Lake Show Rewind: Pleading the Third – Lakers 122, Pacers 99

If only the Lakers could play every quarter like they played the third quarter tonight against the Pacers then the world would be a much happier and less stressful place.

If only all quarters were this easy for the Lakers.

It looked like the Lakers were in store for another vintage “playing down to their level” performance as they sleepwalked their way through a sloppy first half.  But then, as seems to be their habit all season long, the Lakers opened up an industrial-sized can of whoop-ass in the third quarter.  Just like that, the switch had been flipped for the Lakers and the game was over for all intents and purposes.  Game.  Set.  Match, Lakers.

Nothing to worry about, right?  The letdown game had been avoided, so how could anyone find a problem with tonight’s performance?  Wrong.

If anything, tonight’s third quarter onslaught should piss Laker fans off.  It is plain to see that the Lakers can dominate at will but that will is often waning.  Perhaps the real truth behind the Lakers’ penchant for stellar third quarters is that the don’t really give a crap until the they head into the locker room at halftime and realize that they can’t just kick it into cruise control for the whole 48 minutes.  Perhaps if they could conjure up that same motivation that they find in at the half BEFORE each game, we wouldn’t have to deal with them failing to make a field goal until almost halfway through the first quarter like they did tonight.  Or maybe they wouldn’t be giving up 15 points to scrubs like Josh McRoberts.

Or maybe I should just quit nitpicking a team that just won by 23 points.  This one could go either way.

• Kobe’s jumper still looks pretty shaky but at least he found some other ways to get it done by getting to the charity stripe 15 times.  Even if he was shooting well, he should still be attacking the rim a lot more than he has been lately.
• Ron Artest was at it again tonight and it is about time the rest of the league started taking notice.  He totally shutdown Danny Granger in this game and even the crowd was really starting to get into it.  What a difference having a healthy pair of feet makes.
• Finally, Kobe and Pau get some rest.  Gasol actually hasn’t played this few minutes in almost a month now.  Maybe if the bench mob can keep performing like they did tonight, Phil wouldn’t have to ride the starters so hard all the time.

Lake Show Outtakes:

• Boo on the bench mob!!!  They nearly gave the Staples Center crowd a collective heart attack as they nearly let the Pacers sneak over the 100-point mark during garbage time.  Thank goodness Jordan Farmar made the heads up steal on Indy’s next to last possession to preserve tacos for everyone.
• OK, I know I said that Phil needs to rest Kobe and Pau more, but giving Adam Morrison non-garbage time minutes?  That’s just plain crazy.  If there is a bright side, we did get to see Ammo execute some of the most nonathletic lay-ups the NBA has seen this century.

Tags: Adam Morrison, bench mob, Danny Granger, Game Rewind, Indiana Pacers, Jordan Farmar, Josh McRoberts, Kobe Bryant, Ron Artest