May 23, 2008 3:03 pm  |  52 Comments

Worthy of Your Attention


by Marcel Mutoni

Following the crushing defeat in Game One, the Spurs said all of the right (and predictable) things: Yes, it was a tough pill to swallow, but we’re a veteran team, and we’ll make the proper adjustments. No need to panic.

And because they’re the Spurs, we have no choice but to believe them.

No one expects anything to linger from the series opener and affect San Antonio tonight, least of all the Lakers. There’s a reason those guys are compared to robots. Execution = affirmative. Emotion = does.not.compute.

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It will be interesting to see just how much longer Sasha can keep Manu in check, or to put it in another way, how much longer Manu’s injuries will keep him from being the real Manu. The Spurs will also be looking to right their horrid second-half shooting and decision making.

As for the Lakers, no one can predict which Kobe will come out of the gates - the vacationing one (as Phil Jackson put it in Game 1), or the bloodthirsty killer that took over the second half. Either way, it should make for riveting television.

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This story is filed under: NBA, The Wire, Top News

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  • Peat Posted: May.23 at 3:06 pm
    First !
    Lakers win !

  • Chukaz Posted: May.23 at 3:16 pm
    Manu is a b*tch and he makes me ashamed of being a latina or hispanic or whatever. At least I’m mexican and not argentinian. Eduardo Najera makes be ashamed of being a mexican and Earl Watson sucks and is only half mexican. Here’s hoping Kobe got a little mexican in him (his wife is mexican, ain’t she?)

  • Chukaz Posted: May.23 at 3:20 pm
    Lakers will win because Manu sucks, and it’s got nothing to do with his finger. Are you kidding me? He is almost crying about his finger nail, meanwhile Kobe (with a torn ligament) is ballin’. My sister don’t cry as much as Manu when she breaks a nail.

  • Silky Slim Posted: May.23 at 3:21 pm
    I look for Mamba to be more aggressive in the first half of this game. Zen Jackson has sent his patented “through-the-media” message to Mamba. Can Sasha aka “The Machine” delivery another solid performance? Which Odom will show up for game 2? Let’s go Lakeshow!

  • marcgar Posted: May.23 at 3:22 pm
    sasha cant hold manu thru out the series. manu’s gonna get his no doubt. the lakers are just like the hornets (besides kobe and maybe odum) they are fresh to this type of intense atmosphere called the western conf. finals. kobe has done a great job of being a leader for that team. but spurs are use to these kind of situations its gonna take a great series by the lakers to be the spurs (like their first game was) but i dont see them doing it for four games. spurs is six!

  • Cub Buenning Posted: May.23 at 3:22 pm
    Chukaz, you have come back with a vengance! Stop, dude. Eduardo Najera makes you ashamed of being Mexican? Who(m) then, might I ask, gives you pride?
    That guy is top shelf in every facet, regardless of nationality. Wise up.

  • Mendel Posted: May.23 at 3:23 pm
    chukaz, go back to mexico

  • phanb Posted: May.23 at 4:04 pm
    get real… Manu was not crying… he man’d up and said there was no excuses for getting owned by Sasha… That’s my favorite matchup of the series… can’t wait for PJ to wise up and start Sasha instead of Vlad

  • rainman10 Posted: May.23 at 4:04 pm
    How long are Lakers fans gonna be talking about Kobe’s pinky finger?

  • Spaceship Jay Posted: May.23 at 4:12 pm
    Oohh, pretty harsh Mendel. You gonna let that ride Chukaz?

  • tenorca Posted: May.23 at 4:12 pm
    @ Cub: No doubt. I’m a big Najera fan: great heart, solid defender, offense juuuust good enough to keep people honest, and has an itty-bitty chip on his shoulder. I’d be happy to have him on the Warriors. As it is, he’s stuck in Hell 2.0 (1.0 being either the Bucks or the Knicks. Not sure)

  • Lakers Blog Posted: May.23 at 4:14 pm
    Live Blog of Lakers-Spurs Game 2 at http://www.laballtalk.com

  • albie1kenobi Posted: May.23 at 4:15 pm
    chihuahua is those little dogs that barks real loud and generally annoying. harmless though. i mean, incapable of harming.

  • Bigi Posted: May.23 at 4:20 pm
    Kobe Bryant.

  • casey Posted: May.23 at 4:34 pm
    You know, for being such a great come back for the Lakers, there’s not very many people recognizing it. Given, there are a few and thanks for that. But come on Chukaz..you really come on here to talk about how much a baller ashames you of being “latina or mexican or whatever”? Don’t you have something better to do than that? Sounds like a hater with too much time on their hands, if you ask me. I don’t like the Spurs at all, but doggin on a dude for having an injury versus not being a decision maker (or SOMETHING related to his actual game) is just a cheap shot. Now go find something better to do.

  • G Diesel Posted: May.23 at 5:01 pm
    Chukaz, you said you were latina. Does that mean that you’re a little mexican girl?
    If so, I hope Karl Marlone starts hunting for you.

  • E. Sneed Posted: May.23 at 5:29 pm
    KB24 will make adjustments just like the Spurs…He’ll get his 33 and the end result will be another Lakers win by a close margin…Sidenote: What’s with all the racism???? “Can’t we all just get along?” P.S. Najera is an OU alum so don’t hate on the Sooner Kid!

  • casey Posted: May.23 at 5:47 pm
    @ E Sneed: agreed…Kobe is going to make the necessary adjustments to get the Lakers above Mr. Fundamental and his merry men..just look at the 2nd half of game one. Granted, the 1st half he was dead in the water, but he made the necessary changes then and he can do it again. And to your sidenote, my comments were not intended to be racist by any means. Just commenting on how funny it is to say that someone who has an injury (however big or small) makes you ashamed of your own ethnicity like Chukaz. You’d think it would be something a little more complex than that, that’s all. PS…HOOK EM HORNS!!

  • E. Sneed Posted: May.23 at 5:55 pm
    haha Casey I feel ya…but I turn those horns upside down!

  • B. Long Posted: May.23 at 6:21 pm
    @G Diesel Comment:LMAO

  • Diogo Posted: May.23 at 6:27 pm
    Chukaz, shut up. Manu is f*ckin great. Anywhere else in the world, he’d be MVP (you can’t compete with the Mamba). Yes, I’m actually saying that outside the NBA he is the best player in the world. He understands the game, plays good D, makes amazing plays and knocks down shots. He can compete with FIBA rules, NBA rules, whatever. Argentina IS the team to beat in the Olympics (not only because of Manu). I f*cking hate Argentina, but I still gotta say it: Manu is the truth.

  • BMore Posted: May.23 at 6:27 pm
    I’m actually gonna get to watch this game tonight ’cause my friend has cable! yeah i still use bunny ears what

  • B. Long Posted: May.23 at 6:31 pm
    @Diogo: I like Manu’s game but the best player in the world besides Kobe he is not. Have you ever heard of Lebron James,KG,T-Mac,DWade,AI,Dwight Howard, or that other guy on the Spurs, Tim Duncan,etc.? I can’t believe I even responded to this.

  • Vanilla Thunder Posted: May.23 at 10:16 pm
    The announcers are riding Bill Engvall way too hard. Saying “Very Funny” in the same monotonous tone doesn’t make me want to watch it more. Damnit!

  • Dark Posted: May.23 at 10:37 pm
    Manu has more going on than just a “fingernail”; the guy’s dealing with ankle and groin injuries too. He needs rest, but it’s not coming, and that’s trouble for the Spurs.

  • casey Posted: May.23 at 11:04 pm
    fair enough E Sneed

  • Russ Bengtson Posted: May.24 at 12:27 am
    Blow a 20-point lead in the first game, lose by 30 in the second—obviously Pop is trying some new tactics.

  • J-Smoove Posted: May.24 at 12:32 am
    lol russ L.O. had a big game and the Lakers played pretty good defense

  • Logan Posted: May.24 at 12:48 am
    well the Lakers hammered the Spurs tonight! wow, i was expecting a big win for LA but this was a pounding

  • tt Posted: May.24 at 12:54 am
    where’s Holly?

  • J-Smoove Posted: May.24 at 12:58 am
    holly is probably partying just like i should…but im a LAKERS fan in texas so i would be partying by myself

  • Krishan Posted: May.24 at 1:03 am
    I hereby declare this series over

  • Krishan Posted: May.24 at 1:03 am
    I hereby declare this series over

  • Krishan Posted: May.24 at 1:04 am
    Double clicking the submit comment button makes two comments. FYI.

  • P.Slight Posted: May.24 at 1:20 am
    Bmore im there with you on that 1, Bunny ears & pliers until at least Feb 09

  • Chukaz Posted: May.24 at 2:36 am
    FYI I meant latino not latina. I’m a dude. I’m just having a hard time typing sh*t since I don’t really type much sh*t for school. BTW, f*ck everyone that doesn’t like me. Yeah, I said it, F*CK THE WORLD!!!!

  • Diogo Posted: May.24 at 2:48 am
    B. Long: I said outside the NBA. That doesn’t include anyone you listed. Sure as f*ck he ain’t better than those.

  • Diogo Posted: May.24 at 2:49 am
    And btw, 30 points? Daaamn!

  • neo Posted: May.24 at 6:52 am
    Lakers for champ !

  • Sesa Posted: May.24 at 7:50 am
    Wow, I bet Holly is having an orgasm at the end of this game. BTW, Don’t you think that the Spurs should put Udoka as a starter instead of Finley?
    I really think NBA should just appoint Mike Shinoda as their music director. NBA uses most of Mike’s work

  • Sesa Posted: May.24 at 7:52 am
    Look for Robert Horry to do something malicious to either Kobe, Odom, Gasol or Vujacic in San Antonio.

  • J-Smoove Posted: May.24 at 11:52 am
    Sesa…great observation!!! Im fully expecting Horry to throw at least one cheap shot. As for Udoka, it seems like he was getting burnt by everybody he guarded, and he got his sh*t pinned by JORDAN FARMAR!!

  • casey Posted: May.24 at 12:12 pm
    J-Smoove you’re not alone in TX. I love the Lakers and I get a lot of heat for it here in the ATX. But I know what you mean about being the only one partying over a Lakers win…the Spurs fans won’t have it. I’m still talkin sh*t to em though! Lakers 2-0 BABY!!

  • Chukaz Posted: May.24 at 1:36 pm
    Yo, I was born in TX and I hate all three teams in TX. I have family in all 3 NBA cities in TX, so I’ve been to all 3 cities and I hate them.

  • J-Smoove Posted: May.24 at 3:14 pm
    glad to know that im not alone!!!!!!

  • J-Smoove Posted: May.24 at 3:20 pm
    and no game notes for games 1 or 2??? come on SLAM

  • Myles Brown Posted: May.24 at 5:01 pm
    Notes were up for Game one and there’ll be a double header before and after Game three.

  • B. Long Posted: May.24 at 8:14 pm
    That was the most enjoyable blowout of all time. Go Lakeshow!!! Get the rings ready!

  • Bubba Chuck Posted: May.24 at 11:39 pm
    wut up chukaz!

  • Lakers Blog Posted: May.25 at 6:06 pm
    LIVE BLOG AT LABALLTALK.COM CHECK IT OUT FOR GAME 3.

  • LAN Posted: May.26 at 8:49 am
    i very much like this chuckaz guy

  • Hursty Posted: May.27 at 6:37 am
    lol. haha Chukaz.

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