By this time Wednesday, the city of Los Angeles could be in a full-blown state of panic.
Forget about earthquakes, brushfires or rolling blackouts, which are the customary causes for trouble in Tinseltown. No, it’s the Lakers, who will be trying to avoid an 0-3 start when they host the Utah Jazz.
It’s the second game of TNT’s doubleheader, which means everything the Lakers say and do will be analyzed by their star-studded studio panel in a way that would shame Sheldon from “The Big Bang Theory.”
It is also the third game in three nights for the long-in-the-tooth Lakers, who starting lineup has 30 guys over 30 and two guys who were deep reserves a season ago.
In their first two games, the Lakers have had late-game meltdowns. On Christmas, they squandered a six-point lead over Chicago with less than a minute to go as Kobe Bryant missed two shots around a bad pass. On Monday in Sacramento, they closed to 92-89 with 3:48 to go, then went 1-of-8 with eight fouls down the stretch.
LA also will be playing the NBA’s most rested team. With Atlanta visiting New Jersey earlier tonight, Utah will be the last squad to take the court this season.
The Jazz went 8-17 after trading Deron Williams last season. But that doesn’t mean they don’t have the personnel to bother the Lakers. Devin Harris is still too fast for Derek Fisher (who isn’t?) and Raja Bell savors his matchups with Bryant.
Utah also has a bigs rotation of Al Jefferson, Derrick Favors, rookie Enes Kanter and likely Paul Millsap, who was back at practice after missing preseason with a quad injury. That could wear a bit on Pau Gasol, who again is without suspended sidekick Andrew Bynum.
After tonight, the Lakers finally get a day off. If they lose, that should be plenty of time for the media to call for the return of Phil Jackson, pitch several Dwight Howard trade scenarios and try to bait Bryant into saying he wants out.