Who was the last person to give Kobe the finger?
EL SEGUNDO — There certainly is a more relaxed mood as the postseason approaches for a No. 1 seed. The Lakers looked confident and comfortable as they chatted with reporters before embarking on a 5 p.m. video session about the Denver Nuggets, with a team-bonding dinner to follow. Pressure to…
April 20, 2008, 9:30 PM ET from Lakers: Locker Talk by Kevin Ding
My official MVP ballot (and Chris Paul isn’t second!)
Hello, all. I’m back officially Thursday afternoon when I hit the Lakers practice court again, and I’ll start to break down Nuggets-Lakers then. (But one first comment: How crappy a coach is George Karl, really, to have produced an unfocused, undisciplined No. 8 seed with this kind of…
April 20, 2008, 9:15 PM ET from Lakers: Locker Talk by Kevin Ding
Denver-Lakers first-round schedule
L.A. Lakers vs. Denver Game 1 - Sun April 20 Denver at L.A. Lakers 12 p.m. Game 2 - Wed April 23 Denver at L.A. Lakers 7:30 p.m. Game 3 - Sat April 26 L.A. Lakers at Denver 2:30 p.m. Game 4 - Mon April 28 L.A. Lakers at Denver 7:30 p.m. Game 5 * Wed April…
April 20, 2008, 9:00 PM ET from Lakers: Locker Talk by Kevin Ding
Lakers 124, Kings 101
By CURTIS ZUPKE The Orange County Register LOS ANGELES - The Lakers completed their transformation from preseason mess to Western Conference top seed with a 124-101 victory against depleted Sacramento on Tuesday night at Staples Center. The Lakers wrapped up the No.1 seed and home-court advantage…
April 20, 2008, 8:45 PM ET from Lakers: Locker Talk by Kevin Ding
Rick Fox in the house
By JANIS CARR The Orange County Register LOS ANGELES Jack was seated. So was Dyan. Rick Fox was in the house, along with 18,000 others who filled Staples Centers to the rafters with cheers, chants and a few verses of “I Love L.A.” All were there to see the Lakers kick off their 2008 playoff…
April 20, 2008, 8:30 PM ET from Lakers: Locker Talk by Kevin Ding
Pistons and Sixers kick off the playoffs
It’s weird — you wait all season for the playoffs to start, and when they finally get here, it seems like they snuck up on you. (Or is it just me?) In any case, the Pistons and Sixers are about to tip-off Game 1 on TNT in just a few minutes. I answered some questions about the series…
April 20, 2008, 8:15 PM ET from Detroit Bad Boys
Game 1 aftermath: Sunday news wrap
Game 1 is in the books. The Hornets won. Here's some reactions... From Tim McMahon's blog on dallasnews.com...This drops the post-Kidd-trade Mavs' road record against .500-or-better teams to 1-9, just in case you care about such trivial stats.Over at ESPN.com, John Hollinger says the…
April 20, 2008, 8:15 PM ET from Hornets247.com Blog
Lakers take Game 1, 128-114
By JANIS CARR The Orange County Register LOS ANGELES The Denver Nuggets played the Lakers three times in the regular season and lost all three. Only one game was close. And that was before Pau Gasol joined the Lakers. The Nuggets got their first look at Gasol in a Lakers uniform and the look was…
April 20, 2008, 8:15 PM ET from Lakers: Locker Talk by Kevin Ding
Lakers lead, 97-78 after three quarters
By JANIS CARR The Orange County Register LOS ANGELES That slip in the second quarter? Just a minor difficulty. The Lakers righted whatever offensive trouble they had in the first half and led, 97-78, after three quarters. Maybe it was an “inspired” speech by Phil Jackson. Perhaps another…
April 20, 2008, 7:15 PM ET from Lakers: Locker Talk by Kevin Ding
Bus strands Denver players
By JANIS CARR The Orange County Register LOS ANGELES Or perhaps it should say…”SOMEWHERE ON THE 10 FREEWAY” The first of two Denver Nuggets’ buses was stranded on the Santa Monica Freeway 15 minutes after it left its Westside hotel because of popping noises and a lot of…
April 20, 2008, 7:00 PM ET from Lakers: Locker Talk by Kevin Ding
The keys: Kobe’s distribution, hustle on D
So much of what the Lakers do on offense is dictated by how opponents defend Kobe Bryant, so it’s worth taking a look at how Bryant played in the three games against Denver this season: He averaged 22 points on 56.8 percent field-goal shooting and 7.7 assists. That means he shot less and more…
April 20, 2008, 7:00 PM ET from Lakers: Locker Talk by Kevin Ding
Lakers lead, 58-56, at halftime
By JANIS CARR The Orange County Register LOS ANGELES Andrew Bynum wasn’t in the game, still sidelined by a knee problem. But where was Kobe? He was there, but not much in the box score. Bryant was 1 for 9 with one assist through the first 19 minutes, 43 seconds of the game, and he didn’t score…
April 20, 2008, 6:45 PM ET from Lakers: Locker Talk by Kevin Ding
Artest, Martin to play?
By CURTIS ZUPKE The Orange County Register LOS ANGELES - Sacramento’s Ron Artest and Kevin Martin are on the active list for Tuesday night’s game against the Lakers, but it is not known if they will play. Artest has missed four of the previous six games because of a thumb injury, while…
April 20, 2008, 6:45 PM ET from Lakers: Locker Talk by Kevin Ding
Who was the last person to give Kobe the finger?
EL SEGUNDO — There certainly is a more relaxed mood as the postseason approaches for a No. 1 seed. The Lakers looked confident and comfortable as they chatted with reporters before embarking on a 5 p.m. video session about the Denver Nuggets, with a team-bonding dinner to follow. Pressure to…
April 20, 2008, 6:30 PM ET from Lakers: Locker Talk by Kevin Ding
My official MVP ballot (and Chris Paul isn’t second!)
Hello, all. I’m back officially Thursday afternoon when I hit the Lakers practice court again, and I’ll start to break down Nuggets-Lakers then. (But one first comment: How crappy a coach is George Karl, really, to have produced an unfocused, undisciplined No. 8 seed with this kind of…
April 20, 2008, 6:15 PM ET from Lakers: Locker Talk by Kevin Ding
Denver-Lakers first-round schedule
L.A. Lakers vs. Denver Game 1 - Sun April 20 Denver at L.A. Lakers 12 p.m. Game 2 - Wed April 23 Denver at L.A. Lakers 7:30 p.m. Game 3 - Sat April 26 L.A. Lakers at Denver 2:30 p.m. Game 4 - Mon April 28 L.A. Lakers at Denver 7:30 p.m. Game 5 * Wed April…
April 20, 2008, 6:00 PM ET from Lakers: Locker Talk by Kevin Ding
Lakers 124, Kings 101
By CURTIS ZUPKE The Orange County Register LOS ANGELES - The Lakers completed their transformation from preseason mess to Western Conference top seed with a 124-101 victory against depleted Sacramento on Tuesday night at Staples Center. The Lakers wrapped up the No.1 seed and home-court advantage…
April 20, 2008, 6:00 PM ET from Lakers: Locker Talk by Kevin Ding
By JANIS CARR The Orange County Register LOS ANGELES Jack was seated. So was Dyan. Rick Fox was in the house, along with 18,000 others who filled Staples Centers to the rafters with cheers, chants and a few verses of “I Love L.A.” All were there to see the Lakers kick off their 2008 playoff…
April 20, 2008, 5:45 PM ET from Lakers: Locker Talk by Kevin Ding
Kobe: “Shaq wasn’t the only one…”
By CURTIS ZUPKE The Orange County Register EL SEGUNDO - Kobe Bryant has been downplaying the MVP race, preferring to talk in platitudes about team play. But now that the race appears to be between Bryant and Chris Paul, Bryant has been more open about the topic. (more…)
April 20, 2008, 5:45 PM ET from Lakers: Locker Talk by Kevin Ding
Lakers 106, Spurs 85
By CURTIS ZUPKE The Orange County Register LOS ANGELES - The Lakers can see beyond the Pacific rim after a 106-85 victory against San Antonio on Sunday at Staples Center put them in position to claim the top seed in the Western Conference. The Lakers moved into sole possession of No.1, a half-game…
April 20, 2008, 5:30 PM ET from Lakers: Locker Talk by Kevin Ding
Thank you, Sacramento … for now
By CURTIS ZUPKE The Orange County Register LOS ANGELES - The Lakers woke up Sunday morning to find themselves tied with New Orleans for the top spot in the Western Conference. Coach Phil Jackson has understandably stayed away from running through all the playoff scenarios with his played, but he…
April 20, 2008, 5:15 PM ET from Lakers: Locker Talk by Kevin Ding
Bus strands Denver players
By JANIS CARR The Orange County Register LOS ANGELES Or perhaps it should say…”SOMEWHERE ON THE 10 FREEWAY” The first of two Denver Nuggets’ buses was stranded on the Santa Monica Freeway 15 minutes after it left its westside hotel because of popping noises and a lot of…
April 20, 2008, 4:45 PM ET from Lakers: Locker Talk by Kevin Ding
The Hornets beat the Mavericks; lead series 1-0
Last night at the Arena was incredible.Everything felt pretty much the same before the game. The same road led to the Arena. I parked in the same spot on O'Keefe. The Buzz Fest wasn't much different save for an extra beer stand giving out smaller beers than the other beer stand. And I…
April 20, 2008, 2:00 PM ET from Hornets247.com Blog
OPEN THREAD: Day 2 of the 2k8 NBA Playoffs
The last time AI played a Game 1 in LA... Jump like AI over Tyron Lue! G1: (6) Toronto Raptors @ (3) Orlando Magic (Series Tied 0-0) I think I'll go with Dwight Howard at home in the Magical Kingdom against Rasho Nesterovic and the Craptors. G1: (8)…
April 20, 2008, 07:45 AM ET from Golden State Of Mind
Welcome to the new Blog a Bull and SB Nation
Hey Blog a Bull, Today is the big day. We've switched your community over to the new SB Nation sports blog platform. My name is Trei, and I'm here to help you get adjusted to the new home we've built for you. If you have questions or trouble with the new system, post a comment in this thread…
April 20, 2008, 04:00 AM ET from Blog a Bull
Guys, I'm starting to worry about our guy Paxson here
Especially weird Pax-speak after the Boylan wake on Thursday: Paxson claimed to have no timetable and no preconceived leading candidate for the job. When he addressed the media at the Berto Center, Paxson made it sound as though he'll accept the best sales pitch. "I'm not going into this…
April 20, 2008, 04:00 AM ET from Blog a Bull
Report: Bulls fire Boylan
So reports KC Johnson. No official word from Paxson yet on Boylan or his staff.Good riddance.
April 20, 2008, 04:00 AM ET from Blog a Bull
The prophecy, or just awful symmetry
We've been hearing reports now that Skiles knew 'something' was up with this team in the preseason that foretold doom.But meanwhile, I saw worriesome things regarding Skiles himself, especially when he was entertaining the idea of starting Aaron Gray.And lo and behold, by the end of the season,…
April 20, 2008, 04:00 AM ET from Blog a Bull
Open Game Thread #82: Bulls vs Toronto Raptors
Ah...finally this awful, awful season is over.And so is the season of the open game thread, specifically the last game thread on the `old' SBNation platform (BaB is migrating this weekend).Special thanks to those who helped me this season in writing previews for each game. As you can likely…
April 20, 2008, 04:00 AM ET from Blog a Bull
The last great night of Chris Duhon's Bulls career (?)
Sham with the fitting eulogy: The first 20+ point and 20+ assist game in Bucks history was undermined somewhat by Chris Duhon's statline of 15 assists with 0 turnovers, along with scoring 22 points on 9 shots. All of this took place in 14 less minutes than what Sessions played. Had he played…
April 20, 2008, 04:00 AM ET from Blog a Bull
Exit interviews
Paxson gave out some media morsels on Monday (and we all talked it out today), with the announcement that a meeting with the Boylan Bunch will take place Thursday, followed by the players on Friday.And then came the PaxSpeak: Several players recently have suggested a massive overhaul…
April 20, 2008, 04:00 AM ET from Blog a Bull
Open Game Thread #81: Bulls at Milwaukee Bucks
I know I made the joke somewhere else in this space before that the Bulls weren't going to catch the Bucks at this brief tank-a-thon because the Bucks have so much more practice.And with a new GM and a completely mucked-up salary structure, Milwaukee will likely be looking to make some major…
April 20, 2008, 04:00 AM ET from Blog a Bull
Open Game Thread #80: Bulls vs. Orlando Magic
[ed. note: Thanks to chgobr for today's game preview. -Matt]A loss tonight ties us with Charlotte and puts us two games behind Jersey with two games left. Tie breakers are broken by drawings so we will not be penalized by having won the series with Charlotte 3-1. The 8th pick is…
April 20, 2008, 04:00 AM ET from Blog a Bull
A few weekend thoughts
Man, not only a post on the weekend, but in bullets... After reading the game thread comments, I taped the replay of the Bulls/Cavs game from Friday night. Unfortunately ESPN cuts up the replays so I didn't get to see everything, but it was a fun game to watch considering how well Tyrus and…
April 20, 2008, 04:00 AM ET from Blog a Bull
Open Game Thread #79: Bulls vs. Cleveland LeBrons
[Thanks to bullshooter for today's game preview. -Matt]Playing out the StringOh yeah, there is a game tonight. That's been the prevailing feeling for the last few weeks now that Bulls have gone into unequivocal tanking mode. Not coincidentally, most of you should feel lucky that you…
April 20, 2008, 04:00 AM ET from Blog a Bull
Open Game Thread #78: Bulls at Orlando Magic
Go Magic, Go Bobcats.
April 20, 2008, 04:00 AM ET from Blog a Bull
It's all Noc's fault
[ed. note - I was thinking of writing something similar this week, so I both damn and praise Sports2 for this work. Of course, it's not "Noc's fault", but Paxson's for overpaying for intangibles.Beyond the inherent problem with a tax-conscious team paying for a bench guy, there's the on-court…
April 20, 2008, 04:00 AM ET from Blog a Bull
Open Game Thread #77: Bulls at Miami Heat
[Thanks to wjb1492 for today's game preview. Go Heat and Bobcats. -Matt]How great is it to cheer for a team that plays hard and plays together? That makes its free throws? That, when it stares into the jaws of defeat with just 2 minutes to play, locks down on defense and outscores…
April 20, 2008, 04:00 AM ET from Blog a Bull
Cross one off the list
I didn't pay attention enough to know if John Calipari coached well or not in Monday night's championship game.But I do remember, while seeing some key free throws clank, when weeks ago he started really bristling at the questions regarding his team's shooting from the line: "We've been about…
April 20, 2008, 04:00 AM ET from Blog a Bull
Open Game Thread #76: Bulls verses Washington Wizards
[Thanks to chgobr for tonight's game preview. -Matt]The Thursday Cleveland game exposed my emotional fragility. Of course I know losing solidifies our chances for the 9th pick as well as maintains hope that Charlotte makes up 1½ games and we get the 8th pick. However, I couldn't control…
April 20, 2008, 04:00 AM ET from Blog a Bull
Open Game Thread #75: Bulls at Cleveland Cavaliers
[Thanks to bullshooter for tonight's game preview, even though he's a pain in my ass in the comments section :) -Matt]Top 10 Reasons to watch tonight's game: The youngsters. Noah, Sefolosha, and Blogabull favorite son Tyrus Thomas have seen their minutes go up as the Bulls have fallen…
April 20, 2008, 04:00 AM ET from Blog a Bull
So you wanna trade Gordon or Deng?
As you may have noticed, the 'what I'd do this offseason' diaries and comments have started to accumulate on the site. Usually they include the Bulls giving an opposing GM Rohypnol, and then having their way with their roster while only giving up Andres Nocioni.But if such a grand plan must…
April 20, 2008, 04:00 AM ET from Blog a Bull
As enjoyable as it can get nowadays
Bulls wind up losing, so they're preserving their little nest egg of ping pong balls.But the team played reasonably hard and cohesively. Although it wasn't exactly the most competitive environment, Boston was mostly keeping the Bulls at a safe distance until waiting to pull away late.And in the…
April 20, 2008, 04:00 AM ET from Blog a Bull
Open Game Thread #74: Bulls vs Boston Celtics
I remember when I was choosing between the 11-game season ticket plan options, and seeing this game against Boston on the schedule was a major factor in picking the option it was under. I thought Boston would be obviously far better than the previous season (as people were too busy worrying…
April 20, 2008, 04:00 AM ET from Blog a Bull
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