Lakers @ Grizzlies 2-1-10/ 7pmCT, 5pm Pacific

[laka4life]

Kobe ballhogged the hell out of this game. Sorry but I'm extremely upset about what he did tonight. He couldn't wait to break the record and that's why he kept scoring at the expense of team basketball. Heck, even Phil Jackson was irate when he was interviewed. Kobe could not wait until he gets here in Staples Center to at least give US, THE FANS, something special to remember for the rest of our lives as Laker fans. Tonight he was all about HIMSELF and HIS record.. but NO! he wants his record and he wants it NOW. and at the end, we lost.

And why the hell did anyone NOT call a timeout when we got the last possession? I don't understand this. Was that another boneheaded decision by Kobe to not call a timeout??? WTF was he thinking? FYI this is a very winnable game and we blew it. Kobe, go eat your record and enjoy the lost. Un-freakin believable.

LOL. These are the kind of quotes I want to store away for about 6-7 years from now when Mr. Bryant retires. Remember how you feel now. Please do. And when your left with some skinny, lazy, bone-headed J.R. Smith type shooting guard, don't come crying to me.

People, bitch at Kobe all you want, that's fine. But to think he's the reason we lost tonight is equivalent to thinking Paul Pierce was hurt in the 08 finals.

It probably came off harsh but I think what is being noted here is Kobe seemed to be more worried about the record than staying within the offense, but he get to qualms from me because other than Ron Ron nobody else was doing anything. Some of you guys are a little too sensitive when it comes to Kobe. He messes up like everyone else but we all tend to over look it unless he get out of control because for the most part he does it right.

Ankle I understand what you're saying, I'm just baffled that Kobe's play last night is even a topic of discussion when our supposed Frontline of Doom got absolutely demolished and showed ZERO effort. As a fan, I will always call someone out for a shady effort before shot selection, etc. We would've had just as good of a chance winning that game last night with DJ in the game instead of Andrew, etc. Maybe Kobe did want the record, we can argue that for days. But when we are paying over 37+ million to that lovely frontline of ours, I'm not gonna be calling out our team leader when he's atleast giving his consistent effort. My point in talking about KB wasn't to say how much were all gonna miss his 40 point outbursts when he retires, more that were going to miss his 82 games played and 120%, petal to the metal, killer approach night in night out. So it's just baffling to me to be criticizing someone who gave effort last night before ripping Pau, LO and Drew a new hole in the process.

That's just me though.

[Sedale Threatt]

Just watching the game, without access to a box score, I had no idea Kobe was shooting that well. (Although just because you make a shot doesn't mean it was a good one.) And I know that Pau wasn't playing all that assertively -- which, as we know, is one of his biggest flaws -- and Andrew obviously wasn't ready to play.

At the same time, again just from watching the game as it was unfolding, I was dumbfounded as to our focus. We made absolutely no effort to establish an interior presence.

It wasn't just Kobe's fault, either. Very far from it. Fish took some horrendous shots -- which, for him, is saying something. Farmar and Shannon jacked up 10 3s in barely 30 minutes, when neither one of them should be taking any unless the shot clock is winding down and they don't have a defender within 10 feet.

The last shot, I can live or die with. Kobe was trapped and it was a wide-open look from the short corner for a player who had been shooting well. But just about everything else, I was doing a slow burn.

Frankly, I have to wonder what the hell our coach is thinking. It was late in the third quarter or early in the fourth, and we had something like 14 points in the paint. That is simply inexcusable, and he needs to make that known.

[semi-sentient]

Phil lost it a long time ago. At this point he's just collecting a check and hitching a ride with the most talented team in the league. I recall last season at around the same time I began bitching about Phil and how he didn't have the team focused, and here we are again one year later talking about the same damn thing.

[Slava]

Phil lets the teams he coaches to assume the mentality they naturally have and this team showed that they can be lethargic enough to take a 2nd round series against Houston to a game 7 without Yao. Nothing Phil will do to change that, he's not an Avery Johnson kind of coach, atleast at this point in his career.

[DubaLakers]

Saw the end of the first quarter in the highlights Rudy Gay heave that he left too much time on the clock and Shanny rebounded it and fired it down court to Fish I think and then on to Kobe for the buzzer 3...awesome!

[Dalakerbox]

Let me start off by saying I am a HUGE Kobe fan, but ultimately an even bigger Laker fan so..performances like last night really get to me. Either way Kobe would have passed "THE lOGO" this week at some point why couldn't he go for the modest 28 point game while still giving a TEAM EFFORT? He took over the game from tip off and it was all about him from then on. I don't complain about greatness or Kobe too often (actually I can't think of a time ever) but last nights game made me sick, the body language of the team showed that they were annoyed with kobe going for the number 1 spot vs lifting his team and coach to a victory that would have lead to two milestones on the same night and Kobe and Phil being #1 for the Lake Show. Lastly that last possession was basically a "rookie mistake" he held the ball far too long and made no attempt to go in the lane (Bron would have dunked it, no doubt in my mind) and then he makes a late pass which Cleo didn't even see coming, why would Ron Artest be expecting a last second catch and shoot when the games best finisher has the ball in his hands with 9 seconds to get something good?

[Sedale Threatt]

The last possession, while resulting in an open shot for a player who had been feeling it, wasn't executed well. You don't run down the clock when you're behind. You run your offense as soon as possible, so that you still have time to foul in case you miss. Basic stuff.

Regarding the rest, it's all second guessing. We should have gotten the ball inside more, no question. We could say this after almost every game. But Pau was behind the eight ball from the start with foul trouble, and Andrew obviously wasn't ready to play. So there is more than enough blame to go around.

Just watching the game, without a box score to see how well Kobe was shooting, I thought he was headed for another 11-for-28 outing. That's how it seemed during the game. Just a lot of chucking while everybody else stood around. The old chicken-or-the-egg argument of his entire career.

[picc]

1. yes
2. spilled milk

[TonyMontana]

Memphis played great and we didnt, like picc said............... spilled milk.

[magic1fan]

Yes he should have.,but I have also heard alot of people say you go for the win on the road. So maybe we just wanted to make sure we ended up with the last shot.

[iamworthy]

Phil lost it a long time ago. At this point he's just collecting a check and hitching a ride with the most talented team in the league. I recall last season at around the same time I began bitching about Phil and how he didn't have the team focused, and here we are again one year later talking about the same damn thing.

Sounds like if we continue to do the same things as last year then we will win a championship

[Edrees]

I'm not sure what everyone is worried about. We survived this game with a healthy bynum. I'll take that over a win personally.

[Anklebreaker702]

Ankle I understand what you're saying, I'm just baffled that Kobe's play last night is even a topic of discussion when our supposed Frontline of Doom got absolutely demolished and showed ZERO effort. As a fan, I will always call someone out for a shady effort before shot selection, etc. We would've had just as good of a chance winning that game last night with DJ in the game instead of Andrew, etc. Maybe Kobe did want the record, we can argue that for days. But when we are paying over 37+ million to that lovely frontline of ours, I'm not gonna be calling out our team leader when he's atleast giving his consistent effort. My point in talking about KB wasn't to say how much were all gonna miss his 40 point outbursts when he retires, more that were going to miss his 82 games played and 120%, petal to the metal, killer approach night in night out. So it's just baffling to me to be criticizing someone who gave effort last night before ripping Pau, LO and Drew a new hole in the process.

That's just me though.

Although I agree with your point sometimes we all (myself included) point things out as opposed to what someone else did or didn't do. Yes our front line was atrocious last night, but it doesn't excuse a valid point about another player even if it was Kobe. Some feel like he was more interested in getting the scoring title than winning the game. Whether that's correct or not is not always important its just an opinion. So if the front line had played well it still wouldn't change those questions in certain situations. One thing was for sure, we never tried to establish anything with the bigs at all. At the same time, one of them should have asserted themselves & helped Kobe (that's how I see it). So sometimes we all have to step back & take a deep breath. I do the same with Drew. Yes I like Drew but the reason I defend him is because he's the whipping boy for the board right now. I see his upside & what's sad is we down him more on our board than the boards that hate us, but sometimes I just say forget it & step off.

[Anklebreaker702]

Yes but i'm sure Kobe was thinking after an emotionally charged win the night before then Pau & Drew not show up at all tonight, piss on OT we will either win it or lose it right here.