The Wizards are in no place to compete for a championship this season. The Wizards aren't even in a spot to compete for a playoff spot this season. But the Wizards are in one of the most important races of all-- acquiring another big name superstar over the summer. This summer's free agent class is, although quietly, huge. Names such as Gerald Wallace, Dwight Howard, Nazr...

(Photo by Stephen Dunn/Getty Images)It’s February 12, 2012 and the (15-12) Los Angeles Lakers are in the provincial capital of Ontario and Canada’s largest city Toronto, and in their only appearance at the Air Canada Centre to face the (9-19) Raptors. The Lakers will not have time to visit the CN Tower the world’s tallest freestanding structure or Toronto’s majestic castle...

By Henry Schwan When was the last time you saw anyone in the NBA box someone out for a rebound? Boxing out at the highest level of professional basketball is as extinct as the Woolly Mammoth. Case in point, the Celtics Thursday night loss to the Lakers. In fourth quarter crunch time, Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum played volleyball above the rim while the Celtics stood around and watched...

Erik Spoelstra may have used Eddy Curry against Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol last month, but he played Dexter Pittman in Wednesday’s game against Dwight Howard. Recently, neither of the Heat’s burly centers have managed to get on the court, with the Heat going small when Joel Anthony exits the game. Spoelstra has preferred to use Chris Bosh or even Udonis Haslem, an undersized...

The Los Angeles Lakers seem to be running out of gas on offense as their longest road trip of the season winds down. They've rarely had trouble piling up points against the Toronto Raptors. The Lakers go for an eighth win in nine tries against the Raptors on Sunday in the final stop of a six-game trip. A night after needing overtime to beat Boston 88-87, Los Angeles (15-12...

(Photo: Chris Trotman/Getty Images)It’s February 10, 2012 and the (15-11) Los Angeles Lakers are ready to take a bite out of the big apple in a back-to-back game against the (11-15) New York Knicks. The Lakers were able to outlast the Celtics in Boston, force them to deal with rejection, put an end to their five-game winning streak and snap their own two-game losing skid.The Lakers...

After every game, we'll take stock of how each individual performance affects the player's overall value. Starters Rajon Rondo:  His numbers looked ok in the box score and he certainly had some amazing moments in the game.  But he got too passive down the stretch for my liking.  I know the Lakers have trees back there in Bynum and Gasol.  And I know...

Without Carmelo Anthony and Amar'e Stoudamire, the New York Knicks (11-15) and their budding star Jeremy Lin will try to prevent the Lakers (15-11) from continuing their 5-game winning streak at the Madison Square Garden. Rising star, veteran superstar or not, it's a daunting task for anybody without the available help of other star quality players to stop a fully-healthy...

This Friday night Los Angeles Lakers will be up against the Knicks in the Garden. The last three games have seen the Knicks walked over the Nets, the Jazz and the Wizards with Jeremy Lin delivering some impressive performances. Tonight, unfortunately the knicks will be playing without some of their most influential players; Carmelo Anthony and Amar’s Stoudemire, who are arguably...

Pau Gasol has struggled to adjust to Mike Brown’s system, and coupled with Andrew Bynum’s emergence and Kobe Bryant’s increased shooting this season, it has resulted in Gasol putting up career low scoring numbers (16.8 ppg). The big Spaniard busted out last night for 25 points, 14 rebounds, and the game-saving block. His teammates – Kobe especially – and coaches were happy...

I often wonder what opposing teams, their beat reporters and bloggers are saying about the Celtics after playing the Celtics. Here's a dose of 'enemy chatter' from Los Angeles. The Lakers survived because the Celtics couldn't take advantage of another weak offensive output. Ray Allen hit some shots early, and one big three late, but Paul Pierce could only manage...

If the matchup between the Los Angles Lakers and Boston Celtics on Thursday evening was not intriguing enough going in, the fact that the game went into overtime as L.A. held on for an 88-87 victory at TD Garden certainly justified the attention this game received on a relatively quiet night of NBA action. But [...]

Ya, you read that right. Tim Duncan deserves to be playing at the All Star Game in Orlando this year. Though his numbers are down from where they usually are, a second look is needed. Timmy has been playing less than 28 minutes per game, well below the 34 or so he averaged during his prime. You ask, at 13.9 ppg, how does that even constitue an All Star selection? Going back to those...

The  Los Angeles Lakers put an end to the Boston Celtics five game winning streak Thursday night at the Boston Garden; however the Celtics did not go down without a battle taking their opponents to overtime before finally succumbing as they lost by a final score of 88-87. The victory for Los Angeles snapped their own two game losing streak as Kobe Bryant led the way with a game...

If “those who are late do not get fruitcup” then the baksetball equivalent would be “those who do not rebound do not get wins”. The Los Angeles Lakers annihilated the Boston Celtics on the boards (55-45) in a classic overtime game and came away with an 88-87 victory. Kobe Bryant led all scorers with 27 points but it was the inside play of the Lakers bigs...

It doesn't happen a lot this season, but the Lakers (15-11) did the job on the offensive board 15-12 earning them their 4th win on the road this season against the hottest team in the east, the Boston Celtics (14-10), in overtime, 88-87.Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum took turns punishing the Celtic frontline on the glass and a lot of their work under the basket were key rebounds...

Getty Images | Stephen DunnThe Lakers and the Celtics may be rivals. They may hate each other for as long as the NBA has existed, to eons into the future. This season, however, they have more in common than any two adversaries in the league could be. Their records are almost identical, with the Lakers at 15-11 and the Celtics with14-11. They both dominate the league in unsexier categories...

Pau Gasol blocked Ray Allen's putback attempt at the buzzer in overtime, and the Los Angeles Lakers held on to beat the Boston Celtics 88-87 on Thursday night. Gasol finished with 25 points and 14 rebounds, and Andrew Bynum scored 16 to go with 17 boards to help the Lakers snap a two-game losing streak. Allen scored 22 points and Kevin Garnett had 12 points and 12 rebounds...

The battle between the Lakers and Celtics was fittingly decided in overtime, and it was Andrew Bynum's late tip-in that proved to be the difference in Los Angeles' 88-87 victory.

Pau Gasol blocked Ray Allen's putback attempt at the buzzer in overtime and the Los Angeles Lakers held on to beat the Boston Celtics 88-87 on Thursday night. Kobe Bryant had 27 points, Gasol finished with 25 points and 14 rebounds, and Andrew Bynum added 16 points and 17 rebounds to help the Lakers snap a two-game losing streak.

Pau Gasol blocked Ray Allen's putback attempt at the buzzer in overtime and the Los Angeles Lakers held on to beat the Boston Celtics 88-87 on Thursday night. Kobe Bryant had 27 points, Gasol finished with 25 points and 14 rebounds, and Andrew Bynum added 16 points and 17 rebounds to help the Lakers snap a two-game losing streak.

The quality of basketball wasn't quite at the level of 2008 or 2010 (or my kids youth league), but the drama was vintage Celtics vs Lakers. In the end, the Lakers were a smidge less awful than the Celtics. The result - an 88-87 LA victory in overtime. In a game officiated to their benefit (rough), the Celtics took only 5 free throws. None of those FTs came in the second half...

Pau Gasol blocked Ray Allen's putback attempt at the buzzer in overtime and the Los Angeles Lakers held on to beat the Boston Celtics 88-87 on Thursday night. Gasol finished with 25 points and 14 rebounds, and Andrew Bynum had 16 points and 17 rebounds to help the Lakers snap a two-game losing streak. Allen scored 22 points and Kevin Garnett had 12 points and 12 rebounds for...

BOSTON (AP) -- Pau Gasol blocked Ray Allen's putback attempt at the buzzer in overtime and the Los Angeles Lakers held on to beat the Boston Celtics 88-87 on Thursday night. Gasol finished with 25 points and 14 rebounds, and Andrew Bynum had 16 points and 17 rebounds to help the Lakers snap a two-game losing streak. Allen scored 22 points and Kevin Garnett had 12 points and...

The historic rival between the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics continued tonight for the first time during this shortened locked out season with the Lakers coming out on top in overtime, 88-87. Both teams are not what they once were, however nether can be counted out. The Lakers have struggled on the road and have lost 6 of last 10. Either way you look at it, this game was...