Amare Stoudemire said Odom's Game One performance was "lucky," and went a step further to say Pau Gasol was someone he dominated until Gasol was traded to Los Angeles, and teamed with Andrew Bynum.
I'm sure Kobe Bryant was aware of each comment made by the Suns, including Steve Nash's "best coach" comment regarding Lakers' coach Phil Jackson, and his performance has been a testament to his evolution as a player.
Instead of taking the Suns' slights personally, Bryant decided to lay the onus onto the backs of his assaulted teammates, and he made sure each player was left in the position to succeed.
Bryant handed out a playoff career high 13 assists in the Lakers' 124-112 romp over the Suns, and one by one, each member of the Lakers' roster who was shown any disrespect by the Suns contributed to their demise.
There was Odom scoring 17 points and pulling down 11 rebounds. He didn't match his Game One performance, but he was "lucky" enough to record a double-double regardless.
Stoudemire's boy-toy, Pau Gasol, was once again the best big man on the court, and his 29 points decimated the Phoenix Suns' defense, and he did it from each angle of the post.
Artest scored 18 points and made the Suns pay on the perimeter each time they decided to leave him open, while attempting to double team another player.
Orchestrating the whole symphony was Bryant, who recognized this moment was not for him, but was instead reserved for his teammates who had something to say.
Bryant recognizes the value of the players who surround him, and if there were people who doubted Bryant's trust in his team, Game Two should delete any such thoughts from your mind.
The chemistry was apparent ...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Lakers
