Forum Blue And Gold

If you missed this game, I feel sorry for you and envy you at the same time.

The Lakers played hard tonight. Coming off a back to back game, I feared for how their legs would hold up. I feared how a young, talented, and vengeful Thunder team would take it to them mercilessly. I knew that the Lakers had a plan that worked but worried if they’d have the gas in their tank to execute it.

Early in this game, my fears and worries seemed to be misplaced. The Lakers looked to be the fresher team. They played a quicker tempo than expected and took advantage of their transition opportunities. After a rough start defensively, they found their stride on that side of the floor, getting up on screen actions and contesting shots. They pressured ball handlers and controlled the back boards. They played well.

Kobe Bryant was in full attack mode. He flashed his trademarked footwork but did his work quickly and decisively. He’d swing through, take two dribbles, and explode to the rim. He’d dribble once, slow, and then explode out of a hesitation move. He worked the post, turn and face, and then take a quick first dribble before elevating for his jumper. He drew fouls every which way imaginable. He was brilliant. Until he wasn’t. But we’ll get to that later.

Bynum, too, brought his ‘A’ game. He controlled the post offensively and had his entire arsenal going. On one possession he’d hit a middle jump hook. On another a turnaround jumper. Then, a couple possessions later, he’d sprint the floor for a dunk. After that he’d step through and draw a foul and earn FT’s.

Others also did well. Jordan Hill made an impact on the glass – especially on the offensive end. Ron hit some big three pointers and played hard nosed D, getting his hand on loose balls and helping to force turnovers. Sessions was again very good in getting into the paint and creating for others while Blake was also solid even though he had a rough shooting night.

Things were going well and this is why if you missed this part of the game, I feel for you. The Lakers were holding a lead in the 7 to 10 point range for most of the night and while they weren’t cruising, they were mostly in control.

Only thing is, with a team as good and as explosive as the Thunder, control is fleeting. And this is why if you went and saw the Avengers tonight or had a nice dinner with a loved one or if you simply got caught in traffic, I envy you. Because you wouldn’t have watched the Lakers surrender another lead down the stretch; you wouldn’t have had your heart broken for the 2nd time since Wednesday.

The Lakers led by 13 with 8:02 left in this game. When you lead by that much but then lose by 3 it’s a slow death; it’s stepping in a pit of quicksand. And when you lose that type of lead, it doesn’t happen because of a single play.

The Lakers played poorly on both ends. Things started to pile up and they didn’t have any answers for what the Thunder were doing to them. Defensively, they couldn’t slow Russell Westbrook. He was magical, creating shots out of nothing by sliding through the cracks of the Laker D and masterfully using every inch he was given. If the Lakers didn’t step out high enough on the P&R, he’d hit a pull up jumper. If they came out high and thwarted his first attempt to attack, he’d pull back and then attack again to find the crease he sought. He truly was something special tonight.

Offensively, the Lakers simply couldn’t regain their formula for success. OKC started to front the post w/ Perkins taking away easy entry passes to Bynum. Gasol was also fronted when he tried to post but he then countered by moving to the elbow area and shallow wing. With their bigs disrupted, the ball stayed on the perimeter but no one was moving or screening and the ball stuck to a single side of the floor but with few options for release. When this happens, Kobe normally ends up with the ball and he’s going to shoot it. We’ve seen this for years – it’s not a Mike Brown problem, the same thing happened under Phil Jackson. I’m not necessarily even going to blame Kobe here either. He’s on the perimeter and guys are looking for outlets. He’s a pretty aggressive guy in making himself available for the ball and doesn’t mind shooting. Maybe he could have done more to get everyone going. Maybe not.

In the end, Kobe’s play is just one piece of the puzzle though. Again, the bigs couldn’t carve out space. When Pau caught the ball (which, to be fair wasn’t even that often) he wasn’t assertive looking for his shot. The same could be said for Blake. When Ron caught the ball he had no problem shooting but due to his earlier success, he was being guarded more closely and was not afforded the type of open looks he’d already proven he could knock down.

And with all this going wrong, the Lakers gave up their lead. The Thunder chipped away, the Lakers continued to stumble and that was that. Pau’s errant pass and Durant’s dagger three were just the final bright neon signs that fancily displayed what had already been occurring for a full seven and a half minutes. I know those two plays will get the headlines – they were major plays in the final minute of a close game – but let’s be real here. Those plays aren’t even part of the equation if the full collapse wasn’t already on. They may have been the proverbial straw the broke the camel’s back but it’s really the million other straws that break it, no?

After a thousand words of this recap, though, I only have one last thing to say. There’s a way of viewing this that the Lakers have been the better team this series. They’ve only won a single game but have been mostly fantastic in two others with a tragic inability to close out what looked to be sure victories. To that, I say, that’s a nice story but the better team – the team that’s been favored to win – is the one that’s leading 3-1 in this series. Back when the Lakers were winning championships they were the team that would win this game in the way the Thunder did. No lead was ever safe; no game was ever really out of reach. And when the Lakers would win those games – under circumstances very similar to the ones that led to the Thunder winning this one – we’d all say that the Lakers were the better team. We’d say that they found a way to win. Well, give the Thunder credit because in game 4 they found a way to win, they were the better team.

AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill

Last night the Lakers won a game at the FT line and that seems to have sparked some controversy about the nature of the calls, the refereeing, and what that meant about the game. So, before I get into anything about game 4, let me say this…

When it comes to the refereeing, I’ve always taken the same stance: players can’t control how the game is called, they must adjust to it and go from there. When I’m frustrated with the refs it’s normally because they make it difficult for the players to adjust by not calling fouls consistently on both sides of the floor or from possession to possession; that a foul on one end, isn’t a foul on the other. Last night, I didn’t think that was the case. However, what I did think was that much more contact was allowed in the paint than on the perimeter. Thus, any contact around the rim was met with a shrug while guys on the wing earned whistles for slight grabs and holds – especially when they were receiving passes or making their initial move to the rim.

For the players, I’m sure that’s frustrating but they must adjust to that and play on. Ultimately, in a 3 point game, the contest was there for either team to win. Plenty of plays could have been made by either side to claim the victory. The FT’s obviously mattered a lot. Saying otherwise would be disingenuous. But many other plays mattered too. Ignoring those would also be disingenuous. Whether the officiating evens out in the end is rarely my concern because that can’t be controlled. Complaining about it may make you feel better but it doesn’t change anything. I say this when the Lakers win or when they lose.

Now, back to our regularly scheduled programming…

The quick turnaround between games means that there’s really no time to dwell on last night’s events. In a way, that favors the Thunder with their frustration fueling them and their younger legs able to carry them. They’ll surely be ready to play tonight; with their youth, they’d probably have been ready to play a double-header last night. This isn’t to say they won’t have any fatigue, but I anticipate it being more mental than physical. These close, hard fought playoff games blunt the brain and that takes time to recover -time neither team will have.

From the Lakers side, they’ll have both mental and physical fatigue to battle. They too have been through the ringer mentally. Only  a few days ago they literally gave away a game and last night pulled out a similar contest. The roller coaster ride of those events would be taxing on any team, even a veteran one like the Lakers. Physically, they’ll have to deal with heavy legs. They’re trying to play a power game that requires the battling for position on every possession. That war for real estate is one of attrition that grinds players down. Being the aged team doesn’t aid them here and bouncing back to provide the same effort tonight will prove difficult.

It’s necessary, however. For the Lakers to win, they must continue to ugly up the game. The Thunder continue to be the favorite as the deeper, younger team. But if the series remains a slugfest, the gap lessens between both squads. A back alley brawl favors the bigger, more physical team. And as Mike Brown has said, he wants his group to carry that label. If the Lakers can force this type of action on the Thunder, they can get the them to play on their turf both figuratively and literally tonight.

That said, expect more adjustments from the Thunder tonight to counter L.A.’s gameplan. The Lakers are daring the Thunder big men to beat them, gambling more and more as these games (and possessions) progress. Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol are leaving their men with reckless abandon to help on screen actions. Off the ball they’re stepping out – sometimes as far as the three point line – to help with ball denials to obstruct passing angles. Sooner or later the Thunder are going to recognize this and simply pass the ball to their big men who are setting screens and test the Lakers rotations underneath. I mean, if Kevin Durant is going to draw his man and the man guarding the screener, that screen man is the one that’s open. If the Lakers weak side  rotations (especially the backside big) isn’t quick to rotate, this action will start to produce layups. They must be ready to help the helper and thwart these counters.

The Thunder also showed a nice offensive wrinkle where they ran Durant off a pin-down screen and then used him as a screener on the ball in the P&R for Westbrook. Durant darting to the top of the circle got Ron trailing and in poor position to help on the ball handler as he turned the corner off KD’s screen. This action freed Westbrook on at least two occasions and set him up with clean mid-range jumpers at the foul line. This is a creative play and the Lakers must be ready for it, and other actions that involve a man coming off a screen only to set another. These types of actions can work with any of OKC’s three main perimeter threats handling the ball or setting the screen so the Lakers must be ready to help – especially the back line bigs who become primary rotators when the perimeter D breaks down.

Offensively, the Lakers must simply do what they’ve done the past two games. Last night Andrew Bynum didn’t shoot well but he got the exact looks the team wants him to get. When he battled for position he was able to work 10 feet and in, where a power dribble set him up for any one of his hooks or counters. He was visibly frustrated that some of these shots weren’t falling but his perseverance led to him earning FT’s while also contributing to the overall gameplan of bully ball through power post ups. This is the approach that he needs to take again tonight, with the hope that some of those bunnies he missed start to fall.

Kobe too must build on his approach from last night. As I mentioned in the preview and Jeff Van Gundy mentioned during the telecast, Kobe’s economy of dribbles and quick strike attack are what will work best against this team. One dribble pull up jumpers, two dribble attacks to the rim, and movement off the ball that gets him paint touches are how he can score best. Sefolosha is one of the better defenders around but even he can have trouble dealing with a decisive Kobe who isn’t looking to fake his way into baskets.

Ultimately, though, the two players who really need to bring their ‘A’ offensive games are Ramon Sessions and Pau Gasol. Sessions’ first half was a sight for sore eyes, as he worked well on and off the ball attacking the seams of the defense to either score or set up teammates. Tonight he’ll likely need to take and make a couple of jumpers to keep the defense honest but it’s his overall mindset needs to carry over from last night. He must be assertive and inject himself into the action, the Lakers are a much better offensive team when this happens.

As for Pau, he must move from supporting actor to lead role tonight. Last night’s game gave him the opportunity to mostly facilitate and work the glass but he’ll need to be more aggressive looking for his own shots in game 4. He can shoot his jumper over Ibaka when given space but, like Kobe, can make quick drives to the rim when he’s crowded on the perimeter. Last night he tried to create off the dribble but settled for pull up jumpers but tonight he must try to get all the way to the rim to get baskets and/or earn trips to the foul line. Also, he must find a way to beat the fronting defense he faces when matched up with Nick Collison. He must continue to try and root Collison up the the lane line, something his teammates must recognize and then throw the ball over the top off ball reversals and high-low actions.

The difference between a 2-2 series and 3-1 series is huge. If tonight ends with the latter, the Lakers may be able to fight off OKC (much like Denver did the Lakers last round) for a game or two more but the inevitability of ultimate defeat will loom large. However if it’s the former, the Lakers are right back in the series with both teams needing to take 2 of 3 to advance. Even as an underdog, that’s where the Lakers would like to be. Tonight will require all their fortitude, discipline, and guile. But the plan is in place for them to follow. They just have to go get it.

If you’ve ever played a lick of organized hoops, you’ve had at least one coach who stressed the importance of hitting free throws. Tonight, the age old adage of free throws winning games came to fruition as the Lakers connected on 41 of 42 from the charity stripe to cut the Thunder series lead to 2-1. Through three games, we’ve seen the Lakers get blown out, take a gut-wretching loss and gut out a three-point win. The following are what I felt were a few keys to tonight’s win.

• Ramon Sessions finally got off to a good start tonight. He spent a lot of time in the paint, hitting on a few floaters in the lane and got a few layups. And when he didn’t score, his penetration freed up open shots for others, including the three-pointer that Ron hit at the end of the half. During the half, Darius tweeted that Sessions only recorded eight points and five assists in his previous three games combined; tonight, he had 10 points and four assists at the half. Although he didn’t see the floor much in the second half, and when he did he wasn’t much of a factor, it was nice to finally see his presence felt in a positive manner.
• Continuing with our PG theme, after Blake missed the game winner in Game 2, he responded tonight with a decent game off the bench and helped to close out the game tonight with some solid defense on Russell Westbrook and James Harden down the stretch. He hit two jumpers about midway through the fourth and shot 4/5 from the field for 12 points. He even had eight rebounds (!).
• Andrew Bynum didn’t have the greatest shooting night tonight, just two-for-13 from the field, but he physically punished the Thunder bigs when he caught the ball with deep position. It was interesting watching him fight for position with Kendrick Perkins, who is no push over. Both bigs won individual battles on various possessions, but Drew was able to draw several fouls on the Thunder bigs to get to the free throw line, where he hit 11 of 12 (the Lakers only miss from the line). As the game progressed, Bynum seemed to lose interest in fighting and calling for the ball and the Lakers as a unit seemed disinterested in trying to get him the ball, which led to a few forced possessions down the stretch.
• Kobe also didn’t have the greatest shooting night (nine-for-25 for the second straight game), but he found a way to get to the line 18 times — without a miss. There was a stretch in the third quarter where the Lakers did nothing but run a mid-post isolation on the wing for Kobe against Thabo Sefolosha which resulted in a few empty possessions. They switched things up with a couple of high P&Rs, once with Gasol, once with Bynum, and he was able to take a couple of uncontested mid-range jumpers, which he knocked down. In the fourth quarter he took advantage of match-ups and switches, including two straight jump shots over Fish and a drawn foul on the smaller Russell Westbrook.
• Despite the Laker win, Kevin Durant continued to play out of his mind. He had 31 points on 23 shots which included a monster jam over Jordan Hill; an awkward, off balanced shot that kissed off the glass after bouncing off Ron Artest; and another wild shot that he flipped in while falling down. At some point, KD is going to fall back to earth, but if he continues to shoot as well as he has all series, the Lakers are just going to have to focus their defensive efforts to stopping everyone else. He’s been absolutely incredible.

Tomorrow, the series picks up again as tonight was the first of a rare post-season back-to-back. Lets hope the guys get much rest, tomorrow will be another dog fight with the young guns of the Thunder.

Photo by Layne Murdoch/NBAE via Getty Images

The Lakers enter game three as desperate as they could be. Wednesday’s game two offered a roadmap to victory but the Lakers veered of course before their destination, driving off a cliff to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. Tonight they’ll need to be better for longer or risk having the final nail put in their coffin by going down 3-0.

As stated though, the roadmap does exist. The Lakers found some promising defensive adjustments in game 2 that they should be able to refine and carry forward this evening. They’ll need to continue to play the P&R higher to better cut off driving lanes and contest pull up jumpers. They’ll also need to continue to play off ball actions better by clogging the paint to encourage the Thunder to kick the ball out or be forced to shoot over a helping defender. Kobe will also need to be as effective as a roamer as he was in game 2 when he consistently left Sefolosha to dig down in the paint and help on Durant and Westbrook when they came close to the paint. This tactic muddied up the FT line area that the Thunder were so effective in attacking in game 1 while also forcing some bad passes.

That said, the Lakers can’t rest on their laurels and simply go out and do the same things defensively with impression the Thunder won’t make some adjustments of their own. In game 2 the Thunder bigs (especially Kendrick Perkins and Nazr Mohammed) overpassed and didn’t look for their shots immediately even when wide open. These are the players the Lakers respect least on defense (along with Sefolosha), but I can imagine Scott Brooks letting them know that they’ll be open and that they should attack when given room. The Lakers must also be aware of back door actions and quick counters to the overplays that were successful. The Thunder can use slip screen actions, weak side cuts, and quick ball movement to disable a defense that jumps at their main scorers, so being prepared for those counters is imperative.

What’s also imperative is the Lakers finding some reliable offense. When we look at game two, we’ve mostly focused on how the Lakers held the Thunder to only 77 points but the Lakers only scored 75 of their own. Unless this team finds more reliable offense, they’ll continue to be in games where the Thunder’s superior scoring efficiency comes back to bite them. They must create a larger cushion and/or find ways to get good looks when OKC’s defense tightens.

First and foremost, this means getting Kobe on track. He’s shooting 37.2% so far this series, mostly on highly contested jumpers that are easily challenged. He must find ways to crack the code of Sefolosha’s defense and I think there are a couple of ways it can happen. First is that if Kobe’s going to do a lot of work in isolation, he needs to compact his game. What I mean is that he needs to make his moves quicker and avoid using so many fakes to try and get his man out of position. In game 2 he had a fair amount of success taking one or two dribbles and elevating quickly to shoot his jumper or taking an extra dribble to get all the way to the rim. But when he had to make his catch on the dribble and try to shake his man or if he went into a headfake clinic to try and get his man in the air, neither Thabo nor Harden were taking the bait. Kobe needs to refine his game while also getting more help from his teammates in the form of better screens and quicker passes when he breaks open on his cuts.

The bigs must also continue to grind away. Andrew Bynum has proven he can beat single coverage consistently and needs to continue to do so. If he can work to get moderately deep post position he should be able to get off his lefty jumphook and then counter off that with his step through where he goes under the rim to finish on the other side of the basket. In game 2 he showed how effective this arsenal could be as long as he could beat the fronting D to establish the block. Gasol can also work in the post but will need to continue to show variety. He worked well driving to his left hand and finishing with that sweeping lefty hook. If he can continue to make that move he can work in counters to that where he pivots and then finishes strong with his right hand as well. He’ll also need to continue to hit his jumper so that his man has to play him close enough to open up that drive.

Tonight’s also a game where the Lakers role players need to find their stride. Playing at home should help some, but they must be active and assertive in order to seize a strong performance. Barnes and Blake must look to maximize their strengths by hitting spot up jumpers (Blake) and slashing to the rim and getting out in the open court (Barnes). Jordan Hill must also continue his fine work on the glass while also getting some garbage baskets when his big man partner draws attention. He was great at that in game 2, he must carry it over.

And, finally, Ramon Sessions must find a way to make a difference. I’m sure he’d be the first to tell you that his play has been disappointing and while I’d attribute a lot of his shortcomings to the style of game he’s being asked to play and the general offensive scheme in place, there are ways he can be better. He must shoot when he’s open and do so with confidence. He must also take more command off possessions and run more actions that get him in position to hurt the defense. Primary sets may be for Kobe and the bigs but there’s a stretch in every 2nd and 4th quarter where he shares the floor with Pau as the only offensive threat but he’s still not aggressive enough. When they share the floor he can call more P&R’s and isolations for himself and no one would be mad. Also, whenever he’s being guarded by a player besides Westbrook, he should look to attack first and create something positive. That doesn’t have to be a shot for himself – a drive and kick to a shooter or draw and dish to a big can do wonders for this offense.

The Lakers are in a deep hole. Tonight they either start to climb out or get buried alive. Game 2 offered a moral victory but those count even less in the playoffs than they do in the regular season. Tangible success in the form of a victory needs to come for this team and it must start tonight. It won’t be easy as the Thunder offer the stiffest challenge of any opponent since the 2008 Celtics but that doesn’t mean the Lakers can’t continue to fight. If they need inspiration, they only need to look back a round at the team they vanquished. This series reminds me of that one in that after getting blown out in game 1, the Nuggets fought back in game 2 but still came up short. When they got home, they carried over that success to win the next two games game and two of the next three. The Lakers can do the same thing, but they must believe and then go do it. It starts tonight.

There’s something of a lull before the storm when it comes to the Lakers and the media right now, especially the national media. The team’s in a tough spot but it’s too risky to write them off. A win tonight will tilt articles toward redemption possibilities, and a loss will bring out the doomsday scenarios. A game will be played tonight and the focus will shift away (perhaps momentarily) from the last shot of Wednesday night’s game.

The Kamenetzky brothers at ESPN’s Land O’Lakers, IM about tonight’s game with Royce Young of the Daily Thunder.

The Great Mambino at Silver Screen and Roll, writes about the Lakers optimism, despite history not being on their side.

Mark Medina at the L.A. Times reports on Steve Blake dealing with the shot that didn’t go in, and the resulting twitter hate received by his wife Kristen. This one’s beyond the pale.

Kevin Ding at the OC Register shares the news of Pau Gasol being named citizen of the year by the NBA.

Ben Golliver at CBS Sports Eye On Basketball breaks down tonight’s Lakers/Thunder match.

Tom Spousta at the NY Times writes about Kobe Bryant’s recent difficulty closing out games.

Elizabeth Benson at Lakers Nation about lessons learned from the game two loss.

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There’s a very old Jack London short story entitled A Piece of Steak. It chronicles an aging boxer’s last stand, against a fighter in the bloom of youth. It’s about shelf-life and inevitability, and shares a commonality with many other stories before and since. We know that OKC is younger, faster, and deeper. For now, we wait for the game, hoping that our veteran team can come away with a win, and a bit of extra meat on the bone.

- Dave Murphy