108-95

What can you say?

The Lakers have their own fate in their hands. They went into tonight leading the Western Conference - albeit barely. The Conference is in the tightest race of all time where one or two wins or losses can move you drastically in either direction.

It is a crazy race and one where you can not afford to lose to the teams you should be beating.

Tonight, the Spurs beat the Clippers... like they're supposed to. Houston beat Minnesota... like they're supposed to. New Orleans beat Cleveland... which you can debate all you want but they were probably supposed to.

And Phoenix lost to the Celtics... like they were supposed to!

The Lakers? The Lakers fell 108-95 to the Charlotte Bobcats - the same Bobcats that are in 12th place in the horrid Eastern Conference. The same Bobcats who were 6-28 on the road going in to tonight. The same- you get the point.

I realize they're undermanned right now with Pau and Bynum... and Ariza... and Mihm... and... good lord. But, it's the Bobcats. You gotta beat teams like that. You just don't have a choice. You can't put it in neutral until your big men come back.

So, if the Lakers manage to win the Conference, tonight's loss is just a memory. But if they don't, it's one of those games you can look back on and cringe as to the reason they're facing a better team in the first round than they should.

Only about a month left, boys. Don't take your foot off the gas now.

Oh, and just to add a little more cloud to your silver lining, Kobe scored two technicials in the fourth quarter to earn himself an ejection. Not a problem on the surface but #24 leads the league in technicials with 15. One more technical in the regular season earns him a one game suspension.

Is there any chance in hell that that won't happen in the next month? I doubt it.