Staying Alive
Call me wacky, but it feels somewhat appropriate for a blog hosted by the Brothers Kamenetzky to use a song title by the Brothers Gibb in reporting the Lakers' 103-98 win over the Celtics, a victory that secured the privilege of fighting another day while down 3-2 in the Finals. And to paraphrase a lyric from the disco classic, this game saw the Lakers get low and the Lakers get high and when they couldn't get either, they just really tried. Plenty of peaks (17- and 14-point leads built in the first and fourth quarters, an uncharacteristically good third quarter, terrific games from Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom in support of Kobe Bryant), valleys (said leads getting blown, small forward play unless Kobe slid to the 3, Sasha Vujacic's shooting, a couple of odd floor units concocted by Phil Jackson) and nonstop effort, which played a huge factor with the dust settling in L.A.'s favor. "We were aggressive," praised Phil Jackson of his team. "We played hard. Not smart all the time, but we played hard." That won't be enough to make it happen every time, but on this particular night, survival was achieved.
So by all means, hit the video link and dance until your heart's content in celebration of a triumphant box score. You earned it, as did the Lakers.
The breakdown is below, courtesy of BK
AK
The Good:
- Kobe Bryant: One big question coming into the game concerned the sort of start Bryant would have. Would he come out gunning? Would he try to feel out the Celtics early, loosening them up by getting everyone involved? The answer? Both. In the first quarter, everyone was a player as the Lakers went 15 for 23 (65.2%), getting the ball inside to Pau Gasol and watching Jordan Farmar and Derek Fisher get to the rack for layups (among other highlights). Meanwhile, Kobe was drilling shots from the perimeter. He took five threes in the opening quarter, making four. Overall, Kobe was five for eight from the floor, and with a free throw ended the quarter with 15 points. The rest of the night, though, was brutal for 24, at least as far as shooting goes. He missed all four shots he took in the second, made only one of four in the third, and two of five in the fourth. Boston, as they've done all series, was determined to ensure that Kobe wasn't going to be the player that beat them offensively.
Fine. Kobe continued to play a very controlled game, generally avoiding forced shots and continuing to help the Lakers take advantage of those places in which they were finding success - getting the ball inside to Gasol or Odom. Kobe drove and kicked, he drove and dished, he moved the ball, he kept the offense moving and found other ways to contribute, including some huge defensive plays down the stretch. The biggest of his five steals was the last - on Pierce with 41 seconds left, reaching around and recovering to poke the ball away after being wiped out by a KG screen high above the arc.
When it was over, I was surprised to look up and see Kobe with only four assists. The number was likely suppressed because some of his better feeds led to free throws for teammates, rather than straight buckets. It certainly wasn't indicative of how well he moved the ball. Overall, it was a very solid total floor game for Bryant, despite having a tough night shooting. I wonder whether Boston was daring him to try and "take over" the game. Either way, Kobe didn't oblige.
- Pau Gasol:
19 points on six for 10 from the floor, plus seven for 10 from the line; 13 boards,
including three on the offensive end. Six dimes working the ball from
the high post, plus two blocks. Defensively, he helped keep Garnett, who finished with only 13 points, in
check. Gasol was aggressive from
the start, attacking Garnett and refusing to be
intimidated, starting his night with a great running hook in the
lane, and proceeding on from there. Important for the Lakers, his intensity and production was sustained nicely throughout the game. Nine points in the
first, eight in the third, one bucket, but four boards and a dime in
the fourth. He was able to help get KG and PJ Brown into foul trouble,
and with Kendrick Perkins out because of his shoulder injury,
the Celtics were left shorthanded down low. Gasol was effective on the
screen, both on the pass and moving in space.
Overall, he was a far more physical and consistent presence over the course of 48 minutes. The Lakers saw they had an advantage inside and exploited it. While I think Pau has been better (not necessarily great, but better) than a lot have given him credit for during the series, tonight he was the force L.A. needs him to be for a full 48. A pair of repeat performances in Boston would be a big boost to the Lakers' comeback chances. - Lamar Odom: While I think Pau's play has been dinged a little too much, there's no question LO has been a disappointment, saddled with foul trouble for most of the series and other than a great first half in Game 4, not putting a stamp on much of anything. Not a good stamp, at least. Tonight, though, Odom was outstanding: 20 points on eight for 10 from the floor, 11 boards, two dimes, four blocks. And unlike Thursday night, when his entire box score was crammed into the first 24 minutes, Odom was a presence throughout. 9/4 in the second half, with three of the four blocks. He hit a pair of crucial free throws down the stretch - something his teammates struggled to do - and also had a monster triple early in the fourth to help the Lakers push their lead out to 12. It was one of, I believe, two outside shots he took all night. Maybe there was a third stuck in there, but overall, LO's game was at the rim, and he was able to finish many of the shots that had bounced out for him earlier in the series. It was the first of the five games that he was able to influence from start to finish.
- Jordan Farmar: The only source of bench production, JF was solid in his 22:18 of burn, earning crunch time minutes in place of Sasha Vujacic. While Farmar was only one for four from downtown, including an airball, he made plenty of noise at the basket, aggressively moving the ball to the rack whenever Boston presented an opportunity, recognizing mismatches on the perimeter when they were there (such as any time he was marked by Eddie House). The Lakers needed a spark from outside the stars, and Farmar provided it.
- Derek Fisher: He didn't shoot particularly well (3-10), but made it to the basket on dribble penetration, shooting 11 FTs in the second half. Toss in a pair of steals and only two TOs in 35 minutes, and he was able to make a lot of positive contributions. Yeah, he missed a couple late freebies that could have iced the game a minute or so earlier, but overall, I thought he was solid.
- The third quarter: L.A. finally won one, building a three-point halftime lead to nine. Granted, they'd give it all away in the fourth, but hey, baby steps.
The Bad:
- Small forwards not named Bryant: Granted, Paul Pierce is
a tough assignment for anyone, but Vladdy struggled mightily with him
whenever he was given the task. Offensively, he managed to put in
seven points and hit a big three at the start of the third, generated
by a steal he created. On the other hand, he had already turned the
ball over twice in the quarter. Then there was the completely
unnecessary T he picked up early in the second. There are nights when
Vlad is very good, nights when he's very bad, and nights when he's so
erratic it's almost impossible to leave him on the floor. Reading the
comments during the live blog, someone wrote that (I believe) one of
the ABC crew mentioned Radmanovic was good enough to keep both teams in the
game. That sounds about right. It's like having one guy in the room
who knows how to defuse a bomb, except he's drunk. You might get the
result you want ... but you might blow up the room too.
Beyond him, Luke Walton struggled through most of his 10-plus minutes on the floor. While he did manage to make a couple plays during his second go-round in the third and into the fourth, he also picked up fouls with incredible speed, and helped rush the Lakers into the penalty. He couldn't stick Pierce (not that anyone should expect him to), nor could Trevor Ariza, who was lit up a couple of times and picked up a personal, despite playing barely over a minute. The three has been a problem for the Lakers throughout the series, and tonight was no different. - PJ's second-quarter rotation: He started the quarter with
Farmar, Walton, Sasha, LO and a Finals maiden voyage for Chris Mihm. At
the 10:29 mark, he sent Ariza in for Walton. All told, the unit gave up
six points of the Lakers lead in under three minutes, before Jackson called time out and
put Kobe and Ronny Turiaf back in. Many of you have asked why Jackson
doesn't lean on some of those guys deeper on the bench, just to change
things up and try a new look. That's basically why. It's so tough for
players like Mihm, who haven't been on the floor, to step onto the
court at full game speed, in the Finals no less, and perform. And to
compound things by putting guys like Ariza and Mihm on the floor at
the same time, two guys who may not have shared the court at any point
during the season, only made the situation worse.
I asked Jackson after it was over why he went that direction, and if he's happy with the bench generally:"Well, you know, we knew that we had laid another first quarter on the Celtics, and it was a great opportunity to get some rest for the players, and we know that we have a travel day tomorrow and another game on Tuesday, and obviously you really don't want to play ‑‑ if you can manage minutes well in a situation like this and manage the score, but we just didn't manage the score well. We went out there, they had five possessions, scored five times, got us in a penalty situation ...
... We got a couple baskets out of that group, but we really couldn't stop Pierce. He got off, started running, got hot and kept going the rest of the game, and that was really putting us in jeopardy and giving them the edge up, and they basically made up all those points in a matter of a quarter again .
... You know, I tried some different players off the bench, Chris Mihm tonight, gave him an opportunity to play a little bit. It wasn't his fault at all. Pierce went right by our defenders and put him in jeopardy. But we tried some different faces out there to see what we could do, but we're not going to stay with that. We won't be comfortable with that on Tuesday."
Good to know. The logic is a little cart-ahead-of-horse. Get the big lead into the fourth, then sit everyone. - Sasha Vujacic: Two for 10 from the floor, including 0 for 5 from downtown. He just never seemed to get in sync with what was going on, forcing a shot whenever there was even the slightest opening. He was pesky and as always, the effort was there. The results, however, weren't.
- Screen and roll D on Pierce: The dude is really, really good, and once Kobe was in foul trouble, the Lakers really struggled to find anyone who could mark him. But the Celtics ran the same play over and over again down the stretch, generally because it worked. Pierce attracting a screen, almost always from Garnett, high outside the arc, then creating off of it. The Lakers never really had a good answer for it. Boston extended their D and made the Lakers pay. Finally, Kobe was able to force the TO late, but even that was on a pretty tough recovery. Generally speaking, the Lakers had no answer for Pierce. He had 38 points, 19 trips to the line, eight dimes. Fortunately, it was more or less a one-man show tonight for the Celtics.
Overall, it was a spirited effort from the Lakers, who fought hard and found some traction inside. But if I'm the Celtics, I'm not panicking yet. They played all of Game 5 without Perkins, saw KG and Pierce get into foul trouble, got nothing from Rondo, worked through a tough night for Garnett and Allen, and despite all that erased a couple big Lakers leads and pushed a desperate team on their home floor deep into the fourth quarter before losing. Still, for the Lakers this was a very positive game. They ground it out, scoring points without a strong offensive night from Bryant. They showed they could slug it out with the Celtics, and while L.A. wasn't perfect, they were pretty clutch on both ends Sunday night.
Can they win 6 and 7 back east? It's still a tall order. But it can't happen without a win in Game 5, which the Lakers got tonight. One down, two to go.
More to come tomorrow.
BK
AUDIO
- Ronny Turiaf: Download ronny_turiaf_postgame_boston_5.mp3
- Vlad Radmanovic: Download vlad_radmanovic_postgame_boston_5.mp3
- Luke Walton: Download luke_walton_postgame_boston_5.mp3
- Sasha Vujacic: Download sasha_vujacic_postgame_boston_5.mp3
- Derek FIsher: Download derek_fisher_postgame_boston_5.mp3
Also, Doc Rivers made the following statement regarding Ray Allen after the game: "Ray Allen was forced to leave Staples right at the conclusion of tonight's game due to a health issue of one of his children. We ask that you please respect Ray's privacy at this time, and we'll keep you up to date as best we can moving forward."
As of now, I have no further information on specifically what or how serious the issue is. But obviously, we wish Ray Allen and his family the best.
AK
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You hear that THUNDER. You know what it is, but not where its coming from. Get it done in Boston the leprocons say. You think Kobe disappeared, you lost sight of him, and that REASSURES you? That’s him crouching, and the strike will be to the throat. Better have the anti-venom. You’ve already lost Game 6 and you KNOW it. And now the leprocons can HEAR the pounding RUMBLE behind them, now they’re thinking, (and they don’t even have Bynum now), gotta get game 7 if I’m EVER going to win.
Not quite an entire 48 minutes, LAKER Nation, we haven’t quite figured out what it means when we hear that DEE-FENNCE chant. Watch FISHER. Watch KOBE. We’re almost there. When our solid DEFENCE we KNOW how to play shows up with the EXPLOSIVE Offense, you can ask San Antonio, Utah, and Denver what happens on their HOME floor and how QUIET it gets.
Fight to the death for every second of 144! BOSTON, THERE IS NOT an ANTI-VENUM for the BLACK MAMBA. ONE STEP CLOSER. ONE TO GO TO GAME 7. LAKERS to VICTORY or DIE TRYING! LOS ANGELES LOVES YOU!
Posted by: Ben | June 15, 2008 at 11:24 PM
Since the bad is D...I think it's time to address it lol.
we have been doing this for awhile now, except not necessarily on Pierce (probably why they exploited it tonight), but of course we didn’t look at 2nd half tape last practice. This “mistake” was in the 2nd half tape…most prominent with Sasha shading one way and no one was helping him (considering PJ told them to man up…not the wisest thing for Sasha)…this mistake will not go unnoticed.
I’m sure of it. We didn’t watch tape last time, we will this time. We have a lot of things to learn from this win. I'm not discouraged, we won.
Posted by: Faith | June 15, 2008 at 11:32 PM
P.S. Keep the faith guys!
Go Lakers!
Posted by: Faith | June 15, 2008 at 11:32 PM
It was a nice win, but LA needs to play better then they did today on tuesday. Defense needs to be stepped up by alot too, peirce drove nn too many times and got some easy baskets.
Posted by: kz | June 15, 2008 at 11:34 PM
Just to give the K Brothers kudos on this write up and post -- really fast, very well done. Spot on with a lot to chew on.
And to Ray Allen -- hope everything is OK in your family. Tough to play with personal issues in mind.
Posted by: t_sensei | June 15, 2008 at 11:35 PM
PHIL!!!! SNAP OUT OF YOUR SATORI!!!!
PLEASE START IRA NEWBLE OVER VLADE
HE CAN SHOOT THE THREE [MAYBE NOT AS WELL, BUT] HE REBOUNDS BETTER AND CAN SHUT DOWN PIERCE
PHIL FOR THE LOVE OF GOD WAKE UP AND PUT IN NEWBLE ON PIERCE
Posted by: D | June 15, 2008 at 11:35 PM
=== LakerTom's Boy Comes Thru!!!! ===
Hollinger gives props in his article: http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/playoffs2008/columns/story?columnist=hollinger_john&page=Farmar-080615
Big Ups to Jordan Farmar.
He has shown me that he needs to stay a Laker.
The biggest reason is that he has committed to D and he has also committed to playing HARD ALL GAME.
When he makes a mistake, Jordan is visibly upset. You can see the competitor oozing through his pores ready to make up for it with aggression.
I am starting to develop a "Kobe" feeling about Farmar.
This is the feeling that even if he does mess up, it's OK because I know he gave his all. I know that he will learn from his mistakes and get better.
If Farmar can hit the weight room and KEEP IMPROVING he has a chance to really let people know who he is in this league.
I like that our young backcourt is starting to show some GUT in adversity.
Pau is developing to and is going RIGHT AT GARNETT instead of backing down so often.
THis series might be too little too late but we are developing something special here.
O yea, cut Vlad. There is no EXCUSE for his poor rebounding and senseless D effort. It's horrible.
Posted by: Korey | June 15, 2008 at 11:40 PM
LAKERS SHIFT PRESSURE TO CELTICS…
It wasn’t pretty but the Lakers got the job done tonight sending the series back to Boston, and putting the pressure on the Celtics to avoid becoming the first team to blow a 3-1 lead in the NBA Finals. As the Celtics may soon regretfully learn, you don’t win NBA championships by failing to close out the most dangerous player in the league when you have the opportunity. You just don’t give a cat like Kobe additional lives.
There better not be any Lakers fans left who don’t truly understand or appreciate now how very valuable Andrew Bynum is to the future of the Lakers franchise. I love Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom and they are perfect players for the Lakers provided Andrew Bynum is there to control and dominate the paint on offense and defense. It was painful watching the lack of interior defense as Paul Pierce shredded the Lakers defense.
It was also painful watching Pau and Lamar both tossing up weenie shots rather than
throwing down dunks. It will be such a pleasure next year seeing us dominate the paint and the glass at both ends of the court with Drew dunking everything, blocking every shot in the lane, and dominating and controlling the air around and above the rim. Andrew Bynum will truly be the beast that tames the rest of the NBA next year.
I was surprised by both the points and boards that Pau and Lamar posted for the game. Despite playing soft, both guys managed to be effective and played pretty good 1-on-1 defense. But man what the hell ever happened to our team defense on pick and rolls and penetrations? Mark Jackson and Jeff Van Gundy were right about the Lakers defense. But there have been periods in this series where we played great team defense.
Kobe had a great 1st quarter but Pierce had an even better 2nd quarter. Pierce did a better job defending Kobe than Kobe did on him most of the night but Kobe still got last laugh with a clutch steal from behind on Pierce and a breakaway dunk. I have to confess that I never thought much of Paul Pierce as a basketball player but he is definitely the heart and soul of the Celtics. The biggest joke is Kevin Garnett, choking 3 free throws late in the 4th. The Big Ticket continues to show why he could never win big in Minnesota.
Ray Allen once again did his late game disappearing act but the Celtics older and more experienced bench again outplayed the Lakers younger and less experienced back ups. Vujacic again had a horrible shooting night and only outstanding play by Jordan Farmar, driving fearlessly to the hoop for several key baskets, played well for the Lakers bench. Farmar also did a much better job on defense, getting a steal and a block.
Bottom line, the series is going to Boston and all the Lakers have to do to complete the greatest comeback in NBA Finals history is win the next two games, something that no team has ever accomplished since the 2-3-2 format was initiated at the Celtics request. But what better way to cap off this storybook perfect storm of a season than to steal the next two games and the 2008 NBA Championship from the Celtics on their home court?
If the Lakers can win on Tuesday night, you can bet that the Celtics sphincters will not be able to hold back the landslide of terror and flood of feat that will take over their bodies. The embarrassment will be a monumental reversal of the comeback against the Yankees and will send Boston’s sports universe into another frightening drought of losing.
And if you think that Doc Rivers isn’t worried, then you really don’t know basketball. The Lakers have nothing to lose in Boston and the Celtics everything to lose. It reminds me of the old stories about Bill Russell and the balloons that the Lakers never got to drop. As Kobe said earlier, we are now in the Final Four. Win two and you’re the champs.
Tom
Posted by: LakerTom | June 15, 2008 at 11:41 PM
BK/AK,
Superb analysis tonight. Was "Staying Alive" an inspiration tonight or have you been saving it for the right occasion? Or do you just scroll through your Ipod? LOL. Perfect title - only thing missing was the picture of the BeeGees.
Tom
Posted by: LakerTom | June 15, 2008 at 11:44 PM
All you true Lakers fan out there, come out and show some heart and loyalty. I get annoyed with these so called fans that starts talking trades and such! True Laker fans support Laker players especially who plays their hearts out even though they are obviously outmuscled! I've been a Laker fan since i was a little girl way back in the mid 80's! I will always support Laker basketball and Laker player, even butterfinger Kwame! Don't bash Pau, without him, we would not be here in the Finals!
Posted by: Hyns | June 15, 2008 at 11:49 PM
Now we have to some how transfer the energy/aggressiveness to Boston in order to get our first win there. Won't be easy. They're gonna get more calls in their favor, but hopefully not too much.
They made history. Now it's our turn.
Posted by: ajax | June 15, 2008 at 11:54 PM
It was ugly. They didn't play smart. But they played their hearts out tonight.
They deserved to win!
Posted by: other Tom | June 16, 2008 at 12:07 AM
Does anyone know if there's a rule against Posey tapping Kobe's feet on that late 4th quarter dunk?
Dirty play ... I'm glad LO got in his face.
Posted by: sepho | June 16, 2008 at 12:10 AM
The way to stop Paul Pierce on the pick-n-roll with KG is for Pau to show hard and either block him from moving laterally or, at the very least, moving laterally himself to keep him from turning the corner to the basket and also pushing him too far away from KG to pass the ball back. That's how Boston defends Kobe on the pick-n-roll.
That means Paul either switches directions, tries to flop and make it look like Pau fouls him or gets the ball to KG who would be open somewhere on the perimeter. In Boston, KG shoots much better but I'd rather go with those odds than watching Pierce continually throw his body towards the basket a la Ginobli/Wade.
Posted by: lakers_sth | June 16, 2008 at 12:10 AM
ONE LOSS FROM ELIMINATION, TWO WINS FROM REDEMPTION…
That’s where the Lakers find themselves after a series-saving win tonight over Boston. Heading for Beantown, the Lakers have nothing to lose at this point as the national sports media and NBA Finals history have already declared the LA team as “toast.”
But a funny thing is going to happen as the Celtics return home. Suddenly, the pressure is going to shift to them to come through and close the Lakers out. Suddenly, questions begin to arise about which team is the clutch team. Tonight, it was the Lakers.
Tonight, the Lakers Big3 made the clutch plays to win the game down the stretch while the Celtics Big3 faltered. The Celtics wanted this game very badly. The last thing that Doc Rivers wanted to do was to have to return to Boston for Game 6 against Kobe.
But two big steals by Kobe Bryant, a couple of great boards by Lamar Odom, and a key block and basket by Pau Gasol allowed the Lakers to hold off the Celtics at the end and stave off elimination and send the series back to Beantown for Game 6.
Meanwhile, Paul Pierce twice coughed up the ball at crunch time, Ray Allen again shot a poor percentage, and Kevin Garnett in typical fashion showed why he is not prime time by choking 3 critical free throws to personally quench a potential Celtics rally
Having shown that they have survived their meltdown from Game 4, the Lakers should be loose as a goose when they hit Boston. You can slowly see and feel the momentum and shifting to the Lakers and the pressure mounting for the Celtics.
I think all the Lakers have to do is to take Game 6 and Boston will literally crap in their pants and roll over for Game 7. Celtic fans are already starting to worry that another one of those Boston sports disaster like the Patriots losing the Super Bowl is on the way.
You know what? I think they are right. Smell the fear in the air. Boston celebrated a little too early again. Lakers are in the Final Four. Two Games from Redemption.
Tom
Posted by: LakerTom | June 16, 2008 at 12:20 AM
Laker Tom,
Ask and ye shall receive. haha
Actually, I had planned on putting in the pic when I got home. I just wanted to get out of Staples.
AK
Posted by: Andrew Kamenetzky | June 16, 2008 at 12:21 AM
The Celtics are in trouble now that Pau Gasol has showed up to the party!
"See you at the party, Richter!"
Posted by: ajax | June 16, 2008 at 12:21 AM
I'm so glad I don't read the blog during the games. You people are crazy (granted not all, but pleny) trade this guy, fire this guy, that one's soft that ones dumb. Have some gd faith already. This team has taken us further than we imagined it could. Let's see if they can't just grab some more history.
Pau or Kwame simple as that. If you want the kwam back, back a nice cake and keep calling pau soft. he's why we're here morons.
If there is one thing that I learned from our laker teams is to never give up. Never. I learned that lesson in 04 when timmy hit that fade away falling down jump shot with .4 left. It was clearly the pivotal game of the series, and losing it meant I just knew we were done. I was so pissed I almost turned off the TV. I was convinced otherwise, and THANK GOD! Derek fisher proved that its not over til its over.
I should have learned that in 2000, in 2002, or in a virtual plethora of games I've been blessed to see kobe and our guys play in (down 27 to dallas, down 20 to toronto, just this series down 24 to boston in boston, etc etc.) Truth is the fat lady might be warming up, but she ain't singing yet.
So after all the heartache thursday, All the doom, all the frustration, shock, disgust, vomit, headaches and tears.... what did we learn??
THAT ITS NOT OVER TIL ITS OVER.
And that goes both ways. The final is BEST OF 7 not best of 5. You need 16 wins to be champs, not 15. Sure the odds are against us and boston's got a 15 game to 14 game lead, but have some faith.
Like I said after the loss, victory is only as sweet as the defeat that walks beside it. The more you have lost, the sweeter it will be when you win. Similarly, for us to have a historic team, that overcomes the odds, to become legends of our time and space, they must face great odds and great challenges.
Well folks, that's what we've got.
Ain't it wouldn't yall to have just a little faith in our guys. I mean if the purple and gold have taught me one thing, its to never turn a game off till its over.
And this baby ain't over yet.
WIn or lose, my lungs will be sore, and my throat torched, I don't know about you all but I got my boys back til the end.
Lakers today, lakers tomorrow, lakers forever
Posted by: jandro | June 16, 2008 at 12:22 AM
Dear Lakers Fans....
Can somebody or Lakers assistance coaches teachs RAMANOVIC AND SASHA of how to slide their FEET on D?
GO LAKERS.....
Posted by: aq | June 16, 2008 at 12:22 AM
Sepho,
Remember the scuffle between Odom and Posey?
Van Gundy said he can understand why players would take issue with him. He continues to play until the end, or well after the play. JVG was trying to be polite.
On at least 2 occasions in the series, Posey fouled Kobe after the foul. He pretends he didn't hear the whistle. He must be deaf and dumb as he also doesn't notice that everyone on the floor stops playing as he continues to foul.
Everyone is all WOW about Celtic defense. We may be slow, play poor team defense, and not rotate properly, but at least we play fair. Celtics and their little tricks don't play up and up. And the hard fouls in the first 3 series? Too much. To their credit, their not playing us that rough.
How come we didn't bust out the instant bruising and fake blood while they were playing in LA? Should've been good for a suspension or two!
Posted by: mel | June 16, 2008 at 12:30 AM
"I just wanted to get out of Staples."-AK
I'm pretty sure you just have to press the "easy button" for that, right?
Posted by: ajax | June 16, 2008 at 12:31 AM
Korey,
Thanks for the link to the Hollinger article. You’re right. “Our” boy Jordan did have a great game. I loved when Kobe went right back to him after the airball and he swished the 3-pointer. That was a Kobe Clone play all the way.
Jordan’s aggressive offensive play really puts pressure on Boston to keep Rondo in the game rather than Sam or House, which then allows Kobe to roam and cause havoc on defense. Great strategic move by Phil and great play by Farmar to make it work.
The Celtics are going to be very sorry they didn’t close out the Lakers. You don’t give cats like Kobe extra lives to come back and kill you. Big mistake by the Celtics.
Tom
Posted by: LakerTom | June 16, 2008 at 12:32 AM
Yes, way to step up Lakers! I'm very proud of this team to bounce back after that tough loss. Showed us some guts and PASSION!
Loved Gasol and Odom's aggressiveness tonight. Farmar was great and I hope he keeps attacking the rim.
Our young players are hungry and are further motivated by this win. I hope this may be the spark that will ignite everyone to play tougher, better and smarter.
Our D was ugly and hope they will adjust for the next game.
The pressure is all on Boston. Hopefully they buckle under the stress while we attack like we've done all year.
Let's do this Lakers and fans!
Posted by: Ice | June 16, 2008 at 12:39 AM
Kobe and Fish have been doing their post-game chats with their kids on their laps. Since Laker tickets are too expensive, any chance I could sneak into Staples as Coby Karl's "toddler" if I dress like one and sit on his knee?
Posted by: ajax | June 16, 2008 at 12:42 AM
I think the B side of that BeeGees hit starts:
Feel I'm goin' back to Massachusetts
Your blog is good, as it's been all through the finals.
I thought PJ's observation that the play tonight would not be good enough to win in Boston was both humble and wise.
Tonight's game was very touch and go all the way through. Either team could have suddenly gotten run off the court, but for timely play by their stars. It wasn't discouraging to me - I thought the Celts showed good poise. But I would have been heartened by the play of the Lakers, if I were one of their fans, because rather than a "Here we go again" reaction in the 2nd Quarter, the Lakers regrouped and finally won a 3rd quarter.
I would have preferred a different outcome, but I enjoyed the game.
Posted by: Rumplestiltskin | June 16, 2008 at 12:45 AM
AK,
It’s great to have a Laker fan at the helm, Andy. Frankly, I don’t know how Brian can resist donning the purple and gold. Are you sure he is not a zombie?
You know your audience like a poker hand and play your fans like a Johnny Chan. You are the Brothers of Blog-Sync-Think.
Great job, tonight guys. Thanks much.
Tom
Posted by: LakerTom | June 16, 2008 at 12:47 AM
Ray Allen’s daughter rushed to hospital, diagnosed with diabetes
This has been mentioned on multiple news stations, but at the conclusion of game 5, Ray Allen had to leave for an issue with his daughter. It is being reported his daughter has been diagnosed with Diabetes (type 1 or 2 was not specified).
You may know this about myself or not, but I have been an insulin dependent diabetic since I was 8 years old. I know the pain - and blessings - it has brought to my life. On behalf of the entire staff of TheLakersNation.com, especially myself personally, we want to send out our thoughts and prayers to Ray and his entire family. At the end of the day, basketball is a positive influence in all our lives, never surpassing family and love.
Ray, we give you and your family our best wishes.
- TLN Staff
Posted by: mj | June 16, 2008 at 01:04 AM
AK, according to SportsZone on ABC, Ray Allen's daughter was unfortunately diagnosed with diabetes earlier today.
Posted by: Alena | June 16, 2008 at 01:11 AM
LAKERS: WELCOME TO THE FINAL FOUR!
16...15...14...13...12...11...10...9...8...7...6...5...4...3...
Posted by: Amazing_Happens | June 16, 2008 at 01:20 AM
Hey, I gotta say I haven't really liked your analysis BK....
Pau Gasol was by far the MVP of this game, with his aggresiveness and court intelligence. Bryant played awful, and he doesn't deserve to be placed in the "good" department.... Let's check some stats:
ASSISTS?
Kobe Bryant 4
Lamar Odom 2
Pau Gasol 6!!!!
TURNOVERS
Kobe Bryant 6
Lamar Odom 4
Pau Gasol 0!!!!
I mean, C'MON... PAU GASOL clearly the MVP of this game.
GO LAKERS!!!!!
Posted by: santibcn | June 16, 2008 at 01:22 AM
Yes, I am happy about the win. However, once again I have to complain about the man in charge (Phil J). First of all, a hall of fame coached team should not have trouble closing out games like this time and time again. Up by 5 or 6 with less than a minute left, Phil should be losing his voice telling his players over and over not to give up a 3-point shot. However, we see it time and time again. Phil said that Pierce really got hot during the second quarter. Wake up Phil, anyone will look hot if they are shooting layups alll night. Has anyone suggested to the players to maybe not play Pierce chest to chest. Give him more space!!! If he continues to beat us with a jumper, then we should shake his hand and tell him congratulations. However, we cannot continue to let him blow by our defenders and shoot layups all night. Give him space!!!
Wake up Laker nation, Phil J needs to go.
Posted by: B. Bryant | June 16, 2008 at 01:34 AM
I only started hanging out (quietly, with few posts) on the LA Times Lakers blog a couple of seasons ago. I am a fan of a couple of NBA players (who I will leave unnamed) on the Lakers team, that is how I came to the LA Times.
I have a ton of blog/forum/message board experience. I reside in a large city with its own NBA team which I support by attending games, buying merchandise and hanging out in our blog(s). I am an NBA fan at the extreme.
I watch the playoffs (and regular season as well) with my laptop between me and the HDTV 10 feet away. I read the blogs of whatever team I am watching. Again, as a fan of the Lakers and my own local team, these are the two I watch the most.
So why am I writing? I am writing because while reading the LA Times Lakers Blog during games, I land up getting so disgusted and irritated with many of those who post that I start to reconsider which team I am rooting for. The fair-weather fans of your town are ridiculous! A player throws up a miss and 5 people start screaming to “trade him” “bench him” what the “*uck is PJ thinking?” Or how about the people who think that everything is a conspiracy and the refs are on the take? This topic alone would take hours and thousands of words to refute…AND, I would be the first person to concede that there have been some things “that make you go hmmm” over the years. But facts fly in the face of most of the conspiracy crap.
The refreshing thing is that I still come to this blog because outside of game time, many of the posts are thoughtful, rational, and a good read. Thanks for that. Game threads? At least 80% are jaw drop stupid. That’s when I start reconsidering my affection/affiliation with the Lakers. I have more than once started to want (not “think” Boston will win, ‘cause they probably will) Boston to win out of disgust of the ignorance and knee jerk crap I read during games.
What’s my point? Good people in here, but the rational and smart ones mostly post outside of games. Many (not all) of the ones who post during game threads need psychological referrals, medication, or a padded room. I bet the K brothers (without their well being affected) would have a much harder take than I on this – shoot, the poor guys have to live this 24/7…or thereabouts. I only have to do it a few hours (10 during playoffs) a week.
Seasoned LA Times blog folks are probably chuckling to themselves and thinking, ‘you’re only just now getting this’? Yeah, I am only just now getting this. I think in order to remain a Lakers fan I need to NOT read this blog during games. The psychos come out during games on this blog!
Go Lakers!
Posted by: dwh | June 16, 2008 at 01:41 AM
OK, Kobe is the greatest player in the league, but why doesn´t he inspire more from Magic than from Air? He has been a terrible ballhog the whole series, with poor, poor percentages, and the team could take real advantage of the double and triple teams that the Celtics set on him. It happened in game 4, during the first half he was all about passing and was not obsessed with scoring. Odom was in state of grace and Pau doing his job. But someone told him his stats and he went all crazy shooting at the second half.
Don´t misunderstand me, Kobe is the key player on this team, but how in hell can Pau and Odom contribute if they don´t get the ball? Look at their percentages and compare them to Kobe's. It is PJ's job to keep his star cool.
Posted by: Javier | June 16, 2008 at 01:55 AM
mj,
It would be type 1 diabetes. She is either highly deficient in insulin production or she can't produce her own insulin. It's quite serious. She will require artificial insulin for the rest of her life. Type 1 diabetes is synonymous with insulin-dependent or childhood onset diabetes.
Type 2 diabetes occurs in adults. Risk factors include genetics (very big factor), overeating, obesity, and particularly eating lots of refined sugars. The insulin secretion system becomes less responsive as a result of a continued onslaught of simple sugars in the bloodstream. When that occurs it becomes difficult for the body to regulate blood sugar levels resulting in many complications. Type 2 diabetes can sometimes be controlled by conscientious control of one's diet.
That's a crappy blow for Ray Ray. I'm sorry to hear it.
Hopefully, Ray Ray does the responsible thing and skips the next two games to take care of his daughter. I cannot endorse that move more.
Posted by: Benjamin | June 16, 2008 at 02:47 AM
I'd also like to give Phil props for finally riding the hot hand, Farmar this time. In so many other games, it seems like Phil would have subbed him out.
Nice stats by our PF/C, good effort, decent defense even though we had so many breakdowns.
Good job fans at Staples! We heard you loud and clear.
We still need to get back to standard defense. More one on one, stick with your guys (especially outside shooters), and stay the (bleep) in front of your guy! Don't force him away from the help. That happened (as JVG pointed out) like 20 times this last game...
Let's send this thing to game 7 and unleash the mamba!
Posted by: Benjamin | June 16, 2008 at 02:51 AM
LakerTom,
Andrew who? Dude, we have a game Tuesday with no Andrews. Focus. The time is now. We can think about the future when this thing is over.
Posted by: Benjamin | June 16, 2008 at 02:53 AM
Phil said it best:
“We're young enough and dumb enough to be able to do this.”
Posted by: Benjamin | June 16, 2008 at 02:55 AM
Kobe Bryant's averages in PTS and FG % during the Finals in his career. As you can see, he's done very well when the going get tough. He's also shown to be clutch and a great performer during the Finals.
Awesome stats. Thanks to Lakers.com for providing these.
Without a doubt, the most overrated player ever.
Pacers - 15.6 Pts, 36 FG %
76ers - 24.6 Pts, 42 FG %
Nets - 26.8 Pts, 51 FG %
Pistons - 22.6 Pts, 37 FG %
Celtics - 26.4 Pts, 42 FG %
Surprised this fact hasn't been brought up by the national media.
Strange how not one of the reporters have asked Kobe why his shooting percentage and production are dramatically lower than his regular season stats.
So Bryant being a big game performer is more than fallacy. It's the absolute truth.
Need a reminder? Just rethink yesterday's game. This is the Lakers season on the line. The biggest game of the year. The biggest game of Bryant's career (1st Finals appearance as head honcho).
What does he do?
Shoot poorly.
How can one be considered "clutch" if they don't perform on the biggest stage?
Sure nobody expects 100% success rate because that's impossible.
But LOOK AT THE STATS. Bryant's performed MISERABLY in his career in the Finals.
Those shooting percentages and drop off in production is disappointing for ANY player.
Let's alone the supposed "best player" in the game.
Look at the stats again.
Stunning, huh?
The truth may hurt but it's better to wake up before you're too deep inside the rabbit hole.
-Jeffs Aho
Posted by: Jeffs Aho | June 16, 2008 at 03:33 AM
The LAKERS are going to WIN BIG Time in GAME 6 @ BOSTON!
Then the Championship will be theirs for the taking come GAME 7.
LAKERS will be the 2007-2008 NBA CHAMPS!!!!!!
Posted by: BrownMamba24 | June 16, 2008 at 03:44 AM
FROM PALM BEACH, FL
BONJOUR GUYS,
NO ONE EXPECTS US TO WIN, BETTER LIKE THIS= WE HAVE TO CORRECT OUR DESTINY FROM GAME#4
MARCH MADNESS!!!!!!! TWO MORE LEFT= HERE IT COME OUR HISTORY
GO, GO, GO, ALLEZ, ALLEZ , ALLEZ LAKERS= "IT' AIN'T OVER" SAID MY MAN, KOBE
LETS APPLY THE SONG OF RICKY MARTIN TO MOTIVATE US: CUP OF LIFE= O'BRIEN TROPHY
1] - The OBRIEN TROPHY, this is the one.
Now is the time, don't ever stop
Push it along, gotta be strong.
Push it along, right to the top
[2] - Como Cain y Abel, es un partido cruel.
Tienes que pelear, por una estrella
Consigue con honor, EL TROFEO del amor
Para sobrevivir y luchar por EL
Luchar por EL (YEAH)
Do you really want it... (YEAH)
DO YOU REALLY WANT IT?
YES, YES, WE REALLY WANT IT, WE REALLY WANT IT, WE REALLY WANT IT!!!!
OUR TEAM LIKES MAKING HISTORY NOW IT'S TIME FOR US TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE UNPREDECENTED ONE= UN, DOS, TRES, OLE, OLE, OLE, UN, DEUX, TROIS, ALLEZ, ALLEZ, ALLEZ!!!!
GUYS, LETS FOCUS OUR GOOD VIDE IN OUR TEAM, WE HAVE TO FIGHT FOR OUR DESTINY EVEN AT THE LAST MINUTES.
UN, DEUX, TROIS, ALLEZ, ALLEZ, ALLEZ= WIN#2
GAME 6= THE HEART OF A CHAMPION= 100% GUARANTEEE
ADJUSTMENTS WE NEED= AGGRESSIVENESS, FOCUS, DEFENSE, CONSISTENCY FROM START TO FINISH= NO MORE BLOW OUT= OUR DESTINY IN IN OUR HANDS
MANDO FLORES DE ROSAS TO OUR TEAM FOR THE EFFORT.
BISOUS A TOUS
SHEKOBE FOREVER
Posted by: SHEKOBE | June 16, 2008 at 03:55 AM
Good Morning, Morning Crew: JohnnyP. Bozz, Toad, “Pig” Miller, Fearless,
JustAnotherMambaFan, Edwin Gueco, EastCoastJessie, PsychedLakerGirl,
SemiLakerGirl, LakerTom, Tha_Show, Tim-4-Show, LakerMan420, Karynar
Welcome: VA.LakerGirl, NovoLaker, ThePsychologist, , UBUNTU KILLERS
In_The_Zen_Master_We_Trust
*__________________________*
I STILL BELIEVE - BANDWAGON
*__________________________*
(01) CHARLES - I WILL FOREVER BELIEVE!!
(02) LAKER_TRUTH - "In a season of the improbable, the impossible WILL happen"
Keep hope alive.
(03) LAKERTOM - WILL FIGHT TO THE END
(04) EASTCOASTJESSIE - JUST MADE HER STRONGER. LAKERS DON’T GIVE UP!!
(05) LAKERFAN24 - Just will make victory sweeter - I STILL BELIEVE
(06) JOHNNY - LAKERS FOREVERr!
(07) KOBE_BEST - YES HE IIS!.
(08) MAMBA – GO OUT WITH YOUR GUNS BLAZZING KOBE!!!
(09) JUSTANOTHERMAMBAFAN - NEVER GIVE UP!
(10) MAGICMAN - NEVER SAY DIE!
(11) JANAYA - NOTHING & NO ONE CAN BREAK MY BELIEF
(12) TOAD – I STILL BELIEVE, DO YOU?
(13) TIM-4-SHOW - We have 1 weapon, they have 3. IT'S TIME FOR 81!
(14) AMAZING HAPPENS - LETS ROLL!
(15) EMMOS – I’LL NEVER GIVE UP
(16) JOHN_IN_HOUSTON – NEVER! EVER GIVE UP!
(17) HOPE – HOPE & FAITH!!
(18) DPK – BELIEVE!!!! ONE GAME A T A TIME
(19) BOZZ - No way I, nor our Lakers and their TRUE fans, will roll over, no matter what.!!!!
(20) MAMBA24FAN4LIFE – LAKER FOR LIFE!!!
(21) #4 - WE’RE STILL STANDING, I ALWAYS BELIEVED
(22) DO_YOU_SEE_WHAT_I_SEE – YOU MUST HATE IN ORDER TO WIN, CLASS MY @SS!!
(23) BOCALAKERGIRL – HARD PILL TO SWALLOW BUT I STILL BELIEVE!
(24) LARRY OF LA - GREAT SEASON NO MATTER WHAT
(25) FEARLESS - GO DOWN WITH BEST WEAPON
(26) ETERNAL_OPTIMIST - LAKERS WILL STAGE EVEN GREATER COMEBACK
(27) JON K - LET THE DYNASTY BEGIN - DON'T FEED THE TROLLS
(28) FIRE32 - WE MUST GO ON Laker colors STILL -FLYING HIGH OUTSIDE MY HOUSE.
I don't know, but for some strange reason I still feel like it's going to 7 games.
(29) KOREY - until that final curtain call, I wont give up on my team. It's really just time
to unleash Kobe.
(29) BAYWOOD - It's hard to do but we all know that these are Our Lakers. We love them
and they do bring us a lot of joy and life lessons (good and bad as always)
(30) RICHTOWN - I love the lakers. Always have always will - but the only way they live this
down is to win the whole thing in boston
(31) HMRHED - I don't know if they can pull it out -- likely the answer is no, but if they lose it
Will hurt like '84. It won't hurt like '04. In '84 you knew the Lakers were just starting. But in '04
You knew it was ending. This is just starting --- enjoy the precess of the making of a dynasty.
(32) CBUCK - RALLY THE POSSE AND GET READY FOR A FIGHT
(33) ZEN - No matter what happens, it's been a successful year for the Lakers.
(34) THE OUTLAW - I HAVE BEEN BELIEVING ALL SEASON
(35) LAKERS UNSTOPPABLE - Come on, we can make a difference! Celtics just got
lucky man! IT AINT OVER
(36) BILLY IN SLO - I FEEL BETTER ALREADY
(37) SOUNDWAVE - PROUD CITIZEN OF LAKER NATION
(38) LAKERFA ZE - Ready to give it our all on Sunday.
(39) MRBARNEYDANGLES - LAKERS YESERDAY, LAKERS TODAY, LAKERS
TOMORROW, LAKERS ALWAYS
(40) LAKER_SMR - Lakers, we can do this! It is possible and we have the pieces to do it.
The first quarter showed it with defense and offense. All together now!
(41) TRULY_BELIEVE - Have faith in PJ and his pupils.. The series is not over yet so
STOP feeling that it is... MARK MY WORD: Lakers will create NEW HISTORY by winning this
series. We have to win on Sunday, one game at a time. LAKER WILL MAKE YET ANOTHER
HISTORY AND IT WILL READ: THE BIGGEST COMEBACK EVER: i truly believe..
(42) utzworld THE BANNER HOLDER - We thank You for answered prayer and we thank
You for all of Your blessings. For we know You turn GREAT FAILURES into GREAT
WINNERS in the end...
(43) PC - I will always root for the Lakers, but I'm finding it harder and harder to root for a
bunch of tissue-paper soft millionaires.
(44) LAKERBANDIT - Count down to Bloody Sunday.... boston will bleed.
(45) HOPING - It is literally not over. If we win on Sunday, anything can happen. As for Kobe,
it's time to walk the talk. These are your brothers, remember? Keep the brotherhood going in
these difficult times and lead them out of this hole. I still believe. I will believe until the last game
necessary has been played.
(46) SHEKOBE - I STILL BELIEVE IF WE LEARNT FROM THOSE MISTAKES OF THE LAST 4
GAMES, WE STILL CAN DO IT. SUNDAY GAME IS THE LAST GAME, THE LAST BATTLE:
WIN OR STAY HOME! PHIL WILL HAVE THE ANSWER. I STILL BELIEVE BECAUSE OF 9rINGS
(46) SAMLL - As sure as the sun rises in the East and sets in the West, there is always hope.
The series is not over. There are still 3 games left to play. Who's to say the Lakers won't be
the first team to come back from a 3-1 deficit to win the title? As I always say, the ball is
round... it can bounce wherever you want it to go. Remember 4 the hard way? Well, this
is it, folks! It's now down to 3 and we have to win all of them. How's that for a hard way, huh?
(47) Faith – Never Give UP NEVER SURRENDER
(48) FATTY – DITTO – NEVER GIVE UP NEVER SURRENDER
(49) cdub0512 – WE GOTTA HAVE FAITH. I BELIEVE!!!
Posted by: Mamba24 | June 16, 2008 at 05:28 AM
We need to force a game 7 to somewhat gain the respect we lost in game 4. We could easily have been up 3-2 if not for our immaturity and lack of focus after building a big lead in game 4. We just picked a bad time to lose the first home game of the playoffs. I think the 2-3-2 format puts too much pressure on the team without home court no to lose a home game. It's very difficult to win 3 straight games. However, I will be able to TALK SHIT for YEARS if we pull this off!!
Posted by: Doc4Da LakeShow | June 16, 2008 at 06:01 AM
Great effort by the Lakers. A couple of things I hope for in Game 6 -- perhaps start Farmar with Fish, Kobe, Lamar and Pau. I think dribble penetration really shakes Boston up, especially if Pau and Lamar are both in the high post. Boston has a tendency to show high and Farmar is fast enough to dribble to the basket. I'd also like to see the entire team forego the three point shot, at least for a half, and just drive to the hoop. And of course, play the pick and roll!
In retrospect, I wish Phil had emphasized before the series started that the Lakers are the underdogs, not the Celtics, etc, etc, etc. I know it sounds corny, but I think that kind of stuff plays well in the right situation. I think Doc Rivers has been able to use that "chip on the shoulder" mentality to motivate all of his guys.
I also agree with LakerTom -- no matter what Van Gundy or Jackson say, the Celtics were not happy to lose last night and are now starting to wonder, ever so slightly.
Posted by: teamn | June 16, 2008 at 06:12 AM
Close game or blow out, I don't care. The bottom line it's going to 6. What I do care about is, Why Kobe hasn't been Kobe all series long and will he be?
I just don't see any promise that the MVP will show up this series. I still think this is going 7, but I don't think it's going to be b/c of Kobe. Judging by Kobe's body language before, during and after games, I think Kobe knows it to.
Posted by: Fire32 | June 16, 2008 at 06:27 AM
LAKERTOM:"And if you think that Doc Rivers isn’t worried, then you really don’t know basketball. The Lakers have nothing to lose in Boston and the Celtics everything to lose. It reminds me of the old stories about Bill Russell and the balloons that the Lakers never got to drop. As Kobe said earlier, we are now in the Final Four. Win two and you’re the champs."
OUTSTANDING LakerTom!
Posted by: Mamba24 | June 16, 2008 at 06:31 AM
*_________________________________________*
WE ARE THE FREAKIN LA LAKERS!
I STILL BELIEVE – BANDWAGON – Never say Die
*_________________________________________*
(01) CHARLES - I WILL FOREVER BELIEVE!!
(02) LAKER_TRUTH - "In a season of the improbable, the impossible WILL happen"
Keep hope alive.
(03) LAKERTOM - WILL FIGHT TO THE END
(04) EASTCOASTJESSIE - JUST MADE HER STRONGER. LAKERS DON’T GIVE UP!!
(05) LAKERFAN24 - Just will make victory sweeter - I STILL BELIEVE
(06) JOHNNY - LAKERS FOREVERr!
(07) KOBE_BEST - YES HE IIS!.
(08) MAMBA – GO OUT WITH YOUR GUNS BLAZZING KOBE!!!
(09) JUSTANOTHERMAMBAFAN - NEVER GIVE UP!
(10) MAGICMAN - NEVER SAY DIE!
(11) JANAYA - NOTHING & NO ONE CAN BREAK MY BELIEF
(12) TOAD – I STILL BELIEVE, DO YOU?
(13) TIM-4-SHOW - We have 1 weapon, they have 3. IT'S TIME FOR 81!
(14) AMAZING HAPPENS - LETS ROLL!
(15) EMMOS – I’LL NEVER GIVE UP
(16) JOHN_IN_HOUSTON – NEVER! EVER GIVE UP!
(17) HOPE – HOPE & FAITH!!
(18) DPK – BELIEVE!!!! ONE GAME A T A TIME
(19) BOZZ - No way I, nor our Lakers and their TRUE fans, will roll over, no matter what.!!!!
(20) MAMBA24FAN4LIFE – LAKER FOR LIFE!!!
(21) #4 - WE’RE STILL STANDING, I ALWAYS BELIEVED
(22) DO_YOU_SEE_WHAT_I_SEE – YOU MUST HATE IN ORDER TO WIN, CLASS MY @SS!!
(23) BOCALAKERGIRL – HARD PILL TO SWALLOW BUT I STILL BELIEVE!
(24) LARRY OF LA - GREAT SEASON NO MATTER WHAT
(25) FEARLESS - GO DOWN WITH BEST WEAPON
(26) ETERNAL_OPTIMIST - LAKERS WILL STAGE EVEN GREATER COMEBACK
(27) JON K - LET THE DYNASTY BEGIN - DON'T FEED THE TROLLS
(28) FIRE32 - WE MUST GO ON Laker colors STILL -FLYING HIGH OUTSIDE MY HOUSE.
I don't know, but for some strange reason I still feel like it's going to 7 games.
(29) KOREY - until that final curtain call, I wont give up on my team. It's really just time
to unleash Kobe.
(29) BAYWOOD - It's hard to do but we all know that these are Our Lakers. We love them
and they do bring us a lot of joy and life lessons (good and bad as always)
(30) RICHTOWN - I love the lakers. Always have always will - but the only way they live this
down is to win the whole thing in boston
(31) HMRHED - I don't know if they can pull it out -- likely the answer is no, but if they lose it
Will hurt like '84. It won't hurt like '04. In '84 you knew the Lakers were just starting. But in '04
You knew it was ending. This is just starting --- enjoy the precess of the making of a dynasty.
(32) CBUCK - RALLY THE POSSE AND GET READY FOR A FIGHT
(33) ZEN - No matter what happens, it's been a successful year for the Lakers.
(34) THE OUTLAW - I HAVE BEEN BELIEVING ALL SEASON
(35) LAKERS UNSTOPPABLE - Come on, we can make a difference! Celtics just got
lucky man! IT AINT OVER
(36) BILLY IN SLO - I FEEL BETTER ALREADY
(37) SOUNDWAVE - PROUD CITIZEN OF LAKER NATION
(38) LAKERFA ZE - Ready to give it our all on Sunday.
(39) MRBARNEYDANGLES - LAKERS YESERDAY, LAKERS TODAY, LAKERS
TOMORROW, LAKERS ALWAYS
(40) LAKER_SMR - Lakers, we can do this! It is possible and we have the pieces to do it.
The first quarter showed it with defense and offense. All together now!
(41) TRULY_BELIEVE - Have faith in PJ and his pupils.. The series is not over yet so
STOP feeling that it is... MARK MY WORD: Lakers will create NEW HISTORY by winning
This series. We have to win on Sunday, one game at a time. LAKER WILL MAKE YET
ANOTHER HISTORY AND IT WILL READ: THE BIGGEST COMEBACK EVER
(42) utzworld THE BANNER HOLDER - We thank You for answered prayer and we thank
You for all of Your blessings. For we know You turn GREAT FAILURES into GREAT
WINNERS in the end...
(43) PC - I will always root for the Lakers, but I'm finding it harder and harder
to root for a bunch of tissue-paper soft millionaires.
(44) LAKERBANDIT - Count down to Bloody Sunday.... boston will bleed.
(45) HOPING - It is literally not over. If we win on Sunday, anything can happen.
As for Kobe, it's time to walk the talk. These are your brothers, remember? Keep
the brotherhood going in these difficult times and lead them out of this hole. I still
believe. I will believe until the last game necessary has been played.
(46) SHEKOBE - I STILL BELIEVE IF WE LEARNT FROM THOSE MISTAKES OF
THE LAST 4 GAMES, WE STILL CAN DO IT. SUNDAY GAME IS THE LAST GAME,
THE LAST BATTLE: WIN OR STAY HOME! PHIL WILL HAVE THE ANSWER
(46) SAMLL - As sure as the sun rises in the East and sets in the West, there is
always hope. The series is not over. There are still 3 games left to play. Who's to
say the Lakers won't be the first team to come back from a 3-1 deficit to win the title?
As I always say, the ball is round... it can bounce wherever you want it to go.
Remember 4 the hard way? Well, this is it, folks! It's now down to 3 and we have to
win all of them. How's that for a hard way, huh?
(47) Faith – Never Give UP NEVER SURRENDER
(48) FATTY – DITTO – NEVER GIVE UP NEVER SURRENDER
(49) cdub0512 – WE GOTTA HAVE FAITH. I BELIEVE!!!
(50) EDWIN GUECO - Go Lakers, get them 3 in a row we believe in miracles.
(51) PSYCHED_LAKER_GIRL – I STILL BELIEVE
(52) LA_MENTAL - If their is a Father's Day loss it is going to sting Kobe, especially if
his daughter's are at the game. I really hope Kobe gets the win for Father's Day.
I'm still in shock and in mourning over the loss, I can't imagine how the players feel.
Hope for the best Lakernation...but prepare for the end..
(53) SPOKANLAKERFAN – We all BELIEVE
(54) MELOS - Last night after the game I was berated by my boyfriend for being "too
positive" I told him not to get ran over by the bandwagon on the way down. Yes, I am
disappointed. Yes, I am upset but I am a Laker fan and this series isn't over until the Celtics
win 4 games and last time I checked they have only won 3. It will be a difficult road but if the
Lakers pull it off we will make history! Si Se Puede!!! Lets Go Lakers!!!
(55) TULLY MOXNESS - I'm with the rest of you in feeling down but never hopeless. Go Lakers!
(56) STEVE HARTMAN – CBUCK MADE HIM BELIEVE!
(57) DODGERBLUEBALLS – WE STILL BELIEVE!
Posted by: mamba24 | June 16, 2008 at 06:34 AM
Keep the boston bigs in foul trouble and beveta gives the lakers another day.
Too bad the 3rd best team is representing the west
fire stern the man is a menace
Posted by: Hoboclown | June 16, 2008 at 06:39 AM
The Lakers live to fight another day despite PJ crazy sub patterns. Not to mention that it was his stupid choice to start Luke instead of Ariza on Pierce which gave PP confidence and by time Ariza came in Pierce had gained the edge in regards to exposing the lineup Phil put in the game.
PJ was again outcoached by Doc Rivers and should be flogged unmercifully by Jerry Buss, and Mitch Kupchak should be scolded for signing Luke for 6yrs 30million and giving Phil a clone to play in a crucial game that we needed to win.
AK/BK make sure you stay on PJ and expose his dark plans to take over Laker Land!
Posted by: chuck23 | June 16, 2008 at 06:54 AM
We UCLA fans don't like the analogy of the Lakers in the Final Four. It hasn't been good to the Bruins recently.
Posted by: rdlee | June 16, 2008 at 07:15 AM
Boston is favored by 3 Tuesday.
Now why is it Boston has been favored by 2.5, then 1.5 and now 3 in their home games, and LA has been favored by 8.5, 7.5 and 7 in their home games?
Posted by: john_in_houston | June 16, 2008 at 07:19 AM