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Laker Struggles Continue in Oklahoma

The Lakers and Thunder series continues to go south for the Lakers who are now down 2 games to 0. The Lakers most recent loss came after the team fell apart in the fourth in a game they easily could of stolen form the Thunder. Oklahoma continues to be one of the toughest arenas for away teams, as the Thunder have just lost 7 times at home all season long. The Lakers will be very happy to return to LA where they too have just 7 home losses.

The Lakers had 2 players tie with 20 points in the game to lead the team in scoring. Gasol added 11 rebounds to help the team, but in a losing effort. The Lakers started off playing neck and neck with the Thunder and had a 63-60 lead heading into the fourth quarter. The Lakers scored just 12 points in that quarter while Oklahoma scored 17 to get the 2-oint victory. The Lakers are now just 15-18 on the season in away games, which is a hard record to overcome in the playoffs.

The Thunder continues to roll as their stars do a good job of not letting the opponent know who is going to score and where they will be scoring from. In this game, it was Durant’s night. Durant led the team in each major statistical category as he scored 22 points, grabbed 7 rebounds, and had 5 assists. He seems to badly want a banner and trophy to bring this still new and young franchise. If they can win in LA, this series is a good as over.

Clippers Fall in San Antonio

The Clippers were beat down by the Spurs in their game 1 of the Western Conference Semifinals on Tuesday. The game ended 108-92 in favor of the Spurs who were at home. The Spurs led most the game with periods of Clipper comebacks. In the end, the Clippers could never get back into the contest giving the Spurs a 1-0 lead in the series. The Spurs have been great at home this season and only have 5 home losses. The Clippers did give them some trouble though and the series should be a close one.

The Clippers were a bit less rested then the Spurs who had several days off following their first round sweep. This allowed them to be very fresh, which was evident in this most recent game. As the series draws on, the veteran Spurs could slow down a bit. This would make things much easier for a younger Clipper’s team. In this contest Bledsoe led the way for LA with 23 points. Paul also contributed 10 assists in the loss. Paul may have to be more of a scoring threat for the Clippers to move on.

The Spurs looked very fresh after their long break and veteran Tim Duncan continues to look like his younger self. In the end, Duncan scored 26 points to lead the way for the Spurs. Diaw had 12 rebounds in the contest as well while Parker led the team in assist with 11. The spurs scored over 25 points in each quarter but the fourth. The team will look to expand on their lead Thursday while the Clippers will look to steal one on the road.

Lakers Rolled Over by Thunder

The Lakers began their series with the Thunder on Monday in Oklahoma City. The game was won by the Thunder 119-90 in a game that got away from the Lakers very early. The Lakers simply looked miserable and did not appear to have what it takes to match up with the Thunder team. They had little success on offense and could not stop anything defensively. The Thunder now own a 1-0 lead in the Western Conference Semifinals.

Bryant scored just 20 points in the contest and the Lakers failed to score 25 points in any quarter of the game. Bynum played well adding a team-leading 14 rebounds in the game, but as a whole the team has a lot of studying to do if they plan on getting through any further. It will only get more difficult as they have another game in Oklahoma before they can head back home to LA. A win in Oklahoma would be huge for the team, who will have a chance to do just that on Wednesday in game 2 of the series.

Oklahoma seemed like they wanted to make a statement in game one of this series and if anything it showed the Lakers that this team is the real deal. Westbrook led the Thunder with 27 points and also had 9 assists to lead the team. Durant grabbed 8 rebounds, which led the way for the Thunder as well as contributed to the victory. The team scored over 30 points in 2 quarters and had 29 in another. Their most prolific scoring quarter came in the third when they scored 39 points. The offensive fire power they showcased was a message to the NBA in general, and all should watch out for this team as they badly want to get a banner to hang in their empty rafters.

Lakers Series to go to Game 7 After back-to-back Laker Losses

The Lakers fell to the Nuggets for the second straight game on Thursday in Denver. The Lakers had a sick Kobe Bryant show up and play. He did well, but the team struggled early as Denver was on fire. The Nuggets appear to have the Lakers’ number and seem to have the confidence to win this first round series in the Western Conference. The Nuggets beat the Lakers 2 games ago in LA, which may have catapulted them into having the confidence to go the distance. The Lakers must show some resiliency as the series in now tied 3-3 after the Lakers had it at 3-1.

Bryant led the Lakers despite his sickness prior to and during the game. Kobe ended with a team leading 31 points. Bynum added 16 rebounds to the team in a losing effort. The Lakers Sputtered from the start, while the Nuggets could not miss. Denver made 3-pointer after 3-pointer to take a 30-20 lead in the first quarter. The Lakers went stagnant against in the third, and were outscored 36-23. These two quarters of poor play cost the Lakers the game and may cost them the series if they can not wrap up game 7.

The Nuggets played well throughout and seem to have all the confidence and momentum in the series right now. Lawson scored 32 points to lead Denver while Faried contributed 11 points to the victory. The Nuggets and Lakers now both hold their fates in their hands as they both eye game 7. Denver has the momentum while the Lakers have Kobe and the experience. May the best team win.

Clippers Eye Game 6 as They Fail to Close Series

The Clippers were unable to wrap up their first round Western Conference playoff series against the Grizzlies on Wednesday. The team struggled early on the Grizzlies court and played a first quarter that, more or less, cost them the game. The team lost 92-80 as the Grizzlies held off a near devastating come back by the Clippers. Many must have been reminiscing back to the first game of the series when the Clippers came back from a 27 point deficit. In the end it was not to be for the Clippers again though. The series is now 3 games to 2 in favor of the Clippers. They need just one more win against the Grizzlies to move on to the next round of the playoffs. Game 6 is on Friday.

The Clippers main issue came in the first quarter when they fell behind 36-22. Ultimately this cost them the game as they were able to outscore the grizzlies in the remaining quarters of the contest. Griffin nor Paul led the Clippers in scoring, but rather Williams who scored 20. Griffin did lead the way in rebounds with 11 while Paul led the team in assist with 4. The Clippers offense was stagnant throughout and scored just 23 points in their highest scoring quarter.

The Grizzlies were led by Gasol who scored 23 points in Wednesday’s game. Randolph contributed a team leading 10 rebounds to the Grizzlies as well. The 36-point first quarter really helped the Grizzlies, as they were unable to score over 21 points in any of the 3 quarters after the first. Despite the win, the Grizzlies are still in a win or go home situation on Friday, but have a good opportunity to force a game 7.

Lakers Fail to Close out Series After Late Game Rally

The Lakers fell behind early to the Nuggets in Tuesday’s game 5 of the Western Conference first round playoff game. The team was down big going into the fourth quarter, but went on an unprecedented run as Kobe turned on the heat in Staples Center when he tried to take the team on his back and close out the series. In the end, the team fell just short and the Nuggets were able to hold on to force a game 6. The Lakers are still up 3 games to 2 in the series, but the impressive road win by the nuggets may have outlined a way to beat the string Laker team.

Kobe tried desperately to get his team back into the game and hit some huge shots down the stretch to get the team back into the game. In all Kobe scored 43 points in the game. This led all scorers, and helped get the Lakers back into the game even after being down 11 points entering the fourth quarter. The Lakers were flat throughout the contest and were outscored in every quarter prior to the fourth. The team received boos from the home crowd at several points in the contest before finally clicking near the end of the third quarter. In the end it was all too little too late.

The Nuggets were able to get the win by frustrating the Lakers and playing solid basketball on both sides of the ball. The win against the Lakers on the road was just the 7^th time the Lakers have lost at home this season. Miller led the way for the Nuggets with 24 points. He, along with, McGee made for a very viable basketball pair who may have plans to keep this series going even deeper.

Clippers Continue to Squeak out Close Ones VS. Grizzlies

The Clippers won again against the Grizzlies in dramatic fashion Monday night. The game was the 4^th, so far, in the Western Conference first round. The Clippers now lead 3 games to one in the series, as the Grizzlies are just one loss away from their playoffs being over. Just a few points in each game have decided the series, and that was no different on Monday. The game ended up going into overtime with the Clippers winning the contest by the final of 101-97.

In the end, Chris Paul had the biggest impact on the Clippers team as he quarterbacked them to a victory. He found his friend Blake griffin on numerous occasions when not driving and finding holes in the defense. He also led the team in rebounds with 9 in the game. Griffin led the team in points with 30 in the contest and played with intensity unmatched by anyone on the floor. He attacked the basket with fury and was banged around a lot in the game. The team allowed the Grizzlies to get into the game late, but held them off enough to not give up the game and forced overtime. This is where Paul shined brightest and was able to hit big shots to give the team the W.

Conley, who scored 25 points in the game, led the Grizzlies. He also led the team in assist with 8. Randolph added 9 rebounds, but it was all in vain. The team went on a good run in the fourth and outscored the Clippers 23-18 to force overtime. In the end, Paul and the Clippers were too much though.

Lakers Take 3 games to One Series Lead

The Lakers won 92-88 against the Nuggets in game four of the Western Conference first round on Sunday. The Lakers are now up 3 games to one in the series and need just one more win to move on in the playoffs. The Lakers were down the majority of the game, but began to come from behind in the second half and were able to catch and surpass the Nuggets in the end. Bryant led the way for the Lakers and continues to show possibly more determination then ever to get another title.

Bryant outscored all shooters in the game as he provided the Lakers with 22 points total. Hill contributed 11 rebounds to the Lakers victory as well. The team was outscored 51-45 in the first half. In the second half they cut into the lead and were only down a point going into the final quarter. In the fourth, they were able to outscore the Nuggets 22-17 to get the four-point victory.

Gallinari tried to keep the Nuggets above water and was a big factor early in the contest. In all Gallinari led the Nuggets with 20 points. Lawson had 6 assists in the contest to lead the Nuggets as well. In the end, it was all in a losing effort as the team squandered a healthy lead. They simply came out flat after the half and now find themselves backed into a corner as game 5 approaches and it will be win or go home.

Lakers Take 2-0 Series Lead

The Lakers won 104-100 on Tuesday against the Nuggets in LA. The win now puts LA up 2 games to nothing against a Nuggets team that has played close but no cigar against the Lakers squad. The game was close throughout, but an early Laker lead was enough to move the Lakers one step closer to the next round of this years playoffs. Bryant led the way for LA and continues to look very energetic and focused on earning another title. Time will tell if the team as a whole possesses enough talent to do so.

Bryant ended the game with 38 points scored. Gasol added 5 assists to lead the team and help contribute to the victory. The Lakers pulled ahead in the first as they outscored Denver 32-25 in the first quarter. From there, the teams stayed even in the second and third quarters before The Nuggets last ditch effort to come back from 7 points down in the fourth quarter failed. The Nuggets scored 26 in the fourth to lose by just 4 in the end.

Lawson led the Nuggets charge with 25 points scored. Faried contributed 10 rebounds to the team in the loss, while Miller added 8 assists to lead the team. The Nuggets simply just did not quite have enough. Their early issues came back to haunt them as they could not cut into the lead quick enough. The team has been close to beating the Lakers at home, which is something that happened just 7 times in the regular season. This should figure to be a tough series, but in the end it looks like LA will be able to squeak by.

Clippers Edge Grizzlies in Playoff Opener

The Clippers just survived on their trip to Memphis to play the Grizzlies in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs. The team ended up edging the Grizzlies 99-98 thanks to an extraordinary comeback in the fourth quarter. The team was beaten down all game from the start and, at one point, was down by 27 points in the third quarter. They then went off in the fourth to somehow get the victory, a victory that they can undoubtedly look back upon in the future when they find themselves down.

The Clippers started the game very sluggish and scored just 16 points in the first compared to 34 Grizzlies’ points. Young was the Clippers leading scorer with 19 points. Evans had 13 rebounds to lead the team to victory while Chris Paul contributed 11 assists to the win. In the end it was an amazing fourth quarter that got the Clippers the win. They entered the fourth quarter down 21 points, but went on to outscore Memphis 35-13 in the quarter to secure the one-point victory.

Gay, who continues to be the team’s star, led the Grizzlies. Gay scored 19 points in the contest and had his team up early before falling apart in the end. Speights had 9 rebounds to lead the Grizzlies on the boards while Conley led the team in assist with 8. In the end it was all in a losing effort as the Clippers defied all odds to get the victory. This surly looks to be a very competitive series, however, and every NBA fan should make sure to tune in to game 2.

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