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Y E S T E R D A Y…

Nuggets 107, Lakers 122: The Black Mamba’s bite is clearly still venomous as ever. Don’t believe me? Ask Denver’s J.R. Smith, who received 49 stings on the night. Ouch. A day after CP3 dropped 32 points and 17 dimes to lead the Hornets to a victory over the flailing Mavs, Mamba poured in 49 points and 10 assists for the Purple and Gold, once again making an emphatic statement to the basketball world that the MVP trophy belongs to #24.

Angels 6, Red Sox 4: No Dice-K? Ok! The $103 million-dollar man was a late scratch due to a stiff neck and flu-like symptoms. His replacement, Jon Lester, must have had a stiff neck after the game, too, since he was constantly turning to watch balls fly over his head (and over the Green Monster). Gary Matthews and Casey Kotchman showed off their power stroke for the Angels, who already have 22 homers on the year, good for fourth-best in the bigs. Kotchman has a club-leading six dingers, after hitting only 11 all of last season. The BoSox six-game winning streak comes to a screeching halt with the loss.

Diamondbacks 3, Dodgers 8: The seemingly untouchable Dan Haren reassured the baseball world that he is, indeed, human. The Boys in Blue roughed him up to the tune of six runs - five earned - over 4 2/3 innings. Derek Lowe three-hit the D’Backs over five strong frames before being removed due to elbow tightness. The bend-but-don’t-break bullpen staved off a couple attempts at late-inning rallies, and Saito said sayonara, recording his second save of the season.

T O D A Y…

Angels at Red Sox (10:35 a.m., FSN West): The newest Red Sock, Justin Masterson, will try to cool down the red-hot Halos, who have Mr. Consistent Joe Saunders on the hill. Saunders has gone eight innings in three of his four starts, and held opposing hitters under the Mendoza line.

Dodgers at Diamondbacks (7:10 p.m., FSN): Youngster Chad Billingsley is still looking for his first victory of the season after a 12-5 campaign in 2007. The snakes send fifth starter Edgar Gonzalez to the mound, meaning the Dodgers have a perfect opportunity to take a series lead with their second win in as many nights.

N E W S W O R T H Y…

• The Dodger Stadium will receive its biggest renovation yet as the McCourts unveiled a plan to put an entrance promenade near the outfield that will feature several restaurants and a museum. The project will cost an estimated $500 M, a larger pricetag than the $430 M Frank McCourt bought the team for four years ago.
• Ducks’ GM Brian Burke is getting another year at the helm despite a disappointing first-round ousting via the Dallas Stars. For bringing a world championship to Southern California and making a slew of great trades, acquisitions, and draft picks during his tenure (see Pronger, Schneider, Niedermayer, Bobby Ryan, the list goes on), the guy deserves a long leash.
• Ronny Turiaf sat out Wednesday night’s victory over the Nuggets due to tonsilitis. Luckily, Ronny has changed his behavior to prevent the illness from spreading throughout the clubhouse. “Ronny’s been good about not giving too many high-fives,” Chris Mihm said.

C O L U M N S…

• SPORTSHUB COLUMN OF THE DAY: Forget 81. Forget all the 50+ point outings. Despite the plenitude of jaw-dropping performances we have seen from #24 throughout his illustrious career, we did not truly experience Kobe Bryant at his best until Wednesday night, says the Times’ Bill Plaschke. Kobe has never had a more complete, dominating game in which he displayed such emotion, enthusiasm, and passion. He proved to the world once again that Kobe Bryant is truly the best (and most valuable) basketball player on the planet.
• While Dodgers’ GM Ned Colletti roots on the Nuggets and Jazz, the hometown team continues steamrolling the former. Colletti’s club can hardly say the same, says the Times’ T.J. Simers, as the Dodgers have stumbled out of the gates to a 9-12 start. If Kobe was dissatisfied with the Lakers’ front office this offseason, imagine what he’d say if he were a Dodger and not a Laker! It wouldn’t be pretty, I can assure you.
• In Game 1, Pau Gasol showed it was his game with 36 points and 16 boards. In Game 2, Kobe showed it was his team, says the OC Register’s Jeff Miller. Not only did the Kobester score 49 points on an efficient 18-27 from the field, but he also dished out 10 assists to help get teammates involved. If this man goes another season without some MVP hardware — despite being the game’s best player for the past several years — it will be an injustice to the game of basketball.

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