DALLAS - Just at the time when they were about to make interesting things, Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers blew it.
Unable to stop of Dirk Nowitzki all night, and their range big too slow to cover the shooting outside Peja Stojakovic and Jason Terry down the stretch, the Lakers lost to the Dallas Mavericks 98-92 on Friday to fall into a hole of 3-0 in their second round series.
All 98 teams in NBA history have followed by this margin have wound up losing the series. Thus, the reign of two years of NBA champions Lakers and their grip of three years on the continuation of the Western Conference, more the career of coach Phil Jackson unprecedented, are all on the pass of kaput - perhaps even with the humiliation of a scan.
Of all the reasons, they are in this difficult situation, the most surprising is that this genealogical team fell apart when it matters most. The Lakers squandered a lead of 16 points in game 1, losing to the buzzer when a pointer of 3 by Bryant went out, and they did not hold a lead of seven points with 5: 05 left in the game. Dallas rallied with a 18-6 run jump-started by 3 s by Nowitzki and Stojakovic.
"We are disappointed," said Jackson, who has never been down 3-0, in a series much less been swept in 20 years as an NBA Coach. "We want games 1 and 3 we controlled the rhythm of the games." They were better at the finish of the games that we were. "But we believe still we will win the next game and we will go from there."
he Lakers could become the champion title sixth to be swept in a best-of-seven series and the first since the heat in 2007.
The Mavericks this out game taken by registering 32 points in the fourth quarter, most either by the team during any period in this series. Bryant said the Lakers have contributed to make "some of the more stupid defensive errors." that I have seen make us throughout the year
Bryant is not concede the series. He knows that the history of the NBA down 3-0 teams, but he knows that teams MLB and NHL withdrew this kind of return.
"I could be sick in the head or crazy because I think that we are still going to win the series," said Bryant. "Win Sunday, go back home and see if they can win in Los Angeles."
Of course, Nowitzki and the Mavericks have a different idea. They want to cross with as soon as possible.
For a franchise that has not perpetually and continues to try to overcome blowing a 2-0 lead in the final NBA 2006, putting an end to this series that Sunday would send a great message on their chances of winning their first title.
There is a practical reason, too. This filled with veteran club would love to avoid another long round-trip flight and start to rest for the next series. Dallas would be the home team in the final of the Conference, regardless of whether if advances Oklahoma City or Memphis.
"We are not quite good to relax or take the pedal off the coast of the metal," said Nowitzki. "You do not ever want to give a champion life, hope that we can the same effort and the same crowd and a great game Sunday.
Lacking the suspension Ron Artest, Jackson gambled with a partante featuring 6-foot-10 Lamar Odom at small forward, alongside 7 footers Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum. Logically the Lakers handed the ball inside and controlled the game almost the whole second half.
Perhaps lack of the Artest caught up to them to the end. Jackson acknowledged "there a fatigue factor." He also admitted that his lineup yourself was much better protect the paint to defend 3-point line.
And he had only fellow Nowitzki.
Superstar Dallas scored 32 points, making 12 of 19 shots. With the Lakers' big guys crowding of the way, it is returned to its roots and obtained comfortable behind the 3-point line, burying 4-5. It took only four shots-francs, but all.
"Just about anything that happened on the stretch was a direct consequence of marking the ball or to make a piece for someone get a shot, or to make a password for a password for a 3 or a 2 or whatever it was"coach in Dallas. "said Rick Carlisle.
A recording of the crowd of Dallas 21, 156 - T-shirts blue royal giveaway for more that read "the time is now" with the logo of AVM instead of Basketball Championship trophy - crossed the usual songs of "De-fense!" and "Beat LA!" without much impact through the first three quarters. With the game on the line, they got to their feet and helped the team home to keep his final assault.
Terry scored 23, including some points that contributed to ice the victory in the closing minutes. Stojakovic scored 11 of his 15 in the last quarter. Jason Kidd added 11 points and 9 assists.
Bynum had 21 points and 10 rebounds. Odom scored 18 and Bryant scored 17. He had four points only in the last quarter.
Gasol had 12 points and Shannon Brown provided a spark of the bench with 10.
"We are ourselves beating he receives a little, not a decent shot in the last five minutes of game", said Bynum.
Meltdown Los Angeles included a room where Bryant Launches a happening of Gasol, but Gasol expected to draw and sought to the rim. The ball struck in the back, creating a turnover pinch by Dallas. On the following possession of the Lakers, Bryant was short on a long jumper to beat the clock, leading to a pair of shots-francs by Nowitzki who put the Mavericks ahead for the first time since the last minutes of the first half.
A quick basket by Derek Fisher was Los Angeles back ahead 89-88, then the Mavericks worked the ball to Terry in the corner 3 such a pointer. Odom responded with a notch above Stojakovic equal to 91 with 1: 39 left, but that it would be for the Lakers.
Nowitzki made a shot of hook tough, gaucher over two defenders, then save the packs of court, and with the lead. Odom missed an another flick shot on Stojakovic, with the defensive help of Tyson Chandler, and Dallas got extended possession when Chandler reached between two Lakers to knock Terry a rebound in the corner. The Lakers resorted to faults and wild fire to try to return, an ugly way for a team which has been very good for so long out - or, at least, have really close to from its summer vacation.
"They have a lot of pride out there in this locker room," said Nowitzki. We've got to take it. They are going to give us. ?
Game notes
Dallas is 4-0 at home this postseason. ... The trio of Odom, Gasol and Bynum had been the Court set a total of 2 minutes, 19 seconds throughout the season. ... A pointer of 3 by Steve Blake early in the second quarter was the first by a Lakers bench all series. ... Since the last time that the Lakers are swept away (1999), they have removed seven scans. This includes against Kidd and the net at the 2002 NBA Finals.
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