http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news;_yl...v=ap&type=lgns
Odom, Lakers look to get back on track
By ELIZABETH WHITE, Associated Press Writer
1 hour, 6 minutes ago
SAN ANTONIO (AP)—Lamar Odom had a sleepless night after the Lakers’ Game 3 loss to the San Antonio Spurs.
Pau Gasol said it’s always hard to get shut eye after a tough loss and Derek Fisher said he slept “decent enough.”
Los Angeles coach Phil Jackson wasn’t surprised.
“I like players to get their rest, there’s no doubt,” Jackson said Monday. “But any time you have a game of that importance and you don’t play well, you’re upset. It’s bothersome.”
Bothered might be an understatement for Odom.
“I got to the point where I couldn’t make a shot,” said Odom, who went 2-of-11 from the field and finished with seven points on Sunday. “But then I got to the free throw line and I wasn’t making free throws. That can’t happen.”
Odom, who hit just 3-of-8 from the foul line, wasn’t alone in his struggles in the 103-84 loss. Fisher scored just two points on 1-of-4 shooting and Gasol fared somewhat better, going 7-of-18 for 15 points.
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“A little bit indecisive, not aggressive enough finishing,” Gasol said of his offensive performance. “I didn’t finish strong enough. I was just kind of floating a few shots and they weren’t going in.”
The Lakers hold a 2-1 advantage in the Western Conference finals. Game 4 of the best-of-seven series is Tuesday in San Antonio.
Jackson said he’s “comfortable we can get Lamar back on track.”
“Once it gets going bad for him, there’s a lot of times he can’t turn his game around in the course of the night,” Jackson said. “So that’s one of the things we keep talking about, finding a way to recapture your ball game even though things haven’t gone well for you early.”
While league MVP Kobe Bryant may be as close to a one-man team as there is— his four fourth-quarter 3-pointers got the Lakers as close as 12 late in Game 3 — more help from Odom, Gasol and Fisher could go a long way toward the Lakers stealing one in San Antonio.
“I don’t think they did anything differently,” Bryant said of Gasol and Odom’s shooting. “I think they just missed a lot that they usually normally make, so you just chalk it up.”
Jackson said Fisher simply needs more shots.
“We’ve got to get six, eight shots for him, in that kind of minutes where he has an opportunity to help us,” Jackson said.
Fisher and Odom also struggled in the Lakers’ come-from-behind Game 1 victory. Odom scored eight points on 3-of-12 shooting in the 89-85 win and Fisher had four points while going 1-of-9.
The Lakers shot nearly 43 percent (35-of-82) from the field in Game 3, but the Spurs hit 38-of-74 (51 percent), including 10 3-pointers.
Manu Ginobili hit five 3s and broke out of his shooting slump to lead San Antonio with 30 points off the bench. Bryant led the Lakers with 30.
“Making shots is part of it. And we did a better job of that,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. “They (Los Angeles) missed some shots that could have gone in without a doubt.”
Offense aside, Tim Duncan said the Spurs always return to their old standby: defense.
“We have to contain them, limit what they do,” Duncan said. “They have the best scorer in the league. He can get off in stretches. We have to be able to contain the rest of their team and understand that defense is what’s going to get us over the hump.”
Now it’s the Lakers trying to get over the hump of Sunday’s loss as they look for a Game 4 win—one Bryant said the Lakers want “in the worst way”— to set up the chance to eliminate the defending champions in five games.
Fisher said doing that requires both keeping the Game 3 loss close, and also letting go of it.
“I think you hold on to the fact that it’s very frustrating and very disappointing in the sense that we couldn’t give ourselves a chance to win the game,” Fisher said. “So you hold on to some of that frustration, some of that resentment that you have for the opponent. You keep that.
“But you let go of the fact that you lost a game. … You get past that part of it and you keep your focus on the things that will motivate you and help you to win the next game.”
Spurs better come out ready and firing Game 4. Most important game of the season is on the line.Now it’s the Lakers trying to get over the hump of Sunday’s loss as they look for a Game 4 win—one Bryant said the Lakers want “in the worst way”— to set up the chance to eliminate the defending champions in five games
Kobe will bring his A game every night. I don't worry about him.
It's Lamar and Gasol that need to step it up.
The Lakers usually play well after a crappy loss. From what I've seen from Pau he usually plays well especially after a let down game. Lamar is the x factor as you really never know with him.
I don't know about Odom...don't know if you can count on him to have that mental toughness. He's the most aloof secondary guy in the league probably...
Odom has been no more inconsistent than Ginobli. These two players seem to be the key to the series.
they're completely different players
I agree. After the Game 3 loss in Utah, Lamar had a great game in Game 4, which was also a loss but he played outstanding. Manu is not a 30 point a night guy so I highly doubt he will be shooting the lights out as he did in Game 3. The Spurs better bring all they have tomorrow.....the Lakers too. This is gonna be an exciting game.
What's your point? When Odom plays well the Lakers win, when Gino plays well the Spurs win.
Well, of course they are different, however they are inconsistent and have yet to string the games they are capable of in this series. Manu has way more mental toughness though, however is not immune to ty play.
Disagreed!
During the RS, manu was our main guy, I don't think Odem was option 1 anytime during the RS for you guys.
Well, if we continue to gamble by playing Sasha and Vladdy on him he can very much get hot and score in bunches. I like Sasha's D, but he's at least another 2 years away from being a real solid defensive player.
Two days ago, Sasha was "manu stopper" now he sucks!
Spurs are still standing on the edge of the abyss.
Going back to LA 1-3 is taunting fate.
2-2, we start over. Been there, won that.
We don't need to shoot 50%+ to beat the Lakers' mediocre defense.
We do need to keep the Lakers' well under 45%
Spurs' 3s must fall (sounds like a movie le)
Please find the posts where I called Sasha the manu stopper, however he has done a decent job on him 2/3 games. However, a player of Manu's capability can elevate his game beyond good defense. Also, 2 days ago Manu was a liability and should of been glued to the bench.....this forum makes me laugh.Two days ago, Sasha was "manu stopper" now he sucks!
I agree, the 3 ball must be hot for the Spurs to win.
The Spurs are going to shoot lights out at home if the Lakers keep giving them uncontested looks.
Barry, Finley, Bowen, etc. got way too many open looks.
My point was your simplistic comparison.
Manu was probably the most consistent Spur this season when we needed him to produce when losing wasn't an option. He stepped up when the other big two were hampered at different times of the season. Manu's scoring is streaky, but he never disappears, and is always there to pitch in with critical plays. He's hardly passive like Odom is, even when his shooting is off.
Odom is a uniquely skilled player, who gives the other team match up problems, but his mental edge and leadership is suspect. He IS passive when his shot isn't going, and has a history of deferring too much. I think when Gasol came the defenses were easier for him, so he flourished. Plus he wasn't hurt this year, unlike last year.
Basically when things are tough (our Spurs defense--the pressure of shouldering the scoring load with Kobe), he tends to withdraw a little.
So Gasol doesn't need to bounce back? What about Fish? I kinda feel bad for Odom. I mean, I kind of knew he wasn't going to be as effective against the Spurs, since that's basically what has always happened to him when playing against us. But to me Gasoft is getting a bigger pass.
Gasol needs to play better and he did miss a lot of open j's, but he's playing to soft against TD and needs to bang with him and not worry too much about fouls. Timmy will get his, but he needs to earn it. Just like when bowen plays Kobe, he makes Kobe earn it....hence only 6 ft's in 3 games for Kobe.....
Gasol is being guarded by Tim Duncan. He has an excuse.
Odom is being guarded by slow ass Oberto and 90 year old Robert Horry. He has no excuses. He's just not playing smart enough.
I wasn't comparing their skillsets you dumb . I was comparing their relative impact on this series.
I saw Barry check Odom even.
and their skill sets aren't pertinent to their team impact on the series?
I was commenting on your "inconsistency" logic.
Gasoft gets the pass because he doesn't present the mismatch that Odom does. Gasoft gets Duncan, so you kinda' have to understand when Duncan Donuts outplays him.
But Odom being outplayed by Grandad Horry and Oberto? C'mon. It's only because the Lakers audience has seen Odom become a 20/20 monster himself, that it's difficult to understand why the inconsistency is still there.
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