Five Things That Make L.A. Lakers Fans a Bit More Insane

Game Four of the Lakers - Spurs playoff series was crucial. A win for the Lakers meant that they would have a commanding 3 -1 advantage in the series. A win for the Spurs would have meant a shift in momentum for the reigning NBA champion. A close Game Four was a 93 - 91 victory for the Lakers and Game Five will be played in Los Angeles.

Watching the game with a few hundred Lakers fans, it is entertainment in itself to witness the agony of being a Lakers fan. There are imponderables. These ‘Lakers mysteries’ make the Los Angeles fans very anxious. Here are five:

• Why can’t the Lakers maintain a lead? - At one point, the Lakers had a fourteen point lead. Lakers fans just knew that their team was going to squander that lead. And they did.
• Why can’t Luke Walton make the easy shots? - There are times when Luke Walton will have the easiest shot imaginable. And he will miss. He will look to pass more than he will look to shoot. It seems that shooting is a final option. Luke Walton has a shaky confidence in his shot. The Lakers fans have high angst when there is an easy scoring opportunity for Mr Walton.
• Why can’t the Lakers make foul shots near the end of games? - Pau Gasol is generally reliable from the free throw line. In Game Four, with the time slipping away from the Spurs, Pau Gasol had two foul shots. Even one made foul shot would have been an added cushion in protecting the lead. Pau Gasol missed them both. The groans are from the Lakers fans who are expecting foul shot drama. Pau Gasol is just an example.
• Why are there no fouls called on anyone guarding Kobe Bryant? - There were no fouls called on anyone guarding Kobe Bryant in Game Four. None. Kobe Bryant did not shoot a foul shot in Game Four. He played over forty one minutes of the game and took twenty nine field goal attempts but the referees saw no fouls.
• Why does Derek Fisher have so much trouble with layups? - Derek Fisher is a terrific long range shooter. He is one of the Lakers who is a genuine threat from beyond the three point line. However, on drives to the hoop through traffic, it is just a random chance that he will make the layup. He is hoping for a foul. There may not be a statistic on this but Derek Fisher’s jump shot from a long distance is more efficient than his layup attempts.

The L.A. Lakers have three chances left to eliminate the Spurs from this playoff round. Game Five will be the Lakers’ first attempt to close the playoff series. No one anticipates that the Spurs will finish this series quietly. It will be a battle. Lakers fans know that the ‘close out game’ is the toughest one to win.

Catherine Forsythe
Director of Operations
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