The first quarter was not Portland's best, but it belonged mostly to Rudy and Roy, to the extent that they were able to do anything. Roy was great following behind the ball on the wing, and being left alone for seriously open threes because his man was collapsing to Oden readying for the rebound--about as good an example of the way Oden changes the game as any. You could see Roy literally stand, think, realize--holy crap, I am still open and no one is even close enough to consider coming--and then drain a zen three.
But in the mid 2nd quarter, Roy suddenly had his moments where his controlled body started to defy him--missing the bottom baseline jumper, then getting caught in a double in the top corner and throwing it way past Blake to backcourt, also having a nice drive spoiled by a missed layup a little later in the quarter. Kobe meanwhile getting solid D from Batum but gets the serious CWS* call, and puts the Lakers in the lead. Batum misses twice from distance, Kobe nails a three. Aldridge is 0-5 to this point and finally goes at Gasol low block for the bucket. Back and forth, but the O-reebs are making the difference for the Lakers. Second chance. Rare for Blazers to be outrebounded, but they definitely are in the first half. Kobe hits again and it's an 8 point lead at 48-40, Gasol gets the charge on LMA, Blazers take the TO, and it's the same gut check moment as Wednesday at 58-50 early in the 3rd against the Spurs.
A great sequence came shortly after that timeout--Gasol goes deep and Oden fronts him well so he goes to Kobe, and Pryz comes weakside and slaps that sheot out of there. The Blazers get the run and draw the foul. On the ensuing play Blake drops the three and the 10 point lead is three with 40 sec in the half. Brandon got the foul on another drive and made his, but the L4Kers held for the last shot and nailed the three from Vujajec. But the mo had turned, the Blazers were well within range, and they had stemmed the tide while playing uninspired ball. I wouldn't call it luck, but they were certainly fortunate not to be blown out already, given their low FG% and spongelike defense (and no, I don't mean absorbent).
The team had an awesome start to the 3rd (well, about 3 minutes in): good D by Blake on Fisher although he made the shot and the Fakers went up 6, then a sweet rotation out and around to Blake top wing for the three, butta. Kobe drove the lane shedding Batum and ran square into a straight-up Vanilla Gorilla, forcing the shot to be errant. The Blazers immediately started a break, as Aldridge pushed the miss out in front of him and then to Roy, who went back to LA for the alley oop jam that rocked the house. Kobe had berated the official all the way down that trip about not getting the CWS like in the first half, and after the break was over Kobe was slapped with the delayed technical. Blake missed the shot, but it was worth it to see Kobe getting openly frustrated about not being given free reign, among other things.
Fun moment when Batum got the ball on the bottom baseline, same exact place, and was in the process of posterizing Pau Gasol for a third time, but Pau fouled him before he could finish the packing job. Batum made the shots, Przy had yet another block, then Pau fouled LMA after he'd beaten him baseline. LMA makes the pair, and the lead is seven. The momentum shift from the first half is essentially complete, although the lead would get smaller and even be fully eclipsed. (NOT funny moment: Mike Barrett threatening an otherwise lovely sounding charity appearance opportunity by suggesting that Rice might attend...in shorts. Shudder.)
The obvious key to the third was LA's ability to hit the jumper, and also his ability to work inside with some authority. Barrett put on LA's scolding voice "I do have this shot, y'know--it's in the scouting report." Ha.
Bryant still made amazing plays all game. He had his own personal 6-0 run by burying a top of key three with 1 on the clock, then beating everyone down on the break and receiving a football pass for the layup plus one. Shannon Brown took advantage of transition from the missed LA three (stay cool, LaMarcus!) and put the Lakers back in the lead at 69-68. Looked like they might break out, but Odom fumbled it right off his leg then Kobe's, out of bounds at half court. Oden jams on Gasol baseline, and then Odom makes another mistake (sense a pattern?) as he loose ball fouls after a Portland miss. (He did redeem himself with sharp shooting the ball, most of the game, including a big three on LA's next offensive trip.)
What could have been the L*kers assuming control again, asserting their experience or perhaps rededicating themselves to the defense from the locked room, was not to be. The Blazers held close for much of the quarter and then drew daggers late with a big Rudy three. Oden played strong defense on Gasol the other way and forced a lousy shot, and then Outlaw fed Rudy exactly where Rudy had made his shot just prior, to make it 81-77 and totally erase the LA advantage. Quarter over, Roy on the bench, 8-0 run to close it, +8 and a flip from down 4 to up 4 in one quarter.
Three plays to open the Blazers fourth were a study in Oden's offensive development. He backed down Bynum top block OK, but his jump hook fell in and out. The next trip down, after an Odom miss, the Blazers worked the ball well and Trout took an open bottom wing three, but it went short. That sent the rebound out a bit and Rudy managed to snare it for a second chance. This time Travis fed Oden inside on the low block, and he devastated Bynum with a hip fake, then an up and under move right to the hole with a jam that drove the crowd nuts and put the team up 6. The next time down (after a nice Odom jumper over Oden), Oden got it on the low block again, and drew both Walton and Vujacic, both of whom fouled although Walton got it and Vujacic complained as usual. He missed the FT, but the point is the aggressiveness.
Once again, the Lakers got close within two, and another marquee play was coming. Sergio dribbled on the low wing, with Oden on the block and Rudy in the three hole bottom corner. Oden brought Bynum with him to the top right of the key, leaving the lane open. Vujacic was distracted watching the movement on the top side of the court, and Rudy snuck right past him to receive the oop from Sergio. He turned and did a sweeeet reverse jam that had the crowd going wild again.
The real drama was about to begin. With a little over 7 minutes left, Roy started to abuse on Lamar Odom. He snapped off a foul line jumper with Odom not pressing up tight enough. Kobe said nuff that shit, and personally directed that he cover Roy himself. Roy dished off the first time they matched up, and Kobe drained an amazing bottom baseliner over an outstretched Brandon. So far, Kobe had gotten the best of it. Portland took a timeout.
Out of the TO Kobe hit a long two over Roy on the top wing, another beautiful what-can-you-do shot to tie the game. Blake rescued the Blazers with a crucial baseliner of his own, and then Kobe finally went long. Roy drew the foul on Kobe out top the next trip down, and nailed both FT. Roy then hopped into the lane and then jumped up with the post hook over Odom, but Kobe broke out fast on the make and sliced through the lane easily plus the And One to bring LA within one again, 3 and a half to go.
That was about all for Kobe's saving of the L*kers. Roy pulled the classic stepback on Kobe and drained the foul-liner, and while Oden drew the foul on Kobe the other way, it was not much of a foul and was in fact solid defense. He left to a standing O, having really played superbly in his role.
Kobe then worked the pick with Gasol and got Roy in the air, but missed the shot. He missed the next one too, unable to work anything off the dribble and forced into a top of key three at the buzzer.
Would you believe Travis Outlaw saved the game with REBOUNDS in the 4th quarter? Kobe got penetration but then dished to the top corner, but it was off and Trout elevated high for his first bound of the game. Trout missed a three at the other end, but Kobe forced up a (Roy)-contested three bottom wing, and who should come up with the board? Senor Bandito! Forty-six seconds left, and Odom committed yet another critical mistake (remember from above?), fouling Blake way too early. Kobe nearly had a coronary in his disgust with Odom on that one.
Kobe tried to do it all again, driving hard on the bottom side of the key and beating Roy on the dribble. He continued alongside the lane and met Joel, who was quickly sliding towards him. He caught Kobe straight up and Kobe had nowhere to go--no shot, no open teammate. He had to go across court, but Blake was right there and snagged it. Kobe would have one more desperation miss (Trout of course collecting the final rebound--and then making his FT), but the damage was done: Kobe wanted Roy, and he got him. I'll take that matchup, I think--at least in Portland. So in the last two days, this young squad of admitted overachievers (according to KP in a halftime interview) have knocked down the #1 and #2 teams in the West, and have a shot at the new #2 coming up. And it hasn't been by fluke or advantageous circumstance. They manned up and did what was necessary to win. They played head to head with some of the very best stars in the game today, and neutralized them. And you want me to listen to people, smarter than I, say with surety that there's no way the Blazers are anything but first round exuenters in this year's playoffs? Nope. I'll go ahead and get my heart broken, but the whole season's been improbable enough. I've seen plenty to convince me they've got the talent, the chemistry and the mettle to succeed--and with recent results, I think the power is in their hands to make the job a lot easier with home court advantage. Best of all on this night though was our stud getting the best of theirs, and sending Kobe and Co. home for a very bad, no good flight home. I'll be resting well on that thought tonight!
*Contact With Superstar, always a foul in the NBA. Where protection of ratings cash cows happens!
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