Lakers Romp Suns In The Fourth

Suns Keep Game Close Going Into Fourth

The Phoenix Suns looked like they may be ready to steal home court advantage through three quarters of game two. The game was tied 90-90 when the fourth quarter began. That’s when Pau Gasol took over.

Pau Gasol (Photo by Keith Allison)

Gasol scored 14 points in the fourth quarter, many of them assisted by Kobe Bryant (who had 13 assists in the game). The Suns didn’t have an answer to his length so he proceeded to go off in the final period. Kobe was double teamed often in the game, so he became a distributer, something he did very well.

Steve Nash had another poor outing with only 11 points, though he did have 15 assists. He was pestered into only taking eight field goal attempts. Considering he is one of the greatest shooters in NBA history, that is not a good sign for Phoenix.

This game wasn’t about any Phoenix offense shortcomings. They shot almost 50% from the field. It was about their inability to stop the Lakers offense (who shot 57%). Los Angeles also hit 9-of-16 three pointers and assisted on 32 of their 45 field goals.

All-in-all the Los Angeles Lakers offense seems unstoppable right now. It doesn’t rely on one guy, in fact the team has four guys who can lead the team on any given night. What they have that truly makes them great is a  guy (Kobe) who has the intensity to get his teammates going when they are down.

I really don’t want to see Lakers-Celtics in the NBA Finals this year, but I don’t look like I have a choice. I was hoping Nash could get his first chance at a title. I really wanted Lebron James to make it to the finals. I guess I’ll have to settle for an aging team with a young leader (Boston) versus a well constructed roster built for destruction (L.A.).

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Lamar Odom Shows Up For Lakers

Lamar Odom (Photo by Jeramey Jannene)

There has never been any questioning  the talent of Lamar Odom. A six foot ten monster with point guard skills, Odom can literally play every position on the court.

Odom has averaged 4.1 assists and 8.9 rebounds per game in his career. The assist total is amazing for a power forward (which he is actually listed as). The rebounds are incredible for a small forward (the position his style is more comparable to.)

He is also one of the most inconsistent players in NBA history. That means that the 19 point, 19 rebound performance Odom had against Phoenix in game one is probably not a sign of things to come. He is more likely to have a 10 point, 5 rebound performance like he did in game four of the Utah series.

That is the problem with Lamar Odom. He is probably one of the most talented player in NBA history. His desire to be great though is not at a Hall Of Fame level. For a guy with his skill sets to never have averaged 20 points per game in a season is ridiculous.

If the Lakers could get Odom to play hard every game, they would be unstoppable. It would mean that they would have three of the top twenty players on the planet playing on their team. Kobe Bryant would be able to relax a little. Pau Gasol could have an off game. The lack of production from Ron Artest would be a moot point.

The Lakers can’t count on Lamar Odom though. After being a force in game one, he could completely disappear in game two and no one would be surprised. Maybe that is the true shame when it comes to Odom. His inconsistencies are expected and tolerated.

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Pau Gasol Continues Ridiculous Rebounding

Pau Gasol (Keith Allison)

Pau Gasol was brought to the Los Angeles Lakers to be a low post scorer and ball facilitator. He had never been a great rebounder, it just wasn’t his thing. He is know more as a finesse player, not a tough guy (like his brother Marc Gasol).

So how is Gasol now averaging 13 rebounds per game in the playoffs?

Well it’s important to realize that Gasol doesn’t have to worry about scoring for the first time in his career, Kobe Bryant is the alpha in that department. Then the Lakers have secondary scorers like Ron Artest, Derek Fisher and Shannon Brown. Generally at least one of those guys have a good performance every game.

Not that Pau Gasol can’t score, he is averaging over 18 points in these playoffs. He just doesn’t have to be “the man” offensively. He is a unique super-star (he is one of the best ten players in the NBA), he defers for the sake of the team. He has no desire to be the face of a franchise. He just wants to win.

For the first time in his career, Gasol can concentrate on rebounding. If he were to be traded to a team where he became the first option on offense then I think his rebounding would slip down to under ten per game.

If the Lakers repeat as NBA Champs this season Kobe Bryant will probably be the MVP, but Gasol will be just as important. The two of them are one of the best one-two punches in the history of basketball. Had they paired up a few years earlier we might have seen a dynasty.

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Thunder Win Thanks To Durant Defense On Kobe

Kobe Bryant became the all-time Lakers post-season scoring leader. That ended up having to be the consolation prize as his team lost to the Oklahoma City Thunder 101-96. The Lakers now lead the series two games to one.

Kevin Durant paced the Thunder with 29 points and 19 rebounds, but it was his defense on Kobe in the fourth quarter that sealed the deal. Bryant was held to 5 points on 2-for-13 shooting in the final period. Durant begged his coach to allow him to defend Kobe, which surprised everyone. The results should be no surprise as Durant’s length bothered the Lakers guard on every possession.

Pau Gasol did keep up his big play for Los Angeles with 17 points and 15 rebounds, but it wasn’t enough for the defending NBA Champions to pull off the victory. It was the first home playoff game for the Thunder since the franchise moved from Seattle to Oklahoma City a couple of years ago.

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