Halftime Hype

Last night's Lakers loss, in which the team squandered a 19-point lead, certainly did not exemplify how defending champions are supposed to play. However, before everyone jumps to conclusions - "Lakers-haters" that includes you too - the game must be put into context.

First and foremost, the Lake Show is missing the entire cast, with injuries to starting center Andrew Bynum and back-up Theo Ratliff. What once appeared to be depth at the center position with 'Drew, Ratliff, and recent draft pick Derrick Caracter, has dwindled down to the rookie.

What if Bynum had been available in a game like this? Well, I would rather not think about it, because he would probably sustain an injury against the brutal Utah Jazz. However, a sturdy, big body like Ratliff could definitely do a better job holding his own against the likes of Al Jefferson than Caracter could. In all seriousness, though, the presence of a veteran seven-footer - either Bynum or Ratliff - in addition to Gasol would have made a tremendous difference on the boards.

Also, the Killer B's took a break. Rather than extending leads like they usually do, Phil Jackson's "Renegades" could not produce a spark off the bench. In fact, Steve Blake shot 0-7. To make matters worse, Utah's bench was feeling it, lead by a 11-0 run from Earl Watson and Ronnie Price.

It wasn't just the Lakers bench who shot poorly. Derek Fisher was 1-7 and Ron Artest was 3-8, missing a crucial three-pointer in the closing minutes. Whereas, on the other end, Deron Williams had a stellar performance and Al Jefferson hurt the Lakers in the post. Kobe Bryant is the greatest, but even the Black Mamba needs help guiding his squad to a victory. What more can you ask from a guy who scored 14 consecutive points, including a trio of three's, for the team toward the end of the game?

Perhaps most irritating were the shot-clock malfunctions in the final minutes. Trailing by 2 points, the Lakers fast-break opportunity was interrupted with 27 ticks remaining because of a shot-clock error.

"What was going on there?" Jackson asked after the game. "That stopped a break on our part. ... Fish had a nice rhythm going on a transition with a 3-point deficit, and it stops the ball and starts it out of bounds. It's not right; it's just not right."

The verdict: Don't take this game too seriously. Utah is one of the most difficult places to play in the entire league for any team. The bench was due for a bad game and with a decent, but not impressive output from the starters the team was bound to lose.

Nights like this happen - except for the shot-clock malfunctions, which were an unfortunate coincidence - and there's not really much that can be done about them. Tribulations on the road are part of a 82-game season. For the Lakers, it's just a matter of moving onto the next one: what should be an easy home victory Sunday against the Indiana Pacers.