The game started with the Lakers coming out real strong on all aspects of the game. They were making buckets, playing excellent defense, and making all the hustle plays that they were generally not really making throughout the playoffs. I mean, the Lakers had something like 14 second chance points in the first quarter! I think that was probably double what we had in the entire postseason.
Somewhere around the 3 or 4 minute mark we were up by 14 and I felt pretty confident we’d take this game because I didn’t think the Spurs’ moldy oldies could make up a big deficit.
It looks like I counted the Spurs out a little early however. After their poor play in the first-half of the first quarter, they played the Lakers to a virtual standstill for most of the remaining 40 or so minutes since their 14 point deficit. They never were able to take the lead, but they tied it on many occasions and the Lakers never led (if memory serves me correctly) by double digits again.
The Lakers finally pulled away at the end of the fourth quarter and were up seven with a little under a minute left.
Or did they?
After what could arguably be the worst minute of Laker basketball this season, the Spurs scored 5 points in about 20 seconds, played excellent free throw defense on Gasol and got the final shot of the game, and open three, with 2.1 seconds left in the hands of their hottest shooter, Brent Barry.
2.1 seconds left. As Barry squares up for a three, all of a sudden… out the weak side comes Derek Fisher sailing through the air. Barry ducks and Fisher collides with his backside. No call. Barry takes a dribble and shoots. The balls clanks off the backboard. The Lakers win the game.
This no call pretty much dominated all the post-game commentary and as Marv Albert predicted, will most likely dominate discussion for the next 48 hours.
Just for funsies, here are my takes on the no call…
Do I think it was a foul?
Yes.
Do I think it was a good no call?
Yes.
Do I think it’s a good no call because I’m a Laker fan?
No.
Well there you have it.
The Michael Jordan Award for MVP of the Game: Kobe Bryant. This was probably the most Kobe dominated game of the post season (yes, even more Kobe dominated than game 2 of the Nuggets series) Did Kobe make a lot of mistakes? Yes. Did he play a little too selfishly? Yes. Did the Lakers win? Yes. Today the Lakers lived and died with their superstar. Today they lived.
The Dominique Wilkins Award For Highlight of the Game: Kobe’s reverse two handed dunk followed by his one handed jam. Reason number 1,322 why Kobe Bryant is The Big Sweetness: even in a crucial series defining Western Conference Finals games, he still finds time to hot dog. Twice. Against the defending champs. The NBA: Where Taking Hot-Dogging the Another Level Happens.
The Vince Carter Award for the Half Man/Half Hearted Performance of the Game: GINOBLI! Remember when it was fashionable to say Ginobli was a better 2 guard than Kobe because if you dissected his per minute PER or something, it wound up being like 0.2 higher than Kobe’s? Didn’t think so.
The Lamar Odom Award for Getting the Same Amount of Points as Rebounds: Pau Gasol had a generally subpar game by his standards. However, by Lamar Odom standards… it was just perfect. With ten points and ten rebounds, he throws in a perfect Lamar.
The Linas Kleiza Award for Random Bench Player Coming Out of Semi Obscurity and Destroying the Lakers: Brent Barry. Remember when this guy was on the Clippers and he won the Slam Dunk Title? Now his career is just about over. I feel old.
TLN’s Playoff Report: Lakers vs. Spurs [Game 2]
TLN’s Playoff Report: Lakers vs. Spurs [Game 5]
TLN’s Playoff Report: Lakers vs. Spurs [Game 1]
TLN’s Playoff Report: Lakers vs. Jazz [Game 6]
TLN’s Playoff Report: Lakers vs. Jazz [Game 3]
lets win game 5
like all those at TNT said. good no-call by the refs! lets get it done thursday and move on to the promise land!
it was a foul at the end but it would have only tied it with two free throws (non continuation foul). Besides, i cant even count how many no calls (zero free throws) that went through on a kobe drive to the basket, not to mention the lamar goal tending blown call…..the ball does not lie, and barry had a chance to win and flat out missed…..the ball does not lie. Good no call, referees should not decide games, let alone series momentum.
whooooooooooooooooooo… lets go lakers game 5 babyyyyyyyyy
Terry-
stop referring to the team as “we”. you dont play.
hopefully in 5 ladies and gentlemen
STAY HUNGRY LAKE SHOW.. STAY HUNGRIER THAN A HOSTAGE.
LET’S TAKE THIS!
are u serious?? i mean i know im not terry and excuse me for busting in out of nowhere..but isnt being a fan also the same as part of the team??
“stop referring to the team as “we”. you dont play.”
STFU! We pay for tickets and merch and are a part of the team. WE WON!!!
We are 3-1! Go Lakers!
yeah baby one mor win.. pls sasha stop shooting in advice shots.. trde walton for hughes
As a fan growing up in texas….i believe the lakers deserved that no call….they played tough and kept themselves in the game in san antonio…but it had to be fisher again….0.4 and this “foul”
you had nothing to do with the victory. referring to the team as “we” is absurd. unless you are directly affiliated with the organization, you should refer to them as “they” or “the lakers”
no. being a supporter is not like being part of the team. it is an ancillary experience to the team. you dont suit up. you dont get a paycheck signed by jerry buss.
Well, i think if your going to quantify the lakers organization as a separate entity outside of the people of Los Angeles, well then i guess we should stop pumping billions of dollars of revenue into the NBA and specifically the lakers organization as a whole. Anyone, band wagon or not, has the right to identify with a team of the NBA…..why? Because it is the fans who keep the NBA from becoming the NHL. You pay taxes right? Well why do you call this your country? Or your government? Or your army? Because you feel that your money, and your location gives you that right….same thing with the lakers, if you are pumping money into this organization, and especially if you live in Los Angeles…..you absolutely have the right to refer to the lakers as “we”. Why? Because if you were right, the true fans who have bled purple and gold for 20-30-40 years would be forced to abide by the same meaningless rules that you spew out. A fan is a fan, regardless of side story’s. One common goal, to watch the lakers hoist the championship. No negativity.
we is just an inappropriate term. especially for someone writing about a sports franchise. i disagree with it entirely. there are only 15 “lakers”. there are millions of “laker fans”. laker fans do not win games. lakers win games. no matter how much you love the lakers, it will not put more points on the scoreboard.
varsityoptimism,
it sounds like you have been wanting to have this argument for waaaaay too long. seriously man, how about we (as in fans, not the lakers… chill out) revel in the victory and talk about things that matter, instead of arguing semantics like high schoolers out to prove how smart they are.
seriously man, “we” want to talk about the Lakers and the victory, not your ridiculous nitpicking about the english language.
Yes true, lakers are players, and laker fans are fans, but “we” should not mean we as a team, it should mean we as a family. No fan will ever score points, but keep in mind that its the fans who give the players the energy to come out and play hard, it is the fans to make the players ignore the fact that they are so tired they could collapse, it is the fans who remind the players who is behind them, its the fans who pump the players up, why do you think they call it “home court ADVANTAGE”? Its not because the rim is lower at home, its because teams feed off the energy of the home crowd, therefore the fans impact a game. Dont think of “we” as a term that the fans deserve credit for a win, no thats not the point of “we”….the point (at least in my opinion) should mean “we” as a family, “we” the city of los angeles and everyone who supports the lakers. Without fans, there are no lakers. Look at the knicks, they are the worst team to ever graze a basketball court, but they pack the garden every night because they are a family, who does not desert the team during times of loss.
It’s over
GO LAKERS!
“but they pack the garden every night because they are a family, who does not desert the team during times of loss.”
im not quite sure we’re watching the same knick games…
WWWWWWWWEEEEEEEEEEEE WON!!!
I love it when WE win close games!!
WE gotta take care of business at home!
wow! this is a pretty non-sensical set of dialogues with varsityoptimism and the others. we are here to celebrate the lakers win and to have a forum where we can feel pretty good about ourselves for being lakers fans at this time, and you guys are arguing about using “we” or not. are you kidding me? fan is shor for “fanatic”, so if you’re in this site, be prepared to see “we” referenced a lot when talking about the lakers. if you don’t like it, either don’t come in or keep it to yourself because “you” are definitely in the minority VARSITYNEGATIVITY!
Every fan has a right to use “we” when referring to their team. The dude that’s saying it’s wrong doesn’t get it. The team is called the Los Angeles Lakers thereby including the city of Los Angeles as part of their identity. You don’t hear Best Buy or Nike calling themselves the Minneapolis Best Buy or the Oregon Nike do you? And no, the fans don’t score any points, but neither do a lot of people in the Lakers organization. I’m sure Jeannie Buss has never scored a point, but she has a job that she does for the team as do the fans. Our job… cheer on our team, be loud as hell (making the opposing team lose focus), and ultimately bring in revenue dollars for our team so that they stay paid and so that we can bring in good players. You don’t think the money is being generated out of thin air do you? Just like the person who mentioned paying taxes and calling this your country and government and all that… I guess you don’t think this is your country either then. Even the players, coaches, and owners have included the fans as part of their team and have used the word “we” referring to their fans. It’s a die-hard fan thing… You wouldn’t understand.
I AM SO DAMN HAPPY “WE” WON THAT GAME..”WE” WAS SO CLOSE 2 BLOWING IT..BUT ITS KOOL “WE STILL DA BEST”..”WE DID IT”
i agree we dont suit up and i agree we dont hit the shots but u are forgetting that we fans are the ones who support the team and the paychecks that jerry buss writes for the players are supplied by our money..so as far as im concerned..lakers are we
P.S. WE are going to win Thursday because WE will be at home where WE are still undefeated!!! WE should get some good rest before WE play either the Celtics or the Pistons. But before all that WE need to be focused this Thursday because they (can I say they? I might be using it in a way that might include the Spurs fans as part of the Spurs and I don’t want to hurt that dude’s feelings)… anyways, because they will be coming at US hard. Hopefully, WE close this series out at home. Are WE Lakers ready for an exciting Game 5? Let me hear some love from US Lakers! WE kick butt!
P.S. THEY are going to win Thursday because THEY will be at home where THEY are still undefeated!!! THEY should get some good rest before THEY play either the Celtics or the Pistons. But before all that THEYneed to be focused this Thursday because they (can I say they? I might be using it in a way that might include the Spurs fans as part of the Spurs and I don’t want to hurt that dude’s feelings)… anyways, because they will be coming at THEM hard. Hopefully, THEY close this series out at home. Are THE Lakers ready for an exciting Game 5? Let me hear some love from THE Lakers! THEY kick butt!
ah, thats MUCH better.
saying we is just wrong. TRUST ME! Anyone will tell you that. Have you ever read a Mike Bresnahan article in the L.A. Times that refers to the team as “WE”. Bresnahan travels with the team and is probably closer to the dudes than any of us will ever be. IT IS AN INAPPROPRIATE TERM!
And if you try to bring up how sensationally he played on a gloomy night when the seven Spurs outside of the Duncan-Tony Parker-Barry troika combined for just 16 points, Barry said: “It’s like putting whipped cream on s—.”
-Stein
varsitya-hole,
your comments have to be the dumbest I’ve ever read on this blog. Go yank on yourself buddy - you are a DICK! Don’t waste our time with your STUPID comments you MORON!
not very nice. not very nice at all. i just have a different opinion on this topic. im sure you are a nice person and i will not let your affronting and rude nature hurt me.
We need to get Ariza more time on the floor. Smush Walton really sucked out there - traveling, blown layups, missed shots. Kobe had to yell at him to wake up. When Luke came in, our early lead disappeared. I’m so tired of hearing how smart this guy is - he is a piece of crapola. Please unload this turkey this offseason!!!
The Machine’s shooting was horrible - so many missed shots and his D, all but non-existant.
Farmar - this guy is so weak out there. I can’t see him as our future starting point guard.
Varsity a-hole,
A “different” opinion?
That’s one way to put it.
Go play with yourself - fans don’t have time to waste on your senseless babble. What a numb nuts!!!
Here is an example of a conversation between a couple of Laker fans.
“Did WE win last night?”
“Of course! Kobe scored 50 again! WE are gonna win it all this year!”
Fans are why the Lakers exist. No fans, no Lakers. It is just that simple. WE make this team, therefore WE are a part of it.
who the hell wrote this report, jim tracy?
just to settle this varsity. the lakers are the city’s team, they represent LA and they are our civic pride, so yes, WE are the lakers as they are us.
hahahahhahha … LOL Macassedy…..”WE” on the same team…
what the {Profanity isn't allowed on theLakersNation.com -- Please go back and edit your comment. Thank you.}???
lakers will win in staples baBy..still undifeated in the staples
Who in the freakin hell is ANYONE, to tell anyone else, not to refer to their beloved sports team, in terms of endearment and/or allegiant terms. … Dude or Girly…. What is your problem with allegiance? I’m sorry, but you really sound awfully stupid, to belittle another, with something as trivial as this.
Yo Varsityoptimism,
Let me size you up real quick. Yup, just as I thought.. you’ve never been a real passionate fan of any team in your life! If you have, the term “we” would come natural to you when referring to a team you truly love! Besides, I like when “our” writers refer to the Lakers as “we” from time to time; it shows the unity of this site, THELAKERNATION! You need to unknot your panties and relax with the technicality Poindexter.
Who the frak cares about the usage of WE. “WE” fraking beat these whiney son of a {Profanity isn't allowed on theLakersNation.com -- Please go back and edit your comment. Thank you.}es despite dumbass calls throughout the night. Barry traveled on that fraking play anyway.
OMFG just let it go. If you don’t want him using “we,” then don’t read the friggin’ blog.
WHAT! MUTHAFUKERZ G.A.M.E.O.V.E.R BANG THOSE FLAGS
KEEP KWAME WALTON OUT OF THE GAME
GREAT GAME….I THINK THAT THIS REALLY DEFINES OUR TEAM FOR WHAT THEY ARE MADE OF..TO GET A WIN ON THE ROAD WHERE THE REFS ARE NOT GOING TO MAKE A CALL FOR THEM AND PERSERVIERING IS TUFF…KOBE HAD NO FREE-THROWS AND THEREFORE THE PLAY ON BARRY HAD NO CHANCE OF ALL CALL BECAUSE KOBE GOT MORE CONTACT THAN THAT THE WHOLE NIGHT. BUT THURSDAY WE SHALL HOST THAT WESTERM CONFERENCE TROPHY..AND GAIN THAT FAMILIAR SMELL THAT WE HAD YEARS AGO
Lakers won! I may sell tickets to Lakers games but at heart am still a Lakers fan myself.
It was a close game, and the ref missed calls on both sides - but WE came out on top! GO LAKERS!
Kobe disappointed me in this game.
Instead of taking it all the way in he would opt to shoot bricks. There was a point in the 4th that 2-3 times down the court no ball movement. The triangle set up kobe got it, and then dribbled, dribbled, dribbled, clock running down and he would shoot up a 15-17′ jump brick.
Luckily they won, but if they would of lost, I would of blamed Kobe. If nothing is falling, then become a decoy, drive and kick.
Pau…STOP FALLING DOWN!!! You are our big man, our inpenatrable wall. When you fall, it looks weak, a kink in the armor. When shaq would try to flop, he would look human so stop flopping. I would prefer you give a hard foul and give the guy driving in thinking twice before driving in instead of flopping and falling when a point guard bumps into you.
My prediction is starting to come into fruition,TIME TO CELEBRATE(4-1,LAKERS)!
YEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAHBOYEEEEEEEEE.com,WE’RE BAAAAAACK!!!
WE won!!!!
Yea blame the guy who brought us here… you friggin idiot!!!!
Varsity is just mad because this Terry fella does a far better write-up than he ever has.
Lets go Lakers, the championship is OURS!
I agree just look at varsity’s picture, what a fucin geek!!!!
Dingleberry…I say it how I see it. I don’t care what he has done but what he is doing. If I did see what he did then what an idiot for the rape case.
Now this is the time for championships not to show off Bowmen. If his shot isn’t falling then DAMMIT pass the frigin ball. The other 4 should tell his ass to pass the ball.
So yes, I say it how I see it.
You’re correct man. One missed call for the spurs versus about 15 for the lakers. Let me try to remember:
- Clean Lamar Block, not a goaltending
- Fisher missed shot hit the rim and should’ve reset the shot clock
- Fisher got tripped by Parker
- etc., etc.
So yea, it shouldn’t be an issue. Tough Luck and move on.
By the way, Spurs trying to act noble by saying it wasn’t a foul when you can hella tell they’re all lying was annoying.
Also, to be fair, Kobe is such a bad liar himself. It’s funny how when they asked him if it was a foul, he paused for a while and straight up lied, hahaha.
Last…i was cracking up everytime somebody asks Pop about the Fisher foul. He always (just like PJ) never shows emotion, but he couldn’t hold it down. Mann he must be very pissed last night.
Now, lets close this series and put in history books.
This guy is stupid. There are only 15 Lakers? I guess assistant coaches cannot claim to be a part of the team. Now having said that, immediate family members cannot ask fellow extended family members “How’s our team doing.”
Lakers is “Our” team because it’s what we root for. Do everyone a favor and please suck on ur thumb or maybe a pickle and shut up.
…and I’m tired,already,with this “CRYIN” from LAKER-HATERZ
about that NO CALL(Not a foul,NOOOOOOOOOOOO)….I just have just one thing(ok a couple of thangs),forget Disneyland,WE GOIN’ TO THE FINALS!
GETCHA’POPCORNREADY.com,STAND UP LAKERNATION,ONE MORE TO GO!!!
Time to bring out the old “32″ jersey along with any 80s flashback memorabilia….
Its going to be Lakers v Celtics…
Lets rekindle flame and stops the C’s….
oh.my.god.
i am ashamed of our readership.
i can say the possessive “our” due to the fact that i am a major contributor to this website.
if you think that your relationship to the los angeles lakers is anything more that an one sided love affair then you are naive and misled.
it is a truth of pro sports that is hard to follow. the team doesnt give a crap about you, what you think, or anything else remotely resembling sympathetic vibrations.
im sorry if you still think that fanhood entitles you to something beyond a simple sense of community among other fans and reveling in the accomplishments of others. face it, without the lakers, there are no fans. there is no right to EVER take personal pride in their actions, for NO FAN WILL EVER BE INSTRUMENTAL IN A VICTORY! it is absurd. ask any television host, radio host, journalist if using the term “we” is appropriate. it is the wrong word for this particular situation. it inappropriately inserts yourself into an equation which ultimately demeans the accomplishments of the people who actually played and coached the game. Your contributions, although petty and passing, have sadly gone unnoticed by the squad. these dudes are MILLIONAIRES. they do not give a flying eff about you. the sooner you realize that your love and adoration is not reciprocated the easier it is to refer to the team as “them”.
just remember. generally speaking, on this website i see a lot of “we won!!”s. i tend to see a lot of “they lost”s too. if you claim to be in this. you are in it feast or famine.
also, dont be mean!!! it is unnecessary. i am just trying to open up a dialog about this issue.
phil made the right thing for not messing the 4Q for not starting the 4Q with a bunch of benches like he did in the game 4 of the jazz/lakers series and the lastgame agains the spurs.instead he put gasol on the start of the 4q
and not resting kobe much on the bench.he has to put atleast a ghost(KOBE or GASOL) on the floor specially on the final quarter coz that’s the only way they can be scared of.
-varsity is smarter than fifth grader….THE LAKERSNATION…WE FOLLOW CO’Z WE BELIEVE….LOL
Dude, We won game 4 and all YOU wanna talk about is “WE” versus “THEM” geezus it reminds me of Iverson saying, “WE”? we talking about “WE”? Your killing this postgame bro.
YES! “WE” WON!! I LOVE THE LAKERS! ONE MORE AND “WE” ARE GOING TO THE FINALS. “WE” ALL HAVE GONE THROUGH OUR FRUSTRATIONS AND DISAPPOINTMENTS AND NOW “WE” ARE ONLY 5 GAMES AWAY FROM WINNING IT ALL. FROM THIS POINT ON ALL “WE” HAVE TO DO IS GO 5 WINS TO 6 LOSSES AND “WE” STILL WIN THE CHAMPIONSHIP.
now, strange would the above paragraph would have been if i referred to “our” team as “the” lakers or “they”. it’s almost as if i have no identification with the team that i have followed since i can remember anything. (1984) 24 years i have adored and admired this team through thick and thin and now some people on here want me to refer to “my” lakers as “them, they, or the”
sorry, it’s not going to happen. too many memories are tied into my childhood (showtime), my teenage years (the lean years without magic), my young adult life (the lake show), the start of my career (shaq and kobe) to now the beginning of the rest of my life (pau, pau, pau, odom, bynum, fish, and kobe!!)
It’s like the lakers grow and change just as I continue to grow and change. Wouldn’t you call that a brother? “We” continue to grow together.
Amen brotha! We about to win this shiet!! WOO HOO!!!!!
WWWWW WWWWWW EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
WWWWW WWWWWW EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
WWWWW WWWWWW EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
WWWWW WWWWW WWWWWW EEEEEE
WWWWWW WWWWWWW WWWWWWW EEEEEE
WWWWWWW WWWWWWWWW WWWWWWWW EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW EEEEEE
WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW EEEEEE
WWWWWWWW WWWWWWWW WWWWWWWW EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
WWWWWWW WWWWWW WWWWWW EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
WWWWW WWWW WWWWW EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE
Sorry guys, my boyfriend typed those stuff earlier.
hopefully tomorro he should get 10-15 minutes