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    Column: Don't read too much into Lakers' win over Clippers

    In the grand scheme of things, Lakers' triumph over Clippers is a harmless blip in schedule
    Mar 9, 2020
    PHOTO: AP
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    CHICAGO - It was a nice 112-103 victory. Hard-fought and exciting, just the way NBA fans prefer their Sundays to be after church and family lunch.

    But in the grand scheme of things, the Lakers' triumph over the Clippers was as useful as the spare tire of a dead car. One game out of 82, that's what it was, a harmless blip in the schedule.

    "There's a lot of factors that go into these games that really don't matter come playoff time," Lakers head coach Frank Vogel told reporters at his post-game press conference,

    If so, why was LeBron James roaring and prancing as if he had just won the grand lotto jackpot?

    Well, it wasn't really a yelp of happiness. It was a burst of relief, an injection of self-esteem juice.


    Look, while Jeannie Buss is officially listed as Lakers owner, it's the Clippers who own the Lakers on the hard court. Entering the Staples Center showdown, the Clips have won 25 of the two teams' last 30 meetings including five straight and two this season.

    Which was why reversing the normal trend was vital for the purple-and-gold's team psyche.

    "Just to quiet the doubters," said center JaVale McGee, who then proceeded to declare the Lake Show as the "best team in the world right now."

    Daylight savings time took effect at dawn here in these United States so please forgive McGee if he seemed confused making an April Fools Day joke in early March.

    Laughs aside, James, who finished with 28 points, seven rebounds and nine assists, was spectacular, Almost unguardable, he was a motor on the offense, an anchor on defense, and a vocal cheerleader at the sidelines.

    But Giannis Antetokounmpo, not James, is clearly this season's MVP, a fact that Anthony Davis disputes feverishly.

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    While pointing out that LeBron punished the Milwaukee Bucks for 37 points last Friday, A.D. suggested to reporters who can vote on the award that "they need to watch the last two games."

    No need, sir.


    Whatever greatness LeBron showed the last two games did not erase the brilliance the Greak Freak has done for 57 games where he averaged an insane 29.6 points, 13.7 rebounds and 5.8 assists per, which is why the Bucks are 53-10.

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    To sum up, this is what just transpired. The Lakers won, but the Clippers are still the better team head-to-head. And a Greek from Nigeria, not a flopper from Akron, Ohio will be named MVP for the second year in a row.

    Other than that, I'm ecstatic for the Lakers, who for now, won't have to worry about those recurring Kawhi Leonard nightmares.

    HERE WE GO AGAIN. I found a perfect song that would best describe the chaos that continues to cascade all over malcontent Kyrie Irving.

    I knew you were trouble when you walked in.

    In the wake of Kenny Atkinson's abrupt and shocking firing as Brooklyn Nets head coach, The New York Post reported that the termination appeared to be a handiwork of Irving.


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    "Having stars such as Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving on the team put the target on Atkinson's back and sources say it was Irving who put the knife in it," the tabloid said.

    Brooklyn was a basketball nuclear wasteland before Atkinson carried the Nets to back-to-back playoffs appearances in 2018 and 2019. And this is how he got rewarded?

    This might hurt now but Atkinson will land on his two feet. Irving, meanwhile, will leave Brooklyn in a mess. Just like he did in Cleveland and Boston.

    Get more of the latest sports news & updates on SPIN.ph

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    PHOTO: AP
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