Lamar Odom Dominates as Lakers End Cavs' Home Streak

If I told you Sunday morning that Kobe Bryant would suffer from such strong flu symptoms as to limit him to 19 points and two assists against the Cleveland Cavaliers, you might have assumed that LeBron and his merry men might have breezed to a victory.



You would be wrong.

Behind an absolutely dominant performance by Lamar Odom (28 points, 17 rebounds), the Lakers used a 29-16 third-quarter surge to rush past the Cavaliers at the Q and never looked back.

Bryant was suffering from the "flu-like symptoms" that have felled what seems like half the NBA, but Bryant elected to play through it. It was incredibly apparent that Bryant felt like a horror film, often looking downright miserable on the bench. Of course, that didn't stop him from outscoring LeBron James 19-16 and helping his team get the win.

The real story of how the Lakers ended the Cavaliers' undefeated home winning streak and and extended their winning streak to six games (4-0 without Andrew Bynum), though, was about the greatness of Lamar Odom, and the failure of LeBron James.

Odom was everywhere -- grabbing rebounds, slamming putbacks, driving, hitting jumpers, working the lane, finishing and playing smart basketball. He scored 15 points in the third to help the Lakers overwhelm the Cavaliers, who led at halftime. His play was everything Lakers fans have been hoping to see from Odom, as if a light had finally, finally been turned on after the trade of backup small forward Vladimir Radmanovic to the Bobcats. Odom played with fire and intensity, leading his teammates and making the plays needed when the Cavaliers defense broke down.

His performance was everything LeBron James' wasn't.

James was remarkably passive for the first three quarters of play, electing for three-pointers and jumpers instead of driving to the basket. The Lakers fronted him on the wing with a guard, often Derek Fisher or Kobe Bryant, then had a low-post defender ready in case he decided to blow past the perimeter defender. The mere presence of the double spurred James to pass, and while he did create 12 assists, they often came from players that you knew the Lakers were willing to let shoot. Mo Williams had a terrific first half, then ran out of magic in the second. But James was the real story, ferocious on the boards but ineffectual in all other phases. When he finally did decide to start driving late in the third quarter, the Lakers defense was willing to collapse on him, and James was unable to finish, particularly when faced with the same kind of aggressive contact the Lakers used to overcome James in their first meeting at Staples Center this season.

With the win, the Lakers have certainly made the remainder of the season academic. They've proven they can defeat the two best teams in the East, on their home floor, by double digits. They split with the Spurs after a series of unlikely events in San Antonio. Orlando proved to be an excellent matchup against them, but with Jameer Nelson's potentially season-ending injury, the odds of the Magic making it to the Finals are slim. The Lakers have shown the best passing, the best shooting, the best size, the best perimeter defense, and good enough interior defense to beat any team in a seven-game series. Believe me when I say that this brings me no joy, but after today, even with it being February, even with the Cavs missing Delonte West, there's simply no way around it.

As of today, and for the vast majority of the 2008-09 season, the Los Angeles Lakers are far and away the best team in the National Basketball Association, and should be considered the unanimous favorite to win the NBA championship this spring.

In closing ... LAMAR ODOM?!