'13-'14 P&G Game 2: vs. Golden State Warriors

During the second day of the Lakers' back-to-back games, reality hit them as a torching hot Golden State held them down on the ropes, handing the Purple and Gold a 125-94 loss.

Yay of the Game:

8 out of 18 triples kept the Lakers at bay, and it could have gotten worse if they did not shoot their triples. Ironically, the best shooter of the day was Wesley "Mr. One of Eleven" Johnson, who sank 3 of his 6 three-point attempts

Nay of the Game:

-16 was the difference between the Lakers and the Golden State Warriors in terms of assists. Clearly, the Lakers had problems as well with handling the ball and finding the right guy to take the shot (the Lakers also had 16 turnovers, 8 of them coming from steals). Steve Blake and Jordan Farmar shot at a combined 8 of 26 from the clip, and most of those shots could have been given to Pau Gasol (5 of 10) and Chris Kaman (5 of 9)

Play of the Game:

There's virtually nothing worth seeing here, except Klay Thompson hammering the Lakers down with 38 points.


The Lakers are now at:
1-1, tied with the Clippers and the Warriors. Up next is the San Antonio Spurs, who is a relatively old team that has not lost much but gained a few pieces like Jeff Ayres and Marco Bellinelli. Hopefully the Lakers bounce back from this win and realize that even when the odds are against them, they can still snag a few wins.
Highlights:

'13-'14 P&G Game 1: vs. Los Angeles Clippers

Considering the major overhaul the Lakers undertook in the post-Dwight era and the absence of Kobe Bryant, this game stands perhaps as the most shocking opener, as the Lakers beat the Clippers, 116-103, in their shared turf.

Yay of the Game:

76 bench points served as the key to beating the Clippers in the fourth quarter, thanks to the efforts of Xavier Henry (22 points, 3 of 4 triples), Jordan Farmar (16 pts, 4rebs, and 6asst), Jodie Meeks (13 points), Jordan Hill (12 points, 8 rebs), and Chris Kaman (10 points, 8 rebs). Lakers fans might not get the same thing from them in the coming games, but as long as they can hold the fort in Bryant's absence, then the team should be fine entering the first half of the season.


Nay of the Game:

3 points of the Lakers' 116 belonged to Shawne Williams. So much for starting the game, huh.


Play of the Game:

They say Xavier Henry wouldn't do much... that is, until he delivered a fastbreak jam.



The Lakers are now at:

1-0, which is an achievement considering that in the past two years, the Lakers lost in their respective season-openers. Up next is the Golden State Warriors, who seem to possess the same offensive firepower as the Purple and Gold. Different team, same challenge: to keep the team up in the absence of the Black Mamba.

Highlights: