Ariza should have been fouled out in the first half of EVERY game so far with the way he's been allowed to play Turkoglu, and Gasol should have had foul trouble too with the way he's leaning and pushing with both arms on Howard's back and chest all the time. So don't talk about the refs, please.
I'd LOVE to see the refs let someone play D on Kobe the way they let Ariza play Turk. It'd be hysterical.
You can say the same for Dwight's numerous elbows on Gasol, so you don't bring up the refs either.
As big as derek Fisher's plays were ... Kobe also had a monster play in the fourth quarter than no one is talking about. Earlier in the fourth Howard got a ball under the basket and Gasol gave him a weak touch foul and he got the and 1. You could see Kobe telling Gasol to foul him hard if he is going to foul. Then late in the fourth same thing happens and Kobe gives Howard absolutely no chance to put that ball in the basket! This game was more than just FG% as Derek Fisher's three point FG% can attest to!
It isn't always about stats. I think he actually shot decently in the fourth and overtime. I think what most people are seeing was how difficult it was for the Lakers to get a good shot off when Dwight Howard hunkered down and defended the crap out of the paint. I mean we couldn't get anything inside. They went to Gasol a couple times and he couldn't convert because Howard pushed him out and it was getting physical in there. But Phil said it himself... the turning point in this game came when Kobe ripped the ball out of Howards hand on that rebound. Kobe just got it done... it wasn't pretty... it wasn't efficient... but it was grimey and raw and pit-bullish. There is more than one way to win a game!
And he got it to the right guy when it counted! Go Fisher!
I feel ya man but I'm just frustrated by his offense. I know he was hacked a bunch of times (and got away with the elbow for the haters) but a lot of those shots were forced, often early in the clock. It wasn't smart decision making, it was too old-kobe decision making for my taste. Almost every time he gave the ball up at the end it resulted in a big play for us. Trust the team...they have not let him down yet.
This game was a travesty. Howard sucks, and I knew he would blow both of them at the line at the end of regulation. I also knew LA would tie it and win in OT. It was just fated to be that way. Ridiculous.
Kobe had a very poor shooting night, but more than that, I felt he made several VERY bad decisions. Like, taking long, contested shots with 18+ seconds left on the shotclock and no rebounders underneath. One play in particular, in semi-transition when LA was making a run, was just perplexing for that reason. Felt he was trying to prove too much in the 4th and got carried away.
Magic choked this game away, even though Fisher and Ariza were HUGE in the second half (Ariza had like 13 points in the first 7 minutes of the 3rd to cut the lead, and of course Fish's shots at the end of regulation and OT.
Kobe's elbow to Nelson's face wasn't intentional, but I have no idea how that isn't called. You can't just elbow somebody in the face and get away with it. Oh, wait, that's right -- you can if your name is Kobe (see: Mike Bibby). That's the only reason Fish was uncontested for that 3. Nelson would have been running at him, but at least it would've been challenged. Terrible.
Kobe was trying to pass the ball to Fisher, knowing Nelson was going to double him, too bad Nelson had to run into his elbow, it wasn't called because it wasn't intentional and it was somewhat Nelson's fault for sticking his face there.
Warning anti-kobe rant/essay:
Is it me or is Kobe
a) an idiot?
b) just not gonna deliver in the finals when it counts?
He's had his one good offensive game in the finals (game 1) so far; he had one good offensive game in each of the previous two finals, and based on that it scares me that he won't have anymore the way he's playing. Let me clarify...yes he's putting up the numbers, but he's doing it horribly inefficiently and mostly because he's playing incredibly forced offense, especially in the 4th.
Ariza and Fisher saved the Laker's butt today (in game 3 Odom and Gasol almost did). When it mattered most Kobe was nowhere to be seen except chucking up bad shots. To his credit he gave the ball up near the end which lead to big shots (two fisher plays and the Gasol dunk). But the fact remains...the guy nearly gave the game away again thanks to his incessant chucking. Is it too much to ask a guy not to shoot four straight possessions in a row and move the ball a bit to keep his team mates in the game and also to make his own life easier?
Don't get me wrong. I'm not a hater. I want Kobe to do well. I love watching his game when he plays smart, team ball. But in the finals we're not getting that guy. If his shot's on you get game 1. But if its off, you get most of his games this year (same as '04 & '08). And don't anyone tell me about the assists. AI averaged about a ton too, so did LeBron. And both those guys dominate(d) the ball too much on their teams.
So I have just one wish besides LA winning it all. In the remaining games can we please run our God damned offense.
What game are you watching? Only MJ has had 4 straight games of 25 points and 8 dimes. He's taking shots and distributing the ball.
It looks bad when shots don't go in, but they are makeable by Kobe standards. Kobe is doing work IMO.
Kobe was trying to pass the ball to Fisher, knowing Nelson was going to double him, too bad Nelson had to run into his elbow, it wasn't called because it wasn't intentional and it was somewhat Nelson's fault for sticking his face there.
I agree. If anything it was a foul on Nelson for hitting Kobe's elbow with his face.
Re: June 11: Lakers @ Magic, Game 4 (NBA Finals)
