LAst Night's Action: Lakers Bailed Out by Kobe For Sixth Time

LA Lakers defeat Toronto Raptors 109-107. A Kobe Bryant circus shot with 1.9 seconds left in the game allowed the Lakers and their fans to avoid the sting of their first four game losing streak since April 8 to April 13, 2007. Most of the reason why the sixth Kobe bailout of the season was needed was the Lakers sometime horrific offensive execution against the Toronto zone defense. The Lakers went 3-for-15 in three point attempts and turned the ball over nine times which led to 10 Raptors points. Kobe Bryant scored 32 points, and Andrew Bynum added 22 points. For Toronto Chris Bosh scored 22 points including two behind the arc - he only attempted one since February 1. The Lakers now head on another three game road trip to Phoenix, Golden State and Sacramento. This should be very interesting if the Lakers don’t decide to play better.

Orlando Magic defeat LA Clippers 113-87. Baron Davis came into the game with a stomachache, some nausea and dizziness, and the entire Clippers team left Orlando feeling the same if not more. The game was controlled by the Magic from opening tip. Even Dwight Howard led a fast break opportunity where he dished the ball off to Brandon Bass who jammed it through the hoop. The Clippers were still in the game until Drew Gooden hit the first two free throws for the Clips 4:10 in the game. Then the Magic took over eventually pulling out to a 30 point lead in the third quarter. Despite feeling sick and coming off the bench, Davis led all Clippers scorers with 16 points while dishing it out nine times. Drew Gooden notched a double-double with 12 points and 14 rebounds. But with Howard (22 points, 15 rebounds)anchoring the middle and three point assassins littered throughout their lineup (they went 11-for-27 behind the arc), the Magic were just too much. As if the loss wasn’t bad enough, the players learned of Mike Dunleavy’s firing after the game.

Columbus Blue Jackets defeat Anaheim Ducks 4-2. A night after getting embarrassed by the Kings 6-0, the Blue Jackets despite being without their best player Rick Nash spanked the rested Ducks in a chippy game. Each team received three five-minute major fighting penalties, there were four roughing penalties, an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty and both teams spent some time on a 4-on-3 advantage. The Blue Jackets got a goal in the first period by Derek Dorsett, the tenth game in their last 11 that they’ve scored first in a game. Jakub Voracek and Fedor Tyutin scored in the second period to give the Blue Jackets a 3-0 advantage which led to goalie Jonas Hiller being pulled. After all the chippiness at the end of the second period, the Ducks finally woke up when Lubomir Visnovsky and Ryan Getzlaf scored to bring the Ducks within a goal. But stupid hooking penalties by Saku Koivu and Scott Niedermayer in the final minutes of the game as the Ducks were trying to make a surge led to the two Blue Jackets power play goals that iced the game.

Notable Notes

As reported here earlier, former Dodger outfielder Willie Davis was found dead in his Burbank home on Tuesday. Spending 14 seasons in the Dodgers outfield after replacing Duke Snider at centerfield, Davis set a Dodger record in 1969 with a 31-game hitting streak and won three consecutive Gold Glove Awards from 1971-1973. He also remains the franchise record holder in hits (2,091), extra-base hits (585), at-bats (7,495), runs (1,004), triples (110) and total bases (3,094). But perhaps more amazing is what he did while attending Roosevelt High.

Willie Davis (l) in a spring training picture from 1965 featuring (l-r): Derrell Griffith, John Roseboro, Ron Fairly and Tommy Davis. Photo courtesy Dodgers
Petros Papadakis reported on the “fake hour” of the “Petros and Money Show” on KLAC-570 AM, in one day Davis played a morning game of a baseball tournament at Dorsey High stealing three bases and going 3-for-4. He then went to the Coliseum won a track relay event, jumped 25’ 5” in the long jump and ran a 9.4 seconds in the 100-yard dash. He then went back to Dorsey for the late game in the baseball tournament went 3-for-4 with two stolen bases.

As with all things, not everything was completely rosy in Davis’ life. In the 1990s his drug issues came to a head peaking in 1996 when he was arrested outside his parents’ house threatening to kill them and burn down the house if they didn’t give him money. His brother and former Laker Tommy Hawkins helped him get his life back on track and started counseling youth in the perils of drug use.

Tonight’s Action

LA Clippers at Miami Heat. 4:30 pm Prime Ticket, AM 980 KFWB.

LA Kings at Chicago Blackhawks. 5:30 pm FSWest, AM 1150 KTLK.