That was some game, huh? Kobe Bryant hit a game-winning jumper with 7.3 seconds left to lift the Lakers over forever rivals, the Boston Celtics, 90-89. This is NOT just another game in the regular season for both teams; I’m sure they had this date circled on their calendars for a while now.
I got immediate reaction from Brian Kamenetzky, one of the two Kamenetzky brothers that writes for Land O’ Lakers. Land O’ Lakers was recently a staple for the Los Angeles Times before the brothers joined the new ESPN Los Angeles site. Brian and his brother, Andy, host the ESPN Kamenetzky Brothers Lakers PodKast and regularly appear on ESPN Radio 710. They also regularly contribute to ESPN.Com and ESPN: The Magazine.
Talk to me about each team’s last possessions.
What struck me about L.A.’s last trip is how ugly it looked up to the instant Kobe’s shot went through. Ray Allen denied Kobe the position he wanted, pushing him back out above the three point line near the left wing. Kobe drifted right, then drove, but was cut off by good D from Allen and help from Pierce coming off Artest in the right corner. He had to give the ball up to Andrew Bynum, who smartly gave it right back. Kobe reset, then drove left on Allen to the free throw line, trying to create space. He didn’t get any. Allen stayed tight on Kobe, and didn’t bite on any of the fakes. All that was left was a tough fallaway J. To me, it looked flat out of the hand. Shows what I know.
I generally don’t like iso plays in critical situations, and this is why. The Lakers got the points, but man, the process of getting a look was brutal. I would have liked to see a little more screening action, or off-ball movement, but I’m sure the Lakers were afraid of doing anything that would make it easier to double Kobe and force the ball from his hands.
As for the Celtics, I was impressed with what the Lakers did, both in defending Pierce- good work from Artest (he was effective on PP all day) and Kobe helping. When the pass went to Allen, Lamar Odom did a fantastic job getting off the Garnett screen and putting a hand in Allen’s face. Did it matter? I have no idea, but he closed hard and fast. Couldn’t have hurt.
We know what Kobe Bryant can do but Andrew Bynum was very aggressive today. Think L.A. should rely on him more often?
Yes, they should. Or at the very least, pick a big, and feed him the ball. I was very impressed with Bynum today. He was aggressive offensively, but more importantly tried to be a presence on the other end. He blocked shots, altered others, grabbed rebounds, and so on. This is the Bynum the Lakers need. Not necessarily scoring points, but one who demands attention. One of the great things about the way in which the Lakers are set up is they don’t need great games from Gasol and Bynum every night- it’s okay if one is a little off. As long as both make their presence felt and force teams to adjust to them, the Lakers are in good shape. Most teams can’t guard both guys at once, or have the capacity off the bench to roll subs onto either one if only one Lakers big is on the floor. (I’m not including Odom, who is obviously a tough matchup for most teams.)
I’m just a proponent of the Lakers paying more attention to the post generally. Their skill level on that part of the floor is too high to just settle for jumpers.
Pau Gasol’s toughness was brought into question yet again in this game against Boston. No way that L.A. wins a title with him playing like this, right?
Well, there were moments Pau was strong on the glass. There were a couple plays where I thought he could have gone up a little stronger and drawn contact, but he’s never going to play like Shaq on the box. Honestly, I thought he was fine, and also had some strong moments going aggressively to the hole. It was just more Bynum’s day. Again, they don’t need both to be dominant together each night.
I think Pau has the type of game where if he doesn’t play well, the assumption is he’s automatically too passive, or soft. Sometimes it’s fair, but others it’s just part of the stigma he can’t permanently get away from. I’ll take his skill set any day of the week. He showed last year against Dwight Howard in the Finals how capable he is of playing strong.
Which team needed this game more? Boston or L.A.?
It was important to the Lakers, because they needed a good win on the road over a quality opponent. It’s something they haven’t had many of this year… but there’s no question the Celtics needed it more. They’ve struggled mightily since Christmas, came into the game having lost two straight to conference rivals, I believe, and were surrounded by questions. The Lakers are thought of as lazy and complacent by nay-sayers. The Celtics are seen as old and decrepit. I’d rather be the former.
Ultimately, do you think this game against the Celtics is meaningless?
No, I think it has meaning, though more of the intangible variety. First, I don’t care what they’ve said publicly, the Lakers have heard the talk of how poorly they’ve played on the road against quality teams, and it’s bugged them. They don’t like answering questions about their toughness. And while I’m sure they believe they’re championship caliber and can rise up in important moments, it’s important to show it as well, particularly given how difficult the Lakers’ schedule is right now. Today marked the first of seven straight games against playoff teams. To lose a third game on the trip- all three of the games against credible opponents, really- would have hurt.
Nor did the Lakers leave an opening for an opponent to gain more confidence. I think Cleveland thinks of themselves in much different terms having beaten L.A. twice than they otherwise would have. No need to do the same for Boston. All of this is stuff around the margins, but counts.
Appreciate your insight.
Thanks.
We’d like to thank Brian Kamenetzky for stopping by. Once again, check his work (along with his brother’s) at ESPNLosAngeles.Com. You can also follow them on Twitter at @ESPNLandOLakers.
Photo Credits: 1) Jim Rogash/Getty Images. 2) Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images.
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