Perks and Benefits – Kendrick Perkins out for Game 7 of NBA Finals

It’s official Lakers fans…Celtics center Kendrick Perkins will not play in Game 7 on Thursday after tearing both the MCL and PCL ligaments in his knee.  In fact, Perk won’t be playing for cool minute.  Injuries like this are typically season-ending, so he’ll be lucky if he’s ready for opening night next season.

Knee injury aside, isn't it about time Kendrick gets his jaundice checked out?

It’s no secret that Boston’s loss of Perk is to the Lakers Benefit, in a big way.  The only true intimidating big body for the C’s inside the paint, Perk’s absence should mean plenty of easy buckets for Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom.  The Lakers also should be able to control the battle of the boards, and we all know that the winner of that statistic has gone on to win every Finals game.

In other words, Go Lakers!!!  In closing, I can’t help feel like Karma is on our side as now the Celtics know how it feels to lose their starting center for a critical game or series.

Game 6 Degrees of Separation

6 WAYS LAKERS CAN SEPARATE THEMSELVES FROM CELTICS

1) HOME COOKING: Sleeping in their own beds, eating a home-cooked meal and most importantly playing at Staples Center makes a huge difference for the Lakers.  The triangle offense flows more fluidly and our ball movement improves dramatically at home.  Additionally, our bench mob (can we even call it a “bench mob” at this point?) plays much better at home.  The Celtics had huge Game 4s from Big Baby and Nate Robinson on their home floor; it’s now the Lakers turn to get Lamar Odom and Jordan Farmar involved in the offense.

#2 QUEENSBRIDGE, SAY IT: Uh, how about we don’t and say we did?  Both Ron Artest and Lamar Odom are doing their hometown no favors with their lackluster play in the 2010 NBA Finals.  Honestly, Ron Ron looks completely lost on the court and Lamar looks, well, stoned.  Even if we come back and win the championship, there’s a decent chance that one of these two knuckleheads gets traded in the off-season.  In the meantime, I’ll be content with just 15 pts, 7 rebs from either one of them!

It's sad that THIS guy has more toughness in his pocket protector than most Lakers have period

3) PAIN IN THE LANE: Vic “the Brick” Jacobs coined this term, and he couldn’t be more right.  The Lakers, especially Pau Gasol, Lamar Odom and Ron Artest, have been pushed around by Boston’s bigs.  It’s crazy to think that the majority of our team’s toughness lies in the back court with Kobe and Fish, but it’s true.  Next time Rajon Rondo or Paul Pierce drives to the lane, the Lakers need to make them pay with a hard, Kurt Rambis-style playoff foul.  Nothing dirty, just let them know that we’re not fucking around.  D.J. Mbenga has 6 fouls to waste, right?  Let’s use ‘em!

4) LEAGUE REF-ERENDUM: I’m not a big NBA conspiracy theorist, but I do believe that the league really really wants this series to go 7 games.  Frankly, we all kind of do (especially Lakers fans at this point).  That said, the revenue the league will generate from a star-studded Lakers-Celtics Game 7 cannot be overlooked.  While the game won’t be blatantly one-sided, I believe the referees will call this game very close and the Lakers will get to the free throw line a ton of times.  Let’s hope they can actually hit them tonight (I’m talking to you Ron Ron).

5) “THIS IS 50″: Curtis Jackson, better known as rapper 50 Cent, took 9 bullets back in 2000 including 1 in the face.  Talk about “Get Rich or Die Tryin’.”  The Lakers needs to take a page out of 50′s playbook when it comes to what Doc Rivers and the Celtics call “50-50″ balls.  Basically, any loose ball or hustle plays in which the more aggressive team usually gains possession.  In Games 4 and 5, Boston destroyed the Lakers in this category as the diva-like boys from La La Land watched Green Leprechauns dive on the hardwood for every loose ball.  Lamar, turn off 50′s “Candy Shop” and start bumpin’ “How We Do” so we can show these Celtic bastards what’s up.

Fuck Team Jacob, what about Team LA? Focus Lakers Fans!

#6 LOS LAKERS OR LOS LACKERS?: Sorry to burst your bubble Lakers fans, but Paul Pierce was sort of right.  Yes, the die-hard Lakers fans like you and me would be rockin’ the Downtown Hoop Dojo, if it weren’t for those $500 nosebleeds.  Alas, the true fans are watching the game tonight at home with friends or at a bar with co-workers.  What we’re left with is the Chris Rocks and Leonardo DiCaprios of the world sitting at courtside checking their Twitter account and promoting their latest movie.  Let’s hope Lakers Fans actually show up tonight.  We need you!

FIRE UP LAKERS FANS!!!  Put down the laptops, the cell phones, the iPod touches.  Get your ass up off the couch, go get a beer, put on your cheesiest 80′s Purple & Gold getup and yell at the TV until your throat hurts.

GM 6 Final Score: LAKERS 98, CELTICS 91

LAL/BOS Game 5: 5 Things you Need to Know…

#1 WE KNEED YOU BYNUM: Andrew Bynum had fluid drained from his knee again yesterday after initially saying he wouldn’t have the procedure done.  Andrew’s own doctors and the Lakers medical staff are doing anything and everything to get the swelling down after Bynum said it ballooned up to the size of a basketball over the weekend.  Best case scenario is Bynum gives us 20-25 minutes of solid presence in the paint; maybe 8 pts, 8 rebs, 2 blks?  I believe that would be enough to get us over the hump in this crucial game 5.

#2 UNFORTU-NATE SITUATION: Nate Robinson was his usual cocky self on Saturday when asked by NBA TV how the Celtics would adjust to the Lakers, knowing Phil Jackson will make adjustments to stop the Celtics bench (mainly Big Baby and Nate).  Robinson said, “Nothing.  We don’t adjust; they’ll have to adjust to us.”  He went on to say that the Lakers “can’t scout energy.”  Thanks for the Bulletin Board material Nate.  I hope the Spaniard Pau Gasol steps on him, seasons him and eats him on a plate of Tapas.

Snoop loves the Greens but prefers Purple & Gold. Oooh-wee!

#3 THROWING’ IN THE POWELL: Josh Powell may see significant minutes tonight and going forward if Andrew Bynum’s knee problems worsen.  Let’s hope that doesn’t happen, but honestly it very well might.  Bynum troublesome knee needs surgery in early July and any wrong move in the course of the game could take him out of the series.  If that does happen, Phil Jackson said that Powell is ready to play.  If Powell is hitting that 12-to-14 foot midrange jumper of his, he could be a spark off the bench for the Lakers.

#4 TECHNICALLY SPEAKING: Celtics bigs Kendrick Perkins and Rasheed Wallace are both only 1 technical away from being suspended for the next game of the NBA Finals if they can’t keep their mouths shut.  I had told my buddy that I actually didn’t want Perk getting the tech in Games 1 & 2 because it would mean he would be suspended for a Boston game and Rasheed Wallace would start in his place.  When his 3 is hitting, ‘Sheed scares me and reminds me a lot of Robert Horry.  But now that we’re at Game 5, a 7th technical from either of these knuckleheads would be perfect as the series moves back to L.A.

#5 SERIES TIE SERIOUS: With the series tied 2-2 in the NBA Finals, the winner of Game 5 has gone on to win the title 76% of the time.  In the 2-3-2 format, the team with home-court advantage won the NBA Championship 100% of the time (9-0) after leading 3-2 in the series.  History is on the Lakers side if they win Game 5 tonight.  Can you say GAME OF THE YEAR???  I’m thinking the game goes into Overtime and Black Mamba goes for 40.  Prediction: LAKERS 99, Celtics 95.

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