Los Angeles Lakers Mount Furious Comeback to Beat New Orleans

This is what Lakers fans thought they were getting back in August when Mitch Kupchak pulled off a series of moves bringing Dwight Howard, Steve Nash and various other pieces to Los Angeles. No, not falling into a 25-point hole. Rather clawing their way out of it and in the process showing all the reasons Laker Nation were excited about this team. 

The Lakers should have known better than to take the New Orleans Hornets (soon to be Pelicans) lightly. For a young team with a losing record, beating the Lakers on your own home court is the equivalent of winning Game 7 of the NBA Finals.

Of course the Hornets came out with energy and smelled blood as a tired Lakers team tried to rally on the second night of a back-to-back, less than 24 hours after they were run out of the building in Oklahoma City. That’s how they found themselves down by 19 at the half.

We still don’t—and may never—know what transpired in the locker room at the half. But I’m guessing someone, (Kobe?) either verbally or with a withering look made the point: Gentlemen, decide right now if you want this or not. We cannot lose this game. Our margin for error is long gone. 

Choose your destiny.

The Lakers then came out for the second half and proceeded to trade baskets with the Hornets.  Every little chip at the deficit was answered with another New Orleans basket.

I live in Los Angeles.  I know so many huge Lakers fans who had just had enough in that third quarter.

How come the fans seem to understand how important this game was and the team did not?  The Lakers had plenty of offense in the third, but where were the defensive stops? The reason that drives fans nuts is because defense, while certainly involving fundamentals of basketball, really boils down to effort. 



Then, halfway through the fourth, season on the line (I don’t think I'm ex...