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Lakers/Jazz Game 4 Chat
May 11th, 2008

It is clear the Jazz are figuring out what they can do on offense that the Lakers struggle to defend – in game one Utah’s offensive rating was 103 (points per 100 possessions), in game two it was 111, game three it was up to 118.

There are a couple things the Lakers can do to stem and reverse that trend. We’ll start inside the paint — the Lakers must have a stronger presence inside and on the boards. As Kwame a. suggested, I would love to see more of Odom on Boozer – yes he’ll pick up some fouls but he is the best Laker rebounder right now and this match up puts him closer to the basket, plus Odom’s length will bother Boozer. Also, more minutes for Turiaf who has been the best Laker interior defender would be a plus.

Next, a few defensive thoughts from Daruis in the comments:

I really think we just need to tighten up our defense to keep the Jazz out of rhythm. In the first two games, we let them run their sets….but since we’re familiar with their sets this allowed us to squeeze them and make their offense less effective. We pushed their offense further from the hoop, dictated where the next pass would go, and then used our quickness and length to contest shots. In game 3, they went away from their traditional sets more and we did not have solid defensive responses to what they were doing. We broke down. If we come back in game 4 and have some answers for limiting Deron’s penetration while being able to defend the rim and effectively rotate to the 3pt line, the Jazz will have to adjust again, and we will again have an advantage (their offense will be put on it’s heels and our offense is really tough to completely stop). Is this easy? No. If it was easy to defend the rim AND the 3pt. line when getting beat off penetration, Phoenix and Golden State wouldn’t lead the league in scoring every year. But we can start by not letting Deron beat us when he goes away from the screen….funnel him (as best you can) to the screen and then play your regular defense. We have to make the Jazz reactive on Offense like we did in the first 2 games.

One way to help limit D-Will’s penetration: Sasha as the backup PG.

Another key is right out of the Denver series – slow the Jazz offense by taking care of the ball on your own end. It’s been said a lot but it matters, the Lakers had 18 turnovers in game three – more than 20% of their possessions – and that meant some easy transition baskets for the Jazz. Take those away and make them earn points in the half-court offense.

Speaking of offense, Kwame a. had some ideas on how to get the Kobe/Gasol pick-and-roll going again.

We did not run a lot of (effective) Kobe/Pau pick and roll. When we did run it the Jazz did a good job of chokin off Pau’s angle to the hoop. What I found most problematic is that we have a counter to that, it’s the quick interior pass from Pau to Odom. 2 reasons that didn’t work last night are 1) Pau held the ball too long and 2) Odom was not under the hoop, he was on the perimeter. Pau had a terrible first 3 quarters, but his teammates didn’t help because they were not moving like they had been in the first 2 games (and they were being held, but hey, that’s splitting hairs)

I’m not terribly worried about the Laker offense, the last game is an outlier, but the Lakers need to see more quick decisions and aggressive moves from Gasol and Odom. Not just for the points but also because it would make Boozer work more at both ends of the floor.

For a fresh Jazz perspective, check out the new SLCDunk blog (which actually is a new look in the quality SB Network for a long-time good Jazz blog).

Posted in Game Preview, NBA Playoffs |
208 Comments »

  1. Great points about the D, that is obviously key as it has been for the Lakers ever since Pau came aboard.

    The thing I want to see most, though, at least early, is Pau taking a more aggressive role in the offense. I’d love to see him take the ball, and work with his back to the basket, and get up a good shot, or absorb some contact and get to the line. The Jazz’s big’s have only had to focus on stopping penetration rather than actually having to play one-on-one D, and I know Pau has the skill set to make some offense. I feel like this would give the Jazz a new and different challenge that they’ll have to adjust to.

    And CRASH THE BOARDS.

    Comment by Ap — May 11, 2008 @ 9:08 am

  2. Ap you ruined my 1st post luck. Well I hope all these things hinge on defense, lesser turnovers and playing crisp and poised offense and not me.

    Good Luck LA.

    Comment by Warren Wee Lim — May 11, 2008 @ 9:10 am

  3. If the Lakers lose tonight, blame Ap ok? jk. :)

    Comment by Warren Wee Lim — May 11, 2008 @ 9:11 am

  4. Damn it Warren.. We’re screwed now :)

    Comment by samy — May 11, 2008 @ 9:16 am

  5. That Jazz link is dead, fyi.

    Comment by busterjonez — May 11, 2008 @ 9:46 am

  6. LOLz Samy.

    It’ll be 2.5 hrs till tip-off and its 1am in the Phillipines.

    I can’t sleep!

    Comment by Warren Wee Lim — May 11, 2008 @ 10:09 am

  7. Giving Kobe ball at 3pt line -bad.
    Giving Kobe ball FT-line and lower-good.

    Comment by Stephen — May 11, 2008 @ 10:15 am

  8. 5. The Jazz link is fixed. Thanks.

    Comment by Kurt — May 11, 2008 @ 10:17 am

  9. This is the most important 1st quarter of the year so far. If LA comes out flat, I believe we’re looking at a return home 2-2. The Jazz aren’t going to let a big run take them out in the second half. They played with a lot of poise on Friday and never let the Lakers get a lead, though it got close. They closed out the game and walked off with a win (just like you’re supposed to do on your home floor in the playoffs).

    Bottom line is: Kobe needs to be aggressive in getting Pau involved; Odom better crash the boards and start mixing it up again; and whoever is in at the 3 spot (Vlad, Luke, whoever) needs to step up and be a positive factor. Fish has been playing well, I believe, and consistent for the most part. The bench better get back to their early/mid-season form and quick. If Farmar and Vujacic start blazing up the scoreboard who on earth can do anything to stop this team?

    Comment by The Fanalyst — May 11, 2008 @ 11:36 am

  10. Kurt,

    Let me give a much less intellectual analysis, based on my impressions from game 3. If the Lakers execute thier offense, they’ll be fine. The Jazz cannot defend the Lakers consistently. Pau must make and execute decisions much more quickly on offense–at least passing out of coverage rather than making turnovers–hopefully using passes and exchanging assists to get baskets. Jordan must pass more on offense and defend closer on defense.

    Most of the Laker problems on defense stem from turnovers (through the third quarter) or aggressive desperation in the fourth. The interior players must switch around as appropriate. Try to keep Derek on Deron as much as possible. Don’t be afraid to get Boozer in foul trouble. Try to avoid obvious fouls early in the game.I’m optimistic for the Lakers, but I’m afraid it could be close.

    Comment by drrayeye — May 11, 2008 @ 11:52 am

  11. Look for the Lakers to set up Gasol and Odom down low out of the gate. This will give them scoring opportunities, boost confidence (Gasol), spread the floor for shooters, and create an inside-outside game for Kobe.

    Comment by Aaron — May 11, 2008 @ 12:18 pm

  12. Key to a Lakers victory:

    The Jazz must have a lower score than the Lakers at the end of the game.

    Go Lakers!

    Comment by aB — May 11, 2008 @ 12:24 pm

  13. I know Fish is trying to prevent an easy bucket, but if less than a minute ticks off the game clock, let Brewer have the layup!

    As I write this, Fish picks up his second … sigh …

    Comment by AM — May 11, 2008 @ 12:37 pm

  14. I’m sorry.

    Look at what I’ve done. This is a mirror image of Game 3. Kobe is the only one out there playing.

    Comment by Ap — May 11, 2008 @ 12:39 pm

  15. Dang it Kobe looks like he’s playing in pain. No explosiveness.

    Farmar should try to be invisible. Don’t touch the ball, don’t shoot, just stand in the corner and hope no one notices him.

    Comment by Snoopy2006 — May 11, 2008 @ 12:39 pm

  16. Wow… this looks eerily familiar.

    Comment by laughing hard — May 11, 2008 @ 12:39 pm

  17. Some of the speculation that Sunday Jazz crowd would be even rowdier than normal looks like it’s true. It doesn’t help that the Jazz are getting to the basket for dunks and lay-ups. How long before we see Sasha?

    Comment by AM — May 11, 2008 @ 12:40 pm

  18. Farmar missing a layup. Bad transition defense. Radman doesn’t look like he’s showing up today.

    I’m sorry but…..Pau, I’m looking at you.

    Comment by Ap — May 11, 2008 @ 12:43 pm

  19. Man, we are completely out of sorts on both ends. Farmar looks like he’s expecting to fail. VRad is pressing. I think we’re rushing our inside shots expecting contact. Calm down, guys. Just play your game.

    Comment by j. d. hastings — May 11, 2008 @ 12:49 pm

  20. Farmar moves his feet for the first time. To avoid a charge

    Comment by Bill Bridges — May 11, 2008 @ 12:51 pm

  21. It’s getting to the point where the Jazz are leaving Farmar on D, but the Lakers aren’t even looking at him on offense. You gotta feel bad for the kid …

    Nice little run to cut the lead down to 4. Luke can be a little less aggressive on Harpring that far out, though.

    Comment by AM — May 11, 2008 @ 12:56 pm

  22. Um…is it me or does it seem like the Lakers are playing like the Jazz were in Games 1 and 2, and vice versa? We’re actually geting 2nd chance pts, but the Jazz seems quicker right now.

    Comment by Hansoulfood — May 11, 2008 @ 1:02 pm

  23. At least we have proven that the Jazz can beat the LAkers playing 5 on 4. Why not even the odds for the 2nd quarter.

    Comment by Bill Bridges — May 11, 2008 @ 1:04 pm

  24. Someone could at least have put a hand up on Millsap’s last shot.

    Comment by Kaifa — May 11, 2008 @ 1:04 pm

  25. Farmar is STILL in the game.

    Comment by Ap — May 11, 2008 @ 1:05 pm

  26. VUJACIC….GIVE THIS MAN 25+ MINUTES/game!

    Comment by Ap — May 11, 2008 @ 1:07 pm

  27. You must be joking.

    Comment by now — May 11, 2008 @ 1:09 pm

  28. Turiaf thrown out for that? Are you kidding me, I guess Stern is trying to push the WNBA on us even during NBA games, I thought we were allowed to play defense in this league

    Comment by Goo — May 11, 2008 @ 1:11 pm

  29. my original post contained alot more profanity for the record

    Comment by Goo — May 11, 2008 @ 1:11 pm

  30. I don’t think that was malicious, but I can understand the ejection. It will cost us though. As will Kobe’s back injury. This game could quickly slip away now.

    Comment by j. d. hastings — May 11, 2008 @ 1:11 pm

  31. Vujacic needs to be taking more shots. Only he and Kobe have shown up today.

    Comment by Ap — May 11, 2008 @ 1:12 pm

  32. I think I understand the home-road disparity of the Jazz. How do you explain that ejection other than the influence of this psychotic crowd?

    Comment by now — May 11, 2008 @ 1:13 pm

  33. I call bs on that Turiaf ejection. Just because price weighs 100 lbs and can’t land correctly, Ronny gets an ejection?!

    Comment by Hansoulfood — May 11, 2008 @ 1:14 pm

  34. I’d even consider questioning that as a flagrant 1, let alone a flagrant 2. Ridiculous.

    Comment by Matt M. — May 11, 2008 @ 1:15 pm

  35. You think Turiaf would have been ejected if there was no blood…i HATE this officiating crew…

    They are not calling the same fouls on both sides…we need Mbenga to throw some elbows!

    Comment by lakergirl — May 11, 2008 @ 1:15 pm

  36. There was a definite play on the ball — I understand the ejection to get the game under control, but I would be stunned to see a suspension.

    Comment by laughing hard — May 11, 2008 @ 1:15 pm

  37. Flagrant 1, I can understand — but Flagrant 2? I do not think Ronny deserved to be thrown out. I think the league has shortened the leash after all the hard fouls in the first round, unfortunately.

    Add that to the hostile crowd, Utah’s lead, Kobe’s injury … this is the type of playoff adversity that forges strength.

    Sasha’s shot looks like it’s back after his one off game following his toe injury. That, along with his defense, could be huge.

    4 seems to be the magic number … can’t get closer than that before the Jazz strike back.

    Comment by AM — May 11, 2008 @ 1:17 pm

  38. clean cut harpring and his wholesome wife.

    Comment by Bill Bridges — May 11, 2008 @ 1:17 pm

  39. Phil goes back to Farmar. The definition of insanity is…?

    Comment by Bill Bridges — May 11, 2008 @ 1:20 pm

  40. One possible benefit of the Turiaf ejection- I think he was tossed because blood was starting to boil and they needed to do something to get the game under control. If they now have to “clean the game up” and call a lot more contact, that will benefit the Lakers.

    Or Fisher could get a quick 3rd foul bringing back the player formerly known as Jordan Farmar (-8 and counting)…

    Comment by j. d. hastings — May 11, 2008 @ 1:20 pm

  41. NBA’s foul calling based on the landing bothers me. They kinda need to realize that fouls happen player-player, not player-floor.

    Comment by TCO — May 11, 2008 @ 1:20 pm

  42. It’s incredible we’re down by 6 right now. 3-11 from the line?

    This is ugly.

    Comment by Ap — May 11, 2008 @ 1:23 pm

  43. Missed free throws are also killing us. Kobe and Lamar have each missed 4 or so. That’s the difference in the game right now.

    Comment by AM — May 11, 2008 @ 1:23 pm

  44. Is this Shaq memorial night? Gotta hit the FTs.

    Comment by Kaifa — May 11, 2008 @ 1:24 pm

  45. Kobe’s back is a problem. That has to be why he’s missing FTs, and his FG% sucks too. Everything that could go wrong is finding a way to do so right now. Only grit will save us today.

    Comment by j. d. hastings — May 11, 2008 @ 1:26 pm

  46. Sasha on Deron — Here we go, Bill Bridges …

    Comment by AM — May 11, 2008 @ 1:31 pm

  47. I’m a Jazz fan and I’m worried. We should be up by 20… This is an ugly game. Who would think the Lakers would be only down 9 with all the missed free-throws and Kobe being blocked twice - one foul - and not taking over the game. Turiaf ejected, Fisher on the bench with 3 fouls.

    Comment by Mark — May 11, 2008 @ 1:31 pm

  48. I don’t get the appeal of Kyle Korver — his face looks kind of… squished.

    Comment by laughing hard — May 11, 2008 @ 1:36 pm

  49. Yep. I’m happy now. Phil does learn. Takes him a while, but he learns.

    Comment by Bill Bridges — May 11, 2008 @ 1:36 pm

  50. I think you are all correct in calling for Sasha. He’s keeping the Lakers in this one. Phil should start him ahead of Farmar in game 5. He’s very good.

    Comment by Mark — May 11, 2008 @ 1:36 pm

  51. What’s wrong with Kobe’s back? I’m not watching the game..

    Comment by Emma — May 11, 2008 @ 1:38 pm

  52. Kobe is hurt. The Jazz should be very physical with him to exploit this further.

    Comment by Mark — May 11, 2008 @ 1:39 pm

  53. Within 2…not bad

    Comment by lakergirl — May 11, 2008 @ 1:40 pm

  54. THE MACHINE!

    Comment by laughing hard — May 11, 2008 @ 1:40 pm

  55. Ooch! Jazz are looking lathargic!

    Comment by Mark — May 11, 2008 @ 1:41 pm

  56. Odom has carried us this half

    Comment by Goo — May 11, 2008 @ 1:41 pm

  57. Unbelievable! Tie game! It’s very painful to be a Jazz Fan… very painful.

    Comment by Mark — May 11, 2008 @ 1:42 pm

  58. TAKE THAT JAZZ FANS…tie game

    Comment by lakergirl — May 11, 2008 @ 1:43 pm

  59. The Jazz are in BIG TROUBLE!

    Koudos to the Lakers.

    Comment by Mark — May 11, 2008 @ 1:44 pm

  60. Deron…. “Yea, it was a bad foul.”….. loser, have some class and tell the truth

    Comment by Tremble — May 11, 2008 @ 1:45 pm

  61. I think I like this Pau/LO/Luke/Kobe/Sasha lineup.

    Comment by Bill Bridges — May 11, 2008 @ 1:45 pm

  62. I really like having Vujacic in the lineup with Kobe.

    Comment by Anonymous — May 11, 2008 @ 1:46 pm

  63. I’m going to stop commenting… I think I’m Jinxing the Jazz.

    Enjoy the rest of the game. You Laker Fans are the Classiest Fans around on the Blogsphere.

    Comment by Mark — May 11, 2008 @ 1:46 pm

  64. Anyone know what happened to Kobe’s back?

    Comment by Tremble — May 11, 2008 @ 1:46 pm

  65. Vujacic is really stepping up in this one.

    Comment by Nik — May 11, 2008 @ 1:47 pm

  66. At least the Jazz fans won’t be able to complain about the referees this time around…

    Comment by laughing hard — May 11, 2008 @ 1:47 pm

  67. Tweaked his back landing after a turnaround j.

    Comment by Bill Bridges — May 11, 2008 @ 1:47 pm

  68. Once we cracked our magic deficit number of 4, we were finally able to tie the game. Tough call on the Sasha block, but great play from Luke to Kobe afterwards. Which white guy on the floor was a high school QB again? Also, 82games.com is not going to count that Kobe shot as “clutch”, but it most certainly was in my book, and could affect the outcome of the game, if the Lakers can put together a solid second half.

    Also, I love how Lamar has been going around telling everyone to keep moving the ball and pulling them away from the officials as soon as they think about starting to whine. The foul calls are going to come in the second half if we stay aggressive in getting to the hoop. Finish at the rim and hit free throws and we can pull this one out!

    Comment by AM — May 11, 2008 @ 1:47 pm

  69. Good call by Phil on using out late game lineup in the 2nd where we could have lost the game.

    However, I really think Farmar needs to regain his confidence. I think we’re going to need him in the long run.

    Comment by TCO — May 11, 2008 @ 1:48 pm

  70. This is amazing. We have to come out and COMPLETELY demoralize them. We need to get up by 10 points EARLY. Then we can close this one out….can’t allow them to get their confidence back.

    Comment by Ap — May 11, 2008 @ 1:48 pm

  71. Kobe = Warrior

    Comment by Hansoulfood — May 11, 2008 @ 1:49 pm

  72. 57 — He landed a little awkwardly from a jump shot… there was no contact or anything — he just landed on one foot.

    Comment by laughing hard — May 11, 2008 @ 1:49 pm

  73. About Farmar, Deron Williams is a tough cover for most people. Williams and size and strength so he’s gonna get beat. But I’ve seen him improve a little in his on ball defense today. He really needs to make some shots or get some defensive plays to boost his confidence.

    Comment by Hansoulfood — May 11, 2008 @ 1:52 pm

  74. Re: Sasha over Farmar.

    It IS about time, but I like what Phil has done. Moving Sasha directly into his back-up role would only diminish Farmar’s already dwindling confidence. Hopefully he finds a way to play through this.

    Comment by Matt M. — May 11, 2008 @ 1:53 pm

  75. Is Turiaf automatically suspended for the next game?! I will be fuming if he is.

    Comment by Hansoulfood — May 11, 2008 @ 1:54 pm

  76. TCO. This is not the late game lineup . That one has Fish instead of Luke. This one has not been seen this series (I think). Farmar is -12 , Sahsa +10. Sit Farmar at the end of the bench. Fisher/Sasha can handle the point. You can’t sit Boozer because you will need him and he’s your horse but you can sit a scared sub.

    Comment by Bill Bridges — May 11, 2008 @ 1:54 pm

  77. Sasha has four inches on Williams, and he plays him much more tightly on the perimeter. Farmar/Williams is not a good matchup. I would expect to see Kobe play Williams for some time in the second half, as well.

    Is Sasha really 6-7?

    Comment by laughing hard — May 11, 2008 @ 1:55 pm

  78. 68 - it’s not an automatic suspension, and it’d be SHOCKING if he gets one.

    Comment by Matt M. — May 11, 2008 @ 1:56 pm

  79. 68 — Not automatically, the league reviews the contact to gauge the severity of the foul, and the fact that Turiaf was making a play on the ball, and that the fall wasn’t belligerent should keep him from being suspended.

    Comment by laughing hard — May 11, 2008 @ 1:56 pm

  80. No lasting damage on Kobe, I hope?

    I don’t think there’s any demoralizing this Jazz team. They’re not the Denver Nuggets. We just have to continue to play hard.

    Also, Turiaf’s ejection not only means losing his presence on the block, but also losing his presence on the sidelines. I don’t know about you guys, but I loved seeing Turiaf’s basket celebrations and just his energy on the sidelines in general. I’m sure the Lakers will miss that as well :(

    Comment by Emma — May 11, 2008 @ 1:56 pm

  81. Great piece on Mbenga. We’re gonna see him in the second half. I’m looking forward to it.

    Comment by Bill Bridges — May 11, 2008 @ 1:58 pm

  82. When Vujacic is on, he’s incredible. He came into the league as just a shooter but now he can take his man off the dribble. We need him to play 20 minutes in the 2nd half.

    I think I see Phil’s thought process a little, even if I don’t agree with it. He likes to use Sasha as that little burst of offense and energy in the beginning of the 2nd when Kobe is sitting. Plus he likes to let his players play through rough times without taking timeouts, and I think the same philosophy applies to Farmar–he wants to see him play out of his slump.

    But enough is enough. This isn’t a playoff slump, this has been going on for months. We have the luxury of having a great 3-guard backcourt, we don’t necessarily need Farmar for these playoffs. Most playoff teams prefer a 3-guard backcourt anyway.

    Great story on Didier (I refuse to use the name Mark Cuban gave him lol) at halftime. Kind of puts things in perspective.

    Comment by Snoopy2006 — May 11, 2008 @ 1:59 pm

  83. Kobe is grimacing every turn down the floor. Am I glad I have on my side and not Crybaby LeBron.

    Also, that white guy who played QB is so “clean”.

    I am disgusted with the officiating so far and they took out Ronny too? I must give it to that French guy… he acted very well. I could see he didn’t have an ounce of regret. Stern knew there was no intent.

    Comment by Warren Wee Lim — May 11, 2008 @ 1:59 pm

  84. Great piece about benga! Amazing man. Turiaf’s walking in his idols/friends (kobe) footsteps with this BULL ejection.

    Comment by samy — May 11, 2008 @ 1:59 pm

  85. 74. First of all it wasn’t a flagrant anyway. BUT if they rule it so, he might get suspended because the hit was after the whistle. What we forget is that the foul was on Sasha at the perimeter. Maybe Ronny didn’t hear the whistle but this is why he was hit w/ the flagrant and why PRice was so peeved.

    Comment by Bill Bridges — May 11, 2008 @ 2:00 pm

  86. Jordan Farmar… IS THE MOLE!

    Comment by j. d. hastings — May 11, 2008 @ 2:00 pm

  87. Ap, Kobe’s back, Ronny’s ejection, Fish’s 3 fouls and Luke’s jammed hand is all your fault!

    You could have waited for me you know…

    Comment by Warren Wee Lim — May 11, 2008 @ 2:01 pm

  88. Nice feed from Gasol to Radman — hope to see more of that

    Comment by laughing hard — May 11, 2008 @ 2:04 pm

  89. clear path foul…?

    Comment by Nik — May 11, 2008 @ 2:17 pm

  90. GASOL needs to get his head in the game….

    Comment by lakergirl — May 11, 2008 @ 2:18 pm

  91. Inspired by Zach and Vanessa lakergirl?

    Comment by Bill Bridges — May 11, 2008 @ 2:21 pm

  92. 82. Who do you those that you speak of?

    Comment by lakergirl — May 11, 2008 @ 2:29 pm

  93. 82. Who are those that you speak of?

    cant get my head in the comments..

    Comment by lakergirl — May 11, 2008 @ 2:29 pm

  94. Injured players, obectionable ejections, and calls that make the Jazz’ treatment at the Staples Center look favorable…

    STILL, a 4 point game at EnergySolutions.

    We know who the better team is.

    GO LAKERS!

    Comment by Anonymous — May 11, 2008 @ 2:30 pm

  95. I have a daughter going through her highschool musical phase… nevermind

    Comment by Bill Bridges — May 11, 2008 @ 2:30 pm

  96. Totally agree 85.

    Comment by Nik — May 11, 2008 @ 2:31 pm

  97. Yes! That’s what I want to see from Gasol, in that last play in the 3rd quarter. Just took the ball, didn’t wait, spun decisively and put in the hook. He has that ability, he just has to stop thinking pass all the time and just take over the game like that.

    Kobe is a warrior, pure and simple. The way he’s playing right now reminds me of Michael Jordan when he played with the Wizards. Works in the high post, very controlled, surveys the floor and waits for an opening. His patience is incredible.

    Comment by Snoopy2006 — May 11, 2008 @ 2:31 pm

  98. If we lose it’s because we can’t make any free throws.

    Comment by Tremble — May 11, 2008 @ 2:31 pm

  99. I never thought I would see a High School Musical reference on FB&G…

    Comment by Emma — May 11, 2008 @ 2:35 pm

  100. 86. I know who they are, never seen the muscial tho. I rather watch a laker game

    Comment by lakergirl — May 11, 2008 @ 2:35 pm

  101. At least Farmar’s consistent

    Comment by Bill Bridges — May 11, 2008 @ 2:36 pm

  102. consistent at losing the ball out of bounds

    Comment by Nik — May 11, 2008 @ 2:38 pm

  103. Whats up with the Harpring/Walton fued?

    Damn whats up with these fouls…

    Comment by lakergirl — May 11, 2008 @ 2:38 pm

  104. I don’t know if I’ve ever seen a worse game/ series played than what Farmar is doing. What happened to this kid?

    Comment by j. d. hastings — May 11, 2008 @ 2:40 pm

  105. Not many cleaner blocks than Mbenga’s on Millsap. No contact except Millsap’s elbow in Mbenga’s ribs

    Comment by Bill Bridges — May 11, 2008 @ 2:40 pm

  106. Kutch is scary when he gets hot. Sasha has kept him under wraps the entire series but tonight he’s just feeling it.

    Comment by Snoopy2006 — May 11, 2008 @ 2:41 pm

  107. 98. He’s been cooling down since the All star break. I though he hit 0 degrees at the end of the season. But now he’s nearing 0 Kelvin.

    Comment by Bill Bridges — May 11, 2008 @ 2:41 pm

  108. Luke, don’t watch SportsCenter today..you’ll be glad you didn’t

    Comment by Goo — May 11, 2008 @ 2:44 pm

  109. all ball? what about the push in the body?

    Comment by Nik — May 11, 2008 @ 2:45 pm

  110. No flagrant on Walton from the obviously pissed off Price?

    BS…

    Comment by Zach (85) — May 11, 2008 @ 2:45 pm

  111. Wth? Why was Walton moving so slowly? That was a momentum-changing play right there. Somewhere Bill Walton is screaming at his TV “Throw it down son!”

    And then Fisher can’t run the fastbreak. We look hopeless tonight. So many failed chances.

    Comment by Snoopy2006 — May 11, 2008 @ 2:48 pm

  112. Does this mean the lakers get free throws now?

    Comment by Zach — May 11, 2008 @ 2:48 pm

  113. Walton got hit on the head and pushed . This is possibly the worst called game I’ve ever seen.

    Comment by Bill Bridges — May 11, 2008 @ 2:48 pm

  114. Walton was looking for a 3 point play, obviously he got neither….

    Comment by Nik — May 11, 2008 @ 2:49 pm

  115. Missed opportunities in transition. Luke is so slow he always lets the defense catch him and he NEVER goes straight up with it. Then a terrible 3 on 2. Fisher IS a point guard right? Shouldn’t he know how to run the break?

    Comment by j. d. hastings — May 11, 2008 @ 2:50 pm

  116. Only 19 fouls on the Jazz. Against the laws of physics.

    Comment by Bill Bridges — May 11, 2008 @ 2:50 pm

  117. Kobe is hurting

    Comment by lakergirl — May 11, 2008 @ 2:53 pm

  118. I am not sure we can pull this one out, Kobe is really hurting!!

    Comment by Nik — May 11, 2008 @ 2:53 pm

  119. Our bench looks defeated….we miss Turiaf

    Comment by lakergirl — May 11, 2008 @ 2:54 pm

  120. Why are they giving the reach-in fouls now when they haven’t given them the whole of last 2 games. Just to prove that the officiating is fair! I hate NBA officiating…

    Comment by Anonymous — May 11, 2008 @ 2:57 pm

  121. Kobe won’t be able to shoot us back into it with his back, but he can still break down the defense and let other guys’ shots bring us back. He’s showing that with Fisher. But that doesn’t mean anything without stops. Just play solid and try not to foul.

    Comment by j. d. hastings — May 11, 2008 @ 2:57 pm

  122. How many times is ABC going to play Phil Collins’ “In The Air Tonight” going into a commercial?

    Comment by AM — May 11, 2008 @ 2:58 pm

  123. Are the Jazz in the penalty? If so, 3 FTs can cut the game to 5. Of course the way we’ve shot from the line tonight we should be praying for one.

    We NEED to get Sasha open. Everytime he’s open it’s automatic.

    Comment by Snoopy2006 — May 11, 2008 @ 2:58 pm

  124. Can Fish’s hot shooting cancel out the Korver effect??

    Comment by AM — May 11, 2008 @ 3:00 pm

  125. yes, yes he can!!

    Comment by Nik — May 11, 2008 @ 3:03 pm

  126. Kobe mouthing off muth…..on Mother’s Day?! hahahahha

    Comment by Hansoulfood — May 11, 2008 @ 3:04 pm

  127. I thought he stepped on the line. Is the line backcourt?

    Comment by Bill Bridges — May 11, 2008 @ 3:05 pm

  128. Only my eyes? I say clearly on the line.

    Comment by Kaifa — May 11, 2008 @ 3:06 pm

  129. Damn it I missed the last play. How did we tie it up?

    Comment by Snoopy2006 — May 11, 2008 @ 3:06 pm

  130. *Dont wanna jinx it*

    Comment by lakergirl — May 11, 2008 @ 3:06 pm

  131. OF course Williams travelled before the foul on Fish

    Comment by Bill Bridges — May 11, 2008 @ 3:08 pm

  132. We are real lucky if we can pull this one out….

    Comment by pw — May 11, 2008 @ 3:08 pm

  133. Two LO threes is asking for too much. :-)

    Fish tried to drop it off too low. One more chance to tie it up …

    Comment by AM — May 11, 2008 @ 3:09 pm

  134. LAMAR ODOM

    Comment by laughing hard — May 11, 2008 @ 3:09 pm

  135. I dont want us to play over time :(

    We need a steal….

    Comment by lakergirl — May 11, 2008 @ 3:10 pm

  136. Bill Bridges: Williams may have traveled, but the replay also showed Kobe grabbing his shorts to pull him off slightly balance (giving the Jazz a taste of its own medicine), so that may cancel out. Good fortune or smart play by Boozer to be in the right spot.

    Comment by AM — May 11, 2008 @ 3:11 pm

  137. These types of games make me love and loathe playoff basketball.

    Comment by UCR Mike — May 11, 2008 @ 3:12 pm

  138. it looked like williams lost the ball to boozer right before his foot touched the ground.

    Comment by Nik — May 11, 2008 @ 3:13 pm

  139. Is this the first time Lakers actually made a good offensive play out of bounds with seconds left on the court?

    Comment by Hansoulfood — May 11, 2008 @ 3:14 pm

  140. Kobe’s hurt, and we’re in ESA. They have the advantage in OT. We can pull it out if 2 things happen: 1) Kobe musters up enough energy to drive, and we find Sasha and Fish, and 2) get to the FT line (and make them).

    Comment by Snoopy2006 — May 11, 2008 @ 3:14 pm

  141. Pau and Fish with 5 fouls. That charge on Williams called a block on Gasol looming large.

    Comment by Bill Bridges — May 11, 2008 @ 3:14 pm

  142. Great play by Sasha

    Comment by pw — May 11, 2008 @ 3:15 pm

  143. Kobe needs to stop shooting…just facilitate…

    Comment by lakergirl — May 11, 2008 @ 3:16 pm

  144. Wow. Korver was pivoting around the half court line after the tip. Apparently not a backcourt violation, even though both feet went into the front court at one point and one went backcourt on the pivot …

    Comment by AM — May 11, 2008 @ 3:17 pm

  145. I don’t like the Lakers’ offense in the OT. Too Kobe-centric, even though the Mamba is clearly hurting. What happened to Fish’s hot hand? Odom at the rim? Pau? Sasha?? (Good lineup, though.)

    Comment by AM — May 11, 2008 @ 3:23 pm

  146. Uh….how about the Boozer push?!

    Comment by Hansoulfood — May 11, 2008 @ 3:24 pm

  147. Where was the foul on Lamar on that one?

    Comment by Nik — May 11, 2008 @ 3:24 pm

  148. Boozer stuck out his elbows on that play. Bad break for the Lakers.

    Comment by TCO — May 11, 2008 @ 3:25 pm

  149. Geez…Kobe just needed to facilitate the last three minutes.

    Comment by TC — May 11, 2008 @ 3:26 pm

  150. After posting my last comment, I realized that they’re running the Kobe-Gasol P&R, as Bill Bridges and others have been calling for, but Utah is doing a good job of taking away the pass to Gasol. Still, I think they should’ve gone away from that …

    A couple of deadly offensive rebounds given up to the Jazz on the defensive end, and a soft foul by Lamar for the AK47 and-one, unfortunately.

    Comment by AM — May 11, 2008 @ 3:26 pm

  151. Come on, Kobe…

    Comment by laughing hard — May 11, 2008 @ 3:26 pm

  152. Ok Ok, Kirilenko had more contact on that play than on that dunk. That’s definitely a foul…

    Comment by Nik — May 11, 2008 @ 3:27 pm

  153. hey kobe pass the ball!!!!!!!!!!!

    Comment by Anonymous — May 11, 2008 @ 3:27 pm

  154. The really painful thing about this to me: We don’t go into over time if we hit one more of our free throws in regulation.

    Comment by j. d. hastings — May 11, 2008 @ 3:28 pm

  155. that Boozer play in the back was pretty blatant. Lakers missed too many free throws this afternoon. And Lamar needed to not foul Kirilenko on that same play.

    Comment by nomuskles — May 11, 2008 @ 3:28 pm

  156. kobe pass the ball next ot please

    Comment by mrbic — May 11, 2008 @ 3:29 pm

  157. The lakers cant go home and be super confident. I dont want to hear all the talk about “we were in it”, yeah you were in it but you didnt win it. Winning is what counts…

    Have a nice day yall…peace!

    Comment by lakergirl — May 11, 2008 @ 3:32 pm

  158. this sucks….and I thought they were gonna win on my bday too….

    Comment by Hansoulfood — May 11, 2008 @ 3:32 pm

  159. This is the first game I’ve felt like complaining about the referees. The Price block on Luke was a foul in his lower back right after Mbenga had a clean block that was called a foul. The Boozer “screen” which was more like a hockey cross check. and then the Turiaf foul on Price which ostensibly is caused by Price playing after the whistle (not necessarily Ronny playing after the whistle).

    Comment by nomuskles — May 11, 2008 @ 3:32 pm

  160. and one more, the fisher block on williams to end the third quarter that was called a foul when it wasn’t.

    Comment by nomuskles — May 11, 2008 @ 3:33 pm

  161. how boozer gets away with all those shoves is sickening.

    I don’t know what Kobe was thinking down the stretch. It’s not like Fisher and Odom were struggling from the field. Jesus Christ.

    Comment by chibi — May 11, 2008 @ 3:36 pm

  162. I can’t buy into blaming the refs here. Yeah the calls were going Utah’s way, but they were due for it at home. The fact is, any of our missed free throws during the game wins that for us. Those same refs gave us our 10-11 more chances to get that point than we took advantage of.

    And that could cost us because back injuries don’t get better overnight.

    Comment by j. d. hastings — May 11, 2008 @ 3:38 pm

  163. that walton miss fast break dunk turned out to quite costly. what was he thinking on that play?

    Comment by Anonymous — May 11, 2008 @ 3:38 pm

  164. 45 - 25 FT difference. Take away the 8 near the end and it is still a travesty. Strangely, I fee no pain as the Donaghys obviously had interest in the action. The line was about Jazz + 4 - 5 last time I checked.

    Gotta give props to the intrepid Laker fans wearing their Malone LAKER home jerseys at courtside.

    Let’s hope Kobe’s back heals quickly. Keep him away from Vitti and he should be fine.

    Comment by Bill Bridges — May 11, 2008 @ 3:39 pm

  165. I’m with 157. The one knock other people have against Laker fans is we’re too arrogant, and I think we saw some of that after last game. There were too many comments along the lines of “Stop overreacting, this still isn’t a series, our guys will play better…”

    To be honest, I’d rather overreact than be cocky. Yes, Kobe was hurt. Yes, there were questionable calls that went against us. Yes, we missed FTs. But you can’t make excuses. Who knows what will happen in the next game? Korver could explode. Kobe could still be hurt. Vujacic and Fish might be off. Kirilenko might have one of his freakish offensive games. Boozer might score more than 14 points.

    We’ve shown a disturbing inability to get stops when we need them. It’s not an aberration. Maybe we’re simply not good enough to stop one of the best offensive teams in the league. In that case we need to Phx it up a bit and focus on the offensive end (while still playing as solid D as we can).

    Comment by Snoopy2006 — May 11, 2008 @ 3:40 pm

  166. We all should be getting a little bit worried because Kobe just doesn’t look the same out there when he is injured like that. He was trying to take over the game. The end result was just painful to watch.

    Comment by Nik — May 11, 2008 @ 3:40 pm

  167. Kobe cost us the game today. His shot was off all day. He should have looked for Fish, Odom or Gasol.

    Comment by Andre — May 11, 2008 @ 3:43 pm

  168. I’m so disappointed with the Lakers’s play in OT. It’s difficult to criticize Kobe after his MVP season, but he HAS to recognize his own physical limitations when injured and move the ball. What happened to the so-called “trust” in his teammates that won him the MVP? Other problems: (1) Farmar is a disaster; (2) Fisher has lost his mind the last 2 games with the early fouls; (3) The pathetic FT shooting is inexcusable. I take no solace in another “we played poorly and only lost by __” defeat. We lose 2 more close games and we’re out. If Kobe’s injury is more than fleeting, this could be a 6-game series loss.

    Comment by Scot — May 11, 2008 @ 3:45 pm

  169. what a sucker punch of a loss that was. le sigh

    Comment by nomuskles — May 11, 2008 @ 3:46 pm

  170. i agree andre…..it just seemed like he wanted the glory of carrying his team while injured….but we all saw how that worked out….

    Comment by b — May 11, 2008 @ 3:48 pm

  171. 167. When it comes down to it, we were still in the game. I still can not believe Boozer was not callled for elbowing Fisher to the floor. But I suppose there is a reason why the NBA has the biggest home court advantage. Refs need to stop being so influenced by the enviornment.

    Comment by TCO — May 11, 2008 @ 3:48 pm

  172. I love Kobe, but I had a feeling he would shoot us in the foot tonight. His one weakness: he’s so good he thinks he’s going to make a shot every single time, even if he hasn’t hit a single J all game long. I agree with all the comments on here - if he had facilitated we might have won. But then again, we can’t pin it all on him. He gave it up a few times in OT and Vujacic and someone else made bonehead plays.

    Bottom line, we didn’t seem to have any championship poise on the road in overtime (aside from Kobe and Fish).

    Comment by Snoopy2006 — May 11, 2008 @ 3:48 pm

  173. Agreed on Kobe (in OT). I’ll defend him to no end but he lived up to the criticism tonight. And in OT of a playoff game no less… :\

    Comment by Matt M. — May 11, 2008 @ 3:49 pm

  174. I dont mean to come across as saying we should be satisfied or anything. We need to start hitting out FT’s and we need to watch out for Okor on the elbow extended.

    Comment by TCO — May 11, 2008 @ 3:50 pm

  175. Yes. Kobe should have passed in OT. But I think Gasol’s missed dunk had something to do with forcing Kobe to try to will the game home by himself.

    Comment by Bill Bridges — May 11, 2008 @ 3:51 pm

  176. odom shoulda took over in OT

    Comment by LakerFan — May 11, 2008 @ 3:51 pm

  177. One thing to not lose sight of in this loss….Lamar with some CLUTCH plays. Great to see.

    Comment by Matt M. — May 11, 2008 @ 3:52 pm

  178. To 175 - agreed….Lamar is a good enough ballhandler. He can take Utah’s bigs off the dribble and Kobe should have been the decoy.

    Comment by Hansoulfood — May 11, 2008 @ 3:53 pm

  179. The thing that bothers me, though… LAL’s offense late in games seems to be Kobe-iso. Every time down the floor, they were looking for him in that mid-post, and he just didn’t have the speed/explosion to get past Kirilenko and finish like he normally would. The team has to be more assertive WITH Kobe - Fisher in particular needs to be willing to throw the ball to the opposite half of the court and let Kobe decoy AK.

    Comment by Underbruin — May 11, 2008 @ 3:55 pm

  180. Phil in his press conference when asked about Kobe shooting in OT said that Kobe was looking for teammates but that his teammates “bailed” on him. I also thought they just gave him the ball and stood around.

    Comment by Bill Bridges — May 11, 2008 @ 3:58 pm

  181. It wasn’t all Kobe’s fault. How about Pau’s blown dunk and Sasha’s turnover? That said, it would have nice to give Lamar a shot to see what he could do.

    Comment by 91601guy — May 11, 2008 @ 4:00 pm

  182. Off the ball cuts also seem to be non existant on late game Kobe isos.

    Comment by TCO — May 11, 2008 @ 4:00 pm

  183. I thought for sure we would take at least one in Utah, but we had a few bad breaks. If Kobe was fully healthy, we would have won, but that’s just an excuse right now. We didn’t play smart in OT, especially Kobe. As many have said, we needed to run the offense, especially with Kobe not being able to shoot jumpers or take it strong to the hoop (think dunk here not layup with no life that got blocked by AK). Pau played well but he had his share of mistakes, like setting pick on Fish rather than flashing to stop DWill or missing a reverse dunk. Sasha hit some early shots, but he’s no playmaker. Fisher needs to play 1st quarter like he did in the 4th. Odom was the warrior who really carried us in the end.

    The most disturbing part of the game is obviously Kobe’s injury. I hope it’s a just a tweak, but back injury is something that doesn’t heal too quickly. If it’s not a major injury, Kobe will be able to play through it. I just hope that our bench will give us more life, provided that Ronny is not suspended for the next game, which he shouldn’t be.

    p.s. Luke really needs to learn to make running layups, not stop in front of the hoop and jump straight up layups.

    p.p.s. I really don’t like that Harpring guy. He’s really annoying as a player. But I’m sure Utah fans say that about Sasha Vujacic.

    Comment by pb — May 11, 2008 @ 4:00 pm

  184. Kobe did a good job in the end at the 4th, overtime while he shouldn’t have shot those shots still the rest of the team was just standing there and making him do 1 on 1.

    Really need to ship Vlade in the offseason or at the very least make him be part of the bench. Starter and played 14 min sheesh. My favorite Martian just loves being on Mars while the rest are on Earth. Like Kwame Brown, doesn’t really make so much effort while being a started and ironically voiced his displeasure while being a Supersonic about not being a starter.

    Jordan Farmar can’t really understand whats been happening with him. Guess when his confidence goes down his game is nonexistant,. Only 4 points in Game 2 and in 1,3,4 been held to Zero points. He has to get those confidence can’t wait for the next damn game, even Sasha in his 1st playoff experience did better than Jordan at the point. And most of the time Jordan is going against Ronny Price not Deron Williams. Today was a bit more understandable since Fish was in foul trouble but can’t always depend on Fish not getting in foul trouble. He has to step up and start hitting shots and be willing to make contact because the more and more he’s going to be less confidence and the more and more Kobe/Fish/Pau/Lamar will have to go back in there and play for the entire game.

    Refs were very questionable though I feel the same way that the Jazz were due. Just let this one go.

    Have to make the shots anyone not named Lamar/Pau/Sasha/Fish. Otherwise Kobe will just fire away with difficult shots.

    Comment by Mike D. — May 11, 2008 @ 4:03 pm

  185. Instead of blaming Kobe, I’m gonna blame the free-throw shooting. In a game that goes to OT, there are obviously many single plays on both ends that could’ve made the difference, but only one type of play where the refs aren’t a factor (other than getting you to the stripe in the first place).

    Comment by AM — May 11, 2008 @ 4:07 pm

  186. couple things to point out to our thread on the game…
    1) the flagrant on Ronnie should not have been called, Deron himself said it was because it “was after the whistle” …??! hasn’t nayone heard of “continuation”??? Ronnie was doing the right thing, and it was Price who kept advancing trying to get “contijuation”! all Ronnie did was what all pro ballers know to do, stop the layup, don’t allow continuation. he went for the ball, not any part of the head or was in anyway a malicious action.
    if he gets a suspension, it’s time for a class action to Stern and committee…
    2) that block on Luke by Price was a killer for us, almost an impossible thing to recover from. we had a duece, no doubt about that, what was Luke doing??! looked like he stumbled, or mishandled, but when I replayed it, no…so why did he slow down like that? the result was a block by Price, and a huge momentum changer, and the crowd, etc…well, almost impossible to bounce back from.
    but I guess I was wrong, we did manage to get it to OT…
    at the end of the day, we are a better team, and am pretty sure we’ll get game 5.
    PJ needs to show the team that clip of D Will clapping and head bobbing like, “that’s right, we own ‘em” that should be a great motivator.

    Comment by chris h — May 11, 2008 @ 4:09 pm

  187. I don’t blame the free throw shooting. LO and Kobe got the misses tonight. You just can’t rely on Lamar to make all his free throws. Not as bad as Shaq. But you just have to be glad when he gets to the line. He has poor form with his right foot behind his left , off balance, and inconsistent. He’s been missing FT’s all year. Can’t blame him for missing them this game because in all other facets he was was a monster.

    Kobe. No follow through because of the back. Even so, you knew that on his and-one in the fourth that he would hit the free throw. So no, I’d rather blame the non-call on Kobe’s layup at the end of regular time.

    Comment by Bill Bridges — May 11, 2008 @ 4:20 pm

  188. Don’t worry Ap or Warren Wee Lim about the timing of the 1st post, there were alot of reasons we could not take the game but it all boiled down to 5 minutes at the end. It’s a 3 game series now and two are at Staples. Hope Kobe will be OK that’s the main concern for me now.
    Go Lakers…

    Comment by lakerfan101 — May 11, 2008 @ 4:24 pm

  189. Bill Bridges,

    u see what happened with 5:24 left in the first half? Phil put in lineup of Vujacic, Kobe, Luke , Odom and Pau and we then go on a strong run to end the half. U called it man, that lineup was gold. Hopefully we’ll see more of that with Farmer struggling .

    Mamba was trying pretty hard to have his MJ-flu game. Yes he’s earned at least one bad playoff game, but that overtime was pretty bad.

    All OT, with Scrotum and Fish playing out of their minds, we go with Kobe isos? Yes, no one else may have asked for the ball, and yes, there was no movement/cuts. But Kobe isos when he’s obviously at 75% (if that) aren’t going to win any basketball games. He tried to pull an MJ but he came off looking more like T-Mac against AK.

    Mamba, we love you man. Can’t say enough about your toughness and your desire to win. But why are you falling to ground in pain after you take some ridiculous contested 1-on-1 jumper? Twice? If your playing hurt, gotta rein that nonsense in. Anywhoo, if you’re at 100% that game, there’s no doubt we win. If we run any semblance of an offense in OT, we win that game. We got stops all game, constantly pulling to within 2 or 3, we just couldn’t get over the hump. That loss was an oucher…

    Comment by tonystarks — May 11, 2008 @ 4:24 pm

  190. Chris, someone else mentioned, and I agree with him that Luke was trying to draw an and -one. He probably saw that Price was coming and wanted to draw the foul. The fact is that he got fouled. But not by enough to draw the call, not with these officials, and not in Utah. A huge momentum changer. The Jazz came right back and Millsap dunked.

    Comment by Bill Bridges — May 11, 2008 @ 4:24 pm

  191. Kobe giving press conference…standing up. says he’ll definitely play Wednesday.

    Comment by Bill Bridges — May 11, 2008 @ 4:39 pm

  192. Don’t grade the game by the last few minutes or the OT. This game was lost with 4 minutes left in the 4th and we were down by 10. It was a miracle that we came back.

    Comment by pw — May 11, 2008 @ 5:02 pm

  193. I was just reading the Jazz blog that Kurt linked to in the post and they are just as upset by the refs over there as we are. They love the ronnie price block on luke and hate fisher. They also think Kobe was faking the back injury for dramatics to be more like Jordan.

    Comment by nomuskles — May 11, 2008 @ 5:03 pm

  194. Odom played extremely well for the most part, except his free-throws, obviously. Odom has never been a great, or consistent, free-throw shooter, which is why half the time he goes to the line I expect consecutive misses. Solid game from Odom, that kind of contribution, including the late game clutch 3-ball and put back, should not be overlooked, despite poor free-throw shooting.

    We would not have even been in the position to take it to overtime without Fisher’s three 3-pointers. Kobe may be more clutch, but Fisher is clearly the better spot up shooter from long range. I felt that during overtime, with Kobe obviously bothered by his discomfort (hesistant to say injury), he should have been looking to involve his teammates. Unless I’m mistaken, Kobe called for the isolation plays, not a result due to to his teammates “standing around.”

    Defense. Did Lakers not get the memo that said Okur is capable of raining 3-pointers all day? Everytime during the game Okur is left for a wide open mid-range or 3-pointer shot, I asked my cousin, “*** ****** damn it! Do they not know he can shoot that?!” I would rather Boozer take a close range shot contested by two Laker bigs than to allow Okur those wide open looks.

    Lakers have one of the deepest bench in the league, when they show up. Walton played fairly well, but I chose to switch his contributions with Radmanovic, a starter that played horrendous. So really, besides Walton, our bench was completely outplayed by a single player on the Jazz: Korver. Korver got hot late in the 4th quarter, and there is really nothing you can do about those type of players. By that, I mean shooters that specialized in running around back screens and picks to get quick, effective shots off (think Rip Hamilton, Reggie Miller, Peja Stojakovic).

    The Ronny ejection was preposterous. It was a good, clean, hard playoff foul. Was it Ronny’s fault that Price’s legs went further than his upper body and landed on his side? Ronny didn’t cause the gash on Price’s head, the floor and gravity did. Did anyone else find it hilarious that Harpring sprang to the referee pleading for a flagrant foul immediately after Price fell down, as opposed to checking if his teammate was alright? Almost like tattle-telling. Also, why did the referees even replay that play on their monitor, if it was clearly a clean foul and they still chose to eject Ronny?

    Refereeing was horrible as usual in Utah. Game 3 and 4 have been the only games I’ve watched in the playoffs so far, out of every single nationally televised games, that led me to think the game was fixed, somehow, or that the referees had a different agenda in their mind besides a fair game.

    Did anyone see Harpring get called for an offensive foul for an phantom elbow on Vujacic? I laughed pretty hard. Sasha sure is a good actor.

    All in all, mediore defense, bad refereeing, bad free-throw shooting, and reverting back to “Kobe show” late in overtime cost us the game. What’s even more upsetting is that even including all those factors, Lakers had a good chance to take home a 3-1 lead.

    On a side note, D-Will’s spin around Fisher and fadeaway jumper on Gasol at the end of the 4th quarter was pretty. Lakers played good defense on that possesion, and D-Will still made it. What can you do, right? I’m sure many teams feel the same way about a lot of shots Kobe make.

    Hope the injury (*yeek!*) isn’t too serious, and Kobe and Co. bounce back from two close losses and win a game in dominating fashion in Staples Center on Wednesday.

    Comment by M0nkeydump — May 11, 2008 @ 5:11 pm

  195. This loss is clear and simple, and could have been prevented. Warren Wee Lim should have gotten the first comment post. If so, we’d be taking this thing 3-1 back to LA. On this blog, we just need better execution and communication…

    Comment by The Fanalyst — May 11, 2008 @ 5:41 pm

  196. Phil made some critical errors, namley going with Vlad to start the 3rd and Farmar as Fish’s sub when Fish got 4 fouls. The team had just had its best spell (in the 2nd quarter) with Sasha at the point, why would Phil go back to Farmar.

    Anyway, I know nobody cares about moral victories and ‘if this, if that’ but we turned the ball over 20% of their possessions in one game and missed 11+ free throws in the other, yet nearly won both. I hope we come home and take care of business, that’s pretty much all we can ask for.

    Comment by kwame a. — May 11, 2008 @ 5:43 pm

  197. Also, of all the damn series to not have Bynum….bygones.

    Comment by kwame a. — May 11, 2008 @ 5:51 pm

  198. didn’t sasha do the best on d. will? why did coach stick with my boy jordan? he needs to get back to his slash spot up style. he is playing without confidence.

    sasha’s better to pester d will I think. the fouls on fish were tacky and cheap. a lot of calls were bad both ways, obviously no one wants to hear about ref kookery and home court favor but its not going away.

    kobe has to get everyone going in the first. it gets them all a touch and a spark and zen master knows they need those keys.

    free throws could have won it too, but kobe and lamar bricked. they need to develop a two man game. all the best teams have killer two man games. our two best(?) players don’t move well off each other.

    next one’s ours.

    Comment by gasolgasol — May 11, 2008 @ 6:08 pm

  199. Ironically, if Luke had stayed on the ground a bit longer than he did, Price might’ve jumped on his back. Even still, as Bill Bridges pointed out, Luke got hit in the head and had a hand in his back, but was not going to get that call going up that softly. Bad decision by Bill’s son.

    I must say, after re-watching the fourth quarter, that Jordan and Mbenga were involved in every play in a negative way during that stretch where Utah got the big lead back. In one particularly unfortunate sequence, down by 6 after LO’s three-point play, Farmar let Price go backdoor on him, get the pass, then get an and-one from Mbenga. On the other end, Jordan lets a Lamar pass go right through his hands out of bounds. Then, Jordan fouls Millsap on an offensive rebound. Millsap misses the second, Okur gets the board, back to Millsap for the Mbenga block/foul (the replay shows hand on arm — sorry DJ fans). Really missed Turiaf there. All the while, Korver is on fire.

    In OT, Gasol made a great, quick move to get past Okur but missed the dunk, and Sasha didn’t give up the ball early enough on a P&R with Pau, ending up under the basket and passing out to nobody. Other than that, it was Kobe isos and a lack of movement. A couple of times, he was double-teamed, and nobody even faked a cut until Kobe had already decided to take it on his own. Only once did I really see him jack up a shot without at least waiting for a better opportunity to develop (a three attempt over Kirilenko).

    On the defensive side, Utah executed one scheme almost perfectly to beat us. (Hubie had a great explanation of this as the game was going on.) Williams and Boozer ran the pick-and-roll on one side of the court, forcing Lamar or Pau to stay in the lane under the hoop as the other big showed on Williams. Meanwhile, Okur would make his way out near the three-point line on the weak side, and the ball would go to him instead. Neither Kobe nor Sasha closed out, so Lamar or Pau had to run from way under the basket, and couldn’t make it in time. This burned the Lakers about three times in the extra period. The one time the ball actually went to Boozer on the P&R, Lamar and Pau sandwiched him and forced a turnover.

    In a game this tightly contested, things like the Turiaf ejection and Kobe’s injury played a huge role in the outcome. With Turiaf getting better blocks or fouls instead of the and-ones from Mbenga, along with rebounds and at least the threat of offense, and with Kobe hitting one more shot or one more free throw that he left short due to his declining performance as the game went along, the game could’ve been ours.

    Well, hopefully Kobe can rest up and the home court will bring Jordan and Vlad (M.I.A. tonight) better results and we can put the pressure back on the Jazz for Game 6.

    Comment by AM — May 11, 2008 @ 6:09 pm

  200. I was really upset by this loss, until I thought about the series for about 15 minutes. Then I realized…

    Only Fish and Kobe have ever been through anything beyond the 1st round. Walton was a rookie and didn’t really play and Ira was a reserve with Cleveland. The first 6 games of these playoffs really didn’t teach our other players much because we won them all. It is only when you put what you think is everything on the line, and the other guy still beats you, that you realize you have to dig down deeper. Lamar and Vlade have not been pressure players so the problems were to be expected. We also shouldn’t be surprised by Pau because his experience didn’t force him to get very tough down low. Farmar is still only in his second year and Sasha has performed quite well, based off his experience.

    Now we are battle tested and probably ready for anything. Pau has no illusions, Lamar has found what he can do in