Nice, tough, close game.

Too bad it ended with another loss, 99-90. Sixers (22-36, .379) gave the Lakers a good fight but couldn't finish the job. Sounds familiar? It is.

I really, really hoped for the second straight W at the Staples center but our guys came up short in the final minutes, and Lakers pulled away for the final, decisive run.

Despite what some recaps wrote about their defense, I must say it was more Sixers missing "easy" shots than Lakers making them tough.

It was the small things that prevented us a win: a couple of open jumpers bricked down the stretch, some 2-vs-1 and 3-vs-2 fastbreaks not completed, key offensive rebounds allowed, a reversed call.

So at the end of the day, you surely tip your hat to all players, because they really played hard, never gave up etc etc, BUT... they didn't take a big game they could have taken.

THREE ANSWERS

1) Yes, as widely expected, Bynum and Gasol were a powerful force in the low post: 43 points (19/33, 63%) + 24 rebounds. Lakers scored thirty of their fifty first half points in the paint.

2) No, I didn't expect Dalembert (in the pic) to have such a big game, with a career high tied. Pretty impressive, he doubled his season average in the first half alone (14 points on 7/10), taking advantage of many dishes by Iguodala, Williams, but also creating his own shots (!) 

Sam wasn't as intimidating as he usually is defensively, but was our only big man to play effectively on both ends. Well done.

 3) Yes, you would say that Iguodala had a great game, one rebound shy of a triple double. And he was very good indeed. But, one more time, Andre misfired on some big shots. He a-i-r-b-a-l-l-e-d an open three and on the following possession Bynum completed a three point play, to give Lakers a 90-85 lead, with 3.58 left. Those plays that make exactly the difference between a very good player and a real superstar (more after the jump).

THREE QUESTIONS

1) How painful has become watching Elton Brand lately? He was absolutely pathetic last night, a dead weight, abused, outhustled by Gasol. Even his usually reliable mid range jumper wasn't falling, and I think Jordan left him on the floor too much. Maybe he did that purposely (am I being too evil?).

Brand completed the four game road trip with these numbers: 7.7 points and 6.2 rebounds in 29 minutes of action, on 30% shooting (12/39). Ouch.

2) When was the last time Sixers won two straight in LA against the Lakers? Seasons 1982/83 and 83/84. A 114-104 win on December 5th, 1982, and a 113-105 W on March 7th, 1984. A ring ago.

3) How did Holiday do against Bryant ?? Pretty well. Kobe clearly wasn't at 100%, in the first half he scored only four points on 2/6, but dished out eight dimes, serving more as a facilitator for an offense that went often down low.

In the third quarter Bryant looked more for his own shots, and got them, carrying the load in a 8-0 Lakers run. But he never dominated the game like he can do. Overall, it was another important step in our rookie's learning process.

REASONS

Why we lost the game

Didn't make shots when it counted the most. 1/7 to end the game and, again, they weren't contested or tough shots, don't give Lakers' too much credit... don't believe the hype (LOL).

We couldn't defend Odom in the low post, where he took advantage of his size and height against Thad.

To be optimistic

We competed against arguably the best team in the NBA. Thaddeus Young caused troubles to Lakers' defense, hitting the offensive glass well.

To be worried

Another game that shows our lack of personality, killer instinct and a real go-to-guy in crunch time.

If you are a tanker, you'll be happy to know that the four upcoming games are vs Orlando, @Atlanta, vs Boston and @Toronto...

WAIT, I HAVE A BONUS FEATURE !!

Here are some thoughts about the Sixers from Don, my Japan based buddy running With Malice, a fine Lakers blog of the Bloguin network.

(Ricky): given Sixers' roster, what you think their record could have been at this point of the season, instead of 22-35 ???

(Don): It depends.  If their roster lived up to the hype, the Sixers would be competing for mastery of the (Don probably fell off his chair here and didn't complete the sentence...)

What is Lakers' REAL competitor this year? Just Cavs? How many chances you'd give Denver in a 7 game series?

I think Denver are not too far behind LA. I also think that if we give them as many chances as we did last year (in a 7 game series) then we might be in trouble.  But then, I still think that Denver's greatest weakness still exists: a lack of self-belief in the crunch (of an important series) and an overall mental frailty.

Last year Sixers beat Lakers on a last second shot by Iguodala. What's your take on this guy, overrated/underrated? Would you put him in Artest's place?

I think Iggy was - for a while - overrated. But now, I'd place him as underrated.  He's a good player, with so-so pieces around him. And I think AI coming back this season really hurt his pride.  Switch for Artest? No. I really like what Ron's brought to the Lakers.

Your thoughts about Iverson, his return to Philly and his troubled season.

I like AI. I like his gumption, his never-say-die attitude. But I think that he's bad for teams with young players.

And here is his post with some answers by my old arse to his questions.

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