Lakers: Rapid Reaction
Rapid Reaction: Thunder 106, Lakers 90
May, 21, 2012
May 21
9:46
PM PT
And the dream, she's now officially over. It was tight for a while, but then the fourth quarter floodgates opened early, and the Lakers were washed up in a flurry of OKC scoring. Too much Russell Westbrook. Too much Kevin Durant. Too much James Harden. And not enough contributions beyond those from Kobe Bryant, Metta World Peace and Pau Gasol. (Five bench points? Yeesh.) But at the end of the day, the biggest problem was getting matched up against the Thunder. They're unquestionably the better team, and the Lakers would have needed to play nearly perfect basketball for 48 minutes a night in order to pull an upset. That requirement wasn't close to met, so the superior team advanced.
Here are five takeaways from the Lakers' final game of the 2012 season.
1) Kobe Bryant really wanted to win this game
I mean, really, really, really wanted to win this game. And this desire was made perfectly clear from the outset, as The Mamba was in attack mode with 24 capital "A's." 42 points would be impressive under any circumstances, particularly when you consider the bag of tricks emptied while unleashing Bryant's arsenal. But what really drives home Kobe's relentless pursuit was his five dunks. Let that number sink in for a second.
Five.
I'm guessing most fans would choose as their favorite a spectacular reverse throwdown to cap a baseline drive, but really, whatever selection isn't nearly as significant as there being five to choose from. That's a lot of jumping around for a 33-year old, who admitted after a 2011 postseason posterization of Emeka Okafor he saves these jams for a rainy day. Remember, dude ain't as young as he used to be. A contest to save the season certainly qualifies as the proper time to empty the tank, and Bryant didn't hold back.
He's tough out there," said Durant about Kobe in his postgame interview with TNT's Craig Sager. "He's a warrior."
Here are five takeaways from the Lakers' final game of the 2012 season.
1) Kobe Bryant really wanted to win this game
I mean, really, really, really wanted to win this game. And this desire was made perfectly clear from the outset, as The Mamba was in attack mode with 24 capital "A's." 42 points would be impressive under any circumstances, particularly when you consider the bag of tricks emptied while unleashing Bryant's arsenal. But what really drives home Kobe's relentless pursuit was his five dunks. Let that number sink in for a second.
Five.
I'm guessing most fans would choose as their favorite a spectacular reverse throwdown to cap a baseline drive, but really, whatever selection isn't nearly as significant as there being five to choose from. That's a lot of jumping around for a 33-year old, who admitted after a 2011 postseason posterization of Emeka Okafor he saves these jams for a rainy day. Remember, dude ain't as young as he used to be. A contest to save the season certainly qualifies as the proper time to empty the tank, and Bryant didn't hold back.
He's tough out there," said Durant about Kobe in his postgame interview with TNT's Craig Sager. "He's a warrior."
Rapid Reaction, Game 4 - Thunder 103, Lakers 100
May, 19, 2012
May 19
10:33
PM PT
For the second time in the series, the Lakers had a game in their hands, and for the second time, they let it get away. In the process, they allowed any realistic chance of advancing to get away, too.
This will be one the locals talk about for a while. Final score: Oklahoma City 103, Lakers 100. The Thunder lead 3-1, with Game 5 coming Monday in OKC.
Here are five takeaways:
1. Kobe Bryant continued attacking.
He came out of the gate hot Saturday, hitting three of his first five shots and earning four trips to the line in the first quarter en route to 10 points. At the half, Bryant had 16 points along with three assists. Certainly nothing to scoff at, but relative to what he did in the third quarter, it felt like a trifle. Bryant attacked relentlessly out of the break, pounding on Thabo Sefolosha in the high post, bullying him to favored spots on the floor before rising for baby jumpers. When he wasn't putting bruises on Sefolosha's upper body, Bryant went at the rim, earning seven free throws. He capped a brilliant 12 minutes with a 22-footer at the end of the quarter so tight against the buzzer, it made 0.4 look like an eternity in comparison.
Combined with the 18 free throw attempts he took in Game 3, Bryant now has taken 35 in the past two games after getting only nine attempts total in Games 1 and 2. This happens only if he's in full attack mode, sending all his energy forward, as opposed to settling for the outside game. When it happens, the results can be staggering.
2. Unfortunately, it came at a price.
While Kobe was red hot in the third quarter, he cooled off considerably in the fourth and, perhaps emboldened by the tear he had just finished, started forcing shots. He missed six of his first seven, and the one make was a brutally tough, don't-try-this-at-home baseline jumper on James Harden. In the process -- I'm talking about both the third and fourth quarters -- the post game with Andrew Bynum that served the Lakers so well in the first half was basically abandoned. Bynum had 11 shots and 14 points in the first half, and only four attempts in the second.
Not to say Bryant was the cause of Saturday's loss, but as brilliant as he was in the third, he shot the Lakers out of the fourth. The Lakers' offense, as productive as it has been through the first four games of the series, scoring 29, 27 and 24 points in the first three quarters, died down the stretch. Only 18 points, in part because Bryant made only two of his 10 shots (the second being a totally meaningless jumper at the buzzer).
There was no balance and very little ball movement. Blame his teammates for not capitalizing on opportunities or being aggressive enough -- Pau Gasol, for example, passed up an open shot off a pick-and-roll with Kobe, compounding the error by turning the ball over while trying to kick out to Metta World Peace on the perimeter. Kevin Durant jumped the pass and hit a 3-pointer from the top of the arc, tying the score at 98 with 33 seconds remaining. It was a horrible, horrible play from any player, let alone one of Gasol's caliber. Throw some blame at the coaching staff as well for not figuring out ways to penetrate an Oklahoma City defense once again fronting Bynum and working hard to deny post entries.
But in the end, it's telling that nine of the team's 18 fourth-quarter points came in the first three minutes with Kobe on the bench, two more just after his return, when Jordan Hill put back a Bryant miss, then one more on a technical free throw.
He finished with 38 points on 28 shots (he made 12), but combined with the free throws it shows how ball dominant Kobe was Saturday night. It had an impact on the offensive flow, for sure, even when things were going well. How much, we'll probably never know with certainty. But what was shaping up to be a spectacular game went south. Bryant is going to take plenty of flak for Saturday's result, and with cause.
This will be one the locals talk about for a while. Final score: Oklahoma City 103, Lakers 100. The Thunder lead 3-1, with Game 5 coming Monday in OKC.
Here are five takeaways:
1. Kobe Bryant continued attacking.
He came out of the gate hot Saturday, hitting three of his first five shots and earning four trips to the line in the first quarter en route to 10 points. At the half, Bryant had 16 points along with three assists. Certainly nothing to scoff at, but relative to what he did in the third quarter, it felt like a trifle. Bryant attacked relentlessly out of the break, pounding on Thabo Sefolosha in the high post, bullying him to favored spots on the floor before rising for baby jumpers. When he wasn't putting bruises on Sefolosha's upper body, Bryant went at the rim, earning seven free throws. He capped a brilliant 12 minutes with a 22-footer at the end of the quarter so tight against the buzzer, it made 0.4 look like an eternity in comparison.
Combined with the 18 free throw attempts he took in Game 3, Bryant now has taken 35 in the past two games after getting only nine attempts total in Games 1 and 2. This happens only if he's in full attack mode, sending all his energy forward, as opposed to settling for the outside game. When it happens, the results can be staggering.
2. Unfortunately, it came at a price.
While Kobe was red hot in the third quarter, he cooled off considerably in the fourth and, perhaps emboldened by the tear he had just finished, started forcing shots. He missed six of his first seven, and the one make was a brutally tough, don't-try-this-at-home baseline jumper on James Harden. In the process -- I'm talking about both the third and fourth quarters -- the post game with Andrew Bynum that served the Lakers so well in the first half was basically abandoned. Bynum had 11 shots and 14 points in the first half, and only four attempts in the second.
Not to say Bryant was the cause of Saturday's loss, but as brilliant as he was in the third, he shot the Lakers out of the fourth. The Lakers' offense, as productive as it has been through the first four games of the series, scoring 29, 27 and 24 points in the first three quarters, died down the stretch. Only 18 points, in part because Bryant made only two of his 10 shots (the second being a totally meaningless jumper at the buzzer).
There was no balance and very little ball movement. Blame his teammates for not capitalizing on opportunities or being aggressive enough -- Pau Gasol, for example, passed up an open shot off a pick-and-roll with Kobe, compounding the error by turning the ball over while trying to kick out to Metta World Peace on the perimeter. Kevin Durant jumped the pass and hit a 3-pointer from the top of the arc, tying the score at 98 with 33 seconds remaining. It was a horrible, horrible play from any player, let alone one of Gasol's caliber. Throw some blame at the coaching staff as well for not figuring out ways to penetrate an Oklahoma City defense once again fronting Bynum and working hard to deny post entries.
But in the end, it's telling that nine of the team's 18 fourth-quarter points came in the first three minutes with Kobe on the bench, two more just after his return, when Jordan Hill put back a Bryant miss, then one more on a technical free throw.
He finished with 38 points on 28 shots (he made 12), but combined with the free throws it shows how ball dominant Kobe was Saturday night. It had an impact on the offensive flow, for sure, even when things were going well. How much, we'll probably never know with certainty. But what was shaping up to be a spectacular game went south. Bryant is going to take plenty of flak for Saturday's result, and with cause.
Rapid Reaction, Game 3 - Lakers 99, Thunder 96
May, 18, 2012
May 18
10:53
PM PT
The Lakers knew their season was on the line Friday night in Game 3 at Staples Center against Oklahoma City, and put in an effort matching the gravity of the situation. After racing to an early 16-4 lead, they found themselves down by as much as seven with three minutes remaining in the third, but clawed their way back into the game, and at gut-check time in the fourth made enough good plays to win.
It wasn't easy, but did anyone expect anything different?
The Lakers now trail 2-1, with Game 4 coming Saturday night. Here are six takeaways...
1. Kobe Bryant played large.
At this point, it's fair to say he's not going to shoot a great percentage against the Thunder, who have defended him well in three regular-season games and now three more in the playoffs. But while Kobe's numbers from the floor weren't overwhelming (9-of-25) he made up for it by attacking. His best moments offensively came with forward motion, whether off high screens or plays away from the ball. He spent plenty of time in the paint, as well, including a critical driving layup with 1:31 remaining. The aggression helped facilitate 18 trips to the line -- all converted -- nine more than he had made in Games 1 and 2 combined. Six came in the final 1:08, including the pair ultimately icing things for the Lakers. Bryant finished with 36 hard-earned points, seven rebounds, and handed out six assists, as well.
His line reflects an overall theme for the Lakers. A couple warts, but great play as well, defined as much by the effort and intensity as the numbers themselves.
2. Turnovers (nearly) killed the Lakers.
Fifteen, leading to 22 points for Oklahoma City. The Lakers were simply too sloppy with the ball, killing possessions in a variety of ways. Pau Gasol was a major culprit with four, most coming on passes where he tried to be too fine, forcing high-risk passes into short spaces. The miscues were poorly timed, as well. Critical fourth-quarter mistakes from Steve Blake, Bryant, and Matt Barnes were nearly the team's undoing. Moreover, it was four early turnovers in the third helping OKC out to a lead the Lakers spent a great deal of energy eating up.
In the end, L.A. escaped, but if they continue playing with fire, the series won't last much longer.
It wasn't easy, but did anyone expect anything different?
The Lakers now trail 2-1, with Game 4 coming Saturday night. Here are six takeaways...
1. Kobe Bryant played large.
At this point, it's fair to say he's not going to shoot a great percentage against the Thunder, who have defended him well in three regular-season games and now three more in the playoffs. But while Kobe's numbers from the floor weren't overwhelming (9-of-25) he made up for it by attacking. His best moments offensively came with forward motion, whether off high screens or plays away from the ball. He spent plenty of time in the paint, as well, including a critical driving layup with 1:31 remaining. The aggression helped facilitate 18 trips to the line -- all converted -- nine more than he had made in Games 1 and 2 combined. Six came in the final 1:08, including the pair ultimately icing things for the Lakers. Bryant finished with 36 hard-earned points, seven rebounds, and handed out six assists, as well.
His line reflects an overall theme for the Lakers. A couple warts, but great play as well, defined as much by the effort and intensity as the numbers themselves.
2. Turnovers (nearly) killed the Lakers.
Fifteen, leading to 22 points for Oklahoma City. The Lakers were simply too sloppy with the ball, killing possessions in a variety of ways. Pau Gasol was a major culprit with four, most coming on passes where he tried to be too fine, forcing high-risk passes into short spaces. The miscues were poorly timed, as well. Critical fourth-quarter mistakes from Steve Blake, Bryant, and Matt Barnes were nearly the team's undoing. Moreover, it was four early turnovers in the third helping OKC out to a lead the Lakers spent a great deal of energy eating up.
In the end, L.A. escaped, but if they continue playing with fire, the series won't last much longer.
Rapid Reaction, Game 2: Thunder 77, Lakers 75
May, 16, 2012
May 16
9:43
PM PT
This. Is. A. Killer.
If I were to tell Mike Brown -- or Vegas for that matter -- before Game 2 the Thunder would have 76 points with .3 seconds remaining on the clock, both would have happily made the Lakers a giant favorite. Instead, the Lakers head back to Los Angeles down 0-2, after giving away a seven-point lead with two minutes to play. By now, most Lakers fans know the math when it comes to this scenario. It isn't good. The Lakers showed they can hang with OKC, get physical with them, and disrupt their juggernaut of an offense. They forced turnovers, they established Andrew Bynum inside, they kept a lid on Russell Westbrook.
And they still lost. In a playoff series, the lesser team -- and make no mistake, the Lakers are just that -- can't afford to give away games they ought to win.
Here are five takeaways ...
1. Kobe Bryant struggled with his shot all night, then struggled with everything down the stretch.
Shooting has been a chore for Kobe against the Thunder all season long, and it was again tonight. He kept the pressure on Oklahoma City, drawing doubles and recording all three of L.A.'s first half assists. He got his hands on balls defensively, and generally made himself useful. Enough to set the low percentage aside. But in the fourth quarter, he was inefficient and mistake prone, and the results were painful for the Lakers. He missed his last five shots in the final period, too many of them forced, and committed a crucial turnover with 1:45 left, springing Kevin Durant for a dunk.
Then, in a critical sequence with under 20 seconds left, Kobe allowed a ton of time to tick off the clock, with almost 13 second passing between him getting the ball and absorbing a foul-to-give from Thabo Sefolosha on the wing. That left L.A. with little time to do anything but run one more play. No chance to extend the game with fouls, or anything, making it the worst of all possible outcomes. Kobe didn't get a shot up early, or force OKC to take the foul faster.
The finish was an ugly one for Bryant, no question.
If I were to tell Mike Brown -- or Vegas for that matter -- before Game 2 the Thunder would have 76 points with .3 seconds remaining on the clock, both would have happily made the Lakers a giant favorite. Instead, the Lakers head back to Los Angeles down 0-2, after giving away a seven-point lead with two minutes to play. By now, most Lakers fans know the math when it comes to this scenario. It isn't good. The Lakers showed they can hang with OKC, get physical with them, and disrupt their juggernaut of an offense. They forced turnovers, they established Andrew Bynum inside, they kept a lid on Russell Westbrook.
And they still lost. In a playoff series, the lesser team -- and make no mistake, the Lakers are just that -- can't afford to give away games they ought to win.
Here are five takeaways ...
1. Kobe Bryant struggled with his shot all night, then struggled with everything down the stretch.
Shooting has been a chore for Kobe against the Thunder all season long, and it was again tonight. He kept the pressure on Oklahoma City, drawing doubles and recording all three of L.A.'s first half assists. He got his hands on balls defensively, and generally made himself useful. Enough to set the low percentage aside. But in the fourth quarter, he was inefficient and mistake prone, and the results were painful for the Lakers. He missed his last five shots in the final period, too many of them forced, and committed a crucial turnover with 1:45 left, springing Kevin Durant for a dunk.
Then, in a critical sequence with under 20 seconds left, Kobe allowed a ton of time to tick off the clock, with almost 13 second passing between him getting the ball and absorbing a foul-to-give from Thabo Sefolosha on the wing. That left L.A. with little time to do anything but run one more play. No chance to extend the game with fouls, or anything, making it the worst of all possible outcomes. Kobe didn't get a shot up early, or force OKC to take the foul faster.
The finish was an ugly one for Bryant, no question.
Rapid Reaction, Game 1: Thunder 119, Lakers 90
May, 14, 2012
May 14
9:32
PM PT
It's only Game 1. There is a lot of basketball left to play.
That is not meant as a threat.
The Oklahoma City Thunder entered their Western Conference semifinal against the Los Angeles Lakers as overwhelming favorites, and Monday at Chesapeake Energy Center, absolutely nothing happened that might alter the conventional wisdom. After a quick start for the Lakers, the Thunder dominated (I'm avoiding any Thunder/roll combos at this point) in every facet of the game save turnovers committed and "absorbing monumental tail kickings," not exactly the most aspirational categories in a box score.
Here are six takeaways ...
1. The Lakers looked like a team without time to fully prepare
The Lakers are not as good as Oklahoma City and therefore needed every available edge in order to compete effectively. They needed to be on the same page in every aspect of the game. This opportunity went out the door when the Lakers botched Game 5 against Denver last week. Now, having played every other day since, with flights in between, not only did the Lakers tax their legs, they short-circuited prep time. Both were in play on Monday night as the Lakers lost big on the execution end of things.
Defensively, the Lakers were inconsistent in their pick-and-roll coverages. Sometimes they pressured the ball, other times they didn't. They tried to back off shooters including Kevin Durant (25/8/4), who had too many midrange J's without a hand in the face. Russell Westbrook (27/9) also was conceded a ton of elbow J's off the high screen, a reasonable strategy until he starts canning them and establishes a rhythm. Then something had to change, but it didn't. The big men, generally speaking, tried to contest, helpers generally tried to help. Unfortunately, the Lakers were so scattered and disorganized and OKC was so hot, it didn't really matter. No wonder Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol were on the bench well after the game, still talking through coverages.
That the Lakers were actually working hard (though not at all efficiently) on their end probably isn't all that comforting. At least against Denver they could play the "if we try" card after Games 5 and 6. Other discouraging signs: The Lakers used Kobe on Westbrook a ton on Monday, and it didn't work.
Offensively, the Lakers weren't any better. The ball movement wasn't good, and they didn't generate a ton away from the ball, either. At times, the Lakers effectively used Bynum on the block, helping him to 20 points on 7-of-12 from the floor. He and Gasol were both aggressive on the offensive glass. But as the game went along and the deficit grew, the Lakers naturally started gravitating away from the post. That's not something that will serve them well going forward.
More than anything, though, the Lakers didn't seem like they had a cogent plan to score in Game 1. Credit some solid defense from the Thunder, who locked down the Lakers in their three regular-season meetings, and tentative play from the Lakers. One big factor there.
That is not meant as a threat.
The Oklahoma City Thunder entered their Western Conference semifinal against the Los Angeles Lakers as overwhelming favorites, and Monday at Chesapeake Energy Center, absolutely nothing happened that might alter the conventional wisdom. After a quick start for the Lakers, the Thunder dominated (I'm avoiding any Thunder/roll combos at this point) in every facet of the game save turnovers committed and "absorbing monumental tail kickings," not exactly the most aspirational categories in a box score.
Here are six takeaways ...
1. The Lakers looked like a team without time to fully prepare
The Lakers are not as good as Oklahoma City and therefore needed every available edge in order to compete effectively. They needed to be on the same page in every aspect of the game. This opportunity went out the door when the Lakers botched Game 5 against Denver last week. Now, having played every other day since, with flights in between, not only did the Lakers tax their legs, they short-circuited prep time. Both were in play on Monday night as the Lakers lost big on the execution end of things.
Defensively, the Lakers were inconsistent in their pick-and-roll coverages. Sometimes they pressured the ball, other times they didn't. They tried to back off shooters including Kevin Durant (25/8/4), who had too many midrange J's without a hand in the face. Russell Westbrook (27/9) also was conceded a ton of elbow J's off the high screen, a reasonable strategy until he starts canning them and establishes a rhythm. Then something had to change, but it didn't. The big men, generally speaking, tried to contest, helpers generally tried to help. Unfortunately, the Lakers were so scattered and disorganized and OKC was so hot, it didn't really matter. No wonder Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol were on the bench well after the game, still talking through coverages.
That the Lakers were actually working hard (though not at all efficiently) on their end probably isn't all that comforting. At least against Denver they could play the "if we try" card after Games 5 and 6. Other discouraging signs: The Lakers used Kobe on Westbrook a ton on Monday, and it didn't work.
Offensively, the Lakers weren't any better. The ball movement wasn't good, and they didn't generate a ton away from the ball, either. At times, the Lakers effectively used Bynum on the block, helping him to 20 points on 7-of-12 from the floor. He and Gasol were both aggressive on the offensive glass. But as the game went along and the deficit grew, the Lakers naturally started gravitating away from the post. That's not something that will serve them well going forward.
More than anything, though, the Lakers didn't seem like they had a cogent plan to score in Game 1. Credit some solid defense from the Thunder, who locked down the Lakers in their three regular-season meetings, and tentative play from the Lakers. One big factor there.
Rapid Reaction, Game 7: Lakers 96, Nuggets 87
May, 12, 2012
May 12
10:43
PM PT
That was a fantastic game, exactly what you hope a Game 7 will be. Two teams laying everything they had on the Staples Center floor, and in the end it was the home team pulling it out. With the win, L.A. advances to face Oklahoma City, starting Monday in OKC.
Here are six takeaways ...
1. The bigs were huge.
Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol both came into Game 7 needing redemptive performances, though not necessarily for the same reasons. Bynum was widely criticized for his comments before Game 5 about the "kinda easy"-ness of closeout games, which he answered with a completely lackluster performance. In Game 6, he put up better numbers (16 rebounds, four blocks) but was frequently beat in transition, slow to contest and late to help defensively. Gasol, meanwhile, was pretty ordinary himself in Game 5, and followed with arguably the worst game of his professional career Thursday night.
Both had a ton on the line tonight, and both were outstanding.
The energy on both ends of the floor was light years ahead of the previous two games. Both Bynum and Gasol were aggressive contesting shots, and came out to give support to the pick-and-roll. Gasol, particularly, was animated, showing more emotion during dead-ball situations than I've ever seen from him. He backed up the fire with production, as well. A team-high 23 points, plus 17 rebounds, 6 assists and 4 blocks. Bynum's line -- 16-for-18 with 6 blocks -- isn't a massive leap from what he put up in Game 6, but the overall quality of play was substantially better. He was a huge reason the Nuggets shot worse than 40 percent.
These are the bigs the Lakers will need going forward, fully invested in every play.
2. The Lakers displayed genuine pride and poise.
You'd expect no less in a Game 7, but tonight the Lakers brought serious intensity from start to finish. After Denver made its third-quarter push, the Lakers not only locked down defensively, but contested every rebound and hit the floor for every loose ball. Bynum was on the deck. Gasol was on the deck. World Peace threw himself into the courtside spectators. Down the stretch, they were the team making every significant play, keeping balls alive and establishing good position. In that "uh-oh" moment after Denver took a 73-69 lead with 10:44 to play, L.A. regrouped and shut the door, holding the Nuggets to seven points over the next 10 minutes to again take control.
Fundamentally, every fan wants a team he or she can feel good about, willing to clock in and play with superior effort. At points throughout the season, the Lakers did exactly that, but in Games 5 and 6 didn't deliver. Tonight, they did. Fans will happily take the reminder these Lakers have it in them. Big picture, it's reasonable to worry about a series that took too long to close out, or their ability to beat the Thunder going forward.
Small picture, take as long as available to savor what was a phenomenal effort in an epic 48 minutes.
Here are six takeaways ...
1. The bigs were huge.
Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol both came into Game 7 needing redemptive performances, though not necessarily for the same reasons. Bynum was widely criticized for his comments before Game 5 about the "kinda easy"-ness of closeout games, which he answered with a completely lackluster performance. In Game 6, he put up better numbers (16 rebounds, four blocks) but was frequently beat in transition, slow to contest and late to help defensively. Gasol, meanwhile, was pretty ordinary himself in Game 5, and followed with arguably the worst game of his professional career Thursday night.
Both had a ton on the line tonight, and both were outstanding.
The energy on both ends of the floor was light years ahead of the previous two games. Both Bynum and Gasol were aggressive contesting shots, and came out to give support to the pick-and-roll. Gasol, particularly, was animated, showing more emotion during dead-ball situations than I've ever seen from him. He backed up the fire with production, as well. A team-high 23 points, plus 17 rebounds, 6 assists and 4 blocks. Bynum's line -- 16-for-18 with 6 blocks -- isn't a massive leap from what he put up in Game 6, but the overall quality of play was substantially better. He was a huge reason the Nuggets shot worse than 40 percent.
These are the bigs the Lakers will need going forward, fully invested in every play.
2. The Lakers displayed genuine pride and poise.
You'd expect no less in a Game 7, but tonight the Lakers brought serious intensity from start to finish. After Denver made its third-quarter push, the Lakers not only locked down defensively, but contested every rebound and hit the floor for every loose ball. Bynum was on the deck. Gasol was on the deck. World Peace threw himself into the courtside spectators. Down the stretch, they were the team making every significant play, keeping balls alive and establishing good position. In that "uh-oh" moment after Denver took a 73-69 lead with 10:44 to play, L.A. regrouped and shut the door, holding the Nuggets to seven points over the next 10 minutes to again take control.
Fundamentally, every fan wants a team he or she can feel good about, willing to clock in and play with superior effort. At points throughout the season, the Lakers did exactly that, but in Games 5 and 6 didn't deliver. Tonight, they did. Fans will happily take the reminder these Lakers have it in them. Big picture, it's reasonable to worry about a series that took too long to close out, or their ability to beat the Thunder going forward.
Small picture, take as long as available to savor what was a phenomenal effort in an epic 48 minutes.
Rapid Reaction, Game 6: Nuggets 113, Lakers 96
May, 10, 2012
May 10
10:34
PM PT
Throughout his coaching career, Phil Jackson was famous for "never" calling timeouts to stop a run. And while I've always felt this reputation was somewhat exaggerated -- his infamous (and ultimately backfired) gaffe during Game 4 in 2009 against Houston notwithstanding -- there's no question Jackson regularly demonstrated a willingness to let his players "figure it out" when in trouble. Work their way out of the hole they dug themselves into. However, there were limits even to the Zen Master's patience. And I imagine, were he coaching this particular team and watching them fall into an 11-0 hole after just two minutes, he'd have reacted exactly the same as Mike Brown did: Call timeout and attempt to regroup before things really got out of hand.
Unfortunately, that's exactly the direction events went. The Lakers continued to struggle, and remained in an uphill battle until Brown eventually waved the four-headed white flag that is Josh McRoberts, Troy Murphy, Darius Morris and Christian Eyenga.
What went wrong? First and foremost, the Lakers' starting frontcourt picked the wrong time to fail to make their collective presences felt. Offensively, Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol struggled to discover any type of comfort zone, unable to connect on the shots both often convert in their sleep. Bynum's night was forecast on the opening possession for the Lakers. Fed with deep position, a layup and a putback attempt were blocked by Timofey Mozgov and Ty Lawson (!) respectively. Drew tracked down the loose ball for a third chance bucket, but missed yet again. Beyond offensive rebounds, Drew had a difficult time converting much of anything, and his frustration was displayed in nakedly outward fashion.
For his part, Gasol waited until the second quarter to even take a shot, but found his touch to be equally miserable. Rainbow jumpers. Hook shots. Even a drive to the cup was stuffed by Kenneth Faried. His errant shot wasn't the only way he was ineffective with the ball. Nine of his ten shots clanged en route to just three points to match three rebounds, and just one assist was collected. Granted, his teammates weren't making many shots, but this low tally reflected just how little presence Gasol exuded with the ball in his hands. It's been a while since we've seen Pau look this out of sorts. Specifically, last season's playoffs, a dark time elicits flashbacks the likes of which war veterans experience while remembering their time in country. Like all stats, +/- must always be taken with a grain of salt. That said, Pau's -29 (the lowest of any Laker) only feels inaccurate because it actually seems too high.
Defensively, both failed to effectively protect the rim. Gasol embodied this tendency with a horrible and-one foul committed on a lazy reach after reacting late to Faried running a backdoor baseline cut to the rim. Bynum was often flat-footed for challenges, and was the last to get back a few times in transition. To Drew's credit, he worked the glass to the tune of 16 rebounds. But control of the boards didn't translate into any tangible control of the game, and that's what the Lakers needed Drew to provide. That and perhaps some leadership. It's one thing to sit by yourself during huddles "getting your zen on" during a regular season game. But during the playoffs, with your team unraveling, the Lone Wolf McQuade shtick is unacceptable. There's an onus on Drew's part to be a professional, especially when the chips are down.
With Kobe Bryant battling severe stomach sickness, this was a game where Gasol and Bynum absolutely needed to put their stamp on matters. Neither succeeded even remotely well enough.
Then again, when players 4-8 down the rotation combine for 25 points after three quarters, Drew's and Pau's shortcomings could be irrelevant anyway. Role players were often hesitant to shoot or drive when left wide open. George Karl is clearly employing a strategy of letting Kobe get hard-earned points, neutralizing Gasol and Bynum by crowding the hell out of them, and daring everyone else to hurt them. And until burned, he'll keep on doing it.
Unfortunately, that's exactly the direction events went. The Lakers continued to struggle, and remained in an uphill battle until Brown eventually waved the four-headed white flag that is Josh McRoberts, Troy Murphy, Darius Morris and Christian Eyenga.
What went wrong? First and foremost, the Lakers' starting frontcourt picked the wrong time to fail to make their collective presences felt. Offensively, Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol struggled to discover any type of comfort zone, unable to connect on the shots both often convert in their sleep. Bynum's night was forecast on the opening possession for the Lakers. Fed with deep position, a layup and a putback attempt were blocked by Timofey Mozgov and Ty Lawson (!) respectively. Drew tracked down the loose ball for a third chance bucket, but missed yet again. Beyond offensive rebounds, Drew had a difficult time converting much of anything, and his frustration was displayed in nakedly outward fashion.
For his part, Gasol waited until the second quarter to even take a shot, but found his touch to be equally miserable. Rainbow jumpers. Hook shots. Even a drive to the cup was stuffed by Kenneth Faried. His errant shot wasn't the only way he was ineffective with the ball. Nine of his ten shots clanged en route to just three points to match three rebounds, and just one assist was collected. Granted, his teammates weren't making many shots, but this low tally reflected just how little presence Gasol exuded with the ball in his hands. It's been a while since we've seen Pau look this out of sorts. Specifically, last season's playoffs, a dark time elicits flashbacks the likes of which war veterans experience while remembering their time in country. Like all stats, +/- must always be taken with a grain of salt. That said, Pau's -29 (the lowest of any Laker) only feels inaccurate because it actually seems too high.
Defensively, both failed to effectively protect the rim. Gasol embodied this tendency with a horrible and-one foul committed on a lazy reach after reacting late to Faried running a backdoor baseline cut to the rim. Bynum was often flat-footed for challenges, and was the last to get back a few times in transition. To Drew's credit, he worked the glass to the tune of 16 rebounds. But control of the boards didn't translate into any tangible control of the game, and that's what the Lakers needed Drew to provide. That and perhaps some leadership. It's one thing to sit by yourself during huddles "getting your zen on" during a regular season game. But during the playoffs, with your team unraveling, the Lone Wolf McQuade shtick is unacceptable. There's an onus on Drew's part to be a professional, especially when the chips are down.
With Kobe Bryant battling severe stomach sickness, this was a game where Gasol and Bynum absolutely needed to put their stamp on matters. Neither succeeded even remotely well enough.
Then again, when players 4-8 down the rotation combine for 25 points after three quarters, Drew's and Pau's shortcomings could be irrelevant anyway. Role players were often hesitant to shoot or drive when left wide open. George Karl is clearly employing a strategy of letting Kobe get hard-earned points, neutralizing Gasol and Bynum by crowding the hell out of them, and daring everyone else to hurt them. And until burned, he'll keep on doing it.
Rapid Reaction, Game 5: Nuggets 102, Lakers 99
May, 8, 2012
May 8
10:50
PM PT
As the old saying goes, "It's tough to play 41 average-to-bad minutes and seven good ones and still expect to win a playoff game in the NBA."
It's not a saying that necessarily gets used a lot, but seems totally applicable for Tuesday's Game 5, in which the Los Angeles Lakers slept through almost all of the first half, stirred occasionally in the third quarter, then finally woke up late in the fourth, staging a furious rally only to fall short. The comeback, along with Kobe Bryant's 43 points, might overshadow the awful effort coming before it, but it shouldn't.
Credit the Nuggets for playing like their season was on the line. It was, after all. But the Lakers clearly didn't match the intensity There will be a Game 6 in Denver on Thursday night.
Here are five takeaways ...
1. The Lakers came out flat, and didn't find energy or direction until late.
Maybe, as Andrew Bynum said Monday afternoon, closeout games really are "kinda easy." But they're not that easy. The Lakers were very sloppy, and short on energy out of the gate. Kenneth Faried took advantage, repeatedly beating L.A. up the court in transition, one time off a missed free throw, something very high up on the list of basketball sins. He had eight points on four shots, almost entirely thanks to outhustling the Lakers. This would be a theme. In the half court, the Lakers were weak defending the rim. Offensively, they settled for and then missed too many jumpers, showing very little patience working the ball inside out. Bryant was aggressive working his way into the paint, but did a lot of dribbling and probing in the process, periodically limiting ball movement. He missed seven of his 10 shots in the quarter, one in which the Lakers shot only 34.6 percent.
Things tightened up in the second quarter defensively, but the offense couldn't find a groove. Denver flooded the post with bodies, and aggressively worked to deny entry passes. In response, the Lakers generally stood still and offered little snap with ball and body movement. Not much weakside cutting or off-ball action. There were exceptions -- Matt Barnes, for example, made some great cuts to the rack, and as team the Lakers hit the offensive glass hard -- but overall the product was underwhelming. Sitting on 35 points with three minutes left in the first half (in which they shot a robust 33 percent) the Lakers were fortunate not to find themselves in a hole too deep to climb out of.
Not that it mattered. In the second half, the effort and energy improved somewhat -- short of rolling futons to center court and watching a screening of "My Dinner With Andre," it was impossible for it not to -- and over the final few minutes it was outstanding, but by then it was too late. The Nuggets had just enough to get out of Staples with a win.
2. The inability to hit an outside shot is hurting the Lakers in a big way.
The Lakers aren't a good 3-point shooting team. This we knew coming into the postseason.
It's not a saying that necessarily gets used a lot, but seems totally applicable for Tuesday's Game 5, in which the Los Angeles Lakers slept through almost all of the first half, stirred occasionally in the third quarter, then finally woke up late in the fourth, staging a furious rally only to fall short. The comeback, along with Kobe Bryant's 43 points, might overshadow the awful effort coming before it, but it shouldn't.
Credit the Nuggets for playing like their season was on the line. It was, after all. But the Lakers clearly didn't match the intensity There will be a Game 6 in Denver on Thursday night.
Here are five takeaways ...
1. The Lakers came out flat, and didn't find energy or direction until late.
Maybe, as Andrew Bynum said Monday afternoon, closeout games really are "kinda easy." But they're not that easy. The Lakers were very sloppy, and short on energy out of the gate. Kenneth Faried took advantage, repeatedly beating L.A. up the court in transition, one time off a missed free throw, something very high up on the list of basketball sins. He had eight points on four shots, almost entirely thanks to outhustling the Lakers. This would be a theme. In the half court, the Lakers were weak defending the rim. Offensively, they settled for and then missed too many jumpers, showing very little patience working the ball inside out. Bryant was aggressive working his way into the paint, but did a lot of dribbling and probing in the process, periodically limiting ball movement. He missed seven of his 10 shots in the quarter, one in which the Lakers shot only 34.6 percent.
Things tightened up in the second quarter defensively, but the offense couldn't find a groove. Denver flooded the post with bodies, and aggressively worked to deny entry passes. In response, the Lakers generally stood still and offered little snap with ball and body movement. Not much weakside cutting or off-ball action. There were exceptions -- Matt Barnes, for example, made some great cuts to the rack, and as team the Lakers hit the offensive glass hard -- but overall the product was underwhelming. Sitting on 35 points with three minutes left in the first half (in which they shot a robust 33 percent) the Lakers were fortunate not to find themselves in a hole too deep to climb out of.
Not that it mattered. In the second half, the effort and energy improved somewhat -- short of rolling futons to center court and watching a screening of "My Dinner With Andre," it was impossible for it not to -- and over the final few minutes it was outstanding, but by then it was too late. The Nuggets had just enough to get out of Staples with a win.
2. The inability to hit an outside shot is hurting the Lakers in a big way.
The Lakers aren't a good 3-point shooting team. This we knew coming into the postseason.
Rapid Reaction, Game 4: Lakers 92, Nuggets 88
May, 6, 2012
May 6
9:37
PM PT
It wasn't pretty, but the lack of style points will easily be forgotten in the Los Angeles Lakers' 92-88 victory over the Denver Nuggets in Game 4 of their Western Conference first-round series. Probably the time this piece has been read. Ain't nobody complaining about a 3-1 series advantage heading back to L.A. Here are three takeaways from the game.
1. The Lakers did a nice job riding out chaos
To say the least, this wasn't the smoothest of games. Denver's altitude often brings out the worst in teams to begin with, but various elements combined to turn matters even more haywire. For starters, the referees fluctuated between allowing contact that would be drawn a foul in prison-ball and whistling fairly incidental stuff. (Nothing may have embodied this maddening inconsistency more than a sequence when Andrew Bynum was called for what might have been, technically speaking, a travel, but the foot shuffle was caused by JaVale McGee literally tumbling over Drew's shoulder on a flyby.) Because the refs often "let guys play," the Lakers' concerted effort to attack the basket resulted in a lot of misses unrewarded by free throws. The inability to earn charity stripe visits became even more problematic due to the Lakers' jumpers generally refusing to cooperate.
Adding to the madness, a woman randomly wandered onto the court, which meant stopping a possession as security handed matters.
The court adopted a circus atmosphere, and for the Lakers, it was much less amusing than one of those cars stuffed with 30 clowns.
However, I thought the Lakers did a nice job keeping their heads down, grinding away, and not letting the chaos get the best of them. That's not to say adversity was conquered through perfection. The offense grew periodically iso-centric and stagnant, with ball movement sometimes hitting a screeching halt. Dribbling took precedence over ball reversals or the extra pass, which led to costly turnovers converted into points by Denver. Kobe Bryant once again found easy shots difficult to come by, as his sub-.500 shooting in Denver this season continued. On a possession to possession basis, the Lakers just had a hard time manufacturing what they wanted.
Still, the Lakers didn't allow frustration to break their will, which can go a long way toward covering mistakes. They remained in relentless pursuit of a win, doing what they could to offset the ball not bouncing their way. The Lakers finally remembered to crash the defensive glass, limiting the Nuggets to 13 offensive boards, their lowest tally of the series. They kept attacking the rim even while receiving no fruits for their labor. The defense cranked up down the stretch, limiting Denver to just 17 points in the fourth quarter. And key passes late in the final frame from Kobe and Pau Gasol set up critical buckets from Steve Blake and Ramon Sessions.
The Lakers didn't make it look easy, but then again, the playoffs are supposed to be hard. That they didn't seem overly bothered by the difficulty was all the difference this evening.
1. The Lakers did a nice job riding out chaos
To say the least, this wasn't the smoothest of games. Denver's altitude often brings out the worst in teams to begin with, but various elements combined to turn matters even more haywire. For starters, the referees fluctuated between allowing contact that would be drawn a foul in prison-ball and whistling fairly incidental stuff. (Nothing may have embodied this maddening inconsistency more than a sequence when Andrew Bynum was called for what might have been, technically speaking, a travel, but the foot shuffle was caused by JaVale McGee literally tumbling over Drew's shoulder on a flyby.) Because the refs often "let guys play," the Lakers' concerted effort to attack the basket resulted in a lot of misses unrewarded by free throws. The inability to earn charity stripe visits became even more problematic due to the Lakers' jumpers generally refusing to cooperate.
Adding to the madness, a woman randomly wandered onto the court, which meant stopping a possession as security handed matters.
The court adopted a circus atmosphere, and for the Lakers, it was much less amusing than one of those cars stuffed with 30 clowns.
However, I thought the Lakers did a nice job keeping their heads down, grinding away, and not letting the chaos get the best of them. That's not to say adversity was conquered through perfection. The offense grew periodically iso-centric and stagnant, with ball movement sometimes hitting a screeching halt. Dribbling took precedence over ball reversals or the extra pass, which led to costly turnovers converted into points by Denver. Kobe Bryant once again found easy shots difficult to come by, as his sub-.500 shooting in Denver this season continued. On a possession to possession basis, the Lakers just had a hard time manufacturing what they wanted.
Still, the Lakers didn't allow frustration to break their will, which can go a long way toward covering mistakes. They remained in relentless pursuit of a win, doing what they could to offset the ball not bouncing their way. The Lakers finally remembered to crash the defensive glass, limiting the Nuggets to 13 offensive boards, their lowest tally of the series. They kept attacking the rim even while receiving no fruits for their labor. The defense cranked up down the stretch, limiting Denver to just 17 points in the fourth quarter. And key passes late in the final frame from Kobe and Pau Gasol set up critical buckets from Steve Blake and Ramon Sessions.
The Lakers didn't make it look easy, but then again, the playoffs are supposed to be hard. That they didn't seem overly bothered by the difficulty was all the difference this evening.
Rapid Reaction- Game 3: Denver 99, Lakers 84
May, 4, 2012
May 4
10:31
PM PT
You didn't think the Lakers would sweep, did you?
Friday night in Game 3, the Denver Nuggets threw that possibility out the window, jumping all over the Lakers early in front of their home crowd. They built a big lead, managed to hold it as the Lakers fought back, then extended it at the end. Game 3 goes to the home team, and the series now stands 2-1 Lakers.
Here are three takeaways ...
1. Rebounding dictated results.
In the first half, the Nuggets managed only nine fast-break points. Compared to Game 2, a totally tolerable figure. What killed the Lakers early were second-chance opportunities for Denver, which built its 30-14 lead after the opening quarter in part because six offensive rebounds gave it 26 field-goal attempts to L.A.'s 19. Offensive rebounds lead to defensive confusion, which leads to easier looks, helping explain Denver's 50 percent mark over the first 12 minutes. The Lakers, meanwhile, were cold out of the gate, missing 12 of their first 19 shots and failing to get an offensive rebound on any of them. Heading into the second quarter, Denver had a whopping 17-6 advantage on the glass. The Lakers improved somewhat in the second, but Denver still went into halftime with a plus-13 in rebounding margin.
Turnabout being fair play, the Lakers made their third-quarter comeback in part because they suddenly started beating up the Nuggets on the offensive glass. Seven in the third quarter, helping them to an 18-9 rebounding advantage in the frame. Lo and behold, the Lakers got themselves to within four points with about a minute remaining. When Denver stopped the bleeding, it was offensive rebounding helping them do it, as McGee converted a third-chance opportunity, putting the Nuggets up by nine a minute into the fourth.
Over the course of the game, the Lakers evened things out from a rebounding standpoint, outdoing Denver on the boards (statistically, at least) after the first quarter. Except the damage was done. Yes, the Lakers managed to claw their way back into the game and were spectacular in the third, but had to expend a tremendous amount of energy in the process. In the fourth, they stuck around but couldn't get over the hump, and Denver pulled away over the last three minutes.
On the glass or in any other category, no team can dig that deep a hole and expect to get out with a win.
2. Third-quarter Andrew Bynum was a dominant Andrew Bynum.
Watching the game with my father-in-law, he turned to me at halftime and said, "Wow, you really didn't know Bynum was there." A high compliment for a spy or an official, but not for the starting center for the Western Conference in this year's All-Star Game. No points on only three attempts, and some fairly passive work defensively. When paired together on the floor, Bynum was thoroughly outplayed by JaVale McGee.
Out of the break, however, Bynum ramped up his energy substantially.
Friday night in Game 3, the Denver Nuggets threw that possibility out the window, jumping all over the Lakers early in front of their home crowd. They built a big lead, managed to hold it as the Lakers fought back, then extended it at the end. Game 3 goes to the home team, and the series now stands 2-1 Lakers.
Here are three takeaways ...
1. Rebounding dictated results.
In the first half, the Nuggets managed only nine fast-break points. Compared to Game 2, a totally tolerable figure. What killed the Lakers early were second-chance opportunities for Denver, which built its 30-14 lead after the opening quarter in part because six offensive rebounds gave it 26 field-goal attempts to L.A.'s 19. Offensive rebounds lead to defensive confusion, which leads to easier looks, helping explain Denver's 50 percent mark over the first 12 minutes. The Lakers, meanwhile, were cold out of the gate, missing 12 of their first 19 shots and failing to get an offensive rebound on any of them. Heading into the second quarter, Denver had a whopping 17-6 advantage on the glass. The Lakers improved somewhat in the second, but Denver still went into halftime with a plus-13 in rebounding margin.
Turnabout being fair play, the Lakers made their third-quarter comeback in part because they suddenly started beating up the Nuggets on the offensive glass. Seven in the third quarter, helping them to an 18-9 rebounding advantage in the frame. Lo and behold, the Lakers got themselves to within four points with about a minute remaining. When Denver stopped the bleeding, it was offensive rebounding helping them do it, as McGee converted a third-chance opportunity, putting the Nuggets up by nine a minute into the fourth.
Over the course of the game, the Lakers evened things out from a rebounding standpoint, outdoing Denver on the boards (statistically, at least) after the first quarter. Except the damage was done. Yes, the Lakers managed to claw their way back into the game and were spectacular in the third, but had to expend a tremendous amount of energy in the process. In the fourth, they stuck around but couldn't get over the hump, and Denver pulled away over the last three minutes.
On the glass or in any other category, no team can dig that deep a hole and expect to get out with a win.
2. Third-quarter Andrew Bynum was a dominant Andrew Bynum.
Watching the game with my father-in-law, he turned to me at halftime and said, "Wow, you really didn't know Bynum was there." A high compliment for a spy or an official, but not for the starting center for the Western Conference in this year's All-Star Game. No points on only three attempts, and some fairly passive work defensively. When paired together on the floor, Bynum was thoroughly outplayed by JaVale McGee.
Out of the break, however, Bynum ramped up his energy substantially.
Rapid Reaction: Lakers 104, Nuggets 100
May, 1, 2012
May 1
10:52
PM PT
The Lakers remain undefeated in the Mike Brown postseason era, despite the Nuggets' pesky refusal to wave the white flag. The showing in Game 2 on Tuesday wasn't nearly as dominant as in Game 1, and I imagine Brown will point out more mistakes in Wednesday's film session. But the bottom line is the Lakers are up 2-0, and you can't ask for anything better. Here are four takeaways from the game.
1) When Kobe gets rolling, it's just ridiculous.
Heading into this series, Kobe Bryant hadn't shot the ball well against Denver this season. Thus, after his slow first half in Game 1, 14 fourth-quarter points and a steadily increasing efficiency felt like a nice omen of his having figured out Denver's scheme against him. Then again, Tuesday night didn't necessarily present a big mystery to unravel. George Karl opted largely to guard Kobe in single coverage with either Arron Afflalo or Corey Brewer, the first among the better wing defenders in the NBA, and the second certainly credible. And in both cases, they were rendered pretty helpless. Bryant's first basket was a rather emphatic dunk off a cross-court baseline feed from Matt Barnes, quite the announcement of his intentions to own this game. From there, the reins were never relinquished en route to 38 points on 15-for-29 shooting.
Shots were drained from inside, outside and all points in between. Whether attacking the rim, working in isolation, spinning baseline, fading away, jab-stepping, head-faking, pulling up or using his super status to get away with the mother of all push-offs, Bryant emptied his proverbial bag. And as we've learned over the years, it holds an awful lot of tricks. The second half probably featured a little too much one-on-one for the good of the overall offense. But at the same time, his night was pretty efficient and often spellbinding.
The timeliness of his makes also was key. With just more than four minutes in the game and Denver starting to gain momentum, Kobe found himself faced up against Afflalo yet again. This was a possession on which the Lakers really needed a basket, a moment their leader always knows. A few jab steps later, a 3-ball dropped, and the Lakers were back up by eight. He also drained a pair of free throws with 9.4 seconds on the clock, keeping the lead at five and essentially ending Denver's quest to push overtime.
Although really, Bryant's best plays of the night might have come on the defensive end. In the second half, after Steve Blake missed a 3-pointer, Denver was off to the races yet again, with Al Harrington on the receiving end of a home run pass from Andre Miller. Kobe, 33 years old and hopped up on German medicine, chased down Big Al from behind and blocked what should have been a flush. Then, with 2:21 left to play, Kenneth Faried couldn't hang on to a home run pass from Ty Lawson, and a scrum ensued for the loose ball. Kobe came up with the rock, sped down court, absorbed contact from one defender, and wrapped a pass around Danilo Gallinari to Andrew Bynum for a dunk and a six-point lead.
In a game in which Denver continued to claw for survival, Kobe made sure to cut off the oxygen supply whenever possible.
1) When Kobe gets rolling, it's just ridiculous.
Heading into this series, Kobe Bryant hadn't shot the ball well against Denver this season. Thus, after his slow first half in Game 1, 14 fourth-quarter points and a steadily increasing efficiency felt like a nice omen of his having figured out Denver's scheme against him. Then again, Tuesday night didn't necessarily present a big mystery to unravel. George Karl opted largely to guard Kobe in single coverage with either Arron Afflalo or Corey Brewer, the first among the better wing defenders in the NBA, and the second certainly credible. And in both cases, they were rendered pretty helpless. Bryant's first basket was a rather emphatic dunk off a cross-court baseline feed from Matt Barnes, quite the announcement of his intentions to own this game. From there, the reins were never relinquished en route to 38 points on 15-for-29 shooting.
Shots were drained from inside, outside and all points in between. Whether attacking the rim, working in isolation, spinning baseline, fading away, jab-stepping, head-faking, pulling up or using his super status to get away with the mother of all push-offs, Bryant emptied his proverbial bag. And as we've learned over the years, it holds an awful lot of tricks. The second half probably featured a little too much one-on-one for the good of the overall offense. But at the same time, his night was pretty efficient and often spellbinding.
The timeliness of his makes also was key. With just more than four minutes in the game and Denver starting to gain momentum, Kobe found himself faced up against Afflalo yet again. This was a possession on which the Lakers really needed a basket, a moment their leader always knows. A few jab steps later, a 3-ball dropped, and the Lakers were back up by eight. He also drained a pair of free throws with 9.4 seconds on the clock, keeping the lead at five and essentially ending Denver's quest to push overtime.
Although really, Bryant's best plays of the night might have come on the defensive end. In the second half, after Steve Blake missed a 3-pointer, Denver was off to the races yet again, with Al Harrington on the receiving end of a home run pass from Andre Miller. Kobe, 33 years old and hopped up on German medicine, chased down Big Al from behind and blocked what should have been a flush. Then, with 2:21 left to play, Kenneth Faried couldn't hang on to a home run pass from Ty Lawson, and a scrum ensued for the loose ball. Kobe came up with the rock, sped down court, absorbed contact from one defender, and wrapped a pass around Danilo Gallinari to Andrew Bynum for a dunk and a six-point lead.
In a game in which Denver continued to claw for survival, Kobe made sure to cut off the oxygen supply whenever possible.
Rapid Reaction: Lakers 103, Nuggets 88
April, 29, 2012
Apr 29
3:13
PM PT
I'm not sure if it's possible to draw up a better blueprint for a win than the one executed by the Lakers Sunday afternoon at Staples Center in Game 1 of their first round matchup against the Denver Nuggets. They controlled the pace of play throughout, took the wind out of Denver's transition game and benefited from a balanced attack offensively, and now lead the series 1-0 after a 103-88 stomp job on the visitors.
Nobody knows how long this season's playoff run will last, but for one day at least, the Lakers looked like a team ready to make some noise.
Here are four takeaways ...
1. Andrew Bynum dominated the game.
His first field goal came with 4:24 remaining in the first half, a tip on a Kobe miss. He followed it with a dunk off a nice feed from Pau Gasol. He'd finish the first half with six points, his third bucket again coming on a dunk after a feed from Pau. But the modest production offensively tells little about the incredible impact Bynum had not just on the opening 24 minutes, but the game as a whole. He was absolutely dominant in the paint, nearly obliterating Denver's efforts to get to the rack in the half court. Bynum recorded three blocks in the first quarter, and in the second showed great mobility on the perimeter matched with Ty Lawson, sticking with him as Lawson drove left and sending the shot attempt into Denver's bench.
Bynum was a factor even when he wasn't blocking shots. Al Harrington air balled a second quarter jump hook around Gasol in part because he knew Bynum was there to contest, just one of the litany of Denver shots he altered in the paint.
In the third, Bynum continued the block party, swatting Kenneth Faried on Denver's first trip and adding three more to reach eight, establishing a career playoff high. He was quick in his help, recovered well, and did what he could to close on perimeter shooters. Most encouraging about Bynum's work is that it came while he was a relative non-factor offensively. George Karl continued his practice of aggressively double-teaming Bynum on the catch, forcing him to give up the ball. He did, leading to a ton of open looks for the Lakers and helping fuel a very effective attack from beyond the arc (50 percent through three quarters). He's spoken a lot this year about focusing on defense and rebounding even when he's not getting touches at the other end, and Sunday did just that.
He finished with 10 points, 13 boards and 10 blocks -- that's a triple-double to you and me, and the swats set a franchise record along with tying an NBA postseason record -- in arguably his most impactful game this season (and he's had a lot of them). We've talked a lot over the past few weeks about what the Lakers look like when Bynum is fully engaged.
This is it. The Lakers held one of the league's most explosive offenses to 35.6 percent from the floor. Denver isn't a great perimeter team. The Nuggets rely on attacking the rim, and with Bynum serving as catalyst the Lakers basically made it impossible.
2. The Lakers got their wild cards.
Before the game Karl talked about limiting damage from L.A.'s non-stars. To use his term, he didn't want to create any "wild cards." In that regard, the Nuggets were a total failure.
Nobody knows how long this season's playoff run will last, but for one day at least, the Lakers looked like a team ready to make some noise.
Here are four takeaways ...
1. Andrew Bynum dominated the game.
His first field goal came with 4:24 remaining in the first half, a tip on a Kobe miss. He followed it with a dunk off a nice feed from Pau Gasol. He'd finish the first half with six points, his third bucket again coming on a dunk after a feed from Pau. But the modest production offensively tells little about the incredible impact Bynum had not just on the opening 24 minutes, but the game as a whole. He was absolutely dominant in the paint, nearly obliterating Denver's efforts to get to the rack in the half court. Bynum recorded three blocks in the first quarter, and in the second showed great mobility on the perimeter matched with Ty Lawson, sticking with him as Lawson drove left and sending the shot attempt into Denver's bench.
Bynum was a factor even when he wasn't blocking shots. Al Harrington air balled a second quarter jump hook around Gasol in part because he knew Bynum was there to contest, just one of the litany of Denver shots he altered in the paint.
In the third, Bynum continued the block party, swatting Kenneth Faried on Denver's first trip and adding three more to reach eight, establishing a career playoff high. He was quick in his help, recovered well, and did what he could to close on perimeter shooters. Most encouraging about Bynum's work is that it came while he was a relative non-factor offensively. George Karl continued his practice of aggressively double-teaming Bynum on the catch, forcing him to give up the ball. He did, leading to a ton of open looks for the Lakers and helping fuel a very effective attack from beyond the arc (50 percent through three quarters). He's spoken a lot this year about focusing on defense and rebounding even when he's not getting touches at the other end, and Sunday did just that.
He finished with 10 points, 13 boards and 10 blocks -- that's a triple-double to you and me, and the swats set a franchise record along with tying an NBA postseason record -- in arguably his most impactful game this season (and he's had a lot of them). We've talked a lot over the past few weeks about what the Lakers look like when Bynum is fully engaged.
This is it. The Lakers held one of the league's most explosive offenses to 35.6 percent from the floor. Denver isn't a great perimeter team. The Nuggets rely on attacking the rim, and with Bynum serving as catalyst the Lakers basically made it impossible.
2. The Lakers got their wild cards.
Before the game Karl talked about limiting damage from L.A.'s non-stars. To use his term, he didn't want to create any "wild cards." In that regard, the Nuggets were a total failure.
Rapid Reaction: Lakers 114, Thunder 106 (2 OT)
April, 22, 2012
Apr 22
4:07
PM PT
It's difficult to decipher from one game what a team might do in the postseason, or how good it might be against different competition. What is a little easier to see, though, is the moments when a team has to decide its character. The Lakers, faced with just that Sunday against Oklahoma City, proved they would fight.
With a massive fourth-quarter comeback and gritty work in two overtimes, the Lakers scored their most impressive victory of the season in arguably their most satisfying win since Game 7 against Boston in the '10 Finals, beating the visiting Thunder 114-106.
Here are four takeaways:
1. The Lakers don't quit on games.
Even as they were being dusted by San Antonio on Tuesday night, the Lakers never really packed it in. That night, it didn't help.
Sunday provided a different story. Down 18, the Lakers absolutely shut the door on the Thunder during a tremendous fourth quarter in which the defensive intensity was cranked to a level rarely seen in the past few weeks. Kobe Bryant's work on Russell Westbrook was critical (see below). Devin Ebanks was asked to guard Kevin Durant thanks to the ejection of Metta World Peace and an injury to Matt Barnes, and did excellent work. Jordan Hill and Pau Gasol played OKC's pick-and-roll aggressively. Overall, the Thunder were 4-of-19 from the field, just a tick over 21 percent. They missed James Harden for sure, but credit the Lakers for not quitting on a game that looked like it was over. (I sure thought it was.)
The Lakers needed every bit of that dominance to push the game to extra frames, where the defense was equally strong. They got their hands on the ball and contested shots, stuck on OKC's stars and earned critical stops with the game on the line.
2. The bench was huge.
Hill, who had played about six seconds of meaningful basketball since joining the Lakers, was a force. Not necessarily because he knew exactly what to do on each play (pretty clear he didn't), but with his energy. Mike Brown, who said after he had a gut feeling following Friday's loss to the Spurs he'd give Hill some burn Sunday, rewarded his little used forward with critical minutes, and why not? They're probably not close in the first half without Hill's six points and four boards, and certainly don't do what they did in the second half without his work on the glass and aggressive play against Oklahoma City's pick and roll game. In all, Hill finished with 14 points, 16 rebounds and 3 blocks in 35 minutes played -- obviously all highs since coming to L.A.
Ebanks was critical for his work on Durant and a steal with 24.5 seconds left in the second OT (a play created in part by a good rotation from Hill on Westbrook), helping seal the win for L.A. No surprise he got a kiss on the forehead from Brown as the clock wound down.
Perhaps lost in Hill's performance, the Metta Incident (again, see below) and the comeback was Steve Blake, who also played huge minutes in relief of Ramon Sessions in the second half and hit two huge triples in the fourth, and another in OT.
All season, the Lakers have needed the bench to play well against elite competition, and on Sunday it happened.
With a massive fourth-quarter comeback and gritty work in two overtimes, the Lakers scored their most impressive victory of the season in arguably their most satisfying win since Game 7 against Boston in the '10 Finals, beating the visiting Thunder 114-106.
Here are four takeaways:
1. The Lakers don't quit on games.
Even as they were being dusted by San Antonio on Tuesday night, the Lakers never really packed it in. That night, it didn't help.
Sunday provided a different story. Down 18, the Lakers absolutely shut the door on the Thunder during a tremendous fourth quarter in which the defensive intensity was cranked to a level rarely seen in the past few weeks. Kobe Bryant's work on Russell Westbrook was critical (see below). Devin Ebanks was asked to guard Kevin Durant thanks to the ejection of Metta World Peace and an injury to Matt Barnes, and did excellent work. Jordan Hill and Pau Gasol played OKC's pick-and-roll aggressively. Overall, the Thunder were 4-of-19 from the field, just a tick over 21 percent. They missed James Harden for sure, but credit the Lakers for not quitting on a game that looked like it was over. (I sure thought it was.)
The Lakers needed every bit of that dominance to push the game to extra frames, where the defense was equally strong. They got their hands on the ball and contested shots, stuck on OKC's stars and earned critical stops with the game on the line.
2. The bench was huge.
Hill, who had played about six seconds of meaningful basketball since joining the Lakers, was a force. Not necessarily because he knew exactly what to do on each play (pretty clear he didn't), but with his energy. Mike Brown, who said after he had a gut feeling following Friday's loss to the Spurs he'd give Hill some burn Sunday, rewarded his little used forward with critical minutes, and why not? They're probably not close in the first half without Hill's six points and four boards, and certainly don't do what they did in the second half without his work on the glass and aggressive play against Oklahoma City's pick and roll game. In all, Hill finished with 14 points, 16 rebounds and 3 blocks in 35 minutes played -- obviously all highs since coming to L.A.
Ebanks was critical for his work on Durant and a steal with 24.5 seconds left in the second OT (a play created in part by a good rotation from Hill on Westbrook), helping seal the win for L.A. No surprise he got a kiss on the forehead from Brown as the clock wound down.
Perhaps lost in Hill's performance, the Metta Incident (again, see below) and the comeback was Steve Blake, who also played huge minutes in relief of Ramon Sessions in the second half and hit two huge triples in the fourth, and another in OT.
All season, the Lakers have needed the bench to play well against elite competition, and on Sunday it happened.
Rapid Reaction: Spurs 121, Lakers 97
April, 20, 2012
Apr 20
9:23
PM PT
After a pair of blowouts -- one for each team -- the assumption was Friday's rubber match in San Antonio between the Lakers and Spurs would finally give an instructive glimpse into how these teams might fare against each other should they meet in the playoffs. If it did, the Lakers might want to wiggle their way toward Oklahoma City's side of the bracket, because for the second straight game, the Spurs laid a beating on the Lakers.
Unlike Tuesday, it wasn't a parade of turnovers that led to L.A.'s demise. Instead, it was a surgical dissection of the Lakers' defense, with Tony Parker holding the scalpel but sharing cutting duties with virtually all his teammates.
Here are three takeaways:
1. Playing defense against San Antonio is an exercise in team defense, and as a team, the Lakers were shredded.
Certainly things start with perimeter defense and working against the pick-and-roll. As they did Tuesday, the Lakers started the game laying off Parker as he came over screens, whether set by Tim Duncan or Tiago Splitter. Sometimes Ramon Sessions went over, sometimes under, but always Parker was able to turn the corner almost at will. The result was a lot of clean midrange looks, or if he probed deep enough toward the bucket, pick-and-pop opportunities for Duncan. As the game went along, the Lakers tried to get a little more aggressive on Parker, but they never stopped the ball or made him alter his path.
The Spurs are masters at running multiple P 'n' R actions on the same trip, and those moments when the Lakers managed to stifle the initial attempt generally created havoc with subsequent actions. In the decisive third quarter, there were multiple instances of L.A. playing about 18 seconds of really good team D, only to break down in the final seconds, whether creating a wide-open cut at the bucket for Boris Diaw or, in perhaps the most frustrating instance, ending up with Sessions guarding Duncan after a late switch (as on Tuesday, the Lakers often found themselves on the wrong end of those) and fouling the future HOFer on a shot clock-beating jumper.
Duncan's line-drive shot fell, as did just about everything San Antonio aimed at the rim, and it was a great microcosm of the evening. It put Sessions on the bench with his fourth foul and showed the total powerlessness of L.A. against the Spurs' offense.
On the night, San Antonio shot 61 percent from the field, after torching the Lakers on Tuesday at a similarly gaudy 60 percent clip. The first game could be chalked up to hot shooting and a little luck. Do it twice, and it's pretty clear San Antonio knows exactly how to attack the Lakers, and it's equally clear the Lakers as yet have absolutely no idea how to stop it.
Unlike Tuesday, it wasn't a parade of turnovers that led to L.A.'s demise. Instead, it was a surgical dissection of the Lakers' defense, with Tony Parker holding the scalpel but sharing cutting duties with virtually all his teammates.
Here are three takeaways:
1. Playing defense against San Antonio is an exercise in team defense, and as a team, the Lakers were shredded.
Certainly things start with perimeter defense and working against the pick-and-roll. As they did Tuesday, the Lakers started the game laying off Parker as he came over screens, whether set by Tim Duncan or Tiago Splitter. Sometimes Ramon Sessions went over, sometimes under, but always Parker was able to turn the corner almost at will. The result was a lot of clean midrange looks, or if he probed deep enough toward the bucket, pick-and-pop opportunities for Duncan. As the game went along, the Lakers tried to get a little more aggressive on Parker, but they never stopped the ball or made him alter his path.
The Spurs are masters at running multiple P 'n' R actions on the same trip, and those moments when the Lakers managed to stifle the initial attempt generally created havoc with subsequent actions. In the decisive third quarter, there were multiple instances of L.A. playing about 18 seconds of really good team D, only to break down in the final seconds, whether creating a wide-open cut at the bucket for Boris Diaw or, in perhaps the most frustrating instance, ending up with Sessions guarding Duncan after a late switch (as on Tuesday, the Lakers often found themselves on the wrong end of those) and fouling the future HOFer on a shot clock-beating jumper.
Duncan's line-drive shot fell, as did just about everything San Antonio aimed at the rim, and it was a great microcosm of the evening. It put Sessions on the bench with his fourth foul and showed the total powerlessness of L.A. against the Spurs' offense.
On the night, San Antonio shot 61 percent from the field, after torching the Lakers on Tuesday at a similarly gaudy 60 percent clip. The first game could be chalked up to hot shooting and a little luck. Do it twice, and it's pretty clear San Antonio knows exactly how to attack the Lakers, and it's equally clear the Lakers as yet have absolutely no idea how to stop it.
Rapid Reaction: Lakers 99, Warriors 87
April, 18, 2012
Apr 18
10:16
PM PT
Anti-climactic, as well as this should have been against a team missing nearly every player of notable talent. Tension can make for a fun basketball game, but against a bottom feeder, it's mostly frustrating. Thankfully, the Lakers just beat the snot out of their hapless hosts from start to finish. Here are three takeaways from the game.
1) The Lakers used size to their advantage
Even at full strength with David Lee and Andris Biedrins, the Warriors are ill-equipped up front to properly slow Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol. Rolling out the likes of Mickell Gladness, Jeremy Tyler and Mikki Moore (Yep, that Mikki Moore!), the odds become microscopic. The Lakers wisely recognized this advantage, and appeared determined to milk every facet of it.
Bynum took over the scoring reins for a ridiculously dominant performance. He drained the Lakers' second basket after slipping a screen and getting fed by Gasol, and never looked back. Whether on jump hooks, bulldozing spins to the rim, or shots off glass, the only way the Warriors "stopped" Drew was by fouling him. 23 first half points were notched on 9-for-11 shooting and five freebies drained in as many attempts. Little time passed after intermission before Bynum had thrown down another dunk, a reminder of how easily everything came all night. The night ended with 31 points on just 14 shots, a dozen of which dropped. It's like Bynum was playing against the UConn kids he bypassed the opportunity to make his teammates back in 2005.
In the meantime, Gasol may have scored the Lakers' first bucket on a dump off at the rim from Metta World Peace, but even with a solid 22 points, Golden State's inability to check Pau was manipulated first and foremost to grease the offense. From all spots on the floor high and low, back-to-the-basket or faced up, Gasol picked apart the Warriors' defense with surgical precision. Teammates who remembered to move were generously rewarded by a power forward who seemed to have eyes on the back of his head. Even under duress, his temperature remained cool and his mind active. Early in the third quarter, under the pressure of a double team, Gasol lost his balance and fell backwards. But before his keister hit the court, the ball was shuttled to a cutting Devin Ebanks, who glassed the layup for an easy bucket.
It was just one of those nights where everything was coming up "El Spaniard," and this all-around excellence was commemorated in the form of a triple-double. By halftime Gasol notched 12/6/5, and the way he continued to overwhelm the Warriors, it became not an issue of "if" Pau would hit the trip-dub milestone, but rather "when." Every player relishes adding this particular notch to his belt, and early in the fourth quarter, likely aware of having accumulated double figures in scoring and assists, Gasol moved rather quickly to collect a missed 17-footer from Klay Thompson for rebound #10. I think he may have even boxed out Steve Blake in the process.
It's about as selfish as Pau ever plays, and I doubt anybody begrudged him.
1) The Lakers used size to their advantage
Even at full strength with David Lee and Andris Biedrins, the Warriors are ill-equipped up front to properly slow Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol. Rolling out the likes of Mickell Gladness, Jeremy Tyler and Mikki Moore (Yep, that Mikki Moore!), the odds become microscopic. The Lakers wisely recognized this advantage, and appeared determined to milk every facet of it.
Bynum took over the scoring reins for a ridiculously dominant performance. He drained the Lakers' second basket after slipping a screen and getting fed by Gasol, and never looked back. Whether on jump hooks, bulldozing spins to the rim, or shots off glass, the only way the Warriors "stopped" Drew was by fouling him. 23 first half points were notched on 9-for-11 shooting and five freebies drained in as many attempts. Little time passed after intermission before Bynum had thrown down another dunk, a reminder of how easily everything came all night. The night ended with 31 points on just 14 shots, a dozen of which dropped. It's like Bynum was playing against the UConn kids he bypassed the opportunity to make his teammates back in 2005.
In the meantime, Gasol may have scored the Lakers' first bucket on a dump off at the rim from Metta World Peace, but even with a solid 22 points, Golden State's inability to check Pau was manipulated first and foremost to grease the offense. From all spots on the floor high and low, back-to-the-basket or faced up, Gasol picked apart the Warriors' defense with surgical precision. Teammates who remembered to move were generously rewarded by a power forward who seemed to have eyes on the back of his head. Even under duress, his temperature remained cool and his mind active. Early in the third quarter, under the pressure of a double team, Gasol lost his balance and fell backwards. But before his keister hit the court, the ball was shuttled to a cutting Devin Ebanks, who glassed the layup for an easy bucket.
It was just one of those nights where everything was coming up "El Spaniard," and this all-around excellence was commemorated in the form of a triple-double. By halftime Gasol notched 12/6/5, and the way he continued to overwhelm the Warriors, it became not an issue of "if" Pau would hit the trip-dub milestone, but rather "when." Every player relishes adding this particular notch to his belt, and early in the fourth quarter, likely aware of having accumulated double figures in scoring and assists, Gasol moved rather quickly to collect a missed 17-footer from Klay Thompson for rebound #10. I think he may have even boxed out Steve Blake in the process.
It's about as selfish as Pau ever plays, and I doubt anybody begrudged him.
ABOUT THIS BLOG
Brian and Andy Kamenetzky
Before joining ESPN Los Angeles, Brian and Andy hosted Lakers Blog for the Los Angeles Times from 2005 to 2009. They host the ESPN Kamenetzky Brothers Lakers PodKast and frequently appear on ESPN Radio 710. As contributors for ESPN The Magazine and ESPN.com, they have written about virtually every sport known to mankind.
TEAM LEADERS
| POINTS | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
Kobe Bryant
|
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| OTHER LEADERS | ||||||||||||
| Rebounds | A. Bynum | 11.8 | ||||||||||
| Assists | R. Sessions | 6.2 | ||||||||||
| Steals | K. Bryant | 1.2 | ||||||||||
| Blocks | A. Bynum | 1.9 | ||||||||||