LA's Rocky Review

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LA's Rocky Review

Written by Don

Thursday, 28 May 2009 21:25

Now, on to Denver.

Games thus far? Talk about edge-of-the-seat type stuff. Well... except for game 4 (ugh).

Game 1 LA win a very tight game by a sum total of 2 points. Game 2? Denver steal one in Staples by 3. Off to Denver's Pepsi Center, LA get one back - winning by 6. Game 4... ugh. Denver win by 19. Back to LA for game #5, and LA win by 9.

Ignoring game 4 for a second, anyone care to bet that game 6's isn't a hard-fought, tightly-contested, battle-pitched game? So... game 4 - pretty much the aberration of the series thus far... what happened? I subscribe to Silver Screen & Roll's take on it -

"...the Lakers believed they didn't need to (win). It was an exercise in shortsightedness: Had they expended the energy necessary to win and played with the intensity they'll surely have when the pressure is on, they may have been more tired in the moment, but they would have won the opportunity to rest up afterwards. Instead, they focused on the fact that they had done what they went to Denver to do — they had won one, retaken home court advantage, and regained the upper hand."

Sadly, that seems like the Lakers that were playing up until now. Rather than go for the kill, and put their seal of ownership on the series, they relaxed, and were fine with losing game 4. That's not to take anything away from Denver - they were unrelenting and brutal. At times literally. Dahntay Jones is lucky to have been allowed to play in game 5, post his trip of Kobe Bryant. And the hard fouls kept coming during game 5.

Carmelo Anthony had to have come very close to getting a flagrant 1 for his near-take-down of #24 in frustration, Melo hitting with what could almost be described as a clothesline that will definitely come under review by the league office.

John Hollinger's thoughts on that foul...

"The Nuggets' 11 minutes of ineptitude also included a hard foul on Kobe Bryant by Carmelo Anthony that may be reviewed by the league; though he appeared to get Bryant high across the shoulders, it could be ruled the dreaded "above the shoulders" foul, which would result in an automatic one-game suspension for the must-win Game 6 in Denver on Friday."

(the photo doesn't look good for Melo!)

It'd be awful for Denver if Melo wasn't to play in #6... especially given that it's been a pretty rough & ready series (tho' I'm guessing Dwight Howard will be wondering what he did wrong).

Game 6 isn't going to be any different.

Game 5 was different. In a tightly fought contest where the end of every quarter saw the two teams tied, LA blew it out in the 4th with aggression and lock-down defense. Yes, LA were defensively as good as I've seen them this season during the 4th - if they can take that to the Pepsi Center, it's going to be very interesting. For the first time, there were times where LA looked good as a team... and the fourth quarter saw LA's defense look as good as it has all season. It was hard, tough, and locked down the Denver Nuggets.

LA didn't rely on Kobe as a scorer, but Kobe as a leader. And he did that well.

Lamar Odom was all he could/should be.

Hell... shots even started to drop for Derek Fisher.

It was good to see Kobe Bryant telling Pau after a missed pick and roll to not wait, but ATTACK the basket. That's got to keep happening. Phil was more adventurous with line-ups, Odom was aggressive. Fisher hit shots.

On the other side of the coin, Chauncey Billups hasn't quite lived up to expectations thus far, LA have to make sure that continues - Melo will get his pretty much each game... but Billups is the one who will make or break Denver.