March 16, 2009

In Full Effect

Lamar hit Dallas with the total package Sunday, notching a 10-point, 14-board double-double as the Lakers topped the Dallas Mavericks 107-100.

LO on the rise (Getty Images).

LO and Co. nearly squandered the victory in the fourth quarter, but rallied from six points down and put the clamps on the Mavs’ offense, capping off the game with a 18-5 run over the final seven minutes.

“Our defense got us back into this game,” said No. 7. “It was the reason why we pulled away in the first half. We got back into the game in the fourth quarter with our starting unit. It was just lockdown. We just took shots away from them.”

HANDLING A CURVEBALL
Lamar and the Lakers were forced to adjust when the Mavs switched to a rarely used zone defense. With so many offensive weapons, it’s probably something LO’s bunch will have to get used to seeing.

But as the Package told the LA Times, the zone D is neither frustrating nor difficult, but actually flattering, proving a team has no answer for the Western Conference’s premier squad.

“After playing man to man so many games, so many years in the league, so many seasons, that’s what you get used to,” he said. "Usually when a team plays zone, that means they can’t match up against you. We take that as a compliment.”

NEXT UP
LO and the Lakers welcome the Philadelphia 76ers to the Staples Center Tuesday night. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:30 PM WCT.

RELATED STORIES
Lakers wake from slumber in time (Daily Breeze, March 16, 2009)
http://www.dailybreeze.com/ci_11922310
Bryant, Balanced Lakers beat Mavericks (AP, March 15, 2009)
http://www.nba.com/games/20090315/DALLAL/recap.html
If there’s something strange in the Lakers’ neighborhood…(Lakersblog.latimes.com, Mar. 16, 2009)
http://lakersblog.latimes.com/lakersblog/2009/03/lakers-practice.html