GAME #38 LAKERS VS SPURS 1/14/09 6PM ESPN / KCAL 9

[Flipdog69xxx]

Only caught the last five minutes of the replay and wow what a heart breaker, but I'm definitely NOT ready to start turning on DFish! We just lost a close one due to two lucky off balance shots made by duncan and mason. We caught the L, now lets focus on the next one.

[hermes]

at the end of the day, we had a game won that we had no business winning and sometimes if you have no business winning-- you don't win, it happens

and its not like it was one of the spurs big 3 that hit the last shot, it was Mason how many times out of 10 does he make that? and it was also on a night where the spurs couldn't miss for the most part

spurs gave everything they had, had it under control, but we rallied had it, and it slipped away, considering the calls may or may not have been going our way, the spurs hot shooting, our bad defense, injuries, bone-headed plays and we still had the game one against our biggest competition in the west, i'd say that is about as good a loss that can be had

[G35]

Well things I saw from the game, and I had to watch it on the Spurs local telecast because they blacked it out on ESPN:

Fish - postives were he shot really well this game 5-10 overall and 4-4 from 3pt land which kept us in the game. That foul on Mason was ticky tacky at the point in the game imo. He was bodying him but Mason was flailing trying to at least get the foul. Just have to give it to Mason he made a helluva shot. The thing I do have about Fisher is he isn't a good distributor or decision maker on the break. Anyone remember that 3-2 fastbreak where Kobe gave the ball to Fish in the middle and Fish gives it back at the end and it ends up going out of bounds. I cringe whenever Fish goes to the basket or leads the break. Still there isn't another player other than Kobe that I would want to take a big shot; and that's throughout the league. He's ice cold shooting in the clutch.

Ariza - he isn't really a defensive stopper. He has good athleticism but he isn't great laterally or have great defensive instincts playing his man one on one. I know everyone saw at the end of the 1st quarter IIRC where Ginobli crossed him up so easy. Ariza falls for the simplest ball fakes. Also does anyone think it would have been different if it was Sasha instead of Ariza in that last possession? If Kobe gives the ball to Sasha he pulls up at 18-20 for an easy open look. Ariza's mid range game isn't that strong, which is how he got blocked at the rim by Duncan.

That's an issue this team has is that they have good players when you take out the emotion when evaluating these guys. But they each have some serious +'s and -'s. With Ariza he has great athleticism but his outside shooting and ball handling is suspect (those three travels he got in Houston). Sasha is a fearless shooter/defender but he is too emotional and that fearlessness causes him to take some f'd up shots.

Kobe had an awesome game and I love Kobe's game because he does what others can't do imo. But the first half at least he let Mason get too many wide open looks. I can live with the Spurs big 3 getting theirs but when Bonner and Mason nail shots it's a long night. Kobe let Mason get off to a hot start and it gave him confidence the rest of the game.

Which leads me to my final point (rambling I know) is this Laker team can play defense at a high level but they choose not to. They held the Spurs to 17 pts in the 4th after allowing no less than 30pts in the first 3 quarters. Also the Rockets game they held the Rockets to 18pts in the 4th after giving up 26, 28, and 28pts in the 1st 3 quarters. It seems like the Lakers are conserving themselves or they just tighten the D down when they have to.

Perhaps it's strategy by Phil to unleash double teams so the other team gets used to a defense. But when I see this I believe the Lakers will/and can can play defense at an elite level. They held the Celtics to 82 pts and they played D the whole game so it's not like they can't do it when they want to.......

[kevin_405]

Ginobli has a unique crossover that has beaten a lot of players including Kobe.. Ariza did his best..

I think the bad close out of the 1st half hurt us bad.. We gave up 7 points in under 20 secs.. both to Ginobli..

Well things I saw from the game, and I had to watch it on the Spurs local telecast because they blacked it out on ESPN:

Fish - postives were he shot really well this game 5-10 overall and 4-4 from 3pt land which kept us in the game. That foul on Mason was ticky tacky at the point in the game imo. He was bodying him but Mason was flailing trying to at least get the foul. Just have to give it to Mason he made a helluva shot. The thing I do have about Fisher is he isn't a good distributor or decision maker on the break. Anyone remember that 3-2 fastbreak where Kobe gave the ball to Fish in the middle and Fish gives it back at the end and it ends up going out of bounds. I cringe whenever Fish goes to the basket or leads the break. Still there isn't another player other than Kobe that I would want to take a big shot; and that's throughout the league. He's ice cold shooting in the clutch.

Ariza - he isn't really a defensive stopper. He has good athleticism but he isn't great laterally or have great defensive instincts playing his man one on one. I know everyone saw at the end of the 1st quarter IIRC where Ginobli crossed him up so easy. Ariza falls for the simplest ball fakes. Also does anyone think it would have been different if it was Sasha instead of Ariza in that last possession? If Kobe gives the ball to Sasha he pulls up at 18-20 for an easy open look. Ariza's mid range game isn't that strong, which is how he got blocked at the rim by Duncan.

That's an issue this team has is that they have good players when you take out the emotion when evaluating these guys. But they each have some serious +'s and -'s. With Ariza he has great athleticism but his outside shooting and ball handling is suspect (those three travels he got in Houston). Sasha is a fearless shooter/defender but he is too emotional and that fearlessness causes him to take some f'd up shots.

Kobe had an awesome game and I love Kobe's game because he does what others can't do imo. But the first half at least he let Mason get too many wide open looks. I can live with the Spurs big 3 getting theirs but when Bonner and Mason nail shots it's a long night. Kobe let Mason get off to a hot start and it gave him confidence the rest of the game.

Which leads me to my final point (rambling I know) is this Laker team can play defense at a high level but they choose not to. They held the Spurs to 17 pts in the 4th after allowing no less than 30pts in the first 3 quarters. Also the Rockets game they held the Rockets to 18pts in the 4th after giving up 26, 28, and 28pts in the 1st 3 quarters. It seems like the Lakers are conserving themselves or they just tighten the D down when they have to.

Perhaps it's strategy by Phil to unleash double teams so the other team gets used to a defense. But when I see this I believe the Lakers will/and can can play defense at an elite level. They held the Celtics to 82 pts and they played D the whole game so it's not like they can't do it when they want to.......

[RJM]

Let me just say that Fisher was an idiot for that play. WTF are you doing BEHIND your man in the first place anyways?!? Now that that's out of the way, it was a great game to witch between two great teams. Its unfortunate that we didn't get the W, but I went to bed with peace last night. We are missing key players and still almost escaped San Antonio Spurs team at full power with a win. That's something comforting to think about. We're still owning the West right now, and I don't see us giving ground any time soon. Let's go Lakers!

[TonyMontana]

Honestly I dont blame fish or anybody in general for this loss.
The Spurs played a hell of a game and you have to give them props for it.
As far as Fish's so called dumb foul. I didnt see a foul there, all I saw was Mason threw his legs out and drew a foul, BAD CALL.
Ariz did a good job on Parker at the end, and Bynum didnt board well at all and the Manu three at the end of the half, he shouldve stepped up and try to block it, he couldve and he shouldve.
As far the last call (traveling) on Ariza............ B.S I watched that play over and over again, it wasnt a travel. Bad call. and it was the same reff that called a foul on Fisher.
Did the Spurs deserve the W........ hell ya. They battled and they were aggressive on the boards, Duncan like always is clutch for his team and he came through over and over again.
Im pissed that the freaking reffs just dont allow the game to go on and uck it up the last second with B.S calls.
The Spurs had the H.C.A and home team usually gets the calls, in this case the calls were bad, not in the entire game but only the last few seconds when it counted.
Props to the Spurs , but the reffs........... What a joke???

[Minhee]

Tony, can't blame the refs we are responsible for this loss. Refs did not make the lakers play no defense, fisher should not have put himself in that position in the first place. He gambledfor a steal and failed, tried to recover but it was too late. He should have just let mason shoot, did Mason act? Of course, but there was contact, it's not like fisher stood there with his hands in his pocket. Mason may have created the tripling but Fish also ran in there making the refs decision easier.

Bottomline we lost, can't put the blame the refs. They are only out to get the Celtics, I mean they should be 40-0 right now?

[SwiLL2432]

Derek Fisher did us wrong last night......GRRRRR

He needs to get back to the old Fish

[iamworthy]

Ariza played better against Parker than he did on Manu. Thats just a lessoned learned to Phil Jackson.

[DEEP3CL]

Ariza played better against Parker than he did on Manu. Thats just a lessoned learned to Phil Jackson.

Agree totally, he took Parker out of the game in the last 5 minutes of that game. Even on the play that Fish gift wrapped to Mason, Parker ran away from the ball. He wanted no part of Trev playing D on him.

[TonyMontana]

Tony, can't blame the refs we are responsible for this loss. Refs did not make the lakers play no defense, fisher should not have put himself in that position in the first place. He gambledfor a steal and failed, tried to recover but it was too late. He should have just let mason shoot, did Mason act? Of course, but there was contact, it's not like fisher stood there with his hands in his pocket. Mason may have created the tripling but Fish also ran in there making the refs decision easier.

Bottomline we lost, can't put the blame the refs. They are only out to get the Celtics, I mean they should be 40-0 right now?

I never did pretty lady, I only disagreed with the last call and yes Fish took a chance and we payed for it, but even that call was a ifffi...
Again I give props to the Spurs, but the last call on Ariza was totally wrong, not only wrong but calling it a travel was even worst.
Thats why Im all for adding another reff to the three.
Maybe having a one more eye in the game might resolve some missed or bad calls everyteam experiences.
Oh and Minhee can I get on the Powell wagon Pleaseeeeeeeeeeeeee pretty lady.

[The Skyhook]

Even though we lost Kobe still showed why he is so clutch and that hes the best in the world. In the begining of the season i remember when kobe would go for shots like the 3s he was making he would miss them and he wouldnt pass that often. I hope kb24 can be this great throough the rest of this season so we win that championship.