SUNS -at- LAKERS -- 4/30 -- Thoughts and :-)) ratings
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PostPosted: Sun Apr 30, 2006 11:29 pm    Post subject: SUNS -at- LAKERS -- 4/30 -- Thoughts and :-)) ratings

Mission Impossible... The Lakers were down by 4 with 12 seconds left with Diaw heading to the line to shoot two freethrows. How do you pull off a win in that situation? Diaw missed a freethrow. Smush hit a three with 7.9 seconds left. Down by 2, Smush knocked a ball loose from Nash, tapping it twice away from him as they scrambled. Kobe got the ball from George, attacked like a panther in the open court and scored on a runner at the other end with 0.7 left in regulation.

Fast forward to the end of overtime, the Lakers were out of timeouts, trailed the Suns by 1 point and Steve Nash had the ball. Luke Walton tied him up on the blindside of a trap for a jumpball with 6.1 seconds left. On the jumpball, he tipped it to Kobe, who ran it down. As the clock ticked away, Kobe raced down court in panther mode again, rose up at the elbow with a couple men on him and swished a buzzer beater for The Stunner in Staples.

Phil and Kobe preached all the right things after the win Friday night, pinning this as a deperation game needed to hold home court advantage. The question was whether the young Laker team would buy into it.

The Lakers did a poor job at times of milking Lamar or Luke in the post. Luke barely got a touches in the second half and LO didn't get the ball most of the third and through some key stretches in the fourth.

In overtime, we completely abandoned our feeding of LO or Luke in the post for the first several possessions and the results were a couple of misses from three with the offense stalled. After a timeout, we went back to the post and Luke and Lamar teamed up for a key And-1. Steve Nash hit a killer three. Kobe cut it to one-point lead with a drive and layup...and then the fireworks followed with the tie-up, the tip and the dagger by Kobe for the 99-98 win.

"I knew Luke was going to control the tip," Kobe said in the Times. "I was just going through my calculations, looking at the clock, and just played the moment over in my head before I got the ball, thinking about how much time I would have to operate. Once I got the ball, I just took my time and got the look I wanted."

Phoenix has scored 107, 93, 92... and now 90 in regulation. The Lakers D tightening the screws slightly more in each game and holding the Suns to the low 90s in regulation in each of their wins. If they are going to close out the series in Phoenix, they need to remember one thing: Do Not Abandon the Post... keep feeding it inside, again and again.

Only four No. 7 seeds have beaten No. 2 seeds. Only seven teams have rallied from being behind 3-1 in a series. One of these stats will change.

Kobe -- -- This was a signature game. One of those classics that will be remembered and replayed again and again. Kobe Bryant rose to the occasion, not once, but twice...sinking a floater at the end of regulation after the steal by Smush and then hitting a buzzer beater in overtime that meant either going back to Phoenix tied 2-2 or going up 3-1. After he swished the jumper, he turned and held out a clinched fist and roared. He was mobbed by teammates and his bench and the Suns were stunned. He pounded his fist on his heart as Staples rained down a thunderous ovation. Kobe closed the game, but his teammates played nearly as big a role. Kobe struggled with foul trouble early and had to sit out nearly the entire second quarter, but we didn't lose ground. When the dust settled, he finished with 24 points on 9-14 shooting, 8 assists, 7 turnovers, 5 fouls and 4 boards in 38 minutes. Not eye-popping numbers, but certainly a virtuoso performance in the end. He scored an alley-oop and layup while the Miami game was still playing. He swished a tough baseline turnaround. He backed down Bell, turned and hit. He picked up his second foul with 4:22 in the first. He hit Lamar, who attacked off the dribble for a score, before getting subbed out shortly later. Back in to start the second, he drew a foul trying to post up. He was then called for a charge kicking out a pass just 54 seconds into the second and had to sit. Back in with 4.7 seconds, he got blocked, got it back and missed a heave at the buzzer. He started the second half slow, with a couple of turnovers. He then fed Luke in the post after drawing a double and Luke scored. He fed Kwame in the post for a score. He drew a double and kicked it to Sasha who hit the three. He attacked off the dribble, spun in the lane and hit a short jumper. Sweet two-man game with Kwame next time down, Kobe getting a good angle off the pick to get into the lane, then giving Kwame a return feed for the dunk. He drew an away-from-the-ball foul. He attacked and drew another foul now in the bonus and got to the line, making both FTs. He ran a two-man sequence with Lamar, and LO scored a layup. He backed down Barbosa and manufactured FTs, he missed both. He posted up, stepped into the lane and hit the short jumper. He was whistled for his fourth foul going up for a defensive board. He threw away a pass out of the double to start the fourth. Wow, another horrible cross-court pass easily picked off and the Suns scored the other way. He kicked out a pass in transition to George who swished a three. He drew his fifth on a push off on Bell. He was doubled off the dribble, then forced a bad leaning shot midway through the fourth. He attacked three or four defenders and drew a foul, he made both. Kobe missed a big three, tough desperation shot as we trailed. After Smush stripped and knocked the ball to George with 7.9 left, George gave it up to Kobe heading down court. Kobe attacked, moved to the right, saw Diaw coming and threw up a floater at the rim that swished to tie the game with 0.7 as Staples exploded. He took a little contact after that shot, too. In overtime, he attacked the lane off the dribble and drew FTs, he made both. Instead of going for a three, Kobe attacked the lane for the quick two on a layup with 11 seconds left. After Luke tied up Nash at tapped the jumpball to Kobe, he charged down court, rose up at the elbow and swished as the buzzer went off. That's right...pound that heart. Great job closing the game with the clutch shots to take advantage of some sensational defensive plays by teammates. "I told them we matured about 10 or 15 years today. There was a lot of growing up in this game," Kobe said. Kobe grew up a bit, too. He gave Smush a hug and was in his ear after that steal and Kobe's score. After the game, he addressed everyone of his teammates pointing out how each of them did something essential for the win.

Odom -- -- Big effort by Lamar. He was disheartened when he missed a layup with 35 seconds in overtime, but LO played huge. He led the team with 25 points on 7-16 shooting and caused all kinds of problems for the Suns, with 11-14 FTs. He should have had more. We should have fed him more, especially in overtime. He was an instant double, which was especially effective when that double came in the high post and helped us spread the floor and scramble the D. Lamar played a game-high 49 minutes to go with his game-high point total. Early on, he sank a turnaround while the Miami game was being played. He posted up, attacked and drew FTs, missing both. He pushed up the break, we turned it over and it resulted in a breakaway score and foul by Odom on the other end. He posted up Marion and drew a foul. He took a long three and missed, it resulted in a score the other way. He hit Luke with a bouncepass for a layup. He forced a jumpball on a shotblock on the defensive end. He attacked off the dribble when Kobe fed him and scored a layup. Nice work on the offensive glass to get a Luke miss and draw a foul, he made both. He was called for a weak second foul defending and alley-oop and he had to sit with 2:18 left in the first. He beat Marion off the dribble and shot an And-1 over the help defender (he made the FT). He took the ball in the high post and fed a cutting Cook for a score. He posted up again and drew an illegal D. After going away from Lamar in the post for several possessions, we went back to it, he kicked it to Luke who found Kwame for a dunk. He airballed a pull-up jumper. He worked the post, his pass was deflected, Smush got it and gave Lamar a return feed and he drew FTs at the rim, he made one FT. Nice help D block on Nash. On his first touch in the post at the 2:34 mark of the third, he drew a foul and FTs, he made both. Next time down, we ran a Kobe-Lamar two-man game and Lamar scored a layup. He turned the ball over on an inbounds at the end of the quarter and then was whistled for a goaltend. He missed a running three at the buzzer. He posted up out of a timeout, drew the double and found George for a three. He passed up the three, attacked the lane and scored an And-1, he made the FT. We finally went back to Lamar in the post and he overpowered Marion for an And-1 layup, he made the FT (huge play to cut the lead to 3). After not going to him for a possession, Lamar attacked on the next one and fouled out Marion, LO made both. He set up Luke, who hit Smush for a layup. Lamar got called for a huge charge on an attack late in the fourth. He missed an open three in OT. He scored an And-1 off a post feed from Luke, he made the FT. He missed a big layup on an attack that he should have had with 35 seconds. Great job by Lamar throughout the game. He needs to rest up because we need him to put the team on his shoulders again in the post. We hurt the Suns badly with that, but strayed away from it too much in key portions of the game.

Kwame -- -- This wasn't Kwame's strongest outing, but he still gave us a double-double with 12 points (4-12 shooting) and 10 boards in 34:49 of action. He charged off the pick and roll. He missed a FT jumper. Nice weak to strong curl cut and he scored off the glass. He missed a quick dropstep. He dunked off an interior feed from Luke. He drew contact, no whistle and missed. He didn't cut all the way and a Kobe return feed went out of bounds. Good hustle for an offensive board and he drew FTs, he made one. He banged in the post, went up and hit a jumphook. He was fouled trying to finish on a cut down the lane, he made one. He missed a post up, but jumped a passing lane in the backcourt and caused a turnover. Somehow he missed a two-handed And-1 dunk off a corner sequence in the Tri, he made both FTs (nice sequence, hope we see it more). He switched on Barbosa and drew a carry over call. He ran the pick and roll with Kobe, Kobe found him and Kwame threw down a rim-bending dunk. He missed a FT jumper. He missed a point-blank layup late in the fourth (that hurt). He missed an OT jumphook short. He was called for three seconds in the lane.

Smush -- -- The Crooklyn native pulled off the heist of the year by hitting a three with 7.9 seconds left and then picking Nash's pocket for the steal that Kobe turned into a game-tying hoop. Until that point, Smush had been putting together his worst game of the series. Until that point, Smush had looked every bit of the young player he is. Until that point, he had a forgettable game. No one will forget it now. He finished with 5 points on 2-12 shooting (1-5 from three), 5 fouls and 2 steals. He executed the offense poorly and had problems on D. Nash was scoring some early as Smush went under a few picks or we gave Nash easy layups. That wasn't pretty. He took a wild shot in the lane and missed. He neglected the post, settled for a three, missed and gave up a layup the other way. He tried attacking off the dribble on the next possession, tripped with no call and we gave up points on the other end. Nice job holding Diaw to a fade and miss in a post up switch (Nash was in Diaw's ear on the next deadball and later it cost us). He missed a wild runner with the clock low. He took a long jumper off the dribble and missed. He was whistled for a weak undercut foul on a lob pass. He drew a moving pick to get a stop at the end of the half. He picked up a quick foul, his third to start the second half. He missed a three. Nash blew past him for a layup. He missed a runner on the next possession and Phil subbed him out for Sasha. Back in, Smush picked up his fourth foul on another undercut on an alley-oop. Good non-shooting foul on Diaw on a switch to stop a basket. He scored a layup off a feed by Luke. He switched and Diaw scored around him. He slingshot a three over Nash and swished to cut the lead to 2 with 7.9 seconds left. Then the steal. Great job getting his hand on the ball to knock it loose from Nash, then he went at it tapping it away from Nash, then tapping it to George. "We all knew the ball was going to get to Nash because he's, what, a 90% free-throw shooter for the season," Smush said in the Times. "Coach said we want to foul but make a play for the ball. That's exactly what I did." He drew an offensive foul in on the D end in OT. He missed a three when the offense stalled. We were switching on Nash every time in OT and they attacked Smush in the post. Eventually, Phil switched Smush for Sasha to get someone taller out there. Look for this to be more of an exploited issue in the next game.

Walton -- -- We've been practicing our trapping D since the preseason. All that work came to play when Lamar cut off Nash in overtime and Luke blindsided him to tie Nash up for the jumpball. Nash wanted a foul, a timeout, something, but he got no help. Luke nearly missed the jumpball tip, but slapped it to Kobe on his second attempt. Prior to that, I thought we did a very poor job getting Luke touches in the post. He is effective with the ball in his hands and has been a key weapon for us in our previous games. We have to go back to it. Luke finished with just 6 points on 3-5 shooting, 9 boards, 4 assists and the 1 steal in 39 minutes. He scored a layup off a bouncepass from Lamar. He fed Kwame cutting for a score. He drew back-to-back fouls on Barbosa, then hit a turnaround over him all on the same possession. He missed a post up, but Odom got it back and drew the foul. He took the post feed from Lamar who was doubled and hit Kwame for a dunk. He posted up and swished his fallaway. His lack of touches in the second half of the game were costing the Lakers. We went to Luke once at the start of the half and he scored. He didn't see the ball again for a long stretch. He missed an open baseline jumper. He took a LO pass and hit Parker for a layup. Finally...finally...finally a post touch in OT and he fed Lamar for an And-1. That was big...and then of course the huge defensive jumpball to tie up on Nash with 6.1 second left. Get him the ball in the post more, please.

George -- -- Devean came to play. He answered the call in the fourth quarter where he hit some big time shots, three from beyond the arc...including one in the last minute of play. He finished with 11 points on 4-7 shooting to lead the bench scoring. He missed a three from the corner. He swished a pull-up jumper from 18 feet. He knocked down a big three early in the fourth when they doubled Lamar and LO found him open. Next time down in semi-transition, he swished an open three from the corner and the Suns called a timeout. Good sequence for George as we trailed by 7 and cut it to 1 with those shots. Major clutch three with a minute left to cut the lead to one. In overtime, he and Sasha messed up a pick and roll on Nash. We had been switching on every pick and roll and Devean went under, Sasha was on the hip of the screener and Nash had an open look for the big overtime three. Still, DG came up clutch for the Lakers in this one on the offensive end. Hopefully, he can string some more performances like this together.

Cook -- -- A mixed bag from Cook today. The Suns seemed to get some of their offensive boards while Cook was out there. He also seemed to gun it quite a bit, shooting 3-8 in 11:55 of action for his 7 points. He had just 2 boards. He drained a big three off a Sasha kickout early on. He pulled up off the dribble and hit a short jumper. Great weakside cut when Lamar had the ball in the high post, he got the feed and scored at the rim. He missed an elbow jumper. He bricked a bank out of the post and sat. Great hustle to tip a board to himself and reset the offense. He missed a three and a short jumper.

Sasha -- -- Sasha reminds me so much of DFish II in this series. He's hitting the clutch shots, playing feisty D, but also involved in some of the controversial screen-roll defensive problems. He and George messed up that overtime play to Nash to give up the three. Overall, though, he did a better job defensively than Smush. With our switching on screens, Sasha may have to play an even bigger role in the next game. He played 29 minutes in this one, scoring 9 points on an efficient 2-3 shooting (all from three). He had 5 boards, 1 assist and 2 fouls. Nice drive and kick to Cook for a three. He sank an illegal D tech FT. His man sagged off him on a screen and Sasha swished the wing three. He attacked the lane off the pick next time down and drew FTs, he made both. That was a key stretch with Kobe on the bench. In for Smush early in the second half. They doubled Kobe, Sasha got the kickout and swished the three. He missed a three, Nash pounded the ball up court but Sasha stayed with him and contested a miss. He couldn't come up with a loose ball that Smush poked away on the D end, fumbling it and hustling to the sideline trying to save it but couldn't. He came in for Smush late in OT when we were getting milked on the pick and roll mismatches and had the messed up three for Nash.

Phil -- 8) -- Phil's reaction off the Kobe overtime game-winner is classic. He sank back in his chair and folded his arms and looked around...either enjoying the moment or trying not to get too worked up... Key stretch for the Lakers in the first half. Kobe picked up his second foul and had to sit with 3:27 in the first quarter and the Lakers down by 2. A minute later, Lamar had to sit with his second foul. The Lakers trailed by 1 at the end of the quarter. They did a poor job at times sticking to the game plan in that quarter and paid the price... Kobe picked up his third a minute into the second and had to sit. We worked Odom in the high post, drawing doubles. Anytime we went away from it, we suffered... The Suns called a 20 second timeout to set up a two-for-one shot at the end of the half. They got called for an on offensive foul. Phil called his 20, we missed a quick three. On the D end, we got a 24 second violation and the ball back with 4.7. He brought back Kobe. He got blocked and got it back and missed a heave... The Lakers survived the first half without Kobe, ending up tied 41-41. All the work building up Kobe's support staff paid off in that stretch... Out of a timeout midway through the third, we threw a pass out of bounds. Not the kind of execution a coach wants to see... Lamar wasn't getting any touches in the first 9 minutes of the third quarter. We used Kobe's energy and Lamar got to rest a bit, but we weren't as effective as we could be in that quarter. It did help Kobe into a rhythm and Lamar to rest, but we needed to play it a little smarter and methodical... Lakers started giving up too many offensive boards. We are sagging back to pack the paint and make sure the Suns go one and out. The Suns, however, can crash the boards more if they want because we aren't leaking out... Out of a timeout a couple minutes into the fourth, we went to Lamar in the post, he got doubled and he kicked it to George for an open three. George hit another three in transition and we cut the Suns 7-point lead to 1 point... We didn't go back to Lamar or Luke in the post, forced some shots and the Suns pulled out to a 8-point lead midway through the fourth... Finally, Lamar in the post again and we get an And-1. We don't go back to it and we settled for a jumper next time down. We got LO the ball again and he drew Marion's sixth and FTs. Got to keep feeding Luke or Lamar in the post... Some George-Kwame defensive subs by Phil so we could switch on everything... Horrible offensive execution in the first several offensive sets of overtime, not getting the ball into LO in the post. We called a timeout trailing by 3 with 1:44. Finally, out of the timeout we got the ball into LO and Luke in the post we get an And-1... On the D end, Phil subbed in Sasha for Smush because of the post switches we were having to do every time down. Devean and Sasha got caught under a screen and gave up a three to Nash... The Suns evened up the battle on the boards in this game (42-41), which nearly got them the win... The Suns won the points in the paint battle 52-42 and only had a 6-5 advantage on the break... "I have been involved in a lot of wild ones, and that one was right up there," Phil said...
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NY_LakerFan
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PostPosted: Mon May 01, 2006 2:50 am    Post subject:

Great, great write up, DB.

I have to go back to the early Magic years to remember feeling such pride in our Lakers. I feel like such a freakin sap but the emotions are just incredible. When we were winning with Shaq and Kobe, quite frankly, I expected it and, although it was fun, it was nothing like the emotions I am feeling while watching this young team play such great basketball.

And PJ? I'll be damned if he isn't just about the greatest ever. Seriously. He upset a lot of fans around here with his substitution patterns during the season. We were all subjected to constant and disgusting references to "Puke" Walton ... attacks on Sasha's manhood ... on Odom's mentality, etc., etc. And, of course, when Phil admited that he cost us at least 5 games due to his insistence on letting these young players work through their own troubles ... so-called fans here at LG jumped all over that statement as proof of how awful a coach he is.

Screw 'em all!!! Phil's coaching and development of this young team was directly responsible for the mental toughness we saw last night and the execution under pressure.

GOD I LOVE THIS TEAM!!!!!
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PostPosted: Mon May 01, 2006 3:05 am    Post subject:

Great game. Great team win. Super game by the real MVP. Who did we trade to get LO?????
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PostPosted: Mon May 01, 2006 3:11 am    Post subject:

Much Appreciated Analysis on a Much-Appreciated Game Played by the Lakers!

Side Note: Isn't it interesting that Kobe was the key guy in our wins over the Suns while Shaq (the "$20M Per Year" franchise player) was sitting on the bench when the game was on the line with the Heats' game with the Bulls - also, his stats are progressively going down. Something that Laker fans saw in Shaq's last years with the Lakers. When the Heat loses and/or have to go to 7 HARD-FOUGHT games to win against the Bulls - it will be very satisfying and confirmation that Jerry Buss made the right decision?!?!?!

Question:
Bell's "in your face" defense of Kobe - why didn't they utilized more "back-door" plays (the natural counter of this type of pressure) to take advantage of the aggressive pressure on Kobe?

Did the Suns just bring far greater energy/focus (or Lakers didn't bring the same amount of energy) on rebounding that resulted in the stats being just about even or did they do something different? What can the Lakers do to effectively counter this?

Since the Suns found a "P&R" play that worked to their advantage when it involved Smush - is the best option is just to sub Sasha in, or is there something else that PJ can do (not switch, mix up how they defend it, etc.)?

Since this was a short "turnaround" between games, it appeared that PJ made a decision to focus on defense (especially during the 2nd quarter when Kobe was on the bench with foul trouble) while recognizing that rebounding and offense might suffer - though they were still even at the half. What can PJ do to maintain the needed energy on the court - use other players selectively (i.e. Turiaff, JJ, etc.)?

Kobe's TO - What was the cause behind Kobe's flat cross-court passes that were intercepted - were the Lakers not executing the offense well w/available outlets not being there?

BTW: Who was the dumb reporter who asked Kobe if this game/shot was more satisfying/better than winning a championship?!?!?! Huhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!!!
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PostPosted: Mon May 01, 2006 3:29 am    Post subject:

Superb win. It is up there with the best clutch moments of Laker lore- West's shot, Magic's skyhook, Horry's 3, .4 seconds and several others.

Defensively, we are having problems with the switches caused by Phoenix's two man game..often leaving our smallest guy on either Thomas, Diaw, or Marion. We need to adjust to that. Otherwise, Phoenix hit some tough shots. i think weabsorbed their best punch, but we still came out with a victory.

Offensively, as DB pointed out, we need to run this offense through Lamar Odom or Walton in the post. As Hubie Brown said, something good always happens when either of those two get the ball down there. We went away from that a couple of times in the 4th quarter. Nobody on their team can guard Odom...and if Walton or him ar trapped, they always find the open man for the best shot.
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PostPosted: Mon May 01, 2006 5:10 am    Post subject:

DB, thanks man. very happy endig for the lakers......
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PostPosted: Mon May 01, 2006 5:34 am    Post subject:

excellent write-up!!!
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PostPosted: Mon May 01, 2006 5:41 am    Post subject:

thanks, DB, more than ever...
after the game, at 1am here in milan, i was drinking champagne on my balcony...
but it's better if we don't forget that we needed two miracles to win this game... our defensive rotations were definitely worse than the previous games, and our d against p&r was very weak... and i'm more than happy with the team work, but kobe taking only five shots -if i remember correctly-in fourth quarter and overtime seems like an attempted suicide... i know that phil's strategy goes in other directions, but playing sometimes a p&r for kobe wouldn't be so bad...
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PostPosted: Mon May 01, 2006 5:53 am    Post subject:

I was driving a UHaul from VT to MI during the game. My GF kept me updated, and when she told me the news, I had to ask if she was kidding me. She told me she would not kid me during the playoffs. She felt bad cause I asked her to record it, but she messed up and only got the 3rd quarter. Ah well, at least I can read DB's recap!
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PostPosted: Mon May 01, 2006 6:04 am    Post subject:

For the overseas fan, with no access to watch the game, it's always great to read these recaps! Thanks DB!
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PostPosted: Mon May 01, 2006 6:21 am    Post subject:

thanks DB

D'Antoni actually made some adjustments aside from running more, and we struggled a bit. but we stole the win. such a sweet victory. any win is great, any playoff win is sweet, but this one is even sweeter because it was a TEAM win. this wasn't about kobe scoring 50 points. it was about everyone doing all the little things and coming away with a win.

I can't wait until game 5!
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PostPosted: Mon May 01, 2006 6:23 am    Post subject:

I cried like a big baby
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PostPosted: Mon May 01, 2006 10:08 am    Post subject:

Thanks DB!

Offense
1) It looked like the double teams inside were giving the Lakers problems, preventing easy baskets and passing.

2) The triangle just stagnated out there during key stretches. Poor off-the-ball movement which led to poor quality shots.

3) The Sun defenders were leaving Cook and Smush open just enough for them to catch but not get set, leading to them to put the ball on the floor. Neither is very effective trying to shoot off the dribble, and Smush couldn't take it to the hoop (foul trouble & refs liberally calling charges).

I realize that the Lakers are showing youth and inexperience, and that part of the problem is that the Laker front court didn't have much PT together during the regular season. What adjustments do you see Phil making on the offense in Game 5?


Defense
1) The switching on the pick-and-rolls was leaving us with some ugly mismatches for poor Smush. Will we see more Sasha, or do you see something else?

2) Rotations were not as crisp. Did you attribute this this to fatigue or confusion? Kwame in particular didn't look good, and in particular never got his concentation back when he was re-inserted later in the game.

3) Diaw has such a limited game... they've got to do a better job sticking with him during his inevitable cuts to the basket. I'd imagine you'd give him space for him to shoot, and have the defender guard the drive to the basket.


What adjustments do you see the Lakers making on defense, Game 5?
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PostPosted: Mon May 01, 2006 10:18 am    Post subject:

DB I'd feel sorry that you had to write so much but that game was so awesome I'm sure writing every word of it was a pleasure.
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Klone_dd
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PostPosted: Mon May 01, 2006 10:36 am    Post subject:

What a rollercoaster game! And two spectacular endings for the price of one.

Is there any question why there's Kobe and there's a NKPOG (Non-Kobe Player of the Game)? The floater to tie the game - how can anyone practice that? It was pure, didn't even wiggle the net.

NKPOG = Lamar for his heavy lifting during the game. Phx had no answers for him in the post. Either he scored, got fouled or assisted. All of his baskets were in the paint.

For all the young 'uns, take a look at Smushie's line. It was pretty ugly numbers-wise. He was bad offensively, getting torched defensively by Nash and whichever big he switched off onto. But he never stopped battling, never got so totally frustrated that he zoned out of the game and he winds up making 2 critical plays - the 3 and the Steal. Props to him. He said he was crying in the locker room afterwards.

angrypuppy, re: defensive adjustments. I think that with both Kobe & Lamar each having 5 fouls put a damper into how the team could've covered the P&R. Smush & Sasha were kinda sacrificed there, because the Lakers could ill-afford to lose either Kobe or Lamar. I can see a lineup of Kobe, Lamar, Kwame, DG and Luke to offset any big/small switching.
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PostPosted: Mon May 01, 2006 10:39 am    Post subject:

excellent insight once again..........

kobe has had shown all year he's the MVP, yesterdays game was just the icing on the cake....I know how everyone is starting to feel sorry for nash and everything, but kobe was robbed of it by bias writers and analyst n e ways....what a turn of events, game 5 in phoenix will be a crazy one....it aint over yet, but i smell blood in the air...GO LAKERS!
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PostPosted: Mon May 01, 2006 10:40 am    Post subject:

excellent insight once again..........

kobe has had shown all year he's the MVP, yesterdays game was just the icing on the cake....I know how everyone is starting to feel sorry for nash and everything, but kobe was robbed of it by bias writers and analyst n e ways....what a turn of events, game 5 in phoenix will be a crazy one....it aint over yet, but i smell blood in the air...GO LAKERS!
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sonofabuss
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PostPosted: Mon May 01, 2006 10:48 am    Post subject:

db, as always, thx for the post.

i just wanna add one little thing that seems to be overlooked regarding the OT trap... did anyone notice on that last inbounds to nash how sasha, after flopping on a 'shove' by nash, raced back up the court and forced nash into lamar? only after sasha's quick burst did walton come from behind and tie up nash. in my eyes, it was really sasha's great hustle that set up the lamar-luke trap.

fwiw, the first thing i was looking for in the replay's was pj's reaction. laughed when i saw it. took it to mean, "you've gotta be kidding me."
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LakersSpirit
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PostPosted: Mon May 01, 2006 11:10 am    Post subject:

I'm reluctant to reveal something very embarrassing, for a Laker Fan... I got mixed up with the gametime... I tuned in after the 3rd period had gotten well underway... I saw a see-saw battle. It looked like some of my worst fears had come true. We looked like we couldn't focus on the basket. The pressure was working on everyone's head.

It was one of those strange, magical games, that Lakers are supposed to have, in the playoffs. I began to get involved, as a fan. I played defense, along with the guys on the court... I won't reveal some of the more embarrassing, personal things... Let's just say that I started shouting, for Kobe to start penetrating more... I saw that we were being lured into playing their game. We had to get back together, as a team.
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Mr. EiGhTy-OnE
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PostPosted: Mon May 01, 2006 11:14 am    Post subject:

I'm still shocked. I was in attendence and when Bryant hit that shot I lost it. I still can't believe what I witnessed. Late in the 4th when it seemed like we were going to lose, I turned to my friend and told him that I wasn't going to go to another game with him (if we had lost, that would have been 0-3, when I go with him) Afterwards I told him he can go to a game with me anytime. I didn't think anything could match Fridays energy....boy, was I wrong. The love in the arena was magical. high fives were being exchanged by thousands of strangers. MVP chants started in the building, through the halls and out to Figueroa.

the best sign I saw was "you may have the matrix, but we have the one"

and man, "the one" did not disappoint

Lamar was so dejected in the timeout after he missed that layup. he stood with his head down and his hands on his knees through the entire timeout. Phil came over and gave him a pat of encouragement. It was great to see him celebrate the win with Kobe at the end.

Smush really redeemed himself. the guy next to me wanted Smush to foul out so that Sasha could come in. Smush was 1-10 before he hit that 3 and brought the staples crowd back to their seats. Smush was the first one out from the locker room at halftime, taking little floaters inside the freethrow line, trying to get his shot back.needless to say he missed most of them. at least he didnt miss when it mattered.

I remember thinking before Devean hit those 3's, why Luke wasn't out there. I sure am glad I am not the coach. Devean was HUGE

GO LAKERS!!

p.s. the $5 parking lot is now the $6 lot

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j.mob
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PostPosted: Mon May 01, 2006 12:48 pm    Post subject:

The great L.A. Lakers r back, 4sho! Suns out, bring on the Clipps!
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Sleepy
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PostPosted: Mon May 01, 2006 2:20 pm    Post subject:

I am just stunned right now. I just came back from a road trip. I had recorded the game, but of course, it ran long so I missed the end. I clicked on lakers.com and saw that L.A. won - then I watched the video and can't believe my eyes. WOW!!!! I'm SO MAD my recorded cut off the end of regulation AND all of OT. This may take some time to sink in.

Nash=MVP my arse.
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A Mad Chinaman
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PostPosted: Mon May 01, 2006 2:28 pm    Post subject:

angrypuppy wrote:
Offense
It looked like the double teams inside were giving the Lakers problems, preventing easy baskets and passing.
The Sun defenders were leaving Cook and Smush open just enough for them to catch but not get set, leading to them to put the ball on the floor. Neither is very effective trying to shoot off the dribble, and Smush couldn't take it to the hoop (foul trouble & refs liberally calling charges).
Some comments from PJ regarding this:
Suns were double-teaming LO & Kobe while pre-rotating to Cook so that he had to put the ball on the court (modified "Box & 2") The decided to take their chances on letting Luke (they want him to take shots instead of making great passes), Cook and Smush taking difficult (for them) shots.

angrypuppy wrote:
Defense
1) The switching on the pick-and-rolls was leaving us with some ugly mismatches for poor Smush. Will we see more Sasha, or do you see something else?

2) Rotations were not as crisp. Did you attribute this this to fatigue or confusion? Kwame in particular didn't look good, and in particular never got his concentation back when he was re-inserted later in the game.

3) Diaw has such a limited game... they've got to do a better job sticking with him during his inevitable cuts to the basket. I'd imagine you'd give him space for him to shoot, and have the defender guard the drive to the basket.

On "P&R" - maybe they can mixed up when they switch or have Smush go over the top quickly. When Smush is on Diaw (since Thomas rather be on the 3 point line), force him to the paint where the help is - instead of allowing him to spin towards the baseline.

On Kwame, IMO - its probably part fatique (mental fatique in the playoffs is a big factor that separates the men from the boys) and that Thomas was shooting well his 3 point shots that makes it difficult for Kwame to guard the paint AND go to the 3 point line. This might have PJ thinking of having JJ or Turiaff in the 1st half to apply strong defensive pressure on Thomas.

On Diaw - Hubie Brown shared that he would have the Lakers defender on Diaw stick with him when Nash drives the paint to force Nash to score all the time instead of getting his teammates involved. Then one has to block out Diaw when Nash misses.

On the Lakers "Energy Level" - the team is definitely expending a lot of energy on defense (transition & half-court) that has been effective. Hopefully, the longer period of rest (comparatively speaking) to the next game (as stated by PJ) will give the Laker players more energy. As stated above, PJ might be thinking about having McKie/JJ/Turiaff in short spurts in the FIRST HALF to wear down the Suns while providing rest for players such as Kwame/LO/Smush.

DB - thoughts on our questions?
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DancingBarry
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PostPosted: Mon May 01, 2006 3:20 pm    Post subject:

A Mad Chinaman wrote:

DB - thoughts on our questions?

I will try to get to them tonight when I have more time. I expected the Suns to start milking the switches more prior to this game to set up those low post opportunities. I think the Lakers will let Nash be a scorer to start the game in hope that it keeps others from getting involved, then they will try to tighten it up later with switches...if Kobe can stay out of foul trouble, I think you will see them finally put him on Nash late in the game. That will clamp down on that aspect. Hopefully, Kobe can avoid the flops and fouls for three quarters.
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A Mad Chinaman
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PostPosted: Mon May 01, 2006 5:24 pm    Post subject:

DancingBarry wrote:
A Mad Chinaman wrote:
DB - thoughts on our questions?
I will try to get to them tonight when I have more time. I expected the Suns to start milking the switches more prior to this game to set up those low post opportunities. I think the Lakers will let Nash be a scorer to start the game in hope that it keeps others from getting involved, then they will try to tighten it up later with switches...if Kobe can stay out of foul trouble, I think you will see them finally put him on Nash late in the game. That will clamp down on that aspect. Hopefully, Kobe can avoid the flops and fouls for three quarters.
For short period of PT, Kobe was guarding Nash on the perimeter - I think this was when Sasha was guarding Bell(?!?!)
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