LA Lakers – Utah Jazz Game 3: Who’s Got Rhythm?

It was the prevailing theme in the game two  postgame press conferences. Both Phil Jackson and Jerry Sloan addressed it. Their two star players, Kobe Bryant and Deron Williams, respectively, stressed it.

Tempo.

That is the one determining factor for which team wins game three and ultimately the Western Conference Semi-Final series between the Lakers and the Jazz.

In the four semi-final series, the home team has won the first two games. Often the momentum shifts with the change of venue as it did in Orlando last night with the Magic overwhelming the Pistons, 111-86, and tonight with San Antonio beating the Hornets, 110-99.

So, if this pattern holds true, the change in home courts would mean that the Jazz should beat the Lakers tomorrow night. That’s especially true when you consider that the Jazz had the best regular season home court record in the NBA, 37-4.

But not so fast my friend. I said tempo, not momentum.

While it’s true that the Jazz will have momentum shift in their favor, still they will need to control the tempo of the game in order to win. But that’s not what the Jazz have been able to do so far against the Lakers.

In both games at the Staples Center, the Lakers controlled the tempo in the first half and wound up with double-digit leads at halftime. In the second half, the Jazz were able to speed up the tempo in stretches and cut into the Lakers lead, but they could not maintain it.

And therein lies the key.

During a 48-minute NBA game, the momentum will shift back and forth numereous times. Each team will make runs. That’s precisely what makes the NBA so exciting. But it’s the team that is able to set and maintain the tempo even during a cold spell that wins.

The greatest players have hot and cold streaks during games. Kobe Bryant is a perfect example. He may go oh-for-seven in a quarter and in the next quarter sink six straight field goals. But he never loses his rhythm. He is always moving, looking for a shot or looking for an opening to drive or pass.

Teams are the same way. Look at the Phoenix Suns of the past few years with their fast-breaking, quick transition full-court offense. Then suddenly come the playoffs and the San Antonio Spurs.

What happened?

The Spurs maintained the slower tempo of their half-court game, and the Suns could never get untracked. Disrupt a team’s rhythm permanently, and they will be hard-pressed to find a way to win.

Although crowd noise may have some effect, the Lakers for the most part are immune to it. Veterans like Bryant, Derek Fisher, Lamar Odom, and Pau Gasol know how to stay focused despite the noise. So does Luke Walton.

"When the crowd gets going you sometimes want to rush it," Walton said after Thursday’s practice, "and that can end up hurting the team. We've got to make sure we stay at our pace."

If they should fall behind early, the Lakers have enough poise to maintain their half-court triangle offense and continue to move the ball around. There’s no need to try to run and build up a large lead to take the crowd out of the game.

No one is better than Phil Jackson at figuring out how to set and maintain his team’s tempo. And for that matter, how to upset the opponent’s tempo.

"I've always felt the best way is to sneak up on them and beat them at the end," Jackson said.

While the crowd may be on Utah’s side, so is the pressure. This is a must-win game for them. No team has ever come back from a 3-0 series deficit.

While the Lakers know the importance of winning Game 3, there is no pressure on them to do so. They also have the added benefit of knowing they were one of only four teams to beat Utah on their home court. And they did it without Pau Gasol, who was nursing an ankle injury.

So, the ball clearly rests in Utah’s court, but the tempo, so far, lies with the Lakers.