Lakers-Spurs Game Five Preview

The Lakers picked up a huge game four win. San Antonio fan is bent! Highly upset and feeling like they got screwed by the call. There’s been a lot of talk about the last play of the game, was it a foul or not?

That question is simple: yes.

However, that foul will not be called, especially not at the end of a Western Conference Finals game. The Lakers outplayed the Spurs in the game and had the Spurs playing uphill all game.

You can’t expect the officials to bail you out of game that you had no business winning. The irony is that the officials kept the Spurs in the game with some questionable calls against the Lakers all game, and the moment the last call of the game went against the Spurs, some felt the officiating was tainted.

I can agree with the argument that Joey Crawford shouldn’t have been calling this game due to his history with the Spurs. The reality is that the call on the last play of the game wasn’t the reason the Spurs lost game four.

Some will say a foul is a foul whether it is in the first minute or the last minute of a game. There is a lot of truth to that statement and I agree, but the officials do want the players to decide the outcome of a game and not them.

The fact of the matter is that Brent Barry didn’t sell the call and actually reset and got the shot off. And why is 6’6” Brent Barry attempting to pump fake a 6’1” Derek Fisher instead of just rising up and taking the shot? The Spurs didn’t blame the refs and San Antonio fans shouldn’t either.

This debate is going to rage on for a while; the Los Angeles Lakers are 48 minutes away from reaching the NBA Finals. Kobe Bryant and the Lakers are five wins away from reaching their goal of a championship.

These are the most difficult wins to get. The Spurs, by losing, are placed in a bad position to have to win three straight games. The Spurs are a tough, tough out, but I think the Spurs have reached the end of the road.

The Spurs will come out with a spirited effort and will probably start Manu Ginobli. He was shut down by the Lakers in game four; it appeared that Brent Barry took his place.

The Spurs top-scoring trio, Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobli, has been more of a duo in this series despite the game three eruption.  

The Lakers, knowing the importance of this game and the position that they find themselves in, must match the intensity that the Spurs will bring. Kobe Bryant will come out aggressive and attack the painted area early and often as a facilitator and as a scorer.

The league MVP needs to get off to a hot start and lead the Lakers to victory. The Lakers need to get out of the gates quickly and get the crowd behind them so the cheering can become deafening.

The Lakers won game four by killing the Spurs on the boards and 20-second chance points in the first half. The Lakers started fast and built a big lead and had the Spurs playing form behind all game. They’ll need a repeat performance tonight.

The Lakers forced the Spurs into several turnovers, rushed shots, and caused them to play at a ‘frantic’ pace; not a good look for the Spurs.

The Lakers need to continue to involve Tim Duncan in high pick-and-roll plays to take him away from the basket causing smaller players to defend the basket.

There is no one in professional sports that is hungrier for a title than Kobe Bryant. He will help the Lakers get into a good offensive rhythm and won’t let the Lakers lose this game.

The closeout game of a series is the toughest win to get, but the young Lakers have to make it happen tonight. The Lakers will need Lamar Odom to build upon his bounce-back game four effort.

The team needs to come out with great energy and effort. Lamar Odom and Pau Gasol need to continue to be aggressive and attack the basket. This will help to set the tone and send a message to the Spurs that they can not win.

The Lakers defense needs to turn up the intensity and keep Tony Parker out of the painted area and limit his patented one-man fast breaks. The team needs to make it a point to get to loose balls, do a better job of rotating defensively, close out on the three-point shooters, and not leave anyone uncovered.

There has been a large amount of cross matching, and this has been in the Lakers favor and needs to be capitalized on. Ime Udoka, Frabricio Oberto, and Robert Horry can’t guard Lamar Odom, and this is a match up that must be exploited.

These are a few ways that the Lakers can score easy baskets or create free-throw opportunities. The Lakers are at home game and Kobe Bryant won’t shoot 29 shots without a trip to the free throw line.

The majority of the Spurs scoring has come down to Tim Duncan in the low post, Tony Parker driving into the painted area, and someone who can consistently knock down three-point shots.

The Lakers need to be prepared for this as well as the Spurs running a motion offense with more hand-off plays for Parker and Ginobli. The Lakers defended this tactic well in San Antonio and will need to do the same in Los Angeles.

The Lakers have grown up a lot as a team this season, and that maturation process continues tonight. The sold out Staples Center crowd will give the Lakers a tremendous lift in a must win game for the Lakers. The Lakers need to show poise and composure and end the Spurs run as defending champions.

Game five is tonight at 6:00 p.m. PST.