Los Angeles, your Lakers are going to the NBA Finals.
It was a slow start and fast finish for the Lake Show in Game 5 this evening.
Their final lap before riding to the championship resulted in a 117-107
victory over Denver.
It was an incredibly hard-fought round. Here’s to the Nuggets, a worthy
contender.
This win ran deep tonight. Every guy wanted to step up and it made for an
incredible game from the Purple and Gold. LeBron James (38 pts, 16 reb, 10
ast) led the way. In his 17th year in the league, the King was an absolute
force in the pursuit of his tenth Finals appearance this Saturday night.
LeBron’s defense was outstanding for forty minutes. He was collecting rebounds
like he was the only one under the hoop, which made it possible for him to
somehow make the Lakers fastbreak even faster. And to close it out, LBJ had an
arsenal of daggers that he unleashed as he hit fadeaway jumper after fadeaway
jumper in the fourth quarter. It was “winning time” as he calls it, and that
means no off button for Bron.
Coach Frank Vogel praised his team postgame, “credit to all our players.”
The best part of this Game 5 victory, other than the result? The Lakers’
chemistry. The teamwork was magnetic. Danny Green (11 pts, 2 blk) and Dwight
Howard (9 pts, 9 rebs) were pivotal defenders. While the Lakers offense was
fueled by the familiar favorites. Specifically, Rajon Rondo (8 pts, 4 ast, 3
reb) and Anthony Davis (27 pts). The two were striking, as was the LeBron-Alex
Caruso (11 pts, 4 ast) dynamic. The No. 1 two-man combo was smoking hot
tonight.
Discreet passes and blatant hammers are the making of beautiful teamwork. That
is Rondo and Davis’ specialty. These two understand each other incredibly well
and are always on the same page— at the exact same time. The playmaker and the
big fella were outstanding in their respective roles, but what was interesting
was seeing these two trade spots tonight and get the other’s job done. Rondo
was sneaky and lethal in the paint, while AD was a threat from the outside and
draining threes.
Speaking of sameness, let’s bring it to the King and AC. Separately, LeBron
did the big things, grabbing another playoff triple-double. This is his fourth
of this playoff series which puts him in a class with Elgin Baylor, John
Stockton and Chris Paul. While AC did the little things, that added up to the
big things.
It’s pretty poetic that the LeBron-AC storyline began this time last year and
after developing for almost 365 days, continues to be a pillar of the Lake
Show’s success. Fans have witnessed AC Fresh enter the league and watch and
learn from Bron. With Bron’s vision, AC’s work ethic and their shared will to
win, the two are a worthy alliance.
These are only a few of the countless examples of the teamwork, brotherhood
and heart that connect this team. A great feat was accomplished tonight, but
this isn’t the finish line. LeBron said postgame, “we battled through a lot
this year. We’ve got four more to win, for the ultimate goal.” The job is not
done. The Lakers have one more round to face together.