LakeShow
05-27-2008, 12:56 PM
Kobe to Odom: Get out of own way
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12:04 AM PDT on Tuesday, May 27, 2008
By BRODERICK TURNER
The Press-Enterprise
SAN ANTONIO - Down at one end of the court all by himself, Lamar Odom shot jumpers, the sweat pouring down his face.
His Lakers teammates had left the AT& T Center floor to watch film. But Odom stayed longer to work on his game, which abandoned him during Game 3 of the Western Conference finals against the Spurs.
A 2-for-11, seven-point performance left a bad taste in Odom's mouth. So he labored Monday to find his playoff mojo in time for tonight's Game 4.
Story continues below
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Terry Pierson/The Press-Enterprise
After struggling to finish shots at the rim in Game 3, Lamar Odom vows to “dunk the basketball” and “attack the rim a little harder.”
"It was definitely one of those days," Odom said. "But you can't have too many of those. Not right now. So I've got to put that behind me and get ready for the next one."
The Lakers still lead the best-of-seven series, 2-1, and can push the Spurs to the brink with a victory tonight. Odom likely has to be more of a factor for that to happen.
His rebounding remained consistent as he grabbed 11 boards, and he found his teammates for six assists. But offensively he was out of rhythm, and he didn't even get it done at the free-throw line, missing 5 of 8.
"Once it gets going bad for him, a lot of times he can't turn his game around in the course of the night," Lakers coach Phil Jackson said. "So that's one of the things we keep talking about -- playing a way to recapture your ballgame, even though things haven't gone well for you."
Odom has been a mainstay for the Lakers in these playoffs. Entering Game 3 he was averaging 15.3 points on 50.8 percent shooting, both third best on the team, and 10.6 rebounds, tops on the team.
"I just tell him to relax," Kobe Bryant said. "Sometimes he's his own worse enemy. I tell him, 'You've got to get out of the way of yourself. Just go out there and let your game come. You got a shot, shoot it. Just relax.'
"I think he was just a little anxious. He wanted to do so well. It kind of backfired."
Odom, who took the loss hard and blamed himself after the game, said, "I still feel the same" before the Lakers practiced Monday.
He stayed up watching Game 3 again and "didn't sleep at all," Odom said.
Odom wasn't alone in misery. Pau Gasol didn't have his best game, either.
He had 15 points but Gasol missed 11 of 18 shots and had just five rebounds.
"A lot of plays went through my mind last night," said Gasol, the Lakers' second-leading scorer in the playoffs (18.8 ppg). "Just easy stuff that you have to complete; you have to make sure you convert."
Odom and Gasol have worked well together -- Gasol, the center, finding Odom, the slashing forward, frequently in the paint, and vice versa. But this time there were no smooth cuts and easy scores.
"We usually are both sharp, or one is sharp and the other might not have his best night," Gasol said. "But last night, I don't think we were where we needed to be and we didn't finish."
Odom has a remedy for layups that roll off the rim and other missed easy shots.
"Dunk the basketball," he said. "Attack the rim a little harder. Finish at the free-throw line. I got to the point where I couldn't make a shot, and then I got to the free-throw line and wouldn't make a free throw. That can't happen."
Reach Broderick Turner at [email protected] ([email protected])
http://www.pe.com/images/pod/callout_16.gif (http://pe.robocaster.com/download.mp3?http://www.pe.com/sports/basketball/breakout/stories/PE_Sports_Local_D_lakers_27.3746681.html) Download story podcast (http://pe.robocaster.com/download.mp3?http://www.pe.com/sports/basketball/breakout/stories/PE_Sports_Local_D_lakers_27.3746681.html)
12:04 AM PDT on Tuesday, May 27, 2008
By BRODERICK TURNER
The Press-Enterprise
SAN ANTONIO - Down at one end of the court all by himself, Lamar Odom shot jumpers, the sweat pouring down his face.
His Lakers teammates had left the AT& T Center floor to watch film. But Odom stayed longer to work on his game, which abandoned him during Game 3 of the Western Conference finals against the Spurs.
A 2-for-11, seven-point performance left a bad taste in Odom's mouth. So he labored Monday to find his playoff mojo in time for tonight's Game 4.
Story continues below
http://www.pe.com/imagesdaily/2008/05-27/lakers26tlpj_400.jpg
Terry Pierson/The Press-Enterprise
After struggling to finish shots at the rim in Game 3, Lamar Odom vows to “dunk the basketball” and “attack the rim a little harder.”
"It was definitely one of those days," Odom said. "But you can't have too many of those. Not right now. So I've got to put that behind me and get ready for the next one."
The Lakers still lead the best-of-seven series, 2-1, and can push the Spurs to the brink with a victory tonight. Odom likely has to be more of a factor for that to happen.
His rebounding remained consistent as he grabbed 11 boards, and he found his teammates for six assists. But offensively he was out of rhythm, and he didn't even get it done at the free-throw line, missing 5 of 8.
"Once it gets going bad for him, a lot of times he can't turn his game around in the course of the night," Lakers coach Phil Jackson said. "So that's one of the things we keep talking about -- playing a way to recapture your ballgame, even though things haven't gone well for you."
Odom has been a mainstay for the Lakers in these playoffs. Entering Game 3 he was averaging 15.3 points on 50.8 percent shooting, both third best on the team, and 10.6 rebounds, tops on the team.
"I just tell him to relax," Kobe Bryant said. "Sometimes he's his own worse enemy. I tell him, 'You've got to get out of the way of yourself. Just go out there and let your game come. You got a shot, shoot it. Just relax.'
"I think he was just a little anxious. He wanted to do so well. It kind of backfired."
Odom, who took the loss hard and blamed himself after the game, said, "I still feel the same" before the Lakers practiced Monday.
He stayed up watching Game 3 again and "didn't sleep at all," Odom said.
Odom wasn't alone in misery. Pau Gasol didn't have his best game, either.
He had 15 points but Gasol missed 11 of 18 shots and had just five rebounds.
"A lot of plays went through my mind last night," said Gasol, the Lakers' second-leading scorer in the playoffs (18.8 ppg). "Just easy stuff that you have to complete; you have to make sure you convert."
Odom and Gasol have worked well together -- Gasol, the center, finding Odom, the slashing forward, frequently in the paint, and vice versa. But this time there were no smooth cuts and easy scores.
"We usually are both sharp, or one is sharp and the other might not have his best night," Gasol said. "But last night, I don't think we were where we needed to be and we didn't finish."
Odom has a remedy for layups that roll off the rim and other missed easy shots.
"Dunk the basketball," he said. "Attack the rim a little harder. Finish at the free-throw line. I got to the point where I couldn't make a shot, and then I got to the free-throw line and wouldn't make a free throw. That can't happen."
Reach Broderick Turner at [email protected] ([email protected])