Lake-Show Have More Want-to-win-ness than Celtics

Hope you all had a Merry Christmas. As I'm sure many of you saw, The Lakers did. But why? Well, for answers to tough questions like that I turn to the steady hand of professional journalists, such as Steve Dilbeck of the Daily News.

Despite the great run the Celtics were on, despite the glare of a nationally-televised Christmas Day game, this game was more important to the Lakers, and ultimately they played like it.

[Saying something = making it true.]

The Lakers thought they were improved because of last year's experience and the addition of a healthy Andrew Bynum and Trevor Ariza. But they needed evidence to believe it was enough to beat Boston.

[Needed evidence? I'm sorry, I'm unfamiliar with that concept.... Can't I just *say* something and make it so? For example,...]

Pau Gasol, again badly outplayed by Kevin Garnett most of the night, lit up.

[Yep. Making a few open jumpers in the final few minutes >>> Getting destroyed by KG for the previous 45 minutes.]

Here's another thought: Instead of pointing to an amorphous and arbitrary reason like "wanting it more" to explain the Lakers' win, let's try looking at something that's actually quantifiable. Here's a simple one: Kobe.

Yesterday's game (Laker win): 13-23, 27 points.

Game 1 '08 Finals (Laker loss): 9-26, 24 points.
Game 2 '08 Finals (Laker loss): 11-23, 30 points.
Game 3 '08 Finals (Laker win): 12-20, 36 points.
Game 4 '08 Finals (Laker loss): 6-19, 17 points.
Game 5 '08 Finals (Laker win): 8-21, 25 points.
Game 6 '08 Finals (Laker loss): 7-22, 22 points.

11/27/07 against Celtics (Laker loss): 9-21, 28 points.
12/30/07 against Celtics (Laker loss): 6-25, 22 points.

So, against this KG-RayRay-Pierce Celtic team, Kobe is shooting 35.3% from the field for 23.8 ppg when the Lakers lose, and Kobe is shooting 51.6% for 29.3 ppg when the Lakers win.

In the humble opinion of this idiot-with-an-internet-connection, in analyzing the factors that may directly impact the performance of the Lake-Show, "Kobe playing well" >>>> "Laker players gritting teeth really hard."

The Lake-Show is in trouble

Despite touting a robust 21-3 record, Bill Plaschke of the Los Angeles Times thinks the Lakers are missing something. Something magical.

The Lakers have lost that spark.

[21-3]

What happened?

[They win a lot?]

I found Kobe. I found Fish. I found the schedule. I found the kids.

[OK?]

I also found a guy who thinks this is all poppycock.

[So did I! I think that guy might be on to something...]

Here's what I found. Kobe Bryant Hasn't Pushed Them Yet.

[Seriously! If Kobe had be "pushing" them, they would probably be 22-2 right now!]

This is a team whose pulse can be directly measured by Bryant's heart rate....

[I'm pretty sure that only KOBE'S pulse can be directly measure by Bryant's heart rate. But keep going.]

Derek Fisher's and Jordan Farmar's Defense Hasn't Pushed Them Yet.

[What's with all the pushing?]

The Schedule Hasn't Pushed Them Yet.

[Yeah, c'mon schedule! Get more difficult so the Lakers will lose a few games and I will look like a genius for writing this "Lakers lack a spark" article.]

Teams get lazy at home and tough on the road.

[Lakers home record: 14-1. Lakers road record: 7-2. Sooo lazy.]

The Lakers are a sultry, splendid 21-3. Now if they'd only act like it.

[I vote that Kobe be the first Laker to start acting "sultry."]