Hawks Are Fed to the Beasts

Mike Brown didn’t exchange heart-shaped cards or whisper sweet nothings to his team, but he did make sure that they fed their beasts as the Los Angeles Lakers stomped on the Atlanta Hawks 86-78 at Staples Center. Andrew Bynum (15 points, 15 rebounds, 2 blocks) and Pau Gasol (20 points, 13 rebounds, 1 assist, 4 blocks) made sure that the Lakers first game back home following their 6-game Grammy road trip was a successful one. The two bigs asserted themselves on the glass as well as in the paint, helping to outscore the Hawks in that department, 44-28. Kobe Bryant (10 points on 5-18, 4 rebounds, 4 assists) had a quiet night from the field but his offense wasn’t needed tonight as his teammates picked up the slack.

Pau Gasol (20/13) and fellow beast, Andrew Bynum (15/15) fed on the Hawks as the Los Angeles Lakers stomped on Atlanta, 86-78. Copyrights may apply. All rights reserved.

Metta World Peace (10 points, 4 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 1 block) had a pair of emphatic slam dunks to go along with a pair of 3-pointers, sights not seen for some time this season. MWP also played a huge role in slowing down Hawks All-Star Joe Johnson (15 points on 7-17, 5 assists, 3 rebounds) while finding his offensive rhythm in the process. The Lakers bench also responded well, led by Andrew Goudelock (10 points, 2 rebounds), Matt Barnes (7 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal, 1 block) and Steve Blake (5 points, 6 assists, 3 rebounds, 1 steal). The game started well enough as the Lakers surged to a 27-24 edge at the end of one, but the middle quarters were just plain ugly for both teams. Atlanta managed to score a combined 27-points (10 in the pivotal 3rd period) while the Lakers squeaked by with 32-points themselves.

As both teams teetered on total offensive collapse, the Laker bench saved the day. Their quick hands picked off sloppy passes and enabled them to rush out for easy baskets. In a season full of inconsistencies, the bench finally provided the lift that we had all hoped to see. And at the same time, the Lakers went to their strengths by getting the ball into the hands of their bigs in an inside-out offensive approach. It was good to see smiles back on the faces of players and fans alike. And it was good to see the team respond on a night when Kobe had a difficult time. It’s hard enough to battle back when shots aren’t falling, but too often for this team, it was coupled with poor execution and no hustle. Tonight, they persevered and played hard on the defensive end, holding the Hawks to 34.4% (31-90) from the field. The Lakers also won the battle of the boards 52-47, although they did give up 17-offensive rebounds to the undersized Hawks.

Jeff Teague (18 points on 6-16, 2 assists, 2 rebounds, 3 steals) and Josh Smith (15 points on 7-18, 9 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, 3 blocks) led Atlanta in the box scores while also getting 9-points and 6-rebounds from former Space Cadet, Vlade Radmanovich. Next up, the Lakers face a home-and-home series with the Phoenix Suns starting on Friday evening back at Staples. Sitting meekly at 17-12 with the midway point just over the horizon, the Lakers have an opportunity to really test themselves in the upcoming week. Will this team steam ahead into the All-Star break, or will its cumulative parts prove to be too old, requiring a major overhaul? Along with GM Mitch Kupchak, anxious Laker fans will be watching with great interest to see which direction this team ultimately takes.