Major Moves As NBA Trade Deadline Passes

The Lakers, Heat, and Bulls stood pat.

Biggest Trade: Boston traded Kendrick Perkins and Nate Robinson to the Thunder for Jeff Green and Nenad Kristic.

For complete list of trades...

http://www.nba.com/news/transactions/2011.trade.deadline.tracker/index.html

Kobe Leads Lakers to OT Win

Kobe Bryant's late-game heroics helped an OT comeback against the Portland Trailblazers as the Lakers got a rare 106-101 win at the Rose Garden.

Down by ten with less than six minutes left in regulation, the Lakers fought back to force overtime. With the score 87-80, the Lakers went on a 7-0 scoring run to close the fourth quarter. Kobe was a big part of it as he hit a turn-around fade-away jumper over Rudy Fernandez and then a fadeaway shot over Wesley Matthews to knot the score at 87 with less than five seconds in regulation. The Blazers called a timeout, but LaMarcus Aldridge was unable to hit the game-winning layup, so overtime ensued.

Lamar Odom started off with a three-pointer and the Lakers went on to outscore the Blazers 19-14 in overtime. Kobe Bryant came off a screen and hit a shot over Aldridge with less than thirty seconds left to extend the Lakers lead to five, 102-97. The next possession Aldridge was failed, but bricked both free-throws.

Kobe secured the rebound, was then fouled, and he made both of his shots at the charity stripe. Wesley Matthews scored a layup and Kobe was fouled again, and again made both his free-throws. Andre Miller then tripped over his own feet and threw the ball to Lakers as he was falling into the backcourt, ensuring a Lakers victory.

Player(s) of the Game: Kobe Bryant 37 pts 9 rebs 6 asts 3 stls

Ron Artest 24 pts 6 rebs 4 asts 2 stls

Pau Gasol 18 pts 14 rebs 5 asts 1 blk

Ron Artest played with great energy with some lockdown defense and timely threes, Pau Gasol held Aldridge to just a few points in the final minutes of the game and went to work offensively to force overtime, and KB24 was clutch all night by hitting tough shots and by scoring the Lakers' last eight points.

Highlight of the Game: Joel Pryzbilla airballed a free-throw and Ron Artest banked a free throw, but the best play was by Kobe. With the clock ticking down in the fourth quarter and the Lakers down by two, Bryant went to the left and spun back to his right, stopped, head-faked, pump-faked, faded, and nailed a jumper over Wesley Matthews.

Next Game: Fri vs. Los Angeles Clippers The Lake Show against the Blake Show. Mo Williams might play, but I wonder who Griffin will dunk on this game. My guess is Derek Fisher, because he always tries to take charges, but this time Blake will posterize him like Corey Brewer did last year. But Lakers still get the W.

Lakers Blow Out Hawks

Some good defense and a balance scoring attack enabled the Lakers to a 104-80 win over the Atlanta Hawks Tuesday night, ending a three-game losing streak.

Despite a few lapses on defense, the Lakers didn't allow the Hawks to get into any rhythm on offense. Los Angeles held Joe Johnson, Josh Smith, Al Horford, and Jamal Crawford to a combined 46 points. Coming in to the game, this four-player group was averaging a total of nearly 70 points per game.

The Lakers also played well offensively, eclipsing the 100-point mark for the first time in a long time. Kobe had 20 points, Pau added 14 and 10, and Andrew Bynum had a season-high 15 rebounds. Five players scored in double-figures, including Ron Artest.

This was the first game after the All-Star break for both teams. The Lakers are third in the Western Conference and look to catch the Spurs and Mavericks before the playoffs begin. The Lakers ended their three game skid, but the troubles continued for the Hawks. This loss makes it their fourth in five games.

Player of the Game: Black Mamba 20 pts 5 asts 3 rebs 8-8 FTM-FTA

Highlight of the Game: There wasn't one outstanding play, but there were a few nice plays made by Shannon Brown and Andrew Bynum. Brown had some incredible one-handed dunks, whereas Bynum had a few blocks that got the crowd on their feet.

Notes: Josh Powell aka J-Peezy got his 2010 NBA Championship ring before tip-off. Matt Barnes practiced for the first time yesterday since he tore his meniscus and is expected to be back in the rotation early next week, although he hopes to return Sunday against the OKC Thunder. Oh yeah, Melo got traded to the Knicks.

Next Game: Wed @ Portland Trailblazers 5th Western Conference

The Lakers have had trouble winning games at the Rose Garden and I hope the Lakers contain LaMarcus Aldridge.

Magnificent All-Star Weekend in L.A.

What an amazing weekend it was in Los Angeles! From the Celebrity All-Star Game to the Dunk Competition to the 60th NBA All-Star Game, NBA All-Star Weekend was an event to remember.

The weekend kicked off with the Celebrity All-Star Game in which Justin Bieber won MVP, but he got packed by Scottie Pippen, who I think deserved the honor.

Next, the city of Atlanta won the Haier Shooting Stars event and Miami Heat player James Jones beat out both Boston Celtics Ray Allen and Paul Pierce to win the 3-point contest.

The dunk contest was much more exciting this year than years past with a variety of dunks from DeMar DeRozan, Serge Ibaka, JaVale McGee, and the winner, Blake Griffin. After the contest, DeRozan was upset that he lost and thought props merely decided the victor. But the props entertained the fans and even thought DeRozan did have some nice dunks, he didn't deserve to win.

Ibaka dunked from behind the free-throw line and grabbed a stuffed animal with his mouth mid-air and slammed the ball home in a separate dunk. JaVale McGee dunked in two baskets, and then dunked home three balls.

Blake Griffin stole the show with a 360 jam and jumped over a car and took an alley-oop from Baron Davis inside the car to seal his victory. Griffin dedicated the trophy to his late friend and presented the award at his friend's funeral Monday.

The All-Star Game was spectacular as the West beat the East 148-143 in a high-scoring affair. For me, it was highlighted by Rajon Rondo's blown layup in the clear. Just kidding, it had to be Kobe's dunk over LeBron James. I love how Kobe just smiles as LeBron looks to see if he got the block and then gives him a tap on his @$$ to say, "I'm still here, LeBron. And that's why I'm gonna be All-Star MVP!" Of course, Kobe won MVP, for the record fourth time, with 37 points and 14 rebounds.

Lakers Don't Show Up in Charlotte

Playing their fourth game in five days, the Lakers were absolutely crushed 109-89 by the Bobcats Monday evening.

The Bobcats were able to score whenever they wanted on the nonexistent Lakers defense. Gerald Wallace had 20 points and 11 rebounds while Boris Diaw added 16 points. Off the bench, Nazr Mohammed put up 16 and Gerald Henderson chipped in 18.

The Lakers played horribly on the offensive side of the ball as well. Kobe had 20 points, but went 8 for 20 from the field. Pau Gasol had the only positive performance for LA, with a double-double on 17 points and 10 boards.

The player of the game was probably Gerald Henderson. There were no highlights in the game, I mean just lowlights for the pitiful Lakers. This loss just broke my heart.

After the game Phil Jackson said, "I have one thing to say: I am very disappointed in our performance tonight. We are embarrassed about what we did and that's it." Phil didn't take any questions after coming out of the locker room.

Next Game: Wed @ Cleveland Cavaliers W-L record is too horrible to mention. If the Lakers don't beat the Cavs by double-digits, I will become a Celtics fan. Just kidding, I would rather kill myself before I ever went over to the dark side.

Howard Shows Lakers Why He is Superman

The Lakers suffered a frustrating 89-75 loss to Dwight Howard and the Orlando Magic Sunday afternoon, falling to 4-1 on the current seven-game road trip.

Dwight Howard was on fire, even though most of his shots were dunks or point blank attempts, and his supporting cast got it done with timely threes. The Magic held the Lakers offense to just 34 points in the second twenty-four minutes, getting a much needed win.

The Lakers bigs were aggressive in the first half, but didn't contribute as much in the next two quarters. Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol missed a lot of easy baskets, while Dwight Howard converted his opportunities. Kobe and the rest of the backcourt didn't shoot well and as always, Artest didn't score in double figures. Lamar had 15 but missed half of his free throws. Kobe and Drew ended up with 17 points apiece, but Gasol had only eleven.

The Lakers offense was not in rhythm, whereas the Magic were clicking. Orlando fed Howard in the post and worked the inside-out game hitting seven three-pointers. This Finals rematch from two years ago wasn't a good experience for LA, while the Magic showed up prepared and hungry for a win.

Player of the Game: Dwight Howard 31 pts 13 rebs 3 ast 3 blk 13-16 FGM-A

Superman was a dominant force in the paint and didn't miss a shot in the second half. He had too many dunks to count and was just unstoppable down low. Gasol was no match for Howard, especially on the offensive glass. Howard showed off his expanded game, hitting a jumpshot off the glass and making a solid percentage of his free throws. Let's trade for him next year Lakers!

Highlight of the Game: Dwight Howard's dunks were nice, even though the alley-oop at the end of the third quarter shouldn't have counted because Gilbert Arenas's huge foot was out of bounds before he passed the ball, but you have to give him credit. Out of the many, here's one.

Notes: The Heat lost to the Celtics...again. Derrick Caracter played but missed both his free throws and his only shot. The Lakers were their throwback home jerseys again.

Next Game: Mon @ Charlotte Bobcats 23-31 9th Eastern Conference (Last Game: W @ Atlanta Hawks) Captain Jack hit the game-winner at the buzzer (video below). Hopefully, that won't happen this time, or if it does, the Black Mamba is the one who's taking that shot.

Lakers Beatdown Proves New York's Need For Melo

The Lakers played a well-rounded basketball game Friday night with a 113-96 victory over the Knicks at Madison Square Garden, extending the current win streak to four.

Raymond Felton led the show for the Knicks with 20 points and 7 assists, carrying his team in the first half. A'm'a'r'e''''' (wait, where does the apostrophe go?) Stoudemire had 24 points and 10 boards, but also 6 turnovers.

The Knicks couldn't play much defense, especially when it came to stopping Kobe, and paid the price with a loss. The starters sat most of the fourth quarter with the game already decided thanks to the play of the Black Mamba, great overall defense, and huge contributions from the bench. The Knickerbockers now drop to .500 and this presses the issue for the acquisition of Carmelo Anthony.

Anthony grew up in New York and he won a national title with Syracuse in his college playing days. Melo says he wants to play in New York and he has the chance to do that in a trade or in free agency this summer. Fans have been chanting for Melo to come to NY, but Melo recently said that if he isn't traded by the trade deadline, he will consider signing the 3 year 65 million dollar contract extension offer with the Nuggets.

If I were the Knicks, I would trade for Melo immediately and give up whatever I had to. They can give up Wilson Chandler, Anthony Randolph, Landry Fields, and a draft pick. This is a lot of young talent that is going away, but the Knicks would get Melo. I wouldn't be surprised if Melo signed that contract extension if he isn't traded because with the new CBA, he will probably get a lot less money if he explores free agency.

Player of the Game: KB24 33 pts 10 rebs 12-17 FGM-A

He was on fire, hitting deep, contested threes and ending the first quarter with a jumper to beat the buzzer. He had 33 points in just three quarters.

Highlight of the Game:

Notes: The Cavs ended their 26-game losing streak with a win over the Clippers. LeBron cussed at a fan and Dwyane Wade met Aretha Franklin.

Next Game: Sun @ Orlando Magic 34-21 5th Eastern Conference (Last Game: L vs Hornets)

Boston Sucks

The Lakers got a huge 92-86 win Thursday night against the Boston Celtics coming behind from a 15-point deficit with a phenomenal second half, improving to 3-0 on the road trip.

A number of Lakers were big tonight. Kobe dropped in 23 points (20 in 2nd half), Pau had 20, and Andrew put up 16. The Lakers bigs were key tonight. Lamar Odom had a double-double off the bench along with three blocks and Shannon Brown added 12.

All the Celtic starters scored in double figures, but none of them shot well from the field. This can be attributed to Ron Artest and Derek Fisher, who played tough defense against "The Falseness"(Paul Pierce) and Ray Allen.

Player of the Game: Pau Gasol 20 pts, 10 rebs, 4 ast, 1 blk, 0 turnovers

He matched up well against KG, dribbling across the lane and scoring on hook shots, and even hitting a soft bank shot from about 20 feet away. Pau deserves to be an All-Star.

Highlight of the Game: There were a few plays that were candidates, including the numerous bricks by Rajon Rondo when he was wide open and the nice two-handed fast break dunk by Shannon Brown. But I had to go with the play by Kobe with less than a minute to go that sealed the win. Guarded by Ray Allen, Kobe held the ball near mid court, took some dribbles to his left, and crossed over to his right. Then he crossed back to his left and pulled up for a fadeaway jumpshot. Splash! Then he turns to the crowd and gives everyone a look like "You can't stop me!"

Notes: Ray Allen broke the all-time record for three-pointers made previously held by Reggie Miller at 2,560. The Celtics will make excuses for this loss by saying they were injured with Shaq, Jermaine O'Neal, Marquis Daniels, and Delonte West all out. Jazz Head Coach Jerry Sloan resigned today.

Next Game: Fri @ New York Knicks 26-25 6th Eastern Conference (Last Game: L vs Clippers) The Blake Show beat them at MSG so now it's the real Showtime, Lake Show baby!

Lakers Tame Grizzlies

A collective defensive effort and some timely baskets enabled the Lakers to defeat the Memphis Grizzlies 93-84 Monday night.

It wasn't a pretty offensive outing for Kobe, even though he had 19 points, but Pau put up 17 points and 9 rebounds and Lamar Odom added 15 points and 11 rebounds off the bench. Ron Artest hit a few crucial threes and had 4 steals, playing good defense on Rudy Gay.

Gay still managed to score 18 but Zach Randolph had a sub-par game going 2 for 14 from the field. Sam Young led all scorers with 22, but if Kobe actually played some defense on him he wouldn't even had half of that.

The game was close until the Lakers jumped out to a double digit lead midway through the third quarter, but Memphis responded with a 9-0 run. In the fourth quarter, the Lakers extended the lead again and this time didn't let the Grizzlies come back. Lamar and Ron Artest hit key threes to make sure of a Laker victory late in the game.

Highlight of the Game: Similar to last games's top play, this moment started with a pick-and-roll with Kobe and Pau around the three-point line. Kobe got around the defenders and into the lane softly floating a pass to the rim. Andrew Bynum was there to swallow up the ball and throw the alley-oop down.

Player of the Game: Lamar Odom L.O. played a solid game getting a double-double in the process. He provided a spark off the bench and played great D against Marc Gasol. He was huge on the boards and his confident shooting led to a crucial three-pointer over Darrell Arthur to practically put the game away.

Notes: Rudy Gay was injured with a lower back spasm but returned to game shortly. Memphis signed G Jason Williams before the game, who earlier in the season was on the Orlando Magic roster. O.J. Mayo was out serving a 10-game suspension for a league-banned substance. Derek Fisher's family was in attendance, making the two-hour drive from Little Rock, Arkansas.

Next Game: Boston Celtics 1st Atlantic 38-13 (Last Game: LOSS @Bobcats HAHA!) We gonna put Boston's @$$ in the coffin!

Kobe, Pau Power Lakers Over Hornets

Kobe Bryant had 32 points and Pau Gasol dropped in 34 as the Lakers came away with a 101-95 win in New Orleans.

Chris Paul led the injured Hornets with 21 points and 15 assists. While David West struggled with foul trouble, David Andersen and Marcus Thornton chipped in off the bench, each in double figures.

The crowd was behind the Hornets the entire game, especially during a late third quarter run in which the crowd was on their feet after several threes by CP3 and David Andersen. But thanks to great defense by Derek Fisher and Ron Artest, the Lakers held the Hornets offense in check in the final possessions of the game.

The one-two punch of Kobe and Pau carried the Lakers offensively. Except for Andrew Bynum, no other Laker player was in double figures. However, tonight it was the Lakers defense that won the game.

Player of the Game: Pau Gasol He had 34 points on just 17 shot attempts and 10 boards. He had a key offensive rebound and block on David Andersen in the closing minutes of the game helping the Lakers secure a win. Overall, Pau played an efficient game and was a dominant force.

Highlight of the Game: What started with a pick-and-roll between Kobe and Pau, ended with an alley-oop monster jam for Andrew Bynum. Kobe was trapped after getting past the screen and threw it to Pau. Pau was then doubled and lobbed it up for the two-handed slam by Drew.

Notes: Former Laker D.J. Mbenga a.k.a. "The Big Congo" had eight points. Trevor Ariza was out with an injured ankle. Emeka Okafor was also hurt and didn't play.

Next Game: Mon @ Memphis Grizzlies 4th Southwest 27-24 (Last Game: OT Loss @ Rockets)

McDyess's Tip-In Buzzer Beater Leads Spurs to Victory

The headline is so painful to write, but I had to do it.

Anyway, Kobe almost had a triple-double but it wasn't enough for a win. I'm too depressed to write anymore, but the Spurs just got lucky.

Next Game: Sat @ New Orleans Hornets 3rd Southwest 32-19 (Last Game: Loss @ OKC)

Is Ron Gone From Los Angeles?

There is speculation that Lakers General Manager Mitch Kupchak is looking to make a trade to bolster the Lakers roster after a poor outing (and that's an understatement) against the hated Boston Celtics.

Mitch Kupchak said he is looking at options in the trade market to improve the team, but not a major change similar to the blockbuster trades of the Orlando Magic. While the Magic revamped their roster, Kupchak is only considering a trade to produce minimal, but positive change.

Magic Johnson felt the Lakers needed a trade after big losses against the NBA elite. He said that the Christmas Day loss to the Miami Heat and the recent loss to the Boston Celtics proved to him that a change is necessary. He doesn't think that the Lakers can win the championship right now and feels a trade can "improve the team and bring some energy to the team and bring some new life to the team."

The Lakers were pretty apathetic against the Houston Rockets Tuesday, but they still managed to get a win. Still, a change is needed. One player that has been rumored to be on the trade block is Ron Artest.

RonRon has had a subpar season thus far, especially on the offensive side of the ball. Personally, I feel Ron needs to go because he isn't a great shooter and he is getting slower defensively. Plus, he has a hefty contract with a few more years on it.

There are also rumors that Ron wants out of LA. Although he refuted these rumors, I wouldn't be surprised if the rumors are true. He has a diminished role and barely gets any shots. I don't think the triangle offense is a good fit for Ron either.

The Lakers got to make a move. I would say that Ron Artest will attract some interest by many teams, especially some teams on the rise. To throw around some names I would say that the Trailblazers, Grizzlies, Jazz, Pistons, Mavs, and Hornets.

And don't forget the Rockets. The way Ron was flirting with Kevin Martin after the game showed that Artest wouldn't mind a return to Houston. But Phil Jackson doesn't care about the team's struggles. He still feels that this team can win any series against any team in the league.

Neither does KB24. He said, "People that criticize, they can kiss my ass. I don't give a $%@*. I really don't. I keep the train moving. We're gonna keep on moving and in June, they'll say nothing. For now its good talk."

Lakers Get By Houston

The Lakers escaped with a narrow 114-106 overtime victory over the Houston Rockets Tuesday Night at Staples Center while Andrew Bynum sat out with a sore knee.

Even with the devastating injury to Yao Ming, the Rockets were competitive the whole game. The Lakers barely played any defense and gave up numerous offensive rebounds, especially to Luis Scola. Kevin Martin took advantage of this poor D and dropped in 30 points and was on fire the whole night.

But LA made up for the lackadaisical defense on offense. Role players like Steve Blake and Shannon Brown chipped in offensively hitting open shots and finishing in traffic. Kobe Bryant, Pau, and Lamar filled the void left by Bynum with great offensive performances. Kobe- 32 pts, 11 asts Gasol- 26 pts, 16 rebs Odom- 20pts 20 rebs

Highlight of the Game: Shannon Brown steals the ball from Courtney Lee at midcourt and dribbles to the basket for a one-handed jam. The dunk wasn't as impressive as how quickly the crowd got up on their feet, excitedly jumping up and down even before Shannon Brown elevated to the rim.

Player of the Game: L.O. He played an efficient and productive ball game with a 20-20 night. He did miss the game-winner in regulation , but hit clutch shots and grabbed key rebounds. He made everyone forget that Drew was injured.

Notes: 3 year anniversary of the Pau Gasol involving Kwame Brown a.k.a. "Stone Hands" Lakers get first overtime win of the season

Next Game: Thurs vs. San Antonio Spurs 1st Western Conference 40-8 (Last Game: L @ Portland) When asked about the upcoming matchup against the Spurs and the Lakers' 1-5 record against the elite NBA teams, all Kobe had to say was, "We'll be ready."