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Aretha Franklin @ Hollywood Bowl 6/27/09
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.
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I promised my ten year old grandson David, that if the Lakers play the Clippers, I would take him to a playoff game.
After the Lakers win Saturday, I will be out $500 or more for two tickets to the Staples Center.
I should be careful what I promise my grandson, he did not forget my promise.
Ed
Ahhh Ed
A CLASSIC good news, bad news situtation. But way to take one for the team... and of course for your grandson. Obviously being raised the right way... as a LAKER fan!
Dude, 13 for 13 does not mean Nash went to the line 13 times. Some of those fouls were two-shot trips.
Jim,
As far as I know, every freethrow attempt is considered a trip to the line... When a team goes 16-25, it is commonly said that the said team has had 25 trips to the line. But if it makes you feel better we can say that he was only physically put at the line 6.5 times or whatever.
It all doesnt change the fact that he had 13 attempts (which was only four less than the Laker starting five had) and converted on all of them. 13 points that were a result of his aggressiveness to the hole.
With the Lakers advantage inside, the home court, and the best scorer in the league, you would think that the Lakers would have managed more than 22 attempts from the stripe. Or 11 physical times stepping to the line or however you want to consider it.