LA Makes Critical Errors, Almost Wins

       The Los Angeles Lakers lost game three of the Western Conference Semifinals in Salt Lake City at the EnergySolutions Arena.  However, there are many positive points that stand out.  A few of the Laker players took bad games out of their systems and the Lakers also played their most sub-par game during game three while being up 2-0 and did not hurt their stance in the series much. Here is a breakdown.

    1. Don't expect Pau Gasol to go 6-10 for 12 points, five turnovers, and six rebounds again.  Gasol is the Lakers second option and the Lakers invested in him for a reason and he has way too much pride in himself.  Expect Pau to have a decent game on Sunday as he is no Kwame Brown to have his confidence lowered by a sub-par game in which he was affected by defensive schemes.

    2. Don't expect Lamar Odom to take three shots for an entire game till some time next season.  Odom had 13 points, 12 rebounds and three turnovers Friday which was a relatively quiet performance.  He did get to the line eight times, but he did not look like the same Lamar Odom the world has seen since Pau Gasol's arrival.

    3. Lakers reliable backup backcourt of Sasha Vujacic and Jordan Farmar goes 0-9 in 26 minutes. This duo has been ultra consistent and it turns in perhaps the worst of the season in game two.  Don't expect this again, especially from Vujacic who has had a habit of bouncing back from bad games.

    4. The only bright spots for the Lakers were Kobe Bryant and Derek Fisher.  Kobe was right at his average for the series with 34 points, seven assists and six rebounds.  Fisher was also there with 13 points and was right up on Deron Williams whenever  he was assigned to guard him.  In fact, I thought the game really turned when Fisher picked up two quick fouls because Williams then saw the green light when Farmar was guarding him. Williams can take Farmar any day. 

   5. One can argue that Walton and Turiaf were affective for the Lakers which they were but for short periods of time. Luke hit a big shot, but compared to his other performances he was off a bit. Ronny Turiaf started off really well and was effective for the Lakers, however he really has to stay out of foul trouble if he is this effective.  He can be a weapon in guarding Carlos Boozer and also his prescence gives the Lakers a legitimate shot blocker which is what they miss from Andrew Bynum.

With all this in mind expect bounce back performances from all Lakers. The Lakers committed 18 turnovers all night which really disrupted their flow.  The turnovers allowed Utah to get easy opportunities. Also the Lakers shot 5-23 from three point range.  They must also cut down on their attempts as well as hit more.  Dont expect Radmanovic, Kobe, Fisher, Farmar and Vujacic to go a combined 3-20 from long distance again.  The Lakers have taken a game under their belt in the hostile EnergySolutions Arena and will be much more prepared next time.  Also Sunday afternoon is Mormon Church day and people such as owner Larry Miller and a few fans will not be able to attend the game due to religious commitments.  Also given that Phil Jackson is the best at making in series adjustments look for the Lakers to strike hard in game four.

The bottomline is the Lakers played a poor game three but lost by just five while the Jazz played their best game.  Boozer, Okur and Williams had great games but they should be worried because the Lakers were just a couple of possessions away from taking game three.