The Los Angeles Lakers have advanced to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2004 on Thursday with their 100-92 victory over the defending champion San Antonio Spurs. The win on Thursday completes the series, which the Lakers won in five games. Kobe Bryant of the Lakers led the game with 39 points. 17 of his 39 points came in the fourth quarter. The Spurs jumped out to a 17 point lead early in the game but the Lakers started to chip away. They eventually took the lead in the second half and kept it for good. This has been an eventful season for the Lakers. This season started with rumors that Kobe Bryant getting traded. Bryant voiced his displeasure with management over the lack of moves being made. The Lakers refused to accept any offer for Bryant and Bryant stayed with the Lakers. Then, in January, young starting center Andrew Bynum injured his knee, forcing him to miss the rest of the season. A couple of weeks later, the Lakers acquired Pau Gasol from the Memphis Grizzlies. Bryant was happy with the trade and him and Gasol, along with other like Lamar Odom and Derek Fisher, became forces in the Western Conference. They ended the season as the #1 seed in the Western Conference and as the favorites in the West to make the NBA Finals. Here they are now. The Lakers will face the winner of the Eastern Conference Finals between the Detroit Pistons and the Boston Celtics. Will the Lakers win the title? Will Bryant retire as a Laker? Will the Lakers thrive with the addition of a healthy Andrew Bynum next year?
No comments:
Post a Comment