Lakers News

"Jazz players are sick of talking, and hearing, about it. Kobe Bryant still may be pained by it. It's Bryant bad back, and it played an integral role as the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Jazz in Wednesday night's Game 5 and took a 3-2 advantage in their best-of-seven NBA Western Conference semifinal playoff series. What part that aching back plays in tonight's Game 6 at EnergySolutions Arena, where the Jazz's postseason life is on the line, remains to be seen."

"Call me an L.A.-loving sycophant. Label me a superstar-gazer. Blame me for aiding and abetting the Jazz's enemies. But I like Kobe Bryant. So shoot me. There goes my invitation to Larry H. Miller's Christmas party. Now that I've outed myself, I may as well move to West Covina and file my columns from there. I'm not going to have many friends after this."

"Please, somebody tell them to stop. OK, I'll tell them to stop, and take the beating for it. To all the Jazz fans who are crying . . . and crying . . . and crying about the refereeing in the Jazz-Lakers playoff series, how about this idea: Give it a rest. It's old and it's tired and it's predictable and it's embarrassing and it's unfounded. Drop the persecution complex. Nobody's out to get you. David Stern is not a grand puppet-master. He's not Vince McMahon. "

"The Lakers' bench players might as well have been in street clothes like inactivated teammates Trevor Ariza and Coby Karl, since they were mostly unproductive in the playoff win over the Jazz on Wednesday. It's possible Ariza could shed his tailored suits soon in an effort to revamp the struggling bench. Ariza, who hasn't played since January because of a broken right foot, looked comfortable running up and down the floor at the end of the Lakers' practice Thursday. He's ready to play if Jackson is ready to insert him in the lineup. "

"Phil Jackson admitted he had no words of wisdom for the Lakers on Thursday afternoon, the day after their confidence and their playoff series lead were restored with an emotional victory over the Utah Jazz at Staples Center. There was no fiery pep talk, no heartfelt message beyond the obvious, no speech of any significance. In fact, the Lakers coach smiled broadly when one beat reporter asked about Jackson's theme for tonight's game in Salt Lake City. "Gosh, I didn't know I had to have a theme," he said, breaking into a hearty chuckle. "How about winning the game?"

"Pass the earplugs. The headache reliever too. The Lakers are back in Utah, which means a little elevation (4,327 feet), a little intrigue (a 3-2 series) and a lot of noise (no explanation necessary). Utah's home record, already pounded into the Lakers' minds much like the clatter of the Jazz crowd, was 37-4 during the regular season, 4-1 in the playoffs, and, in the last week, 2-0 against the Lakers. Naturally, Utah's home prowess carried the day going into Game 6 tonight."

"Welcome back to, uh . . . heck. We're not only not in Lakerdom anymore, we're about as far away as we can get. This is the Anti-Lakerdom, the place and the time of year when visiting Lakers find the ground giving way under them, to the delight of local fans... The bottom line is, this is where Lakers come to have their heads handed to them in spring, with eight losses in the nine playoff games they've played here."

"Admittedly, Kobe Bryant doesn't throw up praise toward his opponents as frequently as he does jump shots. But when the topic of the Utah Jazz's 23-year-old point guard, Deron Williams, comes up, the L-word starts to flow. "I love him," Bryant recently said of Williams. "He's one of my favorite players in the league. "I love his toughness. I love his competitiveness. I love his skill. I don't throw accolades around too frequently. I really love him as a basketball player.""

"Andrei Kirilenko concedes he is mystified. "It's one of the toughest buildings for us," he said. "San Antonio is the other one. "I don't know why we have trouble playing here." Kirilenko and his Utah Jazz teammates would like one more shot at figuring it out. As Lakers coach Phil Jackson would put it, the Lakers "held serve" in Staples Center, recording a 111-104 victory Wednesday night. The Western Conference semifinals series returns to Salt Lake City with the Jazz trailing 3-2 in games."

"Kobe Bryant did his job, in a way. Good thing for him Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom did theirs. Nobody leaped tall buildings in a single bound. Nobody lit up the night sky. It was, in fact, fairly workmanlike. Sometimes it's not all that glamorous, but at this stage, neither the Jazz nor Lakers is asking for art. So now that Game 5 is over, could they pleeeease get back to actual basketball? The Jazz are one game from vacation, following a 111-104 loss to the Lakers, Wednesday night. All that buildup. All that back-talk. Sort of anti-climactic, really."

"And that is why even though there may be cause for his allegiances to be torn — Hundley played all six of his NBA seasons for the Lakers, including three in Los Angeles after they moved from Minneapolis in 1960 — he, truth be told, loves it when the Lakers lose to Utah. "If I'm very honest about it," Hundley said, "if we (the Jazz) got eliminated, I'm a Laker fan. But I'd rather beat them than anybody in the NBA, I'm telling ya. I get so mad and frustrated at our team sometimes (when then lose to the Lakers). I want to beat them, man."

"All the talk heading into Wednesday night's Game 5 was about Kobe Bryant's bad back, injured in last Sunday's Game 4 in Utah. All the talk afterward will be about how the Los Angeles Lakers are back atop, leading the best-of-seven NBA Western Conference semifinal playoff series 3-2 following their 111-104 victory late Wednesday night at Staples Center."

"Judging from how long Jerry Sloan stared at the referees after the final horn Wednesday night, the Jazz felt as if the game they came to Staples Center to steal in the Western Conference semifinals instead was stolen from them. For all the talk about backs - Kobe Bryant's, in particular - before Game 5, the biggest question after the Lakers' 111-104 victory was whether Pau Gasol shoved Mehmet Okur in his back as he grabbed an offensive rebound and scored with 20.5 seconds left. "

"David Stern has made the globalization of the National Basketball Association a priority. The commissioner need look no further than the Western Conference semifinal series between the Utah Jazz and Los Angeles Lakers for proof his NBA empire is expanding. There are eight countries represented on the combined rosters - the most of any semifinal series. Even Lakers guard Kobe Bryant, a Philadelphia native, spent eight years of his childhood living in Italy while his father, Joe, played professional basketball."

"ven though the Jazz "weren't able to give the Spurs a challenge," in Phil Jackson's words, in last year's Western Conference finals, the Lakers coach believes that experience has served them well in these playoffs. "It did look like their bracket was easier," Jackson said, referring to Golden State's upset of top-seeded Dallas, "but any time a young team like that gets experience in the playoffs, they're really going to value that input that they get. "It's taught their players how to be resilient, it's taught them how to play through situations, it's taught them what playoff basketball's like, which is maybe two or three times more difficult than the regular season." "

"To the surprise of almost no one, Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak finished second behind Boston's Danny Ainge in voting for NBA executive of the year, which was announced on Wednesday afternoon. The Sporting News polled general managers and other executives from all 30 teams and Ainge received 18 of the 47 votes. Kupchak had 14votes and New Orleans general manager Jeff Bower had 12 to finish third. "

"Jordan Farmar darted into the lane, wiggled his way between Deron Williams and Mehmet Okur, scored and was fouled. Staples Center fans jumped to their feet, and after Farmar sank the free throw to complete a 3-point play, he was serenaded with high-fives, chest bumps and other such greetings. Jack Nicholson gave him a standing ovation, too. Welcome to the playoffs, Farmar."

"He didn't look to pass it, not even for a second. The lane was clear, the pass from Pau Gasol was perfect, so Lamar Odom grabbed it, dribbled once, then threw down a thunderous dunk over Carlos Boozer. The sellout crowd at Staples Center went wild. Odom shimmied with delight, fully embracing the attention. On Wednesday, with Kobe Bryant limited by a stiff back and the Lakers bench once again ineffective, Odom needed to be the guy, and he was."

"Kobe came out with a purpose. To send a message to his teammates, and no doubt the Jazz, that he was ready to play. Ready to play like the regular Kobe. Only ultimately this was not to be the full-bore, Kobe-in-flight edition. This was a measured Kobe, if still a highly effective Kobe. The Lakers were pushed and pushed by the Jazz on Wednesday. Made to feel tense, to fight a sense of impending doom. Yet the Lakers were able to hold off the Jazz 111-104, Kobe's buddies coming up huge in the fourth quarter when he did not take a single shot. "

"Lakers General Manager Mitch Kupchak finished second in the vote for NBA executive of the year, a near-turnaround from an off-season in which he presided over a franchise that teetered on the edge. Boston General Manager Danny Ainge won the award, announced by the Sporting News, which polled general managers and other executives from all 30 NBA teams. Ainge received 18 of the 47 votes, Kupchak had 14 votes, and New Orleans General Manager Jeff Bower was third with 12 votes."

"The Jazz's hiccup during the regular season is providing some more aches and agony. Then, it cost them home-court advantage in the second-round of the playoffs. Now, it could force them out of the postseason. The Jazz went a league-best 37-4 at home while enjoying the confines of EnergySolutions Arena. Utah dropped to 17-24 on the road, tied with the Dallas Mavericks and Denver Nuggets for the worst among Western Conference playoff teams. The other two are already ousted from the playoffs. If the Jazz doesn't figure out a road remedy, it is next after Wednesday's 111-104 loss."

"Kobe's back? The Lakers had it. This time, his teammates would not be ignored. This time, his teammates would not be still. This time, the spasms were in their shaking fists and screaming voices. The time, the guys who collapsed in pain were dressed in Jazz. On a night when Kobe Bryant's sore back limited him, his maligned teammates hoisted him, and this is why the Lakers are now just one win from the NBA Western Conference finals after a 111-104 victory over the Jazz in the tiebreaking Game 5 at Staples Center."

"I even found myself thinking very nice things about KobeBryant and the mature way he handled himself after the Lakers' tough loss in Game 4, and for that matter the way he has conducted himself through these playoffs. His demeanor has been noticeably different. There doesn't seem to be a chip on his shoulder -- maybe that trophy completing some kind of satisfying circle for him. He hasn't taken on the refs, has remained composed during the most difficult times, and has been very much the leader. "

" Spurs forward Robert Horry, who played in an NBA-record 238th playoff game Tuesday, received congratulatory words from the Hall of Fame player whose record he surpassed. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, now an assistant coach for the Los Angeles Lakers, told reporters in Los Angeles that the record was a testament to the quality of Horry’s 16-year NBA career. Horry never has failed to advance past the first round of the playoffs in any of his 16 seasons. He has been on seven championship teams. "

"The Lakers were helpless for a few days in Utah, bringing back two losses and a highly publicized case of back spasms before rediscovering themselves at home. Kobe Bryant had 26 points and the Lakers secured a tightly wound 111-104 victory Wednesday over the Utah Jazz at Staples Center."

"Jazz forward Andrei Kirilenko claimed to not know Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant was hurt in Sunday's Game 4 of their NBA Western Conference semifinal series. Still, Kirilenko can feel Bryant's pain. He's had bouts with back spasms before and knows it's not fun."

" There will certainly be an international flavor. There's overseas legend Andrei Kirilenko from Russia. And Mehmet Okur from Turkey. Although he won't be in uniform, there's also Kyrylo Fesenko from Ukraine. If you want to get technical, Carlos Boozer was born in Germany. Foreign-born players on the Lakers include Vladimir Radmanovich (Serbia and Montenegro), Pau Gasol (Spain), DJ Mbenga (Congo), Sasha Vujacic (Slovenia) and Ronny Turiaf (Martinique). A regular United Nations assembly."

"Compared to the first two, the Jazz played drastically different in the last couple of games of their NBA Western Conference semifinal playoff series with the Los Angeles Lakers. Reasons cited for the sudden revival — going from down 0-2 to tied at 2 in the best-of-seven series that resumes with Game 5 tonight at the Staples Center here — have been bountiful... Beyond all that, though, there is a simple matter of X's and O's that has spelled success for Utah as the series has developed. The Jazz finally are figuring out L.A.'s defense of their patented pick-and-roll..."

" The way he has hurt his former team in these playoffs - averaging 13.8 points and 3.5 steals, connecting on 9 of 14 three-pointers - the Jazz have to be happy Lakers guard Derek Fisher has battled early foul trouble the last two games. "We tried to attack him early and put him in that position because he's a guy that's been making shots for them," Deron Williams said. "He's kept them in ballgames, especially the two here." "

"Having lost Games 1 and 2 in Los Angeles, the Jazz will return for tonight's Game 5 having shortened this to a best-of-three series. They will have to win at least one game on the Lakers' court, but two more victories would put the Jazz back in the conference finals. "It's a big game," Deron Williams said. "It's definitely a momentum game and it puts a lot of pressure on whoever doesn't win." "

"Kobe Bryant did not practice again Tuesday, but said his injured back felt "a lot better" and that he would play in Game 5 of the Lakers' Western Conference semifinal series against the Utah Jazz tonight. That's what passed for definitive statements Tuesday around Lakers camp. What condition that back will be in, how much Bryant will be able to do, even how much his teammates will know about how much he'll be able to do, remained very much a mystery. "

"Two consecutive playoff defeats to Utah have not altered the Lakers' position as one of the teams to beat for this year's NBA championship, according to Las Vegas oddsmakers. The Lakers, tied with the Jazz at 2-2 in their best-of-seven series heading into tonight's Game 5 at Staples Center, were listed at 6-5 -- along with the Boston Celtics -- to win the league title based on odds released before Tuesday night's games."

"A sobering realization for Lakers fans: Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol & Co. could be finished for the season long before June. As in, the end could come as soon as Friday night. Like the Lakers this year, Tim Duncan and the San Antonio Spurs opened the playoffs on a roll in 2004, winning their first six games and taking heart in the knowledge that NBA teams seldom rally from 0-2 series deficits. Then they lost four in a row and were eliminated... By the Lakers."

"Kobe Bryant didn't practice, didn't even shoot the ball Tuesday, but reiterated he would be part of the Lakers' most important game so far this season. He seemed loose and relaxed as he talked to reporters, a contrast to the lower back spasms that had gripped him since Sunday, biting into his sleep patterns and making him grit his teeth on the long freeway ride from his Newport Beach home to the Lakers' training facility in El Segundo."

"Los Angeles Laker reserve big man Ronny Turiaf, ejected with a flagrant-2 foul on Jazz backup point guard Ronnie Price in Game 4 of their NBA Western Conference semifinal series, will not be suspended for Wednesday's Game 5. "No further action ... Stands as called," an NBA spokesman told the Deseret News via e-mail Monday night."

"Mehmet Okur has been bothered somewhat lately in the Utah Jazz's playoff run by his Achilles tendon. Just so happens, containing Okur has been somewhat of an Achilles' heel for the Los Angeles Lakers' defense at times during this Western Conference semifinal series, too. That was an especially sore subject for the Lakers in overtime Sunday, when Okur hit back-to-back long jumpers to give the Jazz the lead for good in their 123-115 victory."

"Reigning NBA MVP Kobe Bryant on Monday told reporters in Los Angeles that his injured back should not prevent him from playing in Wednesday night's Game 5 of the Western Conference semifinal series between the Jazz and his Lakers. It's news that should come as no great surprise to the Jazz. Some from Utah, after all, claimed Monday they were not even aware he was hurt in Sunday's Game 4, and others didn't seem to be buying the extent of pain suggested by Bryant's various displays of agony during the Jazz's overtime win."

"The Lakers' disjointed play in Games 3 and 4 of their second-round playoff series against Utah was still a topic of concern upon their return to the practice court Monday. Coach Phil Jackson used the word remedy or a variation of it several times when speaking about improvements for Game 5. Jackson also was asked to clarify a postgame remark that caused a stir Sunday. He had said he was angry with Kobe Bryant's teammates "for dropping the ball off in his lap when he was in a situation (with an injured back). He was making plays and we had things going at the end of the fourth quarter, and I felt guys just bailed out on him." "

"Kobe Bryant couldn't run, jump or shoot a basketball Monday. He couldn't practice with his teammates 24 hours after suffering back spasms during Game 4 of the Lakers' second-round playoff series against the Utah Jazz. Bryant could make a promise, however. "I'll play," he said when asked about his availability for what figures to be a must-win Game 5 for the Lakers on Wednesday night at Staples Center. "I can't imagine it being any worse than it was (Sunday) night." "

"Phil Jackson, greatest basketball coach of all-time. An argument that's been made many times. When there's only a single other coach in NBA history to win as many champions, not a complex case to make. Yet despite those nine NBA championships - winning three consecutive titles three different times - in many ways it could also be argued, this has been his finest coaching season. This season, Jackson did not clearly have the best talent in the league. Yet despite modest expectations, and in what probably was the most competitive conference race in league history, he coached the Lakers to the regular-season title in the Western Conference. "

"It was the tweak felt around the Southland. As Kobe Bryant writhed and wrenched through lower-back spasms during the Lakers' playoff loss against the Utah Jazz on Sunday, it was an injury with which many across California and the country could empathize. Back pain is one of the most common medical problems and will affect about eight of 10 people during their lifetimes. Of course, not many of them have quite as large an impact on the Lakers advancing in the playoffs."

"Kobe Bryant will play Wednesday, I learned Monday. Actually, I didn't learn it as much as divine it from years of watching Bryant, who would play if they had to wrap him from head to foot like a mummy. Two things are certain with Bryant: 1) he's the gamer of gamers and 2) he'll never take a breath without creating a controversy, as he did once more Sunday. Only one thing kept Bryant's performance in Game 4 from rising to the mythic level of Willis Reed limping out for Game 7 in 1970 and the flu-ridden Michael Jordan beating the Jazz in 1997...The Lakers didn't win. "

"Utah's back. Kobe Bryant says he will be, too. A series is now a series, which meant all eyes turned to the newest MVP as he took it easy Monday, resting his back in lieu of risking further flare-ups of the kind that floored him a couple of times in Game 4. Bryant, listed as day-to-day because of lower back spasms, says he'll be ready Wednesday for Game 5, though it's unclear if he'll be fully healthy, partially healthy, somewhere in between or somewhere the Lakers don't even want to think about."

"There was a time when Kobe Bryant practically was untouchable — and not in a good way. Corporate marketers wanted nothing to do with the Los Angeles Lakers guard even though Bryant was one of the best, most dynamic and highest-profile players in the NBA. The reason: Bryant had been charged with sexually assaulting a young woman during a 2003 visit to a resort in Eagle, Colo. Nearly five years later, with that charge long dropped, a civil suit settled, a strong team behind him on the court and an MVP award on the mantel, Bryant has seen his image among marketers and fans finally go on the mend."

"Derek Fisher, thanks in large part to early foul trouble, was pretty much a non-factor for the first three-plus quarters of Game 4 of the Western Conference semifinals on Sunday afternoon at EnergySolutions Arena. Then the Los Angeles Lakers' point guard came up huge down the stretch in the fourth quarter as his team rallied to force his old team into overtime. Alas, it wasn't quite enough for the Lakers, as the Utah Jazz evened the series with a 123-115 victory."

"Kobe Bryant had to carry the Lakers on his back in their Game 3 loss to the Jazz on Friday night. An early injury to that same back in Los Angeles' 123-115 overtime loss to Utah in Game 4 on Sunday afternoon prevented him from doing so again. On the Lakers' second possession, Bryant twisted his back while attempting a turnaround 15-foot jump shot. He was noticeably hampered the rest of the way, and he aggravated the injury on a couple of occasions. The worst of those came with 2:53 left in overtime when he was fouled by Andrei Kirilenko, and Los Angeles had to burn a timeout to allow him time to recover."

"Kobe Bryant has a bad back but says it should be fine for Game 5. Larry H. Miller has another payday and at least one more chance to do what he did not on Sunday: watch the team he owns play at home. And the Jazz have a mother lode of momentum, the result of regrouping in fine-enough fashion Sunday to beat the Los Angeles Lakers 123-115 in overtime of Game 4 and even their best-of-seven NBA Western Conference semifinal series at 2-2."

" Playing their first Sunday home playoff game in eight years, the Utah Jazz evened their Western Conference semifinals series against the Los Angeles Lakers at two games apiece with a 123-115 overtime win in front of a frenzied crowd of 19,911 at EnergySolutions Arena on Mother's Day. "

"All it took was 52 seconds into Sunday's Game 4 of the Western Conference semifinals against the Utah Jazz at EnergySolutions Arena. The Lakers' Kobe Bryant took a 15-foot jumper, and that was when it happened. It was just his team's second play of the day, and his back began to hurt him. From then on, things weren't the same for Bryant and Co. Bryant's injury and his inability to be his usual stellar self late in the game were big reasons why his Lakers fell 123-115 in overtime to the Jazz, evening the series at 2-2."

"On their way to a cruise-control win in Game 4 of the Western Conference semifinals Sunday, the Jazz ran into an old friend. In 77 seconds, Derek Fisher became Utah's worst enemy, almost single-handedly forcing the Jazz to go overtime to earn a 123-115 victory. Utah owned a 100-88 lead with 3:59 remaining and the raucous crowd at EnergySolutions Arena was already celebrating a series-tying victory. Then Fisher went to work against his former teammates. "