SB Nation Los Angeles - LeBron, Heat Prove Too Much For Lakershttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/48949/la-fave.png2010-12-25T18:47:09-08:00http://losangeles.sbnation.com/rss/stream/16510332010-12-25T18:47:09-08:002010-12-25T18:47:09-08:00Lakers Vs. Heat, Christmas Day: LeBron James' Triple-Double Lifts Miami Over LA, 96-80
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<p>Los Angeles, CA (Sports Network) - <span class="sbn-auto-link"><span>LeBron James</span></span> posted his 31st career triple- double with 27 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists as Miami continued its recent success by downing the <span class="sbn-auto-link"><a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.silverscreenandroll.com/">Los Angeles Lakers</a></span>, 96-80, at Staples Center. James, the two-time reigning MVP, outdueled two-time reigning NBA Finals MVP <span class="sbn-auto-link"><span>Kobe Bryant</span></span>, by making 8-of-14 shots from the floor, including 5-of-6 from beyond the arc. James also sank all six of his foul shots and added four steals for good measure for the <span class="sbn-auto-link"><a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.hothothoops.com/">Heat</a></span>, who have won 14 of their last 15 games.</p>
<p><span class="sbn-auto-link"><span>Chris Bosh</span></span> supplied 24 points and 13 rebounds while <span class="sbn-auto-link"><span>Dwyane Wade</span></span> added 18 points, five rebounds and six assists in his return to the lineup after missing Thursday's win at Phoenix. Miami snapped a five-game losing streak to the Lakers in Los Angeles."It was a very good team win, a lot of people contributed," Miami head coach <span class="sbn-auto-link"><span>Erik Spoelstra</span></span> said. "We tried to be as active as we could be. We're building an identity along with building continuity."</p>
<p>Bryant connected on 6-of-16 shots en route to 17 points and <span class="sbn-auto-link"><span>Pau Gasol</span></span> chipped in with 17 points and eight rebounds for the Lakers, who have dropped two straight. James finished an 11-2 burst with a layup that gave the Heat a 66-50 advantage with under five minutes to go in the third quarter. Miami maintained a double- digit lead through the remainder of the period and carried a 75-64 advantage into the final 12 minutes.</p>
<p>LA moved to within 77-69 with 8 1/2 minutes to play before the Heat reeled off the next nine points, four by James and five by <span class="sbn-auto-link"><span>Mario Chalmers</span></span>, over a two- minute stretch to forge a 17-point cushion. A <span class="sbn-auto-link"><span>James Jones</span></span> trifecta and an <span class="sbn-auto-link"><span>Erick Dampier</span></span> jumper then pushed the margin to 91-70 with 4:18 to go and the visitors were not tested the rest of the way.</p>
<p>"I'm disappointed with the finish to a game that was hyped so much," said Los Angeles head coach <span class="sbn-auto-link"><span>Phil Jackson</span></span>. "We're not surprised on how poorly we played. Offensively, I was not pleased with our ball movement and shot selection. Give the Heat credit, they helped manufacture this." James' three-pointer finished off a 13-2 run that gave the Heat a 17-10 lead with 3:47 remaining in the first quarter. Miami led 20-14 after the first 12 minutes during which the Lakers made just 6-of-25 shots.</p>
<p>Chalmers' triple gave the Heat a 33-20 advantage with 7:43 left in the half. A Gasol dunk cut the deficit to 45-36 with a minute remaining before the teams exchanged buckets heading into the intermission. Bosh made 11-of-17 shots...Wade hit on only 6-of-17 from the floor but knocked down all six of his free throws as Miami went 17-of-20 from the line...Chalmers finished with 13 points...Bryant added six caroms and seven assists...<span>Lamar Odom</span> totaled 14 points and nine boards in defeat...The Lakers shot just 40.5 percent (32-of-79) from the floor while Miami made 44.3 percent of its shots (35-for-79).</p>
<p><i>For more Lakers news and analysis, be sure to read the SB Nation blog <a target="_blank" href="http://www.silverscreenandroll.com/">Silver Screen and Roll</a>.</i></p>
https://losangeles.sbnation.com/los-angeles-lakers/2010/12/25/1894811/lakers-heat-lebron-james-chris-bosh-kobe-bryant-christmas-nbaEric Stephen2010-12-24T00:07:25-08:002010-12-24T00:07:25-08:00Lakers Vs. Heat: LeBron James, Phil Jackson Not Fans Of Playing On Christmas
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<p>While Saturday's matchup between the 21-8 <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.silverscreenandroll.com/">Los Angeles Lakers</a> and the 22-9 <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.hothothoops.com/">Miami Heat</a> is the NBA highlight of Christmas Day, there seems to be a lot of negative energy about the game. <span>Kobe Bryant</span> was so angry during <a target="_blank" href="http://losangeles.sbnation.com/los-angeles-lakers/2010/12/21/1889461/lakers-bucks-nba-andrew-bynum">Tuesday's shocking loss to Milwaukee</a> that he didn't stick around to see the end, getting ejected with two minutes remaining. Also, recent comments by <span>LeBron James</span> of the Heat and Lakers' coach <span>Phil Jackson</span> suggest there isn't a lot of enthusiasm about playing on Christmas.</p>
<p>This is the 12th straight Christmas game for the Lakers, 11 of which will have been coached by Jackson, so one would think playing on December 25 would be routine. However, Jackson is no fan of playing on Christmas, telling <a target="_blank" href="http://sports.espn.go.com/los-angeles/nba/news/story?id=5945183">Dave McMenamin of ESPN Los Angeles</a>, "It's like Christian holidays don't mean anything to them anymore. We just go out and play and entertain the TV. It's really weird."</p>
<p>James has <a target="_blank" href="http://www.sbnation.com/nba/2010/12/23/1893217/lebron-james-christmas-heat-lakers">a similar feeling about playing on the holiest of days</a>, saying of the Christmas game, "We always say it's good for the fans. But the fans get an opportunity to see us all year. We've got TV games all year. We've got a TV game on Thursday (in Phoenix). I don't care for it too much." This is LeBron's second straight Christmas at Staples Center, having defeated the Lakers last year while with the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.fearthesword.com/">Cavaliers</a>.</p>
<p>Both Jackson and James have good points. It does seem weird that there are five games on Christmas Day, but it's not all bad. The Lakers had three days off before the game, and will have two more days off before their next game. Maybe Jackson and James can put aside their feelings about Saturday and put on a good show. Kobe will be <a target="_blank" href="http://losangeles.sbnation.com/los-angeles-lakers/2010/11/23/1832999/kobe-bryant-lakers-grinch-shoes-christmas-miami-heat-lebron-james-dewyane-wade">wearing his green Grinch shoes on Christmas</a>. Perhaps he can bring a few extra pairs of these shoes to give to Jackson and James:</p>
<p align="center"><a href="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/491149/kobegrinch1.jpg" target="_blank"><img alt="Kobegrinch1_medium" class="photo" src="http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/491149/kobegrinch1_medium.jpg"></a></p>
<p><i>For more Lakers news and analysis, be sure to read the SB Nation blog <a target="_blank" href="http://www.silverscreenandroll.com/">Silver Screen and Roll</a>.</i></p>
https://losangeles.sbnation.com/los-angeles-lakers/2010/12/24/1894797/lakers-vs-heat-lebron-james-phil-jackson-christmas-kobe-bryantEric Stephen2010-12-23T23:28:32-08:002010-12-23T23:28:32-08:00Lakers Vs. Heat, Christmas Day: New Dwyane Wade T-Mobile Commercial To Debut During Game
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<p>The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.hothothoops.com/">Miami Heat</a> won their final tune-up for their Christmas showdown with the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.silverscreenandroll.com/">Los Angeles Lakers</a> on Thursday night, defeating the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.brightsideofthesun.com/">Phoenix Suns</a><span class="sbn-auto-link"> 95-83 in Phoenix. The Heat got the win without <span>Dwyane Wade</span>, who missed the game with a left knee injury suffered in Monday's loss to the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.mavsmoneyball.com/">Dallas Mavericks</a>. It is unknown whether or not Wade will play on Saturday in Los Angeles, but Wade will be featured prominently in the broadcast.</span></p>
<p>Wade's latest commercial for T-Mobile will run during the ABC broadcast. In the commercial, which also features Charles Barkley and <span>Steve Nash</span>, Wade is locked in his hotel room, and a video taken with his phone showing Wade saying "get me out of here," and distributed over the T-Mobile network inadvertently sets off a firestorm of trade rumors. <a target="_blank" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ssqFtFjDfFI">The commercial</a> was shown at halftime of TNT's broadcast of Miami's game in Phoenix Thursday night:</p>
<p align="center"><object width="400" height="241"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/ssqFtFjDfFI?fs=1&hl=en_US">
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<p>Wade is averaging 23.5 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 4.3 assists for the Heat this season. Wade and the Heat have lost their last five road games against the Lakers, with their last victory coming in 2004...on Christmas Day. Saturday's 2 p.m. PST tipoff will be televised by ABC.</p>
<p><i>For more Lakers news and analysis, be sure to read the SB Nation blog <a target="_blank" href="http://www.silverscreenandroll.com/">Silver Screen and Roll</a>.</i></p>
https://losangeles.sbnation.com/los-angeles-lakers/2010/12/23/1894776/lakers-heat-christmas-dwyane-wade-t-mobile-commercial-nbaEric Stephen2010-12-23T00:15:42-08:002010-12-23T00:15:42-08:00Lakers Vs. Heat, Christmas Day: Seven Keys To The Game
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<p>Schadenfreude travels quickly in the NBA. It was less than a month ago that we were all pointing and laughing at the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.hothothoops.com/">Miami Heat</a> and their 9-8 record. Anonymous sources inside the Heat organization were <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/truehoop/miamiheat/news/story?id=5862172">sniping at coach Erik Spoelstra</a>, and on his podcast Bill Simmons was, in all seriousness, discussing with Dan LeBatard whether Miami would eventually need to trade away one of their Large Three. A 12-game winning streak has a way of silencing such concerns.</p>
<p>Instead, it's now the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.silverscreenandroll.com/">Los Angeles Lakers</a> who are inviting ridicule. Since starting the season 8-0, they've gone a rather undominating 13-8. More than a third of the way into the regular season, they boast just three victories against teams in the top half of the league standings. Their laggardly play bottomed out Tuesday night (at least we <i>hope</i> it bottomed out) in a catastrophic 19-point home beatdown at the hooves of the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.brewhoop.com/">Milwaukee Bucks</a>.</p>
<p>The Christmas Day contest will either prolong and deepen these days of woe, or at long last supply a signature win for a Lakers team that desperately needs one. Here are seven questions whose answers will determine how happy is the upcoming holiday.</p>
<p><b>1. Can the Lakers actually connect on some threes?</b> Here's how the Lakers' three-point shooting has progressed this season, broken down into (roughly) five-game increments.</p>
<table border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td width="81" valign="top">
<p><b>Games</b></p>
</td>
<td width="144">
<p align="center"><b>Three-Point Accuracy</b></p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="81" valign="top">
<p>1 - 5</p>
</td>
<td width="144">
<p align="center">40.6%</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="81" valign="top">
<p>6 - 10</p>
</td>
<td width="144">
<p align="center">36.0%</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="81" valign="top">
<p>11 -15</p>
</td>
<td width="144">
<p align="center">46.9%</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="81" valign="top">
<p>16 - 20</p>
</td>
<td width="144">
<p align="center">28.9%</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="81" valign="top">
<p>21 - 25</p>
</td>
<td width="144">
<p align="center">31.9%</p>
</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="81" valign="top">
<p>26 - 29</p>
</td>
<td width="144">
<p align="center">31.3%</p>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p>They've gone from being one of the best three-point shooting teams to one of the worst. That's not a promising trend when you're about to face an opponent that leads the league in forcing three-point misses. If the offense is going to function against Miami, <span>Derek Fisher</span> and <span>Ron Artest</span> will need to knock down the open outside looks that will come their way.</p>
<p><b>2. Can the Heat control the defensive glass? </b>As a team that doesn't get to the free-throw line much and that's prone to outside shooting slumps, the Lakers depend heavily on crashing the offensive boards and generating second-chance points. Miami has been strong on the defensive glass so far this year, but keeping <span>Pau Gasol</span> and <span>Andrew Bynum</span> from playing volleyball at the rim, to say nothing of boxing out <span>Lamar Odom</span> and the hyperkinetic <span>Matt Barnes</span>, will force the Heat bigs to play at their most disciplined and physical.</p>
<p><b>3. Speaking of Bynum, how many minutes can he go?</b> Drew still isn't 100% in terms of conditioning and timing, but he's the Lakers' best option for protecting the cup against <span>LeBron James</span> and <span>Dwyane Wade</span>, and when he and Gasol are on the court at the same time, Miami will struggle with mismatches in the paint. Will <span>Phil Jackson</span> take the reins off and leave Drew on the floor for more than 18 minutes? Will Drew's knee even allow it?</p>
<p><b>4. Will <span>Kobe Bryant</span> remember that he has to play defense?</b> Against most opponents, Kobe isn't asked to go max effort on D. That makes sense, and it's not unusual for big shot scorers: you'd generally prefer that they conserve energy for use at the offensive end. But that won't work against the Heat. With Artest fully occupied on LeBron detail, Kobe will have to check Wade without expecting much help. Even when Wade's out of the game, Kobe will need to stay attentive to Miami's three-point shooters. He can't get caught ball-watching or fading off his man to help in the post.</p>
<p><b>5. Can the Lakers keep Miami off the free-throw line?</b> This is a strength-on-strength issue. The Heat draw fouls and get to the stripe more than nearly any other team. The Lakers, on the other hand, have long excelled at keeping a lid on opponents' freebies. You never want the refs to exert a big influence on a game's outcome, but in this case it seems inevitable.</p>
<p><b>6. Can the Miami bench hold its own against the Lakers'?</b> Though all eyes will be on the headline stars, the game could turn on what happens when the reserve units are on the court, and here the Lakers hold a distinct advantage. The Killer B's have the ability to go on dramatic runs, especially when they're attacking with pace and hitting threes. A Miami second unit that relies on nonentities <span>Juwan Howard</span> and <span>Joel Anthony</span> and that's just beginning to integrate <span>Mike Miller</span> could well get blasted off the court.</p>
<p><b>7. It's dark in here... can someone find the switch? </b>The Lakers are great at brushing aside the day-in, day-out worries of their fans and the local media. It's the rightful prerogative of a two-team defending champion. Even if they won't admit it, though, they must sense that their next three games -- after the Heat, they play in San Antonio and New Orleans -- represent an inflection point in their season.</p>
<p>If, say, they drop two of three, they'll be fighting a massive headwind to reestablish home-court advantage in the playoffs. It's barely worth pointing out that the level of play they've demonstrated over the past month isn't going to do the trick. Nothing in December is technically a "must win," but if they don't redouble their effort level and start executing again, starting this Saturday, they'll be making their lives far more difficult down the road.</p>
<p><i>Follow Dex on Twitter <a href="http://twitter.com/#!/dexterfishmore">@dexterfishmore</a>.</i></p>
https://losangeles.sbnation.com/los-angeles-lakers/2010/12/23/1893020/lakers-vs-heat-christmas-day-keys-game-lebron-james-kobe-bryant-dwyane-wade-pau-gasol-chris-boshDexter Fishmore2010-12-21T21:06:14-08:002010-12-21T21:06:14-08:00Lakers Vs. Heat: A Look Back At Kobe Bryant's Christmas Past
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<p>The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.silverscreenandroll.com/">Los Angeles Lakers</a> are a Christmas tradition, as their Saturday game against the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.hothothoops.com/">Miami Heat</a> at Staples Center is their 12th straight Christmas Day game. For <span>Kobe Bryant</span>, this will be his 13th Christmas Day game, and the second straight showdown with <span>LeBron James</span>. Bryant played in his 22nd career game on Christmas in 1996, and at that point wasn't in the starting lineup. He only played five minutes off the bench in a win over Phoenix, and was held without a point, one of <a target="_blank" href="http://www.basketball-reference.com/play-index/tiny.cgi?id=11ZWS">only 12 scoreless games in Kobe's career</a>.</p>
<p>Since then, Kobe has played major minutes on Christmas, and taken a whole lot of shots. Here is a look back at Kobe's performance on Christmas Day throughout his career:</p>
<table align="center" border="1">
<tbody>
<tr bgcolor="#ffffcc">
<td colspan="10" align="center"><b>Kobe Bryant On Christmas Day </b></td>
</tr>
<tr bgcolor="#ffffcc">
<td><b>Year </b></td>
<td align="center"><b>Opponent </b></td>
<td align="center"><b>Min </b></td>
<td align="center"><b>FG </b></td>
<td align="center"><b>FT </b></td>
<td align="center"><b>3-Pt </b></td>
<td align="center"><b>Pts </b></td>
<td align="center"><b>Reb </b></td>
<td align="center"><b>Ast </b></td>
<td align="center"><b>Dec </b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>2009</td>
<td align="center">Cleveland</td>
<td align="center">45</td>
<td align="center">11-33</td>
<td align="center">12-12</td>
<td align="center">1-3</td>
<td align="center">35</td>
<td align="center">10</td>
<td align="center">8</td>
<td align="center">L</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>2008 </td>
<td align="center">Boston</td>
<td align="center">43</td>
<td align="center">13-23</td>
<td align="center">0-0</td>
<td align="center">1-3</td>
<td align="center">27</td>
<td align="center">9</td>
<td align="center">5</td>
<td align="center">W</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>2007</td>
<td align="center">Phoenix</td>
<td align="center">41</td>
<td align="center">12-20</td>
<td align="center">13-14</td>
<td align="center">1-3</td>
<td align="center">38</td>
<td align="center">5</td>
<td align="center">7</td>
<td align="center">W</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>2006</td>
<td align="center">at Miami</td>
<td align="center">38</td>
<td align="center">4-17</td>
<td align="center">8-9</td>
<td align="center">0-4</td>
<td align="center">16</td>
<td align="center">2</td>
<td align="center">4</td>
<td align="center">L</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>2005</td>
<td align="center">at Miami</td>
<td align="center">44</td>
<td align="center">12-30</td>
<td align="center">13-19</td>
<td align="center">0-8</td>
<td align="center">37</td>
<td align="center">8</td>
<td align="center">6</td>
<td align="center">L</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>2004</td>
<td align="center">Miami</td>
<td align="center">50</td>
<td align="center">12-30</td>
<td align="center">13-13</td>
<td align="center">5-13</td>
<td align="center">42</td>
<td align="center">3</td>
<td align="center">6</td>
<td align="center">L</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>2003</td>
<td align="center">Houston</td>
<td align="center">43</td>
<td align="center">9-26</td>
<td align="center">4-6</td>
<td align="center">1-2</td>
<td align="center">23</td>
<td align="center">8</td>
<td align="center">6</td>
<td align="center">L</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>2002</td>
<td align="center">Sacramento</td>
<td align="center">46</td>
<td align="center">7-24</td>
<td align="center">12-15</td>
<td align="center">1-4</td>
<td align="center">27</td>
<td align="center">15</td>
<td align="center">6</td>
<td align="center">L</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>2001</td>
<td align="center">Philadelphia</td>
<td align="center">42</td>
<td align="center">6-19</td>
<td align="center">0-0</td>
<td align="center">0-2</td>
<td align="center">12</td>
<td align="center">11</td>
<td align="center">9</td>
<td align="center">W</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>2000</td>
<td align="center">Portland</td>
<td align="center">45</td>
<td align="center">9-20</td>
<td align="center">11-14</td>
<td align="center">0-4</td>
<td align="center">29</td>
<td align="center">2</td>
<td align="center">6</td>
<td align="center">L</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>1999</td>
<td align="center">San Antonio</td>
<td align="center">35</td>
<td align="center">7-19</td>
<td align="center">4-5</td>
<td align="center">0-1</td>
<td align="center">18</td>
<td align="center">5</td>
<td align="center">5</td>
<td align="center">W</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>1996</td>
<td align="center">at Phoenix</td>
<td align="center">5</td>
<td align="center">0-2</td>
<td align="center">0-0</td>
<td align="center">0-1</td>
<td align="center">0</td>
<td align="center">1</td>
<td align="center">0</td>
<td align="center">W</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td colspan="2"><b>Totals</b></td>
<td align="center"><b>39.8</b></td>
<td align="center"><b>38.8%</b></td>
<td align="center"><b>84.1%</b></td>
<td align="center"><b>20.8%</b></td>
<td align="center"><b>25.3</b></td>
<td align="center"><b>6.6</b></td>
<td align="center"><b>5.7</b></td>
<td align="center"><b>5-7</b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td colspan="10"><i>Source: <a href="http://www.basketball-reference.com" target="new">Basketball-Reference.com</a></i></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<p>Kobe has struggled from the field on Christmas, converting under 39% of his field goal attempts. He has only shot at least 50% twice, but those have come in the last three seasons, in wins over Phoenix and Boston. However, despite his shooting woes, Kobe has managed to get to the free throw line often, nearly 10 attempts per game in his last 11 Christmas contests (let's not talk about that uncharacteristic goose egg in the 2008 Boston game).</p>
<p>There is one thing we know about this Saturday. Kobe Bryant will shoot, and shoot often. Kobe will also play a ton of minutes, and will score several points. And Saturday will be an enjoyable game between the Lakers and another top team in the NBA, just like every Christmas.</p>
<p><i>For more Lakers news and analysis, be sure to read the SB Nation blog <a target="_blank" href="http://www.silverscreenandroll.com/">Silver Screen and Roll</a>.</i></p>
https://losangeles.sbnation.com/los-angeles-lakers/2010/12/21/1890900/lakers-heat-christmas-nba-kobe-bryant-lebron-jamesEric Stephen2010-12-20T23:25:11-08:002010-12-20T23:25:11-08:00Lakers Vs. Heat, Christmas Day: The Heat At A Glance
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<p>There's a lot more to the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.hothothoops.com/">Miami Heat</a> than just <span>LeBron James</span>, <span>Dwyane Wade</span> and <span>Chris Bosh</span>.... is something I might write if the statement were remotely true. It's not, of course. The Heat comprise the Big Three and then a remainder bin of guys who would have difficulty cracking the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.silverscreenandroll.com/">Lakers</a>' second unit. No quite knows whether it's an equation that solves for an NBA championship, but after a wobbly start the Heat are making an impressive go of it. Before Monday night's narrow loss to the scorching <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.mavsmoneyball.com/">Dallas Mavericks</a>, the Heat had won 12 in a row. When they arrive at Staples Center on Christmas Day, they'll do so with something like the NBA's fifth-best record and its top per-game point differential.</p>
<p>Digging a little deeper, here's a primer on the team that, despite never having actually faced the purple and gold, Laker fans nonetheless love to hate.</p>
<p><b>How would you describe their style of play?</b> Deliberate and a bit drudgerous. The Heat deploy two of the most electric transition players ever in Wade and James, but they stick to halfcourt sets and don't care whether you or I approve. Their refusal to push the rock more aggressively has annoyed many a commentator, but it doesn't appear that <span>Erik Spoelstra</span> has any intention of changing things up.</p>
<p><b>What does their offense do well?</b> Make long jump shots. Over a third of the Heat's field-goal attempts come between 16 and 23 feet from the basket (<a href="http://hoopdata.com/teamxefg.aspx">thanks, Hoopdata</a>), by far the highest percentage in the league. That's usually a great way to build a horrible offense, but in this case they're making it work. Miami is seventh in the league in two-point accuracy and second in three-point accuracy. For all the deficiencies in the supporting cast, guys like <span>Carlos Arroyo</span>, <span>James Jones</span> and <span>Zydrunas Ilgauskas</span> can and will knock down open shots. Combine that complementary skill with the individual playmaking talents of the Big Three, and it makes sense that the Heat have risen to fifth in the NBA in offensive efficiency.</p>
<p><b>What does their offense do poorly?</b> Generate second-chance points. The Heat rank just 22nd in offensive rebounding rate (ORR), and though not many people expected them to be dominant on the offensive boards, it's surprising that they've been this impotent. Bosh has been a disappointment on the glass, especially at the offensive end. His personal ORR of 5.4% -- meaning, that's the percentage of Miami's missed shots that he rebounds -- is worse than the ORR's of every Laker frontcourt player save <span>Luke Walton</span>.</p>
<p><b>What does their defense do well?</b> Force you to miss that shot you're taking. With league-best rankings in opponents' three-point, effective field-goal and true-shooting percentages, no team does a better job of preventing shot attempts from turning into actual points. The Heat are also sound on the defensive glass. Big Z and Bosh clean up plenty of misses, and the bigs get good help on the defensive boards from James and Wade. Though the Miami offense took some time to find its stride, the D has been there from the outset. Their defensive efficiency of 100.1 is second only to Boston.</p>
<p><b>What does their defense do poorly?</b> Not much, but if you had to pick nits you'd look at their rate of forced turnovers, which falls in the bottom third of the league. Wade's and Arroyo's steals are down, and accomplished ballhawk <span>Mario Chalmers</span> has seen his minutes drop this season. The way the Heat have locked opponents down, you can't call this a weakness, exactly. Often when excellent defensive teams have low turnover rates, it's a matter of tactical choice, an election to play solid positional D instead of gambling for turnovers. But at least opponents know when they're bringing the ball up the court that they're likely to get <i>some</i> kind of look at the hoop, if perhaps not a terribly good one.</p>
<p><i>Follow Dex on Twitter <a href="http://twitter.com/#!/dexterfishmore">@dexterfishmore</a>. Except where indicated, stats in this piece I either generated myself or borrowed from the kind folks at <a href="http://www.basketball-reference.com/">Basketball Reference</a>.</i></p>
https://losangeles.sbnation.com/los-angeles-lakers/2010/12/20/1888980/lakers-vs-heat-christmas-lebron-james-kobe-bryant-dwyane-wade-pau-gasol-chris-bosh-ron-artest-bynumDexter Fishmore2010-12-20T07:06:10-08:002010-12-20T07:06:10-08:00Lakers Vs. Heat: Basketball A Christmas Day Tradition For Lakers
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<p>The <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.silverscreenandroll.com/">Los Angeles Lakers</a> will host the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="https://www.hothothoops.com/">Miami Heat</a> on Christmas Day in one of the most anticipated matchups of the NBA season. Sure, it might be Monday, a full five days before the game, with a scheduled game with Milwaukee for the Lakers on Tuesday night, but for all intents and purposes, this is Lakers vs. Heat week. It's hard not to get excited <span>Kobe Bryant</span>, <span>Pau Gasol</span>, and the two-time defending champions hosting <span>LeBron James</span>, <span>Dwyane Wade</span> and the Heat, even if it interrupts Christmas dinner.</p>
<p>Can it even be considered an interruption if the games is so expected and routine? The Lakers have played so often on Christmas Day that they are becoming more of a holiday staple than Rudolph, Frosty, and Clark Griswold. Saturday will mark the 12th consecutive year that the Lakers have played on Christmas Day. Here is a look back at the previous 11 yule tide contests:</p>
<table align="center" border="1" width="350">
<tbody>
<tr bgcolor="#ffffcc">
<td colspan="3" align="center"><b>Lakers On Christmas Day </b></td>
</tr>
<tr bgcolor="#ffffcc">
<td><b>Year </b></td>
<td align="center"><b>Opponent </b></td>
<td align="center"><b>Result </b></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>2009</td>
<td align="center">Cleveland</td>
<td align="center"><a target="_blank" href="http://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/200912250LAL.html">L, 102-87</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>2008</td>
<td align="center">Boston</td>
<td align="center"><a target="_blank" href="http://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/200812250LAL.html">W, 92-83</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>2007</td>
<td align="center">Phoenix</td>
<td align="center"><a target="_blank" href="http://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/200712250LAL.html">W, 122-115</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>2006</td>
<td align="center">at Miami<br>
</td>
<td align="center"><a target="_blank" href="http://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/200612250MIA.html">L, 101-85</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>2005</td>
<td align="center">at Miami<br>
</td>
<td align="center"><a target="_blank" href="http://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/200512250MIA.html">L, 97-92</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>2004</td>
<td align="center">Miami</td>
<td align="center"><a target="_blank" href="http://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/200412250LAL.html">L, 104-102 (OT)</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>2003</td>
<td align="center">Houston</td>
<td align="center"><a target="_blank" href="http://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/200312250LAL.html">L, 99-87</a></td>
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<tr>
<td>2002</td>
<td align="center">Sacramento</td>
<td align="center"><a target="_blank" href="http://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/200212250LAL.html">L, 105-99</a></td>
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<tr>
<td>2001</td>
<td align="center">Philadelphia</td>
<td align="center"><a target="_blank" href="http://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/200112250LAL.html">W, 88-82</a></td>
</tr>
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<td>2000</td>
<td align="center">Portland</td>
<td align="center"><a target="_blank" href="http://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/200012250LAL.html">L, 109-104</a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td>1999</td>
<td align="center">San Antonio</td>
<td align="center"><a target="_blank" href="http://www.basketball-reference.com/boxscores/199912250LAL.html">W, 99-93</a></td>
</tr>
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<td colspan="3"><i>Source: <a target="_blank" href="http://www.basketball-reference.com">Basketball-Reference.com</a></i></td>
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</tbody>
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<p>Outside of a pair of trips to Miami during the post Kobe-Shaq divorce period, the Lakers have been home for the holidays. This year will be the fourth straight year they have played at Staples Center on Christmas Day, and 10th time in 12 years playing in Los Angeles on December 25. The Lakers are just 4-7 in their last 11 Christmas encounters, but they hope that by 2 p.m. PST on Saturday, they will be fully rested after a late-night binge of milk and cookies with Santa Claus.</p>
<p><i>For more Lakers news and analysis, be sure to read the SB Nation blog <a target="_blank" href="http://www.silverscreenandroll.com">Silver Screen and Roll</a>.</i></p>
https://losangeles.sbnation.com/2010/12/20/2326650/lakers-vs-heat-basketball-a-christmas-day-tradition-for-lakersEric Stephen