PE.com - Professional Sports

Lakers draft Crawford

Thu, 26 Jun 2008 21:47:16 -0800

The Lakers waited almost 4 1/2 hours before they got to draft, but they finally got their man.

They selected Joe Crawford out of Kentucky with their second-round pick, the 58th selection.

Crawford is a 6-4 shooting guard.

He averaged 17.9 points during his senior year at Kentucky.

-- Broderick Turner
-- bturner@PE.com

Wake up! The Lakers made a pick

Thu, 26 Jun 2008 20:50:29 -0800

Four hours and 20 minutes into this NBA draft selection process and your Los Angeles Lakers have finally made a selection.

With the 58th pick, the Western Conference champs selected shooting guard Joe Crawford from Kentucky.

Crawford is listed at 6-foot-4, 213 pounds.

They Lakers traded away their first-round pick in the midseason deal to acquire Pau Gasol.

Jackson not looking back on Finals loss

Fri, 20 Jun 2008 15:57:16 -0800

It is not in Lakers coach Phil Jackson's nature to look back.

Jackson's motto has always been to be in the moment.

His team lost in the NBA Finals to the Boston Celtics, getting hammered in Game 6.

His players have spent time reviewing all their wrongs.

Jackson was asked Friday at the team's exit interviews, if like the players, he wondered about making the right moves or the wrong moves.

``I try not to get too caught up in that,'' Jackson said. ``I try to learn from history. I just try not to repeat it. If you get too obsessed with it, then you get in a position where you might just accidently repeat what you've done wrong by trying to eliminate a mistake.''

-- Broderick Turner
-- bturner@PE.com

Bryant amused Lakers can be favorites

Thu, 19 Jun 2008 17:36:34 -0800

Though the Lakers lost to the Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals and were embarrassed in Game 6 Tuesday night, there are many in the media who think the Lakers will be the favorites to win the title next season.

For Kobe Bryant, that is a funny thing to hear.

He was asked if being picked as the favorites might be a burden for the Lakers.

``No, it'll just be comical, because it'll be the same people that said we were soft like two months ago picking us to win the championship,'' Bryant said. ``We don't listen to that stuff, man. We just do what we got to do to get better and understanding that next year is a whole another ballgame.''

-- Broderick Turner
-- bturner@PE.com

Laker's Bryant now at ease

Thu, 19 Jun 2008 17:28:24 -0800

After the Lakers lost the NBA championship to the Boston Celtics Tuesday night, Kobe Bryant was short with his answers.

He pursed his libs and frowned.

But two days later, on Thursday after he met with Lakers coach Phil Jackson and general manager Mitch Kupchak for his exit meeting, Bryant was in a far better mood.

He's still not happy the Lakers lost the title.

But Bryant was more at ease.

``You let it drift away,'' Bryant said. ``It was a tough loss, a tough series, but there were a lot of positive things that can be gained from it and now it's time to move forward and get ready for next season.''

-- Broderick Turner
-- bturner@PE.com

131? Did the Lakers really give up 131 points?

Tue, 17 Jun 2008 23:41:05 -0800

The 131 points scored by the Celtics in Tuesday night's NBA Finals clincher was the most allowed by the Lakers (after a quick flip through the team's media guide and website) ...

** IN A PLAYOFF GAME since Golden State scored 139 in a Western Conference semifinal victory (139-121) May 10, 1987.

** IN A FINALS GAME since Boston scored 148 in Game 1 of the 1985 Finals (148-114).

** IN A REGULAR SEASON GAME (regulation) since Charlotte scored 141 in a home victory (141-124) Nov. 24, 1993.

** IN A REGULAR SEASON GAME (overtime) since Charlotte scored 133 in a home victory (133-124) Dec. 29, 2006.

Lakers horrible in third quarter again

Tue, 17 Jun 2008 23:12:17 -0800

It never fails.

The Lakers come out to start the third quarter and get outscored.

It happened again in Game 6, when the Lakers were outscored, 31-25.

For the six-game series, the Lakers were outscored in the third quarter, 165-122.

-- Broderick Turner
-- bturner@PE.com

Scalabrine takes the mic

Tue, 17 Jun 2008 22:55:31 -0800

Seldom-used Celtics reserve Brian Scalabrine unexpectedly took the podium after the game to chide the media for predicting a Lakers victory before the series.
"When you guys consider yourselves NBA expects, how can you pick the Lakers to beat us in six games," he said, smiling. "We're on TV all the time, so it's not like you don't get to watch us play. I just didn't see it. You guys were so convincing that maybe I thought in my heart that, wow, this is going to be a series. How could that be?"

Lakers symbolized Garnett's bully

Tue, 17 Jun 2008 22:39:29 -0800

An informal survey at the All-Star break revealed that NBA players wanted to see Kevin Garnett, more than any of their opponents, win an NBA title. After 13 years in the league, KG got his first Tuesday night. Most of his career with Minnesota, his teams were early-round casualties, if they made the postseason at all.
Said Garnett on his long wait: "You ever go to school and had that bully mess with you?... He's sitting there waiting to pat your pockets and mess with you...One day you say this is going to stop. You walk in...and you lay his (expletive) out. It's like getting rid of the bully. It's like I knocked the bully's (expletive) out."

Lakers hear how rude Celtics fans are

Tue, 17 Jun 2008 22:37:00 -0800

The Lakers not only suffered a loss to the Boston Celtics, but they also suffered some rude remarks from the fans inside TD Banknorth Garden.

The Celtics fans basked in their teams glory, at one point chanting, ``you're not Jordan'' while Kobe Bryant shot two free throws.

The obvious reference being Michael Jordan, someone Bryant has been compared to.

But Jordan never lost in the NBA Finals, winning all six he played in.

Bryant now is 3-2 in the Finals.

He lost the last two Finals, to Detroit in 2004 and now to the Celtics in 2008.

-- Broderick Turner
-- bturner@PE.com
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