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A game is not won or lost on a single play in the second quarter but one play can swing the momentum and flow of the game. We were struggling and down seven when Luke Walton hit a three point basket from the corner. This sparked us on a run to the lead and following a couple more three point buckets, Jazz coach Jerry Sloan took a timeout.
To read the rest of the breakdown of this play login into Lakers Courtside Connection.
Want to talk Lakers?
Just log onto Lakers.com, where I’ll be waiting at 3 p.m. Pacific to take questions about “The Duel” or “The Hills,” and (I guess) the Lakers and the NBA playoffs. Or whatever.
See you in a few.
The way we prepare is to first look back at some video edits of how our gameplans against the Jazz worked during the three regular season contests. A key question is whether the loss at Utah on February 11th was due to a glitch in the gameplan, the execution, or both. It is often said that NBA playoff action is a game of adjustments. While this is true it is also extremely important to enter game 1 of the first round with a solid approach that if executed properly will simply require small adjustments as the series rolls on. We know the Jazz are not your typical 8th seeded team (if they were in the eastern conference they would be the 4th seed) and there will be no ‘quit’ with that team.
CLICK HERE to read the full Scouting Report on Lakers Courtside Connection.
It’s been a while since we put up a Mailbag on Lakers.com, so until the next one (coming this weekend), here are a few submissions and their requisite answers:
Q: With Manu Ginobili being declared out for the season, who is L.A.’s biggest threat in the Western Conference?
- David, Notre Dame, Indiana
MT: First off, I’m still not sure that any other Western Conference team can beat the Lakers four times in a playoff series, particularly without homecourt advantage. Now, the Ginobili news takes the Spurs out of the running - stick a fork in ‘em. Who’s next? I say Utah. Sure, they’re currently in the seven spot, but I think they could give L.A. a tough series because, as assistant coach Jim Cleamons told me, “They think they can beat us” (and because Deron Williams is fantastic). Their win in New Orleans last week was a big one, and to an extent means their failure to win against good teams on the road (1-14 prior to N.O.) can be taken with a grain of salt since they’ve been hurt all season. So put them on “Biggest Threat” watch, and make sure to check out their ESPN game at Dallas on Wednesday. That should go a long ways towards explaining the playoff picture.
Q: I’ve always wondered, on the road do the players share hotel rooms or do they get there own? Do they all have like a certain person they always share a room with? And last but not least, GO LAKERS!!.
- Jennifer, Hesperia, CA
MT: Even the low man on the Lakers traveling crew (um … me) is fortunate to get his own room. But if that weren’t the case, here’s how I’d pair up the players: Kobe Bryant and Derek Fisher; Pau Gasol and Sasha Vujacic; Lamar Odom and Trevor Ariza; Luke Walton and Jordan Farmar; Josh Powell and Shannon Brown; Adam Morrison and D.J. Mbenga. This, of course, could be varied in 1,000 ways (e.g. the universally loved Odom could room with anybody, you could swap Morrison and Powell, whatever) but I like this grouping.
Q: Do you think that there is any way that Kobe Bryant will ever get traded?
- Hamlet, Glendale, CA
MT: Here are three things that to me are more likely than Bryant getting traded:
1) I start fighting in the WWE, and pin the Undertaker after executing my signature move, “Tru Death,” by throwing the black-clad pain machine 20 feet into the air from the middle of the ring so that he lands with his face on the corner buckle.
2) They’ll stop using Shakespeare (Hamlet) in college curriculum
3) James Posey wins the NBA’s sportsmanship award.
Q: I was recently accepted to UCI and I enrolled, to be honest, the only reason I applied is because I heard rumors that Kobe works out there in the summer. I was wondering if there is any truth to that rumor or did I throw away four years of my life?
- Andrew, Anaheim, CA
MT: This is easily my favorite question of the year, and perhaps in my young sports career. I’m going to have to think about it before we get to the big Mailbag, Andrew. But thanks, that’s fantastic.
Want to get a last-minute question into the Mailbag? CLICK HERE.
The Popcorn Machine on Lakers.com is our regular podcast where Lakers Reporter Mike Trudell talks to Lakers players, coaches and broadcasters as well as national and local media members. If you haven’t checked it out yet, click here to go to our archive page.
In the latest episode of the Popcorn Machine Lakers guard Shannon Brown talked to us about his Final Four bound Michigan State Spartans, detailing his time and experience playing under head coach Tom Izzo at MSU, all while his six-month old son, Shannon Christopher, sat on his lap.
Listen below or head over to the Popcorn Machine homepage to check out all the previous episodes. If you like what you hear you can also subscribe to the podcast on iTunes by clicking here. Enjoy.
Hey folks. We’re starting a new podcast on Lakers.com called the Popcorn Machine, should you be interested.
We’ll talk to Lakers players, coaches and broadcasters, national and local media members, random celebrities and even some fans as the Lakers march towards the only goal the franchise sets … A championship (yup, just copied that from our PM page).
Alas, no one but Stu Lantz would be right for the first podcast, named after Chick Hearn.
Hey folks.
We thought you might have a question or two for us, whether it’s a straight basketball inquiry (e.g. should Josh Powell be playing more?) or a random pop culture reference (e.g. which Lakers player would do best on “American Gladiators”).
Thus the creation of the Lakers.com Mailbag.
Just click on that link and follow the “click here to submit questions” at the top of the screen and we’re all good.
Hoping to hear from you soon.
Lakers Executive Vice President Jeanie Buss is back on Lakers Courtside Connection updating her journal with a lot of info on the Lakers pre-season.
The most interesting part to me was Jeanie relating how the game against FC Barcelona came about. Here’s a snippet.
Originally, Golden State was scheduled as the fourth team in the Shoot Out but then received an invitation to play in China. While we understood Golden State’s desire to visit China along with the Milwaukee Bucks, it left us one team short for the Shoot Out. The Lakers front office contacted the remaining NBA teams but everyone’s preseason schedule was set. The NBA suggested a team from the Euroleague.
Video from the Locker Room following the Lakers 117-79 victory over the Clippers on Wednesday night.
 Bynum, Ariza, Odom Post-Game |
 Pau Gasol 1-on-1 |
FROM LAKERS.com
