Editor's Note: Lakers Make Big Statement, Little Progress

The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Boston Celtics on Christmas Day, avenging the brutal loss suffered in June during the NBA Finals. It proved that LA is ready to move on, and has grown a considerable amount after that time, especially with the return of Andrew Bynum. Too bad that the Lakers still have troubles with defense and inconsistencies in shooting. Yes, there appeared to be no problems in the big game. Unfortunately, the Lakers don't take Golden State as seriously as Boston. Everyone knew what the Celtics could do. They were 27-2 with definite All-Stars Paul Pierce, Ray Allen, Kevin Garnett, and even Rajon Rondo. Indiana has nothing like that, yet they defeated both LA and Beantown. Unless Indiana only plays for real against the best of the best, the Lakers and Celtics seriously underestimated the Pacers. The Lakers have what it takes to shut down strong teams. It's just that they never expect strong teams. The Pacers, Sacramento Kings, Washington Wizards and New York Knicks all either beat or came close to beating LA, yet they are all under .500. LA needs to play every game like it's the Celtics playing them, and success is sure to follow.

Kings Struggle to Play

The Los Angeles Kings were defeated by the Phoenix Coyotes 2-1, their fifth loss in six games. Shane Doan scored a power-play goal to win the game for Phoenix, and Ilya Bryzgalov made 24 stops for the Coyotes. Jonathan Quick made his sixth career start, stopping 24 shots.

'Tis More Than a Season Game

The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the rival Boston Celtics 92-83, avenging their defeat at the hands of Boston in the NBA Finals. In what was the most hyped-about game of the season, the Lakers held Beantown to only 8 free-throw attempts, and 28% shooting from the 3-pointer area. LA forced 17 turnovers and 9 blocked shots, and snapped the Celtics' 19 game winning-streak, a franchise record. Coach Phil Jackson also achieved his 1000th career win, the fastest any coach has accomplished this feat. Kobe Bryant scored 27 points, 9 rebounds and 5 assists for LA, and Pau Gasol had 20 points with 3 blocks. Luke Walton had another start, with 8 points, 5 assists and 2 blocks. Lamar Odom and Sasha Vujacic both came off the bench with 10 points, including Odom's two 3-pointers. Kevin Garnett led the Celtics with 22 points, and Paul Pierce scored 20 points and 10 rebounds, but committed 5 turnovers.

Kings Make Quick Win

The Los Angeles Kings defeated the Columbus Blue Jackets 3-0, returning to .500. The win was a first for goalie Jonathan Quick, as well as the shutout, who made 24 saves. Patrick O'Sullivan scored a goal and provided an assist, and Peter Harold and Raitis Ivanans scored their first goals of the season.

Editor's Note: Manny Market Crumbles

The New York Yankees signed 1B Mark Teixeira to an 8-year, $180 million contract, effectively destroying any market that was available for Manny Ramirez. Both Angels GM Tony Reagins and Yankee GM Brian Cashman have said that Manny is not an option for their respective clubs. And while NY head-honchos Hal and Hank Steinbrenner have said Manny would be a great fit for the Bronx Bombers, signing him would create a huge breach of trust between them and Cashman, without having the benefit of the team as an excuse. With no suitors for the left-fielder, Manny's only option may very well be the Boys in Blue, just the kind of thing GM Ned Colletti planned out. He preached patience on this issue, and now it's almost as if Manny has fallen into his lap. Other teams considering Man-Ram have folded: Toronto is playing it safe due to the weak Canadian Dollar, while Boston has a better chance of signing Lou Gehrig than the guy who was "dogging it" every day. Everything has fallen into place for Colletti. All he has to do is wait for agent Scott Boras to come crawling back for that $45 million contract Boras scoffed at earlier.

Bruins Roll Through Wyoming

The UCLA men's basketball team defeated Wyoming 113-62, improving to 9-2. Michael Roll scored a career-high 25 points as a substitute for Josh Shipp. Darren Collison added 19 points and 7 assists, and freshman Malcolm Lee scored 16. Alfred Aboya snagged 12 points, and Drew Gordon contributed 14 points and 11 rebounds. Sean Ogirri led Wyoming with 14 points.

Lakers Sting N'awlins

The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the New Orleans Hornets 100-87, closing the roadtrip by going 2-and-2. The Lakers returned to defensive form in one of their best games of the season, just in time for the big X-mas day game against hated rival Boston Celtics. News also came that Jordan Farmar has opted to undergo surgery to repair a tear in his knee, keeping him sidelined for at least 6-8 weeks. LA commited only 7 turnovers after having 5 in the first five minutes, and turned 16 New Orleans turnovers into 28 points. Kobe Bryant led the Lakers with 26 points, and Pau Gasol had 20 points with 7 rebounds. Chris Paul led the Hornets with 17 points and 10 assists.

Farmar Needs Surgery

Doctors recommend that guard Jordan Farmar undergo knee surgery for the torn lateral meniscus in his left knee. The surgery would require at least 8 weeks of recovery time. Meanwhile, coach Phil Jackson is contemplating making a roster move to add another point guard so that Sasha Vujacic and Derek Fisher will see decreases in their playing time. Currently Fisher and Vujacic are spending more time on the court to fill in for Farmar.

Trojans Close Out Georgia Tech

The USC men's basketball team defeated Georgia Tech 76-57, improving to 8-3. The Trojans went on a 14-2 run to start the second half. Dwight Lewis led USC with 19 points, then DeMar DeRozan with 17, and followed by Daniel Hackett and Taj Gibson with 15 points. Gibson also snagged 14 rebounds. The Yellow Jackets shot only 29% in the second half.

Clippers Fall to Toronto

The Los Angeles Clippers were defeated by the Toronto Raptors 97-75, their 20th loss of the season. The loss was also devastating as the sizzling Zach Randolph left the game in the fourth quarter after injuring his knee. The Clips shot a meek 33% for field goals, and committed 17 turnovers. Randolph scored 19 points and snagged 8 rebounds, and rookie Eric Gordon scored 19 points as well. Chris Bosh scored 31 points for the struggling Raptors, who are in last place in the Atlantic division.

Lakers Wake Up for Memphis

The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Memphis Grizzlies 105-96, ending their two-game losing streak. LA had to rally in the fourth quarter after trailing by 8 at halftime. The Lakers shot 54% from inside the arc and were 6 for 15 from the 3-point line, while Memphis was 9-for-21 for 3-pointers. Kobe Bryant led the Lakers with 36 points, and Pau Gasol enjoyed his return to the team that traded him to LA with 15 points and 7 rebounds. Former USC-star O.J. Mayo scored 22 points and 6 assists for the Grizzlies, and Rudy Gay led Memphis with 23 points.

College Basketball Roundup

UCLA - The Bruins defeated Mercer 76-59 to improve to 8-2. Michael Roll scored 16 points while replacing Josh Shipp, Darren Collison led UCLA with 20 points, and Alfred Aboya scored 14. Calvin Henry led the Mercer Bears with 14 points.

USC - The Trojans defeated North Dakota State 61-57, after trailing by five points at halftime. Taj Bibson snagged 18 rebounds and 3 blocked shots, while Leonard Washington and DeMar DeRozan had the best games of their careers: Washington scored 14 points with 2 steals, and DeRozan scored 18 points to go with 6 rebounds. Ben Woodside scored 14 points for the Bison.

Kings Give It Up In the End

The Los Angeles Kings were defeated by the reigning Stanley Cup champions Detroit Red Wings 6-4. LA gave up 3 goals in the third period to lose the game. Dan Cleary scored the game winning goal for Detroit after Jiri Hudler tied the game. Dustin Brown, Kyle Calder, Trevor Lewis and Alexander Frolov each scored a goal for the Kings.

The Bucks Stop Clippers

The Los Angeles Clippers were defeated by the Milwaukee Bucks 119-85, ending their road-trip with a 2-2 record. The Clips trailed at one point in the game by 43 points, and suffered their worst defeat of the season. Zach Randolph cooled off in the Wisconsin snow, scoring only 4 points, while Al Thornton led LA with 20. Richard Jefferson led the Bucks with 22 points, and Luke Ridnour scored 18, as 8 Bucks scored in double-digits.

Kobe Can't Do It All For Lakers

The Los Angeles Lakers were defeated by the Orlando Magic 106-103, the first time the Lakers have lost back-to-back games, and only the team's fifth loss. The game hinged on a 3-point attempt by Sasha Vujacic for the lead that went in and out, mirroring Kobe Bryant's clunker from Friday. Kobe scored 41 points with 8 rebounds, and Derek Fisher had a season high 27 points. However, Pau Gasol was the only other Laker to score double-figures with 11 points, and Jordan Farmar sat out with a tear in his left knee. Kobe's Team USA partner Dwight Howard scored 18 points with 12 rebounds, and Jameer Nelson led the Magic with 27 points.