March 18, 2009

Lamar, Lakers Stunned

No. 7 put things in perspective right after Tuesday night's 94-93 buzzer-beater loss to the Philadelphia 76ers.

The Package driving upcourt on Tuesday night (Getty Images).

As he told the Los Angeles Times:

"That's what happens when you let a team stick around...This is toward the end of the year. We want to finish strong and play our best games. We've got to tie up some loose ends, and we will."

Despite the loss, Lamar had an outstanding game, scoring 14 points, grabbing 11 boards and dishing out five assists. The LA Times Lakers Blog was glowing in its praise of No. 7's play:

Odom established the foundation for a quality effort on back-to-back plays early in the first quarter. First, he tipped a Philly miss off the backboard to himself to secure a rebound. Then came a block of Andre Miller's layup (again making use of the glass), which set up a new Laker possession and an eventual Derek Fisher and one layup. That activity felt like a good sign of things to come, an omen that proved true. Fourteen boards and five dimes, plus a team leading eleven boards, five coming while windexing the offensive glass. In particular, LO was big during a third quarter where a lead was built after foul trouble pinned Kobe Bryant to the bench. Of the six baskets that helped bump an advantage from one to eleven, LO either sank or set up four of them. That's a guy stepping up for a team in need.

PROFILED IN SI
Add Sports Illustrated to the many periodicals who have profiled the package, and make sure to check out Lee Jenkins' story on SI.com.

RELATED STORIES
Sixers 94, Lakers 93: This one's gonna bruise (LA Times Lakers Blog, Mar. 17, 2009)
http://lakersblog.latimes.com/lakersblog/2009/03/sixers-94-laker.html
Trouble follows the Lakers home (LA Times, Mar. 17, 2009)
http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-lakers-sixers18-2009mar18,0,6964140....