Lakers: 40-9 (1st in West), Cleveland 39-9 (1st in East)
Offensive Rating: Lakers: 114.5 (1st in league), Cleveland: 113.2 (3rd in league)
Defensive Rating: Lakers: 105.7 (7th in league), Cleveland: 101.6 (2nd in league)
Projected Lineups: Lakers Derek Fisher, Kobe Bryant, Luke Walton, Lamar Odom, Pau Gasol
Cavaliers Mo Williams, Wally Szczerbiak, Lebron, Ben Wallace, Zydrunas Ilgauskas
Episode VI: Return of the Odom: Bill Bridges thinks we have have seen the start of a different Lamar Odom:
In the 1984 finals, his team was bullied, his power forward literally clotheslined. The Lakers were Intimidated and then finally beaten by the Boston Celtics, a team the Lakers had never beaten since their move out west.
Fast forward a year. Pat Riley heard a year of talk about how his team was soft, good enough for show time but not tough enough to win. It was then. prior to the rematch that he told his team what his father had told him. “Just remember what I always taught you. Somewhere, someplace, sometime, you’re going to have to plant your feet, make a stand and kick some ass. And when that time comes, you do it.”
It was the spirit of Lee Riley that Lamar Odom channeled on February 5th 2008. “Sometimes you’ve just got to make a stand. Tonight, we made a stand.”
If history repeats itself it must do so on 24 year cycles. The finesse team from Los Angeles goes into Boston and kicked sand into the bully’s face. As it was in 1985, so it shall be in 2009.
“Cathartic? I don’t know what cathartic means. I didn’t go to college” Kobe Bryant may not know what cathartic means but Lamar Odom embodied it.
We might have witnessed the transformation of LO. For so long he has tantalized us with a unique combination of size, speed, and skills. Always disappointing instead with inconsistency and lack of focus and fortitude. Can a moment be so cathartic for an individual? Can transformation happen in an instant?
Stephen Jay Gould amended Darwin by showing that evolution happens in an instant (geologically speaking). Punctuated Equilibrium rather than a gradual crawl. Evolution is Revolution.
What are the traits keeping LO back from greatness. Not skills. Not size. Not athleticism. But focus, determination, concentration, will. Maybe he finally got it. Finally realized he has to let go to move forward. Phil started the process by having LO come off the bench for the first time in his life. Humility shatters the illusions of the ego that prevent growth. By letting go, maybe LO now can play in the moment. Present, focused, determined.
“Basketball is a humiliating sport, it can humble you right in the middle of the game,” Odom said. “But tonight I just left all that behind.”
Character is shaped not by success but reaction to failure. Evolution only occurs change in environmental stress favours a new variant of the species. Without stress no growth. Andrew Bynum’s injury, especially due to the deja vu nature, created cruel and violent stress. But also an opportunity for growth and evolution. How this team, on this trip, reprising the character of 1985 has responded to this stress been gratifying to us all. How LO, in this game matched the passion of KG, looked the bullies in the eye and, in the end, won the game, might be the true blessing arising from the misfortune in Memphis.
We sensed the change even during the game. Any other game, you would despair at seeing LO at the line with one free throw to tie and two the win. But for the first time since he became a Laker, somehow I knew he would sink both. And he did.
The last week in Lakers Land: From kwame a.:
Sat, Jan. 31: Humming along on the roadie, Drew goes down and is left screaming in pain. Can’t help but think the worst, even while drinking at a wedding reception, can’t stop thinking about Drew being out for the year.
Sun, Feb. 1: Super Bowl Sunday is a subdued affair, waiting for the word on Drew, only to hear the damn doctor couldn’t look at the MRI. Even while enjoying some delicious fat tire ale, and watching a great football game, I’m nervous as hell bad news is looming.
Mon, Feb. 2: Kobe comes out firing early at MSG and you knew he was in that mode. After a virtuoso performance, he ends up with 61, which tempers the earlier news that Drew is out for 8-12 weeks.
Tue, Feb. 3: A day to re-think just how amazing Kobe really is, the fact he has done it for a decade straight, all with the same cold-blooded determination. We are all lucky to be able to have seen his career.
Wed, Feb. 4: The team buckles down in the 4th after some rag-tag play, and led by Pau and Kobe beat the Raptors, 4-0 on the trip, but Gasol goes 45 minutes, how in the hell do we win in Boston tomorrow without AB?!?
Thurs, Feb. 5: Against all odds, and sometimes 3 zebras, the Lakers prevail in OT, showing the requisite “machismo” the mainstream media has lusted for all year. Fans and players know its only a regular season game, but the win felt like it could have important psychological ramifications for the team going forward.
Fri, Feb. 6: Talking heads and typing bloggers argue and debate the BOS/LA classic, arguing over whether the refs were at fault for the C’s loss, what the win meant for the Lakers and what the loss meant for the C’s. Such reaction to a regular season game is rare, even forcing Kurt to reaffirm FBG’s commitment to civil dialogue.
Sat, Feb. 7: While thinking this would be a slow day, I get a text message that we made a trade. I immediately doubt it, but then, there it, confirmed on FBG, Vlad for Morrison and Shanny.
For many teams this type of week would be the most memorable in franchise history. For the Lakers, it’s just another week. With a chance to break the Cavs perfect home record, I can’t wait to see what this next week brings.
Cleveland Coming In: Everyone talks about LeBron and what Mo Williams has brought to the table, but the reason Cleveland is one of the top teams in the NBA is defense.
They are second overall in defensive efficiency (lowest PPG because they play at a slow pace). They do it by limiting shooting percentages with solid perimeter defense and some long arms and big bodies in the paint that can block and alter shots.
Part of that is Ilgauskas, he is quietly the key to this team. They need his scoring as a big, his presence and length inside. With him in the lineup they score fore more points a game. With him they are 28-4, without him 11-5.
Last Time They Met: The Lakers handed the Cavs their worst start of the season back in January. We can take nothing much from that game, the Cavs were without Big Z. and Delonte West. As stated above, with Z in the lineup they are a different team.
Keys to the Game: One of the things that has been a problem for the Lakers this season is teams with a center who can step out and hit the jumper, pulling the help defender away from the basket. That is a basic tenent of the Cavs offense — Big Z lives in the corner as a spot-up guy on the three. The Lakers are going to have to defend the P&R without a simple backstop, they need to be smart about it.
On the other end, we seem to always talk about getting Gasol involved, and the Lakers need to because he is hot — in the last four games he is shooting 69.4%, scoring 27 per and adding 13 boards.
In the last meeting Kobe did a good job denying LeBron and making him work for his points. I expect to see that again, the goal is to force the other Cavs to beat you, the problem is that they can in this meeting far better than they did in the last meeting
Kobe Bryant has to play with his team, he cannot get sucked into a one-on-one deal with LeBron. It’s one thing to do that against the Knicks (and shooting 60% while doing it) but in this game it is not a winning strategy.
Where to watch: 12:30 on ABC, after a pretty interesting Spurc/Celtics game.
Travis Y. says
From Kevin Ding about our last straw from our favorite space cadet.
Travis Y. says
http://www.ocregister.com/articles/lakers-radmanovic-morrison-2302401-kupchak-brown
m0nkey says
Radman was a favorite of mine. Shame to see him go.
You guys can’t deny that Radmanovich is undoubtedly more useful than those other two.
Kurt says
3. I don’t think anyone questions that Radman is more useful short term than Morrison, the question is was he more useful than the money saved?
Anonymous says
The way I see it, what Radmanovic contributed the most was good outside shooting–which we really don’t need any more of on this team. What we need more of is solid defenders, and he was anything but. Granted, Morrison and Brown might not be that either, but at least they won’t cost as us much money.
Byron says
I like most people have wondered about the playing time (or lack thereof) that Ariza had in the Boston game. Maybe it was because Phil plans to use him on LeBron a lot this game. As solid as Walton was on defense against Pierce, I think Ariza is going to be a lot more valuable this game.
kwame a. says
If Wally starts it either means (a) Lebron is going to guard Kobe from jump or (b) Wally is gonna be guarding Kobe early. If Wally is on Kobe early, we must punish the Cavs, if Lebron is on Kobe, we may be able to get him in early foul trouble.
Drew Andrekopoulos says
Even without Andrew in the line up today, the Lakers win and stop the Cavs home win streak. Go Lakers!!
Kurt says
7. That is the starting lineup they have used the last few games.
kwame a. says
Who do you think they throw on Kobe?
hansoulfood says
http://www.hardwoodparoxysm.com/2009/02/07/theres-the-mj-we-all-know-and-love/
A little more about the trade. Will we see them in uni today?
wondahbap says
Is it just me?
Every time I see a link for a supposed trade or rumor from hoopshype, it always bogus.
Are they the National Enquirer of NBA news? They seem to be worse than Chad Ford.
Mimsy says
Not only that, the links never work. Whenever i click on them I come to a 404 error…
Kurt says
10. Kind of has to be LeBron, doesn’t it?
wondahbap says
Actually, I guess that’s unfair for me to say.
They only link what they read.
I take that back.
wondahbap says
Mimsy,
http://www.hoopshype.com
There was a typo above.
Craig W. says
What I really hope is that Kobe not take any defense personally, but just find the open man. I want to see him have 15 assists today.
Let Pau carry the scoring load, unless he has an open shot.
Level off Lebron, that’s all I ask.
Mimsy says
Aha! That makes so much more sense 🙂
Kurt says
I cut the first link because 1) the link didn’t work; 2) The trade mentioned as done is not even mentioned as a rumor on a site that runs every rumor they can find.
DTC says
Big Z presents a problem for the Lakers, but don’t forget the reverse: he’s too slow to guard either Gasol or Odom. We need to go to the post relentlessly and exploit that. I really don’t want to see a bunch of long contested shots by Kobe again
wondahbap says
Boston is down right now.
The psychological angle we’ve been discussing lately, becomes so much more interesting in games like these. Boston fans might have a minor meltdown if they lose today.
wondahbap says
….and possibly the team.
Look at the schedule after this game:
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/teams/schedule?team=bos
All road games. We all know what happened last time they had a Western road trip.
TRad says
Frankly, I don’t see us winning. Cavs with Big Z is a different team. I think the Celtics game was kind of emotional peak, the next one could a letdown. I’m afraid of a rout.
What we need to do to win? Go to Gasol early, go to Gasol ofte, and scream like hell if refs don’t whistle a couple of quick ones on Ilgauskas.
What we need not to do to win? Stop Kobe from shooting contest with James.
1331 says
i want lakers to win this game, just to show that kobe is better than lebron (for now).
and this cannot be done by kobe shooting all the way.
wondahbap says
Trad,
I think the big win gives them momentum going into this game. Reed’s post and Dex’s comment were great reads as to why the win in Boston will *help.*
Did Kobe get into a shooting contest last game?
Did he last year? Did he against Dwyane Wade? I don’t understand why people are so afraid of that. He hasn’t done that all year.
MannyP13 says
Does anyone know if Morrison and Brown will be at the game? I realize that it is almost certain they won’t play, but I was curious if they would be sitting in their suits courtside.
Ben says
People watching the Spurs-Celtics game? Mason just hit a beautiful three to put the Spurs up two. Man is clutch.
1331 says
thanks for reminding that kobe hasn’t done shooting contest this year.
i really hope this game it will hold.
except of course, if we really need kobe to do so
chibi says
26) i read that morrison and brown will take their physicals in LA, and join the team for practice monday.
Derek says
from what i’ve read morrison and brown wont be at the game. They went back to L.A. for the physicals
MannyP13 says
Wow. Celtics blew the game in the last minute of the game. Good D and clutch shooting from the Spurs. We need to keep an eye on the Spurs… they are going to be tough.
laughing hard says
I’m finding myself rooting for the Spurs to win… I feel dirty…
1331 says
32>
u’re even dirtier if u root for celtics
=p
Craig W. says
I love Boston losing two home games in a row. Yea!!
j. d. hastings says
West Side!
j. d. hastings says
Wait- if Adam Morrison isn’t playing, who’s going to guard Lebron???
Jeff says
36-
Sun Yue, obviously.
Joe says
I guess we will see if the lakers are…tough…enough again lol
Yusuf says
This is the best double header iin ages. George hill really came thru.
After the cavs game I don’t see anymore really tough games for the lakers they will be favoured here on out. And yes I know they will be on the road but the lakers are a great road team.
Winning streak???
Kurt says
Hey, Bill Muray in Meatballs is on Comedy Central right now.
Anonymous says
anyone watch the spurs game? mason has ice in his veins.
Pato says
Hello guys. Any link?
Mimsy says
#31:
I disagree, I don’t think the Celtics blew it. The Spurs simply beat them, by playing better defense, making clutch shots, and by sinking important free-throws. Also, they successfully avoided having their inbound passes deflected and turned into turn-overs.
I do agree with you that the Spurs are, as always, very dangerous. You simply cannot break that team, they are like the proverbial cockroach. No matter how many times you step on it, not matter how thoroughly you think you have crushed it, it comes right back at you with full energy again.
marco says
the lakers should be the only team allowed to wear yellow at home games
marco says
http://www.ustream.tv/videoplayerpopup/channel/497330
specialM says
that’s right. run big z around pick all night.
j. d. hastings says
Mason, Hill and uh… the big goofy white center who only scores from outside all stepped up big for the Spurs. You have to hand it to them- they’ve created a supporting cast out of scratch there. We take them lightly at our own risk.
Mimsy says
#44:
Either that, or all other teams that do need to sign a legally binding contract to make it non-ugly yellow uniforms. Seriously, the Cavs are hideous.
Mimsy says
Big goofy outside scorer = Bonner?
Kurt says
Play Wallace to pass, make him shoot.
Kurt says
Lakers offense right now has great player and ball movement.
Joel says
Kobe is running Pavlovic ragged.
j. d. hastings says
49- Yes, that’s the one. I think they should print my description on the back of his jersey though.
Kurt says
Somebody has got to rotate on Big Z on those. He’s too good to just leave like that.
j. d. hastings says
Kobe should have passed back to fisher on that double team
-See?
specialM says
we should work through pau all night. he looks like he can abuse Z.
j. d. hastings says
What is the tie breaker for teams in different conferences if they split the season series?
DTC says
Holy moly, I knew that Z and Ben Wallace couldn’t check Pau and Lamar, I just didn’t know it’d be this easy for our guys to score on them
Mimsy says
Is it me, or does Kobe look tired already? The announcers said something about him being sick…?
Kurt says
If the Cavs wore these uniforms on that floor in Minnesota, I might go blind.
rhybread says
@59 Being sick affects other players, but by now Kobe’s shown that he can play just as well sick as not. It may seem unrealistic, but I expect the best out of him every game.
Yusuf says
Pauuuuwerrr gasol
1331 says
z is too slow for pau…but on the other hand, on offense, z pop out and shoot jumper
so defense need to catch up with z
what i am worried about is pau closing down on z and nobody get the defensive rebound.
cavs off rebound is reasonable right now, but we need to be careful
specialM says
oh my lord. lamar is bringing it.
Yusuf says
Did lebron walk on the fast break
Joel says
Memo to Lakers: Ilgauskas is a great midrange jumpshooter.
Mimsy says
i thought he did
Aqzi says
I’m pretty sure lebron just stood on the high right side of the court for an entire possession and walked on the fast break.
marco says
lean like a cholo… in cleveland?!?! LOLOL
Kurt says
Wally is no Rip Hamilton
chibi says
varejao is being a little cavalier with those elbows. hope the lakers can match their physicality.
Aqzi says
No love from the refs tonight.
emh101 says
Mark Jackson is like fingernails on a chalkboard.
Ben says
Jackson and Van Gundy saying that Mo Williams or Ray Allen are more deserving All-Stars than Devin Harris, Danny Granger, and Chris Bosh because they’re on losing teams is incredibly myopic.
j. d. hastings says
Bad call
Kurt says
Varejao is one of the players I really like to watch. Plays hard, smart at both ends. He’s the kind of guy every team could use.
j. d. hastings says
74- at least they’ve consistently said it every 5 minutes for the last 3 weeks…
LJ says
I don’t get, how is even possible that while playing alongside the second unit, Gasol gets even fewer touches…
Obviosuly it must be me, don’t getting what basketball is about…
Kurt says
Mihm sighting, and a quick foul.
specialM says
love odom so far. great energy.
Kurt says
TREVOR!!!
Nice pass Sasha.
Joel says
74
Apparently they don’t know that there is already a ‘reward’ for players on good teams. It’s called the playoffs.
S.Nicholson says
Is it just me or does Cleveland have the hardest working MC in all of basketball. That music never stops!
j. d. hastings says
Sasha has looked good this game. Not settling for the 3, looking to make the pass. Like an all around player.
Kurt says
By the way, Phil’s between quarter comments were interesting. They are going to let Big Z have that shot all night, thinking he will wear down. Interesting.
Aaron says
Like we always say, don’t expect that 3 to fall all night.
j. d. hastings says
Do illegal screens exist anymore?
LJ says
For how long are the Cavs going to nail every 3pointer they shoot?
Ben says
77,
Doesn’t detract from how short-sighted their view is.
82,
Exactly.
And in any case, Wally isn’t going to be this hot all night. Cavs are in the game because they’re nailing three-pointers.
1331 says
memo to ariza, wally can only shot.
he won’t pass u on penetration. he’s too slow.
close him down
S.Nicholson says
If Pau keeps making Z work on D hopefully he will wear down.
j. d. hastings says
Here’s a question- the way Wally’s mask sticks out so far below his nose, doesn’t that make his nose something of a fulcrum, putting MORE pressure on it if anything catches it down that?
j. d. hastings says
*down there
james says
so far they’re making tough threes and we are missing layups so not too woried yet
Kurt says
Smart foul by Farmar.
Joel says
I think Phil kept Kobe on the bench a couple minutes too long. The momentum has swung towards Cleveland now.
Thanks to JVG for pointing out that the Lakers wouldn’t be this good if Mitch hadn’t traded for Pau. I was really on the fence about that…
J-tag says
But how was that foul in the act of shooting…
Kurt says
Adam Morrison never would have made that foul….
I kid, I kid.
S.Nicholson says
Not a strong finish, we’re going to need a big third quarter.
j. d. hastings says
Pathetic last minute of the half.
LOL at lebron kicking Mo Williams in the face though.
Joe says
Everyone thinks the Cavs ust have Lebron and no back up….you dont go 39-9 if you have only one good player.
S.Nicholson says
j.d.
It was actually Kobe that kicked him in the face.
Bri says
1st half, the boys looked like they just wanted to go home! Looks like a couple of days off made them super homesick.
…wish this game was the 2nd of a back-to-back! Then maybe they would have energy. C’mon Lakes gotta match their energy/intensity in the 2nd half.
Anonymous says
how come luke is in to close out quarters now instead of ariza?
1331 says
103.
i dont think energy is the problem.
looking at the stat, it seems lakers just need to close down cavs 3pts shots.
other than that, pretty even (except probably rebounds)
j. d. hastings says
102- oops. my typing is terrible sometimes.
J-tag says
The first 5mins of the 3rd is crucial..If we can go on a run then we’d be good
j. d. hastings says
I think a lot of this lead so far is due to the cavs being hot, but Lebron is also waiting to get his, so even if the rest of cleveland goes cold, he could go off in the 2nd.
Meanwhile I don’t think Kobe played great. He scored fine, but made some poor decisions. After the great post up on lebron from the halfcourt feed from fisher, he comes down next time and hoists a quick outside shot, then the strip at the end. Instead of getting it down to 4, we’re back up to 10.
chibi says
ugh. the celtics gave kobe the flu.
j. d. hastings says
Oh that’s right, he’s sick. That makes sense. I can live with an L in this game, provided they put up a good fight.
specialM says
109-yup. my thought exactly.
j. d. hastings says
nice catch by PJ
james says
wow we made that 11-0 run look easy, walton with a fadeaway but then misses a layup to go infront! great blocks by odom
j. d. hastings says
Odom has been huge today. If he hadn’t scored a point, his defense and rebounding alone has been crucial.
1331 says
interesting stat, team assist 16 both lakers and cavs
the difference is lebron has 8…either it means lebron has the ball all the time, or he is a good passer
but it shows that lakers doesn’t need someone to distribute the ball all by himself
Darius says
Zoolander is on his game today…Blue Steel. We can score when we’re patient, so we just need to keep up our ball movement. We look a step slow on our rotations and it’s hurting us because they’re making their jumpers. If we can stop giving them that extra half second to set up on their perimeter shots, we’ll be fine.
Mimsy says
So Kobe is playing with the flu, threw up before the game, and needed an IV at the half. That kind of takes away any excuses anyone else might have… and all of a sudden him sitting almost an entire quarter makes much more sense.
specialM says
lamar odom superstar!
J-tag says
ODOM!!!
Mimsy says
Lamaaarrrrr!
chibi says
odom #1
j. d. hastings says
Great help d by Pau there. LO with the rebound.
james says
wow odom has been superb so far
Ben says
Odom on fire. No way Wallace can keep up with him.
Joel says
Lamar Odom came to play…
Yusuf says
Wally is really starting to annoy me. How many points is that??
Lamar is a monster tonight.
j. d. hastings says
I guess that’s the downside of Lebron as the rebounder. If Kobe’s on Lebron, Odom is on wally, so he can either help/ rebound or cover the 3. I’m guessing this Time out by PJ is to address that.
j. d. hastings says
Lamar the rebounder. Damn I can’t get a name right today
Joe says
Lakers have picked up their defense a little, thats the difference
Mimsy says
All things considered, Lamar had better play this way. We need someone to step up to fill the void Bynum’s injury created, Lamar is in a contract year, and we just cleared cap space to keep him. He’d better step up.
Oh, and he’s a beast on the rebounding today.
specialM says
the interior passing from pau to lamar has been spectacular. great timing by both guys.
Ben says
22 points and 12 rebounds for LO in 30 minutes of play. I think someone showed up to play.
Joe says
Rediculous foul called….just because James airballed it
j. d. hastings says
Gasol to Odom is becoming like Stockton to Malone
specialM says
lamar odom out of his mind!
he is playing perfect!
offensive rebounds, great put backs, great hands.
my lord, is this all because of KG or the trade?
Ben says
13 points, 9 rebounds in the third quarter for LO. I think this is the best I’ve ever seen him play.
Tremble says
WOWOWOWOWOWOo ODOM FOR PRESIDENT
J-tag says
I dont know what got into Odom….but me LIKES!!!
Joe says
ODOM IS A BEAST!!!!!! LOOK OUT!!!
j. d. hastings says
Anybody remember how LO played last year during the b2b with the warriors while Pau was out? He was ridiculous, putting up one 20-20 game and one 20-18 if I remember. Dude brings it when it’s time.
He’s collecting every missed 3 the lakers take this quarter. I’ve always loved this guy/
Ben says
Correction: 15 points on the incredible play by LO at the buzzer. Amazing.
Joel R says
Hickson can simply not handle Lamar on the glass!
All things considered, that 3rd quarter couldn’t have gone much better for our guys.
The 4th should be awfully exciting …
j. d. hastings says
AAAAAAAAAAAAA! ODOM! THE MAN IS UNSTOPPABLE!
james says
OMG ODOM, i cant believe what im seeing
S.Nicholson says
Has Odom ever had this impact through three quarters as a Laker?! What a beast!
wiseolgoat says
the box score only has us up 3 – is that because they are reviewing lamar’s bucket?
The Dude Abides says
Lamar with 26 pts and 15 rebs after three quarters. That second-half performance against the Evil Empire really boosted his confidence (and his focus).
chibi says
I can’t believe van gundy just said, “Block out, son!”
1331 says
i cannot believe i’ll be saying this.
but kobe is really struggling…i say we need to put ariza to cover lebron and really save kobe when we REALLY need him.
oh, ODOM is superb
3ThreeIII says
If Odom plays half this well the rest of the season, the Lakers might only lose 3 more games…
Unreal how good he was in the 3rd Quarter…
Seriously, if we had Kobe, Pau, Andrew and Lamar all at their best at the same time, the Lakers would be scoring 130 a night.
Even if we lose, that quarter makes me feel great about our chances if we meet Cleveland in the Finals.
Mimsy says
I feel compelled to ask, why doesn’t Lamar do this more often? he has the tools, he has the ability, so where the @$%&%#$ is this every night he’s on the court?
hansoulfood says
Why can’t Odom play like this every game? I think if he really concentrates on rebounding and cutting, he’s gonna be that much better. His rebounding helps him to become active and energize him.
Go Lakers!
1331 says
btw, PJ’s prediction about cavs missing shots
WOW
Aaron says
Wow, still up after shooting 3-15 on the 3.
Tremble says
Why take ODOM out right now?!?!
specialM says
I love it! Cleveland is imploding!
Also, they are sooooooooooooooooo cold.
Joe says
Powell gets jumped on and no foul!!
Aaron says
We said those 3’s wouldn’t keep falling.
j. d. hastings says
Is Mo Williams falling on Josh Powell’s back not considered a foul? I know some whistles favored the lakers in the last minute but how do they not call that?
1331 says
kobe is really sick.
what’s up with kobe vs cavs?
he always not 100%
james says
this is serious defence, how can lebron be the best player in the world when he’s scared of taking a jump shot?
3ThreeIII says
By the way… unforgivable remake of A Space Oddity. Seriously, if you are going to cover a legendary song, you have to have the chops to do it.
Joel R says
The fans in Cleveland are letting the refs hear it over some non-calls, but how about Mo Williams practically using Josh Powell as a pommel horse on that made layup?! That’s an And-1 if I’ve ever seen one. No complaints, though, if this score holds up.
The Dude Abides says
157-The refs have been letting them play in the second half, a lot of contact at both ends that they’re letting go (except on LeBron’s airball). If LeBron continues to not get bailed out on his drives to the basket, I’ll take that trade-off.
Aaron says
FARMAR!
wiseolgoat says
hey whoever commented last game about KG giving the lakers the flu:
http://lakers.freedomblogging.com/2009/02/08/kobe-needed-iv-fluids-at-halftime/11430/
Joel says
If the Lakers could hit a 3 this game would be ever by now.
The Dude Abides says
Oh man, did I ever speak too soon. Ticky-tacks on LeBron’s drive and the baseline drive by Gibson.
Ben says
Farmar with the beautiful full court pass!
chibi says
way to run the floor, powell
J-tag says
+38 in the paint…..wow
Those jumpshots have stopped falling..
S.Nicholson says
What a pass by Farmar! If the bench keeps this up, we might be able to keep Kobe out the rest of the game!
rhybread says
Why is the bench mob still on the floor?
Mimsy says
The crab dribble makes a come-back!
Joe says
Ok, we know the Cavs will make a run. We just need to stay poised and cool and continue to make big shots.
j. d. hastings says
How about the second unit??!!
3ThreeIII says
Maybe I don’t understand the traveling “rule”, but how can you hop (both feet in the air), land, and then pass and it not be traveling?
At best, isn’t that still an “up and down”?
hansoulfood says
How crazy would it be if odom and kobe sits through the fourth and the lakers win?
I think the motto for the Lakers this season should be:
DON’T EVER BACK DOWN!
Always bring that fight and that intensity.
j. d. hastings says
163- Dude Abides- There’s letting them play and then there’s letting a guy jump and land on another’s back. That’s just dangerous. And now they’re calling every breath of contact. Annoying.
james says
surely gasol needs more touches especially when 3’s arent falling
kelee2288 says
Bench mob is rotating very well on defense. thats why phil is leaving them in with 6min left in 4th
j. d. hastings says
Why does Boobie have stars shaved in his head. Does he think he was snubbed too?
The Dude Abides says
I think Trevor kicked Gibson after that time out was called.
Joel R says
Lamar picking up where he left off!
specialM says
oh my god lamar odom.
i will not stop typing that.
Joel says
Odom is a BEAST on the offensive glass!
Mimsy says
Lamar is having a Kobe game. With rebounds.
J-tag says
Kobe shouldnt be in this game
Mimsy says
#188:
I agree. He is not healthy, we need to sub in someone who can keep up.
Kurt says
Every time Fisher leads the break I just want him to give it up.
j. d. hastings says
Ok yeah, it’s a foul when Lebron falls on Fisher.
Mimsy says
Heh. My husband just told me that Kobe at 50% still beats anyone else at 100%. Just as he said that, Kobe makes a great defensive play.
I may have jumped to conclusions.
Joel R says
Kurt was absolutely right in his preview: Ilgauskas makes a HUGE difference for the Cavs. He’s keeping them in this game. That, and our inability to put down any three-pointers.
specialM says
that’s why kobe’s in the game
Kurt says
Um, Kobe looked pretty good on that one.
J-tag says
I take it back…Kobe can be in whatever game he chooses 🙂
I guess his presence counts for something
Mimsy says
I did jump to conclusions. I humbly apologize.
KOBE!!!
james says
ive never seen kobe so ball shy
Ben says
KOBE!
Joel says
Stop! Kobe time!
S.Nicholson says
J-tag,
I don’t ever want to read that Kobe shouldn’t be in the game. EVER
Joe says
The announcers seem to have been rooting for the Cavs the whole game…anyone agree?
hansoulfood says
I think I’m gonna start worshiping Kobe every day with prayers because he is a basketball god!
The Dude Abides says
I wonder if that was the sickest shot of Kobe’s this season.
james says
WOW
Kurt says
As long as LeBron is on Kobe on defense, the Lakers have great matchups all over the place. He can almost be a decoy, with a shot here and there to keep them honest.
j. d. hastings says
Boys and Girls, the shape of that shot by Kobe is called a Parabola. Parabola. That’s our word for the day.
Mimsy says
#204:
If he has stomach flu, that’s a “yes” 😉
james says
he is in james’ head. lebron knows whos the best
The Dude Abides says
It helps Cleveland in this game to have a guy who is 7-3 and also has a soft touch.
Kurt says
I hate the little bus ads. I don’t think hate is too strong a word.
Craig W. says
With all that Kobe brings, I want to thank Lamar today.
j. d. hastings says
Was Joel freaking out about how much arc Kobe put on that shot?
Joel R says
Lamar doesn’t even need to be mic-ed up, he’s so loud!
chibi says
Lakers leaving the door wide open with 2nd chance pt opportunities and missed fts
specialM says
GG
Joel says
PAU!!!!
Game over.
Joe says
Whoever said the Lakers aint tough????
james says
PAU PAU PAU
Mimsy says
6-0 road trip. I hoped, but I never dared believe.
I am very happy now. 🙂
specialM says
I just wish lamar could have broke 30 pts. I think he’s never done it before.
chibi says
alright. the butter’s getting hard.
Joel says
LOL, Kobe doesn’t even want his teammates to hug him too hard. He looks about ready to pass out.
Joel R says
What a win.
Man, what an incredible road trip!
This Lakers team has shown us there’s no challenge they’re not up for.
hansoulfood says
Thank you Lakers for cheering me up! Woke up today 4am in the morning and found out my car is stolen. I really needed this win to cheer me up. Thank You Odom…Thank you Gasol…Thank you Kobe and the rest.
If any of you by any chance see a 02 Subaru WRX in the San Diego area with a Los Angeles Lakers chrome frame…please call the police.
Go Lakers!!!!! 6-0 on the road!
passerby says
and friends, the lakers have won it. hats off to odom. pau delivered in the end. kobe sick put still has decent numbers. defense stepped in. cleveland can’t hit jumpers as much as we can’t hit threes. i like our chances. our like our depth. get well andrew, for now go lakeshow!
james says
i hope this game proves to everyone that the lakers are “tough” whatever that means
The Dude Abides says
I am immensely satisfied. First Cav home loss this season.
j. d. hastings says
Our front court dominated this game without our starting center.
6-0. I think that’s tied for the best road trip in franchise history.
J-tag says
STATEMENT GAME!!!!
Ben says
Statement game. This will do wonders for our team’s confidence. Excellent, excellent week for us. Congrats everyone.
The Dude Abides says
Gotta love Lamar’s courtside post-game interviews and how they perplex the announcers. Way to step up, LO!
Joe says
Im not fully convinced the Lakers can beat Boston in a 7 game series, but this Cavs team aint quite there, Lakers are better.
j. d. hastings says
As much as it will help the Lakers’ confidence, I like thinking about how it will affect the psyche of the rest of the league. Except maybe Orlando.
Matt says
I don’t know if someone mentioned it…but big minutes for Pau again. 44 tonight. I would like to see him rest a little more, but no complaints. What a road trip.
cinz says
did you guys catch LO crying after the game, when he was interviewed his eyes were watering and really red…
Bill Bridges says
Lamar. Stay in the moment.
peace,
BB
Craig W. says
Hey Joe, this road trip was 6-0 and we beat a tough Celtic team on their home court. Look, it’s still a series, but we should be favored to come away with the cup.
j. d. hastings says
We held them to 30 second half points.
specialM says
236-I saw the eyes too. I wonder if this really is a new lamar.
glove32 says
great win for the Lakers and a 6-0 road trip. Another streak busted
Joe says
Well the Celtics game could have gone either way, but this was our game. We did this without Bynum which is impressive
wondahbap says
Lamar Odom. Best. Game. Of. His. Career.
He was a MAN, tonight.
Reed,
We’re going to need a part three.
Craig,
Ignore that guy. He’s clueless.
Joel R says
Jalen Rose just said on ESPN that Lamar’s nickname is “The Goods” … is this true? If so, I don’t believe I’ve heard it before.
Anonymous says
236- LO was playing stoned, that was visine in his eyes.
still a lot of season left, but we’re surpassing all expectations so far, hope we don’t relax too much.
JD says
243: yes from his NY days. Great team win. I thought before the game that Kobe would have to have a huge impact to win, but the rest of the team really stepped up.
james says
the only downside to this victory is it might convince the cavs to make a trade with wally’s contract and grab some like vc
DTC says
I’m so unbelievably proud of the guys right now. I don’t think I’ve enjoyed a win this much so far this season
wondahbap says
Regular season tests do not come any tougher than what we accomplished this past week. Not only did the Lakers pass, but somewhere along the way, something clicked.
To end another Celtics streak in Boston, AND end Cleveland’s home streak, after Bynum going down?
If this can’t convince anyone what we’re capable of, then nothing will.
I am proud of these guys right now.
exhelodrvr says
I think against most teams, with or without Bynum, our bigs are more of a mismatch than Kobe and whoever is guarding him.
nomuskles says
@The Dude Abides – As much as I loved the game and how the Lakers battled back in the 3rd, that postgame interview was icing on the cake. He was wired for sound and didn’t disappoint. “it just helped me to focus. right now i’m being too subtle, i’m just UGGHHHH”
Craig W. says
I am listening to ABC’s Sports Center in LA and they are saying Kobe had a really off game.
Boy are we spoiled.
Kobe had 19pts on a day when he was throwing up and had to take fluids with the flu. What, exactly, should we expect from the Kobster? Most players wouldn’t have played — he scored 19pts and guarded Lebron a lot of the time. Jeesch!
GR8Scott says
As I said yesterday, this should go down as one of, if not the best, regular season road trips ever. 6-0 with closing wins over Bos and Cle is no small feat. Kobe wasn’t near 50% but Lamar was just awesome. Doc Rivers pregame comments today look downright dumb.
j. d. hastings says
Kobe had an off game? He basically had Mo Williams’s season averages and theyre whining that he should be an allstar…
wondahbap says
Look at leBron’s box score:
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/boxscore?gameId=290208005
Pretty good job on him tonight.
Bujo says
As I’ve said before – The Lakers are the best team in the league and the team to beat. We’re unstoppable. I know people don’t like to hand out the championships out this early but you’re a fool if you don’t think we’re a lock to win it all. Bynum isn’t even playing and we have arguably the best starting 5 in the game. Our starting 5 could easily be the starting 5 for the all star game. We’re seriously that good. I’m ecstatic. It’s a great day to rep the purple and gold. Odom is the best PF in the game. I no longer want him out of L.A.
LJ says
Awesome game by Lamar, he was just incredible.
Gasol looked worn out, but I think taht he did hell of a job deniying the rim to Lebron (he was 1/7 within 5 feet from the rim).
Maybe we shoul sideline Gasol the next game vs Thunder to get him some rest. God knows that I’m a huge fan of him, but I seriously doubt that he is going to be able to play over 40 min/game and stay healthy.
Odom4Prez says
ODOM!!! Can you believe that performance? I just wish he could play like that more consistently. If Odom plays like that for the rest of the season and then Bynum comes back, we’re cruising to finals. HUGE WIN! Take Lebron out of Cleveland and they’re barely a contender. Take Kobe our of LA and we’re still the best team in the league by far.
Craig W. says
Come on! We are not the best team in the NBA if you take Kobe off the team. We have a very strong and deep team, but Kobe is clearly the lynch pin.
I think it is amazing that you might be able to finish in the playoffs without Kobe. That is how good our team is. I don’t, for a moment think we are a championship caliber team without him, however.
Joel says
When was the last time Kobe was healthy for a game against Cleveland?
Teddy says
Great win. This road trip is showing how strong we really are. I’m amazed at how much we’ve grown as a team. Everyone looked composed during the final minutes while the Cavs were like chickens with their heads cut off. Any of our bench players could start on the Cavs and we showed it tonight. Our bench shut down Lebron who was neutralized. We really don’t have a reason to fear anyone in the league now. We’ve destroyed nearly every contender. We can win at home and away. In a 7 game series against anyone, I pick the Lakers and this road trip has solidified this notion. Anyone who disagrees is just a jealous Laker hater.
Utopia says
I agree. These road wins are making my week/weekend so much better. We’re proving that we’re the best franchise in basketball day in and day out. Our history and past players dwarf anyone other franchises. I haven’t been this excited since the Kobe/Shaq years. This is incredible.
Zephid says
Let’s not get too far ahead of ourselves. Yes this was a good game, but this could’ve easily gone the other way. The notes…
1.) Kobe/Ariza played REALLY far off Lebron. Both guys were going under every screen, basically telling Lebron to take jump shots. Last game, Kobe had some excellent ball denial on Lebron; this game, not so much.
2.) Hats off to Odom and Pau for their excellent DEFENSE. You can tell the Lakers game plan was to make Lebron score in the lane, instead of bailing him out with fouls. You could visibly see them backing off Lebron and forcing him to actually make those tough layups instead of fouling him. Good scheme, well executed.
3.) Why did Odom play so well? 2 words: Wally, Sczerbiak. Odom can shoot over Wally, drive around Wally, and most importantly, rebound over Wally. Most of Odom’s points were on putbacks and cuts to the basket, both made much, much easier by the fact that he was being guarded by Wally World.
4.) Great game from the bench overall. Nice production from Farmar, Sasha, and Powell (Mihm, not so much).
j. d. hastings says
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/danpatrick/blog/47981/index.html?eref=fromSI
Ky says
Step right up and lose to the Lakers!
Glen says
As much as I don’t like to gloat, this team is playing excellent. It’s really TEAM basketball. Our defense is really picking up. I think we’re a better defensive team now than last years Celtics and this years Celtics. If we play like we have for the past couple of days, when Bynum comes back to his dominate self, there really won’t be an obstacle between us and another championship.
P.S. All this winning is getting old. NOT. I feel like Brad Pitt in Troy – “IS THERE NO ONE ELSE????”
j. d. hastings says
Now who would be shocked if we stepped up and lost to OKC next game?
At this point I don’t even think I’d mind.
NYLakerFan says
Hahaha Glen,
I love that scene in Troy. Awesome win. I’ve been betting Lakers every game. Haven’t lost yet. I just put in a bet for the Lakers a sure thing to win in the Finals against the Cavs (Celtics won’t make it this year, sorry Boston fans – have fun having another 22 years of nothing) And Cavs fans, have fun when Lebron comes to NY.
exhelodrvr says
And this was without Morrison and Brown!!
bruinsfan says
LO is a freaking stud. He is why we won these last two games.
Joel says
And to think this trip started on the heels of a home loss to the Bobcats. My how things change…
Mimsy says
#252, 254:
I was just thinking that as I looked at the post-game stats. Kobe had 19 points and shot just under 50%, WITH THE FLU! (Not meaning to shout, just trying to add emphasis.) For any other player, that is a good stat line. For Kobe, that is an off night, with almost half his normal minutes, and with a nasty flu to go with that.
And people wonder why I’m such a fangirl? There’s just no one like Kobe.
guggieo says
So….
who do we have to beat now?
IEIZZ76 says
lol mimsy. How could you not be a Kobe fan? How could you not be a Lakers fan?
808 heartbreak says
My yawn count was up to 60 during this game. It’s almost amazing how we’re taking these wins.
george says
NEXT
anthonyK says
when we get bynum back we’ll be the toughest team in the league.
jen says
anthony k,
we’re the toughest team in the league already. did you see us push the celtics and cavs around recently?
Mimsy says
IEIZZ76, I’m just going to refer you to this comment: http://www.forumblueandgold.com/2009/02/02/preview-chat-the-new-york-knicks/#comment-593610
I am as rabid about Kobe as they come. He’s the best. No exceptions, no contest, no nothing. When all is sad and done, the best ever to play the game, will have been Kobe Bryant.
Mimsy says
*said
Ryan says
Just finished watching the game (DVR).
LAMAR FREAKIN ODOM!!!! Garnett unleashed the beast. He dominated the game tonight, this victory goes to him. Lamar has been awesome the last game and a half.
Huge victory by the Lakers. Last game of a six games east coast road trip. Without Bynum, with a sick Kobe Bryant. Wow 6-0 thats amazing.
And that rainbow fade away J by Kobe over Lebron with just over 2:30 to go was a thing of beauty. The raibow, it was practically a tear drop shot from 15 ft. Amazing, one off the prettiest shots I have ever seen Kobe make and that’s saying a lot.
DTC says
280. OKC Thunder
DTC says
295. Did you actually see the Celtics game or even read the box score?
UptheNose says
I was visiting my uncle in Cleveland and he had tickets for the game. It was great to see live. I was wearing my Kobe jersey and people around me were hating it! I love being a Laker fan. I was screaming ‘we are the champions’ to everyone in the stands and they were booing me like crazy! haha I thought you guys would like that.
emh101 says
It was a great win, and Odom is playing very well,
BUT
Let’s stop planning the parade and ring sizing. There is still quite a bit of the season to go and the then the playoffs.
Just as we shouldn’t get too down when we lose or play poorly for a few games; we shouldn’t get too high either. Even after two hard fought victories on the road.
emh101 says
These last two games, though, have been a pleasure to watch. When we play to our potential, we play huge.
chearn says
Lamar Odom!!!! He had two reasons to cry in his post game interview. 1. Bynum went down and Lamar stepped in and played solidly. 2. This game was nationally televised and Kobe has the flu! Lamar had to prove to himself and to everyone else that he is and will be worthy of a contract extension. This being his contract year, he played himself into a contract for several years based upon how he played in today’s game. He played smart with passion and a bounce in his step. Great game Lamar!!
We all wish that he played this way, if not every night at least every other night, because as Jalen Rose said, he has “The Goods”!
Bryan says
I love fan message boards. We can go from “the sky is falling” to “dynasty for years to come!” in nothing flat.
Kurt: Minny court + Cavs retro jerseys = could out my eyes Full Metal Jacket style.
And I 100% agree with you about Fish pushing the ball up in transition. My friends got tired of hearing me say “pass it, Fish, pass it Fish” every time he ran the break.
DB says
People–please. Settle down. Great win, great road trip. But the last two games were tight wins. The margin between us and other contenders remains small and there’s a long way to go yet.
This stuff about us beating every contender with ease and being dominant is crazy. C’mon Laker fans. We’re better than that.
lakerfan says
i agree w/ emh101, even though these last 2 games (and road trip in general) have been great, the championship isn’t ours until the trophy’s in their hands. That aside, Lakers are playing with a lot of heart and are showing just how deep they are.
cinz says
The Lakers became the first team in NBA history to win back-to-back games, both on the road, against teams with .800-plus win percentage at least 40 games into the season.
The Lakers finished their road trip with a perfect 6-0 record. The last time the Lakers finished a road trip at least 6-0 was in the 1999-00 season which was the first year of their three straight NBA titles. The last team to go at least 6-0 on a road trip was the Mavericks during the 2006-07 season.
sT says
Fianlly, some level-headed comments here. I hope/wish that Odom will play like he has in recent games the rest of the year, but we will have to see (you know how LO can be at times), right. This has been a good roadtrip for us, but there is alot of season to go with very good teams in the west to have to go through before any talk of a Finals appearance.
Bring on the Son**, Thun**, whoever they are…
LJ says
Wow, it fells kind of weird reading the comments lately, this doesn’t feel like the FB&G I admired with Reed, nomuskles, Drrayeye, Bill…
luubi says
I’m loving this road trip as much as any Lakers fan, but some of these comments make me think of what Harvey Keitel said in Pulp Fiction: “let’s not start [overcelebrating] yet”.
Cleveland and Boston will not look at these two games and decide to pack it in. (unfortunately for us, they’re not managed by Steve Kerr so we can’t expect some panicked bone-headed move, either.) They’ll be just that much more intense and focused when/if they meet the Lakers. I think the Lakers even without Bynum will have the edge over Cleveland, but who knows what kind of crazy zone Lebron could get into. As for Boston, until the Lakers actually beat them in the playoffs, I’m still going to give them the edge.
I guess what I’m saying is, let’s celebrate responsibly!
now for the real challenge: the Thunder! be afraid, be very afraid.
harold says
The Lakers became the first team in NBA history to win back-to-back games, both on the road, against teams with .800-plus win percentage at least 40 games into the season.
… says fast facts.
good.
no, awesome.
pb says
Where were all these POSITIVE and encouraging remarks when we lost to the Bobcats?
I think it was a great effort by a team facing the most difficult test in losing their young stud center, who was just beginning to dominate the paint. I am excited as many of you are here, but some of the superlatives you are using doesn’t really go with the reasonable and analytical writing that go on here.
Sure this road trip was great, but the Lakers will not go undefeated for the rest of the season nor will it win 70 games. Also, Lamar is a very talented player, but he is inconsistent and no way near the player Garnett is. Please reserve your enthusiasm a bit when our team is doing well and use it when they need it most–when they are struggling. I think fans need to take the good and the bad in equal strides. One game does not make a season, and the season doesn’t depend on one game. It’s a great win and a great road trip. Let’s leave it at that.
That said…Go Lakers…all the way to the Finals!
cinz says
interesting stat
Lakers G Derek Fisher didn’t have a turnover in 28 minutes and hasn’t made one in 158 minutes over his last five games.
Kurt says
We are not going to have a bunch of “nobody can beat us, we are going to win easy” comments. All of those have been deleted, and I will keep deleting.
We are going to keep some standards for comments here — full sentences, complete thoughts with a little nuance.
As has been said, I don’t think the Cavs have decided to give up. Do I feel like the Lakers are favorites now, but it’s February. Being the best team in February and $4 gets you a latte.
Kurt says
297. You and me both. The great comments are still there, they are just getting lost in the waves right now.
LJ says
I’m still troubled by Gasol’s playing time, he has played 44min the last four games, and today he “struggled” in offense because he seemed tired.
Either Mihm or Powell should step up to get him some rest (not sure if Mihm has something left in the tank…), I was serious before when suggested that we could sideline Pau vs OKC.
We could go for DJ, but as much as I like him as person, I don’t think he’s much of a player.
LJ says
By the way, it’s just homerism for my countryman, or Pau has a good chance of getting the Western conference Player of the Week?
Joel says
Thank you Kurt, the homerism was getting ridiculous.
chris h says
ahhhhh…
what a week!
savor this moment fellow fans, savor this week, it doesn’t get much better than this.
don’t worry about tuesday and the thunder, stay in the now, and just enjoooooyyyyyyyyyyy!
Adam T says
I felt a bit of the Ewing Theory with our game today. Kobe’s lack of energy out there seemed to spark the rest of the team into stepping up. With their increased intensity came better team production and a smoother offensive attack. I am starting to think this is going to be a trend with this team…
As a post earlier this week (I think Reed’s) brought up, we have not quite “established our identity” as a team. When it comes to this, I think it starts at the top, and the killer focus that Kobe exhibits seems to be starting to wear off on the club. I don’t see us as a team that is going to take nights off. Assuming Bynum is back to good health for a playoff run, the injury ::gasp:: may be a blessing in disguise..It seems like everyone is finally getting it.
Aqzi says
When asked about the Lakers’ apparent lack of toughness early in the season, Kobe mentioned their 6 game Grammy road trip as a test to determine how the team would come together and how focused they were.
On top of that, the injury to Bynum obviously adds to the stress of an extended road trip.
If Lamar is able to continue his good play, should we consider leaving him in the starting lineup with Pau and bringing Andrew up off the bench when Andrew returns?
Akebe says
Great win, and I love the rebounding and defense. Honestly, what has me more concerned right now is the Spurs, more than who will be coming out of the East. However, I do agree that these are the type of psychological pushes that Phil gets the team ready for, and will know how to leverage them when the time comes. Very encouraging..
TRad says
Great game. It made me think that Cavs will be more inclined to make some personal changes. I don’t think they could realistically hope to beat LA in seven games.
Lakers lead NBA _and_ have left no games with Bos/Cle/Orl. Bos/Cle have, IIRC three or four games inside the Big 3. So Lakers have the easier road to the HCA during the p-o. I know, injuries happen, Jazz will be strong, nobody should underestimate Spurs, but for ow Lakers are clearly the team to beat.
3ThreeIII says
Obviously, this road trip was very encouraging.
Fisher has been playing very well, with no Turnovers in the last 5 games. Odom was awesome tonight, and Pau is great.
We have two players at the moment that can get us 15 Points-10 Rebounds a night, and a third who is hopefully going to be back in time for the playoffs. (knocking on wood for Andrew)
What was most impressive to me was the number of ways the Lakers demonstrated they can beat you.
Need a dominate performance against a match-up? Kobe hangs 60+ on you.
Need a tough team game with poise? Ask the Celtics what we can do.
Need a great effort from your big men in the paint when your superstar is down? Tonight was an outstanding example of that.
This trip showed heart, poise, and toughness (both physical and mental). Other coaches around the league must be having nightmares about the Lakers.
Who do you scheme for? What is the plan to beat them? So far, the only thing that seems to work is “Hit a ton of threes, and hope that the Lakers aren’t shooting well.”
Will it be tough for the rest of the season? You bet.
Do I think we are looking good? You bet.
Everyone said that 4-2 would have been great for the road trip. 1-1 between Boston and Cleveland and we would have been happy. 2-0 with great performances? Sweet sweet sweet.
kc says
Man, after a great game and a win, it’s actually pretty fun reading all of the comments and re-living the moments of the game, picturing and replaying the exact moves and memorable points of the game.
Go Lakers!
Ian says
I really enjoyed seeing Odom chew up a whole front line like that. But I have trouble believing that he has finally found his stride and will be a 20-10 guy for the rest of his prime. What is so frustrating about Odom is that he has gone through these periods before with flashes of brilliance, but eventually it all dies down. In particular the post all-star game part of the 2006 season comes to mind. He was ridiculously solid, even hitting his 3pters, then in the Phoenix series he owned Marion, but the next year he fell back down to earth.
Also these Lakers have to be one of the most impressive streak stoppers ever. Obviously the team that ended the Lakers 33 game winning streak takes the cake but 19-12-23 is pretty impressive.
The Dude Abides says
@257-LJ, that’s a great point. That may be the best rim-denying game Gasol has played as a Laker. Besides Kobe, who had LeBron most of the time, you know who else took turns guarding LeBron? Trevor and…wait for it…Luke! I was amazed how well Luke guarded LeBron in the half court. I think we kept the right two SF.
juan de la cruz says
do you guys know where i can find any laker game torrents?will be much appreciated.
Zephid says
What does Lamar Odom mean to the Lakers? To me, this game was the answer to that question. No, it wasn’t the gaudy stats, with his 28 points on 13-19 shooting, with 17 rebounds and a block. It was all the little things that he can do that make him special.
Yes, Lamar does not have nearly the statistical consistency of Gasol, the killer instinct of Kobe, the professionalism of Fish, the size of Bynum, or the energy of Ariza. But, there is one thing that Lamar does that no one else on this team can do: Be a vocal glue guy during the game.
What does this mean? We’ve all heard of vocal leaders, and vocal supporters, but a vocal glue guy? The difference is, while vocal leaders are meant to push the team in a certain direction, and vocal supporters are meant to pump up teammates, a vocal glue guy is someone who holds the team together in a game, giving us a sense of unity and solidarity.
During ABC telecasts, they always have a “WIRED” section, where they attach a mic to a player and randomly play snippets of audio from various times during the game. When the Lakers are on ABC, Lamar is always the guy to wear the mic. During today’s game, there were three snippets in particular that I found indispensable:
1.) During pre-game, right before the game starts, the team makes a circle with Lamar standing in the middle, where Lamar orates a pseudo-sermon (one that particularly stands out is, “I know we all love road kill, but now it’s time for us to get some home cookin’,” referring to the Lakers being an excellent road team and now coming home to defend their home court). Most of the time, I can’t make out what Lamar says (maybe I’m too much of a hick), but is there any other Laker who would do that? My answer is no.
2.) During the game, Lamar was constantly talking to his guards. “I got you, baby. I got you, baby,” he said, in reference to being behind a guard ready to slide over and help in case of penetration. Given Bynum, Gasol, and Powell’s reserved demeanors, I can’t imagine any of them doing this quite as well as Lamar. This type of communication, while somewhat mundane, makes our defense work, and Lamar is probably the best at it.
3.) On several putbacks or dunks, Lamar roars at the end of them. There were at least three dunks today when after Lamar finished, he let out a primal scream as he turned to run back up the floor. I doubt we’ll ever see Kobe show that much emotion, and Gasol only screams when he thinks he got fouled. This energy, this passion, makes Lamar singular on this team.
Most nights (excluding tonight) many of us are busy criticizing Lamar for his shortcomings, whether it be mental concentration, will-power, or drive to succeed. Most Lamar supporters counter with his versatility, his ability to defend 4 out of 5 positions, ball-handling, rebounding, cutting, and now improved jump shot. However, I think that Lamar’s true value lies in his holding this team together. He may not get the All-Star attention like Gasol or Bynum, and he may not be the face of the team like Kobe, but I contend that he may be more important than all of them, for we can win as a group of talented individuals without Lamar, but with Lamar, we become a team.
PS: I’ve constantly said that there’s no way we’re going to be able to sign Lamar after this season, but with the VladRad deal, I think we have to now. Lamar is too skilled and too valuable as a glue guy to just let him walk. Let’s hope Mr. Buss has similar sentiments.
Ian says
315: Yes, I was pleasantly surprised by Luke, unfortunately it destroyed my “Law of Luke,” which was that he could only guard other 6’8″, slow, white guys. I yelled that so many times that my roommate in college who doesn’t even care about the NBA, let alone the Lakers, knows who Luke Walton is, and can pick him out of a crowd.
Joe says
Between the 3 monsters in the east, the Cavs are the least impressive, at least against the Lakers. I think maybe a lot of that has to do with lots of matchup problems. Since we do not defend the 3 well, it is understandable why Orlando was the only team of those 3 that we couldnt solve.
Joe says
By the way, if you want a sick stat, the Lakers have scored 100 points or more in their last 20 out of 21 games, and the game they didnt score a 100, they scored 99….incredible.
R says
I don’t understand why people whine about LO even as he had a monster game and absolutely destroyed Cleveland at home.
Uh , H-E-L-L-O he happens to be one of the best players on the squad – why not gratefully accept what he has to offer?
kwame a. says
Joel-I love to read through a thread and see “stop…kobe time”. Its always a great post, and always timely!
How about Phil freaking Jackson. There’s always some sob story that gets a heavy push for coach of the year because he took a non-playoff team and made them a 6 seed, but what Phil has done, especially with guys like LO, Sasha, Luke, Jordan, is the essence of coaching. Finding roles for players and making them learn to carry out their responsibilities is the hardest thing for a coach to do, and Phil has been the best at that. When it is all said and done, his second tour with the Lakers will define Phil Jackson’s legacy. He is dispelling any myth (can’t win without talent already there, can’t coach young players) and is having fun.
Don W. says
LO has been great, and the team has shown some real stones on this road trip. Now let’s just stay constant and grind out the rest of the season.
Simon says
Great, great win tonight. I want to bottle up how great I feel about the Lakers right now and save it. Looking ahead though, fresh off a grueling road trip and huge victories, I don’t feel very good about the game against OKC. First game back after a long road trip against a bad but feisty team that’s playing well seems like the perfect recipe for a let down game.
Amazing piece on Lamar and he certainly delivered. Came up big for the biggest games of the season. Even if his play isn’t as good for the rest of the regular season, that’s big. Focus in big games and big moments is something I don’t think we’ve really ever had from Lamar but if he’s turned that corner that championship banner looks a lot closer.
j. d. hastings says
Interesting stat: During their long time on the bench at the start of the 4th quarter LO and Kobe cured cancer AND beat Big Blue in a speed chess match. After the game the team drafted a bailout bill that leaders of both parties in the senate were quoted as being, “Fair enough.”
There’s been a lot of hyperbole here the last few games, but these have easily been the 2 biggest games of the season. We saw some of this during the playoffs last year. Yeah it’s not the playoffs, but there’s not much a fan can do about that. So if they feel enthusiasm now, they’re going to treat symbolic victories as significant victories. I don’t take it as a sign of anything too disturbing. It’s just a sign of the team’s increased popularity (a sign of good fortune), with the addition of the espn.com audience. I do appreciate Kurt’s pruning of the emptier posts though.
I don’t think this guarantees anything in the playoffs, but that’s why these home-cort assisting victories are important. We can win in Boston, but we also know Boston can win in LA.
More than anything else, I just love this team, man. They are easy to root for.
Gr8 Scott says
Joe – good to see the positive comments. Long overdue, but glad you’re starting to see things through purple and gold lenses.
cinz says
Odom: “We’re playing for perfection.”
j. d. hastings says
(sorry for double post)
323- Kwame A. I was thinking the same thing today. Whenever I see Trevor shooting with confidence, I think of PJ’s strengths just as you summarize. PJ has allowed Ariza to become the great player he always had in him. 2 other of the league’s darling coaches- Stan Van Gundy and Larry Brown- couldn’t find a place for him.
To say nothing of PJ’s strategy to let the Cavs succeed shooting early in the game because they’d go cold later. Cleveland scored less than half as many points in the second as in the first.
kwame a. says
Why the need to feed K.Ding the stuff about Vlad wearing Vans to practice? No need to throw dirt on Vlad, I just don’t think there’s much to gain from that, and he did a lot of stuff for local charities, just let the guy leave.
Joe says
Hey, you hold any team to 30 points in a half…and anyone has to be impressed with that
P. Ami says
I remember when the Celtics were unbeatable. Then there was Christmas.
I remember when Orlando was just killing everyone in their path, even our boys. Then Jameer went down.
I remember everyone talking about the C’s getting their thing back and then we came into town and the Spurs followed.
I remember when Cleveland was unbeatable at home. Then our boys rolled in.
Last, I remember everyone thinking were were on a crazy roll, beating Utah and SA, before getting our buzz killed by Boston.
Teams play great and seem unbeatable until they get beat. Lets all slip it back in and zip our pants. We have seen some serious growth and that is expected. We have a young team and Phil Jackson is one of the great coaches in all of sports. We can feel pretty good that the whole is really starting to be greater then the sum of its parts but lets actually see if this holds true through June.
Snoopy2006 says
302, Kurt – THANK YOU!
Sorry for the caps. But I mean, come on people, I’m as ecstatic as anyone. Great win, Odom played fantastic. But what’s with all the championship declarations? There’s still a lot of season left to play.
I really hate to say it, but after reading a lot of these comments, I can see why some Laker fans are so disliked. We get a bad rep because the loudest of us are usually heard. These bipolar reactions after one game are just….not FB&G.
I’m a little saddened, the threads here are becoming just like on every other forum. Nonsensical homerism. I guess it was bound to happen, but I still miss the 50-post or less threads where every post added something worthwhile to the discussion.
Snoopy2006 says
332, P Ami – I’m applauding you right now.
Googly Moogly says
The win against the Cavs means NOTHING if Delonte West didn’t suit up. Not to mention the fact that Pavlovic wasn’t available after he tweaked his ankle. This win should have an asterick next to it. IMO.
lolsaangkeleesr says
335. You do realize that Bynum was out, right?
harold says
Well, I feel more at home now that my mundane comments become more or less average with the flood of new comment-er(r)s 😉
I was away from Thursday til Sunday, and wow, that’s some present I had waiting. 6-0 AD (Andrew Down) !
The only thing nagging me is that our success really springs from NOT having drew. I mean, we were a very well-oiled machine offensively after we acquired Gasol, and I think this is just us going back to everyone’s comfort zones + Ariza – Vlad.
The rise of Drew was promising because that meant we had one offense oriented, finesse lineup of Gasol-Odom-Kobe up front while also having one defense-oriented, long lineup with Bynum, Ariza and enough firepower up front to have Kobe focus on defense.
And while I understand beating C’s is fun, we forget that we did that twice (nearly three times) last summer too.
Darius says
I’m really loving the way the team is playing right now. They’re playing with a mental edge that keeps them in every game (epitomized by the 11-0 run after the Cavs had taken that 12 point lead), they’re executing the offense, and turning up the defensive pressure in crucial parts of the game where stops are most important. I can’t say that this is the best we’ve played all year (we are 41-9 so there have been other parts of the season where we’ve looked extremely strong), but I can say that as we get deeper into the season it’s very promising that we’re still playing very well and that we seem to be finding our stride against the better teams in the league. It’s also very encouraging that while Andrew is out injured, that other players (like LO) have stepped up their game(s) and proven to be the capable players that we all thought they were.
As far as this site goes, I think it’s a testament to the content and the many great contributors that there are 300+ posts on a single thread. I think many have come to FB&G to get high quality discussion on the team they love and look to Kurt, Reed, Kwame A., Bill Bridges, nomuskles, Drrayeye, and many, many others to provide thoughts and insight that give a perspective that can’t be found anywhere else on the web. So, I encourage all those that participate in the discussion to try and follow the lead of these guys and the many others who comment (I know that I left a lot of people out…there really are sooo many fantastic contributors) and try to bring a quality to this site that makes it (imo) unparalleled. I can say for certain that everyone is welcome here. But just like when you come into someone else’s house, please understand the rules of the house and try to keep the place clean. You can have free run of the liquor cabinet, but be responsible because if you puke on the floor you will get booted. Just my two cents.
drrayeye says
NBA Mythology in Disarray
I believe that fans and pundits alike always subscribe to a mythical NBA scenario. In this most recent mythology, leading up to the most recent Laker road trip, the Lakers were to lose at least 2 games away–splitting home and home victories with Cleveland and Boston–and then try to develop or prove their toughness for an ultimate East/West showdown in the playoffs.
Boston would ultimately become the East coast champions, Labron would become the NBA MVP as a consolation prize, and the NBA championship would hinge on who got home court advantage (probably the Leprechauns).
When Bynum went down in game #1, the Lakers lost their chance to prove toughness through seasonal play-and their chance at home court advantage. Their only chance would be through an unlikely “Gasol style” Hail Mary trade. Many Laker fans who bought into this mythology actually gave up on the Lakers until next year.
The Laker victories on the road, under extreme circumstances, successively at Boston and Cleveland have shaken the mythologists to the core. How could the Lakers be soft when Lamar pats KG on the butt and makes two rebounds and the Lakers squeak out a victory? How can Lebron be MVP when he has a stinker of a game at home while a sick Kobe makes an impossible “lights out” rainmker in his face? If the season is over without Andrew, how come the Lakers just went 6-0 on a road trip without him? Could reality be a bit more complex than the mythologists thought?
Reality tells us that the Thunder could come into Staples on Tuesday and beat the Lakers by 30. Reality tells us that that a resurgent Jazz, Suns, Trailblazers, ??? could take out the #1 Lakers in the first round of the Western playoffs.
Reality tells us that Duncan, Wade, Howard, or some other star may yet emerge as the top MVP candidate–as he leads his team to and through the playoffs.
Reality tells us that teams like Miami, Atlanta, or even Larry’s Bobcats might somehow not only make it into the playoffs, but knock out the Leps and the Crabs in the process.
The mythologists are scratching their heads, trying to decide whether or not to invent a new mythology.
I subscribe to reality. I watch the games, speculate on trades, and appreciate Laker wins on a daily basis–never knowing for sure what will happen next.
You know what? The mythologists don’t either.
drrayeye says
Correction to “NBA Mythology”:
. . . .”when Lamar pats KG on the butt and makes two FREE THROWS”
Sorry.
Robert Fiore says
I think you can go too far in squelching enthusiasm. If you are given a test and you score 100 on the test, that means something, doesn’t it? Or does it cease to be a test the moment you’ve passed it? Obviously it doesn’t mean that the Lakers are sure to win the championship. What we saw in both Celtic games was that the two teams are awfully close. What we saw in both Cavs games was that the two teams were awfully close until the fourth quarter, and you can’t quite believe that’s for real. But what it does mean is that the Lakers are legitimate favorites, the way the Celtics were last year (though an embarrassing number of people were favoring the Lakers despite all empirical evidence — which is why a lot of the TV analysts seem a little overly skeptical about them), and with the top teams so close every game seems to have home court advantage significance. That’s why a game like the Bobcat loss gets on your nerve.
One thing I don’t think anyone has mentioned yet is the case Lamar is making for starting. He definitely seems to be more in the game that way. How that would work when Bynum comes back I don’t know.
Robert Fiore says
“You can’t believe that’s for real” meaning you can’t quite believe that the fourth quarter is a better reflection of reality than the first three, I should say.
Oskar says
From Truehoop on Charlotte acquiring Spacecadet:
‘As long as he doesn’t go snowboarding, they’re good. Yeah, it’s six million. But it’s six million for one guy versus four million for several guys who will just frustrate you’
Ooh just you wait…
HarryDoBallin says
On a lighter note….
Lamar Odom follows up his superb week of play by debuting on Rob Dyrdek’s Fantasy Factory this Sunday night on the MTV network. Laker fans across the globe must inquire:
Is this the new Lamar Odom? Can he perform CONSISTENTLY day in and day out? Does he truly believe in molecular gastronomy and the so called Asian fusion? Is he taking over the world one small piece at a time?
I for one am a believer.
I salute you Lamar Odom as a gentleman and a mogul of industry(ies)….
P. Ami says
I wanted to say, Bill, that was awfully fine insight into LO.
First, the genius of PJ is that he has the ability to facilitate transformation. The change in the Lakers from ’99 to ’00 can be attributed to natural growth and the players who were added to the mix. I don’t think there is anybody who would question that at least as important was PJ’s ability to transform cockiness into confidence. I just don’t think the Lakers win game 7 against Portland without PJ’s ability to tap into the spirit in his players.
This obviously comes right back to LO because we can all see the ability LO embodies and he remains a mystery in spite of it. You just don’t know how much of that ability will come through in any given game. I don’t think there is another player who has inspired the phrase, “If he could only do that every game” to the level of cliche like Lamar has. It looks like LO doesn’t always tap into his spirit when playing ball and I’m guessing that Phil is enjoying the “mindgames” it is taking to help Lamar along in learning how to tap that reservoir of soul while on the court.
I think this team has learned how to win with LO giving his average night of stats and the intangibles that his sort of enigma will contribute. This is also part of the genius of Phil. Now if LO has found that inner ground to stand up and be what we all see he can be on the court, to tap that soul he has shown in his real life, then this team is about to become one of the legendary collections of NBA talent. I’m not counting on it but whatever happens I remember just how big a spot I have in my heart for that man. It’s not just his talent and his being the spiritual center of the Lakers’ circle. Its also all the hurt he has suffered and seeing the man rise above it. I love him for it.
MdT says
the whole road-trip was a statement to the team.
the purple guys gain a lot of confidence through those wins in boston and crabland. i´ve never seen lamar as active and agressive as he has been yesterday. he will not keep on playing like this every game, but if he can bring just 60% of that passsion and energy on a regular basis, we are a much better team. there will be issues bringing in andrew in the mix, but i doubt that bynum will be a good player of the bench. lamar has to lead the bench, and if he does that as driven as he played the last two games, he will be very valuable. lamar really matured alongside kobe and phil and i hope this will pay off now.
the lakers are currently the best team in the league. boston has issues when they are challenged. the crabs are not quite there yet, if king crab is off, the whole team is.orlando lives and dies by the 3. the spurs are coming together but purple and gold have the squad to overmatch them.
that said, it still is a long way to go. nobody will hand us the trophy for free. we will have to fight, be confident and slam our teeth in our opponents flesh to win it all.
we will have to fight for home court advantage, for coming out of the west and for winning the cup.
before this road trip, i thought chances were good, after andrew went down, i was frightend, but after the last to games, i think sky is the limit. we just have to live up to our potential.
this will be maybe the biggest challenge for the team. but phil and kobe will lead them to play their best and even beyond.
i belive that everything will come together, if the team keeps their head in the quest and stay focused on what they want to achieve.
i would like to see kobe and pau taking a rest against the thunder. i highly doubt it, but i would be pleased if phil pulls out a popovic on this one. kobe needs to get some rest to stop the flu and gasol logged 40 + minutes the last couple of games.
lets go lakers!
Joel says
334
Most NBA ‘experts’ don’t have time to think so deeply into the party lines they are propagating. They have no problem ignoring key information that doesn’t fit their preconceived notions. So the Lakers are the softest team of all time, despite beating the defensive-minded Spurs and ultra-physical Jazz fairly comfortably in the playoffs. And they have no chance a title without Bynum, despite coming within 2 games of doing so last season, with a worse team, in a tougher conference. Even the idea that Bynum was the man to provide all the necessary ‘toughness’ was way overblown – we’re talking about Andrew Bynum, not Charles Oakley. But saying the Lakers often lack defensive discipline against lesser teams or don’t run the offense crisply enough at times is not as catchy as saying they aren’t ‘tough enough’.
Now that they’ve gone 6-0 on this road trip, we’re supposed to believe that they underwent a collective heart transplant right before boarding the plane to Minneapolis, and have suddenly gone from being ‘doughy soft’ (as one analyst I read puts it) to being ‘tough enough’ to beat Boston and Cleveland back-to-back on their home floors. This was all accomplished despite the fact that Kobe’s 61 points against New York showed he still hadn’t learned to ‘trust his teammates’ (another concept that is grossly exaggerated to attract readers).
The good thing is, now that the Lakers have proven their ‘manhood’ the mythologists will probably focus their energies elsewhere.
J says
To get back to talking basketball. I want to bring up how Phil had Fish checking Bron a couple of times with about three minutes left and the game still there for Clev.
At first I thought it was a bad switch and I was screaming in horror. But after it happened again, I realized it was by design and started wondering why.
Was that Phil/coaching staff’s way of baiting Bron into taking the jumper? Fish is acknowledged as one of the stronger guys on the team and he’s savvy enough to understand the D scheme. I noticed he was backing off Bron and shading him. When Bron drove, Fish was strong enough to deny him certain lanes and funnel him to Pau who was always lurking behind Fish.
Notice how Bron would have the ball at the top of the key and Fish was on him with Pau right behind. Thought it was an interesting wrinkle in how Bron was defended.
Also when Bron would drive because of the funneling by Fish and Pau help, Bron never got a clean straight line to the basket like he often does. He ended up with a lot of diagonal angles to the basket which meant a tough shot or a much more predictable passing lane the D could anticipate, whether to jump it or rotate to the shooter.
This happened a lot in the MLK day game too. And just like that game, Lakers gambled on shooters getting cold and only having the corner be open and rotating to most other shooter spaces on the floor when Bron was forced to take that diagonal angle to the basket.
Essentially, Lakers are willing to bet Bron can’t win the entire game by taking jumpers all day.
Can one of the more knowledgeable posters here expound on that or am I just seeing something that’s not really there?
wondahbap says
Robert Fiore,
Pretty much.
What else can people ask for? What else has to be proved to show that this team is seemingly ready? I understand some people are scarred from the Finals, but so far, this team has done exactly what we *needed* to see for us to believe, and people are still afraid to.
This is a new year. Boston can have belief in themselves they they are the defending Champs, and all will be good, but what does that really mean? Nothing. That was last year. They are working towards the Chip, just as we are, and right now, we appear to be the better team.
At the beginning of the season, Kurt had a post asking what should we expect? My response was that I expect a Championship. I *know* that the Lakers best ball is good enough to win It all. I’m enjoying this regular season (minus Bynum’s injury) because I’m seeing my team live up to the potential I *know* they have. I’m not afraid to believe.
So, while some people want to not get ahead of themselves, I feel just the opposite. I’m seeing what I knew was true from the start. Our guys CAN do, and they KNOW it now. Darius had a great comment likening the Lakers to Neo at the end of “The Matrix,” and it’s so true. They believe in themselves. So should we.
wondahbap says
J,
You’re right. The Lakers willingness to give LBJ the jumper was something the Celtics did in last year’s Playoffs. It worked (then LeBron decided to just be a beast), but I think with or without Bynum, the strategy works to our benefit more because our length is much greater than the Celtics is.
Can you imagine the Cavs using this tactic and putting Mo Williams or Boobie on Kobe? Never. Kobe would shoot over them, or post them up. Repeatedly. LeBron has to be HOT to consistently make jumpers.
exhelodrvr says
J
“Can one of the more knowledgeable posters here expound on that or am I just seeing something that’s not really there?”
I don’t meet your criteria, but I saw the same thing. These upper level NBA teams are so good, that it is impossible to defend everything. Opponents have to “pick your poison;” the Lakers coaching staff is very good at that. Sometimes it will bite you, but you have to be willing to accept that.
Kurt says
New post up.
Mimsy says
I have nothing of substance to add today. I just wanted to thank everyone who did, and who took the time to type out long and insightful comments. It’s a joy to read the post-game discussions on this blog.
Darius says
I can try to tackle the strategy that had Fisher sometimes covering Lebron in the final minutes. I think this strategy came down to two factors: 1). Kobe was obviously ill and did not have his typical energy level on offense OR defense. In our first meeting against the Cavs, Kobe worked maniacally to deny Lebron the ball but in this recent game he could not because of his energy level. Bringing this back to the question at hand, I think that on plays at the end of the game, rather than Kobe deny Lebron and then play our standard defense on P&R’s where Kobe would recover to battle James, we simply switched screens and let the new man cover Lebron. We did this throughout the game, actually as there were many possessions where LO was on Lebron or when the screen was set (and Lebron would turn the corner and attack the basket) our Big Man (usually Gasol) would retreat and try to contest shots at the rim. Luckily for us, Lebron was not finishing at the rim as well as normal, but at the same time we were doing a great job of contesting these shots and making them more difficult. And 2). I think this played into our overall strategy of trying to make Lebron a jumpshooter (as several commenters mentioned before me). By having our defender switch onto Lebron, but still use the same sag off tactic (while also showing help by our players in the lane) we invited Lebron to shoot jumpers because if he drove the help would be there. By the end of the game, the fact that the Cavs had gone cold from the outside made Lebron a little more eager than normal to shoot rather than try to force the drive and create for a teammate.
These explanations aren’t perfect, but I think it’s what actually happened. Basically I think it was a combination of Kobe’s energy level and our overall tactic of wanting to show consistent help in the lane behind any defender that ended up on Lebron. It worked yesterday, for sure.