It is a hard pill to swallow, but the Lakers have officially been swept out of the first round of the NBA playoffs.

The Spurs were able to control the tempo, while the Lakers were not able to cope with Steve Nash, Kobe Bryant, Metta World Peace, Steve Blake and Jodie Meeks injured.

Gasol was the big scorer for the Lakers on the game, finishing with 16 points, 8 rebounds and 5 assists.

The rest of the team’s contribution ranged from subpar to absolutely pitiful.

Dwight Howard, who played for only 21 minutes before having to leave the game due to an ejection, scored only 7 points while committing 5 turnovers.

On the Spurs’ side of the ball, they were able to control the tempo with a balanced attack that the Lakers were not able to stop for the entirety of the game.

Tony Parker lead the team in scoring with 23 points and was able to control the tempo at a pace that Darius Morris and Chris Duhon were just not able to keep up with.

This game just shows that the Lakers are getting older and they will have to regroup over the offseason if they do not want to repeat their failures from this season in 2014.

This will be hard with the injury to Kobe and the currently unreliable leadership role of Dwight Howard, but it is something that will have to be done if they want to improve.

Mike D’Antoni will have a big part to play if he wants the team to return to the level of success that the team saw in 2009 and 2010, but…

Can it be done?

Are the Lakers too old?

Will Kobe return as the same Mamba?

Will Dwight ever become a reliable franchise player for the Lakers?

All good questions, but questions that will have to be answered in the 2013-2014 NBA season.

If you were excited about the Lakers getting a win in game 2, you might be a little bit disappointed.

The Lakers came into the game having lost game one to the Spurs at home, needing a win to avoid returning home without a win in the series.

The Lakers were in the game early, down five after the first quarter, but were never able to fully overcome the deficit.

Steve Blake and Dwight Howard were the big scorers for the Lakers on the night, both finishing with 16 points.

Gasol and World Peace were the other big scorers for the Lakers, both finishing with 13 points and combining for 14 rebounds.

Although the Lakers had decent production from their starters it was not enough to stop the Spurs.

Tony Parker and Tim Duncan looked like young men on the court, combining for 44 points. The Lakers were simply not able to contain them.

Kawhi Leonard also had a big game for the Spurs, finishing with 16 points, including an excellent, coast-to-coast dunk on the fast break.

Kawhi Leonard Dunk.

Overall the game was disappointing for the Lakers. The Spurs are outplaying them nightly, and there is not much that they are able to do to stop it.

Maybe if Kobe was back…

There is no reason to focus on what might have been. The Lakers will have to regroup if they want a chance at beating the Spurs in game 3.

Game 3 comes with home court advantage and an opportunity to steal a win against an impressive Spurs team. And if we look back to 2012, the Spurs having a 2-win lead in a series doesn’t necessarily mean they will advance to the next round.

Let’s hope for the Laker’s sake, that history repeats itself.

Can the Lakers get a win without Kobe Bryant?

Impossible!

Or is it?

The Lakers came into the game 43-36, desperately needing a win to retain the eighth spot in the east.

And this was no easy task, considering the loss of Bryant with his torn ACL.

Howard stepped up big in this game, finishing with 26 points and 17 rebounds, including a late game tip to help seal the victory.

Steve Blake also played a key role in the Laker’s victory. Due to Kobe Bryant’s injury this was his first game in the starting lineup, and he finished with 23 points.

Sensational!

Gasol also came up big, but not in the most conventional way. The big man struggled from the field, making only 3 of 17 shots from the field, but was able to pull down 17 rebounds from the field.

Antawn Jamison also stepped up for the Laker’s bench as he scored 15 of the bench’s 19 total points.

The Spurs put up a good fight, but were not able to pull out the victory.

Players like Tim Duncan and Danny Green were able to give them scintillating scoring outputs. While Tiago Splitter was able to continuously crash the boards.

It was a great victory for the Lakers, crucial for obtaining the eight spot in the west.

The team has one more game on April 17 against the Rockets.

If they can win, or if the Jazz lose their next game against the Timberwolves, the Lakers will clinch a 2013 playoff birth.

Let’s hope Rubio has a big game!

Most of the game wasn’t that fun to watch…

Especially for Laker fans.

If you watched the Laker’s game last night, you know of the torture that the team was put through during the first three quarters of the game.

The Lakers came into the game currently holding the eight seed in the West and having a two game lead over the Jazz. But with this loss and Utah’s win last night, the Jazz are now only a game behind the Lakers in the race for the eight seed in the West.

Kobe was the high scorer on the night, finishing with 36 points, including an incredible dunk on Klay Thompson.

Kobe’s dunk on the Warriors

Nash was the Lakeshow’s other big contributor. He finished with 21 points, 9 rebounds, and 7 assists. He was able to pick up the slack for other members of the team like Dwight Howard and Pau Gasol who struggled on the night.

On the other side of the ball, the Warriors starting lineup was ruthless.

David Lee, Stephen Curry, and Klay Thompson were all 20-point contributors.

Of the three, Curry shined on the night, finishing with 25 points, 7 rebounds and ten assists.

Describe the game in three words…

Anything but Showtime!

The Lakers have 11 games left in the season, the next one being on the road against the Timberwolves.

The team will have to be careful not to slip up, seeing that the team now only holds a one game lead over the Jazz.

The Timberwolves are currently 24-44, and last in the Northwestern Division.

If the Lakers can find a way to play their “post all star game” play, they might be able to end their three game skid.

If you watched the game in New Orleans last night you know what it means to never give up.

The Lakers came into this game 30-31, having lost a very tough game to the Thunder on Tuesday night. And towards the beginning of this game, it seemed like the Lakers had not gotten over the sting of the loss to the Thunder.

The Lakers were down by 19 points going into halftime, and the Hornet’s lead would only grew from there.

The Laker’s looked lost and looked as if they were not going to be able to come back from the huge deficit.

But what they forgot is that we have a man named Kobe on our team who might be one of the most relentless fourth quarter players in NBA history.

Kobe sparked the team in the fourth quarter, knocking down shot after shot, finding teammates for assist after assist.

Bryant rallied the team, finishing with 42 points and 12 assists, along with hitting the last 3 crucial buckets for the Lakers.

Dwight Howard and Jodie Meeks were also huge contributors for the Lakers.

Howard finishing with 20 points and 15 rebounds, while Meeks finished with 19 points, which included 5 3 pointers.

It was definitely Meeks most important performance of the season.

This was a hard fought victory for the Lakers; they had to find a way to comeback against a team with a very balanced offensive game (7 of the their players finishing with double digit scoring outputs).

Looking Ahead to the future: The Lakers have a day to rest, but will have to play the Raptors at home on Friday night.

This will be a very important game for the team, seeing that it will not only get them above .500 for the first time in months, but it would put them just one game behind the Utah Jazz in the race for the eighth seed in the playoffs.

The Raptors have struggled as of late, losing 5 of their last 6 games.

Expect a win.

Do you remembers Allen Iverson saying, “Play every game like it’s your last”; well this was that game for Kobe.

Almost singlehandedly, Kobe willed the Lakers to victory, finishing with 38 points, 12 rebounds and 7 assists. Many of those points coming in the fourth quarter when Kobe went into “mamba-mode”; carrying the team on his shoulders and willing them to victory.

Another player who should be acknowledged for his performance in this contest is Steve Nash who put in a career high for this season with 20 points, while knocking down some crucial 3 pointers late in the fourth.

Other Lakers also did a good job of stepping up in this game. The bench played much better than usual, putting in 29 points with only 1 turnover.

Now on the Maverick’s side

The big scorer: Dirk brought the load for the Maverick’s, having his best performance of the season with 30 points, including shooting 4 for 4 from the 3 point line.

Other big factors for the Mavs: The Maverick’s bench came up big in this game as Vince Carter and Elton brand combined for 29 points, keeping the game very close down the stretch.

Overall it was a great game for the Lakers. They were able to continue to show that they can get road victories without Pau Gasol. And this will be very important because upcoming games include the Nuggets and the Thunder on the road.

The Lakers next game is at the Nuggets, who currently hold the fifth seed in the west.

This game could possibly put them at .500 with a win while also pushing them within 2 games of the eight seed in the west.

The team has already lost to the Nuggets three times this season (two of them by double digits).

Let’s hope they can get a win to try and save their season.

It was a hard fought game for the Lakers, but they were not able to pull out the victory in the end.

The Lakers came into the game 24-27 and looking to extend their win streak to 2 games.

The team started the game well; the game being tied at half time, but were not able to finish off the game in the second half.

The biggest problem?

Rebounds!

Even though Gasol isn’t crashing the boards the way that he used to, it is obvious that they are missing those 8 rebounds a game.

The team was outrebounded 38 to 29 by the Heat. Of those 29 rebounds, 24 of them came from 3 players (Howard, Bryant, and Earl Clark), and only 5 of those were offensive rebounds.

The Lakers will need to find a way to crash the boards in the month of February while Gasol is injured if they want to revive any playoff hopes.

Kobe was the big scorer on the night for the team while still continuing with his facilitator mentality. He put in 28 points, 6 rebounds and 9 assists.

Other big contributors were Earl Clark, Steve Nash, and Dwight Howard. They combined for 48 points as well as significantly keeping the Lakers in the game down the stretch.

Metta World Peace struggled on the night, continuing his shooting slump that has been present over the last few games.

On the other side, Wade and LeBron were unstoppable, scoring a combined 62 points.

It was difficult for the Lakers to contain their athleticism and transition play, which can be well summarized in this video.

Dwyane Wade dunk

Overall the Lakers were able to play a solid game. They stayed in it through most of the game despite missing Pau Gasol and only being 8 players deep.

The team will have to forget about this game and prepare for their Tuesday night game at home vs. the Suns.

It should not be a difficult game for the Lakers, but the team should not get to cocky, seeing that they lost to the Suns on January 30.

It was not the cleanest victory, but the Lakers were able to pull out the victory over the Timberwolves 111-100.

Describe the game in 7 words?

The Lakers could not knock down shots!

The Lakers started out hot in the first half, going up 15 points at halftime. But were not able to keep this lead while struggling to knock down shots in the second half.

Gasol was huge in this game.

With the absence of Dwight Howard, Gasol was put back in the starting lineup; he proved he was worthy. He scored 22 points (leading the team in scoring) and pulled down 12 rebounds.

Bravo! Gasol relearned how to play like a big man.

Bryant also played a big role in the victory.

Although he struggled to get his shooting touch going, he was able to make up for it with his new “facilitator” style of play. He was able to pull down 12 rebounds while also dishing out 8 assists.

The bench played a colossal role in this contest.

Jamison put in big numbers (18 points and 7 assists), while Steve Blake and Jodie Meeks were also able to contribute.

This was huge for the team.

Coming into the game, one of the premier questions was whether the bench was going to be able to handle only having three players with the loss of Dwight Howard and the repositioning of Pau Gasol back in the starting lineup.

On the other team…

The team was not able to lock down Alexey Shved; he showed why he is one of the top rookies in the league this year.

Another reoccurring flaw revealed itself during this game; the Lakers have a weakness for guarding quick point guards.

Let’s be honest; Steve Nash cannot guard anybody.

The stats may not show it, but Rubio was the Timberwolves own “facilitator”. The Lakers had a hard time stopping him from going to the basket and doing what he wanted to do, especially with the injury to Dwight Howard (and it is not strange to predict that there will probably be another injury to a Laker big in the future of the season)!

Final Thoughts…

It may have been a sloppy victory in the end, but it was a win.

The Lakers travel to Detroit to play the new look pistons on Sunday at 1 o’clock.

The team was able to beat the Pistons earlier in the season.

Let’s hope they will be able to do it again.

If you could describe the game in 5 words…

The Kobe Evolution is legit

It’s a pretty exciting time for me and all of the other Laker fans in the world.

Kobe is turning into an all around player, we have found a temporary solution to the “Gasol conundrum”, and Jamison doesn’t look like he is the oldest player in the world.

The win was very big for the Lakers, pushing the win streak to 3 games and really helping to keep the team’s morale high going into an upcoming easy schedule that includes playing the Suns, Timberwolves, and Pistons (all three teams having losing records).

Bryant finished the game with 14 points, 8 rebounds, and 11 assists.

“The Kobe Evolution is legit”.

I wonder if he has been watching a lot of Rajon Rondo highlights lately? Because he has been playing like a man who desperately wants to win.

Over the last three games he has taken less than 34 shots and has devoted himself to getting more rebounds and getting his teammates more involved. And it seems to be working as the Lakers have compiled a decent resume, beating both the Thunder and the Jazz (two of the higher seeds in the western conference).

Earl Clark also put in a big game for Los Angeles, putting in 20 points and 12 rebounds. This is exactly what he needs to do for the team to win.

Pau Gasol is no longer in the starting lineup they need someone who is going to get in the paint and grab some boards, while allowing Gasol to expand his game without worrying that they will be outrebounded by bigger teams.

Can I use any other words to describe this game?

Bench Play

Let it be known to all…

I hate the Laker’s bench. We have some of the worst, most inefficient bench players in the league.

But the addition of Earl Clark into the starting lineup has definitely shaken things up a bit.

Pau Gasol has been able to go to work the way he wants to; coming off the bench. And with Jodie Meeks and Steve Blake back in the lineup, the Lakers have a legitimate back up point guard.

This game showed just how dangerous this new bench formation has the capability of being.

Jamison, Blake, Gasol and Meeks are all capable of having big performances off the bench and bringing energy to the team.

Looking ahead to the future, the team has the Suns on January 30. The Suns are a struggling team, and a team that the Lakers easily beat earlier in the season.

Expect a win.

Rajon Rondo, the “go-to-guy” for the Celtics, their starting all star point guard, and now their injured superstar who is out for the season.

It’s a very hard situation for the Celtics, especially seeing their struggles in recent game; coming off of a six game losing streak.

Rondo was their unquestioned best player, averaging over 35 minutes on the floor each game while being the Celtics number 1 facilitators.

The loss of Rondo sparks one question, will Avery Bradley be ready to take the torch and lead this team to the playoffs.

First of all we need to realize that Bradley has never seen a lot of time at the point guard position. Even throughout his high school and college careers, he was a 2 guard. And playing with Rondo for the past 3 years does not help his resume as a point guard.

Although he hasn’t seen much time at the point, he has shown his capacity to score. He may not have the highest scoring average, but last season he showed that he can drop 20 to 25 points at any time during the season if given the right opportunity.

This could be big for the Celtics, who have been relying on their defensive game for years, and are currently one of the lowest scoring teams in the NBA.

The other way for Celtics fans to look at the glass half full is to see that Avery Bradley has a veteran point guard in Jason Terry behind him.

Terry may be getting older, but he does have a lot of experience and won’t demand that Bradley plays more than 32 minutes in a game.

Now for the depressing part…

However hard you want to look at the possibilities for Avery Bradley to shine, he is still no Rajon Rondo.

Bradley is a scorer and it is in his nature to go out and try to score 15,20,30 points in a game. He is not a facilitator, someone who will run an aging team rather than trying to get his own buckets.

The bulk of the Celtics success was due to Rondo knowing how to run the team, and knowing how to really get his fellow aging teammates the ball and put them in positions to score, and the reality is that Avery Bradley does not do that.

Bradley is a one-dimensional player, who looks to score first and pass second. He does not bring the defensive, the rebounding, or the astounding court vision that Rondo nightly brought to the table.

We saw in last year’s finals just how important Rondo is to the team. Let’s hope for the sake of Celtic fans that Bradley can bring a fraction of that.