Driving in to work today I heard one of the Mikes say if he was a Spurs fan, he’d feel pretty good about last night all things considered.
Have to disagree. Strongly.
The Spurs got a huge game (30 and 18) from Tim Duncan. Kobe did one of his covert, see-I-don’t-have-to-shoot-all-the-time numbers for a half. The Spurs led by 20 in the third quarter. By the last 6-8 minutes they not only couldn’t score, they couldn’t get shots.
The Lakers can guard you now. I assume people are no longer saying Phil Jackson can’t coach.
It looks like Duncan and Pao Gasol (who’s really good, much better than anybody could have thought based on Memphis) can’t stop each other, except that Duncan has to make tough, in-traffic shots or free throws (which he struggles with) while Gasol gets his easily just by hanging around, off little dinks and dunks, lobs from Kobe and transition stuff.
Two things for the Spurs to feel slightly good about, because they can be improved upon: Ginobli was awful, as bad as he’s likely to be, and he looked soft, at times letting the Lakers simply rip the ball out of his hands. Also, Tony Parker was tremendous in the first half but not much of a factor down the stretch. All of his six assists came in the first quarter-and-a-half. He could have been much more aggressive late, when nothing else was working.
Kobe will get 50 in this series, maybe more than once. That’ll be fun, actually, seeing him light up career clutch-and-grabber Bruce Bowen.
As for the series big picture, after this gut-punch, the Spurs almost certainly won’t win game two, so to advance they’ll have to win four of five, with two of them in LA.
It’s hard to imagine a more decisive game one.
What an utter waste of videotape is TNT’s Craig Sager, who seems to be under the impression that dressing like Liberace’s personal assistant adds something. It doesn’t, and he’s got nothing else.
On the other hand, ESPN’s Doris Burke has become a really fine NBA game analyst. I hate to admit it, but that surprises the hell out of me. Unfortunately, ESPN’s Bill Simmons nails it:
“I know she’s doing a fine job, but does it make me a sexist that I can’t listen to Doris Burke without thinking, “Woman talking woman talking woman talking woman talking …” the entire time?”
I’m afraid it does, Bill, to some extent. Me, too.
