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Five spot
Big hopes ride on Western Conference showdowns
Posted: Tuesday May 13, 2003 1:32 PM
Updated: Tuesday May 13, 2003 3:56 PM
By John Donovan, SI.com
Wasn't it just a few days ago that the Lakers looked cooked? How did the Kings not fold after that draining double-overtime loss -- when was that, just last Saturday?
Tuesday night, the NBA Playoffs pick up again with a critical pair of Game 5 showdowns in the always whacked out Western Conference. Both best-of-seven series are tied at two games apiece. Injuries have been a big factor in both.
And you can count on this: These two Games 5 will be as hard to figure as the first eight games in these Western Conference semifinals …
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Sacramento Kings at Dallas Mavericks
7:00 p.m. ET, TNT
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| Series Snapshot |
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| Game 1 |
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124 |
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113 |
| Game 2 |
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132 |
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110 |
| Game 3 |
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141 |
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137 |
| Game 4 |
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99 |
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83 |
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The past … That Game 3 on Saturday, a 141-137 Dallas win in two overtimes, may be the defining game of the 2003 playoffs so far. The Mavs winning that game -- in Sacramento, no less -- was huge, especially after they lost Game 1 at home. True, the Kings bounced back in Game 4, which tipped off less than 24 hours after the Game 3 killer. And they did it without Chris Webber, who probably is gone for the playoffs with a torn-up knee. But can the Kings rely on Webber's backup, Hedo Turkoglu, scoring 17 points a game (as he did Sunday in Game 4) from here on out? If they want to stay in this series much longer, Turkoglu will have to contribute.
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Van Exel AP |
The present … After a nice day off and a change of venue, the Kings and Mavs -- two of the top three highest-scoring teams in the league -- make this thing a best-of-three. The Kings have to keep getting something from Turkoglu, an obvious surprise in Game 4, and have to slow down Dallas' attack. And the Mavs have to get more from their erratic point guard, Nick Van Exel, than the five points he dropped in the Game 4 loss.
The future … After three run-and-gun games, the tongues started dragging in Game 4 on Sunday. Expect the tempo to pick up, the scores (for both teams) to be 100-plus and the Mavs, working on the Webber-less Kings, to win this in front of the home crowd.
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Los Angeles Lakers at San Antonio Spurs
9:30 p.m. ET, TNT
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| Series Snapshot |
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| Game 1 |
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87 |
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82 |
| Game 2 |
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114 |
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95 |
| Game 3 |
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110 |
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95 |
| Game 4 |
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99 |
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95 |
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The past … In Game 2, the Lakers looked like the former champs. Tired, hurt, completely overmatched, the Jackson bunch had no answer for Tim Duncan or David Robinson. Heck, they had no answer for Emanuel Ginobili. But then the series shifted back to the Staples Center in L.A., and Devean George dragged his sore ankle onto the court to score 13 points in a Game 3 Lakers win highlighted by superfan Jack Nicholson going bonkers (OK … more bonkers than usual). Then Shaquille O'Neal made some free throws late in Game 4 -- he made some free throws! -- to win one for coach Phil Jackson, who missed the game after angioplasty to unblock a clogged artery to his heart. This stuff you couldn't dream up.
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Bryant AP |
The present … We knew the Lakers could turn it up, of course. We just wondered whether they had waited too long this time. The answer's still not in. With Rick Fox out and George still limping, the Spurs are the superior team. But the Lakers still have the best two players, arguably, in the NBA. Game 5 in San Antonio, in front of one of the rowdier crowds in the league, is as big a playoff game as the Spurs have played since winning the league title in 1999. If the Spurs lose this … well, you don't want to be the Spurs if the Spurs lose this one.
The future … If this one's not close, it'll be a stunner. The Lakers have O'Neal (25.3 points a game in this series) and Kobe Bryant (34.5), but the Spurs are deeper, paced by Duncan (26.0) and sharpshooting guard Ginobili (13.3, and 51 percent from the field). The Spurs, playing at home, should win this. They should. But the Lakers, as all Lakers haters know, just have a knack for playing better when they have to play better. Watch Derek Fisher (averaging11.5 points this series). Watch Robert Horry (who has been too quiet). Watch the Lakers steal this one by three.
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