Lakers-Blazers: Portland Exposes Chink in LA's Armor

The secret’s out. Hornets, Mavericks, Suns, Spurs, and Jazz take note.

If you want to beat the Lakers and better your chances of securing the home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs, then simply play them at the Rose Garden in Portland.

For the extra revenue they will get, I’m sure you can work a deal out with the Blazers. Whatever it takes, just do it.

Forget about the revenue you will be losing by scheduling your home game with the NBA’s biggest draw in Portland. You will make up for it in the playoffs.

It doesn’t matter if you have to schedule your game at 9 a.m. or midnight.

Maybe you can work out a Nostalgia Night with the Blazers, where they schedule an NBA double-header like they used to do in the old days before the NBA became so popular.

Am I certain you will notch a victory?

Does it rain in Portland?

Portland’s Rose Garden has been no bed of roses for the Lakers.

Last night’s 119-111 Blazer victory snapped the Lakers’ 10-game winning streak and extended their 5-game losing streak at the Rose Garden.

Over the last 10 games they have played there, the Lakers are a measly 2-8. When asked the reason for such a dismal performance, Lakers coach Phil Jackson joked, "The rain."

But the Blazers’ first-half offense was no laughing matter for the Lakers, who trailed 64–59 at halftime.

The main reason the Lakers allowed such prolific scoring was sitting at home in Los Angeles watching the game on TV.

Andrew Bynum, their young center, who is rehabbing from a severe knee bruise and partially dislocated kneecap, is much more adept at playing physical than newly-acquired center Pau Gasol.

Gasol was repeatedly roughed up in the middle while he was playing. He picked up two fouls early and sat out nearly half of the first quarter.

When he came back in the second quarter, he didn’t fare any better as the Blazers attacked the paint time after time.

LaMarcus Aldridge led Portland with 22 points, Jarrett Jack tied his season high with 21, and Brandon Roy returned from a two-game absence because of a right ankle sprain to add 20 points and 12 assists.

For the Lakers, Bryant scored 20 points in the first half, but only 13 in the second half and a mere six points in the final quarter, when he usually pours it on.

Last night, he poured it out instead. After the Lakers had pulled even at 107 on a Vujacic three-pointer, the Blazers went on a 12-4 streak to close out the game.

Bryant’s errant pass into the backcourt on one possession and a fumbled drive on the next possession no doubt resulted from the Curse of the Rose Garden.