LA Times Plaschke says..."This series is OVER"!!!!!

[TampaDude]

Still in denial?

Yes...I deny that you have any ing clue what you're talking about.

[TampaDude]

by the way SA, if the spurs are such a dynasty, can you guys get a repeat??? ever???

By the way, LA, if Kobe is such hot , can he win a le without Shaq??? Ever???

[mytespurs]

I agree with Bill on this one.


From the Los Angeles Times
BILL PLASCHKE

Victory feels like series-clincher for Lakers
After L.A. comes back from a 20-point third-quarter deficit, the result certainly figures to resonate on both sides.
Bill Plaschke

May 22, 2008

In the end, when the unimaginable blinked on the scoreboard, when the unthinkable danced on the hardwood, the cheers even drowned out Randy Newman.

All but three words.

"We love it!" the too-cool Staples Center fans giddily chanted with their victory song. "We love it! We love it! We love it!"

Oh, will the Lakers forever love this one.

Man, will the Spurs forever loathe it.

It was just one game, just Game 1, just a beginning.

It felt like seven games, Game 7, an ending.

The Lakers didn't just come back from a 20-point deficit to steal an 89-85 victory over the San Antonio Spurs in the Western Conference finals opener Wednesday.

They turned basketball's smartest crunch-time team into dummies.

They turned basketball's toughest veterans into twitching rookies.

They stole a victory from a team that was doing everything right, and they stole it after doing everything wrong.

In the end, after another Spur had bricked and another Laker had dived and wonderful spring chaos had once again returned to 11th and Figueroa, both locker rooms were quiet.

The Spurs, because they were trying to leave.

"We're supposed to be smarter than this," said Robert Horry, rushing into the hallway.

The Lakers, because they were trying not to laugh.

"I would think a loss like this might take a little bit out of their sails," said Jordan Farmar, dressing slowly.

The last time the Lakers pulled off a playoff comeback this large, they needed Horry to win it with that infamous last-second shot against Sacramento in Game 4 of the Western Conference finals.

You know what happened next.

The last time the Spurs blew this sort of lead and lost this sort of close game under this sort of pressure was, well, almost never.

You can almost guess what will happen next.

The weary champions have a 20-point lead on the court of the young team, and hold that team to under 90 points . . . and still lose?

The aging champions have a chance to throw a huge first punch on the road against a team that played with rust and dust . . . and they miss?

"Obviously we were up 20 and we hoped to put that one away and put them on their heels, but we didn't," said Tim Duncan, shaking his head. "We have to recover."

Recover? How do you recover from something such as this?

The answer is, you probably can't.

The Lakers may have won this series by winning a game in which their best player and league MVP made one basket in three shots -- three -- in the first half.

"Just tried to read the flow of the game," said Kobe Bryant.

Well, um, Kobe, can you maybe read it a little closer next time? Maybe turn on a light and read the part where it says, "Dude, you have to score for the Lakers to win!"

"I can get it off any time, and in the second half, I did that," said Bryant, who indeed scored 14 points in the fourth quarter and gave the Lakers the lead with two free throws and a hanging jump shot.

The Lakers also may have won this series by winning a game in which their point guard Derek Fisher had zero assists and one basket, and their big man Pau Gasol had no offensive rebounds, and Sasha Vujacic was more clutch than any of them.

"There is no script to an NBA basketball game," said Fisher. "You just go out and play as hard as you can."

Lamar Odom put it another way.

"We scrapped," he said. "We just scrapped."

The Lakers scrapped at the Spurs until they missed 18 of 21 shots in the fourth quarter.

Fisher stopped being beaten by Tony Parker. Gasol stopped being dominated by Duncan. Bryant's arms and legs stopped everyone else.

"We just kind of stopped," acknowledged the Spurs' Manu Ginobili. "I don't know if it was our legs or if it was our heads."

The Lakers then scrapped at their own pride until they stopped doing silly things, committing just one turnover in the final quarter while clearing out for Bryant to be the usual hero.

"It was crazy," said Luke Walton. "Especially to do that against the Spurs, that's impressive."

In the final seconds of the game, there was a pile of Lakers on the floor, Odom grabbing Ginobili and Sasha Vujacic grabbing the ball for the clinching free throws.

"Heart," said Vujacic. "I think we have a big heart."

In the final moments of the night, there were piles of untouched food on a table in the Spurs' locker room, pizza and sandwiches abandoned by a team that had lost its stomach.

To a team that had taken a huge step toward finding its soul.

"Winning a championship is not easy, it doesn't come to those who just wait for it, and tonight was an example," said Fisher. "We went out and we won the game."

You ask me, they won a lot more than that.

That's bandwagon Bill for ya!! This was the same columnist who yesterday wrote that the Spurs are the one team the Lakers didn't want to see...yesterday's column had a sense of gloom.....now today, it's over.
He changes opinions more than a chameleon changes color!

[Say-Townbball]

The Hornets and the Suns are tough teams? Hornets tougher than Denver maybe, but not Utah. Suns are weaker than both. I am very surprised at the number of people that think Bill's article is off. If you are going off of the standings at the end of the year, then LA is the better team than the Spurs.

I thought this series was going to go 6 or 7 but not anymore. The Lakers are in the heads of the Spurs. At no point will they be able to think they are in the driver seat. And yes, you are going to have to beat us at home. Something teams have had a VERY HARD TIME WITH. The Spurs (and their fans) have watched the Lakers ruin their dreams time and time again. This probably won't be any different. I hope this thread is brought back in a week or two. Good Luck Spurs and hand us the torch. Our turn

You think after one game, the lakers are in the Spurs' heads and it's over? You are NOT playing Utah. The Spurs are champs, not toys.

Keep telling yourself fairy tales to make yourself feel better.

next.

[nfg3]

for those of you who are not in the LA area, or bother to read the LA Times, I should fill you in on something:

Bill Plaschke is a moron. He's one of those guys always looking for an angle rather than finding a solid analysis. He should be writing for OMG! about who Lindsay Lohan is dating.

After reading the article it was pretty obvious that he was looking for a "story" not neccessarily related to the Xs and Os of BB. Talk about being a homer and all. Thanks for the heads up and you are right about him. He really is a moron to think thtt this series is over after just one game. Did the Spurs blow that game? YES, but are they just going to roll over and quit? NO.

Adjustments are going to be made and we'll see what happens in game 2.

[dickface]

If coming back from a 20pt deficit late in the 3rd quarter to win a game against the best defensive team in the league isn't overcoming adversity I DON'T KNOW WHAT IS.

America, eatin' my lunch from a single bowl in my parents basement, where I'm livin'. Happy Birthday, I'm forty-three.

Don't want to waste those precious calories...chewin'. Jesus come move my jaw for me, help me get my sloppy food down my throat.

[The Truth #6]

He's one of the clowns on Around the Horn, right? When do those jokers ever make thoughtful points? Just yesterday he was pissing in his pants that his Lakers had to play the Spurs. He's like a loudmouth friend that everyone in the group has to endure.

I wouldn't put much regard in his comments.

[Zero Point Four]

Over.

We pick our noses in your general direction.

[Zero Point Four]

Did you hear the announcer during the game?

Phil Jackson's teams are 40 - 0 in playoffs series if they win the first game.

Forty and Oh.

Impressive, wouldn't you agree?

[Spuradicator]

This is going to be funny when we beat the Lakers by game 6

[Zero Point Four]

This is going to be funny when we beat the Lakers by game 6

I'm sorry.

Forty and OH!

[Spur Spoiler]

You think after one game, the lakers are in the Spurs' heads and it's over? You are NOT playing Utah. The Spurs are champs, not toys.

Keep telling yourself fairy tales to make yourself feel better.

next.

So you know I respect the Spurs but you should be reminded the last time the Lakers and SA met, the Lakers kicked their ass 106-85. We just came back from a 20 point lead. Yes we are in their head. Is it over? I don't know, but we are in their head.

You are the champs, soon to be "were the champs". And I know we are not playing in Utah, I have counted more than 3 people in your stands of some kind of ethnicity.

[odogg726]

For those of you thanking Bill for the bulletin board material, you fail. First of all, he's not even an objective beat writer, he's a moronic columnist, like all these other phonies on these ESPN talking head shows. 2nd of all, these are the Western Conference Finals. If your old ass team still needs bulletin board material to get pumped up for a game like this, then the series has already gotten away from them.

Look at the bright side. There are plenty of career opportunities for aging NBA players. All they need is a long enough bath tub, then they can lay in it next to their old wives as they watch the sun set in a Cialis commercial or something.

[ballhog]

He's a . Heard him on PTI today. Can't stand his painted eyebrows and -eatin' grin. Those other boys on there dumped on his ass for his stupid article. Hope it comes back to bite him in the ass.

[DazedAndConfused]

Nobody in LA likes this assclown either.

Adande, COME BACK TO THE LA TIMES!!!!!!!!

[tmtcsc]

So Spurs outplay Lakers for 80% of the game and then blow it in the end go down 1-0 and this thing is over huh, give me a break.

It was more like 62.5 %. The Lakers got their work done faster.

[TampaDude]

Did you hear the announcer during the game?

Phil Jackson's teams are 40 - 0 in playoffs series if they win the first game.

Forty and Oh.

Impressive, wouldn't you agree?

Impressive...but not relevant at all.

I love how the media keeps trotting out meaningless stats like that...most of PJs series wins were with the Jordan Bulls, not the Lakers, and those with the Lakers were with Shaq. It's like the TV guys talking about how good the Celtics' playoff record is...as if the Russell Celtics of the '60s and the Bird Celtics of the '80s have any bearing at all on the current Celtics team.

Buuuut...if you wanna talk stats...a far more meaningful stat is this: The CURRENT coach of the CURRENT Spurs team has lost Game 1 of a seven-game series four times in his career, and has gone on to win all four of those series.

Of course, if the Lakers do manage to win Game 2 tonight, then the series is over, because we all know the Spurs have NEVER come back from down 0-2...oh, wait...

[Indazone]

At the end of the day, this is what you will see

[Indazone]

Bring it on LALA land

Bait and tackle is waiting for ya!

[SenorSpur]

I cannot wait to hear what this "blowhard" will have to say on Monday's "Around the Horn", once the Spurs take both Games 2 and 3.

[Spur Spoiler]

It was more like 62.5 %. The Lakers got their work done faster.

Bill might be a tool, but he is two games away from being right with this one. Lakers are in the Spurs head and owning them.

[aka_USAPA]

This is going to be funny when we beat the Lakers by game 6

It will even be funnier if the Spurs can't win Game 3 because the brooms will be out!!!!

[aka_USAPA]

I cannot wait to hear what this "blowhard" will have to say on Monday's "Around the Horn", once the Spurs take both Games 2 and 3.

So much for that. You better hope the Lakers screw Game 3 otherwise, "blowhard" will be talking about the broom!!!!!

[aka_USAPA]

Bring it on LALA land

Bait and tackle is waiting for ya!

The Spurs are not playing the Hornets. So far, the Lakers have been bringing it.
So far, the Spurs have been dominated. You better go to church Sunday and pray that the Spurs win Game 3 because as it stands right now, the Lakers look like they are going to sweep the Spurs!!!!

[wildchild]

Many Spurs players got lost in game 2, I 'll have to go on hoping these guys find the way home at game 3.