For the first time in a while, I decided to commit myself to watching an entire NBA playoff game. Normally I'll just tune in for the second half or the fourth quarter, or sometimes I'll just not care enough to even watch. It's really hard to garner motivation to watch an entire game when you have pretty much zero interest in it. Anyway, I decided to write a running diary of the Nuggets-Lakers game as I watched it. With thanks to Bill Simmons, enjoy.Pregame
The Nuggets are introduced by the Lakers PA announcer and I hear one thing: nothing. You can't hear any booing, any jeering, anything sounding remotely negative. I swear, LA has like the weakest sauce fans in the world. Okay, I shouldn't say that. You rich ass fools who can afford to go to Staples Center for a Lakers playoff game, you people should be embarrassed. Can you imagine if real fans were actually at these games? Where's the intimidation factor? If nothing else, this sorry show proves one thing: the Warriors need to get back in the playoffs immediately.
The Lakers are then introduced with a huge montage video of the team and past Lakers greats. The video is accompanied by hardcore rock music. Okay, they're getting the team pumped, they're getting the crowd fired up.... and then it falls absolutely on its face. The PA announcer sounds like he's announcing bingo numbers at the senior center and the music suddenly changes to "Baba O'Riley" (better known as the Teenage Wasteland song). And the mood is now gone.
Now, I would say the Lakers have the weakest home court advantage of the four remaining playoff teams, but I saw the Cavs-Magic game last night and that crowd in Cleveland was dead. They did nothing to help LeBron and his boys. The PA guy there had the opposite problem of the one in LA: he had to try TOO hard to get the crowd into it. Any time you have to remind a crowd that it's a big possession and they should stand, it's a bad sign.
The ESPN team tonight: Mike Breen, Jeff Van Gundy, and Mark Jackson. Mike Breen says the crowd is fired up and ready. Uh, Mike. We just heard the crowd. You don't need to lie for them, dude.
First Quarter
10:59 - They replay the Trevor Ariza steal from Game One that sealed it up for the Lakers. Mark Jackson tells us that Ariza gave credit to Kobe for allowing him to make that steal. Trevor, it's okay, dude. Kobe's not listening right now. You can take credit for the plays you make. He won't beat you.
10:18 - Andrew Bynum slams it home. Yes, he actually made a good play in the playoffs. So that means he's going to mess up the next three plays. Minimum.
2-2
8:55 - Carmelo gets an and one... and misses the free throw. Please, no repeat of Game One's paltry free throw shooting...
6-4 Nuggets
6:12 - Bad news for the Nuggets: Dahntay Jones has picked up his fourth foul in less than six minutes. Good news for the Nuggets: it's just Dahntay Jones.
13-12 Lakers
3:23 -The first sighting of the Birdman as he checks in for Nene. I can't help but smile whenever I see him on the court. He's for sure in my top-10 favorite NBA players. He's gritty, he works hard, and he has more of his body covered in tattoos than the guy from Prison Break.
2:54 - TV timeout. It's time for the obligatory Staples Center search for celebrities. Tonight's group includes: Jake Gyllenhaal, Will Ferrell, and Tom Cruise. Okay, there's one more reason why the Warriors need to get back into the playoffs: Jessica Alba.
2:08 - Sasha Vujacic is in the game and launches a three which is off the mark. You'll never be able to convince me that Vujacic is a decent basketball player. I'm sorry. Never.
1:01 - Chauncey Billups gets to the line... and misses his first free throw. What the hell is going on with the Nuggets? Mercifully, he makes the second.
27-20 Lakers
Vujacic can't hit a jumper at the buzzer and the first quarter comes to an end.
Lakers 31, Nuggets 23
It's the exact same score from Game One, just reversed. What does it mean? We'll find out... but probably nothing.
Before we start the second quarter, it's time for the in-game interview with the head coach. First up, George Karl. I'm not judging him for the quality of his answers; I'm judging him for how well he can fake acting interested in the interview. I'd give him 7/10. Well done, George.
Second Quarter
10:14 - Vujacic launches two more shots and can't get them to fall. Seriously, Sasha, you suck. Just let it go.
9:19 - Lakers timeout. Somehow, someone managed to create a promo for Land of the Lost and connect it to the NBA. Terrible.
8:02 - Carmelo gets to the line... and misses the first free throw. Come on.
37-27 Lakers
7:23 - Jordan Farmar makes another pretty pass this time to Shannon Brown. Am I the only person who thinks that Farmar is better than Fisher?
41-27 Lakers
7:18 - George Karl calls timeout.
Time for more celebrities! In this round, we've got Teri Hatcher, John Lithgow, and Mrs. Governator. And of course, Jack. I remember that Tom Cruise is here too and immediately start hoping that somehow they'll perform their court scene from A Few Good Men. YOU CAN'T HANDLE THE TRUTH.
7:00 - Jeff Van Gundy brings up A Few Good Men. Clearly I'm not the only one who wants to see this performance go down.
4:56 - Carmelo gets to the line after making four of his last five shots... and promptly misses the first free throw. He gets the second one, but in all seriousness, the Nuggets are digging their own grave.
47-36 Lakers
3:45 - Bynum gets an easy dunk and an and one. The Nuggets are playing defense about as well as the Warriors right now. Bynum misses the second, but the Nuggets knock it out of bounds. Possession, Lakers. Good Lord.
51-38 Lakers
32.0 - I don't know what the hell's happened, but somehow the Nuggets went from down 13 to down only one. Seriously, this happened so fast I'm still trying to piece it all together.
53-52 Lakers
0.00 - After Lamar Odom makes a 20-footer, Chauncey pulls a Harlem Globetrotters move on Kobe, bouncing it off his back on the inbounds pass, then catching it and putting it in for a layup. Cutting the lead to one AND making Kobe look like a fool? Style points for you, Chauncey.
Halftime - Lakers 55, Nuggets 54
Now seems about a good a time as any to chime in on this whole LeBron versus Kobe debate. Has LeBron passed Kobe as the league's best player? Absolutely. I really don't think that this is even up for argument anymore. You really can't describe what makes LeBron so dominant; but when you see him in action, you understand.
Now, all that being said, if I had one shot to take at the end of a game and I could put the ball in anyone's hands, it would be Kobe. As much as I hate that fool, he knows how to close a game. Compare the end of his Game 1 and LeBron's Game 1. Kobe knows he has to take over the game, so he keeps attacking and attacking the hoop, drawing fouls, going to the line, and making his free throws. LeBron knows he has to take over the game, so he starts taking jumpers, slows the entire Cavs offense down, takes more jumpers, he stops attacking the hoop, and when he does get to the line, he misses free throws. This doesn't mean I don't think LeBron can't be a great closer because he's certainly hit some big shots before, but in order to be one he needs to stick to his guns; and his guns are all about taking it hard to the lane and throwing it down in someone's face.
Let's get back to the action.
Third Quarter
7:14 - The teams keep trading baskets until Nene gets an and one call. He can give the Nuggets the lead with a made free throw... and he misses. I'm almost at the point now where I'm assuming the Nuggets are going to miss free throws every time.
64-64
6:15 - Trevor Ariza throws down a hard dunk. I can't even lie; it was nice.
66-64 Lakers
5:53 - Ariza tries to drive hard to the hoop again and this time gets punished for his insolence.
On the replay, it's actually a lot worse than it looked initially. He pretty much got tapped by Nene and maybe K-Mart and then came crashing down onto the floor. Get up, fool.
4:04 - The Birdman scores; I didn't even realize he was back in the game! ESPN needs a Birdman tracker.
73-68 Lakers
2:47 - The commentators mention that Kobe sometimes looks like he's annoyed with his teammates. I think it would be more effective to just comment when Kobe DOESN'T look annoyed with his teammates.
2:33 - Carmelo gets an and one...and misses the free throw.
2:02 - Chauncey gets to the line...and misses the first free throw.
1:02 - Carmelo gets to the line...and makes both!!!!!!!
81-78 Lakers
40.0 - Loose ball foul on Kobe; he's pissed! T him up! T him up! Do it!! Damnit, Kobe shows some rare restraint and calms down. Carmelo gets to the line, makes both.
81-80 Lakers
That score holds as the third quarter comes to an end.
It's Phil Jackson's turn for an in-game interview. ESPN and TNT both have to know how dumb these things are, but I'm starting to think that they don't get rid of them because they know everyone thinks they're a joke. It's like comic relief or something.
Fourth Quarter
11:29 - Kobe gets called for a charge. Four on him. You can tell Angry Kobe wants to come out so bad.
10:48 - Kleiza hits a trey! Nuggets up three. Let's give it up for unathletic looking white guys.
85-82 Nuggets.
Speaking of unathletic looking white guys, Brian Scalabrine is absolutely king of them all, especially after this playoff season. He decided to wear this goofy head band which seemed to accentuate the fact that he already looks really bad in a basketball jersey. I'm pretty sure he was auditioning for that Will Ferrell basketball movie, Semi-Pro. It's almost like Scalabrine was TRYING to find ways to get people to make fun of him.
9:43 - JR Smith thinks he's Michael Jordan or something and tries to break down his defender. He ends up taking a fadeaway jumper from the corner...and is reminded that he's still JR Smith when it clangs off the iron. Fortunately Carmelo's there to clean up the mess and put it back in.
89-85 Nuggets
9:04 - Carmelo sinks a jumper; that's now five straight games with at least 30 points for him.
91-85 Nuggets
8:40 - Kobe answers back with a three. You have to love watching Kobe and Melo go at each other. And as I type that, George Karl takes Melo out for a breather. Weak sauce.
91-88 Nuggets
7:13 - Odom gets fouled, makes them both, Lakers back up one.
92-91 Lakers
5:35 - Carmelo makes two free throws; we're told that the Nuggets have made 11 straight free throws. I was hoping the ESPN guys didn't notice because I'm scared now that it's going to jinx them.
93-93
4:45 - Pau Gasol channels his inner Denver Nugget and misses both free throws.
95-95
1:59 - There's more back and forth scoring going on until Kobe sinks a three to tie it even though he took about seven steps right before. I keep forgetting that it's eight steps in the NBA that gets a travel call.
99-99
1:44 - Chauncey gets to the line... sinks both.
101-99
1:20 - Derek Fisher takes a terrible three-pointer that would have a chance if the basket was about a foot to the right and two feet lower. Apparently he keeps hoping that somehow he's traveled back in time during this game to five years ago when he could still play.
But then JR Smith turns it over and ...
45.3 - Kobe ties it. Eff.
101-101
29.6 - Chauncey! No, Nene! No, K-Mart! Lays it in!
103-101 Nuggets
Timeout Lakers
18.6 - Kobe tries to split the D and loses it! Gasol throws his Geico Caveman body on it, Chauncey and Nene grab it, and it's a jump ball...between Gasol and Chauncey.
Pau wins it, Ariza grabs it, then loses it! Chauncey grabs it and the Lakers have to foul. It looks like Braylon Edwards is out on the court; the Lakers can't hold onto the ball.
Also, apparently that was a violation by JR Smith; you can't run through the jump circle until the ball's been tipped by a jumper. It just goes to prove once again that the NBA has the worst referees in the world. (For the record, Smith running through didn't really have an impact on the play. But seriously, NBA refs are terrible.)
13.7 - Chauncey makes them both.
105-101 Nuggets
4.3 - Nuggets up three and the Lakers have a shot to tie the game. It has to go to Kobe, right? I mean, it HAS to. The ball gets inbounded to... Derek Fisher... who launches a three... and airballs it. Give Denver credit; they guarded Kobe tight and basically said "we're not going to let Kobe beat us; we're going to let 98-year-old Derek Fisher beat us because we know he can't."
Final Score: Nuggets 106, Lakers 103
What have we learned from the first two games of this series? First, it's not how you start, it's how you finish. Second, when you try on defense, you have a better chance to win the game. Third, if you make free throws, you win the game. ESPN, I'll be waiting for you call for an analyst position.
See you in Denver.
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