The Lakers six game road trip has come to an end and it was an epic one. Going into this trip, we all thought the team could go 6-0 if things go right for them. With the Boston Celtics coming up against us on the second of a back-to-back, and the Cavs at home with a perfect 23-0 record as our last game was sure to be difficult.

Things only got worse though as the trip started. Andrew Bynum went down with a knee injury and the Lakers had to play the last four games without him. When he went down, it seemed obvious that the Lakers would struggle just to go 5-1.

Then came one more obstacle. Vladimir Radmanovic was traded to the Charlotte Bobcats for Adam Morrison and Shannon Brown. Morrison struggled with the Bobcats and never cracked the rotation under Larry Brown as he returned from a severe knee injury last season. Shannon Brown was behind Raymond Felton in the rotation even after DJ Augustin went down with his injury. Obviously, this trade isn’t of huge magnitude, but these smaller deals are often the ones that make a big difference (ie. Trevor Ariza for Brian Cook and Mo Evans).

Anyway, the events went down and the team continued to rise. I can’t even say which win was bigger, the win in Boston over the Celtics, or the win agains the Cavs in Cleveland. Let’s break down both scenarios.

The first game was in Boston. The last time these two teams matched up, the Celtics had a 19 game winning streak and the best record in the league. The Lakers put an end to that record and sent the Celtics into a horrible losing spree. This time around, the Celtics again had the best record in the league and were on a 12 game winning streak. The Lakers came in without a full roster (no Andrew Bynum) and were on the back end of not only a back-to-back, but a tough road schedule. Kobe came out strong and showed why he’s the best player in the league. Pau Gasol really stepped up big and Lamar Odom had somewhat of a breakout game. At least it seemed that way until he had a real breakout game in Cleveland.

The Cavaliers were the next opponent. They stand in the league with a simlar record to the Lakers and this game was a very important one for the standings. Also, at this point the Lakers swept the Celtics in the season series and look to sweep the Cavs for the season series. This would allow LA to hold the tie breaker over both top teams in the Eastern Conference.

Kobe led the Lakers into Cleveland and never really looked back. Well he did a few times. He came down with the flu and obviously looked and felt sickly throughout the game. He sat on the bench holding onto his stomach and clearly wasn’t feeling up to par during this game. Luckily, the other guys stepped up. Lamar odom had a huge game with 28 points and 17 rebounds. This was truly a breakout game for him and showed us that the temporary loss of Andrew Bynum can be overcome and this team is deep enough to damage without him.

The game in Cleveland was amazing though. They were behind almost the entire game and it seemed clear why they were undefeated at home standing strong with a 23-0 record. That was until halftime. Phil Jackson obviously said something right and made all the necessary adjustments with this team because the second half saw a completely different Lakers team. They scored a total of 50 points, which is very reasonable, and manage to keep the Cavs to only 30 points. The defense locked down and Lebron didn’t even look like a superstar. I suppose thats what happens when you throw real defense at him, he chokes. Kobe on the other hand, even sick, had a few remarkable shots.

This should sum up how things went: