Boston offered just the tonic the Lakers needed to end a six-game losing streak and avoid matching their longest home losing streak since leaving the Land of 10,000 Lakes almost a half a century ago. In today’s Daily Dose, we explore how Kobe Bryant grabbed the game by its neck and helped the Lakers take complete control against the woeful Celtics.

Nene struggled Friday, but he’ll be a major factor down the stretch; Vladimir Radmanovic needs to work on his tall tales; Bobby Jackson is looking healthy at last; Ron Artest’s shooting slump is over; and Gerald Green is seeking consistency.

If you can tear yourself away from searching for topless pics of Antonella Barba for a moment, we’ve got all the fantasy basketball news you can handle in today’s Daily Dose.

The price for a .260-hitting back-up catcher? Not 940K, apparently. Josh Paul, right, will have to make do with 625K. By Bill Gilbert In 2007, 106 players filed for salary arbitration, the largest number since 1993. Before players and clubs exchanged figures on January 16, 50 of these players had agreed to contracts with their clubs. Of [...] more

Troy Murphy has been more productive since joining the Pacers. Dear RotoRob, I’m in a 10-team league that starts three guards, three forwards, two centres, and two utility spots. Could you rank the following free agents in a league setup that places a great deal of importance on the centre position? Chris Kaman, Troy Murphy (C-eligible), Jose [...] more

Keith Tkachuk will likely be taking his 20 goals elsewhere next week, with Atlanta looking like the best bet to secure the veteran’s services. Only a few days remain before the trade deadline. If you like to gamble, it might be worth your while to pick up some fringe veterans who may have new homes in [...] more

Let’s hope that Dmitri Young winds up being more valuable to the Nats than what Sanford and Son peddled. I wish I had more encouraging news for Nationals fans, but I’m afraid it looks like 2007 will be a very long year. And sorry, there’s not a hell of a lot of help on the way [...] more