Game Thread: Los Angeles Lakers @ Miami Heat- Fri Dec. 19

[TylersLakers]

Los Angeles Lakers (21-3) Vs. Miami Heat (12-12)

VS:

Game Information

Who: The Miami Heat
When: Friday, December 19th 2008
Time: 5:00 PM Pacific (7:00 CT)
Venue: American Airlines Arena, Miami, Florida
TV: ESPN, KCAL
Radio: AM 570 KLAC


Miami Heat Starting Lineup


PG: Mario Chalmers
9.7 Points Per Game
4.3 Assists Per Game
2.6 Rebounds Per Game


SG: Dwyane Wade
29.1 Points Per Game
7.3 Assists Per Game
5.2 Rebounds Per Game


SF: Shawn Marion
12.5 Points Per Game
8.9 Rebounds Per Game
1.5 Steals Per Game


PF: Udonis Haslem
12.0 Points Per Game
9.1 Rebounds Per Game
1.2 Assists Per Game


C: Joel Anthony
1.9 Points Per Game
3.6 Rebounds Per Game
1.4 Blocks Per Game

Key Bench Players


PF: Michael Beasley
13.9 Points Per Game
5.2 Rebounds Per Game
1.0 Assists Per Game


SG: Daequan Cook
8.4 Points Per Game
2.7 Rebounds Per Game
1.3 Assists Per Game

Los Angeles Lakers Starting Lineup


PG: Derek Fisher
10.5 Points Per Game
3.2 Assists Per Game
1.2 Steals Per Game


SG: Kobe Bryant
25.0 Points Per Game
4.5 Assists Per Game
5.5 Rebounds Per Game
1.7 Steals Per Game


SF: Luke Walton
2.4 Points Per Game
0.8 Rebounds Per Game
2.0 Assists Per Game


PF: Pau Gasol
18.0 Points Per Game
9.3 Rebounds Per Game
3.5 Assists Per Game


C: Andrew Bynum
13.2 Points Per Game
9.0 Rebounds Per Game
2.0 Blocks Per Game

Lakers "Bench Mob"


PF: Lamar Odom
8.6 Points Per Game
6.0 Rebounds Per Game
2.3 Assists Per Game


SF: Trevor Ariza
9.6 Points Per Game
5.2 Rebounds Per Game
1.9 Steals Per Game

Key Matchup of the Game

Vs:
Kobe Bryant vs Dwyane Wade

It's always an exciting matchup when Kobe and D-Wade square off. The two former "Shaq parters in crime" are sure to put on a pretty good show. In the early years of this matchup, Wade's got the better of Kobe. As of late though, with the Lakers winning, Kobe's got the better of D-Wade. Wade is finally healthy, and he's playing almost like Kobe did in 05-06, leading the league in scoring. He's done a great job of getting his teammates invovled as well, putting up over 7 assists a game. As for Black Mamba, he loves these individual matchups, so let's see if his "free safety" defensive role is put to the side so he can go one on one vs Wade.



Key To A Lakers Win

Defense: Always a key when we play anybody. The Heat aren't a brilliant offensive team, but they are definitely capable of putting up points. They like to surround Dwyane Wade with shooters like Chris Quinn, Daquean Cook, and then a good mid range jump shooter in Udonis Haslem. We have to rotate out to open shooters, and contain Wade. Make him be a volume shooter. If he's going to have 26 points, get him to shoot 23,24 times, and contain him to a low field goal percentage.

Pound The Ball Inside: Joel Anthony plays hard, but he's just not big enough to defend Andrew. Neither is Udonis Haslem. Gasol has to shoot over the top of Haslem. Udonis is a very underrated defender, so Gasol will have to work for his points. Andrew has to take advantage of Anthony down low.

GO LAKERS!!!!

[dockingsched]

sweet gt.

wade vs kobe is going to be great. lakers will win when bynum/gasol punish them inside.

[DEEP3CL]

Nice thread TL...................hope we don't have to pull our hair out again.

[SashAlex]

Tyler, your thread deserves a win !

I hope we'll win !

[MAMBAEMD]

Go Lakers!
The Heat are playing very poorly. Their offense has been stagnant last few games. I hope the Lakers come out to play their game and not play down to the competition, which has been their recent trend.

[lakersfanatic]

should be a win. but these days... doubt is in the air..
They just need to find that niche.. or a lost so bad that it jump started WWIII. lol

GO Lakers!!

[Anklebreaker702]

Great GT man. Like the commentary as well. Hope we TCB

[Verbal]

I'll make time to check this game out.

I'll see what the team has in store for the enemy.

[hermes]

GO LAKERS

[semi-sentient]

The Heat are playing very poorly. Their offense has been stagnant last few games.

Then playing the Lakers is just what the doctor ordered.

[Erik Eleven]

I would assign Kobe to shut down Wade, Odom to make life hell for Beasly and Ariza to hound Marion. But Phil won't do that because he prioritizes offensive spacing over defense. Yes, you can be the aggressor even if you're matching up, as long as your matching up is aggressive enough. Let's win some ugly, low scoring games on this road trip. We don't want the Heat to run and gun with us.

Fisher
Kobe
Ariza
Gasol
Bynum

Fisher and Kobe can spread the floor enough. Lakers win by 20 and hold the Heat to under 80.

[lakeshow248]

Could this be the game where Odom for Marion goes down !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[b shaw20]

I just read in the L.A. Times that Pau may not play on Friday?? Someone please tell me this ain't so...

I am so psyched for this game - my courtside tickets are so swee-EEET! But I nothing would ruin my evening more than a lost to the freakn Heat. Let's punish them!

Although, no Pau may mean more Kobe in order to ensure a beat down.

The Heat have no shot inside force or shot blockers.... the bigs should dominate this one.

Let's go - Lakers!

[Minhee]

Excellent game thread, with the way we have been playing, we could lose this game especially if Wade goes nuts. Hope Kobe doesn't get too caught up with trying to one up wade. I have a feeling wade goes off for 30+ as we have issues stoping quick guards and wade has been on a tear this year. He had an off game last game but I don't see wade not having a good get as he did pretty bad last year against us due to his injury.

I hope we come to play because I have a feeling we are losing to Orlando the next night, let's not start the road trip 0-2. We could even lose at New Orleans on the last game of the trip.

We can potentially go 1-3 if our crappy plays continues. Hopefully we go 2-2, 3-1 would be a nice surprise. Then we come home for our showdown on Xmas and quite frankly we are so not ready at this point.

[kevin_405]

We dont match up well against Miami... but Orlando is going be our game to lose..

It think it will be a 2-2 road trip with loses to Maimi and NO.. capped with a victory over the Celtics at home..

Excellent game thread, with the way we have been playing, we could lose this game especially if Wade goes nuts. Hope Kobe doesn't get too caught up with trying to one up wade. I have a feeling wade goes off for 30+ as we have issues stoping quick guards and wade has been on a tear this year. He had an off game last game but I don't see wade not having a good get as he did pretty bad last year against us due to his injury.

I hope we come to play because I have a feeling we are losing to Orlando the next night, let's not start the road trip 0-2. We could even lose at New Orleans on the last game of the trip.

We can potentially go 1-3 if our crappy plays continues. Hopefully we go 2-2, 3-1 would be a nice surprise. Then we come home for our showdown on Xmas and quite frankly we are so not ready at this point.

[lakeshow248]

This Pau missing the game could be great W/ Odom going for 20 and 10 5 ast and then getting shipped to the Heat for the Matrix. Marion comes to the Lakers and becomes the missing piece on defense that enables them to kill the Celtics on Christmas day. The Matrix is perfect for the triangle, corner threes, slashing to the hoop for dunks, stls and blks off the ball creating running chances w/ him finishing w/ dunks.

On the defensive side, denying Pierce the ball and making him work very hard to get his shots and giving the Lakers' a new energy and hope in their defensive mentality.

[Minhee]

Speaking of pierce, did anybody see him FAKE another injury the other night? I love how he fakes it a week befor coming to staples so if he has a bad game, he has an excuse BUT should he dominate us, he will make headlines of being a Hero like the finals.

[dockingsched]

odom played with an upper respiratory infection yesterday, pau needs to play after 3-4 days off.

[Flipdog69xxx]

Go Lakers!

[Flix360]

Nice thread, lemme say good luck on the game, we've been 12-9 but oru record is 12-12 since..

Wade's on a shooting slump, he's like 19/56 for the past few games, hopin he could make it a game coz its on national tv..

and im curiousm but wud you guys do a odom and farmar for marion swap?

peace la nation, again, good luck!