SB Nation communities are supposed to be like internet sports bars, but even within a "sports bar", you still have options. If you want privacy, one-to-one conversation, and the opportunity to engage in specific debate about a single topic, you grab a booth. If you want to shoot the shit with friends and strangers alike, you take a seat at the bar. "At The Bar" is your one-stop shop for all the daily randomness that makes SSR such a joy. If you want to discuss something specific, you'll have nice, quiet "booths" in which to have focused conversations. But if you just want to kick back and enjoy the company of friends and strangers, with a little sports and current events on the side, then saunter on up and grab a seat.

Please do not rec this post.

SB Nation communities are supposed to be like internet sports bars, but even within a "sports bar", you still have options. If you want privacy, one-to-one conversation, and the opportunity to engage in specific debate about a single topic, you grab a booth. If you want to shoot the shit with friends and strangers alike, you take a seat at the bar. "At The Bar" is your one-stop shop for all the daily randomness that makes SSR such a joy. If you want to discuss something specific, you'll have nice, quiet "booths" in which to have focused conversations. But if you just want to kick back and enjoy the company of friends and strangers, with a little sports and current events on the side, then saunter on up and grab a seat.

Please do not rec this post.

Starring the Lakers and their chances of improving going into the 2012-2013 season

• Final Pick in 2012 NBA Draft Limits Lakers’ Current Options | Lakers Nation
• Report: Lakers’ Pau Gasol wants to play for Chicago Bulls | SI Tracking Blog
• Is Andrew Bynum's talent worth the Lakers' long-term investment? - latimes.com
• Pau Gasol disputes report he wants to play with the Chicago Bulls - latimes.com
• The Forum: Looking ahead to the offseason - Los Angeles Lakers Blog - ESPN Los Angeles
• Report: Lamar Odom "desperately" wants to be Laker again | ProBasketballTalk
• What would it mean for teams to win NBA Draft Lottery | ProBasketballTalk
• Former Lakers, Bulls Coach Phil Jackson Writing Memoir | Lakers Nation

↓ More after the jump ↓

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Starring the Lakers and reflections on the 2011-2012 season

• Lakers 2011-12 Season Summary | THE OFFICIAL SITE OF THE LOS ANGELES LAKERS
• Lakers appreciate how Mike Brown handled tough circumstances - latimes.com
• Lakers' offensive system contributed most to Pau Gasol's decline - latimes.com
• Sometimes, conference finals reveal true champion | NBA.com
• The Forum: Should the Lakers have performed better? - Los Angeles Lakers Blog - ESPN Los Angeles
• Report: Nets uninterested in trading Deron Williams for Pau Gasol - CBSSports.com
• Wait-and-see mentality in effect for Lakers

↓ More after the jump ↓

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In the wake of the Lakers' second round ouster by the Oklahoma City Thunder, questions come: Where do the Lakers go from here? Are they too old? Can they improve their roster? How much will it cost them to do so? Is Kobe done? Who stays and who goes? So many questions, and right now there are no answers.

Lakers General Manager Mitch Kupchak will surely be hard at work this off-season trying to make sure the team comes back in 2012-2013 ready to contend for a championship, or as ready as a team over the salary cap and deep into the luxury tax can be. But some people don't think that's going to be enough. They think Kobe is done winning championships, that his window, and that of the Lakers, has closed. Kobe disagrees.

"I’m not fading into the shadows, if that is what you’re asking," he interrupted when the inevitable subject of the changing of guard was broached. "I’m not going anywhere. We’re not going anywhere. This is not one of those things where the Bulls beat the Pistons and the Pistons disappear forever. I’m not going for that (expletive)."

Until I see evidence to the contrary, I'll go along with Kobe Bean and say the Lakers will be back stronger next season.

In other news, exit interviews began on Tuesday with Metta World Peace (who jokingly called coach Mike Brown a "fat ass"), Ramon Sessions (he really wants to stay with the Lakers), Jordan Hill (also really wants to stay with the Lakers), Devin Ebanks (he wants more playing time), and Troy Murphy (he will be weighing his free agency options). Today's interviews will include Andrew Bynum, Pau Gasol, Steve Blake and Matt Barnes. Kobe, who opted not to participate in an exit interview, will have a private lunch with Mitch later this week. Stay tuned.

Starring the Lakers and looming questions about what to do now...

• Lakers FYI: Lakers' roster-refurbishment options are limited - latimes.com
• Kobe Bryant and the Lakers face uncertain future after early playoff exit - Yahoo! Sports
• Sources -- Spending by NBA players association's Billy Hunter is investigated - ESPN
• Andrew Bynum unsure of his long-term future with the Los Angeles Lakers - ESPN Los Angeles
• Lakers Have No One Else To Blame But Themselves For Latest Playoff Ouster " NBA.com | Hang Time Blog
• Lakers’ roster needs rebuilding - The Orange County Register
• Forum Blue And Gold " Yesterday, Today, & Tomorrow
• Lakers Pass the Torch to the Thunder...For Now | Lakers Nation

↓ More after the jump ↓

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Starring the Thunder taking a 3-1 lead by snatching Game 4 from the Lakers after another 4Q meltdown from the boys in purple and gold

• Thunder steal Game 4 victory from Lakers with 13-point comeback - latimes.com
• When a 2-0 hole was no problem for the Lakers - latimes.com
• Thunder Regain Strength Late, Beat Lakers 103-100 | Lakers Nation
• Game 4: Thunder 103, Lakers 100 - Lakers blog : The Orange County Register
• Celtics collapse in Game 4 after succumbing to Sixers' tricks; series tied 2-2 - Yahoo! Sports
• Ozzie Guillen: Dwyane Wade was 'disrespectful' to Erik Spoelstra - CBSSports.com
• Spurs become odds-on favorite to win the NBA title as Heat slip - CBSSports.com
• Do Lakers have more in the tank? | game, lakers, bryant - Home - The Orange County Register

↓ More after the jump ↓

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"The Lakers were able to even up their Round 2 series against the Thunder by holding the highest-scoring team in the league to under 100 points, taking a 77-72 win back home to Los Angeles." Wait, scratch that. That's how I planned to start this piece last night with just under two minutes to go in the 4Q. Alas, the Lakers decided to pull a Nike and confiscate my piece, forcing me to write something completely different. To facilitate that, they flipped the script and gave the game to the Thunder, losing 77-75. And while they most definitely held the Thunder to under 100 points, they didn't pull off the second part by winning.


Kobe Bryant gets blamed for a lot of things that aren't his fault, including the play of his teammates. However, last night's loss was his fault. Of course there were things that happened throughout the game that shouldn't have, but with the Lakers up seven with 2:08 to play, Kobe turned in a performance that was mind-boggling.

He coughed up this game, allowing the Lakers to somehow waste a seven-point lead in the final 128 seconds. He lost a pass to Durant, let another go through his hands, missed a 3-pointer and had a shot thrown back by James Harden. It was two minutes, eight seconds of chaos, one blunder after another. Never has Bryant looked so clumsy – so mortal – in such a big moment.

"I was surprised," Lakers coach Mike Brown said.

As for the last shot, Steve Blake missed it, but he is not to be criticized for taking it. He was open because the Thunder weren't expecting him to get the ball. Unfortunately, it just didn't fall, but he is not the goat of this game. Last night's goat is Kobe Bryant, and not the GOAT variety.

Starring the Lakers as they give away Game 2 to the Thunder

• Lakers crumble late in Game 2 loss to Thunder - latimes.com
• LAL 75, OKC 77: Game 2 Running Diary " Lakers Blog
• Lakers give it away to Thunder, 77-75, in Game 2 - latimes.com
• Thunder vs. Lakers | Western Conference Semi-Finals | 2012 NBA Playoffs | NBA.com
• Thunder rally to edge Lakers 77-75 in Game 2 - Yahoo! Sports
• NBA appoints new Competition Committee - NBA - SI.com
• Andrew Bynum doesn’t care what you think | The Orange County Register
• Physical play lessens NBA playoffs excitement - ESPN
• More for the Lakers' drawing board - Lakers Blog - ESPN Los Angeles

↓ More after the jump ↓

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So, it's been about 36 hours since the Lakers were handed their worst loss in a playoff game since 1998. How will they respond? That is a very good question. Kobe Bryant says they haven't been too "down", while acknowledging that they have to do better than they did in Monday night's debacle, while some think he's already given up.

"We're a team that doesn't get down when we get blown out. We've been blown out a bunch of times this season, blown out last series a couple times," Bryant said.

"We're used to dealing with that."

"Everything's fixable. It's just about making adjustments. That's really what the postseason is," said Bryant, a five-time NBA champ.

"They came out, took us out back and whooped us. It's on us to make adjustments, to make changes and come back with a better effort — and we will."

Erm, you might not want to get too used to getting blown out, Kobester. That will mean the premature end of your season.

Speaking of premature exits, it seems Danilo Gallinari is having a tough time getting over the Nuggets' loss to the Lakers in round one.

"I had a bad night. It's my nature, and I was given this by my parents, to live for those big moments. I want big games to prove to myself that I'm a winner and not a loser," Gallinari told me Monday [...]

"I didn't have just the world watching that game, but also my friends, my family and everybody in my home country knew I was coming out to have a big game. And I didn't."

"I'm still not sleeping. I'm still mad," Gallinari said. "Not talking to anybody. You lucky I'm talking to you guys today."

Hey Gallo, your time may come, but for now, take some Unisom and catch some ZZZZZs.

And what was Devin Ebanks thinking, going all "CRACCCQQQQIOOOU!!!" in that game? Ridiculous.

Game 2 is tonight. The Lakers will need to come of hibernation since the Thunder will be loaded for bear.

LULZ

Starring the Lakers vs. the Thunder in Game 2 of the Western Conference Semi-Finals

• Lakers can't match Thunder's energy, intensity
• Lakers/Thunder: A-Z Preview | THE OFFICIAL SITE OF THE LOS ANGELES LAKERS
• Staples Center hosts Los Angeles Lakers, Clippers, Kings playoffs - NBA - SI.com
• Lakers' Metta World Peace weathers Thunder fans' wrath - latimes.com
• Game 2 seems like a must win for Lakers - latimes.com
• Doctor says Chicago Bull's Derrick Rose out 8-12 months after ACL surgery - ESPN Chicago
• 2012 NBA playoffs -- Los Angeles Lakers' Kobe Bryant cites injury risk in drawing charges - ESPNLA
• Lakers Look to Adjustments for Game 2 " Lakers Blog

↓ More after the jump ↓

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See, that wasn't so hard, now was it? All you have to do is come out energized and focused and playing a little bit of defense--that's how you win a close-out game. After looking like death warmed over in Games 5 and 6 against the Nuggets, Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum came alive in a "do or die" Game 7 and led the Lakers to a 96-87 win, advancing them to the second round.

In Game 6, Pau Gasol played probably his worst game ever in four years on the Lakers roster, scoring a paltry 3 points and grabbing just 3 rebounds. He knew he hadn't played well, but the question was how was he going to remedy that in Game 7. Here's how: 23 points, 17 rebounds, 6 assists, 4 blocks. He was all-around awesome, with an aggressiveness we haven't seen from him in a long time.

Pau Gasol was consumed by determination, holding off Kenneth Faried with one arm and relentlessly tipping the ball at the hoop with the other in the fourth quarter of Game 7. One, two, three, four - five! - offensive rebounds later, the ball finally surrendered and dropped through the hoop.

''We were aggressive,'' Gasol said. ''We attacked the paint better. We pounded the boards as hard as we could, every single time. ... Our backs against the wall also had something to do with it.''

Andrew Bynum also stepped up and did some damage, scoring 16 points, grabbing 18 rebounds (a playoff career high) and blocking 6 shots of his own. And let's not forgot the return of Metta World Peace, who scored 15 points in his first game back from suspension. He hit four 3-pointers and played amazing defense on Danilo Gallinari and Andre Miller (who shot a combined 2-19). Mike Brown said it best.

''He made plays tonight that won't show up in the stat sheet that were absolutely amazing for us defensively,'' said Mike Brown. ''Just his presence alone helped us out, and that's what we missed the first six games. ... He was monstrous for us tonight.''

And then there was Steve Blake who scored a playoff career-high 19 points, hitting five of his six 3-pointers. Blake was on fire from the start, hitting open shots as Kobe Bryant found him in the corner or at the elbow, time and time again.

Playing big minutes in relief of Sessions, Blake had impact almost immediately. He hit his first triple late in the first, then two more in the second. In all, he hit his first five and finished with 19 points, good for the second-best total on the team. Plus, he forced turnovers at the other end, fought for loose balls and generally did his scrappy Steve Blake thing. A huge moment for a guy who has had far more downs than ups in his Lakers career.

Oh, that Kobe guy wasn't too bad either. He scored 17 points and had 8 assists. Not his most spectacular game, but it didn't need to be with the help he received from his teammates. I'll take it.

Next up, the Oklahoma City Thunder on Monday. Take a gander at the complete schedule for Round 2.

Happy Mother's Day to all the moms and moms-to-be, as well as all the fathers who pull double duty!

Starring the Lakers defeating the Nuggets in a thriller of a Game 7, and the reawakening of Pau Gasol

• Lakers get Metta World Peace back for Game 7 - latimes.com
• Lakers outlast Nuggets 96-87 in thrilling Game 7 - Yahoo! Sports
• Lakers advance to second round with 96-87 win over Nuggets - CBSSports
• Lakers vs. Nuggets | Western Conference First Round | 2012 NBA Playoffs | NBA.com
• Lakers survive and advance, eliminate Nuggets in Game 7 | ProBasketballTalk
• Lakers back Mike Brown after Magic Johnson's firing prediction - NBA - SI.com
• Lakers have known 7th heaven . . . and its opposite - latimes.com
• Mike Brown appreciates front office support - latimes.com

↓ More after the jump ↓

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LAKERS ADVANCE TO ROUND 2!!!

Use this is as your post-game thread.

MOAR OF DA SAYME, PLEEZE!

Starring the Lakers and big talk from their big man, Andrew Bynum, who didn't play as big as his words

• Nuggets, motivated by Bynum’s words, avoid elimination with Game 5 win over Lakers | ProBasketballTalk
• Don’t blame Brown for this collapse - The Orange County Register
• Game 5: Nuggets 102, Lakers 99 - Lakers blog : The Orange County Register
• Mike Brown says that stupid idea to intentionally lose Game 5 to get Metta World Peace back is stupid | ProBasketballTalk
• Lakers vs. Nuggets | Western Conference First Round | 2012 NBA Playoffs | NBA.com
• Rapid Reaction, Game 5: Nuggets 102, Lakers 99 - Lakers Blog - ESPN Los Angeles
• Kobe Bryant And Sportswriting 101 - From Our Editors - SBNation.com

↓ More after the jump ↓

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The Lakers go into today's game with a 2-1 lead over the Denver Nuggets, but it should be 3-0. They had every opportunity to win Game 3 on Friday, but they played lazily on both ends of the floor, and the Nuggets took advantage, as they were supposed to do. Rebounding in particular is a problem as the Nuggets have outrebounded the Lakers in every game of this series.

Actually, Denver has kicked L.A.'s behind on the offensive glass all three games. Even in Game 1, when the Lakers held the overall rebounding lead 52-46, the Nuggets had 16 offensive rebounds to the Lakers' 11. In Game 2, the Nuggets outrebounded the Lakers 52-48 overall and 19-18 on the offensive end and in Denver's 99-84 Game 3 victory, they dominated the boards 54-44 and 19-13 on the offensive glass.

That's not gonna get it done, but it can see the Lakers done.

Another problem was 3-point shooting. The Lakers haven't been very good at it for a few years now, but they keep taking them, even when they're not falling. On Friday, the Lakers shot 25 3-pointers; they made 6. The biggest culprit was Kobe Bryant, who took 10 by himself. While he made 3, half of all the ones the Lakers made, it was the other 7 that were the problem.

"A lot of them came in desperation situations with low clock, because (Bynum is) getting double teamed he’s throwing it out on the perimeter and guys are catching the ball with 3-4 seconds left on the (shot) clock and they have to chuck some s--- up," Bryant said. "We got to penetrate and pitch and do other things that create other opportunities for some of our other guys like Matt and Steve and some of these other guys where they’re not just sitting on the 3-point line all game long."

Both Bynum and Lakers coach Mike Brown said that Lakers players could take a step or two in after catching the ball on the 3-point line to take a closer shot, but Brown stressed the importance of staying patient with the 3 to ultimately open things up inside.

As for Andrew Bynum, he says he wasn't ready for Game 3. LOLWUT.

Bynum has much more responsibility in the L.A.'s offense this season, so the Lakers' 7-foot center works long and hard before games on his footwork and balance.

He said he had to cut short that pregame preparation Friday night after arriving late to the arena.

''Yesterday we did a little bit of it, but like I said, I got there a little late, so I didn't have as much time as I needed,'' Bynum said.

Asked Saturday how the Nuggets were able to take him out of his game in the first half, Bynum said, ''I took myself out,'' adding he was ''maybe just not ready to play.''

So the Lakers move on to Game 4 and hope to come back to L.A. with a 3-1 lead, where they can finish off the series and get ready to face the Oklahoma City Thunder, who swept the defending champion Dallas Mavericks out of the first round. Oops.

Starring a hopefully improved effort from the Lakers in Game 4

• Lakers at Nuggets Game 4: What to watch - Lakers Blog - ESPNLA
• Game 3 win could have bigger-picture impact for Nuggets | NBA.com
• Lakers don't put up much of a fight | The Orange County Register
• Joey Crawford Sounds Off on 35 Years as an N.B.A. Referee - NYTimes.com
• Biggest Strength for the Lakers Remains in the Frontcourt | Lakers Nation
• Lakers need to pick up their board game against Denver - latimes.com
• Lakers' success or failure largely hinges on Andrew Bynum - latimes.com
• James Harden, Thunder sweep defending champion Mavericks - Brian Hendrickson - SI.com
• Stoudemire Wants to Play on Sunday - NYTimes.com

↓ More after the jump ↓

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Derp on, my people.

Kobe Bryant and the Lakers beat the Denver Nuggets 104-100 in Game 2 of their Western Conference playoff series. Nuggets coach George Karl complained on Sunday that Andrew Bynum got away with about 30 illegal defenses in Game 1 so he was most likely hoping to put a little bug in the refs' ears going into last night's contest. While his strategy didn't exactly backfire, it didn't help much either. As the Nuggets focused more on Bynum, Kobe was able to do what Kobe does.

At 33, Kobe Bryant has already logged more minutes than Michael Jordan, played in more seasons than Magic Johnson and Larry Bird. His 6-foot-6 frame, slender compared to the NBA's modern stars, has absorbed injury-inducing blows to virtually every relevant part. He cracks jokes about his dwindling vertical leap. But on some nights, when the legs are fresh and the back is loose, when there is spring in the knees and juice in the joints, he can appear utterly ageless.

The Lakers are in a really good place in terms of health. Kobe has been relatively healthy all season (he played through his major wrist injury and finally sat with the shin injury); Bynum has missed just one game due to injury (sprained ankle); Pau Gasol hasn't missed any time at all; Matt Barnes is playing on a sprained ankle; and Ramon Sessions played through his sprained shoulder. The main thing at this point is keep everyone healthy and injury free.

Avoid series momentum-changing pitfalls such as the Memphis Grizzlies' blown 27-point lead to the Los Angeles Clippers. Avoid hotheaded mistakes such as Boston's Rajon Rondo's bumping into a referee or New York's Amare Stoudemire's punching a glass fire extinguisher case. And avoid, above all else, the injury bug that already has claimed the season of Chicago's Derrick Rose and threatened the availability of Atlanta's Josh Smith moving forward.

Of course, this series is far from over, and the hope is that the fellas don't get complacent when they head to Denver for Game 3. As long as they keep their foot on the gas, they have a great chance of ending this series early enough to give everyone some rest before the next one begins. Knock on every piece of wood you see from here on out, folks.

Finally, Gregg Popovich won the Coach of the Year award, Tyson Chandler is your 2011-2012 Defensive Player of the Year, and Pau Gasol is a finalist for the NBA's J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award, won last season by then-Ron Artest.

ONWARD!

Starring Kobe Bryant and the Lakers taking Game 2 from the Nuggets in their quest for #17

• "A big run" for Mike Brown - Los Angeles Lakers Blog - ESPN Los Angeles
• Kobe, Bynum Lead Lakers to 2-0 Series Lead Over Nuggets | Lakers Nation
• LAL 104, DEN 100: Game 2 Running Diary " Lakers Blog
• Lakers hold off Nuggets to take 2-0 series lead - Yahoo! Sports
• David Stern wants to restrict Olympics to 23-and-under players - CBSSports
• Bynum believes in his knees, now and later | The Orange County Register
• Mike Brown: Popovich should have ‘gazillion’ coaching awards - Lakers blog : The Orange County Register

↓ More after the jump ↓

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In a highly-anticipated matchup, the Los Angeles Lakers face their first-round opponent, the Denver Nuggets, today at 12:30 PDT on ABC.The Lakers won the season series against the Nuggets 3-1, and are favored to win this playoff series in either 5 or 6 games, but Denver isn't too worried, and figure they can beat the Lakers with speed. The Lakers, on the other hand, have the practically unbeatable Andrew Bynum, the immovable force in the middle. Bynum tells us he's ready now that the playoffs are starting.

"We’re well aware we need to come out and make a statement in the first game," Bynum said to O.C. Register reporter Kevin Ding.

"Season’s over. It’s the post-season. I’m ready for everything."

Despite the season-long talk of him being old and washed up, Kobe Bryant is feeling refreshed and rejuvenated coming into the playoffs, but George Karl and the Nuggets are looking to take all that good feeling away from him and the rest of the Lakers. Their weapon of choice is Arron Afflalo, nicknamed The Rattlesnake by his teammates.

"Have you ever seen a black mamba?" Karl said. "It's not a very big snake. It's not a very impressive snake. The rattlesnake is more impressive. I don't think you want to get bit by either one, but I know you don't want to get bit by the black mamba."

"They have to develop more teamness in this playoffs to win a championship," Karl said of the Lakers, "and we have to show the world that some of our players have more talent than right now they are perceived [to have]. And I think that's going to happen in time."

In other news, Day 1 of the 2012 Playoffs had some rather tragic outcomes for two players on Eastern Conference teams. Derrick Rose suffered a torn ACL in his left knee with under two minutes to play in the Bulls' game against the 76ers. The Bulls won but they also lost, big. Not too long after that, the Knicks rookie Iman Shumpert suffered the same devastating injury as New York was wiped off the map while playing the Miami Heat, losing 101-67. Both players are expected to be sidelined for 6-8 months, meaning Rose is now out for this summer's Olympics. Jerry Colangelo is now looking to expand the roster for that team.

Finally, the U.S. Government is now investigating the NBPA after allegations surfaced last week against Union Executive Director Billy Hunter. This just gets uglier by the day.

Oh, and check this out (h/t Ball Don't Lie).

Starring the Lakers vs. the Nuggets in their Round 1 playoff series

• Lakers Gameday | 04/29/12 | Nuggets | THE OFFICIAL SITE OF THE LOS ANGELES LAKERS
• Lakers vs. Nuggets Game 1: What to watch - Los Angeles Lakers Blog - ESPN Los Angeles
• 2012 NBA playoffs -- Chicago Bulls' Derrick Rose suffers torn ACL against Philadelphia 76ers - ESPN Chicago
• Opinion: World Peace can't understand his demons - NBA- NBC Sports
• Healthy, motivated Kobe is eager to be king again - The Orange County Register
• NBPA under investigation by U.S. Attorney's office - CBSSports
• Nuggets see up-tempo attack as key to beating L.A - Yahoo! Sports
• Lakers shift into playoff mode for Game 1 against Nuggets - latimes.com

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The Los Angeles Lakers once again won the Pacific Division title after a close race with their Staples Center co-tenants, at the same time clinching the third seed in the Western Conference. The Lakers rested while the Clippers lost to the Atlanta Hawks; their final game of the season comes on Thursday against the Sacramento Kings. The playoff seedings are almost set.

Of course the biggest story is the suspension of Metta World Peace. After taking a couple of days to review the tape of MWP's hit on James Harden and considering numerous other factors, the NBA handed down a seven-game suspension to begin immediately. That means MWP will miss the Lakers' last game of the season and six games to start the playoffs (assuming the Lakers get that far; wait, of course they will!). The Lakers organization released a statement regarding the incident and its ramifications.

"Metta has for the most part been a model citizen both on and off the court since joining the Lakers. Still, his most recent lapse in judgement is not to be condoned or accepted. His actions could have seriously injured another player, and his absence during this suspension will hurt our team as well. While we accept the league’s decision, we will be supportive of Metta and try to help him be more professional on the court."

Some think the punishment is just right, some think MWP got off easy, some say should have been banned for the entire playoffs. Others think he should be banned for life. Chris Mannix of SI.com says the Lakers got what they deserved because they knew what they were getting when they signed the former Ron Artest.

It was message-sending time, NBA, and you blew it. World Peace should have been banned for the playoffs, forced to have been held truly accountable for his actions. It would have hurt the Lakers, sure. After a rocky season, World Peace was coming around in April, averaging 14.1 points before the Harden-clocking incident. Now they will have to make do with a combination of Matt Barnes and Devin Ebanks, solid players but not World Peace's timber. But L.A. knew what it was getting into when it signed the then-Ron Artest to a five-year, $34 million contract in '09. It knew something like this could happen, and it did.

At any rate, the suspension is in place and there's nothing to be done about it but play on. Harden has not been cleared to resume playing, but he says he's feeling good, which is great news for everyone. The Lakers will be without Matt Barnes in Sacramento as he's nursing a moderately sprained ankle suffered in the second quarter of Sunday's win over the Thunder.

In other news, Billy Hunter has been considered a shady character for a while now, and it appears there was good reason for those thoughts; Derek Fisher says "hell no, I won't go" to the NBPA; Kobe Bryant and Kevin Durant are neck and neck for this season's scoring title; and Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol are now part owners of a horse, of course.

Starring the Lakers locking up the #3 seed in the Western Conference and winning the Pacific Division...again

• Lakers Get West’s No. 3 Seed " Lakers Blog
• Clippers lose in Atlanta, Lakers earn Pacific Division, No. 3 seed - Lakers Blog - ESPNLA
• NBA -- Does punishment for Metta World Peace fit crime? - ESPN
• Report -- Union has paid Billy Hunter's family millions - ESPN
• NBA blew chance to send message in suspension of Lakers' Metta World Peace - Chris Mannix - SI.com
• If Fisher steps out at union, could Chris Paul take his place? | ProBasketballTalk
• Time To Rethink The West Race? " NBA.com | Hang Time Blog
• Lakers hurting at small forward spot - Lakers blog : The Orange County Register
• Kobe Bryant Wins Bidding War Against Pau Gasol for a Race Horse | Lakers Nation

↓ More after the jump ↓

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Post here until the recap is up.

For the second time in less than a week, the Lakers are reeling from a beating that should have been reported to police for its brutality. Two days after the San Antonio Spurs handed them their worst lost of the season (just 3 days after handing them their previous worst loss of the season), they face the younger, faster Oklahoma City Thunder, a team they've already lost to twice this season. The most recent meeting happened to be Derek Fisher's return to Staples Center after he was traded to the Rockets (sounds convoluted but you know the story). We can only hope this time around, things go our way.

In other news, Kobe Bryant, after sitting out seven straight games, is still the league's leading scorer at 27.9 PPG, while Kevin Durant is nipping at his heels with 27.8. However, Kobe says he's not worried about it.

But when asked about the opportunity to win another scoring title, Bryant gave a typical response.

"Not very important," Bryant told Mark Medina of the L.A. Times.

Classic Kobe.

Around the league, Derek Fisher has been asked to resign as President of the NBPA, a step he refuses to take; Marcus Camby says players believe in a "Blazers Curse"; the Nets may go after Kevin Garnett in free agency; the Clippers are going to put a force field around Blake Griffin; Dwight Howard's back surgery has been deemed successful; the Jazz are not leaving Utah; and the Heat lost to the Wizards (see, it happens to other teams too).

Starring the Lakers as they face former teammate Derek Fisher once again

• Derek Fisher fires back at union officials - Yahoo! Sports
• LAL Magic Number for No. 3 Seed: 2 " Lakers Blog
• Lakers vs. Thunder: What to watch with Daily Thunder - Lakers Blog - ESPNLA
• Lakers players wait to comment on NBPA feud - Lakers blog : The Orange County Register
• Lakers get another chance against an elite opponent - latimes.com
• Derek Fisher refuses to resign, says push for NBPA review 'not about me' - Sam Amick - SI.com
• NBA Basketball Playoff Picture - CBSSports.com
• Lakers hope to hold on to No. 3 seed

↓ More after the jump ↓

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Kobe Bryant returned to play tonight after sitting out seven straight games with a shin injury. His return did not go as well as we'd hoped, with the Lakers falling to the Spurs by 24 points, their worst loss of the season. According to ESPNLA's Dave McMenamin, "The Lakers have three 20-point losses in their last 8 games, two coming at the hands of the Spurs." The Lakers gave up 32 points in the first quarter, and ended it down by 7. The second quarter was a little better and the Lakers ended the half down by 4.

From there it got ugly. The second half was an exercise in futility as the Spurs won the third quarter by 14. Defense was non-existent throughout the game and the Spurs shot a blistering 61% from the field, 67% on 3-pointers. Kobe shot 5-6 in the third and ended up with 18 points to lead the Lakers. He played 30 minutes and looked pretty good. Bynum again failed to come close to his production in last Wednesday's game against this team, ending with 17 points on 5-9 shooting and just 2 rebounds (one each offensive and defensive). He did, however, make 7-8 free throws. Matt Barnes impressed once again with 14 points on 5-11 from the field and 5 rebounds. He was the only player in forum blue with a positive +/- tonight.

Chris is under the weather tonight but he may have a more in-depth recap tomorrow. For now, enjoy the rest of your evening.

Last night, the Lakers faced the Spurs for the second time in a week. Their first meeting went very well for the Lakers, not so well for the Spurs, with Andrew Bynum gobbling up 30 rebounds in a beatdown in San Antonio. This time around, the Spurs put on their steel-toed cowboy boots and kicked the you-know-what out of the Lakers, romping over them to a 21-point victory in Staples Center. As Andrew Bynum said after the game, "They beat us like we stole something."

''It went just as well for us as it went for them in San Antonio,'' Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. ''The Lakers had the kind of night we had back home when they destroyed us. So we had a good night, and we still caught a break: I looked hard, but I didn't see Kobe anywhere. I think that helped us a little bit.''

Kobe Bryant sat out his sixth straight game (only the 101st in his career) and is doubtful for tonight's game against the Golden State Warriors, but that is only part of the reason the Lakers lost. Mainly, the Spurs were just better at not turning the ball over (they had 12 while the Lakers had 19), and shooting the 3 ball. In the second quarter, the Lakers turned the ball over on five straight possessions--FIVE STRAIGHT POSSESSIONS. The Spurs capitalized on each one, turning a close game into a rout by scoring 18 unanswered points. Needless to say, it didn't get any better from there, although the Lakers did try to make a push late in the third quarter. Alas, their efforts failed and they fell for just the seventh time at home.

For those who think the Lakers can just go out and spend as much money as they want on good players because of their new television deal, Jim Buss tell you to think again. That ain't the way the game is played.

Shortly after settling the new CBA, the NBA also hammered out a new revenue-sharing plan. Under the new model, Buss estimated that the Lakers, who used to dole out approximately $4 million to $6 million a season in revenue sharing, now will owe anywhere from $50 million to $80 million in revenue sharing each season.

He also talks about his relationship with Kobe and Phil Jackson. Interesting stuff.

"Yes, we had dinner," Buss said when asked if he heeded Johnson's advice to connect with Bryant. "We talk all the time now. What it is is, be it my fault, I should communicate more with the players in a certain way. I've always felt that when it comes to (player movement) decisions that it changes every 10 minutes when it's actually going to happen. To inform a player or ask a player's opinion about this guy or that guy, it would bore them to death and drive them crazy. So, I was under the impression that it was better to wait until the very last moment and then talk to him."

In other news: Derrick Rose has a hard time handling his fame; the Lakers are uber-clutch at the end of games; Kevin Love is still out with a concussion; and Ray Allen has abnormally large calf muscles. Finally, a Dallas reporter thinks the Lakers failed to show the proper respect to the World Champion Mavericks during their visit last Sunday. LULZ