Raising The Top

After the home defeat against San Antonio, the Los Angeles Lakers have won 3 of the next 4 games, coming back to the top of the NBA with a 16-5 record (76.2%), opposite to the surprising Orlando Magic (14-4, 73.3%) and San Antonio Spurs (11-4, 73.3%); both have beaten the Lakers this season.
But near the All Star Weekend break there's only a question that now hangs on the NBA: is this the...

Very likely. 30.7 ppg, 5.8 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 43.9% for three, 91% from the free throw line in 21 games...  At the age of 33, the reignin' Mvp looks like the late Michael Jordan. Also the MJ's numbers from 1995-96 season (when Michael was 33) confirm this comparison (30.4 ppg, 6.6 rebounds, 4.3 assist, 42.7% for three, 83.4% from the line). 

Domination End

Like an high speed runaway train. Arrives at Staples Center and puts everything in question. Until a few days ago there was only one team dominating the NBA, the Los Angeles Lakers: they have now bee outsed...

Without Tony Parker (injured), his substitute George Hill played a sci-fi game (36 points, 10 assists, 6 rebounds, 13/18 from the field, 9/9 from the free throw line!!!) dragging the four times NBA Champs' San Antonio Spurs to an amazing 116-102 victory in L.A., joining the Lakers in the top of the NBA with the same record (13-4). Dragged by Hill, DeJuan Blair (14 rebounds, +30 in plus/minus!), by timeless Tim Duncan (13 boards, NBA second best rebounder), Ginobili (24 points) and Richard Jefferson (21), and by Gregg Popovich's defense, the Spurs (9 wins in last 10 games) have demonstrated in L.A. to be a serious strong title contender, with unusual high scores skills. They're surprisingly back!

Believe It or Not

He has returned to L.A. 8 games ago, and the Lakers have lost only once since his arrival. Last year he was part of the surprising New Orleans Hornets, caming to the Western Conference Semifinals. He won 2 NBA titles, and he wants the third...

...Basketball is not only points, shot percentage, rebounds or assists: it's also intangibles. Those things - body check, energy, presence -  that never appears in a boxscore: DJ Mbenga is the Intangibles Master. Last year, at the Lakers, his role (the center from the bech) was occupied by Theo Ratliff who has played a very good season, but he was too old (37 years). When Ratliff retired (June 2011) the Lakers' choice was to replace him with David Andersen: the Aussie showed very good offensive skills with a great shot from long distance, but he didn't give what a center must provide: a defensive presence. See Mbenga in the free agent list without a team was a godsend... Immediately gotcha! And now the NBA is a Lakers dominion (13 wins, 3 losses)!

Showdown!

The 2010 Champs vs the 2011 Champs... the 2011 Mvp of the season (KB24) vs the 2011 Mvp of the Finals (LBJ)... the Western Conference leading team (10-2) vs the Eastern Conference leaders (7-2).. ladies & gentleman, Lakers vs Heat!

Last year at the 'American Airlines Arena was a massacre: Miami gave a real baskeball lesson and the Lakers finish down by 30 points. This year the music changed... L.A. has defeated the 2011 champions thanks to a 1-3-1 zone adapted, sending Dwyane Wade (9-24 from the field) and Chris Bosh (8 points, 3-7) in totally confusion. Kobe scores 32 points (4-6 behind the arc) but has impressed the substantials defense into the 1-3-1 zone by Luc Mbah a Moute (15 points, 6 rebounds from the bench) and Ron Artest (12 points, 7 boards , 4 steals) who broke the game with two three point shots in the last 3 minutes. The LeBron James' 38 points were vain. 

Now Lakers dominate the NBA with 12 wins and 2 losses (85.7%) and their gear seems unstoppable

Is he an alien?

... in the last two match. After the 83 points performance against the Charlotte Bobcats, Kobe scores 34 (with 7 rebounds) in the 95-88 Lakers victory @ Oklahoma City, in a stellar duel with Kevin Durant (37). In the first nine games of the season the Black Mamba scored only 23.2 points per game, now is the NBA leading with 32.1, opposite to the 2011 Nba Finals Mvp LeBron James (29.4). Bryant, accused of being gone during the last Western Conference Finals against Portland lost in a bloody way (from 2-0 to 2-4), is extremely benefiting from the recent use of the Triple Post Offense '98 taken by the Chicago Bulls of the last Michael Jordan: Phil Jackson has dusted off it just two games ago.

Ops, he did it Again!

Are you kidding? At 33? Yeah. Kobe does it again. In the 116-93 victory at the Staples Center against Michael Jordan's Charlotte Bobcats, the Black Mamba has erupted: 83 points, 34-66 from the field, 8-14 for three, 7-8 from the line, rewriting two Lakers franchise records: most points (83) and shots made in a single game (34)...

...it all happened in the tenth game of the second NBA 2k11 season. The historic date? December 7, 2011. It's the second best performance in NBA history after the famous Wilt Chamberlain's 100 points (March 2, 1962). Then... the Kobe's 81 points against Toronto in January 2006, the 78 by Wilt "The Stilt" in 1961, the 73 by David Thompson (1978) and the 71 by Elgin Baylor (1961) and David Robinson (1994). This in the Nba, but in the entire Planet? Here is the five best single game performances in professional leagues.

153 points - Erman Kunter, Istanbul (1988) 
144 points - Zdenko Babic, Zadar Zara (1986)
143 points - Aristides Muroglou, Iraklis Thessaloniki (1972)
135 points - Richard "Pee Wee" Kirkland, Lewisburg (1974)
116 points - Archie Talley, Yugoslavia (1978)


.... Wilt who?