Lakers get it done at home as Shaq is immortalized

Pau Gasol #16 of the Los Angeles Lakers talks to Dwight Howard #12 and Kobe Bryant #24 during the game. (Getty Images)

The Los Angeles Lakers took on the Dallas Mavericks at the Staples Center, in what will go down as one of the most important nights in Laker history. Shaquille O’Neal, arguably the most dominant center of his time, had his jersey (No. 34) pulled up to the hallowed rafters of the Staples Center. O’Neal joins other great centers like Wilt Chamberlain and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

In related news, Shaq’s old buddy, Kobe Bryant went all Black Mamba as he dropped a triple-double on the Mavs, scoring 23 points, pulling down 11 rebounds and dishing 11 dimes. Kobe got it done on the defensive end as well, blocking 2 shots and getting 4 steals. Coming off a 5-point victory in Sacramento over the Kings, the Lakers had a tough job taking on the Mavericks, leading by only 3 at the end of the first quarter.

However, the best news for the Lakers is that Kobe still has his all-round game, if he decides to bring it out. He’s still got that killer look in his eyes and the hops in his legs that are key to the Lakers’ post-season dreams. Tied with Utah for 8th place in the Western Conference, the Lakers do have a really good chance of continuing to play post mid-April. They do have the team and the superstars to make a run deep into the playoffs, but they do need to get their act together. Kobe may have to give up the role of being the primary scorer for the team and get his teammates involved, like he did against the Mavs.

The Lakers do have the team, quite like the 1971-’72 Lakers of Wilt, West and Goodrich. (Late in the 4th quarter, Kobe even launched his version of a hook shot, driving right, across the lane; reminiscent of Abdul-Jabbar’s Sky Hook and to a small extent, Magic Johnson’s Baby Hook. Like Wilt in that team, Kobe has the necessary firepower around him to get him into May; and like Wilt (whom Kobe just passed in the all-time scoring list to take 4th place), he would have to get everyone involved if he wants to go all the way. He has 15 ft of big men in Pau Gasol and Dwight Howard, and an MVP point guard to help him in Steve Nash.

Assuming the Lakers manage to get through as the 8th seeds in the West, they will mostly end up facing either the Spurs or the Thunder in the first round. The Thunder’s lack of dominant big men to handle the new Twin Towers of L.A might be what makes things interesting should this match-up materialize. The Spurs losing Manu Ginobili is going to hurt them, but do the Lakers have what it takes to beat them? They could, and if Kobe continues to play in his Black Mamba mode, who knows, they could even go all the way!