TLN’s Playoff Preview: Lakers vs. Nuggets [Game 4]
The once great Pat Riley once said, “It is never a series until one team wins on the other’s home court.”
When looking at Game Three in Denver on Saturday afternoon, the question is: Was it even a series to begin with?
The Lakers took a commanding 3-0 series lead with a staggering 102-84 throttling of the Denver Nuggets.
The Lakers again executed their offense to perfection and the Nuggets again looked less a professional basketball team and more like the Birmingham High School JV squad. They sniveled, they kvetched and for the third game in a row, incurred the ire of the Referees earning another technical foul.
If you thought the Nuggets were thuggish before Game Three, they took it to a new level. Eddie Najera tried to kill Sash with his elbow, Nenê attempted to rip Lamar’s shoulder out of its socket, Carmelo foolishly bonked Jordan in the head and I’m fairly certain that J.R. Smith thought about stabbing Kobe. Hasn’t anyone taught them that hands are for hugging?
I would like to say that it has been a physical series, but that would make it appear as if the Nuggets had been doing something besides running up and down the floor and simply playing patsy.
Over the past three games the Lakers have dismantled the Denver Nuggets in every way. They have exposed their sieve-like defense and their utter lack of composure.They have most likely gotten Coby Karl’s Dad fired, and possibly bought Carmelo Anthony a one-way ticket out of Denver. And, as my mother says, they have soundly proven what she reminds her pre-school students daily: there is no “I” in “team”.
In simpler terms, the Lakers have a chance to do something that no other team will be able to do in the 2008 NBA Playoffs: sweep their first round opponent.
Get ready to eat a broom, cousin Jeff.
Playoff Update! -
It was a wild NBA Playoff weekend for sure. The Suns staved off elimination Sunday afternoon with a sound drubbing of the Spurs.
The FREAKIN’ Hawks beat the C’s by 9. I have contacted the Atlanta Police Department to look into the possibility that Paul Pierce and Ray Allen were somehow poisoned. That is really the only possible explanation.
So far the most compelling series has been Philly and Detroit. It has had everything: 20-point swings, Reggie Evans looking like a rabid dog, Antonio McDyess breaking his beak. Oh yeah, the Sixers are remarkably going back to Detroit tied 2-2.
Television -
National: TNT (Marv Albert & Reggie Miller)
Los Angeles: KCAL 9 HD (Joel Myers & Stu Lantz)
Denver: Altitude (Chris Marlowe & Scott Hastings)
Radio -
Los Angeles: AM570 KLAC (Spero Dedes & Mychal Thompson)
Denver: KKFN The Fan 104.3 FM (Jerry Schemmel & Jason Kosmicki)
Injuries -
Lakers:
- Out: A. Bynum (Knee), T. Ariza (Foot)
- Will Play: K. Bryant (Pinkie), R. Turiaf (Tonsilitis)
Nuggets:
- Will Play: Nenê (Groin), Kleiza (Elbow)
Storylines -
Capitalize on 3-0: The Lakers have not been in a position to sweep an opponent since they beat New Jersey in 2002 to capture the NBA Championship.
Tonight would be a good night to end the total lack of brooms in the city.
Varsity Challenge -
(Prize – A Used Sasha Vujacic Shoelace Headband)
When was the last time the Lakers missed an opportunity to sweep an opponent when leading a series 3-0 in the Playoffs?
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33 Comments
Dude, George Carl won’t be fired… It’s all over the news that the Nuggets have no plans of getting rid of him no matter how this series ends up.
GET YOUR BROOMS OUT!
2000 Playoffs, 2nd round, Lakers vs Phx
Bring out the brooooms
the nuggets will implode in game 4 just like the trailblazers used to when pippen and sheed played there. 6 T’s and 2 ejections on the nuggets, should br fun to watch. kobe for 50!!!!
SWEEP~
[Comment ID #34216 Will Be Quoted Here]
money money BOO BAH
gotta get the yellow book out and find the janitor’s number
u get extra pts for using the word kvetched.
Let’s END IT TONIGHT BABY!
Im ready to grab my dustpaN!
WINN
-PHANTOMIFIED
Lets hope they learned a lesson from San Antonio and finish them off tonight!
I think we need to thank Carmello. Seriously he is like a black hole out there every time he touches the ball. Every time Denver tried to isolate Carmello (or Iverson), the Lakers over played whichever side he was on. They came with a double team and then played almost a quasi zone with the other 3 players sagging off into the middle. All Denver has to do to beat this defense is pass the ball around the perimeter then set up on the other side of the court, but they never did that once. Every time Mellow would just sit their and take a contested jumper over his man or he would drive into 2-3 defenders and try to make a contested lay up. The Lakers did a great job of playing his right hand forcing Mello to use his left and therefore he missed alot. It was pretty ugly. I think Mello should get the MVP of the series for the Lakers.
Lets end this sh!t tonight
WE WILL BE VICTORIOUS AGAIN!!!!!!
As a Taft alum I particularly enjoyed that Birmingham comment.
Great Preview and overview of the playoffs
GO Lakers!!!
What if Ariza comes back tonight,talk about a slap to the face.
I have to admit ‘Melo has my respect ’cause he could’ve said absolutely nothing but it’s not the fact that he called his teammates out…..he called himself out as well,not many players(if any)do that,MUCH RESPECT!
….besides that,THE HOUSE OF LAKERNATION NEEDS SWEEPING,BROOMS PLEASE!!!!
NO MAMEES PINCHES NUGGETS NO SIRVEN PARA NADA SON UN ASKO NO VALEN PA PURA VERGA PINCHES NUGGETS PUTOS
Why is it takin so long to announce who is going to be MVP?
They announced Dirk as MVP b-4 the playoffs last year(Nash also in 2005-06).
CONSPIRACY?
lets send the chicken nuggets home tonight.. melo needs some extra time to go to his court hearings anyway. a sweep would be good for him.. he can concentrate on his dates with the judge. hahaha. sweeeeeeeep
lets not look for conspiracies . . .
Dirk named MVP 5-15-07 http://www.nba.com/news/dirkmvp_2007.html
Nash named MVP 5-7-06 http://www.nba.com/news/nash_mvp_05-06.html
Good lookin’ out,daboss but KOBE BETTER WIN!!!
To Drew,I didn’t say it was ‘ALL’ conspiracies,just a little anxious.
Well for Nash and Dirk they pretty much locked down the MVP going into the post season, this year have so many good candidates, so there is no general consensus, but I know Kobe is going to win, just have to wait.
They usually announce in the second round of the playoffs.
lets GET A WIN so WE can REST!!!!!!!!
i hope the f-uckin rockets at least won one more cuz then the jazz will be tired against us
yes if we win it be veery important for our reat and health..soo lets just win tonight….
go lakers
Carmelo Anthony called out his team today & that just makes things worse for the Enver Nuggets. 4-0 sweep, clean em out.
I think we need to call Florence from “The Jeffersons” for this mess(DAMN!)…..
DJ Mbenga is having a great game off the bench right now! Dacos!
Vlad is soo terrible in today’s game…play some f__kin D…He’s so lazy and whimpy on defense…it’s making me sick
Also, wtf with all the stupid shot selections and turnovers by the Lakers…play smart damnit
This has to be the worst series for the Lakers. The Lakers will win don’t get me wrong but in every series you somewhat take on the team you beat’s game.
The Lakers look like they are playing the Nuggets style of ball now. I would be worried right now if I’m a Lakers fan. The Hornets and the Spurs look complete right now. Throw in the Jazz.
Honestly I don’t feel good about the Lakers chances in the second round.
Gasol looks kinda soft and the Lakers shot selection looks awful.
This doesn’t even feel like a playoff series, it feel like a YMCA game.
This has to be the worst series in the playoffs!
This is fixed! When was the last moving screen on the Lakers?