Kobe, Lakers look unbeatable in West
By Johnny Ludden
LOS ANGELES – The lane opened and, suddenly, Kobe Bryant was at the basket, rising higher, higher still, ing his right arm then violently flushing the ball through the rim.
The force of the dunk nearly scalped Paul Millsap, the Utah Jazz’s bullish forward, who had dared to challenge Bryant. Swept up by the viciousness of the act, referee Ed Malloy enthusiastically punched the air with his fist, signaling a foul on Millsap that also could have been mistaken for a celebration of Bryant’s greatness.
Bryant was later asked about his late-game dunk, if the knockout blow was meant to send a message to the Jazz and anyone else in the West that the Lakers were primed for the playoffs. He downplayed the significance, and understandably so. The real statement the Lakers delivered on Sunday came in the game’s previous 46 minutes.
As dominating as the Lakers looked in their 113-100 victory over the Jazz, they also know this: They can play better. While the Cleveland Cavaliers already appear to be humming along toward the NBA Finals, the Lakers don’t seem to have found their final gear yet.
“I hope we save it for down the road,” Lamar Odom said. “In June.”
Odom thought the Lakers could have won their playoff opener by “25 or 30” points, and Jazz coach Jerry Sloan probably realizes as much. Last week Sloan characterized the Jazz’s chances of winning the series as “bleak.” It’s safe to assume those hopes have now been downgraded to somewhere between “less than bleak” and “nonexistent.”
The Lakers shot 71 percent in the first quarter, 61 percent in the second and ran out to a 22-point lead at halftime. Sloan praised his team for its effort and for drawing within nine on three different occasions in the second half. Still, nine points, at the least, is three possessions. At no point did the Lakers feel threatened.
It now remains to be seen whether the Jazz can ever challenge the Lakers in the series. They didn’t have Mehmet Okur (hamstring) to help space their offense, and even if they get him back, Sloan admitted these Jazz, in spite of Deron Williams’ brilliance, aren’t “nasty” like previous teams that “get after you from daylight to dark.”
“Part of that is my fault,” Sloan said. “I probably haven’t been nasty enough with them.”
Sloan shouldn’t be too hard on himself. Right now, there are six other West playoff teams that would feel overmatched against the Lakers.
The Lakers are considerably more healthy than they were a year ago, and it shows. Trevor Ariza, who was still recovering from a broken right foot at the start of last season’s playoffs, went for 21 points against the Jazz. With Jordan Farmar bothered by a sore foot, the Lakers simply plugged in Shannon Brown. He made all three of his 3-pointers.
Andrew Bynum continues to work his way back from his half-season absence and Odom has returned to the bench, so the Lakers are still adjusting on the fly. Only now are they truly beginning to scratch the depth of their potential.
Said Bryant: “We’ll continue to get better as a ballclub, improve as a team, and see what happens.”
Considering how powerful the Lakers already are, that should worry their West peers. The biggest challenge the West has produced for its reigning champs? Boredom.
The Lakers don’t agree with that theory, at least publicly. But they have had a tendency, at times, to play down to the level of their opponent. Lakers coach Phil Jackson was already on guard against that after their first playoff game, faulting their play in the second half.
“It wasn’t a coach’s delight,” he said. “That’s for sure.”
Unless a suitable challenger emerges before the Finals, the Lakers will continue to look in the mirror to measure themselves. Only they will judge their play versus the potential they have within them. With the exception of a six-game series against the Jazz, the Lakers didn’t receive much of a fight along their road to last season’s Finals. Perhaps a stiffer test would have better prepped them for what awaited against the Boston Celtics, who proved to be the tougher, superior team in the le series.
The Lakers have returned to the playoffs hungrier and healthier. Anything less than a championship will be considered a failure. That’s why Derek Fisher laughed when someone wanted to compare the current Lakers to the Shaq-Kobe three-peat dynasty.
“Until we hoist that trophy and hang another banner in this arena,” Fisher said, “there is no comparison.”
The Lakers need 16 wins toward that goal. They picked up their first with Bryant leading the way. He found his teammates when they were open and imposed his will on the Jazz only when needed. Late in the second quarter, Bryant took Jazz guard C.J. Miles to the right baseline. He spun Miles one way, then the other, uncorking a rainbow that rose softly before dropping through the net.
Bryant turned and shook his head at the fans seated courtside. Smiling as smug as ever, he sent his message. For his Lakers, the best is still to come.
This Lakers team pisses me off for no other reason than the NBA and Memphis gifting Gasol to them. Kobe for crying to Kupchek and throwing Bynum under the bus. Bynum for being a total pantywaist. I hope every single NBA team well when playing the fckn' Lakers. Screw them!
LOL u mad
=) we love the Rockets. We love the rockets so much, we are cheering for you to beat Portland (The bigger threat to the Lakers).
The Lakers won by 3 points....113-110 yet the media reports are that they cruised to victory???!!If the game wasn't as close as the score indicated how is it that they "cruised" to victory?
BTW, unless you're a Lakers fan, why bother to watch the inevitable?
113-100
^ lol
I actually think the Jazz played pretty well despite the loss.
They were doing very well early in the game. But for some reason they suck on defense and had 4 players paying attention to Kobe (I mean two is enough, three is pushing it, and 4 is just plain re ed) which led Trevor Ariza to any hopes of them leading after the first. Also towards the end if the Jazz could have had some defensive stops they could have very well trimmed the lead to 4 or 5. Also Deron Williams played pretty bad shooting wise, so that's another odd factor that went against the Jazz. If Deron had his regular shooting percentages it could have been a closer game.
Don't be suprised if Jazz win one in LA if they can out some defensive stops and get there defense together, as well as Deron not going 3-12 from the field.
Thanks for the correction......duh me! I should've known betterI saw this & thought....huh???!
http://my.earthlink.net/track?id=101...419-1923219493
I wouldn't hold my breath on that one...I think you'll see more of the same or worse Tuesday. Utah may win one at home but that's about it...if they can win any at all. This team isn't playing as well as they did last year.
The Jazz played really well in the second half but a lot of that had to do with Bynum picking up his forth foul early in the third and having to come out and also the Lakers playing like the game was over cause they were up 22 points. The Jazz without a doubt have the talent to win some games in the series but I just don't think the Lakers will let it happen, we'll see.
I really hate these stupid articles about how great they think LA is, STFU then if LA wins the west talk about how no one can beat them.
The Jazz are going to thug it up in this series. They've been called out by Jerry Sloan. That old bas could still probably beat up half the league.
The Jazz have no chance in LA but in Salt Lake City, they could pull out a win. Still, I think it's going to be 4-0 or 4-1 max. Still no word on when Okur's gonna be back.
Doesn't sound like he's close to be ready for tomorrow if he hasn't even ran yet. Thursday has to be best case scenario and even that's a major reach.Okur was hopeful he could try to practice Monday morning and possibly return for Game 2. But Okur has done no court work, including before Sunday's game, and continues to undergo treatment sessions.
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He's only just realised what people have been saying all season..
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