We Are Not Amused
by DexterFishmore on Apr 25, 2010 12:59 PM PDT
in Game Recaps
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Yuck. What a catastrophe. What a nauseating display. What an overdose of uncut, pharmaceutical-grade slop.
We knew the Los Angeles Lakers would have a taxing fight on their hands in Oklahoma City. We understand that the future belongs to the Thunder. We nonetheless believed that the present still belongs to the Lakers. Fresh from having seen the Lakers get clocked in the grill, hard, in Game Four, to the tune of a ferocious 89 to 110 face-stomping, I wonder if that belief was naïve. The Lakers' performance was so grievously flawed, so lacking in precision and skill and competitive spirit, one's forced to confront the possibility that the season is nearing its end. The Lakers' season could be over in April.
I'm not saying that's likely, but it looks a hell of a lot more likely than it did six hours ago. The Lakers got dominated tonight by a variety of assailants. There was the OKC crowd, seemingly not as frenzied as on Thursday night but still menacing. There were the officials, whom the crowd successfully intimidated yet again into a wildly unbalanced set of whistles. Most important of all were the Thunder players themselves, who for a second consecutive game played harder, faster and more intelligently than the Lakers and are making the defending champs look very last decade.
A little more than four minutes into tonight's game, Kevin Durant drove past Ron Artest, met no help defense in the lane and accordingly packed down a foundation-rattling dunk. That put the Thunder up 9 to 8, after which the Lakers would never lead again. The game got out of hand with a quickness. The Lakers couldn't shoot or rebound or get to the free-throw line. Kobe Bryant began the game self-consciously forsaking his own shot, which was 100% the right thing to do. He committed a couple first-quarter turnovers, but otherwise his effort to get the offense functioning as a cohesive unit was thoughtful and well executed. His teammates simply let him down. Andrew Bynum missed good looks. Pau Gasol missed good looks and turned the ball over. Artest could neither hit open outside shots nor finish at the rim. Kobe played within his (physically diminished) self and trusted the talent around him, but that very well-compensated talent didn't come through.
At the other end of the floor, the Thunder wreaked destruction by crashing the offensive boards - they had a 38% offensive rebounding rate and nine second chance points in the first quarter alone - and getting to the line. Over. And over. And over. They still can't shoot from the field, but damn can they shoot free throws. 8 for 8 in the first period. 11 for 12 in the second. 13 for 15 in the third. Absurd numbers, in both the numerators and denominators.
In the first half, OKC generated 0.51 free-throw attempts for every field-goal attempt. In the third quarter that number spiked to 0.71, which is utterly ridiculous. Yes, the Thunder were aggressive, and no, the Lakers weren't paragons of positional defensive technique. Events on the court, however, in no way justified a second straight game of gargantuan free-throw disparities. This was the work of a heroic OKC crowd and officials who allowed themselves to be swayed by them.
In the second quarter, the Lakers got their offense humming a bit. Lamar Odom got things going with a couple hoops - glad you could finally join us, Lamar! - while Bynum did some damage inside. The Lakers had six offensive rebounds and eight second-chance points in the period. It was only enough, however, to stabilize the 12-15 point deficit. The Lakers couldn't mount a run to cut into it, not with the Thunder living at the free-throw line and outhustling the Lakers to loose rebounds. James Harden dropped in seven points in the second and Serge Ibaka chipped in six. Thanks to those two and Eric Maynor, the Thunder reserves again outplayed the hapless Laker bench. Oh, and the Lakers missed 7 of 10 free throws in the first half. That didn't help.
Any hopes for a third quarter comeback were quickly extinguished. On the very first possession, Kobe fouled Thabo Sefolosha on a three-point attempt - Thabo, of course, drained all three freebies - and the Lakers went scoreless on four of their next five trips. The lead got stretched out to 20 by the middle of the third, and it was garbagio time from there on out. The fourth quarter featured the long-awaited duel between be-facialhaired doppelgangers Adam Morrison and BJ Mullens.
Thoroughly bloodied and partially dismembered, the Lakers now return to Staples for Game Five on Tuesday night. There are more questions surrounding this team than there is space to list them. Can they come up with anything - a defender off the bench, maybe, or a hard foul from DJ Mbenga - to rattle Westbrook? Can they regain control of the boards? Does Phil Jackson have anything in his bag of tricks that can even out the whistles? Will Artest or Jordan Farmar or Shannon Brown ever make another three?
If you step back from the horror of tonight's loss - not easily done, granted - the Lakers should still be considered the slight favorites in this series. The Thunder appear to be a very different team in their own barn, and to our eternal relief, there's only one more game scheduled to be played there. In Staples, they'll have to recreate the same élan they displayed in Games Three and Four but without the backing soundtrack from their fans and the friendly officiating that creates. It's a lot to ask from what Dan Shulman and Doris Burke reminded us 283 times tonight is - repeat after me, everyone - the youngest team in the NBA.
That said, there's no question the Lakers are very much capable of losing this series. None of their problems from the regular season has been fixed. If anything, new problems have emerged and squished themselves onto an already crowded plate of FAIL. The stench from tonight's turd sandwich will linger in our noses for at least the next three days. Maybe much longer.
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|
Poss. |
TO% |
FTA/ |
FT% |
3FGA/FGA |
2PT% |
3PT% |
EFG |
TS% |
OReb Rate |
DReb Rate |
PPP |
|
LA |
92 |
12 |
0.34 |
61 |
0.27 |
50 |
18 |
44 |
47 |
24 |
72 |
0.97 |
|
OKC |
93 |
11 |
0.63 |
88 |
0.24 |
43 |
33 |
45 |
57 |
28 |
76 |
1.18 |
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Comments
What really sucks is now they have to go back to OKC once more, and i could seriously see this series going 7 games. And in game 7 ANYTHING can happen, and thats not good.
"My mama always used to tell me: 'If you can't find somethin' to live for, you best find somethin' to die for."
-Tupac Shakur
by Kalifornia-Dreamin on Apr 24, 2010 11:52 PM PDT reply actions
to me
this game down to aggressiveness which is something the thunder had over the Lakers the entire game. they were out hustling them and tracking down rebounds, leading to easy 2nd chance points Like that one play in the 3rd where westbrook beat everyone else to the ball off his own miss and fed it to one of his teammates for the easy dunk. And also they were making a living off the freethrow line, the entire game, they were attacking the paint, and the Lakers simply couldnt defend anyone or get a stop without fouling.
Like the other games in this series, the Lakers cant drain a three for shit. This game they shot 18.2% from 3pt land and in the entire series they are shooting 28.5%. Also once again, Odom disappeared, and showed up only in garbage time when we were down 29. I was a bit suprised by Kobe’s performance. I understand that he was trying to get plays going for others in the 1st, but he all but completely disappeared in the 3rd when the team was desperate for a push.
There is some concern I have going into game 5 but I really do think we will take it and go on to win the series. This team has a history of strong performances after tough losses and I think getting thrashed tonight will give them a lot of motivation to get the job done on tuesday. I’ll only go into all out panic mode if were a in close battle in the 3rd or 4th of that game and/or if we lose.
"Just by the aura of D.J. Mbenga being there, the shot missed."
We need to find an offense!
I believe our horrid offense is the root of the bad play, OKC’s FG% has been under 42% every game so far but we’re giving them easy transition points with all the turnovers and long rebounds off the lazy long jumpers from Kobe/Fish/Artest. I actually think feeding Bynum in the post is a bad idea because quite honestly he’s not a good passer, I’m purely guessing but I think if you count turnovers I’d say Bynum’s post move success rate is ~50% at most. I’d like to see either Pau or Kobe in the post and let Andrew get his points off of put backs or from dives to the rim. Most of Kobe’s inefficiencies is when he tries the long range jumpers, when he’s in the post I’m confident he can convert 50% of his shots as well as give the added bonus of being a good passer from the post.
I don’t know when the last time I’ve seen a Laker player box-out seems like 90% of our rebounds are just because we have longer arms than OKC.
I know OKC has been the aggressor but the FT disparity is quite ridiculous for these 2 games. We are being punished for being bigger when we goto the rack, our bigs are getting hacked on their close range shots as much as their guards but since our bigs are “big” we don’t get the whistle.
Maye i am here to stay:)
I do like watchig me some laker basketball; that thrashing is truly shockin gin its own right but coming from such a young team? If teh jazz do win then the lakers make it to the wcf, but if the nuggets adavcne then it will be a matchup of the two best teams that sturggled to end the year out. Very. Very. Very. INTERESTING
With the number 9 pick the Phoenix Suns select Amare Studemire from Cypress Creek HIghschool. The day that an NBA and Phoenix Suns fan was born
Hey, I remember you
(scratching sound on a record) What? You’re a suns fan? I thought you were a Spurs fan!
Did you read my signature?
It talks about amare stoudemire; i hate the spurs = MORLTAL ENEMIES
With the number 9 pick the Phoenix Suns select Amare Studemire from Cypress Creek HIghschool. The day that an NBA and Phoenix Suns fan was born
besides the FTs we also lost because of the easy fastbreak points the thunder were getting all night
this is what darius from FB&G said:
24-2. This was the Thunder’s advantage in fast break points over the Lakers. The Thunder successfully pushed the ball at every opportunity and got easy buckets on the break. One one play in particular (and this basket may not even count in this stat), Kobe hit one of his pretty patented fade away jumpers from the right baseline over Thabo Sefolosha and then fell to the ground afterwards. When the ball was inbounded, Russell Westbrook raced the ball up court and proceeded to get a lay up at the other end. But it wasn’t just the Thunder’s athleticism that fueled their fast break chances, it was also the Lakers’ general lack of awareness and fundamentals in transitioning from offense to defense that aided OKC’s attack in the open court. On two possessions early in the game, Pau got caught with his back turned to a quickly advancing ball handler. On one possession, Durant got a dunk. On the other, Westbrook missed a lay up, but the Thunder got the offensive rebound (though they missed the putback). Since both of these plays happened in the first quarter,I was hoping that this would not be a trend throughout the game. I was wrong.
"Just by the aura of D.J. Mbenga being there, the shot missed."
this picture sums up the entire game
"Just by the aura of D.J. Mbenga being there, the shot missed."
I didnt bother watching this game
I had my mind made up last night that i was not gonna watch this game. I DVRed it, but after seeing the score, i deleted it without watching one second. I kinda knew that this was the laker team that was gonna show up today after how i saw them close game 3. Game 3 showed the lakers that the thunder are not gonna go down slowly. So they lakers decided to take the court today in that fashion, which really pisses me off. one thought on these lakes: FUCK THEM! we as fans dont deserve this crap they gave us, and it has happend to often for us to just throw it away as a bad game. Against nuggets earlier in the year it started, and a couple more times after that. This whole shit about flipping the switch? FUCK THAT! flip switching should be done in february and march, not April and HOPEFULLY May. Wow, did i just HOPE the lakers play into MAY? that use to be a given. This team plays with no heart. Fuck kobe all the way down to Adam morrison. Sign D league players bc shit cant get any worse that what happened today.
Kobe: "I'll do whatever it takes to win games, whether it's sitting on a bench waving a towel, handing a cup of water to a teammate, or hitting the game-winning shot."
You must really know much about basketball.
I think the Lakers would prefer you not be their fan with the whiney nonsensical tone of your post.
The effort was not there? Did you even watch the game? Want to be scared? Huh? Well, I’ll let you in on a little secret. The Effort Was There. The ‘Execution,’ however, was not. Odom, Gasol, Bynum, Artest, Fish, all played very agressively, but LOST. They LOST THE GAME. And they tried HARD when they were out there. They didn’t want the series tied 2-2. But… alas, they LOST and LOST big. Guess that means to you that they didn’t try. In real life, it doesn’t mean that at all. When you say things like that and don’t watch the game, it makes you look like a bandwagon fan. I am sorry, but I’m just being honest.
There were several big factors in this relatively large loss; but I can tell you this, the Thunder hit some huge shots, and the Lakers missed some ‘easier’ ones. But they sure as hell weren’t getting a whistle in the paint, and when they were, they weren’t hitting their freebies! But even 9 more Free Throws made wouldn’t have made up for a disparity, again, that was astronomical. Hell, look at the stats…. LA had more points in the paint. HOW CAN YOU BE MORE AGGRESSIVE THAN SCORING POINTS IN THE PAINT? We scored more field goals, too, and only shot like 2 more threes than OKC. Oh well… another day another dollar.
wow
you’re even more negative than desecrator…who has been inconspicuously missing these days. calm down, it will be ok. lakers aren’t gonna let the “youngest team in the nba” walk all over them in game 5. see what happens then before we start calling for the apocalypse
ive been on the past two threads
Faith.... a fan's biggest downfall
by desecrator09 on Apr 25, 2010 1:34 PM PDT up reply actions
this should be the title of the credits
"Just by the aura of D.J. Mbenga being there, the shot missed."
I think it was about racism in the south
i remember having to read that book in the 6th grade…
"Just by the aura of D.J. Mbenga being there, the shot missed."
seems like every book you have to read in the 6th grade is about racism in the south…
It would seem to me, that you feel threatened by the Eric Ghiaciuc acquisition.
by johnnyphoenix on Apr 25, 2010 5:00 PM PDT up reply actions
Uhm, looks like a typical day in Cleveland
Bada bing
:P
I can’t help myself wave.
For me its the consistent inconsistency that concerns me - PAGFL
Actually it reminds me a bit more of south central LA, to be honest… We burn our rivers over here, not our city.
It would seem to me, that you feel threatened by the Eric Ghiaciuc acquisition.
by johnnyphoenix on Apr 25, 2010 5:08 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
he's very promising
I have high hopes…but we’re the browns…and the highest hopes have led to the greatest disappointments…
That was a disheartening blowout, Phil threw the towel a little early, not to my dismay. 48 Free Throws, huh? Pretty good Thunder!
This game is what happens when the Thunder make their unfathomably high number of free throws, hit their outside shot, and play generally high quality basketball. They played this good in Game 2, but didn’t get the calls then. The Lakers could have hung around a bit longer if they’d have hit a couple more FT’s, but alas, they struggled from the line.
2 games for okc in okc? over 80 free throw attempts.
what about the lakers? about 36.
Come on, son.
A 50 point differential is hard to overcome even when you’re the defending champions. The Lakers even went inside this game, and still did not get the calls. Ibaka literally used his elbow to land on Lamar’s head for an offensive rebound and the officials did nothing but clap.
It’s hard to fight back into the game, when every other possession the Thunder make it to the line, even from off the ball fouls. This game was ridiculous, and even though the Lakers made it hard on themselves, the officiating made it impossible.
by Jevon O on Apr 25, 2010 6:26 AM PDT reply actions 1 recs
make a good point
I made the comment in the game thread that while the Lakers may have sucked there is no way they sucked to the tune of 48 ft’s for the Thunder…How is that even possible? I remember seeing a trip down the court where LO gets bumped with a no call then they come down the court and the same thing happens to a Thunder player and he gets an and 1. Ive never been big on bashing the refs but damn are you serious?
The Lakers are reminding me of the "Tin Man"...
Ouch!
I may not be a basketball wizard, but I did start the season reading Basketball for Dummies so I would understand more. Now what I understand is that my Lakers have been all smoke and mirrors this season. What was that last night? It wasn’t a game. I really don’t have much more to add than what everyone else had said except it is a Sunday morning of Sorrow for me.
Not to worry,
the Lakers have been playing w/ the same “We’ll play hard when we feel like it” attitude for some time now. They’ll eventually win the series, take the Championship, and keep playing the same way next year. I love the Lakers, but this unit comes nowhere near the Championship Lakers of the past. With that said, the ups and downs shouldn’t be a surprise, it’s to be expected.
kinda reminds me of the orlando series last year
orlando kicked lakers ass in game 4…then never won another game…i see the same scenario in this series…lakers will hush the crowd and make them cry in game 6….over in 6
Why do they need to get their teeth kicked in
for them to play like Champions? Just aggravating. Kobe might be their leader, but sure is an inconsistent one. Again, can’t touch the other Championship Lakers.
The other teams got kicked in the teeth too.
just not in the first round. Plus this team isn’t as well built as other teams. We’re all potential, the other teams were actually dominant. Everyone talks about this teams potential as one of the most dominant teams in the league. Nothing has ever hit on all cylinders enough for this team be even characterized as a dominant team.
This reminds me a lot of the Rockets series last year
The only difference is Kobe really doesn’t look like himself. If Kobe can will himself to get back to form then I like you guys to win this in 6.
Someone also needs to step up and guard Russell Westbrook. Westbrook is a good player, but he isn’t this good. He can’t consistently hit a jumper and you can exploit his defense if you get physical with him. If you can slow down Westbrook and make Durant beat you by himself, you can dominate the Thunder.
"Talk's cheap, we all know that. It's like I've always said - 'don't tell me about the labor pains, just show me the baby."
-Buddy Nix
This Lakers squad
is quite good at making someone that “isn’t this good” look like an All-Star. It’s called being lazy. But, they’ll win the series, no doubt, because they can…when they actually give a damn.
sad that the heat couldnt play like this the 1st 4 games of the series
they woulda had a solid chance to win the series
"Just by the aura of D.J. Mbenga being there, the shot missed."
wow Dwade lighting it up against Boston
reminds me of good old kobe days
last year
the lakers never lost two games in a row in the playoffs. So stop saying this is last year.
Kobe: "I'll do whatever it takes to win games, whether it's sitting on a bench waving a towel, handing a cup of water to a teammate, or hitting the game-winning shot."
but like last year
a younger quicker team is giving them fits to take them to what seems to be a seven-game series.
I agree with hrghori that drawing parallels to last year’s team are of really limited value. The Rockets series seemed very clearly a case of the Lakers basically knowing they would win in the end and accordingly not giving a shit in games that weren’t must-haves. In Games 3 and 4 in OKC, however, the Laker effort was there. The team is trying. They’re just not very good.
Twitter feed: @dexterfishmore
by DexterFishmore on Apr 25, 2010 1:17 PM PDT up reply actions
Whats funny is that
people are posturing whether Kobe decided not to shoot in this game more than they are posturing about the ft/reb disparity between the teams.
Most people will reach for the easy storyline and leave it at that
Over the years there have been so many “Is Kobe shooting too much?/Why isn’t Kobe shooting more?” stories that they more or less write themselves at this point.
Twitter feed: @dexterfishmore
by DexterFishmore on Apr 25, 2010 1:19 PM PDT up reply actions
What's even funnier is..
A Laker fan complaining about free throw disparity.
We have some eight year old threads over here on our Kings forums that you can come and join in on. :)
Either way… I don’t see how the Lakers don’t take this series.
What do you expect the NBA to give to a brand new city in their first two playoff games?
Merry Xmas and Happy Birthday OKC. It’s a series now and Christmas is over.
We haven't had many games like these this year
Reffing has been pretty even or slightly favored Lakers on the whole for the most of the season. Only one or two games where you felt the refs stole it from the Lakers.
It now seems like bad timing for things to turn a corner so substantially.
Again I don’t think its a conspiracy, its just the quickness of the Thunder, still they should be doing better, and the Lakers unlike last year, are letting it get to them. We seem to be reverting.
I'm not complaining about it
I’m just pointing it out. ft disparity and reb disparity are things that can be analyzed without complaints towards refs. And its a more legitimate thing to write about than “did kobe throw the game?”
you are correct FT dispartiy can be analyzed...
however, when it’s analyzed and the same play is not called both ways, then the result is shitty officiating.
Props for not jumping all over the refs and taking it as a kick in the ass.
I didn’t watch the game, but the freethrow disparity jumped off of the boxscore to me. My first reaction was it looked like Stern was trying to send Jackson a message, especially after his threats to suspend players and coach’s that continue to criticize the refs. 48 FTA is pretty ridiculous for an nba game, hopefully they actually earned them.
Where's Rudolfo?
they didn't.
multiple multiple plays where it was glaring.
LO would drive and get bumped, no foul. then literally right down the floor goin the other way, Westbrook/KD/Hardin get bumped and get FT’s.
it was bad, really bad.
i will say, if theres one team that i wouldnt mind the lakers being upset by its the Thunder
i mean like in a gun to the head scenario
Faith.... a fan's biggest downfall
I don't think its so much the crowd
as the quickness of the Oakies that is screwing the refs up, they just don’t seem to see the Thunder’s fouls because they are so quick and Lakers are so slow and sloppy any incidental contact looks awkward and they call the foul.
Not that it would have mattered last game, but Phil needs to call attention to this somehow, because we can not seem to blow this team away and can not spot them 8-10 points a game and win consistently.
I don’t know what to do with Artest, I guess he just needs to drive when he’s open and not take the three. This is going to be a long series.
Hopes and Fears
Reminiscent of the Rockets series last year. :Lakers recovered from a blowout to win by 40 at home. Without a lot of huge night from Kobe. But with a healthier Walton and maybe Sasha. Phil doesn’t have many keys to try in the locks.
I’m worried that when Kobe goes to the rim, he backs off and dishes if he meets any resistance. He used to take it in, try to finish, and take the free throws if he didn’t. Now he either can’t finish or dishes. Are his knee and ankle bothering him to the point he’s nervous about taking the punishment? If so, do they have time to get better? By not finishing the Thunder off quickly, the Lakers are reducing their rest time between this series and the next, if indeed the next series is not next April.
Some encouraging signs were better entry passes for the Lakers. Doris Burke mentioned they were focusing on that in practice. Thunder are fronting guys, which means if they can get the ball in to a big there will be a lane to the hoop or defensive help coming off another big, which should leave him open close to the basket. Also, we could get around the fronting by passing into a different angle to for another quick pass before the fronter can switch angles—avoiding the lob pass which allows the backside help time to arrive. Hard to believe Thunder can block so many shots without fouling. But we need to punish them for fronting our guys.
The Thunder had a lot better record in the second half of the season than they did in the first. So this is a young team that has gotten better through the year, and they are getting better in every game of this series. What scares me is that we DID try in game 4 and still lost. Maybe Kobe’s injuries mean that he just can’t deliver what he has traditionally been able to do. I’m not saying he is washed up, just that there is a rela risk he is temporarily unable to perform at anything approaching the level the Lakers require to win 16 post-season games, or even 4.
by celticandlakerfanreally on Apr 25, 2010 1:49 PM PDT reply actions 1 recs
nice essay man
rec’d
Faith.... a fan's biggest downfall
by desecrator09 on Apr 25, 2010 1:52 PM PDT up reply actions
exactly
no more comparisons to last year please. This team looks nothing like last year’s and neither does the competition
Faith.... a fan's biggest downfall
by desecrator09 on Apr 25, 2010 1:54 PM PDT up reply actions
the problem however is that when you don't get the whistles it wears on you...
it gets in your head. Would you drive hard to the rim knowing you are going to get fouled, maybe miss the shot and NOT get the foul.
Cringed at Artest and the three-pointer everytime...
…while he was here in Sacramento.
Game 4 will wake the Lakers up and this is is done in 6 now.
uhhh they were awake yesterday
they just got outplayed
Faith.... a fan's biggest downfall
by desecrator09 on Apr 25, 2010 1:53 PM PDT up reply actions
I must have watched another game
they looked asleep to me.
I could have sworn I saw Pau sleepwalking.
yeah you did watch a different game
they were playing their asses off but they just got outplayed and out executed. Dex mentions this in the article
Faith.... a fan's biggest downfall
by desecrator09 on Apr 25, 2010 1:56 PM PDT up reply actions
Maybe I fell asleep and was dreaming
Lets look at the stat:
Lakers made 17-of-28 free throws (could just have had Shaq shoot free throws for entire team for about same result), two fast-breaks for the Lakers the whole game, outrebounded with height advantage, 22 threes attempted (they made 4).
No, it wasn’t me dreaming, probably the Lakers.
height doesnt mean your gonna get more rebounds
its about rebounding skills and athleticism and the Thunder’s frontcourt are better at both of those things. The Lakers never run many fast breaks and they shoot alot of 3s because they never get the ball inside alot. Point is, this is the same Lakers we’ve watched all year and they arent gonna change very much.
Faith.... a fan's biggest downfall
by desecrator09 on Apr 25, 2010 4:22 PM PDT up reply actions
but height advantage does give a competitive advantage
to those who try. We’re talking about effort as to why they have more rebs cuz we’ve outrebounded them before and by a lot. Its more about effort than them being exceptionally better at it.
you still have to have good rebounding skills
being able to persue the ball and such. Thats why Paul milsapp always dominates our frontline on the boards even when our big guys are trying because he has much better rebounding skills than our players
Faith.... a fan's biggest downfall
by desecrator09 on Apr 25, 2010 8:53 PM PDT up reply actions
I'm saying that
we’ve outrebounded them before, its not a matter of precedent that they’re going to outrebound us as is the case with Millsap. There’s no reason to expect Kevin Durant to outrebound Pau Gasol or Andrew Bynum even at his current level of activity.
This is terrible to have to wait for another game.
The series is tied but somehow its hard to tell. It feels as if the Lakers are down in the series. Nothing gets the bad taste out of my mouth like a victory. The best thing about the waiting is that the Lakers get to rest. God knows they need it. btw….can someone txt Phil and tell him that the thunder have figured how to defend the post and to make an adjustment. FUCK!!!! If anything the Thunder seem to have an edge not only because of their physical play but because they have dragged the Lakers into playing their style of basketball.
Either way…i’m pissed!
"If you want to find the dumbest guy in the room just find the first guy to tell you how smart he is." - JG
The fact that the Lakers have played to such a high level even through the injuries is a testament to their skill, abilities, and resiliency. - 99bc99
by PURPLE AND GOLD FOR LIFE on Apr 25, 2010 2:05 PM PDT reply actions
Yeah…I hate it when my team loses a playoff game…I can’t watch sportscenter, just can’t. Sucks.
It would seem to me, that you feel threatened by the Eric Ghiaciuc acquisition.
by johnnyphoenix on Apr 25, 2010 5:10 PM PDT up reply actions
yup..haven't seen shit. i'm still pissed.
"If you want to find the dumbest guy in the room just find the first guy to tell you how smart he is." - JG
The fact that the Lakers have played to such a high level even through the injuries is a testament to their skill, abilities, and resiliency. - 99bc99
by PURPLE AND GOLD FOR LIFE on Apr 25, 2010 5:46 PM PDT up reply actions
The Inevitable Is upon us.
It has been clear most of the season to anyone who cared to look that this team is seriously flawed. But the pathetic group think that infects everyone, including the fawning media morons, has kept everyone from seeing or reporting on the obvious. This team is too weak to compete seriously for an NBA title, much less be at the beginning of a 4 or 5 year reign as many had suggested. Here in a nutshell is a player by player mini analysis as to why : 1. Pau, the most skilled big man in the league but hopelessly soft, and avoids contact as if it were a social disease. Andrew: Huge, often delightfully powerful big man, who has developed some nice footwork (thank you Kareem) but incredibly one dimensional. When he gets the ball in the post he better score because the offense just grinds to a halt. Artest : Has shown some great defensive skills, but has destroyed the Lakers offensive fluidity. Recall Ariza of last year and compare. If it does not make you cry, then you are not really a Laker fan. Lamar : Love the guy. Sacrifices for the team. Tries to do whatever is needed. But is not tricky or terribly quick. His drives to the basket are straight on. He either gets the shots over you or winds up with something awful looking. And his outside shooting does not make up for it. Kobe : His time of total dominance is over. The fact that he starts so much of his offensive game with his back to the basket tells you that he has lost that little bit of quickness that made him so unstoppable. Once that is gone at his age , it cannot be regained. This does not mean that he cannot continue to be a great player, average over 25 PPG and win more championships. But he cannot do it alone. He needs a supporting cast that does not require him to do it all. Fisher and the rest : Not even worth talking about. Hopeless, pathetic, and sad because most seem to be good citizens who do their best. A couple can be kept for a bit while the bench is revamped, but it better happen quick or or it will be 2005 again real quick. Thank you Mitch Kupchak.
has anyone seen lamar odom????
he hasnt had a double double in a long time…earn ur paycheck LO…put aside ur hissy fits with coach and win it for the fans
Before yesterdays debacle LO made an apology to the fans and his teammates that he had been playing like shit and he was gonna show up and do something good last night! Yeah, i’m still waiting. Everytime Brown or Artest touch the ball and see a stripe at their feet they automatically hoist off a shot no matter what and it shows. Then Brown has a chance to run a fast break and get fould for the and 1, but instead tries to slow down and do what i’m not sure then looses the ball to a hustling Thunder player, just sad. I am sorry if there are those that will disagree but i think this team would be much better off with Ariza then Ron.Next i gotta say Pau is the softest thing since silk and flat out laughable with his stupid ass grunts everytime he gets slapped around. Lastly, and most of all sadly, the days of Kobe being the best player are blatantly gone, is he one of the best ever, hell yes, is he getting old and his body showing it, yep so in a nutshell i think we don’t make it past the second round no matter what,I truly hope we repeat but have decided to remove the rose tinted shades and see it for what it is.
If practice makes perfect....
Yet nobodies perfect.....
Then why practice ???
mamba
kobe is still one the top 5 players(lebrick, wade, durant, melo)..but he has played for 2 yrs straight without any time off…2 finals, olympics, tryouts, prelims…this summer he wants to play in the worlds…he needs to take the summer off and heal. get some well deserved rest…and next year come back pissed off…that being said i still have faith in this team this year…but players gotta step up…if ur gonna shoot, make sure we have rebounders underneath…ya, brown lost the rock on that play…should have went right to the rim instead of trying to pull it out…this offseason kupchak better do something with the pg situation and the sorry azz bench
we need someone to step up and make 3s
I don’t know someone, cause Im getting sick of watching artest, farmar, and shannon cough up bricks from 24 feet. Perhaps Kobe or even Odom?? I know I sound crazy, but without someone like that, we might not get very far. Last year, we had Ariza. Yeah, sure it was flukish, but we need someone to go off. I know there was an article about how this team relates to the 1998 bulls in terms sub par 3 point shooting, but that team had a much better defense to fall back on, and Kobe has looked like a shell of himself the last couple of months.
Looking at the cavs vs bulls game, the cavs are surrounded by tons of solid 3 point shooters, like Williams, Parker, Moon, even Lebron is shooting well from 3 this year and they use them to just keep pouring onto leads.
"Just by the aura of D.J. Mbenga being there, the shot missed."
Stop! AMMO time
Twitter feed: @dexterfishmore
by DexterFishmore on Apr 25, 2010 3:26 PM PDT up reply actions
Can you 'shop AMMO's face onto an MC Hammer pic?
Because that would obviously be the greatest thing ever.
Twitter feed: @dexterfishmore
by DexterFishmore on Apr 25, 2010 3:39 PM PDT up reply actions
your lucky its 3 day weekend for me
heh.
"Just by the aura of D.J. Mbenga being there, the shot missed."
Awesome
Can’t wait.
Twitter feed: @dexterfishmore
by DexterFishmore on Apr 25, 2010 3:54 PM PDT up reply actions
man Doug Collins has regressed big time as an announcer
Faith.... a fan's biggest downfall
These two pictures are all Adam Morrison is worth to this blog:
"Just by the aura of D.J. Mbenga being there, the shot missed."
by shaqfor3 on Apr 25, 2010 5:11 PM PDT reply actions 1 recs
This possibly made my millenium
Thank you God for my children. Thank you Dr. Buss for the Lakers.
But shaqfor3, thank you for the golden warmth that is spreading through my body.
Wait, did I just pee?
Yes I did, in pure joy.
For me its the consistent inconsistency that concerns me - PAGFL
gosh, this place has been like a morgue today
"Just by the aura of D.J. Mbenga being there, the shot missed."
The longer you are the lakers fan, the easier you get a heart attack or heart failure.
"These young guys are playing checkers. I'm out there playing chess." -Kobe
hey its the first comment here in like 57 years!!!
"Just by the aura of D.J. Mbenga being there, the shot missed."
well, how do you think? lol
"These young guys are playing checkers. I'm out there playing chess." -Kobe
by rs850_Lakers on Apr 25, 2010 7:13 PM PDT up reply actions
Kobe Bryant lit up a cigar that was far from the victory variety as he made his way from his postgame news conference to the team bus down an empty hallway at the Ford Center, walking with a slight limp as he chatted with Nike executive Lynn Merritt in between puffs. It’s a habit Bryant revealed in the first round of last postseason, smoking a stogie after a clunker in Utah before bouncing back with dominant games to close out the series, but as the thick smoke hung in the air it seemed to personify the cloud of doubt that suddenly hangs over the Los Angeles Lakers rather than a cleansing ritual.
"Just by the aura of D.J. Mbenga being there, the shot missed."
But, the Spurs only need one more win and I don't think they will lose their chance.
"These young guys are playing checkers. I'm out there playing chess." -Kobe
by rs850_Lakers on Apr 25, 2010 7:57 PM PDT up reply actions
me too
denver on the verge of the same fate too…wow
"Just by the aura of D.J. Mbenga being there, the shot missed."
we're pretty fucked too
Faith.... a fan's biggest downfall
by desecrator09 on Apr 25, 2010 8:40 PM PDT up reply actions
not yet...
only if we lose game 5 is when I will really press the panic button.
"Just by the aura of D.J. Mbenga being there, the shot missed."
man, mavs AND denver quite possibly eliminated from playoffs?
lakers really shouldn’t squander this series. the thought of going against spurs or jazz makes me gleeful. now if only lakers can close out against the thunder.
that's what I was thinking
This could end up being your toughest western conference series. Neither Utah nor Phoenix matches well against you. But I’d worry more about the Spurs.
so true wave. lakers pretty much have a guaranteed visit to the finals...
if we get past the thunder.
nooooice!
" Get out of my way Saturn! "
by Captain $hugg on Apr 25, 2010 9:56 PM PDT up reply actions
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