Lakers in the News 1/18/14: "Rookie Ryan Kelly to start for Lakers against Raptors "

 
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Cha*n
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PostPosted: Fri Jan 17, 2014 8:17 pm    Post subject: Lakers in the News 1/18/14: "Rookie Ryan Kelly to start for Lakers against Raptors "

Quote:
Lakers rally at the finish to beat Celtics, 107-104

By Eric Pincus
January 17, 2014, 7:15 p.m.

The Lakers didn't do much defensively against the Boston Celtics on Friday night at TD Garden, until the final 3 minutes and 12 seconds when they finally clamped down and rallied for a 107-104 victory.

A Gerald Wallace layup gave the Celtics a 104-96 advantage in what looked like another defeat for the Lakers, who had lost 12 of their last 13 games.

Instead, the Lakers got hot from three-point range with baskets from Wesley Johnson, Jodie Meeks and Kendall Marshall to quickly pull ahead by one.

The Celtics struggled to score but forced a jump ball with 18.3 seconds left. With two athletic players going for the ball in Wallace and Johnson, the initial tip went directly out of bounds. The officials originally rules it Lakers' ball but upon review of the replay called for a re-jump.

Ryan Kelly, who had a career night with 20 points, collected the tip and was intentionally fouled by the Celtics.

Kelly, who started the second half in place of Jordan Hill, calmly sank two free throws to finish the scoring for the night. Rajon Rondo, making his season debut after a knee injury last January, missed a three-point attempt as time expired.



http://www.latimes.com/sports/lakersnow/la-sp-ln-lakers-vs-boston-celtics-game-updates-20140117,0,3105165.story#ixzz2qirjShqy


Last edited by Cha*n on Sat Jan 18, 2014 8:47 pm; edited 7 times in total
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PostPosted: Fri Jan 17, 2014 8:18 pm    Post subject:

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Lakers survive against Celts in Rajon Rondo's return
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Associated Press

Rondo, Celtics Fall To Lakers

Rajon Rondo returned to the court for the first time since tearing his ACL on Jan. 25, 2013, to score eight points in the Celtics' 107-104 loss to the Lakers.

BOSTON -- These are not the Boston Celtics that Rajon Rondo left behind almost a year ago, a roster of All-Stars just a couple of seasons removed from their second trip to the NBA Finals in three years.

His pinpoint passes went for naught. The defense that helped the franchise win it all in 2008 was missing. Needing a big play in the final seconds, the best option Rondo could come up with was himself.

Rondo returned from a knee injury and missed a 3-pointer that could have sent the game into overtime, sending the Los Angeles Lakers to a 107-104 victory on Friday night.

"I thought he made a lot of plays down the stretch," Celtics coach Brad Stevens said after seeing his All-Star point guard in a game for the first time. "Just came up a little bit short. But I was glad he had the ball."

Pau Gasol had 24 points and 13 rebounds for Los Angeles, and Kendall Marshall added 19 points and 14 assists, including a 3-pointer with 69 seconds left to give the Lakers their first lead of the second half. Ryan Kelly scored 20 points and Wesley Johnson added 11 points and 11 rebounds.

"It was an incredible experience for me," said Kelly, who added a pair of free throws with 9.4 seconds remaining as the Lakers snapped a six-game losing streak. "We were sliding there a little bit. We needed it and we made the plays that made the difference."


http://scores.espn.go.com/nba/recap?gameId=400489459
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PostPosted: Fri Jan 17, 2014 8:21 pm    Post subject:

Quote:
Rajon Rondo returns but Lakers beat Celtics

Sam Amick looks at the future of Rajon Rondo and the Boston Celtics now that the point guard has returned.
AP 10:42 p.m. EST January 17, 2014

(Photo: David Butler II, USA TODAY Sports)
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
The Lakers beat the Celtics 107-104
Rajon Rondo had eight points, four assists and two rebounds in his first game since Jan. 25, 2013
Pau Gasol had 24 points and 13 rebounds

BOSTON (AP) — Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo returned from a knee injury and missed a 3-pointer that could have sent the game into overtime, allowing the Los Angeles Lakers to beat Boston 107-104 on Friday night.

Pau Gasol had 24 points and 13 rebounds for Los Angeles, and Kendall Marshall finished with 19 points and 14 assists. Ryan Kelly scored 20 points and Wesley Johnson added 11 points and 11 rebounds, including a 3-pointer with 69 seconds left to give the Lakers the lead for good.

Kelly added a pair of clinching free throws with 9.4 seconds remaining as the Lakers snapped a six-game losing streak.

BOX SCORE: Lakers 107, Celtics 104

ANALYSIS: Rondo returns

Kelly Olynyk scored a career-high 25 points for Boston. Rondo, who was limited to 20 minutes in his first game since tearing his right anterior cruciate ligament on Jan. 25, 2013, had eight points, four assists and two rebounds.


http://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nba/lakers/2014/01/17/rajon-rondo-los-angeles-lakers-boston-celtics-pau-gasol-kendall-marshall/4608753/
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PostPosted: Fri Jan 17, 2014 8:24 pm    Post subject:

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Kobe Bryant: Record not factor
Updated: January 17, 2014, 11:49 PM ET
By Dave McMenamin | ESPNLosAngeles.com

BOSTON -- Kobe Bryant plans to have his injured left knee re-evaluated sometime in early February and has no intention of sitting out the rest of the season, no matter how bad things get for the Los Angeles Lakers in the standings.

"The only thing I can afford to consider is getting better, getting stronger," Bryant said before the Lakers' 107-104 win over the Boston Celtics on Friday. "I can't allow myself to think any other way. I can only think about the next step. To do anything else becomes distracting if you allow yourself, if you give yourself wiggle room to not push yourself as hard as you possibly can. To think about sitting out and this, that and the other, your motivation is all wrong. I refuse to think that way."

Magic Johnson disagreed, as the former Lakers star questioned whether Bryant should come back at all this season in an interview with the Los Angeles Times this week.


Glenn James/NBAE/Getty Images
Kobe Bryant isn't considering the Lakers' record while evaluating his comeback plans: "It's my job to be ready. It's my job to get myself in gear and do my job."
"What is he coming back to? He's not going to be able to stop the pick and roll, all the layups the Lakers are giving up," Johnson told the newspaper. "He's been hurt twice, give him the whole year to get healthy."

In the same interview, Johnson called hiring Mike D'Antoni last season a "wrong decision."

"Normally I don't hear it until [the media] brings it up," D'Antoni said, adding that he has never spoken to Johnson in person since joining the Lakers. "There's voices everywhere, and it's a hard job to do no matter what team you're with. You do the best you can and you feel like every day is a new battle, and everybody has their opinion. There's a saying about that. ... So, that's the way it is. You go on and do your job."


http://espn.go.com/los-angeles/nba/story/_/id/10312395/kobe-bryant-los-angeles-lakers-says-back-no-matter-record
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PostPosted: Fri Jan 17, 2014 8:26 pm    Post subject:

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Kobe Bryant surprises Boston College class


Associated Press

CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. — A Boston College professor says he used Kobe Bryant as an example in his first international marketing class of the semester — and then the Lakers star walked into the class and started taking notes.

Boston College says Bryant arrived shortly after the class began Thursday night and stayed for two hours until it was over. Professor Nick Nugent says Bryant’s visit was not planned.

Bryant told students that he loves to learn and is interested in international marketing


http://www.heraldbulletin.com/breakingnews/x1724062868/Kobe-Bryant-surprises-Boston-College-class
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PostPosted: Fri Jan 17, 2014 8:30 pm    Post subject:

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Kobe Bryant longs for rivalry
Hurt star reminisces on C’s-Lakers battles

Celtics Lakers Basket_pierc.jpg

BLAST FROM THE PAST: Tonight’s Celtics-Lakers game at the Garden won’t look like past meetings, with Kobe Bryant injured and Paul Pierce now playing in Brooklyn.
1
Friday, January 17, 2014 PrintEmailBe the first to comment
By:
Steve Bulpett



EL SEGUNDO, Calif. — Were you upset last June when the Celtics traded Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett to Brooklyn? Even though you knew the day was coming eventually, did you shed a basketball tear at the end of the era and loss of a longshot last hurrah?

Well, you had company. Across the continent, Kobe Bryant felt your pain — and some of his own.

“Absolutely,” he said recently after a Lakers practice that went on without him and his fractured left knee. “It was tough to see that happen. I mean, going against Paul and KG, Lakers-Celtics? That’s good basketball.”

Bryant shook his head and hit the memory button on his mind’s DVR.

“When we played against them, you saw really good basketball,” Kobe said. “You saw smart players, unselfish players who played both ends of the floor, multi-faceted players.

“So of course I’d hoped for a team like that to stick together, because that’s the maximum level of competition that you’re going to have. I mean, that 2010 series is my favorite series of all time, just because it was the most competitive one. It was the most difficult one. I mean, we’re going against four future Hall of Famers. That doesn’t happen too often.”


http://bostonherald.com/sports/celtics_nba/boston_celtics/2014/01/kobe_bryant_longs_for_rivalry
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PostPosted: Fri Jan 17, 2014 8:32 pm    Post subject:

Quote:
Kobe Bryant and Rajon Rondo call each other names, lovingly

POSTED: Friday, January 17, 2014, 11:20 PM

This, between borderline sociopathic competitors, is real flattery.

Kobe Bryant and Rajon Rondo are both otherworldly basketball players, both champions, and both -- most everyone agrees -- pretty bizarre, hyper-competitive, occasionally disagreeable guys. Their teams faced off Friday night in Boston, the Lakers without Kobe and the Celtics with Rondo for the first time all year. As both have dealt with rehabbing injuries amid losing situations, the two were asked about one another, and exchanged pitch-perfect compliments:



Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/sports/sbnation/SBNation_20140117_Kobe_Bryant_and_Rajon_Rondo_call_each_other_names__lovingly.html#vQHTpwYAWK89Orfr.99
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PostPosted: Fri Jan 17, 2014 8:33 pm    Post subject:

Quote:
Kobe Bryant says he'll return this season despite Lakers' sagging record

Kobe Bryant has played in just six games for the Lakers this season, returning to the court in December after an Achilles injury, only to later suffer a fractured left knee. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times / December 25, 2013)
By Mike Bresnahan
January 17, 2014, 4:54 p.m.

BOSTON -- The Lakers can't stop losing games, 12 out of their last 13 going into Friday, but Kobe Bryant says he will return this season, regardless of their sagging record.

"If you give yourself wiggle room to not push yourself as hard as you possibly can by thinking 'I'm going to sit out' ... then the motivation's gone, and I refuse to have that happen," he said before the Lakers played the Boston Celtics. "It's my job to be ready."

But who knows how low the Lakers (14-25) will have plummeted by the time Bryant returns in at least two weeks? He has played only six games this season, sitting out the Lakers' first 19 while recovering from a torn Achilles' tendon. He then fractured his knee Dec. 17 against Atlanta.

Magic Johnson told The Times on Wednesday that Bryant should sit out the rest of the season and not risk further injury to his body.

Johnson didn't have to state the obvious -- the lower the Lakers are in the standings, the better their position will be for a solid amateur draft in June.

The Lakers have dropped all the way to 14th in the Western Conference.



http://www.latimes.com/sports/lakersnow/la-sp-ln-kobe-bryant-will-return-despite-lakers-sagging-record-20140117,0,920954.story#ixzz2qiwk8X6a
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PostPosted: Fri Jan 17, 2014 10:20 pm    Post subject:

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Lakers halt skid; Celtics' Rondo returns
Fri Jan 17, 2014 10:44pm EST

BOSTON -- The depleted Los Angeles Lakers spoiled the party for an old foe on Friday night.

On the night point guard Rajon Rondo made his long-awaited return from ACL surgery and was also named as the 15th Celtics captain, the Lakers staged a nifty rally down the stretch and defeated Boston 107-104.

The Lakers, who signed a player on Thursday just to get up to the NBA minimum of eight, ended a six-game overall losing streak and a seven-game road skid by scoring the game's last 11 points.

The team is missing a slew of players, including guard Kobe Bryant, and also played without leading scorer Nick Young, a guard who was suspended for one game after throwing a punch on Wednesday night.

"We did a better job, but we still have to do better," Lakers coach Mike D'Antoni said after his team shut Boston out for the final 3:12. "Let's not get carried away. It's one night and let's see if we can repeat it."


http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/01/18/bkn-lakers-celtics-writethru-idUSMTZEA1IKUN0JQ20140118
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PostPosted: Fri Jan 17, 2014 10:23 pm    Post subject:

Hope this is okay. I have a bad cold today, yuk. Glad the Lakers won, the highlight of my day.

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Go Lakers & LG!
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PostPosted: Fri Jan 17, 2014 10:31 pm    Post subject:

Cha*n wrote:
Hope this is okay. I have a bad cold today, yuk. Glad the Lakers won, the highlight of my day.

Mine, too .

If we have to lose 12 games in a row in order to beat the Celtics, I'll accept that.

As long as we beat them, of course.
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PostPosted: Fri Jan 17, 2014 11:49 pm    Post subject:

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Lakers 'fine' after team meeting
Updated: January 18, 2014, 12:57 AM ET
By Dave McMenamin | ESPNLosAngeles.com

BOSTON -- The Los Angeles Lakers held a team meeting Friday to address Nick Young's ejection in a 121-114 loss to the Phoenix Suns as well as postgame comments by Young and other players that painted a picture of a divided group.

"They're fine," coach Mike D'Antoni said after shootaround in preparation for the team's game against the Boston Celtics. "We talked about it. It's just, we need to be more aggressive. Not, per se, in fighting, but being more aggressive in playing. It really just kind of showed that we don't have enough fight in the dog right now."

Young, who received a one-game suspension for throwing a punch at Phoenix's Goran Dragic while retaliating to a hard foul from Suns rookie center Alex Len, said after the Suns game Wednesday that he was upset with his teammates for making him feel like it was "1-on-5" and not coming to his side when he was confronted by several Phoenix players.

"I think we all know what to do now in situations like that," Young said. "Once we talked, we aired it out and we're all good."

Young said the Lakers resolved to "get in there" in the future if a teammate is in a shoving match with opponents.


http://espn.go.com/los-angeles/nba/story/_/id/10310108/los-angeles-lakers-hold-meeting-ejection-nick-young
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PostPosted: Sat Jan 18, 2014 1:04 pm    Post subject:

Quote:
Kobe Bryant Media Session
January 18, 2014 11:55 am PST

Prior to the Lakers-Celtics game, Kobe Bryant addressed the media to discuss how he’s feeling physically, when his next re-evaluation date will take place and much more. Below is a transcription of his comments:

Q: On how he’s feeling physically and how much he’s progressed the last couple weeks:
Bryant: I’m doing all right. Still working hard on the bike. That’s pretty much what I’m limited to right now.

Q: On if he knows a certain date when his next MRI will take place to see if the knee has healed:
Bryant: I think we’re going in February – the start of February.

Q: On what he does and how he approaches his situation from now until that point when he can get the MRI:
Bryant: Just continue to do what I’ve been doing, see where it’s at in February and see if I can pick it up.

Q: On how difficult it’s been to watch the team lose, plus all the injuries that have hit the roster:
Bryant: Yeah, it’s been very difficult and very frustrating. I try to detach from it as much as possible. I feel like you’re taking Bruce Banner and putting him in the middle of a bar fight and hoping he doesn’t become The Hulk. That’s what I feel like watching these games.

Q: On the difficulty of pulling aside teammates during the game, trying to balance how much he talks to the guys, and how much advice he gives:
Bryant: You just have to measure where they’re at and if they’re ready to receive some helpful criticism and adjustments. That’s not very hard for me to balance. I try to be as constructive as I can.

Q: On possibly sitting out the rest of the season with the team currently performing as they are:
Bryant: No, the only thing I can afford to consider is getting better and getting strong. I can’t allow myself to think any other way. I can only think about the next day. To do anything else becomes distracting. You don’t allow or give yourself wiggle room to not push yourself as hard as you possibly can. By thinking I’m going to sit I’m going to sit out this day or any other, then the motivation is gone and I refuse to have that happen.

Q: On if it’s still worth it to him with the team so far down in the standings now and needing a big push to make the playoffs:
Bryant: I don’t think about that. It’s my job to be ready. It’s my job to get myself in gear and do my job. From that perspective, it’s not my responsibility to think about missing games or whatever the case may be. It’s my job and my responsibility to get ready.


http://www.nba.com/lakers/news/140118kobebryant_mediasession
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PostPosted: Sat Jan 18, 2014 1:07 pm    Post subject:

Quote:
Lakers' Kobe Bryant will get knee reevaluated, won't sit out season
By Zach Harper | NBA writer
January 18, 2014 12:03 pm ET


Kobe Bryant doesn't like the idea of sitting out for the entire season. (USATSI)
As the Los Angeles Lakers spiral deeper down the standings and look more at lottery odds than the playoff picture, the idea of Kobe Bryant sitting out the entire season to make sure he's healthy for the next two years of his contract is starting to come up. People are wondering why Bryant would return to such a bad playing situation instead of being healthy and making sure his body is intact. That's not something Bryant is concerned with and doesn't have any intention of doing.

Bryant spoke to reporters in Boston before the Lakers' win over the Boston Celtics on Friday and said his knee will be reevaluted in early February. He also told reporters he doesn't plan on sitting out the rest of the season just because the team might be a lost cause for this season. From ESPN Los Angeles:

Kobe Bryant plans to have his injured left knee re-evaluated sometime in early February and has no intention of sitting out the rest of the season, no matter how bad things get for the Los Angeles Lakers in the standings.

"The only thing I can afford to consider is getting better, getting stronger," Bryant said before the Lakers' 107-104 win over the Boston Celtics on Friday. "I can't allow myself to think any other way. I can only think about the next step. To do anything else becomes distracting if you allow yourself, if you give yourself wiggle room to not push yourself as hard as you possibly can. To think about sitting out and this, that and the other, your motivation is all wrong. I refuse to think that way."

"We'll see where it's at in February and see if it's good to go," Bryant said, pushing back his return timeline ever so slightly, with D'Antoni having recently said Bryant would be re-evaluated Jan. 27, at the conclusion of the team's current seven-game trip while the Grammy Awards take over Staples Center.


http://www.cbssports.com/nba/eye-on-basketball/24412772/lakers-kobe-bryant-will-get-knee-reevaluated-wont-sit-out-season
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PostPosted: Sat Jan 18, 2014 1:09 pm    Post subject:

Quote:
NBA news roundup: Kobe Bryant vows to return; Patrick Beverly to play Monday

Ethan Rothstein, SBNation
POSTED: Saturday, January 18, 2014, 3:40 PM

A motivated Kobe and a healthy Rockets point guard are the big news items this Saturday.

Kobe Bryant was supposed to be recovered from his fractured left knee six weeks after he injured it Dec. 17, but now the Lakers have reportedly ruled out that timetable.

He's going to be reevaluated in February, he told reporters, after which a more specific timetable could be established. The bottom has fallen out of the Lakers' plucky start; their win against the Celtics Friday night was just their second in their last 14 games. No matter what the Lakers' record is, though, Kobe will be back. From ESPN L.A.:

"The only thing I can afford to consider is getting better, getting stronger," Bryant said before the Lakers' 107-104 win over the Boston Celtics on Friday. "I can't allow myself to think any other way. I can only think about the next step. To do anything else becomes distracting if you allow yourself, if you give yourself wiggle room to not push yourself as hard as you possibly can. To think about sitting out and this, that and the other, your motivation is all wrong. I refuse to think that way."

Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/sports/sbnation/SBNation_20140118_NBA_news_roundup__Kobe_Bryant_vows_to_return__Patrick_Beverly_to_play_Monday.html#b18WEF6g9t7eWrJc.99
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PostPosted: Sat Jan 18, 2014 1:11 pm    Post subject:

Quote:
Lean Times for the Lakers
JAN. 18, 2014

Pau Gasol, center, led the Lakers over Rajon Rondo, in foreground, and Boston on Friday. Charles Krupa/Associated Press

Off the Dribble
By BENJAMIN HOFFMAN

The two most decorated teams in N.B.A. history squared off Friday, but the game hardly brought back memories of Bill Russell facing Wilt Chamberlain or Larry Bird battling Magic Johnson.

With a strong fourth quarter, the Los Angeles Lakers stormed back to beat the Boston Celtics, 107-104, spoiling the return of Rajon Rondo.

There was a time when a Lakers victory in Boston would have been a big deal, but both teams are losing more than 60 percent of their games this season, so they have had to lower expectations.

“Let’s not get carried away,” Lakers Coach Mike D’Antoni told reporters after the game. “It is one night, and let’s see if we can repeat it.”

The box score on Friday showed many names unfamiliar to casual fans. Pau Gasol, a key member of the two championship teams, led the Lakers with 24 points, but the rest of the offense came from Ryan Kelly, Kendall Marshall and Jodie Meeks. Kobe Bryant, the face of the franchise, is out indefinitely with a broken leg. Nick Young, who had provided plenty of flash, and plenty of headaches, in Bryant’s absence, sat out because of a suspension for fighting.

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Elgin Baylor, left, emerged as a star during the Lakers’ last season in Minneapolis. Gene Herrick/Associated Press
It was only last season that the Lakers were talked up as a superteam. Trades for Dwight Howard and Steve Nash were expected to turn the team into a champion. But Howard disappointed before leaving as a free agent, and Nash has been mostly injured or ineffective.

Stripped of their typical roster of high-profile players, the current Lakers have produced 103 points per game.


http://www.nytimes.com/2014/01/19/sports/basketball/lean-times-for-the-lakers.html
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PostPosted: Sat Jan 18, 2014 5:27 pm    Post subject:

Quote:
Rebounds the recipe to Lakers' success
January, 18, 2014
JAN 18
4:48
PM PT
By Dave McMenamin
ESPNLosAngeles.com

TORONTO -- The Los Angeles Lakers snapped their six-game losing streak by beating the Boston Celtics on Friday. As much as the win could be chalked up to L.A.'s 12-for-20 mark on 3-pointers, it was their work on the glass that really stood out.

The Lakers outrebounded the Celtics 46-42, in stark contrast to when L.A. was being outboarded by an average of 8.5 rebounds per game during its string of consecutive losses.

[+] Enlarge
David Butler II/USA TODAY Sports
The Lakers outrebounded the Celtics 46-42 during their victory in Boston. The team is focused on boards, which is a good thing considering L.A. was outrebounded by an average of 8.5 rebounds per game during its six-game losing skid prior to Friday.
L.A. ranks dead last in the league in rebounding differential (minus-5.0) and offensive rebounds per game allowed (13.1). But the Lakers made battling on the boards a top priority at a team meeting Friday morning, and the focus paid off.

Making the biggest difference in the rebounding department against the Celtics were Wesley Johnson (11 boards, up from his 3.6 per game season average) and Jodie Meeks (seven boards, up from his 3.0 per game season average).

"I know we’ve been getting beat up on the boards pretty much the entire season, so I just really made it an effort to really get in and then whenever we secure the rebound, just run back," said Johnson, who set a new career high mark for rebounds Friday. "So I made it an effort really just to get in."


http://espn.go.com/blog/los-angeles/lakers/post/_/id/38594/rebounds-the-recipe-to-lakers-success?ex_cid=espnapi_public
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PostPosted: Sat Jan 18, 2014 5:29 pm    Post subject:

Quote:
Kendall Marshall putting up huge assist numbers as starter


Point guard Kendall Marshall releases a three-point shot over Celtics forward Kelly Olynyk that was the finishing touch on a run that brought the Lakers from eight points down to a 105-104 lead. (Jared Wickerham / Getty Images / January 17, 2014)
By Eric Pincus
January 18, 2014, 1:57 p.m.

With a little more than a minute left in the fourth quarter Friday night in Boston, Kendall Marshall hit what proved to be the game-winning three-pointer in the Lakers' 107-104 defeat of the Celtics.

The Lakers, who closed the game on an 11-0 run, had a 105-104 lead after Marshall's big shot, with rookie Ryan Kelly hitting a pair of free throws with 9.4 seconds left to finish off the rival Celtics.

Marshall has played in only 12 games this season for the Lakers after his call-up from the NBA Development League.

Through that span, Marshall is shooting 45.4% from the field and a team-high 46.9% (23 of 49) from three-point range.

His season averages of 10.7 points and 9.1 assists a game include four, low-minute appearances before injury pushed him into the Lakers' starting lineup.

As a starter, Marshall is averaging 13.4 points and 12.4 assists in eight games.

In comparison, Clippers point guard Chris Paul is leading the league with 11.2 assists a night through 34 games.

Marshall has three games with 15 assists or more, joining Nick Van Exel and Magic Johnson as the only Lakers players over the last 25 years to achieve that mark.

Despite Marshall's play, the victory over the Celtics was just the second for the Lakers since he took over at the point.




http://www.latimes.com/sports/lakersnow/la-sp-ln-kendall-marshall-assists-20140118,0,5042871.story#ixzz2qo2s6S4r
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PostPosted: Sat Jan 18, 2014 8:46 pm    Post subject:

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Rookie Ryan Kelly to start for Lakers against Raptors


Lakers forward Ryan Kelly drives to the basket during the team's 107-104 win over the Boston Celtics on Friday. (Jared Wickerham / Getty Images / January 17, 2014)
By Mike Bresnahan
January 18, 2014, 3:35 p.m.

TORONTO — Rookie forward Ryan Kelly will start for the Lakers on Sunday, taking the place of Jordan Hill, against the Toronto Raptors.

Kelly scored a career-high 20 points Friday in the Lakers' 107-104 victory over Boston. He made four of six shots from three-point range.

"He's going to give us toughness and smarts and move the ball and hopefully he'll make open shots," Lakers Coach Mike D'Antoni said Saturday. "I just think we're a better team when we can spread the floor. It's better for Wes [Johnson], he has better games when we can spread the floor. It's better for Pau [Gasol] when we can spread the floor. It's better for Kendall [Marshall]. So that's one of the things we'd like to do."

"We don't rebound anyway. We can't get any worse," D'Antoni said sarcastically. "We've got to have guys a little bit more active. That's what Ryan does. Ryan will clear out space, he'll block out when he needs too. He's a smart basketball player so I think we'll rebound better."

The Lakers (15-25) are tied for 16th in the NBA at 43.1 rebounds a game.

Kelly was their second-round draft pick last year, taken 48th overall. Sunday will mark his first career start.

"Obviously, this is what I wanted," he said. "This is what I worked towards. It's still very early in the season and I have a long way to go. We have a long way to go."



http://www.latimes.com/sports/lakersnow/la-sp-ln-lakers-ryan-kelly-start-20140118,0,7402151.story#ixzz2qoqVeEPF
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Cha*n
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PostPosted: Sat Jan 18, 2014 8:49 pm    Post subject:

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Ryan Kelly to start vs. Raptors
Updated: January 18, 2014, 7:32 PM ET
By Dave McMenamin | ESPNLosAngeles.com

TORONTO -- Ryan Kelly will start in the frontcourt for the Los Angeles Lakers when they play the Toronto Raptors on Sunday, coach Mike D'Antoni said after Saturday's practice at the Air Canada Centre.

The rookie Kelly, a 6-foot-11 forward with a long-range shooting touch, had a career-high 20 points in the Lakers' 107-104 win over the Boston Celtics on Friday, to go with four rebounds and one blocked shot. He started the second half in place of Jordan Hill.

"He's going to give us toughness and smarts and move the ball and hopefully he'll hit open shots," D'Antoni said. "I just think we're a better team when we can spread the floor. That's nothing against anybody, except it's better for Wes [Johnson]. He has better games when we can spread the floor. It's better for Pau [Gasol] when we can spread the floor. It's better for Kendall [Marshall]. So, that's one of the things we like to do. We have a better tempo, better rhythm and everything is a little bit better."

D'Antoni said he wants to give the lineup with Kelly in it another chance against the surging Raptors, who have won 14 of their last 20 games, all starting with a 106-94 win against the Lakers in Los Angeles on Dec. 8.

"We're the ones that turned them around," D'Antoni said. "So, we owe them one. They're good, they're playing well. Dwane (Casey, Toronto's coach) has got them running a little bit more up tempo, and they're good. They've bonded together. It will be challenging."


http://espn.go.com/los-angeles/nba/story/_/id/10315389/ryan-kelly-los-angeles-lakers-start-toronto-raptors
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PostPosted: Sat Jan 18, 2014 8:51 pm    Post subject:

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Lakers-Raptors Preview
By ELI KABERON (STATS Writer)
1 hour ago
AP - Sports

Kyle Lowry could very well deserve his first All-Star selection after his recent hot streak has helped the Toronto Raptors take control in the weak Atlantic Division.

The Associated Press

Lowry will look to help the Raptors extend their home winning streak to seven games when they host the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday.

Playing his best basketball of the season of late, Lowry is averaging 18.6 points and 8.1 assists since Dec. 28, helping Toronto (20-18) go 8-3 in that span and move four games ahead of second-place Brooklyn in the Atlantic.

Lowry has made over 50 percent of his 3-point attempts (36 for 71) in those 11 games, which ranks second among guards with seven or more starts during that time. His 3.43 assist-to-turnover ratio on the season also ranks among the best in the NBA.

"He's playing at a high level," coach Dwane Casey said. "He's been a positive leader, he's doing the right things ... I'm going to keep preaching for him to keep getting All-Star consideration."

Lowry had 24 points, six assists and five rebounds to lead the Raptors to a 94-89 home victory over Minnesota on Friday. The guard hit a season-high six 3-pointers in a 7-for-12 effort from the field.


http://sports.yahoo.com/news/lakers-raptors-preview-033525303--nba.html
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PostPosted: Sun Jan 19, 2014 12:03 pm    Post subject:

As always - thanks Cha*n!
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