It was just two weeks ago when we all begged the public to hold off on crowning the Lakers until they prove they can win a few road games.
Whoops. Guess they can.
Los Angeles cruised to the end of a five-game road trip last week with only a loss to Utah (in a game that was the Lakers' second in as many nights) blemishing the stretch. Wins over Chicago, Milwaukee, New Jersey and Detroit won't toughen them up for the postseason but it underscored the point that L.A. is tough to beat anywhere.
The successful trip bumped L.A. to 6-2 away from Staples Center this season and kept the Lakers on top of this week's Power Rankings.
(All stats and records are through Dec. 21.)
NBA Power Rankings
| 1 |  |
Last Week: 1 |
For his next trick, Kobe Bryant will play his next game with a severed thumb. Bryant's superhuman toughness was on full display last week when he averaged 34.5 points -- including a break-your-heart buzzer-beater against Milwaukee -- in four road wins while playing with a broken bone in his right index finger. "There are a lot of good players in the NBA," said Lamar Odom. "Then there's the best player." |
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| 2 |  |
Last Week: 2 |
Rasheed Wallace's temper was expected to be a source of concern for the Celtics this season, and it is. The NBA's "Mr. Technical" -- Wallace has accrued 301 technicals and 30 ejections in his career -- was tossed out of last week's loss to the Sixers and has picked up an NBA-leading 10 technical fouls this season. "Rasheed's going to be Rasheed," Paul Pierce said. "But the one thing is, we don't want it to get to the point where he's suspended games, so I'm sure a couple of us are going to talk to him and let him know he's almost at that limit, and we aren't even halfway through the season." |
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| 3 |  |
Last Week: 4 |
The Magic basketball brass has been taking exception to the physical beating Dwight Howard has been taking recently, but even they acknowledge there is only one way to make it stop. "The only way for it to stop is a two-prong approach," GM Otis Smith said. "One, he has to make his free throws. And the second part is he has to make more free throws." Sound advice: Howard leads the league in freebies attempted (290), but is connecting on a career-low 59 percent. |
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| 4 |  |
Last Week: 3 |
What does Mike Woodson have to do to get a contract extension? The Hawks' six-game winning streak was snapped in Chicago on Saturday, but Atlanta is still off to the best start in franchise history. Still, there have been no talks about a new deal for Woodson, who is the last year of his contract. "Am I happy about it? No," Woodson told reporters last week. "But it is what it is. I'm not going to sit here and complain about it by any means. I have this year on my contract, and then I'm a free agent. They have not approached me, so obviously we're going to play it out." |
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| 5 |  |
Last Week: 6 |
Anderson Varejao's stats aren't gaudy (7.9 points, 8.0 rebounds) this year, but coach Mike Brown believes the big man has a case for the Sixth Man award. After starting the first six games, Varejao has played well in a reserve role alongside Zydrunas Ilgauskas, and is a plus-12.1 for the season. "What he does you can't measure it in stats," Brown said. "You hope that at worst there's consideration for him because he's an invaluable player for us." |
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| 6 |  |
Last Week: 7 |
Not even a bizarre injury to Dirk Nowitzki can slow the Mavs. Nowitzki sat out Sunday's win over Cleveland due to lingering soreness from getting two of Carl Landry's teeth lodged in his elbow. Good thing Tim Thomas was around. The reserve stunned the Cavs with 22 points in Dallas' 102-95 win. |
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| 7 |  |
Last Week: 5 |
How good has Carmelo Anthony been this season? 'Melo posted 30-plus points in 18 games. To put in perspective, no team in the league has had its players combine for as many 30-plus performances, and Anthony has more 30-point games than 10 teams combined. |
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| 8 |  |
Last Week: 9 |
One positive that has come out of the injury to Leandro Barbosa is that it has given Goran Dragic a chance to shine. Steve Nash's heir apparent is averaging 13.0 points over the last three games while shooting 60.1 percent from the field and 60 percent from three-point range. Dragic adds another weapon to the Suns arsenal, which will once again include Barbosa by Christmas. |
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| 9 |  |
Last Week: 10 |
Your Rockets capsule is brought to you, once again, by GM Daryl Morey (@dmorey), who tweeted this after Houston's narrow win over Oklahoma City on Saturday: Won possession game (low TO's and 20 offensive rebounds and made their shots tough. Missed FT's kept game close. [Trevor] Ariza iron man (47 min). Chuck [Hayes] filled regular and advanced box scores. |
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| 10 |  |
Last Week: 8 |
Jazz coach Jerry Sloan is looking for more out of Mehmet Okur, whose scoring average has dipped from 17.0 points last season to 12.8 this year. "I think he's got to work harder to be able to run the floor a little bit better and get a chance to get some better looks at the basket," Sloan said. "When we move the basketball, he gets opportunities." |
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