Most basketball fans and writers write the Lakers off as a one-trick pony. They think Los Angeles is a team with no heart. A team that doesn’t know how to win in a dogfight; a team that can only play from in front; a team that’ll give up a 3-1 series lead against the Phoenix Suns. But the Order of the Phoenix was last year's tale; this Lakers team has a different screenplay.
Facing the defending champion San Antonio Spurs in the playoffs for the first time since 2004, the Lakers had the match-up they always wished for. Knowing that the best way to get an NBA championship is to pry it from the hands of last year’s winners, Los Angeles welcomed the Spurs into Staples Center with arms wide open. The first half of Game 1, however, gave the Lakers much more than they bargained for. The Spurs jumped out to an early lead and never looked back. Their Big 3 – Parker, Ginobli, and Duncan – went on a scoring spree like determined basketball zombies that knew nothing else but putting the ball in the hoop (and eating brains).
The Lakers, never to be outdone on their home floor, tried to rally back into the game, but San Antonio slammed the door on them every time, going on streaks of their own until their lead had grown to an impressive 20 points! But that’s where the story of Spurs efficiency ends, and the Showtime saga begins.
In the second half, it was as if the Lakers flipped a switch somewhere and the hoop got a lot bigger. Sasha Vujacic started raining down threes, Gasol’s movement got him easy layups, Kobe woke up and hit some shots, and all those minor contributions from our bench players, like Farmar and Turiaf, came at just the right time. All told, Los Angeles went on a 14-0 run to end the third quarter, and outscored the Spurs 24-13 in the final frame. The 89-85 victory was a testament to the rarely-seen, neverending defiance of the LakeShow.
Kobe Bryant was a little slow out the gates, scoring only two (2) points in the first half, but when
he found his stride in the second, Oh believe me it was clear that he would lead the Lakers galloping to victory. Kobe scored 25 points in the second half, helping to erase San Antonio’s 20-point lead. He also led the game in assists with 9. King Kobe was so generous on Wednesday night that he even dunked a Tim Duncan miss back into the Spurs’ basket as a show of charity toward his exhausted opponents.
Most of all this victory protected the sanctity of Staples Center. A place where Lakers fans can feel safe from invaders, and where no deficit is too large to overcome. Los Angeles crushed the myth of the one-trick pony, and showed the world that Stable Center has thoroughly bred the heart of a stallion.
Game 2 this Friday should be another hard-fought battle. Saddle up.
Facing the defending champion San Antonio Spurs in the playoffs for the first time since 2004, the Lakers had the match-up they always wished for. Knowing that the best way to get an NBA championship is to pry it from the hands of last year’s winners, Los Angeles welcomed the Spurs into Staples Center with arms wide open. The first half of Game 1, however, gave the Lakers much more than they bargained for. The Spurs jumped out to an early lead and never looked back. Their Big 3 – Parker, Ginobli, and Duncan – went on a scoring spree like determined basketball zombies that knew nothing else but putting the ball in the hoop (and eating brains).
The Lakers, never to be outdone on their home floor, tried to rally back into the game, but San Antonio slammed the door on them every time, going on streaks of their own until their lead had grown to an impressive 20 points! But that’s where the story of Spurs efficiency ends, and the Showtime saga begins.
In the second half, it was as if the Lakers flipped a switch somewhere and the hoop got a lot bigger. Sasha Vujacic started raining down threes, Gasol’s movement got him easy layups, Kobe woke up and hit some shots, and all those minor contributions from our bench players, like Farmar and Turiaf, came at just the right time. All told, Los Angeles went on a 14-0 run to end the third quarter, and outscored the Spurs 24-13 in the final frame. The 89-85 victory was a testament to the rarely-seen, neverending defiance of the LakeShow.
Kobe Bryant was a little slow out the gates, scoring only two (2) points in the first half, but when
he found his stride in the second, Oh believe me it was clear that he would lead the Lakers galloping to victory. Kobe scored 25 points in the second half, helping to erase San Antonio’s 20-point lead. He also led the game in assists with 9. King Kobe was so generous on Wednesday night that he even dunked a Tim Duncan miss back into the Spurs’ basket as a show of charity toward his exhausted opponents.Most of all this victory protected the sanctity of Staples Center. A place where Lakers fans can feel safe from invaders, and where no deficit is too large to overcome. Los Angeles crushed the myth of the one-trick pony, and showed the world that Stable Center has thoroughly bred the heart of a stallion.
Game 2 this Friday should be another hard-fought battle. Saddle up.
1 comment:
san antonio is one of the dirtiest teams in bball - everyone from ginobli to robert horry. ref's are way too blind in the little things. pau needs some rage juice from rodman too.
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