
Damian Lillard shatters the dreams of Lakers Back-to-Back in the most mocking way, with a lay-up 3/10 of a second from the end of a sensational game seven. It's the bucket that explodes the Rose Garden on the 105-103 and doesn't leave us more time to do anything. But more than Lillard invention, we regret the advantage we had. In game seven? No, in the series. We were 3-1...
As usual in this Second Volume, the Lakers postseason are something of unbelievable; in the last two playoffs (2013 and 2014) this was the fourth round of five to ending in game seven and, as I feared, the fact that we play it out of our home had probably a decisive role in the final seconds, even if the Lillard layup have unforgivable sins by Steve Nash, who let himself be beat in fluency, and Dwight Howard, who didn't close with the help defense. The series, we said, was spectacular. In game one at Rose Garden in the first three quarters we seems unrivaled (48-68, +20 LAL) then we look in the mirror, because this team is female, and Portland recovers everything, passes, and in the end we can only take home the last seconds thanks to an assist from Kobe to Nash puts feet on the ground for the triple wide-open for 101-105 with 30" lefts. Ends 105-109, with Bryant scored 42 points, 6 rebounds and 7 assists. The 1-1 in game two has no history, the Blazers after a balanced first half, pass over us like a steamroller in a china shop, undermine us at -23 (97-74) thanks to the young wings Batum (23) and Lillard (22 points, 9 assists); Kobe, 32 points, quarrels with the triple (1/9).
Round three, the first at the Staples Center, has only a single image, the unforgettable victory bucket at the buzzer by Bryant, with explosion of the building and the commentary for the 108-106 which is the 2-1 Lakers: The Black Mamba close this sensational game with 43 points and 11 assists.
Game # 4 seems the unconditional Portland surrender. The Kobe buzzer-beater in game three demolished them, Lakers won 116-106 with another incredible performance by The #24 (41 points, 15/25 shooting), even though to break the bank is Kostas Papanikolaou, coming out from the shell with 23 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists and 3/3 for three. Note: he drew from the arc this season with 5% (2/38 ...) and traveling at just 4.0 points per game.
It looks like the blow game with the Lakers started to close the account on 4-1, and instead it will not. In this second part of the series, in fact, Damian Lillard will increase strongly in the chair. In game five Kobe is limited by fouls (4 at the beginning of the third quarter), the Blazers sent six men in double figures, including the droid to raise its voice, the Big Center Dion Parker, and the 117-103 is off the 3-2.
In game six at the Staples Center Lillard packs an unforgiveble performance: 24 points, 7 rebounds and something like 18 assists, many of which are designed by Wes Matthews (24) and Nicolas Batum (20). Kobe trying in all ways to avoid game seven in Portland, but he needs to put 38 shots to score 36 points. And so, game seven at the Rose Garden. And in Oregon Damian Lillard, 25 points, 12 assists, 10/19 shooting, at the buzzer churns us out.
The title, like 'feared' the day before, was won, not even that much surprise, by the Brooklyn Nets 4-1 against the Oklahoma City Thunder. The team of Jay-Z, first in regular season with only 5 losses in 29 games has hit on the season of grace, took its revenge over Miami in the new edition of the last Eastern Conference Finals and then removing it in game seven. Then, the historic victory in the Nba Finals against OKC, thanks to a superlative Deron Williams (MVP).
For the Lakers, after the 2013 title, however, the feeling of "the end of a cycle never started" is palpable. The last action of game seven, with Lillard easy layup that exceeds the 40 yo Nash and Howard wrong in closing help, is a photograph of what will change for the next season, 2014-15.
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