| 17 May 2010
(Photo by Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images)
Los Angeles Lakers 128, Phoenix Suns 107
Both the Lakers and the Suns went into Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals as one of the hottest remaining playoff teams. The Suns were coming off of an impressive sweep over the Spurs and the Lakers’ sweep of the Utah Jazz was equally as impressive. It was widely believed that the early minutes of Game 1 would give insight into which team could be able to continue inspired play into a third playoff series. Tonight, this was night the case.
It was the Suns who jumped out to an early 7-0 lead, hitting some open shots and getting to the line while forcing the Lakers into bad shots. It wasn’t until the 3:25 mark in the first quarter that the Lakers would go on to take the lead – and they would keep that lead for the remainder of the game. During the final three minutes of the first, Kobe Bryant would score nine of his game high 40 points including a three pointer early in the shot clock with 41 seconds left to give the Lakers the two-for-one opportunity, which resulted in a buzzer-beating 17-footer to end the quarter.
The second quarter saw the Suns offense pick up a bit with Leandro Barbosa and Goran Dragic getting things going for the Suns, but for the most part, the Suns struggled. Phoenix shot a miserable five for 22 from behind the three-point line. For most of the post season, guys like Jarred Dudley and Channing Frye came off the bench and were immediate sparks from behind the arch to give the Suns an extra boost. In Game 1 against the Lakers, they shot a combined two for 12 from long range.
Even with the poor shooting, the Suns were still only down seven at the half. The Lakers used the third quarter to put the nail in the conjectural coffin on the strength of Bryant’s 21 third quarter points. Bryant had help, too. Pau Gasol finished with 21 points, four rebounds and five assists and Ron Artest finished with 14 points five rebounds and five assists. However, it was Lamar Odom, off of the bench, who gave the Lakers the spark off of the bench.
Odom came in for Andrew Bynum early in the first quarter to help the Lakers gain the lead and continued his inspired play for the remainder of his time on the floor. Odom finished with a strong 19 points and 19 rebounds.
Why The Lakers Won This Game
Even with 40 points from Kobe Bryant, the Lakers got some very good production from the entire team. Four different Lakers finished with five assists, five different Lakers finished scoring in double figures and nine different Lakers shot at least 50 percent from the field. Their turnovers were limited to only nine and played great team defense. The Lakers stuck with their post-season game plan and got the ball inside, finishing with 56 points in the paint. When the Lakers are firing on all cylinders like they were in Game 1, they’re awfully difficult to beat.
Why The Suns Lost This Game
It never felt like the Suns were playing with a playoff intensity you’d expect from a team trying to make their first NBA Finals as a group. Their three-point shot had trouble finding its way through the hoop and they couldn’t get anything else going. They didn’t have an answer for Bryant’s scoring binge nor did they have an answer for Lamar Odom off of the bench. The Suns got 23 from Amaré Stoudemire and 13 points, 13 assists from Steve Nash, but that wasn’t nearly enough to beat a Lakers team playing as well as they did.
Looking Ahead To Game 2
I think the Suns didn’t play terribly. They showed signs of life during Game 1. They shot over 49 percent from the field, and a lot of those three pointers that they missed were open looks. They have a small foundation to build on. Robin Lopez played well in his first game back from injury going six for seven with 14 points and six rebounds. Jason Richardson, Stoudemire and Nash all had decent games and Goran Dragic and Leandro Barbosa played well off of the bench. It’s hard to imagine this Suns team to shoot 22.7 percent from long range again; but it’s also hard to imagine the Suns playing so much better that they steal Game 2 in Los Angeles from a reeling Lakers team.
Prediction: Lakers go to Phoenix up 2-0
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