Lakers - Game 5 for respect
NBA Obsessed takes you into the hit and run game of NBA Basketball.
Kobe Bryant is ready, but is Pau Gasol ready?
Image details: NBA Finals Game 4: Boston Celtics v Los Angeles Lakers served by picapp.com
The Lakers blew it in game 4. A 24 point lead and still they did not win. The Celtics stepped up the defense and Paul Pierce went crazy on offense and that was it.
The Lakers have to face game 5 as a game to get respect.
Let me lay it out for you.
First off your leader has to be cool. Kobe Bryant is the ultimate cool right now.
Bryant insists the Lakers have moved on since their Game 4 collapse. There’s no time to dwell on what happened, all that counts now is what happens next.
“We’ve got to take care of business on Sunday,” said Bryant, who spent much of the past two days relaxing at home with his family. “So what are we going to do? How am I going to get my teammates in the right frame of mind, make sure they’re energetic, and that’s what it’s been all about.”
Bryant said he spent much of the past two days reading a Harry Potter book to his daughters.
“It was awesome,” he said. “He had more problems dealing with Voldemort than what we have dealing with the media and the Celtics.”
Lord Voldemort? Hmm, that would be interesting.
Garnett goes up for a rebound and what is this? Lord Voldemort has pulled out his wand and, oh my gosh, the ball just exploded. Did you see that? Kevin Garnett is just lying on the floor in a crumpled heap.
Anyway, secondly you cannot think beyond this next game.
The finals are in a 2 - 3 - 2 format. The Lakers almost came from 20 down to win game 2, but did not. The Celtics came from behind to win game 4. That made the series 3 -1. Hopeless is the major feeling right now. No NBA team has come back from 3 -1.
Even if the Lakers can get up for game 5 after the major disappointment of game 4, they would still face game 6 and 7 in the house of Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and Ray Allen. Not to mention the ghosts of Celtics past like Red Auerbach and Larry Bird. It is human nature to just not believe you can win all three games in a row, but you can always convince yourself to win the next game, the one right in front of you.
Third the Lakers have to play a complete game with enthusiasm. Derek Fisher is a veteran and understands the playoffs, but does Pau Gasol or is he and his other teammates just happy to be there?
Fourth, Kobe Bryant has to get hot. He cannot just dribble into the paint and dish off. If he is the best player in the league and Phil Jackson is such a good coach, then a new strategy has to be devised to make Boston unable to stop Kobe. Right now Boston is over playing one side of the court and it is working. LA has to find a way to get down low or get open shots on the weak side.
Back to game 5. The Lakers need this game for respect, and then if they lose in Boston, they lose in Boston and that is that.
As always, any NBA Basketball related comments are welcome.
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POSTED IN: Boston Celtics, Kevin Garnett, Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers, NBA Basketball, Pau Gasol, Paul Pierce, Ray Allen
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