Fri. 1/02 @ Seattle - Results Inside - Postgame comments

Lakers @ Seattle
Friday, Jan. 2
7:30 pm
TV: KCAL, NBATV
Radio: KLAC-AM 570/KWKW-AM 1330
Recap - http://www.nba.com/games/20040102/LALSEA/recap.html
Box Score - http://www.nba.com/games/20040102/LALSEA/boxscore.html

Lakers - 109
Sonics - 111

Fantastic Finish, But Lakers Lose
Kobe Bryant hit a trey over Ray Allen to tie the score with 22.8 seconds left, but Allen answered with a driving layup 17 seconds later as the Lakers lost a 111-109 thriller Friday. Bryant scored 32 points and former Sonic Gary Payton added 24 in his first game in Seattle since being traded last February.

Post your comments here...

Lakers 98
Seattle 85

The score differential may very well be like this; if we play like we played against Boston we'll win like this, but Kobe needs to contain Ray Allen and the guys backing him up Ronald Murray and Richie Frahm and of course, the Mailman is gonna be BACK! Good especially since Rashard Lewis needs a lot of defense to get through....and another view of our third rotation playing would be nice

Karl will be back and we'll beat Seattle. By how many points depends on the effort, but if Malone "encourages" the other Lakers, we might have another blowout! He must be dying to play by now.

Payton will have a big game, since it's against his former team

dude if u guys forgot we've had SOOO much trouble playin against tha sonics....they can run us outta tha building with their 3 point shooting..i bet we'll be seein screen and roll ALL NIGHT...remember we havent beaten seattle with RAY ALLEN yet...they beat us with him CONVINCINGLY...in fact they ran all over us...and we usually lose at KEY arena....but yea this is Payton's homecoming, and its gonna be emotional...hopefully we can pull out tha W...and oh yea HOPEFULLY Malone will be back!!!

Mailman might not be back. It seems like it is more serious then they thought, there is only a slight chance he may be back. He will get revaluated on Wed. or Thurs. and hope for improvement then they will know.

I say:

Lakers: 94


Soncis: 90


w/out 11


if we have "11":


Lakers: 103

Sonics: 88

noooooooo...mailman not gonna be back? damnit even after 5 days of rest we wont have him back? good thing after we play seattle we come back home and play @ tha clippers...which is basically a home game...damn we really need mailman for THAT game against tha clippers, cuz we dont have anyone that can guard elton brand! we need u mailman get welll quick!!!

sorry dudes... the Mailman WILL NOT PLAY FRIDAY AGAINST SEATTLE according to Hoopshype.. his doctor gave him the bad news today after more X-rays.. The game is gonna be close.. we always struggle in the Northwest..

here's a good article concerning Payton's return to the land where he made a name for himself:

Steve Kelley / Seattle Times staff columnist
Love-hate relationship: Payton's return filled with mixed emotions

LOS ANGELES — When he sees a Seattle reporter approach, Gary Payton begins his Gatling gun laugh. As he slowly takes his diamond earrings off, he turns and says, "I know why you're here."

He's told it's a big week in Seattle. It's his homecoming. The best player in franchise history will play his first game in Seattle as a Sonics opponent. He's told the arena will be charged.

"It's not a big week for me," he says. "I want to see the fans. It will be big for me with the fans. But the rest of them, they can kiss my [Swearing is not permitted at Clublakers. You must edit this post prior to submitting.]."

Mightily, Payton, a Sonic for 12-plus seasons, has tried to downplay Friday's return to Seattle. But he can't. His anger for Sonics management still simmers. His desire to humble management in front of a full house is palpable.

Even though his new team, the Los Angeles Lakers, has the best record in basketball at 21-7; and even though he is the Lakers' leader in assists and steals and third in scoring, Payton still seethes about not getting a contract extension two summers ago from Seattle.

He says he has nothing to say to Sonics chairman Howard Schultz, then later he says he hopes Schultz is sitting courtside because, "I have something to say to his punk [Swearing is not permitted at Clublakers. You must edit this post prior to submitting.]."

He tries to shrug off this homecoming, saying it doesn't mean anything. But the more Payton says it doesn't mean anything, the more you know how much it really means.

"I think Gary will be much more emotional than he thinks he will be," said his good friend, Boston forward Vin Baker, before the Celtics played the Lakers on Sunday. "He put in great years. He's a Hall of Famer there. He did great things in that city, both on and off the court. It will be neat to see his return.

"He'll get scooped up in the moment. He'll be overwhelmed. And I think he'll play great. I can tell you this much, he'll try to go for over 30 (points)."

Here's the problem for the Sonics. They want to honor him. They want to have a pregame ceremony acknowledging his return. They want to give their fans the opportunity to say thanks for the 60-win seasons and the 1996 trip to the NBA Finals and the nine straight All-Star appearances.

--all highlighted important quotes

hopefully he doesnt pull a latrell sprewell...

i think if they hold that pregame ceremony...payton will be almost moved to tears cuz tha fans are gonna go crazy for him...

I predict payton has a big game....not 30 pts, but like 17 pts, 10 assists, 5 rebs and 4 stls....and leads tha lakers to a tough win

Got some bad news for you guys...

No delivery: Mailman now headed for injured list

"If I could just jog from free throw line to free throw line, I could play now," Malone said. "I can't cut. May, June is more important than December, January.

"I look like I'm headed there (to the injury list). Going on the list, I'm looking at (missing) five more games, I don't like that. I don't want to go on the list, but I don't want to hold anybody else back."

Lakers coach Phil Jackson said a decision would probably be made Friday night in Seattle before the Lakers face the SuperSonics.

Jackson said Malone definitely won't play at Seattle or against the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday night, and it's very unlikely he'll travel for games at Minnesota and Denver next week.

If Malone is placed on the injured list before Friday night's game, he would also sit out a home game against Atlanta on Jan. 9 and be eligible to return against Cleveland in another home game three days later.

Jackson said if Malone is put on the injured list, it's possible Rick Fox will be activated. Fox, who hasn't played since having surgery to repair a torn tendon in his left foot May 12, has said he's close to being ready to play.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=1697747

Well, in a sense, that's good. We know he's healing even though he's on the IR...

Remember, we'd rather have him in June than now...

I had an elaborate player matchup typed up, but my computer froze and I lost it. So I am only doing a short one, due to frustration with my computer.




Payton/Barry: Payton will have a big night, especially if Phil gives him and Kobe the green light. He will be aggressive and looking to score, and should be able to drive past the slower Barry.

Kobe/Allen: Allen will kill us, Kobe had a hard time against him last year, this year he will give us fits. Kobe needs to have a last year's type of game, not necessarily with as much flare, but with a lot of points...especially since Shaq will be playing hurt and Malone is out. Perhaps watching a Jordan game is in order (may I suggest when he scored 51 against the Hornets, when he was with the Wizards), it would show him or remind him how to score by beating your opponent and couldn't hurt. Main point, we need a very aggressive Kobe

Goerge/Lewis: George will struggle with this matchup, Lewis can get hot and go off with not much effort, also he is bigger, and will not allow George to get many shots. Russell's d will be needed in this game, If Fox could come back and give us a spark off the bench, then that would be huge, he would give whatever unit he plays with an instant spark.

Slava/Vladimir: If Slava stays with him, he won't get many points, he is struggling as of late, and decent d by Slava should be enough. Slava needs to match whatever offensive numbers he does produce though, because Slava will get a good bit of open shots, and he needs to convert on them. Grant will get some time too, rebounds and a few baskets would be good, a type of game that he had against Boston would be great.

Shaq/Booth & James: I doubt Shaq will have a huge game, since he will be playing hurt, which will hamper his jumping, which means fewer points & rebounds. If he could have a big game and play through pain, then he will win with ease, if his back hurts to bad to take over, then dishing it to Payton and Kobe for the easy basket should be enough. Shaq will stop the Sonics big men from getting much of anything, because he will clog the lane.

I agree with you on the Payton Kobe scenario. Phil needs to give these two the green light offensivley... Especially Payton. I want to see him run the ball up every time and just kill Seattle.

i cannot believe malone is goin to tha IL...i mean its jus OUR LUCK that in 19 yrs...malone has NEVER been to tha IL...and NOW that he comes tto tha LAKERS it HAD to happen...now we're prolly gonna lose against tha Clippers and Twolves cuz who will defend brand and GARNETT? Man this really sucks...REALLY SUCKS...we might even lose to seattle and denver too...they are both playin good ball...

BUT LIKE LD2K said, RATHER HAVE HIM IN APRIL MAY AND JUNE THAN IN DECEMBER AND JANUARY....

but malone BETTER play against tha cavs on january 12th...cuz i got in a car accident on tha 25th and malone didnt play that game anyway...I WANNA SEEE THA FAB FOUR LIVE AND THAT IS ON MY BIRTHDAY!

read today's daily...Phil said he probably won't put Malone on the IR...so there is some good news

BRIAN WILLIAMS!! BRIAN WILLIAMS!! KILL!! KILL!!! KILL!!

LA WIN

102- 81

jsm0331 wrote:read today's daily...Phil said he probably won't put Malone on the IR...so there is some good news

Just read it, that's good news. From what I've read, he will be back very soon...

The Lakers won't have Karl Malone in today's game so I predict that in the 1st half the lakers will struggle a bit, but still will lead the half w/ 57-47. Then they will come back out and put alot of D pressure on the Sonics and out score them in the 3rd & 4th quarter.There would be 7 lakers in double figures again. And the Final score would be :

Lakers:102

Sonics: 96

hey nice job jsm on the Daily News...especially about Payton's "homecoming" or "dreaded return" to Seattle

Just a couple of things that should be pointed out:

By the looks of what Payton's saying, he doesn't really expect to have a blowout game, and if he does or catches on fire, then what he wants to say is something along the lines of "So be it."

Karl's definitely not gonna play, although we heard that a while back.

Hope Kobe recognizes Payton's "day" and gives the ball to him more to run the offense...

hope Payton has a breakout game!

We need to CONTAIN Ray Allen. He's been torching us all through last year although he's recovering from surgery, so who knows.

99-97
Lakers win. This is going to be a tough game. The only way we will win by a lot more points is if Shaq is dominant and Kobe is aggressive for the entire game, and not just for a quarter or for a half

if tha lakers are gonna put malone on tha IL...dont waste ur time...put him on it TODAY so he doesnt miss tha damn cleveland game that im goin to! ive been WAITING to see tha fab four play ALL YEAR LONG...and im gonna HATE tha lakers if they put malone on tha IL before tha clippers game...cuz then he'll HAFTO miss tha cleveland game for sure...

PLEASE DONT WASTE UR TIME...if ur gonna put him on tha IL...DONT WAIT...he'll jus end up missing MORE games if u put him later rather than sooner!

i wana see ray allen and kobe, remember the time in seattle wer kobe got 12 3's that was awesome