Archive for the ‘TLN Pregame’ Category

TLN’s Finals Chat: Game 7 — Lakers vs. Celtics

Game Seven; the two most exciting words to a sports fan. Just hearing those words, you know this will be a game for the ages. After 104 games played in the 2009-2010 NBA season, the Los Angeles Lakers have the opportunity to make history tonight by adding to their resumes; that they were on a Lakers team that beat the Boston Celtics in a NBA Finals.

The 2009-2010 Lakers are ready and determined to win tonight. I have to use a boxing analogy; Game 6 has served as the stunning jab to get the Celtics’ attention because they seemed to forget who the defending world champions are, and game seven will provide the knockout punch. Laker legends have been forged and their names and numbers lifted to the rafters by accomplishing this task.

There is no question that this is the most important game of the year. The culmination of everything you’ve sweated, bled and worked your butt off for. Everyone knows what’s at stake. The Lakers are ready to rumble and seize the moment.

We are mere hours away from seeing the Lakers exorcise the demons of the past, exact some revenge while placing the final nail in the Celtics coffin, adding to their legacies and winning a championship in Los Angeles in front of the Lakers Nation.

This game is going to come down to who wants it more. A huge factor will be the Lakers defense, rebounding, energy, intensity, activity, executing on offense, and imposing their will on the team sporting green and white.

Kobe Bryant will not admit to this being a huge game for him and his legacy, but it is. The Black Mamba will be in attack mode to set the tone early by providing whatever the Lakers need to bring home a victory. He refuses to lose, he just needs someone to ride with him so the Lakers can have multiple players scoring in double digits.

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TLN’s Finals Chat: Game 6 — Lakers vs. Celtics

The Los Angeles Lakers are back at the Staples Center for a must-win game. They have given away at least two games in this series and return home with several questions and very little answers. Their defense has regressed and has allowed the Celtics to utilize more than one way to beat them. I am still of the belief that the trend of the Lakers playing badly will end tonight.

Despite the fact that the Lakers haven’t played well or like the championship team they are, the Lakers need to stay together. This series isn’t over and will be going seven games. It will take a concerted effort from everyone wearing a Purple and Gold jersey and passion on every possession.

A lot has been made of Kobe Bryant berating his teammates at the end of Game 5 as opposed to lifting them up or motivating them. However, 100% of the people in the media that made the above statement have no idea if he later did just that or not. The fact of the matter is, that in Game 4 and 5 this series has looked eerily similar to the 2008 Finals and I was under the impression that the Lakers had learned from their mistakes.

The Lakers have to win the game in the trenches, with their big players in the middle, meaning it goes back to what Pat Riley said years ago “no rebounds, no rings”. They have to be physical, aggressive and be the one hitting first. They have to play with a bit of desperation; it is imperative that they outwork, outhustle and outrebound the Celtics.

It is a must that the Lakers ball movement and player movement improve, this is a key in moving the Celtics’ defense and when the opportunity presents itself, they must execute their offense at finish. They need to have productive trips offensively.

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TLN’s Finals Chat: Game 5 — Lakers @ Celtics

The Los Angeles Lakers literally wasted a golden opportunity to place a stranglehold on the series in Game 4. There are four games of the Finals in the books and without some mistakes and a lack of execution down the stretch the Lakers would be up 3-1 in this series. They have played better, but haven’t closed out games well and have allowed the Celtics to hang around. I’ve never been a fan of the NBA Finals 2-3-2 format, but the good thing is tonight’s game will be the last of three in Boston.

The Lakers lost Game 4 by being outrebounded, allowing too many points in the paint, giving up 16 fast break points, and allowing the Celtics’ bench to become too much of a factor.

Both teams know each other very well and know each player’s tendencies. Several times Playoff games come down to adjustments and execution. The Lakers need the presence of Andrew Bynum. His shown me a lot playing with an injury by being effective and giving his all. It shows that Andrew Bynum has matured. I applaud his effort and desire to be a factor in this championship run.

If Andrew can’t go tonight, D.J. Mbenga or Josh Powell will have to step in limited minutes. Both guys can provide solid defense and rebounding. This also means that Lamar Odom will more than likely be matched up with Glen Davis again.

Odom has to step up and become a factor in this series. Offensively, he has to start on the perimeter, avoid relying on jump shots, be aggressive, attack off the dribble, and get to the basket. Being aggressive will also allow him to move the defense to find an opening for him or a teammate. Defensively, he has to play defense without fouling, hold his ground, and force Davis to shoot over him. It should be a known fact to him by now that Davis is going to play the bull in a China shop and act accordingly. Odom needs to get in front of him, plant his feet, and be willing to take a charge if necessary, the Lakers need stops.

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TLN’s Finals Chat: Game 4 — Lakers @ Celtics

The Los Angeles Lakers are in the drivers seat with a 2-1 series lead. Tonight’s game present’s them with an outstanding opportunity to take a commanding 3-1 lead. The Celtics had visions of winning at home and making this a series before their dreams were shattered by the Purple and Gold clad warriors. The Lakers coaching staff provided the team with a one sentence message that spoke of the only thing that matters, “2 wins to go”.

The Lakers have had a 2-1 lead in the Finals 16 times and have won it all 16 times. Oh, I’ve taken the liberty to add this season to that number. It’s no mystery that the Celtics are a desperate team faced with two must-win games.

Celtics coach Doc Rivers has been reduced to lobbying/complaining to the league about the officiating. The officiating has been atrocious in the Finals for both teams and as professionals, the players have to adjust. Rivers seriously needs to stop because we’ve reached the embarrassing level.

Tonight’s contest is Boston’s game seven. I expect them to pull out all of the stops in an attempt to even the series. I’m also expecting the Lakers to match the intensity of the Celtics and pull out another close win. Kobe Bryant, the second best thing that came out of the Lakers Game 3 win, was the emergence of Lamar Odom and the bench.

Kobe Bryant had been the main focus of the Celtics defense until the fourth quarter of game three when Derek Fisher showed the Celtics that he too possesses the clutch gene. Strangely enough the Celtics seem to have forgotten about Derek. The Double D’s (Derek and the Defense) won Game 3.

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TLN’s Finals Chat: Game 3 — Lakers @ Celtics

The Los Angeles Lakers wasted an excellent opportunity to take a 2-0 series lead. They also wasted a great game and all around effort by Andrew Bynum and Pau Gasol.

The officiating has been horrible and the officials have been way too much of a factor in both games. I realize that the officials have a job to do, but the large number of fouls called has eliminated players from the game. Several of them have been Celtics flops. This is the NBA Finals and it would be nice if the players were allowed to play. The Lakers are professionals and they will make the necessary adjustments. How many times can the officials fall for the theatrics or the banana in the tailpipe?

The Lakers made way too many mistakes and ended the game with the worse five-minute stretch of basketball that I’ve seen in a while. They didn’t execute down the stretch and also had way too many turnovers. However, the turnovers were not the sole reason for the loss.

The Lakers were beaten because of their transition defense, not enough offense as well as playing the exact opposite of Game 1. Despite the unnecessary contribution of the officials, the squad was able to overcome the red-hot shooting of Jesus Shuttlesworth and get back into the game and take a 90-87 lead with a little more than five minutes to go.

This is normally the time that Kobe Bryant takes over the game and shows that he is the best closer in the game. However, that’s impossible when the trio of Kobe, Lamar and Ron are saddled with foul trouble.

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TLN’s Finals Chat: Game 1 — Lakers vs. Celtics

The match-up that the Lakers Nation has waited for two years; a NBA Finals’ re-match with the hated Boston Celtics. These two Franchises have a rich history and are the league’s most storied franchises. This is the series that everyone wanted to see. The Los Angeles Lakers will face the Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals for the 12th time. Cue the Mills Lane’s famous saying, “Let’s get it on!”.

There have been several reports that have stated that this series will be identical to the 2008 NBA Finals. Anyone who believes that needs to check themselves. These are two different teams and believe me when I tell you that this series will come down to who wants it more. The Celtics were the tougher and better rebounding team. The roles have been reversed in 2010 and your Los Angeles Lakers are the team that is both physically and mentally tougher.

P.J. Brown, James Posey, Sam Cassell, and Leon Powe are no longer Celtics. Vladimir Radmanovic and Ronny Turiaf are no longer wearing a Purple and Gold jersey.

The Lakers are ready to match the intensity of the Celtics and do what it takes to win the title. Kobe Bryant is unstoppable and literally on a mission to be the best. He simply will not be denied. The Celtics, rightfully so, receive a lot of credit for their defense, but their offensive playbook is extensive.

The Lakers and Celtics split their two games in the regular season with both teams winning on the road. However, there’s a huge difference between the regular season and the post-season.

The key to the Lakers winning this game and the series is their defense. The Celtics run a pick and roll play very similar to the one the Phoenix Suns had some success against the Lakers utilizing Jason Richardson. Richardson curled around the screen and attacked the basket. The Celtics will use Ray Allen who will use the screen to get off a jump shot. The Lakers have to communicate and play sound screen and roll defense.

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TLN’s Playoff Chat: Western Conference Finals, Game 6 — Lakers @ Suns

The Los Angeles Lakers played good basketball and solid defense for 45 minutes of a 48 minute game. The final three minutes of the game left a lot to be desired.

It took a few possessions for Ron Artest to go from goat to hero. A rare occasion where a player can literally steal the show and become the man of the hour with a 2-9 shooting performance. However, you have to tip your hat to Artest for being a professional and continuing to play as well as doing the little things that win games. Ron-Ron officially became a Laker by a timely rebound and put back game-winning basket.

Kobe said it best by stating, “We allowed the tying three because we didn’t box out; they lost the game because they didn’t box out.” Despite way too many mental lapses, the second put back shot heard around the world in the Playoffs for the Lakers allowed the Purple and Gold to remain undefeated and improve their record to 19-0 when a series is tied 2-2.

A win is a win and I’ll take it, but it should not have been that close. The Lakers played solid defense for the majority of the game and seemed to lose focus at the end. Also, lost in the joy of a miraculous win, is the fact that the squad blew an 18-point lead… at home.

The Lakers are in position to close out the Suns in Phoenix. The Lakers have won 8-of-last-9 close out games, the only loss coming in Game 6 at Houston last year.

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TLN’s Playoff Chat: Western Conference Finals, Game 5 — Lakers vs. Suns

The Los Angeles Lakers are back at the Staples Center tonight after an unsuccessful road trip. The Phoenix Suns come into tonight’s game with some momentum, although that will change by the end of the night.

The Lakers lost the two previous games by allowing the Suns to control the tempo and by not playing defense. The zone defense that the Suns have been and will continue to employ has been effective as well as the topic of conversation in this series for far too long. That has been the case due to the Lakers not attacking the rim properly and settling for way too many jump shots. The last thing the Lakers need to do is get into a three point shooting contest. It’s not a good look at all.

Thanks to the Lakers, the zone defense has given the Suns confidence. It has caused me to ask the question, where is Kobe’s help? The zone has enticed the Lakers into accepting the fools gold of open jump shots and hurried three point shots. It has caused the team to not be patient within their offense and getting the ball inside to the post area. It has limited the number of touches for Pau Gasol, Andrew Bynum and Lamar Odom. The zone has slowed the Lakers down, but the team is still shooting 50% from the field.

It was a known fact that the Suns have had a very explosive bench. The Lakers bench had been outplaying them. It appeared that both benches realized who they were and played accordingly. The Lakers held the Suns’ bench in check until the 54 point explosion in game four.

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TLN’s Playoff Chat: Western Conference Finals, Game 4 — Lakers @ Suns

The Los Angeles Lakers came up short in game three and took a loss. It was their first playoff loss in about month. It doesn’t change the fact that the Phoenix Suns have the unenviable task of winning three of the next four games to advance to the NBA Finals; the Lakers won’t allow that to happen.

Several thoughts have arisen to explain the loss, such as shooting way too many three point shots, the zone defense played by the Suns, Lamar Odom pulling a disappearing act. and the big players getting into foul trouble. All are valid reasons for the loss, but what about defensive intensity?

I’ll give credit to the Suns for showing something new with the zone defense. However, I’m not buying the talk that they actually played some serious defense. The Lakers lost because of a lack of execution as well as no defensive intensity. A few things happened in game three that should not have occurred, the Lakers post players were not aggressive enough in establishing position in the painted area and made several ill-advised passes that resulted in way too many turnovers. I have faith that the Los Angeles Lakers will learn from their mistakes, make the necessary adjustments and get back on track with a win tonight.

It is imperative that the Lakers front line play aggressive on both ends of the court. Specifically, I want to see the front line of Andrew Bynum, Pau Gasol and Lamar Odom aggressively establish position in the low post. The guards need to control the basketball and make accurate passes into the post.

The Lakers will win this game by controlling the tempo and making game four a half-court game. They have to trust their triangle offense, it provides a solution for any defensive tactic. They have beaten the Suns in five of the seven played this season because they exploited the size advantage and executed their offense. It might sound simplistic, but focusing on proper execution will be the difference in the game.

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TLN’s Playoff Chat: Western Conference Finals, Game 3 — Lakers @ Suns

Make no mistake, the playoffs don’t lie; the four best teams in the NBA are battling. The cream does rise to the top. It’s no mystery what two teams are on a collision course to meet in the Finals. A match-up the Lakers Nation has waited two years for.

The Los Angeles Lakers are in Phoenix, Arizona to take care of some unfinished business.

The Purple and Gold completely dominated the first two games of the series. This outcome is exactly what the Lakers Nation expected. The Lakers impressively dismantled the Suns by scoring 252 points, Kobe Bryant destroying them in every way possible, and their bigs (Pau Gasol, Andrew Bynum and Lamar Odom) shooting a highly efficient 66.6 (!!!) percent from the field.

Despite the known fact of the Lakers size advantage, the team’s performance has been nothing short of outstanding. This isn’t the time for the Lakers to get complacent. They held the homecourt advantage in the first two games. However, I believe that they will play with more intensity and a heightened sense of urgency more than enough to end this series early.

The Suns have literally hit the wall or should I say the trees and are out of options. They are like a boxer whose taken way too many blows and is being battered on the ropes with the outcome already decided. They aren’t going to wave the white flag in surrender even though it is in order.

If this series were an episode of the video game Mortal Kombat, the Lakers would hear the ‘FINISH THEM!’ command right about now. They have the momentum right now and are prepared to win tonight and take total control of this series. In several cases, the outcome of playoff series come down to match up’s and adjustments.

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