Lakers Come Up A Little Short

Ha, nice shorts! It was 1980s retrospective night at the Staples Center on Sunday, the Lakers stylin' with short shorts, assistant coach Kurt Rambis sporting a fake mustache, and the Laker Girls wearing spandex. No word as to whether Nicholson dropped 25 pounds and came dressed as The Joker. (A tremendous James Worthy short shorts reenactment here, at about the 1:01 mark). What the Lakers really needed, however, was Magic Johnson. Your final: Boston 110, Los Angeles 91. Paul Pierce scored 33 points and Kevin Garnett had 22 points, 12 rebounds and six assists — and donated blood — to lead the Celtics. Kobe Bryant scored 22 for Los Angeles, going 6-of-25 from the floor. We also suggest that Lakers fans request a 50 percent ticket refund, because evidently the team changed back to their regular shorts at halftime.

• They Fought The Law And The Law Won. Cool names, NBA Division: Travis Outlaw. (True fact: My name was Snidley Whiplash before I changed it in college). You'd have known this sooner if Outlaw played more. He came off the bench and was 1-for-7 from the floor for the first three quarters, then scored 10 points in the fourth to lead the Trail Blazers over the 76ers 97-72. Portland has won 13 straight.

• Butters Disapproves. The Warriors are winning in Denver? What? Baron Davis had 28 points and Stephen Jackson had 23 to lead Golden State over the Nuggets 105-95. The Warriors had lost seven straight to the Nuggets in Denver.

• Ask Not For Whom Big Ben Tolls. See, Dolans? You fire your underperforming coach, and the new one will win for you. Ben Gordon scored 25 points to lead the Bulls over the Knicks 100-83.