Bryant is still the best at closing the games. Intelligent and able to make shots no matter what defense is on him.
My thoughts exactly. You see how much better OKC was defensively when watching this game. D-Will tried to do a reach around on Bryant's last drive.
This game was effectively decided when the Jazz decided down the stretch that their highest-percentage play was letting Boozer go 1-on-1 against guys far longer than he is. Stupid, stupid, stupid.
I hate to whine, but I think OKC would have given a better performance today and might have won. If so, I would have favored them to beat the Jazz because of the matchups. The Lakers to the Jazz are similar to what the Spurs have been to the Suns. One side beats the other because they can play defense when they need to.
Great finish by kobe and odom. Hate to say this, but they might as well hand the WC trophy to the lakers now. IMO the mavs were the only team the had a chance of beating the lakers in a 7 game series. I just don't see how the suns or the spurs can beat them.
Did anyone else think the Lakers were never really threatened in this game? Even when the Jazz took the lead late in the 4th, I had 0 confidence they would grind it out. It just looked like the Lakers let them come back and then decided to actually start playing again. Against OKC, it actually looked like the Lakers were in trouble b/c the Lakers couldn't stop them. Against the Jazz, it looks like the Lakers can stop them on any and every play down the court. But alas, **** the Jazz and hope they get swept! :grin:
The last time they won there in a game that Kobe played in was 10 months before 9/11. They're 2 and 20+ there since then, including 7 playoff gms.
Blair is the most glaring matchup problem for the Lakers. Pau is actually a suitable man-to-man matchup for Duncan so that they don't have to double him unless Pau's resting or in foul trouble. Bynum's too big for Dice.
I could see OKC beating any other WC team except the Lakers. It sucks that they got matched up against them.
I didnt think it mattered if Sloan replaced Price with Dwill. People forget that Phil was resting his best 2 players in Kobe and Pau. When they came in after the run with the Jazz, they regained control.
I was thinking more McDyess on Gasol and Duncan on Bynum. Let gasol get his but shut down bynum and give duncan the easier defensive assignment so hes not as drained in the games.
True. Its just seems to me that the mavs have the offensive weapons to keep up with the lakers. The spurs are great. IMO, the lakers are too big for the spurs. Offcourse parker gonna have a field day with fisher on him. Dice/Blair are not big enough to face bynam. Gasol does a decent job at guarding duncan 1v1, while artest although slow, but should be able to keep jefferson in check. I feel odom is the person that the spurs gonna hvae the biggest problems with. He is match up nightmere and the spurs really don't have anyone to properly match up with him. Add in the injuries and age of the spurs, plus the spurs gonna have a hard fought series with the suns, I just don't see them being able to keep up.
