Lakers Fumble, Utah Gets One at Home
May 10, 2008
For six playoff games the Los Angeles Lakers reduced the opposition to rubble. The four contests against Denver and the first two at home with Utah looked much more like breezy regular season games than hard-fought playoff battles.
Finally, in Game 3 of the Western Conference semi finals the Lakers got punched in the mouth. And for three quarters LA reacted poorly. The punches put the Lakers in enough of a hole to allow the Jazz to hold off the Lakers and close the series gap to 2-1 with a 104-99 win.
Sure the Utah team played as the pundits said they would. They stepped up what even the league-friendliest analysts have called clutch and grab, push and hold tactics. Sure the Jazz received more then their fair share of the benefit of the calls from Dick Bavetta’s crew.
But LA allowed Deron Williams to bully his way to wherever he wanted to go. They allowed Mehmet Okur to attempt wide-open three-point field goal attempts because the LA failed to play sound defense. Okur was allowed to push LA’s big men under the basket so he could retrieve rebounds while barely jumping. And Los Angeles was generally out-hustled as the Jazz players approached the game the only way they could - desperately.
Now, every reporter is remiss if they fail to mention how the officials seem to shrink in front of Utah’s rabid fans. This sequence typified the manner in which the game was called: with 5:35 remaining in the first half of the LA Lakers-Utah Jazz Game 3, every pundit and avid NBA watcher’s nightmare came true. On one end of the floor the Jazz’s Mehmet Okur was allowed to use his chest and a slickly-timed push to get the Lakers Pau Gasol off of his spot on the low block. When Gasol received an entry pass from Lamar Odom he faced up Okur faked right gaining a slight advantage and dribbled left to the hoop Okur slammed his chest into Gasol and raked his hand across Gasol arm directly in front of lead official, Dick Bavetta.
Directly after Okur’s foul-strip of Gasol, Deron Williams and Andrei Kirilenko both had their paths cut off and clearly walked. Again Bavetta, this time the trail referee swallowed his whistle. Kirilenko, having gained an illegal advantage because of his walk was able to get off a pass to Okur who converted a 3-point shot.
Even official-friendly color commentator Hubie Brown said the referees failed to call a foul (though he later lamely attempted to say that the calls were even when Carlos Boozer had his shot blocked; the fans booed but Boozer did not offer a complaint).
But when Utah, the team that by far commits more fouls than any other team, shoots as many or more free throws than its opposition, there is a problem. In the first 36 minutes of Game 3 the problem was the lack of aggressiveness of Los Angeles.
Finally, in the fourth quarter the Lakers awakened. They became suddenly stubborn on defense. They smacked body on body and elbow for elbow.
But.
LA was still not physical enough to keep Kirilenko, Boozer, Okur Matt Harpring, and Paul Millsap, and Ronnie Brewer off the glass. Though, largely through the efforts of MVP Kobe Bryant and the individual defense of Derek Fisher, the Lakers drew to within three, Boozer made three shots with a defender squarely in his face and Okur hit a well-defended jumper to stave off the late Los Angeles charge.
The Lakers committed a 2008 playoff high 18 turnovers to only 14 assists. Utah shot 50% from the field, which was, in large part, due to the Jazz’s ability to secure offensive rebounds and convert off those rebounds. In fact, of Utah’s 78 field goal attempts, 43 came in the paint (they made 27 for 62%). Los Angeles also shot only 5-23 from beyond the arc while Utah made 6-16.
After the game Phil Jackson kept his press conference short, He reminded the press that, though the Jazz played nearly a perfect game, his team was within four points with just under two minutes left in the game. They won a jump ball but Luke Walton inexplicably lost the ball and sealed his team’s loss.
Though Bryant scored 34 points and half of his team’s assists - seven, his teammates let him down. No one else on the team had more than two assists. Derek Fisher and Lamar Odom (12 rebounds) each scored 13 points. Pau Gasol, who averaged 22 ppg. against Denver and 19 in the first two games against Utah, scored only 12 points in Game 3.
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2 Responses to “Lakers Fumble, Utah Gets One at Home”
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I’m not going to lie, I had to laugh out loud at this, “Sure the Jazz received more then their fair share of the benefit of the calls from Dick Bavetta’s crew.” Especially following the first two games which were perhaps the most one sided officiating I have ever witnessed in my life, to say such a thing is absolutely absurd.
“They won a jump ball but Luke Walton inexplicably lost the ball and sealed his team’s loss.” You totally fail to mention the fact that the only reason this jump ball happened was because the officials “swallowed their whistles” as you put it. First, Deron Williams was on his back, both hands holding the ball in complete control, a time out was called by Sloan, and Boozer, and Williams, but no time out was given. Second, two Laker players subsequently jump on Williams, fouling him in the process, no foul called. Third, a jump ball was awarded despite the fact that no Laker player had both hands on the ball to share equal possession…all the while Utah is still trying to call time out. FOURTH on the jump ball Fisher clearly shoves Korver two hands in his chest to gain position, and once again, the refs “swallow” their whistles.
And for Phil Jackson to say Utah played a near perfect game is just simple mind games because he knows that is not true. Just look at the stats, that was an average game for Utah. Their FG% was right on their season average, 3 pt % was right on their season average, free throw % was slightly down, rebounds below season average, assists slightly above, fouls above, steals right at average, and points right under. THIS WAS AN AVERAGE GAME! If you were to look at season averages for home games you’ll see this was a below average game for Utah. Just wait for them to play a good game, it will be a blow out.
Nick-
So I gather the Jazz do not get called for the more PFs than does any team in the NBA?
And Boozer’s 27-20 night is “right on average?”
And Okur’s 22 points was right on average (14.5 ppg for the season)?
And Harpring’’s 12 points (8.2ppg)?
As were their 21 assists on 39 made FGs?
As was their 50% FG shooting percentage (44.4% for the season, home - 46.4%)?
As was their 3-point % for the game - 37.5% last night, 34.8% at home 34.5% for the season?
As was the starting 5’s +20 on-off court net comparison (average net +3.1 for the season)?
Please at least get your facts straight.