Lakers Limp Out of the Regular Season

The list of wounded grew even longer for the Los Angeles Lakers, who fell 107-91 to the Clippers in the final game of the regular season. Sasha Vujacic (8 points, 1 rebound, 1 steal in 15 minutes) severely sprained his left ankle in the second quarter after being fouled on a 20-footer, landing awkwardly on Mardy Collins’ foot. Sasha writhed in pain in front of the Lakers bench and had to be carried off the floor to the locker room. His status for the upcoming playoffs is questionable at best as Phil Jackson has all but counted him out of the first round. He will undergo an MRI exam tomorrow but fortunately initial x-rays proved to be negative. Sasha was seen being carted out of Staples Center where he needed assistance just getting into his car. The injury bug has wrecked havoc on the defending champions with Sasha being its latest victim. He joins a long list of Laker players suffering from various ailments including Jordan Farmar (strained hamstring), Kobe Bryant (avulsion fracture to his right index finger, swelling in the knees, sprained ankle), Andrew Bynum (strained achilles tendon), Shannon Brown (detached thumb ligament), Ron Artest (sprained thumb, sprained ankle), Lamar Odom (strained shoulder, back pain) and Luke Walton (pinched nerve in his lower back). Aches and pains often accompany a team throughout the season. The wear and tear on an athletes body cannot be avoided. But with the post-season set to begin on Sunday, teams can only hope for a healthy roster heading into the playoffs. All players, minus Sasha are expected to suit up to play, but one must wonder how efficient they will be against the young and talented Oklahoma City Thunder, led by league leading scorer, Kevin Durant.

The Clippers ended their season on a high note, beating their heralded roomies behind the first ever triple-double recorded by Steve Blake (23 points, 10 rebounds, 11 assists, 2 steals). Chris Kaman (22 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 5 blocked shots) joined seven Clippers who scored in double figures. Pau Gasol (18 points, 17 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, 1 blocked shot in 28 minutes) led the Lakers but as soon as Sasha went down, the Lakers took it down a couple of notches, perhaps out of fear of joining the other walking wounded. Lamar Odom (21 points, 8 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 blocked shot) and Shannon Brown (18 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists) were the only other Lakers to score in double figures. The Lakers finish the regular season with a 57-25 record, good enough for the number 1 seed in the Western Conference. But Orlando clinched the second best record in the league and would have home court advantage should the two teams meet in the Finals. Cleveland retained the top spot in the NBA.

• dEDGE Post Scriptum •

The game was all but over as soon when Sasha got hurt. The anguish was noticeable on the faces of the players as well as the coaching staff. Derek Fisher, Pau Gasol and Ron Artest were all planted on the bench the majority of the second half. DJ Mbenga (5 points, 5 rebounds), Josh Powell (7 points, 9 rebounds, 4 assists, 1 steal), and Luke Walton (2 points, 6 assists, 1 rebound) took up the majority of the minutes as the Laker fans in attendance sat in stunned disbelief at the team’s latest misfortune. The Lakers have three days to prepare for the Thunder with both Kobe and Bynum expected back in the line-up. How well they’ll perform is another question entirely. Bynum’s progress coming off of injuries does not bode well and no one really knows how much Kobe’s ailments will affect his game. Banged up or not, I still like our chances. And if we can somehow finish off OKC early, the more rest these weary warriors can get, the better. Only time will tell and on Sunday afternoon, we’ll have our answer. Detailed, lakers-EDGE playoff coverage to follow soon.