On MLK Day I had to stop and buy an umbrella en route to the Staples Center to enjoy another back-to-back games for both Los Angeles teams the Clippers and the Lakers.
Photo by Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images
When it rains in Los Angeles the streets become scarce and getting to Staples Center was a breeze. The Staples Center was unexpectedly full of folks for the Clippers-Nets game. I was able to get tickets for $4.99. The game was worth less. The Clippers got off to an early lead, and the young, uncordinated Nets made the Clippers look better then they actually are. I fell asleep for most of the third and woke up with about 3 minutes remaining…thankfully I missed nothing. Couldn’t help but notice Blake Griffin moping around. The Nets missed 10 of their first 14 shots and finished at 45.8 percent from the field en route to their eighth wire-to-wire defeat this season. They never got closer than 11 points (with 45 seconds remaining), after Eric Gordon‘s layup gave the Clippers their biggest lead, 90-66, with 11:44 left. Clippers ran away with a 106-95 win.N ew Jersey has to win seven of its remaining 42 games to avoid tying the 1972-73 Philadelphia 76ers‘ 9-73 record for the worst in NBA history. How embarrassing for Jay-Z!
After the game the rain had stopped and let up long enough for the Lakers faithful to arrive without getting wet. I spent the in-between time across the street at ESPN Zone, stuck to my addiction, Arcade Basketball.
The Lakers-Magic game made the Clippers-Nets game look like an AAU game.
Photo by Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images
More celebrities, the darkened arena, and the sell-out crowd, made the Staples Center seem like a completely diffrent arena. Both the Lakers and Magic played aggressive and non-stop early. Kobe surprisingly struggled due to his finger and back injuries. Kobe Bryant had 11 points on 4-for-19 shooting. The 11 points are his second-lowest output this season. Bryant managed just four points in the first half before a 1-for-8 effort in the third quarter, falling well short of the 30 points he needed to become the youngest player in NBA history to score 25,000 points.
The Lakers bench came up big outscoring the Magic bench 42-15. The Magic once again played the Live by the 3, Die by the 3 philosophy and it failed. The Magic for some reason refuse to FEED Howard who had 24 points — but just one field goal after halftime. Lakers started the 4th on a 15-0 run and carried the momentum to a 98-92 win.
Unless Bryant goes nearly scoreless for the next month, he’ll be the youngest player to score 25,000 points. He also was the youngest player to score 23,000 and 24,000.
