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[ESPN] Sympathy for the Lakers? Not until they earn it

Discussion in 'NBA Dish' started by ndnguy85, Jun 9, 2008.

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  1. ndnguy85

    ndnguy85 Contributing Member

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    http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/playoffs2008/columns/story?columnist=stein_marc&page=Gm2-080609

    BOSTON -- The Los Angeles Lakers should know by now not to expect any pity. The Lakers surely understand that they traded away their rights to sympathy, maybe permanently, when they shipped so little to Memphis and stole Pau Gasol.

    The infamous foul that wasn't called on Derek Fisher in the San Antonio series won't soon be forgotten, either.

    So ...

    Unfair as a fuming Phil Jackson found the Game 2 free-throw count -- and as frustrating as it had to be for L.A. to fall just short with Sunday night's epic fourth-quarter scramble -- this is the Lakers' reality:

    No one with a neutral interest in these NBA Finals is bound to feel sorry for the Zen Men when the Lakers wouldn't be here without the midseason gift of Gasol from the Grizzlies. Or when they clinched a series-turning road win over the savvy Spurs on a non-call that the league later publicly acknowledged as erroneous.
     
    #1 ndnguy85, Jun 9, 2008
  2. moonnumack

    moonnumack Member

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    I hate it when people assume a large free throw differential is due to unfair officiating. If you watch the game, then it's clear why the Celtics had many more free throws. They were very active around the basket, especially off the drive and dish (Leon Powe was not getting to the line based on his reputation). The Lakers made it worse by standing around a lot on defense and then being forced to foul when they got beat. On the other side, the Lakers, outside of Kobe, lacked aggressiveness. They took a lot of jumpers. Kobe was aggressive, but he couldn't get to the rim because of the multiple defenders and had to settle for fadeways. Also, he wasn't getting bailed out when someone laid a finger on him, which had to upset he and the Zen Master. I'm sure there were a couple calls that could have gone the other way, but I thought it was officiated decently. The Lakers have benefitted from generous calls many a time, so the article's right to say that no one (outside of LA) feels sorry for them now.
     
    #2 moonnumack, Jun 9, 2008
  3. Precision340

    Precision340 Member

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    the officiating was terrible all around.. they missed the vrad travel call on the break away dunk, made stupid ticky tack fouls which shouldn't have been called, no consistency at all with the calls.. i can care less who wins the series but man it was awful officiating.. i'm betting the series gets stetched out to at least 6 games though.. bet on the lakers next game...
     
    #3 Precision340, Jun 9, 2008
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