| 05 March 2010
Reality check: LA are the defending champions, having a damn good season, and should have all the pieces to really put a dampener on the Heat. But... recently that hasn't been the case. It took last second heroics from Kobe to beat Miami the last time these two met.
In case you forgot...
And this time the Lakers are in South Beach. Dwyane Wade has been playing some damn nice basketball after a calf-strain, and Jermaine O'Neal's been solid. Despite being pretty much a .500 team, at times the Heat have shown that they're more than capable of punching above their weight.
However, this go round? I think LA will roll.
Yes, Miami/LA are often close... but Ron Artest's been killing it on D of late - a veritable pitbull, and Wade relies on getting to the basket.
Offensively, Kobe's been just that: offensive. If anyone's due for a good game, it's #24. Bynum too - he's looked 'promising' more than several times of late - but it's time to step up and play with the big boys - Jermaine O'Neal provides an appropriately-sized challenge.
Pau Gasol could be in for a big game too. Yes, he's been very solid pretty much every game, putting up customary double/doubles - but I've been expecting a breakout from him for a few games now. Lamar Odom will likely face up against Michael Beasley - and that's a big mismatch that LO will look to capitalize on.
Along with Odom on the bench, Jordan Farmar's been more than solid of late. Sure, he's not the point guard we all hoped and prayed he'd be... but he's been pretty good recently. You could probably write that same sentence about Shannon Brown. Tho' to be fair on Shan-WOW, expectations weren't never quite the same as they were with Farmar. Anyway... both have been bringing it off the bench, and with Odom there that's equated to a very stable LA.
I think this all ends up being too much for the Heat - even in Miami.
I think the Lakers run out of the AA Arena with a win to the tune of ten points or more.
