Just One More For the LA Lakers Print E-mail
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Written by Darren Odellot   
Thursday, 29 May 2008
San Antonio Spurs Brent Barry Missed the Last Shot vs. Lakers


There is one thing that can be admired from the Los Angeles Lakers squad of this year – they know that they can topple the defending champs, even if it takes them mere seconds to complete a victory. Leading their series with the San Antonio Spurs, the Lakers had been pushed to the limit in their Game 4 match with the boys from Texas. The battle was an instant classic as both squads managed to make and miss important shots down the stretch. The two superstars –Kobe Bryant for the Lakers and Tim Duncan for the Spurs– were letting the world know why they are the leaders of their ball club. They know that their skills are needed to will their team to win.

The game seemed that it would be won by the Lakers in the first half as they led by as much as 14 points. However, the Spurs were not to be undone as they rallied to keep the game close up until the last seconds. The Spurs had a valiant effort but it was not enough to seal the deal. Leading the way for San Antonio in this game was not Duncan but the tried and tested Brent Barry. Coming off the bench, Barry had 23 points to go along with 5 rebounds and two steals. He also shot 5 out of 12 treys. However, his most important shot –the supposed winning shot at the end of the game– did not fall as expected.

Tim Duncan was pushing his team to give more than 100 percent. He finished with 29 points and 17 rebounds. He also put up 3 assists, 3 steals and 3 blocks. Yet, he only had offensive support from Barry and point guard Tony Parker. The Frenchman scored 23 points while dishing out 9 assists. He was also a mediocre 8 out of 17 from the field. The Spurs missed the shooting touch of their premiere sixth man Manu Ginobili. After scoring 30 points in their last game, Manu was locked up by Kobe Bryant and only managed a measly 7 points. He only dropped 2 out of 8 shot attempts.

The Lakers were more than effective starting from the opening tip. They never gave up the lead, even though the Spurs managed to tie the game in several occasions. Bryant finished with a double-double as he put up 28 points and 10 rebounds. He had 3 other teammates scoring in double figures, led by Lamar Odom who had 16 points. Pau Gasol did not let up on the boards as he pulled down 10 rebounds. He also scored 10 points. Off the Lakers bench, Luke Walton scored 9 points to go along with 5 rebounds.

Every game in the series is now a must-win for the San Antonio Spurs. They know that their backs are against the wall and are facing elimination. They cannot afford a single loss and they need to win three straight games, two of them in Laker land. Bryant and the rest of the Los Angeles squad is more than ready to finish off the champs and proceed to the NBA Finals, which is just a single game away.



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