Lakers vs. Thunder Game 5: Expect Fireworks as Lakers Play for Pride
Facing elimination in last year's playoffs, the Los Angeles Lakers fizzled in a 36-point beatdown by the Dallas Mavericks. In this year's elimination game, we should expect fireworks and a lot more intensity from Los Angeles.
At Monday's shootaround, where the Lakers got their first bit of on-court action after Saturday's devastating Game 4 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder, the mood, according to Lakers.com writer Mike Trudell, was described as "loose" before tonight's do-or-die elimination game.
But that doesn't mean this team isn't focused.
As Lakers' head coach Mike Brown put it after today's shootaround: (Per ESPN's Dave McMenamin)
""We are here to win the game. It's as simple as that. That's not being overconfident. That's just being what it is."
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Of course, interest in the Pau Gasol-Kobe Bryant feud was piqued and quickly diffused by Brown, noting they've played together for too long that they'll "figure each other out."
All that aside, the team is solely focused on winning tonight's game and has accumulated enough rest the past 48 hours to come out swinging and give Oklahoma City their best shot.
Having learned from their embarrassing Game 4 loss to the Mavericks in last year's playoffs, the Lakers are playing for pride. Do they want to roll over two years in a row when facing elimination?
According to Brown, it sounds like this time is different, with the Lakers planning to come out and be the more physical team:
""The biggest thing is we have to be the most physical team on both ends of the floor down the stretch.. They're grabbing, they're holding, which is playoff basketball. We got to grab and hold back. They're setting illegal screens, we got to set illegal screens. Because, stuff is not going to be called. I think both teams need to do that, as opposed to just them doing it all the time and us doing it some of the time."
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The stage is set for some hard-nosed, playoff basketball.
Adding to the anticipation, Bryant skipped the media session after Monday's shootaround, which can only mean the Mamba has his game face on and is ready to come out fighting.
Backed into a corner, the Lakers will be playing for their playoff lives. Set your TiVos—this is must-watch basketball.
