Playoffs 2010: Western Conf Finals, Game 4 – Lakers At Suns Game Thread

[AZ Native]

As a Suns' fan, I'm just pissed that the Suns aren't giving the Lakers enough practice for the Celtics

 

[AfroSuns]

Yeah, because Kobe's stats have been so awful.

You dont get it. Kobe played better than he played the first 2 games and they still lost. Sheesh, dude it is fools gold as long as the Suns play as a team. Plus there is no 7 days rest for him.

 

[MaoTosiFanClub]

LOL. Ok man. Ok.

Were you saying that a week ago?

Ride the wave, man.

There's more than a wave when one team has essentially figured out how to beat the other.

1) Make LA's bad shooters shoot from outside via the zone

2) Use inevitably long rebounds from said shots to get into transition where you have the advantage

3) Use said advantage to win games

Sorry dude, Ron Artest and Lamar Odom aren;t going to become adept at shooting in the next 48 hours nor are they going to grow the brains to necessary to solve a zone defense. Not looking good for your boys until they figure that out, you better hope Kobe has some magic up his sleeves. He's probably going to have to win this series by himself.

 

[mjb21aztd]

wow man awsome game by the suns just unreal, to tell you the truth I thought for sure we were going to lose the game when kobe just started making everything in the 3rd qtr. But credit to the suns for making their shots and keeping the lead in the 4th. It's a big thing that Frye suddenly decided to show his 3 pt bombs were huge tonight!!!! also amare had another great game. Best of luck to the suns in la really hope we somehow manage to steal one. GO SUNS BEAT LA!!!!!!! WOOT WOOT

 

[D-Dogg]

Hey man, saw your thread over on the lakers forum. you should give that bad boy a bump and flex your "told ya so".

I did.

 

[D-Dogg]

There's more than a wave when one team has essentially figured out how to beat the other.

1) Make LA's bad shooters shoot from outside via the zone

2) Use inevitably long rebounds from said shots to get into transition where you have the advantage

3) Use said advantage to win games

Sorry dude, Ron Artest and Lamar Odom aren;t going to become adept at shooting in the next 48 hours nor are they going to grow the brains to necessary to solve a zone defense. Not looking good for your boys until they figure that out, you better hope Kobe has some magic up his sleeves. He's probably going to have to win this series by himself.

Wow, you sound EXACTLY like everyone after Games 1 and 2. LOL. Outstanding myopia right there, man. MyoPosiFanClub indeed!

What you just saw was home players playing well at home and road players not playing well on the road.

I'm glad the Lakers are a weak 45 win team with a 2nd year coach, or they might never adjust to these pearls of basketball wisdom you just mentioned.

 

[82CardsGrad]

Wow, you sound EXACTLY like everyone after Games 1 and 2. LOL. Outstanding myopia right there, man. MyoPosiFanClub indeed!

What you just saw was home players playing well at home and road players not playing well on the road.

I'm glad the Lakers are a weak 45 win team with a 2nd year coach, or they might never adjust to these pearls of basketball wisdom you just mentioned.

The Lakers did shoot 49% from the field tonight... how much better do they need to be in order to beat this nice, little 'ol over-achieving team here in the desert??

 

[MaoTosiFanClub]

Wow, you sound EXACTLY like everyone after Games 1 and 2. LOL. Outstanding myopia right there, man. MyoPosiFanClub indeed!

Suns tried to play you guys straight up in Games 1 and 2. Big difference. Once the Suns ran everyone at Gasol and Kobe and let the rest of the Lakers team (scrubs and headcases) tried to beat them then things changed. Same thing happened in 2006.

What you just saw was home players playing well at home and road players not playing well on the road.

I agree, the Lakers will shoot better at home but this strategy is pretty fail-proof. Lamar and Artest still can't shoot well anywhere.

I'm glad the Lakers are a weak 45 win team with a 2nd year coach, or they might never adjust to these pearls of basketball wisdom you just mentioned.

It's hard for anyone even Phil Jackson to adjust when he doesn't have the horses.

 

[D-Dogg]

LOL, doesn't have the horses!

Ok, you didn't tell me it was comedy open mic night tonight!

 

[D-Dogg]

The Lakers did shoot 49% from the field tonight... how much better do they need to be in order to beat this nice, little 'ol over-achieving team here in the desert??

If you got my points on this board, scoring for the Lakers isn't an issue. It's defense. I abhor the strategy of "outscore Phoenix" in a hoist 'em up kind of way.

 

[MaoTosiFanClub]

LOL, doesn't have the horses!

Ok, you didn't tell me it was comedy open mic night tonight!

He doesn't when the Suns are essentially playing a form of the traingle and two, converging on Gasol and Kobe. That forces the rest of PJ's horses to play well and outside of the two previously mentioned guys the Lakers frankly aren't a very good team.

 

[Bufalay]

This isn't a foolproof strategy. The Suns starters' defense wasn't great tonight. If the bench hadn't been scoring so well, the starters would've had to come in sooner and may have blown the lead.

 

[jagu]

Goran Dragic continues to show why he can be the guy to step into Nash's shoes. Resilient player who goes after the ball with passion. Big enough to dominate guards like Fisher. Long enough to play solid D. He'd have a few more assists tonight if the Suns didn't miss some wide open shots.

 

[82CardsGrad]

If you got my points on this board, scoring for the Lakers isn't an issue. It's defense. I abhor the strategy of "outscore Phoenix" in a hoist 'em up kind of way.

Kobe, Fish, Artest and Gasol are often touted as some of the best defenders in the NBA. Surely they should be able to stop a bunch of oldies (Nash and Hill), an over-hyped PF who plays more like a SF (Amare), and a cast of nobodies who just toss up a bunch of 3's and pray..., shouldn't they??

 

[Chaplin]

If you got my points on this board, scoring for the Lakers isn't an issue. It's defense. I abhor the strategy of "outscore Phoenix" in a hoist 'em up kind of way.

Ironically, that's Kobe's game. Hoist 'em up. Because he's such a great player, he makes a lot of those shots. But he can't do it by himself. And if you think he can, you're in more trouble than you think.

The thing is, every Laker fan thinks that Game 5 will be a carbon copy of Games 1 and 2. I guarantee you, that won't happen. I will have fun at work tomorrow here in Burbank, but I know the Laker fans will still talk trash and be extremely confident of winning this series. We take Game 5, and it will be very difficult for the Lakers to win Game 6 in Phoenix. Game 5, to me, is the Suns biggest game of the past 2 years.

 

[Bufalay]

Goran Dragic continues to show why he can be the guy to step into Nash's shoes. Resilient player who goes after the ball with passion. Big enough to dominate guards like Fisher. Long enough to play solid D. He'd have a few more assists tonight if the Suns didn't miss some wide open shots.

You should swap Fisher's face for Bowen's. eff that guy.

 

[Chaplin]

This isn't a foolproof strategy. The Suns starters' defense wasn't great tonight. If the bench hadn't been scoring so well, the starters would've had to come in sooner and may have blown the lead.

And if Kobe hadn't scored over 30 points we would have blew them out. Going by "ifs" means nothing.

 

[jagu]

Kobe, Fish, Artest and Gasol are often touted as some of the best defenders in the NBA. Surely they should be able to stop a bunch of oldies (Nash and Hill), an over-hyped PF who plays more like a SF (Amare), and a cast of nobodies who just toss up a bunch of 3's and pray..., shouldn't they??

The Suns have scored an awfully lot of points in this series. Only now they have a strategy that somewhat limits their points. The Lakers still have no answers to stopping the Suns offense.

 

[Chaplin]

Kobe, Fish, Artest and Gasol are often touted as some of the best defenders in the NBA. Surely they should be able to stop a bunch of oldies (Nash and Hill), an over-hyped PF who plays more like a SF (Amare), and a cast of nobodies who just toss up a bunch of 3's and pray..., shouldn't they??

Well, Fisher is a cheater and Gasol is too slow for Amare. Artest has very good hands, but when he can't hit shots, his defense suffers. JRich has pretty much been held in check, but he hasn't had to explode over the past 2 games.

 

[Bufalay]

Ironically, that's Kobe's game. Hoist 'em up. Because he's such a great player, he makes a lot of those shots. But he can't do it by himself. And if you think he can, you're in more trouble than you think.

The thing is, every Laker fan thinks that Game 5 will be a carbon copy of Games 1 and 2. I guarantee you, that won't happen. I will have fun at work tomorrow here in Burbank, but I know the Laker fans will still talk trash and be extremely confident of winning this series. We take Game 5, and it will be very difficult for the Lakers to win Game 6 in Phoenix. Game 5, to me, is the Suns biggest game of the past 2 years.

2 years? Game 5 is tied with game 5 against Dallas in 2006 for the biggest game in 17 years.

 

[jagu]

And if Kobe hadn't scored over 30 points we would have blew them out. Going by "ifs" means nothing.

Kobe was amazing to watch. It hurt me but rarely do you see guys going "Jordan" on you in the playoffs and Kobe was like "give me the ball its going in." The Lakers have one hell of a weapon. As I continued to see shots fall I did think the Lakers may prevail but he ran out of gas.

 

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[Bufalay]

And if Kobe hadn't scored over 30 points we would have blew them out. Going by "ifs" means nothing.

Isn't it more likely that Kobe goes nuts than the Suns bench?

 

[D-Dogg]

Surely they should be able to stop a bunch of oldies (Nash and Hill), an over-hyped PF who plays more like a SF (Amare), and a cast of nobodies who just toss up a bunch of 3's and pray..., shouldn't they??

Worked twice already, din't it?

 

[jagu]

A big thing we have that's an advantage is that the Lakers have no PG to penetrate and break apart the zone. They just throw it along the outside and waste time.