And the Smile Slowly Fades.....

You think there was any chance that this shot went in? No. You think the Jazz had a shot to win against the Lakers, even without Kobe Bryant and Andrew Bynum. Nope. Utah wasn't really in the game after the Lakers went on a 12-0 run to end the first quarter. Say goodbye to the 9-game win streak, and now we have a week to think about this game.

I'll admit, I recorded the game so I could watch it after a "previous engagement" tonight, but when I came into my apartment, the game was on and the Jazz were down by 19. So, I don't really know why Utah lost this game; however, a quick look at the box score and you will see that Pau Gasol had 22 points and 19 rebounds, and Lamar Odom had 25 and 11. Nobody could match up against those guys to keep them out of the paint.

Andrei Kirilenko had 17 points, and Carlos Boozer and Deron Williams each had double-doubles, but it wasn't enough to slow down the Best in the West. Let's all just pretend this game never happened, and enjoy the All-Star break. Congrats to D-Will on finally making the cut; let's hope he makes us proud!