Tag: Los Angeles Lakers

Stephen Curry wears Kobe Bryant jersey to Chase Center vs. Lakers

In the Golden State Warriors first game since the death of NBA legend Kobe Bryant, Stephen Curry wore Bryant’s No. 24 jersey to the game versus the Lakers.

It’s been 20 days since the tragic passing of Kobe Bryant, and his impact is still making waves throughout the NBA.

Since the fatal helicopter crash that killed Bryant, his daughter, Gianna and seven others, the Golden State Warriors have been on a five-game east coast road trip.

On Saturday, the Warriors had the opportunity to honor Bryant against his former team, the Los Angeles Lakers. The Warriors paid respect to Bryant by giving away T-Shirts that labeled both his No. 8, No. 24 and his daughter’s No. 2 jersey numbers.

Before the start of the game, Golden State played a pregame video tribute featuring Bryant.

Stephen Curry, who’s spoken about his relationship with Bryant, also posted a social media commemoration in honor of the fallen NBA legend. On Saturday, Curry continued the Bryant tribute by wearing a special No. 24 jersey to Chase Center.

Curry’s missed all but four games for the Warriors and won’t have the chance to honor Bryant with his play on the court. However, the two-time Most Valuable Player is progressing through his rehab and could return from his broken hand injury in March.

If things go as scheduled, Curry could be in line to play in Golden State’s final game against the Lakers on April 9 in Los Angeles if he’s able to return healthy from his broken hand injury.

Buyout News: Marvin Williams to Milwaukee, Mavericks interested in MKG

The Los Angeles Lakers don’t have an open roster spot but fans are seeing their potential targets go to other teams.

The Los Angeles Lakers decided to stand pat at the NBA trade deadline and while there have been public flirtations with free-agent point guard Darren Collison, Lakers fans are seeing plenty of other potential options from the buyout market to improve their team commit to other squads.

The Charlotte Hornets produced two buyout candidates over the past few days, but veteran forward Marvin Williams has already committed to signing with the Milwaukee Bucks, according to The Athletic’s Shams Charania. In addition to Williams, the Hornets are also agreeing to a buyout with Anthony Davis’ Kentucky teammate Micheal Kidd-Gilchrist, according to ESPN’s duo of Adrian Wojnarowski and Tim McMahon. MKG, according to ESPN, has a good chance of landing with the Dallas Mavericks.

The Clippers made a big move at the trade deadline, pushing in all of their assets to the New York Knicks in order to add forward help in Marcus Morris.

If the Lakers were to add anybody, they would have to cut someone on their team that’s laden with veterans who have been there the whole season. Given that the Lakers’ chemistry has been a major strength for them all season, the benefits of a move to add someone from the buyout market are likely tougher than they are for any other team.

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Lakers in San Francisco to face Warriors after Wiggins-Russell trade

The Golden State Warriors were one of the biggest movers of the trade deadline ahead of their game against the Los Angeles Lakers.

The Los Angeles Lakers will look to bounce back after being stunned at home by the Houston Rockets on Thursday night as they take a quick weekender up north to San Francisco to face off against the Golden State Warriors, who are themselves starting with a clean slate after a busy trade deadline.

The Warriors were involved in one of the biggest trades of the deadline, involving lottery picks future and past. The Warriors traded D’Angelo Russell to the Minnesota Timberwolves for Andrew Wiggins, a top-3 protected 2021 1st round pick and a 2021 2nd round pick. The Wolves also received Omari Spellman and Jacob Evans in the deal.

Warriors head coach Steve Kerr told reporters on Friday that there was a chance that Wiggins is in uniform for tonight’s game against LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and the Los Angeles Lakers, but that there are plenty of procedural hurdles to overcome before that can officially happen.

If Wiggins plays, that will add another level of intrigue to the game. For whatever reason, perhaps being traded to Minnesota for Kevin Love before ever playing a game with LeBron, Wiggins plays well above his career averages against James. In 10 games against LeBron, Wiggins is averaging 26 points, shooting 45% from the 3-point line and 54% from the field overall. However, Wiggins is only 1-9 against LeBron in those games.

Tonight’s game is also expected to feature various tributes and memorials to Kobe Bryant. The game will be televised nationally on ABC at 8:30 p.m. EST.

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L.A. Lakers at Golden State Warriors odds, picks and best bets

Previewing Saturday’s Lakers-Warriors sports betting odds, with NBA matchup analysis and picks.

The Golden State Warriors (12-40) return home for the first time after a five-game road trip to take on the No. 1 team in the West, the Los Angeles Lakers (38-12). Tipoff is at 8:30 p.m. ET at Chase Center in San Francisco.

We analyze the Lakers-Warriors odds and lines, with NBA betting advice and tips around the matchup.

Place a legal sports bet on this NBA action or other games at BetMGM.

Lakers at Warriors: Key injuries

Lakers

  • C DeMarcus Cousins (knee) out
  • C Anthony Davis (finger) probable

Warriors

  • G Stephen Curry (hand) out
  • G Klay Thompson (knee) out
  • F Draymond Green (back) questionable
  • F Juan Toscano-Anderson (pelvis) questionable

Lakers at Warriors: Odds, lines, picks and betting tips

NBA odds courtesy of BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports for a full set of today’s betting odds. Odds last updated Saturday at 11:30 a.m. ET.

Prediction

Lakers 125, Warriors 107

Moneyline (ML)

The Lakers are huge favorites in this game at home at -1112. They are 17-7 at home, while the Warriors (+700) are only 5-23 on the road. The Lakers are at full strength and the Warriors are one of the worst teams in the league.

Take a hard PASS on the money line. The Warriors would need a miracle to beat a Lakers team at full strength and betting on the Lakers isn’t worth the wager.

New to sports betting? A $10 wager on the Lakers returns a profit of $0.90.

Line/Against the Spread (ATS)

The Lakers are big favorites at -14.5 (-106). Los Angeles is 14-12 ATS on the road this season. Golden State is 11-13 ATS at home. With a big spread like this, it is a tough pick either way. However, the Warriors no longer have DeAngelo Russell after trading him to the Timberwolves and now have to work Andrew Wiggins into their offense, while Draymond Green might miss tonight’s game. This looks like a blowout. Take the Lakers and give up the points at -14.5 (-106).

Over/Under (O/U)

The total is set at 223.5 for the game. Lakers games go Over more often than not on the road, as they are 14-12 O/U away from Staples Center. Golden State is 10-14 O/U at home. However, with perhaps no Green in the lineup, the Warriors defense will not be able to keep the Lakers from putting up big points.

Expect the Lakers to score in the 120s, so the Warriors just have to get to 100, something they have failed to do only once in the last six games.

Take the OVER (-106).

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Warriors to memorialize Kobe, Gianna Bryant and other victims during Lakers game

Golden State Warriors to memorialize Kobe, Gianna Bryant and other victims of the January 26 helicopter crash just outside Los Angeles during the Lakers game tonight at the Chase Center.

The Golden State Warriors plan to memorialize Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna as well as the others who lost their lives in the tragic helicopter crash when LeBron and the Los Angeles Lakers visit the Chase Center tonight. The Warriors have not played a home game since the accident occurred on January 26 and will be using tonight’s game to honor the lives we lost along with what Kobe meant to NBA.

According to Monte Pool of NBC Sports Bay Area, there will be special t-shirts and a video tribute during the game on Saturday. The Chase Center in San Francisco will also be lighting up the exterior of the building in the purple and gold of Bryant’s Lakers.

Wes Goldberg of the Mercury News shared a picture of the shirts that will be left on the seats for each of the fans in attendance. Those shirts include Kobe’s No. 8 and No. 24 along with Gianna’s No. 2. During his career, Bryant played in 67 games against the Warriors and averaged 27 points, 5.2 rebounds and 4.7 assists. Golden State head coach Steve Kerr spoke with NBC Sports Bay Area recently about Kobe’s legacy.

“Michael Jordan brought it every single night, and that’s what Kobe did,” said Kerr, a former Chicago Bulls teammate of Jordan according to NBC Sports Bay Area. “He brought it every single night and never took a game off. And did things that were superhuman. Even at the NBA level, in a league full of these incredible athletes, he stood out.”

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Lakers video shows LeBron’s iconic dunk emulated a Kobe dunk from 2001

The Los Angeles Lakers showed that LeBron James’ amazing dunk from last night was an ode to a dunk from 2001 to Kobe Bryant.

The Los Angeles Lakers lost on Thursday night to the Houston Rockets but the loss included not only one of the best dunks of the NBA season, but one of the best dunks of LeBron’s incredible 17-year career. But there was another layer that went largely undetected by the naked eye and that was that LeBron James’ special two-handed reverse windmill was, in fact, a tribute to the late Kobe Bryant, who passed away less than two weeks ago along with his daughter Gianna and seven others.

The Lakers released a video that spliced the two moments together and showed the stunning similarities between the two dunks, which seems anything but unintentional on the part of LeBron. Even if it was a coincidence, it could have been a subconscious choice on LeBron’s part.

This dunk was a special one already but with over 13,000 retweets in less than 20 minutes, it’s clear that the moment has struck a nerve not only with Lakers fans but basketball fans worldwide as well.

The Lakers are off tonight but will face the Golden State Warriors on Saturday night in San Francisco.

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Lakers bring in Darren Collison for ‘recruiting visit’ at Rockets game

The Los Angeles Lakers had a formal visit from a potential addition to their team, recently retired guard Darren Collison.

Following a quiet trade deadline, the eyes of Laker Nation are on available free agents and potential buyout candidates as they hope their Los Angeles Lakers answer the big move made yesterday by their crosstown rival L.A. Clippers for Marcus Morris from the New York Knicks.

And the Lakers organization, true to form, leaned right into the spotlight and controversy by bringing free agent NBA point guard Darren Collison for a “recruiting visit” according to ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne, where he sat courtside next to Lakers owner Jeanie Buss and Director of Special Projects Linda Rambis. Collison walked away from the game this summer but obviously hasn’t turned in his retirement papers to the league just yet.

On Thursday, Matt Barnes relayed a message from Collison that he was still “50-50” on whether he would return to the NBA at all after choosing not to sign with someone in the offseason.

The question now is whether the Lakers will make the painful, but required the move of waiving someone from their current team in order to sign Collison. They have a full 15-man roster and according to several players on the roster, including LeBron James and coach Frank Vogel, chemistry has been an integral part of their success this season.

James and Vogel both dodged questions last night about Collison.

The Lakers are playing it coy and Collison himself still hasn’t committed to an NBA return. But the Lakers, for as great as Rob Pelinka was at building this team in the summer, have a delicate dance to consider if they are going to tinker with their squad.

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Lakers target Darren Collison makes appearance at Staples Center, sits with Jeanie Buss

The Lakers may be close to adding a key free agent.

The Los Angeles Lakers didn’t make any moves before the NBA trade deadline expired on Thursday, but it has been speculated for months that the team would try to add free agent guard Darren Collison, who retired from the NBA last June.

Collison has been linked to both the Lakers and Clippers – but he spent his Thursday night watching a Rockets-Lakers game in the company of Lakers owner and president Jeanie Buss.

According to Collison, he was just enjoying his prime seats.

Collison would be a major addition ahead of what is expected to be a deep playoff run, as the Lakers need another guard who can reduce the playmaking load on LeBron and also be a reliable offensive option for the team’s second unit. Collison has never been a volume shooter, but he has shot above 40 percent from three in each of his last four seasons.

After watching the Clippers upgrade through a trade for Marcus Morris, the Lakers need a response – and they may be close to landing Collison. According to ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne, Collison will discuss his future with the Lakers over the next week.

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LeBron dropped a reverse windmill dunk and gave us the NBA photo of the year

Wow.

At 35 years old, LeBron James can still remind us that he could have won an NBA dunk contest if he had entered, and that he’d probably STILL win it now.

On Thursday night, in a 121-111 loss to the Houston Rockets, he was fed the ball on a breakaway with no one even close, and threw down a reverse windmill with authority. Don’t think for one second that it wasn’t an awesome dunk. It’s gorgeous.

That’s especially true when you see a photo snapped of James in mid-flight. It’s photo of the year-level stuff and it’s only February!

Here’s the snap and the dunk:

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LeBron James puts down amazing dunk but Rockets stun Lakers at home

LeBron James had one of the most beautiful dunks of his career but the Los Angeles Lakers didn’t have any answers for Russell Westbrook.

LeBron James put down one of the most amazing dunks we’ve ever seen from him throughout his storied career. But unfortunately for him and the Los Angeles Lakers, the iconic image of LeBron’s incredible dunk tonight won’t be remembered for a win.

Russell Westbrook had 41 points, eight rebounds, and five assists while the Houston Rockets had five other players in double-figures as they stunned the Lakers, 121-111, in their first game since trading Clint Capela and going all-in on small-ball with their trade earlier this week for Robert Covington.

The best highlight of the game was this dunk from LeBron, who had 18 points, 15 assists, and nine rebounds in the losing effort.

Despite not playing a center for the entire game, the Rockets were only outrebounded by one, 38-37. In addition to that, the Rockets outscored the Lakers from the 3-point line by 30 points.

In a game where their opponents completely forgot about the center spot, Dwight Howard played only four minutes while JaVale McGee played just 16.

The Rockets’ unorthodox style, with the floor wide-open, created a lot of problems for the Lakers tonight. It will be interesting to see what adjustments they do make the next time they see Houston, March 12 back at Staples Center.

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