The Melo Backpedal

With three of the second round series currently tied at two games apiece, with each team winning both games at home, each series as taken a turn that was difficult to see coming only a few short days ago. So what can we expect for the remainder of each of these series?

Lakers — Jazz (2-2)

After the first two games of the series, many thought the Los Angeles Lakers would simply roll over the Utah Jazz en route to an appearance in the NBA Finals. After all, isn’t that what the league would want? Having Kobe’s Lakers versus the Big Three in Boston for the NBA title would be a dream come true for the marketability and historical significance of the league. Now, after the Jazz returned home, held serve, and tied the series up at two games a piece, those pesky doubters are starting the come out of the woodwork.

While most observers still seem to favor the Lakers, who still hold homecourt advantage in the series, the questions about Kobe Bryant’s sore back have caused some to question whether or not they could be in trouble in this series. While Kobe has played through injuries as much as anyone in recent memory, a most believe a back problem is a bit more serious than some of the other injuries he’s previously faced in his career. The real question is, was he playing it up, trying to create some additional drama, or is he really hurt? The fact that he said he would play in Game 5 in Los Angeles only hours after the game in which he was hurt, tells you that it probably cannot be too serious or he’d at least wait to see how his body reacts to treatment and rest before making such a statement. The other thing that has to be considered if he really is seriously hurt, is whether or not he’ll be effective enough to actually help his team. He took seven of his teams ten shot attempts in the overtime period against Utah in Game 4, while suffering through the back injury, but only made one of those seven attempts. He also didn’t have any assists during the overtime period, which has to make you wonder if he just didn’t play well, or if the injury really limited his ability to produce the way he’s accustomed to.

One of the keys to Game 5, besides Kobe’s health, of course, will be the play of Carlos Boozer, who had 27 points and 20 rebounds in Game 3, but only 14 points, on 5-of-15 shooting, and 12 rebounds in increased minutes in Game 4. He simply has to play better for the Jazz to have a chance to win. As for the Lakers, they cannot allow Derek Fisher to get into foul trouble as he didn’t in Game 4, because his backup, Jordan Farmar, has been getting absolutely killed by Utah’s Deron Williams. I cannot remember a more lopsided matchup at point guard than this one, as Farmar is letting Williams do whatever he wants on offense, while only shooting 1-for-16 from the field, with only four assists, for the series.

Celtics — Cavaliers (2-2)

The Boston Celtics can’t possibly think they’re championship material, can they? Their coach, Doc Rivers, seems to be questioning it, as he recently said, “We need to play better under stress.” Isn’t that code for, ‘we’re choking and not dealing too well with the high expectations,’ and he’s absolutely right. They simply don’t have the killer instinct and poise we’re accustomed to seeing in championship caliber teams. The C’s don’t make baskets or get stops when they need them most, and they don’t have a single individual who can take over in the late stages of a game, like nearly every championship team of the past two decades. Yes, they have some great offensive players, but none of them has stepped up, taken control, and willed his team to victory, the way LeBron James has done for the Cavs on multiple occasions.

Face it, these guys simply don’t finish the way their talent level and regular season record would suggest. Paul Pierce admitted as much when he said, “This is a game that we let slip away.” This is starting to sound a lot like a broken record. Wasn’t those same words muttered when they lost three times to a far inferior Atlanta Hawks team in the first round, a series that many thought would go four games — five max? During the first round, TNT analyst Charles Barkley talked a length about how championship teams are the greedy ones, they “go for the sweep” and don’t let games just slip away. A legitimate championship contender wouldn’t have let the Atlanta Hawks take them to seven games and would have stolen at least one game from the Cavs and returned home for Game 6 to put the series away. That didn’t happen and now the Celtics have themselves a problem, going a full length series against a team with a player like LeBron James, who seems to have finally figured out how to get his against that once-daunting Celtics defense.

Is this series over for the Celtics? Of course not, but it’s a good thing they have home court advantage, because they’re going to need it if they want to close out the Cavs.

Hornets — Spurs (2-2)

While most of us thought the Spurs were ready to roll over and die after watching them play during the first two games of the series, like the Jazz and Cavaliers, they too responded well to a heavy dose of home cooking in Games 3 and 4. As the series turns back to New Orleans tonight for Game 5, why have to ask yourself, have the Spurs of old returned? Will that championship experience give them the edge, and will the young, inexperienced Hornets be satisfied to simply push the defending champions to six games? While it’s hard to believe the Chris Paul-led Hornets would be satisfied with what they’ve done so far, these post-Game 4 quotes don’t bode well.

“Our intensity was terrible,” Byron Scott said. “From Game 1 to Game 4, it’s gotten worse, and theirs has gotten better. They’re just kicking our butts right now.”

“I don’t even think we tried tonight,” echoed David West, following Game 4.

This is something that will have to be watched closely, as the Spurs have a way of taking the will out of their opponents, and it appears they may have done so with the Hornets. We’ll see how the Hornets respond back at home tonight.

As John Hollinger points out in his analysis of the series, the Spurs’ ball movement has been extremely good in Games 3 and 4, with the ball flying around the perimeter once one of the big three gave it up and seemingly always landing in the paws of an open shooter. That is what enabled the Spurs to shoot 58.9 percent through three quarters and assist 22 of their 33 field goals in Game 4. Hollinger also correctly points out that nearly all the ones that weren’t assisted were straight screen-and-roll drives by Parker.

“It’s all about moving the ball against these guys,” Duncan said. “We know where they’re coming from and we have to find our shooters and make jump shots.” This, along with their ability to continue to shut down Peja Stojakovic and Tyson Chandler will be keys to victory for the Spurs.

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