Here's my early morning take on this game. Most bettors will feel that the Lakers are out for blood tonight following a crummy 2-3 road trip that finished with Kobe being totally pissed off because the rest of his team basically stinks. In my opinion, pumped though the champs may be, I think the visiting Jazz are going to want this win even more.
It's a fact that coming into this season, the Jazz had lost twelve straight times to the Lakers in L.A. It's a fact that ten of those defeats had come by double digits. It's a fact that the Jazz had their last two seasons closed out by the Lakers in the playoffs. With all this in mind, the Jazz entered through the bowels of Staples Center last December 9th with something to prove. But instead of standing up to the defending champions, that night they endured a humiliation that had them sucking their collective thumbs on the bus back to the airport.
Utah brought a mediocre 12-8 record into that game last December. The Lakers, meanwhile, came in red-hot, riding a 9-game winning streak they'd compiled almost entirely by playing home games. The Jazz built a 52-48 halftime lead, and stretched that lead out to 63-55 midway through the third quarter. But that's when the Lakers went to work, and in the process completely shut down and embarrassed the proud Jazz. An 18-8 run to end the third gave the Lakers the lead, and they were just getting warmed up.
Early in the fourth, the Lakers went on a scary 20-0 run to turn a 74-73 game into a 94-73 comedy routine. While the Lakers were busy dishing and swishing, the Jazz were missing ten straight shots, commiting two shot clock violations, and fumbling the ball away two other times. Halfway through that quarter, as I watched in growing disbelief, I was ready to bet anyone $50,000 that the Jazz wouldn't score another basket the rest of the game. They were getting throttled that badly by the sick Laker defense. Deron Williams finally hit a shot to break the run, but the Lakers kept their foot on Utah's throat as they romped to a 101-77 win, outscoring and outclassing Utah 28-6 in the final quarter.
Just three days later, the Jazz (sort of) avenged that beatdown (but not really), defeating the Lakers, 102-94, in Utah. The win was made a bit less satisfying when it was learned afterwards that Kobe had been suffering from flu-like symptons all day but played anyway (leading to his terrible 7-24 shooting performance).
Two months later, the Lakers returned to Utah, this time without Kobe Bryant (who was in the middle of sitting out five games with a left ankle injury) and Andrew Bynum (out with a bruised hip). This time it was the Jazz who were riding a 9-game winning streak while L.A. came in shorthanded. But instead of taking advantage, the Jazz were stopped cold as the Lakers led from the start, nursing a 14-19 point lead throughout the second half en route to a 96-81 win. The loss sent Utah into the All-Star break on a sour note.
Since then, however, there's no disputing that Utah has been the better team. In fact, beginning January 20th, the Jazz went from 23-18 to the 50-26 record they hold today. That's 27 wins in their last 35 games, with 23 of them coming by 8 points or more and 18 by double digits. Over that same stretch, the Lakers have gone from a brilliant start of 32-9 (thanks in part to 26 home games) to their current 54-21. That's just 22 wins in their last 34 games, with 14 of them coming by 8 points or more and only 8 by double digits.
The way I see it, the Jazz, despite having beaten the Lakers in Utah last December, are coming into this Staples Center rematch thinking about double revenge. First, for the blowout loss in Utah before the All-Star break, and second, for the emasculation suffered in the second half the last time they were here. I don't even have to know the Jazz personally to know they're thinking about it today. The Pirates of the Caribbean have already thought about all of this, too, because they made the mighty Lakers just 5-point favorites for tonight. Does anyone remember the line last December when the Jazz came to town? It was 10.5. Last spring, during the first round of the playoffs, Utah was getting even more than that in Games 1, 2, and 5. But tonight, Laker backers need lay only 5. No, check that. It's down to 4.5.
The Lakers only -4.5 over a team they've dominated in Los Angeles thirteen times in a row? That looks easy, but to me it's tempting to bet on Utah to finally stand up to their bullies.
Hot Forum Topics
