Was that a game or what? The Lakers staved off Phoenix’s charges to eventually pull out the 130-124 victory in Shaq’s Suns debut. The Lakers looked a tad bit lethargic coming off their complete sodomization of the Atlanta Hawks Tuesday night. Against most teams being a bit lethargic wouldn’t be a big problem, but this is the Suns we’re talking about here. Each time the Lakers went on a run, Sun’s coach Mike D’Antoni would......

Lakers 122, Hawks 93 - Atlanta had a bad draw. They were coming into a pumped-up Staples Center that hadn't seen the Lakers play a home game in weeks. They were coming in against a team rejuvenated by Pau Gasol. They were coming in against a Kobe Bryant with something to prove. Before halftime, the Lakers had a 41 point lead. Gasol and Bryant each scored 23. Bryant whacked his hand a couple times and......

We've never been to the Celebrity Center for a concert, but we can vouch for Cowboy (not Country!) musician Dave Stamey if you're into that kind of thang. Still, for those inclined to roots music, The Arthur Adams Band will be at the Baked Potato in Studio City playing blues. The Arthur Adams Band @ The Baked Potato Editors, Hot Hot Heat, Louis XIV @ The Wiltern Manic Hispanic, Death by Stereo, GG Elvis &......

Clippers 95, Hawks 88 - The Clips got an unexpected performance from rookie Al Thornton, who exploded for a career high 33 points the day after a major stomach virus. Los Angeles fielded their 20th different starting lineup of the year, and are currently missing Chris Kaman and Corey Maggette. Next up, a seven game road trip. That's not so bad -- the Lakers have a 9 game trip lined up. Wild 5, Ducks 1......

For anyone who isn't storing all your party reserves for some big New Year's bash, here's what's going on around town tonight. JAZZ/VOCALS Silky-voiced Tierney Sutton and her band are on tap for a holiday weekend installment at the Catalina Bar & Grill. The ensemble has been nominated for a Grammy (Best Vocal Jazz Album) for their February 2007 release, and has headlined at notable venues such as Carnegie Hall, The Hollywood Bowl and Jazz......

Metal Skool w/ Jeremy Piven - "Back in Black" Metal Skool @ Key Club Ky-Mani Marley @ Amoeba Emo Phillips @ Steve Allen Theatre Softlightes, Porterville, El Ten Eleven @ Spaceland The Ramonas, Shatto, All New Like @ The Airliner I See Hawks In LA, Cydney Robinson @ The Bordello D-Strutters, Ninja Academy, Masterslave @ Crash Mansion L.A. Saint Motel, Le Switch, Last American Buffalo, Voxhaul Broadcast @ Viper Room......

Jenny Owen Youngs @ The Bordello Yo-Yo Ma @ Royce Hall Average White Band @ Cerritos Center Air Supply @ The Orpheum KRS-One @ House of Blues The Warlocks, Darker My Love @ Troubadour Tiger Army, Said Radio @ Wiltern I See Hawks in L.A. @ Cinema Bar Fear, The Gears, The Outsiders @ Safari Sam's The Parson Red Heads, Or the Whale @ The Echo Glen Phillips @ Largo sweet ass contest Wanna......

Gogol Bordello - "Ultimate" Stevie Wonder @ Santa Barbara Bowl Crowded House, Pete Yorn @ The Greek Gogol Bordello @ Henry Fonda No Age @ Amoeba Kenny “Babyface” Edmonds @ House of Blues The Watson Twins, King Straggler, Everest @ Spaceland Sally Kellerman, John Clinebell, Mimi @ Genghis Cohen The Mormons, Bad Dudes, The Frescas, The Janitors @ Mr. T's Bowl Lo Mass Republic, The Felice Brothers, Dan Mangan @ Viper Room I See......

Mere Mortals @ Spaceland Hugh Cornwell @ the Roxy I See Hawks in LA @ the Bordello Metal Skool, March, The Perfect Victim, Paperback Hero @ Key Club Light FM, Peter Walker, The Ghost Lullaby, Icebird @ Silverlake Lounge Media Control, Sweet Sensations @ Safari Sam's 5 O'Clock Somewhere, Ollin, Bollweevil @ The Echo War Tapes, In Waves, Broaddaylight, Skates @ Viper Room Legends of Swing Big Band @ Charlie O's Doubleplusgood, Moothart @......

The Binges, The Vacation, Year Long Disaster, Tokyo Smog @ The Roxy Carlos Guitarlos, Dale Peterson, Devastating Karate @ El Cid The Chapin Sisters, I See Hawks in L.A. @ The Echo She's Your Sister, The Waking Hours, Shiloe, Infedelinc, Tweakbird @ Safari Sam's Nana Pancha, Raskahuele, Almalafa, Ekolekua @ The Knitting Factory Lemon Drop Kick, Vooduo, The Red Hearts, Vesuvia Sonic @ Mr. T's Bowl Action 45, More Than Ever, Sidekick, General Purpose......

The Jesus and Mary Chain, Gogol Bordello, Bjork, Sonic Youth, Peaches, Arctic Monkeys, Stephen Marley, Of Montreal, Silversun Pickups, Satellite Party, Julieta Venegas, Noisettes, Amy Winehouse and others @ Coachella Gwen Stefani, Lady Sovereign @ Gibson Pigeon John @ Malibu Inn Grant Lee Phillips @ The Troubadour I See Hawks in L.A., Horsepainters, Amy Farris @ The Scene The Cinematics, The Heavenly States, Le Meu le Purr @ Spaceland Apes of the New Millennium,......

Ice Cube @ Ventura Theatre Kottonmouth Kings @ Queen Mary Jamie Foxx @ Gibson Ricky Martin @ Staples Jon Mayer @ SMC Type O Negative, Celtic Frost, Brand New Sin @ Avalon Trans Am, Zombi, Black Taj @ The Troubadour Miss Derringer, Mad Juana, The Cheat, Olin and the Moon @ The Roxy Xololanxinxo, Fat Hed & Selecta Fada, Human Beings, Dopestyle @ On the Rox Eleven Hundred Springs, I See Hawks in L.A.,......

The Nightwatchman @ The Hotel Cafe Rocky Votolato, Drag the River, Street to Nowhere @ The Troubadour The Broken West, Mezzanine Owls, Silverface Champs @ Spaceland I See Hawks in LA, The Larks, Vicki Hill, Pete Fahey @ El Cid The Pity Party, Castledoor @ Silverlake Lounge Kind Hearts & Coronets @ Amoeba Anders & Woods, Mark Fosson @ The Echo The Switch, Coco B's, Hearts of Palm UK @ The Scene Uncatagorical Joan......

TV On The Radio, The Noisettes @ Henry Fonda Theater Dos, Antelope, Silver Daggers, Black Fiction @ The Smell The Untouchables, Meet Me at the Pub, The Penny Reel Duo @ The Good Hurt Zapp, The Impressions, Deniece Williams, The Temprees, James & Bobby Purify @ The Gibson Carina Round, Kate Earl, The Oohlas, The Procession, The Amateurs @ The Hotel Cafe The Ettes, Buck, Miss Derringer, Candypants @ Spaceland Double Naught Spy Car,......

Los Lobos, Zen Cruisers (Blondie's Clem Burke, the Cars' Elliot Easton, the Knack's Doug Fieger and Teddy Andreadis) @ Malibu Performing Arts Center Anti-Flag, Alexisonfire @ Wiltern Gary Lucas & Gods & Monsters @ Safari Sam's Kenny Wayne Shepherd @ House of Blues The Chapin Sisters, I See Hawks in L.A. @ Getty Center Irish Rovers @ Cerritos Center Colin Hay @ Largo Sleepytime Gorilla Museum, Secret Chiefs 3 @ El Rey Dead on......

Cheap Trick @ The Canyon Dir en Grey @ Wiltern The English Beat @ Key Club James Taylor @ Wilshire Theatre Flogging Molly @ Henry Fonda The Blue Hawaiians @ Lava Lounge The Groovy Rednecks @ Anarchy Library I See Hawks in LA, Mike Stinson @ The Scene The Strays, King Cheetah, The Stranger’s Six @ Spaceland Lady Sinatra, Veruca Salt, The Ringers, Tack @ Viper Room The Deserters, Sin City, Leroy, Tandy, The......

Current Record: 25-28, 3rd Pacific, T-9th West Last Week: While the rest of the league was focused on the festivities in Sin City, the Clippers got a much needed four days off to regroup. The Clips were one of only three teams that had exactly zero participants in the entire weekend’s festivities (and justifiably so) which means they will not be suffering from any lingering effects of the around-the-clock drunken parties and hookups with tainted......

Exies, Bad Blood & Broken Hearts, American Eyes, Street Drum Corps @ Key Club Syd Straw @ The Echo Aimee Mann @ Largo Grant Langston & The Supermodels, I See Hawks in LA @ The Mint Jesus Makes the Shotgun Sound, Wachi, Arches, Imaad Wasif @ The Smell Shat, Homeless Sexuals, Dragstrip Kitty, The Bombshells, Kriminal Pogo @ The Scene The Skabs, Reckless, Disable Youth, 40 Ouncers, DVML, Vicious Attack @ Cobalt Cafe Slow......

Hawks 96, Clippers 93 - It was heartbreak hotel for the Clippers on Valentine's Day, getting outscored by 16 in the fourth quarter against Atlanta to squander a big lead. The Hawk's Joe Johnson had 6 points in the final 19 seconds to seal the deal. Los Angeles chose to wear red uniforms in honor of the holiday and Atlanta wore white. Of more pressing concern, the Clippers are heading into the All Star break......

Midnight Star, Heatwave, Bloodstone, El Chicano, Evelyn "Champagne" King @ The Forum The Roots, Jill Scott, Lupe Fiasco, Akon @ Gibson Amphitheatre The Ettes, Rocket, The Affair @ The Scene Bob Weir & Rat Dog @ Ventura Theatre Los Lobos @ The Canyon The Mentors @ The Knitting Factory Cindy Lee Berryhill, John Doe @ Largo The Groovie Ghoulies @ Alex's Bar Mirah, Anna Oxygen & Sir DSS, The Sharp Ease @ The Troubadour......

Lakers 90, Hawks 83 - Kobe Bryant seems to be winning back the hearts and minds of America on this road trip. With three games to go until returning to Los Angeles, the Lakers are now 3-2 with many of those games showing major crowd support for the Laker's star. Bryant's 27 points against Atlanta weren't particularly impressive, but 11 came in the fourth quarter. College Hoops - USC exploded back into the men's top......

The Lakers are halfway through the “Coldest places in North America during the dead of winter” road trip to the Midwest and East. So far: four games, two wins. Not a stellar outcome, but not bad considering they have two starters (Luke Walton and Kwame Brown) watching games in street clothes, plus had to play one without Kobe Bryant (for an infraction far less serious than what LeBron James got away with without a suspension,......

A Word or 108: Superbowl Redux: I found myself wandering over to the Puppy Bowl on Animal Planet a couple times yesterday, and that isn't a bad thing -- the kitten halftime show was excellent. Almost all the Superbowl commercials had been leaked onto the web a week ago so there was nothing new there. I still can't understand why, with all those professionals there, that it would take almost Prince's entire (fantastic) set......

Lucy Lawless @ The Roxy Great Northern, Gray Kid, Foreign Born @ Little Radio George Winston @ Pepperdine University, Smothers Theater Ray Wylie Hubbard, I See Hawks in L.A. @ McCabe's Warner Drive, Itis @ Viper Room Volto @ The Knitting Factory War @ Canyon The Fucking Champs, Earthless, Citay @ Spaceland Girl Talk, Matt & Kim, The Gray Kid @ The Echo Neurosis, Red Sparowes @ El Rey Aztlan Underground, Juan the Mannequin,......

Ducks 68, Bruins 66 - UCLA men's hoops dropped their first game of the year and likely fell out of the nation's top ranking for the first time in several weeks. A previously undefeated Oregon squad was coming off an upset loss to USC, and pulled an upset of their own in Eugene. For more on the game, check out Henry's post. Trojans 91, Beavers 46 - Perhaps avenging the Trojan's football loss a few......

Lakers 106, Hawks 95 - The Lakers starting shooting guard had 22 points in 40 minutes. Not bad, considering he wasn't named Kobe. Maurice Evans had a carrer high while filling in for the injured star, who was still nursing a sprained ankle. Luke Walton contributed 25, a career high, and Justin Farmer had 15, also a career high. Spurs 111, Clippers 82 - San Antonio had five players score double digits, Manu Ginobili......

Tonight - Friday "NBA Basketball" (PRIME, 5:00 p.m.) Clippers @ Spurs "NBA Basketball" (Fox Sports, 7:30 p.m.) Hawks @ Lakers "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" (CBS, 8:00 p.m.) Yup, the original, with Burl Ives -- come on misfits, tune in! "Primetime" (ABC, 9:00 p.m.) Diane Sawyer visits North Korea "Battlestar Galactica" (Sci Fi, 9:00 p.m.) New episode! "Charlie Rose" (PBS, 11:30 p.m.): journalist John F. Burns, Stephen Colbert(!!), billionaire Anthony O'Reilly "The Tonight Show With......

Primus, GOGOL BORDELLO @ Palladium Panic! at the Disco, Bloc Party @ Long Beach Arena Jon Lovitz @ Laugh Factory Storm Lee, Shane Mack @ Genghis Cohen Amos Lee, Mindy Smith @ El Rey Slightly Stoopid, Pepper @ Wiltern Tralala, Jim Noir, Annuals @ Spaceland Waz, Greg Johnson, Jake Coco @ The Hotel Cafe Disco Biscuits @ Roxy DJ AM @ LAX Freshwater Collins, Phillip Sace @ Viper Room The Colour @ The Troubadour......

Congratulations to Bernie for winning The Cold War Kids tickets at the NME Club at Spaceland. Stay tuned to LAist for more contests! Merle Haggard @ Royce Hall Kasabian @ Henry Fonda Cold War Kids @ Spaceland Arianna Huffington @ Borders Books (Westwood) Porcupine Tree @ House of Blues Blue October @ Grove of Anaheim I See Hawks in L.A @ Highland Grounds Jill Sobule, Julia Sweeney @ Largo The Hot IQs @ The......

Fri 5/19 - Kelley Stoltz / Irving / The Little Ones @ the Echo ($10) – This is a very strong lineup for the indie pop fans. San Francisco’s Kelley Stoltz put out an overlooked album earlier this year on Sub Pop. He sounded great at the Echo in February, but his set was cut short by a DJ night. Hopefully he won’t be rushed tonight. He writes songs that are informed by all......