2/17/2009 Preview: HAWKS vs. Los Angeles Lakers

After taking a few days off for the all-star break (and much needed rest for all of the guys), the Hawks head to the land of Pink's Hot Dog Stand and The Griddle Cafe for a basketball affair with the Andrew Bynum-less LA Lakers. The Lakers, who were on a seven game winning streak before losing their last game to the Utah Jazz in Utah, are 8-2 in their last 10 games and 6.5 games ahead of the 2 teams tied for second place in the West - San Antonio and Denver. The Lakers are 5-1 without Bynum in the lineup, so his loss hasn't exactly derailed their drive to the NBA Championship. In those 6 games, they won at Cleveland and at Boston, with the only loss coming at Utah by 4 points. LA has now become a three-headed monster, with Kobe Bryant leading the charge and Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom fitting in nicely.

It's a good thing the Hawks won't have to play against Bynum, although they haven't faced him in a game since February 5, 2007 - when he scored 14 points and grabbed 10 rebounds against an inferior Hawks team (although Bynum wasn't what he is now, either). Needless to say, the Hawks haven't had their best games when trying to defend the elite (and tall) centers in the NBA.

Even though the Lakers are widely considered one of the top 2 or 3 teams in the league, the Hawks may give them a run for their money. Winners of 4 of their last 5 (the only blemish being the forgettable game against the Clippers), the Hawks come in after a much needed all star break rest. Hopefully Joe, Mike, Al, and Josh were all able to rest up for the back stretch of the season, which begins with a 5-game western conference road trip that makes stops in Sacramento, Portland, Utah, and Denver - all after tonight's game in LA. The Hawks should beat Sacramento and Portland, so if they can do that and steal a victory from one of the other three teams then you can consider the road trip a huge success. Of course, any more wins would be icing on the cake (but losses to either Sacramento or Portland will be deserving of our scorn).

FUN FACT:

The Lakers team name comes from 1948, when the team began in Minneapolis and named the Minneapolis Lakers. Minnesota is known as "the land of 10,000 lakes" - hence the name Lakers. The Lakers were bought and moved to Los Angeles in 1960, and the new owners decided to keep the name.

PREDICTIONS:

Top Scorers:
Mike Bibby - 29
Kobe Bryant - 33

Rebounds:
Marvin Williams - 11
Pau Gasol - 12

Assists:
Joe Johnson - 7
Jordan Farmar/Pau Gasol - 5

Ehlo's Game Prediction:
The Hawks try to steal a game on the road in LA, and actually manage to keep the game close with an unbelievable amount of hustle and heart. However, the matchups with Lamar Odom (6-10) and Pau Gasol (7-0) prove to be too much for the fairly undersized Hawks to handle. In the end, LA outlasts Atlanta and wins 112-104.

Ehlo's Excellence (Prediction record):
5-1

Random Lake Statistics:

Largest single lake:
Lake Superior with a surface area of over 51,209 square miles

Deepest lake:
Lake Baikal in Siberia (Russia) with a depth of 1.017 miles

View Larger Map

Only saltwater lake inhabited by crocodiles:
Lake Enriquillo (Dominican Republic)

Lowest lake:
Dead Sea, where you really can read a newspaper without sinking!
(1,371 feet below sea level) (Considered a lake even while named "sea")

Only other world with a lake:
Titan, Saturn's largest moon

My Favorite Menu Item in LA:

The Millenium Dog @ Pink's
(Jalapeno hot dog, chili, guacamole, grilled onions, and tomatoes)