Boston Celtics

The Lakers just scored a slam dunk in the Latino market. On Monday the team announced a 20-year agreement with Time Warner Cable to create the nation's first Spanish-language regional sports network, with the Lakers as its centerpiece, starting with the 2012-13 season. The groundbreaking partnership is just the latest in a series of efforts by the Lakers and the NBA as they reach out to the fastest-growing segment of the U.S. population. "If you're not able to connect with [Latinos]

Kobe Bryant sat in his chair wearing a black robe, his feet in a bucket of ice, his answers to every question curt, yet straightforward and clear. None of his answers were more succinct than when Bryant was asked to grade the Lakers' defense against the Boston Celtics during Sunday's 109-96 defeat at Staples Center. "F," Bryant said. Why? "Well, we didn't execute well," Bryant said. "We blew too many assignments. " Enough to allow the Celtics to rip holes in the Lakers' up-and-down defense.

Reporting from Boston ? The Boston Celtics won a championship last season and now have a chance to defend it ? in a manner of speaking. Celtics forward Paul Pierce is one of six players who will take part in the All-Star three-point contest Feb. 19 at Staples Center, the NBA announced Tuesday. Pierce, who beat Golden State guard Stephen Curry last season in the contest, will be challenged this year by the Warriors' Dorell Wright, Oklahoma City's Kevin Durant, Cleveland's Daniel Gibson, Miami's James Jones and Celtics teammate Ray Allen.

I listen to Phil Jackson. That doesn't mean I don't tease him, make fun of him or wonder what Jeanie sees in him. But I listen, because he seems to know something about basketball. And every year around about the time the playoffs start, Phil makes mention of size and the considerable advantage it gives the Lakers. "It has brought us championships," he said again by telephone Tuesday night from Boston. That's why I argue Andrew Bynum is the single BIGGEST reason why the Lakers are favorites to win it all again.

Lakers General Manager Mitch Kupchak said Monday that he's not happy with how the team has played, and he has pondered making a trade to shake things up. The two-time defending champions lost Sunday to the hated Boston Celtics and Friday night to the lowly Sacramento Kings, with both losses at home, leaving Kupchak in a state of uneasiness about his team. "Yes . . . I may have to look into a trade, but I'm not saying we have" talked to other teams yet, Kupchak said. "We have not been playing up to our level and I don't know why. Maybe it's complacency.

Let's get this straight. The Lakers lose to the lowly Sacramento Kings at Staples Center on Friday night and the media get blamed for the loss? "Yeah, I'm blaming this on you guys," Lamar Odom said after the Lakers dropped a 100-95 decision to the Kings. "You guys are jumping to the Boston game. " Odom was joking. But the media did begin asking about the Lakers playing the Boston Celtics on Sunday, many ignoring the Kings (11-33) in the process. Still, the Lakers had put a gag order in place, saying no one was allowed to talk about the Celtics until after the Lakers finished off the Kings.

BOSTON AT LAKERS Sunday at 12:30 p.m. TV: Channel 7. In 2007, when Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen joined Paul Pierce, Rajon Rondo couldn't shoot, Kendrick Perkins didn't shoot and the Boston Celtics' bench consisted of James Posey until late-arriving P.J. Brown and Sam Cassell were hailed as heroes. Three seasons, 1,000 injuries, two Finals appearances, one title and one heartbreak later, they're bigger, deeper and even more ticked off. So if the Lakers think they are the motivated team, the best they will get is a tie. Once runty menaces with only Garnett taller than 6 feet 9 in stocking feet, the Celtics are a thundering herd with Perkins, Shaquille O'Neal, Glen Davis and Jermaine O'Neal.

In Lakers Coach Phil Jackson's eyes, his team has been too inconsistent in its last six games. There was the loss to the lowly Sacramento Kings on Friday night. There was the loss to a Dallas Mavericks team that had lost six games in a row. And there was the loss to the Clippers in which the Lakers blew a big lead. Also in that six-game stretch were victories over Utah, Denver and Oklahoma City, three probable playoff teams. That leaves the Lakers with a 33-14 record, three games behind last season's pace after 47 games.

OK, aside from that ? ESPN's Chris Mullin , on the Boston Celtics: "You know the key to their team? There's too many keys. "The opposing team comes in and says, we're going to shut down [ Rajon ] Rondo and KG [ Kevin Garnett ] and then Paul Pierce and Ray Allen explode. Shaquille O'Neal is a great fit. [ Glen ] 'Big Baby' Davis is wonderful.... "The biggest thing is Kevin Garnett's health has improved drastically and he's back where he was two years ago. " Letdown II Sam Smith of bulls.

TNT set ratings records for its season-opening NBA doubleheader Tuesday, which kicked off with the Boston Celtics beating the LeBron James -led Miami Heat, followed by the Kobe Bryant -led Lakers' game against the Houston Rockets, which included the defending champions' ring ceremony. The Heat-Celtics matchup was the most-watched regular-season NBA game in cable history, and the doubleheader was the most-watched opening doubleheader in Turner's 27 years of broadcasting the NBA. The night's games together averaged 5.4 million viewers, according to the Nielsen ratings, while the Heat and the Celtics averaged 7.43 million.