Artest Sets the Tone Against Pacers

Tuning up for their upcoming three-game road trip, the Los Angeles Lakers used a 38-17 third period and coasted past the Indiana Pacers 122-99 at Staples Center. Kobe Bryant (24 points on 5-11, 14-15 free throws, 4 rebounds, 6 assists, 2 steals) led a balanced Lakers offense that also saw another dominant performance from their frontcourt. Andrew Bynum (16 points, 8 rebounds, 1 blocked shot), Pau Gasol (14 points, 16 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, 1 blocked shot) and Ron Artest (11 points, 5 steals, 4 assists) toyed [picappgallerysingle id="7589650"]with the undersized Pacers. Indiana stayed close in the first half but the Lakers third period burst shut down any hope for a rare Pacers road victory. Derek Fisher (9 points, 3 assists, 1 steal) was able to open up the paint with his re-found perimeter game and with Artest continuing with his stellar defensive performances of late, the Pacers crumbled under the pressure. A six-point halftime lead quickly grew to double digits as the Lakers controlled the boards and the pace of the game. Shannon Brown (12 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal, 1 blocked shot) elevated his game in the closing minutes of the period with a pair of three-pointers to push the lead over 20 points. The Lakers closed out the period with a 98-71 lead and a chance for the regulars to rest up before their East Coast trip.

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The Lakers were able to do as they pleased in the second half behind an intensified, hounding defense led by Artest. He single-handedly shut down Danny Granger (9 points on 2-9, 5 assists) and the momentum swung heavily as the Pacers settled for long distance bombs. Jordan Farmar (19 points, 3 assists, 1 rebound, 1 steal) picked up where the starters left off, penetrating the porous Pacer defense and exploiting them from out deep. Kobe is still trying to regain his shooting touch after his long layoff but with his teammates picking up the offensive slack, he can afford to take his time. In fact, Kobe marched his way to the free throw line with regularity early, amassing more makes than the Pacers had attempted as a team. With the regular season heading into the final stages before the playoffs begin, the Lakers appear to be upping their play as well. This road trip, with stops in Miami, Charlotte and Orlando should say a lot of their current state of mind and preparedness for the rigors of the post season.

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The bench provided a healthy 48 points and the Lakers shot 51.7% for the game, forced the Pacers into 16 turnovers and out-rebounded them 43-40. Lamar Odom (5 points, 3 rebounds, 7 assists, 1 steal, 1 blocked shot), Adam Morrison (6 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists) and DJ Mbenga (6 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist) rounded out the box scores for the 46-15 defending world champions. Troy Murphy (17 points, 13 rebounds, 2 assists), Earl Watson (3 points, 10 assists) and Dahntay Jones (16 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists) led Indiana.

dEDGE Post Scriptum

Perhaps meaning more to him than he will ever be willing to show, Ron Artest got to play basketball again alongside the organization that he had the most, and least amount of success with in his career, the Indiana Pacers. It was here that Ron-Ron established himself as one of the elite players in the league with his combination of brute power and guard-like quickness. He would punish small forwards by taking them to the rack and abusing them down low. He would similarly destroy slower-footed bigs by going around them or pulling up to shoot over them. But through it all, Artest was a dude that liked to dish it out as well as absorb the punishment. Most players complain to the referee when things get too rough. Artest would simply take it out on you. He cut out the middleman and dared you to play by his rules. Not since the 70s and the days of having an enforcer on your team had an NBA player made such an impact on the league. Don’t get me wrong, Artest could play. He wasn’t simply a hired thug, but a talented baller inside the body of a linebacker who loved to bang.

Along with his desire for fame and notoriety, something happened that continues to affect him and will so, for the rest of his playing days. Everyone remembers the Brawl. As much as the NBA would like to forget this black eye on its polished image, it is a constant reminder of how close we came to destroying all of the combined, jubilant years of Magic-Bird-Jordan in a single, tossed cup of beer. Fans for the most part feel that they are entitled to voice their displeasure with anything and everything. Think a tossed beer is bad, why not attend a European league soccer game or an out-of-country basketball game. If you ever thought a Raiders game was bad, that wouldn’t even register a blip on their police blotter. If you’ve never feared for your life, you haven’t experienced the sports world outside of the USA.

What Artest and the actions of several other prominent NBA players allowed to happen was to get caught up in the moment. It’s never good for the business when an employee punches out the customer, but in the case of sports in general, have we as fans gone too far as well? When is crossing the line really crossing the line? Let’s face it, we would never behave the way we do at a sporting event the same way we would at work or at home. Yet there we are, acting as if we are entitled to some sort of amnesty, protected from our own stupid actions. Why would anyone ever confront a 6′8″ gladiator capable of removing your head from your body with a tirade laced full of profanity and slurs? Does a purchased ticket to a game offer protection from injuring yourself or those around you?

Don’t get me wrong. Ron Artest was wrong in his actions but wouldn’t he have been justified in our understanding of the real world? Throw something at me and you will have to deal with the consequences, whatever I choose them to be. I may shrug and walk away, I may throw something back. You cast the first stone and now you’ve opened yourself up for a retaliation of appropriate proportions. Isn’t that how nuclear conflicts are avoided, through the fear of retaliation? I’m not advocating violence of any kind, only highlighting a flaw in our simplified reasoning that Ron Artest was a bad individual that caused this blemish upon the NBA’s twinkling eye.

There are two sides to every story, disagreement, and conflict. Before you point out Ron Artest’s deficiencies and shortcomings, think twice before you curse the next time you’re at a sporting event. Take a deep breath the next time the umpire makes a bad call at your kid’s ball game. Ask yourself, “What can I do to help?” instead of berating a volunteer coach’s abilities. Kiss your daughter for trying instead of yelling at her for not following through. Do not judge those around you by their actions, but rather judge yourself by your own actions. And last but not least, maintain your passion for life, the Lakers, and Ron Artest, not by knocking them down, but by helping to build them back up.