Posted by Sekou Smith
HANG TIME HEADQUARTERS – It’s a good thing there are a few days between games in this Lakers-Jazz series, per at least one man keeping an eye on things.
Gordon Monson of the Salt Lake Tribune has seen enough after two games, two tough wins for the home team.
He’s convinced the Jazz need more than the humans in the uniforms can provide:
It’s been a theme throughout the Jazz’s postseason, a kind of tent-revival, chapter-and-verse call for a little belief, a little faith in the face of untimely injuries, a short roster and long odds. Make that a lot of belief, a lot of faith. Somebody — was it the ’69 Mets? — once said that those two agents are precisely what precedes the miracle. Sometimes, they produce it.
Tuesday night at Staples Center was not one of those times.
The Jazz believed, and believed some more, they huffed and they puffed, and never quit, but, at the end of Game 2, there was only a double-barreled blast of disappointment and defeat, again, at the hands of the Lakers, 111-103.
Hallelujah went to hell.
Alongside Kyrylo Fesenko‘s game.
Ever notice how Mehmet Okur suddenly transforms into a much better player when he doesn’t play?
It was the eighth straight playoff loss for the Jazz here in L.A. in the last three postseasons. It was the 10th playoff loss overall through that span to Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol.
So, how’s everybody doing now? Do the Jazz yet trust that they can beat the Lakers?
“I hope so,” said Deron Williams, “or else we’ll be going home early.”
They’re going home for a bit of hope in Game 3.
Williams said something before Game 2 that sounded even more ominous, that sounded more like concession than confidence, though he wasn’t necessarily intending it that way:
“The better team is going to win this series.”
We all know what that means.
The Lakers were the better team Tuesday night, just like they were Sunday afternoon, by just a few numerical breaths.
Gordon might be on to something.
The gap between the top and bottom in the Western Conference is razor-thin compared to what it is between the top and bottom in the East.
The Lakers keep leaving the door open (same as they did against the Thunder in the first round), but their opponents either can’t seem to take advantage of it or don’t have the tools to take advantage.
Maybe it is time for a higher power to go to work in someone’s favor … or maybe the Jazz just need a trip home for a couple of games.
We shall see!
***
