<div align="center"> <font size=""7""> @ </font> <div align="center"></div> <font color=""Purple"">Where: Game 1 at Phoenix When: Sun., April 23 (3:30 p.m. ET, ABC)</font> <font color=""blue"">Suns Starting Lineup:</font> <font color=""Blue"">PG: Nash SG: Bell SF: Thomas PF: Marion C: Diaw</font> <font color=""Purple"">Lakers Starting Lineup:</font> <font color=""purple"">PG: Parker SG: Bryant SF: Walton PF: Odom C: Brown</font> <font color=""Red"">It's a matchup of the NBA's highest-scoring team and the highest-scoring player. After a year away, Phil Jackson returned to the Lakers and with help from scoring champion Kobe Bryant, led the team back to the postseason. In Phoenix, Steve Nash and the Suns have won their second straight Pacific Division title, averaging 108 points per game, despite the absence of Amare Stoudemire for most of the season. The teams meet in the first round beginning Sunday at 3:30 p.m. ET on ABC. </font> <font color=""Blue"">Overview:</font> <font color=""Red"">The beauty of a seven-game series is that it will change. Phil Jackson knows that Game 1 is much different than Game 2. That's the one thing that I love about the playoffs: it's a chess game. You've got two guys here that are pretty good coaches. Mike D'Antoni is no dummy. He's won on two continents. I don't know who's got the depth here. These two teams haven't really had a game where everybody has been ready to play. You've got to understand that if you've got a 10-point lead on L.A., Kobe Bryant can take that away from you. He can do one of those McGrady-on-San-Antonio deals. You don't even know how it happened. </font> <font color=""Blue"">What to expect from the Suns:</font> <font color=""Red"">Obviously, they're going to run. The nights that they don't shoot the basketball, they're a very mediocre ballclub. Shawn Marion has to continue to score points. Phoenix can press. They haven't done it a lot, but when they have had to press and put heat on, they were very good at it. It would make L.A. change a lot of the things that they do. Smush Parker doesn't have experience, and if they forced Kobe to do extra work bringing the ball up, it would help them in the fourth quarter. I would definitely have that in my toolbox if I was coaching Phoenix in this series. The Lakers are so good in the halfcourt, that I would test their ability to play fullcourt.</font> <font color=""Blue"">What to expect from the Lakers:</font> <font color=""Red"">Phil Jackson is a good teacher. The Lakers needed somebody that would really get their attention during the week, on the practice court. They've developed a nucleus. They've had a season where they've grown. They just didn't have immediate success. They really haven't tasted a lot of continuous success. They've been off an on, but he has kept them together. They're going to have to take the game inside and they have to set the pace. The triangle offense is versatile and they're going to have to use more of the low post options against Phoenix than they would against other opponents. The one thing about the triangle offense is that it gives you good balance. The spacing is good if you run it right and they're going to need that balance, because every time they miss, Phoenix is coming out of there. Defensive transition is really going to be important for them. If they can set the pace and the tempo, they're going to get really good shots against this team if they work it inside-out. Phil may post Odom down low. You're going inside before you look outside. I don't think Kobe is going to be the one to get it inside though. He's probably going to see double-coverage a lot. Smush Parker's going to have a lot of responsibility in running the offense. Kobe's going to probably have to be a bit of a decoy for a while. They can't afford to lose Kwame Brown to foul trouble. Their defense has to start with how they play Steve Nash. Phil's liable to let Steve Nash go. As far as his shooting, let him have anything that he gets from the outside. Just lay off of him enough that his penetration doesn't force you to leave other people open.</font> <font color=""Blue"">X-Factors:</font> <font color=""Red"">The Lakers have got to have something out of Kwame Brown and he's got to stay foul-free. Chris Mihm coming back is important, but he didn't look too good Wednesday night. Brian Grant has probably got a bone to chew with the Lakers. He's been getting a lot of minutes as they have rested people. I'm sure that he's figuring that this is his last hurrah. How do you figure Eddie House? He's been shooting well. Scoring off the bench is important for them. If Raja Bell gets in foul trouble early, the Suns would really be hurting. </font> <font color=""Blue"">Prediction:</font> <font color=""Red"">If L.A. can go in and take the home-court advantage away early, it could be a short story, but if Phoenix holds serve in that first ball game, it's probably going to be a seven-game series. Lakers in seven. They might have to do it the hard way. </font> </div>
With Grant as the starting center, the Lakers have a big edge in the post, and the way Odom is playing the 4, Diaw should have his hands full. The main focus is stoping Bell and Marion and forcing them to play defesne to prevent those fast breaks.
Lakers in the regular season Well, the matchup between the Lakers and Phoenix during the regular season resulted in 3-1. A really interesting side note on the 3 losses by the lakers. All the 3 games were the second of a back-to-back game. In all 3 games, the night before, the Lakers had gone into overtime. In all 3 games, the Lakers had to travel to get to play Phoenix. I strongly believe (no scientific evidence) that the Lakers will go 1-1 at Phoenix, defend the homecourt, then Phoenix takes 1, then Lakers win in 6.
If Lamar Odom and Kwame show up I do believe we can beat the Suns in 7 games. If not we'll have a first round exit.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Brian:</div><div class="quote_post">3:30pm EST. that means 12:30 pacific! damn it! ill miss this game! oh well. go lakers!</div> You are excused from work.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting makkulal:</div><div class="quote_post">Well, the matchup between the Lakers and Phoenix during the regular season resulted in 3-1. A really interesting side note on the 3 losses by the lakers. All the 3 games were the second of a back-to-back game. In all 3 games, the night before, the Lakers had gone into overtime. In all 3 games, the Lakers had to travel to get to play Phoenix. I strongly believe (no scientific evidence) that the Lakers will go 1-1 at Phoenix, defend the homecourt, then Phoenix takes 1, then Lakers win in 6.</div> If those are true, that is an outstanding observation. I'm feeling better and better about this series as we get closer; that bit of information helps solidify that.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Empra!15:</div><div class="quote_post">You are excused from work. </div> probably will just have to tape it. god damn am i pissed! why cant i still live on the east coast? lol.
<font color=""Purple"">Me, Myself, and I and Greg Anthony of ESPN have the Lakers beating the Suns in 6 games. If and when we beat the Suns and advance to the next round and the Nuggets beat the other LA team, then we'd have home court! But lets not get ahead of ourselves. Go Lakers!</font>
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting shapecity:</div><div class="quote_post">Brian you have to work on Sunday?</div> yeah, i have to help my dad out. he's a gardener
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Brian:</div><div class="quote_post">^ no, i have to go to san diego for this sunday school thing. im trying to learn chinese. lol</div> Wung tang ching tong fa ching kobe' wang
<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post"> Me, Myself, and I and Greg Anthony of ESPN have the Lakers beating the Suns in 6 games. If and when we beat the Suns and advance to the next round and the Nuggets beat the other LA team, then we'd have home court! But lets not get ahead of ourselves. Go Lakers! </div> Well, if the Clippers win (1st round), and Lakers will win, then the Lakers will still have home court.
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting makkulal:</div><div class="quote_post">Well, if the Clippers win (1st round), and Lakers will win, then the Lakers will still have home court.</div> Silly me! Didnt think of it that way.
<div align="center"><font color=""Red"">*** One Quick Note ***</font></div> <font color=""Black"">Kwame has been on a tear the last 16 games, averaging around 14 and 9. Chris Mihm came back wednesday but didnt start. He was also a little rusty. I say keep mihm on the bench and keep the same starting lineup we've had with Luke in it. If Chris goes back into the starting lineup, that could ruin the little chemistry we've developed since his injury, and with the Lakers going <font color=""Red"">11-3</font> in the <font color=""red"">last 14 </font>games, it sounds more like a huge mistake than a small risk. I stronglt believe we will take one of the two beginning the series in Phoenix, and if I were to predict which one, it would be the first game. Phoenix will underestimate us, and if they do, we'll steal Game 1.</font>
Los Angeles has a really slim chance. Kobe won't let LA get swept, but Phoenix has too many weapons. The Suns take this series in 6 games.
The playoffs is about defense and post presence. The Lakers have that, and then you have to factor in Kobe Bryant. I'd pick Phx to win the series, but I wouldn't be surprised at all if we took it. Either way, the series is going to 6 or 7 games. Kobe Bryant is going to become a different player, a more efficient player, a more deadly threat. Isn't that hard to believe?
<div class="quote_poster">Quoting Bobcats:</div><div class="quote_post">Los Angeles has a really slim chance. Kobe won't let LA get swept, but Phoenix has too many weapons. The Suns take this series in 6 games.</div> ..... Lakers have a strong chance of winning this as well as Suns have a strong chance. The Suns aren't really that great of a ball club IMO. You shut them down and don't leave your men unguarded and thats all she wrote. Nash penetrates, someone comes to help, Sun uniform is open, makes the pass, open shot. If the Lakers can prevent that then we have a good chance. BTW where is game 1 at? Empra!15 has the suns logo then the @ symbol then the lakers meaning its at Staples center but then later on it says Game 1 at Phoenix....
