The Three Point Play 05.17.08: Lakers Advance, and Two Game 7's Needed to Decide a Winner

Posted by Blake Lovell on 05.17.2008

Kobe and the Lakers joined the Pistons in the Conference Final round, as they dropped the Jazz in Utah. Meanwhile, the Celtics lose on the road again, and now face an elimination game in Boston. Plus the Spurs and Hornets will do battle in a Game 7 in New Orleans. All of this and more in this action-packed edition of the Three Point Play!

Hello everyone and welcome to another intense playoff edition of the Three Point Play. Two Game 7's are now upon us ladies and gentleman, and this is what the playoffs are all about. Two teams fighting it out in one deciding game to see who moves on to the Conference Finals. Statistically, the home teams are the clear favorites in this one, as the road team has yet to win a game in either series. Some people have complained that these series haven't been exciting, simply because we've pretty much figured out that the home team has, and will continue to win every game. That may have been the case, but things are different now. Throw everything out the window that has already happened in these two series. This is one game to decide a winner, and all four teams involved have something to prove. The Celtics have to prove that they can continue to win at home, or they will stay at home for the rest of the postseason. The Cavs have to prove they can win a road game. The Hornets have to prove that their youth will be no problem, even on such a big stage as Game 7. And the Spurs have to prove that their experience can carry them to a victory, although it didn't in the earlier games of the series. This is why we watch. To see a Game 7 to decide it all. It should be a lot of fun basketball fans. With that aside, let's get down to the business at hand.

1. MVP Shines

I felt pretty strongly about this Lakers-Jazz series going seven games, as I thought the Jazz could match the Lakers in several key areas. However, that was not the case. The Lakers won the series in six, and now move on to the Western Conference Finals. As was the usual form in this series, the Jazz dug themselves a hole early and tried to make a late rally for the win, but it was too late. Had the Jazz kept the game close early, instead of getting down 30-14 in the first quarter, they would have had much better success and a much better chance to take the series back to Los Angeles. When all was said and done though, Kobe made shots when he had to, including a ridiculous bank shot plus the foul in the fourth quarter, and he wheeled his team to victory. Kobe and the rest of the Lakers now get some much-needed rest, although Kobe's back problems really didn't seem to flare up in Game 6 given the way he played. The Jazz gave these guys a good fight, but in the end, the Lakers simply had too much talent to let a 3-2 series lead slip away.

The Lakers' success has really been a combination of things at this point. One of the more obvious ones is the coaching, as we all know Phil Jackson is a championship coach, and he knows how to push all the right buttons come playoff time. Also, it doesn't hurt to have a guy like Kobe on your team. But one of the major reasons for this team's success had been the bench. The players off the bench for the Lakers have stepped up throughout the series with the Jazz, as well as the first round series with the Denver Nuggets. When Luke Walton and Sasha Vujacic can come into the game and provide instant offense, the Lakers become a much better team. The main players like Pau Gasol, Lamar Odom, and Derek Fisher will have times where they are struggling from the floor and are just unable to hit anything out there. That's why the bench players are so important, not only for the Lakers, but for every other team in the league. The Lakers' bench is full of energy, which is something you need out of your bench in the playoffs. You need guys who can come in and make an immediate impact on the game, and that's exactly what these guys have done so far this postseason, which is why the Lakers have been so successful. If the bench can continue to provide solid minutes for this team, they may very well be the favorites to win the NBA Championship.

The Lakers must now wait to see who wins the pivotal Game 7 Monday night in New Orleans. As for matchups, I'd say the Lakers probably matchup better with the Spurs, although I'm not sure they want to play the defending champs. The sexy matchup would be the Lakers vs. the Hornets, because then we would get to see the top two players in the MVP voting go head-to-head. Kobe vs. Paul would be exciting, and somewhat fresh for the league. The Hornets definitely have some pieces in the puzzle that could give the Lakers matchup problems. No matter which team the Lakers face, it should be an exciting Western Conference showdown for the right to move on to the NBA Finals. Los Angeles hasn't been there in quite a while, and it's obvious that Kobe is hungry to get back there for another chance at a championship. At this point, all the Lakers can do is wait, and get ready for what will surely be a demanding series against either the Spurs or the Hornets.

2. Game 7 Number 1

In what may have been the worst first quarter in this year's playoffs, the Cavs and Celtics battled it out, and made many wonder if they would ever hit a shot. They finally did. Then both teams scored some points in the second quarter. And then somewhere along the way, the Celtics forgot that they had to score to win. They started turning the ball over thanks to the stifling Cleveland defense. They started shooting bad shots. At one point, the Celtics missed around 15 straight shots. That's not how a championship team plays basketball. The Cavs dominated from about midway through the second quarter until a couple minutes into the third quarter, and really just took control of the game. But then what happened? The Celtics figured it out. The game got close again, but eventually the Cavs made a run, and put the Celtics away for good. Lebron made some huge shots down the stretch as you would expect in those types of situations. The Cavs defense was the key in Game 6, and it will have to be the key in Game 7 if they want to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals for the second straight year. And with this road loss, we can add another to the list of losses for the Celtics. In case you've lost count at home, it's now 0-6 on the road for them.

Let me say this. If the Celtics do find a way to win this series, they will not win the NBA Championship. They cannot be a championship team if they continue to play like they are right now. That's just the way I feel about. As a matter of fact, even though they are the team with all the home-court advantage, they will have trouble beating the Pistons in the Conference Finals. In my opinion, of the four teams that eventually make up the Conference Finals, the Celtics will be the least likely to win the whole thing. As the days pass, this road problem is getting worse. At this point, they can make all the excuses and say all they want about how they don't think about it. But they do. Oh trust me, they do. You go from being the best road team in the league in the regular season, to being probably the worst road team in the playoffs. That's quite a large turn of events there. The Celtics are playing with fire so-to-speak. They will continue to rely on winning every game in Boston, and they will eventually get burned. And that moment may come in Game 7 against the Cavs. If they don't come out with high energy early on, then they may be in trouble. Because Lebron and company will be ready. They really have nothing to lose. The Celtics have everything on the line. They win, their championship hopes continue on for at least another round. They lose, this will likely be seen as a disappointment in the eyes of the Boston fans, and probably the Boston organization. One thing is for sure. I don't see a 99-65 beatdown in this particular Game 7 in Boston. Despite the bad play on the road, the Celtics get to go back home. Therefore, I will take the Celtics in a close one. Am I crazy for picking against Lebron in a win or go-home situation? We will soon find out.

3. Game 7 Number 2

We all had a feeling it would come down to this. Spurs v. Hornets. One game. The right to move on to the Western Conference Finals. But I'm not sure anyone expected all these blowouts thus far. With the average margin of victory being 19 in this series, you don't really know what to expect heading into the pivotal Game 7. Oh wait.....yeah you do. The home team is 6-0 in this series. As much as I liked the Spurs to win this series from the very beginning, I must admit that now I'm a little skeptical. It's not that the Spurs can't beat the Hornets, because they can, but the term home-court advantage means more now than it has in a while in the playoffs. The Hornets get the final game of this matchup in New Orleans, a place where they have decimated the Spurs in the previous three meetings there. And after the beatdown the Spurs gave Chris Paul and company in San Antonio, you can bet the young guns will be hungry, and head coach Byron Scott will have these guys ready to play.

On the other hand, we all know that the Spurs will be ready to go. I can't imagine that this game will be like the other games in New Orleans. The defending champs won't get blown out, and it should be a very good ballgame to watch. All the talk coming into this series was about the Spurs having the experience factor over the Hornets, which is what would catapult them to victory in the series. Now's the time for that experience to kick in. Because so far, we haven't really seen that experience factor except for maybe in Game 6. The Spurs know their backs are against the wall, and it's win or go home. Most of these guys on this team have won a championship, so if we put the home records aside, the Spurs would be the clear favorite in this game. However, given the way the series has gone thus far, the Hornets are the favorite heading into this game.

Matchups will be key in the final game of this series. Tony Parker and Chris Paul will without question the two guys who will make or break their teams chances to advance. If Tony Parker can find ways to get into the paint, then the Spurs should win the game, because that will allow guys like Manu Ginobili and Bruce Bowen to be open outside for the three. This was the situation that occurred in Game 6, as Parker's penetration allowed Ginobili to carve up the defense with hot shooting from outside, as well as Bowen. For the Hornets, if Paul can continue to push the ball up the floor and dish off to Tyson Chandler and David West, the Hornets will win the game. Even in the blowout losses, Paul has been able to find his way into the lane and throw the ball up to Chandler. The health of West could be an issue given the hurt back, but luckily for him he gets several days off before Game 7 on Monday. Paul has played at an MVP level throughout the entire postseason, and I would expect him to do the same in Game 7. This is as good as it gets ladies and gentlemen. Two extremely talented teams battle it out for the right to continue their season. Like I said, I wouldn't expect a blowout in this one. Get around a TV and watch this one. I'm sticking with my original choice of the Spurs, as they will advance despite the Hornets' hot play at home.

THE BONUS

- Take your pick. Which road team has the best chance to win Game 7? Cavs or Spurs?

- The WNBA season has started! Question is, does anybody care? Will Candace Parker's presence make the league any more exciting?

- Mike D'Antoni has discussed bringing Patrick Ewing to the Knicks' coaching staff. I think Ewing will make a good addition to D'Antoni's staff, but that brings up another important question. Ewing has been a major catalyst in Dwight Howard's progression in Orlando, so if in fact he does leave for the Big Apple, it'll be interesting to see how it effects Howard.

That's all for this edition of the Three Point Play. It's time to get ready for what should be a very exciting next couple days of playoff basketball.