Well, it is pretty tough to analyse this game. The Cavs appeared to me to be uncharacteristically tight at the start of the game, and then they seemed to settle down. Lebron seemed to me to be pressing too much throughout the game, rather than let his game come to him as he usually does. Certainly, the Lakers played better defense the second half, but the Cavs seemed to be rattled by the aggressiveness of the Lakers by that time and this contributed to missing open shots. The entire team seemed anxious and pressing the second half.
I am a Laker fan, but I have been watching pro basketball for over fourty years, so no gloating from me. Personally, I was hoping to see a classic battle between James and Bryant. Bryant was apparently sick with the flu from what I have heard around the web. He certainly did not look his usual self.
This was just an anomalous game for many reasons. Perhaps the weight of the long undefeated run had something to do with it.
Certainly, we in Los Angeles are used to Lamar Odom being an underachiever, in a lot of fan's estimation that is. We did not expect him to explode this way tonight, and this was the joker in this game, and the whole game turned on his having this rather unexpected big game. My personal theory is that Lamar fed off of the, for him, great news of Radmanovic being sent away since this meant to him that the Laker FO is serious about trying to retain his services after this year.
As for the Cavs, I personally think that once they recover Delonte West, and if they can find a serviceable under the basket tall guy, that they will be the number one power in the East, Boston notwithstanding! I like Ilgauskas, but though he is the titular Center, he rarely changes things under the basket and sometimes this is needed against certain teams. Of course, Bynum was not of the game, but Gasol, though being pretty well controlled as far as his shots, had a lot of latitude at directing the triangle through himself, and he rebounded well.
I fully expect that the Lakers will face Cleveland this year in the Finals after they have made one or two small adjustments to the roster. There will be other meetings between our two great squads.
One last thought, it is just extremely tough to keep long winning streaks of any type going. Sooner or later they end though we as fans of our respective teams wish they would never end. I can not remember the Lakers ever having had a 23-0 record at home ever, this late in the season, so, my compliments to the Cavs and to the fans that support them.
