Western Conference Finals Game 2, L.A. @ Minnesota(TNT)

<div class="quote_poster">Quoting PLATWolve:</div><div class="quote_post">Kobe/Shaq cannot win a game by themselves w/out help from a supporting cast. Hell, Shaq/kobe could score 60 of the Lakers points and still not win the basketball game w/out help from their other players. The same goes for the T-Wolves and Sprewell/Garnett (at least at this point) With that in mind however, the % the teams would win the game would go up considerably if they had output like that.</div>


Correct me if I am wrong, but wasn't it Kobe and Shaq who won L.A. 3 out of the last 5 Championships?

 

<div class="quote_poster">Quoting notMuchgame:</div><div class="quote_post">I'll correct you...it was 3 of the last 4 championships </div>


WEll I was going to put that, but I figured since the last 5 championships were won by the Lakers or Spurs, I would just do 3/5...3/4 is good also though lol...


<div class="quote_poster">Quoting PLATWolve:</div><div class="quote_post">Wow, that's great for them. T-Wolves are not a team that you can beat if Kobe/Shaq do most of your scoring because we have guys who can equal their output.

Period.</div>

I beg to differ, who else is going to help you...Garnett isnt the MVP player he is in the regular season in the playoffs, Sam Cassell only played 43 seconds in game 2, he was taken out when GP blew right by him, who knows how many minutes he will play in game 3. Spree has been the only consistent player for you guys.

We are going back to Staples Center, you will not win any of the games there..the possibilities of your big little men containing Shaq again are like the possibilites of Michael Jackson being black again, not going to happen. Kobe can take over a game whenever he wants, and the 4th quarter belongs to him, so if the game is close then...he takes over. Derek Fisher has been a great player for us all postseason, and will continue. AS long as Cassell is out of your lineup, your chances of winning diminish a lot, Derrick Martin will not put two nices games together back to back.

 

Just want to update you guys...Sam Cassell's movie is coming out on DVD tomorrow, be sure to pick it up: LOTR: ROTK...If you didnt know he plays Smeagle

 

From what I saw of this game, you have to put the blame on Malone and Payton for their lack of contribution to this embarrassing loss. Shaq played poorly and lethargic, but you have to give credit to the TWolves defense for not letting Shaq get into a rhythm and dominate the interior like he did in game 1. Despite Shaq's performance, the play of Malone and Payton cost us the game. Karl Malone got into early foul trouble and it forced the Lakers to put Slava on KG. KG's confidence skyrocketed after that substitution and he became very aggressive on offense. Once he got going the perimeter game opened up for the TWolves and it was lights out for the Lakers. Gary Payton had a terrible game against a CBA player. Payton completely underestimated Martin's game, and obviously didn't read the scouting reports on him. He nailed wide open jumpers all game long, dished out 6 assists, and had 0 turnovers. The play epitomizing Payton's performance was when he ran into Oliver Miller, got bumped backwards 3 feet, and then got called for an over and back. Complete lack of focus and no desire to take full advantage of Cassell's injury. Prior to this game, I didn't think the Lakers were going to lose another game after the way they won 5 straight. Hopefully this is their last let down game in the playoffs and they get refocused back in Los Angeles.