The Los Angeles Lakers lost their second game in a row on Sunday when they were taken to the three-point wood shed by the Phoenix Suns.
The 121-116 Suns victory came along with a hail storm of 22 three-point shots made out of 40; yet the Lakers were within 2 points with under a minute left in regulation and a real chance to pull a victory out of their hats.
Then Lamar Odom incurred the wrath of the T-Police after slamming home a bucket off a Kobe Bryant assist to bring the Lakers close at 111-109. On his basket he was clearly fouled by Suns off-season acquisition, Hedo Turkoglu.
Steve Nash made the shot and after a time out, the Lakers were buried by the same Mr. Turkoglu on yet another poorly defended basket from beyong the arc. The rest as they say was history.
Here's the thing. After pre-season games during which the refs called Ts for every ticky-tack reason, the season began with a less disciplined attitude.
Under the heading of no good deed goes unpunished, the refs started to give the impression that they wouldn't be adverse to some bitching and moaning, especially in heated contests, with the victory or defeat on the line.
Odom got a rude awakening as did the rest of the Laker team. Phil Jackson was lucky not to be called for his own technical when he got on the official after calling a time out. Phil knew better, however, since his team was only down 3 with 53 seconds left.
It's unlike Lamar to do something so silly with a game on the line but then again, the news broke over the weekend that he and the mother of his two children are in a heated court battle over child support and visitation.
Apparently the issue has taken an ugly turn with Liza Morales who lives in Manhattan with Destiny, 12 and LJ, 9. Morales is spreading the news that Lamar is an absent father and has been so since the tragic death of their youngest child in 2006 from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.
Lamar's image as the nicest guy in the world, a happy husband and hopeful father to be with new wife Khloe Kardashian, is taking a hit in the press. That could surely make a guy cranky enough to be T'd up. The Lakers travel to Milwaukee to take on Brandon Jennings and the Bucks on Tuesday night.
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