In this edition of the purple and gold blog, we will look at the highs and lows from the Lakers’ 103-88 victory over the New Orleans Hornets on Wednesday night. In addition, we will discuss the Lakers’ recent struggles, and how the win against the Hornets can get the team back on track.
The Highs
Lamar Odom and Andrew Bynum: Odom scored 24 points on 10/15 shooting from the field. It was Odom’s first game coming off the bench this season, as Andrew Bynum made his first start. It was the most points a Lakers’ reserve has scored since the 2004-05 season. In addition, it was Odom’s career high coming off the bench.
Bynum scored 18 points in 30 minutes making his first appearance in the starting lineup. Bynum getting the nod to start the game was a surprise. Coach Jackson has stressed recently that Bynum was not ready to play big minutes. However, in his first stint with extended minutes, Bynum played a big role in the team’s victory.
Rebounding: The Lakers outrebounded the Hornets 44-24. It was good to see the team come out and clean the glass and set the tone early. On the other hand, the Lakers shot 60 % from the field. Therefore, there were not many rebounds for the Hornets to claim.
Kobe’s Shooting:. A night after taking 27 shots against the Spurs, Kobe took a much more efficient 14 shots against New Orleans. The results were evident, as the team’s overall offense was much more efficient against New Orleans.
The Lows
Turnovers: The Lakers had 20 turnovers Wednesday night. 12 of the 20 turnovers came in the first half. The Lakers were lucky tonight, as the turnovers did not play a factor. However, most night 20 turnovers would come back to bite them on the butt.
Pau Gasol: I suppose I am getting a little picky here, considering Gasol finished with 11 points and 12 rebounds. However, something still seems to be missing with Pau. He still seems to lack the energy and domination we saw in the first 15 games of the season.
Looking back and ahead
The win against the Hornets was much needed for the Lakers. In case you have been away lately, the Lakers have not been playing well. They have had three consecutive losses (two on their home floor) of 15 points or more. Last Tuesday’s loss against Milwaukee was more frustrating than worrisome. However, being dominated by the Heat and Spurs (two contenders for the title) had fans more confused than disgusted. It was quite possibly the worst three game stretch in Phil Jackson’s tenure as coach.
Let’s hope the win against the Hornets will get the team back in the right direction, seeing as they are 5.5 games back of San Antonio for top seed in the Western Conference. Looking on the bright side, the Spurs have a slew of road game on the horizon, while the Lakers have a home friendly schedule. The Lakers will hope to piece together a winning streak as they host the Philadelphia 76ers Friday night.
Joshua Sexton is a lifelong basketball fanatic, who watches as many games as possible. In addition, He has played and coached the game at the high school level. He has recently started writing about the game of basketball.
