Lakers lacks toughness on the Eastside

Troy Murphy plundered the Lakers. Danny Granger outplayed the Lakers. The Indiana Pacers stunned the Lakers.

This time, the Lakers didn’t have to rally their way to a victory, but this time they blow it. Usually, the Lakers have to play a game of catch up, finding themselves trailing, before increasing the intensity, to win at ease.

But at Indianapolis, it was a different panorama to a great Lakers’ championship tale. Before mentioning anything about a championship for the Lakers, there's one thing they improve, winning a game against an East opponent.

In the latest tale of the East Coast Strugglers, the story talks about the Lakers’ 118-117 loss to the Pacers on Tuesday night. It’s degrading for the Lakers to lose to a lower class opponent and it’s demoting when they lose another game against an East opponent.

By far this season, the Lakers have dominated the West without any barriers interfering, coming away with substantial victories, which have merely enhanced them to a record of 14 wins this season, only losing two games. Both losses came against East conference opponent.

When it seemed as if the Lakers would secure another victory, the Pacers refused to go away. Danny Granger, who’s having a sensational season, scored 32 points and led the Pacers to a 15-point comeback, the Lakers blow a huge lead, in a huge upset and in a huge way.

The Lakers were looking to extend their seventh game winning streak. And the league’s reigning MVP, Kobe Bryant, had a terrific night, scoring 28 points to go along with seven rebounds, but it wasn’t enough to run away from the irksome Pacers.

In the final seconds, Murphy tipped in a missed shot as time expired to powder a loss against the league’s hottest team, unloading the water cooler, to drench the Lakers, snapping the hot spurt.

But the Lakers had their fair share of chances, the biggest chance came when Bryant buried his 21-footer to give the Lakers a 117-116 lead with 58.4 seconds remaining, but his errant jumper on the final possession, opened the windows for Indiana’s final chance. On their final chance they prevailed, defeating the Lakers to become the second East conference opponent to defeat them.

The Lakers downcast funk against East opponents has foreboded them once again, searching for answers on their struggles against the East, now curious about their next two road games against East opponents.

Earlier this season, the Lakers disappointed a faithful crowd at Staples Center, lossing to Detroit, 106-95. Newly acquired guard, Allen Iverson, lighted up the scoreboards and pulverized the Lakers from every angle, handing them their first loss of the season.

Currently, the Lakers are 11-0 against West opponents, while they’re just 2-2 against East opponents, winning both New Jersey and Toronto. But the most dignifying scene from the Lakers this season is their resourceful fulfillment against the West.

On opening night they routed Portland, following the Clippers and they pulverized Denver, Houston and New Orleans, playoff bound teams that were expected to be a tough task for the Lakers, but they weren’t that tough to handle.

But, the Lakers still have a burden to clear, beating a legitimate opponent in the East, on Christmas Day they’ll meet their legitimate opponent, the Boston Celtics, a rematch from last seasons’ devastating loss, coming from the East.

Unfortunately, the Lakers can’t beat the East, but if they beat the Celtics, they might learn the formula to beating an East opponent, playing against defending champs is the best way to learn the concepts on beating the East.