Friday, May 6th, 2011 at 9:00 am  |  95 responses

Los Angeles Lakers Full of Confidence Heading into Game 3


by Marcel Mutoni / @marcel_mutoni

After losing Game 2 in demoralizing fashion at home on Wednesday night, making bone-headed and costly decisions, getting booed lustily by their own fans, calling each other out in the media, having nearly everyone consider their title chase now over … the Los Angeles Lakers were a jovial, cocky bunch after running through practice yesterday.

Naturally.

Kobe Bryant and Phil Jackson more or less guaranteed that the Lakers were about to storm back in this series against the Dallas Mavericks.

From the team website and the LA Times:

“Everything will be all right,” said Lamar Odom. “It’s a game and we know it’s a game and we play it and we play it hard and we anticipate winning in Dallas,” said Phil Jackson. “It’s not that big of a deal to win two games in a row,” said Kobe Bryant. “Stop acting like you’ve never won two games in a row.”

As the interview session ended, he was asked if he had coached his last game at Staples Center. “We’ll be back Tuesday,” [Jackson] said. This time he wasn’t joking. That would be the day of Game 5.

That kind of attitude, ultimately, is the hallmark of this Laker team.

They act like a bunch of jerks regardless of the situation, and it’s that type of arrogance and blind belief in their own abilities that’s helped them win them back-to-back titles. It has also resulted in them with their backs firmly against the wall many, many times. Often, unnecessarily.

The next two games in Dallas, starting tonight, will determine whether the Lakers have any right at all to still sound so confident.

  • Add a Comment
  • Share
  • RSS

Tags: , , , , , ,

Newer Comments →
  • RobbieJay

    i dont think they have rights anymore.

  • Riggs

    riiiiiiiiiiiight

  • Lakertown

    They can come back. They are one of the only teams in the league that can and Dallas is one of the only teams that could fold. So, people, stop acting like the Lakers are done it’s a seven gam series.

  • Coconut

    Come on… It’s not like Dallas is gonna blow a 2-0 series lead and lose the next four games just because the opposing team’s shooting guard gets going. Oh wait…

  • G Diesel

    One of two things will happen:
    1) Being swept by the Mavs.
    2) Coming back and going all the way to win the 17th banner.

  • http://yahoo.com tony villanueva

    go lakers!!! hey mavs it’s not yet over til it’s over. 3peat lakers no doubt! i can’t believe it’s the lake show who played the first 2 games. Kobe said “if you want to make history it should be historical” lakers will be in the league of few teams who won after loosing the first 2 games at home, bear that in mind take that all you laker haters!!!

  • http://www.slamonline.com Jahmai

    The way Kobe said it: ‘It’s not that hard to win 2 games in a row’, makes everything look possible. He’s right, if they can get it to 2-2 everything will be fine. It’s still the Lakers we’re talking about. Bynum, Pau, LO, Kobe, Dfish, this is still an amazing team, and after all this, I still see the Mavs winning. :P

  • http://nba.com gp23

    I can see Kobe droppin’ 50 tonight.

  • http://www.slamonline.com Jahmai

    @gp23, If kobe’s gonna drop 50 he’s going to need alot of shots to get it because he hasn’t been getting to the rim in the series at all and as a result he’s not getting to the line, so even if he shoots 50% tonight, he needs about 45 shots to do it (mixed in a couple of 3′s). That’s not happening.

  • http://www.slamonline.com Jahmai

    And if it does happen, I want to see the look on Pau’s face when he looks up and sees 22-45 next to #24 and 1-3 next to #16 on the scoreboard.

  • http://www.twitter.com/nflem41 Nicolas Fleming

    I’ll be dropping Twitter bombs from the rafters of the American Airlines Center tonight.

  • Bruno

    and why didnt they show this confidence heading into game 1, damn lakers I want you to win but …

  • http://slamonline tony witherspoon

    First off it wouldnt suprise me at all if the lakers come back and win this series because one thing for sure the mavs are proven choke artist the lakers arent two time champs for nothing

  • Morgan

    Kobe’s right, its not that big a deal to win 2 games in a row – just ask Dallas. By now Dirks probably thinking its not that big to win 3, maybe 4 in a row…on a serious note tho, as a Lakers fan I will be sweating every single second of tonights game. I feel for everybody out there in the same position as me…even Boston fans (never thought I’d ever see myself type that)

  • http://slamonline t dubb

    Lakers in seven book it the mavs are choke artist

  • IAMORANGE4EVER

    And in other news the Mavs are confident they can win two more games (out of a possible 3) in Dallas, thus winning the series.

  • http://slamonline t dubb

    Lakers in 7

  • AD

    listen ppl Kobe is done… he wont drop 50 …. he maight drop 50 shot attmpts tho….. I wouldnt be surprised if LA got swept … and if they do… Its time for Kobe &Dfish to retire

  • IAMORANGE4EVER

    @AD: LMAO

  • IAMORANGE4EVER

    I want to go fishing with Lamar and Khloe. I’ll bring the bait, and LO can bring the dro.

  • http://www.twitter.com/jtrain73 Jono

    Unless you’re a Laker fan, dosen’t crap like this just make u so mad. Bunch of overpaid punks down 0-2 and still refusing monkeying around like this? Makes LeBron seem like a serious baller…

  • 1982

    The Lakers won’t get swept, but they won’t win either. People are calling the Mavs choke artists, but the Lakers haven’t exactly been primed and ready this year either.The smart money is still on LA to win the series, but I have a feeling the Mavs won’t be losing two at home. And then LA’s not going to win three straight…And I don’t think Kobe still has 50pts and a win in him for the playoffs. He can score 50 no doubt, but he can’t win doing that anymore.

  • angus

    watch for the typical laker influenced officiating to really kick in further, dallas has a tough task on there hands and its not the laker players that will give them hell…..

  • http://slamonline.com LakeShow

    Hmm, here goes nothin’

  • JTaylor21

    How many times has KB gone for Curtis in the playoffs? I’m betting once, so I don’t ever see that happening again.

  • Hugo

    the mavs know they have to wait until the finals to choke…so the heat can cop that chip easy…

  • http://www.dimemag.com Royal

    Just win a game……please?

  • IAMORANGE4EVER

    @JTaylor21: Kobe’s never been swept. First time for everything though.

  • OvaChicken

    Im hopin lakers get swept easily with homecourt :-) itl prove that Lamar’s squad cant hang no more.

  • robb

    When you’re cocky and you don’t back it up, the humiliation is even worse. Let’s see if they play like they say they can. Let’s see if Kobe can make his shots and make better decisions, let’s see if Gasol grows a pair, let’s see if Lamar makes gives at least 70% of his effort, let’s see if that ineffective bench can deliver for a change. Let’s see if they wanna play like the champs they are.

  • OvaChicken

    Its Ova ! Chicken !!

  • Yvonne Bell

    I “wish” that the Lakers will pull this off, but I doubt in my heart that they will. Here’s hoping that my “heart” lets me down!

  • Drew

    Lakers aren’t going to be swept. Worst case scenario, they lose the series it’ll still go to 6 or 7 games. There’s no way Dallas is sweeping them or taking it in 5.

  • HAMMER

    They should b confident. They still the champs. Besides, this isn’t their 1st rodeo

  • the Dude

    Odom will start and that gives them no bench … unless Walton can conjour his old dominate the Pistons self.

  • harlem_world

    They”ll win tonight then the biggest game of the series is game 4.

  • MUBWAR

    people the Lakers are trying to do what 1 or only 2 teams have ever done in the League. Which is to go to 4 straight Finals. And they player about 70 or so playoff games(almost an entire season). Fatigue is there and Pau is the one who shows it the most.

  • ZoomZoom

    LAKERS IN 6 DUMB ASSES MAVS WONT SEE ANOTHER WIN IN THIS SERIES

    L.A WILL BLOW THEM OUT TONIGHT AND WIN BY 6 NEXT GAME!!!

    RUN WIT US OR RUN FROM US

    KOBE>>>>>>>>>> MJ

  • BigJ

    lakers in 7. i so love to see all you doubters silenced after the lakers move into the conf. finals

  • vtrobot

    Mavs are playing well enough to beat the Lakeshow and the refs.

  • bull22

    alot of laker fans must not be watching these games…. the mavericks are playing great ball and taking to the lakers…. the players and fans defiant to the end, so no surprise there.
    but believe this phil jackson has never lost the first two opening games of a playoff series at home, EVER! so they are in trouble!

  • http://gasolplayslikeagirl.com jbn74sb

    I wish I felt the same. BTW, it’s not nearly as fun to come on here and talk smack if eboy ain’t around to make fun of.

  • unrel

    someone called them over paid.. 3x western conference champs.. 2x NBA champs.. seems like their earning the checks the team owners are writing

  • BRAVO

    LAKERS!

  • Harlem_World

    Imagine if the Mavs had a healthy Butler too. This would be a wrap. But they don’t…

  • flipnoyce

    This Laker team is not the same Team that won last year or the year before that. The Lakers won’t be swept cause they will most likely steal one game from Dallas. But, they will still be down 3-1 going Back to Cali. If they were going to dominate at all, one would have had a chance to see it in their own HOME. The Lakers are in a deep s*** hole. If they couldn’t pull a hat trick at their own sleeves then I have every reason to believe they are as good as done.
    P.S. I also believed that the Mavs are choke artist but they sure aren’t showing it on these series and I’m ecstatic!

  • http://theurbangriot.com The NUPE

    Tonight is a big night. The Lakers feel they are in a ‘must win’ situation and they’ll be playing without Artest. The Mavs can taste victory already and don’t want to lose in front of a home crowd. I expect Kobe and Pau (yes Pau) to have big games, but still bleive the Mavs will prevail tonight and then go on to win the series in 5.

  • http://bigleaguewiffleball.com/ Jon L.

    The Lakers will definitely win tonight as I can’t imagine the Lakers actually losing 3 in a row to the Mavs.

  • Yesse

    Well, i certainly hope so. Game 2 was terrible and game 1 was such a fail by Gasol in the end.

  • O

    Some chick just told me she read that Kobe’s wife convinced Gasol’s fiance to call of their engagement. That’s why Pau is playing without any passion. Son has a broken heart. Ain’t that some ish…

Newer Comments →
Advertisement