Denver Nuggets 92
Los Angeles Lakers 119
Lakers Win Series 4-2
For the 30th time in franchise history, the Lakers are on their way to the NBA Finals and they played their best game of these playoffs to get there. Tasked with trying to knock out a feisty, talented Nuggets team on their home court, the Lakers put a silence to their critics who were waiting for them to display a killer instinct. The criticism has been well-warranted after the Lakers were blown out in three of their last four playoff road games and losing more than their share of big leads down the stretch of the regular season. But on this night, they put it all together and basically spent the entire second-half getting some reps in for the upcoming championship series.
Kobe Bryant was at his best (again), getting his teammates involved early and then stepping on the gas to open up the lead in the last few minutes of the first half. After playing facilitator early on, helping Trevor Ariza to tally 10 first quarter points, Kobe scored 11 points in a 21-7 run that helped the Lakers overcome the only deficit (1 point) they had all night and go into halftime with a 53-40 lead. Bryant finished with 35 points (12-of-20 shooting) to go along with 10 assists and 6 rebounds. By helping his teammates get going early, Kobe was far from the lone gun. After a quick start by Ariza, he finished with 17 points on just 9 shots, Lamar Odom had a second straight solid performance with 20 points, and Pau Gasol continued his stellar play with 20 points, 12 rebounds, and 6 assists. To illustrate just how complete a performance the Lakers gave, they shot 57% from the field, hit on 9-of-16 threes, and knocked down all 24 of their free throws. The Lakers also outrebounded the Nuggets by 11 and doubled the Denver's assist total (28-14).
As for the Nuggets, well they just didn't play well in the biggest game in the franchise's history. Now that's not really a criticism. The nuggets surprised a lot of people by tallying 54 wins and being one of the most impressive teams in the playoffs. They scored more than any other team this postseason and had an astounding 8 wins by 10 points or more. Yet for all the talent on this team, it still had a bit of an unpredictable personality. They still fell victim to some lapses in focus, getting some untimely technicals and committing some questionable fouls. Of course, everyone will also remember the botched inbounds plays in Games 1 and 3 and what those plays could have meant in this series had they turned out better. But this is still a relatively young team that was on the big stage of the Conference Finals for the first time. Denver will be returning most of its core group and their biggest free agent concern is bringing back defensive stopper and bench sparkplug Chris Andersen. So I look for the Nuggets to come back next year with a strong desire of getting back to this level.
Going forward, the Lakers are now awaiting their opponent for the NBA Finals. They beat the Cleveland Cavaliers twice on the season (including snapping their season-opening 23-game home winning streak), and held LeBron James to a combined 14-for-45 shooting. On the other hand, they were beaten twice this season by the Magic, who have come on strong in the East Finals. If it's the Cavs, the Finals will start in Cleveland, but if the Magic close out the series tonight or in Game 7, the Lakers will have homecourt advantage.
Showing posts with label Western Conference Finals. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Western Conference Finals. Show all posts
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Western Conference Finals - Game 5 Recap
Denver Nuggets 94
Los Angeles Lakers 103
Lakers Lead Series 3-2
To say that the Lakers won this game in the 4th quarter is an understatement. Game 5 between the Lakers and Nuggets was tied after the first, again the second, and again after the third. With neither team able to get much separation, the Lakers took the first real run of the game and didn't let go after that. Trailing 73-66 late in the third, the Lakers tore off on a 21-3 run that was sparked by Shannon Brown's big fast break dunk over Chris "Birdman" Andersen. The Nuggets went 6:32 without a point between the end of the third and beginning of the fourth quarter, missing 11 straight shots during that stretch. This helped the Lakers score the first 11 points in the fourth and the Nuggets didn't get closer than 4 the rest of the way.
What's interesting is that I felt like the teams almost switched roles in this game. The Lakers were definitely much more aggressive than they had been in this series, which probably comes as a result of Kobe's concerted effort to be more of a facilitator in this one. The Nuggets hoisted 24 threes and were not drawing the fouls they were in Game 4 when they attacked the rim. To the Lakers credit, their often maligned defense was superb in the second half. They held the Nuggets to 39% shooting for the game and only surrendered 38 points in the final two quarters. Not known for their interior defense, the Lakers blocked 12 shots (including 5 by Pau Gasol) and contrary to what George Karl said in his postgame news conference, most of them were clean blocks on replay. During their second half struggles, the Nuggets really got away from what had been working for them so far in the series. They finished with only 17 assists, stopped attacking, and deferred too often to Carmelo Anthony, who finished just 9-of-23 from the field.
The Lakers bench has also gotten quite a bit of grief for their lack of contributing quality minutes in support of the starters. In particular, Lamar Odom and the backup point guards have taken most of the heat. Not so in this game. Odom showed off just how good he can be when he puts it all together, finishing with 19 points, 14 rebounds, 3 assists, and 4 blocks. He was all over the boards, had active hands on defense, and was constantly getting great position in the key on offense. After Derek Fisher finally found his shot, Jordan Farmar provided a few good minutes off the bench in the first half. According to ESPN sideline reporter Doris Burke, Farmar was poised to check in for Fisher again late in the third coming out of a timeout, but only if Anthony Carter was coming in for Chauncey Billups. Of his backup PGs, Phil Jackson prefers Shannon Brown as a defender on Billups and when Billups stayed in the game, Jackson sent in Brown for his first minutes of the game. What a boost he provided. Brown had the aforementioned dunk on Andersen, but also hit a big shot at the shot clock buzzer to cap the 21-3 run, and played some stellar defense on Billups. In his 14 minutes, Brown finished with a +/- rating of +13. The Lakers and Phil Jackson can't ask for much more from their bench. Combine that effort with Kobe's efficient 22 points on 6-for-13 shooting, along with 8 assists and 5 rebounds, and another double-double from Pau Gasol, the Lakers proved just how they won the West by 11 games in the regular season.
One more performance like that and they will be making a return trip to the NBA Finals.
Los Angeles Lakers 103
Lakers Lead Series 3-2
To say that the Lakers won this game in the 4th quarter is an understatement. Game 5 between the Lakers and Nuggets was tied after the first, again the second, and again after the third. With neither team able to get much separation, the Lakers took the first real run of the game and didn't let go after that. Trailing 73-66 late in the third, the Lakers tore off on a 21-3 run that was sparked by Shannon Brown's big fast break dunk over Chris "Birdman" Andersen. The Nuggets went 6:32 without a point between the end of the third and beginning of the fourth quarter, missing 11 straight shots during that stretch. This helped the Lakers score the first 11 points in the fourth and the Nuggets didn't get closer than 4 the rest of the way.
What's interesting is that I felt like the teams almost switched roles in this game. The Lakers were definitely much more aggressive than they had been in this series, which probably comes as a result of Kobe's concerted effort to be more of a facilitator in this one. The Nuggets hoisted 24 threes and were not drawing the fouls they were in Game 4 when they attacked the rim. To the Lakers credit, their often maligned defense was superb in the second half. They held the Nuggets to 39% shooting for the game and only surrendered 38 points in the final two quarters. Not known for their interior defense, the Lakers blocked 12 shots (including 5 by Pau Gasol) and contrary to what George Karl said in his postgame news conference, most of them were clean blocks on replay. During their second half struggles, the Nuggets really got away from what had been working for them so far in the series. They finished with only 17 assists, stopped attacking, and deferred too often to Carmelo Anthony, who finished just 9-of-23 from the field.
The Lakers bench has also gotten quite a bit of grief for their lack of contributing quality minutes in support of the starters. In particular, Lamar Odom and the backup point guards have taken most of the heat. Not so in this game. Odom showed off just how good he can be when he puts it all together, finishing with 19 points, 14 rebounds, 3 assists, and 4 blocks. He was all over the boards, had active hands on defense, and was constantly getting great position in the key on offense. After Derek Fisher finally found his shot, Jordan Farmar provided a few good minutes off the bench in the first half. According to ESPN sideline reporter Doris Burke, Farmar was poised to check in for Fisher again late in the third coming out of a timeout, but only if Anthony Carter was coming in for Chauncey Billups. Of his backup PGs, Phil Jackson prefers Shannon Brown as a defender on Billups and when Billups stayed in the game, Jackson sent in Brown for his first minutes of the game. What a boost he provided. Brown had the aforementioned dunk on Andersen, but also hit a big shot at the shot clock buzzer to cap the 21-3 run, and played some stellar defense on Billups. In his 14 minutes, Brown finished with a +/- rating of +13. The Lakers and Phil Jackson can't ask for much more from their bench. Combine that effort with Kobe's efficient 22 points on 6-for-13 shooting, along with 8 assists and 5 rebounds, and another double-double from Pau Gasol, the Lakers proved just how they won the West by 11 games in the regular season.
One more performance like that and they will be making a return trip to the NBA Finals.
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Western Conference Finals - Game 4 Recap
Los Angeles Lakers 101
Denver Nuggets 120
Series Tied 2-2
When one team in a game is able to get into the paint as attack the rim as often as the Denver Nuggets did Monday night, while the other is content swinging the ball and taking jumpers, it's only a matter of time before the aggressor blows it open and pulls away. The Lakers did enough to stay within earshot of the Nuggets, but unlike Games 1 and 3, they were never really close enough for Kobe to assume his "closer" role.
The Nuggets were stuffing the paint on both ends, attacking on offense and collapsing on defense. Their D made it down right murderous for Kobe to get into the lane and attack and the fact that his teammates were off from the perimeter did nothing to help open it up as the game progressed. More and more, this is turning into the Kobe-and-Pau show for the Lakers, who are clearly at their best when their offense is well-rounded and the big 2 get help. Some nights (like Game 3) the shear greatness of two premier offensive talents is enough. But more often than not, those two will not be able to do it alone.
Denver kept the pressure up on offense despite a poor night from an ineffective/sick Carmelo Anthony. The Nuggets absolutely dominated on the boards on both ends, grabbing 18 more rebounds than LA, including a 20-9 edge on the offensive glass. The Nuggets played an excellent, well-rounded game. In addition to the aforementioned rebound advantage, they also had an 18-point edge on point in the paint, a 42-24 advantage off the bench, outscored the Lakers by 10 on the fast break and only committed 6 turnovers in the game. All in all I think this game was even more impressive than their 58-point drubbing of the Hornets in Round 1, which is saying something.
The trick will be going to LA and beating a Lakers team that knows they got the win in Denver they needed to be able to win this series at home. Obviously, this is a Laker team with, as Phil Jackson put it, a little "Jekyll and Hyde" in them. But it's a huge confidence boost to know that they have the home court advantage in what's now become a 3 game series. But Denver has proven it can win at Staples once in this series, so let's see who comes out the aggressor in Game 5 on Wednesday.
Denver Nuggets 120
Series Tied 2-2
When one team in a game is able to get into the paint as attack the rim as often as the Denver Nuggets did Monday night, while the other is content swinging the ball and taking jumpers, it's only a matter of time before the aggressor blows it open and pulls away. The Lakers did enough to stay within earshot of the Nuggets, but unlike Games 1 and 3, they were never really close enough for Kobe to assume his "closer" role.
The Nuggets were stuffing the paint on both ends, attacking on offense and collapsing on defense. Their D made it down right murderous for Kobe to get into the lane and attack and the fact that his teammates were off from the perimeter did nothing to help open it up as the game progressed. More and more, this is turning into the Kobe-and-Pau show for the Lakers, who are clearly at their best when their offense is well-rounded and the big 2 get help. Some nights (like Game 3) the shear greatness of two premier offensive talents is enough. But more often than not, those two will not be able to do it alone.
Denver kept the pressure up on offense despite a poor night from an ineffective/sick Carmelo Anthony. The Nuggets absolutely dominated on the boards on both ends, grabbing 18 more rebounds than LA, including a 20-9 edge on the offensive glass. The Nuggets played an excellent, well-rounded game. In addition to the aforementioned rebound advantage, they also had an 18-point edge on point in the paint, a 42-24 advantage off the bench, outscored the Lakers by 10 on the fast break and only committed 6 turnovers in the game. All in all I think this game was even more impressive than their 58-point drubbing of the Hornets in Round 1, which is saying something.
The trick will be going to LA and beating a Lakers team that knows they got the win in Denver they needed to be able to win this series at home. Obviously, this is a Laker team with, as Phil Jackson put it, a little "Jekyll and Hyde" in them. But it's a huge confidence boost to know that they have the home court advantage in what's now become a 3 game series. But Denver has proven it can win at Staples once in this series, so let's see who comes out the aggressor in Game 5 on Wednesday.
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Western Conference Finals - Game 3 Recap
Los Angeles Lakers 103
Denver Nuggets 97
Lakers Lead Series 2-1
Say what you will about NBA basketball, but these Conference Finals series cannot be considered to be dull by any standards. 5 games played to this point and this game is the first one to be decided by more than 3 points....and even then, it still wasn't decided until the final 15-20 seconds.
What has to be disheartening for the Nuggets was the fact that they really could not have played a whole lot better for most of the game while the Lakers really never seemed to be in sync, but the Lakers were able to stick around into the 4th. And as George Karl has witnessed and acknowledged, the Lakers have the game's best closer so letting the Lakers stay within striking distance gave Kobe Bryant the chance to push the Lakers to a 2-1 series lead. He scored 13 points in the final quarter, and finished with 41 on an efficient 12-of-24 shooting. Kobe was able to attack the basket and draw fouls, helping him get to the line 17 times (making 15), and he added 6 rebounds and 5 assists against just 1 turnover. Kobe got help from Pau Gasol (20/11; 6th straight playoff double-double) and Trevor Ariza (16 points; 2nd big late-game steal). And despite their mostly maligned defense, the Lakers held the Nuggets to 39% shooting and just 5-for-27 from behind the arc.
The key for the Nuggets is having at least one of their perimeter guns (Melo, Chauncey, or JR Smith) going off because this team doesn't have a consistent low-post scoring option that can create shots and provide some offensive balance. At first glance, you see that Nene and Chris Andersen combined for 28 points on 11-of-18 shooting. But neither of those players is a true score-for-themselves players and usually need the floor to be spaced and the Nuggets guards to attack the basket to create scoring opportunities. So when those three perimeter guys are a combined 13-for-43 from the field, it's hard to dump the ball into the post and be able to get consistent offense.
Carmelo has been fantastic in this series but he scored just 3 of his 21 points in the second half. In fact, Carmelo took just 4 shots after halftime, without a make. What I can't understand is how George Karl and Chauncey Billups aren't force-feeding Melo the ball. Here's a guy that averaged 36.5 points in the first two games in LA, and was on that pace with 18 points in the first half. But 4 shots in the entire second half of a close game the Nuggets really needed? Unbelievable. George Karl has taken some flack for the steal that occurred in Game 1 but I don't really fault him this time. Instead of Anthony Carter, this time he used the 6-foot-9 Kenyon Martin. Martin had Melo flashing open before Ariza could close, but just threw a horrible pass. So I don't see Karl being at fault there, but I do for the fact that Carmelo got 13 shots for the game.
Denver Nuggets 97
Lakers Lead Series 2-1
Say what you will about NBA basketball, but these Conference Finals series cannot be considered to be dull by any standards. 5 games played to this point and this game is the first one to be decided by more than 3 points....and even then, it still wasn't decided until the final 15-20 seconds.
What has to be disheartening for the Nuggets was the fact that they really could not have played a whole lot better for most of the game while the Lakers really never seemed to be in sync, but the Lakers were able to stick around into the 4th. And as George Karl has witnessed and acknowledged, the Lakers have the game's best closer so letting the Lakers stay within striking distance gave Kobe Bryant the chance to push the Lakers to a 2-1 series lead. He scored 13 points in the final quarter, and finished with 41 on an efficient 12-of-24 shooting. Kobe was able to attack the basket and draw fouls, helping him get to the line 17 times (making 15), and he added 6 rebounds and 5 assists against just 1 turnover. Kobe got help from Pau Gasol (20/11; 6th straight playoff double-double) and Trevor Ariza (16 points; 2nd big late-game steal). And despite their mostly maligned defense, the Lakers held the Nuggets to 39% shooting and just 5-for-27 from behind the arc.
The key for the Nuggets is having at least one of their perimeter guns (Melo, Chauncey, or JR Smith) going off because this team doesn't have a consistent low-post scoring option that can create shots and provide some offensive balance. At first glance, you see that Nene and Chris Andersen combined for 28 points on 11-of-18 shooting. But neither of those players is a true score-for-themselves players and usually need the floor to be spaced and the Nuggets guards to attack the basket to create scoring opportunities. So when those three perimeter guys are a combined 13-for-43 from the field, it's hard to dump the ball into the post and be able to get consistent offense.
Carmelo has been fantastic in this series but he scored just 3 of his 21 points in the second half. In fact, Carmelo took just 4 shots after halftime, without a make. What I can't understand is how George Karl and Chauncey Billups aren't force-feeding Melo the ball. Here's a guy that averaged 36.5 points in the first two games in LA, and was on that pace with 18 points in the first half. But 4 shots in the entire second half of a close game the Nuggets really needed? Unbelievable. George Karl has taken some flack for the steal that occurred in Game 1 but I don't really fault him this time. Instead of Anthony Carter, this time he used the 6-foot-9 Kenyon Martin. Martin had Melo flashing open before Ariza could close, but just threw a horrible pass. So I don't see Karl being at fault there, but I do for the fact that Carmelo got 13 shots for the game.
Thursday, May 21, 2009
Western Conference Finals - Game 2 Recap
Denver Nuggets 106
Los Angeles Lakers 103
Series Tied 1-1
Ok, seeing as this is the first game recap post on TSG, I want to stress that I will aim to be as objective as possible. As for full disclosure, YES I am a Lakers fan. But I will try to limit the Lakers bias in what I write on here.
That said....I still think the Lakers got hosed by the zebras in the second half tonight. The fouls and the free throw totals were even for the game, but it was the manner in which the fouls were called very touchy and got the Lakers into the penalty very early in the 3rd and 4th quarters. I hate blaming the refs, and I still say the Nuggets played a great game, but the fouls were soft ones that seemed to be let go on some plays and called super strict on the next.
Anyways, the Nuggets have really impressed me. They have had some stellar performances in these playoffs but I know I'm not alone in thinking we needed to see what they could do against a really good opponent. And they've not disappointed. Carmelo really looks like he has entered that top echelon of NBA stars. He is getting to the rim at will and creating the shots he wants. He has been an absolute menace to keep off the boards. He has asked to be the primary defender on Kobe Bryant in the 4th quarter and has done about as well as you could hope for, which is even more impressive coming from a guy whose supposedly biggest weakness was his man-to-man defense. Linas Kleiza came up with some huge shots for this team tonight, especially in the first half when it started to feel like the Lakers were ready to pull away. They will need that going forward.
As for the Lakers, I really think they needed to play Andrew Bynum more tonight. Bynum got off to a very good start, but in the end only finished playing 18 minutes. In those 18 minutes, the Lakers were +7 (he had the best +/- on the team in Game 2). I realize the Nuggets went small, but the Lakers should have used that to punish them on the boards the way they did in the first half when they raced out to a 16-point lead. The Lakers seem to be content letting the Nuggets dictate the tempo and using their defense to make life difficult for the Lakers offense.
If the Lakers want to regain control of this series when it shifts to Denver, they need to relax a bit on defense, and use Bynum/Gasol/Odom to control the boards. I still like the Lakers to win, but it really says a lot about how even this series as been in that each game has gone down to the wire, featured big comebacks, and both teams could easily be up 2-0.
Los Angeles Lakers 103
Series Tied 1-1
Ok, seeing as this is the first game recap post on TSG, I want to stress that I will aim to be as objective as possible. As for full disclosure, YES I am a Lakers fan. But I will try to limit the Lakers bias in what I write on here.
That said....I still think the Lakers got hosed by the zebras in the second half tonight. The fouls and the free throw totals were even for the game, but it was the manner in which the fouls were called very touchy and got the Lakers into the penalty very early in the 3rd and 4th quarters. I hate blaming the refs, and I still say the Nuggets played a great game, but the fouls were soft ones that seemed to be let go on some plays and called super strict on the next.
Anyways, the Nuggets have really impressed me. They have had some stellar performances in these playoffs but I know I'm not alone in thinking we needed to see what they could do against a really good opponent. And they've not disappointed. Carmelo really looks like he has entered that top echelon of NBA stars. He is getting to the rim at will and creating the shots he wants. He has been an absolute menace to keep off the boards. He has asked to be the primary defender on Kobe Bryant in the 4th quarter and has done about as well as you could hope for, which is even more impressive coming from a guy whose supposedly biggest weakness was his man-to-man defense. Linas Kleiza came up with some huge shots for this team tonight, especially in the first half when it started to feel like the Lakers were ready to pull away. They will need that going forward.
As for the Lakers, I really think they needed to play Andrew Bynum more tonight. Bynum got off to a very good start, but in the end only finished playing 18 minutes. In those 18 minutes, the Lakers were +7 (he had the best +/- on the team in Game 2). I realize the Nuggets went small, but the Lakers should have used that to punish them on the boards the way they did in the first half when they raced out to a 16-point lead. The Lakers seem to be content letting the Nuggets dictate the tempo and using their defense to make life difficult for the Lakers offense.
If the Lakers want to regain control of this series when it shifts to Denver, they need to relax a bit on defense, and use Bynum/Gasol/Odom to control the boards. I still like the Lakers to win, but it really says a lot about how even this series as been in that each game has gone down to the wire, featured big comebacks, and both teams could easily be up 2-0.
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