Boston crushed the Lakers last year. It was over the moment the Lakers blew a 20+ point lead that would have tied the series 2-2, with the Lakers having the next game at home.
In that game, whether it was ignorant mercy or lack of a killer instinct, the Lakers took their foot of the Celts throat, and the Celtics made them pay dearly.
The collapse was complete when James Posey of the Celtics nailed a couple of dagger threes. The Lakers never regained their footing, and the 39-point wipeout in Game 6 of the series was the cherry on top of the “Lakers Are Soft” sundae.
Those are the sad and painful facts from last year; so you can really appreciate just how frickin terrific it was to turn the tables on the Orlando Magic in a decisive Game 4 on Thursday.
When Derek Fisher, whom EVERYONE except Phil Jackson (and the rest of his teammates) had performed last rites on, hit first the dagger three in the fourth quarter to send it to overtime, and then the second dagger three in overtime to rip the Magic’s hearts out for good, it was probably the greatest sports moment that I have experienced.
Great moment of triumph in the “pivot game” of the series – it’s either 2-2 or 3-1, depending on outcome – and in close series like this one, we all know that it comes down to these types of victory-seizing moments (sidebar: that was a classic Derek smile after the OT three).
In the end, that game and the series came down to making plays, pure and simple. When the game was on the line, the Lakers made them and the Magic didn’t. End of story.
Having been on the other side of the table at the end of last season, the Lakers were ready when the moment came, proving what we all know; experience matters.
The climb back to their personal Everest is now complete for the Lakers (and their fans), something not lost on this unit.
“Kobe and I talked about how unreal the journey has been, going from being on top, to being on the bottom, and now rising back to the top,” said Derek Fisher of his long time Laker compadre, and of the journey now complete.
When I predicted that the Lakers would win the series in six games (mea culpa, they were even better than I gave them credit for) it was driven by what I had seen from the team all year.
Simply put, the team showed a unity of purpose from the start, which they then codified across a breakout season.
When they executed on both sides of the ball, something they did often this year, they were practically unbeatable, and simply beautiful to watch.
And unlike last year’s free pass through the Western Division playoffs, this year they were baptized by the fire of really good series with the Houston Rockets (defense, smarts, hunger) and the Denver Nuggets (muscle, heart, attack) that prepared them to slay the Magic dragon.
I hearken back to a comment by Denver Nuggets coach George Karl in the post-game of the then just completed Nuggets-Lakers series, where he proffered that at the start of the series and through the first few games, he “saw the cracks in the Lakers,” but by the end, the Lakers had sealed up those cracks and become a better team.
Now if this wasn’t enough, there was an X-factor in every series that I call the Anaconda Squeeze. This is a period of the game when the Lakers seize control, usually with a debilitating run that breaks the will of the competition.
Last night it was a 16-0 run in the second quarter that ripped away any sense of tomorrow for the Magic.
Any way you slice it, winning 2 of 3 on the road is an impressive way to close it out, and the mark of a champion, a concept that would have been laughable at the beginning of last season when Kobe, disappointed in the quality of talent around him, literally had one foot out the door.
In reflecting about how the quality of Bryant’s teammates had improved in the past two years, Kobe beamed, "I had a bunch of Christmas presents that came early. Got a new point guard (Fisher), got a new wing (Ariza), got a Spaniard (Gasol), and then it was all good."
As to the other standouts on the Lakers, all that I can say about Lamar is that to watch him is to appreciate sheer poetry and whimsy in one package. When he was on, which was plenty this series, the Lakers don’t lose. It’s another dimension of scariness.
In tandem, Ariza was an absolute backbreaker. He spread the floor, hit big shots and was a disruptor on defense. A true killer.
In many respects, I am most happy for Pau Gasol. He was FAIRLY maligned last year, and to his credit, he not only answered his critics then like a man, but he elevated his game to a whole other level this year. Beyond the offensive efficiency, the high basketball IQ and crisp passing, it was the defensive intensity that was most impressive. Consider that in game 5, Dwight Howard faced up Pau 38 times in single coverage and did not score from the field on any of them.
Kobe went into every game this year knowing that he could count of Gasol to deliver precious scoring, rebounding, passing and solid defense, which paid huge dividends in Kobe trusting his mates to make plays.
With my other sports teams (St. Louis Rams and Los Angeles Dodgers), I can be admittedly fair weathered. With the Lakers, however, it is true dedication and love, dating back to a pre-Magic Kareem Abdul-Jabbar team back when Jerry West was still COACHING.
As I have written in other posts, I consider sports to be a great metaphor for life, and specifically look to NBA Basketball as an operatic style of performance.
But here is where that comparison falls short. There is nothing staged about what has culminated with the Lakers emerging as the 2009 NBA Champions. Grit, experience, desire, talent and execution equaled championship results this year. The best team won.
Stan Van Gundy put it best when he noted in response to a question about Phil Jackson’s dependence on having great stars in his prolific 10 championship titles that he couldn’t think of one team that had won it all even once without having great stars.
When asked about what Jackson means to him, Derek said simply, “Phil allows us to be ourselves and realize our potential. I love that man.”
The coach and his quarterback (Bryant) celebrate the game, playing with discipline and a respect (for the game), trusting in themselves and each other.
In the end, they found their game, and locked in on the prize.
What’s left? One question. Phil, what's with the hat?
Whatever. Today we celebrate.
UPDATE1: GREAT Forum Blue and Gold post, 'Deconstructing Kobe' on why Bill Simmons/ESPN Page 2 (one of my favorite writers) comes across as a sore loser in refusing to acknowledge Kobe's growth as a player, and the impact on that growth on the bottom line, the Lakers winning it all.
- The Anaconda Squeeze: Why the Lakers Will Beat the Magic
- Lakers-Celts and the Sporting Metaphor
- NBA Basketball as Opera
- Sweet and Sour Endings: Boston Crushes the Lakers
