April 16th: Kobe's case tops all others in race for NBA's MVP. Lakers top Suns. Kobe Nets 43 and Lakers Clinch Playoffs.

 
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Phil
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PostPosted: Sun Apr 16, 2006 7:15 am    Post subject: April 16th: Kobe's case tops all others in race for NBA's MVP. Lakers top Suns. Kobe Nets 43 and Lakers Clinch Playoffs.

Kobe's case tops all others in race for NBA's MVP

The fact the Lakers are even in the postseason hunt makes Bryant a worthy candidate


4/16/2006

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Associated Press
Kobe Bryant has been the undisputed leader of the Lakers this season.

By ALLEN WILSON

Kobe Bryant probably won't win the NBA's Most Valuable Player award. But he should.

He won't win it because too many people will look for reasons not to vote for him when the ballots are due next week.

They will claim he shoots too much, that he's selfish, that he doesn't make his teammates better. And if he's so valuable, they will say, why are the Los Angeles Lakers barely clinging to a playoff spot?

But the fact the Lakers are even in the postseason hunt makes Bryant a worthy candidate.

Of course, Bryant is not alone. This year's MVP voting will be very close. You can make a good case for at least six players.

Cleveland forward LeBron James has been fabulous in his third season, averaging 31.6 points (third in the NBA), 7.1 rebounds and 6.6 assists while guiding the Cavaliers to their first playoff appearance since 1998.

Phoenix point guard Steve Nash, the reigning MVP, has lifted a Suns team that lost three starters - including injured all-star forward Amare Stoudemire - to a second straight Pacific Division title. Nash averages a career-high 19 points and leads the NBA in assists (10.5).

Detroit point guard Chauncey Billups (18.8 points and 8.7 assists) has been the driving force behind the Pistons' run towards the league's best record and a third straight Finals appearance.

Dallas forward Dirk Nowitzki, averaging a career-best 26.6 points and nine rebounds, has the Mavericks in the race for the top seed in the Western Conference playoffs.


Last edited by Phil on Sun Apr 16, 2006 3:22 pm; edited 1 time in total
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PostPosted: Sun Apr 16, 2006 7:18 am    Post subject:

Lakers need Brown as factor against Suns

By KEVIN DING
The Orange County Register

EL SEGUNDO – As the Lakers' lead was slipping away Friday night against Portland, Jeanie Buss and Linda Rambis spent much of the second quarter making hand signals from their Staples Center courtside seats toward Phil Jackson and assistant coach Kurt Rambis across the court.

The women held up one open hand to convey No.5, then the other hand with four fingers for No.4. Their directive to the Lakers' coaches was this: Put No.54 back in!

Consider it a peculiar high point in the season for Kwame Brown, who wears No.54 for the Lakers. For anyone to suggest earlier in the season that Brown could be the Lakers' savior would have been unthinkable.

Yet that's how impressive Brown has been. His athletic left-handed dunk around Portland shot-blocker Theo Ratliff then savvy rebound tap-back to set up a monster Lamar Odom dunk jolted the Lakers awake Friday night and began a 14-0 run.
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PostPosted: Sun Apr 16, 2006 7:20 am    Post subject:

Thirty, forty, fifty
A few standout players are scoring points in big bunches in this remarkable NBA season.

By MARCIA C. SMITH
The Orange County Register

Denver Nuggets assistant coach Adrian Dantley, the six-time All-Star forward for the Utah Jazz, has overheard what NBA players have been telling each other all season.

"You guys see that (Allen) Iverson had 40 last night?" one player says.

"Bet you LeBron (James) or (Dwyane) Wade will have 40 tonight," responds another player.

Forty-point games, 50-point nights, a 62-point showcase and even one magical 81-point performance from the NBA's greatest one-man shows have made a game of "Top This!" the best story of the season.

Heading into Saturday's games, players had scored at least 40 points in a game 105 times this season. They have eclipsed the 50-point mark 12 times.
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PostPosted: Sun Apr 16, 2006 7:26 am    Post subject:

Lakers try to clinch playoff berth against Suns
LAST UPDATE: 4/16/2006 9:40:47 AM

A possible preview of a first-round matchup in the Western Conference playoffs takes place this afternoon, as the Los Angeles Lakers welcome the Phoenix Suns to the Staples Center.
,The Suns are No. 2 in the West, while the Lakers, who finished 34-48 during the 2004-05 campaign and did not make the playoffs, are the seventh seed and can clinch a playoff spot with a win or a loss by Utah, which visits the Dallas Mavericks this evening.

Phoenix attempts to get back on the winning track as it plays the second of a brief two-game road trip. On Friday, Jason Richardson scored 27 points, pulled down nine rebounds and dished out five assists as the Golden State Warriors defeated the Suns, 110-102, at The Arena in Oakland.

Shawn Marion scored 31 points and grabbed 12 boards in the loss to Golden State for the Suns, while Leandro Barbosa netted 20 and Boris Diaw recorded a triple-double with 11 points, 11 rebounds and 16 assists.
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PostPosted: Sun Apr 16, 2006 7:57 am    Post subject:

Mark Heisler's NBA Rankings
By Mark Heisler, Times Staff Writer
April 16, 2006

1. Detroit (63-16) With newly-acquired Tony Delk making 46% of his three-pointers, fab five starters have deeper bench behind them than last season. (Last week: 1)

2. San Antonio (60-19) Seems like old times: Tim Duncan gets 30 for second time this season and first since Dec. 20. (2)


3. Dallas (59-21) Hell hath no fury to match Mark Cuban if he has No. 2 record and No. 4 seeding. (3)

4. Phoenix (52-27) Incredible season for the little Amare, Shawn Marion: No. 3 in league in rebounds at 6 feet 7, No. 5 in steals, No. 7 in minutes, No. 16 in scoring, No. 17 in blocks. (4)

5. Miami (52-27) Nice work if you can get it: Antoine Walker averaging 12 in first season of six-year, $54-million deal. (5)

6. Cleveland (48-31) With Larry Hughes back, Flip Murray adding firepower, LeBron averaging 35 this month, may do more in playoffs than put in an appearance. (6)

7. New Jersey (48-31) Uncertain tradition: Lawrence Frank, who really is a capable young guy, now the third winningest Net coach behind Kevin Loughery, Byron Scott. (7)

8. Memphis (47-33) Whoever set this up has some explaining to do: Tuesday's game there vs. Clippers to decide lucky No. 5 seeding to play Dallas instead of Denver. (9)

9. Clippers (46-33) Good news is they may play host to Denver in the first round. Bad news is they weren't tanking. (8)

10. Lakers (43-37) I had them missing the playoffs, as did 11 of 15 ESPN pundits. Only blood relatives had them winning 45 games. (12)
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PostPosted: Sun Apr 16, 2006 7:59 am    Post subject:

In Bryant's Case, the Show Really Goes On
April 16, 2006

Love him or hate him, it was always that way and if it wasn't already, he made sure it would be.



For Kobe Bryant, who put the "star" in "star-crossed," it has been a remarkable season, though, even if it turns out to be less than he hopes, or lives, for.

The first round of the playoffs is where his season used to start, not end. If the Lakers are unhappy that things aren't the way they were, imagine Bryant, who was 18 when he arrived and 26 before he found out there was some other way.

Of course, Laker fans have one thing no one else has ever had:

Him.

There might have been a better player or two, but there was never a high-wire act such as this, with his daring and surreal repertoire. General Manager Mitch Kupchak recently mused, "I hope people appreciate how good this guy is."

Indeed, it's a privilege you have to remind yourself to enjoy. When you see Bryant all the time, that fadeaway three-pointer he makes after going up without his feet under him and scissor-kicking to get it there isn't unbelievable at all.

Scoring 40 or 50 is no biggie. It takes 62 in three quarters or 81 with the rest of the league calling and text-messaging each other to turn on their TVs.

"He's a joy to watch," says Jerry West, Memphis president and Laker icon. "I still watch their games. Why would I watch? I watch to see him play…
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PostPosted: Sun Apr 16, 2006 8:01 am    Post subject:

Suns Are Brightly in His Sights
By Lonnie White, Times Staff Writer
April 16, 2006

Although the Lakers still need a victory or a Utah loss to clinch a playoff berth, Coach Phil Jackson has had his sights set on Phoenix as a possible first-round opponent for months.

"Since the start of the year," Jackson responded when asked when the Lakers began thinking about a possible playoff matchup with the Suns, who face the Lakers today at Staples Center.

The Lakers have lost to Phoenix three times this season. Every game was close, but the Lakers were forced to play catch-up against the Suns' wide-open style.

"I guess I do have an insight on how they play," said veteran Jim Jackson, who played 67 games with Phoenix over the last two seasons before joining the Lakers on March 6. "The best way to deal with them is to counteract their three-point shooting and their guard play. Being part of their system, I know a lot of interesting things that go on that can lend some credence to our defensive philosophy.

"We're starting to get them down…. You just can't let them go on streaks without coming back with something of your own. They're going to score points in bunches because they shoot so many jump shots. But they are going to make some and they are going to miss some. You just have to weather the storm and keep pounding the ball inside."

That's something Phil Jackson talked about after the Lakers' practice on Saturday, particularly in regard to Kwame Brown, who has struggled in averaging barely 15 minutes of playing time against the Suns this season.

"He's not had opportunities to play his game," Jackson said about Brown, who has 10 points and 12 rebounds combined in three games against Phoenix. "The game hasn't come his direction. That's something we're trying to find to see if he can be effective against the Suns. He's been effective against other teams and has played well. He's contributed to help us win a lot of games here over the last couple of weeks."
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PostPosted: Sun Apr 16, 2006 8:05 am    Post subject:

Bryant separates himself from pack

By Mark Heisler, Los Angeles Times
April 16, 2006

Love him or hate him, it was always that way and if it wasn't already, he made sure it would be.

For Kobe Bryant, who put the "star" in "star-crossed," it has been a remarkable season, though, even if it turns out to be less than he hopes, or lives, for.



The first round of the playoffs is where his season used to start, not end. If the Lakers are unhappy that things aren't the way they were, imagine Bryant, who was 18 when he arrived and 26 before he found out there was some other way.

Of course, Laker fans have one thing no one else has ever had:

Him.

There might have been a better player or two, but there was never a high-wire act like this, with his daring and his surreal repertoire. General Manager Mitch Kupchak recently mused, "I hope people appreciate how good this guy is."

Indeed, it's a privilege you have to remind yourself to enjoy. When you see Bryant all the time, that fadeaway three-pointer he makes after going up without his feet under him and scissor-kicking to get it there isn't unbelievable at all.
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PostPosted: Sun Apr 16, 2006 8:06 am    Post subject:

Lakers may not see real Suns today
By Ross Siler Staff Writer

EL SEGUNDO - How much does a victory over the Phoenix Suns mean if it comes with Steve Nash and Raja Bell sitting and Leandro Barbosa and Eddie House playing?

That was the question the Lakers faced Saturday after Phoenix coach Mike D'Antoni held both of his starting guards out of Friday's loss to Golden State.

With the Suns locked in as the Western Conference's No. 2 playoff seed, D'Antoni opted to rest both Nash and Bell, bothered by ongoing injuries, and could do it again for this afternoon's game at Staples Center.

After building up the game as a possible first-round playoff preview, as well as the chance to break through with a victory over the Suns, the Lakers could be left looking at a lineup of second-teamers.

"We'd like to have their full unit out there to play against," Lakers coach Phil Jackson said. "Obviously, you want to have something that you can use or prepare against in a situation like that. But they have to take care of their business."

Nash is suffering from a bruised thigh and nerve problem near his hamstring, and Bell is bothered by a quadriceps strain. D'Antoni also considered sitting Shawn Marion in Friday's game before the all-star forward said he wanted to play.

Jackson, who has been sizing up the Suns as a playoff opponent as far back as January, was asked whether he would begrudge a coach the opportunity to rest players before the playoffs, as D'Antoni is doing.
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PostPosted: Sun Apr 16, 2006 8:08 am    Post subject:

Lakers Casino Night

By Jenny Peters

"It's outrageous that we don't make even more money for the kids than we do at this thing," Lakers coach Phil Jackson shouted over the din at the 3rd Annual Los Angeles Lakers Casino Night. And with all the millionaires in the room — the Hangar, that is, Barker Hangar in Santa Monica — one would think the charity gambling party would virtually fund the Lakers Youth Foundation and the 30 children's charities that it supports.

"We haven't raised a million dollars at one of these yet," Jackson continued, but it sure isn't for lack of trying.

Transforming the Hangar into an imitation of the Mirage Hotel and Casino in Vegas (one of the evening's many sponsors), the Lakers organization offered table gambling (with winnings given out in Laker merchandise), Bingo, a live auction, and a celebrity poker invitational hosted by Bodog.

Plus, there were all those famous Laker players to meet and greet, including great old superstars like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Magic Johnson and newer talents including Smush Parker, Lamar Odom, Kwame Brown


and Kobe Bryant, who brought his extremely pregnant wife, Vanessa, and a couple of burly bodyguards.
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PostPosted: Sun Apr 16, 2006 8:11 am    Post subject:

Odom's game is still on the rise for Lakers

By Ross Siler
Los Angeles Daily News

April 16, 2006

LOS ANGELES -- The difference between putting up good numbers and great numbers can be as simple as getting one more layup per game to fall. The difference between being selected as an All-Star or not can be connecting on one more three-pointer than usual.

That's how Lamar Odom has rationalized things during his two seasons with the Lakers, often when the criticism of his play has grown loudest. His job is to fill up the box score, and Odom has been sensational more nights than not recently.

Odom's numbers arguably have been the best of his career in the second half of the season. He is averaging 16.8 points, 9.1 rebounds and 5.6 assists a game since the All-Star break, shooting 53.8 percent overall and 45.6 percent from three-point range.

For comparison's sake, Odom averaged 17.4 points, 10.9 rebounds and 3.9 assists on 45.3 percent shooting when he was named Eastern Conference player of the month with the Miami Heat in March 2004.

"We all know of his potential," Kobe Bryant said. "We all know he can be a great player. It's just a matter of him being on a team where we all embrace him and believe in his abilities. That's what he has here."
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PostPosted: Sun Apr 16, 2006 8:15 am    Post subject:

Phoenix (52-27) at LA Lakers (43-37)
Preview - Box Score - Recap
Game Info: 3:30 pm EDT Sun Apr 16, 2006
TV: ABC Add to Calendar
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After a record-setting performance, Kobe Bryant tries to help the Los Angeles Lakers clinch a postseason berth as they host the Phoenix Suns in a potential first-round playoff matchup at the Staples Center.

Bryant scored 50 points Friday, breaking Elgin Baylor's single-season points record, as the Lakers defeated the Portland Trail Blazers 110-99 for their third straight win and ninth in the last 12 games.

Los Angeles is seventh in the Western Conference, and can clinch a playoff berth with a victory or a loss Sunday by the Utah Jazz at Dallas.

Bryant, who shot 17-of-28 from the field, has 2,754 points, 35 more than Baylor had in the 1962-63 season.

The 6-foot-6 Bryant, a student of the game, said he watched the current Los Angeles Clippers vice president of basketball operations and other former stars on a tape called "Golden Greats of the NBA" when he was a child.

"I just steal all of their moves and incorporate them into my game," Bryant said. "I copied Elgin's first step. It's actually a `rocker' step, which is kind of a stutter move."

An eight-time All-Star, Bryant has six 50-point games this season and 11 overall. The Lakers are 8-3 in those games, but one of those losses came in a 107-96 defeat April 7 at Phoenix.

"It means a lot to me because we're playing well and we're in a position where we can get into the playoffs and make some noise," Bryant said after Friday's victory. "We've achieved everything we have as a team, and the individual stuff just makes for a more pleasant journey."
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PostPosted: Sun Apr 16, 2006 8:17 am    Post subject:

L.A. Times Lakers Blog
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PostPosted: Sun Apr 16, 2006 10:23 am    Post subject:

Suns-Lakers Preview

GAME: Phoenix Suns (52-27) at Los Angeles Lakers (43-37).

TIME: Sunday, 3:30 p.m. EDT.

After a record-setting performance, Kobe Bryant tries to help the Los Angeles Lakers clinch a postseason berth as they host the Phoenix Suns in a potential first-round playoff matchup at the Staples Center.

Bryant scored 50 points Friday, breaking Elgin Baylor's single-season points record, as the Lakers defeated the Portland Trail Blazers 110-99 for their third straight win and ninth in the last 12 games.

Los Angeles is seventh in the Western Conference, and can clinch a playoff berth with a victory or a loss Sunday by the Utah Jazz at Dallas.

Bryant, who shot 17-of-28 from the field, has 2,754 points, 35 more than Baylor had in the 1962-63 season.

The 6-foot-6 Bryant, a student of the game, said he watched the current Los Angeles Clippers vice president of basketball operations and other former stars on a tape called ''Golden Greats of the NBA'' when he was a child.

''I just steal all of their moves and incorporate them into my game,'' Bryant said. ''I copied Elgin's first step. It's actually a 'rocker' step, which is kind of a stutter move.''

An eight-time All-Star, Bryant has six 50-point games this season and 11 overall. The Lakers are 8-3 in those games, but one of those losses came in a 107-96 defeat April 7 at Phoenix.

''It means a lot to me because we're playing well and we're in a position where we can get into the playoffs and make some noise,'' Bryant said after Friday's victory. ''We've achieved everything we have as a team, and the individual stuff just makes for a more pleasant journey.''
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PostPosted: Sun Apr 16, 2006 10:25 am    Post subject:

Lakers try to clinch postseason berth
Coming off 50-point game, Kobe takes on Suns, who may rest some starters

Updated: 12:06 p.m. ET April 16, 2006

LOS ANGELES - After a record-setting performance, Kobe Bryant tries to help the Los Angeles Lakers clinch a postseason berth as they host the Phoenix Suns in a potential first-round playoff matchup at the Staples Center on Sunday.

Bryant scored 50 points Friday, breaking Elgin Baylor’s single-season points record, as the Lakers defeated the Portland Trail Blazers 110-99 for their third straight win and ninth in the last 12 games.

Los Angeles is seventh in the Western Conference, and can clinch a playoff berth with a victory or a loss Sunday by the Utah Jazz at Dallas.
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PostPosted: Sun Apr 16, 2006 3:21 pm    Post subject:

Kobe Nets 43 and Lakers Clinch Playoffs


Kobe Nets 43 and Lakers Clinch Playoffs


By BETH HARRIS
AP Sports Writer

Published April 16 2006, 6:49 PM EDT

LOS ANGELES -- No Steve Nash meant plenty of Kobe Bryant -- under the basket, from long range and at the free throw line. Bryant made a late-season case for league MVP honors, scoring 43 points and helping the Los Angeles Lakers clinch a playoff berth with a 109-89 rout of the Phoenix Suns on Sunday.

The Lakers are back in the postseason for the first time since losing the 2004 NBA Finals to Detroit.

The Suns rested Nash and Raja Bell because of thigh-related injuries, leaving Shawn Marion to carry the load in Phoenix's first loss to the Lakers this season. He had 29 points and Leandro Barbosa added 16 before fouling out early in the fourth. Boris Diaw had 11 points and 12 assists.

The game was over shortly after it started because the Suns shot a woeful 37 percent from the floor and couldn't stop Bryant, who notched at least 40 points for the 27th time this season. He sat down for good with nearly six minutes left.
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