I’ve seen this game too many times, and I’m sick of it already. You might as well keep it in your DVR for a while, and next year, when the Lakers go into a series up 2-1, just play this one back on repeat. If you didn't recognize tonight’s performance, I don't think you qualify as a Lakers fan, because this was vintage. Once again, the Lakers were put up against a dangerous and desperate team in a Game 4, and once again they were out-worked, out-muscled, and out-smarted by a team that had no business doing any of those things. Once again, they decided that 80% would be good enough, and the Houston Rockets er, Denver Nuggets um, Oklahoma City Thunder oh, Phoenix Suns made them pay for it.
The only point that anyone outside of the Phoenix locker room will believe the Suns can win this series is when the clock hits zero of a fourth Suns win. It’s not just the enormous disadvantages the Suns face that they’ve overcome in Games 3 & 4 or the remarkable number of things they need to go their way, but like SSR points out, we’ve seen it. The Suns need for something very unlikely to occur in order to win this series. In a game in LA, they need for things to go their way. The shots to fall for them but not for LA. The calls to go for them (and boy did they go for them in Phoenix) in Staples. And the zone to keep working. Dwyer mentioned that this series had a familiar feel to it, like the predictable horror movie that still scares you. But even with the win, there’s still that familiar feeling with it. The Lakers simply proved they still are who they always have been. The amazingly talented, brilliantly effective, world-class team that only chooses to execute when it absolutely has to, believes in its own hype, and lacks any sort of true killer instinct against good teams. And they can and will still win in spite of that.
The Lakers were foiled, not by a spectacular effort, or some extremely brilliant coaching adjustment. No, they were done in by a Zone defense and simple adjustments to their own overload defense. It’s the equivalent of seeing Will Hunting struggling with a brain teaser. I’m not dismissing Phoenix’s execution, instead, I’m here to tell you they can play better than they did in Game 4. The Suns only shot 37% from three. That can go up. Stoudemire can play better. Nash can take over. There is more they can do. They likely won’t, because that’s what homecourt advantage means. If it does, then we’ll really be looking at a different scenario.
Until then, this is simply another in a long line of examples for how the Lakers will continue to do just enough to get by. The Suns will do everything they can and execute at a high level until they’re outclassed.
But damn, is it fun to watch. At some point both defenses may crack, and we may actually see both offenses execute at full power. And that’s going to be like the world’s gone Nova.
Some more notes:
- While Dudley and Frye’s threes and Dragic’s sickness are going to get the majority of the credit, there needs to be a mention of Lou Amundson, who absolutely blistered on the rebounding edge. Amundson’s timing is perfect, and if the Lakers don’t provide all of it, they’ve got no shot against the ponytail.
- A good game for Bynum tonight, offensively. He was as focused in tonight as Odom wasn’t. His follow-ups are the kind of thing that Phoenix’s intensity and heart can’t match. If he can physically handle it, they should try letting him work a little more. Of course, his defense is taking years of Jackson’s life, so…
- Dragic. Seriously. Dragic.
- Bryant was amazing down the stretch. Not just the tough shots, he was working to create shots for his teammates. He really wanted to win that game. He was the only one. Again.
- Anyone else enjoying the Pau Gasol-Amar’e Matchup? That’s just good stuff on both sides.
- Channing Frye in Phoenix: Shannon Brown in LA and Channing Frye in LA: Shannon Brown in Phoenix.
- By the way, there are a lot of players with D-League time in this series. Farmar, Brown, Amundson, and technically Dwayne Jones and Taylor Griffin.
- Seriously, I get that the Lakers know how to do it anwyay, but with ten rings, you’d think a zone defense wouldn’t trip a guy up so much.
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Wow, I could imagine you stomping every key as you wrote this “editorial.” So much anger with every word written. Sometimes your luck runs out, Lakers, and you dig a hole you can’t crawl out of so… eh. Stay thirsty my friends.
your facts, like coach jackson are incorrect. For example, when you say.. “The calls to go for them (and boy did they go for them in Phoenix)” that’s just you thinking the only way the lakers can lose is if something unfair happens.
Look at the stats below
For all you laker fans touting the difference in free throws saying that is proof of the refs favoring the Suns in the last two games. Here is some stats:
You tout:stats:
game 1 and 2 FT’s: PHX: 58, LAL: 56
game 3 and 4 FT’s: PHX: 74, LAL: 33
And you think it proves your point,
But
game 1 and 2 Lakere 3 pt attempts 35
game 3 and 4 Lakere 3 pt attempts 69
Almost double of attempts. Add to this the shooting of midrange jumpers, and it is easy to see the problem, the zone has taken away the biggest advantage of the Lakers and they are struggling to find offense outside of Kobe.
Why, the Lakers are trying to shoot down the zone (and doing a rotten job of it) and not going insider, hence they don’t get the calls.
The Lakers are primed to lose a series this year. Not that they have not looked just as primed for it in past years, but this time I think their lackadaisical attitude will bite them. I would enjoy any team beating them, and I do like the chemistry of the Suns. But Phoenix may not do it this year. Boston will, however.