GAME#35 LAKERS VS CLIPPERS 1/6/10 7:30PM KCAL/PRIME/ESPN

[semi-sentient]

We don't eat omelets in Texas, dude. You know that. Breakfast tacos -- two bacon and eggs, one bean and cheese, one potato and egg.

Yeah, but the tacos in Austin straight up suck -- at least compared to San Antonio where you can get some good Mexican food without traveling more than a mile from anywhere in the city.

Last time I was there though my choice of tacos was Bean/Egg/Cheese and Bean/Chorizo/Egg/Cheese. I can't do with just two "ingredients" per taco... always have to bump it up and add a 3rd one in the mix, preferably 4 though.

Death never tasted so good, though. Worst part about getting older -- you really have to start watching what you eat. I used to destroy entire pizzas at a time in my teens. Now, I go off track for one month, and I put on 10 pounds. Basketball season kills me because I have to go out to watch all the games. Two or three beers, two or three times a week kills me.

Amen to that. Rice and chicken (and protein shakes, AND I hit the gym 4-5 days a week) are a regular part of my diet and all that does is maintain my weight. I'd hate to think how I'd look (weight wise) if I ate fast food 3 to 4 times a week. Even when I go out and buy beer I find myself focusing on how many calories/carbs there are and end up leaving with something watered down like Amstel Light.

Then I look at my anorexic roommate (he's 26 I think) who drinks at least a 6-pack of Miller High Life a night to go along with double-meat Whataburger and can't help but miss those good ole days of being able to stuff <insert good crap here> down my throat without worrying about the consequences. Aging sucks.

[DubaLakers]

Bad defense by all...Gordon was scoring on Kobe on the break often (I think I heard the announcers say the LAC are the #1 fast break team)...Bynum was so slow to react on any inside pass to their bigs (Bynum is focused on offense, but defense it's like he's a different player)...Baron was getting whatever he wanted on DFish. Shanny should be getting more minutes.

[stu_sutcliffe]

JFar, Yes there will definitely be mediocre teams who are motivated to play the Lakers, and there always have been…we all know that so what I don’t understand is why the Lakers seem to always let it happen, we all expected the best effort from the Clippers but somehow the Lakers didn’t. If the Lakers play smart basketball from the start, then Phil doesn’t have to run his starters into the ground.

The Cleveland Cavaliers came in on Xmas day and the Lakers still weren’t ready to play, I don’t think it’s competition that excites the Lakers, I think they are just having good games every once in a while, they are not impressive although they have a very good record, mostly due to a lot of home games.

The Lakers being the defending champs shouldn’t look at things in another perspective…they should be beating the teams who are under .500 because the other games won’t be any easier.

I don’t think Kobe was rested in the 4th…I think Phil left him there because the team was playing better with him out, Phil ended up putting Kobe back in around the 6min mark because I believe the Clippers went on a 6-0 run. Kobe came in and extended the Clippers lead with forced shots.

I agree that this team doesn’t have the mental makeup like the 96 Bulls and I am not saying the Lakers can’t repeat but the Clippers being an under .500 team and the Lakers being the Champs doesn’t give them a reason to not play motivated basketball, it’s human nature to not get up for games like that but I think they make enough money to be motivated enough.

[stu_sutcliffe]

Kobe was atrocious. Generally, though, the whole team outside of Shannon played with little energy. I've seen this formula happen so many times over the years -- loaf around, fall into an early hole, Kobe takes it upon himself to get us back in it, and everybody else starts standing around even more.

It drives me nuts, too, but considering this has been the M.O. for the past 14 years or so, it's not like anything's going to change any time soon. So I lump this under the category of needing to break a few eggs to make an omelet. Just grit your teeth and bear it.

well put

[b shaw20]

Its sad that oppsing teams pg look forward to playing us just shows jut how much fish sucks we really need a trade to upgrade that position.

I wouldn't read too far into that. Fish at this stage of his career is a specialist, he'll take shots the average veteran wouldn't take. I didn't see none of you guys bitching and moaning about Fish when he hit those huge 3's to finish off the Magic.

Yea, he made a big shot but one could argue that if someone else had gotten his minutes the likelyhodd is that person would not have sucked as much as Fish had up that point. (I believe he had was 1-6 from 3 up to that point).

IMO Fish is done simply because almost evry night he is outplayed by his counterpart. But the fact remains PJ is loyal and sticks with him and it will take something drastic, like losing a series because of him. We used to do the same with Horry. He'd suck all year long and hit some big timely shots in the playoffs, so we all gave him a pass. (until he shot us out of a series with the Spurs in 2004). Fish has been the benefactor of being on some great teams, and his defficiencies could be easily forgiven. He's a good dude, a hard working professional and great in the locker room and I guess this goes a long way w/ PJ and KB. On the court, the dude is a liability IMO.

I would be intrested to compare Fish vs each counterpart for every game this year. I would be shocked to find out he was not outplayed more than 80% of the time.

With regards to last night, BDiddy beat the C's on a last second shot so we are par for the course here. And Kobe bailed us in 3 games....one of his biggest strenths is his confidence. But this too is also a weakness in thinking he'll make the next shot he takes. Oh well, he can get a hall pass on this one.

[magic1fan]

it was one game! there is not alot to read into it. kobe was bad but it happens. the entire team really played poorly. i give bynum and odom props for their boards but other than tha there was really nothing else to be proud of.

[Dr Aki]

i actually thought we had this game in the bag in the 4th quarter...

then we started jacking shots up and clippers forced us into turnovers...

leave it alone, clips have a lot of talent even without blake griffin, we're bound to have these games anyway...