Thank you to Slim the Editor for the reminder that as a WC Bias contributor and the sole Laker fan on the site that I need to drop my two cents on tonights big Laker win. So here are a few thoughts about LA’s big win.
1. Kobe may be battling Magic and West for rights to the greatest Laker title, but Derek Fisher is Los Angeles greatest unsung hero. Robert Horry held that title for a time but Fish’s strength of character, tenacity, clutch performance and humbleness makes him as great a winner as any Laker ever.
2. I am so tired of KGs chest pounding and relentless bullying off the ball.
3. I am so tired with people saying KG is too old. Come on, this one time MVP is too proud to be rolling in his grave yet.
4. I love Kobe’s defense on Rondo. Similar to his defense on Russel Westbrook in round 1 versus the Thunder, he knows both players lack any midrange game, so Kobe has giving them plenty of space to shoot and protected the drive. Rondo wouldn’t even look at the rim when he was open 20 feet out.
5. Ray Allen sets an NBA finals three ball record in Game 2 by hitting 8 threes. In game three he is one miss shy of missing another record, the most taken shots without a made basket. Oh he got game!
6. With less than a minute left Phil actually does some coaching and gets off the bench, calls a time out which allows the refs to review an out of bounds play that they had missed, giving the Lakers the ball in critical crunch time. Unfortunately the next play down Doc did the same and the Refs corrected a bad call when the ball went out of bounds off Lamar.
7. Speaking of Replays review, David Stern needs to figure out what to do when the play unveils things not seen by the refs. In the third replay in the final two minutes, the referees review the play where the ball went out on Lamar only BECAUSE Rondo FOULED Lamar. But because the Refs can’t change the call they had to give the ball back to the Cs.
8. Hey Paul Pierce, I guess you have to go back to LA. Maybe Ice Cube can cut that sound byte of you claiming that the “Celtics aren’t going back to LA” into his next Laker Anthem.
9. I love Derek Fisher. Even the Editor said the other night that Fisher might be his favorite Laker. The show of emotion in his end game interview is a perfect example of how much this guy gives to win for the game, his sport, his team, and his fans.
Atta boy RK. Yeah, that postgame was pretty intense. Made me think A. Fish is done after this year, B. He’s been taking more heat than we think guarding those tough guards in the playoffs. Bottom line, he’s a champion … and Lakers are looking like the champs in these playoffs in part because of his consistent play. And that layup tonight? With three guys fouling him at once, was one of the most legendary plays I’ve seen.