With Andrew Bynum out for last night’s game as part of a two game suspension, it was apparent that other Lakers (especially Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom) would need to step up. Luckily this is not an unknown occurrence due to Bynum’s penchant for injuries; while it is far from ideal, the Lakers know how to play and win without him.
The first quarter started strong for both teams with easy opportunities coming in the paint for each. Pau Gasol set the 
He had a solid game, grabbing 13 boards and 14 points with a couple of monster blocks thrown in for good measure. While Pau might not be as big a presence in the lane as Drew, he is still a 7 foot skilled player who has gotten tougher and more resilient with each passing game.
The star of the first half for me was easily Lamar Odom. Odom showed activity on both ends by running the floor, dishing the ball and going for rebounds (which eluded his grasp for much of the time, but still…. he was going for it at least).
LO had an extremely efficient scoring game as well, going 4-4 from the field in the first half and ending up with 8-11 FG for 16 points. In fact, he was only 4 assists shy of a triple double. One of the best was a perfect bounce pass inside to Gasol, who hung on the rim after finishing with a two handed slam!
Aggressiveness was forefront in the minds of the bench too. Shannon Brown had two sick dunks of course: he blew by Rudy Fernandez down the lane and stuffed it for the first, and got his second on the run off of a Matt Barnes steal.
I can’t tell you how excited I get when I see Shannon on a fast break in the open court- my eyes get wide, my heart starts beating faster, and then my jaw drops when he uses his explosive trampoline-like steps to catapult towards the basket. It’s the best when this sequence ends in a dunk, but just seeing the possibility is amazing in and of itself sometimes. I’ve said it before, Shannon’s attempts are better than most people’s makes. He might not be the most creative dunker but holy cow can he elevate and bring vicious energy in the paint.
Next: We Miss Drew
Unfortunately the Blazers had a 10-0 run to end the half; they were beating the Lakers in rebounds, points in the paint, and most importantly second chance points. L.A.’s whole rhythm was visibly thrown off defensively without Andrew Bynum clogging the lane. 
Assistant coach Chuck Person made a good point when he told the sideline reporter that rebounds shouldn’t be all on the bigs: everyone has to help out and secure the ball. It is a team responsibility, not the responsibility of one or two players.
The struggles continued in the second half, with Portland extending their roll to 13 unanswered points and Fish picking up his fourth foul. It was clear that the Lakers would keep struggling offensively until their inside game got back on track; it’s a double edged sword because offensive struggles also put pressure on your defense and minimizes the mistakes that can be made.
The Lakers did close out with some great plays including a soaring block from Shannon, a full court pass from Lamar to Pau for an easy deuce, and yet another steal by Matt Barnes which ended in another LO assist and a three point opportunity for Brown. The very best, though, was Barnes’ half court bank shot at the buzzer to end the third quarter! It was baller, and a great momentum carrier into the last 12 minutes.
Next: The Fabulous Fourth Quarter
Portland’s zone defense seemed to be causing the Lakers’ fits; it was a frustrating shooting night with lots of missed easy shots and bad bounces. Despite the poor play, LA was only down four. Stu Lantz remarked that the offense had to start with either a first pass into Pau or dribble penetration; as if he heard him, Ron Artest drove into the lane for an easy lay-in on the next possession.
I will say…. I was mildly stressed at this point of the game. Each team had had a nine point lead at some point and now it was back to basically trading baskets. Portland has a talented team and can be a tough match up for the Lakers, but even so I’m never truly worried in a close game as long as Kobe is on the floor. 
Everyone came up pretty clutch in the 4th; Lamar had a huge layup down the lane and then a jump hook as well to either cut or tie the lead with minutes to play. He was outstanding all night and came up big down the stretch as well.
Both he and Pau finished with their 63rd combined double double of the season, second in the league only to Kevin Love and Minnesota. Is anyone in Lakers Nation surprised though that the biggest plays of the game were made by our wily veteran leaders Derek Fisher and Kobe Bryant?
Kobe started the game strong but struggled for a good chunk of the contest before announcing to the world that yes, he is still the best closer in the NBA.
With four minutes to go, #24 got penetrated and made a tough underneath shot off the glass to bring LA within two. He found Pau inside with a bullet pass and then poked the ball away from Andre Miller on the next possession, finishing with a slam of his own off a give and go up the court with Fish. Tie game.
Portland was becoming careless with the ball, and the Lakers were playing better than they had all game. Fish came up with a steal and a sweet scoop shot to give the Lakers a two point lead; Bryant followed this up with a defensive rebound and a running floater over LaMarcus Aldridge, complete with exuberant fist pump afterward!
Next: The Headliner, Finisher, I’m the Closer, Winner
The best play of the game for me was Kobe’s next bucket, a classically difficult fall-away jumper over Brandon Roy to give the Lakers a 5 point lead with thirty seconds to play. Kobe was fired up after hitting that shot, jumping around and jawing at fans, grabbing his jersey and generally acting like it was a do-or-die playoff game. I can’t remember the last time I saw Kobe that emphatic and demonstrative! We’ll get a fist pump here and there, perhaps a flying airplane up the court, or more often that angry underbite, sticking his jaw out but keeping his body tense and coiled, ready to strike again.
It sets the tone for the entire team as well; I hope it is as inspiring for the young guys as it is for me to see their leader with a fanatically crazy gleam in his eye during a regular season game. I could watch that sequence of Kobe hitting my favorite of his shots and then popping his jersey all day. At this point, I couldn’t stop smiling.
Quick side note: one of my favorite songs is “More” by Usher. The NBA used it as the theme song for All Star Weekend 2010 and he had a fantastic commercial interspersed with actual game footage and then Usher’s dancing inspired by said moves. It was sick. In any case, I listed to this song religiously during the playoffs last year to pump me up. It is all about basketball, and the lyrics are clearing tailor-made for Kobe:
“Know y’all been patiently waiting, I know you need me, I can feel it,
I’m a beast, I’m an animal, I’m that monster in the mirror,
The headliner, finisher, I’m the closer, winner.
Best when under pressure with second’s left I show up.”
Next: The Clutch Captains
Just to make things interesting, the Blazers answered with a quick 3, but our fearless cold-blooded Captain Fish hit a clutch jumper of his own to put us up for good, 84-80, with ten seconds left. The Lakers are guaranteed to win the season series over Portland for only the second time in eighteen years! Knowing that they can beat them at home and in the Rose Garden is a great confidence booster, should the Lakers meet them at some point in the playoffs. Portland definitely had control for most of the game, but LA was scrappy and came up clutch in the end like they have so many times before.
It might be a familiar tale, the deadly strike of the Black Mamba and the little Fish that always comes up big when he is needed most, but it never gets old. Kobe and Derek (as well as their teammates) showed tenacity and heart; championship teams never give up until the last buzzer sounds and the backboard flashes red. Fish was in foul trouble and struggled offensively, but came up with big defensive plays down the stretch and the clinching jumper to lead his team to victory.
There isn’t much I can say about Kobe Bryant that hasn’t been said before both by me and almost everyone else… his competitive nature and will to win is unmatched, and there is no one in the NBA with a deadlier shot in the clutch. It was a really exciting come-from-behind victory, and one of my favorites of the season.
While buzzer beaters are fun and exciting, if not more stress-inducing, I like close games with multiple clutch opportunities. No matter what kind of game Fisher and Bryant are having, I have the utmost confidence that they both can, will, and do come through in the end when Lakers Nation needs them the most.