Play-By-Play-offs

I said to my boy Crafty Barnardo, the night before game 4, that it didn’t make THAT much of a difference if the Lakers go back to Boston up 3-2 or down 3-2. That makes no sense, but it makes sense (just finished a Chuck Klosterman book, bare with me).

Here’s the thing. Game 7 is its own entity entirely, so just leave it out in left field and don’t even factor it into the equation. It’s all about game 6. Whether the Lakers are going for the win, or playing to stay alive, they have to win game 6, making the 3-2 vs. 2-3 debate a little more tolerable. Obviously I’d prefer being up heading back to Boston (im not an asshole), but I don’t think is over if the Celtics lead 3-2 going to game 6.

In addition, if the Lakers weren’t going to sweep at home, taking a 3-2 lead back to Boston, isn’t it better to lose game 4 and win game 5? With a win in game 5, they take back momentum. If the game 4 loss happened in game 5 (assuming the Lakers had won game 4), they may be deflated and done once they stepped on the floor in Boston.

Bottom line: win game 5. Winning game 5 puts ALL the pressure back on Boston. The last thing they want is to face Kobe in a do or die game 7, even if it will be played on their home court.

38-10.

What a joke.  It’s basically impossible for a team to win a game where the opposition has 28 more free throw attempts.  This is not an excuse for the Laker loss, but is without a doubt, a major reason.

Some analysts will tell you that it was the difference in aggressiveness that led to the Celtics getting all the whistles, as they were the ones driving to the hole and playing a physical style.  I have a different opinion.  The Lakers came out much more aggressive in the 1st quarter than they were in game 1.  Kobe and Odom were taking the ball to the hoop, and Pau was bullying Boston in the paint.  Then the quick whistles against the Lakers started.  Then they continued.  This triggered a domino effect.  The Lakers get whistled consistently.  They get into foul trouble.  They stop playing physical defense.  They can’t get into offensive rhythm (same as game 1).

Due to this sequence of events, it seems as if the Celtics dominated the game, were more aggressive, and basically, just wanted it more.  That may be partially true, but it’s a ‘chicken and egg’ scenario.

The Lakers two biggest problems, that the officiating doesn’t control, are defending Pierce, and transition defense.  For the latter, there is no excuse.  LA gave up way too many easy baskets, some so atrocious that it should get them an extra hour of sprints in practice (if that sort of thing went on at the pro level).  As far as Pierce goes, Phil Jackson tried to throw a new wrinkle at him by inserting Trevor Ariza early in the 1st quarter.  Ariza is known as a defensive stopper, and would be a key factor in this series and throughout the playoffs if he hadn’t missed the last 3 months of the season with an injury.  His length and athleticism would be ideal for defending Pierce, but you cant expect him to be effective when he’s only played about 10 minutes (at the end of games 4 and 5 vs. SA) since January.  The answer, as usual, is Kobe.  Kobe defended Pierce in the 4th quarter and did a great job, obviously.  The problem was that Kobe was in foul trouble early, thanks to a few dubious calls by the aforementioned refs, and Jackson couldn’t risk it.  Expect to see Kobe play Pierce a lot more in game 3.

Back to the officiating.  Whether it was the fact that the Celtics were up by 20+, or Kobe got into their heads by reacting after another ‘no-call’ and getting a technical foul, the refs laid off the whistles in the 4th quarter.  It’s no coincidence that this is when the real Laker offense emerged.  They made plays defensively, got out in transition creating easy baskets, open 3’s, or cleared space for Kobe to operate.  In any event, it was clear that the Lakers can score effectively against the best defense in the league, as long as they are simply, allowed to play ball.

So now the series moves to the Staples Center.  I expect things to change, drastically, as they began to do in the 4th quarter of game 2.  The bench will feel more comfortable and play like they did most of the season, the crowd will energize the team (and hopefully influence the officials), and the Lakers will make this a series.

It seems as if we have a series on our hands.  But remember, one game does not tell an entire story.  Momentum is only as good as tomorrow’s starting pitcher.

The 1st quarter of game 1 went as one could expect, with both teams feeling out the other, easing into the game as the feeling goes from opening tip euphoria to just playing basketball by the 6 minute mark.  Neither team established an identity and there was no rhythm offensively whatsoever.  It reminded me of a pick-up game.

In quarter #2 we started to see some of what we can expect moving forward.  The Celtics size controlled the boards and didn’t allow any second chance points for the Lakers.  Garnett was basically unguardable, and Boston pulled out in front.  Towards the end of the half, the Lakers began to get into their groove, went on a late run, and took a 5-point lead into halftime.  The 51-46 halftime score is a pace that favors the Laker style of play, and this is with Kobe only scoring 8 points.

Pierce comes out blazing in the 3rd and takes over the game, and the lead for his team, all within 1 minute of the start of the half.  Then the “injury” happens.  First, let me point out that I have nothing but respect for Paul Pierce.  I’ve always loved his game.  I think he always plays hard, is a good teammate, and is an extremely skilled ballplayer.  When he went down last night, looking to me as it did to the rest of the world that he was a done deal, I was legitimately distraught.  Although it may have meant a certain championship for my Lakers, I hate to see anyone, let alone a guy like Pierce, suffer a serious injury on this sort of stage.  Plus, I want to beat these guys straight up, no asterisks or excuses.

So Pierce returns, missing only 3 minutes of game time.  Basically, he took his 3rd quarter break in the locker room instead of on the bench.  Now I’m not suggesting at all that he was exaggerating his level of pain to make a dramatic moment for his team, the crowd, and after seeing the aftermath in the media, potentially for history.  But can we please pipe down with the Willis Reed comparisons every time a player gets hurt and returns sometime after, whether it be a week, 2 games, or in this case 3 minutes.  My finger fell asleep about 5 minutes ago, and here I am, after a short break, writing again, and I don’t think I should be compared to Willis Reed.  My return did inspire a community (you the readers) like Willis, and I could definitely go out and knock down the first two shots for our team (I did average 41.4ppg in Timber Lake Camp Upper Basketball League one summer) like Willis did, but the comparisons should end there.  So when Pierce returned after missing 3 minutes of game time, with about as much of a limp as I have (minimal, but that’s just me walking cool), let’s not bring out the Willis Reed card please.  Anyway, the “injured” Pierce goes out and knocks down back-to-back 3pters from the exact same spot on the floor, putting the Celtics in the lead for good.

In the 4th quarter, the Lakers shot a dismal 5-20 from the field, which pretty much tells the story.  The shots just didn’t fall.  There must have been at least 10 shots that were in and out throughout the game.  However, the Lakers were still only down 4 with less than 5 minutes to go.  Kobe’s supposed to find a way to win games in those situations.

The one thing that hasn’t been mentioned in all the post game analysis is the officiating.  The refs controlled the pace of the game in the 2nd half, with extremely quick whistles and repeated ticky-tack foul calls.  This favored the Celtics by not allowing the Lakers to get out in transition for easy buckets.  I hope for the Lakers sake this was just a game 1 thing, setting the tone by letting the players know that they won’t let this series get too physical.

In any event, game 2 is huge (if game 1 was ‘big’ and game 2 ‘huge’, I’ll be pulling out a thesaurus by game 5).  If the Celtics win, the Lakers will have to close out this series in Boston in game 6 or 7, a daunting task for any team.  If the Lakers prevail and get the split they’re looking for, the Celtics will have to win one at Staples (which no team has done in the playoffs thus far) just to get the series back to Boston.

And no matter what chicanery I encounter this weekend out in NYC, I’ll return with a game 2 review on Monday, Willis Reed style.

Before we get started I just want to address something from the previous post.  A handful of people have assumed that I would be hedging my bet for the Finals by wagering on the Celtics to create a ‘win-win’ scenario.  Let me make this as simple as possible to understand.  Here are two things you will never hear Chris Heller say (yes I just used the 3rd person-I have a blog now so I figure its ok):

1.”Stop sucking my dick or I’ll call the police”

2.”I’ll take the Celtics over the Lakers for $x”

I can barely contain myself at the moment so there will be no organization to this post, just thoughts about the series as they enter my mind.

Is it just me being a Laker fan or does this series feel larger than life?  I mean, we grew up on this rivalry.  It’s a big part of the reason I love the NBA as much as I do.  After this series, these two franchises will have combined to win half of the championships in the league’s history.  Lakers/Celtics; Magic, Bird, Russell, Wilt, Kareem, Cousy, Worthy, Havlicek, West, Baylor…what a joke.

The Celtics seem more caught up in the rivalry and the fact that they’re playing the Lakers.  Right off the bat, after the series clincher in Detroit, the Celtics’ players went into the “Beat LA’ chant in the locker room.  I think they may be a little to ‘happy to be here’.  The Lakers are acting more professional.  They are here on a business trip.  There is a job to get done and it doesn’t matter who the opponent is.

Game 1 is so big.  Neither team has trailed in a playoff series this season.  Playing from behind in a series requires a completely different mindset than playing in front.  After game 1, one of these teams will be in uncharted territory and how they respond to this pressure will be at the forefront as to how the match up progresses.  If the Celtics lose game 1 at home, with their less than stellar play on the road, this series may be over before it even begins.  Also remember, Phil Jackson coached teams are 41-0 in series’ when they win game 1.

The 3rd banana battle between Ray Allen and Lamar Odom will be key.  Both teams are extremely difficult to beat when their 3rd guy is playing at a high level.  Ray has been inconsistent throughout these playoffs but may have got his mojo back at the right time, finishing off the Detroit series being the effective scorer we all know he can be.  Odom has been great more often than not thus far in the playoffs, and the Lakers seem to always excel as a group when he is on his game.

The Celtics had the best team defense in the league this year, and continued to play well during the playoffs.  They haven’t seen an offense close to what the Lakers will bring to the floor.  LA is one of the best passing teams the league has seen in a long time.  As great as the Celtics team defense may be, the ball moves faster than the man, and the Lakers spacing and precision passing will be tough to handle.

I think the two teams the Lakers just beat, the Spurs and the Jazz, are better than the Celtics.

Phil Jackson vs. Doc Rivers…I mean c’mon.

The Celtics have a problem scoring the ball, especially is one of the “big 3” is having an off night.  The Lakers 2nd unit brings energy and offensive firepower that Boston cannot match.  I expect the Laker bench to outscore the Celtic bench by a wide margin, possibly doubling their output throughout the series.

KG has more to gain than anyone in this series.  A championship would place him in that 2nd tier of all-time greats, in the discussion with Barkley, Malone, Frazier, and many others.  He will be effective, but the Laker big men, namely Odom and Gasol, will pose problems for Garnett on both ends of the floor (and even bigger problems for whoever is guarding the one that KG doesn’t).  They will be able to match his length and athleticism, and can pull him away from the hoop making it difficult to help his teammates when Kobe drives to the basket.  If there ever was a time when a player may be too fired up for his own good, KG in game 1 will be it.

What are the Celtics going to do with Mr. Bryant?  The Spurs, known as the best defensive team this decade, had a plan that they executed perfectly, and look what happened to them.  Kobe’s like Tom Brady was last year, picking apart defenses no matter what look they show.  Cover 2? Take it to the rim and dunk on your head.  Blitz?  Pass to Pau in the high post where he either nails a 15fter or passes down low to Lamar for a dunk.  Prevent? Ok, how about a picture perfect 20ft jumper that hits nothing but the bottom of the net.  The best brain surgeon in the world couldn’t execute his craft with more precision than what Kobe Bryant is doing on the basketball court right now.

There is no answer.

This season is all about Kobe.  He’s one step away from the top of the mountain.  He’s ready.  He has his team ready.  He will not let them lose.

Lakers win 4-1

The Los Angeles Lakers are 4 wins away.

4 wins away from a championship
What a season it’s been.  One year ago, Kobe was demanding a trade, contesting that he would never play another game for the Lakers.  Management had not done enough around him.  They lied to him.  Dr. Buss, once a father figure type in his life, called him an ‘idiot’.  The Lakers stuck to their guns and didn’t make a trade (who knows what really went on behind the scenes? did they have offers? did they ever really consider it? did a deal even exist that would have made them pull the trigger?).  Kobe is booed at the home opener.  They get off to a solid 19-11 start thru the end of 2007.  Andrew Bynum emerges as a legitimate force in the middle, averaging a double-double and 2 blocks per game, prompting Kobe to say that he thinks they’re a legit title contender.  Bynum goes down with a knee injury in mid-January, and takes the Lakers playoff hopes with him, as the Western conference race seems to crowded to overcome a loss of that magnitude.  The Lakers get Pau Gasol on February 1st.  In his 1st game, in which Kobe has a miserable 6 points on 3-13 shooting, Pau has 24pts, 12 rebs, 4asts, and the Lakers win by 15 on the road.  They are for real.  With Bynum coming back to this new mix of talent, the Lakers become one of the clear favorites to win the championship.  Kobe has a torn tendon in his finger; the doctors recommend surgery that would sideline him for 6 weeks.  Fearing the Lakers may fall out of playoff contention without him, he says FU to the doctors and continues to compete.  The Lakers have lost only 7 games, including the playoffs, that Pau has played in (he was out for 10 days with an injury), and took the top seed in the West.  They plow through the mighty Western conference with a 12-3 record, not losing one game at the Staples Center.  Here they are, 4 wins away from a championship.

4 wins away from the start of a potential dynasty
Whatever happens in the Finals, the Lakers will be the favorite to win it all next year, and I can confidently say the year after that as well.  The stage is set for the D-word here.  The best player in the league playing at an other-worldly level, the 2nd and 3rd bananas (Gasol and Odom) fitting in perfectly, and a 20 year old 7-footer with ridiculous upside coming back into the picture.  There is no ceiling on the potential of this core.  Throw in a hall-of-fame coach, an energetic bench growing into their roles, Turiaf’s cheerleading, and the fact that my keeper league fantasy team, Killah Hills 10304, just won it’s first ring, and is on the way to a dynasty of its own, and all pieces are in place.  Sure in the free agency era it will be difficult to keep the team fully intact, but as long as the core remains, the role players will turn over efficiently with no problems.  Older players, looking for their first title, will take less money to play for the Lakers.  Picking at the end of the 1st round in the draft will allow the Lakers to select guys who can fill a role and contribute immediately if necessary, rather than the upside guys with raw talent.  Winning makes everything easier, and with current situation in Lakerland, it looks like there’s going to be a lot of winning going on in the future.

4 wins away from people having to listen to the argument that Kobe is better than MJ
Better than Michael Jordan??? Sacrilegious, I know.  True Kobe lovers have brought this topic up casually, from time to time over the past few years, looking up for lightning bolts reigning upon them as they spoke such horror.  Most people would just scoff at the notion that anyone, let alone a spoiled crybaby, selfish know-it-all like Kobe Bean Bryant, was even in the same galaxy as ‘His Airness’.  But now?  Or rather, 4 wins from now?  That’s another story.  4 wins from now people will have to listen.  There is a discussion to be had and a case to be made.  (Much more on this topic after win #4)

4 wins away from winning me $10,000
Towards the end of 2007, I decided I wanted to throw a few bucks on the Lakers to win the title.  I knew the odds would be favorable as there were probably 10 teams considered better candidates.  I was impressed with Bynum and the bench, and thought to myself, with Kobe in the playoffs and Bynum progressing, anything’s possible.  The odds when I checked the first time were 25-1, right in the ballpark of what I was looking for.  For some reason (laziness comes to mind), I didn’t make the bet.  The next time I looked, the odds had moved to 20-1, as the experts began to see some improvement coming from LA.  I didn’t make the bet.  Bynum goes down.  The original report had him out for about 6 weeks, back in time to be ready for the home stretch and the playoff run.  Assuming the Lakers would go on a little slide without Bynum, and the odds would return to a point that were more favorable for the gambler (namely, me), I decided to wait.  Then, on February 1st, the Lakers trade for Pau Gasol.  Immediately, LA becomes one of the favorites to win the championship, and the odds repel to 5-1 (or 4-1 in some places).  The plan of my wager is gone, a price I’m gladly willing to pay for Pau.  The following weekend I take a little weekend trip to the Atlantis in the Bahamas.  I stroll over to the sportsbook in the hotel, looking for some NBA or college hoops action to get involved with and I notice something startling.  On the big board, under the heading ‘Odds to win 2007-08 NBA Championship’, I notice that I don’t see the Lakers in the top few spots.  Confused and excited, I continue to peruse down the list to find the following:

Lakers 20-1.

What was going on here?  Was this an error?  Was this legit?  Could a huge operation like the Atlantis make such an oversight?  I quickly decided that I don’t give a shit what the reason was, ran over to the woman who takes the bets, and put $500 (the maximum bet) on my boys to bring home the title.  So here we are, 4 wins away from $10,000.

Thursday night can’t come soon enough.

4 wins away.

I honestly can’t even contain myself. The two best teams in the league, both playing their best basketball. Two immortal players. Two of the best coaches of all time. One team trying to continue its dynasty, one team trying to begin one. I mean, it simply does not get any better than this.

The teams match up so well against one another, it almost seems pointless to analyze before the series gets into a rhythm. Well, that and the fact that I’m literally shaking with anticipation for tonight’s game to start, that I can’t sit still to write for too long.

The Lakers will win this series for 2 reasons, and they are far from ‘x and o’ rationale. First, the better team usually wins in a 7 game series and I believe the Lakers are the better team. Second, Kobe. He’s too close to a championship, playing at too high of a level, to let his team lose.

This one should be epic.

Lakers win 4-3

I was a lot more excited for this series one month ago.  Nonetheless, it should still be an all out war, very physical, half court style of play, exactly what the Eastern Conference is all about.  That just may not translate so well to the average NBA viewer.  Everyone expected these two teams to be here, battling it out for a trip to the Finals; we just assumed the Celtics road would have been a lot easier.

Some things to consider-

Chauncey’s Health
Billups’ ability to come back at 100% from his hamstring injury will be a huge factor in this series.  Chauncey is the engine that makes this Detroit team function at its highest level, and his presence on the court makes them a different team.  My boy Rodney Stuckey filled in admirably in the Orlando series, but this is a different ballgame, and Billups’ leadership and intangibles will be necessary for Detroit to succeed.  Expect him to play physical against the young Rajon Rondo, backing him down to the post and bodying him up any chance he gets.  If he can take Rondo out of his comfort zone, the Celtics will have a difficult time initiating the offense.

On the Road Again
The Celtics have been playing with fire.  They may have been able to get away with it against the 37-win Hawks and the unimpressive Cavs, but it won’t work with the Pistons.  Boston has given their opponents too many opportunities to steal a game in the Garden, an opportunity that the veteran Pistons will capitalize on if given the chance.  The C’s need to step up their intensity and show that they can play at the high level we thought they were capable of all season, and that means defending their home court (which they’ve done but without authority) and being able to win on the road.

How will the Celtics Score?
The Pistons bring some excellent individual defensive players to the table in this series.  With Tayshaun Prince guarding Paul Pierce, and Rip Hamilton on Ray Allen’s corpse, the Celtics may have trouble scoring from the perimeter.  Pierce is a tougher match up for Prince than Iguodala or Rashard Lewis were in the first two rounds, but Tayshaun is still an all league defender who has lock down capability.  KG should be able to get his 20ppg against a montage of Rasheed, McDyess, and Maxiell, but the Celtics will need to get scoring out of their wing players to have a chance here.  Someone other than “the big 3”, and I use that term very loosely, will have to be a regular contributor in the scoring column.

Boring
These are probably the two best half court defenses in the league, and therefore, expect a slow paced series, with not much up and down action.  The Celtics have held opponents in the playoffs to 86ppg on 40% shooting, while the Pistons defense is at 87ppg and 44% respectively.  This style of play should limit turnovers, as the pace will not be frantic.  The ability for either team to take advantage of turnovers and turn them into easy transition baskets will be key, as they should be few and far between.

Although this series will lack highlights, it should be a well-played contest.  Will the Celtics season of destiny continue?  Or will the Pistons put an end to KG and the boys’ season, showing them who the real best “team” in the East is?  The two teams come into the series from opposite ends of the spectrum, with Boston struggling to get here while Detroit handled their opponents with ease since they decided to turn it on midway thru the opening series vs. the Sixers.  If Chauncey is 100%, I think the Pistons have too much for the Celtics to handle.  I don’t see Detroit taking any games lightly in this series, and will be able to match, and even surpass, Boston’s intensity level.  The Pistons will steal one of the first two games in Boston, and hold court at home.

Detroit wins 4-2

It’s rare and refreshing when a player lives up to the hype.  Sometimes athletes come along with unrealistic goals that are set for them by the media before they even play their first game.  They are built up to the point where it would be improbable, if not impossible, for them to meet these lofty expectations.  The few that actually match and surpass the ‘ceiling’ that has been set for them are that much more special, and go down in history as some of the best to ever play.

Of course I am referring here to Candace Parker, the college player of the year from National Champion Tennessee and the #1 draft pick of the Los Angeles Sparks of the WNBA.  In her debut this past Saturday, Parker led the Sparks to a victory over the defending champion Phoenix Mercury, posting a stat line of 34/12/8, arguably the greatest debut in WNBA history.  So happy for her.

But seriously, LeBron James should have won this series for his team.  The Celtics gave the Cavs every opportunity to steal a game in Boston, and as we’ve seen from Boston’s 0 for 6 road record in the playoffs, that’s all you need to beat them.  LeBron was awesome in game 7, but if he played that way in games 1 and/or 5, he would be playing in Detroit Tuesday night.

Pierce was mediocre aside from his game 7 performance, and Ray Allen was basically invisible.  Garnett played his usual workman like ball, but did not step up to take over the series the way a Hall-of-Famer should.  The stage was set for LeBron, and he responded by shooting 36% for the series, and falling into the trap of continuously taking jumpers from 20ft and beyond even though they weren’t falling.  LeBron, in his 5th year in the league, HAS to be the type of player who TAKES a series like that, regardless of his teammates.  I have no doubt that MJ or Kobe would have led the Cavs to victory with all things being equal.  Unfortunately for LeBron, this is whom his legacy will be compared against.

So now what for Mr. James?  Does he take this off-season to work on a certain facet of his game?  Or does he work on being a ‘global icon’ and just play in Beijing and that’s it?  Five years into his career, I don’t see the consistent growth and improvement that the immortals of the past all have.  And LeBron came into the league already as such an imposing physical specimen, that he doesn’t have the added advantage of ‘growing into his body’ as most young athletes do.  Look at Kobe or MJ at age 21 and at age 25 and at age 30.  Both of their bodies went through a complete transformation, whereas LeBron, being a freak of nature at age 18, has not and most likely will not experience any drastic changes in his body type.

What this means is that in order for LeBron to improve, he will have to master the fundamentals of the game, and become a student of the game, a la Kobe and MJ.  Footwork, shooting form, free throw shooting, defensive position, shot selection, and ball-handling, to name a few.  So far we haven’t seen this type of dedication from him.  Sure his outside shot has gotten a little better over the years, and his intensity is moving in the right direction, but he has a chance to be one of the greatest ever, an opportunity given to a very select few.  He should be doing everything possible in the off-season to become that guy.  He wants to take 3pters at a ridiculous rate, then learn to make them consistently.  If your jumper isn’t falling, get down to the post and develop a repertoire down low that would be absolutely unstoppable with his size and strength.

Is criticizing a player that has accomplished so much at such a young age out of line?  Normally yes, but LeBron is different.  He’s lived up to the hype, sort of.  He’s got a lot more work to do.  I love greatness, and LeBron is greatness.  But he can give us more.  Maybe I’m being greedy, but I want more.

Its 1:30am (Wednesday night/Thursday morning-what was life like before DVR?) and I just got back from dinner and drinks with my girl Jmama.  I know what you’re thinking.  Why, after a nice dinner and cocktails, am I writing for you instead of giving Jmama a righteous thrashing?  Well, two reasons.  One, there’s a Laker game on, which supercedes everything, and two, Jmama is engaged, and is one of my best friends and I don’t get down like that.  This blog is about basketball.  Focus…you perverts.

Just changed into my Kobe throwback M.P.L.S. jersey (Minneapolis Lakers).  Yep, I’m ill like that.

-and were live 2mins into Lakers/Jazz game 5 as the Celtic/Cavs game ran late-just heard Kevin Harland(who I love) say Kobe Bryant has hit 2 quick shots-has hit a 3 has hit a 2 and Utah has turned it over 2 times(with a start like this maybe I should stop watching)-5-0 Lakers

-Dfish for 3-what a great spot up shooter as shown in those big 3s at the end of Game 4-my problem w Dfish is about 2-3 times per game he pulls up off the dribble and takes a shot which he NEVER hits-he’s smart enough to know his limitations and should only shoot when stationary

-Lamar Odom just looks focused-maybe it’s the fact that he was ‘wired’ in game 4 and the viewers could hear everything he said or the fact that he was awesome with a 26/13 stat line-either way he’s carrying whichever it was into game 5-the boy is ready to play

-Lakers decided to not play defense tonight and have given up 3 dunks in a row-11-8 Lakers

-somehow Ronnie Brewer has 10 of Utah’s 12 pts-and Kobe’s guarding him-I don’t even have a joke here

-Vladrad hits two 3pters in a row to put the Lakers up 25-16 proving that being good looking and being able to shoot the 3 effectively have no correlation

-the Lakers decided not to play any defense in the 1st quarter tonight-I think Phil just noticed and called a timeout-luckily they are hitting shots and executing their offense and are in the lead

-Korver hits an open 3 bringing the Laker lead to only 4pts and disproving Vlad’s earlier theory that good looks and 3pt accuracy are unrelated

-so we’re thru q1 and Lakers are up 29-26 and I have one question-is Pau Gasol playing tonight? –I haven’t noticed his existence on the court once

-So Pau is playing as he slams home a Farmar miss-I guess that wasn’t him sitting next to me at diner tonight on the Lower East Side in tight jeans and a hoody

-Jordan Farmar enters the picture in the series by hitting a 3pter-before that shot he was 1 for 17 in the series thus far

-Sasha ‘the Machine’ Vujacic makes his presence felt with a 3pter putting the Lakers up 10-the Lakers are 6/7 from 3pt range tonight-tough to beat them when they’re shooting like that

-all of a sudden Pau has 9pts(all in the 2nd quarter-I must have given him a wake-up call)

-the Lakers have 18pts off of 14 Utah turnovers which is clearly the difference in the game

-you cannot stop Mehmet Okur-you can only hope to contain him-seriously he’s like a poor man’s Dirk-I almost think the Lakers should put Kobe on him as he’s strictly a perimeter threat and never ever scores in the paint

-Lakers 51-44 with 3:30 left in the 1st half

-I pause the game and go to the kitchen to fill up my water-as I go to get ice I see what is the equivalent to whatever was in the briefcase in Pulp Fiction-the container holding the vanilla frozen yogurt with strawberries and oreo cookies I ordered this afternoon planning ahead for this exact moment-don’t you just love when plans workout exactly as you envisioned them-the only thing that could make me happier right now is if Michelle Tafoya were here to witness this joyous occasion

-Lisa Leslie and Candace Parker-2 of the top 5 women’s ball players of all time(or so I’ve heard) are in the front row at the Laker game wearing shirts my girlfriends wore to Marquee last Friday night-and I’m pretty sure they’re talking about me

-Deron Williams hits a 20ft jumper after a ridiculous playground crossover that leaves Odom helpless-Lakers 53 Jazz 50-if Chris Paul didn’t exist we would be discussing Deron’s soon to be place in history

-with less than 1min left in the half Kobe gets his 1st FG since midway thru the 1st quarter for a very quiet 13pts

-Pau tips in an Odom miss with 1 sec left in the half to go up 61-54-after a no show in the 1st quarter Pau leads the game in scoring with 15pts-maybe that was him next to me at dinner

-overall kind of a sloppy 1st half-both teams scoring at will-a lot of turnovers

-I throw on my Laker sweatshirt as the frozen yogurt plus the rapidly dropping temperature plus listening to Avery Johnson’s voice at halftime give me the chills

-there have been no lead changes in the last 35 minutes in any game of the series-with the Lakers up by 1 I hope this stat continues

-Deron hits a 3pter from the corner tying the game at 69-the way this game is unfolding is very strange-no rhythm whatsoever-it feels like anything can happen at any moment-Kobe started off hot and then hasn’t put his stamp on the game since only taking 7 shots-Pau didn’t show up till the 2nd quarter-Boozer not much impact-Deron starting to emerge-I feel uneasy(but that could be the foie gras from dinner)

-I think Kobe’s back is bothering him-he hasn’t been assertive and he just went up for a dunk that a healthy Kobe would normally throw down (he missed but was fouled)-he needs to get on the block and run the offense from there-73-73

-Kobe scores 7 in a row and takes the Laker lead to 4-maybe he heard me too

-Ronnie Price (who?) comes thru with a bucket to tie the game at 81 as the 3rd quarter comes to an end-not sure what’s going on here-neither team is playing ‘their game’-no one star has begun to assert themselves-I assume the 2nd units are about to take over as the 4th qtr begins per the usual rotations-it’s anyone’s game at the moment-if somehow the bad guys in blue pull this out I will not be pleasant to be around for the next 48hrs (I know that doesn’t seem possible-but trust me its for real)

-I apologize in advance for the lack of 4th quarter analysis but I need to be away from my laptop as the potential for me to throw it across the room escalates

-Deron makes a sick coast to coast drive to the hole for 2 and Farmar comes right back at him with a drive to the hoop for 2 plus the foul-he hits the free throw putting the Lakers up 4 with 830 to play-this kid is going to win some titles next to Kobe the next few years

-Deron Williams is just great-he’s keeping the Jazz alive-just hit a 3pter to give him a game high 24pts-this kid is special-Lakers 94 Jazz 91

-when executed properly the Jazz can’t stop the triangle offense-the Lakers precision passing and cutting keep resulting in dunks and lay-ups-Odom gets his 2nd dunk in 3 possessions to put the Lakers up 6

-neither team can hit a shot-Lakers up 99-94 with 3mins to go-time for Kobe to win this thing

-Sasha gets elbowed in the face by Korver and gets a technical called against him for talking smack to Korver back down the court-not the best time to lose your cool-I thought ‘machines’ don’t have emotions-Korver hits the free throw and Deron hits a ridiculous 3pter as the shot clock hits 0 to put the Jazz within 1pt with 2mins to go

-Kobe drives breaking down the defense leaving a wide-open dunk for Lamar-Lakers 103-101 w 1.5mins left

-Kobe hasn’t taken 1 shot the entire 4th quarter-he’s not playing like himself-Pau makes a nice post move for a basket-Lakers up 105-102 w :45secs left

-Sasha misses a wide open 3 handed to him on a platter by a Kobe drive but Pau gets the offensive rebound and puts it back up for 2 to give the Lakers a 5pt lead with :20secs left-huge play by Pau potentially putting the Jazz out of their misery

-The Lakers hold on to make the home teams a dominant 19-1 so far in this round of the playoffs with the only road win by Detroit in Orlando-Lakers 111 Jazz 104

-every Laker starter finishes the game in double figures-a nice team effort-back to Utah for game 6 on Friday night with the Jazz’ backs against the wall-I will be bearable to be around-till then

-I blame Kobe’s decision making for the Lakers game 4 loss.  He was hurting, that was obvious.  Yes he’s a warrior and played through it, and was pretty effective, but only when he played within his ‘injured’ limitations.  He didn’t have the strength to get his usual lift on the long jumpers, which made everything fall short.  What he should have done is play an ‘old man’s game’ and take his defender down to the block (where he possesses the best post game in the league-this never gets enough credit) and out-maneuver his defender.  If the double team came down he could have found his teammates on the perimeter for open looks.   He continuously took the long-range jumpers that ‘healthy Kobe’ consistently knocks down, forgetting he was not at full strength.

-All the talk during the year that the Eastern Conference’s big teams, the Pistons and the Celtics, were maybe the two best teams in the league, and would be favored in the Finals, was a joke.  The level of play in the Eastern playoffs is still light years away from what we’re seeing from the teams in the West.  In fact, I think the best 4 teams left in this tournament are all in the Western conference.

-The Spurs have really raised their play to a championship level in games 3 and 4 at home.  Coach Popovich’s decision to move Bruce Bowen off of Chris Paul and onto Peja has been the key to the Spurs victories.  Peja had 22pts and 25pts in games 1 and 2 respectively, and 8pts and 6pts in 3 and 4, with all-defensive 1st team member taking over defensive duties in the last two.  The Spurs have decided to let Chris Paul do his thing and shut down the other guys, a strategy that has left the Hornets in a precarious position.  They were just beaten handedly by the defending champs after feeling great about themselves being up 2-0.  Will they cave and fold while the Spurs smell blood and go into game 5 for the kill?  Or will they regroup and get back to they way they played at home in the first 2 games?  Are they even capable of getting back to that level?

-The Celtics BEGGED the Cavs to win game 1 and they didn’t step up and take it.  If they had, that series would be over and the 66-win Celtics would be fishing next week.  As is, Boston hasn’t done anything to change my mind that they cannot be trusted, and I still would not be shocked if the Cavs took 4 in a row to win the series in 6 games.

-What’s up with LeBron?  He’s shooting 22% from the floor thru the 1st 3 games, the worst such # for any player in the history of the league with a minimum of 50 shots in a playoff series.  All it takes is one monster performance in a win to make everyone forget, and if he does that tonight in game 4, the series is his for the taking.

-The All-Defensive 1st and 2nd teams were announced today.  The usual suspects, as always, fill out the rosters.

1st team Kobe/Bowen/KG/Duncan/Camby
2nd team Battier/Chris Paul/Dwight Howard/Tayshaun/Raja Bell

I mean, why not tell us these teams before the season starts.  It’s the same guys year after year making up these rosters, and yes, they are great defensive players for the most part, but it’s their reputation as great defensive players, which gets them selected.  The same thing happens in football with offensive linemen for the All-Pro team.  You can count on one hand the people who are actually qualified to judge who played the best defense in the entire league throughout the season.

-We should be in for a ridiculous week of hoops.  Two game 5’s and 6’s in the West with potential for game 7’s in both (which would both be on MONDAY NIGHT???? -don’t get me started) and some stuff in the East.