The Lakers started off the 2011-2012 NBA season on a sour note when they let the game slip away to Derrick Rose and the Chicago Bulls. Even though they lost the game, they showed a lot of perseverance as they played their first of four games without Andrew Bynum.
Kobe Bryant started off the game ice cold as he went 2-6 and only scored seven points. Bryant moved effectively off the ball in the first half, but he struggled to find clear and open shots as the Kings defense kept putting pressure on his body.
The Lakers looked a bit lost on offense in the first quarter as they relied on Bryant to create his own shots. With the departure of Phil Jackson, the infamous triangle offense that Lakers have utilized for the past decade is being readjusted by coach Mike Brown.
There were signs of positivity from the Lakers big man Pau Gasol as he created offense out of a low post feed to find Troy Murphy for a three-pointer. Murphy is truly showing his value to the team as he was able to end the game with eight points and eight rebounds.
The Lakers trailed 20 – 21 at the end of the first quarter as Marcus Thornton slashed through the Lakers defense and capitalized on a driving layup with 5.5 second left. Lakers newcomer Andrew Goudelock showed his NBA inexperience by shooting the ball as the time ran out in the quarter.
Metta World Peace (MWP) was on fire during the second quarter as he dominated the Kings defense with three put-backs in the paint. He truly showed why coach Brown named him the leader of the bench as he had eight points in the quarter. MWP deserves a “Most Improved Player since the pre-season” award for his performance last night, as he ended the game with 19 points, four rebounds, and four assists.
Kobe Bryant attempted to patch up the wounds that the Kings were making in the first half, most evidently with a great off-the-glass fade-away jumper near the end of the second quarter.
Bryant did not appear to be bothered by his torn right hand ligament during the game as he kept shooting the ball, but unfortunately his shooting percentage told otherwise as he was a dismal 10 for 24 from the floor. He ended the night with 29 points, five rebounds, and six assists.
Next Page: Thornton, Evans, and Cousins too much for the Lakers
Pau Gasol, essentially the only big man on the Lakers squad as of right now, had a terrible first half as he only had one bucket. The only score that he had came toward the end of the second quarter off a nice assist from Bryant. If the Lakers are going to be considered title contenders this season, Pau will need to step up and prove his value to the team by scoring more and being a beast on the glass.
The Lakers handled the basketball much more comfortably as they only had a total of 11 turnovers for the entire game. The turnover statistic proved to be one of their weakest areas during the pre-season and during the Christmas Day game, so this improvement was promising.
Even though MWP had a great quarter, the Kings kept finding open looks and making easy shots. Tyreke Evans and Jimmer Fredette dominated the floor as they combined for 10 points in the second quarter. Evans is clearly the leader of this young Kings group and he demonstrated his amazing skills with 20 points, two rebounds, and two assists.
Evans had a great game last night, but Marcus Thornton was able to have an even bigger night with 27 points, five rebounds, and three assists. Thornton has proved to be a killer of the Lakers in the past, as he was able to post 33 points in the Kings’ season finale last season against the Lakers.
Evans led the Kings to a nine-point advantage at the end of the first half as he scored a very easy layup with 5.6 seconds left on the clock. The Kings did not settle for the perimeter shots as they kept driving the ball down the lane. Bryant made a bad decision at the end of the second quarter with an impossible shot from half-court. The Lakers kept on struggling to find a smooth offensive flow as the Kings led the game 49 – 40 after two quarters.
The Kings continued their dominance in the second half as DeMarcus Cousins started the third quarter with an uncontested shot under the basket. Cousins was able to post a double-double with a total of 12 points and 11 rebounds.
Cousins struggled most of the night in terms of fouls, but he was able to show his frustration with a monstrous put-back slam with a missed shot from Fredette. Cousins showed some improvement on his mid-range game as he was able to make a long mid-range jumper during the third.
During a Lakers fast-break in the third quarter, Bryant showed signs of his youth as he capitalized on a monster alley-oop slam from Devin Ebanks. Bryant looked to pick up his speed during the quarter as he aimed to make shots, but he picked up a technical foul as he showed his frustration after a missed dunk.
Next Page: Fourth quarter comeback and meltdown
Toward the end of the third quarter, Troy Murphy and J.J. Hickson ran toward the backcourt for a loose ball. Each players’ running effort was a direct reflection of the team’s effort for the entire game, as Hickson beat Murphy to the ball and drew a foul.
The Lakers depended on their veteran bench at the end of the third quarter as Luke Walton and Matt Barnes graced the floor for the first time this season. Unfortunately, the Lakers bench was unable to help the starters as the Kings dominated them with an 11-4 run.
The Lakers seemed to be struggling with ending quarters as the Kings were able to have solid runs to end each of the first three quarters. The Kings had their largest lead of the night with 14 points at the end of the third quarter as they led 78-64.
The Lakers showed some great ball movement in the fourth quarter as Bryant was able to find Gasol on two alley-oop dunks, and another play where each Laker player touched the ball and ended with a simple layup from Barnes.
The Lakers defense improved during the fourth quarter because they were able to smother the Kings players and, as a result, the Kings were unable to find the bottom of the net. The Lakers were able to capitalize on these defensive stops by pushing the ball down the court for some fast-break points.
The Lakers were able to cut the Kings 14 point lead to two points at 89 – 87 with brilliant plays from Pau Gasol and World Peace. Gasol was playing the floor like a point guard as he kept finding open players in the paint for easy buckets. Most impressively was a quick bounce pass to Metta as he was able to cut through the paint for a nice layup.
Unfortunately, the Lakers fell apart at the end of the game as the Kings were able to keep the ball away from them during the last two minutes of regulation. There was a series in which the Kings were able to attempt six free throw attempts during the span of 15 seconds due to the hustle and speed of these youngsters.
The entire crowd at the Power Balance Pavilion was on their feet at the end of the fourth quarter, chanting “Beat L.A.” during the Kings’ free throw attempts. The Lakers walked out of the arena after losing 100 – 91 to the young Sacramento Kings, and it appears that they will need to find an answer to their offensive and defensive struggles fast if they want to be considered title contenders this year.