Fear can hold you prisoner, hope can set you free.

LakerTom said:"Hi, my name is DT and I am a Fakerholic."

Being a true fan doesn't mean being optimistic 100% of the time. What are you going to say if the Lakers lose this series?

When you see a team playing with no heart, they deserve to be called out on it. I'd rather see a 46-36 Lakers team with limited talent play their hearts out and lose than a 67 win team loaded with talent play well below their potential, disrespect their opponent, give up 20+ point leads over and over again, see a coach like PJ, who instead of coaching and motivating like Pat Riley, just fiddles while the Lakers get burned.

I want to see a Lakers team that plays consistently game after game, makes free throws, defends on every play, plays team ball, and generally tries to play the game the "right" way. That's the type of Lakers I want to see.

So if a Fakerholic is someone who wants to see the Lakers become that type of team, then call me a Fakerholic!

That totally ruined Mother's Day for me. The effort was non-existent. Pau Gasol stood around and did absolutely nothing all game...LO did the same...Bynum sucked too.

I'm rooting for my team on Tuesday but we can't claim we want to win the championship and go out and play like this. Somebody should've been knocking Brook's head off at some point in that game. He needed one good hit to keep him out that lane.

I'm pissed! Go Lakers! Ugh!

Well, where is Pig Miller and his adoration of koby, the most questionable recipient of an MVP this league has ever seen?

Aren't the greats supposed to have a killer instinct? Steve Nash will tell you yes.

Like I've been saying, if not for Amare's injury, the SUNS would be playing HOU right now.

I didn't bother to watch this game, but I will need to catch it on the replay.

HOU missing its two top playas, and they humiliate the lackers - I LOVE it!

The rockets big 3 shoots a combined 4 of 19 and we lose??

would someone tell the lakers that the playoffs are actually here ?

theres no excuse for that performance...actually its become boringly predictable that the lakers can't get up for such games.The regular season is one thing but a playoff game is something else.I'm disgusted quite frankly...its jsut pure arrogance thinking you can stroll out and smoke somebody...anybody in the playoffs.

Of course the lakers will win the series and everyone will soon discover that denver got has been looking good against a couple of shoddy teams...

but

you have to get up for the playoff games no matter who is on the floor...

Yeah, Hugo, I was visiting my mom and missed the game too. My spirits are still very high.

The only good thing about losing Game 4 is that will definitely win Game 5!!!!!!!

If I know anything about my Lakers, they will not lose a big game.
I'll bet you that when I go through my TiVo'd version of the game back home, I'll find a Laker team that just is isn't in to it.

I've seen it all year and they come back fine in the next game.

hog

I'm generally a PJ fan but he stubbornly left Fisher in too long when Farmar played really well in the last game. As it turned out, Shannon Brown was probably the only Laker player who played a good game. (Pau got 30 but was lazy on defense.)
And PJ should be saving Fisher's legs for the Denver series bec. Billups is a strong, very experienced PG and we will need Fisher's experience and strength.
Another nice thing about Shannon was even though he got his minutes when the Lakers had a big deficit, he was never out of control and played good defense. That really separates him from Farmar who can get out of control and is not a strong defender.

Laker Tom,

Thanks for FAKERHOLICS ALERT!!!

>>> FISHER NEEDS TO RETIRE. Old. Can't defend. Can't shoot anymore. Can't do anything.
>>>Hi, my name is TOM and I am a Fakerholic.

This Fakerholic (and a bunch of others) drove me off the live gamethread chat. It's one thing to criticize a particular move or shot or any other specific action (or non-action). It's completely different and unacceptable to attack an individual.

Is D-Fish challenged against an Aaron Brooks? Absolutely. Are his best days behind him? Probably. But he still has a lot of value to this Lakers team. Calling him OLD at age 34 is just cheap name calling.

The game drove me crazy. Phil's failure to call a time-out during the initial Houston run made me ballistic. I admit being responsible for a post that wondered if he was still alive. But that's just one of the HOF coach's inexplicable characteristics with which I frequently disagree. That's different than posting that Phil is an IDIOT, as some have done.

In Game 4, the Lakers left themselves wide open for scores of criticism. Magic Johnson says their play was "embarrassing." I'll add my comments in the next thread. But for now, let's separate the Fakerholics from the Lakerholics. Name calling isn't legitimate criticism. "Old" and "idiot" are words that say more about the poster than the target of their venom.

A major value of this blog is the quality of the discourse. You, Jon K, Blitz, laker_sth, Faith, Psyched, justa, keifo, mrbarneydangles and others too numerous to mention bring light rather than meaningless heat. It's become necessary to see who's posting to know whether it's worth reading. Thanks for calling the Fakerholics out.

I don't agree with your conclusion DT, but that was a really good post.
Perhaps, something the coaching staff should have shown to the players before the game, that the Rockets are arguably better without Yao.

When will Jackson finally bench Fisher, he was decent on defense 10 years ago. He couldn't hit a 3 pointer when it matters to save his life !!!

he should definitely be retired !!!

Wow, after watching the post game interviews, it really didn't seem like the Lakers were to concerned. I guess if they're not going to care, we fans shouldn't either.

Uh boy.

yeah they played a bad game.
yeah it was embarassing.
but there gonna come back
why is everyone trippin'?

yeah they played a bad game.
yeah it was embarassing.
why is everyone trippin'
if they won nobody would
be hating on them right now.

Shame Shame Shame

or is it

Sham Sham Sham

Never Ever give a team the confidence to think that they can actually win.

Houston won 22 games in a row last year without Yao and McGrady

It's time for the Lakers to put up or shut up. And play some freakin defense.

LAKE SHOW was a NO SHOW!!!

We've seen this act during the regular season. At sacramento, at Miami, at Minnesota etc; the list goes on; but in the regular season, u get to play some teams that suck so u can still pull off a win...

AND NOW, the post season;

game 1 and 4 rockets; game 3 jazz, LOSS/LOSS/LOSS!

For a good team to play well consistantly it takes 3 things;
FOCUS/INTENSITY/PRIDE !!!

THIS starts with the head coach and team leader.

Phil has to teach it, Phil has to preach it, AND kobe has to enforce it.

Laid back coach causes laid back play. Simple as that. You can tell when Phil has cracked the whip; you can tell when kobe wants to attack. This shouldnt have to be after embarrassment; this should be everygame. IT'S CALLED PRIDE.

watch the difference... LAKERS will show up tuesday. They've done this all year.

I GOT LAKERS IN 6.
(beat houston!!!! PERIOD!!!! ... talk about denver/cleveland/boston/orlando and whomever when we get there. We have to shoot down a couple of more rockets 1st)

LAKER FAN FOREVER!!!

I agree wit ECJ and knock Brooks on his arse when he drives but hard foul playing the ball. Hack like they do to us.

I don't think the coaches should have blamed the players at all about the energy stuff. The coaches should be blamed first! They did not prepare the players for the fast pace Rockets, by knowing Yao would not play!, There should have been an adjust before the game started.

Remember Clutch City?

Bad coach and bad coaching. Bad game plan, bad substituion, and bad moltivation. Nothing wrong with the Lakers, everything wrong with the coach.

Two biggest reasons why we lost today.

1) We lost because we lost our poise and composure. Everyone knew the rockets were coming out on fire, but as a team he had to take that initial first hit and counter attack. When we had a chance to counter attack we turned the ball over, missed layups, missed wide open three point shots and we did not move the ball.

This game reminded me of the final series last year when Paula faked an injury. In that same game we lost our poise and composure. We pressed too hard in that game trying to throw the knockout punch since one of the opposing team marquee player was out, rather than taking the game one possession at a time.

2) Coaching...Phil should have called a timeout when the rockets came out blazing. He needed to settle his team down, and remind them one possession at a time and to stop pressing so much.

And for the love of God, Phil needs to start Brown. Brown is our best point guard at this very moment. He pushes the ball better, and his shooting is more accurate than Fisher. Plus, he is full of energy. While Brown was on the bench he was on his feet bouncing up and down waiting for his team to play like he knows they can play.

If Phil doesn't have the will to tell Fisher to come of the bench especially in this series, Fisher should tell Phil to bring him of the bench for the sake of his team, the Lakers organization, and Lakers fan. If Luke can tell Phil to start Ariza over him, Fisher should do the same too. Fisher has the makeup to be a good bench player and instant offense from the bench, which we are currently missing right now.

We will win the next two games convincingly because we won't press so hard like we did tonight. We will limit our turnover and go back to the basics.

This is SO EMBARASSING!! It's sad when you're a loyal Lakers fan and they play STUPID like this!!! From now on, I will root for the team that the FAKERS play against. YOU GUYS SUCK!!! I'm so ashamed to be a fan...

Posted by: Rob | May 10, 2009 at 03:34 PM
========================================

And you should be... you are not even have to be considered a fan.. a fan is a fan... wherever the team goes.. he goes...that's why we are called fans...

Go Lakers! Go Kobe...

A loss is a loss.. let's move on and win another one...

Houston Trolls feed on fear.

Don't feed the Trolls.

Yes, this was a painful loss, not because we should feel without hope, just because we are better than this.

Well, I stated that this series would go six games. It looks like the Lakers have an opportunity to prove me right.

What do we play for? RINGS!!!!

Lakers Today... Lakers Tomorrow... Lakers Forever.

GO LAKERS!

Kobe and Phil did not set the tone for this game. Kobe allowing Battier to score 11 points in 4 min and Phil not calling a TO and not starting Farmar against Brooks. Game planning by Phil was terrible by not using laker bigs to punish smaller rockets. Way too many long range jumpers when we have 4 guys on our team bigger then anyone they have in uniform. Open Message to Phil Jackson: Stop using GASOFT as a 5, He is obviously the tin man getting out muscled by 6"5 Chuck Hayes. This guy is soft as a baby's bottom. I have never seen softer play from a supposed 7 footer in the playoffs in all my years of watching bb. Bynum is a mental midget, he should be dominating instead of riding the pine lookin unconcerned. BYNUM GROW/SHOW UP. This guys work ethic is suspect also. He made no progress in the 6 days the lakers had between series. This guy shoulda been gettin ready for a battle instead he comes in the series and does NOTHING. The guy cant even hold on to a pass or intimidate 1 rocket. Play Mbenga Now!

Who's THE MAN?

Playoff Basketball is a game for MEN.

The Lakers showed up as chickens. They barely looked like high school basketball players.

I agree with Charlie Rosen at FoxSports (who use to coach with Phil Jackson) who wrote:

"In short, the Rockets displayed every characteristic that the Lakers LACKED: HUSTLE, TOUGHNESS, PASSION and INTELLIGENCE."

These four characteristics were in all of Phil Jackson's 9 championship teams and Magic Johnson's 5 championship teams. They were overwhelmingly tough, hustling, mature, passionate, and intelligent teams. Only Phil Jackson's 3 Lakers championship teams had some problems with immaturity - Kobe and Shaq and one shooter, whoever he was. But the rest of the team were mature men, who made up for the egos of the stars. The other teams had MEN through and through - not boys - as this Lakers team is filled with. If any teammate had a problem, Jordan, Pippen, Magic, Cooper and other teammates would quickly set them straight.

I don't know if Kobe can do this with his teammates. This is what LeBron James has over Kobe - outspoken leadership qualities. Derek is too quiet to lead on the court. Pau Gasol defers too much. This team lacks a leader who can change the game as it occurs in real time on the court.

If anything, Phil Jackson should be more hands on with this immature, leaderless bunch of guys called the Lakers. He should call time-outs sooner and REAM REAM REAM AND REAM the guys who are slacking off, daydreaming, lagging, who are not on the same page, who aren't focused, who aren't hustling, on the court.

Perhaps these Lakers should drink some coffee before the game to wake themselves up.

This team is exhibiting to LITTLE SOUL. Dammit. Their walking zombies.

Maybe, they should beat a side of beef like Rocky did in his movie. Perhaps some coach instead should push them up against the locker door and YELL AT THEM. Someone has to wake this team up so that they can stop playing like the sissies they have been.

Where is their love of the game? All I see are spoiled jocks clocking their time card in for a fat check.

Come on guys. When are you going to show up and inspire the kids in this economy? When are you guys going to be heros?

When are you going to put everything on the table, give it everything you've got so that you do not have to hang your had with shame that you lost?

Dammit.

I do not yet see the HEART OF A CHAMPION in this Lakers team.

ScoLandry,

You are right about the Lakers looking past the Rockets. They may have been saying the "right" things by saying that Rockets are good at overcoming adversity blah blah blah, but in the Lakers players' minds, they were looking forward to the Nuggets series.

The difference between this team and the Lakers threepeat teams is that the threepeat teams turned it on in the playoffs. That Portland series in 2000, when the Lakers gave up a 3-1 series lead was more of Portland being a great team and the series could have just as easily been 2-2 at that point, so I wasn't surprised that Portland was able to tie it 3-3. But this team is something completely different. Not going after loose balls, not blocking out, etc. I've never seen such inconsistent play from a Lakers playoff team. I just don't understand why they can't play like every game is important. Why they don't have a sense of urgency.

Magic was right that this Lakers team should be embarrassed. Not that they lost, but because they let a wounded animal bite them in the neck and now they have a huge fight on their hands. If they lose this series, it is worse than Van De Velde or the 2004 Yankees.

What I'm seeing here from a lot of "unflappable" Laker fans is a sense that our guys will "wake up" for Game 5 and respond with a win.

And that may be true.

But it is beside the point.

The problem is that our guys feel like they have the luxury of sleeping on the job because they'll always wake in time.

But if they give 2 games like that to their opponent in the next round, their luxury becomes a crisis. This is what I think is nagging many upset fans here.

We suffered through uninspired play, the biggest choke in Finals history, and one of the biggest routs in Finals history, to our team's No. 1 Rival, and said, "this won't happen next year."

We watched this team give up huge leads from November to April, along the way getting swept in regular season series by lottery teams, and said, "they'll be all right in the playoffs."

We watched this team give up huge leads in the first round and said, "they'll turn it up in the next round."

We watched this team lose homecourt advantage in this series in the first game, and said, "they've learned their lesson, they'll get serious now."

Now, the issue persists, the team is in a fight for its life (and may not yet realize it), the conference finals and Ghosts of 2008 loom, and the rivals for the title look lean, hungry and merciless.

Maybe we should be a little more concerned, instead of simply insisting everything's going to be all right.

I want to believe that. But every time I start, this Los Angeles team gives me another reason to worry. The latest of which was today's disgrace.

Yea - this team is the most pathetic group of sissy girls I have ever seen!! Just disgusting. Even if they win this series which is questionable - these types of losses are totally inexcusable. Ok to lose - but not how they did. Unbelieveable - I can't believe they can even show their damn faces. I'm sick to be a fan of this team - actually no longer. I hope they lose already.

Dont ever underestimate the heart of a Celtic!

BIG BABY!!!

Fisher does what Jackson tells him to do.....Coach is either too loyal to his old players....Leaves Fish in no matter how bad he is outplayed, but pulls Farmar and Bynum at the drop of a hat..he is either too stuborn or he's brilliant

As a longtime Laker fan I have to say the WHOLE team today was a JOKE. Kobes prior comment that this years Lakers will not settle for anything less then the championship rings hollow.After todays game I am wondering if I should change to the Clippers. At least they put out an effort which is more then the overpaid jokes today did even if they lose. Today the WHOLE Laker team STUNK!. You put together a GREAT season only to quit today during the playoffs when its for all the marbles.Since everyone is looking for a well deserved apology from Manny Ramirez to Dodger fans for using steroids how about one from you Kobe for your teams LOUSY play today since they are your team after all and you are their leader? If this is how the team is going to play going forward then maybe you should consider opting out next year and going to a team of players that have the desire and drive to win once they get to the playoffs and a finals appearance with only 6 more games to win to get there. Get it together guys or you will be watching the finals on your T.V. at home and I will be looking for a new team to support. I cannot think of anything that would be more of a disgrace to the people of L.A. and the fans who support you but most important you disgracing yourselfs with another game like today.
GET IT TOGETHER NOW!!!!!!!!!!!

What does todays' performance dictate for team changes? How about Bibby takes over at PG, and if possible we land Boozer at PF, shedding Odom, Fischer and who else for cap space. We need an elite PG to run the show and make 3s, and some real muscle tough dude to buck up Pau and Drew.

Wow, people really need to chill on their critiques of the team. I'm not saying we shouldn't point out what they did wrong and what you would like to see them doing better but all the talk of disowning them and calling them out as losers and such, well that's just really not in my fan mentality. I've never gotten down on them that much even when we didn't make the playoffs. Appreciate what you have even when they don't win. At least you're not stuck rooting for the Kings, unless of course you want to jump ship in anticipation of their next resurgence. Don't worry though, y'all will be back in line when the Lakers are looking like contenders once again (game 5).

The Lakers are SOFT period!!! All they want to do is take turns shooting the ball. They need to become more reliable with each other and quit waiting on the ball. Their defensive skills are very very WEAK! Game 7 will be money for David Stern because he loves his referees. This game 6 was for financial purposes only for the NBA. The Lakers will NOT win any championship games because they are TOO SOFT period!!!!!!!!!! I'm tired of being a spectator for a championship caliber team who does not play on the level they should be playing. QUIT PLAYING SOFT......IT'S IRRITATING!