I am pleased to announce that this is a very special edition of my regular Lakers fancap: I was at the game last night! My mom and I had amazing tickets thanks to my dad, which was fun because I had never been to a game with just the two of us before (I usually go with my dad).
I can honestly say that I have the most amazing time in Staples Center no matter where I sit. I’ve been at the top of the arena, seven rows back from the court, next to the Lakers tunnel, and everywhere in between. It’s always fun to have really good seats, but the atmosphere of being at the game and the energy of being surrounded by real Laker fans makes the experience incredible no matter where you are.
It is also a bit surreal to see the players in person. It feels like seeing old friends, like I know them even though in reality I know that I don’t. Every once in a while my mom and I would watch the action on the jumbotron and it seemed much more familiar and normal from that camera angle. Being in Staples Center and watching the action first hand felt like watching a movie being filmed!
Next Page: Battle L.A.
The game itself was fantastic. The Lakers have been showing a lot of energy and focus since the All-Star Break, and it’s made a difference in the win column. Derek Fisher in particular got off to a fast start and had an efficient shooting night, going 4 for 7 from the floor.
On another note, it bodes well for our team when the scoring load is distributed more evenly as it was last night. The bigs took over in the first half, and then it was the Kobe show in the third quarter with the bench finishing things off in the fourth. Andrew Bynum finished another strong game with a double double and continues to prove to Lakers fans why he is such an integral part of our team and our future success.
There was a scary moment in the first half when Kobe hurt his elbow, and it was made all the more frightening because I had no idea what was going on! I was sitting behind the visitor’s basket and saw Kobe walking towards my end of the court shaking out his arm and his hand.
It made me very nervous, especially when he ended up going to the locker room a couple minutes before the half. I didn’t realize until that moment how much I rely on the tv broadcasts to relay supplemental information such as injury reports. It’s almost like you are in your own little bubble within Staples Center; the game is on, but the play-by-play is whatever your fellow fans are yelling at the court, and the commercial breaks are filled with Laker Girls and half-court shots. Definitely not a bad thing by any means, but it is different.
Next Page: He’s on Fire!
Luckily for the Lakers and for their fans- but not for the red, white and blue version of LA- Kobe came out firing on all cylinders in the third quarter. He outscored the entire Clippers team by himself, 18-17! Kobe was the absolute epitome of his Black Mamba moniker in the third period. He hit shots from all over the court, striking with deadly speed and accuracy after lying dormant offensively for most of the first half. While he didn’t need to make excuses for his elbow because of his strong performance, I still appreciated that Kobe didn’t in his post g
I can’t describe how beautiful it is to see Kobe play in person. The jab step and pull up three… the spin move mid-range jumper… I feel like I know his game so well that seeing him use moves in person that I’ve witnessed countless times on television is really special.
To be perfectly honest, it’s incredible to watch all of the Lakers play in person. I really enjoyed Devin Ebanks’ alley-oop pass from Steve Blake at the end of the 4th, as well as Derrick Caracter’s pull up jumper. Even though it is garbage time more or less, it is still real NBA experience for our rookies, and very entertaining.
As mentioned earlier the whole team played well and continued their recent trend of stellar jump shooting. The offense worked especially well by utilizing an inside-out approach with dribble penetration and kicking the ball out. There was lots of ball movement as well, with everyone getting involved. A whopping eight Lakers had at least three assists each and the team finished the game with assists on 33 of their 43 baskets!
One of the top plays of the night for me was easily Shannon Brown’s crazy twisting drive along the baseline when he flipped in a shot under the basket for an and-1 opportunity. It was amazing to see his acrobatics up close. I saw on a later replay that the momentum of his crazy movements carried him into a sort of backwards headstand, which is insane.
Next Page: A Worthy Opponent
Normally the Clippers would not be high on my list of opponents to see in person, but they have improved markedly this year and I was really excited to see Blake Griffin! I have heard from personal acquaintances and read numerous articles and tweets from Bill Simmons that you have to see Blake in person to appreciate how amazing he really is. I have never been so excited to see a fast break coming at me that was run by anyone other than the Lakers.
The game was as perfect a game to watch in person as I could have hoped. The Lakers were fluid as a team on offense and picked up the defensive intensity as the game went on. I got to see Kobe light it up in the third quarter and watch the bench continue the starters’ high level of play. Blake Griffin had an amazing dunk and a couple of near misses, which are a lot like Shannon’s: better than most people’s made dunks. The Lakers won and reasserted their dominance of Los Angeles, and let the league know in the process that things are starting to click in Lakerland once again. It was extremely entertaining the whole time to boot! Long live the Lakers.