. game had begun filing into the arena, but were evacuated once the standoff started.

The Press Enterprise blog reports:

During that time, Staples Center was essentially in a lockdown. A few players — as well as the Clippers’ dance team — were on the court when the incident began but were quickly removed. Those in the building’s backstage area confined to wherever they were as the incident began. For most of the players on both teams — save for the later-arriving Cavaliers players, who were unable to get in — that meant being held in their locker rooms, or the section of hallway in front of them.

For a time, players on both teams, as well as various other personnel, crowded around one of the small monitors used by a broadcast crew, watching a live feed of the incident from the court, wondering how the standoff would be resolved.

Andrew Bynum is a big man

Elliot Teaford of the Los Angeles Daily News reports:

Others are taller and some weigh more, but is there a bigger big man than Andrew Bynum in the NBA? Bynum, officially listed at 7-foot and 285 pounds, certainly measured up against the Orlando Magic’s Dwight Howard, who’s 6-11, 275.

“He’s a big guy, man,” Orlando point guard Jameer Nelson said of Bynum after the Lakers rallied to defeat the Magic 97-84 on Monday night at Staples Center for their 10th victory in 11 games since the All-Star break.

“He’s a handful,” Nelson continued. “It’s like he’s out there and you think you’ve got the ball, and he has it in his hands. You’re jumping for the ball, but he’s just standing there tipping it to himself to get those extra shots.”

Bynum scored 10 points and matched his career high with 18 rebounds Monday, his fourth consecutive game with 10 or more points and his sixth straight with 12 or more rebounds. He’s had a big impact on the Lakers’ winning ways since the All-Star break.

After rounding into form slowly following offseason right knee surgery that sidelined him for the first 24 games of 2010-11, Bynum has become a force in the paint for the Lakers. His season averages have risen to 11.6 points and 8.8 rebounds.

Phil Jackson jabs Mark Cuban over 2006 Finals

Dwain Price of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports:

Los Angeles Lakers coach Phil Jackson insinuated that complaints about officiating by Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban in the 2006 NBA Finals may have cost the Mavs the championship.

Before Saturday’s Mavs-Lakers game, Jackson was asked whether it was crucial for the Lakers to have home-court advantage should the Mavs and Lakers meet this year in the playoffs, because of Cuban’s personality.

Jackson said: “Why?”

Cuban’s penchant for complaining about officiating, the reporter asked. That’s when Jackson, while laughing, said of Cuban:

“Oh, he lost that Miami series. He definitely had it coming that time. I think he’s toned it down in the last years.”

Read fan reaction or share your own opinion in this forum topic.

Hawks forward Josh Powell arrested before game on traffic charges

The AP reports:

Atlanta Hawks reserve forward Josh Powell was arrested before Saturday’s game for refusing to move his car for an oncoming ambulance, according to a team official.

The 28-year-old Powell was not at Philips Arena while the Hawks played the Portland Trail Blazers.

“We are aware of the traffic incident concerning Josh and that he is not at the game tonight,” Hawks spokesman Arthur Triche said. “Until we gather more information, we will have no additional comment.

Deuce watches rep at NBA All-Star in LA

Aside from Blake Griffin dunking over a car, a fun All-Star game, great parties and lots more, a highlight of mine at 2011 NBA All-Star weekend in Los Angeles back in February was hitting up a beautiful Deuce Brand watch event in a luxury suite high atop the beautiful WaterMarke Tower.

At the event, which Deuce was smart enough to host right near the Staples Center (for reasons that cannot be explained, lots of companies had events at All-Star weekend yet held them in outer parts of Los Angeles that were too far to want to travel to), the new Deuce G2 lifestyle sports watch was introduced.

Rocked by Matt Barnes and other pro athletes, the durable watches can be slammed around, not worried about, and they’ll keep working. Here’s a pic:

Deuce watch at NBA All-Star weekend in LA

Deuce watches are cool. Shoutout to them for a great All-Star suite.

– Jeff

Devin Ebanks out at least three weeks with tibia injury

Los Angeles Lakers forward Devin Ebanks has been diagnosed with a stress fracture of the left tibia and will miss a minimum of three weeks, it was announced today.

Ebanks, a 6’9” rookie out of West Virginia, was selected by the Lakers with the 43rd pick in the 2010 NBA Draft. In 20 games this season with the Lakers, Ebanks is averaging 3.1 points and 1.4 rebounds in 5.9 minutes.

Assigned to the NBA Development League’s Baskersfield Jam on December 27, Ebanks averaged 16.5 points, 7.7 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.5 steals in 27.7 minutes over six games before being recalled by the Lakers on January 9.

La La Vazquez, wife of Carmelo Anthony, gets VH1 reality show

Apr. 25, 2010 - Salt Lake City, UTAH, USA - epa02131979 Denver Nugget's Carmelo Anthony drives to the basket during a game against the Utah Jazz in the first half of their Western Conference first round playoff game at the Energy Solutions Arena in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA, 25 April 2010.

VH1 has teamed up with actress and television personality La La Vazquez for the new series “La La’s Full Court Life” (working title). Slated for premiere in August, 2011, the 10 episode, 30 minute docu-series, which began filming in January, will continue where the wedding special, “La La’s Full Court Wedding” left off as La La and her husband, NBA Forward Carmelo Anthony, prepare for a sudden move to New York City, where he will play for the New York Knicks.

The wedding may be over but the fun is just beginning for La La. With the sudden news that her husband is being traded to the New York Knicks, La La will deal with new adventures in matrimony and parenthood as she prepares to move back home to New York City. Along the way, viewers will also see La La juggle her busy acting and television hosting career and seek advice from some of her famous friends, including 50 Cent, Kelly Rowland, Trina and Serena Williams to name a few.

“Viewers connect with La La because despite the fairy tale wedding and NBA star husband, she is a real, down to Earth, hardworking woman who stays true to herself,” said Jeff Olde, EVP, Original Programming and Production, VH1. “The best thing about the new series is that while pursuing and realizing her dreams, La La gets to take us back to her home in New York, where her story began.”

VH1’s “La La’s Full Court Life” is executive produced by Cris Abrego for 51 Minds Entertainment, La La Vazquez and Carmelo Anthony for Krossover Entertainment, and Steven Grossman on behalf of The Collective. The series was created by Cris Abrego, La La Vazquez, and Steven Grossman. 51 Minds is an LLC Endemol Company, who also produced the record-breaking series “Rock of Love,” “Flavor of Love,” “Charm School,” and “I Love New York.” The production teams’ programming launched VH1 into their highest ratings ever. Ben Samek and Rabih Gholam are also executive producers for the series and the company. For VH1, the series is executive produced by Jill Holmes, Kristen Kelly and Jeff Olde.