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The Lakers are poised to take on the Miami Heat in a rematch of their January 19 game, which was a 98-87 loss for the Lakers. There has been plenty of talk about payback over the last week, particularly should Andrew Bynum or Metta World Peace retaliate for Dwyane Wade's hard foul on Kobe Bryant in last Sunday's All Star game. Common sense tells us no, that there is no need for payback. Bynum agrees...sort of.
"I can’t do anything about it," said Bynum, who lost about $750,000 from his two suspensions. "If I do anything they’re going to definitely hit me. It sucks. It’s not good. It’s unfortunate. It’s something we got to deal with. I got Beasley, I got Barea and people blame me for the Gerald Wallace incident."
"There is an eye on Matt Barnes and [Metta World Peace] and myself," Bynum said. "There just is. It’s part of the game. We’re going to get hit extra hard for anything."
Truth be told, the only payback the Lakers need is a win over a true contender, and beating the superpower of the Eastern Conference would be a great start.
The Lakers (22-14) have fared particularly poorly against the NBA's elite teams this season, going 1-7 versus Miami, Chicago, Oklahoma City, the Clippers, Orlando, Indiana and Philadelphia.
In the meantime, Kobe, who said recently that he has no current rivalries going, sat out practice on Saturday in order to get treatment on his neck; Metta World Peace talks about the aftermath of his concussion; and Mike Brown has stopped tinkering and finally settled on his rotation. Maybe good things are coming our way.
↓ More after the jump ↓
L.A. Times
- Up next for Lakers: Sunday vs. Miami
- NBA game of the week: Miami at Lakers
- Lakers showing some offensive growth
- Will Lakers get physical against Dwyane Wade?
- Metta World Peace recalls blurred vision long after concussion
- Kobe Bryant sits out of Saturday's practice
- Andrew Bynum doesn't plan to retaliate against Dwayne Wade
- Mike Brown defends LeBron James' late-game decisions
- Kobe Bryant gauges legacy to Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson
- Kobe Bryant scores 38 points, Lakers hold off Kings
- Lakers Coach Mike Brown settles on a lineup
ESPN/ESPNLA
- ABC Sunday Dime - ESPN
- Los Angeles Lakers' Andrew Bynum says he won't seek retribution against Miami Heat's Dwyane Wade - ESPNLA
- Los Angeles Lakers Kobe Bryant vs. Miami Heat Dwyane Wade not LeBron James - ESPNLA
- NBA -- Making a deal for five teams in need of one - ESPN
- Dallas Mavericks' Lamar Odom apologizes to teammates, asks for their support - ESPN Dallas
- Mike Brown's offense: Less control, more results - Los Angeles Lakers Blog - ESPNLA
- Andrew Bynum knows big brother is watching - Los Angeles Lakers Blog - ESPNLA
- Lakers vs. Heat: What to watch with Tom Haberstroh - Los Angeles Lakers Blog - ESPNLA
SI.com
- Dwight Howard's future, Boston's possible break-up and more NBA trade rumors - Sam Amick
- Charles Barkley: Michael Jordan Has Not Done A Good Job As An Owner | SI Tracking Blog
- Utah Jazz's trade of Deron Williams offers lessons for team ahead of deadline - Ian Thomsen
- Cousy: Celtics should keep Rajon Rondo 'unless he's a serial killer'
- David Falk talks NBA lockout, Michael Jordan, LeBron James - Sam Amick
- Fifty years later, Chamberlain's 100-point game is still the best - Frank Deford
Orange County Register
- Thompson the Lakers’ tiebreaker 25 years ago
- 10 reasons why Lakers will beat the Heat
- No extra incentive need in Lakers-Heat game
ProBasketballTalk/DIME
- Kobe says he has no active rivals left in NBA | ProBasketballTalk
- Report: Stern done after 2014 | ProBasketballTalk
- The Celtics are really committed to telling you everything’s fine | ProBasketballTalk
- 5 Burning NBA Questions: The Pacific Division | Dime Magazine
- 5 Burning NBA Questions: The Southeast Division | Dime Magazine
Lakers Nation
- Lakers vs. Heat Pre-Game Report: Lakers Look to Beat the Heat
- Masked-Mamba Plays Mind Games With Heat Guard Dwyane Wade
- Should the Lakers Trade Pau Gasol?
- Top 5 Offensive Teams in Lakers History
- Kareem Abdul-Jabbar: "Someone With My Skills Could Still Dominate the Game"
- With Season Heating Up Lakers Have Little Margin for Error
Other Links
- LAKERS: Lakers Gameday | 03/04/12 | Heat
- Keeping Score: James and the Heat Put Failure Behind Them - NYTimes.com
- Just Before His Breakout, Lin Struggled Mightily - NYTimes.com
- Mapping the N.B.A. - NYTimes.com
- HoopsHype - Chris Bosh: "The ring is a bigger goal than the Olympic gold"
- HoopsHype - Roy Hibbert: "Acting is something I would like to do when my career is over"
- NBA Saturday: Lakers Continue Point Guard Search | HOOPSWORLD
- Wilt Chamberlain: Human And Superhuman | ThePostGame
Multimedia
- New podKast: Lakers-Heat, trades and money - Los Angeles Lakers Blog - ESPNLA
- Kobe: 'I Wanted That Challenge' - ESPN Video - ESPN
- Video: Hasan Minhaj and the Truth About Jeremy Lin | Dime Magazine
- Video: Watch the Sixers Punk Their Rookies | Dime Magazine
- Will All-Star drama carry over for Lakers, Heat? - Yahoo! Sports Video