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Here we go again…the 4th time these 2 teams are facing each other in the playoffs in the last 10 years…Lakers got swept the 1st time, but have beaten the Spurs the last 3 times.

Tip off at 6pm PST at the Staples Center, tonight.

The Spurs’ departure from New Orleans after eliminating the Hornets 91-82 in Game 7 of the Western Conference semifinals was delayed several hours after their plane had mechanical problems…and seems like they could not find any rooms so they slept in the plane. I hope these old timers don’t complain about not getting enough sleep after they lose tonight.

On another note, Trevor Ariza, who has been out since January 20th, is expected to return during the conference finals, which was reported by the LA Times. This will give LA even more depth.

Have read and listened to a lot of talk about this series…2 things stood out.

People saying the match up between Tim Duncan and Pau Gasol is a wash…WHAT!!! The best Power Forward ever is a wash??? I just don’t understand that. I mean Pau is great and all…been an all-star, but we are talking about Tim Duncan. LA would need to keep an eye on this match up for sure.

Also, another thing was how Bruce Bowen is going to contain Kobe…come on now. I know Bruce gets under people’s skin, but there is not a single player that could contain Kobe Bryant. Mr. 24 could drop 50 in any game he chooses.

I am looking forward to see Lamar Odom play, as I don’t think the Spurs have an answer for him.

I am picking the Lakers (what a surprise)…in 6!

GO LAKERS!

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — More than four months after Andrew Bynum injured his left knee, it’s been decided the Los Angeles Lakers center will undergo arthroscopic surgery.

The Lakers made the announcement Sunday, saying Dr. David Altchek will perform the procedure in New York on Wednesday — the same day Bynum’s team entertains San Antonio or New Orleans to begin the Western Conference finals.

An estimated timetable for Bynum’s return will be provided following the surgery.

“I just hope for the best for him,” teammate Luke Walton said following a light practice Sunday. “He was a huge part of our success early on and he’s going to be a huge part of our future.”

The Lakers said the procedure will entail a cleanup of some rough spots and fraying on the underside of Bynum’s kneecap.

Bynum hasn’t played since injuring his knee in the third quarter of a 100-99 victory over Memphis on Jan. 13 at Staples Center. The 20-year-old center averaged 13.1 points, 10.2 rebounds and 2.1 blocked shots in 35 games.

The Lakers estimated a day after Bynum was injured that he would be sidelined eight to 12 weeks. But coach Phil Jackson said April 21 that a return this season was remote, and Bynum said much the same thing shortly thereafter.

Dr. Altchek examined Bynum in New York on April 10 and declined to clear him for practice. The 7-footer was examined again May 7 in Princeton, N.J., by Dr. Steven Gecha, who said there had been some improvement in the knee, but recommended exploratory surgery if there wasn’t more in the ensuing three to four weeks.

The decision was made a lot sooner than that.

“It’s hard, I know that he is probably really frustrated right now,” Lakers guard Sasha Vujacic said. “He’s going through tough times. We miss him. Everybody knows he’s going to have a good, long career in the NBA. He’ll come back when he’s ready.”

Despite Bynum’s absence, the Lakers went 57-25 to earn the top seed in the West, and 8-2 to eliminate Denver and Utah from the playoffs to reach the conference finals for the first time since 2004.

Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press

Bryant scored 34 points, 12 in the fourth quarter, and Los Angeles held off a furious rally by the Utah Jazz for a 108-105 victory Friday night in Game 6, putting the Lakers in the Western Conference finals for the first time in four years.

One of the only two road wins (Pistons beat Magic at Orlando) in the entire 2nd round of the playoffs.

The Lakers improved to 36-1 when winning first two games of best-of-seven series. … Utah was 37-4 at home this season and 4-2 in the playoffs. … Boozer fouled out with 4:34 left in the game. … Fisher, who played in Utah last season, and Williams hugged after the final horn.

Up next, the Lakers will host either Spurs or the Hornets.

Can’t decide who I would rather play…

Spurs: LA has had some battles with the Spurs over the years. It would be a great series watching all the match ups, Bruce gaurding Kobe, Fish on Tony…Pau and Tim. Also Big Shot Bob against his old team.

Hornets: The MVP and the runner up facing eachother…

I think the Spurs series would be a better series to watch, but for the sake of us advancing to the finals (not that i don’t think LA could beat SA), i would rather play Hornets. Hornets have also never been to the Conf Finals.

- Leo

What a horrible game did the Lakers play last night…I almost could not watch it. 18 turnovers, 5 by Pau alone. I hate to say this, but Pau was reminding me of Kwame Brown, it seemed like everytime he tried to do something the ball would slip out of his hands and he would look at the ref confused!!!

Boozer had a monster game, 27 points and 20 rebounds. Considering we only got outrebounded by 3 (32-35), it seemed like on every miss, Utah got the rebound…even when towards the end when Boozer missed his 2nd free throw, all 3 Lakers stood and watched as Boozer got his own rebound and scored….that and the Luke turnover off the jump ball between Pau and Deron cost us the game. The only positive thing was that after the way the Lakers played, at the end we could have stolen the game, but we just gave it away at the final 3 minutes.

Kobe did his thing 34 points (10-20 shooting) and 7 asst and 6 rebounds.

Game 4 at Utah, Sunday 3:30 Eastern.

Some Facts:

Only 13 of the 211 teams that lost the first two games in a best-of-seven NBA playoff series have overcome that deficit to advance. … Teams coached by Jackson are 39-0 when winning the opener of a playoff series — 24-0 with the Chicago Bulls and 15-0 with the Lakers. … Sloan is fourth on the all-time regular-season wins list with 1,089 victories and Jackson ranks sixth with 976. Jackson is the overall leader in the postseason with 185 wins while Sloan is sixth with 91. … The Lakers have a 15-3 record at Staples Center against the Jazz since the arena opened before the 1999-2000 season.

- Leo

Finally!!! He should have gotten it a few times already, but he definetely deserved it this year.

I think this year was one of the toughest to choose the MVP, I think Chris and LeBron both had MVP like seasons as well. But I think with the Lakers finishing 1st in the tough west kind of clinched it.

This makes it 7 times PJ has coached an MVP.

“I don’t know anybody who’s ever deserved this trophy more. I don’t know anybody who’s ever worked as hard to accomplish what he’s accomplished,” said Lakers coach Phil Jackson, who had five-time MVP Michael Jordan with Chicago and was at the helm of the Lakers when Shaquille O’Neal won the award in 2000.

Bryant received 82 first-place votes and 1,100 points in the media vote. He was followed by New Orleans’ Chris Paul (28 and 894), Boston’s Kevin Garnett (15 and 670) and Cleveland’s LeBron James (1 and 438).

So as far as our poll, we had 53 voters, and 47 picked KOBE!

- Leo

 

Our local OSH had a “newly remodeled” sale, and they had 2 Laker Girls signing pictures. Andrew is officially introduced to the LAKERS! Notice his Lakers outfit.

What a year….had to wait till the last day of the NBA regular season to see the match ups between the west (2-8).

Lakers win the west!!! So we have home court advantage till the Finals, that’s great, plus we are a great road team as well (best in the west).

Our 1st round match up is Denver. Should be a fun match up, 4 stars, Kobe, Pau, AI and Melo…Lakers did win all 3 games against Denver during the regular season, but playoffs is a whole different thing. I highly doubt Bynum would be back during the 1st round…but don’t think we need him till we play Suns/Spurs (Conf Finals). My prediction for the 1st round, Lakers win it in 5! Would like to see others prediction…make a comment!

Do you have an office pool, use our bracket:

2008 NBA Playoffs Bracket

- Leo

Well…this is it. The final game of the regular season and with a win tonight, the Lakers can secure the top seed in the west. Home court until the finals!!! I think that is a tremendous achievement considering how we started the season. NO ONE could have even imagined it to end like this…with the development of Bynum, the Lakers bench, the Pau trade and of course all the injuries this team has faced. It’s been an up and down rollercoaster.

The history with the Kings, i am sure they are going to try to spoil it for LA, so it should be a good game.

 Tip off is at 7:30pm!

- Leo

PORTLAND - In discussing Andrew Bynum on Tuesday, Phil Jackson said “there’s a chance” Bynum could play Sunday against the Spurs at Staples Center, then called it “a long shot.”

Bynum, who has missed 42 games recovering from a left kneecap injury, would have to be able to “practice on Saturday in a way that could convince me to play him on Sunday,” Jackson said.

“He has to play in a practice and run well and feel comfortable and move the right way,” Jackson said, and added, “He’s still getting some swelling around that knee, but if there is some excessive swelling, then we’d have to say no.

“But right now we’re certainly not counting on (him). It’s just really a long shot.”

Jackson said the team doctors’ input will greatly influence whether or not Bynum plays Sunday. Chip Schaefer, the team’s director of athletic performance and player development, has worked with Bynum daily for the past two months.

“He’s moving relatively well,” Jackson said. “There’s still some things about his game that are not back to square one. Playing-wise, he probably could start to get in the fray a little bit as far as a practice goes. I don’t know what it’s going to look like. He doesn’t either.”

Bynum vs. Shaq

There’s a chance the Lakers could face Phoenix in the first round of the playoffs, and Bynum could be needed against Shaquille O’Neal.

“He would be an important person to have on your team because he’s got the bulk and the size to put himself out there and stop some of that bull nature that Shaq has,” Jackson said.

Bynum has faced O’Neal just once in his career, in his rookie season. Bynum’s only points came on a memorable dunk over his idol, who had just dunked on him. Bynum then gave O’Neal a playful shove, which drew an elbow from Shaq, and both of them got technical fouls.

O’Neal finished with 18 points and 10 rebounds, while Bynum played only four minutes.

The sprained left ankle is not 100 percent healed, but the Los Angeles Lakers will take whatever Pau Gasol can provide at center.

Gasol, who missed nine games because of the injury, is expected to be on the court Wednesday night, when the Lakers play the Portland Trail Blazers at Staples Center.

Gasol had played in a brief scrimmage Saturday, and participated in a full practice Tuesday, reporting progress with each workout.

“That’s the main question, right?” Gasol said in The Los Angeles Times. “If nothing crazy happens and the ankle responds well to the work today, I think it’s a pretty good guess that I’ll be out there.”

Lakers coach Phil Jackson said Gasol would start on Wednesday, but the playing time would be adjusted depending on how the ankle reacted.

“He’ll probably have swelling for the next six weeks,” Jackson said, according to The Times. “Anybody who’s had a severely sprained ankle knows that it just goes on and on. Eventually it subsides, but it’s still going to be an issue for a while.”

Gasol, averaging 18.9 points and 8.5 rebounds, had been filling in for Andrew Bynum, who has been out with an injured knee since January. The Lakers are 15-4 with Gasol in the lineup, and 5-4 without him.

“Can’t wait to work him back in the mix and get him out on the floor,” Kobe Bryant said in The Times.

Bynum, meanwhile, has been doing some drills on his own, but has not practiced with the team. Bynum likely will join the Lakers for the upcoming road trip to Sacramento and Portland to get him back into a routine, and, as Jackson said jokingly in The Times, “so he can hang out a little bit with his teammates and remember their names.”

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