Game of the day: Lakers at Suns
By: Sean Murphy
Series story
The home team has dominated this series so far, winning each of the first five games.
The Lakers appeared on track to deliver a blowout victory Thursday night before the Suns rallied, eventually tying the game with 3.5 seconds remaining. Ron Artest’s buzzer beater turned out to be the difference in a 103-101 Lakers victory.
Game 5 marked the first time in this series that the straight-up winner failed to cover the pointspread.
It was also the first time we saw a game stay under the total after the over cashed in Games 1 through 4.
These two teams have now met nine times since the start of the regular season, with the road team winning just once. The Lakers pulled out a 102-96 decision in Phoenix back on March 12.
Championship material
Backing the Lakers can be frustrating at times, as they often lack that killer instinct that represents the difference between a winning and losing ticket.
Winning games and covering spreads are two entirely different matters.
They led Game 5 by as many as 18 points, but were barely able to stave off a furious Suns rally. But, the fact that they were able to win that game on Ron Artest’s put-back tells a lot about this team’s character.
"Plays like that are the difference between championship teams and really good teams,” Suns coach Alvin Gentry put it best.
It was the perfect illustration of why they were able to win the NBA title one year ago and why they’re on the verge of reaching the NBA Finals for the third consecutive year.
When it comes to winning series, the Lakers haven’t lacked killer instinct. They’re a perfect two-for-two when attempting to finish off an opponent in these playoffs and 8-1 in that position dating back to the start of the 2008 playoffs.
It’s also worth noting that each of their last four series-clinching victories have come on the road, including both this postseason.
Suns set?
"We lost and they held home court. We'll go back home and do the same and we'll come back here for Game 7,” Phoenix point guard Steve Nash assured reporters following Game 5.
That’s as close to a guarantee as you’re going to get.
Nash certainly believes his team can get the job done at home and force a seventh and deciding game, and why not?
This is a team that has gone 6-1 SU and ATS on its home floor in the playoffs. The Suns last loss at home came way back in their playoff opener against the Portland Trail Blazers.
Alvin Gentry doesn’t believe his team’s disappointment will linger.
"We had an opportunity to win and didn't quite get it done, but we're not going to get discouraged,” he said. “We're not happy, I can tell you that. We're very disappointed. We're not jovial. But we'll be OK."
One thing’s for sure, the Suns can’t afford to fall behind early as they did in Game 5. If not for their sharp shooting from beyond the arc in the fourth quarter, the Lakers likely would have rolled to a double-digit win Thursday.
Phoenix has led by seven and nine points at the half in its two home games in this series. Getting off to a quick start will be imperative in a do-or-die situation Saturday.
Change of pace
After more than 220 points were scored in each of the first four games of the series, Game 5 totaled just 204 points.
It had a lot to do with the Lakers’ defensive gameplan. They did an excellent job of trapping the Suns and giving them little room to work with. Most of the Suns success came as a result of blown defensive assignments, rather than offensive efficiency.
Whether the Lakers can keep up that level of defensive intensity as the scene shifts back to Phoenix remains to be seen. They allowed 118 and 115 points in dropping Games 2 and 3 in the desert.
The Suns zone defense has been effective at times. Despite giving up 103 points, they did hold the Lakers under 42 percent shooting Thursday night.
Line moves
The Suns opened as 1 or 1.5-point favorites at most offshore books and remain at -1.5 as of Friday afternoon.
The early money has come in on the favored Suns. That’s no surprise given the short line and the home dominance in this series.
The total opened at 215, the lowest number we’ve seen since Game 1.
The betting public will likely line up to back the over, just as they have in virtually every game in this series.
The fact that the oddsmakers are willing to shave 2.5 points off the Game 5 opener is indicative of the type of action they’re expecting to receive from the big players.
NBA RoundUp For 5/29
By Dan Bebe
Lakers @ Suns - Phoenix by 1.5 with a total of 215.5. If there's one thing we've seen definitively, it's that the home team does have an edge in this series. The Lakers are 3-0 at home, though it took some heroics to avoid a complete collapse in game 5, and the Suns are 2-0 at home, never really having a contest in jeopardy in games 3 and 4, getting a monster performance from Amare Stoudemire in one of those games, and an even more impressive showing from the bench in the other. Here are the two points on this game worth exploring: first, we all know the Lakers show up when they're challenged. We saw it in game 6 on the road in round one, and we saw it in game 3 on the road in game 2. Oklahoma and Utah, respectively, brought strong efforts, and the Lakers were able to take those shots and still prevail, though it did take a Pau Gasol tip-in to end that first round series. So, were the Lakers sufficiently challenged in game 5? Sure looked like it, and yet, they let the big lead slip away, still not playing an entire game in convincing fashion. That's a huge concern for Lakers fans and bettors, since a 24-to-30 minute effort in Phoenix is going to mean another road loss. We know Phoenix is going to bring a strong game. They're the underdog, and they've been, to a certain extent, and despite being the #2 seed in the West, playing that underdog card quite a bit. Whether it's calling it a "lack of respect" or "revenge against the Spurs for an entire decade", the Suns have a nice psychological mindset. But, there comes a time when playing with nothing to lose isn't always the best. If the Lakers bring the defensive heat like they did in the first half of game 5, it really shouldn't matter where the game is played. I thought Sasha Vujacic did a pretty good job off the bench of harassing Goran Dragic, and because Dragic isn't lightning quick, Vujacic was able to get under his skin and force the Suns starters to do the bulk of the damage. Steve Nash was up to the task, but he needs rest, and I'm not sure the Suns can win another game without the bench playing a critical role. It's going to come down to that, for me. If the Suns bench can accomplish something, they can win; if the Lakers lay down the law, the series ends here.
Game 6, Lakers at Suns
By Brian Edwards
Ron Artest finished Game 5 of the Western Conference finals with four points on 2-of-9 shooting from the field. Nevertheless, Artest was the hero for the Lakers, who beat the Suns 103-101 to take a 3-2 lead in this best-of-seven series.
Phoenix’s Jason Richardson tied the game on a 3-pointer off the backboard with 3.5 seconds remaining. But even with the bank open late at night for the Suns, they couldn’t steal this one at Staples Center.
On the ensuing play, Kobe Bryant caught the inbounds pass and immediately let it fly from 3-point range. Fortunately for Los Angeles (68-29 straight up, 41-52-3 against the spread), Bryant didn’t just miss. Instead, he missed badly. In fact, the perennial All-Star threw up an air ball that wasn’t even close to hitting anything.
But it was all good for the purple and gold. Artest grabbed the air ball and beat the buzzer with a put-back bucket that sent the crowd into hysterics.
Phoenix (64-33 SU, 58-37-1 ATS) did hook up its backers, however, covering the number as a 7 ½-point underdog. The ‘over’ hit in the first four games of the series, but the ‘under’ cashed rather easily in Game 5.
Bryant scored a game-high 30 points and nearly recorded a triple-double. He pulled down 11 rebounds and dished out nine assists. Derek Fisher came up big with 22 points, as he drained 7-of-12 shots from the field and all six of his free-throw attempts. Pau Gasol added 21 points, nine boards and five assists.
Steve Nash had a tremendous game for the Suns, finishing with 29 points and 11 assists. He was the catalyst in the final stanza, making play after play off the dribble to keep his team within striking distance.
Channing Frye played extremely well for a second straight game, producing 14 points and 10 rebounds. Amare Stoudemire chipped in with 19 points, while Jared Dudley had 10 points and four boards off the bench.
For Game 6, most books have installed the Suns as one-point home favorites with a total of 215 ½.
Alvin Gentry’s team has been outstanding at home all year long, compiling a 38-10 SU record and a 31-16-1 ATS mark. Meanwhile, the Lakers are 26-22 SU and 20-27-1 ATS on the road.
Phoenix won Games 3 and 4 at home by the following scores: 118-109 and 115-106. Stoudemire was the key in Game 3, pouring in a game-high 42 points. In Game 4, it was all about the Suns’ bench that erupted for 54 points.
The ‘under’ is 49-45-2 overall for the Lakers, 24-23-1 in their road games. However, the ‘over’ is on a 10-2-1 run in L.A.’s last 13 games.
The ‘under’ is 48-45-3 overall for the Suns, but the ‘over’ is 25-22-1 in their home games.
TNT will provide television coverage at 9:00 p.m. Eastern.
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NBA News and Notes
Lakers were 8-17/9-16 from arc in first two wins, 9-32/9-28/7-24 in last three games; Artest's putback of airball (just his second hoop in 31:08 of play) bailed LA out, set up elimination game here. Lakers scored 106 pg in last three games, after scoring 128-124 in first two. Fisher was huge with 22 points in Game 5. Suns were +10 with Frye on court in Game 5; but bench was just 9-23. Nash had 29 points, 11 boards playing with a broken nose. Phoenix is 40-123 from arc in series; they'll need more than 11:24 of scoreless ball from Lopez to extend series to seven games. This series has taken form of LA-Oklahoma City series, which LA won in 6.
Tips and Trends
Los Angeles Lakers at Phoenix Suns
Lakers: Los Angeles is 1 win away from a return trip to the NBA Finals. The Lakers had to dig deep, as the Suns refused to give up in Game 5. Los Angeles played a far better defensive game, as they were able to slow down the pace of play to their desire. The Lakers held the Suns to only 101 PTS and only 46% shooting for the game. The Lakers were led by G Kobe Bryant as he had a game high 30 PTS. However, Bryant was rather inefficient, as he attempted 27 shots to get those 30 PTS. Los Angeles only shot 41% for the game, yet still came out victorious. F Pau Gasol had another solid game, as he had 21 PTS and 9 rebounds for Los Angeles. The unsung hero for the Lakers in Game 5 was Derek Fisher. Time and time again Fisher steps up in games with the highest stakes. Fisher had 22 PTS, including 2 three pointers in Game 5. The Lakers are 68-29 SU and 41-52-3 ATS overall this season. Los Angeles is 26-22 SU and 21-26-1 ATS in road games this year. The Lakers are 3-8 ATS as a road underdog of 3 PTS or fewer this season. Los Angeles is 7-9 ATS this season as the listed underdog overall.
Lakers are 7-3 ATS last 10 playoff games as an underdog.
Over is 8-0-1 last 9 games against a team with a winning percentage above .600%.
Key Injuries - None.
PROJECTED SCORE: 104
Suns (-1.5, O/U 215.5): When Phoenix suits up tonight at home, they will be facing elimination for the 1st time this post-season. Phoenix lost a heartbreaking Game 5, losing 103-101 on a Ron Artest buzzer beater. Phoenix really showed some grit and heart, as they were down double figures for the majority of the game. PG Steve Nash was the only Suns player to score 20 PTS or more, as he had a team high 29. Nash also had 11 assists in Game 5 with only 2 turnovers. C Robin Lopez came back to earth, as failed to score in just 11 minutes of play. C Channing Frye stepped up in place of Lopez, as he had 14 PTS and 10 rebounds. The Suns attempted 6 more free throws than the Lakers did in Game 5. Phoenix is 64-33 SU and 58-37-1 ATS overall this season. The Suns are 38-10 SU and 30-16-2 ATS in home games this year. In an odd but useful trend, the Suns are only 2-8 ATS this year in games played on Saturday. Phoenix is 5-2 ATS as home favorite of 3 PTS or fewer this season.
Suns are 4-0 ATS last 4 home games against a team with a winning road record.
Over is 4-0 last 4 Conference Finals games.
Key Injuries - None.
PROJECTED SCORE: 112 (Side of the Day)