Artest93
05-26-2009, 02:05 PM
DENVER - Last year at this time, the Lakers were in the process of flicking away the last of their Western Conference rivals en route to the NBA Finals. It was a smooth road paved with few twists or turns to jar the team on its journey. The first three rounds were almost too easy. Denver surrendered meekly to the Lakers in four games in the first round. Utah went down in six in the second round. San Antonio went in five in the conference finals.
This spring has been a different story. The Lakers actually have faced something resembling adversity. They didn't trail in a series until the Finals last season, and were tied only once. But this season they have trailed in a series once and been tied four other
times going into Game 4 of the conference finals against the Nuggets on Monday at the Pepsi Center.
"Last year we didn't face adversity until the very end, and we didn't respond to it the way we would have liked to," forward Pau Gasol said, referring to the Lakers' loss to Boston in the Finals. "This year, we're facing it and I think it's making us tougher. "Getting there and losing was very hard. Those memories come back to you during games. So, it makes you push yourself through fatigue and pain, all that kind of stuff. We've been up and we've been down, we've just got to continue to keep our poise, keep our composure and trust in our key guys out there. I think we do that pretty well. At this point in the year, you've got no other choice." Some of the Lakers' difficulties this spring could be tied to their inability to show up and play with the required energy and efficiency in losses to the Houston Rockets in Games 4 and 6 of their second-round series. The Lakers had to go seven before winning.
Gasol said he believed the Lakers learned their lesson.
"Against Houston, you could say we might have relaxed in the two road games, or they played really well and we weren't able to respond, whatever you want to say," Gasol said. "But still, it's been a demanding playoffs and that's what it's going to take.
"If you want to be a championship team, you're going to have to go through struggles and be fatigued and be tired, but at the end of the day, the only thing that matters is how far you can get and if you can get to the ring." Kobe Bryant complained to the referees in Game 3 the Nuggets were taking liberties with teammate Lamar Odom, cracking him in the bruised lower back that's troubled him since he fell to the court May 10 against Houston.
"If you think about posting up or boxing out, I don't think anybody is purposely trying to elbow me or hit me in the back," Odom said before Game 4. "But just in case they do, I got a little football pad back there."
Odom patted his back, revealing protective padding.
Foul play
Foul play (Part II) NBA officials upgraded a personal foul charged to Denver's Dahntay Jones in Game 3 for shoving Bryant in the back to a flagrant-1 foul.
This spring has been a different story. The Lakers actually have faced something resembling adversity. They didn't trail in a series until the Finals last season, and were tied only once. But this season they have trailed in a series once and been tied four other
times going into Game 4 of the conference finals against the Nuggets on Monday at the Pepsi Center.
"Last year we didn't face adversity until the very end, and we didn't respond to it the way we would have liked to," forward Pau Gasol said, referring to the Lakers' loss to Boston in the Finals. "This year, we're facing it and I think it's making us tougher. "Getting there and losing was very hard. Those memories come back to you during games. So, it makes you push yourself through fatigue and pain, all that kind of stuff. We've been up and we've been down, we've just got to continue to keep our poise, keep our composure and trust in our key guys out there. I think we do that pretty well. At this point in the year, you've got no other choice." Some of the Lakers' difficulties this spring could be tied to their inability to show up and play with the required energy and efficiency in losses to the Houston Rockets in Games 4 and 6 of their second-round series. The Lakers had to go seven before winning.
Gasol said he believed the Lakers learned their lesson.
"Against Houston, you could say we might have relaxed in the two road games, or they played really well and we weren't able to respond, whatever you want to say," Gasol said. "But still, it's been a demanding playoffs and that's what it's going to take.
"If you want to be a championship team, you're going to have to go through struggles and be fatigued and be tired, but at the end of the day, the only thing that matters is how far you can get and if you can get to the ring." Kobe Bryant complained to the referees in Game 3 the Nuggets were taking liberties with teammate Lamar Odom, cracking him in the bruised lower back that's troubled him since he fell to the court May 10 against Houston.
"If you think about posting up or boxing out, I don't think anybody is purposely trying to elbow me or hit me in the back," Odom said before Game 4. "But just in case they do, I got a little football pad back there."
Odom patted his back, revealing protective padding.
Foul play
Foul play (Part II) NBA officials upgraded a personal foul charged to Denver's Dahntay Jones in Game 3 for shoving Bryant in the back to a flagrant-1 foul.