Sacramento vs. LA Lakers, Game 1 (2000)–4th Quarter
We start from the third, Lakers up by 12.
Jack Nicholson is bald here. This is more horrifying than Jason Williams’s box out abilities.
Lawrence Funderburke and Tony Delk are running the offense for Sacramento right now. Interestingly, the Kings bench seemed to always step up when needed (Pollard, Delk, Bobby Jackson)…because they actually played hard on both sides of the floor.
Lakers and Kings are actively trading baskets right now. Defense has been a bit of a liability
The ShawShaq Redemption: Shaw runs baseline the Kings put a double team (why would you double teams Brian Shaw on the baseline?), and he lobs it to O’Neal. Dunk.
Brian Shaw gets the floater to go, Shaq blocks Pollard, then pushes poor Scott aside in the low post for a layup and 40 points. The lead is 16. Game 1 is almost in the books.
Webber comes in, charges into Derek Fisher, and fouls out. Now it’s in the books.
Kings play small ball and brings in the corpse of Tyrone Corbin. It’s always fun to watch them yank up threes.
Nick Anderson nail a 3, Delk nails a jumper, Divac gets a three point play. I spoke too soon. I forgot that the Shaq-Kobe Lakers always let teams come back on them.
Vlade continues his impressive defense on Shaq, pushing him away from his preferred jump shot, then gets an offensive rebound off of Shaq’s body and goes to the line. Now a 10-0 run. All this without Webber in the game.
This is Kobe’s time of the game. Fakes out Delk (who’s played him well) and nails the open jumper. I can’t believe Bryant pushed him out of town in 2004. I’ll never understand it.
Vlade clangs two, Shaq gets the deep post, gets the layup, Vlade misses a jumper, Shaq twirls around the post into the alley oop, Divac rejected by O’Neal. 46 pts, 17 rebounds, 5 blocks. I wonder if this was the offseason Vlade decided to put on 30 pounds via smoking an extra pack a day.
Shaq with an offense rebound, Kobe circus layup, Shaq the floater on the side post, Kobe with two offensive rebounds. Shaq-Kobe-Shaq-Kobe. See how little fun this three years were in the NBA for the casual fan? Only the media obsessed over these years, simply because it made their job so easy. Shaq and Kobe don’t like each other? Let’s hype it up all season long!
I’m spouting nonsense. Let’s just finish this.
Final score, 117-107 LA.
Rating this game: 3/5. No drama, not much defense, plenty of great shooting. Worth it for watching dominant Shaq though. Still a humble Shaq too. Just absolutely unstoppable.
