Every single time the Lakers got inside they got a foul called, the shot made or a three-point opportunity. The third quarter was evidence to that. Patient, though-out ball movement and jabs to the paint got the Lakers the pace they needed. When the Lakers began to not throw a shot up without working the ball in and out things fell into place. The Warriors were scrambled on defense and exposed on the inside.
Make shooters out it on the floor and make slashers shoot or give up the ball. To that end the Lakers have to make Ellis (and speedy guards in general) more of a shooter. Sometimes they push up so close to him it gives him easy runs to anywhere he needs to go. I swear it’s not that hard to do, take two steps off of him. If he makes a shot from the space, so be it. It’s not the points, its giving up that many drive and kicks through one player. They did better in the second half containing this, but at times (ala all last game and the first half of this one) the Lakers make this easy type of defensive maneuver look about as hard as taking the SAT in Chinese.
I know it’s hackneyed to read in my rants, but I have to say it - this game brought the 8th (that I can recall right now) buzzer beater against the Lakers. They continue to relax at the end of quarters despite getting burned time and time again. Closing out quarters means playing until the buzzer sounds. This kind of easily contained nonsense is the type of thing that can lose you a series in the playoffs. Not just from the points, but also from the confidence and momentum it gives the other team.
By the way, it’s a zone - a weak in the middle stagnant defense that is seemingly a 20-sided Grand Canyon sized Rubik’s Cube for the Lakers. Stop passing around it and attack it!
WTF Of The Game: A re-jump of a ball because of a “bad toss” and a step into the key on the first free throw called in overtime. Those two calls weren’t just rare; they were flat out preposterous.
Well that was just one complaint laden article for a win, huh? I and we all will take the win, but the Lakers will hopefully be getting healthy soon because the cracks in the armor are starting to show. For now, first place is back where it should be, in the Lakers’ hands and they now have a favorable run of games coming their way.
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