It’s going to be loud, the Jazz fans will be pumped, motorcycles will run across the hardwood ridden by bears like some sort of Russian circus via the Wachowski brothers. Reed, one of the most popular commenters/posters on this site is going to be in the arena tonight — we’ll see if he’s a lucky charm or more like the tiki that Bobby picked up in Hawaii and needs to be thrown back.
The Utah setting is going to have one likely impact — the Jazz are going to get a little more favorable treatment from the refs. I agree with what many have said in the comments: After multiple years leading the league in fouls, playing a physical style, it is an amazing feat of cognitive dissonance for some Jazz fans to be complaining about all the calls. The Lakers are getting the calls because they have been the aggressors — Kobe is not settling for jumpers, he is going to the rim, and the only way the Jazz can stop him is to foul. Same with Fisher. Gasol is getting the ball on great feeds and is getting fouled because the Jazz are coming at him at bad angles. Bottom line — the aggressive team gets the calls in the NBA, and in games one and two that has been the Lakers.
Tonight though, the Lakers need to be prepared for the refs to let a little more go, and they are going to have to play through it.
The fouls, however, is not what worries me. The Jazz started to be the aggressors at points last game, and that worries me. I think Darius explained best what happened near the end of game 2 (and how the Lakers should counter):
In the 4 quarter (especially the last 4-5 minutes), the Jazz did a great job of just kind of abandoning their sets and letting Williams attack. No screens, just get out the way and let him beat his guy. I think Sloan realized that by bringing over a screener it allowed the Lakers to dictate where the ball would go next by allowing the second defender to either force Deron to pass or by cutting off the driving lane until the primary defender could recover. If you just let Williams use his size, quickness, and handle, he has the skill to break us down and get to the rim. This fed his confidence that led to him burying those late jumpers too. If Sloan goes to more of these sets in game 3, the Lakers have to be ready to collapse the lane, rotate to any shooters on the perimeter, while still covering for a rotating big by boxing out Boozer, Milsap, Okur, and Harpring.
David Thorpe at ESPN.com called out another set that Utah had success with — Boozer and D-Will running the high screen-and-roll with the other three players spread along the baseline (making it a little harder to get to help in time). Something to look for.
I expect the best Jazz offensive game of the series, the question is will the Lakers still win a scoring contest. One that is well above the Vegas more than/less than number (that one’s for you, Henry!).
The Jazz still have “The Kobe Problem” — they have no answer to slow him. It appeared to me the best Jazz defender on Kobe was Harpring, and apparently Sloan agreed as he got some key fourth quarter time on our MVP. Harpring was up on him 30 feet from the basket. But as Kobe said in a radio interview yesterday, Harpring can’t stay with him out that far so he was trying to force him to help. That opened up things for other Lakers when Kobe made smart passes. I expect the Jazz to go back to the Harpring model for long stretches at home thinking that they will face fewer foul calls. The Lakers need to make them pay with good passing.
One final note. Before you make a comment about the crowd tonight, who I’m sure we will find annoying, read the first rule of commenting. As Reed and others who have lived in Salt Lake have said, it is a more diverse town than most think, something that is changing there over the past decade plus. We welcome everyone at this site, if they can have a rational discussion.
Darius says
Beautiful use of the “more than/less than” Kurt. You’ve done Mr. Abbott proud, there…
Also, I know that we have oppinions about the Utah crowd, but is it any worse than what we faced in Sacramento all those years? I mean, those guys had no qualms with hurling insults all while banging cowbells behind our bench. I think the team can handle a hostile environment, because our leaders (Kobe and Fish) have seen and heard this same type of stuff before (not only in other arenas, but right there in SLC with the booing this season).
As for something to potentially look for, I expect a better game from Rad. I have no evidence to back this up, but I think he plays better after being called out by Phil. He’s loopy that way. So, after Phil gave him a couple of body blows in the post-game presser on Wednesday, I think he’ll look to make AK pay a little more in this matchup. Especially considering that AK has really been trying to punish Rad on the block (which I expect to continue as long as this series goes) and make him the weak point on the team/floor. Maybe I’m wrong and off base, but it’s just a feeling I have.
jodial says
Darius, I woke up this morning having the exact same feeling about VladRad. Just feels like one of those games when he’s going to come of nowhere and can about 4 or 5 from downtown. Hope we’re on to something!
I think the real key is going to be Lamar. If he plays like he did in game 2, the Lakers are going to be in great shape.
kwame a. says
Expect the Lakers to shoot under 25 fts tonight.
Expect to scream at Bavetta from your couch/bar stool at least 17 times.
Expect D-Will drive to the cup hard, early and and often
Expect Brewer to play limited minutes, like Kurt said, Harpring will be the guy fouling Kobe tonite.
Expect Korver to shoot better, ditto for the Booz
Expect the Lakers to keep trying to push the ball, Lamar is the key to this
Should be fun, tough road game, it will be good for the team.
Kurt says
One thing I forgot to mention: The bench (and starters) need to do a better job on Millsap, His energy was too much for the Lakers and they can’t let the second unit dominate the glass.
Andrew Z says
I can actually see the team getting really pumped for this game. Utah will bring their best effort, they have to. Whether we win or lose, the way we handle the situation is going to be a great indicator of where we stand as a team.
Even though we have Fish, Kobe and Phil, the majority of this squad is experiencing this level of the playoffs for the first time. They’ve been unbelievable to this point, well beyond their experience, which lets us all forget that they are in new territory here.
I want to see composure and fight from our guys tonight. If they bring that and still get beat, so be it. This is a good Utah team and I never expected us to be handling them so easily thus far.
I’m looking for Boozer to have a HUGE game. If we can offset that, I think we win.
Lamont Jackson says
Expect the Utah crowd to be louder than any Staples Center crowd. Talk bad about Salt Lake City and white Mormons all you want, but what matters is that they make noise at a ball game, rather than stargaze and talk on cell phones.
We gotta just stay close all game, within striking distance. I think that’s all we can ask for in a game where the Jazz is going to throw everything they have at us.
Underbruin says
I think one key will be the second unit’s ability to move the ball well. The second unit has the capability to score, as we’ve seen this season at times. If they can come in, give the starters some rest, and keep up with Utah’s offense, that will be huge for LA. A pretty good example is when the Lakers played their subs for over 4 minutes to start the 4th quarter, and lost only 1 point off their lead against some of the Utah starters. If they can do that consistently throughout the night, I think the Jazz will be hard-pressed to constantly outscore the first unit.
kwame a. says
Great article from Utah’s Deseret News in relation to the Jazz fan talk.
http://deseretnews.com/article/1,5143,700224324,00.html
Snoopy2006 says
5 – I was actually thinking about something along those lines the other day. I was thinking about how intimidating Atlanta’s home floor was during the Boston series, and how loud Utah always is…..and I realize we don’t give our own guys the same advantage. I wouldn’t say we’re quiet, but I have to say I think we’re a little spoiled in general. We’re so used to success that we don’t stand for entire games or scream at the top of our lungs unless something amazing happens.
If (fingers crossed) we make it to the Finals, we know the (presumably) Garden will be rocking. We should work to make Staples as intimidating to play in as Boston and Utah.
Aaron says
A little…well, a lot off topic but I got in a question on Adande’s chat today about Bynum (Ben’s my middle name):
Ben (NYC): JA!!! Stuck in the rut of finals (and rainy NY weather). Answering a question would definitely lighten up the day. What do you expect out of Bynum next year? How formidable would the Lakers be with as a result of his addition?
SportsNation J.A. Adande: There’s no way to know how he’ll fit in with Gasol there, how he’ll come back from this injury. Fortunately I’m not the one who has to make $50 million or so decision on this like the Lakers do. They can extend his contract this summer, but do they have enough evidence to convince them to do so? Would it throw the team out of whack to have Bynum playing for a contract next season? For a team that’s as set as the Lakers appear to be right now, this is one major issue.
He also answered a question about trading Marion for Bynum, giving us a lineup of Gasol, Odom, Marion, Kobe, and D-Fish, leaving the scrap work for Marion and Odom who don’t need plays called for them to be really effective.
Ace says
I will be shaking in my boots through out the whole game. I think that the Lakers might lose. The refs will let the Jazz get away with murder tonight and the crowd is going to send the Lakers to the locker room deaf. I don’t expect Boozer to have another off game and Williams is going to give Fisher and Farmar hell.
I hope that I am wrong and that the Lakers will win. =)
Bill Bridges says
Lots of complaints in Utah about the play of the third team all nba PF of the Jazz. While this is true and we certainly hope continues. There are a few Lakers whose performance still has upside.
– Walton. Upper Resp “disease” slowed him for games 1 and 2. I rate his effectiveness thus far as 30% (of his Denver excellence). Hopefully his late 3 heralded a return to form.
– VladRad. Ok game 1 a non-entity game 2. I agree with Darius that Vlad’s cycle is on a game-by-game basis. So due for a good one. I’d settle for 2 threes (which inevitably leads to a few more with Vlad). His performance also seems uncorrelated to whether the game is at home or on the road. So a good balance to the portfolio, so to speak. Grade thus far: 50%
– Pau. In some ways he’s looked the least comfortable on the offensive end since he joined the Lakers. I’m not sure what the problem is. He’s been missing some chippies with his left hand and has not hit one right handed hook in the lane. I hope it’s a temporary slump rather than his feeling the pressure of being in a round that he’s never been to before. Grade 70% for bouncing back on defense in the second game (but not on the boards)
– Ronny. “Disease” has really hurt Ronny. He has no legs on his jump shot and activity has slowed. A few blocked shots for redemption but not the Ronny that started for the Lakers last time they played the ESA. Grade 40%
– Farmar. His play thus far is no better than his play last year vs. the Suns. The only saving grace is that he’s getting less minutes. I’ve been (I think justifiably) harsh on him the entire second half of the season. I would love to see the Pau/Odom/Luke/Sasha/Kobe line up tonight. Let Sasha stay with Korver and go to Walton posting up Williams or Brewer. Williams is no Paul, Kobe can hang with him.
Grade INC (or 90% of his recent play)
Even Lamar has not been the monster he was the last 2 weeks of the season.
All this means is that this team can play much, much better. They will have to to take tonight’s game when whistles are swallowed randomly, but regularly.
I also hope that there’s some Mbenga time tonight. His size and sharp, Karate elbows might just be the ticket to slow down Millsap.
Bill Bridges says
“and kobe bryant, the best basketball player on earth…….
anyone who is still a kobe critic
a ‘hater’
has marginalized themselves into nothingness, certified that they are
a basketball ignoramus
they are a wisp of a dandelion top, blowing to and fro, at the mercy
of the mighty force of nature that is kobe bryant”
Had to post this from Flea’s blog
http://my.nba.com/thread.jspa?threadID=570008530&#msg570127700
Almost Nomusklean in style!
Kevin L says
I am suprised that a particular strategy hasnt been executed more in these playoffs – letting the Deron’s and CP3’s get their points – but cut off all available passing lanes, limiting the help defense.
Especially given that D-Fish has been able to stay in front of Deron w/ little to no help – the Lakers should just let Deron get his 35 points, while limiting his assists to 6 or below.
This strategy was very successful in the Lakers’ previous showdowns w/ Steve Nash – the same should be used on these new up-and-comers.
Also, this will take the rest of the Jazz out of rhythm and prevent them from being the aggressors.
laughing hard says
I’m going to be up at the ESA tonight too… I’m predicting a warm welcome for my Gasol jersey and Lakers hat =)
Chris J says
10 – I don’t buy Adande’s take on the Lakers’ future as related to Bynum.
For argument’s sake, let’s first presume we’re talking about a fully recovered player, since anything less than that negates his value to the Lakers or any other team seeking him via trade. (Given the fact that he’s 20, I like his chances of returning 100 percent.)
The Lakers are not “set,” as J.A. contends. The Playoffs aren’t over yet, and just because the team is 6-0 so far doesn’t mean there aren’t chinks in the armor. (Though thankfully no one has broken through so far.)
For all Pau has given the team, it’s clear to anyone watching the current roster that there’s a lack of interior presence on the defensive end. Set aside a few plays from Ronny and you’re left with next to no shot blocking, or even the threat of a block. The Jazz had way too many second chances in Game 1; those don’t happen when you control the defensive boards, and Bynum is arguably the second-best young rebounder in the NBA behind Dwight Howard.
Given those weaknesses — which a healthy Bynum erases altogether — why would L.A. want to trade the guy?
Shawn Marrion whined his way off of a 60-win team to go lose in Miami, where he was content because he’s not the third option anymore.He certainly would not be “the man” in L.A., nor would he be No. 2. What would keep him from souring on life as a Laker then? It’s the same situation he hated in Phoneix — playing on a chmapionship team with future Hall of Famers. If you don’t enjoy that, you belong on a sucky squad. The Lakers don’t need Marion’s type of commitment, or lack thereof, on the roster. (And I’m a UNLV grad saying that.)
Pau passes well, and he can play at different places on the floor than Bynum. I see those two fitting in together perfectly.
The only questions a healthy Bynum creates, in my view, are:
1) Will Buss be willing to shell out big money, and luxury tax dollars, to so many players? And what would the cap situation mean in terms of filling out the roster with role players? But history shows the Lakers would find a way to deal with that challenge.
2) Would Lamar be able to play so effectively if moved to the 3 spot? I think he might lack the speed to run with some of the small forwards the Lakers would see. Ariza would be a good answer here, particularly since he would not demand the balls that would first go to Kobe, Pau and Bynum.
As great as he’s been the latter part of this year, I think if Bynum’s return means anyone is on their way out of town a year or two from now, it seems that Odom is the most logical choice. Do they really need to pay a guy top dollar to be the fourth option? If not, it’s adios Lamar.
Most teams would kill to have such “problems.”
J.D. Hastings says
3- Is Bavetta already known to be the official? Crap. He might collapse from the decibel level alone. I was hoping for Javie, who may be the most consistent guy in the nba no matter where he is.
akamoroti says
Hey, easy with the mormon jokes, plenty of us mormon are Laker fans, I’m one. Anyways, the Jazz have that do or die mentality for tonights game, so I think it will be important to withstand the surge that they’ll have coming out of the gate, I think the Lakers have the veterans and composure to do this. D-Will should look to drive like he was doing at the end of last game, maybe D-Fish drawing a charge can slow him down, I’m predicting at least one drawn charge by Fish. On the other end we just have to keep the ball hoppin’, the only times our offense stalled was when we were 1 on 1, (kobe, walton, and farmar, he does it way too much). I think we win a close one.
Amazing_Happens says
16. Good one about Bavetta. Made me chortle out loud.
I was hoping for Salvatore. Lakers seem to get favorable calls from him, like jump balls in end-game fouling situations.
matt. says
Playing a little catchup from the last few threads:
– Reed, fantastic “perspectives” comment. Loved it. That’s currently the leading contender for FB&G Playoff MVC (Most Valuable Comment).
– NJC, BJ & other Jazz fans, thanks for joining us and providing homer-free opinions from the opposing side. Intelligent, respectful basketball fans – of any team – are always a pleasure to talk (type?) to.
– I love the energy, defense and shot blocking that Turiaf – and, to a lesser extent, Mbenga – bring, but I find myself really wishing we had a big off the bench who attacked the rim relentlessly. You know, like Milsap.
– Regarding the KG / Lakers speculation, a refresher: The offer on the table to the Wolves was Odom, Kwame, Bynum and the #19. Without Kwame there is no Gasol deal. We essentially would have given up Odom, Gasol AND Bynum for KG. McFail rejecting our offer is the best thing that could have happened to us.
– Kurt, Henry later pointed out that it should actually be more than/fewer than.
– Somebody needs to tell the national TV announcers that Sasha’s nickname The Machine was NOT self-appointed, as they keep calling it. Is this driving anyone else crazy, or is it just me?
– I disagree with Adande, Bynum for Marion would be a disastrous move. Ignoring the cap-impossibilities, a future franchise center, one of the top-3 young bigs in the league for an aging combo forward who cares more about being The Man than playing for a contender and was dumped by his last team because they got tired of his surly attitude? Um … no thanks. Besides, our greatest weakness right now is interior defense/rebounding/shot-blocking. JA should know better than that.
– I’ve really been enjoying those David Thorpe game previews on ESPN. His insight into the game is awesome.
nomuskles says
No Live Blog tonight folks. Just going to enjoy the game with my girlfriend and family. I’m personally hoping Derek Fisher continues to light it up and that the Space Cadet somehow locates his Aderol. We’ve done a fairly decent job limiting DWIll so far, so I’m not sure I’d advocate the “let DWIll get his and stop everyone else strategy.”
kwame a. says
Mauer, Bavetta and one more, forgot who though.
Bill Bridges says
Nomusklelini,
I’m with you. Why not try the “lets stop DWill and also stop everyone else strategy”
Here’s hoping Sloan reverts to the Hack-a-Kobe strategy.
pw says
NBA should do something about officiating. Why are we so easy to accept that the game is in Utah, so the Jazz should expect officiating in their favor? And this in a playoff game.
Unfair officating should not be acceptable under any circumstances.
NBA has had too many match-fixing, conspiracy theory allegations to let this continue. Everybody makes mistakes, even officials but starting to expect “mistakes” as normal is foolish.
matt. says
Regarding the Ashton Korver/race issue, I think that, as with most complex issues, there isn’t one simple all-explaining answer. There are usually several smaller answers that collectively answer the larger question.
The girls think Korver’s hot, the older fans think he’s “clean cut” (euphemism implied), his jersey’s new, and on and on. The answer to his popularity is not one of these things, it’s all of them.
I do think there is some truth to the “relatability” issue. My father, who is white, played college ball in the 60’s for an NAIA school. He was the banger/rebounder for a team that ran the weave offense and scored 100+ a game. Now, when he sees unathletic white players like Mark Madsen, Coby Karl or the kid Shaq took under his wing a few years back (forget his name), he roots for them. Not because he’s prejudiced – he loved Magic, Kareem & Worthy as much as the next guy – but because subconsciously he’s thinking, “If that guy can make it in the league, maybe I could have made it too.”
But here’s the key – the relatability issue is also a generational issue. Older fans tend to root and identify more along racial and ethnic lines, whereas younger fans tend to root more along talent lines. Hence the grandmother who likes Korver, Kirilenko and Harpring, and the younger fans who love D-Will. Hence my father who roots for slow, unathletic white guys, and myself, who loved Magic, Jordan and now Kobe.
I know that this is not true across the board – and certainly not when it comes to national popularity, ala Yao, Gasol, Dirk, etc. – and I’m setting myself up for some backlash/criticism. But I do believe that there is some truth to it.
Benny says
Jazz fan here. Great blog. I’m not so sure Boozer’s going to be able to fix whatever’s been wrong with him so quickly, as much as I’d like him to. I’m hoping we see Millsap early and often at the first sign of Boozer sucking. Boozer got in far too many minutes of nothing last game, and Millsap’s really got the potential to step up. Boozer’s kind of like Malone anyway — he’ll get you a ton of production, but you don’t really want the ball in his hands in the pressure situations. Unfortunately the lack of inside scoring kills the Jazz defense as well as their offense, because they can’t get back as quickly, so it makes them a completely different (read: worse) team. D-Will should be huge tonight. I’m hoping we get at least one game when both teams are at their best.
chibi says
I’m curious as to how aggressive Utah will be on the defensive end. They’ve been plagued with foul trouble in previous games, and I suspect Boozer’s defense will be soft. Because he does not want to pick up 2 early fouls, I assume he’ll play soft defense early on and I assume Sloan plans on sending over a help defender immediately. I believe the Lakers should attack him, anticipate the help defense, and find that open man: drive and kick.
Given their recent play, has anyone besides me seen a lot of the Phoenix-Suns-of-yesteryear in the Laker offense? Good ball movement, good spacing, crafty passing, and very little if any hesitation.
chris h says
Korver is just a trend setter, look at the way he wears his socks. ya don’t see that every day.
Bill Bridges says
The day that Korver starts wearing the arm sleeve will be the day Kobe takes his off
barry g says
21 – good point about the generational issue. i think tradition was a much bigger part of past generations than it is now (whether that’s good or bad is another issue entirely), and with tradition comes familiarity and automatic common ground. i personally couldn’t care less what the background of the player is – if they’re a baller, they’re a baller… which actually isn’t true, now that i think about it: ak47 used to be a baller (back when he was putting up josh smith-esque numbers), and now he isn’t. at least not as much as before. but i digress.
in any case, i don’t think it really matters, the cheering and booing of players. it’s part of the game, you know? it’s just too bad when fans start throwing unnecessary slurs (personal, racial, religious, etc) slurs out at the players (not saying salt lake, i’m saying in general). i guess what i’m trying to say is, if you’re gonna boo a player to hopefully make them miss those free throws that help your team win, it’s all good. but if you plan on saying things meant to make that player feel like less of a person, you may want to reconsider. remember, only YOU can prevent intentionally malicious jeers.
my ability to ramble is second to none. i’m so sorry.
Bill Bridges says
Game time soon. Time to get serious.
The Jazz have a conflict difficult to resolve. On one hand Sloan wants to eliminate the improvisational one-on-one play.
http://deseretnews.com/article/1,5143,700224322,00.html
On the other, the most effective period for the Jazz was parts of the 3rd quarter in the second game when Deron Williams was improvisational and went OOO.
While executing to your strengths seems reasonable. It may be more advisable to attack your oppornent’s weakness. The Lakers has the most trouble guarding PGs who have the freedom to attack based on reaction rather than run set plays. Nash, Paul, Parker trouble the Lakers. The reason Fisher has been so effective against Williams is that he knows where Williams is going! Anticipate Paul’s path and you are toast. Turn Williams loose and suddenly Fisher is no longer able to anticipate him.
I bet that the Lakers too would rather see the Jazz run their offensive sets than have Williams on constant attack mode.
Look for more step back 3’s from Williams. If he hits it early, he will continue to shoot – no matter what Sloan may want. He is streaky and success at the 3 point line fuels his energy.
Brian Tung says
Don’t know if anyone else pointed it out, but I was one of apparently many e-mailers to tell Henry it should be “fewer than,” rather than “less than” (which goes with uncountable nouns).
I looked at our roster the other day and noticed that we have a pretty darned good “1/2” roster: Sasha at the 1-1/2, Kobe at the 2-1/2, Lamar at the 3-1/2, and Pau at the 4-1/2. Maybe Jordan “Cockroach” Farmar at the 1/2. 🙂
the other Stephen says
we’d better hear your voice cheering for the right team tonight, reed.
wondahbap says
I agree with nomuskles.
The Jazz tried to set the tone by being aggresive in the 2nd half of Game 2, but I feel that their aggression will be more pronounced on defense. I think Matt Harpring’s attempts (pathetic ones) at playing Kobe very physical will be something Sloan tries from the start. Kobe is contolling this series and having his way. The two times that Utah went on a run to cut the lead in Games 1 & 2, Kobe was there to quel any further threat. Game(s) over. But the refs will allow it. That fact alone will might make this a close game throughout. The Jazz reach in alot, and come over the top, and across the body to break up passes, and it gets allowed, especially when they are at home. So, the Lakers must get out to another good start, and in turn, counter Utah agression, with even smarter play, while still being aggressive. I also hope that D-Fish gets booed for some extra motvation.
j. d. hastings says
I’d rank the amount of boos the lakers got (most to least) during intros as:
1- Kobe
2-Lamar
3- Fisher (they kind of didn’t know what to do, some booed, others cheered, I think others didn’t want to commit one way or the other because of the criticism)
4- Pau
5- Vlade (barely considered worth their displeasure)
They cheered loudest for Deron Williams on their own team. Everybody else seemed pretty constant.
This is the kind of valuable insight you can’t find anywhere else.
Brian Tung says
I like that Kobe and D-Fish are both prepared for a hostile crowd, but I’m not sure I like them being that keyed in on it. In my opinion, they must not fall into the trap of trying to silence the crowd individually. Ultimately, only team success can do that in lasting fashion. If they try to do it individually, they’ll quiet the crowd only until the next Jazz run.
What I hope they do, instead, is to play the same game they have played thus far in the postseason (offensively, at least), simply being more aware of the Jazz aggressiveness on defense, and being ready to take advantage of it. As I’m sure Phil knows, by being more aggressive, the Jazz will take away some of the things that the Lakers want to do, but by the same token, they’ll give something else up. The triangle offense is ideally suited to find that something else. Let’s hope the Lakers have their radar up.
Palani says
fisher’s 2 fouls gonna hurt us
busterjonez says
Lamar is playing as hard as he can. This bodes well for the Lakers. If he stays out of foul trouble, he is going to be a force on the boards tonight.
j. d. hastings says
36- How can you say that? I’m sure Jordan’s -6 +/- number is a complete fluke.
Is he even assigned to guard anybody? I can’t tell. I think he was within 5 feet of Deron Williams once, but that might have been incidental…
Bill Bridges says
hate to say it but Farmar is killing us and Gasol still looks out of it
Darius says
Gasol needs to make his move faster when Okur is guarding him. He’s holding the ball and Okur is taking away his pet moves and Pau is getting frustrated when he’s getting bodied up.
Anonymous says
I gotta agree with you Bill. Farmar is killing us….he’s -10 whenever he’s in the game. Turrible!
nomuskles says
Ronny!!!!
Hi says
My grandma can guard Dwill better than Farmar..
Palani says
6 TOs, we are lucky to be even
Darius says
*Deron is just going one and one or going the opposite of the screen and beating his man off the dribble.
*Our offense is too frantic when the ball is not going to Kobe on the block. We should be using him like the Bulls did MJ later in his career: as the rock of the offense on the post. It slows everything down and we end up getting a good shot.
*Someone tell Farmar to slow down. Quick jumper when Kobe found him in the corner and then he uses our last possession of the quarter to challenge Deron in the open court and misses a layup. Hubie was okay with it, I am not…
Darius says
Is this game too big for Farmar? Get your head in the game!
Hi says
Farmar’s playing like last year’s playoffs against the Suns…getting eaten up by the PG. He’s getting schooled big time!
Darius says
*too many missed close shots.
*apparently, we forgot okur can actually shoot the ball.
*i’m really upset, for some reason.
Nik says
Gasol seems to be forcing it and looking for the call on each play, but he is not getting any…
Scot says
I can’t believe how soft and scared Pau is playing. He really is giving his critics cannon fodder. Shades of Kwame.
Bill Bridges says
Time to abandon the triangle for a few plays and go to the Kobe/Pau PnR. Gotta try to wake Gasol up.
Darius says
I agree Bill Bridges. We need a spark.
Snoopy2006 says
I hate to say it, but Gasol is killing us. It’s 2 factors:
1) He’s incapable of playing through physicality. He’s not getting the calls on light fouls and he’s blowing layups and wasting time arguing with the refs.
2) He’s not making good decisions with the ball, unusual for him. He puts the ball on the floor when surrounded by white jerseys, faces up and waits too long while holding the ball lazily….come on Pau, step it up. At this rate Ronny is doing better.
j. d. hastings says
Nobody came close to fouling d will there. He just kicked out his leg so he would land awkwardly.
busterjonez says
Nice block by Ronny on D-Will there. If they aren’t going to call fouls, be prepared to get hit when you go to the rim.
Great to see a fire in the bench. Where is Sasha?
GK says
Too many turnovers and missed long rebounds. Let’s see if the Lakers can clean up the game a little.
pw says
Lamar is also not playing well. He’s just standing around on the perimeter on offense.
pw says
Good… I neede to say that to get him going. 🙂
Nik says
We have been so out of character during the 2nd quarter.
Bill Bridges says
For some reason the Lakers haven’t gone to Kobe in his most dangerous position, the right mid post. He’s gotten to the low post a few times but not the mid post. The mid post give him the automatic J, the baseline, forces a double team which allows Pau or Odom to flash, and 3 pointer at the left wing.
Hope to see this as well as some pnr w pau.
Hansoulfood says
Farmar needs to make some shots for his confidence. Players need to cut for Gasol to go to work. Double team is kind of hindering Gasol. Also, he’s receiving the ball 15 ft away from the hoop. He needs to set up closer to the basket…7ft or less….but he’s not banging inside. Kobe needs to take over and take some mo away from the Utah Jazz.
Let’s make this game ugly.
Snoopy2006 says
The offense really isn’t running smoothly. It doesn’t even resemble the triangle. The spacing seems off at times.
The worst thing is Kobe’s lack of aggressiveness. I get that he’s trying to let someone else step up, but he needs to create space for others by drawing attention to himself. No more perimeter shots, Kobe! Every time he drives, good things happen. We won the first two games at the FT line and can do the same here if we stay aggressive.
This is the first time Utah has been in control, and we’re looking incredibly passive instead of staying in attack mode. We won’t get back in it until we attack the rim, and Pau/Ronny convert on the bunnies.
Bill Bridges says
I think we’re going to wait until next week for Farmar to hit some shots.
Gasol is actually not being double teamed much. Darius is right. Gasol is just not making decisions fast enough.
busterjonez says
The second quarter was a perfect example of how valuable Pau Gasol has become for the Lakers. With Phil benching him for commiting an unacceptable number of turnovers, the offense seems to stutter. Kobe isn’t used to dominating the ball like he will need to for the rest of the game. Pau is seeing doubling, and he has to hit the open man and tire the Jazz out.
Phil is a master of halftime adjustments, lets see how Kobe reacts to being punched in the gut.
reed says
I picked the wrong weekend to forsake all for (including my wife on mothers day…)
j. d. hastings says
We’ve played terrible. Mishandling the ball, missing layups and other shots we usually make, Jordan Farmar looks worse than Smush, besides Turiaf the bench is 0-10, and Kobe hasn’t shown up yet. Meanwhile Utah has been hot from outside and is shooting over 50%…
And we’re only down 9 and haven’t given up more than 30 in a quarter. Provided we tighten up the uncharacteristically poor offense and hope those outside shots fall a little less often, I like our chances.
MC Welk says
Jazz fan, and also a Kobe fan, so I don’t begrudge him his calls. But when is Williams going to get a call, even one? Fisher is cross-body blocking him constantly. Is it because he is husky? I mean, he IS second team NBA, or a Cadillac, whichever.
Bill Bridges says
If not for 1 assist and 1 foul, Farmar would have 0s across the board in 12 minutes. Except of course 5 FGA and -12 +/=
Underbruin says
Farmar’s one of my favorite players, as a UCLA fan, but he’s absolutely -killing- the Lakers. He can’t hit an open shot, he’s not facilitating the offense, and his defense is really just not happening. One has to wonder how the first quarter would have gone had Fish avoided his second foul. The game was headed exactly how the Lakers wanted, then Fish came out and everything headed in the wrong direction.
Bill Bridges says
reed. are you inside ESA?
Underbruin says
VRad has blown 2 straight easy opportunities by not catching the ball (pulling a Kwame)
nomuskles says
What is the rule for an offensive player interfering with a shot on the downward flight of a shot?
j. d. hastings says
Our offense has improved. Or defense has regressed.
nomuskles says
according to this page I don’t think that Kirilenko tip in should have counted (See goaltending): http://www.nba.com/features/misunderstoodrules_051128.html
TC says
That was a sick dunk by Kobe on AK. Like Joel said, it didn’t look like Kobe was going to be able to get it…but he did. As Stu just said, that was niiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiice.
Nik says
Okur is tearing us apart with the 3 ball. It doesn’t help that he is open out there all the time
Hansoulfood says
We really need some stops.
TC says
Yeah, we need to play some D.
busterjonez says
Pick your poison: D-Will is driving and drawing the double from Lamar and Memo is dynamite from 3-point land tonight.
j. d. hastings says
How do you say “bad shot” in serbian?
TC says
Bio je krasno pusaj.
Hansoulfood says
Maybe this is one of those games that Kobe needs to get 30 pt quarters? That would certainly demoralize Utah for the next game.
j. d. hastings says
HAHAHAHA- thanks TC. At this point I think a 13 point Jazz quarter would be better than a 30 point Kobe quarter, but I’d take both…
Ap says
The starters need to be int eh game right now. Walton and Farmar aren’t really giving us anything.
Bill Bridges says
please get Farmar out of there. TO then a gamble
Ap says
ANOTHER FARMAR TO. He’s just falling apart out there.
Hi says
OMFG…Farmar is turrible!
TC says
Wow, Jordan’s confidence is really down. He needs to come out. We need the Machine to get hot.
TC says
That was a hometown block call. That was cleean by Ronny on Deron.
thrilller says
lol. the hating continues
thrilller says
hate hate hate and mo’ hate
Ap says
Its a 13 point game…we’re running out of time. The offense just does not look like anything right now.
j. d. hastings says
Jordan has been absolutely worthless out there, but Pau is actually -20. He hasn’t really provided anything that wasn’t given to him by another player.
Anonymous says
The officiating for this game has been horrible. The refs aren’t consistent with their calls. I guess Stern doesn’t want a sweep.
Nik says
We are just falliing apart out there.
Cary D says
Wow, Farmar struggle city. Gotta get his confidence back up.
Pau, come on man, take your man to the hole!!!!
TCO says
I’d just run the iso with Kobe as long as they don’t double. Right now, that IS giving us the best end results.
busterjonez says
What a game. Kobe must refuse to lose for us to win…
Nik says
We are still in it. Just need a couple of stops.
kobemvp says
lets get some stops
Anonymous says
Did I hear that right? Farmar 1-14 for the series? Man, I thought we got rid of Smush. Did he just change his name to Farmar?
TCO says
I hate complaining about the refs, but Boozer IS shoving playing in the back but isnt getting called. Also, another highlight play by Kobe.
Nik says
D!!
busterjonez says
Great Game! Kobe, bring us home!
Nik says
Thank you Luke, Fish
j. d. hastings says
Wow. What is Williams whining about? Fisher got all ball and Williams immediately grabbed his wrist.
Hansoulfood says
That number 24 on the Lakers….he’s pretty darn good 🙂
Tremble says
Farmar has been sucking for the past like 2 months, wtf?
TCO says
We have to give the Lakers some credit for staying in it. If we do somehow manage to win this, Fish, Kobe, Luke, and Lamar need to get some major accolades.
pw says
I can see it coming. This one’s gonna end on a Fisher 3-pt attempt…
Anonymous says
It’s over!
Nik says
wow, what just happened?
Ap says
The offense just had no continuity this game. Pau’s gotta get some tenacity.
j. d. hastings says
Credit to boozer. And terrible attempt by Kobe. I’ll give him a pass on the wet spot or whatever that slip was.
Scot says
Pau and Farmar cost us the game.
TC says
Well we competed…could have had it with more defensive effort. I don’t think it’s on Jordan. We make a few stops, we have won this. We didn’t box out on many occasions. Again too many offensive rebounds for UTA.
Hi says
We had a lead before Fish came out of the game in the first quarter and never got it back once Farmar came in…nuff said…
Nik says
I can’t believe Luke lost that ball.
anoni says
You can’t win all of them. This is still not a series until the Jazz win the next game. The Lakers have to raise the defensive intensity next game.
Bill Bridges says
Williams having his way with Farmar might have something to do with the Laker’s poor D.
Pau’s worst game as a Laker
j. d. hastings says
Apt that the game should be decided by sloppy ball handling on the jump ball. The guy in the purple sweatshirt behind the Jazz basket is screaming “Bit me, Kobe!” over and over.
Anyways, given the amount of fixable problems in that game, I don’t feel that bad about this game. It’s a 5 point loss. If any of about 15 different factors swing the other way, the Lakers probably win.
It’ll be interesting to see what kind of crowd is around on Sunday.
Warren Wee Lim says
As predicted, Utah will not roll over and die. They get a very hard-fought win and we must give props to Carlos Boozer for that monumental performance.
But folks, we’re fine.
As I had it, Utah will come out like there’s no maniana. And so they did. But the Lakers did not shy away. We hit big shot after big shot only to lose at the near end with that Walton turnover. Bummer me!
Its time to mentally prepare for game 4. Nothing is lost and we gave nothing up to Utah. They will still do their thing, the good team they are but they will not feel as good knowing we were an inch away from sucking the life out of them.
We’re fine. On Sunday, it will be Lakers 3-1. Book it.
TC says
Jordan wasn’t in that much. Can’t put too much on his D. Anyway, the Jazz held serve…..it’s not saying much. Hopefully the Lakers can tighten it up on Sunday.
LA BALL TALK says
ZERO free throws for Pau Gasol… that would be the difference maker in this game. 4 free throws in game 1, 12 free throws in game 2, 0 in game 3… refs give the home team the advantage?? YOU THINK???
Tremble says
uhhh yea… with Pau having no physicality and Farmar hitting 2 baskets in the past 2 months, and Luke as usual choking in critical times, it was time for us to lose a game.
nomuskles says
@112 – I’m sorry, this is a series. All three games Jazz have had a chance to win late in the game and they are only game down in the series. Coming back frmo 2-1 isn’t unheard of.
I don’t think the reffing was that bad tonight. They missed a few but they always do. I think the Lakers just had way too many turnovers and were very unimaginative on offense. The Jazz were much more tenacious going after loose balls than the Lakers. If you were counting the number of 50/50 balls the Jazz came away with, I bet it was something like 75%.
Amazing_Happens says
That’s all right, Utah deserved that win, they shot very well.
Look for the Lakers bench to contribute more on Sunday, Pau will bounce back, and the Lakers will come back to Los Angeles 3-1.
Tremble says
Damn it, that was a tough loss to swallow, I wish we had lost by like 20.
Snoopy2006 says
I can’t remember the last game I was this pissed. Yes, it’s one game, but this raised several important questions we need to address:
1) Getting stops in key situations. Our D seems like it’s a confidence thing–in Games 1 and 2 we forced turnovers and that energized our guys even more, and they kept feeding off that on the defensive end. Tonight we simply could not get a stop to save our lives. Yes, there were a couple TOs at the end, but there were so many opportunities where we were down by 5-6, and we just couldn’t get a simple stop without fouling.
2) Is our young bench ready to produce a) on the road and b) in clutch situations under playoff pressure? And to go along with that:
3) Will Phil and Kobe trust the bench in key situations? In the 4th Phil went away from Sasha and Radman and to his “veteran” in Luke, even though Sasha is superior on both ends of the floor. Kobe tried to do everything by himself in the 2nd half, and it was a good choice. He gave the others chances in the 1st half and no one gave him anything, he had to shoulder the load by himself.
Phil is the absolute master, but I didn’t necessarily agree with his lineups tonight. He needs to have a quicker hook with Farmar. This is not a fluke for Farmar. It’s almost like he’s hit the rookie wall one year late. He hasn’t been even solid for the last few months. Play Sasha at the point and Luke at the 3 if you have to.
I would liked to have seen much more of Sasha. Not only could he point up points in a hurry, but his pesky hands on D could have caused the Jazz to cough up the ball a bit more. Also, Sasha should have been in the game to guard Korver. Luke is too big and slow to keep up with Korver; we got lucky Korver didn’t go off, but Sasha has kept Korver under wraps, and I don’t understand why Phil went away from him.
I don’t know why one loss frustrated me this much, but it did.
Ap says
THe thing that worries me was/is Pau. He DISAPPEARED. All-stars shouldnt’ disappear in thight games like that. The things that have been worrying me are that too many of his points have been off of good passes from Kobe penetration (or rebounds, like Bynum), and not enough of him creating or even taking open jumpers off him. If he’s not getting that, he doesn’t seem to be able to command the ball and make a play. THis worries me if/when Kobe is off and we could use someone who can really step up.
marrl says
Boozer had a great game and that made the difference. Remember he wasnt much of a factor the first 2 games. Today he had a MONSTER game with 27pts and 20rebounds.
I think the key for game 4 is to have boozer in foul trouble like we did in the first 2 games. If Pau and Odom attack the basket, especially if LO can get a 1-1situation, they can get Boozer to foul trouble with LO having the ability to handle the ball. D-Williams has a sore wrist but i think he’ll be fine but we shall see.
I dont wana play the blame game, but Luke cost us a chance to come back. He knew he was gonna get the tip from Gasol, then lost the ball trying to pass the ball to fish. It was a 4 pt game and had a chance to cut the lead to 2 or even 1.
Lastly, the turnovers killed the momentum in the very beggining of the game especially in the 2nd quarter. Cut the turnovers and the Lakers actually had a chance to win this game. Do that in game 4 and i expect a Laker W.
Snoopy2006 says
Sorry for the double post, but I just wanted to add one more thing….
Someone might want to tell Lamar that Okur can play ball outside of Turkey. After Okur went on his ridiculous barrage, I counted SEVEN more times Lamar gave Memo way too much space on the perimeter, and if D-Will had found him the game would never have been in reach. I was shocked that Phil didn’t get on him, because it was blatant. Let someone else help out on the drives, because this 7-foot guy is automatic from distance.
Reed says
That crowd is no joke. They carried the team. I have to give them much respect, despite the intense hatred. Hopefully my fellow mormons will stay home Sunday with the owner (first Sunday home game in 7 years) and LA fans can take over a little.
laughing hard says
I just got back from the ESA — it’s extremely loud.
One positive, I saw Trevor Ariza at the shoot around before the game — he looked perfect, quick lateral motion, even making a few windmill dunks. I would expect him back really soon.
Warren Wee Lim says
Matt @ #20 – I would not necessarily make it that. If we were able to trade for KG (which was everyone else’s dream not mine), we would have lost a lot more than what you mentioned. If the Lakers offer was indeed given consideration in the 1st place, I see McFail fleecing us of our tradeable assets for the next 4 years – and that includes money.
As hypothetical as this discussion is, the real possibility of KG WOULD HAVE BEEN:
Young Players – Bynum, Farmar, #19, 09 pick
Expiring contracts – Kwame Brown, McKie
Head-above-water players – Walton, Odom.
Since the salaries would have tremendous imbalance, Minny would be glad to throw in Hudson and Jaric to the equation – thus putting the Lakers into cap hell and with no money to spend and needing to add every year’s MLE just to stay with 12 players in the roster. We would then need to sign a couple of Elton Browns and Larry Turners and would have been forced to keep Smush Parker to cap it off.
This is one scenario I have been meddling with for some 4 months before the trade to Boston actually happened and at that point, seeing what Boston had to give up made me cringe. Boy am I glad we never “overpaid” for KG.
It will be controversial how a player like KG can be overpaid – with a potential MVP and DPOY on the same team, it would have been our scary dream after all knowing what Kobe put up in the media. There would be no stopping Ric Bucher and Chris Sheridan from talking about “trash-talk-LA” with its 2 stars facing hundreds of verbal abuse lawsuits.
Funny how KG eventually landed on the Lakers’ most-hated – and it actually made the Lakers the most-feared team in the NBA today.
With a Future.
With tremendous Upside.
With infinite potential.
With the league’s MVP right over here.
Warren Wee Lim says
Benny @ 25,
I don’t know if you are a Laker fan or a Jazz fan (I haven’t seen you much around here) but you sure jinxed whatever slump Carlos Boozer was in.
I always look on it from the bright side of things so this COULD BE a good thing. The Lakers need to understand that Booze and DWill will not be pushovers young as they are. We need to beat this Jazz team at their peak in order to have that feeling within ourselves that we are indeed the best – that we did not catch a Jazz team that was slumping. Special mention to crybaby-no-more AK47 that fouled out on all 3 games guarding Mr. MVP, and for Okur for that outstanding game.
Now, onto game 4.
Travis Y. says
That is Utah on operating on all cylinders. We played an adequate game but no where near the level to beat the Jazz tonight. Hats off to them they busted their butts off. Deron led the show and everyone started feeding off em. The shots that they were missing in LA they were hitting tonight. Okur and Boozer were making everything and Kirilenko was getting a lot of loose balls. The Jazz forced a lot of turnovers and were allowed to play a physical game with the Lakers. But the lack of calls towards the Lakers offense carried over into a lot of leeway given towards the Lakers defense. The refs just allowed the game to be very physical and that favors the Jazz, but I’m glad that the refs were consistent so it was fair.
The Lakers were KILLED on their turnovers and LACK of boxing out. The previous commentary on the weakness Pau has when boxing out was X-POSED tonight. Boozer was doing whatever he wanted and got to any place on the court tonight, as did Kirilenko. Also Farmar’s defense on Deron was very weak and needs to body up Williams. But I admit he would probably get called for a foul when he does, he’s in a tough situation right now and hope he “plays stronger”. Radmonovic needs to step up, and give Coach Jackson a reason to play him b/c he hasn’t stepped up this postseason.
Finally, Lamar got 3 shot attempts, which is ridiculous we need to get him and Pau involved in the offense! Give credit to the Jazz’s defense but we need the Lakers to be much more assertive on offense.
Warren Wee Lim says
Bill Bridges @64 – i hoe your weekly calendar starts on a Sunday. We damn need Farmar’s poise on this one… nevermind the poor shooting. Just keep the poise that we all had believed in him for – making him Magic Johnson’s second coming to LA.
Amit says
A bummer from the LA Times. I was reaaaally looking forward to seeing him back!
“Trevor Ariza got a second opinion from a Salt Lake City foot specialist who said Friday that the broken bone in Ariza’s right foot still hadn’t fully healed.
Ariza was hopeful a couple of weeks ago that he would return for the second round, but it now looks doubtful because the healing in his foot has slowed.
He has been cleared to take part in basketball-related drills, but not in games or practices, a reality that has left him frustrated
“There’s nothing I can do about it,” he said. “So, the cards that I’m dealt right now, I’ve got to deal with it. All I can do is cheer my teammates on.”
Ariza, sidelined since Jan. 20, will be examined by Los Angeles doctors next week to see if there is any progress.”
My question is why he would trust a doctor from Utah??? (j/k)
Warren Wee Lim says
Nomuskles, I kinda like it when you are TiVo-ing the game for us. Abandon the gf bro… LOLz.
Anyhow, pardon the consecutive comments. They were in-response-to anyways… I had to see the game undistracted. And I had to do it from my office table. I didn’t want the computer to get in the way…
Drrayeye, perhaps I should have waited for Kurt’s post to come up and then post the 1st one? 11pm in LA is like 2pm in the Philippines. So if Kurt posted this gamechat on 10am, it would have been 1am in the Philippines. Gotta have more coffee.
Snoopy2006 says
Ap (#130) hit it right on the head. Don’t get me wrong, I love Pau as much as the next guy, but I’ve been wondering for a while – even before this game:
Hasn’t he seemed more like a glorified role player than a franchise player? Remember this is a guy who was the #1 scoring option on his team for years. I thought, when we got Pau, that we had picked up a guy who could score at will when Kobe went to the bench. Yes, he averages 20 a game, but 15 of those are bunnies resulting from the attention Kobe draws. I love his passing and the way he fits into the triangle, but once in a while, I want to see him pull out that Nowitzki-like scowl and say “screw it” and just score at will. I’m a little disappointed in that regard.
Don’t take anything away from Okur though, he’s played excellent D. He’s vastly underrated, he’s long and wide and can move well for that size.
kwame a. says
Alarming statistic: Jordan Farmar is 1-16 in 6 playoff games.
Alarming trend: Pau not adjusting to the physicality/officating.
I think Phil should take Jordan out of the roation, listen to Bill Bridges, and let Sasha run the back-up PG. Farmar was a big reason we lost. His freakout to start the 4th was D leauge status.
laughing hard says
One thing I’ve been wondering about — why doesn’t Phil give DJ some burn against the Jazz? He seems like he could hang down low with Boozer while L.O. or someone harasses Okur.
I could see DJ fitting in with the “enforcer” role much more easily than Pau or even Turiaf.
lakerfan101 says
Yea, Warren Wee Lim we can just blame you because you did not post 1st. LOL…
Anyway, just looking at that old “+/-” stat the Lakers were mostly in the negative and the Jazz were of course in the positive, I am starting to believe in that new stat that and it’s relevence in games.
pb says
Although the Lakers could have played better, I really think this is the game UTAH won, not one the Lakers lost. They made shots (3 by Boozer and 1 by Okur) down the stretch, and we made mistakes (poor shot selections – Kobe’s 3 down by 7 and turnovers by Luke and Kobe). We missed numerous layups and open shots, but that’s what happens on the road. I thought other than Kobe and Fisher, the rest of the Lakers played scared and/or bothered by the Utah crowd. We knew that Boozer was going to step up, and he had a MONSTER game. Could he duplicate it? Perhaps, but I don’t think Pau and LO will have bad games together like they did in game 3.
Losing game 3 by 5 with a chance to win in the closing minutes isn’t the worst thing in the world. Of course, we want the Lakers to go undefeated, but this isn’t Shaq-Kobe team or the Showtime Lakers. They are still young and finding about what they are capable of. I think they’ll respond better in game 4.
Two things I hope to see in game 4. 1) Pau making moves toward baseline. Pau is trying to get his teammates involved more by passing out of the post. However, he needs to ESTABLISH his post presence first. He needs to make move towards baseline with hookshots from either side or face up and take short jumpers instead of making moves toward middle. 2) Although LO doesn’t like to have plays run for him, when Milsap is guarding him, they should post him up on the right side (facing the basket), not the left side. From there, he can go to the middle with the jump hook or go drop step baseline move (making layups with his right hand). When our bigs are involved, the 3 point shooters, Fisher and Sasha, can have more time to launch their shots. I thought that the UTAH fowards were closing out to our 3pt shooters too quickly because they were not too concerned about LO too much. We need to see Pau to Lamar diving that we saw against dENVER more. Lamar’s aggressiveness will make Pau and Kobe’s offense more effective.
Farmar, that’s a whole another story. His confidence is shot. He should go back to shooting 18-20 footers instead of 3 pointers, for now. He really needs to get his groove back. He should focus on defense and try to not do too much on offense. We don’t need him to hit 3s. A transition layup and a couple of mid range jumpers would be nice.
All in all, I think the Lakers can hold their heads up high. They didn’t play too terribly. UTAH just played better. If the Lakers play better on Sunday, they have very good shot at winning. It won’t be easy, but it’s not impossible. There’s no way Boozer’s going for 30/20 again on Sunday.
B.J. says
The last paragraph of this post was surely aimed at a number of people who made comments that were maybe not blatantly prejudice, but were probably a little insensitive – myself included.
The problem is that I didn’t know how to put my thoughts into the right words and it came out as if I calling all Mormons racist (wouldn’t that in itself be a hypocritical comment for me to make, anyway).
At any rate, certainly no harm intended. I’ve lived in Utah since I was a little kid, and while the demographics are changing, particularly in recent years, the truth is Mormons are still more than half the population of Salt Lake County. They are friends, colleagues and co-workers. Even my dentist. And you know what? They’re regular people just like anyone else and certainly not deserving of any hasty generalizations (I’ve met polygamists maybe once or twice – it’s not like everyone here is running around with multiple wives and 50 kids. I hate that stereotype.)
Anyway, a little bit more on topic, those of you who were talking about Pau being maybe a “glorified role player,” I disagree. I certainly think he is an all-star caliber player. He’s just not a superstar. He was good enough to be the man for awhile for the Grizzlies, but they could never win even a single playoff game. However, playing alongside Kobe is perfect for him. He doesn’t HAVE to be the man. The Lakers have that already. He just needs to take advantage when opposing teams are over-playing Kobe.
Quite frankly, I’m afraid that Pau might play much better in game 4. Okur’s D is underrated, as is his overall toughness inside. I think it played a role tonight, but if Pau can adjust, I’m afraid the Lakers might be able to steal a win from my Jazz. That the same time, if Boozer plays with some actual confidence again in game 4, the Jazz will be hard to beat. This will be the most important game of the series for both teams and will be a tough, hard-fought match.
The Dude Abides says
No need to panic. We had two guys playing many minutes who had terrible games, and we only lost by five. No need to yank Jordan, he’ll come back strong next game. The Lake Show lost ONE game. As for Pau, of course he’s going to have trouble with a physical team. We all knew that already, plus he’s playing out of position. He’ll come back on Sunday and have a good game. I thought the referees let the game be physical for both teams. Boozer, Okur, DWill, and Kirilenko all played well, especially Boozer and Okur.
wondahbap says
I wouldn’t be too worried about that loss. I knew going into this that Game 3 would be the Jazz’ best chance to get a win. It went as I expected, although I feel that the referees even the calls out some in the 2nd Half. What hurt was Pau let the non-calls affect him. Instead of complaining and expecting a call, he needs to realize the situation, and know that he’s in Utah, and not going to get them. He let that neutralize him. Everything went right for the Jazz, and the Lakers still put themselves in position to steal a win. They just executed poorly down the stretch. Lakers will be alright.
The Fanalyst says
I’m with most of you in that I’m stunned at how bad Farmar has been lately and Pau’s picture ending up on a milk carton. Luke has been playing well, but “regular season Luke” was back in full effect last night. I didn’t think the officiating would swing so dramatically in the other direction. I expected a balance, but wow…maybe we need neutral site playoff games so the refs don’t know who to root for.
That said I don’t feel this is crushing by any means, as most of you seem to agree. If they can’t get it together tomorrow, 2-2 is going to suck. However, we could make like the Celtics and just win at home and take it in 7. That would be horribly weak, and I doubt it’ll come to that. I always thought this one would go 6. I’d like to see Fish wrap up the series in Utah on a high note. Then, it’s time to beat on some Hornets.
namotuman says
145,146…….succinct posts. i agree, no need to over strategize on this one. the lakeshow (imparticular pau and walton) just needs to emphasize sure hands to play thru the jazz’ reaching techniques. once they prove they can play thru w/out whining about calls or flailing away, the refs will start looking more closely. that’s how it works in the away arenas in the playoffs. i like the posture of this team and this loss was a blessing in disguise. fish and kb24 and maybe lo are the only ones that know how to shift gears while going on a playoff run (in terms of tweaking “style” of play). all the others have never gone past the 1st round……the leaders will show them the way………
nomuskles says
@warren wee lim: unfortunately, i’m not ditching the girlfriend to write more live blogs. She’s able to get us front row seats to the US Water Polo Championships. Just kidding. I don’t even know if that’s a real event. My gut feeling is that we will execute a little bit better on Sunday and match Utah’s intensity. I think the crowd noise and the change in reffing threw the Lakers off their game a bit. Also, it might be a good game plan for Kobe to come out a little more aggressive from the start to open things up for Pau.
busterjonez says
Pau had a case of the butterfingers, he will be fine. I don’t believe that the physicality was what bothered him, players sometimes just have an off night. The fact that he took zero foul shots in 40+ minutes of play is evidence of that. In my opinion, he would have been better off stepping back and hitting the 13 footer. Have him at the elbow in the triangle; the Jazz will have a difficult time doubling Pau at that position as he can hit the open man at any point on the floor.
Kobe is looking great and I believe that we would have dominated this game too, provided that Fisher hadn’t picked up two quick chippy fouls in the first three minutes. Farmar does seem to be out of sorts, but Sasha was cold as ice as well.
I don’t hear any of the Jazz complaining about the free throws, even though the Lakers again had a big advantage at the line (37 to 28).
Kurt says
Game 3 thoughts post up