Silver Screen and Roll

Two Minutes Of Thunder Basketball Wins The Game

2012-05-17T06:53:43Z

How do you win 46 minutes of a game and still...lose the game? The Los Angeles Lakers answered that question tonight. After a plodding, physical slugfest run at a significantly slower pace than Monday's massacre in Oklahoma City, the Thunder came from 7 points down with a little over two minutes left in the game and went on a 9-0 run to win in devastating fashion.

Where do you start pointing fingers for those two minutes? Is it at Kobe for an awful turnover in the middle of the rally, or for his two misses to end the game? Or is it at Steve Blake for missing his shot, wide-open in the corner for three? Is it at John Kuester and Mike Brown for drawing up a play that only served to take time off the clock when they were both down a point and with OKC having a foul to give?

Just an hour after the game ended, aside from being a devastated Laker fan crying into his Magic Johnson jersey, clutching his favorite Chick Hearn bobblehead, I'm still trying to figure out exactly how we lost that game.

Even though the score didn't always reflect this statement, the Lakers were winning this game for the first 46 minutes. After watching the Thunder light up them up possession after possession on Monday in a contest that belonged more on a speedway than a basketball court, LA controlled the pace of the game on both side of the rock. Defensively, the Lakers put much more pressure on the ball, illiciting more turnovers from the Thunder in the first 14 minutes of the game than in all of Game 1. Metta World Peace used his size and strength to push the lanky Kevin Durant all over the court, limiting his touches and aggressiveness. His three steals, combined with Kobe's four, disrupted a OKC perimeter game that absolutely torched the Lakers. Durant, Harden and Westbrook were noticeably perturbed that LA's defenders, both inside the lane and out, were a step quicker and nastier than they were on Monday. The Lakers won the rebounding battle 41-36 (11-6 offensive) and guarded the pick and roll to much more effectiveness tonight, slowing a rambunctious Thunder attack to a mere 34 points in the paint, as opposed to 48 in Game 1.

All in all, the Lakers played with the type of vigor and energy they lacked just two days ago. The closeouts were more crisp, rotations better settled and post defense swarming. The Lakers made this a slow-down, physical contest, the style of play they had excelled at and won with since their infamous punking at the hands of the 2008 Boston Celtics. LA knew how to be just rough enough to bother the Thunder, and yet, not set off a refereeing crew that seemed all to happy to blow the whistle. Conversely, the young Thunder kept on making silly fouls in the second and third quarter, annoyed and overzealously attacking a Lakers team that was pushing them around all game long. This was exactly the type of game they Lakers had to play to win. It had to be slowed down, ugly and tight in the last few minutes. After all, the vaunted Lakers halfcourt attack would take care of close games in the playoffs, right? That's what we've been hearing from the coaching staff and player all year long, ad naseum. The Lakers did this for 46 full minutes, and even though it wasn't a wire to wire victory, with two minutes left in the game, it sure as hell felt like one.

The problem is, that with two minutes left in the game, the Lakers allowed the Thunder to play Thunder Basketball.

With two minutes left, Kobe Bryant picked a bad time to show his age, carelessly throwing away the ball to Durant, and grazing the rim on two tough shots. With two minutes left, James Harden and Kevin Durant woke up from their game-long slumber, ran the game at the pace they wanted and sunk every shot they had missed all night long. With two minutes left, the Lakers coaching staff didn't take a time out to control a game that had spun out of control more wildly than the heads did of all the Lakers players. With two minutes left, the Lakers choked in the biggest moment of the season, in the game they had to have.

Going forward, what does Mike Brown say to his team? They dominated the second half almost (key word: almost) to completion. They frustrated the Thunder into taking bad shots or turning the ball over, controlled the glass and owned their opponents physically. How do you tell a team that did nearly everything they were supposed to do to play just a little bit better? The Lakers scratched and clawed for nearly the whole game, but in the last two minutes, let their guard down and allowed an bunch of supremely talented, energetic newcomers play the way that lets them win. The Thunder played Thunder Basketball for only two minutes of the game, and still won. That's how good this Thunder team is.

The Lakers weren't perfect - see Ramon Sessions' stat line, Metta's adventures with field goal attempts and Matt Barnes' ghost of a performance - but they were certainly good enough to win this game, and for a moment, looked good enough to win this series.

As our own Dexter Fishmore tweeted earlier this evening: "Season's on the line right here. If the Lakers don't survive this collapse, it's over." He might not be wrong. But the Lakers had to have this game. Even in a close loss, this isn't one that anyone easily shakes. Let's hope I'm wrong too.

Thunder 77, Lakers 75: Just Devastating

2012-05-17T04:40:08Z

In heartbreaking fashion, the Lakers choke away a game they had to have, as the Thunder rally in the last two minutes to close out the game right in the face of one of the greatest closers of all time. Wow. Hard to sum that one up.

With two minutes left in the game, the Los Angeles Lakers led by 7 points over the Oklahoma City Thunder. Victory felt secure, as the Show had completely taken OKC out of their game for nearly the entire second half. The contest had turned into a slow, physical slugfest, just the way that everyone on the team, coaching staff and management said they'd have to do to win this series. Bynum and Pau were controlling the paint defensively, with Metta World Peace having his hands seemingly over every single Thunder possession. OKC was confined to shooting jump shot after jump shot, and unlike Monday's debacle, they continued to miss. And again. And again.

Two James Harden lay-ups, a Kobe turnover and a clutch KD bucket later, the Lakers were down one, with everyone wondering "What the eff just happened?". After looking like their feet were bogged down by thick midwestern mud all game, the Thunder came alive and looked exactly like the killers they were just 48 hours ago. The Thunder stole this one. Or did the Lakers choke it away?

This is the postgame thread. I'd say enjoy, but I know no one is in the mood the enjoy much of anything right now. Just devastating.

Lakers-Thunder Second Half Thread

2012-05-17T02:59:00Z

Proceed.

Lakers-Thunder Open Thread

2012-05-17T01:00:17Z

The NBA levied fines against two Lakers today. Devin Ebanks was fined 25 grand for acting a fool after he got tossed from Game One. Andrew Bynum got touched for 10 for skipping a mandatory media session yesterday. That money should be placed in a fund and used to compensate Laker fans who sat through Monday's massacre.

Thunder are favored by 8 in this one. A few books are moving the line to 8 1/2. Basically, very few people expect the Lakers to return to L.A. with a series split. Derp derp derp.

Carouse responsibly whenever someone mentions:

How the Thunder had just four turnovers in Game One,
How Game Two is (or is not) a "must win" for the Lakers,
That horrible 3-2 zone defense Mike Brown tried Monday night,
The Shaq-Barkley "shirt off" bet, or
The "college-type atmosphere" at Chesapeake Energy Arena.

This comment thread is open for business.

Poll

Your prediction for tonight?

Lakers by 8 or more

7 votes

Lakers by 7 or fewer

24 votes

Thunder by 7 or fewer

1 votes

Thunder by 8 or more

18 votes

50 votes | Poll has closed

Lakers-Thunder Game Two Preview: A Fool's Hope

2012-05-16T21:06:27Z

There was never much hope. Just a fool's hope.

Tonight, the Los Angeles Lakers face the Oklahoma City Thunder in game two of the Western Conference Semifinals in OKC. Based on results, many many results, you might be forgiven for thinking the Lakers have no chance of winning this contest. For evidence, you could look to Game One, in which the younger, faster Thunder made the Lakers look every bit as weary as you might expect them to be after a grueling first round series. The Lakers lost that game by 29 points, but even more troubling is that the Lakers were down 15 at the end of a first half that saw them play OK. The Thunder were just that unstoppable, going over under and through whatever token resistance the Lakers were able to put up. It was a demoralizing loss for anybody that had any morale left.

You could look at the results in the first round, too. Save for one magical stretch in the 4th quarter of Game 5 in the 1st round, Monday's contest marked the third time in four games that the Lakers have failed even to look competitive. Or the regular season, in which the Lakers consistently appeared second best, both against the team they are currently playing, and against all the other teams that are considered worthy of championship aspiration. There is plenty of evidence out there in the world, and just about all of it points to the same conclusion: The Los Angeles Lakers cannot defeat the Oklahoma City Thunder in a seven game series.

So that's it then. Game over, series over, season over, right? Well, not exactly. The Lakers, and their loving followers, do have hope.

There is a world in which the Los Angeles Lakers can compete with and get the best of the Oklahoma City Thunder. I've documented the specifics of this world enough that I don't need to repeat myself here, but the concepts are the same. This world involves energy, and passion, and size, and physicality, and wisdom, and discipline, and execution. In this world, Kobe Bryant is masterful, Andrew Bynum is the sum of his vast potential, Pau Gasol is the bully, and everyone else simply does their job. This world exists, and we have seen visions of it in the past.

Sadly, realistically, there is also reason to believe that this world will not coincide with our world, for reasons both in and out of the Lakers' control. The Lakers may not have the energy required to win this series because their stars have played big minutes all season long and have not had a break at any point in the playoffs. They may not have the wisdom because wisdom comes from the head coach, and it has not been made clear that the Lakers' head man has the knowledge (or ability to communicate that knowledge) required. The Lakers may not have the passion, because two of their three stars have various issues weighing on their minds and their play. The Lakers may not have the execution, because they may simply not be good enough to execute. And the Lakers may not have the discipline, because theirs is a team filled with folks who cannot list self control as a strength.

In order to win tonight's game, and to have a chance at winning this 2nd round playoff series, they will need Kobe to be able to punish a single defender on his own, and help his teammates punish more defenders. They will need Andrew Bynum to be an offensive force and not be taken advantage of on defense. They will need Pau Gasol to play like a warrior and not a professor. They will need Metta World Peace to limit Kevin Durant, and they will need Russell Westbrook to struggle with the open mid range shots that he can create any time he wants. But mostly, they will need those qualities: energy, passion, size, physicality, wisdom, discipline, and execution. If they are not capable of said qualities, than history has already been written and we are just running out the clock. Most of the evidence suggests just such a case.

But not all of the evidence. We've seen all the qualities needed for the Lakers to win this series at one time or another. We've even seen most of them at the same time. The marriage between capability and performance has never been a strength for this roster, but only because the capability is quite a bit to live up to.

There was never much hope the Lakers would choose right now, in this game and in this series, to put the pieces together to become excellent. The writing has been on the wall all season long, that the team simply wasn't up to the task. But there is hope, just a fool's hope, that tonight will be the first step in the Lakers putting together an epic run to culminate their long journey.

It's not much, but if you know what happens after the above quote, as fictional as it may be, you'll know that a fool's hope can be more than enough.

Lakers and a Call for Effort

2012-05-16T17:00:21Z

The Lakers find themselves down 0-1 in the second round against a very good Oklahoma City squad. The strengths and weaknesses of both teams have been analyzed to death. The Game 1 thrashing has been discussed to the point that nearly 50% of the Lakers fan base now has a prescription for Prozac. There is really nothing else I can provide in terms of X's and O's, line-up advantages, or any other stats-based analysis that will reveal the secret to beating the Thunder. It really boils down to effort and therein lies the problem.

From ESPN's Scouts Inc preview of the series:

The single biggest factor in whether the Lakers beat the Thunder will be the play of Bynum and Gasol. If they show up every game and are aggressive and assertive the Lakers can win this series.

It would seem asinine that a group of professional athletes who make millions can't find the focus to put in 30 to 40 minutes of hard work every other night, yet that is potentially the Lakers' biggest weakness. Now let me be clear, I do think the Lakers gave quite a bit of effort in Game 1 until it was well out of hand. They just ran into a red hot shooting Thunder team at the same time as they began to run out of gas. But one of the reasons the Lakers found themselves running on fumes is because they allowed the previous series that should have been over quickly to go the full distance. As they say, you reap what you sow. The Lakers planted seeds of inconsistency and complacency and now the are reaping the rewards of fatigue and exhaustion.

I can understand how inconsistency and complacency can set in during a long and grueling regular season, but not in the playoffs. There is no team in the league that goes through the motions with minimal effort in the playoffs like the Lakers and it isn't a secret either.

A few other quotes from various media sources.

From NBA.com's Charley Rosen:

Five things to watch for

2) Considering his history of loafing and pouting when he doesn't get as many touches as he thinks he should, will Bynum come to play every minute of every game?

And there is ESPN's 5-on-5 piece:

Fact or Fiction: The Thunder have the better big three at the moment

Adande: Fact... If Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum could pitch in 35 rebounds and 10 blocked shots a night the way they did last game, they and Kobe would get the nod. But they've been too inconsistent throughout the playoffs.

Palmer: Fact. Primarily because they bring it every night... When the Lakers' big three are operating at maximum capacity, they've got it hands down. But those days are fewer and farther between, especially with Andrew Bynum smack in the middle of one of his patented funks.

Thorpe: In any one game, I'd choose L.A.'s big three. The Gasol-Bynum post-to-post action might be the best two-man action in the NBA today from two frontcourt players. But in a seven-game series, I'll lean OKC's way. More consistent, more mature, more spirited and invested towards each other.

Perhaps most telling is Thorpe's last sentence. He views OKC as the "more consistent" and "more mature" team. That is a testament to OKC doing things the right way with the right types of players, but it also is a shot directly at the Lakers. Most of the Lakers have been together for multiple seasons and have won a title together, yet they aren't as "mature" as the Thunder? I can't say I disagree which is what is so frustrating as a Lakers fan.

The sky is the limit with this team. They have all the talent needed to compete for a title, but despite the rotation being comprised of predominantly veterans, they aren't mature enough. They, particularly Bynum, frequently mail in games. It's something almost unheard of in the playoffs, yet the Lakers big men have both been known to do just that.

Do the Lakers have the talent to beat the Thunder? I don't know. What I do know is that if they don't give a full effort they won't have a chance. If they show up every game and leave everything on the floor, it may still not be enough to win the series. But such an effort would allow them to hold their heads up high and make the fan base proud. In the end that is all we can ask for. The question now is whether we are asking too much.

Lakers Look to Bounce Back From Embarrassing Loss to the Thunder

2012-05-16T16:05:10Z

So, it's been about 36 hours since the Lakers were handed their worst loss in a playoff game since 1998. How will they respond? That is a very good question. Kobe Bryant says they haven't been too "down", while acknowledging that they have to do better than they did in Monday night's debacle, while some think he's already given up.

"We're a team that doesn't get down when we get blown out. We've been blown out a bunch of times this season, blown out last series a couple times," Bryant said.

"We're used to dealing with that."

"Everything's fixable. It's just about making adjustments. That's really what the postseason is," said Bryant, a five-time NBA champ.

"They came out, took us out back and whooped us. It's on us to make adjustments, to make changes and come back with a better effort — and we will."

Erm, you might not want to get too used to getting blown out, Kobester. That will mean the premature end of your season.

Speaking of premature exits, it seems Danilo Gallinari is having a tough time getting over the Nuggets' loss to the Lakers in round one.

"I had a bad night. It's my nature, and I was given this by my parents, to live for those big moments. I want big games to prove to myself that I'm a winner and not a loser," Gallinari told me Monday [...]

"I didn't have just the world watching that game, but also my friends, my family and everybody in my home country knew I was coming out to have a big game. And I didn't."

"I'm still not sleeping. I'm still mad," Gallinari said. "Not talking to anybody. You lucky I'm talking to you guys today."

Hey Gallo, your time may come, but for now, take some Unisom and catch some ZZZZZs.

And what was Devin Ebanks thinking, going all "CRACCCQQQQIOOOU!!!" in that game? Ridiculous.

Game 2 is tonight. The Lakers will need to come of hibernation since the Thunder will be loaded for bear.

LULZ

The Credits: "Bad Teacher" - Lakers Links

2012-05-16T15:00:40Z

Starring the Lakers vs. the Thunder in Game 2 of the Western Conference Semi-Finals

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