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Archive for May, 2008

League acknowledges Barry was fouled

Published by Chris Manning on May 28, 2008 in 2008 Playoffs. 26 Comments

If they’re watching the replay, wouldn’t they see that technically Barry traveled first? Oh well, the league claims a foul should’ve been made…

ESPN: The league office on Wednesday reviewed the final play of the San Antonio Spurs’ 93-91 home loss to the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 4 of the Western Conference finals and acknowledged that a two-shot foul should have been called on Derek Fisher for impeding Brent Barry.

After falling behind by seven points in the final minute, San Antonio sliced the deficit to two and regained possession with 2.1 seconds to play.

Barry then wound up with the ball in the center of the floor on a play called for Manu Ginobili and faked Fisher in the air but struggled to get off a 3-point heave at the buzzer after Fisher came down and bumped Barry.

“With the benefit of instant replay, it appears a foul call should have been made,” league spokesman Tim Frank said Wednesday.

The miss sealed an L.A. victory that moved the Lakers into a commanding 3-1 series lead entering Thursday’s Game 5 at Staples Center.

But the Spurs did not protest the non-call afterward, even though a foul called before the shot would have sent Barry to the line for two free throws and a chance to force overtime.

The non-call nonetheless generated more than the usual scrutiny because the closest referee to the play was Joey Crawford, with whom San Antonio has a contentious recent history.

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Behind the box score, where the Spurs are about done

Published by Jim Murdoc on May 28, 2008 in 2008 Playoffs. 1 Comment

Ball Don’t Lie: They’re not dead yet, San Antonio could win three straight to take the series and while I would be surprised, I wouldn’t be shocked. Let’s face facts, though: the Spurs are more or less finished.

That part, though we picked the Lakers to win and know exactly why the team has San Antonio in a 3-1 hole, still seems a little shocking. Knowing the game and understanding the science is one thing, but it’s still a weird sight to see Mike Tyson on the canvas, eight seconds into a ten count.

We’ll get into the particulars of the game later, hopefully a few hours away from the thought of the refereeing vicissitudes has mellowed your edge just a little, but for now we should remind ourselves of why, exactly, these Spurs are on the ropes.

(Can you believe we’re heaping this much reverence and working under these sorts of conditions regarding a team that has won exactly one NBA championship in a row? Yes, Tim Duncan and Gregg Popovich have established a Spurs dynasty - of sorts, and I’ve no interest in getting into what exactly makes and doesn’t make a dynasty - but this isn’t some team wrapping up the tail end of a three-peat. That’s says more about the Spurs than us, I think, that they’ve earned that sort of respect.)

The Spurs, as presently constructed, are getting so little, from so many. From the bigs to the bench to Manu Ginobili at times and Tony Parker in relation to what he usually does against teams with point guards on the wrong side of 32 (no 30-point games for Tony, ‘ere), the team is living off of its defense, Tim Duncan, and scraps.

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Odom’s role is clear in Game 4 triumph

Published by Jim Murdoc on May 28, 2008 in 2008 Playoffs. 7 Comments

O.C. Register: The career-long question for Lamar Odom is this: What are you?

Scorer? Rebounder? Passer? Leader? Facilitator? Main man?

On nights like this, the answer is simple: Yes.

Because, in the fourth game of Western Conference finals, with a howling crowd and a frowning NBA champion threatening to slither into his head, Odom went on an eight-point flurry that raised the Lakers’ lead from two to seven with :56 left, and put the Spurs into a tight corral. Which, of course, is where they showed their brand.

The Lakers botched the math in the final minute. Kobe Bryant took a quick shot when he could have used the clock to lock the door. Odom goaltended a shot by Tony Parker — “I thought I had him, I was going to be like Tayshaun Prince, coming from behind,” he said.

And Brent Barry found himself with the ball in 3-point land and a chance to actually win outright. Because Derek Fisher body-blocked him in the collarbone, his 3-point try didn’t even sideswipe the hoop, and the Lakers trotted off with a 93-91 victory, a 3-1 lead in the series, and another ace on another test. One more, and it’s a Finals exam.

“We’re getting an education,” Odom said later. “We’re playing a team with the heart of a champion, but we’re making plays for each other. We’re very tight, we have camaraderie. And we have a lot of people who can show us how to win.

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Our own varsityoptimism reppin’ from STAPLES last night!

Published by Chris Manning on May 28, 2008 in Spots. 11 Comments

Elie Seckbach reported from last night’s “Home Court Advantage,” where STAPLES Center was open for fans to come and watch the game.

Our very own varsityoptimism was there and interviewed by Elie. Great and funny stuff. And who is that Spurs fan? Come out of your hiding place… that must’ve hurt walking out of there after that loss.

TLN’s Playoff Report: Lakers vs. Spurs [Game 4]

Published by Terry Kim on May 27, 2008 in Terry's Postgame. 93 Comments

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?

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“It wasn’t a foul”

Published by Jim Murdoc on May 27, 2008 in 2008 Playoffs. 52 Comments

Both Pop & Barry (sounds like a candy shop) said that it was a no-call and no foul should have been called. What are your thoughts on the last play? Sound-off in the comments and tell us what you think!

ESPN: Reserve Brent Barry had 23 points and his last-second 3-point attempt could have given the Spurs the win. He claimed he was fouled on the play by Derek Fisher but there was no call.

“If I was the official I wouldn’t have called that a foul,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said.

Lakers keep L.A. footloose

Published by Jim Murdoc on May 27, 2008 in Articles. 2 Comments

These aren’t your 2001 or 2002 Lakers. This dance doesn’t revolve around Shaquille O’Neal or only Kobe Bryant. It’s a surprising spring where, for now, everyone can follow the beat.

L.A. Times: Before every Lakers game, this nut named Ronny Turiaf runs around near the bench shaking every teammate’s hand.

He shakes every hand differently, a different finger wag or wrist motion for each player, and each player always remembers and responds.

By the time Turiaf finishes with the starters, he is standing at midcourt, music blaring, crowd cheering, at which point he dances alone back to the bench.

Not saunters, not jogs, but actually dances, different each night, swerving, shaking, unpredictable.

“It’s all about feeling your flow,” Turiaf says. “This team, we feel our flow, and we follow it.”

You know, maybe that’s it.

Maybe that’s why this postseason feels so different from every other postseason since Phil Jackson’s first title here eight years ago.

Maybe that’s why these mostly ordinary Lakers are so much more fun than those star-studded Lakers.

They’re not too big to do funny handshakes. They’re not too proud to dance silly dances.

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TLN’s Playoff Preview: Lakers vs. Spurs [Game 4]

Published by Andrew Rafner on May 26, 2008 in Varsity Shootaround. 45 Comments

Watch this clip from Wet Hot American Summer.

It pretty much sums up what happened to the Lakers on Sunday evening. Cruising along these Western Conference Finals. Rumor had it that Jordan Farmar and Coby Karl were singing Kenny Loggins on the team charter. The Lakers were without a worry in the world.

Then they crashed into the defending champion Spurs who, somewhere between LAX and San Antonio, rediscovered the formula that has produced them four NBA titles in the last nine years.

It turns out that those visions of ascendancy were a tad bit premature.

As the Laker Nation wept for Pau’s seeming inability to finish around the basket, Lamar’s shoddy 2-11 performance and Kobe’s sabbatical from the free-throw line, what they forgot was the core tenant of professional sports: the other team has players and coaches too. And boy did their players show up for Game 3.

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