Kobe's Team

LAL-95 PHO-89
Last night the Suns started off on an 11-0 run and on 9 of their first 13 possessions they came up with points. The Lakers looked dead in the water and the crowd was completely out of it. The Suns biggest lead in the first half was 17 and things were going in the complete wrong direction for the Lakers. But then things turned around for the Lakers when they went on a huge run. Kobe had 20 in the first half and some amazing 3-point plays as he drove to the basket. In the second half the Lakers surged back and had all the momentum as the lead went back and forth. Then Kwame Brown after landing awkwardly on his ankle, had about 4 straight post moves, three of them being dunks on Amare Stoudamire who was playing with 3 fouls before Kwame got an and 1 on him and forced him to sit with 4 fouls. The Lakers remained in control as Kobe had a lot of 3-point plays as he drove to the basket consistently and set up his teammates when needed. The Lakers won 95-89 and played a great game in which they hustled for every loose ball and racked up the offensive rebounds. The key to the Lakers winning was not just Kwame Brown's 19 point playoff high, Kobe's dominating and game-changing 45 points, or the Lakers defense in the 4th quarter, but Kobe's ability to get everybody involved which led to the Lakers big game 3 win, in front of the loud Staples crowd, to make the series 2-1 with a big game 4 coming up in LA Sunday at 12:30 Pacific time. It should be great and if the Lakers play like they played in the second half of game 3, with Kobe dominating the game with his scoring and getting teammates involved, they Lakers k the series up 2-2.

In under an hour at 7:30 PM Pacific, things are going to get loud and hyphy in the Bay Area as the Warriors bring their 1-1 series against Dallas to Oakland. It is the first home playoff game for G-State in over a decade and the place should be rockin. I expect to see another intense and emotion-filled game as the preveious two games have been great ones.