The Spurs are cookin’. The Lakers are stuttering, but talented. The first two games of the series have been great. The Spurs are up 2-0. There have been defensive plays, offensive execution, offensive runs, great individual plays, and huge team breakdowns.
In game one, the Spurs came out aggressive and hot. The Lakers played great in the third and Kobe took over the game. But the Lakers felt like the control of the game could not be lost, and then Tony Parker took over. Los Angeles took a bunch of terrible shots to try to shoot match the energy of the Spurs and the crowd, but they were out of control and turned the ball over a lot. He dominated the game late in the third and by the fourth, the Spurs were firmly in command. This is not the Lakers’ year, but they still have the weapons to win. If Kobe would do more than just take difficult shots, they have a chance to beat anyone.
Tonight, Tony Parker was the key the whole game. He had 30 points and everything that happened in the game, except for Shaq’s great play in the post, was touched by his play. Payton cannot keep up with Parker at all. He can, however, take Parker to the post, but that takes LA out of the triangle. Incidentally, I think that Phil Jackson has done a poor job this year with LA during the season and in the playoffs. Gregg Popovich, on the other hand, has made all the right moves, including getting the Spurs to fight back in the first game. Kobe played better tonight and did something that I have not seen him do in a long time, score points out of the offense. I think he has created a bad habit of taking really hard shots, particularly in crucial times, that when made allow him the comfort of being the big-market hero, without the risk of failing to do the little things that made him a great player among great players 2 years ago.
Spurs in 6 games.
