By GREGG PATTON, The Press-Enterprise
Angels make more with less
ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Their moms would be proud. The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim didn't waste a thing Sunday. Of course, they've been thriftier than a fleet of hybrid cars all year long. No one gets more mileage out of less fuel than the Angels.
Predicting U.S. stars for Summer Olympics
We are less than one month from the opening ceremonies of the Beijing Olympics, at which point the world will slow down considerably for two weeks and produce a truckload of great stories. Naturally, we have no idea what those stories will be. But there's a chance some of them may spring from this early guess at who will be the biggest American newsmakers at the Olympic Games:
Return to Finals no guarantee for Lakers
The presumption among the faithful is that the young and blessed Los Angeles Lakers will be back to another NBA Finals again soon. Maybe a few more times. The reality may be something quite different.
Lakers need quick attitude adjustment
BOSTON -- Nice run at the end. Way to make it exciting, Lakers. Big deal. A loss is a loss is a loss, and a great seven-minute run that almost scared the TD Banknorth Garden crowd out of its "Beat LA" T-shirts, only added up to a two-game deficit for the Lakers.
Yikes, Walton grew up a Celtics fan
EL SEGUNDO, Calif. -- To a lot of people around Southern California, it must sound like the misspent youth of Luke Walton. Surely it gives Los Angeles Lakers fans the creeps.
Lakers have goods to win it all
LOS ANGELES -- A 17-point deficit right out of the box? No problem, apparently, for the Los Angeles Lakers who surely are flexing their muscles these days after erasing another big San Antonio lead Thursday night, and capturing the Western Conference championship.
Lakers make Spurs look vulnerable
SAN ANTONIO -- Part of the local charm here, if you want to call it that, is the tenor-voiced announcer at the AT& T Center who likes to fire up the crowd by shouting, "Here come the Spurs!" Well, there go the Spurs.
From Invisible Man to Dominant Kobe
LOS ANGELES -- Kobe Bryant didn't bring his "A" game. He brought the schizophrenic one. Sometimes that's good, too. Or two. The Los Angeles Lakers' leader deferred to his teammates for more than a half, then took his ball and went to the hole, dragging his team past San Antonio in the first game of their Western Conference finals series Wednesday night.
Lakers actually getting along
EL SEGUNDO, Calif. -- The Los Angeles Lakers are back among the NBA's elite, competing in a Western Conference final just like the old days, and the old days before that, and the old days before that.But it feels like something is missing. Hmm, what could it be?Let's see, do they have an MVP in their midst? Check.
Finally, Kobe gets his share of help
LOS ANGELES -- You kind of wondered if the Los Angeles Lakers would need an "I am Spartacus" moment Wednesday night. You know, like in the old movie.
