Lakers Continue Streak of Incredible Luck, Defeat Suns 124 to 112
by DexterFishmore on May 19, 2010 10:53 PM PDT
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The Western Conference Finals are off to a pretty fun start. Assuming, that is, you're a Laker employee or fan. If you're a Suns fan, you're probably not enjoying yourself as much, because for two games now, you've had to watch helplessly as your favorite team's defense gets bludgeoned. Phoenix gave up 128 points in Game One, and thanks to some crafty adjustments and a never-say-die spirit, they succeeded in limiting the Lakers to a modest 124 in Game Two tonight. At this stellar rate of improvement, they can look forward to holding the Lakers to double digits in late June, just time for that pivotal Game Nine.
Tonight's contest was certainly more competitive than Monday's. After falling behind by 14 in the second quarter, the Suns clawed their way back to a tie at the end of the third. But in front of a raucous Staples Center crowd some TV cameras, the Laker offense went back to casually embarrassing Phoenix "defenders," racking up 34 points in the final stanza to put the game away. The final score was 124 to 112, staking the Lake Show to a two-games-to-zilch series lead. Remember that hideous Game Four pounding in Oklahoma City? That was 25 days ago, and the Lakers haven't lost since then. Eight, count ‘em eight straight wins, as one by one, Western Conference challengers yield to their purple-and-gold overlords.
As expected, Phoenix twisted some knobs and pulled a few levers to give the Lakers a different defensive look. There was some zone, and there were some double-teams on Kobe Bryant. Kobe didn't have another thermonuclear shooting night, though he wasn't bad. He scored 21 points on 20 shots (using the word shots here to include free-throw possessions). His drop-off in pointage, however, he more than made up for with sensational passing and floor vision. Repeatedly he waited for the double-team to emerge, only to find one of his big men under the basket for a lay-in. Thirteen assists and only two turnovers for the Mamba, who was easily the best point guard on the floor tonight.
Yet again Pau Gasol was brilliant. Yet again he's making a soon-to-be free agent power forward look decidedly powerless. Carlos Boozer was his victim in the second round. Now the honor belongs to Amare Stoudemire, who could not possibly be looking any worse on defense. Pau juked and head-faked his way around Amare for 29 points and five assists. His comrades-in-bigness, Andrew Bynum and Lamar Odom, had similarly trouble-free nights. Together those three combined for 59 points on 43 shots, many or most of those coming within close proximity of the cylinder. Unless the Suns sign Dikembe Mutombo and Alton Lister before Game Three, I'm not sure they have an available solution for this.
Meanwhile, out on the perimeter, the Lakers continue to burn up the nets. Here are some prescient words I wrote this morning:
[C]an we really expect [Odom], Shannon Brown and Jordan Farmar to bury 4 of 6 longballs again? Hey, great if it happens, but I wouldn't bet my refrigerator box on it.
In my defense, those guys didn't shoot 4 of 6 from beyond the arc. They shot 4 of 4. Woo-hoo, I'm right again! Someone pay me money.
As a team the Lakers made 9 of 16 threes, led by Ron Artest (3 of 6) and Farmar (3 of 3). Jordan, in case you haven't noticed, has become incredibly hot from the outside. He's making 47% of his playoff threes, just the kind of streak we felt the Lakers would need to kick their offense into high gear. The Lakers have now made 52% of their longballs in this series. Ladies and gentlemen, put your hands together for the new and improved* Suns defense!
(* = not guaranteed to be either new or improved)
The Phoenix offense, non-Channing Frye division, continues to perform respectably. They struggled with turnovers in the first quarter but got to rocking in the second and third behind Jason Richardson (27 points on 19 shots) and Grant Hill (23 on 18 shots). Amare (18 points on 17 shots) had an OK scoring night. (I guess you have more energy to burn on offense when you don't participate at the other end.) The Suns also got an efficient outburst from Jared Dudley, who buried all five of his three attempts en route to 15 points. The Laker team defense wasn't quite as sound as it was in Game One. Artest looked a step slow chasing Richardson around, and Kobe fell into his old habit of wandering away from his assignment, allowing J Rich and Dudley too many open looks. Please stop that, Kobe.
Steve Nash once again had a so-so outing. He's been great at finding passing seams and feeding dudes for easy looks, but he's neither destroying Derek Fisher on the bounce nor scoring in high volumes. And as in Game One, he committed turnovers at a crucial moment. This time, it was in the fourth quarter, when the game was still in doubt. With 7:30 left in the contest, the Suns had the ball down four. Nash threw the ball away on the next two possessions, leading to a Farmar three and a Kobe midrange jumper. Those five points gave the Lakers a double-digit cushion, and the Suns never made another serious run.
Also, Nash is an Amare-level disaster on defense. Hell, Fisher even feels comfortable driving on him. Derek Fisher. Driving. Do not adjust your monitor: you are reading these words correctly. This is turning into the easiest point-guard matchup the Lakers have faced or are likely to face in these playoffs.
Having now lost to L.A. five times in six tries this season, Phoenix has to beat the Lakers four times in the next five. Good luck with that, fellas.
|
|
Poss. |
TO% |
FTA/ |
FT% |
3FGA/FGA |
2PT% |
3PT% |
EFG |
TS% |
OReb Rate |
DReb Rate |
PPP |
|
PHX |
95 |
18 |
0.31 |
77 |
0.29 |
53 |
42 |
55 |
59 |
29 |
66 |
1.18 |
|
LA |
96 |
15 |
0.44 |
74 |
0.21 |
58 |
56 |
63 |
67 |
34 |
71 |
1.29 |
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209 comments
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5 recs |
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Comments
Lmao!
Lakers. Lucky bastards. Just think what they could do if they were, you know, like good?
"They need security in the world, Craig!"
the most ironic thing to me is that derek fisher has done a nice job against steve nash
i suspect brian shaw like sports history to happen in this series at some point but it might not happen.
no ammo time tonight,no luke walton,no powell,no sasha
we beat the suns with 7 players lol
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Great men are never without flaws, but neither are they without magnificent traits that caused them to rise to such heights.
Derek has the wits and savy to somewhat stay with Nash (in comparison to Westbrook & Williams)
Nash is praised for his “intangibles”…and Derek wasn’t too happy about that.
we beat the suns with 8 players, technically.
by callpocket8 on May 19, 2010 11:13 PM PDT up reply actions
Techinically?
All eight players seemed to have contributed.
"I’m like a superhero. Call me Basketball Man." - LBJ
yes you are right
i counted to fast,i thought it was amazing sasha and luke did not get into the game
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Great men are never without flaws, but neither are they without magnificent traits that caused them to rise to such heights.
and we thought ron artest was going to have a tough time gaurding great players
fish has the hardest job on D gaurding westbrook then williams then nash and then rondo? ray allen?
by matthewmafa on May 19, 2010 11:24 PM PDT up reply actions
post game thread finally
what can we say Suns threw everything at the Lakers on defense and still lose so what can they possibly try at home?
There are basic Fundamentals that are needed to move forward in this game. Always keep your guard up at all times to avoid being caught in a trap. Overcome the fouls that will be committed against you REBOUND AND PRESS ON. ADJUST to the Limelight: ALL-STAR PLAYERS ARE ALWAYS THE CENTER OF ATTENTION. Know what your role is and play your position. Find a game plan and execute it. REMEMBER YOU ONLY GET OUT OF THE GAME WHAT YOU PUT INTO IT.
yup they better do something
Lakers have answers for everything they want to do
There are basic Fundamentals that are needed to move forward in this game. Always keep your guard up at all times to avoid being caught in a trap. Overcome the fouls that will be committed against you REBOUND AND PRESS ON. ADJUST to the Limelight: ALL-STAR PLAYERS ARE ALWAYS THE CENTER OF ATTENTION. Know what your role is and play your position. Find a game plan and execute it. REMEMBER YOU ONLY GET OUT OF THE GAME WHAT YOU PUT INTO IT.
actually...laker's defense was pretty poor.
sun’s shooting % are actually above average for these past two games
it’s just that we can answer them better than they can answer us…
agreed
yeah suns shooting close to 50% I know Lakers D is slacking off but as you said we can answer them better than they can answer us which = poor Suns are going to lose
There are basic Fundamentals that are needed to move forward in this game. Always keep your guard up at all times to avoid being caught in a trap. Overcome the fouls that will be committed against you REBOUND AND PRESS ON. ADJUST to the Limelight: ALL-STAR PLAYERS ARE ALWAYS THE CENTER OF ATTENTION. Know what your role is and play your position. Find a game plan and execute it. REMEMBER YOU ONLY GET OUT OF THE GAME WHAT YOU PUT INTO IT.
Their D has been poor but when the time comes we know we can play D.
I think our D just goes with the team and tempo of the game. I mean against the thunder and jazz i think we played pretty good D. Against the celtics it would be a slower game so our D should theoretically be better.
" I'm a human, not a sandwich"
by true_lakerfan on May 20, 2010 10:37 AM PDT up reply actions
good luck with that, lol
"E-Coaches are heavy in here tonight! Take E-Sasha and put him on the E-bench on your fantasy league, that’ll show him!" - Jevon O
It was pretty amazingly lucky
to draw the Suns in the Western Conference Finals,
and not to have to even worry about thinking ahead about facing Team Lebron in the next round.
I loved Kobe’s close out moves tonight, they were beautiful: Pass to Pau in the Post, Pau passes back, “Kobe you close out games”, Kobe passes back immediately, “I’m going to keep passing to you until you do something with the damn ball”, Pau drives to basket and scores or gets assist. KOBE MVP!
yes....I hope it doesn't bite us back though
Hopefully everyone will be healthy and Lakers won’t start sleepwalking with boredom and forget how to play hard.
knock on wood
Well, the Spurs didn't really help the Lakers two years ago
Hopefully this team has learned to bring its own intensity and not to rely on you opponent to bring it.
LMAO at alot of points Dex!
we are really, really lucky! LMAO!
Suns improved defense, LMAOx2!
As always, a fun read.
"E-Coaches are heavy in here tonight! Take E-Sasha and put him on the E-bench on your fantasy league, that’ll show him!" - Jevon O
i only got to catch the 4th quarter tonight,
but from what i saw in that quarter, jordan was pretty great defensively. dragic couldn’t drive or do much of anything and kept having to pull back out. fish has been great in this series as well. i thought nash would be having his way but so far, he isn’t. proud that the lakers really locked down on D in the 4th after the suns tied it up at the end of the 3rd. =]
He was fighting through the screens tonight. He needs to do that every night
" I'm a human, not a sandwich"
by true_lakerfan on May 20, 2010 10:39 AM PDT up reply actions
In game 3
if Suns continue to run, Lakers defense needs to be much better and slow the game down more. Hopefully they make a good percentage of their shots on the road but in game 3 they have to live in the paint and defend to pull out a win
There are basic Fundamentals that are needed to move forward in this game. Always keep your guard up at all times to avoid being caught in a trap. Overcome the fouls that will be committed against you REBOUND AND PRESS ON. ADJUST to the Limelight: ALL-STAR PLAYERS ARE ALWAYS THE CENTER OF ATTENTION. Know what your role is and play your position. Find a game plan and execute it. REMEMBER YOU ONLY GET OUT OF THE GAME WHAT YOU PUT INTO IT.
I like how "where amazing happens" makes an appearance in this one
The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn't exist.
by Justin N. on May 19, 2010 11:26 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
Doc Funk's stock has skyrocketed this playoffs
"This is not a game for boys. This is a game for men." - Phil Jackson
16...15...14...13...12...11...10...9...8...7...6...
who is he?
"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 May 20, 2010 7:17 PM PDT up reply actions
the guy who makes the funny caption pics
"This is not a game for boys. This is a game for men." - Phil Jackson
LOL, i got my next dance club moves...WATCH OUT LADIES!!!!!!
" I'm a human, not a sandwich"
by true_lakerfan on May 20, 2010 10:41 AM PDT up reply actions
"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 May 20, 2010 7:19 PM PDT up reply actions
One of the greatest movies EVER!!!
Those moves never fail, lol
"They call me the Muffin Man"
by true_lakerfan on May 21, 2010 10:03 AM PDT up reply actions
Dex a big rec for the title
www.reverbnation.com/czheckproductions
www.mybeatshop.com/czheckproductions
Great men are never without flaws, but neither are they without magnificent traits that caused them to rise to such heights.
Alright I'm out for tonight
see ya’ll next thread
GO LAKERS
There are basic Fundamentals that are needed to move forward in this game. Always keep your guard up at all times to avoid being caught in a trap. Overcome the fouls that will be committed against you REBOUND AND PRESS ON. ADJUST to the Limelight: ALL-STAR PLAYERS ARE ALWAYS THE CENTER OF ATTENTION. Know what your role is and play your position. Find a game plan and execute it. REMEMBER YOU ONLY GET OUT OF THE GAME WHAT YOU PUT INTO IT.
it was amazing to watch our offense in the 4th
everything clicked with kobe feeding down low to pau and the bigs. even with the suns defensive adjustments. our big men still give them too much trouble. probably the funniest moment of the night was when sager asked amare if the lakers were lucky to win both games. i dont think we will be hearing from him the rest of the series. lakers get a ton of rest between now and game 3 which is good for kobe and bynum.
"Just by the aura of D.J. Mbenga being there, the shot missed."
by shaqfor3 on May 19, 2010 11:27 PM PDT via mobile reply actions
Loved the statue of liberty pick...
…and the sudden break to the hoop by Gasol…left Amare flat-footed…
by bigdeal1188 on May 19, 2010 11:30 PM PDT up reply actions
LO was lucky....
that Amare was was guarding him. Anothere double-double off the bench for the Kandyman
DFish(More) you goin Alton Lister?
then they better call up Marvin (The Human Eraser) Barnes out of supermax, or Elmore Smith, who’s the answer to one of my fave Laker trivia questions (Who was the Laker center after Wilt but before Kareem?) Pau has the best hand eye coordination and footwork of any 7 footer since Olajuwon…not as strong as Hakeem, but, his agility, grace and skill continues to amaze….
I hope the suns don't make us lose our identity
What happened to our D? Is defense not allowed in the western conference finals? Should I just be happy that the suns are letting us do whatever we want and not worry bout it?
You can't pick that ball up and run with it
-Phil Jackson
I'm hoping they don't forget how to play D by the time we get to the finals...
I was hoping phoenix will let us practice our D and rotations.
Offense is a joke against them. It’s probably easier than the scrimmages in practice
the better the C's play
against Orlando, the more involved our boys will be against PHX. Agreed, I thought this would be much tougher. Suns may still steal one, but this is cat and mouse. And we be the cat.
Meh
This really isn’t that surprising given the Lakers history. They tend to play lax D against teams that play bad D themselves, knowing at anytime they can score at will.
It’s like this when they play teams like Phoenix, Golden State, etc.
You can sure as hell bet that they’ll turn up the defensive intensity against Boston in the finals
The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn't exist.
Phoenix fans should thank us
because if we keep playing like this and embarassing Amare, he most likely won’t be getting a big contract anywhere and may stay in Phoenix (and perhaps even work on his D)
I'm betting LO/Pau will take being "lucky" over being "stupid"
I mean… seriously: how many times did Amare bite on getting faked out tonight?
The half-crazed ramblings of a Lakers fanatic living in Japan...
Were the Lakers really only up by 4 with 7:30 left?
It really felt like Farmar immediately tore the Suns hearts out in the 4th with that opening three pointer.
Gotta give Farmar props for drilling his shots, but he needs to bring the defensive intensity that he brought tonight EVERY night, regardless of how he’s shooting
The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn't exist.
More games like this and Farmar will be raising his stock
…and we probably won’t be seeing him next year
I can totally live with that
because if Farmar plays like this 3-4 more times we’re winning a title
The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn't exist.
you talkin bout me?!?!?!
if so, I agree
The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn't exist.
I think Captain Shugg should be our starting pg next year
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Great men are never without flaws, but neither are they without magnificent traits that caused them to rise to such heights.
houdini of the highland
http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=54307550
www.reverbnation.com/czheckproductions
www.mybeatshop.com/czheckproductions
Great men are never without flaws, but neither are they without magnificent traits that caused them to rise to such heights.
consider me suited up and ready--
Zen Master… send me out there!
" Get out of my way Saturn! "
by Captain $hugg on May 20, 2010 2:43 AM PDT up reply actions
from a suns fan
The only part of our performance that hurts is the fact that we’re not showing how good we can be. If the series ends and we never show how good we are, then that’ll be the ultimate frustration.
hmmm if the series end…maybe you’re not as good as you think you are?
You can't pick that ball up and run with it
-Phil Jackson
save it for the sweep, my friend!
The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn't exist.
Even
as a Lakers hater, I will not say you guys were lucky. Of course, it does help your cause considerably to shoot better than 50 percent in the first two games of a series. I certainly hope the Suns win this series, naturally, but numerous things must change. First of all, the PHX defense must hold the Lakers to less than 120 points. In this fast-paced series, that may be enough for the Suns to get back into the series. Even though I hate your team, I have to respect their athleticism. Please, for those of us who have no dog in the fight, let’s not have Lakers and Celtics in the Finals.
Brad James
by the new Bradfather on May 19, 2010 11:57 PM PDT reply actions
why not?
if you don’t have any of your boys in there, why not wish for the best rivalry in all of sport? (sorry, Yanks/Sox guys, but you know what I mean)
Lakers-Celts
just seems so cliche to me. I do not believe the NBA is fixed but it just seems like a series that Commish Stern would want and I get disconcerted hearing talk that the NBA “needs” franchises like the Lakers and Celtics in the finals. I guess that’s why the NFL is king. Even though Indianapolis and New Orleans are both small markets, the shield still flourishes.
Brad James
by the new Bradfather on May 20, 2010 12:03 AM PDT up reply actions
I understand where you're coming from
but Lakers/Celtics just kicks the energy through the roof. Must see TV…
Habs-Leafs is up there man
What is the nature of your thoughts, gentlemen, when you say "fuddle duddle" or something like that?
You get Phoenix/Orlando,
…and no one in the league will have enough money left to pay LeBron (other than that Russian gillionaire, or course)
the league survived spurs/pistons in 05 so they would be fine
You can't pick that ball up and run with it
-Phil Jackson
at least that was 2 stacked teams
im a little biased i was a big fan of that pistons team…lol
www.reverbnation.com/czheckproductions
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Great men are never without flaws, but neither are they without magnificent traits that caused them to rise to such heights.
i hated the pistons after they kicked our ass in 04
i still dislike chauncey, prince, hamilton and the wallaces
You can't pick that ball up and run with it
-Phil Jackson
i watch it when spurs was kicking ass in the beggining
but didn’t care to watch the series after that
You can't pick that ball up and run with it
-Phil Jackson
Well that series was saved by...
… Phoenix public enemy #1 Robert Horry in Game 5. Love him or hate him that was a ridiculously clutch performance.
this one is engraved my head man
it was awesome
You can't pick that ball up and run with it
-Phil Jackson
yea but that one had Lebron
still id lie if i said i watch that one
You can't pick that ball up and run with it
-Phil Jackson
a lot of people would've lied if they say they watched that one
I think it was the lowest NBA finals rating ever, no?
aka the most boring 7 game finals series ever
"Just by the aura of D.J. Mbenga being there, the shot missed."
by shaqfor3 on May 20, 2010 11:18 AM PDT via mobile up reply actions
A quick trviva question
it seems that the Lakers & Celtics are going to meet in the finals for the 12th time, barring a bizarre upset on either coast. i wanna know if any other rivals in major sports ( NFL, MLB, NHL) have met more times in the finals. It seems unlikely but I don’t really follow the other sports
Not in baseball, I don't think
The Yankees and Dodgers have met in the World Series 11 times, I believe.
Twitter feed: @dexterfishmore
by DexterFishmore on May 20, 2010 12:36 AM PDT up reply actions
Hockey has to have a matchup that has happened more than 12 times
There were only 6 teams in the league until 1967. I would be willing to bet something like Montreal-Detroit has happened more than 12 times.
- edit: maybe not, actually pretty amazing considering only 6 teams in league for so many years
Lakers/Celtics 12 times – man if only we had beat them once or twice in the 60’s we would easily have the most titles.
NA R.I.P.
by swiss mcgee on May 20, 2010 12:21 PM PDT up reply actions
I hopefully believe we will at least tie boston by the time kobe retires
I believe if we win this year & Phil Jackson returns, we might have another one of Phil’s signature 3-peats. At least I hope so
Do you guys think the lakers have improved this series or is it the suns making it ridiculously easy?
You can't pick that ball up and run with it
-Phil Jackson
Why is everything "bolded"?
I missed tonight’s game, had to work. Bummer, really. Nice to see we continue the butt kicking, any highlights not caught on yahoosports?
Thanks!
For me its the consistent inconsistency that concerns me - PAGFL
It's always AMMO Time, in spirit- DexterFishmore
SBN glitch
Hopefully they’ll get it ironed out soon.
Twitter feed: @dexterfishmore
by DexterFishmore on May 20, 2010 12:46 AM PDT up reply actions
Yeah looks like they did!
I thought my eyes were going bad or something. Great post btw, Overlords … nice, makes me think of Immigrant Song…
For me its the consistent inconsistency that concerns me - PAGFL
It's always AMMO Time, in spirit- DexterFishmore
"they come from the land of sand and sun..
..but in four games the will be done" (apologies to Page/Plant)
I made this point in the in game thread about the playoffs and free agents
But damn, the playoffs can really hurt prospective free agents.
Think about it. Players participating in the playoffs, unless their contract has a specific incentive clause, are not being paid for these games. Their contracts are for the regular season. When prospective free agents go through a bad stretch of games in the playoffs, it could cost them millions of dollars. At the end of the regular season, Joe Johnson and Amare Stoudemire were seen as potential max-level free agents, with Carlos Boozer right behind them. Now? I’ll be damned if they didn’t lose millions of dollars over such a small sample size of games. I suppose that’s the life. It’ll impact Channing Frye as well, unless he learns to hit some of these threes he’s getting soon.
With that being said… players like Trevor Ariza made their big bucks over a small sample size of games as well, so these playoffs could make or break a player.
On another note, I know we’re all anticipating a Lakers-Celtics rematch now, but just be careful what you wish for. The Celtics are looking scary, stealing two from the Magic on the road. With that, I still think I’d rather face the Celtics than the Magic at this point, and am super thankful that we don’t have to touch the Cavs at all.
wow
Do players really not get paid for playoff games? You’d think almost every contract would have that outlined somewhere
The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn't exist.
With all they guaranteed money the players already get
I doubt owners are eager to give them any more on top of that.
To secure ourselves against defeat lies in our own hands, but the opportunity of defeating the enemy is provided by the enemy himself.
yeah, I guess so
but still the notion of guys playing 20+ extra games just for the sake of competition, especially at the risk of actually LOSING money from it as described kind of sheds light on those dudes that are content to put up big numbers on non contenders and collect their paycheck.
The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn't exist.
but the only way to draw attention to yourself is by being competitive...
players on playoff teams are given a lot more lime light even if they put up inferior numbers.
well, it's a year based salary without a specified number of games, right?
so that’s why t-mac was making 20+ mil while playing something like 2 games last year.
That's a misleading statement
Players aren’t paid by the game. They have a salary, and collect that salary every week or two weeks or whatever, regardless of whether they are actually “working” at the time or not. It’s not like they don’t receive any income from June until October every year.
What he’s saying is that the players aren’t paid for the playoffs because they don’t receive anything more than what they would already receive if they didn’t make the playoffs, but I’m fairly sure that this is also false. I’ll bet even the smallest contract, the minimum paid to Mbenga or Josh Powell has some incentive for making the playoffs.
its not that im scared of B.C.
but i think we are not really being challenged here in the WC playoffs…im just thinking its like deja vu of ’08. we coasted to the finals and got mugged…last years WC playoffs made us tough so when the finals came, we annihilated orlando.
i believe that it is better for us to have some tough games than to have these blowouts because it makes the team sharp in getting to the final obstacle.
...too shy to post comments on SS&R...
This team got whatever sense of entitlement they had beaten out of them fairly thoroughly
After Game 4 of the OKC series. And I seriously doubt Kobe and Phil will allow any drop of concentration with ‘07-’08 firmly in mind.
To secure ourselves against defeat lies in our own hands, but the opportunity of defeating the enemy is provided by the enemy himself.
I'm not so worried about the level of concentration
but i’m wondering if our boys will suddenly forget how it was with physical play. with a stronger defense, it could throw out offense out of sync (like the OKC series) and it may take a game or 2 to work it out…in which case, it may be too late.
defensively, i want to see them hold phoenix to 45% shooting or lower at some point. our defense has been pretty horrid for these two games (though not suns horrid). we haven’t even been able to keep phoneix under their season & playoff averages.
The same may be possibly true for Boston tho'...
The half-crazed ramblings of a Lakers fanatic living in Japan...
Orlando is definitely a better defensive team than Phoenix (though that's not saying much)
but orlando is actually a top defensive team with a good offense. they are definitely more challenging than the suns.
Orlando is getting waxed because this is a horrible matchup for them
They literally have no conceivable advantage at any position. Boston is definitely trying, but Orlando isn’t exactly fighting back very effectively.
As for whether the Lakers can suddenly deal with physical play, I’m not really worried about that either. The OKC corollary doesn’t really work because everyone besides Artest was on cruise control until after Game 4. If they’re focused, they’ll adjust — the two aren’t really independent here.
Also, we’re not holding Phoenix to below 45% at any given point in this series, especially in Phoenix. They led the league by a huge margin in offensive efficiency for a reason this season. The gap between Boston’s offense and Phoenix’s is massive.
To secure ourselves against defeat lies in our own hands, but the opportunity of defeating the enemy is provided by the enemy himself.
yeah
pretty amazing the difference Garnett has made in terms of matchups between these two teams.
The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn't exist.
This is where the loss of Turkoglu hurts
Which isn’t to blame Carter, who is really one of the reasons Orlando has even been in the last two games, but Turkoglu provided someone with size who could somewhat adequately play defense on Pierce. And yeah, Garnett makes all the difference in the world by being able to neutralize Lewis, although I wonder where his offense went.
To secure ourselves against defeat lies in our own hands, but the opportunity of defeating the enemy is provided by the enemy himself.
If his offense isnt there when we play them, do you think they have a chance at beating us?
I don’t, i mean they aren’t the greatest offensive team. In that series our D would be better since the game would definitely slow down and we could concentrate more on getting the stops.
" I'm a human, not a sandwich"
by true_lakerfan on May 20, 2010 10:53 AM PDT up reply actions
If they don't get a lot of production out of their frontcourt, they're in serious trouble against us
Which is why the matchups are favorable for us. We get Pierce on Artest, Garnett has to score against Gasol, and Perkins has to do something against Bynum. That’s a lot of offensive ground to make up and between Allen having to defend Kobe on the other end and Kobe checking Rondo, it will be tough for them to get into any kind of offensive rhythm.
To secure ourselves against defeat lies in our own hands, but the opportunity of defeating the enemy is provided by the enemy himself.
Thats the way i feel,
i mean rite now all they have to handle is a dwight who doesn’t really have an offensive arsenal, a lewis who checks out when hes pushed, a carter who tends to choke.
We are’t as limited offensively, boston fans point out that we were bullied but we arent that same team from 08. We may not bang like mad men but we don’t scare off or shy away from physicality either. We adjust.
Thanks for the reply
"They call me the Muffin Man"
by true_lakerfan on May 20, 2010 3:52 PM PDT up reply actions
Lewis is so one-dimensional
a spot-up 3-ball guy who couldn’t guard a desk isn’t worth the ridiculous coin they gave him. You close out on the 3 and he’s toast.
that's not true
the whole reason the Magic beat the Cavs last year is because Lewis abused whoever was guarding him. If they played him with a big, he blew right by, if they guarded him with somebody smaller, he took it to the post.
His series against the C’s has been pathetic, but its not because he lacks the tools
spot on man! well said!
I don't do it for your thanks, I do it because I had a calling, but I do love the support you give me and my Soldiers.
by Sarge Clemins on May 21, 2010 8:21 AM PDT up reply actions
yes, i doubt we will be holding them below 45%
but holding them to above their averages isn’t exactly great defense either. essentially, based on stats alone, our D isn’t doing a better job than the “gimpy” blazers or “old” spurs
i'm saying the lakers should definitely practice that pick and roll D
because you know doc rivers is going to eploit fish the same way he exploited jamison’s D and now Vince Carter’s
I'm not sure the pick-and-roll will necessarily work with Boston
Because Rondo can’t shoot. Gasol and Odom are good at hedging hard on the screen, which gives Kobe plenty of time to cut off Rondo’s driving lane, especially since Kobe doesn’t have to honor Rondo’s outside shot like Westbrook’s and can safely go under the screen. It’s entirely different with Phoenix because Nash can do so many things off the pick, and you have to play it a lot differently.
To secure ourselves against defeat lies in our own hands, but the opportunity of defeating the enemy is provided by the enemy himself.
Westbrook's shot selection is worse than Rondo's
Westbrook decides to take poor shots and Rondo is smarter in his shot selection. Whether Rondo’s shot goes in or not that is another story but it is a heck of a lot better than in 08.
You don't think that Boston are thinking the exact same thing?
The half-crazed ramblings of a Lakers fanatic living in Japan...
don't really care what boston is thinkin
just wanna be ready for their green asses if we do meet
You can't pick that ball up and run with it
-Phil Jackson
that is my sentiment exactly
since phoenix is just running around and just chucking up 3s, we wont get the mental sharpness of getting physical underneath the basket that BC will give us.
...too shy to post comments on SS&R...
I'm fairly sure we're blowing up a somewhat small issue into something far more than it needs to be
This team’s mental toughness isn’t something I’m especially worried about.
To secure ourselves against defeat lies in our own hands, but the opportunity of defeating the enemy is provided by the enemy himself.
You're definitely reaching for something to worry about
when “the conference finals aren’t hard enough” is your complaint.
Twitter feed: @dexterfishmore
by DexterFishmore on May 20, 2010 3:47 AM PDT up reply actions
im not sir
its just that the suns is not really challenging enough for us.
...too shy to post comments on SS&R...
I think this is a blessing in disguise....
Our offense needed to find some rhythm and guys like Artest, Farmar, Brown and LO need confidence going into the Boston series. These guys understand that shots will not come as easy but hopefully be more prepared to hit the open ones they get.
The 08 team was reliant on offense and our D was not as good. This year our offense has struggled but our D has been good. So when we play Boston it will not be trying to find something (Defense) because we are pretty decent defensively this year.
'08 was a pleasant surprise and the team was still establishing itself in many respects.
Now, these guys clearly have an identity and know how they fit into the system. This isn’t about alpha status within the team, it’s all about alpha status in the NBA. All about rings!
I worried this year that a repeat would not make a big enough chip on the Lakers shoulders to see them play at their best, but I’m eating crow right now.
Kobe and the Lakers want to feed on the souls of the Celtics and their fans.
Thanks, Mike!
Appreciate it.
Twitter feed: @dexterfishmore
by DexterFishmore on May 20, 2010 1:00 AM PDT up reply actions
Hello all, my first post on here like ever. went to BSOTS, i love how optimistic they are and still believe they will prevail…..its stuff like that that makes me glad i’m NOT a Suns fan
by Kuchiki Pamela san on May 20, 2010 1:14 AM PDT reply actions
Well...
One of the Suns strengths (at least I’ve been told so by Suns fans) is “unbridled optimism”, it’s only fitting their fans are exactly the same.
The half-crazed ramblings of a Lakers fanatic living in Japan...
I actually think the Suns fans optimism is a good thing
better than psychotic bitterness – see Utah
NA R.I.P.
by swiss mcgee on May 20, 2010 12:23 PM PDT up reply actions
may I add Denver please?
"E-Coaches are heavy in here tonight! Take E-Sasha and put him on the E-bench on your fantasy league, that’ll show him!" - Jevon O
Point guards...
Interesting how the PG match-up has turned out – with PHX not having quite as large an advantage as they thought there.
As I (and quite a few others) said prior to the series starting: after playing against Westbrook/Williams, Nash isn’t anywhere near as daunting for someone as pace-challenged as Fish.
The half-crazed ramblings of a Lakers fanatic living in Japan...
Lakers are actually pretty well equipped schematically to stop point guard play
Pau and Lamar and kobe are all very good at helping. Since Steve can’t absolutely blaze by Fisher like D.Will / Westbrook could, the Lakers are able to keep him more contained for sure.
The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn't exist.
Dont completely agree
more than d-fish’s defense and being able to run with nash i think its kobe’s as well as all the bigs clogging the middle thats really slowing nash down. if u really watch the game you’ll agree that steve nash is getting through to the paint alot but with all of the help he’s getting forced all the way to the baseline and has to run the baseline to get back to the wing. Fish either way is still playing good D. i thought he was gonna lay a shoulder into a couple of the sun’s “bigs” for all the BS moving screens with elbows and legs sticking out like he did to scola last year haha
Go for the knockout. Its the only way to guarantee a win.
as exciting as beating the suns REALLY is, cant help but be a little, umm, concerned about Boston and the way they’ve been playing lately…..i mean Rondo….yeeesh…
by Kuchiki Pamela san on May 20, 2010 1:23 AM PDT reply actions
Rondo will get some Kobe treatment
come finals time
The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn't exist.
Well, we have Ron to throw all over Pierce
given Pierce’s general ineffectiveness this playoffs he’ll have a hell of a time with Ron especially if Ron decides to post him up a couple times.
Ray Allen catching fire is a huge potential problem. Anyone catching fire is. Ray is in particular because he’s basically earned his way into the hall of fame for being one of those “on fire” type guys. The Lakers have lots of potential adjustments. If Fisher really isn’t doing a good job covering Ray I’m sure Shannon will get a nod.
The greatest trick the devil ever pulled was convincing the world he didn't exist.
Allen won't have Vujacic guarding him
To secure ourselves against defeat lies in our own hands, but the opportunity of defeating the enemy is provided by the enemy himself.
pretty sure artest would go cover him
"Just by the aura of D.J. Mbenga being there, the shot missed."
by shaqfor3 on May 20, 2010 11:25 AM PDT via mobile up reply actions
Fisher will cover Allen
Artest will definitely be zeroed in on Pierce.
To secure ourselves against defeat lies in our own hands, but the opportunity of defeating the enemy is provided by the enemy himself.
What about brown?
"They call me the Muffin Man"
by true_lakerfan on May 20, 2010 3:53 PM PDT up reply actions
As long as Rondo doesn't drop 10 or more assists....
A ton of jump shots and difficult floaters are fine with me. He can have 20 points its the assists and steals that will kill us.
Completely different LA team to 08
Boston’s a little different, and Rondo’s a heap better… but Pierce/Allen/Garnett et al are quite a bit older.
Paul, this is Ron. You remember Ron, don’t you?
The half-crazed ramblings of a Lakers fanatic living in Japan...
Also, Andrew Bynum
We aren’t starting walton. We arent playing sasha high minutes. Pau Gasol has finally had time to learn the offense
Fisher and Farmar are really unsung heroes for us…..
Farmar is keeping our bench from being totally outscored when they come in.
And Fisher is making an obvious impact on the game by hindering Nash, and forcing TO whether it be through drawing charges or getting the TO and starting the counter break. He even asserted himself in the offense by driving like his name was Rondo.
Of course the heroes everyone else gives credit to are doing pretty damn well themselves (Kobe, Gasol, Odom)…. I love the way we are playing right now. I really cant wait for Lakers-Celtics II ….well not really II, more like XII but you know….
WE WANT BOSTON!
In Kobe we trust!
Lots of people are calling for Boston...
And to a degree I understand that; however, let’s win this series first before placing all our attention to defeating the Celtics (who’ve yet to concretely win anything in their series yet themselves, for that matter).
Sunday’s game is a must-win for Phoenix, and in light of such, rest assured they are going to be fired up in front of what I expect to be raucous crowd. The proverbial fat lady hasn’t sung quite yet. Let’s wait until after the two games in Phoenix before we consider the future.
What is the nature of your thoughts, gentlemen, when you say "fuddle duddle" or something like that?
right now
boston is making me a little nervous. I REALLY dont wanna lose to them. sorry, a little ahead of myself…phoenix first
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."
This made me feel warm and fuzzy inside
Bynum, on whether he’s confident the knee will hold over the rest of the playoffs: “I’m confident I’m going to do (play), no matter what.”
I can't read all you guys bolded garbage, I am getting overwhelmed!
bring back the normal font!
I was about to say that.
"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 May 20, 2010 7:27 AM PDT up reply actions
Did anyone hear the new nickname for Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom?
California Condors!
It was on the pregame intro for the Suns Laker Game last night. Its absolutely PERFECT!
I found this AMAZING, as I read the game thread this morning:
I’m putting this game away in the fridge ….. Lakers win by 14 .
by Ed@northridge on May 19, 2010 8:08 PM MDT reply actions
its the second quarter….
by malmario on May 19, 2010 8:08 PM MDT up reply actions
you’ll be amazed .
by Ed@northridge on May 19, 2010 8:09 PM MDT up reply actions
GREAT PREDICTION Ed@northridge!!!!
"I work my ass off every day in practice. How many other guys can say the same thing? Not many. I'm fighting against becoming soft. That's the worse thing you can say to a basketball player." - Dennis Rodman
And then this one in the 3rd quarter, when loss suns were makign their run and only down by 4.
Everyone was going into a little panic mode because we blew our lead, when Ed makes this comment:
Still ,Lakers will win by 14 .
by Ed@northridge on May 19, 2010 8:52 PM MDT reply actions
"I work my ass off every day in practice. How many other guys can say the same thing? Not many. I'm fighting against becoming soft. That's the worse thing you can say to a basketball player." - Dennis Rodman
but we only won by 12
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."
close enough.........
"I work my ass off every day in practice. How many other guys can say the same thing? Not many. I'm fighting against becoming soft. That's the worse thing you can say to a basketball player." - Dennis Rodman
This was by far my favorite game thread comment of the night:
Amare is worse at defense than anybody else is at anything.
Twitter feed: @dexterfishmore
by DexterFishmore on May 19, 2010 9:31 PM MDT up reply actions
"I work my ass off every day in practice. How many other guys can say the same thing? Not many. I'm fighting against becoming soft. That's the worse thing you can say to a basketball player." - Dennis Rodman
ha.
yeah, I didn’t comment in the live thread last night, but I did follow along and I totally laughed at that, too. That and the many many mentions by Dex of just how “bad at defense” Amare is. I’m not sure how many comments like that I saw (I lost count there were so many : )), but I laughed at each and every one of them. So funny, because it’s sooo true.
I also enjoyed this:
We are through in LA Series shifts to Phoenix for two games…and I will shift to Bright Side of the Sun. I’ll be hanging out there for the games in Phoenix…and the way this series is going, I may not come back to SSR for a game 5 in LA.
by WaveOcean on May 19, 2010 9:41 PM MDT reply actions
I LOVES HOW YOU SAID “WE”, WAVE!!!! (I think he is a Laker fan)
"I work my ass off every day in practice. How many other guys can say the same thing? Not many. I'm fighting against becoming soft. That's the worse thing you can say to a basketball player." - Dennis Rodman
but he got banned from BSotS
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."
within 5 mins lol
www.reverbnation.com/czheckproductions
www.mybeatshop.com/czheckproductions
Great men are never without flaws, but neither are they without magnificent traits that caused them to rise to such heights.
LOL yuppers!
I don't do it for your thanks, I do it because I had a calling, but I do love the support you give me and my Soldiers.
by Sarge Clemins on May 20, 2010 3:12 PM PDT up reply actions
I saw that.
Didnt they undo it though. shaqfor3 and someone else went over there and vowed for him.
"I work my ass off every day in practice. How many other guys can say the same thing? Not many. I'm fighting against becoming soft. That's the worse thing you can say to a basketball player." - Dennis Rodman
i doubt 2 laker fans vouching for a cavs fan would make them feel better
lmfao
www.reverbnation.com/czheckproductions
www.mybeatshop.com/czheckproductions
Great men are never without flaws, but neither are they without magnificent traits that caused them to rise to such heights.
that in itself is quite remarkable
2 laker fans supporting a cavs fan.
If you have a debate with a scholar, you can win. If you have a debate with an ignorant person, you will definitely lose.
I think it's ridiculous that on BSoTS
they are blaming Barbosa’s gash on the Lakers. They never mention that he hit his head on a camera. Sad bunch of folks. Sad in more ways than one.
"Prejudice not founded on reason cannot be removed by argument." - Samuel Johnson
yea, i was watching the replay
and gasol definitely swiped the ball clean and i don’t think odom pushed on him either.
i guess the sun’s fans are just emotional and upset.
They have reason to be upset, they should just aim their venom at the right target.
"Prejudice not founded on reason cannot be removed by argument." - Samuel Johnson
Blame the NBA
and their positioning of those paparazzi. If Kobe dove to get the ball and hit his eyes on one of those cameras, we’d be pissed too.
"Love me or hate me; it's one or the other. Always has been. Hate my game, my swagger. Hate my fade-away, my hunger. Hate that I'm a veteran. A champion. Hate that. Hate it with all your heart. And hate that I'm loved for the exact same reasons." - Kobe Bryant
But we wouldn't blame the Suns like their fans are blaming the Lakers.
"Prejudice not founded on reason cannot be removed by argument." - Samuel Johnson
I'm not so sure about that...
"Love me or hate me; it's one or the other. Always has been. Hate my game, my swagger. Hate my fade-away, my hunger. Hate that I'm a veteran. A champion. Hate that. Hate it with all your heart. And hate that I'm loved for the exact same reasons." - Kobe Bryant
Why would you blame the team for someone splitting their head open on a courtside camera?
If you do, you’re an idiot, period.
"Prejudice not founded on reason cannot be removed by argument." - Samuel Johnson
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