If the Lakers do not show up Tuesday...then this series is going 7...or even 6...everyone on the Laker bench must realize this isn't the time to vanish in the WCF..odom/fish/gasol/turiaf/vlad/walton etc....

The Season just took a real turn with an identity crisis in Odom, Fisher and Gasol. These guys need to step up on D if the ball isn't dropping. Defense has saved many teams throughout a drought and somewhere out there they have to find it. Gasol, Odom, Fish, and VRad were like a no show group. I hope Jackson goes back to Ariza and Turiaf if VRad is playing D like he does. The fouls we should be giving Duncan aren't even being used - We need to get Mbenga, Turiaf and anyone not named Gasol 5 fouls a game on the pansy Duncan. Get tough guys! This is the team that took it all and if we get past them our confidence should be sky high.
The problem with the playoffs is these guys need head shrinks and motivational speakers to beat all the negative self-doubt and move into each game ready to explode. Only Kobe seems to consistently want to overachieve. That might be a great idea for game 4 - get Kobe off in the first quarter and make the Spurs stand back and watch. His game at times can get so timid it has us losing the intimidation factor that scares everyone in the league. I am hopeful we see a lot more of Ariza and Turiaf with tons of fouls stripping the ball from TDuncan and slashing past Oberto.
What about Sasha 'the machine' needs to charge up his batteries and take a fearless pill too...his game is like so many others - Play well at home and hope for a couple of shots to fall in San Antonio. This guy can be a huge key factor along with the whole bench but it really has to step up on the road, we need to take a win out of San Antonio.
Big D, a much better Bench, work Duncan foul foul foul -make him earn it at the foul line, and get Ariza back in front of Ginobli.
The fact that the rest of the team along with Odom know they played horrible should prove to help this team rebound and play a lot harder defense more easy baskets in transition.
I am bummed to hear old Man Bill Walton is still hurting from that back, god bless you big fella. Tell your son to start ‘throwing it down’. I really miss Waltons personality on the TV, he always bring up the old days.
Phil Jackson - you might want to bring out some Knicks tapes and show these guys how the game needs to be played again. Don’t forget to play that bench when no one is doing a damn thing in the first or second quarter.
Kobe - get off bro...no one can stop you and it is time to put the fear of god into these guys. Break out and go off! We need to put these guys away.

I don't think anyone is surprised by the loss. We've got a young team, only 3 of which have ever been this far in the playoffs before, and the defending champs played some serious backs-against-the-wall ball. As Kobe said, a good learning experience for the young 'uns, but certainly no reason to panic. The Lakers are still clearly the better team in the series, they just need a few more guys to show up on Tuesday. SA can't play that good again, and the Lakers can't play that bad again, but it's not surprising that it happened once.

Win. No. 11 on hold till Tuesday...

no problem here, i only wish we do something different defensively against tim duncan. gasol has proven he can't guard him straight up but whenever we threw a hard double at timmy, good things have happened for us.

and btw, let's not give a medal to LO for taking the blame here. that shouldn't be honorable, that's just honest. ...

No, I didn't think they'd roll over.

The Spurs have too much grit for that.

The Spurs played well. I'm just disappointed with our play. We looked befuddled. They won, but we beat ourselves as much as they beat us.

Let's face it, Lamar, Pau, and Derek all played poorly.

I don't expect that trend to continue.

A bright note is that Ariza is getting playing time and that time will increase throughout the playoffs. Also, Rad Vlad, while not playing great, is still bringing energy and scoring when we need it most--when everyone else is paralyzed.

Phil Jackson will adjust. Lamar Odom and Derek Fisher will play Game Four as if they have something to prove (which they do), and I'll have my lucky seat back at my lucky bar for Game Four.

We should expect a much different outcome.

No reason for panic and every reason to maintain optimism.

GO LAKERS!

Lamar Odom's game was not only bad but it took his teammates out of it. That was what was so frustrating for me watching the game. Usually lamar has a bad game 60 percent of the time, but he rarely takes his teammates out. Yesterday he threw that offense off balance big time.

Pau needs to man up man. His game is really frustrating this past two series (Utah and now Spurs) I cant really blame it all on me because he is playing out of position. Hopefully Bynum will help his game out, so he can stay at the 4 position. I do think he will have a better series in the finals against either the Celtics or pistons. But his having big problems against the bigs in the west, even Okur, not just defensively but offensively too.

The Spurs made great great adjustments on their offense. I think our coaching staff will be ready to clamp down on the new offense like they did against the Spurs offense the first two games. Hopefully our adjustments next game will be good.

The biggest adjustment the lakers can make is to put Kobe on Manu. If Manu gets going like he did last night then I would advice them to get Kobe on him. This can be the difference between going to the finals or going home. If you want to win on this level, you have to throw everything into it. F the freelancing defense from kobe, let Kobe shut someone down.

Farmer has looked good in this series, but he has to stop worrying about his stats.

All in all I was really frustrated by lamar, he needs to play smarter and not harm the team too much especially when he is not playing well. Phil should have benched him. Even his teammates did not know how to react to him last night.

I don't care if they played badly last night.

This Lakers team has been one of the best Lakers team to watch in a very very long time. I love the chemistry and I love the camaderie.

One loss is one loss. This Lakers team is young and will bounce back.

Kevin Ding has a nice report about the Lakers going out to dinner after Game 3:

"The Lakers left the arena and in a demonstration of how much closer a team they are than in previous seasons went out to eat. A group led by Kobe Bryant and Derek Fisher went to a postgame dinner late Sunday night and ran through the disappointments of Game 3 further."

“We got a chance to talk about things, and we understand where we are and what’s at stake,” Fisher said, “and that we have to come back and play more as a team and have a better understanding of what we’re trying to do out there on the floor.”

http://lakers.freedomblogging.com/2008/05/26/a-sunday-stake-dinner-led-by-d-fish-and-kobe/

If it wasn't for San Antonio's game 1 debacle, we would be down 2-1. The Lakers need to close this out now.

While I was obviously disappointed in the outcome of the game, I was also disappointed that PJ mismanaged the personnel.

I can't blame him for the mix that was put out in the 2nd quarter when the Spurs beat us out 13 points, but I do think he made a mistake in the 3rd and 4th quarters.

Why go with the same mix that couldn't get it done in the 2nd? Why not change it up slightly, especially part way through the quarter when it's obvious things aren't working? Why wait until the game is decided before you give Ariza a chance? It's not like he would have disrupted the flow... San Antonio had already done that!

Then, to start the 4th, he goes with the second unit again. Farmar hits that 3 pointer bringing the Lakers to within 9. I knew right then PJ needed to put Kobe back into the game... there's no time for tomorrow. Kobe will be FINE.

What's he do? He let's them play... and by letting them play the lead went from 9 to 17.

Genius.

Then and only then does he bring Kobe back into the game... after the game is basically OVER.

Despite Kobe's heroics, the Lakers lack of defense allowed the Spurs to just keep going and going and going. At what point do you look at your bench and see a tough defender in Ariza and maybe let the lightbulb go off in your head "hey, doesn't look like this squad is going to get it done, let's give our second best perimeter defender a chance out there"......

Ugh.

I'm glad this was a double digit loss. It's a slap in the face that says SHOW UP OR GO HOME.

That's why the Lakers will show up on Tuesday.

The Lakers had won 7 STRAIGHT quarters after the 1st quarter of game 3. Now the Spurs have gone on a streak of their own, 3 straight quarters... time to put an end to that and show everyone who the best team in the L is.

We were supposed to lose this game and we did. Everyone needs to relax. We should probably lose tomorrow too, and we probably will. This isn't rocket science folks. Look at the home records in the playoffs. Can we steal one on the road, for sure. Am I going to go crazy and panic when we lose on the road, NO. So lets put everything in perspective that this team was supposed to lose in the first round again and that they have home court and a 2-1 lead in the WCF. There should be very little complaining. All is well in Lakerland.

Lamar = FInals MVP

GO LAKERS

THE LATEST OFFICIAL CONSPIRACY THEORY

Jerry Buss is responsible for last night's loss. He wanted a game 5 at Staples but didn't want the Lakers to go up 3-0 before losing the one they had to lose.

Just like the B52 in Dr Strangelove all the crew members received personal instructions in a sealed container. Here's what each received:

Phil: Make sure everyone understands they must follow instructions even though you don't know what those instructions are. It's a question of disicipline, loyalty and esprit de corps.

Kobe: Play the team game and don't assert yourself before it appears to be too late. You may try some heroics in the third quarter, just as you did in game 1. Then follow carefully Phil's instructions, especially at the start of the fourth quarter.

Lamar: This series is in the bag, so just be cool and do what you want, but relax, you are the star of the show and have confidence that the Spurs know you have a right to drive and sink baskets at will. Don't be disturbed if they seem to resist, just keep doing the same thing. When shooting free throws, think of your favorite song and sing it in your head. Victory is ours.

Sasha: Your efforts have been rewarded. Ginoboli is your creature, at your command. The best way to humiliate him and push him into the ground is to let him shoot frees. With his ankle and fingernail, but even more so the demoralizing defense you've been applying, he will fold and you will achieve our objective: the defeat of the champ.

To Jeannie: Make sure Phil follows my instructions. Let him know that he may lose the right to certain privileges if he doesn't obey. You are free to define those priveleges.

To the rest of the team: This is your game. Kobe wants you to make the shots. He is a decoy. No matter what position you are in, you are expected to go for it, even if the 24 second clock is running down. This is your game. Do not defer to Kobe until the fourth quarter.

Second note to Phil (received during half time): In all cases, bench Kobe (as you usually do) at the beginning of the fourth quarter. Do not in any circumstances let him play as you did (as per my instructions) in game 1. Whatever the score, the fourth quarter is the moment when the bench, under Lamar's leadership, will shine. Let them pour forth their rays... and I particularly suggest running a play for Radmaovic to hit a three pointer to start things off. That will convince to keep them on the floor even longer.

To his accountant: projected income for May, up 15% in relation to the most recent forecast.

To Staples staff: Make sure there are taco vouchers at every exit for game 5.

Now you know why Hollinger predicted a five game series in favor of the Lakers. He knew.

CBuck,

If we HAVE to lay blame (so that we can fix the problem) then blame lies in these sectors:

1. San Antonio (Tim Duncan in particular) played well as a team with good defense.

2. Fisher, Odom, Gasol, and Vuljacic played like crap.

3. There wasn't enough ball movement nor player movement on offense for the Lakers.

4. The Lakers defense was sluggish and unresponsive, with poor switching off, too often allowing the open man for the outside shot, and not sensing the positioning of the ballhandler as he carved open a lane to the basket.

5. Lakers didn't play with enough energy. They didn't play like they wanted to stomp on the Spurs throats.

6. Jon K. couldn't sit in his lucky chair at his lucky bar during the game.

GO LAKERS!

Anybody who thought that S.A. was going to meekly hand the Western Conference Championship to our beloved Lakers just hasn't been watching basketball the last few years. LA is going to have to rip this one out of S.A.'s hands!
It would have been terrific for them to steal this one but so far the home court advantage is working. With a better game out of Gasol, Odom, and Fisher, I'm expecting an LA win on Tuesday.
I'm also extremely encouraged that the team went out together after the loss- great leadership by Fisher & Bryant. Kobe & Fisher aren't going to let this one slip away!
Still predicting Lakers in 5...maybe 6! Go Lakers

I actually expect the Spurs to play just as great on Tuesday. I don't think they played above their heads or desperate. What the Lakers need to do is match it. LO and Pau need to step up and prove themselves worthy of being Championship contenders. We need stifling defense and decisive offense.

I wouldnt mind seeing Ariza get some run against Ginobili just to see what he is capable of doing..One thing for certain is that Ariza is/was a finisheraround the basket last I checked, something Lamar and now here lately Pau, are struggling to do on a consistent basis...

They talked about Kobe's 1 assist, Hello? He cannot be credited for an assist unless the phuk ups he is passing to make the basket !

Pressure is getting to those two (Pau & Lamar) and Derek too, for certain. They need to snap the phuk up outta it whatever phunk they are in! The Spurs had their "swagger smirk" faces while on the bench during the debacle!

This Tuesday game is a MUST win for US!

Ronny, Derek, and Kobe need to corner Pau Gasol and tell him, "Bro, have a brief talk with the refs before the game and then tone down the complaints during the game. Your approach is sabatoging things right now."

GO LAKERS!

NBA GAMES ALL SCRIPTED LIKE A MOVIE

It seems like all N.B.A. games are all scripted. Everybody knows the outcome even before the officials tossed the ball to begin the game. The third game will be won by the Spurs again, but this time it will be a close game. The fifth game will be Lakers by about 8 to 10 points and the sixth will be decided by the Lakers, Spurs and Stern. How the heck did the Spurs played that good and the Lakers played that horrible after only a day that the same two teams with the same players played reversely. How can you explain that? The homecourt? @#$%^ that home crowd, they're all professional players who are paid millions of dollars to play in different basketball court, How can you explain the performance of Ginobil who a night before played like a third stringer. I really don't know. I will just check the score from time to time (the third game) tomorrow because I know the Lakers will lose again, just like the Utah series and just watch the whole game on Thursday wherein the purple and gold will win 110%.
JUST LIKE A MOVIE!!!!

I am still confident with Lakers, SA do what they have to do. This is good learning experience in Utah, in San Antonio, before Lakers face Boston or Detroit. The problem with Lakers bench, they can't play inside on the road, Ariza should play more, Luke should sit on the bench, Lakers don't need him. Lakers with Kobe and Paul Gasol is much better than New Orleans with C Paul and Tyson Chandler.

GO LAKERS!

Lakers will bounce back in Game 4, just take care the two shenanigans from roaming around that's Tony and Manu.

I think the idea of using Ariza and Mbenga was a good idea, only you can't mix them with bench mob where there is a minimum presence of starters like having Walton, Farmar, Sasha, Turiaf and LO. With this line up, if Ariza or Mbenga inserted they too will collapse like a deck of cards, mix them with Kobe and Pau. And when Mbenga is in, mix him with two tall forwards Pau and Vlad plus Kobe and Fish so there is blend of strong defense and strike force on this line up. With Ariza, get Kobe and LO plus Farmar and Turiaf so there is speed and defense again on this line up.

I think it is all in the head, they need a motivational speaker/laker player like Magic or Big Game James to offer some tips since they have been in several Championships. Pete Mcguire was right in observing that only Kobe determined to give it a fight, what more if these players were playing during the time of 80 Celtics, they could be intimidated once they landed at the airport. lol!

I say the problem here can be summarized with two words: Fidgety and Anxiety. Got to calm down and let the game come to them

It takes years before this Laker team becomes a perfect 16-0 team, it has to be playing many games and competing on high level before attaining into dynastic mode.

Agree Dacsila. Finally someone else on here get's it. We were SUPPOSED to lose game 3. And more than likely they have us scripted to lose game 4. And more than likely they have us scripted to win game 5, and depending how obvious they don't want to be - they have us losing game 6 and scripted to win game 7. Don't be so naive. This is all scripted for hundreds of millions of dollars.

OK, I’LL COME OUT AND SAY IT – I SMELL SWEEP!

Tom

Posted by: LakerTom | May 23, 2008 at 09:43 PM

Hey Laker Tom
Looks like your crystal ball has just been smashed by Ginobili and Duncan.

Ok We'll do our own prediction - I smell sweep of the next 4 games. Spurs in 6!!!

Still Spurs

Hey still spurs fan...isnt there some sewage you need to be smelling on the riverwalk?

Yah, go back to your hole..b/c your team's time is ending REAL soon...

where were you when you got smashed by 30 pts?

hmm yah ok.

Go back to your boring ass city....fock TEXAS.

lakers to the finals!

Someone thinks about an easy series

Well, look at it like this. We had several 7 game series in 2000, and we won the title. We also played teams that were better than us. Also, Boston has had nothing but 7 game series, and still they seem to be in control.

We Laker fans need not be spoiled. We can't sweep/dominate everyone; we need A Bynum for that. This one may go 6 or 7, but bottom line, if it goes 7 games, we have Staples Center and Kobe on our side.