First things first — there have been issues with the site for the last 12 hours or so. Apparently this has something to do with an “upstream service DNS migration,†whatever that means. I followed the instructions from my host and apparently everything should be solved. If by this afternoon people are still having issues, let me know and I’ll… um, I don’t know what I’ll do but I’ll have a beer while I do it. And try to fix it.
Last night’s win over the Suns was about all you could ask from a regular season game — entertaining, playoff atmosphere, and at the end of the day I still think the Suns cannot beat us in a seven-game series (providing we are healthy). I think Carter Blanchard summed it up:
Such a good win. On the road, on the wrong end of a back-to-back, against one of the best teams in the L riding the emotional high of the Shaq trade. Anyone else feel like we took their best shot (huge game from Amare, great Nash/Hill games, solid Shaq game, hard to expect much more) and just weren’t fazed. We’ve had a ton of thrilling wins, but tonight’s might have been the most significant thus far.
Plus, the areas where the Suns really hurt the Lakers — on the boards and in the paint — get a lot better for the Lakers when Bynum gets back. Sure, the Suns will get better but we match up well with them.
And this team is fun. So fun that let’s relive the last 7 minutes or so. Not that all of it is filled with insight, but I had so much fun writing it that I’m just going to run it all anyway.
We join the game after Strawberry made a bid to knock off Daniel Day Lewis for Best Actor Kobe has just got called for charging into DJ Strawberry and the Suns have the ball.
7:41, 105-103: Early in the clock Stoudemire comes out five feet past the three-point line to run the ultra-high pick and roll with Barbosa, the Lakers defend it poorly with Farmar trying to go over the top and Pau laying back, so Barbosa gets up a fierce head of steam around the pick and toward the basket. Gasol tries to slide with him but Fisher trails Stoudemire, so Barbosa passes to the rolling Amare at the free throw line. It’s pretty obvious what is coming but Turiaf is slow to rotate, the result is the dunk and the harm. He hits the free throw.
Odom and Gasol enter the game.
7:26 105-106. The Lakers got out of the offense a lot in this game, which worked because Kobe was hot. This time they run the offense and the result is Sasha and Gasol playing the little two-man hand-off game on the weak (this time left) side. Gasol gets the ball out 18 feet and gives it to Sasha cutting past him, and Sasha decides to show he can do more than drain threes. He drives into the land of the trees and hits a little running layup falling away from the basket.
7:01 107-106. Just over the half court line Farmar comes out and pressures Barbosa with the ball. Barbosa tries to impress the women in Brazil with his soccer skills — he dribbles the ball off his foot, into the back court for a turnover. Suddenly, Steve Nash is up off the bench and at the scorer’s table.
The Lakers run the offense for 10 seconds on the out of bounds, but Kobe has that look tonight and Strawberry isn’t scaring him much. Kobe gets an isolation out top, drives to the right elbow, pulls up on a dime and nails the jumper.
6: 35, 109-106. Amare comes out to run the high pick and roll with Nash, Odom doesn’t show but stays back to protect the paint. Nash drives in and is below the free throw line by the time anyone bothers to pick him up. Not only does Odom help, but also Gasol rotates over to stop the shot. Gasol leaves Shaq to do that. Alley-oop and dunk. And the crowd goes wild.
6:25, 109-108. The Lakers patiently go through the motions of the offense – inside to Gasol, back out to Kobe – but Kobe’s going to shoot. Everybody knows it. He has the ball two feet behind the three-point line, Strawberry is back a step to defend the drive, Kobe shoots over him. Drains it. Mike D’Antoni says something under his breath about the pinky being a ruse.
6:02, 112-108. Again (and always) it’s Amare and Nash in the high pick-and-roll, but this time the Lakers defend it better. Farmar does a much better job fighting over the top of the pick and staying with Nash. Sasha flashes from the weak side to slow Nash, Odom does a much better job taking away Nash’s passing lanes. The result is what you want – Nash shooting, and it’s a little three-foot runner and it’s contested. He misses it.
Odom grabs to miss and outlets to Kobe, who jogs it up the court. But Gasol had some rest, he felt good, so he ran the court and no Sun went with him. Bryant throws it from half court to Gasol who drives in for the dunk and gets fouled by the trailing Amare for the and one.
Then Sasha jumps higher than he has in years to hug Gasol. He must have shown off an 8-inch vertical on that one.
And we go to commercial and an ESPN SportsCenter promo. Hey, Duke lost. That usually makes me smile, but when it’s to the University of Miami I don’t know how to feel.
115-108, 5:43. They don’t run set plays much, but the Suns almost run a motion offense here, with some nice action, the result being Stoudemire trying to drive on Gasol from the free throw line, he gets off a contested layup that Odom blocks. Right into the hands of Shaq. He can still dunk with authority.
115-110, 5:20: Fisher and Kobe pass the ball out top, then Kobe makes a pretty quick pass to Odom flashing through the lane. Amare isn’t lost though, he trails Odom from the weak side and rejects the layup. Odom grabs the ball but travels.
Nash does his Nash thing, holding the dribble and probing the defense, but the Lakers do a good job and there are no real options. So a quick pass to Grant Hill and he feeds the ball to Shaq on the low block with Gasol on him. Shaq spins back into the lane and hits a nice little 8 footer. Nice shot. I’d make him do it a bunch more times before I’d send the double, however.
115-112, 4:45. Kobe and Fisher try a little high pick and roll but nothing develops, then the Lakers run through some more offense but nothing is good there either as they work the ball around. So with the clock running down it is the old bailout of Kobe with a 20-foot jumper, he misses.
Nash pushes the ball, well maybe at half speed for him but pretty quickly. Shaq decides to do the Shaq of 2000 thing — run down the court and get a deep position before the defense gets set. Nash sees it and gets him the ball quickly just three feet from the hoop. Shaq takes a pretty little right-handed jump hook, but Kobe comes and blocks it from the weak side. Goaltending. Pretty close in my book, but close enough to argue either way.
115-114, 4:14. Kobe has the ball out high and drives around Bell but never really loses him. Shaq comes over from the weak-side and in getting his arms up to block Kobe’s shot he gives a vicious elbow to the back of Bell’s head. That really looked like it hurt. I’m sure Bell will be fine, but I’m glad it wasn’t me.
Oh, and Kobe hit the shot.
117-114, 3:55. Guess what, Suns tried the high pick and roll with Amare and Nash. Fisher is in the game now and he goes under the pick, so Nash steps back for the three, and misses, but Shaq gets the rebound over Gasol and is fouled going back up.
This is why I said yesterday that Shaq will help the usually weak Suns rebounding. Yes, Marion had more boards per game, but Shaq takes up a lot more space under the basket. You have to body him. He opens up space for others. And, Marion never would have gotten a rebound like that over Pau.
Of course, Marion likely would have hit both free throws. Shaq hit one.
117-115, 3:40. The Lakers run the offense, staring with the two man game out high with Kobe and Fish while Sasha is going from one side to the other around Odom’s down screen on the block. The result is Sasha gets a very good look from 18. He just misses it.
This time Shaq, trailing the play after Nash pushed the ball, sets a drag screen, then rolls to the basket. The Lakers mostly roll to Nash, so he goes for the alley-oop to Shaq. But Kobe has seen this “lob to Shaq for a big dunk late in a game†thing before somewhere. (Can’t think of where off the top of my head, maybe we should ask Henry Abbott.) Kobe reads it and comes from the weak side and knocks the pass away. The end result of a little scramble is a Shaq/Gasol jump ball.
I’m with Hubie on this one, it looked to me like Gasol knocked the ball out of bounds, but they call it out off Shaq on the jump ball.
The Lakers first play is isolation Kobe, and he gets into the lane but a rotating Grant Hill knocks the ball out of bounds. After a time out the Lakers came up with a very creative play — Kobe isolation. He hits the midrange over Hill.
119-115, 2:49. For the first time I can remember in the game, the Suns run the double high post look, with Shaq on one side and Amare on the other. Nobody is clear what to do, and the Lakers are playing tight, dogged defense. The result is Barbosa trying to create his own shot, taking a contested 17-footer and missing.
Kobe isolation. Kobe pull-up jumper. Kobe misses.
The Suns first attempt is the high pick and roll early in the clock, Nash drives and the Lakers take away the bounce pass to the cutting Amare. The result is confusion for the Suns, eventually with the ball going out of bounds off Sasha’s foot. On the inbounds play, Fisher fouls Nash from behind, the Lakers are in the penalty and he hits both.
119-117, 1:49. Kobe is asking for the ball and isolation, but Fisher is going to run the offense, damnit. Fisher drives off the high screen from Pau (Gasol can’t get open because Nash is waterskiing behind him off his jersey) and tries a floater over Shaq that misses but Hill knocks it out of bounds.
On the inbounds play Gasol gets the ball out along the left baseline and just drives the lane on Shaq, who goes flying backwards but gets called for blocking. That bit of acting by Shaq was worse than Kazaam — no way Gasol can knock Shaq over like that. The Lakers get the ball out on the side again.
Odom inbounds the ball from the side to Gasol on the block, then cuts straight past him to the rim. Amare is slow to react. Gasol gets the ball back to Odom, who hits a tough little falling layup.
121-117, 1:27. Shaq and Nash in the high pick and roll, the Lakers cover the passing lane and it’s another Nash floater in the lane and another miss. Good defense by the Lakers. The rebound bounces out to Fisher who passes out to a streaking Kobe, and suddenly it’s a three on one with only Hill back. Kobe gives it back to Gasol for the dunk. Love the way Gasol ran the court late in the game.
123-117, 1:15. This time it’s Amare’s turn to be out high with Nash. Odom tries to play the passing lanes but Nash makes a nifty bounce pass at the top of the key to Amare who drives hard to the basket. But Gasol read this the entire way and was waiting at the basket when Amare was still at the free throw line. Amare tries a running floater/layup over Gasol but misses, and Odom gets the board.
The Lakers take their time setting up the offense and eventually get the ball to Gasol 16-feet out isolated with Shaq. That’s rarified air for Shaq. Gasol tries to put the ball on the floor (something he does pretty well) but losses control. The ball bounces free and Shaq dives after it, chop blocking Gasol in the process. That’s 15 yards and two free throws for Gasol, who hits them both.
With just 45 seconds left, the Lakers give a lot of concession baskets to the Suns, the Suns in turn foul the Lakers (although they let 20 second run off at one point, which was an odd choice). Bottom line, the game was over.
fanerman says
I love these, Kurt.
chris h says
more than any game in the past, I really enjoyed reliving these.
thanks
Goo says
Near-perfect offense set up the defense for the Lakers last night…look at every possession there. No bad possessions or turnovers that allowed the suns to get into transition
George Best says
Just curious, but can Kobe be signed to an extension or must it be next year which is the last year before he can opt out. The Lakers are so great to watch and they seem set up for a nice run in future years, but a quick exit in this years playoffs can happen in a stacked Western Conference and who wants to go into next year on a down note without Kobe locked in. I assume Kupchak has to be doing something behind the scenes to get Kobe signed for the next 3-5 years. Any insight from you experts? thanks
Kenny A. says
After Pau’s dunk at the 6:02 mark, right before Sasha leapt into his arms like a giddy girl welcoming her sailor boyfriend home, did you notice that Pau, for the fist time with the Lakers I think, unveiled the awkward Jersey Pop that Josh from Three Shades of Blue had warned us about here: http://www.forumblueandgold.com/2008/02/02/it%e2%80%99s-a-good-day-to-be-a-lakers-fan/
I replayed that on my DVR about 30 times and couldn’t stop laughing…
Eshan says
We have now ruined the debut of Marion in Miami, Bibby on Atlanta, and Shaq in Pheonix. Too bad we didn’t get a shot at Kidd.
exheldrvr says
How do you think the Suns feel? I know they are saying “the right thing” about this being Shaq’s first game, still getting used to him, etc., but do you think this took some wind out of their sails?
Hebisner says
If you looked at the stats for the Lakers, you might be suprised they won. They were outrebounded by over 10 boards and had only 18 assists, well below their average. The excellent shooting percentage and Kobe imposing his will on the Suns did the trick, but I think it shows that this Shaq trade might really work well for the Suns. Stoudemire had a field day on the backboard as a power forward, and the Suns defended the middle much better with Shaq in there. The Lakers deserved this win, but I think the Suns will be quite dangerous once they integrate Shaq into their system.
Danny says
Ahhh finally, I get my Laker Fix.
Thanks for getting the site going again, I was nervous there for a few.
pb says
Great job, Kurt. Once again, I could not help but feel like DFish intentionally looks for everyone but Kobe when he has the ball. He often ends up taking a shot himself because of his lack of vision. I don’t think it’s a big problem now, but he needs to feed the ball to Kobe when he gets hot, instead of trying to run the offense. When Nash started hot with his jumpers early, I felt good about our chances to win because Nash is most dangerous when he gets everyone involved, not when he’s scoring. I think our PGs should try to make him hit little running jumpers all day while denying 3s and layups. But with Tony Parker, we can’t do that. I can’t wait until we face Mavs or Spurs to see how we match up against them.
Kurt says
8. I think the thing that has to worry you if you’re the Suns is the Lakers shooting percentage. Bottom line, I’m not sure how much, if at all, the Shaq trade helps the pedestrian defense of the Suns — they get a little more presence in the paint, but lose their best perimeter defender to do it. Grant Hill was largely abused by Kobe. The Suns are still going to score, but the question has always been can they stop anybody, and last night it didn’t look like it.
And, for the Lakers, we still get Bynum back.
Kurt says
5. I did notice that. He really does not know how to do the jersey pop.
Troy says
5. I thought it was a jersey pop too, but it was so bad that I thought my eyes deceived me. I thought there was a little too much iso for Kobe, but when he’s hot you let him win games. He shot a great percentage but it seemed like the misses off of isolations in the latter stages of the game hurt more when they were getting higher percentage looks off of pick-and-rolls with Pau. I thought the iso was getting to the other players, especially when Kobe passed in mid-air to Radman or Machine (I can’t remember) and the ball went right past them out of bounds.
Kurt says
13. Most night’s I’d complain about that much isolation basketball. But there are nights Kobe is Kobe and you ride that train.
Brian P. says
5. and 12.
I noticed the pop, but I also noticed a few times in games before and at completely random times. It is so random I almost wanted to believe that the jersey was just sticking to his skin and he wanted to unstick it.
It is sad, but the Spaniard can do whatever he likes if he keeps playing efficient basketball like he has been.
Brian P. says
Before when Kobe was in the zone in a game and went into iso mode nobody else would step up and score along with Kobe.
Now when Kobe goes off for his 35+ points Gasol is right there scoring with him and now with less pressure is Odom. That never happened before when Kobe was hot.
With a legit 2nd scorer the Lakers are showing dangerous they really can be.
fanerman says
In case you haven’t heard, the Bulls, Sonics, and Cavs have made a trade.
http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=3257159
Kurt says
17. The Sonics keep stockpiling draft picks and clearing out cap space….
gosujim says
Gasoline > Diesel
Nothing more to add.
fanerman says
18. They’re doing a really good job of it. How many extra picks do they have now?
UCSBShaw says
In regards to Pau’s jersey poppin, I don’t remember what game it was but it was one of Pau’s first games and he dunked on someone and he just stood there and stared at the guy. I was laughing insanely, I played that about 50 times. I never expected attitude from Gasol I love it. Shows he’s got heart and passion. Turiaf and Gasol the new comedic tandom?
My only concern is when will he get the LA look? It didn’t take Phil long to become a little more groomed and not so midwest. This is hollywood here, you gotta look the part. To his credit he has been on the road a lot and he did get traded mid-season.
anoni says
For a full 48 minutes, I completely forgot about Kobe’s pinky. Just unbelievable.
chocomm says
I think we leave the fate of the game in our best player’s hands. If Kobe is hot and is in isolation almost every possession in 4th quarter and makes his shots, we win. Otherwise, we lose with Kobe shooting below 40% in the 4th quarter. But I still believe Kobe could have gotten his teammates more involved last night.
As for Suns, those that ridiculed Steve Kerr are for the most part, wrong. They showed that they can still score, and their defense and chemistry will only get better. The pressing question for this season only is whose health will be better, Shaq’s or Bynum’s?
We are all just expecting Andrew to come back from injury and make us a better team, but I’d hold judgment until we actually see him play some games first.
a random note, but a short audio clip from Kareem’s new book: http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/eticket/story?page=kareem
harold says
The Shaq trade will work out for the Suns. People say that there’s a fountain of youth in PHX, when in reality it’s just them limiting the need for lateral movement both in offense and in defense.
Anyway, looked like PHX got a good deal. I doubt Marion would’ve made much of a difference there at all really.
cyranodabum says
Can there be such a thing as too many draft picks? Granted they’re not all going to be in the same year, but it’s not like in football, where you can take multiple first round picks in the twenties and turn them into starters or into a super high first round pick.
It’s kind of the same question I’m wondering about Memphis- can you have too much cap room? Especially in a city that won’t naturally draw free agents (e.g., LA, Miami, NY)?
Kurt says
23. I think it’s far too early to say if Steve Kerr is a hero, goat or in the middle on this. That question gets answered starting in April. Last night’s win made us confident but the Suns showed some good signs.
Francis says
Kobe Bryant: MVP
http://www.respectkobe.com/?p=17
1331 says
as much as i love reading the article in http://www.respectkobe.com
i cannot help but worry that lebron will win the MVP this year
with the addition of ben wallace, joe smith and wally, lebron has a better cast to compliment his skills and i must say that his play has been outstanding lately with two triple doubles back-to-back
as for kobe, he’s been doing what he does best and even better. his defense has definitely been better this season compare to the last three years where he has to spend a lot energy on offense.
i guess the only way kobe win the MVP this year is if lakers has the best record in the west.
although kobe gets his well-deserved MVP would be sweet, what i care the most is the lakers championship and MVP Final (which i think is the true MVP award)
GO LAKERS!!!
harold says
If LeBron wins it, it’ll be a shame.
Only candidate I’m okay with winning the MVP, outside of Kobe, is Chris Paul.
Warren Wee Lim says
Irnonic how the site is now up, but my ISP is down. Darn its so annoying. I’m using one from my celphone modem…
While LeBron may have monstrous / freakish stats this year, that’s nothing new for the league. Aside from the fact that LeBron is a media darling while Kobe is a villain, Kobe already did that feat. Unless the Cavs win 50 games in the weak East, no way LBJ gets the nod. As for the Lakers, we are 13 wins away from a Kobe MVP.
While its such a cliche to say: I want the trophy more than the MVP, can we simply admit that we want both? I mean, who are we kidding… DPOY would be awesome too! Would be better than MVP…
Travis Y. says
Was listening to 710 ESPN, and lo and behold kobe was on the show. He talked about the big win and how things are coming together. He was asked about the way he brought up his trade demands and talked about how he didn’t want to be here for 5 years and have nothing to show for it. He’s so glad to be here now and talked about how everyone realizes the urgency to win now. So everyone is putting in the time in the gym and on the court to get to that level where they need to be. Great interview, it should be on Dave Dameshek’s podcast keep out for the podcast link if you’re interested.
Lakers look so solid can’t wait til we can integrate things with Bynum and see if our play can elevate even higher.
gosujim says
21 – maybe you’re talking about this?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3nHAuZdEH9Q
POW!
muddywood says
Pau’s new Laker poster HAS to be the dunk of Amare.
FEEL THE PAUER!
Underbruin says
32 – as great as that clip is, I prefer this one:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6fVJpeo7PvE&feature=related
The random English phrases thrown in the middle are the icing on the cake. 🙂
TCO says
I think people are missing the wit of 19.
If the Hornets win the West or if the Lakers win the West, I can not see there being decent justification for voting LeBron over Kobe or CP3.
drrayeye says
Drrayeye comments on some midseason trades with the Lakers in mind
Mav’s–you’ve got to be Kidding! A win for the Lakers.
San Anotonio–enough to win? I’m a doubting Thomas
Phoenix-4 roadrunners and an armadillo aren’t enough
Hornets–they always could sting. Now they swarm.
Utah–the Jazz traded one guy and-voila!
Houston–addition by subtraction? Nah!
Can the Cavs knock off the Celts and the Pistons with their new team?
You can ask your chemistry teacher–or you can wait until next year and ask the same question
ryan says
As far as Kobe being MVP. That article was well written and makes a good case for him being MVP. If the Lakers have the best record int he pacific division/western Conference (which I don’t think is too far fetched; I could easily see 20 more wins) then I don’t think that there is really much of a case that you can make against Kobe being MVP.
Also Bill Walton said Kobe is playing like the MVP and I think there is only one player on the Lakers that he likes and I bet you can’t guess who that is.
81 Witness says
There is a good posting by Hollinger on the trades made this year. I won’t give you any hints on which team consistently earned their As.
http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/insider/columns/story?columnist=hollinger_john&page=TradeGrades-080221&action=login&appRedirect=http%3a%2f%2finsider.espn.go.com%2fnba%2finsider%2fcolumns%2fstory%3fcolumnist%3dhollinger_john%26page%3dTradeGrades-080221
J Rob says
That dunk by Gason over Amare at the end was amazing. When I saw that and his jersey pop after getting fouled i jumped so high I spilled my beer everywhere. Amazing moment.
Daniel Sagal says
Nice breakdown… always a pleasure to read.
gosujim says
34 – hahaha i saw that one already… some clowny spanish commentors there =)
39 – nice !