Something stinks in Indy

For the second year in a row I watched the Lakers come into Indy, play lackluster basketball and leave with another loss. And for the second year in a row I watched Kobe have a horrendous game. Now I know that one game does not a season make but I get one chance a year to watch my team play and it is becoming an annual craptastic display of futility. Last year on the way to the game Kate fell down right on her pregnant belly, we got to our seats late, and the Lakers lost by 20. This year Finn and I were early and Kate met us at our seats up in the nose bleeds. Finn loved the pregame intros and would bounce with joy at each explosion that went off for the Indy players.

The first quarter was typical Laker stuff with Kobe spreading the ball and guys open jump shots. Odom finally took it to the hole 5 minutes in, I think he heard me up in section 210 telling him to grow a pair and attack the basket. On defense the Lakers could do nothing with Jermaine O'Neal. He was getting great post position and handing the teenage sensation his lunch. Early in the first it was J.O. 11 Lakers 5. Things settled in and the Pacer lead stayed at 5 for most of the first half while Kobe started his house brick by brick. Side Note: There is no such thing as a Kobe stopper as Nanny man has proved time and time again, but there are guys that play Kobe tough: Kirelenko, Bowen, Igudola, Prince. Really if Kobe is on his game he can't be guarded by one or even two players. That being said the young Danny Granger has been involved in 4 crappy Kobe games in two years. That is all of the Pacer-Laker games in the last two years by the way. One crappy game is an off night for Kobe, two crappy games is the Lakers not knowing enough about a Leastern Conference team that they only play twice, three crappy games and you start to think maybe Granger is a good defender, four crappy games and the term Kobe Stopper needs to be looked at. As soon as it is Kobe will go for 60 on him and end it but until then let the talk start to heat up. I will be at the game again next year and for the weeks leading up to it I am going to be posting on every Laker forum out there that Danny Granger owns Kobe. Kobe can't score on him. Granger is kryptonite and it would be better to just start Mo Evans at the 2 and let Kobe play point for the scrubs cause that is what he is reduced to around Granger. Don't like it Kobe, then do something!

The Lakers went up with a great close the the Third Quarter but then came out in the fourth and really sucked it up. It was tough to watch but still nice to be at the game. I love basketball and I love going to the games and watching stuff like Smush and Shammond Williams dancing to one of the songs over the P.A. while P.J. is yelling at Bynum. I love watching Granger with his head down and hand over his heart, still moved by the National Anthem like this isn't the thousandth time he has heard this song. I loved watching the Fans give it to Kobe for choking again in Indy and the Kobe pretending to sign the ball and throw it to the guys.

Other Random Notes: Vlad Rad played with a lot more energy then I have seen from him. He looked like a Rookie WNBA player instead of the 10 year Veteran WNBA player he has looked like in the recent past. The Lakers miss Luke Walton I think more then they even missed Odom or Kobe when he is out. Luke just makes things happen and facilities so nicely. Nice seeing Shammond Williams get some tick, though he was in there for less then two minutes. J.O. reminded me off Rasheed Wallace back in the day when he played for Portland and the Lakers could not stop him down low to save their lives, yet he some how thinks that he is a jump shooter and creeps farther and farther from the basket and the Lakers get back into the game. I used to Love that about Portland!

Well that's enough on that game, not sure that anyone besides Kyle cares as much about this as I do and he doesn't read this anymore. Hey Lakers, thanks for taking a dump in Indy for the second year in a row!