Lakers @ Suns Playoff thread - Tuesday April 24, 2007 - 7:30 pm

sunsfn

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The Lakers played more inspired ball than they have lately, giving the Suns a scare in Game 1. After getting off to a rocky start, the Lakers gained control of the game behind quality defense and Kobe Bryant's sensational first-half performance.

The Suns are the league's toughest cover because of the number of ways in which they can hurt you: They have the league's best fast break, a multitude of players who can take you off the dribble, Amare Stoudemire inside and the league's best 3-point shooting attack.
By denying penetration and not letting Phoenix unleash its running game, the Lakers put pressure on the Suns to hit shots. While Phoenix shot just 3-for-13 from 3-point range in the first half, we have to credit the Lakers for much of that by not allowing Phoenix to establish a flow: The Suns' jumpers were not always contested but they were seldom in sync, lacking crisp passes and clean spot-ups.
The Lakers did a good job of flashing Bryant into the post and setting him up with screens early, allowing him to work into a quick flow. Despite the number of defenders the Suns ran at Bryant, make no mistake about it, this detail was 24/7 Raja Bell's. So what does Phoenix change after Kobe torched the Suns for 39 in Game 1? Absolutely nothing.
In our preview we talked about not just Bell's defense, but also his stamina. Even when Bryant was on his monster first-half run, he was working for shots, getting lots of legs into deep 3s, changing directions, powering to the goal.
Two things factored into Bryant's 4-for-16 second half: (1) the Lakers became more stagnant, not screening or getting Bryant the ball on the move, making him more vulnerable to extra defensive attention, and (2) his legs weren't there. Some of the looks he got were the same ones he was sticking in the first half, and he was often short, usually an indicator of tired legs.
Despite Kobe's 39, I thought Bell did a good job on one of the league's best offensive players and, like a fighter who goes to the body in the early rounds, the Suns reaped the dividends later.
Although there was a sense of inevitability in the Suns' second-half run, the Lakers did present matchup problems that figure to carry over into Game 2 if Phoenix does not adjust. Los Angeles capitalized on Phoenix's smaller lineup, establishing Lamar Odom on the blocks versus Shawn Marion as well as Luke Walton versus Leandro Barbosa.
Odom played with the aggressiveness the Lakers will need from him to have a shot in this series, finishing with 17 and 16. He is too big for Marion in the post and late in the game when Bryant was getting a breather, the offense ran effectively through him inside.
Though it won't jump off the box score, the player I thought presented the biggest problems for Phoenix was Walton. Although he's often noted for his passing skills, his toughness is often overlooked, as we mentioned in our preview. Walton is deceptively quick and is strong enough to manhandle most 3s around the lane. When given the chance, Walton punished Barbosa and James Jones. When defended by Boris Diaw, he drove by him consistently.
Late in the game Lakers coach Phil Jackson wanted his deep shooters in, but I was surprised at Walton's four fourth-quarter minutes. I think he presents a tough cover for Phoenix and I would look for Los Angeles to exploit it more in Game 2.
Diaw had a tough time getting over screens, covering Odom in the post and Walton out on the floor. I would look for Los Angeles to attack that point of the Phoenix D.
The fact is, though, Phoenix may have taken L.A.'s best shot. While Kobe is obviously capable of performances like the one in Game 1's first half, the Lakers probably don't want to rely on that.
On their side, I don't think the Suns took the Lakers lightly, but Steve Nash looked to take the game over only when he had to, Phoenix will shoot better in Game 2 and the Suns will make adjustments of their own.
[FONT=Arial,Hevetica,sans-serif]PREDICTION: Suns win Game 2[/FONT]

http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/play...st=weltman_jeff&page=ScoutingLakersSuns-Game2
 

Scot1

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If we win Game 2, I think there's some chance we sweep, and a good chance we're out in 5 [unless the refs don yellow jerseys--always a possibility with the Lakers]. A Game 2 win might mean the Suns have turned the juice on [well, 50% on] for the playoffs rather than just for emergencies, and the Lakers or some of their more prominent members might read the handwriting on the wall and tank. Even if the Suns sleepwalk for stretches, I don't think they'll throw more than 1 game.
 

azirish

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The ONLY chance the Suns have of a sweep is if they win tonight. :p

This is a really big game. The Suns should be over their jitters and both teams will have made adjustments. If the Lakers win, it wcould stretch out a while, but a Suns win should be decisive.
 

Skkorpion

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Yup, this game is critical. I think it will be close all the way until decided in the last minute or overtime.
 

Chaz

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It is a big game though. But then each game of a series is the biggest game so far.

If the Suns hold home court it could be a short series. A win tonight and I think they will split in LA and have a chance to close it out in five.
 

Errntknght

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I think we'll see a lot more of "Big Hair" tonight - he did a very good job defending Amare in the last regular season game (albeit, with less flamboyant hair). That will give the Suns more reason to play KT so they may come out ahead in the deal.
 

dodie53

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the game is not televised here on our place..
damn.

go suns!
i'm predicting a good game by diaw..
maybe 18 pts, 7 rebs and 4 assts plus a block.
 

arwillan

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in order to win we need:

1) diaw to stop taking J's when he has an open lane to the basket. hes a better post player than outside shooter
2)raja needs to hit open 3's, and so does LB
3) LB needs to get a lot of minutes, we saw in the last game that they have no answer for him defensively
4) amare needs to get established early, and drive rather than settle for jumpers
5) james jones needs to play decent. he didnt do too bad in the last game, but he needs to keep a tight watch on walton
6) we should probably do what we did on D to kobe in the 2nd half of game one. he missed a lot of shots and couldnt find his team mates
7) if they keep feeding odom, we need to double him and make the other players (not kobe) beat us with their shooting
 

Scot1

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The ONLY chance the Suns have of a sweep is if they win tonight. :p
Smart-aleck. Damn youth today, anyhow.

If the Suns hold home court it could be a short series. A win tonight and I think they will split in LA and have a chance to close it out in five.

Pessimist.
 

Assface

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Amare is asserting himself early. 2 blocks and 6 points already. He has that, "I'm going to score 40 today" look to him.
 

hsandhu

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Cheap foul by amare has prevented him from contesting like he was early on, hopefully he can get out of the 1st w/only 1.

Good news is we have come with the energy, and aren't having a letdown after the win.
 

Divide Et Impera

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I'm at work, so I'm not watching the game, but I sure hope the Suns don't have one of their famous 2nd and 3rd quarter letdowns only to have to scrap for the W in the 4th....
 

hsandhu

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Ugh.. remember when james jones was a shooter?

6 point turnaround, he misses a wide open 3, cook hits one.
 

Ryanwb

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Kwame Brown flat out sucks.... What a waste of an NBA body
 

Assface

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Good lord, Barbosa is so much faster than everyone else. I'm always surprised that the momentum of his layups don't send the ball flying all over the place.
 

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