Lakers/Pistons game 4

[Brian in Mesa]

Go Lakers!!

Tie it up.

 

[playstation]

in this series, if you're allegiance lies with the suns, you cheer for the pistons, because it increases the chances of Kobe coming here over the summer. Or so I've been brainwashed to believe.

 

[pokerface]

in this series, if you're allegiance lies with the suns, you cheer for the pistons, because it increases the chances of Kobe coming here over the summer. Or so I've been brainwashed to believe.

Exactly!

 

[Evil Ash]

Go Pistons!

If the Lakers have any shot at all in this game, they are going to need somebody besides Kobe & Shaq to step up BIG TIME. I just don't see that happening

 

[F-Dog]

in this series, if you're allegiance lies with the suns, you cheer for the pistons, because it increases the chances of Kobe coming here over the summer. Or so I've been brainwashed to believe.

If I really believed that, I'd be rooting hard for the Lakers, but I honestly don't see it making much of a difference either way.


Actually, I do think the Lakers' role players will step up and make some shots in game 4. In game 3, they weren't used to playing in the Palace or having the Pistons give them open shots, but in game 4 they'll know what to expect. Fisher, George, and Rush will all be lining up shots from 3-point range even before they're open, and for that matter, Rick Fox and "Byron" Russell will be ready too, if either of them gets in the game.

To me, it looks like the Lakers' offense will depend on getting those guys open, which means getting the ball to Shaq in the post and Kobe for the drive-and-dish. If Malone and Payton aren't out there being completely ineffective, it will help the Lakers' offense immensely; we'll have to see how many minutes those two get, and whether they can hit open jumpers while they're out there.

The main thing the Lakers need to do is get their half-court offense set up early. If they can get the ball down the court before the Pistons set up their jams and traps, they should score a lot more than 68 points tonight.


That still might not be enough to win, of course. The Lakers' defense has taken a huge hit with Malone out, and if the officiating tightens up tonight, they'll take another hit from that. If things go as I think they might, the Pistons won't have any excuse for not scoring at least 100 points, which would put them in a great position to win game 4.

The key on offense for the Pistons will be Rasheed Wallace, who put up four points in game 3 when he should have been scoring at will. He should get at least 20 shots tonight, shooting off of picks-and-fades and posting up smaller, weaker defenders; I'm not going to hold my breath waiting for that to actually happen, of course.

That means that it will be up to Billups and Hamilton to drive the Pistons' offense by scoring and distributing off of picks. They'll probably need to score more than they did in the last game to win.


I think this game will be tightly officiated early, with a lot of fouls committed by both sides. The Lakers need game 4 more--with Malone hurt, there's no way they can bring the intensity they'll need to win for three games in a row, and the Pistons have already proved they can win one in LA if they have to--but Detroit has the home court, and I don't think they'll lay down. The Pistons should win the rebounding and turnover battle again tonight.

Whichever team makes more of its shots and FTs is going to win. Looks like a coin flip to me...

 

[Evil Ash]

22-21 Lakers after 1 quarter. Looks like Gary Payton is actually going to step up tonight.

Kobe has looked awful so far

 

[sly fly]

Lakers 3 straight times down the floor: SHAQ NO TOUCHES.

Rick Fox, Luke Walton, and Gary Payton throw up bricks.

This team is brain dead.

 

[slinslin]

If Kobe didn't always hit the miracle threes this game would probably be over and the series swept.

 

[scudney]

lol... Lakers are starting to fall apart. Pistons up 10 with under 5:00 to go

 

[Evil Ash]

81-71 Pistons with under 3 minutes left. The Lakers have completely lost their composure and don't appear to have any form of structured offense.

In short, The Lakers are a mess

 

[Evil Ash]

Unless a miracle happens, the Pistons are going to win again. They now lead the series 3-1!

THE LAKERS ARE DONE!

 

[thegrahamcrackr]

Stupid Lakers

 

[Gee!]

Hahahahahahahahahahahahahaha Fakers down 3-1 in the series. The dynasty is being destroyed.

 

[slinslin]

 

[thegrahamcrackr]

Party time tonight baby. Gotta get warmed up for when the Lakers actually loose the series

 

[fordronken]

Can anyone else see it? The thoughts rolling through Kobe's mind as he walks down the tunnel after the game, dejected, frustrated, shaking his head..."I'll see you b**ches in Phoenix..."

 

[pokerface]

Where are the Lakers Luvrs?

All these Lakers predictions....HOGWASH! Detroit has the talent and can do it!!

 

[Chris_Sanders]

If you had picked the Pistons in five at the start of this series everyone would have said you were on crack.

 

[pokerface]

I never figured the Pistons would be this dominating but I knew they'd put up a better fight than ppl were giving them credit for.

 

[George O'Brien]

It was a remarkable win. Maybe the Lakers were lifeless in game three, but they played very hard tonight and still came up short.

It seems obvious that Kobe is a great player, but he looks pretty human when given the kind of coverage the Pistons gave him. Kobe took a lot of very difficult shots, but no one other than Shaq was doing anything.

BTW, did Okur play?

 

[Evil Ash]

If you had picked the Pistons in five at the start of this series everyone would have said you were on crack.

Agreed

Hell I'll admit I was wrong in my prediction before the series started. The first 3 games of this series had gone almost exactly like I expected (I didn't expect a close game in game 2 or a blowout in game 3). However, I expected the Lakers to make an adjustment and win the series.

I guess I over-estimated Phil Jackson because their adjustments aren't working and the Lakers have completely lost their composure

 

[Renz]

All these Lakers predictions....HOGWASH! Detroit has the talent and can do it!!

Yeah, it looks bleak, but it ain't over yet.

 

[slinslin]

Btw, Kobe won't re-sign.

He was the first one off of the floor after the game , going to the locker alone.

I think what is killing the Lakers is their triangle offense. It kills Payton.

And it doesn't look like they can adjust their offense at all.

 

[thegrahamcrackr]

It seems obvious that Kobe is a great player, but he looks pretty human when given the kind of coverage the Pistons gave him. Kobe took a lot of very difficult shots, but no one other than Shaq was doing anything.

Kobe, per usual, was forced into taking off balance shots at the end of the shot clock because no one else wanted to. The Lakers just toss it to him with 4 seconds left and expect him to create something.

Doc Rivers made a nice comment I thought. He mentioned how Kobe was intially put on RIP and did a great job. Then Billups got hot, so he was switched over to him. Then Rip got hot.

No one in the guard rotation other than Kobe can defend the Pistons back court. Payton is a shadow of himself, and Fisher is to slow.

Shaq may have had the stat line, but Kobe had just as much of an impact this game. It is just for the first time, the big two can't do it without help.

 

[Evil Ash]

How much do you wanna bet that Phil Jackson is going to blame this loss on the refs AGAIN?