Can The Lakers Be Beat??(Official 3-Peat Thread) (1 Viewer)

[RobertR]

remember this

Remember what? What do Dallas and Utah have to do with the Lakers, the team Sacramento is playing NOW?

 

[Carlo_M]

Yeah but in those cases they won Game 1, lost Game 2. There's that crazy stat from nba.com that shows the winner of Game 1 wins 79.7% of the Best of Seven series. Last round both the Lakers and Kings won Game 1, but lost Game 2. Both then proceeded to sweep out the series. The only exception to the rule (and you could count them as part of the 20.3% that win) was the Detroit series where Detroit won Game 1 and lost that series (were swept out in fact).
I think the two games, a 7 point win by L.A. and a 6 point win by the Kings, were drastically different. L.A. raced out to a 16 point early lead and just futzed around to hold it until the end. Never did Sacramento get closer than 5, never were they in a real position to win the game. The Kings, meanwhile, were up 15 with 5 minutes to go, and then proceeded to fold...to the point where the Lakers were only down 3 in the waning moments. They even took and missed bad shots down the stretch, and missed free throws (something they are historically very good at) which tells me that they still have nerves. The Lakers had a chance to win Game 2 while the Kings did not have a chance to win Game 1.
The L.A. games will be the telling games of the series. If Sac splits or sweeps, they are obviously for real and have grown up enough to dethrone. If they lose both, look for L.A. to close it out in SacTown. And they'll bring their own food, I'm sure.

 

[KeithH]

Alex, the Jazz and Mavs aren't the Lakers. Aside from the fact that the outcomes of previous series have no bearing on the outcome of the present one, you are talking about Kings' opponents that are grossly inferior to the Lakers.

 

[Dan Keefe]

Alex, I should probably have you go back a bit in this thread to see this, but I get so much joy out of writing it sp here it is...Phil Jackson has never lost a series when his team has won the first game...100% gotta love that little stat
Can't wait til friday!
dan

 

[Alex-C]

The Kings really need Peja and need him to score if they want to compete with the Lakers for what is now a best of 5 series. He practiced yesterday, but they are still listing him as doubtfull for Friday's game.

 

[KeithH]

Alex, feel free to address Dan and me anytime you like.

 

[Alex-C]

Sacramento 103

Los Angeles 90

Alex, feel free to address Dan and me anytime you like

Um...would now be an appropriate time to "address you" ?

 

[Jefe Noche]

The "sleeping giant" has been awoken:

Lakers in 6.

 

[Dan Keefe]

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Um...would now be an appropriate time to "address you" ?
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
It would probably be in poor taste for me not to remain cocky, since I started this thread. So to answer your question...
"Nope, not yet!!"

dan

 

[Mike Broadman]

What the hell happened last night?!
The Lakers were destroyed! Wow.
The Kings just came out and were relentless. Good for them.
The series is very interesting now. Perhaps the Lakers will come back all angry and nasty. Can't wait for the next game.

 

[Carlo_M]

It was very obvious that one team came to play last night and the other did not (except for like a 5-8 minute span in the fourth quarter).
The Kings showed that they are hungry for respect and talented to boot.
Now it is up to the Lakers to respond (if they can) tomorrow. As telling as last night's game was for the Kings, tomorrow's will show what the Lakers are all about. They can either bounce back strong and even up the series and go back to Sac-Town where they obviously have no fear of the arena, or Sacramento can really grab the neo-Bulls by the horn and dethrone them.

 

[Mark Romero]

Go Kings!

 

[Howard Williams]

Another disapointing loss. Few positives to take away from that drubbing. You know what was the scariest part? Pedja didn't even play and Jackson was not even a factor.

Good to see Webber finally get some credit.

Bibby is incredible. No one has ever D'ed up Kobe better than Christie did last night. He sacrificed his offensive output to control Kobe and it worked. That's good coaching, teammork and intelligent basketball. I respect and appreciate that even if it means my favorite team is on the other end of it.

I'm not counting the Lakers out yet though. The Fat Lady is still asleep.

 

[Tim Abbott]

In response to the original question
"Can the Lakers Be Beat?"
.....YES!!!
Either Sacremento, or Boston in the finals
I just got back from the game. UNBELIEVEABLE!!!!! The Celtics are hands-down the hottest team in basketball. I'll take them over anyone right now. They have talent and they believe in themselves. Anyone remember the Patriots?!?!
Let the good times roll...

 

[Howard Williams]

Boston won ?!!!

I turned that game off in the 3rd quarter. UNBELEIVABLE !!!

41 points in the 4th?!!!! Man, I missed a good one.

 

[Carlo_M]

I just got back from the game. UNBELIEVEABLE!!!!! The Celtics are hands-down the hottest team in basketball. I'll take them over anyone right now. They have talent and they believe in themselves. Anyone remember the Patriots

That's why I like the NBA playoffs and their seven-game-series format. A team can get hot, but they still have to win 4, it's not a one-and-done like the Superbowl. I don't doubt the skill of any of the remaining teams, but it's going to take more that a hot streak to win in the NBA. When was the last time you remember an undeserving team that just happened to get hot winning the NBA championship?

 

[Jon_B]

Bibby is incredible. No one has ever D'ed up Kobe better than Christie did last night. He sacrificed his offensive output to control Kobe and it worked. That's good coaching, teammork and intelligent basketball. I respect and appreciate that even if it means my favorite team is on the other end of it.

I respect your attitude.
The Kings are not my team, (i'm a Raptors fan), however I am rooting for them to win it this year. I think they can do it.
Jon

 

[Len Cheong]

I wish I knew what Walker said in his speech to

his teammates that fired them up so much and got Pierce to "wake up!" One of the most incredible comebacks ... actually the best in the whole of NBA history...

 

[Tim Abbott]

When was the last time you remember an undeserving team that just happened to get hot winning the NBA championship?

Carlo, it hurts my feelings that you don't think my team is deserving
For the record, this is an entirely different team that won 49 games this year. The mid-season trade that brought Rodney Rogers and Tony Delk altered the chemistry of the team. If we have them all year, I promise you we have the best record in the (JV) East.
All that being said, I still think we have a shot assuming we can dispatch NJ in short order. That was a tough loss and I don't see them coming back from that. We'll see tomorrow.

 

[Mike Broadman]

Holy mother of Spam! What a 4th quarter!
I was actually rooting for both the Nets and the Celtics all season, but Jason Kidd and my NY heart make me favor the Nets a little more, but I wouldn't be upset no matter the outcome. However....

Where were the Nets at the end? What awful, horrible defense and so many turnovers. The loss was devastating, and I only hope it makes them as angry as my three stupid emoticons are attempting to convey.
Tonight's game may very well be the most interesting of the season: I hope the Lakers will come back with hell fire and righteous rage after that embarrassing loss, and that the Kings will stand their ground.
Though I'm rooting for the Nets with the Celtics a close second, this is turning out to be one hell of a playoff series and I won't be upset no matter who wins, even if it is the Lakers.