NBA Playoffs: Where Upsets Happen

As the Los Angeles Lakers waited for their playoff opener against Utah tomorrow, the NBA Playoffs started off with a bang. The Chicago Bulls defeated the Boston Celtics 105-103 in overtime, stunning the Kevin Garnett-less Irish. Derrick Rose of the Bulls tied the record for most points scored by a rookie in a playoff debut with 36 points. In Cleveland, the Cavaliers defeated the Detroit Pistons, taking a 1-0 advantage in that series. The Dallas Mavericks defeated the Spurs 105-97 in San Antonio. Houston defeated the Portland Trail Blazers 108-81 in a series that can have serious concequences for the Lakers.

Lakers Keep Rolling with Win

The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Detroit Pistons 92-77, keeping them one game behind the first-place Cleveland Cavaliers. The Lakers faced a scare after losing the second quarter 30-14, but came out of halftime to take the third 31-13. Detroit had only 25 points in the first and third quarters combined, shooting just .395 from the field overall. Kobe Bryant led all scorers with 30 points, and also grabbed 8 rebounds and had 7 assists. Derek Fisher followed with 15 points, and Lamar Odom had 12 points, 10 rebounds, and 7 assists. Will Bynum scored 25 points and had 11 assists off the bench to lead the Pistons in both categories, but Antonio McDyess was the only other Piston to score in double-figures, getting 14 points and 12 rebounds.

Clippers Continue to Stall

The Los Angeles Clippers fell to the Detroit Pistons 108-90, their 52nd loss of the season. The Clips lost despite shooting .493 from the field, as Detroit had a .557 shooting percentage. The Pistons had only 6 turnovers that were converted for 4 points. Eric Gordon led LA with 22 points, and Baron Davis had 19 points and 8 assists. Antonio McDyess led Detroit with 24 points and 17 rebounds, and Tayshaun Prince added 23 points and 12 assists. Will Bynum had a career-high 22 points.

Kings Stall in Motor City

The Los Angeles Kings fell to the Detroit Red Wings 2-1, and remain 4 points out of a playoff slot. Chris Osgood made 30 saves for Detroit, and Derek Meech and Tomas Kopecky each scored a goal. Alexander Frolov scored the Kings' lone goal on a power-play, and Jonathan Quick finished with 39 saves for LA.

Kings Can't Wing It

The Los Angeles Kings were defeated by the Detroit Red Wings 4-0, falling 3 games under .500. Goalie Ty Conklin got his fifth shutout of the season for Detroit, and Kris Draper and Kirk Maltby each had a goal and assist. Jonathan Quick could only make 27 saves out of 31 shots, while the Kings could only take 23 shots.

Clippers Get Crushed by Detroit

The Los Angeles Clippers were defeated by the Detroit Pistons 88-87, their 7th straight loss. The Clips lost on a goaltending call on Al Thornton, whose foul gave Allen Iverson the winning basket. Fred Jones sprained his foot in the opening minutes of the game, becoming the latest victim of the injury bug that is plaguing the Clippers. Eric Gordon played for 44 minutes, scoring a career-high 31 points, and Marcus Camby scored 14 points to go with 20 rebounds. Thornton had 12 points and 6 rebounds. Rodney Stuckey led the Pistons with 24 points, and Tayshaun Prince followed with 20 points and 7 rebounds.

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.

Bulls Mess with Lakers, Then Get the Horns

The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Chicago Bulls 116-109. While it was not a blowout, it is seen as a nice rebound after LA's loss to the Pistons. Kobe Bryant took a back seat to Pau Gasol, who scored 34 points with 6 rebounds. Kobe had 21 points, and Andrew Bynum nearly had a double-double with 18 points and 9 boards. Derick Rose and Ben Gordon led the Bulls, Rose with 25 points with 9 assists and Gordon gave 23 points. The Lakers look to keep things going against Shaq and the rival Suns tomorrow.

Lakers Stall Against Motor City

The Los Angeles Lakers were defeated by the Detroit Pistons 106-95, suffering their first loss of the season. LA shot only .421 and were too inconsistent to defeat Detroit. Kobe Bryant had 29 points, putting him at 22nd on the all time scoring list, ahead of Larry Bird and Gary Payton. Allen Iverson and Rasheed Wallace both led the Pistons with 25 points, and former Laker Kwame Brown had a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds. The Lakers look to rebound against the Bulls on Tuesday.