HOLY CRAP! In case you haven't noticed, the NBA Playoffs have started. You may want to set your DVRs now... this one's shaping up to be a CLASSIC series! 5 techs, 2 ejections... DAMN!! The series shifts to Houston on Friday night for Round (Game) 3 with the series tied at 1.
Kobe literally put the Lakers on his back and refused to let his team fall into a 2-0 hole making impossible jumper after impossible jumper. Give him credit for that, but the Rockets are feeling good in that they are 2 for 2 forcing the Lakers to take the shots THEY want them to take. If Kobe has three more games in him to make contested shot after contested shot, then so be it. That's a bet the Rockets are more than happy to place a wager on!
The problem is that the Rockets did not handle the defensive pressure of the Lakers well last night and turned the ball over WAY too much. The turnovers led to a Lakers 20-5 advantage on fast break points and that's where the game was ultimately lost. You're going to turn the ball over against the Lakers as they were one of the best in the league at causing them, but you've GOT to get back and play better transition defense if you're going to advance.
The Lakers were destroyed by their local media after game 1 for "their lack of toughness". The sad part is that the Lakers think they've answered the call with their performance in game 2. The reality is that they apparently don't know what that word means. I hate to break it to you Lakers, but "toughness" is NOT synonymous with "cheap shots" and "smack talk". That's the calling card of a bunch of punks... which you all played like last night. Lamar Odom and Luke Walton talking trash?? That's funny! Gutless and Bench Boy need to remember their roles and STFU!! And what was up with D Fish?? That shot on Scola was as weak and as bush league as it gets. You should have just gone Kermit Washington on him if the intent was to be that cheap and gutless. Which brings us to the ring leader of this gutless circus... Kobe Bryant. I laugh EVERY time Kobe worshipers seriously ask why you hate their beloved Kobe. Maybe it's because he's a little B*TCH!! You put any kind of pressure on the guy or start to challenge him and the elbows and knees start flying, and the jaw starts flapping. Just STFU and play the game. What makes matters worse is that the NBA protects this giant douche. Cheap shots and classless play is nothing new to Kobe. As with most of the guys who went to the Association straight after High School, he's never grown up and matured. I hate to say it, but he's the product of the no accountability world that exists as a result of his talent. But another subject for another time. the bottom line is that there's a difference between being tough and being dirty! The Lakers AREN'T tough!!
The bigger question is with regards to how the NBA reacts to the cheap shots that were taken last night. There's no doubt about Fisher's intent on his foul. Will the league have the guts to do the right thing and suspend him? Probably not! The sad part is that they'll actually have the audacity to cite the fact that he "didn't go for the head" as justification. And what about Kobe's shot to Artest's neck? By the letter of the law there's no doubt that a suspension should be assessed. Dwight Howard's fairly familiar with that rule, right? But alas we're talking about the golden child Kobe... the rules just don't apply to him and there's no reason to expect they're going to start applying to him now. He'll be assessed a meaningless flagrant foul and that will be that. The NBA... where amazing happens!
Now don't get me wrong... truth be told I don't want either of those guys suspended. The Rockets have proven they can beat these guys at full strength and I don't want any lame excuses. I'm just pointing out the hypocrisy of the league. Had it been Ron Artest that was guilty of either infraction, the league would have announced the suspension before the game had even ended last night!
Finally, with regards to Ron Artest. His act I'm a little worried about moving forward in this series. I mentioned it in my keys to game 2 in the other thread. He's GOT to keep his eye on the prize and not get sucked into all of this crap. He's playing outstanding basketball in this series and the Rockets need him to continue to do so to have a chance to move on. He was justifiably upset last night, the refs completely blew the call, and he really handled it pretty well. He was spot on in his post game interview as well. The problem is Ron Artest forgets he's Ron Artest. He's made his bed with his past and therefore his claims/complaints fall on deaf ears. It doesn't matter how right he is, nobody's gonna listen or give it any credence. Ron Ron's been pretty darn good avoiding these situations this season as a Rocket... let's not start going the other way now. The refs are going to be watching him a lot closer now. He needs to understand that and keep his eye on the prize and concentrate on basketball.
As a Rockets fan, I'm feeling pretty good about things right now. Sure I would have loved to go up 2-0, but this Lakers team is an extremely talented team and they just weren't going to let that happen. But all in all, you had an extremely successful opening trip to LA. You now have home court advantage, you've taken the Lakers best shot on their home court and responded, AND you're in the Lakers' heads. Their fans are doubting them and their toughness and they justified those doubts with cheap shots and bush league play in game 2. All in all, mission accomplished Rockets.
When does game 3 start??