| 13 June 2010
Well, even tho' it may appear I'm just pretending that Game 4 never happened (would that I could!), it's not the case: simply that the last few days have been hellishly busy. Game 4 was pretty disappointing from an LA point of view...
Ezra: Again, the Lakers fail to separate themselves when the Celtics are shooting poorly. And again, they let the Celtic bench do whatever they want in the second half. Now Bynum may or may not play on Sunday, and even if he does his minutes will cut even more. It looks like the Lakers have a dilemma, but they can still win Game 5 if more guys help the team and they play at a higher level as a team.
I still would like to see the Lakers mix it up on offense by allowing Kobe and Pau have some two-man game going. They were so successful with it in Game1 but not sure why they abandoned it. The two days off will help them regroup and rest, but Game 5 will the decision-maker for this series.
Don: It's interesting (in a bad way?), no team's managed to win two in a row. Hopefully, that trend continues for one more game. Odom needs to step up, he's had a horrific Finals... he is due, WAY overdue for a burner of a game. I mean, c'mon: he's going to let Davis push him around like that? Bring your 'A' game LO!
And Bynum... that too is interesting. Before the series started, very few people thought that Andrew Bynum was going to be much of a factor in this Finals series. However, now that his game's on the line - "LA can't win without Bynum!". I don't buy it. Sure, it'll be tougher, but I still think LA can win without him.
That's not to say it's a given he won't be there - he's planning on playing. He has 3 days rest, and has gotten his knee drained again. This is the biggest game of his career.
I remain hopeful, but I'm not going to sell the farm if he's not there.
I think 5's the decision-maker for Boston, but not quite as much LA. Sure, it'd mean that LA have to win two in a row... but those two would be in Staples. And before anyone points out that Boston have been damn good on the road, I'll remind them that LA have been "damn good" at home.
But if Boston loses game 5? 'Tis over...
But if Boston loses game 5? 'Tis over...
Ezra: Andrew did in fact had his knee drained and had an MRI that showed no additional damage on his knee on Friday. That could only mean that he's ready for Sunday. But you're right, the Lakers can win without Bynum. He didn't help much last year in the Finals, but they won the title. And that was against Dwight Howard. Then again, that was against Orlando also.
PJ has already challenged both Ron and Lamar to play much better on Sunday. But he seems to be concentrating more on Odom for obvious reasons. I don't like how Lamar gives all of us lip-service after Game 4 like we don't know any better. Everybody, including himself, knows that he isn't giving his all like he's waiting for the rain to pass before he comes out of hiding.
But I think the Lakers are ready for Game 5. I really do. The Lakers have yet to lose more than twice in a series this season. Hopefully, that trend remains in tact on Sunday. Interestingly enough, Phil is always asked by some reporters before each game about how he's reading his team. He said that not everybody was ready when they lost Game 2, and he said the Lakers were prepared when they won Game 3. So, it's probably a good idea to find out what he says before Game 5. The Lakers could very well win Games 6 & 7 if need be.
I just don't like giving Boston any sort of edge because anything could happen. Besides, they're the Celtics. They don't deserve any of it!
Don: You'd have to guess that Kobe's due. Odom too, and Ron's yet to have anything resembling an offensive game this series... unless you take "offensive" to mean something else entirely.
The thing that alarmed me most about Odom was that he shied away from taking anything remotely like responsibility... until only a day ago. Hopefully, this might be a harbinger of change for LO. Hell, it'd be a fantastic thing if he just showed up and played a half-decent game. To let himself be bullied by Glen Davis is just... well, to this point, it's even worse than his showing in the 08 Finals.
That said, I think the Lakers have a very good show of winning game 5. As has been amply displayed thus far this series, momentum counts for very little. The pendulum's swung from purple/gold to green/white each game.
