Hollywood Home-cooking

The Los Angeles Lakers have been enjoying some home cooking. The reigning NBA champions improved to a league best 18-3 following their 11th straight victory Friday night. The Lakers mastered Al Jefferson and the Minnesota Timberwolves 104-92 to end their long home stretch at the Staples Center. LA has played 17 of their first 21 games on home court and they’ve smoked opponents with relative ease. Now, the Western Conference’s power team heads on the road for five straight games. The cushy early season schedule has elevated the Lakers in the standings but LA must play solid ball in other cities. The quest for road dominance begins with tonight’s rematch with the Utah Jazz. Friday, LA survived the Timberwolves, but may have suffered an injury to All-Star, Kobe Bryant. Bryant sustained a fracture in the index finger of his right hand during a first quarter pass from Jordan Farmar. The 31 year old MVP wounded warrior scored 20 points despite the break, and is expected to be in the starting lineup for Phil Jackson on Saturday.
Pau Gasol had a career-high 20 rebounds along with a 17 point shooting barrage against Minnesota. Ron Artest contributed 16 points and Lamar Odom scored 13. Center, Andrew Bynum, continued his All-Star bound season with 12 points in 24 minutes on the court. Bynum has scored in double digits in each of LA’s game and has developed into a more consistent player for Jackson. The center is averaging a career high 17 points per game and has drastically reduced his fouls. The Lakers put their clamp on the Timberwolves behind Bynum’s game high three blocks. The Timberwolves were overwhelmed by the two “Bs” (Bynum and Bryant) on defense in their ninth consecutive defeat to the Lakers. Rookie head coach, Kurt Rambis, suffered his fifth loss in six games as the Twolves fell to 3-20. Rambis, the longtime Lakers assistant coach and forward, received a warm ovation from the home crowd. Rambis’ team couldn’t overcome 17 turnovers or find the rhythm to compete with the lavishing Laker talent.
Jefferson was Minnesota’s leading scorer with two dozen points and 13 rebounds. Former UCLA star shooter, Kevin Love, snagged a career high 19 rebounds. Love struggled from the floor, shooting just 3-of-14. Ramon Sessions hit one of the Wolves four three pointers and finished with 15 overall points. Minnesota managed an impressive run during Bryant’s absence in the second quarter. Sessions succeed with a sharp jumper to give the Twolves a 44-42 edge with five minutes left in the half. The Lakers had a slender 56-54 lead at halftime but pulled away to go ahead in the second half. LA’s red hot defense was too much for Minnesota to handle. The Lakers started the second half on an 11-3 run to go ahead by ten points. The Timberwolves were held to just 14 points in the third quarter. Odom drilled one in from the arch to lift LA 86-68 headed into the final quarter. Sessions’ trey with 2 ½ minutes in the game cut Minnesota’s deficit to 88-77. The Twolves never got any closer against tenacious LA the rest of the way. Ryan Gomes, who scored a team high 21 points Wednesday night, was 2-for-6 with only four points at the Staples Center. He registered just one of Minnesota’s 48 recorded rebounds. Corey Brewer and former Syracuse standout, Johnny Flynn, each tallied 10 points in defeat.

Parting Points: Tune time and one that fits the mood “I get knocked down” by Chumbawumba
Tiger on a golf hiatus is a good idea. J. J. Putz is toeing the rubber in the AL again after signing on with the Whitesox. I love to see Aaron Brooks drilled a jumper with 8 seconds left to lift my Houston Rockets!