What did LeBron James do when he missed a shot that could have kept his team's hopes alive? He blamed the officials for the Game 2 loss. He did not mention that his team led by 20 points in the third quarter. Columnist Bill Plaschke is right. The Lakers collapsed, declined, and disappeared.
patrick kelly
Los Angeles
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Nikola Jokic is allowed to shove Anthony Davis out of the way and do it with a forearm. That's an offensive foul. He is allowed to hook a player's arm over his back for a rebound. Those are fouls. After replay review, the blow to the head was no longer considered a foul. It truly changed the flow of the game. The Lakers could also play Game 7 against the Celtics with Mendy Rudolph as the referee. As Chick Hearn used to say, “If there's a foul and Mel Counts is in the building, it's his fault.”
Ed Villanueva
Chino Hills
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It was shocking to see the Lakers lose their first two games to the Denver Nuggets. However, if you analyze the game and see how the Lakers were unable to get the win, it was because they made the same mistakes in both games. In Game 1, the Lakers played five minutes and didn't score in the third quarter. Game 2, Lakers' 4th quarter, 5 minutes played, no points. Nuggets won 2-0. The Lakers' chances might be one win.
donald peppers
pomona
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I'm not one to make excuses for the Lakers, but it was clear that the thin air and altitude in Denver had a big impact on their two losses there. They got off to a great start in both games, but were exhausted by the fourth quarter. Anyway, Coach Darvin Ham has done a great job with this team. By installing AD in the low post and making LeBron the “point forward,” he was able to have his best year as a Laker. As a fan since the Jerry West era, I'm going to stand by the team no matter what.
mike anderson
sherman oaks
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Game 2 of the Lakers vs. Denver series is a great example of spirituality in sports. Great players (Michael Jordan, Tiger Woods, Tom Brady) and teams (Showtime's Lakers) never succumb or weaken under pressure. Somehow they managed to maintain their momentum until the end of the match. Players and teams that are good but not great are more likely to lose focus, lose momentum, and succumb to pressure.
Perhaps it's human nature for players and teams to shift from a winning mentality to simply trying to protect a lead, which shifts momentum. The whole game is like a mystery novel with many twists and turns, and the reader doesn't know who did it until the final chapter. So don't criticize the Lakers too harshly for losing Game 2. They are just humans too.
Richard Ruffalo
valley glen
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It's time for the Lakers to fire coach Darvin Ham. Do whatever you want. Hamm is not the head coach. I don't know why he was hired, but it's time to right the wrong. I too can stand with my hands in my pockets and blindly watch as my team takes lead after lead. I can't design offense, defense, or rotation either. His last day must be Saturday.
Geno Apicella
placenta
V for Justification
Reggie Bush won back the Heisman Trophy despite breaking the rules in college. I think it's only a matter of time before Pete Rose and the 1919 Black Sox are acquitted too!
jack wolf
westwood
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How could Bill Plaschke write an entire column about the stain that remained after the Heisman Trust returned its namesake trophy to Reggie Bush, who once pretended he had no knowledge of the violations? I don't know if I could have written this without mentioning the micromanagement coach's name. They jumped ship in the middle of the night, and the players, teams and universities suffered the consequences. Pete Carroll should be held just as much, if not more, responsible than Bush for the fiasco that has decimated USC football for a decade.
Rhys Thomas
valley glen
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After USC shut out Auburn 23-0 in 2003 and defeated Arkansas 70-17 in 2005, USC faced harsh sanctions that resulted in Reggie Bush being stripped of his well-deserved Heisman Trophy. The penalty was imposed by the NCAA to protect their precious SEC. Now that they have belatedly but appropriately reinstated Bush, the corrupt NCAA should follow suit and restore all of USC's stripped victories.
Mark S. Ross
Playa Vista
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Even as a lifelong UCLA fan, when I see it, I admire its greatness. I applaud the Heisman Trust's decision to return the trophy to Reggie Bush. I also admire Johnny Manziel's stance in saying he won't attend the Heisman ceremony until Reggie gets his trophy back.
I hope this inspires all Major League Hall of Famers to take the same stance regarding Pete Rose. He deserves to be in the Hall of Fame as a player. The nameplate can mention gambling problems. He's a huge part of history, and the Baseball Hall of Fame is doing a huge disservice by not correcting this mistake.
Steve Shabel
woodland hills
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Technically speaking, Reggie Bush is now a two-time Heisman Trophy winner.
steve ross
carmel
Pac-12 pick
Well, the Pac-12 Conference ended in a disaster with three of its quarterbacks going in the first 12 picks of the NFL Draft. They could give former Arizona State starter Jaden Daniels both bonus points. Anyway, thanks to Caleb Williams, Michael Penix, and Bo Nix for the memories.
fred wallin
Westlake Village
dollars and sense
Caitlin Clark doesn't need to feel too down about her starting salary of $76,535. After all, she's just a newcomer. If she works hard, continues her efforts towards the grindstone and continues her diligence, within a few years she may be able to reach her six figures. Hey, that's almost enough money to buy an apartment in Los Angeles.
ron richards
Los Angeles
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This story originally appeared in the Los Angeles Times.
