LeBron James is hearing footsteps in the dark and he doesn’t even have the Isley Brothers in his rotation. Three straight losses by the Cavs have put the Lakers a win in Memphis away from drawing even with Cleveland for the best record in the NBA.
Winning in Memphis is easier said than done for the Lake Show though.
Kobe Bryant’s date with destiny was sullied by a loss in L.A.’s last trip to FedEx Forum. Bryant told the Daily News that he fully expects to play tomorrow barring any setbacks today. For KB24 it would be his first action since February 5th.
Not that the Lakers missed him much. What with the team going 4-1 including getting a win in Rip City for the first time in 5 years and stopping the Utah Jazz cold in their tracks in the middle of a hot streak. Then Boston happened and the world was reminded of just how important Bryant is to his team. The game’s best closer was proved invaluable as his team faltered down the stretch of a winnable contest against those old guys from Boston.
Cleveland’s three game skid combined with L.A.’s recent Kobe-less performance was good enough for Marc Stein to move the Lakers ahead of the Cavs in his newest Power Rankings. More importantly is the opportunity for the Lakers to take the lead in the race for the best record in the league which would guarantee home court throughout the postseason. Given Cleveland’s season sweep of the Lake Show, finishing with a better record is imperative.