Lakers Drop the Ball

Records were broken once again at last night's game, and it's not a good thing for the Lakers. No team had ever overcome more than a 15-point deficit after the first quarter and it was the largest comeback in the Finals since 1971, surpassing Houston's comeback from a 20-point deficit to Orlando in 1995.

97 to 91 was the final score, and the Celtics worked their butts off to get the win. Honestly, during the 2nd quarter, I probably felt like many viewers thinking we got this in the bag. Wow...were we wrong! The second half was a trainwreck, and the Lakers were certainly de-railed. Kobe said it best, ""We let a huge opportunity slip away." Then it cracked me up when he said that "they wet the bed" when he was describing their embarrassing performance during one of the biggest chokes in NBA Finals history. I wonder if this had to do with his comments about how much he was going to drink last night to try to forget about the game. In case you didn't catch it, here was his alcohol wish list: lots of wine, beer and about 20 shots. Sounds like the party was at Kobe's!

Game 5 is Sunday night at Staples. No team has recovered from a 3-1 deficit in the Finals. Will the Lakers beat the odds or drop the ball again?

Los Angeles dads are counting on Sunday night, which is Father's Day, to be a turning point in the series. No pressure.

Rage at the Pump

Road rage, office rage, air rage..pretty common. Pump rage? Not so much. But now we can officially add that one to the list of anger issues. Yep, these high prices at the pump are driving people nuts...literally! A California doctor, who says a driver cut in front of him in a gas line, was arrested after he pulled out a tire iron and approached the car.


Dr. Antonio Reyes, 58, of La Palma, California, says he was waiting with a group of other motorists at the Costco pumps when a vehicle cut in front of him. That's when the doc grabbed the "weapon" and allegedly approached the man in the car. The driver of that vehicle locked himself in his car and called police.

When cops from the Cyprus Police Department arrived, they arrested the angry doctor on misdemeanor charges of suspicion of displaying a deadly weapon in a rude, angry or threatening manner. Dr. Reyes admits that the high gas prices have caused him to stress out. But threaten a man's life, too? Hey, I'm not liking the gas prices either, but I don't think that going postal is the answer.

But let's talk about this guy who allegedly cut in line. I'm sure he was no angel, and yes people who cut in any type of line are not only rude, but annoying. In fact, Dr. Reyes says the man flipped him off and called him the "F" word. You know we've been there...when someone cuts in line or flips us off and you think about the horrible things you'd like to do to them. It's just that you don't act on it! Come on, doc!


As for those gas prices, some analysts are saying that by July we'll be hitting $5 bucks a gallon, so expect lots of bitter people pumping gas next to you. Here's a little advice...keep those tire irons and crow bars at home! There are just too many temptations out there.

Beating the Odds

The Lakers are facing some terrible odds in the NBA Finals, but last night they proved that they're in it to win it. Kobe and the crew pulled off a win against the Celtics in Game Three...87-81. League MVP Kobe Bryant scored 36 points and had 7 rebounds...helping the team avoid a total blowout.

But despite the win, we have to talk about those free throw shots. What the ....? Kobe went to the line 18 times and missed 7 of them. After the game, he was able to laugh about it...especially since he was pumped that they won.

The seats in the Coliseum were filled with fans ready to see a victory, and those die-hards had shelled out a lot of money to be there. With nose-bleed tickets selling for thousands of dollars, they wanted their money's worth. Celebrities also turned out including David Beckham, Eddie Murphy, Steven Spielberg and of course, good ol' Jack. Hell, they're the only ones who can afford those court-side seats! Some ticket agencies had those court-side tickets going for as much as $40,000 a piece. I'm still having a hard time thinking about paying that much money for a ticket. Let's just say, my wife would not be happy.

Last night's win has guaranteed the Lakers two more games, both at the Staples Center. Game 4 is tomorrow, and with the Celtics leading the series 2-1, the Lakers better keep the momentum going!

Lakers Fans Pay Up

The start of the NBC Finals has been nothing short of a buzzkill. A 2 - 0 lead by the Celtics is not only disappointing, but embarrassing. When Jay Leno starts using you in his jokes, you know it's bad. He took plenty of jabs at the Lakers last night during his monologue. So can the Lakers pull off a comeback? They're gonna need a lot of luck. Only three teams in NBA Finals history have ever come back from a 2 - 0 deficit.

After two disappointing days in Boston, the Lakers are finally playing at home and fans are throwing full support behind the purple and gold...and they're throwing plenty of green into the mix. Green...as in thousands of dollars for seats at tonight's game at the Staples Center. The seats up in the nose bleed start...yes, that's start...for $2600 dollars. And if you'd like to sit courtside, you may have to sell your car to get some additional dough. That's because one person is selling a courtside ticket for $37, 839! Honestly, you can buy the best plasma TV in town, throw an amazing party and still buy a car for that kind of money.

Will Kobe and the gang pull off a win tonight? Let's hope so because there's a lot of pride, and money, riding on it!

A Night at the Prom

There are days when a story takes on a whole new level, and the people involved leave a lasting impression. That's how I felt after meeting 13-year old Samantha Ashburn, an 8th grader who suffered from a rare bone cancer called Osteosarcoma. After 10 months of chemotherapy, and several scars to prove it, her cancer is now in remission. With her mom Tina by her side, we sat and talked in their room at the Renaissance Hotel in Hollywood, as Samantha got ready for prom, styling her newly re-grown short hair.

This prom experience is a dream come true for many patients like Samantha who have dreamed of a glamourous night like this for years, after suffering many emotional and painful years of cancer treatment. Even more exciting, this specially designed prom night was started by the Shiri Foundation, an non-profit organization started by 18-year old Fred Scarf, who lost his teenage friend and prom date, Shiri, to cancer.


The Shiri Foundation flew Samantha and her mom Tina from Sacramento to attend this event at the California Science Center at Exposition Park in Los Angeles. Samantha's mom was telling me that while she was visiting Osteosarcoma online chatrooms with other parents whose children are living with this rare form of cancer, one of those parents told her to check out Fred's website - Shiri.org. After doing so, she contacted Fred...and as a result, Samantha's dreams of going to prom have come true.


Fred Scarf, who started the Shiri Foundation, is an inspiration to many, and after reading his story on how he created this wildly successful non-profit organization, you'll know why I think the world of him. Honestly, to see the smile on Samantha's face as she arrived at her prom was an incredible moment. Learn more about the Shiri Foundation and Fred Scarf at shiri.org.

You can also watch my live report on KTLA.com

The Downfall of the SUV

Back in 2005, there was a prediction that General Motors Corporation would eliminate 30,000 jobs and close nine North American assembly, stamping and powertrain plants by 2008. Looks like that prediction has come true. GM announced today that they are closing four truck and SUV plants in the U.S., Canada and Mexico, affecting 10,000 workers. Dealerships have seen a 65% drop in truck sales from last year, and high gas prices are being blamed. I couldn't believe that here in Pasadena, a gallon of regular gas was $4.32, and it's only going to get worse.

Looks like more and more drivers are downsizing...hoping to save a buck at the pump. General Motors CEO Rick Wagoner said today that a market shift to smaller vehicles is permanent. He also said that the iconic Hummer brand will be reviewed and potentially sold or revamped. The GM board has approved production of a new, small electric vehicle called the Chevrolet Volt. It's pictured below.

GM has taken notice that vehicles like the Toyota Prius and Honda Civic Hybrid are flying off of the car lots, and they're hoping the upcoming 2010 Volt will give their business a jolt. It's no secret that foreign automakers are doing well. In fact, they've recently built or announced plans to build five U.S. assembly plants. Recent auto reports have shown that In 2007, foreign auto companies employed 113,000 people in the U.S., and that number is expected to rise to 152,000 by 2011.

Expect to see great deals on trucks and SUVs coming to a dealership near you. But it makes you think, even if you were to get the deal of the century, would it be worth it in the long run? It may be time to dust off the ol' bike.

Hollywood History Goes Up in Smoke

Universal Studios, where movies and TV shows are made, became the center of a real-life drama. Just before dawn on Sunday, the studio backlot caught fire, destroying several pieces of Hollywood history. The New York streets, the King Kong exhibit, the New England Streets and parts of Courthouse Square...all burned to the ground. These are sets that have been seen in a number of movies like Back to the Future, Spider-Man 2 and Transformers.


A video vault, carrying more than 40,000 videos, also went up in flames. Fortunately, all the videos were just copies, so Universal will be able to duplicate them. But at one point, the plastic video cases that were burning created heavy and toxic smoke, leaving many of the surrounding areas with polluted air. The fire burned for more than 10 hours, making it one of the longest running building fires in Los Angeles history.


On Monday, the LA County Fire Department confirmed that the fire was accidentally started by studio workers who were repairing a New York street scape. But a lack of water pressure in the park left firefighters frustrated. This dilemma certainly hampered the firefighting efforts. Investigators also discovered that the sprinkler system installed back in the 90's throughout the backlot, was overwhelmed and couldn't keep up with the flames. Universal Studios and the LA County Fire Department are now exploring ways to upgrade that sprinker system before this happens again.


As for those who traveled thousands of miles to see Universal Studios...you can imagine, they were furious. In fact, some guests told me that they were given misinformation on the phone from Universal. Many had called before arriving at the park, and said they were told that Universal Studios would be opening after-all. But in fact, that never happened. To help guests cope with the disappointing news, Universal handed out vouchers for a free visit within 45 days.

You can watch my live report on KTLA.com.