[Brian34Cook]

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Los Angeles Lakers (32-32, 3rd Pacific)

@

Indiana Pacers (32-31, 4th Central)

Friday, 4:30pm
at Pacers
TV: ESPN2, KCAL
Preview
Radio: KLAC-AM 570/KWKW-AM 1330

Lakers Probable Starting Lineup:

C. Atkins
K. Bryant
C. Butler
L. Odom
C. Mihm

Lakers Bench:

J. Jones
B. Cook
T. Brown
B. Grant
L. Walton

Pacers Probable Starting Lineup:

A. Johnson
R. Miller
S. Jackson
J. Foster
D. Davis

Pacers Bench:

F. Jones
A. Croshere
J. Jones
E. Gill
S. Pollard

Lakers:

Player  	Date  		Injury
T. Bobbitt G 	Feb 13, 2005 	Sprained right ankle
V. Divac C 	Dec 22, 2004 	Sore back
D. George SF    Nov 1, 2004 	Left ankle surgery

Heat:

Player  	Date  		Injury
D. Harrison C  	Mar 16, 2005  	Sore left knee
J. O'Neal PF 	Mar 4, 2005 	Subluxated sprain of the right shoulder
J. Bender F 	Feb 4, 2005 	Sore right knee

Last Game:
March 6, 2005
LA Lakers 103, Indiana 94
Boxscore - Recap

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Kobe Bryant walked over to Reggie Miller at the end of his final NBA game in Los Angeles and gave him a warm embrace. It was the least he could do after what he put Miller through for four quarters.

Bryant had 37 points, 10 rebounds and made all of his 13 foul shots, leading the Lakers to a 103-94 victory over the Indiana Pacers on Sunday night.

Miller finished with 11 points in 38 minutes on 5-of-16 shooting and was 1-for-8 from 3-point range as he finished his career 0-9 against the Lakers at Staples Center.

``It's always fun to play against a guy like Reggie because he thinks the game. He doesn't just go out there and play,'' Bryant said. ``When you match up against a person like that, you have to do your homework. He has had a magnificent career -- a Hall of Fame career. My hat goes off to him and I wish him the best.''

Stephen Jackson tied a season high with 29 points for the Pacers, who have lost their last nine road games against the Lakers -- three of them coming in the 2000 finals.

[More in URL]

Western Conference Playoff Watch:
Who cares?

Pacers Forum Game Thread
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[Kneejoh]

hope we win and finish 3-3 on this road trip.

 

[Real Deal]

Since Brian34Cook has the lineup, stats and the last game covered, I'll keep all of that info out of my preview and give my analysis and prediction for tonight's game.

I hate to say this, but the Pacers could still give us trouble tonight. From what we all saw last night, the Lakers have a limited offense, and it goes something like this...

1) Kobe handles the ball
2) Kobe passes or drives in
3) Atkins shoots the three or passes back to...Kobe

That's about it. It's pretty bad, really. From all the times I've watched Jordan and Pippen destroy teams by playing the reverse triangle, I'm disgusted when I see Odom attempting threes or missing layups, and seeing Mihm miss multiple 2-foot shot attempts.

Oh well...we can't do anything about that, but one thing we can do is cheer for our team no matter what. One thing we need to cross our fingers for is their defense, preferably on Reggie Miller. Everyone will argue that Reggie doesn't have it in him anymore, but he's capable of a 30 point game, especially since Butler's attempts at guarding Stephen Jackson will more than likely be Kobe's reason to switch up and leave Miller open...and from there, it's three-point city in Indiana.

Jeff Foster is going to be dangerous tonight. I'm not liking the fact that Mihm has done NOTHING for us this year...and his ability to pull down boards on both sides of the ball is nothing more than pathetic, so hopefully Odom stays out of foul trouble and crashes the boards tonight, or the Pacers will have alot of room for error, with the easy second chance points they can get in the paint.

I think it's obvious that we need a playoff version of Kobe Bryant right now, because he may not be able to show it off after the month of April if we don't see it soon. Kobe needs to trust his teammates more in a game like this, where Artest and Jermaine, two of the Pacers' biggest stars, are out...and he'll be rested for a big push in the second half, rather than being out of gas in the third quarter. I'd still like to see Walton in, and Kobe playing off the ball more, rather than holding onto it for 15 seconds and shaking off defenders, because this is exactly what put him on the trainer's table last season for an IV. If Kobe stays rested, and gets to sit a few more minutes in the second, you'll see him come out on top in the third and final quarter, and the Lakers will make a push for a scoring run and, hopefully, a win.

My Miami Heat/LA Lakers prediction was close...very close...so for this game, I'll take the Lakers by 7 against Indiana, 95-88.

 

[Cris]

i think the lakers can take this one

 

[Damian Necronamous]

We had better beat the Pacers without JO. Funnily enough, if we win this game...it's actually a decent road trip.

 

[Damian Necronamous]

Wow, I've actually turned off the TV and haven't been watching for a few minutes now. After Kobe picked up his 2nd foul, I knew we were screwed. I've really lost a lot of interest in this team and don't care to waste 2.5 hours sitting in front of my TV watching them not hustle and just get outworked.

Maybe I'll turn it back on later, probably not. It's just too frustrating getting all worked up over this team when they flat out suck and don't learn from their mistakes.

Oh yeah, Caron Butler is almost as much as a stiff as Mihm.

 

[Brian34Cook]

Does Miller have problems shooting without using his elbows knocking players upside teh head? Jesus.. :curse:

Of course this is gonna be a struggle when Kobe's on the bench.. Bah!!

 

[Brian34Cook]

Down 50-46 at halftime:

Butler - Pathetic shooting tonight
Odom - Pathetic shooting tonight
Mihm - Hi, I'm Your Crappy Center
Kobe - 6 pts and 3 fouls at the break? Cant guard Reggie Miller either!
Atkins - Eh
Brown - Close to the best player tonight on the court for LA :hurl:
JJ - Nada.. Got knocked up by Miller..
Grant - Ok production
Walton - Blah Blah Blah

They are playing pathetic and down just 4? Uhhhhhh...

 

[PauloCatarino]

Is Mihm really a poor man's Jeff Foster?

Is Reggie really kickin our ***?

Good Grief!

 

[PacersguyUSA]

Since Brian34Cook has the lineup, stats and the last game covered, I'll keep all of that info out of my preview and give my analysis and prediction for tonight's game.

I hate to say this, but the Pacers could still give us trouble tonight. From what we all saw last night, the Lakers have a limited offense, and it goes something like this...

1) Kobe handles the ball
2) Kobe passes or drives in
3) Atkins shoots the three or passes back to...Kobe

That's about it. It's pretty bad, really. From all the times I've watched Jordan and Pippen destroy teams by playing the reverse triangle, I'm disgusted when I see Odom attempting threes or missing layups, and seeing Mihm miss multiple 2-foot shot attempts.

Oh well...we can't do anything about that, but one thing we can do is cheer for our team no matter what. One thing we need to cross our fingers for is their defense, preferably on Reggie Miller. Everyone will argue that Reggie doesn't have it in him anymore, but he's capable of a 30 point game, especially since Butler's attempts at guarding Stephen Jackson will more than likely be Kobe's reason to switch up and leave Miller open...and from there, it's three-point city in Indiana.

Jeff Foster is going to be dangerous tonight. I'm not liking the fact that Mihm has done NOTHING for us this year...and his ability to pull down boards on both sides of the ball is nothing more than pathetic, so hopefully Odom stays out of foul trouble and crashes the boards tonight, or the Pacers will have alot of room for error, with the easy second chance points they can get in the paint.

.

Wow, good call. It's like you typed that in the 3rd quarter.

 

[Pacers Fan]

Reggie has really amazed me this game. He must really love going back to California.

 

[Locke]

Lamar Odom injured his shoulder. Out for the game and is out "indefinitely."

 

[Brian34Cook]

Lamar Odom injured his shoulder. Out for the game and is out "indefinitely."

Hmph he didn tdo much anyways tonight..

83-80 Pacers with 6:30 to go..

 

[Pacers Fan]

How could we collapse like that? Well, this should be an interesting game now.

 

[PauloCatarino]

1 point game.

Pacers time-out.


Man, why can't i give up on hope? :curse:

Let's go Lakers!

 

[PauloCatarino]

Get Kobe in, Godamit!!!! :curse:

 

[onelakerfan]

PREDICTION I MADE LAST GAME

I have a prediction for heat vs lakers game, hope it does not happen, but there is a good chance it will happen soon, if not tomorrow’s game then the next. A fake injury of one of our star players (kobe).

I SAID KOBE BUT IT IS ODOM

we better pick someone good this draft pick.

 

[jazzy1]

Frank Hamblen is a damn fool for letting Kobe sit that damn long, he's a fool for pulling Chucky for Brown when we were flowing. Frank is terrible and has been terrible the whole season.

He's killing us. We rally yet he pulls 2 key players.

 

[PauloCatarino]

Kobe enters the game.

Two assists from the guy and suddenly it's a 1 pt game again...

 

[Brian34Cook]

I actually thought it was very smart to sit Kobe out.. They were in the flow.. Why ruin something to was in process?

Chucky 3.. 90-90
Johnson Jumper.. 92-90 IND
Chucky miss 3 Jackson board..
Reggie 333333333333.. 95-90 Pacers 59.0 Left..

Reggie does it again.. GRRR