Lakers and Spurs: Matching the Closers

The Los Angeles Lakers may be favored to win the third round of the Western Conference playoffs. However, if the game is close in the last five minutes, the advantage swings to the San Antonio Spurs. The Lakers may have the best ‘closer’ in basketball in the league MVP Kobe Bryant, but there are only a few others who are an offensive threat in the final minutes. The ball will definitely be in Kobe Bryant’s hands. Perhaps Derek Fisher and Pau Gasol will be a threat. Lamar Odom would be a passer in the final minutes - and a concern at the foul line. And Sasha Vujacic would be willing to shoot in the final minutes. The question is ‘would you want a playoff game resting on a Sasha Vujacic three point shot?’.

On the other hand, the San Antonio Spurs have been consistently dangerous in the last minutes:

• perhaps three points shots: Manu Ginobili, Michael Finley, Robert Horry, Brent Barry - and even Bruce Bowen
• perhaps a drive to the basket: Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili
• perhaps points from the post: Tim Duncan and Kurt Thomas

Tim Duncan is not included in the three point shooters because he has made his one three point shot for the season during the Spurs / Suns series:

In the final minutes, San Antonio may be more dangerous than the Lakers, even with a healthy Kobe Bryant. Arguably, this may be a moot point if the Lakers can build a significant lead before the final minutes. The Lakers, though, showed in the Utah series that they are quite capable of squandering away a double digit lead. Without a doubt, Phil Jackson will have reminded his team about protecting a lead and about never leaving Robert Horry alone in the last minute.

Catherine Forsythe
Director of Operations
FlyingHamster:  http://flyinghamster.com/

[tag]nba, playoffs, los angeles lakers, san antonio spurs, closers[/tag]