Pau Gasol Killing Lakers, Burning Legacy To The Ground
Pau is losing his matchup completely.
Several times during Game 3 on Friday, Gasol floated into no man’s land or to the rim once Dallas set a pick and Dirk slid to open space behind the arc. Pau knows he needs to be in Dirk’s face ASAP once the pick comes. But once he goes under the screen, he shows zero urgency in recovering. That’s what is getting Phil Jackson so upset.
Read Article >Costly Miscues Send Lakers To Crushing Defeat Against Mavericks, 0-3 Deficit
For the game, L.A. did a fantastic job limiting turnovers, with only 10. But these two helped the turn the game and give Dallas a commanding 3-0 series lead.
Read Article >Lakers Vs. Mavericks Score: Los Angeles Takes Halftime Lead, 51-47
The first quarter was all about Dirk Nowitzki for the Dallas Mavericks, but in the second Jason Terry stepped up to the plate. The two combined to provide almost all of the Mavs offense, but the Los Angeles Lakers came crawling back into the game to take a four-point lead into the half, 51-47.
It’s been a tale of the big men for the Lakers, with Andrew Bynum and Lamar Odom leading the way in the first half. Bynum had 14 points in the first half, a team-high, while Odom had 10. Kobe Bryant is just on the outside of double-figures thus far with nine points.
Read Article >Lakers Vs. Mavericks, Game 3: Kobe Bryant, Champs Have Backs Against The Wall
... that was emblematic of what the Mavericks have done to the Lakers in this series. Dallas has been smooth and electric, rendering L.A. witnesses of their own demise. That’s not normal, and this is not normal.
When the teams re-engage in Dallas on Friday night for Game 3 (9:30 p.m. ET, ESPN), the Lakers will need to take the role the Mavericks have through two games. L.A. needs to play with that confidence and fearlessness instead of tentative and reactionary style. The Lakers need to be the aggressors, something that hasn’t been a problem over the past three seasons.
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