That's a great win for them, p. gasol had a triple double, the rest of the team contributed very well. I'm a little disappointed in mwp!? I think he's more of the defense presence guy, but even still, it'd be good see him in double figures. 57 rebounds on a low 36% shooting. Not bad

I'm sure your report will come out tomorrow!

 

I almost got tix tonight too!
We did it David!

I may link another review tonight. But there'll definitely be a playoff preview tomorrow!

 

[QUOTE="stangfoeva;6605660"]
I almost got tix tonight too!


We did it David!

I may link another review tonight. But there'll definitely be a playoff preview tomorrow! [/QUOTE

Heck ya we did!!! Awesome, wonder if mamba is posting anything.

players are stepping up. Pau is definitely coming alive in last few games

 

Game number 82 usually has little significance for the Lakers franchise. This year however has been anything but "usual". In the off season the Lakers acquired future Hall of Famers Dwight Howard and Steve Nash along with it some lofty expectations. Fast forward 7 months through a myriad of injuries, coaching changes, and media driven drama and the Lakers would be fighting for their playoff lives on the final day of their season. With the Staples Center crowd supporting them, the Lakers defeated the Houston Rockets 99-95 in overtime, and they claim the number 7 seed in the Western Conference Playoffs.

Just before the game the Lakers received news that the Utah Jazz had lost their game. This guaranteed that the Lakers would at least receive the 8th spot in the playoffs. Many believed this would lead to an emotional let down for the Lakers. However, with a win against the Rockets, the Lakers would overtake them and move into the 7th spot. That would have the Lakers playing the Spurs in the first round instead of the Thunder. So there was still some motivation for the team. I also think it's nice to end the season with a win. Jamison echoed my sentiments after the game in an interview.

The Lakers won this game on the strength of their defense. LA shot only 37% from the field, but they held the highest scoring team in the league to under 100 points in overtime. That's outstanding. You can't mention the Lakers' D without mention the big D, Dwight Howard. He had several key defensive plays including a strip of Jeremy Lin and several stuffs on Harden driving to the rim. With Nash and Bryant out the offense was ran heavily through Gasol. He responded with a triple-double (17 points, 20 rebounds, and 11 assists). This was the Spanish national team Pau Gasol. It really shows his value when he's being utilized correctly. Kobe tweeted his support for Pau after the game, "Can the talk of trading @paugasol come to a cease now??" Hopefully so.

Notables:

The Good:
- Huge games from the Laker bigs. Triple-double from Pau and 16 points, 18 rebounds, and 4 blocks for Dwight
- The Blake Mamba strikes again with 24 points
- Lakers were + 11 on the boards
- Defense was impeccable

The Bad:
- Still no Nash
- Poor shooting percentage

It's been a crazy year for the Lakers, but they've battled through and stuck together. As a result they have the opportunity to compete in the NBA playoffs. With tonight's win they avoid OKC in the first round. However, San Antonio is no picnic. The Lakers will have their work cut out for them, but there is a way they can win the series...Stay tuned for a playoff preview to come tomorrow.

The Lakers finished the closing stretch of the season in great fashion (8-1). They have tons of momentum. They'll need it all to knock the Spurs out. GO LAKERS!!!

 

[quote=RedGT12;6605667]Here's what he put up tonight

 

. Kobe tweeted his support for Pau after the game, "Can the talk of trading @paugasol come to a cease now??"

The Lakers finished the closing stretch of the season in great fashion (8-1). They have tons of momentum. They'll need it all to knock the Spurs out. GO LAKERS!!![/QUOTE]

From new additions, to coaching changes, and trade rumors, its been a Crazy and pretty dramatic season, hopefully it will workout for the best. They have good chance IMO!

Go lakers!!! Go Bulls!!!!! Lol

 

I'd be up for that finals series

 

I think it'd be pretty competitive series

 

Not the best teams, but equally matched

 

Yeah they match up very well.

And this is for Joe

 

This is where I have a love hate for the NBA, I love the competitive close series, working up to the championship. But hate the day on day off playing schedule, waiting and waiting.
Especially since baseball is practically the only other sport on tv. Oh so boring!!

 

 

PLAYOFF Preview: Lakers vs Spurs (Western Conference Round 1)


Laker fans were able to breath a collective sigh of relief after Wednesday night's victory over the Rockets. The win put them in 7th place to make the playoffs, avoiding the Thunder in the first round, but matching them up with the San Antonio Spurs. And while the Spurs are far less athletic than the Thunder, they are also more savvy. Not to mention they have championship experience. This series will be anything but a walk in the park...

Who They Are:
San Antonio is the type of team that plays what most people call "team basketball". All this means is that they typically run a system of plays to score their points instead of relying on isolation plays from a dominant superstar. They will however resort to isolation plays when their offense breaks down, or when they feel they have a mismatch available. With a core of Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, and Manu Ginobli they have the weapons necessary to play that style. Tony Parker is one of the best point guards in the league, and he's absolutely lethal in the pick and roll. Duncan's resume speaks for itself. He can be more than a handful down low. Ginobli causes problems by getting to the rim with the ability to pass out to shooters beyond the arc. In addition to their core the Spurs also have solid role players in Danny Green, Kawhi Leonard, and Gary Neal who can all contribute. They're just a solid team from top to bottom. It's no secret why they have the 2nd best record in the conference.

How We Can Win:
With all that being said about the Spurs, the Lakers are more than capable of meeting the challenge and winning the series. Here's how:
Rebounding
The Lakers were 4th in the league in rebounding this season. Even with Jordan Hill out, they have the personnel to dominate both sides of the glass. With Kobe out, each possession becomes even more important. Every rebound they get is another possession, and another opportunity to score. This also allows the Lakers to control the pace of the game more. In the Lakers last few victories of the season, their rebounding is what saved them and made up for poor shooting percentages.

Defense
It's obvious that they need to play defense to win, but there are some specific things they can do to make life difficult for San Antonio. The Spurs most potent weapon is the pick and roll with Parker and Duncan. It's likely the Lakers will aggressively hedge the screen (where the defender of the screener steps out to slow down the attacking ball handler) and try to force Parker to be a passer. If they do hedge it will be imperative for Dwight to recover to the roll man (likely Duncan) before he can do damage. The rest of the Lakers will be in help & recover mode. They'll have to do this quickly and consistently to make sure the Spurs don't get wide open looks from 3. Regardless of how you play him, Parker will get to the rim. In which case Dwight will step up to contest him. Then it's imperative that the other Lakers step over to cover Dwight's man. This is called helping the "helper", and if the Lakers do it effectively they can win the series.

Pound 'em Inside
Dwight and Pau need to be dominant in this series. I like how Coach D'Antoni has used them down the stretch. Give them BOTH touches in the low post. There's no reason it has to be one or the other. If Pau and Dwight can establish some rhythm down there it will open up the perimeter for the Lakers' shooters. When the Spurs start double teaming, Pau and Dwight are very adept at finding their teammates. Pau needs to facilitate from the elbow, and when Dwight is matched against a slower defender he should attack from the face up position.

X-factors
- Coach Vino. If you didn't know, since Kobe got hurt he's been calling in adjustments from the hospital and his home. It might be a week or two before he can join the team on the sidelines, but that's not stopping Kobe from putting his stamp on the game.
- Health is a major factor for both teams. Will Nash be ready to go? Will Parker and Ginobli be effective?
- The Lakers will need solid bench play from Jamison, Clark, and Meeks (if Nash starts)
- Hack-a-Howard. Coach Popovich will clearly resort to this tactic if he gets desperate. As long as Dwight knocks them down it won't be a probable.
- Rally around the flag effect. We've all seen how the team has bonded over the devastating injury to their captain Kobe. The team has stated they've taken on his identity now. We just saw a legendary run in the NCAA tournament by Louisville after one of their players went down with a gruesome injury. Anybody ready for the NBA equivalent?

The Lakers can win series if they put forth maximum effort and execute the game plan. It's time to get the playoffs started and the Lakers are ready to roll! GO GET 'EM LAKESHOW!!!

 

So I'm calling the lakers game,

95-87 lakers

 

Wow was I wrong,guess never hurts be wishful thinking

 

Somebody forgot to tell the refs that the Lakers must have 40+ free throws in order to have a chance of winning. With 39 sec to go, they had only 24.

 

WTH MIchael Cooper's head looks fat. Is he fat now?

 

Yes sir!! I do agree

 

The Lakers were unable to knock down open jumpshots, and turned the ball over 18 times which led to their 79-91 loss against San Antonio. Check Dancing Barry's review over at Lakersground:

DancingBarry's Thoughts and Smiley Ratings

The Lakers played good enough defense to win the game. But at the end of the day you've got to knock down some shots yourself to get the win. It's been said that a playoff series doesn't truly start until someone wins a road game. They'll get another opportunity on Wednesday to win a game in San Antonio and gain homecourt advantage in the series. If they can clean up the offense and protect the basketball they will certainly have a fair chance. Go Lakers!!!

Spurs lead 1-0

 

San Antonio shot about as poorly (37%) as it's ever going to shoot and they still won by 12.

Spurs might not sweep the series, but they're gonna win it for sure. Unless Lakers average 20 (or so) more free throws than the Spurs, they have no chance of winning the game. What Lakers have showed yesterday is about as good as its gonna get (unless, like I've said it, they start averaging 40+ free throws per game).