Western Conference Champions
At this point, the T-shirts will be printed. "Los Angeles Lakers: 2008 NBA Champions." Whether they end up sold locally or on the backs of poor and suffering children in far-flung places around the globe depends on what happens in the next round, but as it is the Lakers will be heading to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2004. A few months back this sort of thing might have seemed utterly impossible, what with all the controversy surrounding the purple and gold, but a 100-92 win over San Antonio Thursday night at Staples closed out the Western Conference finals. It wasn't necessarily easy, though. The Lakers came out slow and found themselves down by 17 early in the second quarter, but used an 11-2 run to close the gap to six by halftime. In the third, L.A. held San Antonio to 35% shooting and finished the frame with a one-point lead. From there, it was all about Kobe Bryant. 24 went off for 17 in the final period, running off an endless parade of screens and picks to crush any lingering hopes the Spurs had of a comeback. Overall, 26 of his 39 points came after the break, as Kobe continued to put his stamp on the 2007-2008 season.
Kobe is back in the Finals, this time as the unquestioned leader of a team. All that's needed now for a cap to the incredible Lakers turnaround year are four more wins. Pleased as they are, the Lakers should, and do, have their eyes on a bigger prize.
But as it's been all year, Kobe wasn't the only factor in a big Lakers win. The box score shows a very solid game from Jordan Farmar. Sasha Vujacic hit a couple big shots (including one at the buzzer that
threw Vegas into chaos) and played some solid defense on Manu Ginobili, who was again limited physically, and for the fourth time in five games, not a factor for the Spurs. Generally speaking, the second unit came up big in the second and fourth quarters.
Pau Gasol didn't light up the scoreboard, but he was all Windex on the glass, wiping up 19 rebounds and showing some of the fire and toughness Phil Jackson had been looking for from him. Four blocked shots was also a nice touch.
The Spurs were able to find a little humor, gallows or otherwise, regarding the NBA's statement on NoCallGate, but Mark Heisler writes that the results of Game 5 put that debate to bed. As Pop said, the Spurs ran into a better team (and now will have to retool). Still, why bother issuing a ruling at all if there's nothing the league can do about it?
The Internet, as it always does, has an opinion. Lots of them, actually. 48 Minutes of Hell, Pounding the Rock, SportsHubLA (with a Lakers retrospective), 20 Second Timeout, Ball Don't Lie, the always thoughtful Henry Abbott at True Hoop.
More fun from the BDL folk. Caption Mitch and The Logo!
Looking for pics? Here's the link to the LAT photo gallery from last night.
Weird vibe in the building last night. Everyone got yellow shirts with "I Love LA" written on the front. More people wore them than I thought would. Took my gfs 7 yr old to the game. Got his hair painted purple and gold and explained to him about the playoffs and what was going on this game. Lorelei Cinco gave a pretty great rendition of the National Anthem - always does.
It was as if everyone expected Game 5 to be a foregone conclusion. Once San Antonio built their initial lead and was sustaining it, the crowd kept trying to get behind the team every time they came down the floor, but it was like pulling teeth. All the Lakers missed shots. The continuous doubling of Duncan (which I've been screaming about since game 3) which led to wide open Spurs shot. Thank goodness Farmar woke up and decided to take matters into his own hands. Even though the starters gave a little of that lead back, it broke the seal on getting the Spurs to within striking distance.
The time off combined with the media circus that surrounds the Finals will be a potential distraction for a lot of the younger players. If there's an upside to starting off on the road, it's that the team will be away from the distractions of home with nothing else to focus on other than the task at hand. The Lakers are playing with a lot of momentum right now but not much consistency. It certainly does feel like something special is happening though.
Posted by: lakers_sth | May 30, 2008 at 12:51 PM
GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOD MOOOOOOOOOOOOOOORNIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIING LAKER NATION!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
AAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
HHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!
WESTERN CONFERENCE CHAMPIONS BABY!!!!!!!
I knew it! And I called it in 5 games...BEFORE we even knew who we were going to face!!! The time has come! The time is NOW!!!! The championship is ours!!! Nobody can stand in our way!!!!...another uplifting phrase!!!! I'm getting light headed here people, you get the idea...
Inhale now as I blow smoke at the screen...
IT'S TIME TO WATCH THE LAKERS AND DRINK SOME BEER,
TOKE A BOWL AND SCREAM AND CHEER!!!!!!!! LAKERS 4 LIFE BABY!!!!!!
CLAP CLAP CLAP CLAP CLAP
IT'S TIME TO WATCH THE LAKERS AND DRINK SOME BEER,
TOKE A BOWL AND SCREAM AND CHEER!!!!!!!! LAKERS 4 LIFE BABY!!!!!!
CLAP CLAP CLAP CLAP CLAP...
LakerMan 420
Posted by: Lakerman 420 | May 30, 2008 at 12:52 PM
i CAN'T DESCRIBE IN MERE WORDS HOW COOL IT WAS THAT JERRY WEST TOLD kOBE TO "KICK THEIR ASSES" BEFORE THE GAME....
GO LAKERS !!!
Posted by: Floyd | May 30, 2008 at 12:55 PM
All I know is I hated Sasha for 3 years and now he's my farvorite guy. He plays his heart out until the buzzer sounds.
Long live the Machine..........Raining down 3's
Posted by: Lake Show | May 30, 2008 at 01:14 PM
Jon K. I totally agree with you - I know KB24 will probably get finals MVP but I think LO7 will show up HUGE! I just feel from him that he wants a ring so bad this year and has truly embraced this special moment and that this team can win it all.
Floyd: we won't have to put up with Collins anymore because all games will be on ABC/ESPN. Wooo.
I am looking forward to finally seeing the pre-game introductions with all the hoopla. TNT never showed that.
GO LAKERS!!!
Posted by: PsychedLakerGirl | May 30, 2008 at 01:23 PM
Why is no one talking about Simers' article?
K-Bros - is it true that Vanessa Tutu Bryant went postal on one or both of y'all?
Posted by: hariyahu | May 30, 2008 at 01:27 PM
I am joining the Amico back and forth........here's what I just emailed to him with his response after that!!:
----- Original Message -----
To: amico@probasketballnews.com
Sent: Friday, May 30, 2008 4:17:46 PM (GMT-0500)
Subject: Please don't predict the Lakers to win....
it will be bad karma.
Thanks!
__________________
From: Sam Amico [mailto:amico@probasketballnews.com]
Sent: Friday, May 30, 2008 1:21 PM
Subject: Re: Please don't predict the Lakers to win....
Haha! That's great. Maybe I should take start taking money from Lakers fans if I promise NOT to pick them in the Finals. :)
Take care and stay in touch,
Sam A.
Posted by: PsychedLakerGirl | May 30, 2008 at 01:31 PM
Yeah, what hariyahu said: why the cover-up on the Vanessa Bryant scandal?
Posted by: guity | May 30, 2008 at 02:17 PM
The Celtics! We need to make them pay for making the Lakers wear those silly shorts! And then embarrassing them into changing them for the second half.
(bad memory warning:)
http://tinyurl.com/574g22
However, I would love for the Lakers to play the 2nd half of the winning game in these things. Payback baby!
Posted by: eddie brock | May 30, 2008 at 02:46 PM
Lakers Lakers Lakers. We Shall roll on to Victory over Pistons or Celtics. Lakers are the best.
Posted by: Jules | May 30, 2008 at 02:49 PM
PsychedLakerGirl
Actually TNT did show all pregame stuff including early warm ups on the TNT web site. 30-40 minutes before game they had four cameras up with sound so you could see and hear everything. It was really cool.
My Finals MVP? Pau Gasol
Kobe will get so much attention, and Pau not being guarded as well as SAS did, will have a huge Finals series. The media will ignore my pick and vote for Mr. 81 or Senor 81 as my good friend Hugo in Spain calls him.
Posted by: Fairweather Fatty | May 30, 2008 at 02:50 PM
I don't care who we meet in the finals. We have the greatest closer in the NBA in our team. Just bring it on. Celtics usually choke at crunch time, Pistons are tired and all broken up. So I'll say we take it in 6.
Mamba from the east coast
Posted by: Mamba24Fan4Life | May 30, 2008 at 02:50 PM
random thoughts about the celeb fans last night
- since when has P. Diddy been a Laker fan?
saw him next to Denzel with a Laker towel, talk about bandwagoner.
- Baron with the courtside seats, when were down 17, I was hoping he would suit up in Laker jersey for a couple of plays.
- will some one tell Michael Clarke Duncan to get a new jersey?? #34 isn't here anymore.
- how come when they show celebrities on TNT they don't show Dre or Ice Cube??
Posted by: Lakers Legacy | May 30, 2008 at 02:58 PM
How is Simers still employed at LOS ANGELES times as a sports writer. I stopped reading his articles a few years ago and read it today just to see his take after the Lakers win and its like reading the National Enquirer. Why is he writing and gossiping about Kobe's wife??? Ridiculous!
Posted by: Bob Mc | May 30, 2008 at 04:00 PM
Thanks FWF! I will have to check it out and see if they still have that.
Posted by: PsychedLakerGirl | May 30, 2008 at 04:11 PM
Who will be better Larry Bird or Kobe? Is that a joke?
Posted by: Erin | May 30, 2008 at 04:15 PM
TALKING LAKERS, KOBE BALL, AND KOBE CLONES…
Has it sunken in yet? While I eventually became a believer, I was definitely one of many bloggers who believed the Lakers would have a tough time dethroning the Spurs and getting to the NBA Finals without the power and above-the-rim game of Andrew Bynum no matter what other talents and skills Pau Gasol could bring to the table as Andrew’s replacement or how spectacularly MVP Kobe Bryant might play. I am thrilled that Kobe, Pau, Lamar, and the rest of the Lakers could accomplish what they did – win the Western Conference Championship without Andrew Bynum. Years from now, after Drew has led the Lakers to another 6 or 7 championships, Laker fans will appreciate what an inspiring and awesome achievement it was to win the 2008 NBA Championship without him.
I loved the dynamic brand of Kobe Ball that the Lakers played in the 4th quarter last night. Rather than isolate Kobe with his teammates standing idly around, the Lakers worked as a team, running their offense with the primary objective to get Kobe the open looks, easy shots, and space to operate to close out the Spurs by setting great screens and running pick and rolls to keep motion in the offense and the Spurs defense off balance. Surrounding Kobe with the team’s best 3-point shooters smartly hindered the Spurs futile efforts to shut down Kobe. Finally, Kobe’s conscious effort to get to spots where he could shoot a high percentage to make up for not getting to the free throw line culminated in one of the best Kobe Ball performances ever. It’s about optimizing KB24’s power.
Did you notice that there was also no grumbling or complaining about Kobe hogging the ball and teamwork stagnating in the 4th quarter? This is because scoring is not the only way that players can contribute. Instead, the other Lakers players got the ball back by playing aggressive defense, rebounding and putting back misses, making steals, setting screens, rolling to the basket, spotting up on the 3-point line, and a dozen other little things that are the mortar that connect the plays and the players that lead to winning the game. Luke probably summed it up best when he said about Kobe’s performance that “You just thank God that he’s on your team.” For sure, the NBA’s version of a WMD.
As for Sasha, I loved that he took that last shot. And made it, yeah! With one shot, Sasha rewarded the fans that bought tickets with free tacos and the fans that bet on the Lakers plus 7.5 points. The Machine hits jackpot! LMAO. We might have to ask the Mob Boss for some intervention or hire body guards for Sasha if Vegas gets any more pissed off about Sasha’s last minute spread killer. I browsed the Ball Don’t Lie sports blog on Yahoo and there are some really hilarious accented English machine-attributed quotes such as: “Yes, Machine wreck Spurs +7.5 spread. Vegas not happy with Machine. Boo hoo” or “Machine not score game clinching 3? Impossible!” My favorite from the Machine YouTube is “Kobe, the machine is open.” LMAO. Thank you, Sasha.
It will be interesting to see how the gamblers set the line for the Lakers vs Celtics Finals. Will the Celtics be the favorite based on their regular season record and two victories over the Lakers, both of which I missed by the way, which may be part of the reason we lost? JK. Or will the Lakers be favored based on their playoff-to-date best performance of any team, dethroning of the former champion San Antonio Spurs, and extra practice and preparation time that will afford Phil Jackson and his staff to have the Lakers primed to steal one or both of the first two games in Boston and then close the series in 4 or 5 games in LA with the 2-3-2 home-road schedule for the Finals.
Regardless of who is favored, the blog know these Lakers are the smart bet to make.
Resistance is futile.
Tom
Posted by: LakerTom | May 30, 2008 at 05:44 PM
Ok, Laker fans: You have to come down from the clouds and face reality. The Western Conference is weak. The Lakers didn't beat any tough teams in the playoffs. The Celtics are going through Cleveland and Detroit. Any of those three teams would easily eliminate the Lakers. As a matter of fact, the Lakers should still be playing the Spurs right now. They should not have won game 4. The Spurs should have shot 3 at the end for the win. My prediction is a Celtics sweep!
Posted by: Celts fan in Cali | May 30, 2008 at 05:58 PM
Just finish watching the post game coverage of the Celtics game. They are talking some serious mess. Saying Boston is 8-2 against the Lakers in the finals and they have home court advantage. Beat LA, beat LA yeah right! The Lakers are going to win in five games.
Posted by: Michal and MJ | May 30, 2008 at 08:47 PM
Kobe sure did get defensive and whiny when asked about whether he thinks he compares with MJ. He looked like a kid caught doing something his mother told him not to do.
The Celtics seem to own the lakers in Finals appearances, what is it, 8-2, I think. That means the SUNS own a better overall Finals record vs. the Celtics.
The SUNS did have the better reg season record vs. the Celtics as well. Whereas the lakers were utterly dominated when facing the great Doc Rivers this year, the SUNS did great.
Perhaps PJ needs to call D'Antoni and ask for some pointers.
Posted by: BUTLER | May 30, 2008 at 09:27 PM
Go lakers! I would like to give a shout out out to all the die hard laker fans around the world! Kobe is taking the L train all the way back to the top! Wooohooo!!!!! Laker fan from the sixsevenone aka Guam.
Posted by: chev671 | May 30, 2008 at 09:52 PM
Butler, son. Are you off your meds again? You just used the words "great Doc Rivers" I know you like to make jokes, but that was absurd!
I can't believe your still talking about a team that was eliminated from the playoffs, and has just lost their head coach. Are you still stuck in January?
Since you like numbers so much.
PJ - 9 rings
D'antoni & Doc Rivers - 0 rings
Kobe & Fish - 3 rings each
KG, Ray Allen, and Paul Pierce - 0 rings
Now go to your room and be quiet.
Posted by: BUTLER'S DAD | May 30, 2008 at 10:25 PM
Hey guys, remember what I said about closing?
Apparently Phil knows that movie, too, not that's its an obscure reference or anything.
A Always
B Be
C Closing
Coffee is for closers.
16...15...14...13...12...11...10...9...8...7...6...5...
Posted by: Amazing_Happens | May 30, 2008 at 10:32 PM
Hey guys, remember what I said about closing?
Apparently Phil knows that movie, too, not that's its an obscure reference or anything.
A Always
B Be
C Closing
Coffee is for closers.
16...15...14...13...12...11...10...9...8...7...6...5...
Posted by: Amazing_Happens | May 30, 2008 at 11:12 PM
I am from San Antonio and I love the Lakers!! I keep asking these Spurs fans if they need a tissue to wipe their tears!!!
Way to go Lakers!!!!
GO LAKERS GO!!!
Posted by: Michelle Saldana | May 31, 2008 at 10:41 AM