JAZZ -at- LAKERS - 5/2 - Thoughts and :-)) Ratings

[DancingBarry]

A Familiar Foe... They never stop coming after Little Larry O'Brien. With barely a moment's rest after returning home from the smoldering remains of Thunder Dome, the Horsemen are under siege again.

Dark gray storm clouds churn and the skies pulse with electricity. The Association has selected a new opponent. The Horsemen are familiar with them, and they are familiar with the Horsemen.

From atop a building next to the Golden Child, Little Larry, and your Lawn Gnome, you watch the battle rage outside the city gates. You've seen this before. The Horsemen have them on their heels early, then slowly see the tables turn.

They are backed up against the city walls when Death steps forward with a relentless attack. He is too much for them. Five bells chime through the city.

As you pick up your lawn gnome, you notice he's now holding a note -- purple ink on gold paper. It's from DancingBarry:

"The Horsemen were here. They jumped on their opponent early, but never took the fight from them. Late in the battle, they let Death do what he does best -- go for the kill. He did not let them down.

I will continue to track them..."

Did you think the Lakers were just going to cruise to another victory? After building a 14-point first half lead, the Lakers would end up trailing by 4 with 4 minutes left. They put the ball into the hands of their closer, locked down on D and took the 104-99 win over the Jazz.

"Stop playing with my emotions!" Michael Cooper begged in the post game coverage.

With the initial post passes available, more open lanes to attack and no fly swatters to worry about, the Lakers were able to get to the rim throughout the game. This resulted in a blistering 79 percent shooting in the opening quarter.

In the fourth quarter, the offense dried up behind the second unit and they didn't get their first basket until 6 minutes in. They were settling for threes, not working the ball effectively through the post and cutting strong.

They trailed by 4 with a few minutes left. That's when they buckled down. Kobe keyed an 11-2 run to take back control. When he missed, Lamar had his back with two putback scores. Size and Kobe -- the Lakers two biggest advantages -- did the Jazz in.

The Jazz beat the Nuggets because they were a mentally tougher team. They keep working and keep coming. The Lakers must respect that effort and meet it. "They took the ball really at us for most of the second half," Phil said.

"Our bench really let us down in the fourth quarter," he added. He thought it was defensively, but they also didn't score a hoop for 6 minutes.

"We just don't play together at all," said a frustrated Lamar. "It's like we're foreign to each other. It's frustrating at this point of the season."


Kobe -- -- Kobe looking like Kobe. A great sight to see. The Jazz needed to get stops against the Lakers in crunch time. There was no wavering on what the Lakers did. They simply put the ball in Kobe's hands on iso and he throttled the Jazz. They have no answer for him individually if he plays aggressive. The Jazz didn't take the ball out of his hands late and he killed them. On one back-breaker drive, he attacked straight through the lane for a layup with 22 seconds left. On the other end of the court, things weren't quite as bright. After Kobe picked up foul trouble in the first half and had to sit with a few minutes left, he reeled it in defensively. In the second half, he gave up penetration with ease and dodged some help D plays trying to avoid picking up more fouls. He managed to get whistle for any more fouls, but didn't really dial up the intensity on D until the final couple minutes. In some of the Lakers better defensive games in the playoffs, he's been key to locking down as a team. The Stats: He scored 31 points on 12-19 shooting (0-2 from three, 7-7 from the line) to go with 3 boards, 4 assists, 4 turnovers and 3 fouls in 37 minutes. He was a +8. The Action: The ball was stolen from him as he tried to post up. He swished a pull-up jumper in transition. He waltzed down the lane for an easy layup. He charged on the perimeter. He got a kind bounce on a short turnaround in the lane. He drilled a turnaround from 15 feet out right over Deron. He hit a wing jumper right over him next time down. He had 10 points on 5-5 shooting, but 3 turnovers. He attacked to his left down the lane for a layup. He was hit on a jumper with no call, his first miss. He was called for a hook next time down. He picked up his third foul and had to sit with 2:44 left in the half. Second Half: He missed a long, challenged three on a kickout. He hit Bynum with a jump pass for a dunk. He swished a tough, pumping fallaway looking for a whistle. He missed a pull-up jumper. He posted up and hit Pau for a layup. He hit a tough pumping wing jumper from 14 feet out. He cut weak to strong off the screen and scored an easy layup off the feed from Pau. He had 8 points on 4-7 shooting in the third. He missed a wing three. He drew FTs on the perimeter, he made both (his first attempts from the line with 5:26 left). He missed a drive but Lamar slammed it back in. He attacked the lane and drew FTs, he made both. His man tried to flop, Kobe spun, was hit and scored a baseline And-1, he made the FT. He iso'd on Matthews and hit a 15-foot pull-up over him. He missed a tough jumper next time down, but Lamar put it back in. He wound the clock down from midcourt, attacked past his man and scored a layup with 22 seconds left. He was fouled with 19 seconds left up by 3, he made both FTs.

Gasol -- -- Boozer vs. Gasol. This will be a featured matchup in the series. "We try to keep them out of the paint as best we can," Boozer said. If Pau gets it low or is given even a moment or two for iso, it's over. The Jazz will have to send a lot of help on Pau. The Lakers will let Pau cover Boozer on iso. That's ultimately a huge difference. Pau was able to find teammates and help lead the team with 4 assists. He needs guys to keep moving off the ball. When Ron was doing it, layups. When he didn't, the offense stalled. Pau did a solid job anchoring the paint with 5 shotblocks. The Jazz kept coming. L.A. needs to give up a few less straight-line drives. They also need to crash the glass if Pau is helping. They gave up 6 offensive boards to Boozer. The Stats: He scored 25 points on 9-15 shooting (7-7 from the line) to go with 12 boards (3 offensive), 4 assists, 1 steal, 5 blocks, 3 turnovers and 1 foul in 40 minutes. He was a +8. The Action: He curled off a pick, took the pass and scored the open jumphook. He missed a runner, crashed and tipped in his miss. He hit a lefty baseline jumphook. He swatted dribble penetration to ignite a break. He stepped around Boozer to poke a ball away and ignite a break. He missed an 18-footer. He scored a layup off a high-low pass from Lamar. He had 8 points on 4-6 shooting. He missed a leaning bank in the post. He short-armed another post shot in traffic. He swished an elbow jumper. He teamed up with Artest to set him up for two layups cutting off the post. He drew FTs working the post on the final possession, he made both. He had 12 points on 5-9 shooting and 2 blocks. Second Half: He missed a turnaround and wanted the foul. He scored a layup off the post jump pass from Kobe. He worked the post for a lefty bank. He swished a turnaround from the post next trip down. He missed a turaround looking for a foul. Quick spin from the post in early offense and he drew a foul, he made both FTs. He hit Kobe cutting weak to strong for the open layup. He had 8 points on 3-5 shooting in the third. He got an offensive board, kicked it out, got it back and banked in a tough And-1, he made the FT. He was doubled, no one cut, and his pass was swiped. He swatted Matthew's putback attempt, he was then fouled, he made both FTs.

Bynum -- -- "It's a little sore," he said of the torn meniscus. It sounds like he's going to play through it and get surgery after the season. He could go the Brandon Roy route and try to get surgery and come back in a week. The Lakers have a few days off between games two and three, but he's going to push through. It's affecting him when he's pushing off and landing. You can see him in pain on some dunks or boards. I think it may also be affecting his activity fighting for position. It's certainly taken the edge off Drew's game. Luckily, Lamar can be very effective against the Jazz, so reduced minutes for Bynum shouldn't affect the Lakers as much as against other teams. One thing the Lakers have to be very careful of is that Bynum doesn't start favoring the other leg where he had the Achilles problem. The Stats: He scored 8 points on 4-8 shooting to go with 10 boards, 2 assists, 1 turnover and 1 foul in 25 minutes. He was a -1. The Action: He dunked off the screen-roll with Fish and limped down the floor. He missed a putback attempt. He spotted Luke open under the hoop for FTs. He had 2 points on 1-3 shooting, 4 boards and 2 assists. Second Half: He dunked on the break with Fish and Artest. He dunked off the pass from Kobe. He drop-stepped and hit with his left. He was swarmed by most of the Jazz team and stripped. Soft finish on a layup and he missed. He missed a jumphook.

Artest -- -- Ron has to keep cutting off the ball for the offense to flow. When he did in this game, the Jazz paid the price for several layups. When he stood out at the three line, that allowed for some doubles and taking away post offense. If/when AK returns, if they put him on Artest, he may be able to roam a little defensively unless Artest can make him pay. Defensively, they did put Artest on Deron for a stretch right after Fish picked up an opening foul. They let Ron defend him off and on throughout the game. He would generally usher Deron to the help D and was unable to really apply any pressure. The Lakers may need to run more Shannon and more Luke in this series, but the minutes for Ron will help get more offensive flow to his game. The Stats: He scored 8 points on 4-9 shooting (0-3 from three) to go with 3 assists and 4 fouls in 33 minutes. He was a +8. The Action: He attacked from the wing and scored a layup with his left. He scored a layup off the baseline post handoff from Pau. He missed a three. He then scored a layup cutting off the post. He had 6 points on 3-4 shooting. Second Half: He hit Bynum trailing the break for a dunk. He filled the lane on the break and scored a layup. He missed a sideline three out of a timeout. Not close on a quick-fire three (no one in Staples was happy with that shot selection). He missed while working in the post against Korver. He missed a wide open three off the Kobe double.

Fisher -- -- Deron will likely get his in this series. They will just have to try their best to limit easy shots or easy scores for him while locking down others. Fish, Ron and Shannon all spent various time against him on D. Fish was very active with his hands on help D and led the team with 5 steals. Offensively, a pretty nice mix to his game with only a couple of real miscues. He did a good job not settling for threes and getting to the line, but he left a couple points there. The Stats: He scored 10 points on 4-7 shooting (0-1 from three, 2-4 from the line) to go with 3 boards, 3 assists, 5 steals, 3 turnovers and 4 fouls in 40 minutes. He was a +10. The Action: Deron swung through to draw a foul on Fish on the first play, then crumpled to the floor in pain (remnants of that injury he suffered running into a pick in the final seconds of the last Nugget game). He scooped up a loose ball and hit a long sideline jumper for the Lakers first score. He set up Bynum off the screen-roll for a dunk. He stripped Boozer, then jacked up a long jumper and missed. He hit a layup in semi-transition with Pau. Sloppy dribble penetration, turnover, layup the other way. He had 4 points on 2-3 shooting and 3 steals in the first. He attacked Korver in transition for FTs, he made both. He missed a short baseline jumper. He missed a tech FT. Second Half: He missed a three on a kickout. He somehow heaved in an off-balance jumper standing on the three line, he wanted the foul. Next trip down, he attacked off the three line and scored an And-1 layup, he missed the FT. He had 10 points on 4-7 shooting after three. He charged on the break with 2:18 left, Miles looked late.

Lamar -- -- With the lengthy athletic Thunder gone, Lamar was able to regain his impact on the glass. He came up big late in the game with a couple of offensive boards off Kobe misses that killed the Jazz. With the ability to push the tempo versus the Jazz, Lamar's offensive game also starts to open up a little more. The quick counterstrikes off rebounds, pushouts and outlets were all back. He needs to do a better job of not settling for early offense threes. Lamar started the fourth quarter's loss of intensity with one of those early offense chuck from three. That's exactly what the second unit doesn't need. They have to covet the possessions, work the ball. If nothing is there, that shot will still be available to him. Some nice help D plays on Boozer, including a block late in the game. After some bad moments, he came up big. "He kind of righted himself and played through it," Phil said. Lamar stressed the second unit needed to communicate better and buckle down as the intensity grows instead of fading. The Stats: He scored 9 points on 4-10 shooting (1-4 from three, 0-1 from the line) to go with 12 boards (5 offensive), 2 assists, 2 blocks and 5 fouls in 31 minutes. He was a +5. The Action: He quickly picked up a foul after entering the game to cover Milsap. He pushed out the break, got it back from Kobe and scored an And-1 layup, he missed the FT. Off the mark in transition to Pau next time down, turnover. Extra pass to Gasol in the paint to set him up for a layup off the Kobe double team. He missed a jumphook. He swished a wing three with the shotclock low. He had 5 points on 2-3 shooting in his first stint. He missed at the rim on an attack. Second Half: Weak shot selection, taking an early offense three and barely hitting rim. Great board and quick outlet to Luke for FTs on the bust out. He was stripped in the post. Out of a timeout, another early offense three and he missed (surely we didn't draw that up). He missed a corner three. He slammed back in a missed drive by Kobe. He let Matthews reverse around him with ease. He swatted Boozer on help D. Looked like his shot was goaltended on the other end. Great offensive board battle against Boozer and he put back in a Kobe miss with 50 seconds left.

Brown -- -- The key to Shannon's game should be his off the ball cutting. The Jazz are going to be focused so much on doubling that Shannon should be able to get into the lane and finish against the soft interior. It's in his interest to always feed the post. The cuts or kickouts for catch-and-shoots are when he's at his best. Got to make the effort to work the ball inside, however. Some nice moments to close the third by getting to the line a couple times on one end and helping get a stop at the other. Normally a good FT shooter, he left a couple points at the line, however. The team may want to consider having Shannon out on the floor late in the game instead of Ron or Fish (if he's having an off game). The Stats: He scored 4 points on 1-5 shooting (2-4 from the line) to go with 3 boards, 2 steals, 1 turnover and no fouls in 17 minutes. He was a -4. The Action: He picked up his dribble around the three line on the break, took two long steps around a defender and finger rolled a layup. He missed a baseline jumper. He attacked, took all kinds of contact with no call and missed a layup. Second Half: Quick attack trying to get a two-for-one and he drew FTs, he made one. Nice D on the other end to help get a stop on Deron, then he drew more FTs with 3 seconds left in the counterstrike break, he made just one again. He swiped the ball on the perimeter. He missed a long jumper against the shotclock. Didn't attack, settled for the jumper and missed.

Farmar -- -- Very few notes on Farmar. His minutes were limited and Phil will avoid running him against the stronger Deron Williams. Farmar led the team with a -5, the results of a disastrous fourth quarter stint. His counterpart, Ronnie Price, led the Jazz with a +7. The second unit has to hold the line better than that. They did a good job in the first half. The Stats: He scored 2 points on 1-2 shooting (0-1 from three). He was a -5. The Action: He drained a pull-up jumper off the high pinch post. After giving up a runner on the final possession of the half, he missed a halfcourt heave. Second Half: Nothing to report.

Luke -- -- Good first half stint, scoring and getting to the line (needs to do better hitting those). He was the only Laker to put a point on the board for several minutes of the fourth. "We'll play better," Luke said of the second unit. With Ron having no real defined role in this series and struggling from three, Phil might want to run Luke just a little with the starters. Ron is struggling at times with his offensive reads. Luke has a lot more experience taking advantage of the defensive over-plays. "It's going to come down to who wants it more and who executes better," Luke said, while wearing his championship ring. The Stats: He had 7 points on 2-2 shooting (1-1 from three, 2-4 from the line) and 2 fouls in 10 minutes. He was a -2. The Action: He swished a corner three on a kickout. He drew FTs under the hoop on a pass from Bynum, he made one. He posted up Korver and hit a turnaround. Second Half: He leaked out and took an outlet from Lamar for FTs, he made one.

Powell -- -- Josh came in briefly for a few seconds. He will likely get the action in this series (versus Mbenga) against the smaller Jazz team if Bynum is limited. The Stats: In for a few seconds, he was a -2. The Action: Nothing to report. Second Half: He did not play in the second half.

Phil -- -- The Lakers led 16-13 when Bynum sat after 6 minutes for Lamar when Milsap came in... The Lakers led 28-19 on 14-16 shooting. Transition game looking good. Easy layups and good looks to start in the halfcourt... The Lakers led 30-23 on 15-19 shooting after the first... Phil started a Bynum, Lamar, Luke, Shannon, Farmar unit again. They extended the lead... He then went with a Bynum, Gasol, Luke, Kobe, Fish unit... He brought back in LO for Bynum and (Artest for Luke a minute earlier)... Kobe picked up his third foul with 3 minutes left in the half and had to sit for Shannon... They lost their sense of urgency a bit, had 9 turnovers in the half and only won the quarter 23-22... They led 53-45 at the half. The Lakers shot 60.5 percent (23-38, 2-4 from three, 5-8 from the line). The Jazz shot 42.5 percent (17-40, 3-10 from three, 8-9 from the line)... Phil called a timeout when the Lakers D gave up a couple easy scores... The Jazz trimmed the lead to 3... They Lakers were up by 8 when Ron sat for Shannon... They played even in the third, 28-28. The Lakers made 12-20. They were too soft defensively, especially Kobe with the foul trouble... They led 81-73 heading into the fourth... "We just have to take care of the interior. Get the ball to our big guys," Phil said... Phil started a Bynum, Lamar, Luke, Shannon, Farmar unit again... The lead was cut to 1 before Phil called a timeout with 7:32 left... Phil brought back in his starters, leaving LO out there, sitting Bynum. Out of that timeout, we got Lamar chucking an early clock three. That can't be what Phil drew up, could it? The Lakers lost their lead. Another three was taken next time down... The Lakers scored their first field goal of the fourth 6 minutes into the quarter... They simplified things and put the ball in Kobe's hand to go one on one. Kobe took over down the stretch to help key an 11-2 run and lead by 5 with 22 seconds left... The Lakers shot 53.2 percent for the game (41-77, just 2-12 from three, 20-27 from the line). The Jazz shot 44.7 percent (38-85, 5-18 from three, 18-21 from the line)...

Game Flow -- LINK -- Crushing first half runs for the Lakers, but the Jazz kept plugging away. The 12-1 Jazz run to start the fourth changed the game. Kobe had 13 points after re-entering the game to restore order.

[srm90]

DB --
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[fakethefunk]

2nd YES
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" I have nothing in common with lazy people who blame others for their lack of success. Great things come from hard work and perseverance. No excuses."

KOBE BRYANT

[Mike@LG]

I really really enjoy this patient Kobe Bryant.
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Resident Car Nut.

https://lakersdraft.substack.com/

I am not an economic advisor nor do I advise economic strategies or plans.

[tw-lakbfan]

3rd?

Good win.

[Rick12322]

Thanks, DB, this might be my earliest post on your recap yet!

[MedRomLaker]

Danke DB
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11/9/12 the day the brown was flushed down!!!!!!

4/30/14 the day the ant left the building!!!!!!

[BigE32]

Thanks as always, DB.

[limchrc]

Good win, thanks.

[mike_dee23]

Shannon Brown is getting worse. Quickly.
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MTFBWYA

[angrypuppy]

[angrypuppy]

On a more positive note, Kobe is moving much better!

[Shaber]

I still think Bynum deserves a better smiley. Best per minute rebounder, playing through pain, good D, solid O.... And his stats were hindered by playing with bad backcourt lineup.

All in all, it will be a battle through injuries for both teams - Lakers are still beat up, Deron is beat up... Love to see the warrior attitude from all these players.
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.

Lakers depth chart

PG Johnson / Goodrich
SG Bryant / West / Scott
SF Baylor / Worthy / Cooper
PF Mikkelsen / Hairston / McAdoo / Gasol
C Chamberlain / Abdul-Jabbar / O'Neal / Mikan

[TooMuchMajicBuss]

Thanks DB!! Close one... Kobe, LO and Pau - wow did those three respond after that abysmal start to the 4th quarter.

Nice to start out with a win!

[LakerEric]

[prisma8slg]

thanks DB
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"I define success by championships, by winning..." Kobe Bryant

"I've seen it all. Sasha dunked on somebody," Kobe Bryant said. "I'm ready to retire now."

[Rodman28]

Thanx.
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*On Thin Ice*

I guess I am kind of injury prone.- Andrew Bynum

These young guys are playing checkers. I'm out there playing chess.- Kobe Bryant

[RCS926]

I hate to be dismissive of Utah so early in the series, but they are a much better match-up for the Lakers than the Thunder were. Last night's game felt anti-climatic because it was obvious how superior the Lakers are. Deron is going to be a problem but nowhere near the problem that Utah is going to have to deal with in terms of trying to stop Kobe, Pau and our overall length. Boozer may put up some numbers, but I think his points aren't going to be impact points.

The Lakers sleepwalked through half the game and still won. I expect them to be more focused in game 2 and win more handily. If they win tomorrow, then they'll have a great opportunity to steal game 3 given the long layoff. The Lakers really need to take care of business as soon as possible.

[RVCdesigns]

Thanks DB.

[A Mad Chinaman]

Thank DB

Acknowledging that LO didn't do (not much, anyway) "Early Clock" offense with his inconsistent 3pt shots when he was running with the starters, it is interesting that when he is the captain of the 2nd team - he does take back-breaking ill-advised 3pt shots.

If the 2nd team is in problem with its offensive set, why isn't a 1-4 offensive set utilized with at the top of the key utilized where he is driving towards the hole - note: he was standing at the top of the key doing nothing. If there is no communication, drive towards the hole.

Maybe Phil needs to call out the first few plays when LO is captain of the 2nd team since he seems unable to get these players going since they depend on him creating and/or at least passing the ball.

Conclusion - maybe his embarrassment of his pplay during at the start of the 4th quarter gave him motivation to do something constructive.

[DancingBarry]

[20,000]

Is LO getting too trigger happy with the 3?
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Courage doesn't always roar.
Sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying...'I will try again tomorrow.'

[Fleur-de-Lis]