Lakers start the show late, but it’s worth the wait

A review of Laker playoff game No. 2 -- 14 wins to go.

PREGAME: Ned Colletti is probably the biggest Nuggets' fan around here these days, rooting like crazy for Denver to win three games, before he begins shouting, "Go Jazz -- take the Lakers to seven."

The longer the Lakers keep playing, maybe no one pays attention to the job Colletti is doing with the Dodgers.

But just imagine if Kobe Bryant is playing for Colletti's team. If Mitch Kupchak grades out at an "F" to start the season, what does Bryant give Colletti?

And what are Colletti's chances this season to go from F to A-plus? Well, can Pau Gasol play baseball? "Never organized," Gasol said, like that's made a difference with the collection of stiffs Colletti has brought to L.A.

As for the Lakers' turnaround and Kupchak's improving performance, this week Bryant took credit for it: "It takes pressure sometimes to make a diamond."

So instead of Gasol, maybe Bryant should spend some time putting pressure on the Dodgers brass. He called JerryBuss an "idiot." Just imagine what he might call Frank McCourt? Nothing that I haven't already called him, of course.

The Lakers must really like their chances to play into June. They have their guys playing the Boston Celtics on the cover of their 2008 playoff guide -- Magic delivering a hook over Robert Parish.

OK, so here we go, five minutes to tipoff and TNT's CraigSager is folding the little orange hanky that will go into the pocket of his orange suit coat. If Sager ever gets arrested and has to join the folks along the highway picking up trash, he's already got the outfit.

FIRST QUARTER: Pau Gasol goes to the free-throw line and oddly no one in Staples Center is chanting, "VIP," because he really is. The Nuggets don't appear as if they are bothered whatsoever by the news Star Jones has filed for divorce, jumping out to an early six-point lead.

How odd, there's an orange pylon at the end of the court like it's an end zone -- oh wait, that's Sager.

Kenyon Martin is all over Bryant, and Bryant has 10 points. He now has 20 points, and let's see, at this pace, four quarters and he scores 80. I've seen better from him.

SECOND QUARTER: No Bryant on the court; Phil Jackson can be such a party pooper. Right now Luke Walton is the team's leading scorer out there with three points. The game is dragging, so during a break they show Magic Johnson on the overhead screen and introduce him to the crowd. Suddenly there's a buzz in the place.

Bryant returns, scores and Jordan Farmar goes under a trio of Nuggets, and the hoop as well, for a show-time basket. Magic's still got it, all right, the game turns.

The former Miss Radio Personality, now just a daughter, e-mails to say, "random thought, George Karl resembles Archie Bunker." It's like being on the radio again: Will you just stifle.

The Nuggets are playing with a pair of guys who look like future Clippers in Eduardo Najera and Nene. They're just terrible.

Three fouls on Lamar Odom, and then the referees believe in making it fair, three fouls on Carmelo Anthony.

Lakers by 10 at the half, and I wonder if they've switched over to "American Idol" in Denver.

THIRD QUARTER: The Nuggets look as if they are going to start their off-season vacation in a few days, so I might suggest looking for the play, "McGuire," if it's in the neighborhood.

Caught it in San Diego on Tuesday, the life story of basketball coach and TV broadcaster Al McGuire as written by Dick Enberg starring Cotter Smith. My favorite line from the play, McGuire wanting to know "why kamikaze pilots wore helmets?"