PHOENIX – The NBA’s equivalent of this regular season’s Game 7 of the NBA Finals lived up to all the billing in a thriller that saw the Lakers steadier and more spectacular when it counted against the team that has haunted them for three-plus years. The Lakers moved into a tie with the Suns for the Pacific Division lead, but the Lakers hold the tiebreaker after winning the season series.
Kobe Bryant had his 90th career game with at least 40 points (41 points on 16-of-25 shooting) to carry the Lakers home. But he got plenty of help from Lamar Odom (22 points, 11 rebounds) and Pau Gasol (29 points on 13-of-19 shooting). Sasha Vujacic (15 points) was also key for the Lakers down the stretch in a coming-of-age effort. Shaquille O’Neal heated up late and finished with 15 points and nine rebounds in 29 minutes in his Phoenix debut.
With O’Neal growing more active and Phoenix surging back from a 65-57 halftime deficit, the Suns cut the Lakers’ lead to 93-91 before the Lakers held for the last shot of the third quarter. Phoenix double-teamed Bryant out high, forcing him to give up the ball early, and he couldn’t get it back. Just when Bryant started to get frustrated, Gasol got the ball inside and made a nifty running hook.
It was the third time the Lakers had ended a quarter with momentum – one of Jackson’s tenets regarding what great teams do — and they would do it at the end of the fourth, too.
WITTY SHAQ
Suns coach Mike D’Antoni was so amused by something O’Neal said to him when O’Neal was going into the game for his second stint that D’Antoni couldn’t stop smiling and eventually nudged referee Sean Corbin to joke with him.
EURO-PALS
Gasol has made a fast friend in new teammate Vujacic, even visiting him over the All-Star break, and the two of them combined on two-man plays in the second quarter that resulted in one basket for each.
EMOTIONAL ODOM
Odom drew a technical foul when he threw the ball against the basket support with 4:11 left in the third. He had missed a layup before Phoenix’s Boris Diaw scored at the other to cut the Lakers’ lead to 83-81.
NEXT
Lakers at Clippers, 7:30 p.m. Saturday, KCAL/9, KLAC/570
I thought Space Cadet was very tight with Sasha? Has Spacey been kicked to the curb???
Days of Our Lakers, airs 730pm…
-Jeffs Aho
It’s now time for Phil Jackson to earn his money. He’s got a thoroughbred horse for a team, and he’s got to control the reins so that they peak at the right time, namely the playoffs.
The Lakers are doing really good. Get Ready Lakers Fans!!! June is around the corner!!!
Great stuff as usual Kevin. Your my favorite Lakers sportswriter, hands down. I love all of the interesting little things that you point out each game. Keep it up!
-Mike
What a game! It is good to be a Laker fan right now. I think the Lakers are right there with the Spurs as the best teams in the West, even without Bynum. If Bynum comes back healthy, I can’t help but to think Lakers are the best team in the League. If Kobe keeps this up (not just the scoring but his great all-around play) and Lakers keep winning, even all the Kobe-haters have to give him the nod for the MVP award. All smiles for me…
its our time again when bynum back oh man we got one hella of a team . we got quite an impressive arsenal of great players . great fu#$% time to be a laker ticket holder. this will be our year.
I have read several notes about when Bynum comes back we will be unstoppable, and I do agree… but one person we are forgetting is Trevor Ariza, defensively he is special for us as to what he can do, and he has had several momentum driving dunks that have helped us tenfold…. cant wait to see us at full strength
mike
Phoenix can try to spin the loss, but with everything they had going for them — The frenzy around Shaq’s first game, the national media attnetion, home court — it had to sting to be handled by the Lakers last night.
This is where Phil Jackson will shine. He is great at instilling confidence in his teams at the right time. The trust level in his leadership and Kobe/Fish’s championship experience is going to be contagious with this particular group of guys.
Fellow lakers fan… it is now time to believe that we are ready here! go Lakers!!!!