I'll be taking quick notes as I watch the game here. Feel free to drop in your comments below. They update in real time.

- What is Andrew Bynum drinking? A pre-game shot shows him chugging a foaming red liquid from a water bottle.

- OKC tosses the ball to Durant for the first play.  He dribbles around for a few seconds before tossing up an awkward brick. Bad opening.

- Pau connects on a shot with so much arc the ball came down with snow on it.

- That red stuff is obviously working for Bynum, who connects on his first attempt.

- Durant botches an open layup. Let's hope that's a fumble and not a sign of the pressure getting to him.

When they convened, instead of the union’s head, Hunter, or their negotiating committee of Maurice Evans, Matt Bonner, Roger Mason, Theo Ratliff, Etan Thomas and Chris Paul, representing the players were Fisher, Kessler, and three superstars who had been to very few of the meetings at all: Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce and Kobe Bryant.

A bad sign: Pierce was still wearing his backpack. The players had two pieces of news that shocked the league: 50/50 was not good enough. And there was nothing further to discuss.

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HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: Are they up for it?

Are Kobe Bryant, Kevin Garnett, and Paul Pierce up for being scapegoats if players and owners don’t solve the lockout and eventually cancel the season.

After all, there’s plenty to suggest a deal was within reach last week at or near the 50-50 split of Basketball Related Income.

Then Bryant, Garnett, and Pierce walked into Commissioner Stern’s office and said no way. The even split of BRI was off. The players wanted 53%. Or no deal.

The players and owners who thought a new collective bargaining agreement was within reach and were prepared to negotiate around the clock to preserve the 82 game season were dumbfounded.

Here’s why I think they were shocked:

1) How can three guys who have earned hundreds of millions of dollars and can live off endorsements tell (yes, tell) a fringe player to stand united with their cause?

At some point, their interests diverge. At some point, there will be a split in the union.

2) Bryant, Garnett, and Pierce are intelligent, confident guys. They will be informed and up-to-date on facts and information, however, Pierce was the only one actively involved in negotiations.

Bryant and Garnett did not attend the majority of negotiations, and had no business hijacking these high stakes meetings or claiming to represent the union.

Billy Hunter should have been there. Heck, somebody with an MBA or law background should have been there.

3) I would want Bryant, Garnett, and Pierce leading on-court. I would not want Bryant and/or Garnett leading off-court.

Their emotional, competitive temperament that is ideal for playoff runs and championships makes them ill matched for negotiations.

This group, especially Bryant and Garnett, are prone to outbursts that result in ill-fated decisions like the storming of Stern’s office. Moreover, their situation does not reflect the needs of most in their union.

The consequence could well be a backlash from fans whenever the season does start.

--O.Sandor.

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Fisher encouraged all players to attend an NBPA meeting in Los Angeles on Monday, and to utilize “our personal social networking channels to show the fans and you all, that we are united and want to get back to work under a fair deal.”

(Per Derek Fisher:) “On Monday, Chris (Paul) and I will tweet and post “LET US PLAY.” This was used by the NFL players and many will be joining us on Monday and retweeting the same message to show their support for our players. I will also be using the hash tag #StandUnited after all my messages until this lockout is over.

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HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: Desperate times, desperate measures.

When, not if, the NBA starts cancelling regular seasons games, Union President Derek Fisher wants the players he represents to protest via social media.

Fisher wants the players to show unity by collectively tweeting ‘Let Us Play’. Sadly, this will gain little sympathy with the public.

The players, of course, can play. They just have to make further concessions.

The players can begin training camp on Tuesday by moving off their 53-47 split of Basketball Related Income and accepting the owners’ proposal of an even 50-50 split of BRI.

Everything else would quickly fall into place. The two sides would then sign a new collective bargaining agreement and the players could play.

--O. Sandor.

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Your agents represent you, there's a loyalty there and I can appreciate that. I'll never question it, the work they do for you, or the decisions you and they make together. The letter however includes misinformation and unsupported theories. (Derek Fisher letter)

HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: The plot thickens.

Eventually the agents would weigh-in on the players, their clients, changing the NBA’s financial system and making major concessions to owners.

For instance, the Ari Gold’s of the NBA don’t want their clients reducing their take of Basketball Related Income from 57-46%.

And they aren’t thrilled with players accepting a hard cap or signing off on a restriction to the number of Larry Bird Loopholes or Mid Level Exceptions a team can offer per year.

So this weekend the six biggest agencies combined forces, writing a letter to players to warn of catastrophic consequences if they agree to the owners’ proposals.

In their letter, the agents instead suggest the players opt for decertification, believing the owners haven’t negotiated in good faith.

This prompted the union’s second-in-command Derek Fisher to send his own letter to the players claiming that the agents are spreading ‘misinformation’.
 
Of course, their timing is impeccable. Tuesday is a key day in negotiations. If owners and players find common ground perhaps there’s a chance the regular season starts on time.

Clearly, the agent’s letter and calls for decertification complicates any chance of a settlement.

--O.Sandor.

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Just finished a long day of negotiations. Unfortunately we are No Where Near a deal! It's def disappointing!

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HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: They learned hope is not a strategy. They learned this the hard way.

Heading into Tuesday’s meeting with owners, the players were optimistic they would begin the process of negotiating a new collective bargaining agreement.

There was no reason for optimism, though. Both sides weren’t budging off the lines they drew in the sand several months ago.

The owners still wanted a hard cap. The players still would not agree to this.

The owners still wanted a 50-50 split of Basketball Related Income. The players still would not agree to this.

The owners still wanted to change the league’s financial landscape. The players still would not agree to this.

Now union leaders like Roger Mason and Derek Fisher are changing their message, warning the players that training camp won’t start on time and that the season could be cancelled.

This is what they’ll tell their fellow players when they meet today to discuss the lockout. Buckle up, the labour impasse is just beginning and getting nasty.

--Oly Sandor.

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One league source claims that union president Derek Fisher text-messaged numerous players last week indicating that some progress had been made and imploring them to be physically prepared just in case the season started on time.

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HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: Will they? Won’t they?

Currently, there’s a great deal of back-and-forth about whether the players and owners can get their you-know-what-together so there’s a season.

Every sign is being investigated and analyzed -like Roger Mason’s now infamous tweet that was intended for Amar’e Stoudemire, but became public.

Now there’s word Union President Derek Fisher sent a text to the players last week suggesting they be physically ready in case the season starts on time.

What to believe?

Regardless of what the owners and union are saying publicly, there appears to be progress. After all, both sides are bringing in their full staffs for the next negotiating session.

Hopefully, it results in another step towards a new collective bargaining agreement -and a season.

--Oly Sandor.

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When it comes to trying to figure out where NBA owners and players are in negotiations for a new deal, the one-time Knick and current players union VP Roger Mason Jr. apparently is no Perry Mason.  Mason’s contention that there will be an NBA season was challenged Thursday by Derek Fisher, president of the NBA Players Association, after owners and players met for close to six hours for a second straight day in Manhattan. “Roger’s a very valuable member of our committee,” Fisher said. “I think he’s well-aware that we’re no closer to having a season today than we were at any other point. I think he’s clear on where we are now.”

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HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: One step forward. Two steps back. Or is that what they want us to think?

Hopefully, the President of the Player’s Union Derek Fisher is simply trying to manage expectations when he says the players and owners aren’t close to deal -even though they met for consecutive days last week.

After all, downplaying Wednesday and Thursday’s small group sessions removes the pressure when the players and owners meet with their full staffs early next week.

Perhaps they can then make progress, find common ground, and start the process of saving the season. The alternative, no basketball for an indefinite amount of time, isn’t pretty.

--Oly Sandor.

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Commissioner David Stern, deputy commissioner Adam Silver, and San Antonio Spurs owner Peter Holt, who leads the labor relations committee, will take part, as will players’ association executive director Billy Hunter, union president Derek Fisher of the Lakers and union counsel Ron Klempner, two people told the Associated Press yesterday on condition of anonymity.

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HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: Peter Holt, Adam Silver, David Stern, Billy Hunter, and Derek Fisher will be at Wednesday’s meeting between owners and the union.

Five people at the sit-down of all sit-downs. Five people to negotiate the fate of the NBA season.

If Wednesday’s bargaining session goes well then there will be basketball, and the season may even start on time around Halloween.

However, if Wednesday’s bargaining session goes as most expect, poorly, the season will be delayed for months and maybe cancelled.

Hopefully, it doesn’t come to this and these five individuals map out a solution.

The stakes are indeed high at the sit-down of all sit-downs.
 
--Oly Sandor.

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“I don’t feel optimistic about the players’ willingness to engage in a serious way,” Stern said.

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HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: They came. They talked. They accomplished nothing.

Yesterday Commissioner David Stern and the owners met with Player Union Head Billy Hunter and Derek Fisher to - cough, cough - negotiate a new Collective Bargaining Agreement.

There was little negotiating. There was even less bargaining. And both sides emerged restating their ideology about how the NBA’s financial system should function.

Ironically, at the exact same time the American government was putting the final touches on the debt crisis bill. Say what you like about the politics but Republicans and Democrats found a compromise.

And for all the posturing both parties seem to finally have some awareness of the hardship the average American is currently facing.

Not the NBA, though. The billionaire owners want a guaranteed profit and filed a lawsuit against the union. The millionaire players want to maintain their average salary of $5 million per annum.

Living in such a bubble must be nice.

--Oly Sandor

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“We have agreed in some ways to maybe table the economic issues, if possible, and really focus on some of the system issues and some non-economic items that are still extremely important to rounding out a collective bargaining agreement,” Fisher said.

Fisher said NBA owners have so far viewed the negotiations differently, caring more about the bottom line than the system: “They want to get a number set, and then they’re not as concerned about the way the system looks if they get the right number. But we don’t think that’s the best way to approach it.

“We want to make sure we keep a fair system in place for all players now and coming in later. And I think the numbers will kind of take care of themselves.”

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HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: Player Union President Derek Fisher saying the money doesn’t matter is like an NBA player saying winning or losing doesn’t matter.

This entire lockout is about money, specifically how owners and players divvy up the Basketball Related Income (BRI).

Everything else comes second. The salary cap, guaranteed contracts, revenue sharing, and league parity can’t be tackled until owners and players agree on the split of BRI.

So Fisher should cut the BS. Same with Commissioner David Stern and the cronies he represents, who have created this remarkably well-to-do middle class for the players.

The Players Union and owners need to address the money at Monday`s meeting. They need to make progress on the BRI and then focus on systemic issues.

--Oly Sandor.

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Yao Ming is likely to make it official on Wednesday, announcing what is expected to be his retirement from the NBA and a sport that made him a household name in China.The 7-foot-6 center for the Houston Rockets played eight seasons in the NBA, but has missed 250 regular-season games over the past six years.

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HoopsVibe's Very Quick Call: Yao Ming will officially retire from the NBA on Wednesday. Few from the NBA will attend.

SImply put, this is criminal; a travesty, in fact.

Yao opened the lucrative Chinese market for owners. He put billions in their pockets, but won't get so much as a pat on the back, handshake, or $2 'Thank You Card' from Commissioner David Stern.

Yao also won't receive his due from the players –even though those contracts Chinese clubs are currently floating don't exist without the 7-7 center playing his trade in Houston.

The reason is simple: the lockout.

Stern has instituted a code of silence that would put the Sicilian policy of Omerta to shame. Owners can't speak speak publicly. GMs can't comment on personnel matters.

Failure to comply with Godfather Stern will result in the NBA equivalent of sleeping with the fishes: a $1,000,000.00 fine.

Leslie Alexander, the owner of the Houston Rockets, and Daryl Morey, the club's GM, have no desire to meet the fate of Luca Brasi. So they've been mum on Yao cashing his 501k plan. 

However, Stern and his cronies at league head office should push aside their considerable egos; forget about their quest for a flex cap, non-guaranteed contracts, and reduced terms; and let Alexander and Morey catch a flight to China to show Yao love.

If the league can waive their lockout policy for the Dallas Mavericks and Mark Cuban to celebrate at the contrived ESPY Awards (ESPN is a league partner), they can do the same for Yao.

Of course, the Players' Union is not off the hook, either. Yao's international popularity increased league revenues, which, according to the Collective Bargaining Agreement, must be split with the players.

Derek Fisher can take a break from his role as Union Head and get to China. He's already playing a series of exhibition matches in the Philippines. A flight to China is no big deal; not for Yao.

The lockout is unfortunate. It shouldn't prevent NBA owners and players from honouring Yao's considerable contributions on-and-off court.

--Oly Sandor.

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"No disrespect to Derek Fisher. Derek is alone. I've been there, done that. They need a point guard who can distribute the ball, get everyone in order and not be afraid to tell Kobe no," Horry said. "You can't outrun age. I think age has caught up to him. There's some things he can do, but there are some things he can't do."

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HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: As a player, Robert Horry was known for taking big shots. Now retired, Horry has taken a big shot at former teammate Derek Fisher.

Recently, Horry told the LA Times that Fisher was too old and the Lakers needed a newer, younger point guard to contend for a championship.

This is hardly a revelation. 'Father Time' has caught Fisher.

Fisher, in his mid-to-late thirties, can’t stay in front of quicker table-setters and struggles with consistentcy on offense. Bottom line: he's no longer a starter.

However, Horry -despite prefacing his comments with ‘no disrespect’ and being correct in his analysis- should have given Fisher greater respect. Fisher has a stellar reputation -even when leading the Players’ Union through a nasty lockout.

New Laker coach Mike Brown will surely address Fisher’s role when the new Collective Bargaining Agreement is signed. Brown knows to tread softly.

Why would Horry, a friend and long-time teammate, not do the same? Why would he give his opinion before the cameras at the ESPY Awards?

Well, ‘Big Shot Bob’ was known for honesty. Sometimes grace is the best policy. This seems like something Horry, not Fisher, must learn.  

--Oly Sandor.

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HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: This, as they say, is not a good look.

Clearly, LeBron James got a little carried away while playing what was supposed to be a friendly game of bump with children at a basketball camp.

Rather than shoot a jumper, James, of course, opts to dunk the ball and accidentally knocks a pre-teen to the ground.

Give the little guy credit: he took a body check from a 6-8, 280-pound man-child and got up smiling. Unlike Derek Fisher or Manu Ginobili, there was no flopping or exaggerating the blow.

Give the big guy credit, too: James apologized and gave the camper a free pair of sneakers. Thankfully, there was no attempt by Nike to hide the video.

Perhaps James has grown a bit, after all.

--Oly Sandor.

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Jason Terry (32 points) nails nine 3-pointers and his teammates add 11 more as the Mavericks advance to the conference finals with a 122-86 thumping of the Lakers.

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HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: The Kings are dead. The Kings are dead. Fourth quarter cheap shots aside, they went out with a whimper. Not a bang.

The Dallas Mavericks blew out the Los Angeles Lakers in game four of the Western Conference semi-finals, sweeping the two-time defending champions out of the playoffs.

And it wasn’t close. The Mavericks won by 36 points. Team Cuban has to be favoured to emerge from the west.

Back to the soap opera known as the Lakers. This is supposedly Phil Jackson’s final game on the sideline. The Zen-Master is done, and he’ll retreat to his ranch in Montana, cabin in Belize, house boat in Alaska, or some other remote location for 'introspection'.

What about Pau Gasol? The Spanish post has been taking criticism from fans, TMZ, and, worst of all, the infamous and notorious Snoop Dogg. Something has to give.

There are questions about Ron Artest, Derek Fisher, and the Lakers’ bench. Andrew Bynum may be dangled as trade bait to land a certain post from the Orlando Magic, who is set to be a free agent in 2012.

Either way, changes are coming. Only Kobe Bryant is safe.

--Oly Sandor.

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The Lakers defeated the Clippers by a 112-104 final on Friday night. On Saturday, Williams delivered a Tweet about Derek Fisher in obvious reference to the confrontation at the end of the game. "If yall didn't know, D Fish is the Hines Ward of the NBA," wrote Williams. "I don't know if that's a compliment or not. But don't let that nice guy fool u."

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HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: Tough guy on the court. Nice guy off it.

This describes Derek Fisher, veteran guard for the Los Angeles Lakers. The same eloquent spokesperson for the Player’s Union used to scrap Kobe Bryant when both were rookies with the purple-and-gold playing one-on-one full court.

Yes, there’s plenty of bark to Fisher’s bite. Always has been, too.

This has helped him win five championships and even mediate the tension between Kobe and Shaq when their World Wars were front page news.

So Chris Kaman and Mo Williams shouldn’t be surprised and show such emotion over an incident in a regular season derby match between the Clippers and Lakers.

A few days back, Kaman felt Fisher led with an elbow on a screen. The seven-footer was ejected, but not before motioning to Fisher to meet him in the parking lot after the game for what can best be described as a ‘discussion’. 

(Kaman and Fisher ... 'Let's get ready to rumble'.)

Williams declared viral jihad on D-Fish, questioning his nice guy persona in a tweet. Perhaps Kaman and Williams were right. Perhaps they were wrong.

Elbows and flops are part of Fisher’s repertoire. It has helped him parlay a decent skill-set into a long and successful career.

Opponents can debate whether Fisher's a nice guy. However, there’s no debate that he's a winner.

--Oly Sandor.

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 On the other hand, Kobe Bryant looked incredibly irritated as he walked off the court, head down, all alone after the latest loss. He then ignored reporters for a second consecutive game, his second mini-boycott of the media this season. Lakers Coach Phil Jackson actually spent a full 2 1/2 minutes with reporters in the wake of Wednesday's debacle after providing five terse seconds of his time in Charlotte.

"I think they took the [All-Star] break before the game," he said, declining to name names though it wouldn't spoil anything to provide some clues (RonArtestLamarOdomAndrewBynum).

HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: Last time they played, they won by 55. This time, they lost.

Yesterday, the two-time defending world champion Los Angeles Lakers were beaten by the lowly Cleveland Cavaliers, who recently came within a whisper of setting the NBA record for most consecutive defeats.

Yes, the purple-and-gold has fallen. Yes, superstar Kobe Bryant is miffed. And yes, the world’s best player wants changes.

There’s no other way to interpret Bryant boycotting the media after the loss. Like Coach Phil Jackson, he believes his supporting cast isn’t pulling their weight and are in vacation mode.

Ron Artest’s play has to be particularly worrying for the Lakers’ brass. Last year, the three-man played with desire, despite struggling with Phil Jackson’s triple-post sets.

This year … well, the Lakers are still waiting for Artest to arrive. He’s averaging a career low 8 points per game and hasn’t played with his trademark defensive intensity.

Artest’s poor play has been compounded by Matt Barnes’ injury. Without Barnes' energy, the bench has been up and down, while the steady Derek Fisher continues to show his age.

Expect the Lakers to be buyers at the trade deadline. They have no choice -if they want to compete for a third straight championship.

--Oly Sandor.

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The Lakers signed guard Steve Blake this summer, an addition that will likely help give veteran Derek Fisher some rest. Andy Kamenetzky of ESPNLosAngeles.com writes that the Lakers may have finally found an option to start over Fisher.

And the world champion Lakers will only get stronger after this well-thought out transition.

--Oly Sandor.

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The Lakers agreed to terms on a three-year contract with the veteran guard, bringing back a steadying locker-room influence and one of their top clutch shooters of the last decade. The contract was believed to be worth about $10.5 million, including a player option in the third year.

"I have decided to continue with Kobe, continue with our teammates and the fans of Los Angeles," Fisher said in a statement. "While this may not be the most lucrative contract I've been offered this off-season, it is the most valuable. I am confident I will continue to lead this team on and off the court. Let the hunt for six begin. . . ."

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HoopsVibe’s Very Quick Call: Listen closely and you’ll hear Laker-nation – led by the great Kobe Bryant - letting out a massive sigh of relief.

After all, the purple-and-gold had to have Derek Fisher. The emphasis is on ‘had to’. It wasn’t optional. 

The veteran is 36 years old, flops like he`s on the Italian national soccer team, has limits on both ends of the floor, and was surprisingly given the security of a three-year deal.

However, Fisher oozes leadership, has Robert Horry style skills down the stretch, and mediates like the UN when resident superstar Kobe Bryant and Coach Phil Jackson have a ‘tiff’.

Best of all, he can groom his replacement Steve Blake. Like Fisher, Blake is an assassin disguised as a nice guy.

Sure, the former University of Maryland star looks like he should be leading the Dungeons and Dragons club at the local comic shop instead of Jackson’s triple-post set or playing internet chess on Friday evenings instead of the cross-town Clippers.

Don’t get it twisted: Blake is a good guy off-court, but feisty as hell on it. In December of 2007, he sparked the Blazers’ turnaround by breaking chairs and fighting teammates at a now infamous practice. And he’s also known to dabble in mixed martial arts –for fun.

Look for Fisher to take to Blake. Look for Fisher to groom Blake. And this will cement Fisher’s legacy long after he’s gone.

This will be a great relief for Laker-nation.

--Oly Sandor.

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Derek Fisher received an offer of the veteran's minimum from the Heat over the weekend, but he is likely to re-sign with the Lakers.

Fisher reportedly received a $2.5 million offer for next season from the Lakers. He has been seeking a two-year contract with a starting salary closer to the $5 million he made last season.

Lakers free agent point guard Derek Fisher has a meeting scheduled with Miami Heat president Pat Riley on Saturday, according to a source close to the situation.

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HoopsVibe`s Very Quick Call:  Does he join Chris Bosh, LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and the upstart Miami Heat or does he re-sign with Kobe Bryant and the two-time defending champion Los Angeles Lakers?

Yes, Derek Fisher has a dilemma.

However, negotiations between the veteran point guard and the Lakers are progressing because the club raised their initial offer of one-year at $2.5 million.

And Fisher, at 36 years of age, would be hesitant to uproot his young family from LA and bolt on the purple-and-gold.

Of course, Heat GM Pat Riley, also known as the walking oil slick in the front office, is on a roll with his ‘Three Kings’ line-up of Bosh, James, and Wade.

Seriously, it’s like ‘Riles’ has jumped in the Hot Tub Time Machine and turned back the clock to the mid-eighties when he was, coincidentally, the famous coach of the purple-and-gold.

So what would seem a courtesy meeting between Riley and Fisher on Saturday could easily become something more.

--Oly Sandor.

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Steve Blake has agreed to a four-year deal with the Lakers, according to a report from John Canzanao.

According to FanHouse, the deal is worth $16 million over four seasons.

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"Count me in," Jackson said in a statement. "After a couple weeks of deliberation, it is time to get back to the challenge of putting together a team that can defend its title in the 2010-11 season. It'll be the last stand for me, and I hope a grand one."

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HoopsVibe's Very Quick Call: He couldn't pass on the possibility of a three-peat.

After much deliberation, thought, and posturing, Phil Jackson - the Hall of Fame sideline boss - will be back to coach the two-time defending champion Los Angeles Lakers.

Jackson's return had been complicated by a power struggle in the Lakers' front office and ownership's request he take a reduction on his $12 million per season contract.

Of course, there are lingering issues for Jackson and the Buss clan, who own the Lakers, to settle. For instance, coach and ownership must agree on the size of his pay cut and whether free agents Shannon Brown, Jordan Farmar, and Derek Fisher will be re-signed.    

Still, the chance to win three consecutive championships for the fourth time in his career was too much for The Zen to ignore.

-- O.Sandor.

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Count Celtics coach Doc Rivers as one person who won't be marching in the Derek Fisher appreciation parade that commenced Tuesday after the 14-year veteran scored 11 of his 16 points in the fourth quarter to lead the Lakers to a 91-84 Game 3 victory in the Finals.

When asked how Fisher was able to be so successful drawing fouls while being screened, Rivers replied: "What? Besides flopping? He doesn't do a lot extra.

Kobe Bryant scored 29 points and Derek Fisher added 16 to lead Los Angeles to a 91-84 victory over the Boston Celtics on Tuesday night and give the Lakers a 2-1 lead in the NBA Finals.

Bryant had 25 points after three but did not score for the first 10 minutes of the fourth quarter. That's when Fisher took over, adding four key baskets after Boston winnowed a 17-point first-half lead to one point.

The Lakers regained home-court advantage they had lost when Boston took Game 2 in Los Angeles. Game 4 is Thursday night in Boston.

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HoopsVibe's Very Quick Call: In basketball, there’s a saying that ‘you can’t teach the height’. In game three of the NBA Finals, the Boston Celtics couldn’t beat the Los Angeles Lakers’ height.

It didn’t matter that Kevin Garnett turned back the clock with an inspired performance. It didn’t matter that Rajon Rondo was brilliant. It didn’t matter that the green-and-white’s bench had a big second half.

It also didn’t matter that Kobe Bryant had an off shooting night or that Ron Artest struggled with foul trouble.

On Tuesday evening, the Lakers were bigger and stronger and ultimately better. For instance, Andrew Bynum, Pau Gasol, and Lamar Odom were especially effective in the middle, disrupting passing lanes and contesting shots with their length.

Size was one factor. Ray Allen and Paul Pierce’s poor play was another.

Allen, who hit an NBA Finals record 8-three pointers in game two, missed every shot he took in game three, while Pierce wasn’t much better, going 5-for 12 from the floor, and ending with a disappointing 15 points.

This was Pierce’s second consecutive sub par performance and it came on the heels of his claim the Celtics ‘ain’t going back to LA!’

Of course, one of the Lakers’ smallest players, Derek Fisher, played like a giant. The veteran went 6-for-12 with 16 points, which included a courageous 5-for-7 shooting display in the fourth quarter that sealed the victory.

Yes, height was the difference in game three. So was the size of Fisher’s heart.

Got thoughts on game four? Get at us in the comment box below.

These have been forgettable games for Lamar Odom, a sixth man gone asunder in the most important series of the season.

The Lakers aren't playing Phoenix any longer, as Odom could definitely attest, the 14 points and 11.8 rebounds he averaged in the Western Conference finals apparently a thing of the past now that the Lakers are playing Boston in the NBA Finals.

Odom had a five-point, five-foul debacle in Game 1 that somehow got worse Sunday in Game 2, when he finished with three points and five fouls in the Lakers' 103-94 loss.

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HoopsVibe's Very Quick Call: He is the Los Angeles Lakers’ barometer.

When Lamar Odom has his A-game, the Lakers are unbeatable. No other team can bring a versatile, play all five positions type off the bench?

But Odom is somewhat of an enigma. Most of the time, he's brilliant. Some of the time, he disappears.

For instance, former coach and ABC broadcaster Jeff Van Gundy often calls the four-man a top thirty player in the NBA.

At times, such praise is warranted. Last year, he was brilliant as a sixth man for the purple-and-gold. And years ago, he looked like the second coming of Magic Johnson when he led an upstart Miami Heat squad to the second round.

Odom's reputation for going MIA prompted Phoenix Suns star Amar’e Stoudemire to call his 19 point, 19 rebound performance in game one of the Western Conference Finals 'lucky'.

Unfortunately Odom has vanished through the first two games of the NBA Finals (he's averaging a sub par 4 points and 4 rebounds). This doesn’t bode well for the Lakers, so here’s how Coach Jackson fixes the situation:

1) Go to Odom early and often. The coaches must put him in the game no later than half way through the first quarter.

2) Get him involved. Derek Fisher or Kobe Bryant, the veteran leaders, should call a play or two for him in the half court set.

3) ‘Run, Lamar, Run’. Odom needs to use his length and athleticism to score easy points in transition.

4)  Get on the glass. Odom is at his best when grabbing rebounds. The other parts of his game follows suit. 

Got thoughts on how the Lakers get Odom going? 

HoopsVibe's Quick Call: With several days lag time between the conference finals and championship series, it's understandable if fans are restless.

After all, you've watched numerous panel hits on TNT and NBATV; you've listened to analysts on satellite radio; you've read about match-ups on-line and in newspapers; and you've been tormented by the know-it-all at the office water cooler.

Well, the NBA Finals isn't quite here. However, HoopsVibe News has the next best thing: video of the Los Angeles Lakers talking about their upcoming series with the Boston Celtics.

As usual, watch the clip and get us with thoughts in the comment box below.