A lotta Kobe can go a long way
They say good things come to those who wait. And for Lakers fans seeking a nice start to the Western Conference Finals, wishes were fulfilled by yesterday's 89-85 win over the Spurs, but not without suspense attached. Perhaps the result of a four day layoff, the Lakers sputtered out of the gate in sluggish and ragged fashion, unable to find much of a groove. Save Vlad Radmanovic and Pau Gasol, nobody established much of a rapport with the rim, including Kobe Bryant, who spent more time setting up his running buddies than taking (or making) shots. "Managing the game," as he often says. The half concluded in neither fruitful nor particularly alarming fashion, but the third's start was nothing short of disastrous. An eight point deficit quickly grew to twenty, with Derek Fisher and Lamar Odom completely unable to offer their fellow starters much in the way of assistance.
That's right around when Kobe decided it was time to take matters in his own hands.
From the point on, the box score was increasingly graced with numbers accrued by Bryant. That newly aggressive mindset not only amounted to a seriously impressive second half point tally (25), but seemed to energize his entire roster. Little by little, San Antonio's began to dwindle, thanks in large part to a now swarming Laker D, a string of unanswered points, and often a lack of SA's trademark smart play. Sasha Vujacic hit a few big shots, but mostly made his mark via a furious shadowing of Manu Ginobli. Those contested jumpers taken by the NBA's best Sixth Man were as ineffective as the ones his mates launched during the final frame, shots Greg Popovich viewed as a game plan (and an opportunity) gone splintered.
But in the end, it was mostly about Kobe Bryant, who proved once again his ability to put a team on his back when the doomsday whistle is sounded. The need to apply those straps may not have brought a smile to The Mamba's face (at least not without the help of Ronny Turiaf). But he has to be content with the final result, one that hopefully sets a scrappy tone for a team destined to come out on top (especially with guys like Odom determined to bounce back). And while it's hard to picture a vet team like the Spurs packing it up after one loss, it's fairly easy for them to picture this loss coming back to bite them in the posterior.
Having undergone successful surgery, Andrew Bynum is expected to be completely healed up come fall's training camp.
What a win.
Wes
Posted by: | May 22, 2008 at 09:32 AM
great win. time to get #2.
Posted by: d | May 22, 2008 at 09:36 AM
Good Morning Guys,
I will be giving you my update about the game pretty soon.
Posted by: Charles | May 22, 2008 at 09:38 AM
GO LAKERS!
Posted by: Laker Fan 24 | May 22, 2008 at 09:42 AM
woooooooooooooooooooooooooo
Posted by: never | May 22, 2008 at 09:44 AM
p.s. I didn't know people actually read the most minute posts during the live game blogs!
Posted by: never | May 22, 2008 at 09:45 AM
I left work at 3:45. Got to Staples at 4:30. Parking was $20 in one of the lots across from the Conv Center on Figueroa. The AMEX lounge was handing out wristbands for entry and stopped letting people in once they were at capacity. 90 minutes before tip, it was already full. Luckily, some guys let me and my gf's kid have a couple seats next to them. You could tell things had gotten different all of a sudden.
Some thoughts on the Xs and Os:
Ronny was more effective defensively against Duncan than Pau was. Timmy was hitting everything. That may or may not continue. Hopefully Ronny and Pau can figure out how to make him more uncomfortable.
The Lakers did a great job addressing their nemesis - dribble penetration. Collapsing on guys like Parker and Ginobli or stopping them from getting in the paint altogether. Thankfully, the Spurs outside shooting got cold.
The bench played fearless. They were the difference between being down by 8 at the half or being down by 20. Farmar was a lot bolder and effective against much less physical PGs than Deron Williams.
The Spurs capitalized big time off Laker mistakes. That's what you expect them to do. The thing about those plays is that they're huge for momentum. Those plays hurt b/c it's a double-whammy.
Some of the more subtle Lakers "mistakes" were caused by Kobe playing free safety on defense. San Antonio's recognition is just too good. Every time Kobe left his man, that's where the ball went. And I'd like to see Kobe stop with his "psychological defense" of daring his man to shoot - b/c guys like Udoka and Bowen want to shoot mid-range jumpers and 3-pointers. That's right in their comfort zone.
I don't care if the Spurs got tired or if the Lakers caused them to shut down offensively down the stretch. I'll take it. I don't think it's a stretch to say that the Lakers will lose this series if they put themselves in the position to have to do that every game.
Some other thoughts:
The "Buss Stop" was serving sloppy joes with onion strings last night. Pretty darn good.
When the Lakers were down 20, I slammed my cap on the railing in front of me a couple times. My gf's 7 year old gave me his purple-and-gold afro to wear. Once the team started coming back, I didn't want to take it off. Glad I didn't.
In conclusion, I can't express what it was like to be in the building last night. The only time I've seen the crowd be that crazy was game 4 against PHX in 06. It was unbelievable.
Posted by: lakers_sth | May 22, 2008 at 09:56 AM
Hearing Money talk about the fact that Duncan loves collecting swords/knives and is into Medieval Fantasy stuff was pretty fascinating. I love the fact that arguably the best PF in NBA history would probably rather go to The Renaissance Faire than to a Jay-Z concert.
Posted by: lakers_sth | May 22, 2008 at 09:59 AM
Around the early part of the second quarter...TNT was talking to Pop...and he made a comment that Kobe wasn't playing yet...or something to that effect.
Boy was he right! lol.
GO Lakers!
P.S. I love Sasha but the dude is exceeding even my expectations. He played Rick Fox quality D yesterday. Props to the Machine. And as we all know the way to a girls heart is to play defense lol.
Posted by: Faith | May 22, 2008 at 10:00 AM
Good morning everybody,
What a game! What else can you say? I'm not gonna lie and say I wasn't worried. I sure as hell was but I had faith that Kobe would do something. Great win!
Now, I have a serious bone to pick with all of the fans at Staples center last night. How can you sit there and claim to be true fans and you start booing our own team??? Come on, we're not supposed to be like Utah or Denver fans you know. That was uncalled for and I'm pissed at all of you for that. When our team is down, that's when they need the most support...the loudest support, not frggin' boos people. That was just ridiculous.
Posted by: EastCoastJessie | May 22, 2008 at 10:00 AM
Lakers: Still the most underated D in the playoffs
Denver held to 5% pts below season avg.
Utah - 6% [43%]
SAS - 6% [40%] 85pts
The same pattern is continuing against the Spurs.
Posted by: Fairweather Fatty | May 22, 2008 at 10:00 AM
I remember that Jordan used to say that it would take him a quarter to figure out how to break down his opponent and own him. Obviously, last night it took Kobe longer to figure things out and that disrupted the rhythm of the team. I'm not saying he should've shot more or been more agressive - but definitely more decisive.
Posted by: lakers_sth | May 22, 2008 at 10:02 AM
=== Laker Observations by Mr. Korey ===
- Odom is a Laker forever and he is mentally invested now. This is a guy who can contribute to multiple title teams. This quote says it all ""This is very satisfying. This team is winning like never before, and I think I'm a part of it."
- Kobe haters will hate until the grave. Skip Bayless and one of the Stewart Brothers hated more today. The Stewart brother still said he would take Dwayne Wade over Kobe. BLASPHEMOUS. Then, they both claimed Kobe was some kind of headcase for not shooting the ball.
- What Kobe haters dont realize is, is that Kobe will make mistakes in execution but rarely does he make tactical mistakes. The CORRECT strategy at home is to get your teammates involved early so they can help you win. The execution was off in that he did have 5 ASSISTS but he didnt force the issue enough. He could've had 10 assists or 10 pts 5 assists. THAT'S OK, because the spirit of play was the correct one.
Posted by: Korey | May 22, 2008 at 10:06 AM
Are you worried that Kobe won't be able to do this for the whole series?
Don't be.
Throughout this decade, Kobe has OWNED the Spurs. In fact, PJ's Lakers have also owned the Spurs. I believe in the last 22 playoff games against the Spurs, the Lakers have won 15. Last night was the 5th straight Laker victory over the Spurs in playoff basketball.
You take PJ's dominance, plus Kobe's remarkable play against the Spurs and add it to San Antonio's tendancy to allow their offense to go on vacation for long stretches of games and you will get a Lakers victory!
Posted by: Tim-4-Show | May 22, 2008 at 10:13 AM
this goes down as one of those really satisfying games... maybe not quite as dramatic as the 4th quarter comeback against portland in game 7 of the western finals 2000.... but it's definitely one for future memories. what an amazing season it's been, every twist and turn of the way.
Posted by: dave m | May 22, 2008 at 10:16 AM
"The SPurs played their game and the Lakers won it"
Pretty much sums it up.
The game was Spur ugly and turned out Laker beautiful.
Fatigue? It wasn't back to back. Preparation? The Spurs defensive strategies caused all kinds of havoc and turn overs. They took away everything the Lakers had been doing. Single coverage meant Kobe time. 3 to go.
Posted by: Vman | May 22, 2008 at 10:17 AM
by the way i dont know if any of you have heard the rumors going around about Kobe today, but this morning on 99.1 KGGI they reported that Kobe is cheating on his wife again with one the Laker Girls. it just so happens to be that she is also named Vanessa. i havent looked for any articles on it, but i went to Lakers.com and clicked on the Laker Girls link and you can no longer click on the link to the Laker Girl named Vanessa. maybe she got fired? i only bring this up because isnt it funny that as of recently whenever the Lakers are having good fortunes in the Playoffs some sort of bad news comes out to try to distract them?
what say you?
by the way, i'm a Kobe fan and only bring this up cause it sucks!
Posted by: darock | May 22, 2008 at 10:18 AM
This series is going to be like the Suns-Spurs series. Close first game but the next 4 games are not going to be as close with the "heart of a champion" winner of the first game winning the series. Role reversal-this time the Lakers play the role of the Spurs.
As I predicted, the Lakers have the matchup advantages versus the Spurs BIG TIME. Tim Duncan will go off but Pau Gasol will do enough to offset what Duncan produces by about 80%. And with the Spurs offense so dependent on Timmy, the old Spurs 3 pt shooters stay cold the whole game.
Oberto, Thomas and Horry the San Antonio bigs are simply slow and old and will not be contributors this series. Odom was too amped bec. of the importance of this game and missed too many close shots. This is the most important game he's ever played in his career and his nerves showed, especially since he knows that he is expected to be the difference maker in this series. But Lamar will settle down in his usual groove by the second game, then its series over.
SA is too dependent on its big 3 for offense. Shut down one of the Big 3 - in this game, it was Ginobili - and the Spurs simply do not generate enough offense. Even an MVP game from Duncan and an All star performance from Parker are not enough offense because after the Big 3, the Spurs have no offense. Zip nada.
Spurs are basically a 3 player team on the offense and a 12 player team on the defense. So when the spurs are playing offense they are playing 3 against 5 since everyone the Lakers put on the floor can score.
I didn't predict the excellent defense that Sasha played on Manu, I thought it was going to be Ariza. But Trevor was wearing his Armani suit on the bench and Sasha rose to the occassion. Ariza can still have a go versus Manu later in the series. But now we are going to have 2 Manu stoppers on the Lakers. Manu is too good and will have one game in this series where he will go off but that's it.
DFish did not have a good game I guess because as the oldest player on our team he just needed more time for his joints to loosen up after the long layoff. Also, he was creating too many shots when his best offensive game is catch and shoot an open 3. With better ball movement, those open opportunities will come and Fish will shoot better. He did do a much better job defensively on Parker by the second half. And Mr. Longoria has to do so much running around that he is gassed by the 4th quarter.
Another surprise of the game was Farmar. Great job by the kid, coming back and showing his mojo after the Utah disaster. He was able to stay in front of Parker everytime they were matched.
The difference in scoring in the first game was provided by our bench outscoring the Spurs bench 21-11. In a 4 pt ball game that was huge as Odom and Fish had horrible shooting games. Not just in scoring but the defense of Sasha on Ginobili, Farmar on Parker and Turiaf on Duncan really put pressure on the veterans and helped tire them out by the 4th quarter. A revelation of this series - this Bench Mob is not just good at shooting but also on defense!
Vlad used his height advantage to good effect in Q1 due to the 3 guard lineup of the spurs. If he can do that for more than 1 quarter then its series over.
Fish and Odom had bad shooting games simply because they were having bad games. It wasn't because the Spurs were doing anything special defensively on them. That should get the spurs really worried.
But the biggest thing to worry the Spurs is that the Lakers simply outexecuted them in the end of the 3 Q and the entire 4 Q. The Lakers played better defense in that period than the spurs too. The spurs best strategy versus the Lakers is hope to stay close enough the entire game then rely on flawless execution and defensive stops and pull out the game in the last 5 minutes. Instead the Lakers used the Spurs strategy and won with it! That has got to be the most demoralizing thing in the world!
The Spurs really do not have enough surprises to pull out of the bag for the rest of the series. They are a known quantity and it is clear that the Lakers are the better team. They will get weaker, older and more tired as the series goes further while the Lakers become stronger, more confident and more settled.
Bowen used to bother Kobe but Bowen is now half a step older and slower and Kobe is an even smarter player now. Kobe is now so superior to anyone the Spurs have that he basically manages the game, and there's nothing the Spurs can do about it.
There will be one game in SA where all the spurs Big 3 and some 3 pt shooting from the oldies get it it done. but that's it. 4-1 Series in favor of the Lakers. All the pundits will be wrong because they did not see how much more superior this Lakers team is to this Spurs team. All the predictions were based on the '05 and the '07 Spurs but this is not the same Spurs team and this is not the same Lakers team.
Posted by: LakerinBC | May 22, 2008 at 10:19 AM
Well, it's pretty clear who's going to get a big, FAT raise and a little job security in the off season:
SASHA! SASHA! SASHA!
He's been taking all of the minutes in crunch time these last several games, and it's clear that PJ and his teammates trust him to get the job done.
I just can't see the Lakers letting him go.
I wish I were his agent.
Posted by: hava98 | May 22, 2008 at 10:20 AM
here's what i found:
Gossip site The Dirty claims to have once again uncovered some major dirt. The say that Vanessa Curry, a Laker Girl on the 20087-2008 squad, is rumored to have had an affair with Kobe Bryant. The Dirty says they have a “source” who has pictures of the two as well. News of this possible affair probably didn’t bode well with the powers that be at the Lakers organization. Ms. Vanessa Curry soon resigned as a Laker Girl. Vanessa’s link on the Laker Girl website is gone. Check it out here. The folks at the Lakers camp claim that Vanessa resigned from the squad on her own so that she could pursue a “hosting career”. Vanessa #1 (his wife) surely will not take news of this very well, or she may just get another freakin’ $4 million ring out of it…
We’re skeptics about whether this is true or not, but that is the rumor being reported. We challenge The Dirty to produce the photos so everyone can see for themselves.
http://sports.rightpundits.com/?p=733
Posted by: darock | May 22, 2008 at 10:23 AM
Good Morning Laker Family!
Posted by: Caliphilosopher | May 22, 2008 at 10:24 AM
Loquacious. Please scroll if uninterested.
What a win! Being at the Staples Center last night was awesome. I want to thank PSLakerfan for selling the ticket at face value, but the worth of being there was priceless.
Great watching the game with you PSLakerfan. And Lakers Legacy, sorry if I was there for a few minutes at the patio.
The first quarter was very slow. The crowd was not into the game and the seats were not filling as fast as I thought it would. (Los Angeles Traffic) Also, PSLakerfan was getting his fist pounds from the other season ticket holders, which added a level of unity and importance to the game. The fact that Sasha came in we were only down by 3 at the end of the 1st made the crowd a little livelier.
By the half time break, the crowd was still optimistic. Lot’s of conversations about how Kobe was off by the patio where the sun was still out. (Love that) A guy wearing a Texas A-M shirt was getting a friendly hassle from the crowd while he waited for his beer. The lines were a mess and you could tell the Angelinos were getting restless. Especially when we were down by 16 when I walked back in during the 3rd quarter.
By the fourth quarter, you can only imagine how hype the crowd was. Normally with the roaming TV omni microphones, it reverberates and creates a louder noise than the arena should sound like. (Which has its own Dome shape to permeate an echo.) But the DEFENSE chants and MVP chants were Loud and felt like no other. It was as TRIBAL and PRIMAL I have felt at the Staples Center. I can’t help but believe our chants gushed like winds of momentum for our Team. The treble mid-range and bass from all the various voices were in tune and the unison was intoxicating. I had exchanged Text messages with Lakers Legacy – JSNV (new blogger) during the break and they were loosing their voices a well as PSLaker and I. Everybody was on 11 last night. Hello Cleveland.
Sidebar tidbits.
During the “Kiss Me” break; there were 3 great moments. Seemed like they were all on first dates or the guys just haven’t made it to first base. The crowd was cheering for this “Hipster Couple” to kiss, and when the girl looked like she was about to lean in to kiss; the camera guy shifted to another couple. The girl was cute and had a cut off Laker shirt and was falling on one side of the shoulder. The guy looked like he plays the acoustic guitar and thinks he can take on the Jane’s Addiction Band or John Frusciante from the Red Hot Chilli Peppers. (Did anybody catch Flea on AM 570?)
The camera was focusing on fans that were hyped. There was this lady who was wearing a floral print and since she was pretty THICK, it look like a dancing garden. She did the “Beyonce” booty shake and I thought the railing would have lost that battle. She was so enthused; it was just great to see another person express their glee for our TEAM.
And the there was Jack. Throughout the camera showcasing the celebrities; it was Jacks turn. He was not even looking at the camera and was clapping with the crowd. Right after a shot of Toby McGuire, the camera quickly panned to Jack. It wasn’t even half a second and Jack was still clapping without looking in to the camera, assuming he was joining the festivities, or was just giving props to Toby. Either way he was the last “Star” to catch some shine…
Walking outside the escalator march was hype with “Let’s Go Lakers” chants and there were fans with a broom, sweeping a San Antonio jersey.
What a night!
Posted by: Charles | May 22, 2008 at 10:32 AM
Good Morning Charles---Good Morning Everyone.....
Great great win last night indeed HUZAH !!!
Coming back from a 20 point deficit convincingly speaks volumes for this team and our impending dynasty....HUZAH !!!
And to think that Lamar had a relatively quiet game should scare the bejeesus out of most people from the Alamo---the Spurs have no answer for him if he is agressive and goes to the basket AND FINISHES WITH A DUNK....
Sorry Jon K but Lamar is a long long way from being the new James Worthy for this team---though I would indeed like to see that happen and do think Lamar is making strides toward that goal...
Also scarey for the folks from the canals is the fact that Fisher had a terrible shooting night---that won't last...
the resurgence of Famar is festering HUZAH !!!
I really expect Sasha to make all his shots and am quite surprised when he doesn't...
Kobe is so far above every other player in the league (and at least this humble planet) it's almost not fair---almost...
I still can't figure out why the Rad horse isn't ridden to the ground when it's running hot....
I can't think of any Spurs to make fun of---I would mention Genobli's every growing bald spot but I have one of those myself--fortunately, my hair is long enough to fool one out of ten people..HUZAH !!!
AS ALWAYS, AS EVER, YET ANOTHER GREAT DAY TO BE A LAKER FAN !!!
GO LAKERS !!!
Posted by: Floyd | May 22, 2008 at 10:34 AM
Great job by the Spurs to get back on defense and take away the Lakers running game and early opportunities. That definitely kept the score sub-100, and I bet the Spurs thought that would increase their chances for a win.
Unfortunately for the Spurs, the Lakers also have a half-court game and can win in low scoring games AND high scoring games. Whatever you give the Lakers, they will take, and then, they will win.
Posted by: WWJWWD | May 22, 2008 at 10:36 AM
what a win.. omg...
too much excitement last nite.
Posted by: khang | May 22, 2008 at 10:36 AM
Korey,
The hate being spewed by Skip and the Stewart brother was sickening. We just put together one of the great playoff games played between the Spurs and Lakers and all they did was make excuses and rip Kobe.
God, I want to see their faces if/when the Lakers win this series.
Posted by: Xodus | May 22, 2008 at 10:37 AM
COMPLETELY OFF PLAYOFF TOPIC:
So, I think it's safe to say that all the rule changes in the league have made it a guard's game. Obviously the West is loaded with top talent at the PG position, and as much as I love D-Fish, he's getting to the end of his career. Farmar has improved, but thinking of a future where he battles Paul, Williams, Parker, etc. on a nightly basis makes me cringe.
So here's a very, VERY hypothetical question:
Would you offer Andrew Bynum straight up to the Chicago Bulls for the No.1 pick and select Derrick Rose?
This season, with the acquisition of Pau has shown we are a top team without Bynum. Rose is projected to be right in the same echelon as Paul and Williams. We'd be absolutely set at the PG position for the next decade.
Just curious what people think.
I for one would definitely take a good hard look at the possibility, but ultimately guys like Bynum don't come along too often.
Posted by: Andrew Z | May 22, 2008 at 10:41 AM
OK, OK, great win...lets not get carried away. We're supposed to win home games. Certain newspaper sports writers who overestimate the potential emotional impact of this game on San Antonio's psyche should calm down.
The Spurs are the Spurs. They're always consistent and will continue to bring it. Particularly if Duncan continues to play this well, they'll be brutally tough. Manu and Parker will play better down the stretch.
We need to learn from last night the kind of effort it takes to win at this level. And then we need to duplicate last night's effort down the stretch game after game even when Kobe's shot isn't falling and the Spurs are playing better down the stretch. Then we'll be a championship team.
I think we can do it, I just don't think last nights game means much beyond us holding serve.
Good to hear Bynum's surgery went well. I'm confident he'll come back 100%.
GO LAKERS!
Posted by: Cameron | May 22, 2008 at 10:43 AM
Xodus,
Concur totally...Although ONE of the "stews" was a big laker supporter. Bayless is such an IDIOT. I will not miss the 1st and 10 the day after we DO eliminate the spurs.
Seeing the egg on Skippy's face will be priceless.
Posted by: Eric M. | May 22, 2008 at 10:50 AM
Xodus,
"if"?
Have some faith dude lol.
Posted by: Faith | May 22, 2008 at 10:57 AM
LakerinBC,
In compliment to your post, I thought the Sterns (Thanks Pig) lost the same way th Suns lost to them 1st round, 1st game. Could have won but still lost it.
Michael H,
Nice to see you veterano. Excellent point about Sasha. He is playing the 2 guard and that is his position. And Mo Evans was taking his time at the 2 (and being too small for the 3), he is now our Rick Fox in development (Thanks Faith) with out the hot wife he is about to cheat on and the muscle. Crazy hair people definitely...
hava98,
If Jason Kapono (i.e. spelling) can make the mid level so can Sasha.
Vman Behind the man, behind the man,
"The game was Spur ugly and turned out Laker beautiful." Nice one.
Darock,
Thanks for the link. Earlier in the season I thought she was cute and did ok behind the mic. Hope it's all fodder and bs... If not, maybe hava98 can be the divorce lawyer. tsk tsk tsk.
Posted by: Charles | May 22, 2008 at 10:57 AM
KOBE BEAN BRYANT still does not get it. How does an MVP take only 3 shots in the first half? Just like the playoff game against the Suns two years ago, Kobe gave up on his team by not taking any shots. Did he really think passing to his struggling teammates would produce a win? He sabotaged his team by not taking enough shots! As the ummmm…..wise Jim Rome stated this morning, if “Kobe had shot more in the first half, the Lakers would’ve won by double digits”. Because of Kobe’s ineptitude, he robbed us loyal Laker fans of a “double digit win.” I will never forgive him for that. Kobe’s obsessive need to prove a point led to the team's inability to cover the spread. Kobe will never learn.
Than in the second half, Kobe takes EIGHTEEN shots. That’s on pace for thirty-six shots in one game. What a ball hog! When will he learn to trust his teammates? He doesn’t have Kwame and Smush on his team anymore, yet he still thinks he needs to do it all on his own. He made some decent passes, but those passes were selfishly motivated for his individual glory. This selfish ballhog outscored the Spurs by himself 23-20 to end the game. His ballhog instincts were so strong last night, he even scored for the Spurs off a Duncan miss with less than a minute left to tie the score. He's so selfish to score, he can't prevent himself from scoring for the other team. He wanted the score tied so he can hit the game winner, and get all the glory. Kobe’s selfish play will prevent the Lakers from winning in double digits, and if this team does not sweep the defending champs, it will be Kobe's fault. Kobe will never learn.
If Kobe gets lucky and wins four more titles, bringing his total to seven, he still won't surpass Micahel Jordan's total of six titles because three of those championships were with Shaq. Everyone knows those threepeat titles do not count. He will have to win sven more from here on out to surpass Jordan.
GO LAKERS!
Posted by: LAKER TRUTH | May 22, 2008 at 10:57 AM
Oh no!
Now they have pictures of Kobe with this Vanessa girl:
http://www.kobe8bryant.net/newnessa4.jpg
Wes
Posted by: | May 22, 2008 at 10:58 AM
Andrew Z,
I probably wouldn't do it, because there's nothing like a potential big-time big man like Bynum. I'd think about it long and hard, but you've got to take the big man.
Posted by: Xodus | May 22, 2008 at 10:59 AM
Good Morning Everyone, what's up Charles...
Great win last night!!
I was prepared to see some early rust and sloppy play, but was not ready to sit in a hole THAT big!! Everyone around me just nervous, finding their only bit of content by heckling some Spurs fans in the suite below. 65-45 and then it happened, Kobe took over, and you all know the rest...
Hopefully, Kobe will get off sooner earlier to make the SAS D collapse and open up more opportunities for his teammates, specifically LO. He never really got into a rhythm as SAS closed up the lane. LO has the only other big mismatch and needs to take advantage of that!! Neither Oberto or Horry can keep up with him!
Great to see Jordan and Sasha contributing big minutes. I hope PJ plays Ronny a little more, but then again, he can't play if we're down by 20!!! This can definitely be a big statement series for him!!
Can somebody check to see if Luke still has some testicles? He needs to watch 2004 Finals Game 2 again!! He should know that when Trevor suits up he'll be sitting next to Mihm if he doesn't sac up.
We have a great opportunity to make an even bigger statement by smashing the Spurs on Friday. I expect bigger games from Fish and LO and a 2-0 lead going to the Alamo.
Posted by: JSNV | May 22, 2008 at 11:00 AM
The real dirt on (Tony Parker's) affair:
http://sports.rightpundits.com/?p=353
Wes
Posted by: | May 22, 2008 at 11:02 AM
"Bryant's night was one Jordan would have to admire. It was as if he spotted the Spurs 20 points just to make the evening a sporting proposition."
"I can get off any time, he said. It's not bragging if it's true. Kobe Bryant trusts his teammates, sure, but only because he trusts himself more."
Great lines from Kriegel: http://msn.foxsports.com/nba/story/8165266?MSNHPHMA
Posted by: mel | May 22, 2008 at 11:07 AM
can you pls give me internet link for game 1 replay pls!!!
Posted by: Adrian Palomar | May 22, 2008 at 11:13 AM
That affair stuff is a bunch of BS people. All I can say is consider the sources.
Posted by: EastCoastJessie | May 22, 2008 at 11:16 AM
Andrew Z,
"I for one would definitely take a good hard look at the possibility, but ultimately guys like Bynum don't come along too often."
What is the medical opinion of the likelihood that he will have recurring knee problems? If relatively high, I would trade for the pick. If relatively low, I don't do the trade.
Posted by: exhelodrvr | May 22, 2008 at 11:17 AM
Eric M,
The funny thing is that both Skip and the same Stewart brother picked the Denver Nuggets of all teams to beat us 4-3 in the first round!
Posted by: Xodus | May 22, 2008 at 11:19 AM
Lakers truth the KOBE hater you idiot,shut your mouth you stupid pig.Lakers will lost and win with KOBE,and last night its shows they win with KOBE,the best player yesterday,today and tomorrow,so just enjoy and watch the game we dont want your stupid comments here!Acceppt the the fact thats its KOBE time,not MJ,its our time,our team our championship our MVP.peace man!!!
Posted by: Adrian Palomar | May 22, 2008 at 11:20 AM
JSNV,
Welcome to the blog brotha!!!
Posted by: Charles | May 22, 2008 at 11:20 AM
Faith,
I was trying to be conservative. I do think we're going to beat the Spurs. lol
Posted by: Xodus | May 22, 2008 at 11:20 AM
WOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Looked like a repeat of game 7 against Portland. What a rush probaly saved my life. I don't know if i could have slept last nite if they had lost this game. something to think about did not the mamba say san antonio is almost impossible to back on because they are so SMART what a PHYC JOB GAME 1 2008 WCF
Posted by: maverick | May 22, 2008 at 11:20 AM
LAKER TRUTH,
You are the master of sarcasm.
Posted by: WWJWWD | May 22, 2008 at 11:23 AM
re: Kobe and Vanessa(s)
It's naive of anyone to think this stuff doesn't go on. What would be frustrating would be if it became a distraction and affected things on the court. I expect every pro athlete to be a "player", frankly. Who cares? I know for a FACT (as in with my own eyes) that LO has been frequenting a certain LA area strip club and hawking a particular stripper there for the past couple of years. The same club, in fact, that produced the girl that you currently see on Michael Clarke Duncan's arm at events. So what?
These guys are modern day gladiators - there for our entertainment. If they commit crimes then put them in jail. But if they're on the wrong side of moral situations like infidelity then it really doesn't matter. After Magic, Jordan, Wilt and Worthy I don't expect anything different.
Posted by: lakers_sth | May 22, 2008 at 11:29 AM
Korey,
Yeah, I see your point, I just come across an article of Mark Kriegel who was sarcastic at Kobe, here is a portion of his article:
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I just tried to read the flow of the game," he (Kobe) said, so deliberately soft-spoken. "Tried to manage the game."
Was this mere insouciance? Or arrogance of a sort one didn't even hear so plainly declared from the likes of Michael Jordan?
"I can get off at any time," he (Kobe) said.
And so he did.
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http://msn.foxsports.com/nba/story/8165266
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We all saw how Kobe grew up in NBA, from the time he pissed off Malione in an All Star series, then Shaq, a book written by Phil, a case in Colorado and the rant last summer. It all multiplies in quantum effect the hate on this man. He can't get any respect at all. Dam* whatever he does and his interviews are spinned based on the biases from the viewpoint of a hater sports columnist.
If I were Kobe, I will just do what Booker T Washington, an activist during the Slavery Era. He said: "Excellence is to do a common thing in an uncommon way."
To Laker fans, we have known this MVP material a long time ago.
Posted by: Edwin Gueco | May 22, 2008 at 11:30 AM
Another oldie but goodie from Jeff's Aho (this one from March 29,2008):
"The leader sets the tone for the team. Kobe started to shoot a lot of 3's. Guess what the rest of the team does. Follow suit.
Bryant's game is beginning to resemble Jordan's stint on the Wizards. Nothing but jumpshots. Can't blow by anybody. Rarely creates open looks for teammates. Either his legs are really hurting but I do hope the Lakers don't give Kobe the maximum.
He's clearly on the decline. The decline of a player is usually evident in his shot selection. Kobe's game is relegated to being a volume jump shooter. Remember, he couldn't even get enough lift and had his jumpshot blocked twice.
If the Lakers really do have the "best player in the league", why are the Lakers losing to two of the worst of the worst road teams in the league? If Kobe is truly #1 out of 300+ players, why isn't this fact showing up more in the W-L column? Instead, the Lakers are only a .500 team with Gasol out of the lineup."
HAHAHAHAHA
16...15...14...13...12...11...10...9...8...
Posted by: Amazing_Happens | May 22, 2008 at 11:31 AM
9 DOWN, 7 MORE TO GOOOOOOO!
Anybody else get the feeling that Timmy played the best game of his playoffs last night ...he ate up Pau Gasol for 30 points and even outworked our bigs for 18 rebounds AND YET we still won
listen ya'll... the lakes took duncan's best shot. dude ain't gonna pull out too many more 30 and 18 games for the next couple weeks. ...we had our fill our Duncan and still survived.
that makes me very, very, very happy.
and btw...good one, Wes!
that new vanessa looks mighty familiar tho...kobe has funny taste that way, i guess
Posted by: CBuck | May 22, 2008 at 11:32 AM