Reporting from Houston — Slowly, each Laker dressed, their eyes down until they were approached and asked to explain the almost unexplainable.
How could it be that a Lakers team that has designs on winning the 2009 NBA championship be so maddeningly inconsistent, so up and down, so good one game and so awful the next?
How could it be that the Lakers routed the Rockets by 40 points in Game 5 at Staples Center and then were routed in Game 6 by a still-depleted Houston team?
For whatever reason, the Lakers didn't come to play in the first quarter and that doomed them, sending them to a 95-80 defeat Thursday night in the best-of-seven Western Conference semifinals at the Toyota Center.
"For a team that wants to be champs, they are bouncing us around. It's painful," Sasha Vujacic said. "Like inside, outside, they were doing what we were supposed to do."
And why is that?
"If I knew why, it wouldn't happen," Vujacic said. "For sure, everybody wanted to win.
"Let's not forget that last year in Boston, two series they played seven games and they won the games. So, I wouldn't panic right now. I wouldn't throw anything away. I think it's a good test, an amazing test for us."
The final exam for this series is Sunday at Staples Center, when the Lakers play the Rockets in Game 7.
The winner will advance to the conference finals to face the Denver Nuggets. The loser will be on vacation.
The Lakers were down 17-1 in the first quarter. In Game 4 here last Sunday, the Lakers fell behind by 17 points. They vowed not to let that happen again. But they did.
"Really tough to watch," said Jordan Farmar, who played a very steady game with 13 points on five-for-10 shooting. "They did a good job, man. They started off with a lot of energy, being really aggressive and that's how you have to be in these kinds of games. Up 3-2, down 3-2, you have to be aggressive.
"They just hit us in the mouth early. Once we were dazed, they kept throwing."
The Lakers said they would match Houston's energy and effort this time, and that they would play harder.
It turned out to be mostly lip service.
"If you can't get hyped for this and ready for these types of games, something is wrong with us," Farmar said. "The energy in the building is great. They kind of fed off their crowd. The shots they were missing the last game they were knocking down here."
The last time the Lakers played a seven-game series was in 2006, when they lost Game 7 at Phoenix.
But the last time the Lakers played a seventh game at Staples Center was in 2000, when they beat the Portland Trail Blazers, the highlight being Kobe Bryant's alley-oop pass to Shaquille O'Neal for a one-handed slam dunk.
Winning that series was the impetus that pushed the Lakers to winning three consecutive NBA championships.
"Home court of course is big," Lamar Odom said. "And right now in this series, playing well in the first quarter is even bigger. You can't give up (17-1) leads. Not on the road. It just can't happen.
"I have confidence in our team. We have confidence in each other. Our effort will be better Sunday. It has to be."
Re: Article: LA Times - Lakers players still can't explain the lack of fire
Well the Lakers remind me of a Mike Tyson opponent(the OLD Mike) once they got hit with that first punch, they forgot about everything they were taught and concentrated on how to avoid the next punch. Because if they got hit again they were going down for the 10 count!!
Re: Article: LA Times - Lakers players still can't explain the lack of fire
Quote:
Originally Posted by paguy1955
Well the Lakers remind me of a Mike Tyson opponent(the OLD Mike) once they got hit with that first punch, they forgot about everything they were taught and concentrated on how to avoid the next punch. Because if they got hit again they were going down for the 10 count!!
what are your nuggets against the lakers? 7 and 1 in the last 8 games?...lol
btw you're free to post here, but you'll have less posts deleted if you refrain from using terms like "duh master" and keep the general trolling level down... that stuff plays well in the main NBA forum or on your Denver Post Neighbors Community Forums (nice pics you post there) but not here..
it's sad to say this is the best of the posts you left in the laker forum and was the only one not deleted
Re: Article: LA Times - Lakers players still can't explain the lack of fire
Quote:
Originally Posted by paguy1955
Well the Lakers remind me of a Mike Tyson opponent(the OLD Mike) once they got hit with that first punch, they forgot about everything they were taught and concentrated on how to avoid the next punch. Because if they got hit again they were going down for the 10 count!!
That was pretty funny..
Soooo I'm guessing next series the nuggets will be Iron Mike??
Okay, cool,cool..
As long as we are
the GREATEEEEEEEEEST...
A BAAAAAAAD MANNNNNN
and pretty...
Last edited by MJ(Mean John) : 05-17-2009 at 03:09 AM.
Re: Article: LA Times - Lakers players still can't explain the lack of fire
they're young. it's hard at younger ages to be consistent, and to exude the kind of confidence we expect out of champions. and still they have a good shot at winning a championship.
thought this team could use some older vets, like a badass (ron harper) or an egomaniac (rick fox)
Re: Article: LA Times - Lakers players still can't explain the lack of fire
Quote:
Originally Posted by SourGrapes
they're young. it's hard at younger ages to be consistent, and to exude the kind of confidence we expect out of champions. and still they have a good shot at winning a championship.
thought this team could use some older vets, like a badass (ron harper) or an egomaniac (rick fox)
yeah, i think having a veteran role player would help a lot too... someone to stabilize the bench more, beyond the core 6 players. pj brown would have been nice.. lol
Re: Article: LA Times - Lakers players still can't explain the lack of fire
Quote:
Originally Posted by SoCalMike
yeah, i think having a veteran role player would help a lot too... someone to stabilize the bench more, beyond the core 6 players. pj brown would have been nice.. lol
Re: Article: LA Times - Lakers players still can't explain the lack of fire
Quote:
Originally Posted by D-Rose
Lindsay Hunter and Theo Ratliff = FA this summer.
Is Lindsey Hunter young enough to play some tough D?
We should get theo ratliff for sure if he comes cheap. He'd be a great backup to have off the bench. A mutumbo sort of player who hustles, blocks shots, and rebounds well.
Re: Article: LA Times - Lakers players still can't explain the lack of fire
Quote:
Originally Posted by lakerfreak
Is Lindsey Hunter young enough to play some tough D?
We should get theo ratliff for sure if he comes cheap. He'd be a great backup to have off the bench. A mutumbo sort of player who hustles, blocks shots, and rebounds well.
I also think he's an average scorer.
I don't know if the Lakers will have the desire to go after one of those veteran guys if they decide to keep both Ariza and Odom, which would definitely put the team way past the cap-limit. If they keep just 1 of them then yeah, I can see them willing to spend some money to go after one of them. It will also depend on whether we win a championship or not this year.
Article: LA Times - Lakers players still can't explain the lack of fire
