Lakers v. Hornets: Game 3 Recap

NEW ORLEANS -- The Hornets came into this game trying to stun the defending champs again. They left with a loss and the realization that their fortunes may have faded in this series.

Pau Gasol, the one factor the Hornets had working for them, seems to have found his game again. Gasol, who was still struggled with his shot for the first two and a half quarters, found his shooting touch with a long three-point basket in the forth quarter of April 22's game. From then on, the power forward was all business, showing the aggression Laker fans have been impatiently calling for. Gasol was 1-for-3 on three-point attempts all season before last night.

Gasol finished the game with 17 points and 10 rebounds, helping lead the Lakers to a 100-86 victory against the Hornets and a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series with Game 4 in New Orleans April 24. Reestablishing Gasol as a scoring option had further reaching implications than just the series with the Hornets; most fans were looking ahead to a run-in with either Dallas or Portland, teams who both have All-Star power forwards.

When asked about his teammates return to form, Lakers guard Kobe Bryant said, "It's funny how a shot can kind of turn the momentum around for him when he's had a hard time making shots around the basket and in the paint -- and he knocks down a 3, that kind of got him going."

Bryant, who was also coming off a low-scoring performance from the previous game, had 30 point to lead all players.

Also adding to the exhibition was Lakers center Andrew Bynum, who had 14 points and 11 rebounds as well as another brief scare with his oft-injured right knee but seemed to shake off any issues. Lamar Odom scored 13 points and Ron Artest had 9, but was a disruptive force on the defensive end.

The Hornets were not without their playmakers as well. Chris Paul had 22 points but was held to only four points in the second half. The Lakers made it their focus to deny him access to the ball, forcing the other Hornets players to make most of the plays. Other Hornets top performers were Carl Laundry, who had 23 points, including a monster dunk midway through the forth when the Hornets had one last chance to threaten the Lakers for the lead; Trevor Ariza scored 12 points and grabbed 12 rebounds.

One thing is for sure, if the Hornets want to even this series, they will need far more production from their All-Star point guard as well as their bench. They are vastly undersized in the front court and will need to find a solution to that before Sunday, or risk facing a 3-1 series deficit and potential elimination when they return to the Staples Center April 26 for Game 5.

Playoff Preview - Round 1: Lakers v. Hornets

Four or five? That's the question for this series.

How long will it take the Lakers to beat the Hornets. The question isn't if they will win, but how fast can they dispatch them. The Lakers come sputtering into the playoffs and seem to be in disarray. For lack of a better word, the Lakers are a strange group. They seem aloof at times, disinterested and vulnerable with the task at hand. But as soon as you think you can count them out, they turn up the fire and start to eviscerate the league.

The Hornets are an entirely different animal. The Hornets struggled to get into the playoffs and it could be said that if it wasn't for their monster start this year, they might not be here at all. Going into the playoffs, the Hornets are losing their No. 1 scorer in David West, who is out for the season. Which leaves Chris Paul, Trevor Ariza and Emeka Okafor to bear the burden of scoring. The task can be problematic for all three players. Paul is still playing as if something is wrong with his knee. Okafor is not known for his offense and Arizia has never been one to post 30 point games on the regular.

With all the cards on the table, the Lakers are a far superior team. Even if you take Kobe Bryant out of the mix, this is still a sweep by the Lakers. Paul will play as we have come to expect and Ariza will do his best to prove he was more than capable of being an Artest-type player that the Lakers gave away.

When its all said and done, the Lakers just have too much fire power. Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol will use this as a steppingstone to come to form before their second-round matchup. Lamar Odom will be the consistent force he always is, picking apart the Hornets bench players without thinking twice about it. Expect Phil Jackson to give Shannon Brown the chance to get out if his current slump as well. Looking ahead to the future and knowing the team will need him to be a contributor if they are to leave this season as champions.

Even if the Lakers come into this series disinterested -- which they won't -- still expect the Lakers to make short work of the Hornets.

The only question is in four or five?

Playoff Preview - Round 1: Lakers v. Hornets

Four or five? That's the question for this series.

How long will it take the Lakers to beat the Hornets. The question isn't if they will win, but how fast can they dispatch them. The Lakers come sputtering into the playoffs and seem to be in disarray. For lack of a better word, the Lakers are a strange group. They seem aloof at times, disinterested and vulnerable with the task at hand. But as soon as you think you can count them out, they turn up the fire and start to eviscerate the league.

The Hornets are an entirely different animal. The Hornets struggled to get into the playoffs and it could be said that if it wasn't for their monster start this year, they might not be here at all. Going into the playoffs, the Hornets are losing their No. 1 scorer in David West, who is out for the season. Which leaves Chris Paul, Trevor Ariza and Emeka Okafor to bear the burden of scoring. The task can be problematic for all three players. Paul is still playing as if something is wrong with his knee. Okafor is not known for his offense and Arizia has never been one to post 30 point games on the regular.

With all the cards on the table, the Lakers are a far superior team. Even if you take Kobe Bryant out of the mix, this is still a sweep by the Lakers. Paul will play as we have come to expect and Ariza will do his best to prove he was more than capable of being an Artest-type player that the Lakers gave away.

When its all said and done, the Lakers just have too much fire power. Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol will use this as a steppingstone to come to form before their second-round matchup. Lamar Odom will be the consistent force he always is, picking apart the Hornets bench players without thinking twice about it. Expect Phil Jackson to give Shannon Brown the chance to get out if his current slump as well. Looking ahead to the future and knowing the team will need him to be a contributor if they are to leave this season as champions.

Even if the Lakers come into this series disinterested -- which they won't -- still expect the Lakers to make short work of the Hornets.

The only question is in four or five?