Lakers Not Sticking to the Script

In what was supposed to be the final game before they began their series to reclaim LA from the rise of Clipper Nation, the Lakers forgot one thing. The Phoenix Suns... Yeeeah, the SUNS... remember them? Apparently the Lakers didnt. The game 5 asswhuppin that was put on them in Phoenix (literally and figuratively) wasnt enough to get them to stick to the script that has them one win away from a historic second round date with the Clippers instead of reelling from a 126-118 OT loss.

This was not what we were supposed to be writing about. This seems all to eerily familiar. Kobe goes for 50? Wait that's not good. Too much Kobe is not good. This is not what this city was waiting for (in spite of what the ratings guys at the networks and in the NBA office think).

The script: Play solid D. The Suns go over 100 points for the second straight game. In the three Laker wins the Suns never sniffed triple digits. In the three losses? 102, 114, and 126. Do you see a trend? Nash goes off for 32 points on 14 shots and 13-13 free throws. He was going to the bucket and hitting shots almost at will, aching back and all. Smush and his smushy D made him look like he actually deserved that MVP trophy. Ugh...

The script: Score inside. Did you SEE that third quarter?!?! How many jumpshots...NEEDLESS jumpshots did the Lakers take? The Lakers built their series lead on scoring inside with Lamar and Kwame and posting the tiny Suns guards. It PAINED us to see brick after brick going up while Nash went to the line 13 times. THIRTEEN?!?

The script: Cherish the ball. This doesnt even need explanation. Just review the the stats: 29 points off of 20 Laker turnovers... Not going to win many games like that.

So now instead of Game 1 in the Battle of LA, we have a Game 7 in the Valley of the Sun. A lot of history says that the Lakers should have won game 6 and moved on. The Lakers have never lost a series after leading 3-1. All of the Zen Masters teams have reached the second round of the playoffs. Coach is undefeated when leading a playoff series. The Suns have never won a series when trailing 3-1 and only seven NBA teams have ever come back from 3-1 down to win a best-of-seven. But now it looks like our potential historic matchup is in danger of being just that... history.