"I'll take 'phrases you never want to hear associated with your team' for $50, Alex."
Ugh. I just re-watched that Oklahoma City-Los Angeles game (Yes, I am a glutton for punishment). Remember a couple of months ago when I said OKC would be terrifying if they ever learned how to close? Well, guess what? They've learned how to close.
Maybe it's the addition of Kendrick Perkins. Maybe it's maturing as a team, but they are scary good. It feels wrong to say this, but the Lakers hung with OKC for the first 45 minutes last night rather than the other way around.
And then the turnovers spiked, LA looked tired and the shots kept dropping for the Thunder.
Game over.
I went back and forth about writing today. I like to write summaries of three or four game stretches for basketball. It's easier to discern patterns that way. Generally speaking I don't like to write one game at a time, day after analysis. If the Lakers win, it can come off as triumphalist. If they lose, it can come off as shrill and panicky.
Guess what? I'm shrill and panicky.
Actually, I wrote that after the Golden State loss. Well, now I have my multi-game sample. Careful what you wish for.
Lakers? What in the world is happening? I know I said I would be okay with you going four and one, or three and two the rest of the way, but I did not see five losses in a row coming.
And now your No. 2 seed is anything but assured. Ditto your opening round opponent.
That was an awful loss against Oklahoma City last night. A hundred times I've said that for these young players you are facing (even on non-playoff teams), they view this as their Super Bowl moment. Your entire team is filled with hyper-competitive guys. Of course t...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Los Angeles Lakers
