OPINION
By John Walters
NBCSports.com
updated 2:43 p.m. ET May 12, 2008
 | John Walters |
|
Heading into the weekend, both the inexperienced Utah Jazz and the defending champion San Antonio Spurs were facing 0-2 deficits in their respective Western Conference semifinal series. That the Jazz and Spurs were each able to pull off "Battle at Kruger"-like reversals and tie each series 2-2 is to our benefit. Now each series is a best-of-3 party.
A look at five storylines for the Utah-Los Angeles and San Antonio-New Orleans series as they each spin toward possible Game 7s.
1. Kobe Bryant suddenly resembles 1992 vintage Larry Bird.
The newly crowned, and most deserving, MVP of the league suddenly looked mortal in the Game 4 overtime loss Sunday. It was not that Bryant played poorly — after tweaking his back on a jumper in the opening moments, Kobe still scored a game-high 33 points and finished two boards shy of a triple-double.
Back spasms were killing Bryant for most of this game (the second-best contest of the postseason thus far, after Phoenix-San Antonio Game 1), but he still played brilliantly … until overtime. In the fourth quarter, Bryant had five assists, using himself as a decoy to draw double teams (unnecessary) and then locate Derek Fisher or Lamar Odom for wide-open 3s. Kobe's intelligence, and self-awareness, was what propelled Los Angeles back from a 12-point deficit in the final 4:21 of regulation.
And then in overtime? It was as if Kobe, student of the sport that he is, suddenly recalled Michael Jordan's heroic feats in this building in both 1997 (the dead-man-walking flu game) and '98 (Bryon Russell). It was a bad time for a "Be Like Mike" moment, as Kobe shot 1 for 7 and had zero assists. The painful back — Bryant literally dropped to his knees midway through overtime — made it impossible for Kobe to get elevation when he drove or even on his jumper. His final shot of the game, fittingly, was an air ball from beyond the arc.
Among L.A. ballers, only O.J. Mayo had a worse Mother's Day.
Will Kobe be his usual ethereal self by Wednesday? And is there any chance that coach Phil Jackson might sit him, rotating Sasha Vujacic, Jordan Farmar and Luke Walton in his stead? And is it just me, or does watching long-limbed Pau Gasol with the ball from within 10 feet of the bucket remind you of trying to defend your older brother in a game of Nerf basketball?
2. Remember TNT's "Win or go home" mantra? It is now "Win at home or go home."
The Lakers, Jazz, Spurs and Hornets are a combined 8-0 at home in the semifinals. In fact, the foursome are a combined 18-1 in their own arenas throughout the playoffs, the lone loss being Utah's two-point defeat to the Houston Rockets in Game 3 of their first-round series.
What does it all mean? In the series between San Antonio and New Orleans, it means very little. Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili comprise the most pressure-impervious nucleus in the NBA. Since 2005, the Spurs are 17-13 on the road in the postseason. San Antonio has won at least one game wearing their black uniforms in each of their last 11 playoff series — and they'll need to make it 12 if Duncan hopes to avoid Kenny Smith's "Gone Fishin'" photo next week.
 | Video |
| Lakers come up shortMay 11: Phil Jackson upset with team for dropping ball in Kobe Bryant's lap; Utah now tied in series 2-2. NBC Sports |
|
As for Utah and Los Angeles, it means everything. The Jazz and Lakers are involved in the most compelling series of the NBA's second round. Utah played the first two games at Staples Center like a Sprint Cup car that's already been lapped, but come Wednesday night they'll play with more confidence.
3. All four teams have one freakishly gifted point guard … but the Spurs have two.
Deron Williams had 29 points and 14 assists on Sunday. He may have saved Utah's season by barely saving an errant pass from becoming a backcourt violation and then burying a rainbow jumper with 1:06 to play in regulation.
Derek Fisher of the Lakers is the most deadly 3-point shooter remaining in the playoffs (though, let's face it, Kobe is really L.A.'s point guard and he is only the league's best player).
Chris Paul of New Orleans is making himself into almost as big a household name as Bill Engvall (who may be taller) this spring. Paul is averaging 25.6 points in the postseason (4.5 better than his season average) and nearly 12 assists per game, tops in the playoffs. He has been nothing shy of brilliant.
| Video |
| Spurs make it 2-2May 11: San Antonio ties the New Orleans series at 2-2 with a 100-80 victory against Hornets. NBC Sports |
|
And yet, when the Spurs have Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili on the floor, they have two point guards. Parker has never attacked the basket better than now, and Ginobili is as deft a passer as anyone in this group (just ask the Suns). The Spurs are the only team who have two players who are a threat to dribble and dish, or score. Until someone is able to defend them both, San Antonio has to be the favorite.
![]()
|
| Add NBA headlines to your news reader: |
Top NBCSports.com stories |
