Kings-Lakers: Defense Keeping Rivalry Alive

Coming into this game, almost everyone counted out the Sacramento Kings against the Los Angeles Lakers. Not only because the Lakers are arguably the best team in the West and quite possibly the NBA, but because there best player Kevin Martin would be watching from the sidelines due to injury. Throughout the last decade or so, the Kings and Lakers have had a pretty-heated rivalry from battling as Western Conference powerhouses during the Lakers championship years, and continuing when both teams went through rebuilding years. It seems no matter what players have come and gone, whether it be Mike Bibby, Chris Webber, Ron Artest, Shaq, or the Lakers' talented role players of old like Brian Shaw, Robert Horry, and Rick Fox this rivalry has not died and should stand the test of time. It would be hard to argue that the Lakers have not improved considerably on defense since last season—but you definitely would not have thought that if you saw the Lakers defense break down the way it did against ... (link)