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4/24 - US AIRWAYS CENTER - PHOENIX. It wasn't the Lakers worst loss in their playoff history, but it was close. Los Angeles was demolished by the Suns 98-126.

The game showed two teams that are clearly on different levels. The Suns looked like an orchestra, everybody executing, everybody defending, everybody running, everybody making shots. By halftime they have scored 68 points (the worst for the Lakers in one half this season) and the game was already over.

Instead of shooting from the beginning, like he did on game 1. Kobe Bryant tried to involve his teammates but not even Steve Nash could have done that this night. Kobe finished with 15 points... and he was the Lakers top scorer. The highest note in the Suns concert was again 6th Man of the Year Leandro Barbosa, who scored, again, 26 points and has a speed looks fast even for the running Suns. The Lakers seem unable to find an answer for him.

To make things worse, Jackson inexplicably sent Bryant back in the game with his team down by 28 points in the fourth and Kobe injured his right ankle. He's expected to play on Thursday but Jackson better find a magic recipe in his tactics' book or the series will be over before it's over.

The Lakers' worst playoff loss was at Utah in May 1998: 112-77.

The Quotes

Lamar Odom (LAL): "It was really embarrassing to come in here and lose such an important game the way we lost it,... We need to think about some things as a team. It's kind of sad, but I don't know that we're as close as a team right now as far as camaraderie and things like that. That's the only way you lose games like this -- when you're not close."

Mike D'Antoni (Phoenix Coach): "It's hard to single things out. Our defense was really good, our rebounding was really good, we really ran well, and I don't know if we can play any better than that."

Kobe Bryant (LAL): "It's not like we have the best talent in the league, so we really have to pride ourselves on playing hard all the time. Talent-wise, if we try to go mano-a-mano with them, absolutely not. The Phoenix Suns are an incredibly deep team... We have to play a smarter game. We have to play hard and we have to win the hustle points."

Highlights