Game 2, Round 1, Lakers-Nuggets

We'll make this quick:

Solid game, could have been better. Kobe for 49, Luke for... 18? Lamar for, wait, Lamar had 4?

Lamar needs to learn how to handle his fouls like Kobe does, this was just as much his fault as it was the ref's fault. Own it Lamar. On the other hand it allowed our boy Luke to go out and have the game we've been waiting ALL FUCKING SEASON for him to have.

It's quite refreshing to know that we can beat a team in a combination of different ways, it seems like no matter who we bring in the game, no matter who's hot and who's not we can put it away. That comes in great handy in a best of series where you can keep your opponent guessing and adjusting.

Teh internets agree that the boys need to continue to sloooooooooow the tempo down. It's too fast, don't play like Denver, especially IN Denver. Why do they have a good home floor record? They run the shit out of the other teams to get them winded in the altitude and then just play mediocre ball, even a scientist could see that. Wait...


Best comment generated by this game:

I never saw a bigger bunch of babies than the Nuggets in these past two games. They crumble under the smallest amounts of pressure. I bet in the off-season (coming soon in two more games) they all make a pact to get "I hate refs and the Lakers" tattoos to match. Then they can have a nice group cry and a Technical Foul party where they take turns throwing each other out of the room. Sweet.

Comment by The Fanalyst at Forum Blue And Gold
Good game mention: Luuuuuuuuuuke! Keep.it.up.

Feel better Ronny, and come back!!

And your video for the day

Game 1, Round 1, Lakers-Nuggets

SUNDAY NIGHT WHITES!
No better way to start the playoffs, they look so polished :)



Things that apparently happened before the game:
The Nugget's bus caught on fire.

Coby's dad played football.

We kind of love how all of ABC's attention is on the Nuggets, silently implying that they are trying to get them some playoff coverage now since they don't really plan on having any time to do it later in the playoff season. That's fine, we'll take that.

Things that apparently happened during the game:
Denver played defense - just kidding!

Derek took matters into his own hands trying to do what the bus couldn't do... no specific harm Derek... no specific harm.

Errbody up in thurr got some fouls. Including a bunch of Technicals and a Flagrant 1.

Speaking of the flagrant 1 - what is it exactly that happens when the defender jumps into the air, yanks the offensive player (Luke Walton at that) down and then proceeds to eat more floor than everyone in the rest of the game combined? We may be new to basketball but that's got to be some sort of first.

Ejection!

Things that really shouldn't have happened during the game but apparently happened anyway:
Chanting D-U-I
I mean really? Have we become Utah Jazz fans? Have we become Denver Nugget fans? L.A and surrounding areas needs to be classier than this. Color us disappointed.

This

PB&J's interview. Have They not learned that he's not saying anything at all?

Things that need to happen next time:
Kobe playing basketball more like a professional athlete and less like the 45 year old guy at the gym who likes to "ball" with the "young cats". Anytime you're referring to your opponents as "young cats" and insist that you're going to "teach them how it's done" you're probably just too old to be doing such things and about to get embarrassed. We're not saying... we're just sayin.


Good game mentions (like a virtual pat on the ass):
We gusta Pau, Luke Walton (finally), & L. Odom

Play of the game:
Somewhere around 8:00 in the first when Kobe passes to Luke who immediately gives it out to Lamar who doesn't think he's got it so he sends it sailing over to Pau who puts it home! We could watch that replay aaaaaaaaaaall day long.

Pound-for-pound:
This isn't the East Coast playoffs, the Nuggets might not be amazingly brilliant but remind yourself of how many games separate them from the Lakers and then think about it again, solid game.

End Of The Year Awards

Yep, we got some to give out as well. We've been vacationing from our in-game blogging because... well, because we're lazy, and because we started watching the games dru... or um, while surrounded by quality people who deserve our attention more so than the computer did. Yeah... that's it!
Looking around the internet it's hard to swallow some of the awards being doled out. We're submitting our votes for all of the standards, but what about the rest of the team? Even our own Laker website only gives out standard awards. Some people on the roster get left out and don't get any awards at all. That ain't right! We have a little something for everyone. In alphabetical order:

Ariza, Trevor - The Trev
What a great year for him huh? Move back home to LA, posterize Grant Hill, go on vacation. Well, vacation also included a broken foot, but sometimes you make sacrifices. Trevor walks away with the Best Poster Ever In The History Ever.com. His thank you speech should begin with a shout out to Grant.

Bryant, Kobe - Daddy 4 MVP!, KB24, Mamba
Everyone wants to make him the MVP, can we just give him the Most Adorable NBA Kids award? And then can we babysit? No, seriously... call us.

Bynum, Andrew - Drew, Drew-Drew, Big Drew
We don't even want to talk about this. *sigh* Most Improved Before We Were Forced To Cry While Watching You Get Carried Off Of The Court award. We were there, you have no idea how terrifying it was to watch that and not have any idea what happened after he left. Get well soon!

Farmar, Jordan - J. Farm, Farm Life, Jordy, Hero
One reason is yoga, the other speaks for itself, 2 awards combined into one. Best Use Of The Off-season For Training & Supporting Actor In A Reality Mini-series Called Life With Luke award.

Fisher, Derek - D. Fish
The one, the only. This man was our savior at the beginning of the season. That seems to be getting over looked at the season wears on. Not by us, Mr. Winner of the Best Old Dude On The Team award.

Gasol, Pau - Pau Pow Popozao, The Spaniard
Our knight in Spanish armor. Nobody expected him to pick up the triangle quite as fast as he did. Before him, nobody even expected anything worth writing home about regarding the franchise and it's playoff destiny. Mr. Gasol is the first ever recipient of the award named after himself (which in all fairness could have gone to Shaq or Jason Kidd had they stepped it up after their trades, but they did not) the Me Gusta Pau award. This one is kind of complicated, basically Jason Kidd had done something remarkable once he got back to the Mavs Mark Cuban could have this award in honor of Pau starting the domino effect in the Western Conference, but nobody seemed to trump the acquisition of Pau. All that hurried trading for nothing.

Mbenga, Didier (you probably think we don't know the alphabet but his last name is actually Ilguna-Mbenga which also probably doesn't fit on his jersey, not that he goes by his name anyway...) - DJ, Mbenga the Mblocker
The Most Fun With A Last Name As It Relates To Game Time Commentary award. One might get Mblocked by Mbenga, may need to get the Mball to Mbenga or e.t.c. He hasn't had much PT and almost didn't come back after his initial 10 days, but he comes in and brings it home when we absolutely need it. Stay tuned for the playoffs.

Karl, Coby - George's son
The franchise's baby brother. Everybody loves them some Coby Karl, that's why we get sad when he goes to the Defenders, it's no fun being in the 4th quarter of a blow out with Karl not suited up. Zero fun. The Best Rookie Hazing Incident Caught On Film award. "I'm Coby Karl, I'm George's son!" Never.Gets.Old. We know you're thinking this should go to Lamar but we got something else for him and you mean to tell us you don't say that every time Coby gets off the bench?

Mihm, Chris - Mihms! (MIMS)
This is why he's hot... waaaaaaaait a minute... since he spent the better part of this and the all part of last season behind the bench in a nice suit we can't really say he's hot. We can however give him the Most Wins Of The "Hey there's that guy!" award. An award within an award!! This may have been the first season this award was even given out, but nobody could have predicted this many repeat wins for Chris, nobody.

Newble, Ira - Newb (because he is)
Not that we have anything at all against him but he is taking home the I Guess We Don't Need You After All But You're Free To Hang Around If You Wanna award. We're sure there was a reason they signed him at the last minute but, we just can't see it. Better safe than sorry though.

Odom, Lamar - LO (pronounced Ello) L. Odom (only enunciated with the Turiaf accent)
The Just Don't Count On Me Too Much award. If we need to not depend on him to be dependable to get some good numbers out of him on a consistent basis, then goddammit that's what we're gonna do! Get it Lamar!

Radmanovic, Vladimir - VladRad, Radman, Vladi
Enough rhyming with his name, this man is either on the court on fire, on the court not on fire, or on the injured list - so basically he's like every other player in the league. Hmmm. We'll have to give him the If I Weren't Playing For The Lakers You Wouldn't Even Know My Name award.

Turiaf, Ronny - He needs no nickname, he is Ronny Turiaf
The love of our life. Where has he been all this time? We could never get enough of watching him play even if he does earn himself the Please Just Don't Foul Out Tonight award. We like watching the game while holding our breath.

Vujacic, Sasha - The Machine
Excellent play, thanks for a great season buddy. We still can't get over your hair though, that's why we're gonna have to give you the We Really Like Your Headband award. No really, the silver one was our absolute favorite.

Walton, Luke - Luuuuuuuuuuke
Remember back when LL rocked the Kangol hat? We do, apparently Life with Luke does as well. Just sayin'. Either way he gets the coveted Get.It.Together award. Seriously darling, get it together. We don't want to say he's like our drunk uncle who ran into and knocked over the Christmas tree last year while attempting to "help", but... to quote a friend of ours "He's like the Santa Clause of Awful".


We would give awards to the execs and coaches... maybe next week? Stay tuned for the playoffs. No in game blogging because that takes 2 hands and then how would we drink, but there'll be fun stuff none-the-less.