Lakers Eliminate Spurs

The Los Angeles Lakers have ended the reign of the San Antonio Spurs with a 100-92 victory in Game 5 of the NBA's Western Conference Finals.

The Lakers did it the same way they opened the series-- with a furious rally to overcome a deficit pretenders would fold over. The Spurs led by as much as 17 in the first half but the Lakers clawed back to take the lead in the fourth quarter and eventually win.

I predicted that the Lakers would win over both the San Antonio Spurs or New Orleans Hornets in the Western Conference Finals, and I penciled the Lakers to win over the Spurs in 6 games. My analysis before the season started was also quite accurate-- Tony Parker would give the problems (Parker led the team in scoring in the series) and the veterans on the bench would pose some problems (Brent Barry and Michael Finley had quality games in the series).

What did the Spurs in could be the age and fatigue factor-- they have played three more play-off games than the Lakers. The Spurs defense clicked but their offense stagnated in a lot of stretches throughout the series. Manu Ginobili was a factor for only one game (and the Spurs won that game) and his over-all poor play weakened the team's offense.

The Lakers, on the other hand, displayed they are resilient enough to climb out of large deficits and play tight defense when it mattered. The Bench Mob definitely grew up in this series as Lakers coach Phil Jackson let the 2nd team play through big leads. The series is also another feather in the cap of Kobe Bryant as he prevailed over nemesis Bruce Bowen. Kobe was able to log 27, 22, 30, 28 and 39 points over an All-Defensive Team member and he did it well within the the Lakers' Triangle Offense.

The Lakers have done their part in building the NBA's Dream Finals between the Lakers and the Boston Celtics. Let's see if the Celtics can do their part and advance as well.


Tags: Lakers

Close (Non-)Call: Lakers win in San Antonio

The Los Angeles Lakers narrowly escaped San Antonio with a rare road win in Game 4 to take a 3-1 lead in the NBA's Western Conference Finals. The Lakers almost blew a commanding 7-point lead in the final minute of the game, but thanks to a series of controversial non-calls, the Lakers still prevailed with a score of 93-91.

The most glaring non-call came in the last 2 seconds in regulation as the Lakers were by 2 points. The hot-shooting Brent Barry of the San Antonio Spurs got the ball beyond the the three point line and Derek Fisher of the Lakers bought in to Barry's fake jumped in to the air. There was contact, but Barry avoided it a bit and was able to launch a desperation three ball that did not draw iron. Kobe Bryant said in a post-game interview that it was "No foul," but Lakers coach Phil Jackson did not deny there was contact, but he pointed out another non-call prior to the Fisher-Barry play. Jackson claimed that one shot of Derek Fisher hit the rim, but the officials did not reset the shot clock, leaving the Lakers with little time in their last possession to get a good shot. What ensued after was the controversial play.

Some people will say quid pro quo-- the officials "made up" for the non-call by having another non-call. This is similar to the "make-up" calls refs allegedly make to appease a team when they screw up a call, like a foul. The league will not admit it, but I've seen a lot of NBA games where in the refs made a bad call and "rectified" it with another questionable call.

This latest game of the Lakers and Spurs has the conspiracy theorists drooling-- you may see a lot of "The NBA is rigged," or "The NBA wants a Los Angeles Lakers-Boston Celtics Finals" posts in the blogosphere and news articles. But does that mean the league is aligning the stars?

This may sound naive, I personally think the league will let the officials make calls and let the players play in the playoffs. If the league is OK with a Detroit Pistons-San Antonio Spurs or San Antonio Spurs-Cleveland Cavaliers Finals match-up in the past, then there's still a reason to put the conspiracy theories to rest.


Tags: Lakers

Lakers Stun Spurs in Comeback Win

How about them Lakers, huh?

The Los Angeles Lakers rallied from a 20-point deficit in the third quarter to win Game 1 of the NBA's Western Conference Finals against the San Antonio Spurs, 89-85. The dramatic win could be added to NBA's Greatest Playoff comebacks as Kobe went from facilitator in the first half to assassin in the second as he scored 25 points in the comeback.

A lot of pundits picked the Spurs to win Game 1 because of its defense and the rhythm they got from beating the young New Orleans Hornets in their semi-final series. It looked like they made the right choice 30 minutes into the game with the Spurs controlling the pace and Tim Duncan making a case for his inclusion in my list of All-time Laker Killers in the playoffs. However, it took 15 minutes of game time for the Lakers to slowly chip in the lead and stun the defending champs is Hollywood fashion.

Now, would anybody dispute the claim the Spurs got tired because of the numbers of games they played and the grounded plane in New Orleans? They looked like they ran out of gas in the fourth quarter. They were outscored 24-13 in that quarter and shot poorly down the stretch. The last jumper MVP Kobe Bryant hit that gave the Lakers its lead in the last minute was a thing of beauty-- driving down the lane, creating space between him and Bruce Bowen and swishing the net.

However, Kobe was very passive in the first stages of the game and the Spurs pulled away. The anticipated Pau Gasol-Tim Duncan match-up did not disappoint, but it was clear Duncan had the upper hand. (30 points and 18 rebounds to Gasol's 19 and 7). Good thing for the Spurs because Duncan masked the relatively poor play of Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili. The Lakers are never advocates of double-teaming so I see Duncan wreaking havoc in the paint throughout the series.

As a fan, I'd be more relieved if the Lakers made short work of the Spurs so they could set-up the NBA Finals everybody have been waiting for-- the Los Angeles Lakers versus the Boston Celtics.


Tags: Lakers

Up Next of Lakers: Spurs or Hornets

OK, admit it: You never thought the Los Angeles Lakers would be waiting for an opponent for the NBA's Western Conference Final when the season started.

But after putting away a very tough Utah Jazz team in Game 6 at the very hostile EnergySolutions Arena, the Lakers are waiting for either the defending champions San Antonio Spurs or the upstart New Orleans Hornets in the next round. But how do the Lakers match up with their potential opponents?

• New Orleans Hornets - The Hornets go where Chris Paul goes and they are still playing in the playoffs because of his stellar play. Add the good frontline players in David West and Tyson Chandler, the Hornets have a very young core that can beat teams on both ends. The Lakers and Hornets split their regular season matches and Chris Paul was great on two games and so-so on the other two. Peja Stojakovic had enjoyed some success with the Lakers and he'll give the Lakers problems if they were to meet in the conference finals. However, David West and Tyson Chandler have not really dominated the Lakers the way they usually do to other teams, and Pau Gasol was effective against them.
  
  If the Hornets advance, the Lakers should try their darned best to contain CP3. If they thought Deron Williams was a problem, Chris Pail would be a playoff disaster. Lamar Odom and Gasol should continue to exert pressure down the blocks and give Kobe Bryant options. Speaking of Kobe, he should make short work out of Mo Peterson on the offensive end.
  
  One more key: the Lakers second unit should be better then the Hornets' bench on paper, and the series could be decided on this end.
  
  
• San Antonio Spurs - Like the Hornets, the Lakers split their season meetings with the Spurs. The defending champs are always a challenge to any team but they have shown signs of slowing down and as they have struggled against the Hornets. Tim Duncan will be their cornerstone, but point guard Tony Parker has killed the Lakers numerous times in the past, this season included. The bench is filled with grizzled veterans with extensive championship experience and "dirty" tricks to boot.
  
  If the Spurs advance, Tony Parker will be the main problem on offense, and the Spurs team defense will surely stifle the Lakers offense a bit. The Spurs will also try to frustrate the Lakers on and off the court.
  
  The Spurs play like the Utah Jazz, and may give the same problems the Lakers encountered in Game 3 and Game 4 of their series-- physical play, strong guards and disciplined offense.
  

If you ask me, the Spurs are the appropriate opponent for the Lakers but the Hornets make for better basketball. The latter match-up would also be a breath of fresh air from the stinkers in the playoff in the past (*cough* Spurs-Pistons *cough*). More importantly, I think the Lakers match up better against the New Orleans Hornets.

My predictions: Lakers over Hornets in 5 or Lakers over Spurs in 6.


Tags: Lakers

Lakers One Win Away from Western Conference Finals

The Los Angeles Lakers are one win away from going to the Western Conference Finals after beating the Utah Jazz in Game 5, 111-104.

Kobe Bryant did score the most points for the Lakers but four other Lakers took more shots than him. Pau Gasol, Lamar Odom, Sasha Vujacic, and Vladimir Radmanovic all took more than Kobe's ten field goal attempts. Kobe did make 13 out of 17 free throws to lead all players in the game.

What the Lakers did right for Game 5 departed from their two losses in Game 3 and Game 4. First, Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom carried most of the offensive load when the Jazz defenders focused on Bryant and they did it with much success. Second, Vladimir Radmanovic decided to show up, hitting three 3-pointers and helping the Lakers have better spacing in the floor.

While the Lakers did take the win, there were still some issued they have to contend with in order to close the series in Game 6 in Salt Lake City. The most crucial is still the disappearance of the "Bench Mob," the Lakers' second unit. Jordan Farmar, Luke Walton, Ronnie Turiaf and Vujacic have played very poorly in this series. Among the four, they contributed 13 points, 6 rebounds, zero assists and 3 of 17 shooting. Another issue is the over-reliance on the jum shots. Recall what went right in Game 1-- good looks from crisp passing and good execution.

The Lakers also have to stop the Utah Jazz. Deron Williams is the new point guard to terrorize the Lakers in the playoffs, following the footsteps of Allen Iverson, Mike Bibby and Tony Parker. It also seems the Utah Jazz are wearing the Lakers from their physical play and firm screens from pick and rolls.

A Laker win in Game 6 would mean a step closer to the NBA's Dream Final-- The Los Angeles Lakers versus the Boston Celtics.


Tags: Lakers

Lakers painfully hand over Game 4 to Jazz in Overtime

After losing for the first time for the NBA Playoffs in Game 3, the Los Angeles Lakers have their first losing streak.

The Lakers lost in overtime to the Utah Jazz in Game 4 of their best of seven Western Conference Semi-finals in a game that featured a lot of pain. The biggest one being the pain on Kobe Bryant's back. Kobe suffered back spasms during the first moments of the game and it definitely affected his performance. After shooting a very good percentage in Games 1 to 3, Kobe shot poorly (13 out of 33). He even said "I just couldn’t elevate, get enough space to knock down a jump shot."

Lakers forward Ronnie Turiaf committed a strong foul on Jazz guard Ronnie Price which resulted with a cut near the eye to the Utah sub. Turiaf was ejected as a result of his pain-inflicting flagrant foul .

As a Laker fan, it was pretty painful to see the Lakers fold during in OT after putting a better effort in the first 48 minutes. Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom stepped up from the previous game performance and Sahsa Vujacic gave the energy and shooting from off the bench. But there were still non-factors in Vladimir Radmanovic and Jordan Farmar. At the rate the series is going, the Lakers need a good game from all of the guys to pull out win in Salt Lake City.

The key to the Lakers winning in Game 5 are the containment of Carlos Boozer and Deron Williams. The pair could be seen as Utah's New Age Karl Malone-John Stockton duo and they have dealt the most damage in the Lakers' losses-- Boozer had a big 20-20 game in Game 3, Williams recorded 29 points and 14 assists in Game 4. The Lakers better defend their home court.

Another factor is the Lakers shooting and reliance on outside shots. The team won on crisp passing that resulted on easy baskets in Games 1 and 2. On the next two games, the Lakers began impersonating the Dallas Mavericks and the Phoenix Suns by shooting too much from the outside. Those two teams have been eliminated in the first round, go figure.

Still, the biggest concern is Kobe Bryant's back. If he's affected by it severely, then this series could painfully end in Game 6 in Utah.

Tags: Lakers

Lakers Lose for the First Time in the 2008 Playoffs

So much for sweeping the Utah Jazz.

The Los Angeles Lakers lost Game 3 of their Western Conference Semi-finals off an improved play from Jazz forward Carlos Boozer and poor play of the Lakers supporting cast. The game was relatively close and the Lakers had the chance to catch up in the last few minutes of the game, but Boozer came up big in the clutch for the Jazz.

Newly-minted MVP Kobe Bryant still put up MVP numbers (34 points on 50% shooting, 6 rebounds, 7 assists) but he missed all his 3 point shots. No other member of the Lakers scored more than 15 points. Lakers starters like Pau Gasol, Lamar Odom and Vladimir Radmanovic were rendered ineffective. Key subs Jordan Farmar and Sasha Vujacic combined for 0 points and 5 missed 3-point attempts.

The Lakers offense was practically a jump-shooting show as the they hoisted more 3-point attempts in Game 3 than Games 1 & 2 combined. They also weren't passing much, a crucial factor for the Lakers' triangle offense.

But you have to hand it to the Utah Jazz-- they really came to play. Carlos Boozer finally showed up with a monster 27 point-20 rebound game and Memo Okur was shooting the lights out. The Jazz are really formidable at their home court and the game was proof to that. But the Jazz may have adapted the good old strategy of letting one player from the other team beat them and shutting down the rest of the team-- something Jazz coach Jerry may have utilized against Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls in the 1990's.

The Lakers played better team basketball in Games 1 & 2, and they must continue doing that in Game 4. Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom have their jobs cut out for them as their Jazz counterparts have stepped up. And Kobe Bryant must again show his MVP mettle by making the Lakers better, unless they want go return to Los Angeles with the series knotted at 2-2.

Tags: Lakers

With MVP, Kobe Bryant is One of NBA Greats

After twelve seasons in the league, Kobe Bryant has officially achieved the highest individual award-- the 2007-2008 Maurice Podoloff Trophy as the NBA's Most Valuable Player.

The MVP has long eluded Kobe, with a lot of people believing he deserved the awards for the last three years, including MVP candidate LeBron James. Kobe most often failed in the "makes his team better" criteria, something Steve Nash supposedly excelled and something Dirk Nowitzki did last year in Dallas. This year, Kobe has led the Lakers core of Pau Gasol, Lamar Odom, Derek Fisher and Luke Walton on top of the Western Conference and deep into the NBA Playoffs.

In winning the MVP, Kobe joins the elite group of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Earvin "Magic" Johnson and former teammate Shaquille O'Neal as Los Angeles Lakers who have won the award. (Kareem and Magic won multiple times). You can also add Kobe to the list of players who have won at least three championship rings and an MVP award. That group includes Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, Bill Russell and the Spurs' Tim Duncan. The MVP of a dozen years in the making is also proof of the longevity of Bryant's talent and skill.

No doubt, any discussion on NBA greats should definitely include Kobe Bryant, one of the NBA's All-Time Greats.


Tags: Lakers

"MVP!" Chants for Kobe in Lakers Win over Jazz

In what has become a common event in Los Angeles Lakers games, Kobe Bryant received "MVP! MVP!" chants more and more. Game 1 against the Utah Jazz continued the trend.

Good thing Kobe did not did not disappoint, he led the Lakers to a 109-98 win over the Jazz for a 1-0 lead in their best of seven series. Look at this MVP-calible line: 38 points, 6 rebounds, 7 assists, 21 free throws made and 50% shooting from the field. Looks like crowd knew what they were chanting for.

Did Kobe make his team mates better in the game? Absolutely. Pau Gasol was superb (18 points, 10 rebounds) and Lamar Odom was clutch by making a late layup and one.Even Sasha Vujacic played a very solid game off the bench with 15 points and a perfect 2 of 2 from beyond the 3-point line.

The series is the first time the two teams meet in the playoffs since the Jazz swept the Lakers in the 1998 Western Conference Finals. The year before that in 1997, Kobe had his infamous "airball" series against the Jazz.


Tags: Lakers

Kobe Bryant to Win the the NBA's 2008 MVP Award

Finally, the MVP voting body has corrected the error of its ways.

The NBA will present Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant with his first regular season Most Valuable Player award, according to reports. I've been advocating his selection since the start of the year and I've also said my piece regarding why he IS the NBA's MVP this season. As a Lakers fan, I'm happy the league has really recognized Kobe's impact in the game (and that could even include the "makes his team mates better" criterion).

Kobe is set to join Laker greats Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Magic Johnson, Shaquille O'neal as players who have won the award that cements the reputation of a player as an all-time great.

What's next for Kobe Bryant? The Finals MVP Award.


Tags: Lakers

Anatomy of The Sweep

The Los Angeles Lakers swept the Denver Nuggets in their best of seven first round series. If you have been following the NBA pundits, the Lakers are the heavy favorites in their match-up, but almost no one foresaw a sweep-- a convincing one at that. So after the 107-101 win on the knock-out game, let's look at the major actors in the series we call The Sweep:

1. The Winners - The Lakers played the Nuggets very well to the point that I was convinced the Nuggets were not a playoff-caliber team, despite the 50 regular season wins. The key factors that made the Lakers very dangerous was the crisp passing and offensive execution. Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol were expected to have strong games but it was the likes of Lamar Odom, Sasha Vujacic and Luke Walton that ultimately killed the Nuggets little by little. Another thing: The Lakers shooting was impressive during the four games-- they collectively shot better within and beyond the arc than they did during the regular season. I call that stepping up.
2. The Losers - I give the "Loser" tag to the Nuggets with little hesitation because they really acted that way for most part of the series. The biggest loser her is Carmelo Anthony, who seems to have inherited the "Playoff Choke Artist" title from the retired Chris Webber. Even a colleague of mine from HoopsVibe who is a Denver Nuggets fan even lamented that he hoped the series would end early so that it would "end the Nuggets' misery." Too bad Allen Iverson, Linas Kleiza and JR Smith played in vain. Was Nuggets coach George Karl softened by his son's presence in the other team?
   
3. The Games - The Lakers-Nuggets seven games series was really three games of Lakers dominating the Nuggets in almost every way and one really competitive game in the last. Game 1 saw Pau Gasol leading the Laker charge and Game 2 belonged to Kobe Bryant, hanging 49 points on the Nuggets. When the series shifted to Denver, the Nuggets sort of regressed and lost by 18 in what people saw a "must-win-bounce-back" game. Game 4 was a beauty as the game finished in a very thrilling fashion.
   

A Sweep is 4-0 in a seven game series, but it's really two teams in four games where one team won and swept and one team that lost and wept.


Tags: Lakers