Lakers Cavaliers Game Recap

Monday night marked the first match-up of two of the league's top teams, as the Cavaliers visited Staples Center to face the Lakers. Despite the great starts of both teams, however, the spotlight was on the battle of the game's two best players, Kobe Bryant and LeBron James. With neither superstar having a great scoring outing, Kobe's teammates proved superior on this night, propelling the Lakers to a 105-88 victory. The 17 point defeat marked the worst loss of the season for the Cavs, as their stifling defense was neutralized by the Lakers' potent offense and physical defense.

The game began dramatically, as Kobe took the challenge of covering James. Less than two minutes after the tip-off, though, Bryant went for a steal on James and dislocated the ring finger on his shooting hand. Although it first appeared this encounter between the game's best players would end prematurely, Kobe had his finger taped and immediately returned to the court. His attitude was indicative of the toughness the Lakers displayed all night, a quality that was paramount to their impressive win.

Both on the offensive and defensive ends of the court, the Lakers used their size and strength to overpower Cleveland. The trio of Andrew Bynum, Pau Gasol, and Lamar Odom all enjoyed successful evenings against the Cavs frontline that was undersized with the injury to center Zydrunas Ilgauskas. Anderson Varejao, who has started in his place, provided a solid contribution with 10 points and 12 rebounds, but power forward Ben Wallace contributed nearly nothing aside from a few early offensive boards.

The Lakers trio of big men proved critical in the team's success, as Gasol lead the team with 22 points and 12 rebounds. Gasol, who has shot a high percentage all season long, was nearly perfect from the field on this night, converting 11 of his 13 attempts. His length also posed a problem for the Cavs, as half of his rebounds came on the offensive glass.

Bynum scored 14 points while shooting at a 60% rate, and played physically on defense. His presence helped deter LeBron from scoring at the rim for most of the game, and his hard fouls, especially one in which he came across James' face in the fourth quarter, showed the toughness the Lakers have been hoping to see from him. Of equal importance, Bynum had great success in the second quarter when Kobe and Gasol were on the bench, as he became the go-to option for the Lakers second unit.

Like Gasol and Bynum, Lamar Odom left his mark on the contest, as he played aggressively on offense in addition to his 10 rebounds and three blocked shots. His performance helped neutralize the strong outing from Cavs rookie forward JJ Hickson, who scored 11 points in only 19 minutes.

Another key for the Lakers was the strong showings of Sasha Vujacic and Trevor Ariza off the bench. After struggling in his first few games back from a back injury, Vujacic snapped out of his slump, hitting four out of his five 3-point attempts. While Ariza also shot the ball well, his major contribution on this night was his defensive play against James. Ariza collected four steals, including two late in the fourth quarter against LeBron James which helped seal the victory for Los Angeles.

Both Kobe and LeBron began to find their scoring touch in the fourth quarter, as both struggled to score up to that point. Bryant began the fourth by hitting two extremely difficult shots over LeBron, including a fading shot from behind the basket, as he also drew the foul from James. These baskets, as well as Kobe's strong passing, sparked a 12-1 Lakers run. Not to be outdone, LeBron responded, as finally late in the fourth he was able to consistently get to the hoop and draw contact, bringing the Cavs back within seven with an 11-0 run of their own.

Los Angeles showed their resolve, however, as they pulled away late thanks to Ariza's defense and his eight points in a 30 second span. While Ariza may get a lot of the credit for the win, it was Bryant who set the tone early and throughout for the Lakers. His effort in guarding LeBron showed the Lakers would not easily allow King James to get into the lane or score easy buckets in transition. The Cavs, and LeBron in particular, excel in the open court and in scoring fast break points, but were held scoreless in this facet for most of the game. Kobe also compensated for an uncharacteristic poor shooting effort by distributing the ball to his open teammates all night, as he collected 12 assists and consistently produced baskets for his team when he passed out of the double-team. This mentality enabled the Lakers to collect 27 assists, and shoot a magnificent 52% from the field against the league's best defense.

Consequently, the Lakers triumphed in perhaps their most impressive victory of the season to date. In what could very well a precursor to this year's NBA Finals, the Lakers proved more physical on both ends of the court. As for the highly anticipated match-up between Kobe and LeBron, neither individual was able to take over, but Kobe played the more complete game. LeBron and the Cavs now must wait another three weeks to seek revenge, as on February 8 the Lakers will travel to Cleveland, where the Cavs have yet to lose this season.