Christmas Wrap-Up

Ho! Ho! Ho! So it wasn’t the merriest of Christmas for the Los Angles Lakers. No wonder. The defending champions were outplayed in all fronts by the worthy contenders to the crown, the Cleveland Cavaliers. The final score 102-87 in favour of the Cavaliers.

As I turned on the TV to watch the match, I was a bit late to get up in the morning (the time difference) but I caught the live action of the final quarter. The sight was unbelievable. The Lakers looked completely off-colour and the fans were booing their heroes.

So what does this win showcase? Does it prove anything? I think it is just a sign of things to come. It isn’t that the Lakers were beaten, but they were beaten comprehensively. It wasn’t the usual fluent Lakers Show at the Staples Center, as the home team failed to gain any momentum throughout the match. The frustration of the Lakers fans was clearly visible after the match as they tossed foam and fingers and water bottles onto the court, the sight captured the mood of both the team and the fans at the arena.

The LA Lakers looked to have been the second best team throughout the match and their players agreed on the poor performance. “It’s a good wake-up call for us,” said Bryant, who had a game-high 35 points. “That was not a very nice way to spend Christmas Day,” Lakers coach Phil Jackson said.

But for the Cavaliers, Christmas couldn’t have been merrier. To go to the Lakers home arena and make the defending NBA champions a second grade team takes some doing. “It was about sending a message to ourselves,” said LeBron James. “It shows us this is who we should be or the level we can reach. That’s the measuring stick.” The win should really boost Cleveland’s confidence as being the potential contenders for the crown.

Call it fate or the circle of life, but Shaquille O’Neal had a major part to play in the Cavaliers win. It was in the highlights that I saw the complete match. In the opening minutes O'Neal knocked Pau Gasol to the floor. That was a sight to remember for a very long time! After that play, the Lakers looked visibly rattled and their play, seemingly, was never the same. “Shaq definitely had a presence in the game,” said Jackson. “I do know that he was a factor on Kobe.” That statement surely gives you the goosebumps and makes you wonder. Can Shaq be the final link in Cleveland’s chain to capture the NBA crown? It certainly appears now. For the first time this season, the Lakers’ frontcourt was neutralized. Cleveland’s trio of big men, O'Neal, Zydrunas Ilgauskas and Anderson Varejao, blocked every Laker move and kept a lid on their free scoring style of play.

For the Lakers it will be a test of character now, to bounce back from this de-motivating loss at home. But I am sure, for the team that they are; a comeback is not far away. As for the Cleveland Cavaliers, well I only see them holding the title at the end of this season.