Ludden: Lakers again fail to make stand

[CubanMustGo]

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=jy-spurslakers020411

LOS ANGELES – The San Antonio Spurs (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/teams/sas/) finally unwrapped Antonio McDyess (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/players/3004/)(notes) (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/players/3004/news) from their celebratory embrace long enough to skip off the court. Pau Gasol (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/players/3513/)(notes) (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/players/3513/news) hunched over the Los Angeles Lakers (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/teams/lal/)’ bench for a moment as if he were going to be sick, leaving his teammates to begin their slow shuffle to the locker room. Phil Jackson hadn’t even bothered to wait for the referees to replay the final, painful tenth of a second. Who wants to watch another dagger to the gut?

http://l.yimg.com/a/p/sp/tools/med/2011/02/ipt/1296831967.jpg?&sig=e8NqNi1l39jyY5T2R2khGw--
Antonio McDyess' tip-in between Kobe Bryant and Lamar Odom beat the Lakers.
(US Presswire)


Only Derek Fisher (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/players/3125/)(notes) (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/players/3125/news) stayed on the floor, glaring at the refs, twirling his finger above his head. He wanted McDyess’ winning tip-in erased, except anyone who had seen the shot knew the obvious: This wasn’t goaltending, just another scar on the Lakers’ season. The Staples Center emptied some more, and still Fisher stood, twirling his finger. For a rare moment, the champs looked desperate.
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The Lakers will board their chartered jet Friday, bound for New Orleans and the start of a seven-game trip that promises to test them some more. They haven’t lost the been-here-seen-it-all swagger that has steeled them through two championship runs, but deep down they know something else: As each loss piles up, their peers fear them less.

Too many teams have walked into their arena and pushed them around. The Boston Celtics (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/teams/bos/) never considered the Lakers unbeatable, but the champs’ aura has also faded out West. The Lakers’ inability to surround their big men with consistent shooting has lessened the matchup advantage their length gives them, scouts say. Such is their state that the latest loss was even seen as a small measure of progress in some corners of their locker room.

“We battled back,” Lamar Odom (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/players/3327/)(notes) (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/players/3327/news) said. “We were in position to win.”

The Lakers don’t do moral victories, and they know as much. They had hoped to use this game against the Spurs to make a stand, just like they had planned to do the same against the Celtics four days earlier and against the Spurs and Miami Heat (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/teams/mia/) in December. They’ve won just once in six games against the five teams with better records than them. The rest of the league has taken notice, even if no one wants to admit it just yet.

“We’re a good team,” Gregg Popovich said, “but I have no problem saying I think the Lakers are the best team in the West.”

Popovich’s players also dutifully played the role as doting admirers. “The Lakers are still the best team,” Tony Parker (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/players/3527/)(notes) (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/players/3527/news) said.

Gushed Richard Jefferson (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/players/3523/)(notes) (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/players/3523/news): “They’re the best team in the NBA.”

Even Jackson had to smile at that. “I’d like to agree,” he said, “but our record doesn’t support it.”

The Spurs now own a 7½-game lead over the Lakers in the conference standings and have won the first two games of their four-game season series. Already, the Lakers have lost one more game at home than they did all last season. Their week began with the Celtics humbling them on national television in a loss that prompted Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak to tell reporters the team might need to make a trade. Within three days, Ron Artest (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/players/3339/)(notes) (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/players/3339/news) was trying to quash a report that he wanted out.

Most teams would consider the circus a distraction. The Lakers have another name for it: February.

“Mental toll?” Kobe Bryant (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/players/3118/)(notes) (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/players/3118/news) said. “I think it builds mental toughness.”

The Lakers think they’re forever immune to strife, and perhaps that will again help them. They’ve navigated so many storms. What’s one more? They’re still two weeks from the NBA All-Star break, and even then they might need only the season’s final 15 games or so to find their footing. Get Andrew Bynum (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/players/3936/)(notes) (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/players/3936/news) in shape, get Matt Barnes (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/players/3643/)(notes) (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/players/3643/news) back, and shouldn’t they be ready to roll in the playoffs?

Winning consecutive titles has afforded the Lakers the benefit of the doubt, which is why no one is lining up to schedule a seven-game series against them just yet. “They just won two championships,” Popovich said. “There’s no doubt there’s going to be nights where it’s just not all there emotionally. … Phil’s going to be patient with them and do what he does, and they’ll be there come playoff time.”

Still, games like Thursday – just like Sunday’s dismantling by the Celtics – have a way of chipping at the best of teams. Gasol played aggressively. Artest looked engaged, locking up the Spurs’ All-Star guard, Manu Ginobili (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/players/3380/)(notes) (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/players/3380/news). Bryant couldn’t locate his shot but didn’t force it, choosing instead to facilitate the offense. And yet the Spurs somehow found four shots in 22.7 seconds on the game’s final possession.

As Odom watched the flight of Tim Duncan’s (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/players/3173/)(notes) (http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/players/3173/news) jumper, McDyess slipped in front of him. The ball came off the rim. McDyess tipped it back.

“Too many opportunities,” Jackson would later say.

“They got a great bounce,” Bryant said.

Best team in the West?

Fisher could only wave his finger.

[PDXSpursFan]

I have to agree with Parker & Jefferson comments - the Lakers are still the best team on the West. And neither of Kobe or Bynum are at 100% yet. The Spurs had a lot of problem scoring in the paint against the Lakers' bigs. We still need another big to compete - a starter quality 7-footer (what Splitter was suppose to be).

[duhoh]

we definitely need splitter playing more for size.

[DBMethos]

Fuck Fisher.

[rascal]

I have to agree with Parker & Jefferson comments - the Lakers are still the best team on the West. And neither of Kobe or Bynum are at 100% yet. The Spurs had a lot of problem scoring in the paint against the Lakers' bigs. We still need another big to compete - a starter quality 7-footer (what Splitter was suppose to be).

Agree. Even Pop and the spurs say the Lakers are still the best.

[lil'mo]

lakers are finished. spurs best team in the west. easily.

[CubanMustGo]

Fuck Fisher.

This. Where he gets off whining after his 0.4 shit is beyond me.

[KaiRMD1]

Fisher could only wave his finger.

HaHaHaHaHa, the video of that was hilarious, gotta make a gif of that.

[MarHill]

I have to agree with Parker & Jefferson comments - the Lakers are still the best team on the West. And neither of Kobe or Bynum are at 100% yet. The Spurs had a lot of problem scoring in the paint against the Lakers' bigs. We still need another big to compete - a starter quality 7-footer (what Splitter was suppose to be).

I will agree that the Lakers are still the favorite in the West. They are still the two-time defending champs. So they will deserve that recognition.

Also, Pop and the Spurs are not going to say they are the best team. We should know as Spurs fans how they operate about stuff like that.

Anyway, I do agree with the column that Lakers are showing some cracks. Three straight finals appearance and being an older team (my gosh....I can write that comment about another team other the Spurs.) is wearing on them in the regular season. Those are the breaks.

Now, on Splitter....when I heard RC Buford say in the offseason that he was an Anderson Varejo type. My expectations of him dropped considerably. I think a lot of Spurs fans forgot those comments or dismissed them.

He was not (or never was going to be) the savior. Especially when the track record for players coming into the Spurs system and succeeding is low. Most players struggle and Tiago is no exception.

However, he can be used for his fouls and ability to draw charges for now. I believe that will be his contribution for this team this season.

It will come down to the Big 3 being fully healthy, the Spurs bench making perimeter shots, and speeding up the tempo against the Lakers in a series.

These two games showed me (regardless of what the Spurs say publicly to the media) and they are not afraid of the Lakers and feel confident playing against them.

It's one thing to beat them at home...but another to beat them in their gym and control the game for the most part.

The Lakers are still legit but they know there is only one team in the West that can truly beat them in a series. And they got a first hand look at them last night.

On to Round 3 on March 6th.

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