Only 3 teams have come back from 0-2 to win the series and coincidentally, the Lakers are one of them. But that Laker team wasn’t going away, they were indeed at home, which makes this an even more improbable task as the Lakers head to Dallas on Friday to play Game 3.
If you watched Game 2, you can agree that the Lakers weren’t “themselves,” shooting 10 percent from beyond the arc (2-20) and 41 percent from the field. Kobe Bryant had 23 (PTS), Lamar Odom had 6 (PTS), Pau Gasol had 13 (PTS), Ron Artest had 11 (PTS) and Andrew Bynum had 18 (PTS). As you can see, none of the Lakers’ mar-key players played up to par, including the “Black Mamba” himself.
The energy seemed to have been sucked out not only from the Lakers, but the usually roaring, energetic, Laker crowd. Not to use a cliche, but you could have heard a pin drop last night–that’s how quiet it was. Don’t worry though, towards the end of the game, the Lakers got what they deserved–non-stop booing until the end of the game–something the Lakers needed to hear.
Tabloids and analysts across the country now count out the Lakers and with good reason. Climbing back from an 0-2 deficit is far from probable, but with Bryant and arguably the most talented team in the league, anything can happen–it just depends how motivated and determined the Lakers are to get a win. As Kevin Ding, the Laker/NBA Columnist for the Orange County Register said, “if the Lakers weren’t already motivated before the loss, they sure should be now.”
People can blame the performance of the Lakers on fatigue, motivation, and being outplayed, but to be honest, the Lakers have outplayed themselves out of this series, at least realistically.
Come Friday night, we will see what the Lakers are truly made out of; if they come out firing and ready to go, taking the early lead, don’t be surprised to see the Lakers run away with their first win. If they come out cold and unenergized, this series will no doubt be in the books.
It won’t be easy, especially with Ron Artest out (charged with flagrant 2 foul) and of course playing in Dallas. The Lakers will be pushed to their limits, especially with the Mavericks desperately wanting to shed their label of being “soft.” The series may seem over, but nothing is over until it’s over right?
