Jackson Crashes And Burns in Last Game

In an embarrassing display that will have Lakers coach Phil Jackson happily saying "good riddance" to both his team and the NBA in general, Los Angeles frittered away its chance at extending its second-round series with Dallas on Sunday. Terrible defense, middling effort, lazy offense and a thuggish finish all marked Jackson's last game as an NBA coach. Lakers big men Andrew Bynum(notes) and Lamar Odom
(notes)
were both ejected after needless flagrant fouls, Dallas won 122-86, and even a deficit like that doesn't really showcase how one-sided this game was.

Ignoring years of evidence that points to the fact that the Lakers' offense is always at its best when it encompasses ball movement and the usual hallmarks of the team's triangle offense, Kobe Bryant(notes) came
out gunning to start the contest. Bryant was hitting to start, but he finished with 17 points on 18 shots in the loss...More